SOCCER SHORTS

A round-up of today's other soccer news in brief

Benitez will have to sell to fund summer signings

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez has admitted he will have to sell players to help fund summer transfer targets.

Benitez will look to strengthen his squad in the close season to keep pace with Manchester United and Chelsea and make another push for the Premier League title.

The Reds have been linked with a second attempt to sign Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry, as well as Valencia striker David Villa and Portsmouth right-back Glen Johnson, but in order to bring in that calibre of player he will have to trim his squad.

Ryan Babel and Andrea Dossena have been unconvincing and could be sacrificed, and Sami Hyypia is reported to have been offered a deal to join the coaching staff.

“More or less I will have an idea of how much we will have to spend,” said Benitez.

“I think we’d have to sell players to increase the money we’ll need, but at the moment we’re not talking about names and money.

“Every year it is important to sign good players, the right players.”

City discuss move for Eto’o

MANCHESTER City and Barcelona officials met on Monday and discussed the possible transfer of Samuel Eto’o to Eastlands, according to BBC Sport.

Although it was billed as a contact-building exercise, the chance of a deal for Cameroon striker Eto’o formed part of their discussions. The talented 28-year-old was transfer-listed by Barcelona last season but has found his best form under new boss Pep Guardiola.

McCarthy interested in Hyypia deal

MICK McCarthy is interested in signing Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia.

Hyypia could be available on a Bosman free transfer in the summer and McCarthy would certainly be interested in talking to him.

“If Sami Hyypia was available and would consider coming to Wolves as a club who have just come up, then great,” he said. “If Sami is on a Bosman and we could talk about it then of course I’d be interested. But he’s been linked with a quite a few clubs.”

WESTHam first-team coach Steve Clarke has joined manager Gianfranco Zola in signing a new contract to stay at Upton Park until 2013.

Clarke joined Zola at the Hammers when the Italian took over earlier this season and helped guide the Londoners to their current position of eighth in the Barclays Premier League.

Beckenbauer’s respect for Hiddink

BAYERN Munich president Franz Beckenbauer has named Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink as the man he would most like to see in charge of his club next season.

The Bavarians are searching for a new coach after sacking Jurgen Klinsmann yesterday.

Jupp Heynckes was appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season, but a new man must be found who “earns the respect of the players,” according to chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

That man, according to Beckenbauer, would be Hiddink, although the Kaiser knows he is unavailable. “I hope we can get a coach who is somewhere in the class of Guus Hiddink,” he said.

Ex-Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Frank Rijkaard and Bernd Schuster are expected to be candidates.

Juventus appeal fails

JUVENTUS will play their Serie A match at home to Lecce behind closed doors on Sunday after losing an appeal.

The Italian league imposed the sanction last week after a section of Juve fans repeatedly racially abused Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli in a 1-1 draw in Turin earlier this month.

The Italian soccer federation, which is battling to stamp out a racism problem among fans, said in a statement yesterday that Juve’s appeal had been rejected and that Sunday’s game would have no spectators.

The club were criticised in the media for trying to overturn the ban amid pressure from some supporters, who said Juventus were being singled out when incidents of racism at other clubs were only punished with fines.

The Turin club were demoted to Serie B in 2006 for their role in a match-fixing scandal and have slipped to third in the table.

Germany end Ireland’s hopes

IRISH hopes of winning a place at this summer’s under-19 women’s European Championships were ended by Germany yesterday with Susan Ronan’s side suffering a 6-0 defeat at the hands of their hosts in the last of their elite phase qualifying games at Viernheim, writes Emmet Malone.

The Irish came into the game aiming to continue the fine form they had shown in their previous two outings with a 1-0 win over Russia and a 3-1 defeat of Slovakia setting up yesterday’s decider.

Germany took the lead just 10 seconds in through Alexander Popp.

Gillian McDonnell came close to grabbing a quick equaliser but her shot was saved and Germany took complete control of the game to lead 4-0 by the 21st minute before two late goals completed their win.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND:Dyer (Stella Maris), Duggan (Piltown), Quinn (Peamount), Hackett (Stella Maris), Mulcahy (Aisling Annacotty), Parkes (Wilton Utd), Walsh (Salthill Devon), McDonnell (Dundalk City), Grant (Lagan Harps), Billson (Arsenal), Campbell (St Francis). Sub: O'Brien (Tramore) for Hackett (20 mins).