Afanou walks out on Bordeaux

FC Girondins de Bordeaux

AFC Ajax won 3-0 at SC Heerenveen to book their place in the Dutch Cup semi-finals alongside PSV Eindhoven, AZ Alkmaar and Roda JC. The former Heerenveen hero Klaas Jan Huntelaar scored Ajax's second and set up the third for Urby Emanuelson late on after Mauro Rosales had given the Amsterdam club a ninth-minute lead.

Heart of Midlothian FC defender Robbie Neilson has penned a new three-and-a-half year contract with the Scottish Premier League side. The 25-year-old right-back is Hearts's longest-serving player and has now committed to the Tynecastle club until summer 2009. "It's nice to get the contract done and dusted so I can concentrate on my football," he said.

Bundesliga side BV Borussia Dortmund have signed defender Martin Amedick from German third division outfit Eintracht Braunschweig. The 23-year-old will join Dortmund in the summer on a three-year deal. "For me, this is childhood dream come true," he said. "Borussia have a young team with a big future."

Deportivo Alavés have dropped captain Óscar Téllez from their squad, with the Spanish club's president Dmitri Piterman neglecting to register the 30-year-old for the second half of the Primera División season. "I want him to stay here for the rest of the campaign, get fit and be what he used to be," said Piterman. Téllez, in his seventh season with the Basque side, has made only four league appearances this term.

RSC Anderlecht midfielder Fabrice Ehret has cancelled his contract with the Belgian team and joined Swiss Super League outfit FC Aarau until the end of the season. The 26-year-old Frenchman left RC Strasbourg in June 2004 to sign for Anderlecht, where he made seven league appearances.

Dutch high-fliers FC Utrecht have extended the deals of three players. The 35-year-old captain Jean-Paul de Jong has agreed a four-year contract with the club, of which at least 12 months will be served as a player. Long-serving defender Etienne Shew-Atjon, 26, has renewed his contract for another two seasons, while forward Nassir Maachi, 20, has committed to Utrecht until summer 2009.

The Football Association of England will begin the hunt for Sven-Göran Eriksson's successor today with the formation of an appointment committee. The group looks set to be led by FA chief executive Brian Barwick in the search for a candidate to manage England beyond the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Polish champions and Ekstraklasa leaders Wisla Kraków have loaned Brazilian midfielder André Paulo Barreto to Portuguese side CF Estrela da Amadora until 30 June. The 26-year-old, who moved to Wisla from Boavista FC last August, has failed to make an impact in Poland, appearing in only six league games.

Polish strugglers KSP Polonia Warszawa and GKS Belchatow have continued to strengthen for the second half of the season. Bottom club Polonia have recruited 33-year-old Croatian goalkeeper Žankarlo Šimunić from Békéscsabai EFC as well as 24-year-old Canadian midfielder Joe Di Buono, both on 18-month contracts. Meanwhile, Belchatów have landed three players: 23-year-old Nigerian striker Temple Kelechi Omeonu, who was previously with Wisla Kraków, arrives on a two-year deal, and will be joined by 21-year-old former Zagłębie Lubin midfielder Paweł Strąk and 37-year-old ex-Górnik Zabrze goalkeeper Piotr Lech, on two and a half and one-year contracts respectively.

Also in Poland, MKS Pogon Szczecin have pulled off a coup with the signing of the one-time SL Benfica, ACF Fiorentina and Besiktas JK midfielder Amaral. The 33-year-old former Brazilian international played 18 times for his last team, Clube Atlético Mineiro, in 2005.

Bulgarian champions PFC CSKA Sofia have signed Romanian midfielder Eugen Trika. The 29-year-old arrives on a free transfer having left Israeli side Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC. Trika is well known in Bulgaria from his two seasons with PFC Litex Lovech Lovech between 2003 and 2005.

The Luxembourg Football Federation has arranged a friendly for the national team against German second division side Kickers Offenbach on 22 February. The venue has yet to be decided.