Soccer Shorts

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Rix gets Hearts job

Hearts have confirmed the appointment of Graham Rix as first-team coach at Tynecastle. The former Arsenal and England striker has been out of the game since leaving Oxford United in March.

However, the Jambos could be set for a continental approach under majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov with the appointment of a director of football.

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The club have refused to comment on the possibility of another new man coming in as an 'overlord' above the 48-year-old, who will be officially unveiled today after meeting the players for the first time at the club's Riccarton training ground.

McGeady hopeful

Celtic midfielder Aiden McGeady expects to be sacrificed for the visit of Rangers in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final tomorrow if Chris Sutton recovers from injury. The 19-year-old Irishman inspired the Hoops to a 3-0 win at Falkirk in his first start since the 4-4 draw at Motherwell on the opening day of the season.

"I am looking forward to the game on Wednesday and I hope I have given the manager a bit of a selection headache," McGeady said. "I really want to play in the game because it's an Old Firm game and I am playing well. But it's going to be hard to stay in the team if Chris comes back because we have been doing so well and he is a massive player for us. That's going to be a tough one. It has been very frustrating sitting on the bench and waiting for my chance. But the main thing was taking it when it came and I did that."

'Peace Team'

Barcelona are to play a friendly against a joint Israeli-Palestinian side later this month to promote peace in the Middle East. The match against the 'Peace Team' will take place at the Nou Camp on November 29th. Money raised from the game will be invested in projects that help children from Israel and Palestine.

Eto'o on for hat-trick

Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o and Chelsea team-mates Didier Drogba and Michael Essien are among five players nominated for the African Footballer of the Year award. Monaco and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Bordeaux's Moroccan forward Marouane Chamakh are also named.

The list will be whittled down to three candidates on November 19th after a vote by the coaches of the continent's 53 national teams.

Eto'o is strongly fancied to win the award for a record-equalling third time after success in 2003 and 2004.

Woodgate ruled out

Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate will be out for up to four weeks after collecting a new injury in Sunday's Primera Liga match against Real Zaragoza.

The 25-year-old, who left the field after 23 minutes, has torn a left thigh muscle on the back of his leg. He recently returned to action after 18 months out with a thigh muscle injury on the front of his left leg.

'Greedy' clubs

UEFA president Lennart Johansson has called for leading clubs to stop being so "greedy" in their demands for a larger share of cash from football. Members of G14, the grouping of elite European clubs, want Fifa and Uefa to pay players' salaries during World Cups and European Championships.

G14 are backing Belgian club Charleroi in a court case against Fifa claiming rules forcing clubs to release players to national associations without payment are illegal.

"Too many people involved in football, clubs and individuals, are too greedy," said Johansson yesterday. "It's a big problem that too many people see football as a business. Football is a sport and a social question and we have to be very careful to take care of it for the younger generation.

"Some of the big clubs try by going to court to make it 'winner takes all'."