TOP STORY:
SOC--BREXIT-PREMIER LEAGUE
LONDON — Just like the politicians, English soccer is divided by Brexit. With four months until Britain withdraws from the European Union and no consensus over the terms of the split from the bloc, there is also uncertainty about the players Premier League clubs will be able to recruit. By Rob Harris. SENT: 950 words, photos.
SOCCER:
SOC--IRELAND-O'NEILL OUT
DUBLIN — Martin O'Neill ended his five-year stint as Ireland coach on Wednesday after relegation in the UEFA Nations League, taking assistant Roy Keane with him. Under O'Neill, Ireland advanced from the group stage at the 2016 European Championship for the first time, but fell short of qualifying the 2018 World Cup after a 5-1 aggregate playoff loss to Denmark. SENT: 350 words, photos.
SOC--ENGLAND SPOTLIGHT-RANIERI'S TASK
Before burgers must come the basics. The arrival of Claudio Ranieri as Fulham's new coach should ensure an end to the chaotic selections, loose defending and naive approach that marked the promoted team's turbulent first three months back in the Premier League. Getting back to basics is the priority for Ranieri, who is promising to reward clean sheets with burgers for his players. By Steve Douglas. UPCOMING: 600 words by 1000 GMT, photos.
SOC--FIFA-ETHICS JUDGE ARRESTED
BERN, Switzerland — The credibility of FIFA's reshaped ethics committee took a hit Wednesday after a leading judge was arrested on suspicion of corruption in Malaysia and later removed as deputy chairman. Sundra Rajoo has been taken off cases while under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for financial wrongdoing in his job leading an arbitration service. By Graham Dunbar and Eileen Ng. SENT: 500 words.
SOC--FIFA INVESTIGATION-SWITZERLAND
BERN, Switzerland — Switzerland's attorney general defended his team's handling of its four-year FIFA investigation on Wednesday, a week after the lead prosecutor was removed from duty. Federal prosecutors have come "under attack every day by the lawyers" in a case comprising 25 different investigations, Michael Lauber said at a news conference. By Graham Dunbar. SENT: 400 words.
GOLF:
GLF--WORLD CUP
MELBOURNE, Australia — The World Cup of Golf is under way at Metropolitan Golf Club under mostly sunny skies and brisk winds, and that might be the best the weather gets all day. Forecasters were calling for showers to move into the area by early afternoon. Organizers moved up the tee times by an hour to try to avoid most of the inclement weather. By Dennis Passa. DEVELOPING: 500 words, photos.
RUGBY:
RGU--SCOTLAND TEAM
EDINBURGH, Scotland — Scotland will experiment by fielding two playmakers in a rugby international against Argentina on Saturday in a test run ahead of the Six Nations. Scotland coach Gregor Townsend selected Adam Hastings at flyhalf and moved regular No. 10 Finn Russell to inside center in a side featuring eight changes to the one that started the 26-20 loss to South Africa on Saturday. SENT: 250 words.
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