Wigan reward buoyant Chimbonda
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Article summary
News round-up: Pascal Chimbonda is rewarded for a fine start to life in the English Premiership while Rangers FC's woes increase in Scotland.
Article body
Wigan Athletic FC
Coach Igoris Pankratjevas has parted company with FBK Kaunas after losing the Lithuanian title to FK Ekranas. The 41-year-old handed in his resignation before Kaunas's final game of the season, the 2-0 victory at FK Nevézis on Wednesday. Pankratjevas's contract had been due to expire at the end of the campaign. The club's third coach of 2005 after Valdas Ivanauskas and Aleksandr Piskariov, he took charge in August and led Kaunas to the Lithuanian Cup as well as improved league results.
Celtic FC knocked holders Rangers FC out of the Scottish League Cup with a 2-0 home win in Wednesday's quarter-final. Shaun Maloney's superb first-half strike and a Stefan Klos own goal increased the pressure on Rangers manager Alex McLeish, who saw Sotirios Kyrgiakos sent off midway through the second half. Celtic join Livingston FC, Dunfermline Athletic FC and Motherwell FC in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, former Rangers player Willie Paton has died at the age of 80. Paton, an inside-forward, joined the Ibrox club in 1947 and went on to make 164 appearances, scoring 68 times.