Seferovic: Real Sociedad have opened an internal inquiry into their Switzerland forward Haris Seferovic after he reportedly had an altercation with his partner that led to him being taken to a local police station. Reports, citing unidentified police sources, said Seferovic was out celebrating his 22nd birthday after his side’s 3-1 Liga win at home to Barcelona in San Sebastian. He became involved in a heated argument with his partner and a police officer intervened and took the player to a nearby station.

Ajax: Ajax jumped into a six-point lead at the top of the Dutch league after a 4-0 thumping of AZ Alkmaar yesterday. Siem de Jong had them ahead inside four minutes, before a second-half brace from Lerin Duarte and a further strike via Ricardo Krishna made the scoreline more emphatic. Ajax profited from a 2-2 draw between two of their title rivals, FC Twente and Feyenoord at De Grolsch Veste in Enschede.

Pique: Barcelona were hit with more bad news yesterday when centre- back Gerard Pique was ruled out for about two weeks with a calf problem. The Spain international picked up the injury in the 3-1 defeat at Real Sociedad on Saturday. Pique is likely to sit out Liga games at home to Almeria and away at Real Valladolid but should be fit for Barca’s Champions League last 16, second leg against Manchester City on March 12.

Pescara: Serie B mid-table side Pescara fired coach Pasquale Marino after the 1-0 upset to Bari ion Saturday. Defeat meant Pescara had taken no points from their last six matches. No replacement has been named but reports said Ivo Iaconi is heading Pescara’s list ahead of Serse Cosmi.

Red Star: Red Star Belgrade took over first place in Serbia with a 2-1 home win over Javor Ivanjica as the Balkan country’s 16-team top flight resumed last weekend after a 10-week winter break. Red Star, European Cup winners in 1991, have 35 points from 16 matches, one more than title holders and bitter city foes Partizan who were held to a 0-0 draw at sixth-placed Novi Pazar.