LONDON, England (AFP) — Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has been ordered to appear in court over an alleged ‘road rage’ row with a taxi driver, British police revealed yesterday.

Keane, 43, is alleged to have got into an argument with taxi driver Fateh Kerar, 44, near traffic lights in Altrincham, Greater Manchester in January this year.

“A summons was posted for Roy Keane to his home address in Hale to appear before Trafford Magistrates court on 31 March for a Section 4A Public Order offence,” said a statement from Greater Manchester Police.

“This is in relation to an incident on Friday 30 January 2015 when police were called to Ashley Road, Altrincham to a report that a man had behaved aggressively towards another man.”

Keane recently stepped down as assistant manager of Aston Villa to concentrate on a similar role with the Republic of Ireland.

The former Ireland captain, who was renowned for his aggressive, no-nonsense playing style, also works as a television pundit.

I didn’t spit at Papiss Cisse, says Evans

LONDON, England (AFP) — Manchester United centre-back Jonny Evans released a statement yesterday rejecting allegations that he spat at Newcastle United’s Papiss Cisse during his side’s Premier League win at St James’ Park.

“Having woken up this morning I am shocked to have seen the media coverage from last night’s match,” Evans said in the statement on the United website. “I would like to make it clear that I did not spit at Papiss Cisse.”

The incident occurred during the first half of Wednesday’s Premier League match in Newcastle and followed a tangle between the players near the half-way line.

As the pair climbed to their feet, Evans seemed to spit towards the ground and Cisse appeared to react by spitting at the United defender’s neck.

Referee Anthony Taylor spoke to both players after the incident, but did not book either of them. The Football Association has said it will wait for Taylor’s report before deciding whether to take action.

The two players could each face six-game bans if found guilty of spitting under new disciplinary guidelines brought in by the FA this season.

Evans added: “I was totally unaware of any spitting incident and had assumed that the issue at the time was with the challenge and his attempted retaliation to the tackle from the floor.”

Hamilton, Rosberg favourites for Formula One world title

MILAN, Italy (AFP) — Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are joint favourites for the Formula One world title as well as the season-opening Grand Prix in Melbourne, according to Ferrari star Sebastian Vettel.

And the 27-year-old German — who admitted he began talking with Ferrari as early as 2008 about a future move to the Italian super team — said fans may have to wait until 2016 before ending Ferrari’s eight-year wait for the world driver’s title.

Four-time world champion Vettel makes his official Ferrari debut as the 20-race season kicks off at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit on March 15.

Ferrari are hoping to end years of mediocrity with Vettel and Finnish 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, but the German believes Mercedes aces Hamilton and Rosberg are “the ones to beat”.

“It’s 50-50 between them,” Vettel told La Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday when asked who would be crowned world champion in 2015.

Loew, Germany near new deal

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — World champions Germany are in advanced negotiations to extend national coach Joachim Loew’s contract until the 2018 World Cup in Russia, German daily Bild reported yesterday.

The 55-year-old Loew currently has a deal to take him through to Euro 2016, and the new deal includes a get out clause should either party wish to part company after the tournament to be held in France.

German Football Federation president Wolfgang Niersbach and his general secretary Helmut Sandrock have been in tight negotiations with Loew’s agent Harun Arslan, Bild said.

“I’m as motivated now as I was on my first day,” said Loew, who began as assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann in 2004 before taking over the top job after the Germany World Cup in 2006.

“The Brazil World Cup was a huge success, but we now wish to achieve fresh objectives,” said Loew, who has an enviable pool of emerging talent spearheaded by the man who scored the World Cup winning goal, 22-year-old Mario Goetz.