Football news

Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o has been granted dual Spanish nationality, thus freeing up another of the club's berths for non-European Union players, the Primera Liga side said.

With Brazil playmaker Ronaldinho and Mexico forward Giovani dos Santos having been granted dual Spanish nationality earlier this season, the only non-EU player remaining in the squad is Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure.

Primera Liga clubs are permitted to register a maximum of three non-EU players.

Ramos worried by Puerta tributes

Sevilla coach Juande Ramos has said the acts of remembrance for Antonio Puerta carried out by visiting teams and the home fans are distracting his players, and has called for the club to find alternatives.

Teams have been placing flowers at the side of the pitch before kick-off and fans have been observing a spontaneous minute's silence in the 16th minute of home games.

"When rivals come we receive them with open arms and then they go and beat us playing as if they were the home team," Ramos was quoted as saying in Spanish media.

"Players lose concentration during the minute's silence. We don't want to forget our colleague, but we don't want the wound reopened all the time."

Knox... caretaker boss at Bolton

Bolton Wanderers have put Archie Knox in temporary charge of the first team following Wednesday's departure of coach Sammy Lee.

The 60-year-old Scot, brought in by Lee in August as coaching co-ordinator, faces a tough first task with Bolton away to Premier League leaders Arsenal tomorrow.

Lee, who took over from Sam Allardyce, parted company with Bolton after a poor start to the season which has left them second from bottom.

Drogba to quit Chelsea - report

Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba wants to quit Chelsea three years after joining the Londoners.

"I want to leave Chelsea. Something is broken with the club," Drogba told the France Football magazine due to be published today.

Drogba, who has scored 43 goals in the Premier League, was one of the players most affected by former manager Jose Mourinho's departure last month.

The Portuguese coach, who led Chelsea to back-to-back league titles in 2005 and 2006, has been replaced by Israel's Avram Grant.

Dida's UEFA appeal on Monday

European soccer's governing body UEFA will review the two-match Champions League ban handed to Milan goalkeeper Dida at a special appeals hearing on Monday.

UEFA confirmed receipt of Milan's appeal against the ban yesterday and said its independent appeals body would consider the case ahead of next week's Champions League action.

Dida was controversially punished after appearing to feign injury following a slap round the neck by a Celtic fan during Milan's 2-1 defeat by the Scottish champions at Celtic Park on October 3.

Calciopoli had no effect - Zeman

Former Roma coach Zdenek Zeman is of the opinion that last year's match-fixing scandal has had no impact on the state of Italian football.

The outspoken Czech tactician is known for his vocal criticism about alleged corruption within Italian football and he insists that it will take a long time to cleanse the game.

"I think that lots of things are changing, but I haven't seen any big steps forward yet," Zeman was quoted as saying. "It won't be at all easy to do anything with the same people in the same positions."

Zeman is also disappointed that games have had to be played in closed, or partially closed, stadiums this season due to security fears.

"Football without fans is terrible, but it is the only way as we need to start down the road to eliminating violence from the game," he admitted.

Fiorentina eye Moutinho move

Fiorentina are ready to launch a bid for Sporting Lisbon midfield starlet Joao Moutinho, according to reports in the Portuguese press.

The 21-year-old is the youngest captain in the history of Sporting and has already made 81 appearances, earning comparisons to ex-Milan hero Manuel Rui Costa.

According to the Record newspaper, the Viola are keeping a close eye on the international and are ready to step in with a sizeable bid.

Inter are believed to have been watching Moutinho, but the Nerazzurri have several other targets that may take priority.

'Roma can't afford Amauri'

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has played down suggestions that striker Amauri is headed for Roma.

Amauri has become one of Serie A's hottest properties and the Brazilian hitman is believed to be a target for the Giallorossi and Milan.

While the player's agent Mariano Grimaldi claimed this week that a move to the Stadio Olimpico was a strong possibility as a part-exchange deal, Zamparini took a very different stance.

"There have been no discussions between Palermo and Roma," Zamparini said. "Given the current financial situation of the capital club, it would be very difficult for them to compete with other big sides in a bidding war for Amauri."

DFB fine Eintracht Frankfurt

The German federation (DFB) have handed Eintracht Frankfurt a fine of 6,000 euros ($8,554) for two cases of unsportsmanlike conduct.

A group of fans threw a burning object into a section of Karlsruhe supporters on September 26.

Eleven days earlier a Frankfurt fan threw a plastic cup on the pitch in the home match with Hamburg SV.