SOCCER SHORTS: Javier Mascherano has completed a permanent move to Liverpool by signing a four-year deal.

The Argentinian midfielder has been at Anfield since ending a brief stint at West Ham and until yesterday was on a long-term loan deal from owners MSI.

"This is the best moment in my career," said the 23-year-old. "I am very, very happy and now I can concentrate just on playing football."

He joined Liverpool on loan from fellow Premier League club West Ham United in January 2007 before helping his new team reach the Champions League final in May.

Liverpool spokesman Ian Cotton said: "Javier Mascherano came to Liverpool on a fixed-term contract under an agreement disclosed to and approved by both the Football Association and Premier League.

"His contract has now been extended under the provisions of that agreement."

The deal is reported in the English media to have cost Liverpool about €22 million.

Spain remain on collision course

A Spanish court has rejected an appeal from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to delay this year's presidential election, leaving the country on a collision course with Fifa and facing a possible ban from Euro 2008. The court said that public interest required the RFEF and its president Angel Maria Villar to meet a government demand that all sporting federations not involved in the Olympics hold elections before the Games.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter warned Spain earlier this month they would be barred from international competitions if the government pressured the RFEF into an early election.

"If the Spanish government continue to interfere in footballing affairs they will have to recognise that their clubs and national team will be excluded from international tournaments," Blatter said.

If Spain are banned Northern Ireland could take their place in the finals.

Bolton blame Spanish police

Uefa have opened disciplinary proceedings against Atletico Madrid and Bolton following the crowd disturbances which marred their Uefa Cup tie at the Vicente Calderon last Thursday.

Fighting broke out inside the stadium although the Wanderers were quick to point the finger of blame at the Spanish police, insisting their fans had been subjected to "a number of assaults and unprovoked baton charges before, during, and after the game".

Official reports have been submitted to the Uefa Control and Disciplinary Body, which will decide on the matter at its next meeting on Thursday, March 20th.

Greater Manchester Police, whose Chief Superintendent David Lea was in the stadium to witness the incidents, insisted that Bolton fans were not at fault and pledged to help the club compile a report to forward to Uefa.

FIFA to sign drug code

Fifa will sign up to the new worldwide code on doping before the end of May after winning the right for flexible sanctions for footballers who fail drugs tests.

Sepp Blatter, president of the sport's world governing body, said the revised World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code would be signed once the final remaining issue of the whereabouts' information footballers had to provide was ironed out.

Individual athletes have to provide details of where they will be for one hour on five days of the week, but Fifa and other sports have argued this is not so easy for those involved in team sports.

Meetings with Wada officials, Fifa and other international team sports are taking place in Zurich over the weekend to try to resolve the issue.

Deal stopped

Striker Daniel Cousin was last night told he must stay at Rangers for the rest of the season after Fifa blocked his €4million move to Fulham.

Rangers accepted the offer from Fulham in January and stood to make a profit of around €2.5million on the player they signed from French club Lens in August.

However Fifa's player status regulations state a footballer can only appear for two clubs in the same season and they refused to bend their rules to let the deal go through.