Liga MX side Pumas UNAM Sporting VP MARIO TREJO announced that he "will step down on Thursday." Trejo said, "We are convinced that this bad streak can be reversed. ... No matter what happens in the game against León, I will not remain in my position. The decision has been taken, without the possibility of reconsideration" (LA AFICION, 8/10). ... La Liga side Córdoba President CARLOS GONZÁLEZ's house in Alcobendas, Spain caught fire Sunday night in an "accident featuring eight-foot flames." Authorities are "investigating the cause of the fire" (MARCA, 8/11). ... German national and Arsenal striker LUKAS PODOLSKI "has become an official shareholder of the German fourth division basketball club Cologne Rhein Stars." Podolski's goal for the club "is the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and a title." He said, "I love basketball, I love Cologne and want to bring the club to the top." Podolski "is expected to support the club financially as well as through new sponsorship deals." The club hopes "to play in the BBL in three years" (BILD, 8/9). ... Germany striker MIROSLAV KLOSE, "who capped a record-breaking career with the national team by winning the World Cup last month, has retired from international football." He "is the second member of the German team to quit after the tournament" following captain PHILIPP LAHM last month (REUTERS, 8/12). ... Premiership rugby referee DAVID ROSE "has admitted wrongly claiming hundreds of pounds in Jobseeker's Allowance."
Rose "claimed the benefit while working as a Premiership referee on four occasions." He "was handed a 12-month conditional discharge" and ordered to pay £700 ($1,200) in costs at Plymouth Crown Court (BBC, 8/11). ... Chinese President XI JINPING "will attend the opening ceremony for the upcoming 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games" on Aug. 16 in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.
UN Secretary-General BAN KI-MOON, President of Burundi PIERRE NKURUNZIZA, President of Fiji EPELI NAILATIKAU, President of Maldives ABDULLA YAMEEN, President of Montenegro FILIP VUJANOVIC, President of Singapore TAN KENG YAM and PM of Vanuatu JOE NATUMAN "will also attend the opening ceremony at the invitation of President Xi" (XINHUA, 8/11). ... Man City "finally confirmed the signing" of Porto defender ELIAQUIM MANGALA on Monday "in a deal which unofficially makes him the Premier League’s most expensive defender" at £42.9M ($72M). Third-party ownership "was the complication holding up the protracted transfer," and Porto released a statement to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM) indicating it was paid £24.4M ($41M) for just 56.57% of the player’s rights. Since third-party ownership "is outlawed in the Premier League, the remainder of the fee is reported to be split up" between so called super-agent JORGE MENDES, who will receive £14.2M ($24M), while Mangala’s former club Standard Liege is set to take £4.3M ($7M) (London INDEPENDENT, 8/11).
INTERNAL AFFAIR: Mercedes F1 Exec Dir TOTO WOLFF said that "he does not believe the rivalry" between drivers LEWIS HAMILTON and NICO ROSBERG "will get out of hand." The pair is "vying for the drivers' title with Rosberg leading second-placed Hamilton by 11 points." Wolff:
"Could it come to a point where we say it is difficult to manage? It could be, but I don't see it -- not with the two of them" (BBC, 8/11).
