Football: Heynckes is sacked by Real Madrid

JUPP HEYNCKES, Real Madrid's coach, was dismissed yesterday - eight days after he led the team to their record seventh European Cup victory and their first in 32 years.

Real's president, Lorenzo Sanz, said: "If we had not won the European Cup, this would have been one of the worst seasons in recent years." Real finished fourth in Spain's Primera Division.

According to Spanish media sources, the Espanyol coach and a popular former Real Madrid player, Jose Antonio Camacho, is the favored replacement for Heynckes. Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has also been mentioned.

Wenger has said he he is not interested in signing the Italian World Cup veteran, Roberto Baggio. Liverpool's attempt to sign the South African- born striker Sean Dundee from the German club, Karlsruhe, may have to be settled by Fifa, football's world governing body, after Borussia Monchengladbach claimed they have a written agreement with the player.

Newcastle's chief executive, Freddie Fletcher, insisted yesterday that the England captain, Alan Shearer, is not for sale at any price. Shearer has been linked with Juventus and Barcelona, with the Italian giants reported to be considering a pounds 22m offer. "Alan Shearer is not for sale," Fletcher said. "Let me stress once and for all that he is not leaving this club.''

Brian McClair, given a free transfer by Manchester United, is being pursued by Motherwell, the club where he began his career. A former United player, Sammy McIlroy, is set to be leave his job in charge of Macclesfield Town to become the new manager of Burnley.