No further action for Hart in Hull bust-up

AFP/LondonManchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart will face no further disciplinary action after being booked for his role in a confrontation with Hull’s George Boyd last weekend, the Football Association announced yesterday. England international Hart clashed foreheads with Hull substitute Boyd during an exchange in City’s 2-0 Premier League win at the KC Stadium on Saturday. Hart was booked by referee Lee Mason and England’s governing Football Association confirmed yesterday that, under its own rules, it considered the goalkeeper had been dealt with. But Boyd’s case remainded under review by the FA after pictures appeared to show him spitting at Hart and is currently studying referee Lee Mason’s match report before deciding whether or not to take action. The clash occurred when Boyd was denied a penalty after claiming to have been fouled by Hart. It has also not yet been decided whether City captain Vincent Kompany will face further disciplinary action for his reaction to his sending off just 10 minutes into the fiery contest for a professional foul on Hull forward Nikica Jelavic. That offence carries a mandatory one-match ban but Kompany also kicked a wall as he went down the tunnel and made what could be considered an offensive gesture towards fourth official Anthony Taylor. Any extension to Kompany’s suspension would rule him out of the derby against Manchester United at Old Trafford on March 25.

Leeds takeover suffers blow as Cellino finedMassimo Cellino’s proposed takeover of Leeds United could be in jeopardy after the Cagliari president was handed a hefty fine yesterday for failing to pay duty on a yacht he imported from the US, according to reports. The Football League board is due to meet in England early next week to consider Cellino’s proposal to buy a 75% stake in Leeds. However yesterday’s decision by a court in Sardinia could scupper the deal. According to domestic news agency ANSA, Cellino has been ordered by a court in Cagliari to pay a fine of 600,000 euros for failing to declare the imported yacht to the authorities. The yacht in question has also been confiscated, according to the report. Cellino avoided paying 400,000 euros in import duty although the fine is far inferior to the figure of 1.165mn euros demanded by the public prosecutor Andrea Massidda. Cellino’s proposed takeover of Leeds had been agreed in principle although yesterday’s decision could effectively bar the Italian from having any involvement with the club. The Football League’s rules prohibit people with unspent convictions for dishonesty offences from having any influential role at one of its clubs. Cellino already has a 2001 conviction for false accounting and is being investigated for alleged misuse of public funds relating to construction work on Cagliari’s Quartu Sant’Elena stadium.