The Asian Football Confederation said Sunday it had extended the provisional suspension of scandal-tainted former FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam by 20 days.

It comes with the Qatari currently serving a three-month ban from football imposed by the ethics committee of governing body FIFA on July 26 pending the outcome of a probe into AFC finances.

The Spanish league season kicks-off this weekend with Barcelona star Lionel Messi insisting it is not just a battle between himself and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"With Cristiano I have absolutely no problem. All that is said about us is to do with the press who want us to have our own personal battle but I have never competed with him or fought him," said the 25 year-old current holder of the FIFA Ballon d'Or. "I just try to do my job in the best way possible to win trophies for my national team and Barcelona", he continued after scoring in Argentina's 3-1 win over Germany on Wednesday night.

World No. 1 Roger Federer moved closer to a fifth ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters crown as the Swiss star crushed American Mardy Fish 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the semifinals.

Federer, seeking his sixth title of the year, was in regal form on Friday as he beat Fish for the eighth time in nine meetings. The American has lost 17 of 20 sets in the one-sided rivalry.

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has warned champions Manchester City that his side's swoop for Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie could tilt the balance of power in the Premier League back to Old Trafford.

With the new Premier League campaign starting on Saturday, United have landed a significant blow before the first ball has even been kicked after Dutch star Van Persie decided to snub City in favor of a move to Sir Alex Ferguson's team.

Young Chilean striker Angelo Henriquez is to join Manchester United, his club Universidad de Chile announced in a statement on Friday.

"Angelo Henriquez will join Manchester United this month," said Universidad de Chile, the 2011 winners of the Copa Sudamericana, South America's equivalent of the Europa League.

Robin Van Persie became the latest big-name player to slip from Arsenal's grasp when the Netherlands striker completed his move to Manchester United on a four-year deal on Friday.

Van Persie agreed personal terms and passed a medical examination to complete a transfer that is believed to have cost United about 24 million pounds ($38 million).

Olympic gold medalist Andy Murray was brought back to earth on Thursday with a surprise defeat by unseeded Jeremy Chardy at the Western and Southern Open.

While his regular rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic won through to the quarterfinals, Murray lost 6-4, 6-4 to Chardy, an opponent he'd beaten easily the four previous times they'd played.

Once the big-spending nouveaux riches of Spain's La Liga, Malaga are suddenly struggling after their owner, wealthy Qatari Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani, turned off the money tap.

Other hugely indebted top-flight clubs had watched with envy as Malaga splashed out nearly 60 million euros ($74 million) on new players last summer and ended last season in fourth place, their best ever campaign.

Rafael Nadal, who pulled out of the U.S. Open due to injury, should be ready for the Davis Cup semifinal between Spain and the United States next month, the tennis ace's coach and uncle said Thursday.

The Spaniard withdrew on Wednesday from the U.S. Open, the final Grand Slam of the season, which starts in New York on August 27, because of his continuing battle with knee tendinitis.

Liverpool agreed a deal to sign Morocco winger Oussama Assaidi from Dutch club Heerenveen for an undisclosed fee on Thursday.

Assaidi has to pass a medical before the transfer can be rubber-stamped, but if it is completed successfully he will become new boss Brendan Rodgers' third signing since he took over from Kenny Dalglish in June.