Football

Stuart Balmer, the Charlton defender, has come off the transfer list and signed a new two-year contract.

Steve McClaren, a Derby County midfield player from 1985-88, has been appointed the club's first-team coach. Jim Smith, the manager, signed the 34-year-old from Oxford, where he coached the reserve and youth teams.

Diego Maradona, the former Argentine captain, was recovering yesterday in Buenos Aires from a cosmetic operation involving liposuction. "I had them trim my jowls, because I've lost so much weight that they began to look inflamed and were totally unaesthetic," he said.

INTERNATIONAL: Australia 1 (Veart 20) Ghana 0. (Australia lead three- match series 2-0).

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY (Zurich): Germany 2 (Helmer 4, Maldini og 38) Italy 0.