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Capello cool over retirements

Author: Craig Williams
Date: 10/08/2010
Football betting

England national team head coach Fabio Capello has reacted calmly to the decisions of goalkeeper Paul Robinson and defender Wes Brown to retire from international football.

The pair were named in Capello's squad for the friendly against Hungary at Wembley on Wednesday evening, but instead opted to call time on their international careers.

Capello told reporters: "I accept the decisions.

"Robinson called us and said he wanted to stay at home. I spoke with Brown here. I told him why I didn't select him for the World Cup because he didn't play for the last two months of last season.

"This time I selected him because he played all the pre-season games but he said 'thank you, but I've decided I prefer to stay at home'.

"You have to accept what they want to do. I think it's an honour to be with the national team and to play for England."

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Internazionale president Massimo Moratti has confirmed that Brazilian wing-back Maicon will remain with the club next season, after a move to Real Madrid failed to materialise.

The 29-year-old has been a target for the Spanish giants for much of the summer, but Inter now insist that any move is out of the question.

Moratti told the Corriere dello Sport: "I can confirm that Maicon is not transferable. If Real Madrid really wanted him, they should have tried harder."

Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has confirmed that Ipswich Town are interested in signing striker Jason Scotland.

The 31-year-old Trinidad & Tobago international frontman struggled to make his mark during his first season with the Latics, scoring just twice in 36 appearances - 18 of which came as a substitute.

England paceman Stuart Broad has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee for throwing the ball at Pakistan's Zulqarnain Haider during day three of the second Test match.

The 24-year-old threw the ball straight back at Haider after the batsman had played out a Broad delivery, leading to action from match referee Ranjan Madugalle.

In golf, Phil Mickelson's bid to become world number one came to a shuddering halt in the final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

Needing to finish in the top four to take advantage of Tiger Woods' dreadful form, Mickelson collapsed to a final round 78 and ended the tournament in a tie for 46th place.

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