Bayern Munich Facts and History



Full name:

FC Bayern München AG

Nickname(s):

Der FCB (The FCB),
Die Bayern (The Bavarians),
Die Roten (The Reds),
FC Hollywood

Founded:

1900

Home stadium:

Munich

Chairman:

Franz Beckenbauer

Manager:

League:

Bundesliga

Bayern Munich Overview

FC Bayern Munich is a German Football club based in Munich. Founded in 1900, it is one of the most successful clubs in football history with 4 Champions League and 20 German Championships, to name a few! They currently play their home game at the Allianz Arena, with a capacity of 69,900.

Bayern Munich History

In 1900, some members of a Munich gymnastics club decided to form a football club. Bayern Munich won its first title in 1909, as champions of the Bavarian league. A few years later, in 1926, they won the South German Championship.

In 1932, they won the German championship by defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0. However, the advent of Hitler and World War II stopped Bayern's development. At that time, the President of the club and the coach were Jewish, and they left the country to survive.

After World War II, Bayern played in Oberliga Süd, one of five upper league conferences, until the creation of the professional league in 1963, the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, they suffered relegation in 1955, the first and only time this has happened! However, the following season, they won the German Cup (1956).

In 1966, with players such as Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier, Bayern finished third in their first season in the top flight. Moreover, they also won the German cup, qualifying for the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup: they went on to win the competition in a memorable final against Rangers, thanks to Beckenbauer who scored the only goal of the game in extra-time!

Despite wining the 1967 German Cup, but following a slow progress in the Bundesliga, a new coach was appointed: Branko Zebec. He completely changed the offensive style of the Bayern play and went on to win the first double league and Cup in Bundesliga history, using only 13 players throughout the season!

In 1970, Udo Lattek was named as new manager. In fact, Borussia Mönchengladbach, who were promoted to the Bundesliga in the same year as Bayern, emerged as serious rivals to Bayern's supremacy. They would eventually win the 1970 German Championship. Therefore, on the recommendation of Beckenbauer, Udo Lattek was appointed as new coach. In his first season, he managed to win the German Cup. Moreover, in 1971, he led Bayern to their 3rd league titles. Actually, Bayern claimed the title in the last match of the season, in a 5-1 victory against Schalke 04! It was the first match in the new Olympic and also the first live televised match in Bundesliga history! Moreover, six players from Bayern were part of the German squad that won the 1972 European Championship! Bayern would eventually win the next 2 German championships.

In 1974, they became the 1st German team to win the European Cup: in the last seconds of the game, defender Georg Schwarzenbeck scored an equalizer against Atletico Madrid. 2 days later, the first ever replay of a European Cup final saw Bayern wining the cup 4-0, with 2 goals each from Uli Hoeness and Gerd Müller! In the following season, they defended their European title in a 2-0 victory over Leeds United! In 1976, Bayern managed to reach the European Cup Final again, defeating French club AS Saint Etienne 1-0. Bayern became the third, and to date last team to win the trophy in three consecutive years! The same year, they won the Intercontinental Cup against Brazilian club Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte.

In the 1980s, Bayern renewed with domestic successes, wining the Bundesliga in 1980 and 1981. Moreover they won the 1982 German Cup. With players such as Jean-Marie Pfaff, Klaus Augenthaler and striker Dieter Hoeness, they managed to reach the 1982 European Cup Final, which they lost 1-0 against English club Aston Villa. However, the next 2 seasons were unfruitful, and the club was facing financial issues. They sold Rummenigge to Inter for a world-record fee of €5 Million, losing a superstar but restoring their finance! In 1984, they won the German Cup: it was the beginning of a new, successful era. They went on to win 5 championships in 6 seasons, including a double in 1986! However, in 1987, they finished runner-up of the European Cup, losing the final against Porto 2-1.

After their 1990 championship win, the club, Bayern went trophyless until 1994, when Beckenbauer returned to the club as head coach: after a 3 year gap, they won the 1994 Championship! Meanwhile, in the 1991-1992 season, they were almost relegated, finishing 5 points only above relegation places! Following his success, Beckenbauer was appointed as club president. However, his successors as coach did not meet expectations: he dismissed coach Ribbeck and took control of the team himself, leading them to win the 1996 UEFA Cup, beating French team Bordeaux in the final. During that campaign, Jürgen Klinsmann established a new record, scoring 15 goals in the competition.

Bayern would eventually win the 1997 German Championship and the 1998 German Cup, before Ottmar Hitzfeld was appointed as the new head coach. In his first season, he won the Bumdesliga and even reached the final of the Champions League. However, they lost 2-1 against [Manchester United, conceding 2 goals in injury time! The following season, led by goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and midfielder Stefan Effenberg, the team managed to reach the Champions League semi-finals, being eliminated by eventual winners Real Madrid (0-2, 2-1). On a national level, they won their 3rd double (league and cup)!

The 2000-2001 season was very fruitful for Bayern. They won their 3rd consecutive league title on the final day, and a few days later, they finally won the Champions League, 25 years after their last European success, defeating Valencia CF in Final. During the campaign, they took their revenge on Manchester United and Real Madrid, beating them respectively in the quarter-finals and in the semi-finals. In spite of their success, they went trophyless in the Bundesliga the following season, but they managed to win their 2nd Intercontinental Cup against Boca Junior.

In the 2002-2003 season, Bayern won their 4th double, winning the Bundesliga by a record margin. However, they were knocked out of the Champions League in the first Round Stage. In 2004, after 8 years as head coach, Hitzfeld was sacked, following poor results: they finished runner-up in the Bundesliga, and suffered a cup elimination by 2nd division Alemannia Aachen. He was replaced by Felix Magath, who led them to win a double in the 2004-2005 season.

At the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, Bayern moved from the Olympic Stadium to the new Allianz Arena: in fact, Bayern and local rivals TSV 1860 own the stadium together. And again, Bayern won the double, their 5th one. However, their European campaign ended quickly, when they lost 4-1 against AC Milan in the Round of 16.

In January 2007, following a poor start in the season, legendary coach Hitzfeld returned to Bayern: despite his best efforts, they finished 4th in the Bundesliga, lost the German Cup and didn’t qualify for the Champions League! They also lost several of their best players, including Ballack and Lizarazu. Therefore, they decided to re-arrange the team, signing new players such as Luca Toni and Frank Ribery.

Club Rivalries

As the most successful club in German Football history, Bayern has had many rivals.

On a national level, it includes Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04. Their main local rivals are TSV 1860 Munich, who was a very successful club in the 1960s, wining a cup and a championship. However, the rivalry lost importance over the last decade: actually, they are often referred to as "gymnasts" by Bayern’s fans, insinuating a lack of football honours.

On an international level, Bayern’s rivals are Real Madrid, Manchester United and AC Milan.

Stars of the Current Squad

Luca Toni is an Italian striker who started his professional career in 1994. After many years in small clubs like Modena and Brescia, Luca Toni was signed by ambitious Palermo in Serie B, in 2003. In August 2004, he made his debut in the national team as a substitute in a friendly against Iceland: it was also Marcello Lippi’s debut. Toni scored his first goal against Norway. In 2006 he won the European Golden Boot. On May 30, 2007, he signed a 4 years contract with Bayern for a €11 million transfer fee.

Miroslav Klose is a German striker. The man was born to play the World Cup. In two appearances, he scored 10 goals. He is the first in history to score 5 or more goals in consecutive WCs. The polish born player is the kind of striker Germany always can count in as his average is almost 0.5 goals per game as an international. After playing for Homburg, Kaiserslautern and Werder Bremen, he joined this season Bayern Munich for an estimated fee of €15m.

Franck "Bilal" Ribery is a French midfielder. He started his professional career in 2004 with French club FC Metz. Runner-up of the 2006 FIFA World Cup with the French National Team, he is well known for his acceleration and became in only 1 year the successor of Zidane. After 2 amazing seasons playing for Marseilles, he was transferred to Bayern Munich in 2007 for a €26 million fee, becoming in a few games one of the key players of his new team.

Oliver Kahn is a German goalkeeper who started his professional career in 1987. In 1994, he was transferred to Bayern Munich, his current club. So far, he has won 7 German titles, 5 German Cups, the 1996 UEFA Cup, and the 2001 Champions League and Confederation Cup. He also played for the German National Team, from 1994 to 2006. “The Titan” is one of the best goalkeepers in football history!

Coach: Ottmar Hitzfeld is a former striker and is currently Bayern’s manager. Actually, he first managed Bayern from 1998 to 2004 and led them to renew with Victory!! One of the most successful German coach, he was named twice Coach of the Year (1997 and 2001) and is the only manager, besides Ernst Happel, to have won the UEFA Champions League with 2 different clubs (Boussia Dotmund and Bayern Munich).

Bayern Munich Legends

Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach and a former sweeper (libero). Also known as der Kaiser ("the emperor"), he is considered as the greatest German player of all-time, and one of the best in the history of football! Named twice Ballon d’Or (European Player of the Year), he played most of his career for Bayern (1964-1977), earning 427 caps and scoring 60 goals! He won, among other honours, 3 consecutive Champions League (1974, 1975 and 1976)! He also played for West Germany, appearing 104 times and playing in 3 World Cups. He won the 1974 World Cup, lifting the trophy as captain.

Stefan Effenberg is a former German midfielder. He started his professional career in 1987 with Borussia Mönchengladbach before moving to Bayern in 1990. He left Bayern 2 years later, went to Fiorentina before moving back to his first club, Borussia Mönchengladbach, from 1994 to 1998. He then signed again with Bayern, and won the 2001 Champions League as captain. The same year, he was named UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player! On an international level, he earned 35 caps and scored 5 goals for the German National Team.

Gerd Müller is a former German striker. With a personal record of 565 appearances and 489 goals, he is one of the most prolific strikers of all-time. Also known as “Bomber der Nation” (the nation's Bomber), he was named Ballon d’Or in 1970 and German Player of the Year in 1967 and 1969. He joined Bayern Munich in 1964: his partnership with Beckenbauer and Maier led the team to win 4 German Championships, 4 German Cups, 3 consecutive Champions League and 1 Intercontinental Cup! He scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches for Bayern Munich and 78 goals in 62 German Cup games!! He also played for the German National Team, scoring 68 goals in 62 games. Moreover, he won the 1972 Euro and the1974 World Cup! In 2000, he was named World Football's Greatest Goalscorer of All Time!

Most Appearances

Rank	Player	Career Dates	# Appearances
1.

Most Goals

Rank	Player	Career Dates	# Goals
1.

Player Recognition & Awards

Gerd Müller

• German Footballer of the Year – 1967, 1969
• Ballon d’Or (France Football) – 1970

Franz Beckenbauer

• German Footballer of the Year - 1966, 1968, 1974, 1976
• Ballon d’Or (France Football) – 1972, 1976

Sepp Maier

• German Footballer of the Year - 1975, 1977, 1978

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

• German Footballer of the Year – 1980
• Ballon d’Or (France Football) – 1980, 1981

Paul Breitner

• German Footballer of the Year – 1981

Lothar Matthäus

• German Footballer of the Year – 1999

Oliver Kahn

• German Footballer of the Year – 2000, 2001

Michael Ballack

• German Footballer of the Year – 2003, 2005

Team Honours

• German Championship (20): 1931/32, 1968/69, 1971/72, 1972/73, 1973/74, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1993/94, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2005/06
• German Cup (13): 1957, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006
• League Cup (6): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007
• Intercontinental Cup (2): 1976, 2001
• UEFA Champions League (4): 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001
• European Cup Winners’ Cup: 1967
• UEFA Cup: 1996

LeagueThe 2000-2001 season was very fruitful for Bayern. They won their 3rd consecutive league title on the final day, and a few days later, they finally won the Champions League, 25 years after their last European success, defeating Valencia CF in Final. During the campaign, they took their revenge on Manchester United in the quarter-finals, wining the 2 legs 1-0 and 2-1. They then defeated Real Madrid in the semi-finals (1-0 and 2-1).

Club Management

Chairman: Franz Beckenbauer

Head Coach: Ottmar Hitzfeld

On January, 2008, it was announced that Jürgen Klinsmann would succeed Ottmar Hitzfeld as manager, signing a two year contract for 8 million per year!

Uniforms

Home: red and white striped hirt, red shorts

Away: white shirt with red trim, white shorts

Stadium

From 1925 to 1972, Bayern played their home game at the Grünwalder Stadion: actually, they were sharing the stadium with 1860 Munich. In 1972, they moved to the Olympic Stadium, which was built by the city of Munich for the 1972 Olympic Games. Eventually the stadium had a capacity of 63,000 for national matches, and 59,000 for international fixtures.

In 2002, Bayern and TSV 1860 jointly decided the construction of a new stadium, The Allianz Arena, which cost a total of €340 million! It has a capacity of 69,901 and is one of the most modern stadiums in the world. However, during the 2006 summer, 1860 Munich had to sell its shares due to a financial crisis. The inaugural game was played on May 30, 2005.

Sponsors

• Deutsche Telekom
• Audi
• Siemens
• Lufthansa Airlines
• Coca-Cola

Bayern Munich is a run like a stock company: 90% of FC Bayern München AG is owned by the club, and 10% by Adidas

Henry Wary Of Facing Arsenal

Former Gunner Thierry Henry admitted he would have mixed emotions if Barcelona drew Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

The draw takes place on Friday and Henry, who spent eight years with the Londoners, feels it would be strange to come up against his fprevious employers. "Of course it would be special to draw Arsenal. Everyone knows that. It will be a really weird feeling if we get them because of the love I have for the club and the fans," he told The Sun.

"I haven't had the chance to go back to The Emirates to watch a game since I joined Barcelona (in 2007).

"We play on Sunday quite often in Spain and with training the day before and Champions League matches as well it has not been possible to get there.

"A lot of people are still there from my time at Arsenal - not just players but people behind the scenes who make it such a great club."

He added: "I'm not saying I'd prefer to avoid them but if we get Arsenal in the draw it will be really weird."

Ibrahimovic Hungry For More Goals

Inter Milan target man Zlatan Ibrahimovic admits he is playing the best football of his career.

The Sweden international netted twice in last weekend's 2-0 win over Fiorentina, taking his tally to 17 goals for the season.

"Without question, this is my best year. But I believe I still can improve my numbers," he said.

Despite his form Ibrahimovic admitted his great disappointment at exiting the Champions League courtesy of Manchester United.

"The Champions League was my first priority this season. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way. Now we have other aims to focus on like the league title and the Coppa Italia," he added.

Inter currently enjoy a seven-point cushion at the top of the Seria A table, with 10 games remaining in the season.

Klinsmann Says Bring On Barca

Bayern Munich boss Jurgen Klinsmann welcomes the challenge of meeting Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

"This is a huge incentive for all of us, to mix it with the best team in Europe at the moment," he told his club's official website.

"That is something really special. Barcelona are a tough nut to crack. But everything is doable. That is what we believe. We don't need to hide."

General manager Uli Hoeness believes playing the second leg at home could prove decisive.

"That is a great story for our club. We always said when we play against the big boys then we want to be away first.

"And we have got that. For our fans it is a dream to have Barca in the second leg at the Allianz Arena."

The first leg will take place at the Nou Camp on 8 April, with the return in Bavaria on 14 April.

Row at Portsmouth as Gekas hits out at Hart

An interesting row has broken out at Portsmouth’s Fratton Park. Greek striker Theofanis Gekas moved to Pompey on loan from Bayer Leverkusen in January

In the club’s first two games following his move, Gekas was an unused substitute. Since then, he has not made the squad for any of the three games. It is fair to say that Gekas is pretty cross about that!

“I don’t deserve something like this, such treatment. I think my CV is worthy of respect. Through my efforts on the field in the past year, I’ve shown people what I’m capable of. I deserve more respect. I didn’t walk away from Leverkusen - a club going for the German Championship - in order to come over here, at a club fighting for survival only, and be seated in the stands. I didn’t come here just to train with the rest of the team. I don’t care if there’s a new manager, I only know Mr Hart keeps ignoring me without even giving me a single, simple, explanation. He should give me a chance first and then, if I fail, he can judge me.”

Manager Paul Hart says that it is difficult to pick Gekas, who was signed by former manager Tony Adams, as he hasn’t ever seen him play.

“I understand his frustration, but a lot of people are frustrated in life. Theo’s been unfortunate which I’ve said before. He’s been here a week and the manager that signs him leaves, so I don’t think anybody has seen him in the time that he’s there. It’s unfortunate for him but he’s got to get his head down and be ready to be called upon if and when.”

The twenty-eight year old striker is an experienced player who has scored thirteen goals in thirty-six matches for Greece. He played for various Greek clubs before moving on loan from Panathinaikos to Bochum in the German second division.

Success

He then signed for Bayer Leverkusen where he enjoyed some success scoring thirteen league goals in thirty-eight games. Despite his reasonable scoring record he was not a favourite of coach Michael Skibbe and was often left out of the team. Many of his appearances at the club came from the bench.

The omission of Gekas has baffled some Pompey fans who fail to see the logic of keeping an international striker in the stands and at a time of financial difficulty for the club, paying him to do nothing.

Reputation

Paul Hart says that he won’t play him until he has at least seen him play in a reserve game and Gekas remains insistent that his reputation justifies an opportunity in the Pompey first team.

So, in this battle of wills between manager and player who is right?

I can see the point of the fans. Why on earth should a recognised international striker who is presumably being paid handsomely not be given a chance in a team that is teetering on the brink of relegation and has only scored eleven goals in their last twelve games?

I can see the point of Paul Hart. He has Peter Crouch, David Nugent and Kanu and he hasn’t seen Gekas play. It would be one heck of a risk to use a player in those circumstances when he doesn’t have to. In the five games in which he hasn’t featured Pompey have picked up two good away draws and a home win.

I can see the point of Theofanis Gekas. He must be incredibly frustrated and he must be wondering what on earth he is doing on the South Coast of England.

Least sympathy

I guess that the argument I have least sympathy with is that of Gekas. Last season he started twenty games for Bayer and came on as a substitute nine times. This season he hadn’t started a game and had made fifteen substitute appearances for Bayer and one for Greece.

So when he talks of walking away from the title chase in Germany he was hardly a major part of it.

Surely he must be able to see that it was simply unfortunate that the man who signed him was sacked soon afterwards.

He can hardly be match fit with only sixteen substitute appearances to his name all season and he must be completely mad if he thinks this public outburst is likely to make his manager reconsider his position!

It would certainly be interesting to be a fly on the wall at the next meeting between the pair!

Premier League: Man Utd meltdown, Stoke win

A Manchester United meltdown at Craven Cottage blew the title race wide open as Fulham beat them 2-0 while Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney both saw red.

GettyImages

Sir Alex Ferguson and the Man Utd bench sit in shock after conceding a second goal against Fulham

Danny Murphy gave the Cottagers the lead from the spot after Paul Scholes had handled Bobby Zamora's header on the goalline, referee Phil Dowd showing the midfielder a red card.

Zoltan Gera then doubled Fulham's advantage late in the game with an acrobatic shot from inside the area after good work from Andy Johnson.

Manchester United's impending defeat proved too much to bear for Wayne Rooney who got a second yellow card for dissent.

Second-placed Chelsea couldn't close the gap on the league leaders though after a 1-0 reverse at White Hart Lane against Spurs.

Aaron Lennon created the goal as his early cross was met by Luka Modric, who finished crisply from the edge of the area into the bottom corner for his fourth goal of the season.

Ryan Shawcross scored a precious goal as Stoke won the battle of the basement against Middlesbrough at The Britannia.

With just six minutes left of a poor game, Rory Delap hurled a right-wing throw into the penalty area and Shawcross escaped his marker to deflect the ball into the far corner of the net.

Boro have now failed to score in seven of their last nine league matches and have not won away from home since November 9.

West Ham withstood late pressure at Ewood Park to earn a point with struggling Blackburn.

The Hammers grabbed the opener in the 35th minute when Tristan's neat pass across the box set up Noble to sweep a low shot from the right across Robinson and into the far corner of the net.

Substitute Keith Andrews had only been on the pitch for six minutes when he lashed home a right-foot shot from a tight angle to pull the scores level.

Despite late pressure from Rovers, and chances for Jason Roberts and Benni McCarthy, the game ended in stalemate.

West Brom and Bolton shared the points at The Hawthorns.

Matthew Taylor looked to have given Bolton their first away win for four months but with eight minutes remaining Danny Shittu deflected a low Robert Koren drive past Jussi Jaaskelainen for the equaliser.

Peter Crouch scored twice as Pompey came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 at Fratton Park and breathe new life into their battle for survival.

Everton took the lead after just four minutes through a Leighton Baines free kick but Crouch equalised soo after, heading home after a nod across goal from Glenn Johnson.

Crouch then slotted the match winner with 20 minutes left, rising to head home Sean Davis' corner.

Arsenal punished struggling Newcastle, winning 3-1 at St James' Park.

Obafemi Martins missed a first half penalty for Newcastle after Manuel Almunia had brought down Ryan Taylor. The Spanish 'keeper atoned for his foul by saving the spot kick.

Nicklas Bendtner gave Arsenal the lead with a header in the second half but Newcastle were level just a minute later thanks to a volley from Martins.

But after Steven Taylor had gone off the field for treatment, Abou Diaby sautered through the Toon's backline to fire the Gunners back in front.

Samir Nasri then added a third as what little confidence Newcastle had ebbed away.

Drogba cautioned over throwing coin at Burnley fans

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has received a caution for allegedly throwing a coin at Burnley fans during a match in November, it emerged on Saturday.
Click here

The 30-year-old star went to a London police station on Friday and was cautioned for common assault.

He was said to have thrown the coin after he was on the receiving end of at least one missile during the Carling Cup fourth round tie at Stamford Bridge.

The incident took place when Drogba scored his first goal of the season after 27 minutes of the game.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "On December 2, police interviewed a 30-year-old man under caution, by prior arrangement, in connection with an incident at the Chelsea v Burnley match at Stamford Bridge on November 12.

"He did not attend the police station and was not arrested.

"The matter was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for their consideration, and on their advice the man attended a central London police station yesterday and was cautioned for common assault.''

Burnley won the match on penalties.

Bundesliga: Hertha crash to Stuttgart reverseBundesliga: Hertha crash to Stuttgart reverse

Champions Bayern Munich beat Karlsruhe 1-0 on Saturday to move within a point of Bundesliga leaders Hertha Berlin who lost 2-0 against VfB Stuttgart.
Click here

Bayern, with midfielder Franck Ribery back in action after a two-week injury break, needed a single goal by Jose Sosa from close range to remain in the title hunt with 48 points as Hertha's four-point lead evaporated in five second-half minutes.

Wolfsburg joined Bayern on 48 points with their seventh win in a row, a convincing 3-0 victory against hosts Arminia Bielefeld.

Striker Grafite took his season's goal tally to 18 when he netted Wolfsburg's second.

Newcomers Hoffenheim failed to win for a seventh straight match, needing a late goal from Wellington to draw 2-2 against lowly Hanover. Hoffenheim are fifth on 44 points.

Bayern were the livelier side from the start against Karlsruhe with an eager Ribery wreaking havoc on the left side.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mark van Bommel came close to converting his crosses early on but it was Jose Sosa who scored with a close-range effort after a Ribery solo run and smooth pass into the Argentine's path.

Bayern, rarely threatened in defence, came close again through Martin Demichelis in the 65th minute but Karlsruhe keeper Markus Miller pushed his header on to the crossbar.

But their complacency was almost punished when the visitors, bottom of the league, came close to an equaliser a minute later with Antonio da Silva's 30-metre free kick pushed to the post by Bayern keeper Michael Rensing.

"The most important thing is we got the three points," Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann said, adding they should have sealed the win in the first half.

"We were too hectic in the second half and not calm enough."

Hertha found no solution to Stuttgart's attacking play.

As usual, Lucien Favre's team conceded the midfield early on to Stuttgart, lurking for their trademark quick counter attacks.

Stuttgart were the more dangerous side with Timo Gebhart and Mario Gomez coming close twice.

While they probably deserved a goal in the first half, they got it only two minutes after the restart when Mario Gomez headed on a deep cross from keeper Jens Lehmann into the path of Cacau who fired home from 10 metres.

Five minutes later, they were up 2-0 when midfielder Sami Khedira headed home a free kick cross from Thomas Hitzlsperger.

Hertha pushed forward and had a few good chances through Andriy Voronin and Pal Dardai but their nervous attacks came too late, as Stuttgart move to 42 points and back in contention for a UEFA Cup spot.

"We can play badly once and as a coach you have to accept it," Favre said. "Stuttgart were far better."

Hamburg SV, in fourth on 45, play Schalke 04 on Sunday

UEFA Cup holders Zenit knocked out by Udinese

UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg were knocked out of the competition at the last-16 stage by Udinese on Thursday.
Click here

Zenit, 2-0 down from the first leg in Italy, could only win the return match 1-0 at the Petrovsky stadium to bow out 2-1 on aggregate.

Former winners CSKA Moscow were also eliminated by Shakhtar Donetsk after the Ukraine side won 2-0 at home to overturn a 1-0 defeat in the Russian capital.

Ukraine will have two sides in the quarter-finals after Dynamo Kiev ousted compatriots Metalist Kharkiv on away goals after the tie ended 3-3 on aggregate.

The three remaining last-16 second-leg ties take place later on Thursday.

The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be held in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.

Sir Alex writes off hopes of success on five fronts

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he does not believe Manchester United will pick up five trophies this season.

GettyImages

Sir Alex Ferguson: Tough road ahead

The Red Devils are still fighting for the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup after winning the Carling Cup an the Club World Cup.

The boss feels winning the lot is too much to expect, claming that lady luck will not shine down on Old Trafford for the dream to become a reality.

The veteran coach may feel a five star haul is beyond his current crop, but he is still firmly of the option that this squad is the best he has assembled in an Old Trafford career which will soon move into its fourth decade.

Ferguson told the New Statesman: "The thing about cup football is you need to be the best but you also need a lot of luck and I think it's asking too much for all the games to go your way.

"The one thing I will say is, this squad is the best I have ever had. Every game we play, I feel confident.

"At the moment, every attack fears our defence and every defence fears our midfield and attack. That gives you confidence but it is too tough a call.''

Spurs plan ground funding after record profits

Tottenham will be exploring various avenues to finance their new stadium, financial figures have revealed.
Click here

Spurs announced record pre-tax profits of £39.8m in their interim results for the final six months of last year and also explained decisions remain to be made on how to finance the Northumberland Development Project, their proposals for a new ground on the site of White Hart Lane.

"As we continue to assess the contributions to the scheme we obtain more clarity on the funding gap which will have to be financed,'' Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said in a statement.

Naming rights for the new stadium is one source of revenue, as is the possibility of issuing more shares.

Spurs' results showed an increase in revenue, record profit from operations and total assets that value the club close to £300m.

Selling Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane in the summer accounted for the dramatic increase in profits, although the figures are expected to be balanced out with the next results as Spurs bought back Keane in January and also signed Jermain Defoe, Wilson Palacios and Pascal Chimbonda.

Defoe and Chimbonda, like Keane, had left Spurs less than a year before rejoining.

"It reflects well on the club that these players chose to return to us,'' Levy said. "During the 2008 summer transfer window, gains were made on the sales of a large number of registrations.

"However it needs to be noted that the club did not make the player trading profits in a manner that was planned or welcomed as they arose, in the main, from the regrettable sale of certain key players.''

Spurs will start preliminary work in April for their new training centre in Enfield and the full planning application for the Northumberland Development Project is due in "the next few months''.

Levy added: "We have benefited from having a robust business that is well financed and has continued to be able to support investment in the first team, whilst progressing two major capital expenditure projects - the new training centre and the Northumberland Development Project.

"We remain mindful of the prevailing economic climate from which no-one can consider themselves immune.''

Guus could be back at the Bridge in November

Guus Hiddink could return to Chelsea in November if Russia fail to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.
Click here

The Dutch coach has won six of his seven games since taking charge of the Chelsea squad last month.

Hiddink agreed to replaced sacked Luiz Felipe Scolari until the summer after the Russian Football Union allowed him to combine both roles.

Several members of the Chelsea squad have since urged the Dutchman to extend his stay but so far the 62-year-old has remained steadfast in his desire to resume his full-time duties with Russia at the end of the English season.

However, Hiddink admits there is a clause in his agreement with Russia that he could leave if he fails to lead the nation to the 2010 finals in South Africa.

"I will focus on Russia after this project but people say, 'Think about it, stay','' said Hiddink. "I enjoy it with the Russians but I do have a clause that says we can stop in November if Russia don't qualify.

"Then, the Russian FA can choose another direction and I would also be free to go.''

Hiddink's Russia are currently second in World Cup qualifying Group Four having lost one of their three games.

They lie four points behind leaders Germany with a game in hand and face the group's whipping boys Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein at the end of this month.

Meanwhile, Hiddink has been given a boost ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

Ivorian striker Didier Drogba returned to training after collecting a knock on his knee in the 1-0 win over Manchester City last Sunday.

Drogba's form and availability have suffered during the last 12 months because of problems with his knee and he is relieved that the latest knock is nothing serious.

"The last 12 months were really bad because I had different emotions,'' admitted Drogba. "I had hard times with the knee injury and then came back and got another injury.

"When you are injured for long periods it is difficult sometimes to come back to your level in a few weeks. It takes time but I just needed to play and that wasn't the case - but that is football.

"I think I am in good form at the moment. Back to my best? I don't think so but maybe not far. I really feel good and I really enjoy being on the pitch and playing.

"When you are out for a while and this is what you do best, it is difficult to be out. Now every moment I spend on the pitch, I try to enjoy and to give everything because I know maybe tomorrow I can get an injury and be out again for a while.''

Drogba's return from injury earlier in the season was further complicated by suspension and a personality clash with former boss Scolari.

It culminated in a dreadful performance against Manchester United in January that prompted Scolari to axe the Ivory Coast international from the squad.

But Drogba is keen to point out that his poor form was down to a lack of match fitness and not a sign that he was fed-up with life at Stamford Bridge.

"Nobody can complain about my commitment,'' added Drogba. "Players are different, it is like the five fingers on the hand - all different but they shine in different ways.

"I don't have any problem for another player to be more popular than me. I am not looking for this. I just try to have a great life, enjoy what I am doing and make people around me happy.''

Drogba has rediscovered his goal touch under Hiddink but his own upturn in fortunes has been matched by the rejuvenated spirit within the dressing room.

"Team spirit has always been good but when you lose it is difficult for people to get a smile on their face,'' said Drogba. "When you win it makes things easier and everybody is more relaxed and comfortable.''

Walcott and Lennon named in Under-21 squad

Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon have been named in the England Under-21 squad for the friendlies against Norway and France in the next international break.
Click here

Arsenal winger Walcott, who is established in Fabio Capello's senior squad, has only just recovered from a shoulder injury picked up with the full team in November.

The 20-year-old could still be called up for senior duty, which is what happened to James Milner for the recent Spain trip after initially being named in Stuart Pearce's squad.

Capello's seniors have a friendly against Slovakia on Saturday, March 28 and a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine the following Wednesday, with Pearce's youngsters playing the day before each game.

Milner is also in Pearce's squad, who travel to face Norway in Sandefjord before playing France at Nottingham Forest's City Ground.

Joe Hart, Michael Mancienne, Micah Richards and David Wheater are also included along with Lennon, who has been in impressive form for Tottenham and had been tipped for a senior call-up.

Everton youngster Jack Rodwell is also selected.

"We wanted to take on a Scandinavian side as we've got Finland in the European Championships so Norway was a good option,'' Pearce said.

"On top of that we wanted another 'A-line' nation that hadn't reached the finals and they don't come much better than France, so it's a fantastic game for us.

"The two games will give us a full 10 days to work together. We can work on various things, both in the games and on the training pitch.

"It's not often you get the chance to have that length of time with the players and it'll be a vital period to prepare for the summer.''

Wigan not planning legal action over Tevez

Wigan Athletic have rejected suggestions they are to pursue legal action against West Ham United to recover Premier League prize money they may have missed out on, in light of the Carlos Tevez affair.
Click here

West Ham agreed to pay Sheffield United £25m this week in an out-of-court settlement to apparently end the saga over the eligibility of Tevez, who helped the Hammers stay up in 2007 at the Blades' expense.

Since the ruling, a number of ex-Blades players have said they are considering legal action in order to recover the costs of lost bonuses or wage reductions they believe they would have been entitled to had their club stayed up.

There are also claims clubs such as Wigan and Fulham - who ultimately finished the season below West Ham - may sue in order to recover the additional money they would have gained for finishing higher.

But in a statement on Thursday, Wigan said: ''We have not sought any further legal advice and will not be pursuing the matter any further.

''Reports that the club are seeking compensation for false league position payments are totally incorrect.

''As far as Wigan Athletic Football Club is concerned, the matter is being dealt with by the appropriate authorities - and the club does not wish to comment further.''

Meanwhile, former Blades player Michael Tonge has admitted that he is considering a bid for compensation over the Tevez saga.

The 25-year-old Stoke City midfielder told Sky Sports: ''I'm just waiting to see what comes of it. I'm not taking it upon myself to make a claim, but might consider joining one.''

The Hammers wanted to draw a line under the Tevez affair after their agreement with United was made, hoping to prevent what they described as ''legal anarchy''.

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola has left the matter with club officials and wants to concentrate on their Premier League campaign.

He said: ''I hope it is the end of the matter. I hope from now on we can be left in peace and plan our future,'' Zola said.

''Since I have been here, we have been talking about this. And now it is settled, we are still talking about it. I wish we could get on with it and focus on our future because this club needs to plan its

Vieira left out of France squad for qualifiers

Patrick Vieira has been left out of the France squad for their next two World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania, coach Raymond Domenech said on Thursday.
Click here

"I was frank with him. He knows he is not at his best and that his level is not high enough to allow him to play for France," Domenech told reporters.

"That is why Patrick is not available for now - I insist for now - and I regret that," he added.

One new face in the squad is Toulouse's Ligue 1 top scorer Andre-Pierre Gignac who was called up for the first time. The 23-year-old striker has scored 17 goals in Ligue 1 this season.

France visit Lithuania on March 28 before hosting the Baltic team four days later. Les Bleus are third in Group Seven with four points from three games.

The 32-year-old Vieira, who has 106 caps, has played in just one of the last 14 France games due to injuries.

The midfielder was not in the Inter Milan squad for Sunday's Serie A win over Fiorentina, having been substituted at halftime in their 2-0 defeat by Manchester United in the Champions League four days previously after being involved in both goals.

"He plays at a club where there is stiff competition between midfielders, where he struggles to get his position back," said Domenech.

However, the France coach left the door open to a future recall by saying: "He plays an important role for France. He is our captain. As soon as Patrick is back at his best, he will be with us again."

Domenech said he would not call on Vieira this time even if a player got injured before France visit Lithuania on March 28 but would rather bring in AC Milan's Mathieu Flamini.

Goalkeepers: Cedric Carrasso (Toulouse), Hugo Lloris (Olympique Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille).

Defenders: Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Rod Fanni (Stade Rennes), William Gallas (Arsenal), Philippe Mexes (AS Roma), Adil Rami (Lille), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla).

Midfielders: Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Alou Diarra (Girondins Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Yoann Gourcuff (Girondins Bordeaux), Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Jeremy Toulalan (Olympique Lyon).

Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Karim Benzema (Olympique Lyon), Jimmy Briand (Stade Rennes), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich).

Podolski earns recall into Germany squad

Germany coach Joachim Low has recalled Lukas Podolski, Arne Friedrich, Marcell Jansen and Robert Enke for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Wales.
Click here

Podolski, who was a star for Germany at Euro 2008, returns to the international set-up after missing last month's against Norway due to injury.

Low is delighted to see Podolski back in form again.

"It is very pleasing to see Lukas playing a big role again at FC Bayern,'' he said.

"Independent of that, we would have invited him for both these international games anyway because we have always said that Lukas is a valuable striker for us when he is in a full training routine.

"We have a lot of faith in him.''

Podolski should lead the Germany attack against Liechtenstein in Leipzig on Saturday March 28 and in Cardiff against Wales four days later in the absence of his injured club colleague Miroslav Klose.

Klose is out for six weeks after picking up an ankle injury in Bayern's 3-0 win over Bochum last weekend.

The Germany squad will meet in Leipzig next Monday to begin preparations.

After facing Liechtenstein in front of a sell-out crowd at Leipzig's Zentralstadion, they travel to Cardiff, where they face Wales on April 1.

Germany squad: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Enke (Hannover), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen); Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Serdar Tasci (Stuttgart), Heiko Westermann (Schalke), Marcel Schafer (Wolfsburg), Andreas Hinkel (Celtic), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Andreas Beck (Hoffenheim); Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Stuttgart), Marko Marin (Borussia Monchengladbach); Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich), Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Patrick Helmes (Bayer Leverkusen), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen).

Real will push us all the way, says Gudjohnsen

Barcelona's superb attacking displays have won high praise this season but striker Eidur Gudjohnsen said the team were well aware that playing the most attractive game does not always guarantee success.
Click here

The Primera Liga leaders have had their advantage over Real Madrid halved to six points since mid-February and Gudjohnsen said coach Pep Guardiola and his side were fully expecting to be pushed all the way by the champions.

"To win titles you have to suffer right down to the wire," the Iceland international said on Barca's website. "There are people who think we are playing better than Real but the team who play the best football do not always win."

With 11 matches left, Barca have 66 points ahead of their home match against sixth-placed Malaga on Sunday (1800 GMT).

Real play Almeria earlier at the Bernabeu (1600) having won 11 and drawn one of their last 12 league matches since losing to Barca at the Nou Camp in December.

Captain Raul acknowledged that Real were relying on their arch rivals slipping up but insisted there was still a decent chance for the club to claim a third successive title.

"If Barcelona continue to play at their current level all we'll have left to do at the end of the season is congratulate them," the striker said on the club's website.

"But they have to come and play here (at the Bernabeu) and if they wobble before then we will be a little bit closer."

Struggling Valencia have been energetically celebrating the club's 90th birthday this week but are looking for a first league win since the start of February when they play at in-form Racing Santander on Sunday (1600).

Unai Emery's side have slipped out of the European qualification places into eighth and their problems on the pitch have been compounded by financial woes that have halted some payments to players and work on a new stadium.

Midfielder Ruben Baraja urged his colleagues to give their all for the rest of the season to help the club end its poor run and achieve the goal of qualifying for a lucrative spot in next season's Champions League.

"The most important thing is to forget everything that's going on around the team and focus on work and the matches that remain," he said on the club's website (www.valenciacf.com).

In Saturday's two matches, third-placed Sevilla are looking to cut the nine-point gap on Real when they host Real Valladolid (2100) and Villarreal, six points behind the Andalusians in fourth, entertain Athletic Bilbao.

Messi keen to spend whole career at Barca

Lionel Messi wants to stay at Barcelona for the rest of his career, the Argentina forward said on Thursday.
Click here

''I have said many times that if it were up to me I would stay my whole life at Barca,'' he said at a book presentation in the Catalan capital.

''There are some things money cannot buy such as happiness and how good I feel here,'' added the 21-year-old while replying to a question about whether he would consider signing for arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Messi, who joined Barca when he was 13, has been in sparkling form this season.

He has scored 18 goals in 24 league matches and netted six times in the Champions League and five times in the King's Cup.

Messi was second behind Manchester United and Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo in the FIFA World Player of the Year award in January.

Benitez signs new Liverpool deal

Rafael Benitez has signed a new five-year contract at Liverpool, ending a 17-month power struggle with the club's board.

GettyImages

Rafa Benitez: Celebrated beating Real Madrid and Manchexster United with new contract.

The future of the former Valencia boss, who led Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2005, had been in doubt since he revealed in January that he had rejected the club's first offer of a new contract.

Reports suggested that control over the Reds' transfer activity proved to be the sticking point for Benitez but the Merseyside club announced on Thursday evening that a new deal had been agreed that should keep him at Anfield until June 2014.

"My heart is with Liverpool Football Club, so I'm delighted to sign this new deal," Benitez said. "I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club like this and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying.

"I always made clear I wanted to be here for a long time and when I complete my new contract it will mean I have spent over a decade in Liverpool."

Benitez took over in 2004 and despite failing to end their wait for the top-flight title stretching back to 1990 he has re-established Liverpool as a European powerhouse, adding a final appearence in 2007 to the triumph two years earlier.

The 48-year-old said: "The club is greatly respected around the world due to its incredible history and tremendous heritage. It is my aim to uphold those values and help create a new chapter in our history.

"Throughout this process, I would like to thank the owners for their hard work in finalising the deal. All of us at the club want the same thing, which is to be successful by winning major trophies."

Last week Liverpool reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 5-0 aggregate rout of Real Madrid and on Saturday, Benitez's men thrashed Premier League leaders Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford.

"It is wonderful news Rafa has made a long-term commitment to the club," American co-owner Tom Hicks said. "Since he became manager he has been responsible for the great progress we have made.

"I know he will continue to build on his achievements as he has a tremendous hunger and desire to bring more success to the club, success our fans and everyone connected with the club deserves."

As well as winning the Champions League, Benitez also lifted the FA Cup with Liverpool in 2006.

Co-Chairman George Gillett added: "With Rafa continuing to manage the team, we can look forward to more great football and success on the pitch. He has special abilities and qualities which are admired here at the club and around the world.

"Coming after our excellent wins over Real Madrid and Manchester United, this gives us great momentum going into the final stages of the season."

Emirates Stadium

Stadium: General Queries

Opening Times
Club and Box level opens two and a half hours before kick off and the lower and upper levels open two hours before kick off. This is our aim but due to a number of reasons we cannot always achieve this.

Text Service
On match days we offer a text service for supporters to quietly report problems within their area. The categories which can be reported are foul language, racist language, homophobic language, standing and ticket touting. Full details can be found in the match day programme.

Cash Machines
There are no cash machines inside Emirates Stadium. There is a Barclays Bank cash point situated on Drayton Park next to the Arsenal Box Office.

Food and Drink
Food within reason is allowed into the Stadium. Soft drinks in small plastic bottles and flasks are also allowed. Aluminium cans and alcohol are NOT allowed into the Stadium.

Water
Tap water is freely available from the concessions . Please queue in the normal way and on request you will be given a plastic cup of water.

Buggies
Buggies are allowed into the Stadium. On arrival at the turnstile please contact the nearest steward and they will arrange to store the buggy in one of the kiosks.

Babies/Children
We do not recommend that babies or young children come to Emirates Stadium as a crowded environment is not in our opinion the best place for them. However if you do decide to bring a baby or young child with you they will need a ticket. Whilst we appreciate they would sit on a lap there needs to be a physical space for them in the Stadium. They must also be able to sit unaided in a tip up seat.

Flags
National flags are not allowed into the Stadium. Flags can be no bigger than 1metre square and they must not be attached to a thick pole, the pole can be no thicker than a pencil.

Lifts access
There are eight lifts in Emirates Stadium, two in each quadrant. The lifts are only to be used by people with mobility problems. On arrival to the Stadium please speak to one of the stewards who will help you with this.

Crutches
Crutches are allowed into the Stadium, they should be placed safely underneath your seat. However, if your leg is in plaster cast and you are unable to bend it unfortunately you will not be able to sit in your seat as you can cause an obstruction.

Cameras/Video cameras
Cameras and video cameras are allowed to be brought into the Stadium but due to copyright laws they can not be used when players are on the pitch. This also includes the players warm up session.

Suitcases/ Luggage storage
Small suitcases and holdalls are allowed into Stadium as long as they can fit underneath your seat without causing an obstruction to the walkway. Unfortunately there is nowhere within the Stadium to store large suitcases, this is due to security reasons. All bags are searched upon entry to the Stadium.

Perfume/ Aerosols
Aerosol sprays are NOT allowed into the Stadium, they will be confiscated upon entry. Air horns attached to aerosol cans are also NOT allowed. Perfumes can be brought into the Stadium however they will be temporarily confiscated by the steward who can store it for you and return it at the end of the match.

Lost Property
If you lose any personal items at Emirates Stadium on a matchday please contact the Stadium Management department on 020 7704 4030 or stadium@arsenal.co.uk Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

Cycle Parking
Arsenal have a cycle parking facility, it is next to the All Arsenal Shop on Drayton Park. It holds up to 150 bicycles. Please speak to the security guard at Highbury House reception who will be able to assist you with this.

Road closures
On a matchday a number of local roads around the perimeter of the Stadium are closed 2 hours before kick off. The roads remain closed throughout the match and do not reopen until approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour after the final whistle depending on activities outside the Stadium. If you require any advice with regards to drop off and pick up points please contact the Stadium Management department on 020 7704 4030 or stadium@arsenal.co.uk Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm

Manchester United confirm fixture switch

Manchester United will face a fixture pile-up as the Premier League title race reaches its conclusion after it was confirmed their encounter with Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium will be moved to Wednesday, May 13.

GettyImages

Sir Alex Ferguson: Fixture congestion

The league match was scheduled for the weekend of April 18 but was postponed because United must now tackle Everton in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley the following day.

United will now play Manchester City at Old Trafford, Wigan away and Arsenal at home in what could be a pivotal seven-day spell as the Premeir League champions atempt to defend their title.

In addition, if the European champions reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, it will result in five games in fourteen vital days.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has already railed against the match schedule this season and refused to talk to Sky Sports after his team's 4-1 thrashing by Liverpool because he was furious at having to kick-off at 12.45pm on a Saturday following a Wednesday night Champions League tie against Inter Milan.

Mourinho plots £100m Premier League transfer raid

Didier Drogba and Nemanja Vidic top Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho's wish list after reportedly being given the go ahead to launch a £100m summer transfer raid on Premier League clubs.

GettyImages

Jose Mourinho: £100m transfer kitty?

The Daily Mirror reports that Mourinho has persuaded Inter president Massimo Moratti that in order to stand a chance of winning the Champions League next season Inter must invest heavily in their playing squad.

Although Inter are top of Serie A and closing in on a fourth consecutive Scudetto win they club have failed to transfer their recent domestic dominance to the Champions League.

Inter have failed to make it past the Round of 16 for the last three seasons, being eliminated this term by Manchester United, by Liverpool last season and by Valencia during the 2006-07 campaign.

In order to compete in the Champions League it is claimed that the Portuguese manager has earmarked six key players that he will attempt to lure to the San Siro this summer.

On the list are the Chelsea trio of striker Drogba, midfielder John Obi Mikel and defender Ricardo Carvalho, with Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby, Tottenham Hotspur's Jermaine Jenas and Manchester United centre-half Vidic completing the list.

An Inter source told The Mirror: "Jose has made the case that the club cannot hope to fight against the English teams with the squad he was left with by Roberto Mancini. It seems Moratti will give him the chance to get the players he feels he needs."

Of Mourinho's targets only 30-year-old Carvalho and 31-year-old Drogba are likely to be relinquished by their current clubs, and even then it would take significant bids to tempt Chelsea to sell two of their important, albeit ageing, squad players.

It is understood that Spurs rejected an approach for Jenas from Inter during the January transfer window, and earlier this month Vidic's agent rubbished claims that his player would be leaving Old Trafford this summer.

The £25m-rated Serbian was linked with Inter's city rivals AC Milan, but his role in Manchester United's record 14 clean sheets this season make him a vital part of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad.

Similarly Diaby and Mikel are integral parts of the Arsenal and Chelsea's respective squads.

Real Madrid to launch £10m bid for Beckham?

David Beckham could be subject to a remarkable summer transfer bid from Real Madrid, but only if Florentino Perez becomes the club's next president.

DenisDoyle/GettyImages

David Beckham: Wanted back in Madrid?

The Sun claims that in order to bring the England international back to the Bernabeu, Madrid would offer Los Angeles Galaxy £10m for Beckham, who turns 34 this May.

Perez, who was the man in charge at Real Madrid when Beckham was lured to the club from Manchester United in 2003 in a £24m deal, has emerged as the favourite to win this summer's presidential elections, although has yet to officially declare that he will stand. The newspaper claims a top Madrid source said: ''Florentino will try to bring Becks back if he decides to run for the presidency. It would be silly to deny it.'' With Beckham having battled long and hard to remain on loan with AC Milan until the end of the season it is unlikely that he would be tempted by Madrid's possible offer. Likewise it is doubtful that the LA Galaxy or Major League Soccer would be interested in any approach from the Spanish giants; while they have lost Beckham to Europe in the short-term the player insists his long-term ambitions remain firmly tied to developing the game in the US. While Real Madrid presidential campaigns are renowned for prominently featuring the names of high profile transfer targets, it is more likely that the man who inherited Beckham's No.7 shirt at Manchester United will be the key pawn in the forthcoming election. Former Real president Ramon Calderon has already insisted that a deal is already in place for Cristiano Ronaldo to join.

Hughes: Jo has a future back at Man City

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes expects Brazilian striker Jo to return a better player once his loan deal with Everton expires at the end of the season.

JamieMcDonald/GettyImages

Jo is on loan at Everton.

Signed for £17million from CSKA Moscow last summer, the 21-year-old failed to make any impression in his first few months at Eastlands.

Hughes agreed a loan deal with Everton in January, which was expected to mark the end of the South American's time at City.

However, a run of three goals in five games for the Toffees has confirmed the ability that was seen in the forward when he was lured to City in a transfer Hughes rubber-stamped but had no part in setting up.

Faced with the arrival of Craig Bellamy from West Ham, and the return to fitness of Valeri Bojinov and Daniel Sturridge, Hughes felt it was better for Jo to learn his trade elsewhere in the Premier League.

And while he would have preferred it not to be at Goodison Park, a rival at the top end of the table, Jo's current form only emphasises Hughes' belief he can figure in his future plans.

"The reason I allowed him to go was that I felt he wasn't going to get a chance to play here this season," said Hughes.

"What the lad needs is Premier League football. I expect him to get better and develop in terms of what is required to play in the Premier League.

"It is much more physical and intense than he is used to and I think that probably took him aback. He struggled to cope with it.

"Most attack-minded players find it hard to come to the Premier League and hit the ground running. Andrey Arshavin is the same at Arsenal.

"The Premier League is just so much more intense than anywhere else."

St Etienne 2 - 2 Werder Bremen

Werder Bremen became the first club to book their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, after a 2-2 draw at St Etienne completed a 3-2 aggregate win.

The Bundesliga side's passage to the last eight never appeared in any doubt, after Sebastian Prodl headed them in front in the sixth minute.

Claudio Pizarro added a second in the 28th minute.

But Yohan Benalouane scored what appeared to be a 64th-minute consolation for the home side, and Sebastian Grax then grabbed a last-minute equaliser to earn St Etienne some respect despite their elimination.

St Etienne coach Alain Perrin made numerous changes, giving many of his younger squad players the chance to shine against opponents who arrived at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard with a practically first-choice line-up.

Prodl had the visitors in front when he rose to head Torsten Frings' corner powerfully past Jeremie Janot from close range.

Bremen doubled their lead with another close-range header, this time from Pizarro after Mesut Ozil swung the ball in dangerously from the left wing to allow the Peruvian striker to beat Janot low to his left.

The home fans showed their disapproval by turning their backs to the pitch; yet all, it seemed, they risked missing was another Bremen goal.

That nearly came in the 35th minute when Janot left his post, only for Markus Rosenberg to fail to take advantage with a cross which was not accurate enough to reach Pizarro in front of an open goal.

The home side reduced the arrears through Benalouane.

Cedric Varrault's cross found his fellow defender unmarked at the far post for a simple header, after Bremen failed to clear their lines on three occasions.

Bremen's coveted midfielder Diego had a shot cleared off the line by Moustapha Bayal Sall as Bremen went close to a third - before Bafetimbi Gomis and David Sauget sent efforts just wide of the target as Les Verts searched for an equaliser.

They got one in the second minute of stoppage time through Grax, who beat Wiese with a low shot into the far corner after being put through by Dimitri Payet.

FA wait on report on Cesc 'spitting' row

The FA await the referee's report and any possible formal complaint from the Tigers' coaching staff after allegations of spitting by Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas overshadowed Tuesday's FA Cup tie with Hull City.

NigelFrench/Empics

Francesc Fabregas on the pitch after the game

Hull boss Phil Brown said he witnessed Fabregas spitting at assistant manager Brian Horton in the tunnel after his side were controversially beaten 2-1 in their quarter-final tie with a late goal from William Gallas.

Horton was thought to be considering making an official complaint to the FA, who are also waiting to see whether referee Mike Riley has mentioned anything in his report.

Even though Fabregas, who is on the verge of a comeback from three months out with a knee injury, was not in the Arsenal playing squad, the FA still maintain disciplinary jurisdiction.

However, because the alleged incident was not an on-field matter, it would not fall under the 'fast-track' system and so any investigation would seek submissions from all parties involved, as well as any potential television evidence.

Fabregas has released a statement denying the allegations.

"I categorically deny that I spat at anybody after the match," he said. I have never done this in my whole career on the pitch, so why would I do it when I am not even playing?

"I can understand the frustration of losing a game to a dubious goal, that has happened to me many times in my career as well.

"But this is not the fault of me or any of the Arsenal players."

Aside from the post-match row, Brown was upset about Gunners boss Arsene Wenger attempting to get Hull players booked for time-wasting.

The visitors - who took the lead through Nick Barmby in the 13th minute before Robin van Persie levelled in the second half - were cruelly denied a replay when Gallas headed in an equaliser, despite looking offside.

Brown felt Riley "succumbed to local pressure" in the second half after his players were jeered by the crowd.

"Mr Wenger decides to join in and the result is my goalkeeper getting booked in the second half," he said.

Wenger, though, was upset with Brown for talking about incidents in the tunnel.

"It is very disappointing for him to do that. I will just stick to what I said now - I won't talk about this in public," he said.

History of Arsenal FC - The "Invincibles" and a Champions League Final (2003–)

Little did they know it at the time, but the defeat to Leeds would be Arsenal's last in the League for over a year. 2003-04 was a record-breaking season for Arsenal, as they won the Premiership unbeaten (26 wins, 12 draws, 0 defeats), finishing a clear 11 points ahead of second-place Chelsea. They became only the second team to do so, the first having been Preston North End in 1888-89. Their rivals for the title gained revenge in other competitions – Arsenal were defeated in the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals by Chelsea and Manchester United, respectively, in successive matches. Faced with the potential collapse of their season, Arsenal recovered from being 1-0 and 2-1 behind to Liverpool in their next league match to win 4-2, thanks to a Thierry Henry hat-trick, and went on to win the league with a 2-2 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur, mimicking their success in 1971.

Arsenal were unable to retain the title in 2004-05, finishing second, 12 points behind a record-breaking Chelsea side. However, the Gunners did stretch their unbeaten run to 49 consecutive matches, an English league football record; the record was equalled with a dramatic 5-3 win over Middlesbrough (Arsenal having trailed 3-1 shortly after half-time) and then surpassed with a 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers, before it was ended with a 2-0 away defeat by Manchester United. This defeat arguably upset the team's form and they fell away from title contention before recovering with a late flourish to finish second, sealed with a 7-0 drubbing of Everton. Champions League glory eluded them again, with the club getting knocked out 3-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich in the second round. Arsenal did not end the season empty-handed; they came away with their third FA Cup in four years, winning 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw against Manchester United.

Weakened by the sale of skipper Patrick Vieira to Juventus in the summer of 2005, Arsenal's 2005-06 season was comparatively disappointing domestically and the club failed to challenge for any trophies at home. In the league, their poor away form dogged them and despite recording some impressive wins at home (5-0 over Aston Villa, and 7-0 over Middlesbrough), Arsenal spent much of the latter stages of the season in fifth place or lower, and looked set to miss out on the Champions League for the first time since 1997. However, they won their last three matches of the season, culminating in a 4-2 victory over Wigan Athletic in the last ever match at Highbury; coupled with Tottenham Hotspur's loss at West Ham United the same day, this meant Arsenal pipped Spurs to fourth place and a Champions League spot.

In contrast to their domestic form, Arsenal's form in Europe in 2005-06 was much stronger; they reached the UEFA Champions League final for the first time in their history, becoming the first London club ever to do so. Arsenal finished top of their group unbeaten, above Ajax Amsterdam, FC Thun and Sparta Prague; in the knockout stages they beat Real Madrid (becoming the first British team to beat Real at the Bernabéu), Juventus and then Villarreal to reach the final, setting a competition record of ten matches without conceding a goal in the process. In the final, against Barcelona, Arsenal were reduced to ten men early on when goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off for a professional foul; nevertheless they were the ones who scored first, Sol Campbell scoring with a header from a free kick in the 37th minute. Arsenal doggedly defended their lead, but two late goals from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti meant Barcelona ran out 2-1 winners.

History of Arsenal FC - Two more Doubles (1996–2003)

The team immediately improved under Wenger's management, coming third and winning a UEFA Cup place in 1996-97, missing out on second (and a Champions League spot) on goal difference. Wenger rebuilt the Arsenal squad with a crop of French players who were seemingly unknown in the UK. Patrick Vieira had been signed on Wenger's recommendation before he had officially taken up the reins, and Wenger added Nicolas Anelka and Emmanuel Petit, as well as Dutch winger Marc Overmars in the summer of 1997. Wenger melded the new arrivals with some of the "old guard", retaining Adams, Dixon, Winterburn, Keown and Bould, and he kept Pat Rice on as assistant manager.

Wenger got his first silverware, and became the first foreign manager to win the English league, the following season, when he steered the side to their second double. It had looked like Arsenal were out of the title race by December after losing 3-1 at home to Blackburn, but they overcame a twelve point deficit to overtake Manchester United; a 4-0 home win over Everton on May 3 won the title with two matches to spare. On May 16, Arsenal beat Newcastle United 2-0 in the FA Cup final to complete the double. To top it off, the same season Ian Wright broke Cliff Bastin's goalscoring record, bringing his tally to 185 goals before leaving the club in the summer of 1998.

Despite the signing of Fredrik Ljungberg in 1998 and Thierry Henry a year later, a more barren period followed for Arsenal over the next few years, though they came close several times. Arsenal led the League for much of 1998-99, until a 1-0 loss to Leeds United allowed Manchester United to overtake them; Arsenal beat Aston Villa on the last day of the season but United's victory over Spurs meant they took the title. To rub it in further, Arsenal also lost the last ever FA Cup semi-final replay to Manchester United; Dennis Bergkamp had missed a penalty in normal time, and Ryan Giggs scored the winner in extra time after a mazy solo run through the Arsenal defence. Arsenal's return to Champions League for the first time in seven years was also a disappointment, as they failed to get past the group stage.

Arsenal came second again in 1999-2000; this time, there was never any real title race and Arsenal finished the season 18 points behind winners Manchester United. Arsenal had another poor season in the Champions League, finishing third in their group; this won them a consolation place in the UEFA Cup, and Arsenal got all the way to the final, where they faced Galatasaray in Copenhagen, the scene of their 1994 Cup Winners' Cup triumph. The match was a tepid affair, a 0-0 draw with few chances; it went to penalties and Arsenal lost after Davor Šuker and Patrick Vieira missed their spot-kicks.

2000-01 was also disappointing. Arsenal again finished second, this time ten points behind Manchester United; the title race had been as good as over since February, when Arsenal lost 6-1 at Old Trafford. Arsenal's season gave priority to the Cups and Europe. They beat Spurs in the semi-finals and met Liverpool in the final in Cardiff; Arsenal dominated most of the match, and were denied a goal by the hand of defender Stephane Henchoz, which went unpunished. Arsenal finally did go 1-0 up through Ljungberg but succumbed to two late Michael Owen goals and lost 2-1. In Europe, Arsenal made it to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 1972, only to be eliminated on the away goals rule by eventual finalists Valencia.

By now Wenger had been forced to rebuild much of the Double-winning side of 1998; Anelka, Overmars and Petit had all left for Spanish clubs in return for hefty fees, while age was finally catching up with the famous back line; Bould and Winterburn had already left, and Adams and Dixon would only last another season before retiring. In their place, Wenger signed the likes of Sol Campbell and Lauren in defence, as well as promoting Ashley Cole from the youth ranks. In midfield, Wenger added the talismanic Robert Pirès and signed his compatriot Sylvain Wiltord in attack, while in the meantime Thierry Henry had adapted to the English game to become one of the Premiership's best strikers.

Attack was definitely Arsenal's forté as they won a record-equalling third Double in 2001-02 season; the Gunners were the only team to score in every game of the Premiership season, and went unbeaten in domestic away games. After an initially tight title race (just three points separated the top four in February), Arsenal pulled away from the pack with a 13-game winning streak, finishing seven points ahead of runners-up Liverpool. Arsenal secured the title in the penultimate game of the season with a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, the goal coming from Wiltord. The previous weekend, Arsenal had wrapped up their eighth FA Cup, beating Chelsea 2-0 with goals from Ray Parlour and Freddie Ljungberg.

In 2002-03, Arsenal became the first club in more than 20 years to retain the FA Cup, with a 1-0 victory against Southampton thanks to a Pirès goal. Their joy was soured by the fact that they narrowly missed out on retaining the Premiership title. Arsenal had led eventual winners Manchester United by eight points at one stage, but their form collapsed late on in the season; they drew 2-2 away to Bolton Wanderers after leading 2-0, and then lost 3-2 at home to Leeds United a week later, which gave United the title.

History of Arsenal FC -The interregnum (1995–96)

Assistant manager Stewart Houston took charge until the end of the 1994-95 season. Arsenal finished a disappointing 12th in the Premiership, but did reach the Cup Winners Cup final again, after a titanic semi-final against UC Sampdoria, which they won on penalties after drawing 5-5 on aggregate. Arsenal faced Real Zaragoza; Juan Esnaider scored for the Spaniards and John Hartson equalised for Arsenal. The game was heading to a 1-1 draw and penalties, before midfielder Nayim struck from near the halfway line in the 120th minute, in virtually the last kick of the game. David Seaman, who had been Arsenal's hero in the semi-final shootout, couldn't backpedal fast enough and only got a hand to the ball as it went in. It was a cruel end to a disappointing season.

In June 1995 Arsenal appointed Bruce Rioch, who had just guided Bolton Wanderers to the League Cup final and promotion to the top flight, as manager. He (briefly) broke the English transfer record by paying Internazionale £7.5million for Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp, and the new signing formed an impressive partnership with Ian Wright. Arsenal reached the League Cup semi-finals and finished fifth in the Premiership at the end of 1995-96, securing a place in the following season's UEFA Cup and giving hope for an eventual title challenge. The Rioch era ended abruptly, however; in August 1996, just before the start of the new season, Rioch was sacked after a dispute over transfer funds with the board of directors, triggering a couple of months' turmoil at the club. Stewart Houston was once again put in temporary charge; he remained at the helm for a month, before resigning to take over at QPR. Youth team coach Pat Rice held the fort for several games, before making way for the Frenchman Arsène Wenger at the end of September.

History of Arsenal FC - The George Graham years (1986–95)

In the summer of 1986, Millwall manager George Graham, a former Arsenal player, was appointed as Howe's long-term replacement, and it was the beginning of a new golden era at Highbury. Graham cleared out much of the old guard and replaced them with new signings and promoted youth players, while imposing much stricter discipline than his predecessors, both in the dressing room and on the pitch. Arsenal's form immediately improved, so much so that the club were top of the League at Christmas 1986, for the first time in a decade – an appropriate way of celebrating the club's centenary.

Though Arsenal finished fourth in Graham's first season in charge, Arsenal did win the League Cup, in a campaign marked by comebacks. After going 2-0 down on aggregate in the second leg of their semi-final against Tottenham, Arsenal scored twice to force a replay; in the replay Spurs went 1-0 up, only for Arsenal to come back again with late goals from Ian Allinson and David Rocastle to win. The final against Liverpool was a repeat performance; after Arsenal had gone 1-0 down, two Charlie Nicholas goals brought Arsenal their first League Cup triumph.

While Arsenal lost the League Cup final the following year (a shock defeat to Luton Town), their League form steadily improved. Graham's side was characterised by tight defensive discipline, embodied by his young captain Tony Adams, along with Lee Dixon, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn, who together formed the basis of the club's defence for over a decade. Contrary to popular belief, during this time Graham's Arsenal were not a defensive side; Graham also employed quality midfielders such as David Rocastle, Michael Thomas and Paul Merson, and striker Alan Smith, whose prolific goalscoring regularly brought him more than 20 goals per season.

At the end of Graham's third season (1988-89), the club won their first League title since 1971, in highly dramatic fashion. Having led the League since Christmas, Arsenal were overtaken by Liverpool after losing to Derby County and drawing at home to Wimbledon in May. Arsenal had seemingly thrown away the title, but the final game of the season, on May 26, was against Liverpool at Anfield; Arsenal needed to win by two goals to take the title; Liverpool had already won the FA Cup and were favourites to complete the Double. Alan Smith scored for Arsenal early in the second half to make it 1-0, but as time ticked by Arsenal struggled to get a second. With 90 minutes gone on the clock, Arsenal still needed another goal, and the title looked to be Liverpool's. With only seconds to go, a Smith flick-on found Michael Thomas surging through the Liverpool defence; the young midfielder calmly lifted the ball over Bruce Grobbelaar and into the net, and Arsenal were League Champions.

Arsenal could not retain the title the following season; they finished fourth in 1989-90 and fell behind champions Liverpool, runners-up Aston Villa and third-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the title challenge. They also failed to make their mark in the cups, and the post-Heysel ban on English clubs in European competition was still in force at that time, so Arsenal were unable to represent England in the European Cup.

Graham sought to improve his side and signed goalkeeper David Seaman and Swedish winger Anders Limpar in the close season; both players proved vital as Arsenal retook the title in 1990-91, despite two major setbacks. Arsenal had two points deducted in October 1990 after ten of their players were involved in a brawl with Manchester United players in a match at Old Trafford, and captain Tony Adams was sentenced to four months' imprisonment for drink driving in December. These did not hinder Arsenal's progress; they lost only one league match all season and finished seven points clear. Arsenal also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, where they faced Tottenham Hotspur; Paul Gascoigne scored with a free kick from 30 yards after just five minutes and Tottenham ran home 3-1 winners, dashing hopes of a second Double.

1991-92 saw the Gunners sign striker and second all-time top scorer Ian Wright from Crystal Palace in October, and the club's first entry in the European Cup since 1971-72. The European venture went badly; Arsenal were knocked out by SL Benfica in the second round and failed to make the lucrative group stage. The season went from bad to worse when the Gunners were knocked out of the FA Cup by lowly Wrexham, though Arsenal recovered to finish fourth in the League.

After this season, Graham changed his tactics; he became more defensive and turned out far less attack-minded sides, which depended mainly on goals from Wright rather than the whole team. Between 1986 and 1992 Arsenal averaged 66 League goals a season (scoring 81 in 1991-92), but between 1992 and 1995 only averaged 48 (including 40 in 1992-93, when the club finished 10th in the inaugural season of the FA Premier League, scoring fewer than any other team in the division).

Arsenal's League form was disappointing, but the team saved their best for the cups, and in 1992-93 became the first side to win the FA Cup and League Cup double. In the League Cup final, Arsenal faced Sheffield Wednesday; a Merson-inspired Arsenal side came from 1-0 down to win 2-1 thanks to a Steve Morrow goal. In the FA Cup, Arsenal beat Spurs 1-0 in the semis (avenging their defeat of 1991), and played Sheffield Wednesday in the final, again. It ended 1-1 and went to a replay; Wright opened the scoring for Arsenal but Chris Waddle equalised. Extra time came, and still no goal broke the deadlock until the 120th minute, when Andy Linighan powered home a header from a corner to win the match and the cup double for Arsenal.

In 1993-94, Arsenal won their second European trophy; a side missing key players (John Jensen and Martin Keown were injured, Ian Wright suspended) beat favourites and holders Parma 1-0 in the Cup Winners' Cup final in Copenhagen, with a tight defensive performance and Alan Smith's 21st minute goal from a left foot volley. The 1994 Cup Winners Cup proved to be George Graham's last trophy at the club; the following February the Scot was sacked after nearly nine years in charge, after it was discovered he had accepted an illegal £425,000 payment from Norwegian agent Rune Hauge following Arsenal's 1992 acquisition of John Jensen, one of Hauge's clients.