Celtic ball boy Adam Brown was the surprise hero on Monday night, earning a big hug from Diego Maradona when Argentina's new coach took his first practice session.
A low-key workout by the squad ended with Maradona pacing Celtic's Parkhead turf looking for something in the grass.
His staff took part in the search for the lost item and a dozen ball boys formed a cordon and walked down the pitch before Brown found it... a crucifix on a chain.
A joyous Maradona bounded up to the ball boys and embraced Brown. He then gave him his woolly hat in gratitude amid cheers from a few spectators in the stands.
Mancini laughs off Real links
Roberto Mancini, who was named best coach in Serie A for 2007/08, laughed off links with stuttering Real Madrid in the Spanish media.
"Me to Real Madrid? I wish. It is an idea that has come out of Spain but I don't know anything about it," he said.
"I can only hope that these rumours turn out to be true."
Real Madrid were knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the fourth round by third division side Real Union before slipping to a 1-0 league defeat at Real Valladolid at the weekend.
Schuster received a vote of confidence from the club's board on Monday although he remains under immense pressure.
'Critical period' for Everton
Everton will be entering a 'critical period' in the club's history this week with the start of a public inquiry into their plans to build a new 50,000-seat stadium in Kirkby, costing the Merseyside club around £400m.
"The next six or seven weeks will go a long way to deciding where Everton is in five, 10, 20 years' time," said acting chief executive Robert Elstone. "A new stadium would definitely help us attract a new buyer."
Elstone said the result of the inquiry would determine Everton's future financial status.
"The business model is in place. What's happened economically in the last few months has made funding even more challenging, but we have every confidence in our ability to fund this," he said.
Bologna sign winger Cesar
Bologna are looking to add more options to new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic by signing Brazilian Cesar Aparecido, the former Inter winger, on a free transfer.
Cesar has been without a club since his contract with Inter expired in the summer. Mihajlovic played alongside Cesar at Lazio and Inter and had been weighing up the move since he took over at Bologna earlier this month.
A club statement said: "Bologna would like to communicate that we have reached an agreement to sign Cesar. Cesar played for Inter last season and was at Livorno and Corinthians on loan before that."
League suspended after riot
The Uruguayan league was suspended after fans fought a vicious battle on the pitch following the top-of-the-table match between Danubio and Nacional at the weekend.
The trouble erupted after Danubio beat Nacional 1-0 to overtake their opponents and go top of the table on Sunday.
Shortly after the final whistle, Nacional fans broke down the fencing at the tiny Jardines del Hipodromo stadium and invaded the pitch. A pitched battle followed in which rival fans attacked each other with iron bars.
The championship was also suspended in 2006 after a Cerro fan was stabbed to death in front of his wife and children by supporters of rivals Penarol.
Germany players set for big bonus
Germany players will receive a bonus of up to 200,000 euros per man if they qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
A group of senior players, led by captain Michael Ballack, agreed the bonus scheme at a meeting with DFB officials ahead of today's friendly against England in Berlin.
If Germany qualify as group winners, the DFB said the players would receive 20,000 euros for each nomination to the squad for the 10 qualifiers. If they qualify via a two-legged play-off, the bonus will be 16,500 euros per call-up per man.
Ibra - Swedish Player of the Year
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was named the Swedish Player of the Year for a record third time.
The Inter striker became the first man to secure a third Guldbollen following the ones of 2005 and 2007. Henrik Larsson, Fredrik Ljungberg and Patrik Andersson have won the prize twice.
The honour is bestowed on the player chosen by Sweden's biggest newspaper Aftonbladet and the Swedish FA.
"Now I feel that I have entered the history books," Ibrahimovic said.
"There were so many fantastic Swedish players before me who won this honour and now I have arrived from lowly Rosengard to win it three times."