Newcastle United's Sam Allardyce has ruled himself out of the running to replace sacked Steve McClaren as England manager.

"I'm contracted to Newcastle United and from my point of view that contract needs to be honoured," he told Sky Sports News. "I'm not in a position like I was at my old club where the chairman openly extended the invitation for me to go for the position."

Allardyce, a contender for the England job after the departure of Sven-Goran Eriksson last year, took over at Newcastle in May after being in charge at Bolton Wanderers since October 1999.

A Russian billionaire said he would honour his pledge to give four Mercedes luxury cars to Croatia's national team after their 3-2 victory over England  helped Russia through to the Euro 2008 finals.

"What will I do now? I'll deliver on my promises and transfer those cars to the Croatian Federation," Leonid Fedun, who owns Spartak Moscow, told Reuters by telephone. "Then I assume they (the Federation) will have to get in touch with UEFA (European soccer's governing body) and find out what they can do with these cars -- donate them to the Red Cross, for example, or something else."

Argentina midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme has edged closer towards a move from Villarreal to Boca Juniors, the Primera Liga club said.

"There isn't a definitive agreement yet. There is a favourable view of it from the three parties, but it is difficult economically because there are large quantities of money involved," Villarreal director Jose Manuel Llaneza told a news conference. Riquelme has not played for the side since falling out with them last season, but despite his lack of match practice he has produced some outstanding performances for the Argentine national side.