Football player agent JORGE MENDES, along with two other advisers to CRISTIANO RONALDO, will be "added to the tax fraud investigation into the Real Madrid player." Mendes is "being imputed into the case" because Ronaldo referred to him and fellow representatives LUIS CORREIA and CARLOS OSORIO as his closest "team" who he "pays very well not to have problems and this sort of nonsense" (MARCA, 9/6). ... League One side Gillingham Dir MICHAEL ANDERSON was charged by a U.S. grand jury of healthcare fraud amounting to $5.7M. He has "stepped down from his role" as vice-chair of the club. The allegations "involve a scam" targeting a U.S. government-backed program for members and veterans of the armed forces and their families (BBC, 9/6). ... The FA of Ireland is "prepared to offer" MARTIN O'NEILL and his assistant ROY KEANE a new two-year contract, "irrespective of the faltering nature of Ireland's World Cup campaign." O’Neill’s deal expires at the end of this qualification campaign, "which could potentially be as soon as next month" following Ireland’s game against Wales on Oct. 9 (LONDON TIMES, 9/7). ... Korea FA VP KIM HO-GON said that former men's national team head coach GUUS HIDDINK will not be returning to the helm (YONHAP, 9/7). ... Former National League side Sutton United goalkeeper WAYNE SHAW was fined £375 ($490) and suspended for two months by the FA "for betting-related offences." Shaw was "found guilty at an independent disciplinary hearing on Wednesday, after he was alleged to have intentionally influenced betting markets in Sutton's 2-0 FA Cup fifth round defeat to Arsenal in February." Shaw ate a pie on the substitutes' bench as Sutton lost, and the charge of influencing betting markets, which Shaw denied, "was found proven at an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing" (PA, 9/6).
