Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton was jailed yesterday for six months after admitting to beating up a teenager during a night out.
The sentence was handed down at Liverpool Crown Court, where the 25-year-old admitted charges of affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stemming from an early morning fight in Liverpool in December.
Barton had pleaded guilty last month but the court initially imposed an order preventing details being published after the player's lawyers argued it could prejudice a jury in a separate assault trial he faces in Manchester.
In the Manchester case, he is due to stand trial accused of assaulting his former Manchester City team mate Ousmane Dabo in a training ground incident in May last year that effectively ended his career with the club. He has pleaded not guilty.
Krol quits Zamalek
Former Dutch international Ruud Krol is to leave his coaching job at Egyptian side Zamalek when the season ends later this month, the club said in a statement.
His unexpected departure comes after just one season and follows Zamalek's failure to break the dominance of arch rivals Al Ahli, who have already won a fourth successive championship this season.
Krol will depart after the Egypt Cup final against ENPPI in Cairo on May 25, the club said.
Arsenal to sign Nasri
Arsenal have been in contact with Olympique Marseille midfielder Samir Nasri with a view to signing the France international this summer. The 20-year-old is believed to have a £13.5m buy-out clause in his contract, but it is not known whether Arsenal have already agreed a fee.
Nasri, who said he may have played his final game for the club, is renowned for his pace and dribbling skills. He was named in France's provisional 30-man squad for Euro 2008 on Sunday.
Last season, Nasri, who can play on either wing, won the French first division's young player of the year crown and was voted Marseille's player of the year by fans.
Degen joins 'Pool
Liverpool have signed Borussia Dortmund's Switzerland defender Philipp Degen. The 25-year-old, former FC Basel full-back, who was named in the co-hosts provisional Euro 2008 squad, will join the club on July 1 when his contract with the Bundesliga side expires.
"Philipp is still young but has gained great experience from playing in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and on the international stage with Switzerland," Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said.
Degen is a regular in the Swiss side, earning 29 caps since making his debut in 2005 and has spent the past three seasons at Dortmund.
UEFA changes rule
Any player on a single yellow card at the end of the quarter-final stage of Euro 2008 will have it cancelled, UEFA announced yesterday after a two-day Executive Committee meeting. The proposal was agreed unanimously by the committee and means that a player given a second yellow card of the competition in the semi-finals is not then suspended for the final if his team qualifies.
Previously, players had single yellow cards cancelled after the group stage so that if they picked up yellows in the quarter-finals and semi-finals they were suspended for the showpiece event.
Davids to leave Ajax
Edgar Davids will leave Ajax Amsterdam after this season as his contract expires on June 30, the Dutch club said yesterday.
The 35-year-old midfielder has won 74 caps and scored six goals for the Netherlands but has not been called up for the national side since Marco van Basten took over as coach after Euro 2004.
Van Basten will take charge of Ajax after next month's European championship.
Coppell stays
Steve Coppell has agreed to continue as manager of Reading following their relegation from the English Premier League, the club announced at a news conference.
Coppell had been considering his position since the club were consigned to the Championship on the last day of the season but will attempt to guide them back into the top flight for a second time next season.
"After the season I needed some time to reflect," the former England and Manchester United winger said.
"The reaction from the supporters had a bearing on my decision, as did my relationship with the chairman and everyone at the club."
Japan's Jubilo eye Edmilson
Japan's Jubilo Iwata are weighing up a move for Barcelona midfielder Edmilson, whose contract at the Spanish club expires in June.
Jubilo, Japanese champions in 1997, 1999 and 2002, are in danger of relegation after suffering a third successive J-League defeat at the weekend and have identified the Brazilian as a potential saviour.
Jubilo are preparing to offer Edmilson a multi-year deal worth around 1.5 million euros a year, according to Japanese media.
The versatile 31-year-old, who helped Brazil win the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, has also been linked with a move to Primera Liga side Villarreal.