The J-League has ordered Urawa Red Diamonds to play an upcoming home match behind closed doors due to a banner deemed as discriminatory being displayed by one of their fans.

A Reds’ fan displayed the banner on Saturday which had the words ‘Japanese Only’ written on it, with the club fielding an all-Japanese line-up against Sagan Tosu in the match.

“Over the last several days... these acts have had unexpected social repercussions both domestic and abroad, and it is clear that they have damaged the brand of not just theJ-League but of the entire Japanese football community,” league chairman Mitsuru Murai said.

Arsenal dealt Ramsey blow

Aaron Ramsey’s return for Arsenal has been put on hold with the Welshman still not fully recovered from the thigh injury that has sidelined him since December.

With a growing injury list manager Arsene Wenger had hoped Ramsey would be fit for Sunday’s derby at Tottenham.

“We have had to defer his comeback to full training, so he is not available,” Wenger said.

Mesut Ozil is also ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained in the Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich in midweek.

Pardew accepts FA punishment

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew says he never had any intention of mounting an appeal against the Football Association’s punishment following his headbutt on Hull’s David Meyler earlier this month.

Pardew was this week banned for seven matches by an independent FA commission over his clash with Meyler during Newcastle’s 4-1 win at Hull on March 1. He is barred completely from the stadium for those first three matches, and must sit in the stands for the remaining four.

“I had no intention to appeal the decision whatever it was, and therefore was going to accept what they decided to do,” Pardew said.

Martinez focusing only on league

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has urged his squad to focus on their final 11 matches as he is not interested in talking about the World Cup or players’ contracts.

After Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final exit at Arsenal, Everton’s season has been reduced to fighting for sixth place to secure a Europa League spot.

“All that matters now is to stop talking about issues which are not about the next 11 games,” Martinez said.

“All the individual issues, contract situations, what is going to happen, the World Cup influence – that is something we are not interested in.”

Sherwood doing great, says Mills

Tim Sherwood is doing “a great job” and his public criticism of his Tottenham players following the 4-0 defeat to Chelsea just showed his emotion, according to Spurs board member Sir Keith Mills.

Mills, the former London 2012 deputy chairman who is a non-executive director at Tottenham, said Sherwood had every right to feel emotional at the display.

Mills told Press Association Sport: “He was very emotional and upset and if I had his job I would probably be emotional and upset.

“When he got back to the training ground I am sure he would have sat down with the players and analysed where it went wrong and try to find a way to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Messi: Barcelona back to best

Lionel Messi hailed under-fire Barcelona as back to their best as they saw off Manchester City to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League and keep alive their hopes of the treble.

Messi, who was on the scoresheet along with Dani Alves, believes his side showed just what they are made of in Wednesday’s match.

He said: “We were coming off two very serious setbacks away from home (at Real Sociedad and Valladolid), but more so for the performances than for the results.

“Here we’ve returned to be the Barcelona that we want, that the fans expect.”

Drunken Bendtner faces Wenger wrath

Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner faces a dressing-down from manager Arsene Wenger and a club fine for an alleged drunken incident in Copenhagen earlier this week, Press Association Sport reported.

The 26-year-old is reported to have threatened a taxi driver during an incident in the Danish capital on the evening Arsenal exited the Champions League to Bayern Munich.

Wenger is understood to be aware of the incident, in which it is claimed Bendtner unbuttoned his trousers and rubbed against the taxi, and will speak to the striker.

Bendtner has not played for the Gunners since February 2, but did start for Denmark in the Wembley friendly against England last week.