UEFA boss Michel Platini defended the choices of host cities for Euro 2020 on Friday, after top candidates like Cardiff and Stockholm failed to make it through.

"I wanted this competition to go all over Europe and you see today: it's spread from east to west, north to south. These are really very good choices that were made by the executive committee," he said.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto was banned for three games and fined by the Football Association on Friday after sending Nicolas Anelka a message of support following his controversial 'quenelle' gesture last season.

Former France striker Anelka made the gesture -- widely regarded as anti-Semitic -- having scored for West Brom against West Ham on December 28.

Commercial ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone said Friday that Formula One may start next season with eight three-car teams instead of the current set-up with 11 two-car outfits.

"We'll know after the next two or three races," said Ecclestone. "It's always been on the cards that if we lose up to three teams then the other teams will run three cars.

Li Na, a two-time Grand Slam champion from China who took tennis in Asia to a new level, has retired due to recurring knee injuries.

The 32-year-old Li posted a statement on social media sites Friday, ending a week of intensifying speculation that she would announce her retirement ahead of the new WTA tournament at Wuhan, her home town.

Bastia striker Brandao was banned for six months by the French league on Thursday for head-butting Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Thiago Motta after a league match last month.

Provisionally suspended since Aug. 22, Brandao was banned to Feb. 22 after a league disciplinary hearing.

Three-time European champion Inter Milan opened its Europa League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, while defending champion Sevilla had an easier 2-0 win against Feyenoord on Thursday.

Three-time champion Sevilla took control with first-half goals from midfielders Grzegorz Krychowiak and Stephane Mbia.

Referees have been given the power to stop matches in European competitions for three minutes to fully assess head injuries.

The proposal by FIFA medical committee chairman Michel D'Hooghe in response to concerns about the treatment of concussions in high-profile matches, was approved by the UEFA executive committee on Thursday.

The president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said Friday the body was "encouraging" Saudi Arabia to put forward female athletes after the kingdom brought only men to Asiad.

OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah told reporters he was hopeful Saudi women would appear in future Games.

As the Formula One season exits Europe and heads to Asia for this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, teams and drivers are preparing for a new challenge, with the sport now banning a large amount of radio messages during races.

The change comes in response to fan disquiet about the increasingly remote-control nature of the sport. Teams, with reams of available data during races, have been determining race strategy and the appropriate car settings to carry it out, with drivers simply pressing the buttons on the steering wheel to adjust their use of fuel, tires or brakes accordingly.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stepped down as manager of English second-tier side Cardiff City after nine months in the job, the Championship club announced on Thursday.

The Norwegian former Manchester United striker, 41, failed to prevent Cardiff's relegation from the Premier League last season and saw his side slip to 17th place in the Championship this term.