Football
Reuters 17y

Soccer-Roundup 1-Solskjaer hints at quitting next year

LONDON, April 19 - Soccer news in brief from
around the world on Thursday:

* Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hinted
he could retire as a player next year, the Norwegian newspaper
Verdans Gang (VG) quoted him as saying on Thursday.

Solskjaer, who joined United from Norway's Molde in 1996,
said he was not planning to continue playing once his current
contract expires, but still aimed to perform at a high level
next season.

"I'll most likely stay here," the 34-year-old Norwegian told
the newspaper. "I have one year left on my contract and aim to
do well enough to stay on."

"I'm pretty sure I'll be better next season when I've had
one more year since the two or three years of being out
(injured)," VG quoted him as saying.

- - -

* Olympiakos forward Rivaldo has said he was wrongly sent
off in the Greek Super League game against Larissa on Sunday.

The Brazilian, who turned 35 on Thursday, was shown the
first red card of his European career when he appeared to hit
Larissa's Giorgos Galitsios.

Television pictures suggested that Galitsios made a meal of
the incident, clutching his face after Rivaldo had punched the
ball from his hands as he tried to get on with a a free kick.

Olympiakos are attempting to have the red card overturned so
that Rivaldo can play in Sunday's Super League match against
Kerkyra when victory would clinch a ninth title in 10 years.

* Police set seven criminal files and fined 11 Steaua
Bucharest fans for using fireworks and knives after Wednesday's
Romania Cup semi-final defeat by Politehnica Timisoara.

Around 400 fans also destroyed plastic seats in the stands
and threw objects on to the pitch during the game and scaled the
surrounding stadium fence after it was over. There were no
serious injuries.

"Police intervention against the violent fans in order to
avoid possible tragic incidents was absolutely necessary," a
police document said on Thursday.

* Hertha Berlin midfielder Andreas Neuendorf, who began a
second career as an artist five years ago in order to be able to
use his nickname 'Zecke' on his jersey, has presented his
artwork at an exhibition.

The 32-year-old Neuendorf, who has had the nickname since
early in his career, wanted to have 'Zeck' emblazoned on his
jersey five years ago and cited the Brazilian players who are
able to use their artistic names on their jerseys.

But the German professional league (DFL) first rejected his
request. Only after he began painting portraits to prove he was
an artist, and changed his passport to read 'Zecke', did the
German DFL allow him to change his jersey to 'Zecke'.

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