Football Notes: Leicester City Manager Pearson Apologizes For Calling Journalist An 'Ostrich'

EPL side Leicester City Manager Nigel Pearson apologized for calling a journalist an "ostrich" during a "bizarre post-match news conference." Pearson also called Ian Baker of the Wardle Whittell Agency "stupid" and "daft" following Wednesday's 3-1 Premier League defeat by Chelsea. Pearson: "I apologize for last night, Ian. I wanted to do it straight away in front of the cameras" (BBC, 4/30). ... Greek Superleague side Olympiakos Piraeus denied media reports on Wednesday that it "could be kicked out of next season’s Champions League" due to President Vangelis Marinakis's involvement in an investigation into corruption in Greek football. The Journalists Newspaper reported that the Greek champions' place in Europe’s elite competition "would be at risk if the allegations against Marinakis were proven" (REUTERS, 4/29). ... Polish football side Legia Warsaw "suffered defeat" in its final appeal against its effective expulsion from the Champions League at the expense of Celtic. The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Legia's claim that UEFA "was too severe in its punishment for their fielding of a suspended player against Celtic, a mistake which stemmed from a clerical oversight." Legia failed in an appeal to UEFA and also "had a bid to be provisionally reinstated in the Champions League qualifiers rejected by CAS," and it has now lost its quest for about £1.3M ($2M) compensation after the Swiss-based court dismissed its argument that UEFA's rules were overly bureaucratic and that the sanction was disproportionate (HERALD SCOTLAND, 4/30).