Sports Briefs

French league honours Sala

LONDON (AP) — Tributes are being paid across football to Argentine player Emiliano Sala, with the French league announcing a minute's applause before matches.

French club Nantes says it will retire the No. 9 jersey worn by Sala before he was sold last month to Cardiff in the English Premier League.

The 28-year-old Sala was flying to south Wales to start a new chapter in his career when his plane disappeared from radar on January 21 above the English Channel.

The wreckage was found only on Sunday and a body recovered was confirmed as Sala's on Thursday. Authorities are yet to find pilot David Ibbotson, the other person on board the small aircraft.

Nantes says "Emiliano will always be among the legends who have written the great history of Nantes We have lost a friend, a talented player, an exemplary teammate."

FIFA moves best player awards to Milan from London

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA is moving from London to have a night at the opera in Milan to honour the world's best players and coaches.

FIFA says the iconic Scala theatre will host its annual awards ceremony on September 23.

London has hosted the Best Awards for the past two years after FIFA's new leadership moved the event from long-time home Zurich. Croatia midfielder Luka Modric was voted the 2018 best player.

FIFA's top management has deep connections to Milan and its storied clubs.

The world body's president, Gianni Infantino, is an Inter Milan fan, and deputy secretary general for football, Zvonimir Boban, played at AC Milan and won a Champions League title with the club.

Title-chasing Liverpool reveals record profit of US$162m

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool has reported pre-tax profit rising to a record 125 million pounds (US$162 million), fuelled by last season's run to the Champions League final.

Turnover rose by 90 million pounds to 455 million pounds in the year ending May 31, 2018, according to extracts of the annual accounts published by Liverpool on Friday. Pre-tax profit the previous year was 40 million pounds.

While Liverpool generated 137 million pounds from transfers, mostly Philippe Coutinho's January sale to Barcelona, more than 190 million pounds was invested in new players.

Liverpool is reaping the rewards, sitting second in the Premier League in its bid for a first English title since 1990. Juergen Klopp's team lost the Champions League final last May to Real Madrid.