A "leading football agent is asking FIFA to help train players in resuscitation techniques" to prevent "more tragic cases of sudden cardiac arrest on the field." Hasan Anil Eken represented Cameroon int'l Patrick Ekeng, who suffered a "suspected heart attack while playing for Romanian club Dinamo Bucharest in May last year." Ekeng, who was 26 at the time, "is just one of dozens of footballers who have died worldwide after suffering sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during matches or training" (London DAILY MAIL, 9/26).
Uruguay's football authorities "hope to resume fixtures this weekend after matches were postponed following the assault of two referees." An off-duty official and his partner -- a female referee -- were attacked at a U19 game between Platense and Basáñez. The Uruguayan FA (AUF) postponed all scheduled matches on Sunday. Arrests "have been made following the incident" (BBC, 9/26).
The Chinese FA launched an investigation into Tianjin Teda's 4-1 Chinese Super League win over Tianjin Quanjian on Saturday, promising to "implement regulations strictly" if "any impropriety is found." The result "hauled struggling Teda out of the relegation zone and into 14th place in the 16-team league," with the bottom two teams dropping into the second division at the end of the season (ESPN.com, 9/26).
The North Korean government reportedly banned Serie B side Perugia's Han Kwang-Song from appearing on Italian TV. The striker "became the first North Korean to score in Serie A last season." He was due to appear on Rai Due's "Domenica Sportiva" this weekend to "discuss his form, but the appearance was pulled at the last minute." The reason was reportedly a phone call from Pyongyang "warning the 19-year-old not to do the interview, after which he burst into tears" (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 9/26).
