UEFA to allow artificial turf

National soccer teams and clubs will be allowed to use artificial turf in European competitions next season. Artificial turf was used in the 1980s by several European clubs, which then had grass fields reinstalled. The International Football Association Board, soccer’s rule-making body, voted earlier this year to allow artificial surfaces that meet FIFA standards.

Other major topics at the Union of European Football Associations’ executive committee meeting were limiting the number of players a club can have and making clubs have at least eight homegrown players, though that number could change before UEFA makes a decision in April.

The executive committee also decided to have two phases in the bidding process to host the 2012 European Championship, with a final decision made Dec. 15, 2006.

Who needs the NHL?

Alexei Kovalev, Brad Richards and Nikolai Khabibulin became the latest NHL players to join a European team during the lockout, agreeing to play in Russia. Since the lockout began, about 250 NHL players have headed to teams in Europe, about one-third of the league, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Kovalev, Richards and Khabibulin all signed with Russia’s AK Bars Kazan. Kovalev, an unrestricted free agent, also played in his native country during the 1994-95 lockout. Back then, he joined Lada Togliatti. Kovalev, Richards and Khabibulin are joining a Kazan lineup loaded with NHL talent. The team signed Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier last Thursday, Richards’ friend and teammate. Lecavalier will report to Kazan on Nov. 23.

Kazan already has Ilya Kovalchuk of Atlanta, Nik Antropov of Toronto, Darius Kasparaitis of the New York Rangers, Ruslan Salei of Anaheim, Fred Brathwaite of Columbus, Denis Arkhipov of Nashville and Alexei Morozov of Pittsburgh.

Kazan, owned by an oil company and in the far east of Russia, is celebrating the 1,000-year anniversary of the Tatarstan Republic. The team is intent on winning the Russian league in honor of the celebration.

Ready to rumble

Australia rugby coach Eddie Jones named an unchanged side to face France on Saturday and evaded being drawn into mind games ahead of the crunch match. At Wednesday’s press conference, Jones refused to respond to Laporte’s ambiguous claim that Australia is a “clever” side.

Australia has won six of their past seven encounters with Laporte’s bruisers, prompting the French coach to suggest that Australia has adopted “clever” tactics in the past. Jones responded, “Bernard is very clever at flattering people.”

Rugby fans will need no help deciphering that euphemism, but for those not au fait with the subtleties of international rugby management-speak, Laporte is no doubt referring to disruptive tactics such as obstructing the path to the ball carrier. Let’s get ready to rumble.