Tehran  - The Iranian Football Federation (FFI) on Wednesday appointed Iranian-American Afshin Qotbi as new head coach for the country's national football team, ISNA news agency reported.

FFI vice-president Mehdi Taj told ISNA that Qotbi lead Iran's national football team in the remaining three World Cup qualification games against North and South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

Qotbi has already signed the contract and will come to Tehran on Thursday, Taj said.

The FFI deputy added that Qotbi will have one Dutch and one Iranian assistant.

Hamburg  - Bayer Leverkusen's progress into the German cup final on Tuesday night has extended the list of absentees for a national team stint to Asia in late May and early June.

Germany coach Joachim Loew will be without Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler, midfielder Simon Rolfes and forwards Patrick Helmes and Stefan Kiessling for the games on May 29 in Shanghai against China and on June 2 against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.

The German cup final is set for June 30 in Berlin.

Dusseldorf  - Bayer Leverkusen needed extra-time before eventually running out 4-1 winners against second division Mainz 05 in the semi-final of the German Cup.

The victory books Leverkusen's third final place where the club will face SV Hamburg or Werder Bremen, who meet in the other semi- final Wednesday.

Madrid  - Defiant Real Madrid moved up to within three points of Spanish leaders Barcelona on Tuesday, with an astonishing 3-2 comeback win over naive Getafe.

With just four minutes remaining in the Estadio Bernabeu, with the score at 2-2, Getafe veteran Francisco Casquero missed a penalty in the most absurd fashion possible.

And in the very last minute of injury time, Gonzalo Higuain punished Casquero for his stupidity by making it 3-2 with a left-foot drive.

London  - Andrei Arshavin scored four as Arsenal dre

Berlin - Juergen Klinsmann has failed in his legal action against the Berlin daily taz newspaper following a photo mock-up showing him in a crucifixion scene for its Easter edition, the newspaper revealed Tuesday.

The Bayern Munich coach took his case before a Munich court after he was shown being crucified on the cross in the paper's edition on April 11. However, the court ruled against the 44-year-old former German international.