Parma defender Fernando Couto was banned for three matches by the Italian league Tuesday for spitting at an opponent.
The incident with Livorno forward Erjon Bogdani occurred during Parma's 3-2 win Sunday.
Couto will miss games with Palermo, Siena and Juventus.
24 10 2007
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez sends his Reds out against Besiktas tonight in Istanbul admitting that they dare not lose.
Liverpool, who will again be without injury victim Fernando Torres, have a solitary point in Champions League Group A and cannot afford to slip further behind group leaders Marseille and Porto, who meet in France tonight.
Another slip-up would leave them in danger of not making it out of Group A to the knockout stages.
And after two finals in the past three seasons – plus a summer spending spree on new players worth some £50million – that could have serious repercussions for Benitez.
Following an unconvincing draw in Porto and a home defeat by Marseille, it is almost a case of win or bust.
Benitez said: 'This game is really important. We cannot afford to lose because if we do it will be really difficult to qualify. So we need to win. A draw? Then a lot would depend on the other results in our group. It's clear we need three points but the players don't need me to tell them how important this is. The real problem was against Marseille and in a short competition like the group stages it means we have to win again. But it's just two games. We made a big mistake in one, that's all, and we know we must win to put things right. Porto, who are the best team in Portugal, made it very difficult for us in the first 15 minutes. But to get out of that one with a draw with 10 men was really good.'
One of Liverpool's problems has been not making the most of the chances they create. Another is, when they do take the lead, not killing the game off.
Benitez admitted: 'We need to be more clinical. It was the same against Tottenham [which finished 2-2 thanks to an injury-time equaliser from Fernando Torres]. If we had taken those chances people would be saying what a fantastic season we're having.'
Torres. the £26.5million signing from Atletico Madrid, has not made the trip because he has not fully recovered from a thigh strain.
Benitez said: 'I spoke to the doctor and it was impossible for him to play – but hopefully he will be OK for the weekend.'
Despite the air of anxiety around the Liverpool camp, thy are fourth in the Premier League, beat rivals Everto in the Merseyside derby and have yet to lose in a domestic match. Moreover, a win in Istanbul tonight would put them right back in the frame to reach the knockout stages.
Benitez avoided the issue of whether he is under more pressure because of the heavy bank-rolling of his team-building by Amercan co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
But he admitted: 'As a manager I can only think about the football. You think about the bigger picture afterwards. When I arrived they said it was difficult to finish in the top four and qualify for the group stages every year. But in the last three years we have. Now people think we must do it always. When the draw was made people said we were in an easy group and I said we weren't. But it's important for us to be in the last 16. It's important for the confidence and experience of our players.'
23 10 2007
Fabio Cannavaro and Mahamadou Diarra will not be ready in time to play for Real Madrid against Olympiacos and have been left out of Bernd Schuster's squad.
Both players have been suffering from knee injuries and have not trained in the build-up to the Champions League encounter in Athens on Wednesday night.
While Diarra is still battling back from his problem, Cannavaro has been left out after being advised by doctor's that playing could see the injury worsen as he was hoping to risk playing.
Following the withdrawals, Sergio Ramos is set to move into the middle alongside Christoph Metzelder with Michel Salgado taking over on the right side of the back four.
According to reports, Fernando Gago is Schuster's preferred option to start in Diarra's place in midfield.
Madrid were already without Gabriel Heinze, Arjen Robben and Pepe, who all have muscle injuries.
Italy are dominating the Golden Ball list of 50 candidates with eight players, while Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona each contributed seven names on the list.
- Golden Ball 2007 nominees:
Éric Abidal (Olympique Lyon, FC Barcelona)
Daniel Alves (FC Sevilla)
David Beckham (Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy)
Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus Turin)
Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid)
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Rogerio Ceni (Sao Paulo)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Deco (FC Barcelona)
Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid)
Diego (Werder Bremen)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Michael Essien (Chelsea)
Samuel Eto'o (FC Barcelona)
Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Gennaro Gattuso (Milan)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
Thierry Henry (Arsenal, FC Barcelona)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)
Filippo Inzaghi (Milan)
Kaka (Milan)
Frederic Kanoute (FC Sevilla)
Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen, Bayern Munchen)
Younis Mahmoud (Algharafa)
Paolo Maldini (Milan)
Florent Malouda (Olympique Lyon, Chelsea)
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic Glasgow)
Guillermo Ochoa (America Mexico)
Andrea Pirlo (Milan),
Ricardo Quaresma (FC Porto),
Raul (Real Madrid)
Franck Ribery (Olympique Marseille, Bayern Munchen),
Juan Roman Riquelme (Boca Juniors, Villarreal)
Robinho (Real Madrid)
Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
Clarence Seedorf (Milan)
Carlos Tevez (West Ham, Manchester United)
Luca Toni (Fiorentina, Bayern Munchen)
Kolo Toure (Arsenal)
Jose Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid, Liverpool)
Francesco Totti (AS Roma)
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
David Villa (Valencia)
08 10 2007
Underdog River Plate upset Boca Juniors 2-0 Sunday in Argentina's biggest soccer rivalry, winning with goals by Radamel Falcao and Ariel Ortega in the "superclasico" showdown.
Falaco scored in the 23rd minute and Ortega 10 minutes later off a penalty kick in front of 50,000 mostly River fans at the Monumental stadium in the Argentine capital.
The crosstown rivalry is the biggest in Argentina and, with heavy favorite Boca losing in the 13th Apertura round, frontrunner Independiente kept sole possession of first place with 25 points.
Boca remained two points back, while River jumped to 19 points in a bid to leave behind a long slump that saw the team spend weeks midway back in the first-division pack.
In 180 matches overall, Boca has won 64 of the encounters and River 60, with 56 draws.
Boca entered the match as heavy favorite but River found its groove early by attacking from the opening minutes, leaving no chance for a Boca counterattack - what River coach Daniel Passarella had promised would be an "ultra-offensive" match.
In the 23rd minute, River's Fernando Belluschi kicked a searing shot that rocketed off the bar and Falcao then took the loose ball and left-footed it into the goal past Boca goalkeeper Mauricio Caranta.
Five minutes later, Ortega stepped up pressure on Boca with a free kick that Caranta just managed to save.
Then, when Boca's Gabriel Paletta fouled Boca player Diego Buonanotte in the 31st minute, Ortega got the first of two penalty kick chances.
Caranta blocked the opening kick, but referee Hector Baldassi ordered a second chance for Ortega due to infringements by Boca players and Ortega scored.
Ever Banega was expelled in the final minute of the first period and Boca was forced to play one man and two goals down. While Boca seemed to threaten a few times in the second half, River kept its lead for victory.
Only six rounds remain in the Apertura season, leaving River in its best position yet in this year's title fight. For Boca, the loss to River was its fourth of the season.
05 10 2007
Luis Aragones has again omitted Raul from his Spain squad as the Real Madrid captain was left out for the crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Denmark next week.
Despite his impressive form for Los Merengues, Raul has failed to win his place back with la Seleccion and the national team coach remains loyal to his favoured forwards.
Spain take on Denmark in the crunch Group F encounter on October 13, where a victory for the visitors to Aarhus would push them to the cusp of qualification for the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland next summer.
Carles Puyol is back in the squad, having missed last month's matches through injury, while Valencia's Raul Albiol and Espanyol's Albert Riera are the surprise inclusions.
"Our qualification for EURO 2008 is at stake," Aragones said. "I know Riera from my time at Mallorca and he's technically a great player."
After playing Denmark at the weekend, Spain then travel to Helsinki to take on Finland, who are well placed in Group A, in a friendly.
Defenders: Pablo Ibanez (Atletico de Madrid), Mariano Pernia (Atletico de Madrid), Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Raul Albiol (Valencia).
Midfielders: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (FC Barcelona), David Silva (Valencia), Xavi Hernandez (FC Barcelona), David Albelda (Valencia), Miguel Angel Angulo (Valencia), Joaquin (Valencia), Albert Riera (Espanyol).
Forwards: David Villa (Valencia), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Luis Garcia (Espanyol).
05 10 2007
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari made six changes to the Portugal squad Friday ahead of two must-win European championship qualifying games.
Scolari, who will be absent from the bench for both games because of a UEFA ban, recalled Ricardo Carvalho of Chelsea and Sporting's Tonel to bolster a defense that conceded late goals in consecutive home draws against Poland and Serbia.
The Brazilian coach dropped Juventus' Tiago Mendes and Armando Petit of Benfica to make way for midfielders Duda of Sevilla and Sporting's Miguel Velosa ahead of games at Azerbaijan on Sept. 13 and Kazakhstan on Sept. 17. Midfielder Raul Mereiles of FC Porto and Stuttgart defender Fernando Meira were also added.
Scolari earned a reduced two-month ban on Thursday for scuffling with defender Ivica Dragutinovic at the end of Portugal's 1-1 draw with Serbia on Sept. 12. Scolari is barred from the bench until Nov. 20, meaning he can return for the team's last Euro 2008 qualifier against Finland on Nov. 21, which he would have missed under an original four-match ban.
Poland leads Group A with 21 points, two ahead of Finland. Portugal is third with 17 points but has played one less game than the top two. Serbia is fourth with 16 points.
Portugal beat both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan 3-0 in the home leg.
Defenders: Miguel Monteiro (Valencia), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), Jose Bosingwa (FC Porto), Fernando Meira (Stuttgart), Bruno Alves (FC Porto), Tonel (Sporting)
