Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reported Belgian triathlete SOFIE GOOS was "stabbed in the back while on a training run in a park in Antwerp." Goos, who races for the BMC-Etixx Pro Triathlon Team, reportedly "lost a lot of blood and even chased after the perpetrator after she realized what had happened." She is now is in the "intensive care unit at the ZNA Stuivenberg Hospital where she is being treated for a kidney injury and the blood loss" (SLOW TWITCH, 5/16). ... Czech tennis player TOMAS BERDYCH has "split with coach DANIEL VALLVERDU after a humiliating 6-0 6-0 defeat at the Italian Open." The 30-year-old world No. 8 has "suffered a lean year and a crushing defeat by Belgium's DAVID GOFFIN in Rome last week proved the last straw in his partnership." Berdych said, "My results lately have not been what I expected. As I am not a tennis player at the beginning of his career I have to act quickly when I feel that I need a change" (REUTERS, 5/16). ... DANI PEDROSA will stay with the factory Honda MotoGP team until at least the end of '18, "having signed a fresh contract extension." The Spaniard "has been with Honda for his entire MotoGP career," winning 28 premier-class grands prix since '06 (AUTOSPORT, 5/16). ... NEYMAR "was attacked as fans invaded the pitch" after Barcelona's 3-0 win over Granada. A fan, "among thousans who flooded onto the field, hit the Brazilian, as Barcelona players tried to escape to the dressing rooms." During the confusion "one supporter hit out at Neymar, who was attended to by his teammates in the tunnel, checking if he was OK" (SPORT, 5/15). ... Chilean int’l and Bayern Munich footballer ARTURO VIDAL had a stadium in his hometown of San Joaquín, Chile named after him: Estadio Municipal Arturo Vidal. The player posted pictures of the stadium on Instagram and Twitter, “expressing thanks for the gesture and promotion of sports in his country” (AS, 5/16).
FULL ACQUITTAL: An Italian judge on Monday acquitted
ANTONIO CONTE, the future coach of Chelsea, for allegedly "doing nothing to halt a 2011 match-fixing scandal" while he was in charge of Italian Lega Pro side Siena. Judge
PIERPAOLO BELUZZI said that Conte, who will coach Italy's national squad during Euro 2016 before taking up his new post at Chelsea, "was acquitted because the accusations of sporting fraud were baseless." One of Conte's lawyers,
FRANCESCO ARATA, said, "It was a full acquittal ... What matters is that for him, this story is over" (
REUTERS, 5/16).
