Football in brief: Clough sure Vaughan can add variety

Striker James Vaughan has joined Championship side Derby County on a three-month loan deal. The 21-year-old has struggled with injuries over the last year and manager David Moyes is keen for the player to get some regular football. "This is a terrific bit of business for us; James is a good player with an excellent attitude and tons of ability," said the Derby manager, Nigel Clough. "He is also different to anything else we have at the football club at this moment, so will add some variety to our attack."

Thailand close in on Robson appointment

Bryan Robson has "agreed in principal" to become coach of Thailand's national team and will visit the Kingdom next week to discuss terms. If a deal goes through the former England captain would be tasked with steering the team to the 2014 World Cup finals. The Thai Football Association president, Worawi Makudi, said: "Robson is interested and has agreed in principal to become our coach. We think he could play a big part in improving Thai football."

Maradona’s earrings seized in tax row by Italian finance police

Italian tax authorities seized earrings worth €4,000 (£3,600) from visiting football legend Diego Maradona yesterday to help pay off his back taxes.

The tax collection agency Equitalia said finance police had seized the earrings at the clinic in northern Italy where Maradona checked in recently in a bid to lose weight.

It was not Maradona’s first run-in with Italian tax authorities, which say he owes the country €31m (£28m) in taxes from the time he played for Napoli. Maradona, who played for Napoli from 1984 to 1991 and is now the coach of Argentina’s national team, says the club should have paid the taxes.

Three years ago, tax police took two Rolex watches from him when he was in Italy for a benefit match. In 2005 they seized his payout for participating in a TV dancing show and in 2001 he was met by 20 police officers as he got off a plane in Rome. Maradona has checked into a clinic in northern Italy to try to lose weight, his personal doctor said this week