London, Dec 9 : Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has dismissed suggestions that he is cracking under the strain of managing Chelsea by claiming that he feels “zero pressure” compared with his time as coach of Brazil.

Scolari led his country to victory at the 2002 World Cup, but not without enduring some difficult moments along the way, most caused by the huge expectations of a nation that he described as comprising 180 million coaches, The Times reported.

London - Tottenham Hotspur moved clear of the relegation zone in the English Premier League with a 2-0 win Monday at West Ham United.

Second-half goals from captain Ledley King and Jamie O'Hara lifted the visiting side to 15th place, three points ahead of the bottom three.

After missing two good first-half chances, Tottenham finally went ahead on 67 minutes when King headed Aaron Lennon's cross into the ground and over West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green.

After Heurelho Gomes made a superb double save to protect the lead, Spurs sealed the win when Jamie O'Hara smashed in the second goal in the dying minutes.

"I'm just pleased with the effort the lads point in," King said.

Rome - Struggling Serie A side Torino have fired coach Gianni De Biasi and called back Walter Novellino, who was still under contract with the Turin club since his dismissal in April.

Torino fired Novellino, 55, with five games left to the end of the 2007-2008 season. He began coaching in 1992 after a good career as offensive midfielder with the same Torino, AC Milan, Perugia and Catania.

Madrid  - Spanish champions Real Madrid announced on Monday evening that Mahamadou Diarra will be out of action for between six and nine months.

The Mali midfielder was operated on in Madrid on Monday morning, for a complicated break in the external cartliage of his right knee, an injury he originally sustained playing for Mali against Chad in October.

Diarra, 27, is Real's second lon-term knee injury victim, after Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

The club's other absentees at the moment are Pepe, Gabriel Heinze, Ruben de la Red and Wesley Sneijder.

London - Peter Reid moved on Tuesday to dismiss reports linking him to the vacant managerial position at Sunderland.

The Thailand manager seemed to suggest in his newspaper column that he would be keen to the club he twice led to seventh position in the Premier League.

"I said that in a certain amount of time I want go back to England," he explained to reporters in Thailand.

"But I have a contract in Thailand that I want to fulfil. I didn't say I wanted to go back to Sunderland, sometimes in England you get misquoted.

"I haven't been offered the job at Sunderland and I will not take it if I am offered it. I haven't asked for the job at Sunderland.

Sao Paulo/Bras