Diego Maradona was restrained by security staff as he confronted opposition fans in the stands on Thursday, angry at threats and abuse directed toward wives and girlfriends of his al-Wasl players.

Maradona called the al-Shabab fans "cowards" after they heckled the women during his team's 2-0 loss.

Beer-drinking football fans should be able to savor their favorite beverage during matches at the 2014 World Cup after Brazilian lawmakers approved a bill suspending a ban on beer sales in stadiums.

The bill regulating the beautiful game's quadrennial extravaganza received near unanimous support in the House of Deputies late Wednesday, paving the way for beer to be sold in plastic cups inside the venues.

The Gulf country that gave the world indoor skiing in the desert, a Ferrari theme park and a half mile-high skyscraper is back at it with plans for an entire resort island based around the brand of one of the world's richest football clubs.

If all goes according to plan, the $1 billion Real Madrid Resort Island should open in January 2015 on a now nearly barren manmade island in the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, a little more than an hour's drive north of Dubai.

Barcelona has filed a complaint to UEFA about the state of the San Siro pitch in its 0-0 draw with AC Milan in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

The defending champions said they filed the complaint late Wednesday after the match in which their players lost their footing and kicked up clumps of turf from the ground.

Rafael Nadal set up a mouthwatering semi-final clash with Andy Murray at the ATP/WTA Miami tournament, coming through a tough battle with French sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The Spanish world number two, chasing his first tournament win of the season, needed almost three hours to defeat Tsonga 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a quarterfinal night match.

French seventh seed Marion Bartoli stunned previously unbeaten world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals of the ATP/WTA Miami hardcourt tournament on Wednesday.

It was the second consecutive dominating victory in Miami for Bartoli who brushed aside 22nd seed Maria Kirilenko in the fourth round 6-1, 6-2.

The shorthanded New York Knicks won their eighth game in the last nine by overpowering the Orlando Magic 108-86 behind a 25-point performance from Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony, who also had six assists and five rebounds, took charge of the Knicks' offense with Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire both sitting out with injuries.

Fancy camping for 120 euros a night? Or how about 3,600-euro hotel room? Football fans heading to Ukraine for Euro 2012 are set to be hit by among the highest accommodation costs in the world.

Many in the tourist trade in what is one of Europe's poorest countries are looking to use the three-week tournament to make not so much a fast buck as a light-speed one.

Bayern Munich took control of their Champions League quarterfinal against Marseille with a 2-0 win at Stade Velodrome on Wednesday that condemned OM to an eighth defeat in nine matches.

With Steve Mandanda suspended, Marseille coach Didier Deschamps chose to field third-choice goalkeeper Elinton Andrade but the move backfired in the 44th minute when the Brazilian allowed Mario Gomez's shot to slip beneath him.

Pep Guardiola said his Barcelona team will need to score at least two goals at the Camp Nou next week if they are to oust AC Milan and reach the Champions League semi-finals.

The Italian and Spanish champions played out a 0-0 draw at the San Siro here on Wednesday, leaving next week's quarterfinal second leg finely poised.