Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Frimpong will not face any action over their post-match tunnel row at the Emirates Stadium.
The pair clashed verbally after Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the League Cup but the incident has not been reported to the FA.
Nasri, who had been given a torrid time by the Gunners fans on his first return to Arsenal since his summer move to City, and Frimpong were involved in a heated exchange after leaving the pitch at the final whistle.
An Arsenal spokesman said: “Words were exchanged – that was that, there were no punches thrown but a lot of noise.”
Pair penalised
Hoffenheim coach Holger Stanislawski has imposed disciplinary penalties against Chinedu Obasi and Roberto Firmino.
The duo have been removed from the squad after they arrived too late for the return journey home following last Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Freiburg.
Hoffenheim sporting director Ernst Tanner was frustrated with the behaviour of the players.
“I have no words. Both are employees who are not paid poorly and then they come to work late,” he said.
Firmino scored Hoffenheim’s only goal in the disappointing draw against lowly Freiburg.
Players not for sale, says Pozzo
Udinese will not sell any of their players during the winter transfer window, according to club owner Giampaolo Pozzo.
Reports have linked Udinese players with a move away from the Friuli outfit in January.
Winger Gabriel Torje and goalkeeper Samir Handanovic are reported targets of Arsenal.
“I request for the local media to stop talking about the transfer window because we have absolutely no intention of or need to sell,” Pozzo said.
“In fact, we only have the need to act on the market regarding acquisitions. My ambition is to make this club grow.”
Berlusconi to return to Milan
Silvio Berlusconi has confirmed he will return to be president of Milan.
Berlusconi, 75, was forced to step down as Milan boss in 2008 due to a conflict of interest when he began his third term as the country’s prime minister.
When asked if he will be back as Milan president, Berlusconi said: “Certainly, I will re-take the position as soon as possible.
“I am the president who has won more than any other in the history of football.
“(Former Real Madrid presi-dent) Santiago Bernabeu, who is the second in that list, didn’t win half the trophies I did.”
Rebel Gignac back to OM training
Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac returned to training, a week after being dropped to the reserves over a row with coach Didier Des-champs.
A statement on Marseille’s website revealed the news, a day after the club had indicated that Gignac would have to apologise “to the entire squad” before being reinstated.
The 25-year-old, capped 16 times by France, was dropped for last weekend’s match against bitter rivals Paris SG – which OM won 3-0 – after a row with Deschamps over the striker’s lack of playing time this season.
The former Toulouse player, who came close to leaving Stade Velodrome in the summer, has only started one league game in the current campaign.
Neymar labels referee a ‘thief’
Brazil’s 19-year-old superstar Neymar revealed that he has been ordered to pay €6,000 in damages for branding a referee a “thief” on his Twitter account.
He also announced that he would appeal against the decision, handed down by a court in Sao Paulo on Tuesday.
According to his lawyer, Neymar was not even the author of the message criticising referee Sandro Meira Ricci that appeared on his Twitter account after Santos’s 4-2 defeat against Victoria in August 2010.
The lawyer claimed the message was written by a friend of Neymar’s who had access to the account.
Cuper parts with struggling Racing
Spanish top-flight strugglers Racing Santander have parted company with coach Hector Cuper by mutual agreement.
Argentine Cuper, 56, moved to Racing in the summer, signing a one-year deal, but departs after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Mallorca left them bottom of La Liga with just one win all season.
Cuper is best known for taking Valencia to the Champions League final in successive seasons in 2000 and 2001, and has also coached Mallorca, Inter, Betis, Parma, the Georgian national team and Greek club Aris Salonika.