Palmeiras: Palmeiras have fired coach Estevam Soares, three days after a bizarre incident in which he brought a player on as a substitute only to replace him seven minutes later. Soares had been in charge of the Sao Paulo-based club for nine months, during which he surpassed expectations by helping them qualify for the Libertadores Cup in their first season back in the Brazilian first division. But Palmeiras made an indifferent start to the 2005 season and the fans had become increasingly frustrated at what they saw as Soares's overcautious tactics. The pressure increased after his much-criticised quickfire replacement of midfielder Diego Souza during Sunday's 2-2 draw at Uniao Sao Joao in the season-opening Paulista championship.
Lobanovsky assistant dies: Former Zenit St Petersburg coach and Valery Lobanovsky's long-serving assistant with the Soviet national team, Yuri Morozov, has died, the Russian premier league club said yesterday. Morozov, who had three spells coaching the St Petersburg side for the better part of four decades, died at his home on Tuesday night after a long battle with cancer. He was 70. At his last spell with the club, Morozov was forced to step down as Zenit coach in July 2002 citing poor health. He gained prominence working side-by-side with renowned Dynamo Kiev coach Lobanovsky in the Soviet Union team from the mid-1970s until the 1990 World Cup.
Fletcher: Manchester United's Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after damaging knee ligaments. United's website said the 20-year-old, who picked up the injury in last weekend's 2-0 derby win over City, would be out for "some weeks". The injury, which came just as Fletcher was establishing his place in United's first team, is also likely to rule him out of Scotland's World Cup Group Five qualifier in Italy on March 26.
NHL Season Cancelled: National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman cancelled the remainder of the season yesterday, after team owners and locked out players were unable to negotiate a new collective agreement. Owners had been seeking to impose a salary cap on players, something their union had steadfastly refused to consider since the lockout began last September until Monday when they said they would be prepared to accept a cap of $52 million per team, which was rejected by the owners. That figure was lowered to $49 million, while the owners upped their proposal from $40 million to $42.5 million, but neither party was willing to budge any further.
Snooker: Wembley Masters second round - Davis bt Hunter 6-5; Ebdon bt Gray 6-0; Higgins bt Small 6-1; Hendry bt Lee 6-1; White bt Stevens 6-5; Ding bt Doherty 6-1; O'Sullivan bt Dott 6-3; Williams bt McManus 6-3.
In England: League Two - Boston vs Lincoln 0-2.
Scottish FA Cup: Fourth round replay - Kilmarnock vs Hearts 1-3.
In Spain: King's Cup quarter-final - Atletico Madrid vs Numancia 1-0 (Atletico Madrid win 1-0 on aggregate).
One of Diego Maradona's doctors has denied reports that the former Argentina captain has undergone liposuction surgery to make him thinner.
Maradona, whose weight has ballooned in the last two years, has been in the historic Caribbean city of Cartagena since Wednesday of last week but doctors say he is not there for any type of surgery.
"It has not been considered," Francisco Holguin, director of the Medigel Clinic, told Reuters by telephone. "He's here in Cartagena on holiday, for a rest."
Maradona, who is barely recognisable from his playing days, is staying at an apartment in one of the city's plushest neighbourhoods. He was briefly seen in public on Friday when he waved from the balcony.