Slovakia to pay high price for fans' racist behaviour

Slovakia may be forced to play their next home Euro 2004 qualifier behind closed doors as punishment for their supporters' racist abuse of a number of England players when the two teams met in Bratislava on 12 October 2002.

A Uefa appeal hearing will take place tomorrow with European football's governing body looking to impose a tougher sentence on the Slovakian football association who were fined just £27,000 by the Control and Disciplinary Committee last month for the racist bile meted out to Emile Heskey and Ashley Cole in the Euro 2004 qualifier. Uefa's chief executive Gerhard Aigner has called for the ban in order to send a strong anti-racist signal to teams involved in their competitions.

"The Uefa chief executive has submitted an appeal against the original decision of the control and disciplinary body in relation to the racism charges brought against the Slovakian FA," said Mike Lee, the Uefa communications director. "We believe that there was sufficient evidence of racist behaviour to warrant a punishment of a match behind closed doors."

If a crowd ban is ordered then Slovakia will have to play their game against Liechtenstein on 2 April behind closed doors. The Slovakian FA, who issued personal apologies to Heskey and Cole, have themselves appealed against their sentence – they claim the fine was too harsh.

The Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt, who injured his ankle in the game against Slovakia, will make his long-awaited return to action against Sheffield Wednesday reserves on Tuesday. Butt has made just 10 appearances for his club this season after his rehabilitation took far longer than predicted.

The former Old Trafford striker and present Wales manager, Mark Hughes, has signed a two-year contract extension until 2006. Hughes, who took charge on a part-time basis at the end of 1999, has steered Wales to an eight-match unbeaten run after a difficult start to his managerial career.

Indeed, Wales have made an excellent start to their Euro 2004 qualifying campaign, winning their first three games, including an historic 2-1 defeat of Italy in October, to boost their chances of reaching their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup. They currently sit on top of their group with three wins out of three.

Hughes's Scotland counterpart, Berti Vogts, has revealed he could be tempted to extend his contract. The German's tenure in charge of the national team is set to end in 2006, but he believes a number of Scotland's youngsters have the potential to be top players and he wants to nurture that talent.

"When I first took the Scotland job, I thought I would be going to London to watch the top Scottish players," Vogts said. "But maybe in five or six years we will be watching Scottish players at the very big Premiership clubs."

Arsenal, meanwhile, will sign the Swiss teenager Johannes Djourou at the end of the season. The 16-year-old midfielder, who plays for Etoile Carouge in Switzerland's third division, will join the Servette teenager Philippe Senderos at Highbury next term. Both players were part of the Swiss side who won the Under-17 European Championship last summer.