Ukrainian, Russian clubs to be kept apart
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA has decided to keep Ukrainian and Russian clubs from playing each other “until further notice” because of the continuing unrest between the neighboring countries.
European football’s governing body made the ruling “in light of the current political situation” after the Russian and Ukrainian associations “expressed concerns about safety and security.”
The UEFA emergency panel ruling means Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg and Ukrainian club Dnipro cannot be paired against each other in the Champions League third qualifying round draw on July 18.
But the panel decided at a meeting on Wednesday that the turmoil in eastern Europe did not prevent matches being played at home by Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Chornomorets Odesa. UEFA also said a security assessment showed that the western city of Lviv and capital Kiev can continue to host matches.
2015 NFL draft to be in LA or Chicago
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The NFL draft is leaving New York after 49 years.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday that the league has narrowed down the location of the 2015 draft to Los Angeles or Chicago. The event has been held in New York every year since 1965 and has been at Radio City Music Hall since 2006.
Goodell said after a panel at the summer TV critics’ meeting that 12 cities were interested in hosting the draft, according to the Los Angeles Times. But the league narrowed the finalists to Los Angeles and Chicago after Radio City officials told the NFL that the venue wouldn’t be available in April or May.
Goodell said a final decision on the location could be made by late summer.
He said the league is discussing different concepts for next year’s draft because there is high interest and the NFL wants to be responsive to its fans.
Germany No. 1 in new FIFA rankings
ZURICH (AP) — Germany climbed to No. 1 in the FIFA rankings Thursday after winning the World Cup, and the United States fell two places to 15th despite reaching the round of 16.
Germany beat Argentina 1-0 on Sunday to win its fourth World Cup and first in 24 years. It replaced deposed champion Spain at the top of the monthly FIFA rankings.
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