Racing Santander players refused to play last night’s Copa del Rey clash with Real Sociedad in protest over unpaid wages.

Ireland’s Olympic team manager yesterday rejected any association or coaching arrangement between Irish Olympic race walker, Robert Heffernan, and former Olympic silver medallist, Francisco ‘Paco’ Fernandez, who is serving a ban for his involvement in a drugs scandal in Spain.

Robert Heffernan last night blasted reports that Olympic silver medallist and former world race walking champion, Paco Fernandez, was looking after the Irish race walkers at a training camp in Guadix ahead of the Olympic Games.