Football news

Maccabi Netanya's German coach Lothar Matthaeus has been handed a two-match touchline ban after he was dismissed during a league match last weekend, an Israeli Football Association disciplinary panel said.

The former World Cup winning captain was charged with "inappropriate behaviour" and fined 7,500 shekel ($1,917) for an outburst during the club's 0-0 draw at Maccabi Petah Tikva.

Matthaeus, who took charge of Netanya at the start of the season, has kept last season's runners-up in the title hunt again as they lie two points behind leaders Maccabi Haifa in second place after 13 games.

Former Bulgarian refs chief charged

Former Bulgarian referees' chief Borislav Alexandrov has been charged as part of a widening match-fixing scandal, a Sofia prosecutor said.

Boryana Betsova told reporters Alexandrov had been charged with approaching referees to influence the outcome of seven domestic top-flight matches, with Belasitsa Petrich taking part in three of the games.

Alexandrov resigned as Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) referees' commission chairman in September after being temporarily suspended over allegations of match-fixing.

Two former referees, banned for life after making errors in games, have said there is widespread pressure on match officials to manipulate games in Bulgaria.

Spain to probe second match-fixing claim

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has asked state prosecutors to investigate an allegation that a match in the final round of the 2006-07 Primera Liga season was fixed.

Authorities are already looking into a match-fixing claim involving a second-division game at the end of last season, a 2-1 home victory for Malaga over Tenerife on June 15 which sealed the Andalucian side's promotion.

The second game to be probed is Athletic Bilbao's 2-0 home win over Levante on June 17, 2007 which saved the Basque club from what would have been the first relegation from the top division in its history.

Advocaat paves way for Arshavin exit

Striker Andrei Arshavin should be allowed to leave Zenit St Petersburg and pursue his career at a big European club, coach Dick Advocaat said.

The Russian international, one of the top performers at Euro 2008, has been linked with several clubs including Real Madrid, who beat Zenit 3-0 at the Bernabeu in their Champions League Group H match on Wednesday.

Advocaat said if players such as Arshavin wanted to leave Zenit it was better for the team to let them go.

"Sometimes you have to give players of that quality a chance to show themselves in Europe and I think it's the right time for Andrei to do that," he said.

Gattuso upbeat

Gennaro Gattuso will put his famous battling qualities to good use during his recovery from a knee ligament injury, the Milan midfielder has said.

The Italy World Cup winner, who tore cruciate ligaments in his right knee in Sunday's 1-0 win over Catania, will have an operation on Dec. 19 and could miss the rest of the season.

"I will take it as a new challenge, a new battle to win. I have won many battles and I will also win this one," he told Italian television as he flew to Antwerp to meet top knee surgeon Marc Martens, who confirmed an operation was needed.

"I am really upset at what's happened but I think I will again be able to cut the recovery time. I always say that in life there are worse things, there is no need to despair."

Football the top topic among fans

More than 80 per cent of 32,000 fans questioned in a worldwide survey said that football was their most regular topic of conversation while 49 per cent said it was more important to them than even family and partners.

The survey, carried out by Premier League sponsors Barclays across 185 countries, found that Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was the league's most popular player according to 38 per cent of voters. Team-mate Steven Gerrard was second and Manchester United's newly-crowned European player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo third.

David Beckham's goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon in 1996 was voted the fans' favourite moment since the league began in 1992.

United close in on Serb duo

Manchester United look set to finalise a deal for Serbian starlet Adem Ljajic after he travelled to England together with Partizan Belgrade team-mate Zoran Tosic.

Left winger Tosic has flown to Manchester to undergo a medical ahead of his proposed move to Old Trafford in January. United have already agreed terms with Partizan for Tosic and have successfully appealed to get him a work permit.

Reports in Serbia said that Ljajic, who enjoyed a trial at Old Trafford earlier this year, will also have a medical with a view to signing for United.

The English and European champions are believed to be willing to let Ljajic stay at Partizan for at least six months but possibly for as long as 18 months before moving to Old Trafford.