Former Real Madrid keeper IKER CASILLAS rejected Bankia's offer to return the investments made by majority shareholders. He is "continuing his demands via legal means to recover his money." Judges "will have to decide" whether to rule in Casillas' favor and if Bankia will have to reimburse him for his investments as well as corresponding interest (LIBRE MERCADO, 2/22). ... Former Man City Owner THAKSIN SHINAWATRA, Thailand’s fugitive former PM, has denounced the ruling military junta for pushing a "crazy" draft constitution that he claims "is part of a wider strategy to avoid a fair election it fears it would lose" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 2/21).
BREAKING GROUND: Adelaide rugby umpire ELENI GLOUFTSIS "will become the first woman to take charge" of an Australian Football League match this weekend.
The 23-year-old "will wield the whistle in Sunday’s NAB Challenge match between Carlton and Essendon at Princes Park in Melbourne."
Glouftsis "has been breaking down barriers most of her career and in 2013 became the first female field umpire to officiate at league level in the SANFL’s 137-year history."
While she will break new ground in a traditionally male-dominated field, Glouftsis "prefers to look at her debut as just another step in her natural progression as an umpire." She said, "This is my 11th season of umpiring, so it’s not like I’ve just suddenly come up. It’s been a long road" (THE ADVERTISER, 2/22).
NO VISION: Australian football player TIM CAHILL said that the A-League does not have enough "vision" for him. Football Federation Australia CEO DAVID GALLOP said that "the FFA did try to lure the Socceroos star home after he was cut" by Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, but Cahill's people made it clear the domestic competition could not afford him. Cahill:
"I just need vision. I've never asked for anything but that. The only thing is, some people's vision is not as big as mine."
On Monday, Cahill announced that "he had signed a short-term deal with Hangzhou Greentown" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/22).
NOTABLE DEATHS: Former ManU player FREDDIE GOODWIN "died at the age of 82."
The defensive midfielder made 95 appearances between '53 and '60, missing the Munich air disaster in '58 "because he was not selected in the travelling party."
Goodwin "went on to play for Leeds and Scunthorpe, whom he later managed along with Brighton and Birmingham" (London GUARDIAN, 2/22). ... Former Eurosport cycling commentator DAVID DUFFIELD died, aged 84, "on Sunday after a fall."
Current Eurosport commentator CARLTON KIRBY announced that
Duffield died via Twitter on Sunday afternoon, saying, "Just heard my
dear friend David Duffield has died. He passed away this morning
following injuries sustained in a heavy fall. Saddest of news." Duffield
"was best known for his commentary of major cycle races on Eurosport
for many years, but he also had a life-long involvement with the world
of cycling" (CYCLING WEEKLY, 2/21).
