Real Madrid named former Paris St. Germain Manager CARLO ANCELOTTI as manager. Ancelotti received a three-year contract to replace JOSE MOURINHO and last month led PSG "to its first French league title in 19 years." PSG said that it hired LAURENT BLANC to replace Ancelotti, "giving the former French national team coach a two-year contract" (BLOOMBERG, 6/25). ... An article in Cycling News Tuesday reported Italian rider RICCARDO RICCÒ, who is currently suspended for doping until April '24, claimed on social media that many more riders had tested positive for EPO at the 2008 Tour de France than the four who were caught (UCI). ... Former Tour of Spain champion LAURENT JALABERT's employers said on Tuesday that he "has temporarily given up his consultancy job" with French TV and radio on the Tour de France following a report that he used banned substance erythropoietin in '98. French sports daily L'Equipe said that a 1998 Tour de France sample from Jalabert, which was re-tested in '04, "showed traces of the blood-booster EPO" (REUTERS, 6/25). ... Former EPL side Everton player GIRARD KINSELLA "admitted unwittingly using banned substance Nandrolone as pain-relieving medication following a catalogue of shoulder injuries that drove the 21-year-old to depression." Although Kinsella had been assured by his cousin Neil that the injection would not contravene anti-doping rules, a three-strong independent FA regulatory commission decided that "the player had been negligent in not checking first with his club doctor" (London TELEGRAPH, 6/25).
