Mourinho may take legal action

 Soccer Digest/Premiership: Jose Mourinho insists he will take legal action against European referees' chief Volker Roth unless claims the Chelsea manager is "an enemy of football" is retracted.

Roth spoke out in the wake of Swedish referee Anders Frisk's decision retire from football after a series of threats made against himself and his family.

Roth, a German, is chairman of Uefa's referees committee and directed his criticism not only towards Mourinho but to all managers who make inflammatory remarks which could provoke public hostility.

"With regards to the declarations from Mr Roth, there's two ways out: he apologises or it goes to court," said Mourinho, in a statement delivered to the Portuguese press.

PLATINI: Former France captain and manager Michel Platini plans to run for the presidency of the sport's European governing body, Uefa.

The 49-year-old, who led France to consecutive World Cup semi-finals in 1982 and 1986, said if he was elected he would put a smile back on the face of a sport he fears is becoming ruled by big business.

"I've sent a letter announcing my intention to the president of Uefa," he told reporters during a lunch yesterday. "There are many turbulences in the world of soccer and I want to do something about it."

The current president of Uefa is Lennart Johansson, but the Swede has already said he would not run for election again.

HEARTS: Winger Saulius Mikoliunas has assured supporters he wants to stay at Tynecastle despite facing a lengthy Scottish Football Association ban. The 20-year-old was handed an additional five-match suspension for barging linesman Andy Davis during the stormy 2-1 defeat by Rangers earlier this month.

The Lithuania international was shown two red cards by referee Hugh Dallas for his behaviour towards Davis and for foul and abusive language.

The dismissals have cost him two matches already while the player has already gone through the 18-point disciplinary barrier to earn a third game out of the side. But, after appearing before the SFA disciplinary committee Mikoliunas was handed a further five-game ban.

NEWCASTLE: Newcastle took a massive stride towards the Uefa Cup quarter-finals against Olympiacos in Piraeus last week when after Grigorios Georgatos and Athanasios Kostoulas were dismissed before the break they secured a potentially decisive lead. The Greeks arrived on Tyneside without injured Brazilian Rivaldo but the home side too have their problems with Titus Bramble having undergone surgery to repair a hernia.