Match-Fixing: The appeals of Lazio and captain Stefano Mauri will be heard today. The Roman club was fined €40,000 for being responsible for the behaviour of Mauri who was slapped with a six-month ban for his part in a match-fixing case. The Court of Appeal will also consider the prosecutor’s plea to have the player convicted for sporting fraud.

Alexander: Crystal Palace have confirmed the free signing of experienced goalkeeper Neil Alexander on a one-year deal. The 35-year-old left Rangers after his contract expired at the end of last season and it is expected he will provide back-up to Julian Speroni as manager Ian Holloway looks to guide the Eagles to Barclays Premier League safety on their return to the top flight.

Fired: Levski Sofia sacked four players this week after a bad run of results left them ninth in the Bulgarian championship and out of the Euro competitions. Dutch defender Dustley Mulder, Brazilian midfielder Ramon Lopes, Portuguese winger Cristovao Ramos and Portuguese striker Joao Silva, considered as some of Levski’s top players, are no longer part of the team, Levski said.

De Guzman: Holland inter-national Jonathan de Guzman has been ruled out of Swansea’s opening Premier League match against Manchester United tomorrow because of concussion. The 25-year-old collided with team-mate Dirk Kuyt during a session in Faro on Tuesday. Both players remained motionless after the clash before De Guzman regained con-sciousness and Kuyt required five stitches to a facial wound.

Augsburg: Augsburg have signed Argentine forward Raul Bobadilla from FC Basel on a three-year contract. Bobadilla, who helped Basel win the Swiss league last season, was briefly suspended by his club in July for a speeding violation. On the pitch, he picked up a seven-game ban last season after insulting a referee.