Pekerman: Former Argentina coach Jose Pekerman denied yesterday that he had been involved in negotiations to take over as coach of Colombia. "There is no agreement with Colombia," he told reporters after giving a speech during a two-day football conference in Rio de Janeiro. Colombia coach Reinaldo Rueda is on three months' leave and there is widespread speculation that he could be replaced in January. Pekerman resigned as Argentina coach after leading them to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, where they lost on penalties to hosts Germany following a 1-1 draw in Berlin.

Fight in training: Real Sociedad's Brazilian defender Adriano Rossato will have surgery on a collapsed right cheekbone after a fight during training with team-mate Juanito. The two defenders had to be separated by other squad members after exchanging blows at the Basque club's training ground earlier in the day. "It has been a regrettable incident. Sometimes you lose your head in the heat of the moment and end up ashamed of yourself," Juanito said. "I have put my foot in it and everyone deserves an apology for the bad example we have set."

Mass brawl: Tottenham Hotspur and Middlesbrough were charged by the FA yesterday with failing to control their players following a mass brawl during their Premier League game at White Hart Lane. Middlesbrough, who lost the match 2-1, have appealed against midfielder George Boateng's red card for violent conduct. Boateng and Tottenham defender Didier Zokora were sent off late in the game after scuffles on the touchline.

Sexist comments: Luton Town manager Mike Newell has been charged with improper conduct by the FA after making sexist comments about a lineswoman last month. Newell sparked intense debate over sexism in British sport with his comments that "it is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesman we have but if you start bringing in women, you have a big problem".

Hooliganism: Paris mayor Betrand Delanoe has threatened to stop funding PSG unless effective measures are taken to rid the capital club of hooliganism. The death of a PSG fan following last month's 4-2 UEFA Cup defeat by Hapoel Tel Aviv has triggered a nationwide debate about how to free French soccer from violence. "I have suggested that the agreement between the city of Paris and PSG should be reinforced to include the club's new commitments (in terms of security)", Delanoe said yesterday. "The payment of the subsidy would be tied to an effective implementation of those measures."

Gibraltar: UEFA's Executive Committee will reconsider Gibraltar's controversial request for UEFA membership this week in the face of strong opposition from the Spanish football association. The committee had been expected to approve Gibraltar's provisional membership at its last meeting in Ljubljana last month in line with a directive from the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It delayed its decision after new documents relating to the application were submitted by the Spanish.

2014 World Cup: Brazil's staging of the 2014 World Cup is not a foregone conclusion despite a commitment to rotating future tournaments around the continental confederations, Sepp Blatter said. "We have said that the 2014 World Cup will be staged in South America, but if there is no candidate strong enough then we would go north instead as the logical thing," Blatter said.