Football news

Boca Juniors president Mauricio Macri arrived in Madrid on Saturday to negotiate the sale of Fernando Gago to Real Madrid saying he wants over 20 million euros ($26.22 million) for the highly rated midfielder.

"We have to talk everything over with Real Madrid so that we can agree the Gago transfer," Macri was quoted as saying. "I told them not to make me travel unless they were ready to be flexible in the negotiations.

"Real Madrid earn 40 times more than us from their television contracts and their income is 15 times higher than Argentine clubs. I hope that such a powerful club will be able to satisfy the expectations of Boca who want 22 million euros for the player."

Real, who signed Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain from Boca's arch-rivals River Plate on Thursday, have made it clear they see Gago as an important part of their future plans.

FIFA to lift ban on Iran

World soccer's ruling body FIFA has decided to lift its international ban on Iran. FIFA's decision came after 11th hour talks before tomorrow's draw for the 2007 Asian Cup finals.

"We have reached an agreement with the Iran football federation that allows Iran to participate in the draw for the Asian Cup," Sepp Blatter told reporters.

FIFA's executive committee suspended Iran from all international competitions last month because of government interference in running the game in the country.

A solution had looked beyond both sides with Blatter describing how FIFA had received "alarming phone calls" from the country.

However, emergency talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation (IRIFF) involving FIFA and Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam yielded a breakthrough.

Maccarone could leave M'boro

Gareth Southgate yesterday told reporters he could be tempted to let Massimo Maccarone go in the January transfer window. The M'boro manager is preparing a clear-out at the Riverside and the Italian striker could be on his way out next month.

Maccarone is well down the pecking order at Middlesbrough and he is thought to be unhappy with his lack of action.

"I'm very conscious with Massimo that he's been here a long time and we've never really been able to give him the first-team football he wants," said Southgate.

"I've left it in his hands a bit. If he wants to stay and fight, then I'm absolutely delighted to have him here. But there will be change at the club and there needs to be change."

Maccarone's agent Paolo Fabri has admitted the striker could return to Italy with a number of Serie A sides monitoring him.

"A player of Massimo's quality deserves to be playing in Serie A," Fabri said. "I have offered the player to Torino. They're a big club with a great support.

"I am waiting for an answer. But there's also Siena; if (Erjon) Bogdani is sold, some negotiations could happen."

Barthez resumes career at Nantes

Former France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez confirmed yesterday he had decided to come out of retirement to help Ligue 1 strugglers Nantes in their bid to escape relegation.

"If they had called me two months ago, I would probably have said no," Barthez, who had announced his retirement in October, told French television channel TF1.

"Some 15 clubs called me but I was not ready. Now I am. Nantes are a great club and their president found the right words."

A prominent member of France's 1998 World Cup-winning side and the team who reached the final in Germany this year, the 35-year-old Barthez had been without a club since leaving Olympique Marseille at the end of last season.

Feyenoord face UEFA appeal

Feyenoord's UEFA Cup match with Tottenham Hotspur could be played behind closed doors following a UEFA decision to appeal against the Dutch club's recent punishment for crowd trouble.

Feyenoord were fined 200,000 Swiss Francs ($164,200) and handed a suspended sentence of playing two matches in an empty stadium which will come into force if the club's supporters misbehave again.

The sanction was imposed by UEFA's independent Control and Disciplinary board, but UEFA has now decided to call for a more severe punishment, with the organisation's chief prosecutor launching an appeal against the decision.