Sporting briefs

Fae: Ivory Coast midfielder Emerse Fae has joined French Ligue 1 side Nice on a season-long loan from Reading, the English Championship (second division) team said. The move takes Fae back to France 12 months after he left Nantes to sign for Reading. He made only three league starts last season. Reading were relegated from the Premier League last term.

Cuper: Former Valencia and Inter Milan coach Hector Cuper has been appointed as Georgia trainer, the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) said yesterday. The 52-year-old Argentine replaces German Klaus Toppmoeller, who was sacked in April after Georgia failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals. The GFF said Cuper would arrive in Tbilisi next week to sign a two-year contract. For the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Georgia are in European Group Eight with Italy, Bulgaria, Ireland, Cyprus and Montenegro.

AEK Athens: Greece internationals Angelos Basinas and Sotiris Kyrgiakos have completed their moves back to Greece by signing for Super League side AEK Athens, the club said. Midfielder Basinas, a member of the winning Euro 2004 team and Greece captain at Euro 2008, has signed a three-year deal after being given a free transfer by Spanish club Real Mallorca. Defender Kyrgiakos has signed a five-year contract.

Rangers: Rangers have signed Algeria defender Madjid Bougherra in a 2.5 million pounds deal from English second-tier club Charlton . The French-born Bougherra, 25, has signed a four-year deal.

Thai trio: Premier League Manchester City are trying to offload their unwanted trio of Thai players on their former clubs after work permit troubles and poor performances on loan in Europe. Suree Sukha, Kiatprawut Saiwaew and Teerasil Dangda, who signed for City after billionaire Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra bought the club last year, will rejoin their old teams but would still be kept on City's books.

Iuliano: Former Juventus and Italy defender Mark Iuliano, 34, has been banned for two years for testing positive for cocaine after playing for Ravenna against Cesena in June.

Guzan: Aston Villa have received the go-ahead to sign Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan after the United States international was granted a work permit. Guzan, currently preparing for the Olympic Games with the US soccer team, was originally denied a permit in January but is now free to join Villa.

Friendlies: Milan vs Sevilla 0-1; Celtic vs Tottenham 0-2; Lokomotiv Moscow vs Chelsea 1-1; Newcastle vs Hertha Berlin 0-1.