Jose Mourinho of Real Madrid suspended for two games

Mourinho has been critical of Barcelona throughout his reign as Real Madrid manager

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has been banned for two matches for jabbing his finger into the eye of Barcelona's assistant coach.

The Spanish football federation has suspended Mourinho for an incident that occurred towards the end of the Supercopa match between the sides.

Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova was banned for one match for slapping Mourinho during a brawl.

Three players were sent off in the tie, won 3-2 by Barcelona, on 17 August.

Madrid duo Marcelo and Mezut Ozil and Barca's David Villa were dismissed as the Catalan side won 3-2 to take the trophy 5-4 on aggregate.

As players scrapped on the field, television pictures showed former Chelsea manager Mourinho walking over to Vilanova, manager Pep Guardiola's assistant, and poking him in the eye.

Mourinho later issued a letter apologising for his behaviour, but only to Madrid supporters.

Barcelona said immediately after the game that they would not report Mourinho, but the Spanish federation intervened
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Successful surgery for Sagna

Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna has undergone successful surgery on his broken leg and is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of three months.

The France international suffered the injury during the Gunners' 2-1 defeat to North London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.

The French Football Federation revealed later that evening that the defender was set to be ruled out of action for around 12 weeks.

Arsenal claim they are still working to that timescale, with Sagna ready to begin his rehabilitation.

He went under knife on Monday after it was decided that an operation was required to help him make a full recovery.

I"Bacary Sagna has this afternoon undergone further assessment and investigations on his fractured right fibula with the club's medical team and specialists," read a statement released on Arsenal's official website.

"As a result of these tests, Bacary has had surgery to stabilise the injury.

"The surgery went according to plan and there has been no significant alteration to the initial prognosis that Bacary will be out of action for a minimum of three months.

"Everyone at the club wishes Bacary a speedy recovery."

Managerial changes cost clubs £99m last season, says LMA

Five managers have lost their job this season, with pressure mounting on more

Premier League and Football League clubs spent almost £100m changing their manager last season.

According to figures released to the BBC by the League Managers Association (LMA), the cost of compensation, legal fees and 'double contracts' amounted to £99m.

A 'double contract' is when a sacked manager's contract is honoured until a certain point in time but his replacement also requires a salary.

October is traditionally the month when clubs begin sacking their managers. Between October 2010 and February 2011, 25 clubs opted for that course of action.

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• In 2010-11, managers sacked in the Championship had an average tenure of less than a year.
• It was 1.33 years in League 2, 1.67 years in League 1 & 2.07 years in the Premier League.

Several managers have already lost their job this season, including Peter Reid, who was sacked by League Two Plymouth Argyle last week.

Keith Millen left Bristol City on Monday with the club bottom of the Championship, while Steve McClaren departed Nottingham Forest on Sunday, resigning after only 112 days in charge.

The figure of £99m would have been higher had agents fees and the cost of sacking and replacing a manager's backroom team been taken into account.

According to the LMA, which represents managers in the Premier League and Football League, more than 100 coaches also lost their jobs last season.

Reid, who was in charge of Plymouth at a time when the club were battling to avoid administration, will be on BBC Radio 5 live on Tuesday night to discuss the issue.

He will be joined by LMA chief executive Richard Bevan, who believes managers are not being given enough time to prove themselves.

"We want to move away from managers being judged on their last three results," Bevan told the BBC.

Continue reading the main story

• The average length of time it takes a sacked manager to get another job is currently 1.63 years.
• Almost half of first-time managers are never appointed to a second management position.

"In fact, when results take a downturn that is when the club should support its manager even more, not jump for the quick fix."

Sir Alex Ferguson, who has been in charge of Manchester United for almost 25 years, agrees.

"It's always a problem in modern-day management," said the 69-year-old Scot. "You see time and time again that these guys are only in a position a year before the clubs are sacking them."

According to the LMA, Championship managers who were sacked in 2010-11 had an average tenure of less than a year.

The average was 1.33 years in League 2, 1.67 years in League 1 and 2.07 years in the Premier League.

The average length of time it takes a sacked manager to get another job is currently 1.63 years. Almost half of first-time managers are never appointed to a second management position.

Everton's Jack Rodwell wins appeal over red card

Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell has won his appeal against the red card shown to him against Liverpool on Saturday.

Rodwell was sent off by referee Martin Atkinson 23 minutes into the Merseyside derby for a challenge on Luis Suarez.

The decision infuriated Everton boss David Moyes as his side went on to lose 2-0 at Goodison Park.

The Football Association (FA) decided to withdraw the suspension and Rodwell will now be available for Everton's next three domestic fixtures.

The Toffees face Chelsea on 15 October, Fulham on 23 October and Chelsea in the Carling Cup on 26 October.

Rodwell had originally received a red card for serious foul play for his tackle on Reds striker Suarez.

After the match, Toffees boss David Moyes expressed his shock at Atkinson's decision.

"I thought it ruined the game," said the Scot.

"I would have been disappointed if it had been a free-kick. I don't think anyone in this world thought it was a sending off."

Everton's chief executive Robert Elstone welcomed the overturning of Rodwell's red card but said it meant little in the wake of a defeat.

"Whilst we welcome the correct decision the FA panel has reached, it's of course an outcome which will provide little consolation whatsoever to the 37,000 Evertonians packed into Goodison on Saturday to watch the 2-0 defeat," he commented.

Man City's Carlos Tevez should be banned if he refused to play - Fifa boss

Carlos Tevez should be banned from football if it is proven that the Manchester City striker refused to play against Bayern Munich on Tuesday, says Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce.

"I think what happened was despicable," said Boyce, a former president of the Irish Football Association.

"I believe Fifa should have the power to ban the player from taking an active part in football."

City have suspended the Argentine for two weeks pending an investigation.

City boss Roberto Mancini said he felt Tevez could never play for the club again after claiming the Argentine had refused to come on as a substitute in the Champions League group match.

But the player, who has been unhappy with his lack of playing time in recent weeks, feels his row with Mancini was about warming up and not a refusal to play.

Boyce, who was speaking in a personal capacity, told Sky Sports: "If he has done what has been said, then I think his club would be better off without him."

"If Manchester City prove it, write to Fifa and state the exact circumstances that happened, I would have no problem with that whatsoever.

"If this player did what he has been accused of doing, then if Manchester City were to release him I don't think it would be right if he could go and earn a considerable amount of money somewhere else next week.

"I would have no problems if some sanctions were imposed by Fifa in that respect.

"People within the clubs and within the top level of Fifa have to consider that if Carlos Tevez does it, who's to stop someone else doing it the next week or the week after?"

Manchester City suspend Tevez for two weeks

Manchester City have announced that they have suspended striker Carlos Tevez for two weeks.

The Argentinian striker appeared to refuse to come on as a substitute when told to by Roberto Mancini and his coaching staff as City lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

And now the club are launching a review into what happened on Tuesday night.

A club statement read: “Manchester City can confirm that striker Carlos Tevez has been suspended until further notice for a maximum period of two weeks.

“The player’s suspension is pending a full review into his alleged conduct during Tuesday evening’s 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.

“The player will not be considered for selection or take part in training whilst the review is under way.”

Arsene Wenger: Jack Wilshere's lay-off is not down to Arsenal

Arsene Wenger today defended his medical staff over criticism of the club's handling of Jack Wilshere's injury.

The Arsenal midfielder has been ruled out until the end of February after undergoing an operation to mend a stress fracture in his right ankle.

Wilshere originally sustained the problem in England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland in June - a match Wenger advised the 19-year-old should not have played in - before suffering a further setback in the Gunners' pre-season match against New York Red Bulls in July.

Wenger claimed last month that Wilshere's absence would be around a week as "usually, he's a quick healer" but the prognosis has progressively worsened with the player himself using Twitterlast week to declare he would be fit by Christmas.

However, the club have now confirmed Wilshere will be out for "four to five months" after undergoing successful surgery yesterday, prompting questions as to why the condition deteriorated so badly.

But manager Wenger said: "It is unfair to criticise [us] because the club's medical staff haven't made any mistake on that front. It is unfortunate, we are all very sad at the club that it has happened to such a young boy.

"It was a big relief yesterday for everybody at the club that the operation went well. I don't think that the medical staff made any mistake on this case.

"I think the red collar [Arsenal] attracts a lot of criticism. It shows we are a very popular club and it is something that we have to accept. It is part of the popularity of any club.

"The news we've just had is very positive but, of course, he will be out for quite a long time. It is very difficult to predict how long but at least four months certainly.

"The injury has changed a bit because the fracture he had didn't heal. What I've been told is that we had to go in quite quickly to repair it and that's why we decided to do it so quickly.

"He had an early fracture at the age of 16 that healed and around that he created another opening. Is it down to a kick, is it down to playing too much? I don't know, I am not a specialist, but that is unfortunately what happened. He told me he felt it the first time against Switzerland."

Despite the setback, Wenger believes Wilshere can still play an active role in helping the team end their six-year trophy drought this season.

He said: "It makes us a bit shorter in midfield and it puts a bit more pressure on our midfielders to perform game-in, game-out, because we will have less rotation possibilities.

"But every club can be tested on that front so it shouldn't impact our end result of the season and shouldn't be any excuse at all. Jack can come back and be very strong and help us finish the season well."

Laurent Koscielny (ankle), Gervinho (muscular problem), Theo Walcott (knee) andJohan Djourou (hamstring) are all unavailable to face Olympiacos in the Champions League tomorrow, while Wenger will serve the final match of his two‑game UEFAtouchline ban.

Wenger said of the clash against the Greek champions: "You want maximum points at home because you qualify with 11 or 12 points, so we know what is at stake.

"What is at stake for us as well is that we are a train that started a bit late in the station so we cannot afford to drop our consistency.

"We need to be consistent with our results, with our focus and with the way we want to pla

El-Hadji Diouf wants Wigan move

FORMER Blackburn striker El-Hadji Diouf is trying to land a contract at Wigan.

The 30-year-old is yet to find a club after being paid up by Rovers in August and is training with Roberto Martinez's men.

Talks with Blackpool failed to secure him a deal at Bloomfield Road recently and former Bolton star Diouf, 30, is now hunting a swift return to the Premier League.

Diouf played 60 times for Rovers but struggled to get into the side once Steve Kean took over from Sam Allardyce as manager.

He had been training with Preston, who are managed by ex-Bolton No 2 Phil Brown, but the League One side could not match his wage demands.

Juan Mata told to expect hell at Valencia

JUAN MATA'S best mate has vowed to make the Chelsea star's return to former club Valencia a living hell.

Winger Pablo Hernandez branded pal Mata's £22million summer move to the Blues a 'disaster' for the Spanish club.

But now Mata is set to return to his old stamping ground and Hernandez insists there will be no love lost between the pair tomorrow.

He said: "For Juan it will be special to return to what was his home for many years. But on the pitch there are no friends. We have to fight to the death against Chelsea, beat them and then after the game I will wish him the best.

"I speak to him a lot and I am eager to face him in a competition like the Champions League.

"We know it will be difficult. They are one of the best teams in Europe. But we've shown in the past we can win these games and we will go out to do that."

Valencia drew at Genk in their opening Group E clash

Edin Dzeko out to end Bayern Munich’s defensive stranglehold

EDIN DZEKO is out to bring Bayern Munich's defensive wall tumbling down in Germany tonight.

The Bosnian ace faces Manuel Neuer and a defence who have not let in a goal for 838 minutes.

But ex-Wolfsburg striker Dzeko said: "Neuer is one of the best keepers in the world and maybe last season at Schalke was one of the best for him.

"He now plays for one of the best clubs in the world and can only get better. But I scored twice against them before and have beaten them before."

Dzeko cannot wait for the Champions League Group A clash as City seek a first win after being held at home by Napoli in their opener.

He said: "It is always a motivation to play against a club like Bayern. It's not about money that you join Manchester City, it's to play against teams like Bayern Munich — one of the best in the world.

"We don't have to win here but we want to win. That is our target and we have a strong team like Bayern."

City boss Mancini believes that his £27million striker, who was such a big hit in Germany, will be a key man against Jupp Heynckes' in-form side.

Mancini said: "We want Dzeko for this reason, he did very well in the Bundesliga and I am sure he can continue to score for Manchester City."

Bayern lost their opener but have since won their last ninegames. But City's start is not bad either with five wins and a draw in six league matches.

Mancini added: "Why can't we come here and win? We are not here to lose but we know it will be difficult to win. We have a lot of respect, they have a great history. But we want to do a good job."