Football news

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger came out fighting yesterday after being challenged by the English FA to explain himself over calling a linesman a liar after last Sunday's controversial League Cup final.

Wenger told a media conference he wanted to protect the reputation of his players and the club. Wenger said Emmanuel Adebayor did not throw a punch nor intend to throw a punch at Chelsea stand-in captain Frank Lampard during a brawl at the end of the game.

"And I can prove this," Wenger said.

The linesman's report said Adebayor's attitude had been aggressive and he had aimed a punch at Lampard. Yesterday Wenger said the FA's disciplinary system was unfair and dishonest.

"This system is not fair nor honest," the French coach said.

Everton apply for Intertoto

Everton have applied to play in the Intertoto Cup next season. The Merseysiders are seventh in the league and still have high hopes of qualifying directly for the UEFA Cup.

But if Everton fail to qualify they will enter the Intertoto Cup if they are the highest-placed side outside of the automatic places.

In 1996 a Bordeaux side containing Zinedine Zidane reached the Uefa Cup final after qualifying for the competition via the Intertoto Cup.

Ibrahimovic to play for Sweden

Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has agreed to end his self-imposed international exile, Sweden's soccer association said yesterday.

The Inter striker has refused to play for Sweden since he and two other players were sent packing by coach Lars Lagerback for staying out too late two days before a Euro 2008 qualifier against Liechtenstein in September last year.

"To be part of the Swedish national team, it requires that one is 100 per cent motivated and ready to put in the time and commitment that is demanded," Lagerback said. "After reasoning with Zlatan, he is now available for the national team."

Sweden's next Euro qualifier is away to Northern Ireland on March 28. Sweden top Group F with a maximum 12 points from four games.

Solskjaer faces month out

Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (picture) will be out of action for most of March after undergoing minor knee surgery.

The 34-year-old Norway international only returned to regular action this season after the best part of three years on the sidelines with knee problems. United manager Alex Ferguson told reporters yesterday: "That was done a few days ago. It was good timing with the international (break) coming up.

"It gave us the opportunity to get the thing done and get it cleaned out. It's nothing serious."

Solskjaer, who has scored 10 goals this season, will miss United's Champions League second leg against Lille next week, an FA Cup tie with Middlesbrough and a league fixture against Bolton Wanderers, but should be available for the visit of Blackburn Rovers on March 31.

No rift says Torino boss

Urbano Cairo, the Torino boss, denied claims that the squad were against former coach Alberto Zaccheroni who got the axe on Monday.

"I don't think the side played or worked against Zaccheroni," Cairo told reporters. "Perhaps the players just lacked a little motivation.

"I asked Zaccheroni to meet me on Monday morning when I told him of my decision to change coach.

"He remained calm even if very disappointed, but he did understand that I had at least given him a chance."

Cairo took the extraordinary step of recalling Gianni De Biasi to the bench, a man who led the club to top-flight promotion last season and was rewarded with the chop just three days before the start of this term.

Ex-Hamburg player a bank robber

Peter Rohrschneider, a former Hamburg SV midfielder, has been arrested over a series of bank robberies in small east German towns.

Rohrschneider, 60, played in 27 Bundesliga matches for HSV between 1966 and 1968, and scored one goal. He had later worked as a coach for HSV amateur teams.

A German newspaper reported that an accomplice of Rohrschneider involved in the 16 bank robberies in 1991 and 1992 had recently confessed to police and implicated Rohrschneider.

A total of 430,000 marks (about $200,000) was stolen from the banks in robberies that were unsolved until this week.

Blatter rapped over 2014 remarks

Colombia President Alvaro Uribe criticised FIFA chief Sepp Blatter for suggesting the South American country's bid to host the 2014 World Cup was a publicity stunt.

Blatter, the president of world soccer's governing body, said this week that the bid was aimed at promoting Colombia rather than a realistic attempt to stage the finals.

"Before he can say that, he has to get rid of all the mafia who have infected football, and respect Colombia," Uribe told reporters.

Colombia and Brazil have bid to host the finals, with the 2014 World Cup earmarked for South America under FIFA's rotation system.

Betis handed stadium ban

Real Betis were ordered yesterday to close their Manuel Ruiz de Lopera stadium for three matches by the Spanish Football Federation's (RFEF) Competition Committee.

The ruling came after the King's Cup quarter-final second leg against city rivals Sevilla was abandoned in the second half, when visiting coach Juande Ramos was knocked unconscious by a bottle thrown from the stands.

The remaining 33 minutes will be played behind closed doors at Getafe's stadium on the outskirts of Madrid on March 20, with Sevilla 1-0 up on aggregate.