Di Vaio: Italian striker Marco Di Vaio has agreed a loan move from Valencia to Monaco until the end of the season, the player said yesterday. "I wanted a place where I would be able to play. I spoke to the coach and with Monaco, and am very pleased with the outcome," Di Vaio said. The French club have an option to buy the player in June next year. Di Vaio, 29, joined Valencia from Juventus in July 2004, on a five-year contract.
Ayala: Argentina defender Roberto Ayala has had an operation on his right knee and should be able to play again in March, according to team doctor Donato Villani. The 32-year-old centre back twisted his knee in training with Valencia last week. He had surgery on the same knee in August 2004 following the Athens Olympics. Villani said the surgery had gone well. "He should be able to play around mid-March," he told reporters.
US team deal: The US team have ended the chance of a labour dispute in the build-up to next year's World Cup by signing a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the national soccer federation. Under the agreement announced this week by the team and the US Soccer Federation, players will earn $3,750 per World Cup appearance and $3,000 for friendlies. The World Cup squad will earn $150,000 per point in the first round and $2.7m for reaching the knockout stage. The federation also said it would pay the players $3.75m if they won the World Cup and $3m for reaching the final. The squad was paid $1.35m for qualifying for the finals for the fifth time in a row.
Stoichkov: Hristo Stoichkov will remain as Bulgaria's coach until the summer of 2008, Bulgarian Football Union president Borislav Mihailov said. Mihailov told reporters Stoichkov, 39, who succeeded Plamen Markov after Bulgaria's poor performance at the 2004 European championship, would be assisted by his former team mate Krasimir Bezinski. Bulgaria failed to qualify for next year's World Cup finals.
Belgium: Former international Rene Vandereycken has been named as the new national coach of Belgium until 2008, a spokesman for the FA said yesterday. Vandereycken, 52, will take up his new post on Jan. 1 when current coach Aime Antheunis steps down. Antheunis takes charge at Belgian first division club, Lokeren after failing to lead the national team to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1978.