Lazio, Napoli and reigning champion Atletico Madrid were among the 13 teams to qualify for the knockout stage of the Europa League on Thursday.

However, there was a setback for another of the competition's big names as Liverpool was held to a frustrating 2-2 draw at home to Young Boys, leaving the English side's hopes of progressing to the last 32 in the balance.

Michael Schumacher's main goal entering his final Formula One race is to have some fun.

The seven-time world champion will be putting an end to F1's most successful career at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, hoping that he can enjoy the moment without the pressure of having to do well on the track.

Rafael Benitez is being coy about his prospects of staying at Chelsea beyond the end of the season, insisting on Thursday that his main ambitions as interim coach are to "win trophies and play good football."

The 52-year-old Spaniard was hired by the European champions on a seven-month contract Wednesday following the abrupt firing of Roberto Di Matteo.

Hours after doctors declared three-time world champion Hector "Macho" Camacho brain dead after being gunned down in a car, the fallen fighter's son said they would keep him on life support.

"It's up to God," Hector Camacho junior, known as "Machito" said of the family's refusal to turn off his ventilator, despite medical pessimism.

FIFA has denied Didier Drogba's request for special permission to leave Shanghai Shenhua on loan ahead of the official transfer period, ending speculation he could join former club Chelsea immediately.

FIFA said it informed Drogba he won't be exempted from international transfer rules while under contract with the Chinese Super League club, whose season ended this month.

A football match between Muslim imams and Catholic priests has helped raise funds for a new kindergarten in Bosnia.

More than 4,000 people paid 1 euro ($1.30) to watch the game in the central town of Zenica on Wednesday night, cheering "Bosnia, Bosnia" and celebrating whoever scored.

Japanese skaters Mao Asada and Daisuke Takahashi will be aiming to secure berths in the Grand Prix final at this weekend's NHK Trophy, the sixth and final event of the International Skating Union's GP series.

Asada, who won the Cup of China two weeks ago, can wrap up a place in the GP final in Sochi next month with a podium finish here.

Swimming Australia says it has accepted the resignation of chief executive Kevin Neil, a move which follows the national team's poor performance at the London Olympics.

Neil was due to appear next week at a government inquiry into the sport after Australia failed to win an individual gold medal in the pool for the first time since 1976.

Real Madrid and AC Milan, with 16 Champions League titles between them, advanced to the knockout stage on Wednesday, along with Borussia Dortmund and Schalke to make it three out of three teams from Germany.

Nine-time champion Madrid held on for 1-1 at Manchester City with 10 men, eliminating the English Premier League champion in the process. Also in Group D, Dortmund beat Ajax 4-1 to go through as the top team.

Chelsea surprisingly brought Rafael Benitez out of the coaching wilderness on Wednesday, hiring the Spaniard in an interim role after mercilessly firing the man who guided the club to its first Champions League title just six months ago.

Benitez agreed to a contract with the European champions until the end of the season, nearly two years after being fired by Inter Milan in his last coaching position. He filled the vacancy created by Roberto Di Matteo's sudden departure earlier in the day following the team's dip in form over the past month.