Drulovic: Macedonia have named former Yugoslavia winger Ljubinko Drulovic as their new coach. Drulovic, who won five Portuguese league titles and four cups with Porto before moving to traditional rivals Benfica, replaced Bosko Gjurovski who was sacked earlier this month.

Nainggolan: Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan has dismissed a report he has been spotted in Manchester. The Belgium international has been linked in press reports with both Manchester United and Manchester City. But Nainggolan, 26, stressed on Twitter that he has been training in Rome, effectively denying claims in newspaper Leggo he made a trip this week to the north of England. He wrote: “To be training and be placed somewhere else is hard.”

Carter: Former Everton chairman Philip Carter has died aged 87, the club have announced. Carter also served as president of the Football League and a vice-president of the FA but it is as chairman of Everton throughout the 1980s that he will be remembered. Under his stewardship, the club won two league titles, an FA Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup, which is still the Toffees’ only piece of continental silverware.

Illegal bets: The head of the Taiwan FA is being investigated by authorities after allegedly betting on his side to lose a World Cup qualifier against Brunei. TFA chairman Lin Cheng-yi made over $1 million from a series of bets with underground gambling syndicates on the first leg of the first round tie which Brunei surprisingly won 1-0. Brunei’s March 12 victory came after a goalkeeper error allowed Adi Said to head the only goal from close range.

Krul: Alan Pardew has rubbished reports Crystal Palace will swoop for Newcastle’s Holland goalkeeper Tim Krul. Palace boss Pardew ruled out signing a goalkeeper at all this summer, putting his full faith in Julian Speroni and Wayne Hennessey. Former Newcastle boss Pardew said he had made no contact with Krul. “Well I’m surprised at that because there’s been no contact between me and Newcastle, and certainly there’s been no contact between me and the player or the agents who represent him,” said Pardew.

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