Spurs spare Routledge the drop

Tottenham Hotspur FC

Liverpool FC have released 33-year-old Argentinian defender Mauricio Pellegrino who joined the European champions on a short-term deal from Valencia CF in January. Meanwhile, newly-promoted Wigan Athletic FC have agreed a new two-year deal with 26-year-old Scottish winger Gary Teale whose existing contract expired this summer.

In Portugal, Valentim Loureiro has announced he will be resigning as president of the Portuguese Football League (LPFP). "I, along with the executive committee, want to leave the organisation," he said. "I expect the other committees will do the same in order to schedule new LPFP elections." Elsewhere in the SuperLiga, CF Os Belenenses have signed defensive midfielder Pinheiro from relegated GD Estoril-Praia. The 28-year-old has penned a two-year deal with the Lisbon club.

Hamburger SV have had a minor clear-out with 22-year-old midfielder Alexander Meier and 23-year-old defender Björn Schlicke both leaving the club. Meier has signed a three-year contract with newly-promoted Eintracht Frankfurt, where he played on loan last season, while former German Under-21 international Schlicke has accepted a three-year deal with 1. FC Köln.

Corsican side AC Ajaccio have recruited a player apiece from the three teams relegated from France's Ligue 1. SC Bastia's 33-year-old midfielder Stéphane Ziani has signed a one-year deal, 30-year-old defender Frédéric Danjou has returned to the club after a season at SM Caen while another midfielder, 30-year-old Rafik Saïfi, moves to Ajaccio from FC Istres.

Belgian side K. Lierse SK have signed former French international striker Tony Vareilles on a free transfer from Bastia. The 32-year-old arrives on a three-year contract, having previously played for AS Nancy-Lorraine, RC Lens, Olympique Lyonnais, FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Stade Rennais FC. Joining the veteran at Lierse is Croatian forward Kruno Lovrek, 25, who comes on a three-year deal from HNK Hajduk Split. Again, no fee is involved.

In Greece, Panionios NFC have landed midfielder Darío Ezéquiel Fernández from CA Chacarita Juniors in his native Argentina. The 27-year-old has inked a one-year contract with the option of a further two years.

Meanwhile, Bulgarian newcomers PFC Vihren Sandanski have made their first signings of the summer, bringing in two Portuguese players. The second division champions have taken on 23-year-old former FC Porto trainee striker José Emilio Furtado and 20-year-old midfielder Sergio 'Serginho' Filipe Dias from lower league side FC Pedras Rubras.

FC Vaslui will start their first Romanian Divizia A season with Basarab Panduru on the bench after Mircea Rednic, the man who led them to promotion, decided to try his luck coaching abroad. "I do not exclude the possibility of staying here for life," said the 34-year-old Panduru, who coached FC Politehnica AEK Timisoara last term and will have a budget of around €2m courtesy of Vaslui's owner, wealthy local businessman and former FIFA referee Adrian Porumboiu.

FC Politehnica Chisinau beat FC Unisport-Auto Chisinau 4-0 in a relegation/promotion play-off to return to Moldova's top flight after a two-year absence. All the goals came in extra time as Politehnica, defeated in this game by Unisport in the previous two seasons - in 2002/03 when they were relegated and the following campaign when they were denied promotion - finally took revenge.