Anti-racism drive: John Barnes helped kick off a campaign against racism in Israeli football this week as the FA began a "Kick it Out" campaign based on a model developed in England. Lucy Faulkner, the FA's ethics manager said that Israel was so far the first and only country to ask to benefit from the experience which the English FA had gained. Barnes, one of Liverpool's biggest stars in the 1980s and early 1990s, said the best way to get the message across was through the players.
Racist gesture: Former Roma and Brazil defender Antonio Carlos has been given a provisional 60-day ban for allegedly making a racist gesture to an opponent during a game on Sunday. A sporting tribunal announced the decision after the incident during Juventude's 2-1 home defeat by Gremio in a regional championship. The 35-year-old was sent off for elbowing Gremio's Jeovanio and was accused by his opponents of making a gesture on his arm which in Brazil is interpreted as racist.
Chelsea charged: Champions Chelsea were charged by the English FA yesterday after their players surrounded referee Mark Halsey in Saturday's Premier League game against West Brom. Chelsea were charged with "failing to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion".
Violence in Spain: Spanish police arrested eight Britons in the seaside resort of Benidorm after violence flared ahead of Tuesday's Champions League second-leg match between Villarreal and Rangers. Reports said groups of Scottish fans hurled stones, bottles and glass at police. In a separate incident, one of the windows in the Villarreal team bus was broken as supporters threw bottles and shouted insults as the Spanish team approached the Madrigal stadium.
Messi: Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi will miss the Champions League quarter-finals after tearing a muscle during the 3-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea on Tuesday. The Primera Liga club said tests carried out yesterday showed the 18-year-old had sustained a tear in his right leg and would be out of action for around a month.
Riot police: Romanian police are drafting in riot police for Steaua Bucharest's UEFA Cup tie against Spain's Real Betis because of Steaua fans' violent reputation. "The match is of great risk and 800 special riot police will be sent to the Lia Manoliu stadium," Romania Gendarmerie chief Iosif Panduru told reporters. "Bucharest clubs have the most dangerous supporters and Steaua's fans lead the unofficial standings."
¤ German courts should speed up proceedings to deal swiftly with suspected hooligans during the World Cup, German Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview. "German states have been asked to ensure that prosecutors offices and courts make sensible arrangements of their schedules so that proceedings can be accelerated," Zypries said. With only three months to go before the month-long tournament begins, Zypries made it clear that German authorities have clear plans on how to handle any troublemakers in the country's 12 host cities. Zypries said that "in the event of clear evidence, perpetrators should face trial within 24 hours."