MADRID, Jan 22 - Soccer news in brief from around
the world.
* Real Sociedad sporting director Pako Aiestaran has quit
after the club's newly elected president Inaki Badiola refused
to agree to his request to appoint Villarreal reserve team coach
Juan Carlos Oliva as first team boss following Chris Coleman's
resignation last week.
"They have changed the ground rules that were agreed when I
agreed to take the job," the former Liverpool assistant told a
news conference on Tuesday.
"I was meant to choose the coach and players, but the
president refused saying he was the one who was paying the
money."
* Juventus are close to wrapping up a deal for Aston Villa
centre back Olof Mellberg, who is out of contract at the end of
the season.
"Mellberg is close to signing a preliminary agreement with
Juventus," Juve sporting director Alessio Secco told Italian and
British media. "If everything goes well, the player will become
a Juve player in July. There are still minor things left to
discuss before he signs the preliminary agreement."
Juve have already said they are interested in Liverpool's
Mali midfielder Mohamed Sissoko. Media reports have also linked
the Serie A side with Hamburg's Rafael Van der Vaart and Werder
Bremen's Diego.
* Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has avoided a suspension
after Italian soccer's disciplinary arm said in a statement
there was insufficient evidence that he had dived to win a
penalty in a 2-1 win over Torino on Saturday.
* Inter Milan cancelled boss Roberto Mancini's news
conference ahead of Wednesday's Italian Cup quarter-final first
leg with Juventus.
Italian media said the Serie A leaders were upset at press
reports saying they had been the beneficiaries of some fortunate
refereeing decisions this season. Inter were awarded a
controversial late penalty in Sunday's 3-2 win over Parma.
* Barcelona forward Lionel Messi said his team have no
option but to pray that rivals Real Madrid start losing games in
the second half of the season if they are to make up their
seven-point deficit on the champions in the Spanish title race.
"The truth is Real Madrid are in good shape, they are
winning what appear to be difficult games without any problem,"
the Argentine international told a news conference on Tuesday.
"We have to win our games and then hope and pray that they
slip up."
* Espanyol goalkeeper Inaki Lafuente will be out of action
for between four and six weeks after suffering a thigh injury in
his side's 2-1 defeat against Valladolid on Sunday, the player
told the club's Web site (www.rcdespanyol.com).
Espanyol are already missing first-choice keeper Carlos
Kameni who is on international duty with Cameroon at the African
Nations Cup.
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)