Soccer players barred

European clubs win appeal

Three European clubs won an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Wednesday to keep their players out of the Olympic soccer tournament. Two, however, will still play, and the other might.

Sport's highest court ruled Argentine forward Lionel Messi, Werder Bremen's Diego and Rafinha of Schalke can be kept out of the Beijing Games by their clubs.

Despite the ruling, Messi still wants to play for his country instead of returning to FC Barcelona, according to Argentina coach Sergio Batista.

Barcelona postponed making a decision on whether to demand Messi's return until its coach talked to the star. Team officials were unable to contact Messi in China, club sporting director Manel Estiarte said in New York.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola planned to call Messi again either before or after Wednesday night's exhibition game against Major League Soccer's Red Bulls in East Rutherford, N.J. Barcelona was scheduled to return home to Spain immediately after the match.

Schalke and Werder Bremen later offered to let Rafinha and Diego stay with Brazil for the Olympic tournament.

However, both demanded the Brazilian football federation quickly "create the conditions" for the players' involvement -- for example, by providing evidence of insurance cover in case they are injured."We are pleased that CAS has confirmed our legal interpretation," Schalke manager Andreas Mueller said. "It is laid down quite clearly in the FIFA Statutes."

Argentina opens today against the Ivory Coast in Shanghai and Brazil plays Belgium in Shenyang.

CAS secretary-general Matthieu Reeb said the three-member panel ruled in favor of the clubs because the Olympic tournament is not on FIFA's match calendar, and because there was no evidence that the football body's executive board obliged the clubs to release the players.

Reeb said the case was narrowly focused on the three under-23 players and did not address the question of the over-23 players who are playing in the Olympic football tournament.

"This decision does not affect the eligibility status of the players who have been validly entered by their national Olympic committee and who remain fully eligible to compete in Olympic Games of Beijing 2008," CAS said.

CYCLISTS APOLOGIZE FOR MASKS: A group of American cyclists has apologized to Beijing Olympic organizers after arriving in China's capital wearing face masks.

Michael Friedman, Sarah Hammer, Bobby Lea and Jennie Reed released a statement Wednesday, a day after they caused a stir by showing up in the protective gear.

BRAZIL'S JULIANA OUT OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Juliana Felisberta Silva, one-half of the top women's beach volleyball team from powerhouse Brazil and the No. 3 team in the world, pulled out of the Olympics on Wednesday because of an injury.

By withdrawing before competition begins Saturday, she allows teammate Larissa Franca to remain in the Olympics with a new partner. The Brazilian Volleyball Confederation said Juliana will be replaced by Ana Paula, who had been on the country's third-best team.