Banned: Messina goalkeeper Nicholas Caglioni was banned for two years by the disciplinary committee of the Italian Football League yesterday after testing positive for cocaine. Caglioni tested positive following the 1-1 draw with Serie A rivals Catania on Feb. 11. He was suspended in March and will not be able to play again until March 2009. Caglioni is the second player in five days to receive a two-year ban for cocaine. Last week Sampdoria striker Francesco Flachi received the same punishment.
Derwall dies: Former West Germany coach Jupp Derwall has died at the age of 80. Born on March 10, 1927, Derwall guided West Germany to victory at the 1980 European Championship in Italy and through to the 1982 World Cup final in Spain. Derwall, who was nicknamed "Chief Silvercurl", became the national team coach in 1978, when he replaced Helmut Schoen, and held the position until 1984.
Gretna: Scottish club Gretna have confirmed the signing of Uruguayan Fabian Yantoro. The Scottish Premier League newcomers lured the 23-year-old midfielder on a one-year contract from Miramar. Gretna will play in the SPL for the first time this season.
Valdo: UEFA Cup finalists Espanyol have completed the signing of Osasuna midfielder Valdo on a four-year contract. The 26-year-old, who was out of contract, came up through the youth ranks at Real Madrid before joining Osasuna in the 2002/03 season.
Paredes: Real Zaragoza, who will compete in the UEFA Cup next season, have signed Getafe left back Javier Paredes. The 24-year-old signed a five-year contract, the Primera Liga club said.
Odemwingie: Lille striker Peter Odemwingie, who has dual Nigerian and Russian citizenship, wants to join Spartak Moscow. "It (to play for Spartak) has been my dream since I was a young kid," the 25-year-old Nigerian international told the Sovietsky Sport newspaper.
Appiah: Bundesliga club Schalke 04 are interested in signing Ghana midfielder Stephan Appiah from Turkey's Fenerbahce. "We'll do everything we can to get him but the talks are likely to be very difficult," chairman Jupp Schnusenberg told the club's website.
Refs dropped: The Romanian Soccer Federation (FRF) has dropped six referees and four linesmen from its first division panel for unacceptable performances in the past season, the FRF said yesterday. The FRF website (www.frf.ro) also said that a further four referees had been relegated from the second division panel for at least a year.