Puskas: Former Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas has been promised £56,000 from a charity match involving Real Madrid held in Budapest in August, according to a newspaper report. Last week it was reported that the family of the 78-year-old former Real player, now suffering from a form of Alzheimer's disease, had received a mere £7,000 donation from the match organised to raise funds for his medical care. Real Madrid were said to have been paid an appearance fee of £892,000.
Life ban: Brazilian referee Edilson Pereira de Carvalho was banned for life after the country's top sporting tribunal found him guilty of involvement in a match-fixing scandal. After a hearing in Rio de Janeiro, the five-man tribunal said it had unanimously found Carvalho guilty of "giving or promising to give an unfair advantage by influencing the result and acting in a manner which undermines the dignity of the sport".
Match-Fixing: A Croatian man admitted his guilt yesterday in a two million euro German match-fixing scam that has deeply embarrassed soccer authorities preparing to host next year's World Cup. "Regarding the charges in the indictment, I wish to say that they are essentially true," Ante Sapina, 29, told a Berlin court after prosecutors accused him of leading a criminal betting gang that rigged, or tried to rig, 23 matches.
Anthuenis: Aime Anthuenis has been relieved of his duties as coach following Belgium's failure to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1978. The 61-year-old Anthuenis will continue to be paid by the Belgian FA until his contract ends on December 31. The executive committee of the Belgian FA will meet on October 28 to discuss his successor.
Cassano: Roma striker Antonio Cassano, whose contract dispute threatens his place in Italy's World Cup squad, said yesterday the Serie A club's management were trying to force him to leave. Cassano has been unable to agree an extension to his deal with Roma due to expire at the end of the season. "I repeat that I want to stay with Roma," Cassano said. "It is not me that wants to leave but the club that wants to send me on my way."
Maldini Junior: Paolo Maldini's son Christian has signed up as an Milan player. Christian Maldini, the nine-year old son of the current Milan captain and grandson of former player and coach Cesare Maldini, was formally registered at a ceremony at the club's headquarters. The youngest Maldini is expected to make his debut for one of the club's junior teams in a derby game against Inter on Saturday.
Shin pad assault: Hamburg defender Guy Demel was banned for four games yesterday for assaulting an opponent with a shin pad at the end of Saturday's 1-0 defeat by VfL Wolfsburg. The German FA, who found Demel guilty of grossly unsporting conduct, said he was holding a shin pad when he struck Wolfsburg's Maik Franz on the head.