Sporting briefs...

Essien: Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has signed a new five-year contract with the English champions until the end of the 2011/12 season, the club said. The 24-year-old Ghana international, third in the recent poll for the 2006 African Footballer of the Year award behind winner and Chelsea team-mate Didier Drogba, has been ever-present for the London club this season.

Varela: Atletico Madrid right back Juan Valera is set to miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the club said after their 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday. Valera will undergo an operation in the next few days.

Kovacevic: Former Yugoslavia striker Darko Kovacevic has expressed his relief at scoring for the first time in nearly 18 months, after his side Real Sociedad beat Real Mallorca 3-1 on Sunday. "It was a nice goal but I didn't care how it went in. Although I am 33 I celebrated it like I was 20 and it was my first ever goal," Kovacevic told a news conference.

Steaua: Steaua Bucharest's main shareholder Gigi Becali has sharply criticised coach Cosmin Olaroiu and his players after they reached 100 days without a single win in domestic or international competition. "Olaroiu is my friend but if the team fails to win it means that he is obsolete," Becali told reporters. The 1986 European champions have fallen to fourth in the league table, 16 points below leaders Dinamo Bucharest, and Becali said he would take drastic action if results did not improve.

MFA Division Three: Mdina vs Gzira 3-1; Ta' Xbiex vs Qrendi 1-11.