Udinese: Struggling Serie A club Udinese have appointed Giovanni Galeone as their new coach after Argentine Nestor Sensini resigned yesterday. Udinese said that they had accepted Sensini's resignation, which came after Sunday's 4-0 home defeat by Milan, and had also sacked joint coach Loris Dominissini. The pair replaced Serse Cosmi in February but managed to pick up just two points from six Serie A games as well as being eliminated from the UEFA Cup by Levski Sofia. Udinese, who began the campaign in the Champions League after finishing fourth last season, are currently just one point away from the relegation zone
New pitch: Hamburg will re-lay the pitch at their World Cup stadium this week after a game of American football ruined the playing surface. The Hamburg Sea Devils played their first match of the American Football season against Cologne Centurions on Saturday at Hamburg's stadium and the result was not pretty. The new turf will be brought in from the Netherlands tomorrow and will be in place in time for the league match at home to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Huth: Chelsea centre-back Robert Huth has been forced to pull out of Germany's friendly against the United States tomorrow after the English club said they needed him for an FA Cup tie the same night. "Under an agreement with Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, Robert will not join the squad," Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann said yesterday. "Chelsea want him there for the FA Cup match without fail." Chelsea are at home to Newcastle United in a Cup quarter-final tomorrow.
Bulgaria Cup: German Knut Kircher will become the second foreign referee to officiate in Bulgaria this season when he takes charge of the potentially volatile Bulgarian Cup match between CSKA Sofia and Litex Lovech tomorrow. Franz-Xaver Wack, also German, refereed the premier league match between bitter rivals Litex and Levski Sofia in December. The teams agreed to invite a foreign referee to the round of 16 game following their eventful league match on March 12, a 1-1 draw in which Bulgarian referee Anton Genov made a string of errors and was banned until the end of April.
De Rossi: Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi is expected to be out of action for two weeks after spraining his ankle during the 2-1 win over Messina at the weekend, the Serie A club said yesterday. The 22-year-old Italy international will miss Serie A matches against Juventus and Fiorentina, as well as the first leg of Roma's Italian Cup semi-final against Palermo tomorrow before returning to face Lecce on April 9. His absence, on the back of long-term injuries to strikers Francesco Totti, Vincenzo Montella and Shabani Nonda, and first-choice keeper Doni, is yet another setback for the 2001 Italian champions as they aim for a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League.
Barca: Injuries to key players are worrying Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard as his side prepare to host mid-table Getafe in the Primera Liga today. Defenders Rafael Marquez and Edmilson sustained thigh injuries during Saturday's 2-0 league win away to Real Sociedad that will keep them out of action for several weeks. Forward Lionel Messi is also facing three more weeks on the sidelines after picking up an injury against Chelsea in the Champions League earlier in the month. "It is clear we are going to miss them, and I have no explanation for the number of muscle injuries we are collecting," Rijkaard said.
FA Cup: Quarter-finals - Man. City 1 (Musampa 85) West Ham 2 (Ashton 42, 69). Today (8.45 p.m.) - Birmingham vs Liverpool. Tomorrow (9 p.m.) - Chelsea vs Newcastle. Thursday (9 p.m.) - Charlton vs Middlesbrough.
In England: The Championship - Southampton vs Watford 1-3.
In Italy: Serie B - Bologna vs Atalanta 1-1.