LONDON: Former England soccer manager Glenn Hoddle has said David Beckham might not have been sent off during the World Cup if faith healer Eileen Drewery had been in France.

``That sad situation might have been averted if we had someone there who could have cut it out at source,'' Hoddle said on a TV programme Hoddle and the Healer.

Hoddle thought England could have been 20 per cent better in the World Cup if Drewery had been with the team from the beginning.

Olympic movement

SYDNEY: More Sydneysiders are planning to flee the Australian harbour city than to buy tickets and stay during the 2000 Olympic Games.

Only 18 percent of city residents consider themselves `very likely' to buy tickets for the Games, compared with 20 percent of the population that is planning to get out of town, a survey said.

Samaranch subpoenaed

MADRID: Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee, was subpoenaed to testify in aninvestigation into alleged misappropriation of funds of a Spanish company, newspapers have reported.

Samaranch, a former member of the board of Ercros Chemical Company, was ordered to appear before a Barcelona court on April 9 for questioning about its finances.

Kasprowicz for Leicester

SYDNEY: Australian Test reject Michael Kasprowicz has agreed to play for English county side Leicester.

Kasprowicz had a frustrating Australian season, playing just a handful of first-class matches and spending long days as the National team's 12th man. A lack of match practice cost the Queensland paceman a place on the tour of the West Indies and the World Cup squad. He joins the likes of Alan Mullaly, Vince Wells and Chris Lewis at Leicester in his third stint in England.

Footballer found dead

BUCHAREST: Romanian footballer Mario Boqeanu and his girlfriend have been found suffocated from Carbon Monoxide poisoning in a car parked in a garage, police said here on Wednesday.

The naked bodies of the24-year-old former Rapid Bucharest mid-fielder, who was contracted to first division Gloria Bistrita, and his girlfriend Mirela were found by the player's father.

The body of Mirela was found in the back seat of the car, while Bouqeanu's was lying beside the car. Attempts to revive the two failed, police said.