Sport Briefs

JUVENTUS were reported to be poised to sign Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira yesterday.”We are on the verge of signing him, the deal should be completed this afternoon,” Juve general director Luciano Moggi told the London Evening Standard.

But Juventus, said to have offered 15 million pounds for the France captain, have ruled out a move for Vieira’s Arsenal team-mate Robert Pires. “We are not interested in Pires,” Moggi added.Vieira, 29, whose contract expires in 2007, turned down a move to Real Madrid last year.Vieira joined Arsenal in 1996 from Cannes after a brief spell with AC Milan, playing two matches in Italy in 1995.He was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s first signing.* MANCHESTER United said yesterday South Korean international Park Ji-Sung will make his club debut later this month in Hong Kong on the first leg of their Asian tour.The 24-year-old midfielder, who signed for four million pounds (seven million dollars) from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven earlier this month, will be part of a near full strength squad to play the Hong Kong national team on July 23.Park won’t be the only new face on display as Chinese youngster Dong Fangzhuo and Dutch veteran goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar are also in squad.Also taking part in the off-season tour, which takes in Beijing and Tokyo as well as Hong Kong, are Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes.* SPRINT leader Tom Boonen has pulled out of the Tour de France after crashing in Wednesday’s 12th stage and the Belgian’s green jersey goes to Norway’s Thor Hushovd.Boonen, who completed a rare double by winning the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the spring classics, had won two stages in the first week on his Tour debut.The 24-year-old tested his swollen right knee, injured in a high-speed downhill crash on Wednesday, before calling it quits.He burst a blood vessel under his kneecap in Wednesday’s crash and had 80 centilitres of blood drawn from his knee on Thursday morning.* BUNDESLIGA club Hamburg SV have completed the signing of Cameroon international Thimothee Atouba from Tottenham Hotspur.Atouba has signed a four-year contract, Hamburg announced.The club did not disclose the transfer fee.-Reports by Nampa-Reuters and AFP”We are not interested in Pires,” Moggi added.Vieira, 29, whose contract expires in 2007, turned down a move to Real Madrid last year.Vieira joined Arsenal in 1996 from Cannes after a brief spell with AC Milan, playing two matches in Italy in 1995.He was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s first signing.* MANCHESTER United said yesterday South Korean international Park Ji-Sung will make his club debut later this month in Hong Kong on the first leg of their Asian tour.The 24-year-old midfielder, who signed for four million pounds (seven million dollars) from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven earlier this month, will be part of a near full strength squad to play the Hong Kong national team on July 23.Park won’t be the only new face on display as Chinese youngster Dong Fangzhuo and Dutch veteran goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar are also in squad.Also taking part in the off-season tour, which takes in Beijing and Tokyo as well as Hong Kong, are Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes.* SPRINT leader Tom Boonen has pulled out of the Tour de France after crashing in Wednesday’s 12th stage and the Belgian’s green jersey goes to Norway’s Thor Hushovd.Boonen, who completed a rare double by winning the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the spring classics, had won two stages in the first week on his Tour debut.The 24-year-old tested his swollen right knee, injured in a high-speed downhill crash on Wednesday, before calling it quits.He burst a blood vessel under his kneecap in Wednesday’s crash and had 80 centilitres of blood drawn from his knee on Thursday morning.* BUNDESLIGA club Hamburg SV have completed the signing of Cameroon international Thimothee Atouba from Tottenham Hotspur.Atouba has signed a four-year contract, Hamburg announced.The club did not disclose the transfer fee.-Reports by Nampa-Reuters and AFP