CAS to announce Suarez appeal verdict on Thursday

The outcome of Uruguay forward Luis Suarez's appeal against his ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini will be announced on Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Wednesday.

Suarez was suspended for nine competitive internationals and from all football-related activity for four months after sinking his teeth into Chiellini during the second half of Uruguay's 1-0 win in a World Cup group game on June 24.

After losing an appeal with soccer governing body FIFA, the Barcelona forward took his case to CAS, which conducted a hearing on the matter last Friday.

"The Court of Arbitration for Sport will announce its decision in the matter Luis Suarez, FC Barcelona and the Uruguayan FA on Thursday 14 August 2014, at around 3pm (1300 GMT)," the Lausanne-based tribunal said in a statement.

"At the request of the appellants and with the agreement of FIFA, the CAS has conducted an expedited arbitration procedure. As a consequence, the CAS Panel has accepted to render its decision within a short period of time but with grounds to follow later."

- NEXT: At 40, Pavey is oldest woman to win Euro gold

Jo Pavey became the oldest female to claim a gold medal at the European championships when she won the 10,000 metres on Tuesday, the first track final of this year's event.

The Briton, who is 41 next month, took the lead with just over a lap to go and held off the challenge of Frenchwoman Clemence Calvin to snatch her first major championship title.

Pavey, silver medallist in Helsinki two years ago, finished in 32 minutes 22.39 seconds, more than a second ahead of Calvin.

Laila Hmatou Traby of France was third.

"To try for so many years and to finally do it at the age of 40 is funny really," the winner told the BBC.

"I should have learnt how to do it by now.

"I was feeling tired but I had to try and keep relaxed and remind myself that everyone else might be feeling the pace."

Irina Khabarova, the previous oldest female gold medallist, was 40 and 27 days when she was a member of Russia's 4x100 relay-winning team in 2006.

In the evening's other final, world champion David Storl of Germany won the men's shot put with a throw of 21.41 metres.

Spain's Borja Vivas was second with 20.86 followed by 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland on 20.83.

- NEXT: 'Optimistic' Nadal to take call on U.S. Open participation this week

Argentina named former Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino as the new manager of the national soccer team on Tuesday following Alejandro Sabella's decision to step aside in the wake of their World Cup final defeat in July.

Martino, who won the Argentine league title with Newell's Old Boys in June 2013 before taking the reins at Barca, will make his debut in a Sept. 3 friendly against Germany in Duesseldorf.

The Germans beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the World Cup final at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana on July 13, after which Sabella decided against accepting the offer of a new contract from late AFA President Julio Grondona.

"The Rosario-born coach Gerardo Daniel Martino will take office as the new coach of the national team, succeeding Mr Alejandro Sabella, who completed his contract with the AFA after the end of the World Cup Brazil 2014," the Argentine FA (AFA) said in a statement on its official website (www.afa.org.ar).

Martino was enjoying the early days of a sabbatical after a disappointing season at Barcelona where he took the job left vacant when Tito Vilanova stepped down to undergo cancer treatment. Vilanova died in April at the age of 45.

He got off to a good start at Barca but injuries to key players, including hamstring problems for Lionel Messi, saw the side stutter through the season and he resigned after the club failed to win a major trophy for the first time in six years.

His failure with Barca did not seem to damage his reputation in Argentina, where he is still highly regarded after having a successful club coaching career in Paraguay before returning to Rosario to steer Newell's Old Boys to the league title in 2013.

After hearing from Sabella that he did not want to carry on, Grondona had planned to meet with the 51-year-old Martino to offer him the job.

However, Grondona died of heart failure on July 30.

AFA Vice President Luis Segura took charge and the matter of appointing a new coach was postponed for more than a week.

Despite being critical about how the AFA was run a year ago, Grondona favoured Martino's appointment because he had worked with Argentina captain Messi, also a Rosario native, and midfielder Javier Mascherano at Barca.

A disciple of Marcelo Bielsa, who coached him at Newell's Old Boys, Martino preaches a possession game with thrusting midfield play supporting quick forwards.

His Argentina side could look more like the one Sabella steered through the World Cup qualifiers with a four-pronged attack than the more tactical team he coaxed through to the final in Brazil.

Martino has previous national team experience having taken Paraguay to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in South Africa in 2010 and the Copa America final a year later in his home country.

Martino, whose contract will run until the 2018 World Cup in Russia, will be officially presented to the media on Thursday.

- NEXT: Sierra Leone to move African qualifiers after Ebola outbreak

Guinea and Sierra Leone have been ordered to move their African Nations Cup qualifiers next month to neutral territory following the outbreak of the Ebola virus in west Africa, which has killed more than 1,000 people.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Tuesday that Liberia, who are out of the Nations Cup, must also move international matches although there are none imminent at senior, club or junior level.

Sierra Leone had already asked Ghana to host their game against the Democratic Republic of Congo next month but have received an uncertain response.

The Ebola epidemic -- the world’s largest and deadliest so far -- has killed 1,013 in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

The World Health Organization has declared an international health emergency as it predicts the epidemic will continue for months.

"CAF has asked the three federations to relocate to a neutral country matches their teams are hosting in CAF competitions for a period up to mid-September," said a statement from African soccer's governing body.

Guinea were due to host Togo on Sept. 5 in their opening Group E qualifier while Sierra Leone's first home game is on Sept. 10 against DR Congo in Group D.

Sierra Leone, where the FA suspended all football last week, had already made plans to move their tie, asking Ghana to host the match.

"The Ghana Football Association has received a request from our brothers at the Sierra Leone Football Association seeking to play their qualifying home matches in Accra," the Ghana FA (GFA) said in a statement on Tuesday.

"While the GFA is keen on helping out our brothers from Sierra Leone, we are uncertain about the health implications for our country.

"Therefore the GFA has asked the SLFA (Sierra Leone FA) to ask their government to make a formal request to the government of Ghana for consideration by the Ministry of Health.

"It is based on this report from Ghana's Ministry of Health that a decision will be taken."

Earlier this month, Sierra Leone had a walkover in their playoff tie when the Seychelles refused the squad entry into the country because of fears of spreading the virus.

The Seychelles forfeited the tie, enabling Sierra Leone to qualify for the group stage of the preliminaries ahead of next January's finals in Morocco.

Togo had already said its government was likely to stop its squad from travelling to Guinea.

Liberia suspended all football activity two weeks ago.

- NEXT: Probe into death involving NASCAR's Stewart to last two more weeks

The investigation into the death of a race car driver in an incident involving NASCAR driver Tony Stewart at a New York race track over the weekend will last at least another two weeks, authorities said Tuesday.

"Investigators continue to seek witnesses, gather evidence, and develop the racetrack crash reconstruction," Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said in a statement.

Stewart, 43, bumped cars with Kevin Ward Jr. during a sprint car race last Saturday at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York. With the yellow caution flag out and Stewart continuing to race, Ward got out of his car and, while in the middle of the track, pointed at the three-time NASCAR champion. Stewart's car then struck the 20-year-old driver, killing him.

- NEXT: Colombia fullback Armero joins AC Milan

Colombia fullback Pablo Armero is set to join AC Milan as the Italians attempt to restore their credibility after a dismal campaign last season.

The seven-times European champions said on Tuesday that the 27-year-old would have a medical on Wednesday but they did not give any further details of the transfer.

Armero is owned by Udinese, who previously co-owned him with Napoli but bought the remaining 50 percent in June.

He spent the first half of last season at Napoli and the second on loan to West Ham United in the English Premier League.

Armero scored Colombia's first goal in their opening 3-0 win over Greece at this year's World Cup in Brazil and they went on to reach the quarter-finals.

Milan finished eighth last season in Serie A, missing out on European competition.

Massimiliano Allegri was sacked as coach halfway through the campaign and his successor, Clarence Seedorf, was dismissed at the end of the season and replaced by Filippo Inzaghi, despite producing a significant improvement in results.

"I’ve spoken to coach Inzaghi, he was a footballer who loved to win, he wants to do so as a coach. He's said I have to work with intensity to give my all and give everything to become a first team regular," Armero told Milan's TV channel.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez is also at the club for a medical and set to sign for Milan.