Sporting briefs

Kicked out: Two Austrian clubs, Innsbruck and Linz, have had their first division licences removed for next season after failing to provide sufficient financial guarantees. The decision to kick out the clubs, lying sixth and 10th respectively in this season’s campaign, was announced yesterday by the Austrian pro-fessional football league.

Sammer: Former Germany captain Matthias Sammer has extended his contract with the German Football Federation (DFB) until 2016. Sammer, who skippered the German team to the European Championship title in 1996, has been national technical director since 2006 with his original contract set to expire in 2013.

Friendly: Germany will host France in a pre-Euro 2012 friendly in Bremen on February 29. The game is one of four planned by the German football federation to prepare for Euro 2012. Germany and France have played each other 23 times: the French lead the series with 10 wins to Germany’s seven and there have been six draws.

Vermaelen: Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen has returned to action from a long-term Achilles injury with the reserves, but will not be rushed back into the first-team squad for tomorrow’s clash against Manchester United. The Belgian has not featured since the end of August, but played the whole of Thursday’s goalless game at Old Trafford.

Adriano: Brazilian defender Adriano announced the signing of a three-year extension to his contract with Monaco. Adriano, 29, was out of contract in June but is set to remain with the Principality club until 2014. Monaco are currently 15th in the 20-team first division.

Fluminense: Fluminense look a good bet to reach the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores after they beat Libertad, of Paraguay, 3-1 in Rio de Janeiro late Thursday. The match started almost an hour later than scheduled due to a power failure in the Joao Havelange Stadium.

Division Three: Attard vs Mdina 3-1 (Attard in promotion decider vs Pembroke); Marsa w.o. Gozo FC.

League Two: Torquay vs Chesterfield 0-0.