Australian Football League side Essendon players will wear black armbands against Port Adelaide this week "as a mark of respect" for former club Chair GRAEME MCMAHON, who died on Tuesday. McMahon, who had pancreatic cancer, "led the club in bold, passionate and forthright style for seven years, overseeing its success in winning the 2000 premiership and moving to the newly-built Docklands stadium in the same year" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/1). ... Former ManU player ROY KEANE "is relishing the challenge" of combining the EPL with int'l football after being confirmed as Aston Villa’s new assistant manager. The 42-year-old, who is also No. 2 to Republic of Ireland manager MARTIN O'NEILL, will work alongside PAUL LAMBERT "as the pair attempt to revive Villa’s fortunes after a difficult" '13-14 campaign (PA, 7/1). ... Barcelona Sporting Dir ANDONI ZUBIZARRETA has praised transfer target LUIS SUÁREZ for issuing a public apology for his bite on GIORGIO CHIELLINI during the World Cup, calling the Uruguay and Liverpool forward "humble." Suárez is believed to be Barcelona's top transfer target this summer and the fact the player has been banned from playing football for four months by FIFA for his bite on Chiellini "has not deterred the club from pursuing his signature" (London TELEGRAPH, 7/1).
BOLT TO RUN GLASGOW: Six-time Olympic champion USAIN BOLT "has been selected in the Jamaica team for this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow." Bolt "is expected to be named in the 4x100m relay squad when the official announcement is made on Wednesday." He had previously ruled himself out of the 100m and 200m individual races "as he was recovering from a foot injury" (BBC, 7/1).
