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LONDON, April 18 - Soccer news in brief from
around the world on Wednesday: * Elton John has left Inverness Caledonian Thistle still
standing on plans to enter the Intertoto Cup. John is booked to sing at the Scottish Premier League club's
ground on July 15 and director of football Graeme Bennett said
Thistle had scrapped their Cup bid over a clash of dates. "We're withdrawing our interest in the Intertoto. The Cup
dates clash with an Elton John concert at the stadium and that
would have been a big issue," Bennett told local media. * An Ecuadorean football federation (FEF) director who
recently spent one year in prison for his involvement in a human
smuggling ring has quit two weeks after being reinstated. Vinicio Luna's resignation as national team co-ordinator was
accepted at a meeting on Tuesday night, the FEF said on its
official Web site. His return at the start of this month had caused a public
outcry in Ecuador, with President Rafael Correa among the
critics. "In the face of the avalanche of questioning, Luna preferred
to step aside," said the FEF. "He did not want to be a stone in
the federation's shoe." * Algerian club Mouloudia Alger are to appeal against the
suspension of several players and an official and a fine imposed
after attacks on a referee at the end of a recent African club
competition match, local reports said. The sanctions for the attack on referee Noumandiez Doue of
the Ivory Coast after last month's African Confederation Cup
second round first leg tie against Kwara United in Nigeria are
among the most severe imposed by the Confederation of African
Football. Goalkeeper Meraoune Abdouni was suspended for three years
for hitting the referee at the end of the 3-0 defeat. Defender
Kamel Bouacida was banned for 18 months. Smail Chaoui, Fodil
Hadjadj and Reda Babouche were suspended for two matches for
violent conduct. All except Chaoui are Algerian internationals. Club official Khaled Adnan was banned from attending any CAF
match for the next six months for running on to the pitch to
remonstrate with the match officials. The club, eliminated at
the end of the second leg of the tie, were also fined US$20,000. * Bundesliga leaders Schalke 04 welcomed midfielder Gustavo
Varela back to training on Wednesday after the Uruguayan
international injured his knee on Feb. 10 and underwent an
operation in Uruguay. Varela will be available for Schalke's match at home on
Saturday against Energie Cottbus, the club said. Schalke hold a
two-point lead over Werder Bremen with five matches left.
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