Fernández sacked by Porto

Braga defeat
The decision to relieve the Spaniard of his duties came after Porto lost 3-1 at home to SC Braga on Sunday night. It means they have won just once in their past four games and have dropped to fourth in the SuperLiga table. Reports in Portugal suggest the club have lined up Vitória FC coach José Couceiro to fill the vacancy.

Sad to leave
Fernández said: "I was very surprised when the president called me to tell me we should stop. I started the last SuperLiga match at the top of the table and I ended the match sacked. I told him 'I think this is unfair' and that I didn't agree with the decision."

Del Neri departure
Fernández was appointed on a two-year contract in August, after the sacking of Luigi Del Neri. The Italian coach had been brought in to replace Chelsea FC-bound José Mourinho at the end of the 2003/04 season but, within two months, the club cancelled his contract without Del Neri leading them in a single game.

Inter date
While the 44-year-old Fernández may have struggled to reassert Porto's dominance in domestic action, he did guide the team to victory in the European/South American Cup in December while also taking them through to the Champions League first knockout round. Porto will play FC Internazionale Milano over two legs, with the first coming at Estádio do Dragão on 23 February.

Brazilian recruits
For that tie, Porto will have Ibson, the 21-year-old Brazilian midfielder, available for selection following his arrival from CR Flamengo in a €2.5m deal just before the closing of the transfer window. They have also signed Leandro, another Brazilian, from PSV Eindhoven. The forward, also 21, is not eligible for the Champions League having appeared for PSV in the qualifying round. Leandro, a product of EC Vitória's youth system, had been at PSV since he was 17.