A number of football hooligans have been arrested in Paraguay. The incidents occurred on the fringes of the 3-3 draw between Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno and Brazilian outfit Santos, who qualified for the final having won the first leg 1-0.

The hooligans are accused of public disorder and theft from shops in the suburb of San Lorenzo, just outside the capital Asuncion.

They were travelling in two buses to Brazil when police, acting on complaints from shop owners in San Lorenzo, intervened. The hooligans have been questioned and could be charged.

Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino praise the progress that Colombia have made in recent years.

"Colombia have a very good group of players and they have also taken on a very good coaching staff. That makes me think things will go very well for Colombia," Martino told Reuters in an interview.

Radamel Falcao and Freddy Guarin shone in Porto's 5-1 rout of Villarreal in Thursday's first leg of their Europa League semi-final but there are more, very good young Colombian players in Europe and Latin America, he said.

Diego Maradona is reportedly looking to become the next manager of Paraguayan giants Cerro Porteño after it was sensationally revealed by the club president Juan Jose Zepag.

Cerro Porteño have been without a coach for two weeks since Argentine Javier Torrente parted company with the Asuncion-based club after just two games of the season. Blas Cristaldo has been in interim charge since that time; but Zapag affirmed that someone with a rather higher standing in world football had also made enquiries.

Juan Iturbe has scored twice for Cerro Porteno of Paraguay. The 17-year-old, who helped Argentina's youth team finish third in the South American under-20 championship in Peru this month, came on in the second half and scored a brilliant goal in the 46th minute to put Cerro Porteno 3-1 up.

Iturbe, who has been compared with Barcelona's Lionel Messi and is also referred to as Pulguita (little flea), scored again five minutes from the end of the match in Asuncion.

Paraguayan defender Paulo Da Silva is set to leave Sunderland from Spanish club. Press Association Sport claims the Paraguay international is on his way to Spain to develop dialogue with the Primera Division side after failing to settle on Wearside.

Indeed just one Premier League start this season has been enough to convince the player he can find regular action on the continent.

It has been a difficult experience for Da Silva since his move to the Premier League from Mexican club Toluca in 2009.

Paraguayan football star Roque Santa Cruz is set to join Blackburn from Manchester city. Santa Cruz has scored only four times since joining City in July 2009 and Hughes's year-long pursuit to bring him to Eastlands, for £17.5m, now looks to have been one of the more wasteful transfers of modern times.

Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz has said that he is not interested in a loan move to Lazio. Reports claim that Lazio and City have reached an agreement for the 29-year-old striker who would arrive in Rome on a loan basis with the option to stay permanently beyond the summer.

However, Santa Cruz says he is not interested in the move as he cannot leave his family for six months. "For what I know I am not a Lazio player and I will not accept a loan deal for six months," he told Paraguayan Radio 780 AM.

England are set to arrange a friendly with Paraguay in order to win the World Cup bidding. The English bid is making a late push to sway ExCo members ahead of Thursday’s vote.

Hong Kong company, AET (Asia) Limited is the new official sponsor of the Paraguayan national team soccer. The Asian company is currently working in the area of hydrocarbons and has a keen interest in investing in Paraguayan football.

The firm's objective is to organize sporting events, in principle with the senior team, as the friendship that developed on November 17 between the Albirroja and the selection of Hong Kong, and later with the youth teams and clubs in the First Division Paraguayan Football Association (APF).

Gerardo Martino has signed a new four year contract to stay with Paraguay after doing well in the recently concluded World Cup. Last week, the Argentine agreed terms to remain in charge of the team for another year, but he has now revealed he has reached a deal on a contract to 2014.

However, both sides will be able to review their position after the Copa America next year.