In brief...

Haas: Switzerland defender Bernt Haas has joined Bastia on a six-month contract from West Brom, the French Ligue 1 club said yesterday. The 26-year-old, who played 36 games last season as West Brom won promotion to the Premier League, was put on the transfer list this month by manager Bryan Robson who said he could not guarantee the Swiss player first team football.

Titov: Spartak Moscow hosted Latvian champions Skonto Riga yesterday to mark the return of their captain Yegor Titov after his one-year ban for doping. Titov was suspended by UEFA last January after testing positive for the banned stimulant bromantan following Russia's Euro 2004 play-off first leg against Wales in Moscow in November 2003 when he was an unused substitute.

Referee resigns: A German referee suspected of betting on a German Cup match he was officiating has resigned, the German FA said. Robert Hoyzer, 25, was under investigation by the DFB for suspected betting on the result of the first round tie between SC Paderborn and Hamburg last August. The regional side surprisingly beat their Bundesliga opponents 4-2.

World Cup: Ticketless fans across Germany will be able to watch World Cup matches in public on giant screens after organisers agreed a deal with TV rights holders Infront Sports & Media. The deal gives the green light for towns and cities throughout the country to screen matches without having to pay licence fees, as long as such events are on a non-commercial basis.