World Sports News in Brief

Serie A leaders Inter draw blank for first time this season

Serie A leaders Inter Milan failed to score for the first time this season as they were held to a 0-0 draw by AS Roma at San Siro on Friday (Dec 6), giving rivals Juventus a chance to go back to the head of the table.

Soccer Football - Serie A - Inter Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - December 6, 2019 AS Roma's Gianluca Mancini in action with Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - Serie A - Inter Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - December 6, 2019 AS Roma's Gianluca Mancini in action with Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez. (Reuters)

* Atletico Madrid's problems deepened as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Villarreal in La Liga on Friday (Dec 6), stretching their winless run to four games in all competitions and further denting their fading hopes of getting back in the title race.

* The jersey worn by Brazilian football legend Pele during his final match for the five-time world champions has sold for 30,000 euros (US$33,000) in an action in Italy.

* Germany will play friendlies against fellow European powerhouses Spain and Italy next March in the build-up to Euro 2020, the German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed.

* Premier League football club Manchester United have agreed a partnership with e-commerce giant Alibaba in an effort to extend the club's engagement with fans in China.

* Chelsea are free to sign new players in the January transfer window after a FIFA-imposed ban was reduced on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday (Dec 6).

* Brendan Rodgers has signed a new contract at Leicester City, keeping him at the Premier League club until 2025.

* Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki announced on Friday (Dec 6) that she will retire after next month's Australian Open, insisting she "has accomplished everything" she wanted on a tennis court.

* Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has confirmed Gareth Bale is out of Saturday's (Dec 6) La Liga match at home to Espanyol after he sustained yet another muscle injury but said he did not think the player could do anything more to ease his fitness problems.

* Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde said the football world must get used to the idea that Lionel Messi will retire in the near future, adding that he will cherish being able to tell people he was able to coach the Argentine.

* Watford have appointed Nigel Pearson as their new head coach until the end of the season to replace the sacked Quique Sanchez Flores, the struggling Premier League club said on Friday.

Reuters, CNA