Catania: Catania coach Pasquale Marino has announced he will leave the club despite leading them to Serie A survival with a 2-0 win over Chievo yesterday. "I think I will leave," Marino told reporters in Bologna. "My contract has run out and it is time for a change. I've enjoyed myself a lot at this club reaching the objective that was asked of me."

Nakamura: Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura was called up by Japan coach Ivica Osim yesterday for friendlies against Montenegro and Colombia. Scottish player of the year Nakamura was one of three European-based players named alongside Eintracht Frankfurt's Naohiro Takahara and Koji Nakata of Swiss side Basel.

Malaysia match: Manchester United's controversial tour match against a Malaysian XI in Kuala Lumpur on July 27 had been called off because it clashed with the Asian Cup, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said yesterday. "I compliment Manchester United on their decision not to go there. Their other matches on the tour in Japan, Macau and Korea will go ahead. Those matches do not conflict with any Asian Cup matches," Blatter said. The Asian Cup tournament runs from July 7-29.

In Holland: Ajax Amsterdam scored three second-half goals to beat AZ Alkmaar 3-0 yesterday and win the Dutch Champions League play-off final 4-2 on aggregate. Ajax go into the third qualifying round of Europe's premier club competition while Alkmaar have to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup after a heart-breaking season in which they missed out on the title on the last day and also lost the cup final.

In Russia: Garry O'Connor scored in extra time to give Lokomotiv Moscow a 1-0 victory over FK Moscow in the Russian Cup final yesterday. The Scotland striker fired the 103rd-minute winner into an empty net after a great solo run by Dmitry Sychev. It was the seventh cup triumph for the railway side, winners of the inaugural Soviet Cup in 1936.

In Portugal: Brazilian striker Liedson scored two minutes from time to give Sporting a 1-0 win over city rivals Belenenses yesterday. It was Sporting's 14th Portuguese Cup success.

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