Sports News

Turning to sport and the transfer saga enveloping the Czech footballer Patrik Jezek finally seems to be reaching some kind of conclusion, after the forward had been embroiled in a tug-of-war between two Austrian clubs. Jezek's present employers are Austria Vienna, but after no more than a few weeks spent at the club, the Czech was told that he had to train with the amateur players.

However, a deal finally seems to have been sorted out with Tirol, with Vienna's sports director Markus Kraetschmer telling reporters after a meeting on Friday "We've drawn up a contract. It has to be checked by the lawyers of the clubs and we expect a final decision at the weekend."

Moving onto the domestic action, and after their midweek European success, Slavia Prague made a fine return to their dismal Gambrinus League form this weekend. Leading by a 60th-minute Pavel Kuka strike at Chmel Blsany, the visitors somehow contrived to throw it away. An equaliser from Blsany's recent signing Stepan Vachousek in the 84th minute and a hotly disputed winner from Lubos Zakostelsy in the dying seconds mean that Slavia slip to 8th in the table, just one place ahead of Blsany.

No such problems for Sparta, though. They beat their closest challengers Teplice by 2 goals to one at Letna--a result that leaves the champions nine points clear at the top.

Click here for all the Gambrinus League results, plus the league table.

Moving on, and a ruling by the Spanish Sporting Council (CSD) is threatening to turn the sport of basketball on its head. The CSD has lifted a temporary suspension imposed upon eight players from so-called European Union 'B'. Czech players are among the eight affected, along with players from Turkey, Slovenia and Lithuania. The ruling means that the players may be classed as EU players and not therefore as 'foreign' players. If followed Europe-wide, the ruling could revolutionize basketball in the same way that the Jean-Marc Bosman case altered the face of football during the 1990s.