Corner kicks

Ligue 1

Chinese cash helps Lyon's title quest

Lyon's new Chinese stakeholder made good on its 100 million euro ($106 million) investment pledge on Monday, as the French club attempts to rediscover the magic of its glory years.

Investment fund IDG Capital Partners injected 30 million euros in December, with the remaining 70 million arriving on Monday.

IDG now holds 20 percent of the club's holding group, run by Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.

Lyon, which won the French top flight every season from 2002 to 2008, is fourth in the Ligue 1 standings, 16 points behind leader Monaco.

Bundesliga

Germany to call on Leipzig shooter

Rising star Timo Werner looks set to earn a spot on Germany's squad for next month's matches against England and Azerbaijan following praise from national boss Joachim Low.

With 13 league goals for second-place Leipzig, Werner, who turns 21 on Monday, is the top-scoring German in the Bundesliga.

His clinical finishing has been a key part of Leipzig's rise this season since arriving from Stuttgart last year.

Germany hosts Gareth Southgate's England in a friendly in Dortmund on March 22 before facing Azerbaijan in a World Cup qualifier in Baku four days later.

Serie A

President's exit may spell stability

Rapid-fire firings at Palermo could become a thing of the past after trigger-happy president Maurizio Zamparini announced his resignation on Monday amid plans to bring in "Anglo-American" investors.

Zamparini, notorious for hiring and firing managers at the Serie A club, has seen no less than 28 - many of whom were hired for a second or third time - walk through the door since he bought Palermo in 2002.

But the Sicilian struggler could be set for a relative period of stability if Zamparini's claims are confirmed in the coming weeks.

La Liga

Lovers' spat lands Lucas some labor

Atletico Madrid's French defender Lucas Hernandez and his girlfriend were each sentenced to 31 days of community service on Monday, and ordered not to see each other for six months, after a violent altercation.

Hernandez, 21, was arrested after his girlfriend was taken to hospital with minor injuries following their fight on Feb 3.

Neither party made a complaint against the other, but Spain's public prosecutor asked for sentences of seven and six months respectively to be handed down to Lucas and his girlfriend.

Judge Borja Vargues also ruled that neither Lucas nor his girlfriend were allowed to bear weapons for 18 months, with the couple ordered to pay the costs of the case.

England

Everton mourns 'The Golden Vision'

Everton legend Alex Young, an integral part of the 1963 title-winning side and the 1966 FA Cup, died on Monday.

He was 80.

The Scottish international striker, who earned the nickname "The Golden Vision" from Northern Irish icon Danny Blanchflower during his time at Everton, scored 87 goals in 273 appearances in his eight years there after joining from Scottish club Hearts.

Young, whose goals also helped Hearts to two league titles, scored 23 goals in Everton's title-winning season.