Valdano pays the price for Real's slump

European round-up

Real Madrid dismissed Jorge Valdano, their Argentine coach, yesterday.

Pressure had been mounting on Valdano, who made his name as a Real player and steered them to the title last season, his first as coach. Atletico are leading the Spanish league, and Real were beaten in the cup in mid- week, but yesterday's 2-1 home defeat by the third Madrid team, the unfashionable Rayo Vallecano, was the last straw. Real were booed off the Bernabeu pitch, and Valdano then paid the price.

Another Argentine, Gabriel Batistuta, had an altogether happier day, scoring twice as second-placed Fiorentina beat Torino 3-0 in Serie A. That kept pressure on leaders Milan, who beat Padova with a Roberto Baggio penalty.

In the Netherlands Ajax were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Sparta Rotterdam. The European champions fell a goal behind before Peter Hoekstra equalised and Arnold Scholten put them ahead. Sparta regained the lead but Hoekstra struck again to earn Ajax a point. They lead PSV Eindhoven by three points.