Axed: Serbia’s Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic and Roma midfielder Adem Ljajic will take no part in the Euro 2016 qualifiers under Dutchman Dick Advocaat, the Balkan nation’s coach said. Subotic has not played for Serbia since last October while Ljajic made a cameo appearance in a 1-1 draw with France in last month’s friendly.
Futile goal: Ronaldinho scored for Queretaro but it was not enough to prevent them from a 2-1 defeat to Mexico Apertura rivals Atlas. The former Brazil international netted in the final minute but by then his side trailed to goals from Enrique Esqueda and Edy Brambila.
Golden girls: North Korea won the Asian Games women’s soccer gold medal for a third time yesterday, beating 2011 World Cup winners Japan 3-1 at Munhak Stadium. The Koreans took a 2-0 lead before Japan hit back through captain Aya Miyama. Substitute Ho Un Byol scored a brave diving header in the closing minutes to seal the win. It was the third straight Asian Games final played between the two sides after Japan won four years ago and the Koreans won in 2006.
Pannu: Birmingham have not renewed the contract of acting chairman Peter Pannu, the club have confirmed. He will not have any further influence on the running of the St Andrew’s club. Pannu is no longer a direct employee of the Championship side and has no power. He will stay as a director until he is voted off by the shareholders or resigns. Pannu joined the club when Carson Yeung completed his £81.5 million takeover in October 2009.
Cited: Rangers duo Bilel Mohsni and Kris Boyd have both been issued with notices of complaints by new Scottish FA compliance officer Tony McGlennan. Both players were involved in off-the-ball incidents during Monday ’s surprise 3-1 defeat to Scottish Champion-ship rivals Hibernian at Ibrox. Now they have each been offered two-match bans after being accused of “violent conduct”.
Great run: The fledgling Western Sydney Wanderers continued their fairytale debut run in the AFC Champions League by beating FC Seoul 2-0 in their semi-final yesterday to move within one step of becoming the first Australia winners of the tournament. The Wanderers, founded in 2012 in swift fashion after Gold Coast United had their licence revoked, will face Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the two-legged final of Asia’s Premier club tournament after comfortably negating last year’s shot-shy runners-up.