Football: Gullit's misconduct charge

THE NEWCASTLE manager, Ruud Gullit, has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association for "alleged comments made to referee Uriah Rennie" after last week's game against Aston Villa.

Gullit saw the Magpies captain, Alan Shearer, sent off for two bookable offences and was forcibly held back from remonstrating with the Sheffield match official by his Villa counterpart, John Gregory.

The charge was confirmed by the FA who received Rennie's match report, which mentioned both managers. "Ruud Gullit has been charged with misconduct for alleged comments made to Uriah Rennie at the end of Saturday's game," said an FA spokesman, Steve Double. "He has 14 days to appeal."

Double added that the investigation into the activities of Gregory, who was also mentioned by Rennie in his report, was still continuing.

Chelsea last night completed the pounds 3.5m of the Italian winger Gabriele Ambrosetti from Vicenza on a five-year contract. Ambrosetti, 26, who has one Italy Under-21 cap to his name, has not been part of the Italian club's plans since their relegation to Serie B last season. The Italian had not arrived in time to be in Chelsea's squad for their trip to Leicester today.

Juventus's Edgar Davids was given permission yesterday to use eye drops containing a banned diuretic. The Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees the country's doping controls, said it had been advised by Rome's anti- doping laboratory to allow the use of the drops even though they contain the diuretic dorzolamide.

The West Ham manager, Harry Redknapp, is desperate to strengthen his squad's defensive cover and his two priorities are a right-back and a centre-half, with Ian Pearce and Neil Ruddock having suffered long-term injuries. He has inquired about the availability of Derby's Croatian international defender Igor Stimac in a bid to solve his defensive injury crisis. Redknapp may also sign Gary Charles from Benfica, as the 29-year-old former Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa full-back has been training at Upton Park.

The West Ham company secretary, Graham Mackrell, said: "We have spoken to Derby, but not the player, so I cannot say anything will definitely happen. We have a valuation of him but if that doesn't match Derby's, then nothing will happen."

Stimac, 32, joined Derby four years ago for pounds 1.5m. He has a year left to run on his contract.

Derby, meanwhile, have called off their planned purchase of the Argentinian striker Esteban Fuertes. The Rams acted after talks aimed at gaining the player's transfer from Colon De Santa Fe fell through yesterday. The Derby manager, Jim Smith, had hoped to sign him for around pounds 2m but the 26-year- old is owned jointly by three clubs and one of them failed to authorise his release. Even the intervention of the Argentinian FA has failed to solve the problem.

Darren Huckerby completed his pounds 4m move from Coventry to Leeds yesterday. "Leeds are a top club and when you've been fighting for two years at Coventry it's nice to come to one of the best teams in Europe," he said after signing a five-year contract.

Portsmouth yesterday completed the pounds 250,000 signing of striker Steve Lovell from Bournemouth. The 18-year-old has made just one full first- team appearance for the Cherries.

Bristol City have accepted a pounds 200,000 offer from Danish club Odense for Denmark striker Soren Andersen. City have a sell-on clause which will mean they will net 40 per cent of any profit made on Andersen.

Gary Lineker and Alan Hansen have both signed new five-year deals with the BBC. Lineker has stepped into the ITV-bound Des Lynam's shoes as host of Match Of The Day.