In brief...

Yartsev: Russia coach Georgy Yartsev has resigned, the new head of the Russian Football Union (RFU) said yesterday. "We've received a resignation letter from Yartsev and I don't think we're going to object," St Petersburg politician Vitaly Mutko, who succeeded Vyacheslav Koloskov as RFU president on Saturday, told Russian television. Yartsev's resignation was expected after Mutko had hinted that he would sack him just minutes after taking the office.

Sao Paulo: Sao Paulo won the Paulista championship with two games to spare when they drew 0-0 with 10-man Santos on Sunday. The win kept Sao Paulo nine points ahead of Santos and Corinthians with two matches each to play. The Paulista is one of the regional competitions which form the prelude to the Brazilian season.

Minister ref: Scottish referee Mike McCurry, in charge of last month's League Cup final at Hampden between Rangers and Motherwell, has become a Baptist minister. The 40-year-old was ordained at Mosspark Church in Glasgow at the weekend. McCurry was a FIFA-listed referee for almost a decade and refereed UEFA Cup and Champions League encounters.

Bracamonte: Argentine Hector Bracamonte extended his contract with Russian premier league side FK Moscow for another four years. The 27-year-old has been Moscow's top player since joining the club in June 2003. Last season he was the club's leading scorer, notching 11 goals, prompting calls from the media to offer him citizenship so that he could play for Russia.