Villarreal: Villarreal yesterday sacked coach Jose Molina after the club’s 1-0 defeat at Levante, leaving them 17th in the league just above the relegation zone. “Villarreal has decided to end the contract of Jose Molina as first-team coach after the defeat against Levante. His successor is yet to be determined,” the club said. Molina is the second coach to leave Villarreal this season after Juan Carlos Garrido was sacked in December.

Auxerre: Auxerre announced the sacking of coach Laurent Fournier yesterday, a day after the prospect of relegation returned to haunt the club. Auxerre are the only club in the French top flight to have avoided relegation, but that possibility crept closer to reality Saturday following a 2-0 reverse at home to Evian/Thonon.

Daei: Asian football chiefs have offered their “thoughts and prayers” after Iranian football great Ali Daei was reported to have been involved in a serious car accident. According to reports, former Iran captain Daei, who played for Bayern Munich, was “critically injured in a car accident while returning to Tehran from Isfahan”.

Abidal: France defender Eric Abidal yesterday took part in training with Barcelona, just days after his club announced that he required a liver transplant. “Abidal, who is waiting for a liver transplant in the coming weeks, participated in a training session,” Barcelona said on their website. Abidal, 32, had a tumour removed from his liver in March last year.

Derby abandoned: Crowd trouble yesterday forced the abandonment of the Greek derby between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, as rioting broke out in the stands and supporters set fire to seats and threw missiles. Referee Tasos Kakos halted the match at the Olympic Stadium between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos in the 83rd minute when rioting broke out for a second time after half-time disturbances. Olympiakos were winning 1-0.

Women’s friendly: Malta 3 (Chircop 31; Sammut 43; Pace 74) Northern Ireland U-19 0.