Wales appeal againWales have refused to give up on their attempt to have Russia thrown out of Euro 2004 following Egor Titov's failed drugs test -- just 55 days before the tournament starts in Portugal.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) yesterday took its appeal to the independent Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, having twice failed in appeals to UEFA. FAW secretary general David Collins said: "We have filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the written judgment by the UEFA appeals body at the hearing in March.
"Throughout this matter, the FAW has always maintained that it would pursue all available remedies in an effort to obtain a just outcome.
"The FAW feels that UEFA's appeals body did not give sufficient weight to the powerful arguments which we submitted at the hearing. We have therefore lodged an appeal with CAS, which they have acknowledged. The UEFA response to this appeal is now awaited."
Titov tested positive after the first-leg play-off ended goalless in Moscow during November last year, and played in Russia's 1-0 second-leg win in Cardiff. Wales argued Titov was ineligible for that match.
Cisse out of tournament
France striker Djibril Cisse will miss Euro 2004 after his five-match international ban was reduced by only one game by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday.
The AJ Auxerre player appealed after receiving the ban for kicking an opponent and for further incidents when he was sent off in an under-21 international against Portugal last November.
France coach Jacques Santini said that even with the reduction, the suspension made it highly unlikely that he would make the Euro 2004 squad. "Five or four games does not make any difference," Santini said. "It is still very difficult to select a player who is under such a disproportionate ban."
Reid has €15m price tag
Nottingham Forest manager Joe Kinnear has warned clubs interested in Andy Reid that he could cost at least €15 million.
The Dubliner was watched by scouts from 17 Premiership clubs when he scored in last Saturday's 2-2 draw with Millwall and Kinnear is expecting heavy summer interest.
Forest rejected a Tottenham bid of £2.5 million (€3.7million) for Reid in January but Kinnear revealed the club had later been prepared to offer £5 million (€7.5 million) plus midfielder Rohan Ricketts for Reid.
Kinnear said: "Spurs had first tabled a bid, which was rejected before I arrived at Forest, so I phoned David Pleat to ask him what the score was - and it was five million plus Ricketts.
"Five million? If Reidy were to go we'd be looking for more than that. At his young age he's got to be up there at £10 million."In fact, I wouldn't say there's much between Reidy and Damien Duff and Duff went for £17 million."
Youth squads named
An unfamiliar looking Republic of Ireland under-18 squad flew out to Portugal yesterday to take part in the Viseu International Tournament with manager Noel O'Reilly, including 11 uncapped players in his 18-man squad.
Ireland will face Turkey on Wednesday (kick-off 4.0), Portugal on Thursday (4.0) before meeting Norway on Saturday (9:30 a.m.).
Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland under-17 manager Sean McCaffrey has named an 18-man squad for two games against Turkey this week.
Ireland take on the Turks in Bursa on Thursday (12:30 p.m.), before moving on to Yalova for a second game on Saturday (12:30 p.m.).
The under-16 squad to play Holland twice in Dublin next week has also been announced. The games will take place on Tuesday, April 27th at Whitehall (7:30 p.m.) and on Thursday, April 29th at the same venue (11:00 a.m.).
UNDER-18 SQUAD: Logan (Leicester City), Treacy (Oldham Athletic), Elebert (Preston North End), Lyng (Preston North End), Gerrard (Everton), Collins (Huddersfield Town), O'Brien (Bolton Wanderers), Thornton (Coventry City), Donnelly (Hamilton Academicals), Foley (Cheltenham Town), Keogh (Leeds United), Ridgway (Luton Town), Salmon (Cherry Orchard), Graham (Northampton Town), Byrne (St Patrick's Athletic), Gill (Derry City), Danaher (Northampton Town), Platt (Liverpool).
UNDER-17 SQUAD: Randolph (Charlton Athletic), Duggan (Stoke City), Synnott (Ipswich Town), O'Leary (Aberdeen), Morris (Leeds United), Reilly (Home Farm), JP Kelly (Liverpool), Chambers (Shelbourne), Fitzgerald (Lourdes Celtic), Dennehy (Shelbourne), Stokes (Arsenal), Clarke (Ipswich Town), S Kelly (Kingdom Boys), Kearney (Everton), Lordan (Ipswich Town), Meehan (Maymount Celtic), Bracken (Lourdes Celtic), Walsh (Celtic).
UNDER-16 SQUAD (v Netherlands, April 27th): Madden, McKeever, Bayly, Gleeson (Cherry Orchard), Henderson, Purcell, Treacy (Belvedere), Judge (St Joseph's Boys), Nolan (Waterford Bohemians), Hoban (Ferrybank), Connellan (St Francis), Treacy (Wembley Rovers), Boyle (Aston Villa), Quigley (Fulham), Ryan (Liverpool).
UNDER-16 SQUAD (v Netherlands, April 28th): Madden, Bayly, Gleeson (Cherry Orchard), Henderson, Purcell, Treacy ( Belvedere), Reid, Moore (St Kevin's Boys), Power (Crumlin United), Judge (St Joseph's Boys), Nolan (Waterford Bohemians), Connellan (St Francis), Cassidy (Naas), Garvan (Ipswich Town), Ryan (Liverpool), Moriarty (Wimbledon).
Tonight's fixtures
(7.45 unless stated)
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Semi-final, first leg: Monaco v Chelsea.
ENGLISH FA PREMIERSHIP: Manchester Utd v Charlton (8.0).
ENGLISH LEAGUE: Division One: Burnley v Wimbledon; Millwall v Watford. Division Two: Luton v Bournemouth; Oldham v Wrexham. Division Three: Northampton v Huddersfield; Southend v Hull; York v Yeovil.
SCOTTISH CUP: Semi-final replay: Inverness CT v Dunfermline (at Pittodrie Stadium).
IRISH LEAGUE: Premier Division: Omagh v Glenavon.
