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General Sports News

Burger ban leads to row

Author: Craig Williams
Date: 30/06/2009

South Africa flanker Schalk Burger is at the centre of a disciplinary storm after being found guilty of gouging British & Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald.

Burger was yellow carded in the first minute of Saturday's second Test in Pretoria which the sportsbook favourite Springboks won 28-25 to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Afterwards Lions head coach Ian McGeechan was upset that the referee had not red-carded Burger as is normally the punishment in any eye-gouging case.

But after the back rower received a lighter than expected eight-week ban from a citing panel, South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has risked the further wrath of McGeechan and the Lions by claiming the incident has been blown out of all proportion.

Elsewhere, South Africa lock Bakkies Botha will also miss the final Test after being banned for two weeks.

Botha was cited for a dangerous charge on Adam Jones during the same game which left the Lions prop nursing a tour-ending dislocated shoulder.

Can the Lions bounce back and avoid a series whitewash in the final Test - Latest Rugby Union Betting

In football, Manchester City are believed to have had a £25million offer for striker Samuel Eto'o accepted by Barcelona.

City, who are reportedly willing to pay the Cameroon international a staggering £250,000-a-week wage, have made the capture of Eto'o their priority this summer as manager Mark Hughes looks to transform the ambitious club into a genuine power in the Premier League and Europe.

Meanwhile, Sulaiman Al-Fahim has hit out at 'misleading' reports which suggested his takeover of Portsmouth had run into trouble.

Reports surfaced over the weekend claiming the United Arab Emirates-based property tycoon's purchase of the south coast club was in doubt.

However, Al Fahim's spokesperson, Ivo Ilic Gabara, claims the deal is still very much alive and on course for completion next month.

Burnley have rewarded veteran midfielder Graham Alexander with a new one-year contract.

The 37-year-old Scotland international did not miss a minute of league action last season as the Clarets won promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs.

Wayne Rooney believes he can step up and fill the gap created by Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez's departures from Manchester United.

The England striker has seen his two high-profile team-mates head out of Old Trafford since the season ended last month, with Ronaldo joining Real Madrid in a world record £80million deal and Tevez turning down a five-year contract.

However, Rooney believes the departures will allow him the opportunity to shine as he has often been played out of position in a wide role to help accommodate all of United's attacking talent.

In cricket, Duncan Fletcher believes Michael Vaughan is 'right' to bow out of cricket ahead of his expected retirement.

The former England captain is set to confirm his retirement at a press conference on Tuesday after missing out on selection for a pre-Ashes training squad.

Fletcher, who handed Vaughan his Test debut in 1999 and made him skipper four years later, said: "It's sad that he's going to announce his retirement, but reluctantly I have to say he's made the right decision."

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