Brazilian third division Mogi Mirim Chair RIVALDO, "creative as a player, showed the same creativity on Thursday" when he announced he was sacking the manager "via Instagram." Some supporters "were unhappy at how the news was announced, which led the former world player of the year to clarify an hour later that AILTON had been informed after Wednesday's match." Rivaldo: "Ailton was let go in the dressing room after the game in front of the whole team, I came here to communicate the decision to my followers" (REUTERS, 2/27). ... FIFA President SEPP BLATTER "looks increasingly certain to run for another term as president of FIFA." Speaking to Swiss Walliser Bote -- a daily that appears in Blatter's home canton of Valais -- he confirmed that he will run for President again in '15 "if the FIFA Congress so decides" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 2/27). ... Retired New Zealand cricketer LOU VINCENT "has pleaded guilty to not reporting an approach from illegal bookmakers while he was playing cricket in Bangladesh." Vincent "admitted a breach of the International Cricket Council code in failing to report an approach -- which he rejected -- from a bookmaker while playing in the Bangladesh T20 league in January last year" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/28). ... World Cup-winning former French int'l MARCEL DESAILLY "has expressed interest in coaching Malaysia." Desailly said that "he has been in talks with officials from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)" (AFP, 2/27). ... Golfer RORY MCILROY "remains undecided about whether he would play for Ireland or Britain at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, when golf returns to the Games programme." McIlroy: "There's no real urgency at the moment, and I couldn't even imagine planning my schedule that far ahead. I will have to decide, however, and take into consideration many sensibilities" (AFP, 2/27). ... Contrary to British tabloid reports, Singapore businessman PETER LIM "is not planning an audacious bid" for Chelsea striker FERNANDO TORRES to bring him to La Liga side Valencia. The London Daily Mirror "claimed over the weekend that Lim, 60, will make Spain's World Cup winner a key signing if his proposed takeover of Valencia goes through." But a source close to the billionaire said, "There is no truth at all in the rumors linking Fernando Torres and Peter Lim" (STRAITS TIMES, 2/27). ... Russian freestyle skier MARIA KOMISSAROVA said that "she is paralyzed from the waist down after breaking her back" in a training crash at the Sochi Olympics. The 23-year-old "underwent two operations after suffering a fracture and dislocation of the spine and has been rehabilitating at a German clinic" (MOSCOW TIMES, 2/26).
NOTABLE DEATH: Former Hungary footballer and two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner DEZSO NOVAK "has died at the age of 75." The skilful midfielder "played nine times for Hungary between 1959 and 1968, and was joint top scorer at the 1964 European Nations Cup (the tournament was renamed the European Championships in 1968)" (AAP, 2/27).
