Football news

Arsenal’s bid to overturn a two-match touchline ban handed to manager Arsene Wenger has ended in failure after European governing body UEFA rejected the club’s appeal yesterday.

A UEFA statement said the organisation’s appeals body had dismissed Arsenal’s appeal against a two-match suspension handed to Wenger following the Champions League play-off first leg against Udinese last month.

Wenger will now be barred from the dugout for Arsenal’s first two Champions League group matches against Borussia Dortmund and Olympiakos on September 13 and 28 respectively.

Fenerbahce lodge appeal to CAS

Fenerbahce have opened a case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport as they seek damages from UEFA and the Turkish Football Federation following their exclusion from this season’s Champions League.

Fenerbahce were thrown out of Europe’s elite club competition as part of an investigation into match-fixing which has seen more than 30 players and officials jailed pending trial.

“The case is opened with a demand now for €45 million and the right for more in connection with our material loss due to the said exclusion,” the club said.

The court petition also requested an interim measure to reinstate Fenerbahce in the Champions League. The club expect a CAS decision on this by next weekend.

New deal for Fiorentina’s Jovetic

Fiorentina are expected to meet with the agent of Stevan Jovetic to offer him a new contract until 2016.

The Montenegro international was linked with a move away this summer with Chelsea and Napoli showing great interest in the player.

However, Jovetic, who joined Fiorentina from Partizan Belgrade in 2008, has already made clear his intention of staying at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

“I have received a lot of messages from fans who have asked me to stay at Fiorentina,” he said.

“My desire is to continue wearing the Viola jersey and to win as much as possible with this club.”

Fabregas – a very good deal say Barca

Barcelona vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu believes the club’s €29 million acquisition of Cesc Fabregas was “a very good deal” for the European champions – because the Spain midfielder is worth double that amount.

The 24-year-old completed his protracted return to his boyhood team last month – eight years after leaving to sign for the Gunners as a teenager in 2003.

“The transfer of Cesc was a very good deal for us,” he told Sport.

“The price on the open market wouldn’t have been €29 million, but he lowered his value by saying that he really wanted to go to Barcelona.

“His real price was what Arsenal initially asked – at least €60m.”

Inzaghi eyes Atalanta return

Filippo Inzaghi is furious at Milan’s decision to omit him from the team’s squad for the Champions League group stages

The striker has been out for several months with a knee injury and, although he has now recovered, coach Massimiliano Allegri opted to leave him out of the UEFA list.

Allegri has confirmed Inzaghi was angry at the decision and it is now reported the striker could move away from Milan in January.

Atalanta are said to be ready to offer Inzaghi an escape route.

With the nerazzurri, Inzaghi scored 24 goals in 33 Serie A games in 1996-97.

Trap ready to stay with Ireland

Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni will stay in his job as long as he is wanted, according to his assistant Marco Tardelli.

Trapattoni, 72, flew out to Moscow with his players ahead of today’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Russia. He had woken to reports that the FA of Ireland were edging towards offering him a contract extension but on half his current salary as part of plans to reduce expenditure on the management team from €2.5 million to €1.5m .

Tardelli said: “I spoke with John Delaney two or three days ago. He never told me about this. For me, it’s speculation. Also two years ago, we took a cut in our contracts.”

Asked if it would be a problem to take a pay cut, Tardelli said: “Not too much, we want to stay on.”

PSG target Barca’s Abidal

Paris Saint-Germain have made an offer for Barcelona’s France defender Eric Abidal, who is negotiating a contract renewal with the Spanish champions, a Spanish sports newspaper said yesterday.

“Eric Abidal has received a very interesting offer to join Paris Saint-Germain,” the Barcelona-based daily Sport said.

“The French club would give him a three-year contract, which could lead the French player to question his future at Barcelona.”

Barcelona have offered Abidal a one-year renewal of his contract with a further year negotiable, but the player wants a fixed two-year deal, Sport said.