Gianni Infantino: Fifa president cleared in ethics probe

Infantino was elected on 26 February

   Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been cleared of wrongdoing following an investigation into his expenses, recruitment and alleged sacking of whistleblowers.

Infantino took charge of football's world governing body in February after the disgraced Sepp Blatter resigned.
Fifa's ethics committee found no "conflicts of interest" and no breaches of the organisation's ethics code.

"The benefits enjoyed by Mr Infantino were not considered improper," it said.
Infantino said he was pleased with the decision, adding he "would like to thank all those who co-operated with the ethics committee to ensure that the facts were heard and the truth prevailed".
BBC Sport learned last month that Infantino, 46, was under scrutiny from the investigatory chamber of Fifa's ethics committee.
   At the time, the Swiss lawyer was said to be "very confident" no further action would be taken, with sources close to the former Uefa secretary general describing the allegations as "absurd" and "baseless".
"Mr Infantino's conduct with regard to his contract with Fifa, if at all, constituted internal compliance issues rather than an ethical matter," the ethics committee added.

What were the allegations?

A leaked internal Fifa memo outlined a series of claims relating to Infantino. The claims were that he:

• Left himself exposed to claims of a possible conflict of interest by using private jets laid on by a World Cup bidding country
• Filled senior posts without checking people's eligibility for the role
• Billed Fifa for mattresses, flowers, a tuxedo, an exercise machine and personal laundry
• Demanded Fifa hire an external driver, who then billed the governing body for driving Infantino's family and advisors around while he was abroad

   Analysis

   BBC Sport news correspondent Richard Conway
   Supporters of Gianni Infantino spoke throughout this investigation of his confidence over being cleared. He has no case to answer but the Swiss Italian has been damaged by the process.
Questions concerning his judgement have been raised.
   Taking private flights to Moscow and Doha was judged to be within the rules - but is it wise for a man elected on a platform of renewing trust and faith in Fifa to accept such offers?
   Doubts over his political nous were raised again this week after he was pictured laughing and joking while visiting Marco Polo del Nero, the head of the Brazilian football confederation and a man who has been indicted by US authorities over corruption claims.
   Infantino hasn't signed his employment contract yet either - another matter which continues to weigh him down, given reports he rejected an initial salary offer for being too low.
   Despite all this he can be expected to capitalise on being cleared by the ethics committee and relaunch his stuttering presidency. The question for many will be has lasting damage already been done?

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Leroy Sane: Germany midfielder close to joining Man City in £37m deal

Leroy Sane is close to completing a move to Manchester City from Schalke for a fee of £37m plus add-ons.

The Bundesliga club announced on Monday that the midfielder was in Manchester and had not joined their pre-season training camp in Austria.

City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on 21 July he wanted to sign Sane.

The 20-year-old helped Germany reach the semi-finals at Euro 2016, having made his international debut in November.

He told Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel earlier this summer that he wanted to leave the club, according to German media.

Sane, a product of the youth system at Schalke, made his senior debut for them in April 2014.

He scored eight goals in 33 Bundesliga appearances last season as Schalke finished fifth, missing out on Champions League qualification for the second year in a row.

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Africa's top shots: 29 July-4 August 2016

A selection of photos from Africa and of Africans elsewhere in the world this week:

On Wednesday, two Zimbabwean protesters smoke old banknotes during a demonstration in the capital, Harare, against the introduction of "bond notes", which are supposed to help with the shortage of US dollars.

Tunisian and Moroccan ice hockey players clash in the rink in Morocco's capital, Rabat, on Saturday during what is dubbed the African Ice Hockey Cup, where teams from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt play each other.

On Friday, women at a coffee factory in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, pack sachets into boxes at the Dormans plant, the oldest coffee company in the country.

On the other side of the continent on Saturday, in Ivory Coast's main city, Abidjan, women are making large balls of soap, known as kabakrou, from palm oil and caustic soda.

On Wednesday in the Alexandra township of South Africa's main city, Johannesburg, people vote in the country's local elections.

In Libya on Tuesday, a militia man supporting the UN-backed government fires a shell at Islamic State fighters in the city of Sirte.

Malian hip hop artist Inna Modja performs with a percussionist at the UK's Womad festival on Saturday. She has her own sound but draws on influences from artists like Toumani Diabate, Salif Keita, and Oumou Sangare.

On the same day, athletes, including Nigerian wrestler Soso Tamarau, are being welcomed to the Olympic host city of Rio de Janeiro.

South Sudanese Yiech Pur Biel, who is running for the Refugee Olympic Team in Rio, takes in the city's sites on Saturday.

On Wednesday, competitors from Niger get the chance to take a selfie while they wait to be welcomed to the athletes' village.

On the same day, taekwondo athletes from Ivory Coast, Ruth Gbagbi, left, and Mamina Kone, practise ahead of the competition.

Images courtesy of AFP, AP, EPA and Reuters

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