Defending champions Barcelona went top of La Liga on Sunday with a labored 1-0 win at rock-bottom Sporting Gijon while Gonzalo Higuain blasted a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 4-0 cruise at Espanyol.

An injury-plagued Barcelona moved into first place with 14 points as Adriano gave them their first away win of the season.

A bid by ousted Asian football chief Mohammed bin Hammam to block the appointment of his replacement has been denied by a sports arbitration court, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said Monday.

The 62-year-old Qatari was handed a lifetime ban from the sport in July after he was found guilty of trying to buy votes in the FIFA presidential race by offering Caribbean football officials $40,000 each.

Manchester City officials confirmed on Monday that they are due to open talks with Carlos Tevez over the striker's refusal to play in a Champions League match at Bayern Munich last week.

Tevez has been suspended for two weeks after reportedly refusing to come on as a substitute during his side's 2-0 defeat at Munich's Allianz Arena.

Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal cannot be regarded as title contenders after falling 12 points behind leaders Manchester United following their 2-1 defeat at north London rivals Tottenham.

Wenger endured another frustrating day as his side crashed to their fourth loss in seven league games at White Hart Lane.

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted there was nothing to worry about despite a 2-0 defeat at Juventus leaving his side 15th in Serie A.

Although the season is only five matches old, champions Milan have managed just one victory in the league and are two points above the relegation zone.

French international footballer Franck Ribery on Friday failed in his bid to ban a non-authorized biography "The Hidden Face of Franck Ribery".

"The judge said there was no precedent, in other words he rejected our demand," the Bayern Munich star's lawyer Carlo-Alberto Brusa told AFP.

Real Madrid's France international Lassana Diarra is facing charges relating to a tax fraud probe by police in Le Havre, the French regional paper Paris-Normandie reported on Friday.

The 26-year-old defender has been placed under official judicial investigation, added the paper.

Bologna president Claudio Sabatini says he is hopeful a deal can be worked out to bring NBA superstar Kobe Bryant to Italy despite the two parties remaining a way apart over economic matters.

Bologna have made an offer to the 33-year-old in the hope of bringing him to the club either for a handful of matches or for the whole season should the NBA lock-out continue.

Former French Open finalist Henri Leconte confirmed Friday that he will help coach world number nine Gael Monfils for upcoming tournaments in Valencia and Paris-Bercy.

The 48-year-old Leconte, the 1988 French Open runner-up and Davis Cup winner in 1991, has worked as a television pundit since his retirement in 1996 and has never coached a player.

Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard admitted Friday it was "probably too early" for him to earn a recall to the England squad for next week's crucial Euro 2012 qualifier in Montenegro.

Gerrard is slowly returning to club duty after a six-month lay-off following a groin injury, but believes next Friday's game in Podgorica has come too early for him as Fabio Capello prepares to name his squad this weekend.