Sporting Digest: Football

DIEGO MARADONA, apparently suffering from a sore back, missed a Spanish federation disciplinary hearing yesterday into his role in a brawl during a recent match at Cadiz. Argentina's World Cup captain, who now plays for Seville, had been suspended because of the incident along with his team-mate Diego Simeone, the club's president Luis Cuervas, the coach Carlos Bilardo and his assistant Miguel Angel Lemme.

THE High Court yesterday dismissed a winding-up order against Brighton after the Second Division club paid pounds 398,000 to the Inland Revenue for the non-payment of PAYE. About pounds 300,000 is still owed, but Ray Bloom, a Brighton director, said he was confident it would be settled in due course. Yesterday's payment was helped by the pounds 350,000 Brighton received from Leeds on Tuesday for their goalkeeper Mark Beeney.

STAFFORD RANGERS, the GM Vauxhall Conference club, have named Brendan Phillips as their new manager. Phillips, in charge at Bedworth United of the Beazer Homes League for the past three years, replaces Dennis Booth, who left three weeks ago to become assistant manager at Bristol Rovers.

FINLAND SQUAD (v Bulgaria, World Cup Group Six, Sofia, 28 April): Jakonen (TPS), Laukkanen (Waldhof Mannheim); Gronholm (BK), Heikkinen (TPS), Hyrylainen (HJK), Kanerva (FinnPa), Kinnunen (Kuusysi), Rajamaki (MyPa), Suominen (Jaro), Eriksson (Bryne), Petaja (Malmo), Hjelm (St Pauli), Litmanen (Ajax), Lindberg (MyPa), Paatelainen (Aberdeen), Holmgren (GAIS Gothenburg).