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Mid-Day Ticker: Mourinho ban lifted, Terry pleads innocence and more

Mourinho (Getty Images)

Jose Mourinho and Tito Vilanova will be going head-to-head in the Spanish Supercopa after all.

The Spanish soccer federation lifted the bans for both coaches almost a year after their actions in an altercation during last year's Supercopa between Real Madrid and Barcelona during which Mourinho gouged Vilanova's eye only to have the then-Barcelona assistant retaliate with a slap to Mourinho's face.

After taking over for the departed Pep Guardiola, Vilanova's debut as Barcelona coach will be against Mourinho in the first leg of next month's meeting between the league champions and Copa del Rey winners.

Here are a few more stories to get your day going:

TERRY TAKES STAND AT RACISM TRIAL

The John Terry trial continues in England, where the Chelsea defender pleaded his innocence against allegations of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand after taking the stand Tuesday.

Terry's main defense in a previous interview with the FA was that the statement in question during the altercation between the two players was Terry responding to Ferdinand by asking whether Ferdinand had accused him of saying a certain phrase — with Terry using those words in the process. Terry repeated that notion in court on Tuesday.

Terry's defense lawyers, meanwhile, are asking that the case be thrown out due to a lack of concrete evidence that has made the prosecution's case weak and speculative.

RUSSIA RELEASES STAR-STUDDED COACHING SHORTLIST

The Russian federation has announced the list of candidates that it will speak to for its vacant coaching position, and it contains some of the biggest names in world soccer.

Pep Guardiola, Rafa Benitez, Marcelo Bielsa, Marcello Lippi, Fabio Capello and Harry Redknapp are among the 13 coaches that Russia has zoned in on to replace Dick Advocaat, who stepped down after Russia's participation in Euro 2012.

DE GUZMAN MOVES TO SWANSEA CITY

Jonathan de Guzman, brother of Toronto FC midfielder Julian de Guzman and a Dutch-Canadian eligible international, has moved to Swansea City on loan from Villarreal for the upcoming season.

The 24-year-old De Guzman, who has represented the Netherlands on the youth level, has plied his trade in the Eredivisie and La Liga for the duration of his career, and he will put his skills to the test in England under new Swans coach Michael Laudrup, for whom he previously played at Mallorca. 

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What do you make of Mourinho and Vilanova having their bans lifted? What's your take on the Terry trial? Do you see Russia landing any of the big-name coaches on its shortlist? How do you see De Guzman faring in the Premier League?

Share your thoughts below. 

Comments

  1. Yay! More Spanish league douchebagery soon to come! FFS I’m so sick of the BS between these two teams… They did the right thing with banning someone finally, and they lift the ban right before. This will be another debacle and waste of time…

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  2. Really Terry?!? Man up and apologize for your actions. You said it because he asked you if you said it? That’s your defense? So, you really said it twice….

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  3. how does De Guzman figure he is going to play for Holland if he hasn’t lived/played there for a long time and isn’t from there? maybe the move to England is also the beginning of his Canada career

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  4. De Guzman is probably the start of the massive exodus of players from Villarreal. Giuseppe Rossi will probably be the only key guy who won’t leave since he probably won’t be fit until 2013.

    Reply

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