Former Germany international Stefan Effenberg took over as head coach at second division club Paderborn yesterday in his first coaching appointment, more than a decade after the end of his playing career.

The 47-year-old former midfielder, who captained Bayern Munich to the 2001 Champions League title and earned 35 caps for Germany, is currently a television commentator and got his coaching licence three years ago.

Paderborn, relegated from the Bundesliga last season, are hovering a point above the second division’s relegation zone.

Welbeck’s return

Danny Welbeck is targeting a return to action in the new year.

The Arsenal and England forward has not featured this season having undergone knee surgery in September. But now the 24-year-old has revealed his leg brace has been removed.

“It’s difficult to put an exact date on it, around the New Year,” he said.

“After I had the operation, I was in a leg brace for about four weeks. It’s good to finally be out of the brace now and walking.

“It feels like I’m getting that little bit closer to getting back out on the pitch.”

No worries over St James’ Park pitch

Newcastle have moved to allay any worries about the pitch at St James’ Park, declaring it will be in “fantastic” condition for Sunday’s league clash with Norwich.

Since the Magpies’ last home fixture on September 26, the stadium has been used for three rugby union matches as part of the World Cup, including two in two days last week.

But Newcastle have stressed that deputy head groundsman Andrew Tully and his colleagues have been working since the final one of those to get the surface back in shape.

Tully said: “It’s good, considering everything we expected from the rugby matches.

“We are in the process of a quick turnaround to get it ready again at the weekend. By Sunday it will be looking fantastic.”

McGhee named new Motherwell manager

Motherwell have appointed Mark McGhee as their new manager until May 2017.

The 58-year-old, who is currently Scotland assistant manager, returns to Fir Park for a second spell in charge, having also led the club between 2007 and 2009.

McGhee replaces Ian Baraclough, who was sacked last month following the League Cup defeat to Morton, with a statement saying he was “the unanimous choice of the Motherwell board”.

McGhee said: “I am delighted to be back at Fir Park and Motherwell, a club in which I have a real affection for after some fantastic highs and tragic lows in my last spell.”

Allardyce calls Wenger ‘arrogant’

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is a bad loser who tries to influence referees through the media, the Frenchman’s newly-appointed Sunderland counterpart Sam Allardyce has said.

Allardyce, who makes the comments in his new autobiography, reveals the depth of loathing between himself and Wenger, who have been at odds ever since the Englishman was in charge of Bolton Wanderers.

“I enjoyed beating Arsenal more than anyone when I was at Bolton,” Allardyce said.

“We’d really got to them and Arsene Wenger hated us. There was one time he wouldn’t shake hands with me at Highbury because we got a draw there.

“He takes it all very personally and has an air of arrogance.”

Lithuania coach Pankratjevas quits

Lithuania head coach Igoris Pankratjevas has resigned after his team were defeated 3-0 at home by England in their final Group E European Champion-ship qualifier on Monday night.

Lithuania ended second from bottom in the group with three wins, a draw, six defeats and a goal difference of -11.

Pankratjevas took his seat for his post-match news conference and waited for the first question before announcing his resignation and walking out in less than 30 seconds.

Monday’s tie was marred by crowd trouble behind one of the goals just before kick-off, with Lithuanian supporters aggrieved by the number of England fans who had tickets for the designated home end.

Four arrested in bribery probe

French police have arrested four people in an inquiry into a suspected attempt to bribe France international Mathieu Valbuena with the help of sex video footage, a police official said yesterday.

Among the four being held in custody after arrests in Paris and Marseille is Djibril Cisse, the former French international striker.

Cisse was apprehended be-cause he knew the others in-volved, but he is not suspected of a role as instigator.

The attempted extortion in-volved video footage of sex re-corded on a mobile phone.

Valbuena, 31, plays for Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyon and the French national team.