Struggling Sunderland gave manager David Moyes their full backing but called his threat to slap a BBC woman reporter “wholly unacceptable”. The 53-year-old Scot apologised to Vicki Sparks even before the furore over their apparently light-hearted exchange a fortnight ago broke on Monday.
Thinking the camera and microphone were off following an interview after a 0-0 draw with Burnley, Moyes ticked Sparks off for asking an awkward question and said: “You still might get a slap even though you’re a woman.”  Both are then seen laughing. However, Sunderland — bottom of the Premier League — issued a statement in which they took a dim view of Moyes’s behaviour.  

Players, coach detained in Spanish match-fixing probe
Police investigating suspicions of match-fixing arrested the coach and two players of third division Spanish side Eldense after their 12-0 defeat to Barcelona’s B team, a police source told AFP yesterday.
As well as Italian coach Filippo Di Pierro, two unnamed players and the head of an Italian investment fund running the club were arrested and questioned. Eldense player Cheikh Saad was the first to point the finger at a number of his teammates and coach after their record-equalling defeat in Spain’s Second Division B on Saturday.
Saad said that certain players stood to make “huge sums” of money from bets placed on the match. Club president David Aguilar then reported his suspicions to police and Spanish football authorities. Di Pierro was appointed coach after an Italian investor took control of the club earlier this season with suspicions now raised over whether that investment was linked to illegal betting patterns.

Lahm seeks legal advice over April Fool stunt
Ex-Germany captain Philipp Lahm has confirmed he is taking legal advice over a spoof April Fool’s story gone wrong. A Munich-based fitness start-up issued a grovelling apology to the World Cup winner over a fake April 1 story, which hit the German media last Saturday, falsely claiming he had invested in them.
The story even contained a fake quote attributed to the Bayern Munich star after an employee decided to circulate an internal newsletter to the German media without the knowledge of the company’s bosses.
“It was an April Fool’s joke which should have been sent exclusively to our members in a newsletter,” explained the company’s red-faced co-founder.
However, the stunt quickly backfired and although the firm apologised several times, Lahm failed to see the funny side with the prank having generated plenty of free publicity for the start-up. “I’m taking advice and bringing the matter to the detailed attention of a lawyer,” said the 33-year-old, who will retire from all football in June, in a statement.
The firm has already suggested making a donation to Lahm’s charity, The Philipp Lahm Foundation, in an attempt to make amends.

South American PSG trio to miss Avranches match
Fresh from winning the League Cup, Paris Saint-Germain will be without Brazilian defenders Thiago Silva and Marquinhos and Argentine forward Angel Di Maria for their French Cup quarter-final against Avranches.
Having won their first piece of silverware this season by thumping Monaco 4-1 on Saturday, Spanish coach Unai Emery revealed yesterday that the trio would be missing from today’s match against the thrid tier outfit. The two Brazilians are injured, as is Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, while Di Maria is being rested, Emery said.

Winks injury delivers blow to Spurs
Tottenham suffered a blow as they chase a possible domestic double with the news highly-rated midfielder Harry Winks is out for the rest of the season with an ankle ligament injury. The 21-year-old — who has impressed this season making 33 appearances in all competitions — suffered the injury in the 2-0 win over Burnley on Saturday that saw them draw to within seven points of Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Winks — who has represented England in all age groups up to Under-21 level — has also been robbed of a chance of lifting the FA Cup having played an influential role in their run to the semi-finals where they meet Chelsea.

Chapecoense face Atletico four months after crash
Four months after a plane crash all but wiped out Chapecoense, the Brazilian club will today face the rivals they were on their way to play, Colombia’s Atletico Nacional. Nineteen Chapecoense players and 24 club officials were killed on November 28 when the team’s plane crashed into the Colombian mountains. After signing 22 new players, the Brazilian team are trying to rise from the ashes.
They will finally get their chance to take on Atletico in a first-leg match in the Recopa, the South American equivalent of Europe’s Super Cup. They will play the Colombian side at home in Arena Conda, in the small southern city of Chapeco. The two clubs share a close bond.
Unsung Chapecoense had been on their way to play the biggest match in their history against Atletico: the final of the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s second-biggest club tournament.
After the tragedy, Atletico ceded the title to Chapecoense in tribute. That gave the rebuilding club an automatic ticket to play in this year’s Copa Libertadores, the premier club tournament in South America, for the first time ever.
A series of tributes are planned in Chapeco, including a ceremony of thanks before the match. “This isn’t just any match. This match represents a lot of history for Chapecoense,” said coach Vagner Mancini.