RUSSIAN RHAPSODY

DE GEA DEMANDS PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM PM

Spain goalkeeper David de Gea has demanded a "public apology" from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over comments he made in connection with a false 2016 sex slur.

Socialist leader Sanchez, who took over as prime minister earlier this month after conservative Mariano Rajoy lost a vote of confidence, criticised De Gea two years ago amid sexual assault claims against the Manchester United player.

At the time Sanchez said he did not "feel comfortable with De Gea as the national team's goalkeeper".

Last week, when Sanchez came to see the Spanish team off ahead of the World Cup in Russia, De Gea was pictured with his hands in his pockets, remaining on the fringes of the group as teammates applauded the premier's arrival.

"I accepted his apologies politely," Spanish media quoted the goalkeeper as saying.

"The thing is, though, that what he said at the time was in public so I think his apologies should also be made publicly."

'Spain game vital for Portugal'

Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Manuel Fernandes on Monday underlined the importance of Portugal's opening World Cup group game against Spain in an early heavyweight clash in Russia.

The European champions face 2010 World Cup winners Spain in their first Group B fixture in Sochi on June 15, the winner of which will be in pole position to finish top of a section that includes Morocco and Iran.

"It's a very important game for all of us, we're a strong team now and will be playing a very strong team too, one of the top contenders," Fernandes told reporters at Portugal's training base in Kratovo, southeast of Moscow.

"We shouldn't be underestimating the other two teams but Spain is one of the favourites. We also have respect for Iran and Morocco and will not take them lightly."

"Of course we came here to win all our matches in our group, we can't think about anything else," he added. "Our main goal is to go as far as we can."

EGYPT DEMANDS WORLD CUP RIGHTS FOR STATE TV

Egyptians hoping to watch the World Cup for free have been offered a chink of light after the country's competition authority said it was obliging FIFA to let state TV show games.

Egypt's national team -- including star striker Mohamed Salah -- is gearing up for its first World Cup in 28 years, but matches are only being broadcast in the country by Qatar-based pay television network beIN.

In a statement Sunday the Egyptian Competition Authority said it had decided to "enforce its authority" and "compel FIFA to give the right for direct ground transmission to the (Egyptian) National Media Authority" for 22 World Cup matches.

The authority said it received a complaint against FIFA, accusing the international football organising body of violating Egypt's competition law.

"FIFA has deprived competitors of beIN company from presenting better offers to the Egyptian viewer," the authority said.

It said it wrote to football's world governing body on May 17 "calling on FIFA to obey its publicised policy, but it has not cooperated with the continuous correspondence by the authority so far".

It remains unclear if FIFA will comply with the demand by the time the World Cup kicks off on Thursday.