Spanish businessman CONSTANTINO FERNÁNDEZ has "confirmed that he will be a candidate for the presidency" of Spanish second division side Deportivo La Coruña when elections are held at the end of the year. Fernandez becomes the fifth candidate, joining PACO ZAS, GERMÁN RODRÍGUEZ, MANUEL LÓPEZ CASCALLAR and current Deportivo President AUGUSTO CÉSAR LENDOIRO (EFE, 10/29). ... Between LIONEL MESSI and CRISTIANO RONALDO, FIFA President SEPP BLATTER admitted that he "'prefers' the Barcelona man." Blatter: "They are both exceptional players but are totally different. ... One has more expenses for the hairdresser than the other, but that doesn't matter. I cannot say who is the best, there will be a contest this year and then January next year it will be announced. I like both of them, but I prefer Messi" (FOOTBALL ESPANA, 10/29). ... Argentine football manager ANTONIO MOHAMED, the former coach of Liga MX side Tijuana, "is preparing to return to Mexican football in December." Mohamed did not say which team he would join, "but admitted that he has received calls from clubs interested in hiring him" (LA AFICION, 10/28). ... French rugby side Bayonne scrum-half MIKE PHILLIPS "has started legal action" against the club, which fired him for "allegedly turning up to a team meeting drunk, but his hopes of returning to Wales appear remote even if he signs a contract with the Welsh Rugby Union." Phillips was "suspended by Bayonne after he and two other players faced an internal inquiry for turning up to a video analysis session under the influence of alcohol." Phillips said that he "first found out about the termination of his contract on Monday morning in a French newspaper" (London GUARDIAN, 10/28). ... Italian Football Federation President GIANCARLO ABETE "is hoping to extend the contract" of Italy coach CESARE PRANDELLI. Prandelli, who was appointed in '10, "is expected to return to club management after the 2014 World Cup" (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 10/29). ... Malaysia World Cup field hockey player R. UTHAMARAJAH died Tuesday at the age of 61 after "suffering a heart attack." He was only the second player after his older brother PATMARAJAH "from the east coast to represent Malaysia in the World Cup" (THE STAR, 10/29). ... French tennis player JO-WILFRIED TSONGA "has appointed the duo" of THIERRY ASCIONE and NICOLAS ESCUDE "as his new coaches" (EUROSPORT, 10/28). ... Ferrari Team Principal STEFANO DOMENICALI "has dismissed suggestions that there is any lingering friction between his outfit" and FERNANDO ALONSO. When asked in India if everything was okay between Alonso and the team, Domenicali replied, "Why do you keep asking me? I don't know if you want to see shadows around or something, but it is time to stop with these things of saying there is something with Fernando" (AUTOSPORT, 10/29). ... Australian coach STEVE RIXON has emerged as the favorite to fill the post of Sri Lanka cricket coach -- "which will be vacated following the departure" of GRAHAM FORD (SRI LANKA MIRROR, 10/28). ... The legal tussle rocking the Pakistan Cricket Board "took another dramatic twist Tuesday" as interim Chair NAJAM SETHI was suspended by a court order, "only to be reinstated two hours later." A judge at Islamabad High Court suspended Sethi "for not obeying a legal order to elect a permanent chairman for the Pakistan Cricket Board" by Oct. 18. But, just two hours later, "an appeals bench at the same court granted a stay order on the ruling" until Nov. 4, following an application from the PCB legal team (AFP, 10/29). ... World Champion and four-time Olympic Gold Medalist ALLYSON FELIX "will be in Singapore for the first time" on Saturday "to flag off more than 20,000 runners at the F1 Pit Building" on Sunday (ASIA ONE, 10/29).
