Advocaat: Zenit St Petersburg said yesterday they would sign South Korea's Dutch manager Dick Advocaat as their coach after the World Cup. Russian media have speculated for weeks that Advocaat will replace sacked Czech coach Vlastimil Petrzel.

Huth: Chelsea have agreed to sell German defender Robert Huth to Middlesbrough for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League champions said. The 21-year-old Huth will be the first signing for Boro new manager Gareth Southgate.

Martyn Retires: Everton goalkeeper Nigel Martyn anno-unced his retirement from the game because of a persistent ankle problem. The former England international has been sidelined since January with a hairline fracture and will require an operation on his ankle after scans showed the bone had not healed sufficiently.

Giannini: Italy's Giuseppe Giannini signed yesterday a one-year coaching deal with Romanian first division Arges Pitesti. Giannini, who had his glory days as a Roma player in the 1990s, became the fourth Italian coach in Romanian soccer after Walter Zenga, Roberto Landi and Cristiano Bergodi who left National Bucharest last week.

Pochettino: Mauricio Pochettino has brought his playing career to end, rescinding the last year of his contract with Espanyol. The 34-year-old centre back was in his second spell at the Spanish club.

Friendly: Played yesterday - Ukraine 3 (Voronin 55; Shev-chenko 83; Kalinichenko 84) Luxembourg 0.

In Italy: Serie B promotion play-off final 1st leg - Mantova vs Torino 4-2. Second leg on Sunday.