Has World Tour cycling team Tinkoff "been sold to a Chinese businessman or is it an elaborate April Fools joke?" On one hand it "seems like a perfectly plausible story, but now it’s turned out to be joke it’s in quite poor taste." The team put a statement on its website and social media on April 1 saying the sale of Tinkoff Sport A/S to an unnamed Chinese businessman "had been agreed." But minutes after this original story was published "the team published another statement saying it was just one big joke." The statement said, "Given the recent series of sad news that have affected the sport of cycling, we thought that such a humorous news would lighten up the spirits. We apologize to those without sense of humor who felt bad about the joke" (CYCLING WEEKLY, 4/1).
LIFELINE FOR VAN GAAL: ManU has given "under-fire" Manager Louis van Gaal a "major say" in organizing its summer tour to China -- "thereby offering him hope of remaining at the club next season." Despite being regularly linked with Jose Mourinho, ManU has taken van Gaal's advice and restricted its preseason trip to Asia to "eight days instead of the fortnight" it spent in America last year. Van Gaal warned a longer stay would disrupt ManU's preparations for the new season "because of the difficulties of training in China." And his view "has been backed by the club hierarchy despite impacting on the amount of commercial activity the players will be involved in" (London DAILY MAIL, 4/3).
FRANCHISE BRIEFS ...
While most fans of Premier League side Leicester City "still can't quite believe what's happening this season," it seems some "are beginning to think they can actually do it." And "for them there's a scarf." Sellers outside the King Power Stadium for Sunday's match with Southampton were "selling scarves proclaiming Leicester as champions." In the club's colors of blue, white and yellow, the neck warmers read "Premier League champions" and "Premiership champions" (London INDEPENDENT, 4/3).
Formula 1 team Force India Deputy Team Principal Bob Fernley said that "there are no concerns" about the future of the team despite the legal and financial troubles surrounding co-Owners Vijay Mallya and Subrata Roy. Fernley, speaking from the Bahrain Grand Prix, said, "I don’t think there are any concerns for Force India" regardless of the ownership uncertainty. Companies controlled by Mallya and Sahara own 85% of the Force India team, which is "among their few remaining realisable assets." Fernley: "Vijay’s issues are well-publicized but, like all things, there’s been a bit of media overreaction" (AP, 4/2).
V.League 1 side Hà Nội FC has applied for permission to rename the club Sài Gòn FC to the Vietnam Football Federation and Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF). The team will relocate from Hà Nội to HCM City and play home fixtures at Thống Nhất Stadium. Chair Nguyễn Giang Đông said that the club "is not changing owners and the rights and duties of the club with the VFF, VPF, tournaments and related individuals and organizations are unchanged" (VIETNAM NEWS, 4/2).
