Football: Souness snub for strikers

THE REAL MADRID strikers Davor Suker and Predrag Mijatovic are leading the resistance to the recruitment policy of new coach John Toshack, who has vowed to have a summer clear-out at the Bernabeu stadium. Toshack is said to have told the pair they no longer feature in his plans.

The Yugoslav Mijatovic said: "We feel like merchandise, as if we were clothes. Here they buy you, they sell you, they do good business with you. I've been with Real three years and won everything. If they decide to sell me now they will do a good deal. If the club sees things this way I will go."

Meanwhile, the Croatian Suker has let it be known that Toshack has tried to push him into a move to a club he does not want to join. It is thought Toshack offered to pick Suker for Real's remaining fixtures if he would move to the Portuguese champions, Porto, or the Turkish side, Fenerbahce. However, Suker, winner of the Golden Boot at France 98, is said to prefer a move to England.

Toshack watched the Marseilles striker Florian Maurice in the 2-1 defeat by Paris St-Germain on Tuesday. He also had talks with the president of Fenerbahce, Aziz Yildirim, about the Bosnian striker Elvir Bolic.

Johan Boskamp, of the Netherlands, has been named as Georgia's new head coach. He replaces Vladimir Gutsayev and takes charge for Georgia's game against Norway in the European Championship qualifier on 30 May in Oslo.

Georgia have had a disappointing European campaign so far and are one from bottom in Group Two with just four points from five matches.

Boskamp, 50, coached Anderlecht to two Belgian First Division titles and led the club to the league and cup double in 1994.

Gutsayev resigned following Georgia's 4-1 home loss to Norway last week having previously had disagreements with leading players.