Sporting Digest: Football

MATCHES at the 1996 European Championship finals in England will be settled by a sudden-death system (first- to-score in extra time) from the quarter-final stage onwards. A fair-play system - the awarding of points for team behaviour on the field - will be one of the criteria in the early rounds when teams finish level on points. The draw for the qualifying rounds will take place in London on 27 November.

DAVID O'LEARY, the 35-year-old Republic of Ireland international defender released by Arsenal, has completed his move to Leeds United, where he has been given a three-year contract.

SERGEI BALTACHA, the former Ipswich Town and Soviet international defender, has been appointed player-manager of the Press and Journal Highland League club, Inverness Caledonian. Baltacha, 35, was released by St Johnstone last month.

THE Republic of Ireland have arranged international friendly fixtures against Norway at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, on 30 March 1994 and against Germany in Hamburg on 29 May.

RICHARD WITSCHGE, Barcelona's Dutch international forward, is joining the French club, Bordeaux, for pounds 2m.

WORLD CUP Asian zone first round Group A (Chengdu, Ch): China 1 Yemen 0; Iraq 4 Pakistan 0 (Iraq qualify for second round).

COPA AMERICA Group C (Guayaquil, Ec): Argentina 1 (Batistuta 54) Bolivia 0.

UNDER 21 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Group One (Braga): Portugal 7 Malta 0.