Sacked: Struggling Serie A side Ascoli have sacked their coach Attilio Tesser after losing 1-0 to Empoli at the weekend. Ascoli have yet to win a league match this season. Sunday's defeat, the club's third in a row, left them 17th out of 20 teams in the division with four points from 11 games. It was the second time Tesser had been sacked from a club in Italy's top flight. His only previous experience of coaching a Serie A side was at Cagliari last year, where he was dismissed after the first game. In England bottom of the Premier League side Charlton said they have parted company with manager Iain Dowie. Charlton only managed two wins out of 12 games so far this season.
Injuries: Juventus and Italy striker Alessandro Del Piero is likely to be out of action for up to three weeks after picking up a left thigh injury, the Serie B side said yesterday. In Spain striker Javier Saviola has joined fellow Argentine Lionel Messi on Barcelona's lengthening injury list after the 3-1 Liga win over Real Zaragoza on Sunday. Australia midfielders Tim Cahill and Josip Skoko, and defender Lucas Neill have pulled out of today's friendly against Ghana in London, Football Federation Australia (FFA) said. The experienced trio will be replaced in the Socceroos squad by Michael Beauchamp, Michael Thwaite and Kasey Wehrman. Defender Craig Moore is also doubtful through injury.
In England: FA Cup first round - Havant and W. vs Millwall 1-2; Macclesfield vs Walsall 0-0.
In Scotland: Premier League - Falkirk vs Hearts 1-1.
In Italy: Serie B - Bari vs Napoli 0-1. Serie C1(B) - Sambenedettese vs Ternana 0-1.
MFA Division Two: Zebbug Rangers vs Gozo 1-4; Gudja United vs Birzebbuga St Peter's 0-4.
Spain squad: Liverpool's Luis Garcia and Barcelona's Andres Iniesta have withdrawn from the Spain squad to play Romania in a friendly in Cadiz tomorrow. "Iniesta has an inflamed tendon in his left knee. It is a minor injury but will require a couple of days rest," Spain doctor Genaro Borras told a news conference. "We knew about Luis Garcia's injury on Friday. I spoke to him then and he told me it was an aggravation of an old muscle injury." Coach Luis Aragones will not be calling up anyone to replace the two midfielders.
Friendly preparation: Denmark's preparations for tomorrow's friendly against the Czech Republic in Prague have been hit by four more absentees, the Danish Football Association (DBU) said. VfB Stuttgart forward Jon Dahl Tomasson, Fulham midfielder Claus Jensen, Fiorentina forward Martin Jorgensen and defender Per Kroldrup will not travel for the match. Coach Morten Olsen has decided to rest the first two, while Jorgensen and Kroldrup were injured in their team's 3-1 win over Atalanta at the weekend.