Tigana waits on tribunal verdict

Jean Tigana, the former Fulham manager, may have to wait up to a month before finding out whether he has won his claim for unpaid wages from the Cottagers.

The Frenchman was replaced by Chris Coleman on 17 April this year, two months before his three-year contract was due to expire.

Tigana has taken Mohamed Al Fayed's club to an employment tribunal in Croydon. A three-person panel at the London South Employment Tribunal Office heard evidence from Tigana and Fulham on Tuesday and then debated their verdict yesterday.

The tribunal, which was chaired by John Warren, who sat with lay members Lisa Campbell and Alan Jenkinson, will now write up their reserved judgement and post it to the two parties - a process which could take up to four weeks.

Tigana, who is claiming £2.5m in unpaid wages and bonuses, said in a statement to the tribunal: "The only explanation I was offered was in a lawyer's letter.

"It appeared to suggest I'd already been remunerated very well for my services and they could not afford to do so. In the last few months, I felt I was fighting against people who wanted to drive me out of Fulham."

* Brentford have taken the Chelsea defenders Joel Kitamirike and Valerio di Cesare on trial. Kitamirike, 19, a former England youth international, and the 20-year-old Di Cesare, a former Lazio youth player, have found their chances limited with the Blues.