Barcelona coach Luis Enrique is not overly concerned about the absence of new signing Luis Suarez for the early part of the upcoming season as the Uruguayan serves his biting ban from the World Cup.

"It's bad that he's not with us from the start, but it's not a tragedy," Luis Enrique said on Wednesday. "Somebody else will play in his place."

German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle has been banned for two years for a doping offense at the Sochi Winter Olympics.

The International Biathlon Union says in a statement that the 33-year-old Sachenbacher-Stehle's ban is retrospective from Feb. 17 — the date she tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine.

Newcastle has added Emmanuel Riviere to its collection of French players by signing the forward from Monaco.

The 24-year-old Riviere, who scored 13 goals in 36 appearances last season, is Newcastle's fifth recruit in the summer transfer window. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Spain may have been embarrassingly dethroned as World Cup holders, but Real Madrid and Barcelona are still champions at making money after they were named as the world's two richest sports franchises.

For the second successive year, Forbes business magazine tagged European champions Real Madrid, where Cristiano Ronaldo plays, as the number one sports team with a value of $3.44 billion.

Serena Williams, whose Wimbledon campaign ended with her in tears and on the verge of fainting, is enduring a "difficult period" in her life, her French coach said Wednesday.

The world number one was knocked out in the third round of the singles at the All England Club before retiring from her doubles where she had to be led off the court by sister Venus with her problems attributed to a "viral illness".

Two days after wearing the yellow jersey on Bastille Day, Frenchman Tony Gallopin won the 11th stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old escaped from a depleted peloton on a fast descent in the last 10km of the 187.5km run from Besancon to Oyonnax.

Massimiliano Allegri was on Wednesday appointed the new manager of Serie A champions Juventus less than 24 hours after Antonio Conte quit the post.

Allegri has been out of work since his sacking by AC Milan in January. The 47-year-old won the title in his first season (2010/2011) in charge.

Nico Rosberg, locked in a titanic duel with teammate Lewis Hamilton for this year's drivers' title, on Wednesday signed a new "multi-year" contract with Mercedes, the German F1 team announced.

Rosberg, 29, joined Mercedes on the German car giant's return to F1 in 2010. In five seasons he has won six times, with 17 podiums and eight pole positions.

Liverpool signed versatile forward Lazar Markovic from Benfica on Tuesday as the Premier League club spends the windfall from Luis Suarez's sale.

Liverpool paid 12.5 million euros ($17 million) for Benfica's 50 percent share in Markovic, the Portuguese club said. Details were not disclosed about a deal to buy out the third party owning the other half of the rights in the 20-year-old Serbian.

Antonio Conte terminated his contract with Serie A champion Juventus by mutual consent Tuesday in a shock move just as the Turin club begins preparations for next season.

"Winning is difficult. It comes with a lot of effort, especially in a club like Juventus where there is the obligation of victory," Conte said in a video message posted on Juve's website. "But I showed I'm a winner."