FOOTBALL

Aston Villa have asked Barcelona to keep them informed about the availability of the Dutch international sweeper, Ronald Koeman, who is likely to be given a free transfer at the end of this season. Monaco and Werder Bremen may also be interested in Koeman.

Gigi Maifredi yesterday resigned as coach of the Italian First Division side Brescia, who are bottom of the table after losing all six matches while he was in charge.

At hearings at the FA's Lancaster Gate headquarters, Southampton's Dutch defender Ken Monkou received a one-match ban for reaching 41 points. Monkou was fined £350. Millwall's Mark Beard was banned for one match and fined £100 for reaching 41 points, while Leyton Orient's Darren Purse received a two-game ban and a £100 fine. In the day's other disciplinary hearing, Burnley's manager Jimmy Mullen was fined £100 and severely censured and warned about his future conduct for comments made to the referee Kevin Lynch during his side's 2-0 defeat at Barnsley on 7 March, when Burnley had two men sent off.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND UNDER-21 SQUAD (European Under-21 Championship v Portugal, Richmond Park, Dublin, 25 April): N Colgan (Chelsea), S Given (Blackburn), S Hardy (Wrexham), S Carr (Tottenham), K Durkan (Wrexham), A Moore (Middlesbrough), A Turner (Tottenham), D Greene (Luton), G Breen (Peterborough), B Woods (Cork City), W Boland (Coventry), G Kavanagh (Middlesbrough), B Launders (Crystal Palace), D Perkins (Southend), M Kennedy (Liverpool), G Farrelly (Rotherham), A Scully (Crystal Palace), D Savage (Millwall).

WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP (Doha) Group A: Qatar 1 Russia 1. Group B: Spain 5 Burundi 1. Group C: Netherlands 0 Argentina 1. Group D: Australia 2 Costa Rica 0.