A group representing Europe's football clubs presented a study Tuesday that defends football's current transfer system, which the international footballers' union wants to overhaul.

"We wanted to have a picture of the situation to explain it from inside the industry. We found out the actual transfer system is working," AC Milan director Umberto Gandini said.

Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has decided to leave the club at the end of the season, preferring to take some time off after several injury-filled seasons and putting his football future in doubt.

The 35-year-old Puyol has spent his entire career with Barcelona, debuting in 1999. But he has made only 12 appearances this season after returning from a long-term knee injury in October.

Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky have signed new contracts with Arsenal.

The Premier League club did not reveal the length of the deals but manager Arsene Wenger said both internationals "have committed their futures to the club."

Germany begins its World Cup preparations in earnest with Wednesday's friendly against Chile in Stuttgart.

Coach Joachim Loew has been at pains to focus his players' attention on the World Cup with 99 days to go. Preparations to date have been far from ideal, with key players injured, returning from injury or simply not in form. Chile is also gearing up for the tournament in Brazil. Here are five things to know ahead of the teams' seventh meeting:

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is facing a long stadium ban after being charged Monday by the English Football Association with improper conduct for headbutting an opposing player during a Premier League match.

Pardew has already been sanctioned by Newcastle, accepting a formal warning and a 100,000 pound ($168,000) fine following his confrontation with Hull midfielder David Meyler on Saturday.

Miami's LeBron James scored a career-high and franchise-record 61 points to lead the hosts to a 124-107 win over Charlotte on Friday, moving the Heat back within two games of NBA Eastern Conference leader Indiana.

James made 22 of 33 shots from the field, including his first eight 3-point attempts. His career best had been 56 points in 2004-05 for Cleveland against Toronto.

Brazil is running out of time.

World Cup organizers will mark 100 days to go on Tuesday with a lot of work still to be done on stadiums and infrastructure in the 12 host cities.

Mt. Everest climbing season began this week with new rules that require climbers to bring down their personal garbage, and more security officials at the mountain's base camp to help climbers.

Tourism Ministry official Maddhu Sudan Burlakoti said individual climbers going beyond the base camp will be required to bring down at least eight kilograms (17.6 pounds) of their personal garbage and hand it over to officials stationed there.

Oscar Pistorius pleaded not guilty Monday to murdering his girlfriend on Valentine's Day last year, marking the start of the Olympian's murder trial that had South Africans watching live broadcasting of the proceedings against their country's most famous living citizen.

The trial started 90 minutes late with Pistorius pleading not guilty to all four charges against him: murder, two charges relating to discharge of firearm in a public place and one charge of illegal possession of ammunition. Before the trial started he walked past the victim's mother who says she came to court so she can "really look him in the eyes."

Dutch coach Huub Stevens was fired by PAOK on Sunday, the Greek Super League club announced.

Stevens, 60, took over the club last June but the 2-2 draw at the weekend with Ergotelis, after PAOK had taken a 2-0 lead, on the back of elimination from the Europa League by Benfica last month led team directors to terminate his contract.