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Bayern Munich Facts and History

2009-03-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

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.

Henry Wary Of Facing Arsenal

2009-03-21T14:40:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-21T14:30:00.001-07:00

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.

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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

2009-03-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

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.
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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

2009-03-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

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.
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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

2009-03-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-19T14:14:00.002-07:00

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

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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

2009-03-19T14:14:00.001-07:00

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

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

2009-03-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

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.
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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

2009-03-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

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.
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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

2009-03-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

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.
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"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

2009-03-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

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.
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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

2009-03-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

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.
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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

2009-03-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

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

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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

2009-03-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-18T15:35:00.001-07:00

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.

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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

2009-03-18T15:34:00.001-07:00

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.

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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?

2009-03-18T15:33:00.001-07:00

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.

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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

2009-03-18T15:32:00.001-07:00

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.

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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

2009-03-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

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.

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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–)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.

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

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History of Arsenal FC - Neill and Howe's mixed fortunes (1976–86)

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Under Neill, Arsenal moved back into the top half of the table, inspired in part by the emergence of Irish superstar Liam Brady. Brady formed part of a large Irish contingent at Highbury, which included Pat Rice, Frank Stapleton, Pat Jennings and the young David O'Leary. Although they could not challenge the League dominance of Liverpool at the time, towards the end of the decade they proved their mettle in the FA Cup. Arsenal reached three finals in a row (1978, 1979, and 1980), but won only one, the 1979 final against Manchester United. Largely inspired by Brady, Arsenal went 2-0 up through Brian Talbot and Frank Stapleton and looked to be coasting to victory; with five minutes to go, United scored twice in quick succession to level the match. Extra time loomed, but Alan Sunderland converted Graham Rix's cross in injury time to secure a famous 3-2 win.

The next season, 1979-80, proved to be cruel as Arsenal played a record-breaking 70 matches and reached two cup finals, only to end the season empty-handed. Arsenal were favourites to beat Second Division West Ham United in the FA Cup final, but lost 1-0 to a Trevor Brooking header. Meanwhile, they had also reached the Cup Winners' Cup final against Valencia, after Paul Vaessen's goal had given them a famous victory over Juventus in the semi-finals; the final finished goalless and Arsenal lost on penalties, with Brady and Rix missing from the spot.

Liam Brady left Arsenal for Juventus in the summer of 1980, and the team entered another barren period. They continued to finish in the top four at the start of the eighties, though Arsenal were never title challengers, and could not rediscover their FA Cup form either; their best season was when they reached both cup semi-finals in 1982-83, only to be knocked out in both by Manchester United.

Towards the end of Neill's tenure, he fell out with several senior players; team spirit was at a low as the squad split into factions. In addition many of his signings, such as Charlie Nicholas, tended to be disappointing flops. Neill was sacked in December 1983 after a poor start to the 1983-84 season, which included a shock defeat in the League Cup at the hands of Walsall.

Don Howe, a long-time servant of the club, succeeded Neill but he could not get the side anywhere near a trophy either. Although Arsenal were never terrible (finishing sixth and seventh) under Howe, the fans were getting increasingly disillusioned with the club's muddling performances and attendances started to dip beneath 20,000. In March 1986, after hearing rumours he was to be replaced by Terry Venables, Howe resigned.

History of Arsenal FC - The first Double (1966–76)

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The club appointed physiotherapist Bertie Mee as Wright's successor, a move that brought surprise to some, not least Mee himself. Nevertheless, Mee's appointment brought a brief period of glory. Arsenal's youth team had won the FA Youth Cup in 1966, and talented attacking players such as Charlie George, John Radford and Ray Kennedy graduated to the first team. Mee complemented this attacking ability with some more experienced heads; captain Frank McLintock at centre half marshalled a strong defence, while the hard-tackling Peter Storey filled the vital defensive midfield position. The team showed early signs of promise, reaching two successive League Cup finals in 1968 and 1969. Both times the Gunners went home empty-handed; the first to Don Revie's Leeds United 1-0; the second was an infamous upset – Arsenal losing 3-1 to Third Division side Swindon Town.

That season was not a total disaster for Arsenal; they had also finished fourth, which won them a place in Europe, and led to the club collecting their first silverware in seventeen years and their first European trophy, the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Arsenal beat Ajax in the semi-finals, and then staged a famous comeback against Anderlecht in the final. Arsenal were 3-0 down after 74 minutes of the first leg, but Ray Kennedy got a late away goal to give the Gunners a glimmer of hope; in the second leg in front of a packed Highbury, Arsenal won 3-0 with goals from John Radford, Eddie Kelly and Jon Sammels, to win the tie 4-3 on aggregate.

The highlight of this period was the club's first FA Cup and League Double win in 1970-71. Arsenal had started poorly, losing 5-0 to Stoke City in September. They recovered to put a strong run-in to the title in a tight race with Leeds United. Arsenal were pushed all the way to the title, and needed to beat deadly rivals Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on the last day of the season to overtake Leeds; they did just that, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal by Ray Kennedy. Five days later, Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley; Arsenal went 1-0 down early in extra time, before substitute Eddie Kelly's equaliser, and then Charlie George scored the winner.

The Double proved to a premature high point of a decade characterised by a string of near-misses. Despite signing World Cup winner Alan Ball in the close season, Arsenal began 1971-72 badly, losing three matches in August, and were forced to play catch-up for the rest of the season, ultimately finishing fifth. Their debut in the European Cup started encouragingly, but they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by a Johann Cruyff-inspired Ajax playing at the very top of their game. Arsenal also reached the FA Cup final for the second year in a row; this time they lost 1-0 to Leeds United in an ill-disciplined and at times ugly match.

Arsenal finished as First Division runners-up in 1972-73, but within a year the Double-winning side had been broken up, and Mee was unable to build a new team in its place. The club's form declined sharply, finishing 16th in 1974-75 and 17th in 1975-76, their lowest in more than forty years, which prompted Mee's resignation. Tottenham manager Terry Neill, a former Arsenal player, was appointed in his place, even though he had never got Spurs anywhere beyond mid-table.

History of Arsenal FC - The post-war years (1945–66)

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The war had cut short the careers of many of the club's star players, including Bastin and Drake. Additionally, the debts from the construction of Highbury and the costs of repairing war damage were a heavy financial burden, and Arsenal struggled when competitive football resumed. They lost 6-1 on aggregate to West Ham United in the third round of the 1945-46 FA Cup, and upon the league's resumption in 1946-47 the club finished a disappointing 13th. George Allison decided to retire from football at the end of that season, and was replaced by his assistant Tom Whittaker, who had been trainer under Chapman.

Whittaker enjoyed immediate success with the club, winning the League in 1947-48; led by captain Joe Mercer and with goals from attacking front two of Reg Lewis and Ronnie Rooke, Arsenal topped the table from October and never looked back. Given the age of the Arsenal side at the time (Rooke and Mercer were both over thirty, as were Denis and Leslie Compton), long-term success was never on the cards. In response, Whittaker brought in younger players such as Doug Lishman, Alex Forbes and Cliff Holton. Although Arsenal were unable to sustain any challenges for the League title, with the new blood they won the FA Cup in 1950, with Reg Lewis scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Liverpool.

1951-52 saw the club nearly win the Double, but it ultimately ended in disappointment; a series of injuries and a fixture pile-up at the end of the season saw Arsenal lose their last two matches, including the title decider against eventual champions Manchester United at Old Trafford on the last day of the season; the Gunners finished third, equal on points with Tottenham. A week later, Arsenal played Newcastle United in the FA Cup final, with several recovering players rushed back into the first team; Walley Barnes was taken off injured with a twisted knee after 35 minutes (no substitutes were allowed then), and ten-man Arsenal suffered further injuries so that by the end of the match they had only seven fit players on the pitch; Newcastle took full advantage and won 1-0.

Unbowed by the disappointment of the previous season, Arsenal won their seventh League title in 1952-53; in one of the closest title races ever, they beat Preston North End to the title on goal average after finishing level on points. That proved to be Arsenal's last trophy for seventeen years; unable to attract many stars, the club's fortunes began to wane, particularly after the unexpected death of Tom Whittaker in 1956. Apart from finishing third in 1958-59, Arsenal usually figured around mid-table. Nor did the club have much luck in the FA Cup – after reaching the final in 1952, Arsenal would not get beyond the quarter-finals again until 1971.

Jack Crayston and George Swindin, both former players, followed Whittaker but could not replicate his success. In 1962, Arsenal made the bold but ultimately unsuccessful step of appointing England legend Billy Wright as manager, despite his lack of managerial experience. Like his predecessors, Wright could not achieve much either, although it was under his leadership that the club made their debut in European competition, in the Fairs Cup after finishing seventh in 1962-63. In his final season, Arsenal finished 14th, their lowest position in 36 years, and recorded the lowest-ever attendance at Highbury (4,554). The only Arsenal player to figure in England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad was George Eastham, who didn't play at all during the tournament.

History of Arsenal FC -The war (1939–45)

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With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, all first-class football in Britain was suspended. Arsenal Stadium was requisitioned as an ARP station, with a barrage balloon operating behind the Clock End. During the Blitz, a 3,000lb bomb fell on the North Bank, destroying that stand's roof and setting fire to the scrap that was being stored on the terrace. With Highbury closed, Arsenal instead played all of their home matches at White Hart Lane, home of their rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Wartime matches do not count in official statistics; competitions were played on a regional basis and teams often did not complete a full season; many footballers served in the armed forces as trainers or instructors and were away from their clubs for long periods of time, so they would often star as "guests" at other clubs. Arsenal won the Football League War Cup South in 1943 and the London or Southern league titles in 1941, 1943 and 1944.

In November 1945 Arsenal played one of the most extraordinary and controversial matches in their history, against a Dynamo Moscow side touring the country. With many players still serving abroad, Arsenal were severely depleted and used six guest players, including Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen, which led Dynamo to declare they were playing an England XI (though three of the side were actually Welsh). The match kicked off in thick fog and the slick and technically proficient Dynamo won 4-3, after Arsenal had led 3-1 at half-time. Though the score is generally agreed upon, after that accounts of the match diverge; English reports alleged Dynamo fielded twelve players at one point, and pressurised the referee into abandoning the match when they had been behind; in turn, the Soviets accused Arsenal of persistent foul play and even alleged George Allison had bet money on the result (a claim that was later retracted). With the fog obscuring much of the action (even the identity of the goalscorers is disputed), not to mention the language barriers and mutual suspicion (the match took place with the Cold War brewing in the background), it is unlikely that any accurate account of what really went on will ever emerge.

History of Arsenal FC - A hat-trick of League titles (1934–39)

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Arsenal had started the 1933-34 season solidly, but tragedy struck out of the blue in January 1934, when Herbert Chapman died suddenly from pneumonia. Under caretaker manager Joe Shaw, they retained the title that season; Hulme and James were both out with injury for a large portion, and so Arsenal were not the attacking side they had been the previous season (scoring only 75 in the League, compared with 118 in 1932-33).

New full-time manager George Allison (who had formerly been a director) signed new blood for the side, including midfielders Jack Crayston and Wilf Copping, and goalscorer Ted Drake. With these new signings Allison oversaw the completion of a hat-trick of League titles in 1934-35, and Arsenal were back to their attacking best; Drake scored a club record 42 goals that season. Such was Arsenal's strength that in November 1934, seven players started in the England side that beat World Champions Italy 3-2 (in the so-called "Battle of Highbury") were on Arsenal's books, a record that still stands.

Arsenal's ongoing success attracted larger and larger crowds. Arsenal's home, Highbury, was completely redeveloped, with the stands (designed by Archibald Leitch) demolished and replaced with modern Art Deco stands, which remain to this day; the East Stand is now a Grade II listed building. Meanwhile, the North Bank and Clock End terraces had roofs installed. The new stadium saw its largest ever attendance, 73,295, on March 9, 1935 for a match against Sunderland.

Arsenal's dominance of the decade was sealed with a second FA Cup victory in 1936, beating Sheffield United 1-0 with a goal from Drake. Arsenal faded in the League somewhat after the 1935 title victory, and were weakened by the retirement of Alex James and others such as Bastin being past their peak, but they still won a fifth League title in 1937-38.

History of Arsenal FC - The Chapman era (1925–34)

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Chapman reformed many of the club's practices, including modernising the training and physiotherapy regimes, adding numbers to the players' shirts, and changing the team's colours, adding white sleeves to the red shirt. It was also during Chapman's era that the club lost the definite article from its name, becoming just "Arsenal", and he was reportedly behind the renaming of the local Tube station, Gillespie Road, to Arsenal. At the same time, Chapman had a large transfer budget by virtue of Arsenal's improved revenue from their new stadium and a change of heart from Henry Norris; previously a highly prudent chairman, Norris now dictated that there was to be lavish spending.

Chapman's first signing was veteran Charlie Buchan from Sunderland; as well as his contributions on the pitch, Buchan would play an important part off it. After Arsenal had been given a 7-0 hiding by Newcastle United in October 1925, Buchan suggested a change to the formation to adapt to a relaxation of the offside law, rejigging Arsenal's formation to the "WM", strengthening the defence by pushing the centre half back into defence and the full-backs out to the wings. Over time, Chapman developed the formation further, putting an emphasis on a pacy forward line, wingers cutting inside, and the role of a creative ball-playing midfielder. Chapman's adeptness at picking the right man for the job proved vital, as he slowly built a team capable of dominating the game in England.

Arsenal came second in Chapman's first season (their best ever finish at that time), but this proved to be a false dawn; for the next few seasons they stayed in mid-table as Chapman took his time to assemble his side, slotting new signings such as winger Joe Hulme, forward Jack Lambert and defenders Tom Parker and Herbie Roberts into his new formation. In 1927, Arsenal reached their first FA Cup final, only to lose, infamously, 1-0 to Cardiff City, after Arsenal's goalkeeper Dan Lewis let a harmless-looking shot slip through his arms and into the net; it was the only occasion in history that the FA Cup has been won by a club from outside England.

Chapman was not deterred, and continued to build his side, signing future captain Eddie Hapgood, as well as three of the club's great attacking players, David Jack, Alex James and Cliff Bastin; it was especially Alex James, Arsenal's playmaker in midfield, supplying the forward line and wingers, who became celebrated as the engine of the team. Three years later, in 1930, Arsenal reached the FA Cup final again, this time against Chapman's old club Huddersfield Town. The match was notable for being "buzzed" by the enormous German airship Graf Zeppelin. Arsenal were not distracted from their task; they won 2-0 with goals from James and Lambert, to bring home the club's first major trophy.

This success was the first in a decade in which Arsenal were the dominant club in England. Under Chapman they won the First Division for the first time in 1930-31, scoring 127 goals in the process. The following year, Arsenal reached the FA Cup final again, losing controversially to Newcastle United. Arsenal had led 1-0 with a Bob John goal, but Newcastle's equaliser came after a long ball had gone over the goal line, and out for a goal kick; Newcastle winger Jimmy Richardson nevertheless crossed the ball back into play and Jack Allen levelled the match for the Magpies; Allen scored again in the second half to win the match 2-1. Arsenal's pain was compounded by the fact that Everton had pipped them to the League title; a poor start to the 1931-32 campaign meant Arsenal played catch-up for most of the season and ended the season two points adrift.

Arsenal bounced back the following year, winning their second League title in 1932-33; after another weak start Arsenal went on a long winning run to catch up, culminating in a 5-0 win over second-placed Aston Villa at Highbury in April to clinch the title. By this time Chapman's first set of signings had started to show their age, so with an eye to the future Chapman signed the likes of George Male for Tom Parker and Ray Bowden for David Jack. The only blot on the club's record was an infamous loss to Third Division North Walsall in the FA Cup; five of the first team were out with injury or flu and had their place taken by reserves, but Arsenal still had plenty of top-class players in the side, yet lost 2-0 in one of the greatest Cup upsets of all time. One of the stand-ins, Thomas Black, was particularly to blame (conceding a penalty for Walsall's second), and was sold by an enraged Chapman to Plymouth Argyle within a week of the result.

History of Arsenal FC - Move to Highbury (1910–25)

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Norris was acutely aware of the problems associated with Woolwich Arsenal's location, and was desperate to improve the club's income. First, Norris tried to merge Woolwich Arsenal with Fulham (he was a director of both clubs at the time). When that was blocked by the Football League, Norris abandoned the merger and looked to move Arsenal elsewhere. In 1913, the same year as the club finished bottom and were relegated back to the Second Division, Woolwich Arsenal moved from south east London to Arsenal Stadium (often referred to as "Highbury") in north London. Despite objections both from Woolwich-based fans and residents of Highbury, Norris tenaciously saw the move through, reportedly spending £125,000 (a huge sum for the time) on building the new stadium. Arsenal's move away from south east London led nearby Charlton Athletic to turn professional.

Now known as "The Arsenal", having dropped the "Woolwich" from their name in 1914, the club rejoined the First Division in 1919, despite only finishing fifth in 1914-15, the last season of competitive football before the First World War had intervened. The First Division was being expanded from 20 teams to 22, and the two new entrants were elected at an AGM of the Football League. One of the extra places was given to Chelsea, who had finished 19th in the First Division and thus had been already relegated. The other spot could have gone to 20th-placed Tottenham Hotspur (also relegated), or to Barnsley or Wolves, who had finished third and fourth in the Second Division respectively.

Instead, the League decided instead to promote fifth-placed Arsenal, for reasons of history over merit, much to the chagrin and longstanding enmity of Tottenham, Arsenal's local rivals. It has been alleged that this was due to backroom deals or even outright bribery by Sir Henry Norris, colluding with his friend John McKenna, chairman of Liverpool and the Football League. No firm proof has ever come to light; as a footnote, Norris left the club in 1929 having been found guilty by the FA of financial irregularities, for which he was banned from football for life, though these were not related to the promotion controversy. Arsenal have remained in the top division since then, and as a result hold the English record for the longest unbroken stretch of top-flight football.

Although the move to Highbury brought about much larger crowds and finally warded off the spectre of financial ruin, Arsenal's return to the First Division was not immediately successful. Under Leslie Knighton, the club never finished better than ninth, and in 1923-24 came dangerously close to going down again, finishing 19th and only a point clear of the relegation zone. Arsenal did no better the following season, finishing 20th (although paradoxically the club were a lot safer this time, being seven points clear of the drop), which was the last straw for Norris; he fired Knighton in May 1925, and appointed the Huddersfield Town manager, Herbert Chapman in his place.

History of Arsenal FC - Early years (1886–1910)

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Arsenal were founded as Dial Square in 1886 by a group of workers employed by the Dial Square workshop at the Royal Arsenal, an armaments factory in Woolwich, south east London. They were led by a Scotsman, David Danskin, who purchased the club's first football, and amongst their number was former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Fred Beardsley, who would later obtain a set of red kit from his old club, thus giving Arsenal the colours they still wear today.

Dial Square played their first match on December 11, 1886 against Eastern Wanderers on an open field in the Isle of Dogs, which they won 6-0. The club were renamed Royal Arsenal soon after, reportedly on Christmas Day. Royal Arsenal first played on Plumstead Common, but soon sought alternative homes. They first played at the Sportsman Ground in Plumstead and then moved to the adjacent Manor Ground in 1888. Royal Arsenal then moved to the nearby Invicta Ground in 1890, before returning to the Manor Ground three years later.

By now, Royal Arsenal had started to win local trophies, such as the Kent Senior Cup in 1890 and the London Senior Cup the year after. Arsenal also entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1889, where the gulf in quality between Arsenal and the professional sides from the North soon became apparent. In addition, Royal Arsenal faced the threat of their amateur players being lured away by the money professional sides could offer. Therefore, in 1891, the club decided to turn professional, and at the same time changed their name to Woolwich Arsenal.

Woolwich Arsenal's move to professionalism was frowned upon by many of the amateur Southern clubs, and they were banned from participating in local competitions. With friendlies and the FA Cup the only matches available for Woolwich Arsenal, they attempted to set up a southern equivalent of the Football League. The move failed and the club's future looked decidedly bleak, until the Football League came to Woolwich Arsenal's rescue by inviting them to join in 1893. Arsenal were the first Southern club to enter the League, initially joining the Second Division.

Woolwich Arsenal played in the Second Division for eleven seasons; they generally occupied mid-table before the appointment of Harry Bradshaw in 1899; Bradshaw and his star signings, including goalkeeper Jimmy Ashcroft (Arsenal's first England international) and captain Jimmy Jackson, won promotion to the First Division in 1904. However, Bradshaw moved on to Fulham before the Gunners had kicked a ball in the top flight, and despite some strong performances in the FA Cup (the club reached the semi-finals in both 1906 and 1907), they soon faded.

The chief cause of this decline was the club's ongoing financial problems; despite the boom in football during the early 20th century, the club's geographic isolation, playing in the relatively underpopulated area of Plumstead, meant attendances and thus income were low. To stay afloat, Woolwich Arsenal were forced to sell their star players (including Ashcroft, as well as Tim Coleman and Bert Freeman), and slowly started to slip down the table, which did not help their financial situation. The club were close to bankruptcy before being bought out by businessman Sir Henry Norris in 1910.

RIQUELME QUITS ARGENTINA

2009-03-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

It should have been a good week for Diego Maradona. His first competitive squad is due to be unveiled on Saturday for the upcoming World Cup qualifying double-header with Venezuela and Bolivia. After the warm-ups against Scotland and France, it's his chance to name a serious team at last.

AndrewYates/GettyImages

Juan Roman Riquelme in action during a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in September

But Juan Román Riquelme's international retirement on Tuesday probably rather spoiled it somewhat for El Diego.

Shortly beforehand, when asked in a press conference how he'd react if (hypothetically) his playmaker were to step down from the national team, Maradona had responded: ''It's not crossed my mind, but anyone who retires from the selección won't play again whilst I'm the boss.'' Cue Román, who told different cameras shortly afterwards that ''we don't have the same codes of practice, so we can't work together'' and that he was retiring from international football.

Maradona's appointment as Argentina coach, of course, was supposed to galvanise the team behind a common cause. Some of the world's most talented players playing under the one man they've all grown up referring to as ''God''. But Riquelme, a player who's been called football's last ''old-fashioned'' playmaker, wears the number 10 for Boca Juniors - as Maradona once did - and perhaps felt a little more overshadowed by his new boss than did his team-mates. There was also the small matter of those ''codes of practice'' he spoke of, which smack of an excuse more than anything.

Last week, Maradona gave an interview to Argentine cable broadcaster TyCSports, and aside from sharing his fear that his new grandson, Sergio Agüero's son Benjamín, will do as his mother wants and grow up to be a dancer rather than a footballer (''I'll burn down every dance academy in Argentina!''), he also explained that he wanted the number 10 shirt to go to a Riquelme who looked fit and capable.

''I need to see him going past a tackle or two, and then combining with the strikers,'' Maradona explained, saying he wanted Riquelme to be deadly ''in the last twenty yards'' rather than back down the pitch. It's worth pointing out at this juncture that since a glorious performance in leading Boca to the 2007 Copa Libertadores, Riquelme has looked distinctly off his best for the last year or so.

Maradona said the number 10 at the World Cup next year in South Africa will be given to a star capable of carrying the team if needs be, and pointed out that when he next saw Riquelme, he planned to talk to him man-to-man about his expectations for his playmaker.

It's worth remembering that last point, because one of Riquelme's gripes when he stepped down from international duty on Tuesday was that: '''I've heard more [from Maradona] on the TV and radio than I have by way of them [the boss or one of his team] calling me.''

Riquelme also claimed that he was ''dying to play for Argentina, and it will hurt to watch the World Cup on TV''. An odd thing to say when you're withdrawing of your own free will from the squad a few days before meeting up with a manager who wants to speak with you personally about your role.

But then Riquelme, for all his undoubted - perhaps unique - talent and style, for all the assists and goals he's furnished his country with, has previous in this field. In September 2006, following a plea from his mother, saddened at criticism of her son after Argentina's exit to hosts Germany at the last World Cup, he first announced he was retiring from the selección. He was talked back for the qualifiers, but it would seem that the team's struggle for form, leading to Alfio Basile's resignation and Maradona's subsequent appointment, has rubbed off on the playmaker.

AdrianDennis/GettyImages

Golden moment: Juan Roman Riquelme with his gold medal from the Olympics in Beijing

It's a shame, though, that Riquelme - never shy of controversy in front of the microphone - used such barbed terms to announce the decision. Noting an undertone of venom towards the manager, there are some in Argentina who've pointed out that, whatever personal faults and self-destructive traits he had during his playing days, Maradona never walked out on his country as Riquelme now has done twice.

For his part, Maradona offered a chance of reconciliation late on Wednesday. In spite of his pronouncements on Tuesday, he says he'll talk to Riquelme if the player decides he wants to reverse his decision. He surely won't be holding his breath, though, and to that end he's identifying possible replacements for the playmaking role.

One idea would be to send out a (potentially terrifying) front three of Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero and Carlos Tevez, and tell them to have some fun and create for each other, with Fernando Gago perhaps given a slightly more advanced role than he's previously enjoyed in the midfield. For Argentina, though, an abrupt departure from a system utilising a dedicated playmaker would be a radical change, and it would seem even more so were it to come about under the auspices of Maradona, of all people.

Maradona's already named names regarding the identity of a new enganche (literally 'hook', in this context the link between midfield and attack). Andrés D'Alessandro, currently at Internacional in Brazil, is in contention, but Daniel 'Rolfi' Montenegro of Independiente heads the list. Fittingly, he scored twice against Riquelme's Boca on Sunday as Independiente won the clásico 2-0.

A call-up would be a nice birthday present - he turns 30 on March 28, the day Argentina play Venezuela in Buenos Aires - and constitute something of a delayed arrival for a player who's impressed in the domestic league after failing to break into Olympique Marseille's first team during six months in 1999. Rolfi's been in a couple of Argentina squads before, but this might be his chance to really show what he can do.

Although, as Maradona told the press, tongue in cheek, after revealing Montenegro was in his thoughts: ''I hope he doesn't withdraw.''

Arshavin "desperate" to face Hull - Wenger

2009-03-17T10:59:00.001-07:00

Arsene Wenger as revealed that Andrei Arshavin is so ''desperate'' to be part of Arsenal's FA Cup bid that he is clamouring to start Tuesday night's quarter-final against Hull City despite having eight stitches in his foot.

Empics

Andrei Arshavin: Keen to face Hull

Having already represented Zenit St Petersburg in this year's Champions League he is ineligible for the Gunners in that competition and was also registered too late to play in the last round of the FA Cup.

But, having opened his Arsenal account with two goals, including a fine solo effort, in the 4-0 romp over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, he is eager to play as often as possible.

The Russian sustained a nasty gash to his right foot against Rovers and had to have eight stitches at half-time but Wenger insists that is unlikely to dampen his January signing's enthusiasm.

''Arshavin had eight stitches in his foot but he is still in the squad,'' Wenger told Arsenal TV Online. ''We will make a decision on Tuesday. He is desperate to be involved. He just wants to play.

''He couldn't practice on Monday but we'll assess him [on Tuesday] morning.''

If he is passed fit, Gunners full-back Bacary Sagna is confident Arshavin can power Arsenal into the last four, where a Wembley meeting with Chelsea awaits.

''Arshavin cannot play in Europe but he had a good game against Blackburn and it will be good to have him for the cup games,'' said Sagna.

''I think he was outstanding at the weekend, he scored a great goal, it came naturally and I think he was very happy about it. Every time he plays he is good and he can play on the right, on the left and up front as well.

''He has shown he can score now and he is an important player who can do well in this team.''

Theo Walcott may also feature against the Tigers after making an impressive return to the starting XI against Blackburn following a prolonged stint on the sidelines with a dislocated shoulder.

Walcott turned 20 on Monday and Wenger chose the occasion to offer a ringing endorsement of the pacy England winger.

Walcott started the season in fine form for both club and country before injury hit and Wenger is confident the former Southampton forward is making strides.

''He gives us something that is important. He goes behind the defenders and creates room and he has a direct game. We need that, especially at home,'' said the Frenchman.

''It is important to have him back and he gives you something that can make a difference in any game.

''Compared to one year ago there is no comparison, that is what people sometimes have problems to accept. At that age, every three months you go higher up but how much, you can never predict.

''But there is still a lot more to come from Theo.''

Pizarro facing two-year ban amid agent claims?

2009-03-17T10:58:00.001-07:00

Peruvian international striker Claudio Pizarro insists he has done nothing wrong amid reports he could face a two-year ban for acting as an agent.

The Chelsea striker, currently on a season-long loan at Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, is being investigated for his involvement in the deal which saw Bremen sign his compatriot Roberto Silva in 2001.

It is against FIFA rules for an active player to act as an agent, and - in the worst case scenario - Pizarro could be banned for 24 months.

Bremen chairman Jurgen L Born is also suspected of having profited from the deal and has stepped down from his post while the investigation takes place.

But Pizarro claims he is innocent and is not letting the reports get to him ahead of Wednesday night's UEFA Cup last-16 second leg at St Etienne.

''It is a load of rubbish,'' said the 30-year-old, who spent two years at Bremen from 1999. ''The whole thing does not bother me on the pitch at all.

''Peru is a great, beautiful country, but unfortunately there are people there who are angry. They don't like it when somebody is successful so they get jealous.

''This has been going on for four years.''

Peru coach Jose Guillermo Del Solar offered support to Pizarro after news of the FIFA investigation emerged.

''I will not add fuel to the fire,'' he said. ''I know this is not a good time for him and I hope this problem can be sorted out and Claudio can overcome it. I truly wish him well.''

Pizarro claims two large sums transferred into his account in 2001 were to do with his horse business.

Del Solar added: ''The person who took Claudio to horse races to buy some animals was me when we were team-mates in the national team under Julio Cesar Uribe.

''I took him to horse auctions. We bought a couple of horses together and kept them for about four years.''

Lehmann and Diego embroiled in "cheat" spat

2009-03-17T10:57:00.002-07:00

Jens Lehmann was at the centre of more controversy yesterday when he clashed with Werder Bremen's Diego on the way to the dressing room.

The Stuttgart goalkeeper was incensed with the free-kick which Diego won and converted to put Bremen ahead in their 4-0 win and called the Brazilian "a cheat" on the way into the dressing room at half time.

A scuffle ensued, but the real war of words continued after the match.

"It is not the first time that he wins a free-kick deceitfully," Lehmann told reporters at the Weser Stadion. "And then for him to show his delight at gaining an advantage from it shows his true character."

Lehmann was not happy with Diego trying to steal a yard with the free-kick and complained vehemently to referee Gunter Perl, who ordered Diego to move the ball back a few inches.

"He made me put the ball in the perfect place," said Diego afterwards. "Maybe those inches were decisive. Lehmann forgets that he is a player and not a referee. As a player, we have to show respect for each other, but he doesn't do that.

"Maybe he should concentrate on trying to make saves."

However, Lehmann added that he "cannot respect" such players who "let themselves fall to get fouls."

Lehmann has been no stranger to controversy since arriving from Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer.

He recently ripped the headband from defender Khalid Boulahrouz's head and threw a boot of opposition Hoffenheim player Sejad Salihovic onto his own goal, claiming it was "an obstruction" which had to be removed.

Stuttgart director of sport Horst Heldt may have had the 39-year-old in mind when he raged against his team.

"I am hugely disappointed and extremely angry about this arrogant performance," he said. "I have never been as angry as I am today."

Bremen's win was their first in the Bundesliga in 2009 and it was the first defeat for Stuttgart in their last 10 games since Markus Babbel took over from Armin Veh.

Nevertheless, Bremen remain 11 points adrift of a qualification place for the Europa League next season while Stuttgart missed the chance to narrow the gap on fifth-placed Hoffenheim.

Bayern chief wants public to fund TV contracts

2009-03-17T10:57:00.001-07:00

Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has claimed all German residents should pay a supplement on their television licence fee to help fund football clubs.

Hoeness unveiled the idea, which would mean all games being shown on terrestrial channels rather than satellite TV, in an interview with the Wirtschaftswoche magazine.

"That way we would get 900 million euros each year and we would be very close to the 1.2 billion earned in England and 1.1 million in Italy," he said. "It is my great hope that people will soon be prepared to pay two euros each month for football.

"What's two euros anyway? Half a packet of cigarettes, or half a glass of beer at the pub. It is not as though I am interested in all the rubbish we get on the television anyway, but I still have to pay 18 euros in fees."

Surveys have found that 55% of Germans claim to be football fans, but even so, Hoeness might have trouble selling his idea of an extra 24 euros-per-year charge to watch football on TV.

"If we had an extra 100 million euros available, then I would tell our fans to get ready to celebrate winning the Champions League," he added.

Bayern go into Friday's Champions League quarter-finals draw with a more than 50% chance of getting an English opponent.

Hoeness believes his club would then be at an unfair disadvantage due to the greater financial resources available to English clubs, not only through television revenue but other sources.

Strict rules in Germany prevent clubs from being more than 49% owned by private investors or companies and Hoeness claims that, by German standards, a third of the clubs in the Premier League would be officially bankrupt.

"That means they can no longer finance playing games by themselves and if their tycoons decided not to play ball any more, they would have to shut up shop," he explained.

"I reckon there are 30 to 40% of clubs in Spain, Italy and England who are bankrupt, by our standards.

"They are only being kept above water by rich individuals or banks. There are clubs with debts of 650 million euros who are still mentioned with every big transfer. That cannot be serious."

Striker Quagliarella pledges future to Udinese

2009-03-17T10:55:00.002-07:00

Italy forward Fabio Quagliarella has pledged his future to Udinese.

Quagliarella has made a huge impact this season for the Friuli outfit, scoring nine goals in Serie A and five in the UEFA Cup.

The 25-year-old's performances have not gone unnoticed with several clubs, including Juventus and Napoli, reportedly keen to sign him this summer.

But Quagliarella said: ''I have always said that I feel really well in Udine. I am proud to wear the Udinese colours and I hope I can score many more goals with this team.

''Nevertheless, it makes me happy to know that big clubs are following my career because that means that I am doing a good job and that gives me further confidence.''

Quagliarella, who joined Udinese in the summer of 2005, is under contract with the Bianconeri outfit until June 2012.

AC Milan's title bid ruined by injuries - Galliani

2009-03-17T10:55:00.001-07:00

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani believes a succession of high-profile injury setbacks have cost his side the chance of challenging city rivals Inter for this season's Serie A title.

Goalkeeper Christian Abbiati became the latest player to join the club's long injury list on Monday after being ruled out for the season with a knee problem.

Kakha Kaladze and Gennaro Gattuso were also lost to season-ending injuries earlier in the campaign while Brazil midfielder Kaka has fresh concerns over a foot injury that has seen him sidelined for the past few weeks.

''This has been a terrible year for us in terms of injuries to our players,'' said Galliani.

''I continue to think that, without these numerous injuries this year, we would have been Scudetto candidates.

''Now we must continue to work in order to end the season in the best possible way.''

With 10 games remaining Carlo Ancelotti's side find themselves third in the table, 12 points behind leaders Inter and five adrift of Juventus in second.

And Ancelotti admits catching Juve is the only realistic target for the rest of the campaign.

''I think it's possible to overtake Juventus,'' he said. ''There are still many games left to play, including our game against Juve.''

Milan braced for news on injury to Abbiati

2009-03-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

AC Milan fear goalkeeper Christian Abbiati could be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Abbiati was substituted early in the first-half of his team's 5-1 Serie A victory at Siena with a knee injury.

The Italian goalkeeper will undergo tests this week to confirm the extent of the problem, but it is thought Abbiati has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee.

If confirmed, the 31-year-old will be out of action for six months.

The Rossoneri, who are already without injured duo Gennaro Gattuso and Kakha Kaladze for the rest of the campaign, have been left reeling by another serious injury.

"The series of injuries we have had this season has been incredible," said captain Paolo Maldini. "I am saddened for a player like Christian, who has shown his value.

"At the begining we thought it was just a knock but then he felt pain in his knee. It's a real shame because Abbiati has had a great campaign so far."

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani can only look at the positives.

"Fortunately, we have a luxury reserve goalkeeper in Dida," he said. "With Dida we have won so much."

The Rossoneri travel to the San Paolo to meet Napoli next weekend, sitting in third place with an eight-point advantage over fourth-placed Genoa.

Roberto Carlos coy over Real Madrid return

2009-03-17T10:50:00.001-07:00

Former Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos has not ruled out a move back to the Bernabeu, should Florentino Perez return to the presidency of the Spanish giants this summer.

The Brazilian left Madrid for Fenerbahce in 2007 after 11 years at the capital club and with four league titles and three Champions League crowns among his trophies.

However, should Perez - who was in charge from 2000 to 2007 - triumph in the summer presidential elections, the free-kick specialist could once again grace the Primera Liga.

''If Florentino comes and says 'Roberto, come back', I will have to think about it and talk about it,'' Roberto Carlos told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope. ''I have never said I won't come back.

''I renewed my deal here, I have another year on my contract, but a lot of things can happen. People know I have a really great admiration and respect for Florentino.

''Fenerbahce have given me the opportunity to be here 10, 15 years but I was at Real Madrid for 11 years and they will always be my team for life.

''If I said now that I didn't want to go back I would be lying, but we have to wait and see who will come in with Florentino, what plans Florentino has.''

The World Cup winner turns 36 next month but insists he can still cut it at the top.

''I would return to Madrid to play, to be part of a group of champions,'' continued Roberto Carlos. ''I would not return to play a bit-part role, I feel strong and if I had the chance to return to playing at the highest level, I would think about it.

''When you train well and you are motivated, everything is much easier. This season I have scored five goals in the league and three in the Turkish cup.

''I know that I can be at the top level for three more seasons. I feel strong. I want to continue playing and then I will think about coaching.''

O'Neill emerges as FA's choice to replace Capello

2009-03-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

Martin O'Neill has emerged as the Football Association's current first choice to replace Fabio Capello as England head coach when the Italian steps down.

GettyImages

Martin O'Neill: Friends in high places

According to reports in several UK newspapers the Aston Villa manager is currently the favoured man amongst senior FA officials, who have discounted the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger on the rationale that neither would be prepares to take the job.

While there has been no indication that Capello is considering leaving his post, indeed the Italian has a contract in place until 2012, it is understood that O'Neill has strong supporters at the top level of the FA.

FA chairman Lord Triesman and incoming chief executive Ian Watmore are said to have been impressed with O'Neill's his success at Villa, not least because of his role in nurturing the young English players like Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young.

O'Neill was in the frame to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson as England boss in 2006 but lost out to Steve McClaren, who proved to be a disappointing appointment failing to qualify for the 2008 European Championships.

England under-21 manager Stuart Pearce has been working closely with Capello and had been viewed as a possible heir-apparent to the Italian. Pearce would do his own claims no harm at all if England were to win the European Under-21 championships this summer.

However, unlike the relatively inexperienced Pearce, or previous incumbent McClaren, O'Neill has considerable European experience and a successful track record in domestic football.

The Ulsterman, who won the European Cup as a player with Nottingham Forest, won the English League Cup with unfashionable Leicester City in 1997 and 2000 before moving to Celtic where he won three Scottish Premier League titles, thus qualifying for the Champions League.

Warnock considers suing West Ham over Tevez

2009-03-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock is taking legal advice over whether to pursue a personal compensation claim against West Ham United over the Carlos Tevez affair.

BarringtonCoombs/Empics

Neil Warnock: Still seething over the Tevez affair

The Blades and West Ham settled the long-running affair out of court on Monday with the Hammers agreeing to pay their rivals an undisclosed fee believed to be as high £25m following the Sheffield club's relegation in 2007.

West Ham were fined £5.5m by the Premier League for failing to fully disclose the terms of the deal that brought Tevez and Argentinian compatriot Javier Mascherano to England.

Sheffield United claim Tevez's goals kept the Hammers in the top flight at their expense, with Warnock resigning three days after their relegation.

Warnock has long contended that he and Sheffield United's relegated players could sue West Ham for loss of earnings resulting from their relegation to the Championship.

The 60-year-old, now manager of Crystal Palace, told the Daily Mail: ''I'll be looking into this now. I just wanted to see the club's case out of the way first.

''As far as I'm concerned, I should still be a Premier League manager. And I think the players have a case, too.''

Warnock is not alone in considering taking matter further with reports in The Times suggesting that as many as 20 past and present Sheffield United's players are considering their own legal action against the Hammers for loss of wages and bonuses.

Referring to the settlement, Warnock continued: ''It justifies what we've said all along. We've had a lot of people criticise us for taking it this far - but that's what justice is all about. But this still doesn't make it right for me or the United fans - or anyone else involved.''

Warnock reiterated his view that Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore should have resigned over the affair and believes a bigger club would have been treated differently.

''I think Scudamore is an absolute disgrace,'' added Warnock. ''I'd love to get him in a room on my own for an hour, no holds barred. If it was any other club, Scudamore would have made sure the facts came out. I find it amazing that he has kept his job.

''If it had been a big club, the truth would have come out earlier and it would have been sorted.''

A joint investigation by the Premier League and Football Association into the Tevez and Mascherano signings is ongoing.

Warnock is confident the Blades would have established themselves as a Premier League team had it not been for the Tevez saga.

''I don't think anything can really compensate you for losing your Premiership status. Everybody knows it was my dream job,'' Warnock told Sky Sports News.

''I think we could have been an established Premier League side. You only have to look at Phil Jagielka, the way he's playing now (for Everton).

''We had high hopes of taking the club forward by our first summer, spending the money to keep up there like one or two other clubs have done in the past.''

''I know the players are looking again and I'll be seeking legal advice myself but at the moment I'm not going to say any more than that,'' he said.

''I've been in touch with the legal people. We've been adamant right from day one that if the rules had been adhered to we wouldn't have been relegated.''

2009-03-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Player	Team	Goals
Nicolas Anelka	Chelsea	15
Cristiano Ronaldo	Manchester United	13
Kevin Davies	Bolton Wanderers	11
Robinho	Manchester City	11
Steven Gerrard	Liverpool	10
Darren Bent	Tottenham Hotspur	10
Frank Lampard	Chelsea	10
Gabriel Agbonlahor	Aston Villa	10
Amr Zaki	Wigan Athletic	10
Peter Crouch	Portsmouth	9
Jermain Defoe	Tottenham Hotspur	9
Djibril Cisse	Sunderland	9
Robin Van Persie	Arsenal	9
Carlton Cole	West Ham United	9
Wayne Rooney	Manchester United	9
Fernando Torres	Liverpool	9
Michael Owen	Newcastle United	8
Dimitar Berbatov	Manchester United	8
Emmanuel Adebayor	Arsenal	8
Ricardo Fuller	Stoke City	7
Tim Cahill	Everton	7
Jason Roberts	Blackburn Rovers	7
Andrew Johnson	Fulham	7
Matthew Taylor	Bolton Wanderers	7
Robbie Keane	Tottenham Hotspur	7
Craig Bellamy	Manchester City	7
Benedict McCarthy	Blackburn Rovers	7
Dirk Kuyt	Liverpool	7
John Carew	Aston Villa	7
Kenwyne Jones	Sunderland	7
Stephen Ireland	Manchester City	7
Marcio Geovanni	Hull City	7

English Premier League - Goals

Boumsong: We'll get it right

2009-03-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

Jean-Alain Boumsong has rubbished talk of a crisis within the Lyon camp despite seeing his side suffer four defeats over the past fortnight.
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Les Gones' 2-0 reverse at home to Auxerre came hot on the heels of their elimination from the Champions League by Barcelona, while they were beaten by Lille in both the league and the Coupe de France the previous week.

The reigning champions have just their Ligue 1 title left to defend this season, and yesterday's loss means rivals Paris St Germain, Marseille and Bordeaux are all within three points of Lyon with 10 matches to go.

Boumsong remains bullish about the team's chances of salvaging some silverware this campaign.

"It's a defeat which has hurt us," the France international said after the Auxerre setback. "We are beaten but we are going to rise again. We are going to let the storm pass by and close ranks.

"It's not good but there is no crisis. It is one of the rare times when the club are not doing well at the end of a season but we will come out of this stronger."

PSG could have taken top spot if they had beaten Marseille last night but OM won 3-1 to go level on points with their arch-rivals.

They are both a point behind Lyon, who are three points clear of Bordeaux, last season's runners-up.

Lyon coach Claude Puel believes his side are still masters of their own destiny.

"There are 10 matches left and even if PSG are making the major headlines, I consider that it all depends on us," he said.

Ireneusz Jelen put Auxerre ahead in the 41st minute and Thomas Kahlenberg scored the second in second-half stoppage time.

Their coach Jean Fernandez, whose side are now five points clear of the relegation zone, labelled it "one of his best wins since arriving at Auxerre".

"This kind of result can allow us to build up confidence," he said. "It is a real exploit. Nobody saw us winning but we didn't travel as tourists - we came to take the points."

Bundesliga: Hamburg stay in title chase with win

2009-03-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

Hamburg SV scored twice in the first half to beat visitors Energie Cottbus 2-0 on Sunday and stay within four points of Bundesliga leaders Hertha Berlin.
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Fourth-placed Hamburg are level on 45 points with VfL Wolfsburg, who beat Schalke 04 4-3 on Friday and second-placed Bayern Munich, 3-0 winners at VfL Bochum on Saturday. Hertha, who beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 on Saturday, have 49 points.

In a lacklustre match Hamburg needed only a brief good spell to sink Cottbus closer towards relegation.

The goals came in a seven-minute period with striker Ivica Olic heading in a Mikael Tavares cross before Piotr Trochowski, who came on for injured Mladen Petric, doubled the lead with a long-range free kick in the 39th minute.

Cottbus, one spot off the bottom of the table on 20 points, threatened only rarely and seemed resigned to their fate.

"You could call this a workmanlike win. It may sound terrible but it is important for us," Hamburg coach Martin Jol told reporters. Jol will have to do without Petric for about two weeks after the Croatian striker tore a thigh muscle.

Tenth-placed Werder Bremen crushed VfB Stuttgart 4-0 with Markus Rosenberg scoring a brace after Diego and Claudio Pizarro had put them in the lead, ending Stuttgart's nine-match unbeaten league run since coach Markus Babbel took over in November.

Werder grabbed the lead through a stunning Diego free kick, the Brazilian masterfully curling the ball over the Stuttgart wall and into keeper Jens Lehmann's top corner.

Eight minutes after the restart Pizarro, on loan from Chelsea, unleashed a thundering drive from 22 metres for his 12th league goal of the season.

Diego then picked out Rosenberg with a pin-point pass down the middle for the striker to slot home before the Swede also scored a second in the 74th minute in similar fashion with Alexandros Tziolis providing the pass.

"Finally the team gets a great result," Werder coach Thomas Schaaf said. "What was also pleasing was the higher degree of efficiency in our game."

Mourinho confident as Inter close in on title

2009-03-16T06:18:00.001-07:00

nter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has no doubt in his mind his team will win the Scudetto.

Jose Mourinho

The Nerazzurri beat Fiorentina 2-0 on Sunday to maintain their seven-point advantage over second-place Juventus with 10 games remaining.

The win came several days after Inter were knocked out of the Champions League by Manchester United.

"It was a difficult game psychologically," admitted Mourinho. "Fiorentina have players of great quality. But if my team continues to show this character, willingness and spirit, we will most likely win the league."

A brace from team´s top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic handed Inter their 20th victory of the season.

Ibrahimovic made amends after failing to score in both ties against United,

"The Champions League was my first priority," admitted Ibrahimovic. "Unfortunately, it didn´t go our way. We must play better in the future because this may be sufficient on the domestic front but it´s not enough in the Champions League.

"However, we have important aims still to play for, like the Coppa Italia and the Serie A title."

Ibrahimovic increased his league tally to 17 goals, equalling his personal record with Inter, set last season.

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

Inter take on strugglers Reggina next weekend and Ibrahimovic knows his team must keep their focus.

"We will win the Scudetto," he said. "The important thing is not to keep our guard down because every game will be hard. Everyone wants to beat the defending champions, the strongest team in the tournament."

Atletico coach looks to build on much-needed win

2009-03-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

Atletico Madrid coach Abel Resino has called for more of the same from his side after seeing them produce a superb comeback to beat high-flying rivals Villarreal at the Vicente Calderon.

Atletico's hopes of getting back into the Champions League again next season looked to be fading fast after they fell 2-0 behind against fourth-placed Villarreal having missed a second-minute penalty through Diego Forlan.

A defeat would have left them eight points behind the Yellow Submarine in the chase for the final Champions League spot with only 11 games remaining, but Resino's men resurrected their European dream as goals from Sergio Aguero, Forlan and Antonio Lopez earned them a 3-2 win.

That triumph continued Atletico's fine recent run of league form that, since losing to Sevilla, has seen them beat leaders Barcelona and draw with Real Madrid last weekend in a game they should have won.

Now, Resino is urging his team not to let those standards slip when they come up against less illustrious opposition.

"I'm happy with how we've done in these four games because we deserved to beat Madrid and it was unfair that we lost against Sevilla," he said. "From now on we have to maintain this line against other teams."

Atletico went into the Villarreal game having been knocked out of the Champions League by Porto in midweek after failing to score in the second leg.

And it looked set to be another frustrating night in front of goal as visiting goalkeeper Diego Lopez performed heroics.

Aside from saving Forlan's early penalty, the former Real Madrid custodian produced a series of stunning stops to keep Atletico at bay until Aguero finally made the breakthrough just after half-time.

Despite the missed opportunities though, Resino was full of praise for his side, saying: "Atletico played a great game. It's impossible to have had more chances on goal and Diego Lopez was fantastic.

"At half-time we knew we had to turn the scoreline around in anyway we could. We were able to play at a high pace throughout the game and we picked up a very important win."

Sir Alex boycotts TV interviews in kick-off protest

2009-03-16T06:15:00.001-07:00

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly refused to give television interviews to Sky Sports before or after Saturday's crushing 4-1 defeat to Liverpool in protest at the kick-off time.

Empics

Fergie congratulates Rafa after the game.

Liverpool had an extra day to prepare for the crucial match at Old Trafford, which kicked off at 12.45pm on Saturday, having played Real Madrid on Tuesday evening. But United did not play Inter Milan in their Champions League tie until Wednesday evening, meaning Rafa Benitez's side were presented with extra recovery time.

The defeat was United's heaviest on home soil since Queens Park Rangers handed out a 4-1 thrashing on New Year's Day in 1992.

Sir Alex Ferguson is no stranger to boycotting television station, having not spoken to the BBC since 2004 following a documentary which investigated his son Jason's business dealings as a football agent.

The match was always likely to have a lunchtime kick-off due to the intense rivalry of the two teams involved, though it is thought Sir Alex wanted the game to be played on Sunday to give them an extra 24 hours recovery time.

In 2006-07, the match was played on a Sunday following a round of Champions League games. On that occasion United had played FC Copenhagen on the Tuesday with Liverpool playing Bordeaux on the Wednesday.

When Ferguson did speak, he remarkably claimed United were the better side.

"It is a hard one to take because I felt we were the better team," he said. "That is not reflected in the scoreline and quite rightly, when you win 4-1 you get all the plaudits. I can't deny that."

Team of the Week

2009-03-16T06:14:00.001-07:00

This Sunday's Team of the Week is all about a threesome. Not that sort you understand, but our pick of the players who undoubtedly put on the show of the weekend by thrashing Manchester United in their own backyard.

In all honesty you could close your eyes and point a finger at any of Liverpool's players and stick them in our illustrious line-up but we've gone for Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Fabio Aurelio.

The Torres-Gerrard love-in continued as they both scored, both set one up, and generally ran riot in Manchester. The Spaniard's performance was all the more remarkable due to the fact he clearly wasn't fully fit, while Stevie G got the chance to luxuriate in the knowledge that he'd rammed years worth of insults back down Old Trafford's throat.

Aurelio gets in for shackling Ronaldo to superb effect, affording the Portuguese little room in which to manoeuvre, or to attempt his usual menagerie of arrogant trickery. And, of course, for his delightful free-kick which signalled the beginning of the 'rubbing their noses in it' section of the game.

After a threesome, let's move on to twosomes, starting with the Wigan pair of Chris Kirkland and Charles N'Zogbia. Kirkland had another solid afternoon, even if he will be mildly miffed at letting Grant Leadbitter's shot squirm underneath him - but his fine double save from Andy Reid's deflected shot and Steed Malbranque's follow-up more than made up for it.

As for N'Zogbia, he delivered the game's winning goal by breezing 80 yards up the field unchecked before tucking a low shot past Martin Fulop. Having taken plenty of stick due to his Newcastle past, netting such a storming match-winner may just have put a cheeky smile on the sulky Frenchmen's face.

A winning Spurs duo is next, in the form of Jonathan Woodgate and Aaron Lennon. Both were excellent as Tottenham capitalised on Aston Villa's £30m wobble. Lennon had a hand in both goals, whipping in a devilish cross for the first and breaking into the penalty area in the build-up to Darren Bent's second; while Woodgate's copybook was only slightly spoiled by allowing John Carew to beat him in the air and give Villa a glimmer of hope late in the game. Save for that he was excellent alongside Ledley King, cultivating that Johnny-on-the-spot habit to a tee during the 90 minutes.

Making up the back four are Joleon Lescott and Steven Taylor. The former capped another tireless shift with a goal, even if it did carry with it the faint whiff of offside. The latter rescued a vital point for Newcastle with a deft finish against fellow strugglers Hull. We're not entirely convinced he meant it, but then we'll give him the benefit of the doubt given his "we need men not boys" speech in midweek, where he basically told his team-mates they need to be playing a bit more like him.

Medical marvel Michael Essien continues to defy logic by displaying exemplary form upon his return from six months out through injury. His delightful finish against Manchester City was his second goal in as many games and quite apart from netting the winner, he popped up just about everywhere he was required, bang on time.

Rounding off our illustrious XI is Arsenal's twinkle-toed Russian wunderkind Andrei Arshavin. He must think the Premier League is a piece of the proverbial after scything through Blackburn's defence time after time at the Emirates.

He was in the mix for the first goal, then finished sublimely for the second, and even had a hand in the third as Emmanuel Eboue turned home after his shot had been saved by Paul Robinson. Speaking of Eboue, he nearly got in the side after his two goals but then he was only on the field for seven minutes, and we can't be having that eh?

No question who is our boss of the week. He may look like a fat Spanish waiter - as the song goes - but he's definitely not cracking up. Rafa Benitez knew he'd be in for an avalanche of stick after his infamous Fergie rant of a few weeks ago, but he never could have imagined he'd be hearing his own fans singing the "cracking up" song in an ironic fashion as his side steamrollered the current Champions. Whether he lasts two more weeks or two years at Anfield you can't deny his legacy is shaping up pretty nicely; first Istanbul, now the slaughter in Manchester.

West Ham agree Tevez compensation with Blades

2009-03-16T06:12:00.001-07:00

West Ham United and Sheffield United have confirmed they have come to an agreement on compensation over the Carlos Tevez affair, bringing to an end a saga which has rumbled on for almost two years.

AlexLivesey/GettyImages

Carlos Tevez scores the goal at Old Trafford which secured West Ham's safety.

The row centred around Tevez's eligibility to play for the Hammers towards the end of the 2006/07 season, when the Blades were relegated on the final day of the season after losing at home to Wigan Athletic while Tevez scored the only goal in West Ham's victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

It has sparked three separate inquiries, one of which led to a £5.5m fine - but not a points deduction - for the Hammers.

An independent tribunal had already found in the Championship side's favour though West Ham had been fighting the ruling.

The Bramall Lane club were reportedly seeking compensation in the region of £45m, due to the loss of income brought about by relegation. But it is thought West Ham had come up with documents of their own to prove that relegation only costs £5m in real terms.

Reports at the end of last week claimed the two clubs had agreed a payment of £10-15m, with that figure being paid in instalments over a five year period. Some suggest the final payment may be up to £25m.

The announcement relieves a lot of the financial pressure at Upton Park with the Hammers still reeling from the collapse of Icelandic bank Landsbanki, which was run by owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson who effectively lost most of his personal wealth when the institution collapsed.

The spectre of a possible £45m payout had blocked any chance of a takeover of the club, but now that the Tevez affair has been put to bed the club can move forward without the fear of a sudden sizeable bill coming through the letter box.

The clubs have released a joint statement which read: "West Ham United and Sheffield United have reached an out-of-court settlement with regard to the dispute between the two clubs - agreeing that it is time to move on and bring the matter to an end.

"The agreement means the independent tribunal in relation to Carlos Tevez, chaired by Lord Griffiths, that was due to reconvene today (Monday, March 16) will no longer proceed.

West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury and Sheffield United Chairman Kevin McCabe said: "Both clubs are pleased to announce that a satisfactory settlement for compensation has been reached which brings the dispute between Sheffield United and West Ham United to an end. The tribunal will not be resuming."

Mr Duxbury said: "For everyone concerned, the time was right to draw a line under this whole episode. We have had very positive discussions over a number of days with Sheffield United and acknowledge their willingness to resolve this in the best interests of both clubs.

"This now allows us to concentrate on our immediate ambitions, which include a strong finish to the Premier League season and possible European qualification, without any negative impact on our long-term project. We wish Sheffield United well in their bid to secure promotion from the Championship."

Mr McCabe said: "We are happy and satisfied with the settlement with West Ham. Throughout the finalisation of the terms for the agreement, the discussions were friendly, co-operative and in the best of spirit with both the Blades and Hammers advisory teams.

"We are two clubs with a fantastic footballing history who now want to move on and focus on the business of playing football - hopefully for us against the Hammers in the Premier League next season. We look forward to a positive ongoing relationship with West Ham at all levels."

Hughes end interest in Terry

2009-03-16T04:34:00.000-07:00

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is ready to end his interest in Chelsea captain John Terry.

Hughes admits that it is unlikely that the 28-year-old Chelsea skipper will be heading to Eastlands any time soon.

“Any manager would be interested in John Terry but I can’t see him coming on the market any time soon,” said Hughes.

“John is an outstanding player, someone everyone in football has a great admiration for.

“He’s a great guy and commands respect because of his attitude, application and the way he leads his team.”

Hughes also denied that they were interested in a swap deal that could see Robinho at Chelsea and Terry at City.

“Swapping Terry for Robinho was never on the agenda,” he said.

“Chelsea had a real interest in Robbie (last summer) but he’s our player now, thankfully.

Lyon´s season in freefall

2009-03-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

The season of French League reigning champions Lyon is in danger of becoming pear-shaped following a 2-0 home loss to Auxerre, meaning a win for Paris Saint Germain later on Sunday would hand them top spot.

Barcelona’s 5-2 midweek thrashing of Lyon to knock them out of the Champions League, plus their recent elimination by Lille while defending the French Cup title, has meant an eighth consecutive league title is now their only aim after four consecutive defeats in all competitions.

Goals from Auxerre’s Ireneusz Jelen and then Thomas Kahlenberg in the third minute of injury time condemned Lyon to their first home defeat of the season following seven wins and six draws at their Gerland stadium.

Lyon’s last home league defeat was way back in November 2007.

A victory for PSG against arch-rivals Marseille at the Parc des Princes would put them two points clear at the top, making a trophyless season for Lyon a possibility following a league and cup double last year.

Towards the end of an uneventful first half, Jelen made the most of a bad clearance by Lyon defender Jean-Alain Boumsong and a Kahlenberg pass to find the net before Kahlenberg scored himself by lobbing keeper Hugo Lloris, who had come too far off his line, in the third minute of injury time.

Two minutes before the second goal, Auxerre had failed to convert a penalty kick when Cedric Hengbart’s effort was saved by Lloris, who had fouled Kevin Lejeune in the box moments earlier.

Hiddink: United football race is far from over

2009-03-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

Guus Hiddink insisted the Premier League title race is far from over after Chelsea narrowed the gap on leaders Manchester United to just four points.

Hiddink’s side responded to United’s shock 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool by beating Manchester City courtesy of Michael Essien’s first half goal.

While the Chelsea manager acknowledged that the advantage still lies with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, who have played a game less, he claimed the weekend’s results could have a major impact on the eventual destiny of this year’s championship.

Hiddink believes the decisive factor will be how United react to the shock of being humbled at Old Trafford by one of their fiercest rivals.

Hiddink said: “If it was just four points it would be very close, but they have that game in hand. But it’s clear that after yesterday’s unexpected result that the tension has come back in the league.

“It’s a boost. But if we want to track them, we have to keep on winning. That’ll give tension at the end of the season, which is good for everyone.

“Every now and then you get a defeat you don’t expect. Sometimes you don’t expect it at home because you have a beautiful record at home, then all of a sudden it happens. But they’re a very experienced team.

“Let’s see how they react in the up-coming days. It’s not the first time that it’s happened, but the big teams always react.

“It depends on their calmness if it goes on. When you are in the driver’s seat and someone else is coming, you can get a little bit nervous.”

Essien’s goal was the midfielder’s second in two starts since he returned from the knee injury that has kept him out since March, underlining the belief that the Ghanaian will have a major role to play in the closing weeks of Chelsea’s campaign.

“It was important for the team and the crowd that he came back after a long period of recovery,” Hiddink added. “We played him at Juventus and he did a good job, not just by scoring… like today.

“But by being in the team gives him and us a lot of confidence, and that’s good to see. I knew before he’s very strong, and he gives a lot to the team as well. Plus, it gives me tactically some options to play differently with other players as well.

“When we go to the end of the season, being in three competitions, having him available is important.”

But a successful afternoon’s work was marred by a recurrence of Deco’s thigh injury that could keep the Portugese midfielder out for the season although Hiddink was more optimistic about the knee injury that forced Didier Drogba off in the second half.

“I don’t think Deco will be recovered very shortly,” added Hiddink. “Drogba is not a big problem. He likes to be with the team, to play, to train, so I think he will be recovered very soon. He was in a collision, so we’ll see. Tomorrow, the day after, it’ll be okay.”

City manager Mark Hughes was forced to confront another disappointing away display, particularly from Robinho who had been set to join Chelsea until a deadline-day swoop by Hughes lured the Brazilian to the City of Manchester Stadium.

“You can’t just expect one player to carry the team,” Hughes said. “We have other players who have to stand up to the plate and be counted. Today wasn’t Robi’s day.

“His general performances have been good. Goalscoring wise he’s scored 11 league goals and had a real impact for us. It’s been more difficult for us to get him in the right areas to score, but he’s created a number of goals for us and is helping the team.”

The history of the San Siro stadium

2009-03-16T04:25:00.001-07:00

	A gift from Pirelli The San Siro (named after the saint who had a chapel dedicated to him in this suburb) stadium was a gift from the Milan president Piero Pirelli (in charge from 1909 for twenty years) to 'his Milan'. The stadium was built in just 13 and a half months, thanks to the work of 120 construction workers. The total cost of the operation came to five million lire which in today's terms would translate to three and a half million euro. The stadium was designed by Ulisse Stacchini, the architect whose other major work in the city was the Milan Central Station, and renowned engineer Alberto Cugini.
	The inauguration The San Siro was designed on the English model for stadiums, solely for football with four stands holding a capacity of 35,000 spectators. It opened on 19 September 1926, when a packed stadium watched Inter defeat Milan 6-3. The first league game was played on September 19, 1926 when Milan lost 2-1 to Sampierdarenese while the first international took place on February 20, 1927 and Italy drew 2-2 with Czechoslovakia. Until the end of 1945, the San Siro remained the exclusive property of Milan while Inter played their home games at the Arena in the centre of the city. The 'Theatre of Football' has gone under numerous renovations since then to create the imposing monument to the game it is today.
	The first expansion Milan sold the stadium to the city council in 1935 and three years later the decision was taken to develop the stands. Football had become more and more of a mass phenomenon so the San Siro had to be expanded to meet the demand. Architect Rocca and engineer Calzolari were given the task and they took advantage of the pre-existing structure that supported the interior to build an external ramp to enable access into the stadium. In 1952, the capacity was originally set at 150,000 but after discussions with the city council that figure was rejected. After spending 5.1 million lire on the modernisation of the stadium, the inauguration took place on May 13, 1939 when Italy drew 2-2 with England. Gate receipts for that game came to 1.2 million lire.
	The second development Work on the second expansion of the stadium started in 1954 and 12 months later, on October 26, 1955, it was opened with a capacity of 85,000. The first set of floodlights were installed in 1957 and the electronic scoreboard followed in 1967. The floodlights were modernised in 1979 when the second tier was developed. The stadium was officially renamed in honour of Giuseppe Meazza, the famous Inter and Milan player of the 1930s and 1940s, on March 3, 1980. In 1986, the first tier became an all-seated numbered and coloured section. The main central stand became red, the stands around and facing that, orange, the north stand behind the goal, green and the south stand where the Milan fans gather, blue.
	The third ring For the event of the Football World Cup 1990, the Municipality of Milan decided to proceed with the refurbishment of the “Meazza” stadium after they turned down the idea of building a new stadium due to reasons of high costs and limited time available. The first idea is to design a futuristic and stunning project: the construction of the third ring and the roof to cover all the spectators. The project, design by Architect Giancarlo Ragazzi, Architect Enrico Hoffer and Engineer Leo Finzi, consists of the construction of a third ring of stands, resting on indipendent supports designed around the existing stadium. The structure of the new third ring rests on eleven cylindrical towers in reinforced concrete. These towers also provide access to the stands and various services and are indipendent from the existing construction. Four of these towers also support the reticular beams of the roof. To give maximum comfort all the new seats placed are ergonomic, numbered and colored in four different colors to identify the four main sectors of the stadium. The 85.700 spectators are all covered with a roof made of curved shelters of polycarbonate. Furthermore was installed a new drainage and heating system and a new flood lighting system. In june the 8th 1990 the stadium hosted the opening ceremony of the Football World Cup with the match Argentina vs Camerun. Since then the “Scala del Calcio” host the passions of millions of fans. During the summer 2008, due to the construction works to meet the new Uefa standards, the stadium capacity has become 80.018 spectators.
	The figures To complete the construction, 10,000 quintals of cement, 3,500 cubic metres of sand and 1,500 quintals of iron were needed. In order to mark out the pitch, 80kg of chalk is needed to cover a dimension of 105 metres long and 68 metres wide. The perimeter beams are 204 by 296 metres and weigh 1,100 and 2,000 tonnes, respectively. The roof is covered with 256 floodlights, emitting 3,500 watts. In order to carry out the main construction, two 64-metre high cranes were purposely installed. Inside the stadium, there are emergency exits and a service elevator with a weight capacity of 1,000 kg. The San Siro stadium is situated across from the city race course and is six kilometres from the centre of Milan.
	Not only football The San Siro stadium is a symbol of Milan (such as the Scala and the Duomo) and it’s famous not only for football but for other great events that made is history. For example the boxing match between Duilio Loi and Carlo Ortis (September 1st, 1960), a return match for the world title of welter junior. There were 53.043 people, 8 thousand near the boxing ring for the occasion. That match was won by the Italian and it yielded 130 millions. The stadium has hosted some musical concerts too. Bob Marley (June 27th, 1980) presented his show under the North Curve. There were 90 thousands people to greet the Jamaican musician. The same hail was shown for Bruce Springsteen (1985). The Red Stand has hosted even an open-air disco. Now, under the South Curve, there is a museum that follows all the A.C. Milan and Inter F.C. history through the memorabilia of the people who made that history. The stadium is visited by 50 thousand of people when there’s no matches. Since July 1st, 2001 San Siro is managed jointly by A.C. Milan and Inter F.C..

AC Milan - History: 1985/2007

2009-03-16T04:21:00.002-07:00

After achieving success in previous seasons, Nils Liedholm was reinstated as coach. However, results did not improve in either the league or in cup competitions. The club had arrived at a point where a major overhaul was required and on March 24, 1986, Silvio Berlusconi was named Milan's 21st president.

The new president decided to radically reinforce the team and made the decision to move into the transfer market. In the 1986/78 season, the likes of Roberto Donadoni, Dario Bonetti, Giuseppe Galderisi, Daniele Massaro and Giovanni Galli were signed to join English stars Mark Hateley and Ray Wilkins. It would take the new arrivals time to gel but Milan managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup thanks to a play-off win over Sampdoria, with Massaro scoring the only goal of the game in extra-time.

Massaro and Baresi on the steps of the helicopter at Milanello

The 1978/89 season saw the arrival of Arrigo Sacchi. The new coach was an exponent of zonal marking, total football, along with pressure and speed on opponents when they had possession. Along with the arrival of Dutch stars Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit, the team would enter a new and exciting era that would transform the game not only in Italy but throughout the world. Youth team player Alessandro Costacurta was also promoted to the first-team squad and Milan got down to turning the season into one of those incredible moments. Despite some adverse off-field penalties, including losing a match 2-0 against Roma due to a sporting arbitration decision, the team fought-back and went head-to-head with Diego Maradona's Napoli at the top of the table. A 3-2 win at Napoli's San Paolo stadium on May 18, 1988 gave Milan its 11th league title and the first of the Berlusconi era.

The Dutch pair of Gullit and Van Basten were joined by fellow-countryman, Frank Rijkaard to form another new trio from the same country much as Gunnar Nordhal, Nils Liedholm and Gunnar Gren - the 'Gre-No-Li' - had done back in the 1950s. From that point on, it was success after success. In the 1988/89 season, Milan ruled Europe, lifting the Champions Cup after knocking out Vitocha, Red Star Belgrade, Werder Brema and then Real Madrid in the semi-finals to reach the final against Steaua Bucarest. Over 100,000 spectators filled Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium to watch Milan run out 4-0 winners. With Sacchi in charge, the team won a league title, two Champions Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, two European Super Cups and one Italian League Super Cup.

The three Dutch stars: Gullit-Rijkaard-Van Basten

Former Milan midfielder Fabio Capello replaced Sacchi at the start of the 1992/93 season but the team continued to dominate both at home and abroad, winning four league titles (three consecutively), three Italian League Super Cups, one Champions Cup (won in the unforgettable final against favourites Barcelona) and one European Super Cup.

The period between 1986 and 1996 was without a doubt the most prolific period, not only in terms of the number of trophies won, but in the excellent performances and exciting style of play. "The Immortals" and "The Invincibles", as they were known, took the game to new heights but the late '90s were not as positive as the beginning of the decade had been. The club alternated between a succession of coaches (Tabarez, then Sacchi and Capello again) but with the arrival of Alberto Zaccheroni in 1999, Milan won its 16th league title in the same season as the club's centenary celebrations.

The rest of Milan's history takes us up until the present period, with Carlo Ancelotti taking over from Fatih Terim, and coincides with the team winning the Champions League in 2003 when they defeated Italian rivals Juventus in the final. Milan also lifted the Italian Cup and the European Super Cup that same year.

Celebrations at the San Siro after winning the Italian Cup and Champions League (2002/03 season)

The league title returned to the club's Via Turati headquarters at the end of the 2003/04 season for what was the 17th time and the team started the following season by winning the Italian League Super Cup on August 21. However, the 2004/05 season was to leave a bitter taste in the mouth, and despite some excellent performances, the team was unable to attain the heights of the previous campaign. The 2006/2007 season instead was one of excellent work in terms of effort, courage and success on the pitch. Milan were given little chance following the penalisation handed out by the sporting judges at the start of the season but the players and coaching staff 'pulled up their sleeves' to turn events around in an amazing way. The players were called back early from their summer holidays, with some of them having just won the World Cup. The squad gathered at Milanello, united and determined, and they qualified for the group phase of the Champions League thanks to a two-legged win over Red Star Belgrade in the preliminary round. Milan also started well in the league but paid for their lack of pre-season preparation as the year wore on. However, some warm-weather training in Malta during the winter break revitalised the team. Carlo Ancelotti's players were in excellent form going into the final stages of the season, as they centred their objectives on fourth place in the league and the Champions League. With fourth place secured, the final in Athens confirmed the strength of character of the team as it overcame the injustice, envy and misfortune it was forced to endure.

One of the last conquered trophies is the European Supercup won on 31st August 2007 in Montecarlo in the final played against Seville, the Uefa Cup title holder: a match played without enthusiasm due to the premature death of the Andalusian player Antonio Puerta. However, another important appointment is scheduled for the Rossoneri in the 2007/2008 season: the difficult trip to Japan to win the FIFA Club World Cup, the most prestigious intercontinental trophy a Club can long for. Milan left Italy to Yokohama ready to face this nth challenge with one more motivation: winning the trophy would mean becoming the most successful Club in the world with the highest number of international trophies conquered and therefore beating Argentine Boca Juniors. After winning the semi-final against Urawa Red Diamonds Ancelotti’s men started concentrated and determined the final tie against Boca. The “world derby” was staged: the Rossoneri’s performance was practically perfect, decisively spectacular and the final result, 4-2 for them, crowned Milan as the most successful Club in the world. The city of Milan and all Milan’s fans celebrated together with the players this prestigious goal achieved thanks to the strength of a fantastic group capable of offering very special moments.
Over the last few seasons the Rossoneri, four-times semi-finalists of the top European competition in five years, have certainly reaffirmed themselves as key players in the national and international scenarios, and are prepared for new achievements supported by the enthusiasm of their numerous fans In Italy and abroad, and by over one hundred year tradition of emotions and successes.

AC Milan - History: 1970/1985

2009-03-16T04:21:00.001-07:00

History: 1970/1985

One of the darkest periods of Milan's history that left the club with little to celebrate. The only bright spot came when the team were bestowed the honour of wearing 'the Star' on their jerseys after winning a 10th league title, in 1979. The team also lifted the Italian Cup on three occasions along with one European Cup Winners’ Cup.

The Italian champions were coached by Nils Liedholm, who gave a debut to a young player who would go on to captain the side and become one of the best defenders in the world: Franco Baresi. The great Franco played his first competitive game for Milan on April 23, 1978 in a 2-1 victory at Verona.

A young Franco Baresi in action during a derby game against Inter in the 1978-79 season

These years also saw numerous coaches come and go and the retirement of the legendary midfield general Gianni Rivera who moved on to take a position as club vice-president.

The first eight years of the 1980s saw a decline in the previous high standards, with the team playing two seasons in Serie B. However, it was not all bad news as Paolo Maldini stepped onto the football stage when he made his debut on January 20, 1985 in a 1-1 draw at Udinese. Paolo, of course, would go on to follow in Baresi's footsteps and captain the side to success both at home and abroad.

AC Milan - History: 1960/1970

2009-03-16T04:19:00.002-07:00

While the previous years had been marked by foreign players (Gre-No-Li, Schiaffino-Altafini) leading the way, between 1960 and 1970, Italian players would not only take over as protagonists in the club's history but come to prominence in the world game and gain fame at an international level. From the Rome 1960 Olympic side arrived players such as Trapattoni, Trebbi, Alfieri and Noletti along with a young boy named Gianni Rivera who played his first game for the club when he was only 17 against Alessandria, his previous team, in a 5-3 win for Milan. The Rossoneri were in the title race right down to the wire but two defeats in the last two games, against Bari and Fiorentina, gave them only a runners-up spot.

When Nils Liedholm left, 'Paròn' Nereo Rocco arrived as the new coach to herald a new era, marked by success both at home and abroad. The first trophy was the league title in the 1961-62 season, but the most exciting and memorable success was the first European Cup. The final against Benfica, played at Wembley Stadium on May 22, 1963, was a fascinating match: Milan raised the cup after defeating the Portuguese side 2-1 (Altafini scored twice for Milan and Eusebio scored for Benfica). The iconic image of captain Cesare Maldini raising the cup together with Nereo Rocco is still imprinted in the memory of all Rossoneri supporters..

Nereo Rocco and Cesare Maldini with the European Cup won at Wembley (1963)

Milan were unable to repeat their success in the Intercontinental Cup, where Milan lost the decisive match 1-0 at the Maracanà Stadium against Santos. At the end of the season, president Andrea Rizzoli left the club after nine years of great successes including four league titles, one Latin Cup and the prestigious European Cup. He is remembered not only for his sporting achievements, but also for establishing the training centre of Milanello which would become an important asset down through the years..

Gianni Rivera in action at the San Siro (1968)

After a number of disappointing seasons where the team played well below their potential, Milan returned to the top of the table in the 1967-68 season, winning their ninth league title and the prestige of the club grew further with the victory of the European Cup Winners' Cup, the first in Milan's history. Having been crowned champions meant a return to the European Cup the following season and the Rivera-Prati partnership turned on the style in the final at the Bernabeu stadium where they defeated Dutch side Ajax, which included a young Johan Cruijff, 4-1. Milan goalkeeper Fabio Cudicini had already earned the nickname 'The Black Spider' following his exploits in keeping Manchester United at bay in the semi-final. Milan were also finally crowned World Champions after a 3-0 win at the San Siro was followed by a 2-0 defeat at the Bombonera Stadium in Buenos Aires against Estudiantes. The class and style of Gianni Rivera earned the midfield playmaker the Golden Ball for the European Footballer of the Year in 1969, earning this wonderful tribute: 'in a barren world of football, Rivera is the only one to possess a sense of poetry.'

Fabio Cudicini (first on the right) celebrates winning the European Cup along with his team-mates (1967-68).

AC Milan - History: 1949/1955

2009-03-16T04:19:00.001-07:00

The arrival of Gunnar Nordhal marked the beginning of a new era for a Rossoneri side that had for too many years been considered also-rans when it came to the league title. Apart from Nordhal, who was the league's top-scorer with 35 goals in the 1949/50 campaign, two other Swedes joined the team: Nils Liedholm and Gunnar Gren. All three, along with goalkeeper Buffon, were the reinforcements the side needed.

Gren and Annovazzi in 1950.

Milan won its fourth title in the 1950/51 season and crowned a historical year by adding the Latin Cup.

Success kept coming and Nordahl was the league's leading goalscorer for three consecutive seasons, 1952/53, 1953/54 and 1954/55. In his last season, the captain fittingly led the Rossoneri to another title.

Nordahl in action in the 50s.

In 1954, Juan Alberto Schiaffino, nicknamed "Pepe", was bought from Penarol and became one of the leading players in the team for years to come.

Jorgen Sorensen, Eduardo Ricagni, Gunnar Nordahl, Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Amleto Frignani (1954/55 season))

AC Milan History: 1899/1929

2009-03-16T04:18:00.001-07:00

On December 16, 1899 Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club was officially formed, but the first time Milan's name appeared publicly was on Monday, December 18 in an article by the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. The original headquarters were initially in the Fiaschetteria Toscana in Via Berchet in Milan and President Alfred Ormonde Edwards enrolled the team in the Italian Football Federation the following January.

Reproduction of the distinctive Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club badge

The team played just one game during their first season, against Torino, and despite a defeat Milan lifted their first Trophy, the 'King's Medal', presented by King Umberto I.

Herbert Kilpin, the first legendary Rossoneri captain.

In 1900/01, Milan won their first national title and their second King's Medal, which they went on to win again the following season. Over the years, Kiplin's team had widespread success and Milan became the most popular team in the Lombardy region, winning the prestigious 'Palla Dapples' for three successive seasons (1904/05 - 1905/06 - 1906/07), even though they failed to make in-roads in the Championship: the second title failed to arrive until the 1905/06 season and the third was won the following year.

A photo of Louis Van Hege from the 1909/1910 season

The leading player was Louis Van Hege, a great goalscorer with an extraordinary average of 1.1 goals per game. In the 1914/15 season, the Championship was halted before the end of the year due to the outbreak of World War I, and it only started again in 1919. After several changes in the management structure, Pietro Pirelli was appointed as the new President. He held this role for almost twenty years, during which time the San Siro Stadium was inaugurated.

A.C. Milan

2009-03-16T04:14:00.000-07:00

Club Details:

Full name: Associazione Calcio Milan SpA
Nickname(s): Rossoneri (Red-Blacks), Il Diavolo (The Devil)
Founded: December 16, 1899
Colours: Red/Black Stripes, White Shorts, Black Socks
League: Italian Serie A

Ground:

Ground: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, San Siro, Milan, Italy
Capacity: 85,700

Founded:

December 16, 1899

Notable Staff:

Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
President: Silvio Berlusconi

Serie A Champions:

1901, 1906, 1907, 1950-51, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1967-68, 1978-79, 1987-88, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04

Coppa Italia Winners:

1966-67, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1976-77, 2002-03

European Cup Winners:

1962-63, 1968-69, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1993-94, 2002-03, 2006-07

European Cup Winners' Cup Winners:

1967-68, 1972-73

Rivals:

Inter Milan

About AC Milan:

Originally founded as Milan Cricket and Football Club on December 16, 1899, by a former British vice-consul in Milan called Alfred Edwards, AC Milan also initially included a cricket section, managed by Edward Berra, and a football section assigned to David Allison.

The current club colours of red and black were immediately chosen to represent the club who went on to break Genoa’s monopoly and win the national league in in 1901, 1906 and 1907. A year later a rift opened between some of the members over whether or not to sign foreign players and a progressive faction split to form Internazionale of Milan.

Milan Cricket and Football Club played under that name until the fascist regime ordered them to change their name to Associazione Calcio Milano in 1939 which was then changed to the current version of Associazione Calcio Milan once the Second World War ended.

AC Milan have had several legendary sides throughout the years including the Il Grande Milan team which featured a trio of Swedish players composed by Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm in the early 1950s and the first great side of the Silvio Berlusconi era which included Dutch triumvirate Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten.

Perhaps the greatest side of the modern era was the AC Milan Dream Team of the early to mid 1990s which, under Fabio Capello, went on an unprecedented 58 game unbeaten run with such Milan greats as Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi and Roberto Donadoni and won the Scudetto in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996 as well as competing in three successive European Cup finals, winning the trophy in 1994.

Milan’s recent history has included a more dark twist as they again have become embroiled in a match fixing scandal similar to that which saw them punished by relegation for the same offence in 1980. This time the Italian authorities imposed a 30 points deduction for the previous season and another 8 points deduction for the upcoming 2006/2007 season.

Luck seems to shine on AC Milan however as despite the hindrance of a points deduction in Serie A, the club didn't falter in their quest for silverware in 2006/2007, lifting the European Champion's League trophy for a seventh time and gaining revenge on 2005 victors Liverpool in the final in Athens, Greece.

Arsenal Boss Eyes Summer Triple Swoop To Spark French Revolution At The Emirates

2009-03-15T09:37:00.001-07:00

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger seems to be determined to add to the French ranks at the Premier League club in the summer, with Lille midfielder Yohan Cabaye the latest French player to be tipped for a move to the Emirates Stadium at the end of the campaign.

Recent reports have linked the Gunners boss with Sebastien Bassong at Premiership rivals Newcastle United, while Arsenal are also understood to want Mamadou Sakho at Lille’s Ligue 1 rivals paris St Germain, with 19-year-old Sakho being hailed as the new Marcel Desailly in France.

Arsenal’s interest in Cabaye has been well documented, with the North London club heavily linked with the midfielder during the January transfer window and are now understood to be ready to make a swoop for the Lille midfielder, who is under contract at the Stadium Lille-Metropole until 2013 in the summer.

23-year-old Cabaye is valued at £6.25million by transfermarket.co.uk, with the French Under-21 International, who has made over 100 appearances for Les Dogues since his debut in 2004, declaring that while he remains focused on Lille’s push for qualification to the Champions League, no one could refuse to play for Arsenal.

“I will try to finish the season well with the objective of a European qualification. Then I will take stock,” Cabye told Aujourd’hui Sport.

“Arsenal’s interest? It is very flattering, but I am under contract and I don’t know of any contact. Once again I am completely focused on the pitch.

“Would I be attracted? Of course, no one could refuse that. Anyway, I don’t think about it.”

Should Cabaye arrive at the Emirates in the summer along with Sakho and Bassong, Wenger will be hoping the trio can have a similar impact to previous French players at Arsenal, with Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires and Gunners all-time top-scorer Thierry Henry helping the Gunners to many trophies during their time in North London.

West Ham To Swoop For Everton Target? - Watch Him In Action

2009-03-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

West Ham United have been linke with a summer move for Inter Milan striker David Suazo, who had been a target for Premier League rivals Everton in January and is currently on loan at Portuguese side Benfica.

Honduran International Suazo is considered surplus to requirements at the San Siro by Inter boss Jose Mourinho, with the striker seeming destined to depart the Nerazzurri at the end of this campaign

Benfica are understood to want to extend Suazo’s loan period at the Stadium of Light for another season, but Inter are believed to prefer a straight sale for Suazo, with reports claiming that Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola is ready to make an approach for the Honduran in the coming weeks and bring the striker to Upton Park.

Suazo has scored four times in 12 appearances in the league for the Eagles this season on his loan spell from the San Siro, where he failed to settle after his transfer from Cagliari in 2007 and is valued at just under £10million by transfermarket.co.uk, but could be available for less, given Mourinho’s apparent haste to discard the Honduran.

Agent: Man City Target Villa Not Leaving Spain

2009-03-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

Valencia star David Villa's agent has revealed that the Spanish International will not be leaving the La Liga side for Manchester City in the Premier League this summer, with the striker to stay in Spain.

Los Che vice-president Fernando Gomez revealed yesterday that talks had taken place between Valencia and City about a proposed summer switch from the Mestalla to the Eastlands Stadium, with the Spanish side tipped to sell their top players at the end of the campaign due to serious financial trouble at the club.

However, Gomez did concede that no offer had been made by the Premiership club for 27-year-old Villa, with the EURO 2008 Winner’s agent, Jose Luis Tarmago declaring that the prolific forward will remain in Spain.

“He will not move from Spain, he's very clear on that,” he told Spanish sports daily El Mundo Deportivo.

Villa only signed a new deal with Los Che last August and is under contract at the Mestalla until 2014, with the striker the most prized asset at the Spanish side and could set a new world record transfer fee if sold in the summer.

The news that Villa is not keen on leaving La Liga, will come as a blow for City, who would have had no trouble finding any huge fee for the striker due to the backing at the Eastlands club of the super-wealthy ADUG.

Tamargo went on to claim that any transfer for the striker will not come down to money and reiterated Villa’s desire to stay in Spain, which will increase speculation that the striker is destined for the Nou Camp and Barcelona at the end of the season.

He added: “I don't know what type of contact there has been between them, if there has been, nor any agreements that could be made but his future will not be outside the country.

“It's not a question of money.”

It is claimed in some quarters that the Spaniard already has a verbal agreement in place with the Blaugrana, with City set to miss out on another world star at the Eastlands, which will frustrate the ADUG, who are determined to turn the Blue half of Manchester into a major force at home and in Europe.

QPR Seal Loan-Deal For Young Spurs Star - Watch Him In Action

2009-03-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Adel Taarabt has secured a loan-move to Championship side Queens Park Rangers until the end of the 2008/09 season.

The 19-year-old Moroccan International, who made his debut for Morocco against the Czech Republic this year, moved to Spurs from French side RC Lens in 2007, but struggled to find a place in the Tottenham side while former Lilywhites boss Juande Ramos was in charge, with the attacking midfielder failing to receive a squad number from the Spanish tactician at the start of this season.

The former France Under-16, Under-17 and U-18 player managed to feature three times under new Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, with substitute appearances in the FA Cup against Manchester United and against Arsenal in the Premier League this year.

However, Taarabt has now decided to make a move across the Capital to secure regular first-team football with Championship side QPR, who are still aiming to seal a play-off spot, with the talented attacking midfielder likely to make his debut for Paulo Sousa's side when they travel to face Southampton on Saturday.

Taarabt, speaking to the official QPR website, said: “Harry Redknapp told me that Tottenham are not really in a position to give young players like me an opportunity right now, and he said that QPR were keen on me.

“He told me to come here and show what I can do. As soon as I knew about the move, I was interested.

“Other Championship clubs came in for me, but QPR is a team that plays football in a way that I like to play it.”

Ipswich Town Seal Loan-Deal With Spurs For Former Barcelona Star After Walters Ruled-Out For Season

2009-03-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Giovani Dos Santos has secured a loan-move to Championship side Ipswich Town until the end of the 2008/09 season after Jon Walters was ruled-out for the rest of the season.

25-year-old Waters has been sidelined until the close-season with ruptured ankle ligaments, meaning Ipswich Town boss Jim Magilton has had to bring in Spurs striker Giovani Dos Santos on-loan for the rest of the season to replace the injured Walters.

19-year-old Mexican International Dos Santos moved to Spurs from Barcelona in June 2008, but has struggled to find a regular first-team place with the Premier League side, and Spurs boss Harry Redknapp advised Dos Santos to take the opportunity of regular first-team football by joining Ipswich in their quest to secure a play-off place.

Magilton told the official Ipswich Town website: "Losing Jon is obviously a blow for us and we wanted to bring in someone to replace him. I'm delighted that we have managed to do that so quickly.

"Gio has got a great pedigree having been at Barcelona and playing 30-odd games for them and I know there was a lot of interest in him last summer.

"He's played games for Tottenham in the Premier League and in Europe and he will bring some added quality to the squad.

"He is with us for the rest of the season and will go straight into the squad for the Reading game and be in contention to play."

The FC Barcelona Camp Nou Stadium

2009-03-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

The FC Barcelona Camp Nou Stadium
Address: Avinguda Aristides Maillol, s/n
08028, Barcelona.

The FC Barcelona Camp Nou Stadium was opened on the 24th of September 1957. The first match that took place in the Camp Nou was FC Barcelona against a team from Warsaw and the Barcelona line-up in the new Stadium was formed by:Ramallets, Olivella, Brugu, Segarra, Vergs, Gensana, Basora, Villaverde, Martnez, Kubala and Tejada. Bara won 4-2.

HOW TO GET TO THE CAMP NOU STADIUM BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT?
Bus lines: 7, 15, 43, 67, 68, 74, 75, L12, L50, L60 and L62. Metro: Line 3 (Get off at Maria Cristina or Les Corts) and Line 5 (Get off at Collblanc or Badal).

Video: Visit the FC Barcelona Store

Video:FC Barcelona guided tour: Part 1

Video: FC Barcelona guided tour: Part 2

FC Barcelona History

2009-03-15T09:15:00.001-07:00

FC Barcelona History

THE FC BARCELONA : MORE THAN A CLUB

On the 29th of November 1899, Joan Gamper founded the Football Club Barcelona ( Barça). Gamper chose the famous blue and claret as the team colours for they are the colours of the Swiss canton he came from. The myth was born: Kubala, Suárez, Cruyff, Maradona and Ronaldinho, among many others, have signed up for this Club. During the 20th century, "Barça" has become a Barcelona symbol, a symbol that represents the Catalan identity as a nation. That's why it is said that "Barça" is more than a Club.

THE MYTH IS BORN

In the Solé Gym office, on the 29th of November 1899, Gamper met Gualteri Wild, Lluís d'Ossó, Bartomeu Terrados, Otto Kunzle, Otto Maier, Enric Ducal, Pere Cabot, Carles Pujol, Josep Llobet, John Parsons and William Parsons. Eleven sportsmen gathered in order to found a football club. Gualteri Wild was appointed President. The 1st match contested was at the Bonanova Cycle Track and they played against a group of English expatriates who were living in Barcelona. The Englishmen won 1-0. On the 14th of March 1909, the Club inaugurated its 1st own ground at c/Indústria, with a capacity for 6,000 people. At that time, the Barcelona FC obtained their first victories: The Catalan Championships: 1909-10, 1910-11, 1912-13, 1915-16, 1918-19 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22 and the Spanish Championships: 1909-10, 1911-12, 1912-13, 1919-20 and 1921-22.

LES CORTS STADIUM

The Les Corts ground (also known as "The Cathedral of Football") was inaugurated on the 20th of May 1922. That stadium had an initial capacity of 30,000 spectators but later doubled to 60,000. In 1924 the Club had already 12,207 members and a big number of supporters laid the foundations of the current social mass. During the season 1928-1929, Barça won brilliantly the 1st edition of the Spanish National League Title and ended, therefore, a period full of titles.

THE 30'S
Joan Gamper died on the 30th of July 1930. The decade which was about to start had a fatal beginning and the Club entered a period of decline: institutional crisis, many members left the Club, bad sports results and the Franco's supporters political pressure. The Civil War in 1936 had disastrous consequences for the FC Barcelona. Josep Suñol, President of the Club, was murdered by Franco's soldiers near Guadalajara. However, the Barça kept alive and in 1936 decided to go on tour around Mexico and the USA, fact that would help the Club financial problems. In March 1938 the fascists dropped a bomb on the FC Barcelona Social Club and cause serious damage. In 1939, the Franco's troops created many problems to the Club because it had already become a symbol to the Catalan people. The number of members also dropped to 3,486.

LA COPA LATINA (The Latin Cup)
During the 40's, Barça gradually recovered despite their internal difficulties. In June 1943, the scandalous game against Madrid in the Chamartín ground, saw the Barca players threatened by referee and police and Piñeyro, a fascist supporter, but honestly disgusted at the treatment his team had received, resigned from the presidency of the Club (which he had held since 1940). Better times were to come. Barça won the National League Titles 1944-45, 1947-48 and 1948-49 and the Latin Cup Title 1949, a competition which preceded the European Champions Cup Title, the FC Barcelona 1st international success. It was the time of César, Basora, Velasco, Curta, the Gonzalvo brothers, Seguer, Biosca o Ramallets. Barça celebrated their 50th anniversary reaching member numbers of 24,893.

KUBALA
Ladislao Kubala arrived in Barcelona in June 1950 and made the FC Barcelona become an unbeatable team thanks to their magic forward line: Basora, César, Kubala, Moreno and Manchón. Between 1951 and 1953, Barça won every competition on offer (Spanish Leagues 1951-52 and 1952-53 and Spanish Cups 1950-51, 1951-52 and 1952-53). From that golden period, it is important to emphasize the season 1951-52, in which they obtained the Five Cups: Spanish League, Spanish Cup, Latin Cup Eva Duarte and Martini Rossi trophies.

THE CAMP NOU, 1957

Kubala was too huge a figure for Les Corts and soon Francesc Miró-Sans promoted the building of the Camp Nou Stadium, which got inaugurated on the 24th September 1957. The new stadium had a capacity of 90,000.

Barça won the Spanish Leagues 1958-59 and 1959-60, and the Fairs' Cups 1957-1958 and 1959-60, coached by Helenio Herrera with such excellent players as Kocsis, Czibor, Evaristo, Kubala, Eulogio Martínez, Suárez, Villaverde, Olivella, Gensana, Segarra, Gràcia, Vergés and Tejada. The 60's were a period of crisis (they won the Spanish Cups 1963 and 1968 and the Fairs' Cup 1966, only). However, it was then that the sentence "more than a Club" was born. Barça was over the sports level: the Club and its colours became a way to defend the Catalan national identity.

CRUYFF
In 1973, the signing of Dutch Johan Cruyff put the finishing touches to a golden forward line of Rexach, Asensi, Cruyff, Sotil and Marcial, who led the league winning side of 1973-74. Coinciding with the Club's 75th anniversary, there were now 69,566 members, making it the most powerful sporting club in the World. Joan Miró did the commemorative poster of that event

JOSEP LLUÍS NUÑEZ
In 1978, Josep Lluís Núñez became President of the FC Barcelona. The Club then began a considerable period of social and financial expansion. The increase in member numbers reached the 100,000 and many supporter's clubs were founded. The FC Barcelona was becoming the sports most important entity in the world. Barça were also provided with emblematic sports facilities: the Camp Nou expansion (with a capacity of more than 100,000 spectators), the building of the Miniestadi, the Palau Blaugrana, and so on.

The Núñez era constitutes without any doubt the most brilliant sports moment in the Barça history: Basilea Cup Winner’s Cup, the Spanish League 1984-85, under Terry Venables, the Dream Team (1990-1994) under Johan Cruyff (four consecutive Spanish Leagues, the Cup Winners' Cup, the Spanish Cup and the Spanish Super Cup, and the European Champions Cup at the Wembley Stadium). Then came Bobby Robson, who won the Cup Winner's Cup, the Spanish Cup and the Spanish Super Cup in the 1996-97 season and Louis van Gaal's consecutive League Titles in 1997-98 and 1998-99, when the team won the double for the first time in 39 years.

TODAY'S BARÇA

The FC Barcelona is currently a sports entity which includes basketball, handball, hockey, athletism, ice-hockey, figure skating, indoor football, rugby, baseball, volleyball and women's football sections. The football team are the only side to have qualified for European competition every year since its inauguration in 1955. There are now a total of 105,706 members and 1,508 supporters clubs.

History of Manchester United Football Club ( part4)

2009-03-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

Alex Ferguson era, pre-Treble (1986–1998)

Alex Ferguson has been manager of Manchester United since November 1986.

Alex Ferguson arrived from Aberdeen to replace Atkinson on the very day that Atkinson was sacked, bringing with him his assistant manager, Archie Knox. Although his first match in charge, against Oxford United on 8 November 1986, resulted in a 2–0 defeat, Ferguson guided the club to an 11th place finish in the league. A second place finish in 1987–88, with Brian McClair becoming the first United player since George Best to score twenty league goals in a season, may have given fans a tiny glimpse of the future, but they soon returned to mediocrity with another 11th-place finish in 1989.

Many of Ferguson's signings did not reach the expectations of the fans, and the manager was reportedly on the verge of being sacked at the beginning of 1990, with many believing that defeat to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup Third Round would seal his fate. A 56th-minute goal from Mark Robins won the match for United and started them on a cup run that would take them all the way to the final at Wembley, where they beat Crystal Palace 1–0 in a replay after a 3–3 draw in the original match. The following year, United reached the final of the League Cup, but lost 1–0 to former manager Ron Atkinson's Sheffield Wednesday team. However, the season was capped by the club's first Cup Winners' Cup title, beating Barcelona 2–1 in the final in Rotterdam. The Cup Winners' Cup triumph allowed the team to play in the 1991 UEFA Super Cup, in which they beat European Cup holders Red Star Belgrade 1–0 at Old Trafford. The match should have been played over two legs, but, due to political unrest in Yugoslavia at the time, UEFA decided that only the Old Trafford leg would be played. A second consecutive League Cup final appearance followed in 1992, with United this time beating Nottingham Forest 1–0 at Wembley.

Meanwhile, events were taking place off the pitch around the turn of the decade, as chairman Martin Edwards attempted to offload the club to property tycoon Michael Knighton in 1989. The £20 million deal was all but confirmed, with Knighton even taking to the Old Trafford pitch in full Manchester United kit and performing a few keepie uppies before belting the ball into the goal at the Stretford End. Knighton was given access to the club's financial records, but, before the deal could be finalised, his financial backers pulled out and the deal was cancelled. However, since Knighton now had insider knowledge of the club, he was given a place on the club's board in exchange for his silence about the matter. In 1991, requiring some extra financial support in the wake of the Taylor Report, the club floated on the London Stock Exchange with a valuation of £47 million,^[21] bringing its finances into the public eye. Martin Edwards retained his position as chairman, but the club was now publicly owned.

The summer of 1991 also saw the arrival of Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, whose 17 league clean sheets gave United the best defensive record in the First Division in 1991–92, helping them to a second-place finish behind Leeds United, within whose ranks was a certain French maverick named Eric Cantona. Alex Ferguson recognised United's need for a striker as a foil for Mark Hughes and Brian McClair, and had tried – and failed – a number of times to sign Sheffield Wednesday striker David Hirst, but when Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson rang Martin Edwards in November 1992 to enquire about the availability of Denis Irwin, the conversation quickly turned to Cantona. To Edwards' and Ferguson's surprise, the two clubs were able to agree upon a fee of £1.2 million for the enigmatic Frenchman. Cantona's arrival provided the crucial spark for United, helping the team to their first league title since 1967. After the signing of Roy Keane from Nottingham Forest in July 1993, United won a second consecutive title for the first time since 1957 the following year, before winning the FA Cup to complete the first "Double" in the club's history. That same year, however, the club went into mourning following the death of former manager and club director Matt Busby, who died on 20 January 1994.

The 1994–95 season was to be the club's first trophyless season since 1988–89, although they managed to take the title race down to the final week of the season and reached the final of the FA Cup, where they lost to Everton. Andy Cole was signed from Newcastle United for a British record fee of £6 million plus Keith Gillespie. However, the game after Cole's United debut, Eric Cantona received an eight month suspension for jumping into the crowd and assaulting Crystal Palace supporter Matthew Simmons, who had given Cantona racial abuse as he left the field, in United's game at Selhurst Park. Cantona's suspension has been cited by some as the reason why United were unable to complete a hat-trick of league titles that season. The season's relative failure prompted Ferguson into some major restructuring of the team, selling Paul Ince, Andrei Kanchelskis and Mark Hughes and replacing them with players from the club's youth team, including David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Paul Scholes. After the club's 3–1 defeat to Aston Villa on the opening day of the 1995–96 season, television pundit Alan Hansen famously declared "you'll never win anything with kids."^[22] The new players, several of whom quickly became regular internationals for England, responded well and, buoyed by Cantona's return in October 1995, United became the first English club to have won the double twice, a feat that would be nicknamed the "Double Double".^[23]

Captain Steve Bruce left for Birmingham City in July 1996, and Alex Ferguson named Eric Cantona as the new club captain. He led the team to a fourth league title in five years in 1996–97, before retiring from football at the age of 30 at the end of the season. Teddy Sheringham was brought in to replace him, and his iconic number 7 shirt was handed to David Beckham. They started the 1997–98 season well, but they lost five matches after Christmas and finished in second place, one point behind double-winners Arsenal. After a period without a regular challenger for the league title, this marked Arsenal's arrival as genuine title contenders for the next few years.

The Treble (1998–99)

The Treble trophies – the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup (left to right)

The 1998–99 season for Manchester United was the most successful season in English club football history as they became the only English team to win The Treble – winning the Premiership, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in the same season.^[24] After a very tense Premier League season, Manchester United won the title on the final day beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–1, whilst Arsenal won 1–0 against Aston Villa.^[25] Winning the Premiership was the first part of the Treble in place, the one part that manager Alex Ferguson described as the hardest.^[25] In the FA Cup Final United faced Newcastle United and won 2–0 with goals from Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes.^[26] In the final match of that season, the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final they defeated Bayern Munich in what is considered one of the greatest comebacks ever witnessed, going into injury time a goal behind and then scoring twice to win 2–1.^[24] Ferguson was subsequently knighted for his services to football.^[27] Rounding out that record breaking year, Manchester United also won the Intercontinental Cup after beating Palmeiras 1–0 in Tokyo.^[28]

After the Treble (1999–present)

United won the league in 2000 and 2001 but the press saw these seasons as failures as they failed to regain the European Cup. In 2000, Manchester United became one of 14 founder members of the G-14 group of leading European football clubs.^[29] The club also declined to take part in the 1999–2000 FA Cup, instead competing in the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil, citing pressure from the FA, UEFA and the England 2006 World Cup bid committee. Ferguson adopted more defensive tactics to make United harder to beat in Europe but it was not a success and United finished the 2001–02 Premiership season in third place. They regained the league the following season (2002–03) and started the following season well, but their form dropped significantly when Rio Ferdinand received a controversial eight month suspension for missing a drugs test. They did win the 2004 FA Cup, however, knocking out Arsenal (that season's eventual league champions) on their way to the final in which they beat Millwall.

The 2004–05 season was characterised by a failure to score goals, mainly due to the injury of striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and United finished the season trophyless and in third place in the league. This time, even the FA Cup eluded them as Arsenal beat United on penalties after a goalless draw after 120 minutes. Off the pitch, the main story was the possibility of the club being taken over and on 12 May 2005, American businessman Malcolm Glazer acquired a controlling interest in the club through his investment vehicle Red Football Ltd. in a takeover valuing the club at approximately £800 million (then approx. $1.5 billion).^[30]^[31] On 16 May, he increased his share to the 75% necessary to de-list the club from the Stock Exchange, making it private again, and announced his intention to do so within 20 days.^[31] On 8 June, he appointed his sons to the Manchester United board as non-executive directors.^[32]

United made a poor start to the 2005–06 season, with midfielder Roy Keane leaving the club to join Celtic after publicly criticising several of his team-mates, and the club failed to qualify for the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over a decade after losing to Portuguese team Benfica. Their season was also dealt cruel blows with injuries to key players such as Gabriel Heinze, Alan Smith, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. However, they were prevented from being left empty-handed in successive seasons – a disappointment not endured in the last 17 years – by winning the 2006 League Cup, beating newly promoted neighbours Wigan Athletic in the final 4–0. United also ensured a second-place finish and automatic Champions League qualification on the final day of the season by defeating Charlton Athletic 4–0. At the end of the 2005–06 season, one of United's key strikers, Ruud van Nistelrooy, left the club to join Real Madrid, due to a row with Alex Ferguson.^[33]

In July 2006, the club announced a refinancing package. The total amount will be £660 million, on which interest payments will be £62 million a year.^[34] This result of this new financing plan will be a 30% reduction of annual payments.^[35] On the pitch, the 2006–07 season saw United return to the attacking style of football that was the cornerstone of their years of success in the late 1990s, scoring almost 20 more goals in 32 matches than second placed side Chelsea. In January 2007, United signed Henrik Larsson on a two-month loan from Swedish side Helsingborgs, and the striker played an important role in advancing United to the semi-finals of the Champions League,^[36] with hopes for a second Treble; however, upon reaching the semi-finals, United lost to Milan 3–5 on aggregate.^[37] Four years after their last title, United claimed back the Premier League title on 6 May 2007, after Chelsea drew away with Arsenal, leaving the Blues seven points behind with two games to go, following United's 1–0 victory in the Manchester derby the previous day, making it their ninth Premiership title in the 15 seasons of its existence. However, an unprecedented fourth Double was not to be, as Chelsea beat United 1–0 in extra time in the first FA Cup Final to be held at the new Wembley Stadium; the first to be held in England since the old stadium was demolished seven years earlier.

2007–08 saw United successfully complete the European double despite a poor start to the season, finding themselves in 17th place in the Premier League after three matches. However, on 11 May 2008, United retained the Premier League title with a win over Wigan Athletic. With title rivals Chelsea only able to draw with Bolton Wanderers, United finished the season two points clear. The club also reached the European Cup final for the third time in their history, having knocked out such clubs as Barcelona and Roma en-route to the final. They beat Chelsea 6–5 on penalties in the final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, after a 1–1 draw in normal time on 21 May 2008. With this win, they earned their third European Cup title and kept up their record of never having lost a major European final. Coincidentally, this season marked the 100th year since Manchester United won their first League title, 50 years after the Munich air disaster and 40 years after Manchester United became the first ever English side to win the European Cup. The European Cup final also saw Ryan Giggs make his 759th appearance for the club, overtaking Bobby Charlton as the club's record appearance maker.

Before the start of the 2008–09 season, United competed in and won the 2008 FA Community Shield. United beat 2007-08 FA Cup winners Portsmouth 3-1 on penalties, after the match finished 0–0 after 90 minutes. On 21 December 2008, United added more silverware to their trophy cabinet with a win in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup Final, defeating the Ecuadorian side LDU Quito 1–0 in Japan, Wayne Rooney scoring the winning goal. Two months later, they added the 2009 League Cup to their trophy cabinet, after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 on penalties.^[38]

History of Manchester United Football Club ( part3)

2009-03-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

1969–1986

Manchester United badge in the 1960s and early 1970s

The coat of arms of Manchester City Council, upon which the crest of Manchester United was based. The arms are used by the club for prestigious occasions

United struggled to replace Busby, and the team struggled under Wilf McGuinness in the 1969–70 season, finishing a disappointing eighth, and following a poor start to the 1970–71 season, McGuinness was demoted back to the position of reserve team coach. Busby was coaxed back to the club, albeit only for six months. Results got better with Busby's guidance, but he finally left the club for the last time in the summer of 1971. In the meantime, United had lost a number of high-profile players such as Nobby Stiles and Pat Crerand.

Despite approaching Celtic's European Cup-winning manager, Jock Stein, for the manager's job – Stein had agreed a verbal contract to join United, but pulled out at the last minute – Frank O'Farrell was appointed as Busby's successor. However, like McGuinness, O'Farrell only lasted less than 18 months, the only difference between the two being that O'Farrell reacted to the team's poor form by bringing in some fresh talent, most specifically Martin Buchan from Aberdeen for £125,000. Tommy Docherty became manager at the end of 1972. Docherty, or "the Doc", saved United from relegation that season but United were relegated in 1974, by which time the golden trio of Best, Law and Charlton had left the club. Denis Law had moved to Manchester City in the summer of 1973, and ended up scoring the goal that many people say relegated United, and politely refused to celebrate the goal with his team mates. Players like Lou Macari, Stewart Houston and Brian Greenhoff were brought in to replace Best, Law and Charlton, but none could live up to the stature of the three that came before.

The team won promotion at the first attempt, with a young Steve Coppell making his début towards the end of that season, having joined from Tranmere Rovers, and reached the FA Cup final in 1976, but were beaten by Southampton. They reached the final again in 1977, beating Liverpool 2–1. In spite of this success and his popularity with the supporters, Docherty was sacked soon after the final when he was found to have had an affair with the physiotherapist's wife.

Dave Sexton replaced Docherty as manager in the summer of 1977, and made the team play in a more defensive formation. This style was unpopular with supporters, who were used to the attacking football preferred by Docherty and Busby. Major signings under Sexton included Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, Gary Bailey and Ray Wilkins, but Sexton's defensive United failed to break out of mid-table obscurity, only once finishing in the top two, and only reached the FA Cup final once, losing to Arsenal. Because of this lack of trophies, Sexton was sacked in 1981, even though he won his last seven games in charge.

He was replaced by the flamboyant Ron Atkinson, whose extrovert attitude was reflected in the clubs he managed. He immediately broke the British record transfer fee to sign Bryan Robson from his old club, West Brom. Robson would come to be touted in the future as United's best midfield player since Duncan Edwards. Atkinson's team featured new signings such as Jesper Olsen, Paul McGrath and Gordon Strachan playing alongside former youth team players Norman Whiteside and Mark Hughes. United won the FA Cup twice in three years, in 1983 and 1985, and were overwhelming favourites to win the league in the 1985–86 season after winning their first ten league games, opening a ten-point gap over their rivals as early as October. The team's form collapsed, however, and United finished the season in fourth place. The poor form continued into the following season, and with United on the edge of the First Division's relegation zone by the beginning of November 1986, Atkinson was sacked.

History of Manchester United Football Club ( part2)

2009-03-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Busby years (1945–1969)

1945 saw the appointment of Matt Busby to the manager's post at Old Trafford. He took an uncommon approach to his job, insisting that he be allowed to pick his own team, choose which players to sign and direct the team's training sessions himself. He had already missed out on the manager's job at his former club, Liverpool, because the club saw those tasks as jobs for the directors, but United decided to take a chance on Busby's innovative ideas. Busby's first signing was not a player, but a new assistant manager by the name of Jimmy Murphy. The risk the club had taken in appointing Busby paid immediate dividends, with the club finishing second in the league in 1947, 1948 and 1949 and winning the FA Cup in 1948, thanks in part to the locally born trio of Stan Pearson, Jack Rowley and Charlie Mitten (Rowley and Pearson both scored in the 1948 Cup Final), as well as the centre-half from the North-East, Allenby Chilton.

Charlie Mitten had fled to Colombia in search of a better salary, but the remainder of United's old heads managed to win the First Division title back in 1952. Busby knew, however, that football teams required more than just experience in the side, and so he adopted a policy of bringing in players from the youth team whenever possible. At first, the young players such as Roger Byrne, Bill Foulkes, Mark Jones and Dennis Viollet, took time to bed themselves into the side, sliding to a low of eighth place in 1953, but the team won the league again in 1956 with an average age of only 22, scoring 103 goals in the process. The youth policy set in motion by Busby has now become a hallmark of the most successful periods in the club's history (the mid-1950s, mid-to-late-1960s and 1990s). Busby's original "crop" of youth players was referred to as the Busby Babes, the jewel in the crown of which was a wing-half named Duncan Edwards. The boy from Dudley in the West Midlands made his United début at the age of just 16 back in 1953. It was said that Edwards could play at any position on the field, and many who saw him play said that he was the greatest player ever. The following season, 1956–57, they won the league again and reached the FA Cup final, losing to Aston Villa. They also became the first English team to compete in the European Cup, at the behest of the FA, who had denied Chelsea the same opportunity the previous season, and reached the semi-final, only to be knocked out by Real Madrid. En route to the semi-final, United also recorded a win that still stands as their biggest win in all competitions, beating Belgian champions Anderlecht 10–0 at Maine Road.

A plaque at Old Trafford in honour of the players who died in the Munich air disaster.

Tragedy struck the following season, when the plane carrying the team home from a European Cup match crashed on take-off at a refuelling stop in Munich, Germany. The Munich air disaster of 6 February 1958 claimed the lives of eight players – Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Liam "Billy" Whelan – and another fifteen passengers, including United staff members Walter Crickmer, Bert Whalley and Tom Curry.[20] There had already been two attempted take-offs before the fatal third, which was caused by a build-up of slush at the end of the runway slowing the plane down to a speed insufficient for take-off. The plane skidded off the end of the runway, through a fence and into an unoccupied house. United goalkeeper Harry Gregg managed to maintain consciousness after the crash, and through fear of the plane exploding at any second, he grabbed both Bobby Charlton – who had made his United début less than 18 months earlier – and Dennis Viollet by their waistbands and dragged them to safety. Seven United players died at the scene, while Duncan Edwards died a fortnight later in hospital. Right-winger Johnny Berry also survived the accident, but injuries sustained in the accident brought his football career to a premature end. Matt Busby was not given much hope of survival by the Munich doctors, and was even given the Last Rites at one point, but recovered miraculously and was finally let out of hospital after having spent over two months there.

There were rumours of the club folding and withdrawing from all competitions, but with Jimmy Murphy taking over as manager while Busby recovered from his injuries, the club continued playing with a makeshift side. Despite the accident, they reached the FA Cup final again, where they lost to Bolton Wanderers. At the end of the season, UEFA offered the FA the opportunity to submit both United and the eventual champions, Wolverhampton Wanderers, for the 1958–59 European Cup as a tribute to the victims, but the FA declined. United managed to push Wolves right to the wire the following season, finishing in a creditable second place; not bad for a team that had lost nine first-team players to the Munich air disaster.

Busby rebuilt the team throughout the early 1960s, signing players such as Denis Law and Pat Crerand, all the while nurturing his new generation of youngsters. Perhaps the most famous of this new batch was a young man from Belfast named George Best. Best had a natural athleticism rarely seen, but his most valuable asset was his close control of a football. His quick feet allowed him to pass through almost any gap in the opposition defence, no matter how small. The team won the FA Cup in 1963, albeit finishing in 19th place in the First Division. The FA Cup triumph seemed to reinvigorate the players, who helped the club to second place in 1964, and then went one better by winning the league in 1965 and 1967. United won the European Cup in 1968, beating Eusébio's SL Benfica 4–1 in the final, becoming the first English club to win the competition. This United team was notable for containing three European Footballers of the Year: Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best. Matt Busby resigned as manager in 1969 and was replaced by the reserve team coach and former United player, Wilf McGuinness.

History of Manchester United Football Club ( part1)

2009-03-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, based at Old Trafford in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and is one of the most popular football clubs in the world,with over 330 million supporters worldwide – almost 5% of the world's population.The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the exception of the 1974–75 season. Average attendances at the club have been higher than any other team in English football for all but six seasons since 1964–65.

Manchester United are the reigning English champions and European and Club World Cup holders, having won the 2007–08 Premier League, the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, and the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. The club is one of the most successful in the history of English football and has won 21 major honours since Alex Ferguson became manager in November 1986. In 1968, they became the first English club to win the European Cup, beating Benfica 4–1. They won a second European Cup as part of a Treble in 1999, before winning their third in 2008. The club also holds the record for the most FA Cup titles with 11.

Since the late 1990s, the club has been one of the richest in the world with the highest revenue of any football club,and is currently ranked as the richest and most valuable club in any sport, with an estimated value of £897 million (€1.333 billion / $1.8 billion) as of September 2008. Manchester United was a founding member of the now defunct G-14 group of Europe's leading football clubs,and its replacement, the European Club Association.

Alex Ferguson has been manager of the club since 6 November 1986, joining from Aberdeen after the sacking of Ron Atkinson.The current club captain is Gary Neville, who succeeded Roy Keane in November 2005.

Early years (1878–1945)

The Manchester United team at the start of the 1905–06 season in which they were runners-up in the Second Division and promoted

Chart showing the progress of Manchester United F.C. through the English Football League system since joining as Newton Heath in 1892–93 to 2007–08

The club was formed as Newton Heath L&YR F.C. in 1878 as the works team of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. The club's shirts were green and gold halves. They played on a small, dilapidated field on North Road for fifteen years, before moving to Bank Street in the nearby town of Clayton in 1893. The club had entered The Football League the previous year and began to sever its links with the rail depot, becoming an independent company, appointing a club secretary and dropping the "L&YR" from their name to become simply Newton Heath F.C.. Not long afterwards, in 1902, the club neared bankruptcy, with debts of over £2,500. At one point, their Bank Street ground was even closed by the bailiffs.[15]

Just before having to be shut down for good, the club received a sizeable investment from J. H. Davies, the managing director of Manchester Breweries.[16] Legend goes that Harry Stafford, the club captain, was showing off his prized St. Bernard dog at a club fund-raiser, when Davies approached him to buy the dog. Stafford declined, but was able to persuade Davies to invest in the club and become club chairman.[17] It was decided at one of the early board meetings that the club required a change of name to reflect the fresh start they had been afforded. Manchester Central and Manchester Celtic were among the names suggested, before Louis Rocca, a young immigrant from Italy, said "Gentlemen, why don't we call ourselves Manchester United?"[18] The name stuck, and Manchester United officially came into existence on 26 April 1902. Davies also decided it would be appropriate to change the club's colours, abandoning the green and gold halves of Newton Heath, and picking red and white to be the colours of Manchester United.

Ernest Mangnall was appointed as club secretary after James West had resigned as manager on 28 September 1902. Mangnall was charged with trying to get the club into the First Division, and fell just short of that target at the first attempt, finishing in fifth in Division Two. Mangnall decided that it was necessary to bring in some fresh faces to the club, and signed players such as Harry Moger in goal, Dick Duckworth at half-back and John Picken up front, but it was another new half-back by the name of Charlie Roberts who made the biggest impact. He cost the club a then-record £750 from Grimsby Town in April 1904, and helped them to a third place finish in the 1903–04 season, just a point short of the second promotion place.

It was not long, however, before the club was at last promoted to the First Division for the first time under their new name, finishing in second place in the 1905–06 Second Division. A season of consolidation followed, with the club finishing in eighth, before they finally won their first league title in 1908. Manchester City had recently been under investigation for paying some of their players a salary over the amount allowed by FA regulations. They were fined £250 and eighteen of their players were banned from playing for them ever again. United were quick to pounce on the situation, picking up Billy Meredith (the Welsh Wizard) and Sandy Turnbull, amongst others. The new boys from across town were ineligible to play until New Year's Day 1907, due to their suspension, so it was left until the 1907–08 season for them to make a proper impact on United's bid for the title. And that they did, getting the campaign off to a storming start, with a 2–1 victory over Sheffield United, beginning a run of ten consecutive victories. Despite a shaky end to the season, United managed to hang on and finished the season nine points ahead of their closest rivals, Aston Villa.

The following season began with United picking up another piece of silverware, the first ever Charity Shield,[19] and ended with another, the club's first FA Cup title, sowing the seeds for what has become a record number of FA Cup titles. Just as they were in the club's first title-winning campaign, Turnbull and Meredith were instrumental in this season, Turnbull scoring the winner in the FA Cup Final. The club had to wait another two years before winning any more silverware, winning the First Division for the second time in the 1910–11 season. In the meantime, United moved to their new ground at Old Trafford. They played their first game there on 19 February 1910 against Liverpool, but lost 4–3 having thrown away a 3–0 lead. They then went trophyless again in the 1911–12 season, which not only proved to be the last with Mangnall in charge (he moved to Manchester City after ten years with United), but also the last time the club won the First Division for 41 years, the longest they have gone without winning the league in their history.

For the next ten years, the club went into a state of gradual decline before being relegated back down to Division Two in 1922. They were promoted again in 1925, but struggled to get into the top half of the table, and were relegated again in 1931. In the eight years leading up to the Second World War, the club became somewhat of a yo-yo club, reaching their all-time lowest position of 20th in Division Two in 1934. They were promoted and relegated once again before being promoted in the penultimate season before the Second World War. They guaranteed their place in the top flight for after the war by finishing in 14th in the 1938–39 season.

Review of Manchester United F.C.

2009-03-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Full name

Manchester United Football Club

Nickname(s)

The Red Devils

Founded

1878, as Newton Heath L&YR F.C.

Ground

Old Trafford
Trafford
Greater Manchester
England
(Capacity: 76,212^[2])

Owner

Co-chairmen

Manager

League

Premier League, 1st

Home colours

Away colours

Third colours

Grafite hat-trick puts Wolfsburg second

2009-03-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Brazilian striker Grafite scored a hat-trick to help VfL Wolfsburg beat Schalke 4-3 on Friday and lift his side into second in the Bundesliga behind Hertha Berlin.

With Hertha hosting Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, Wolfsburg did not waste their chance to move up the table and close the gap to just a single point while Grafite has now scored 17 goals in 15 league games.

Wolfsburg are unbeaten at home in the league this season, but the record was in danger early on as Schalke’s Germany defender Heiko Westermann’s pin-point accurate shot gave Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio no chance.

His goal after only nine minutes was cancelled out when Grafite was brought down in the penalty area, only to gather himself to convert the spot kick on 26 minutes.

Wolfsburg have only lost five of their 23 games this season and former Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath has forged them into a strong outfit with plenty of resilience.

The home side took a 2-1 lead into the break when Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko kept up his remarkable scoring record with his eighth goal in six games to bring his tally to 13 goals in 22 games.

Schalke left Dzeko unmarked on 44 minutes and the sharp-shooter slotted his shot past the guest’s goalkeeper Mathias Schober.

After the break, Grafite knocked in his second when midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic slipped him a pass and the Brazilian found the target again after 74 minutes.

Germany midfielder Jermaine Jones scored just two minutes later to keep Schalke in the game, but Grafite completed his hat-trick when substitute Ashkan Dejagah picked up a loose ball and forced a two-on-three situation.

Although the Schalke defence scrambled back, the Germany Under-21 star tried a shot and Grafite was on hand to make sure the ball crossed the line on 84 minutes to claim his third of the night.

With time running out, former Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi hit a final consolation goal deep in injury time.

Pato confident of Champions League success next season

2009-03-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

AC Milan youngster Alexandre Pato is confident they will win the Champions League next season.

The Brazilian ace has impressed for AC Milan in the Serie A recently and believes they will manage to qualify for the Champions League this season.

“Milan have won everything in the past,” Pato told La Gazzetta Dello Sport. “The fans and critics have always been used to seeing us win.

“It’s normal sometimes to go through a period like we have. However, I am sure we will return to the Champions League next season and we will win it. We will start a new cycle.”
Pato has scored 12 goals so far in the Serie A for AC Milan

Wounded Real ready to forget Liverpool humiliation

2009-03-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Following their demoralising Champions League exit to Liverpool on Tuesday all that is left for Spanish champions Real Madrid this season is trying to retain the league where they trail Barcelona by six points.

Real?s first visit to Anfield was memorable for all the wrong reasons as Liverpool thrashed them 4-0 - with the tie won 5-0 on aggregate - and the nine-time European champions have now failed to get past the last 16 of the competition since 2004.

Manager Juande Ramos must pick his side up for Saturday?s trip to Kings Cup finalists Athletic Bilbao and Real can?t afford a European hangover as they pursue Barca in the title race.

“At Real Madrid when things are going great we are among the greatest teams in the world, however, when they are going badly we are the worst club in the world,” explained Argentine Gabriel Heinze.

“The Liverpool game was a real setback and I understand the disappointment of the fans because I am sad too. The only solution is to win on Saturday.”

The Liverpool humiliation is the first time Ramos has come under real pressure at Real and the former Tottenham coach will know that managers don?t last long at the Santiago Bernabeu.

To make matters worse for Real fans, Barcelona cruised into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 5-2 drubbing of Lyon to maintain their treble push.

Pep Guardiola?s team are at Almeria on Sunday without any major injury concerns apart from the absence of their versatile captain Carles Puyol.

“We have a few tough months ahead of us but we will go far with this spirit (against Lyon),” said Guardiola. “We have to recover mentally and physically for Almeria and get the win.”

Barcelona have a six-point cushion over Real and will be desperate to maintain that lead as they still have to play Real at the Bernabeu.

The alluring fixture this weekend is a Champions League duel between Atletico Madrid and Villarreal at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.

The two teams had contrasting fortunes in the Champions League knockout stage with Villarreal getting past Panathinaikos while Atletico were eliminated by FC Porto.

In the league Villarreal occupy fourth, five points ahead of Atletico who will view this as a must-win game.

Atletico coach Abel Resino surprisingly benched Diego Forlan for the Porto game and strike partner Sergio “Kun” Aguero hinted that he was confused by the tactical switch.

“Playing up front and competing against three defenders is impossible,” Aguero said. “I don?t get involved with team selection as that is for the coach, but as far as I am concerned Diego (Forlan) is a key figure in the team.”

The pair are expected to be reunited on Sunday as they bid to reel in a Villarreal side that are starting to motor.

Valencia are a point below Atletico after just one win in their last ten outings and need a home win over Recreativo Huelva on Saturday to keep their fading Champions League hopes alive.

This season Valencia have struggled against the teams at the bottom - losing to relegation-threatened Osasuna, Real Mallorca and Numancia - so they ought to be wary against Recre.

Coach Unai Emery, in his first season at the Mestalla, got the dreaded vote of confidence from the Valencia board this week reflecting the pressure he is under.

Emery started brilliantly with the club top of the table after the first eight games but off-the-field issues - such as unpaid player wages - appear to have dented morale at the cash-troubled club.

Sevilla missed out on the Champions League last season but are on course to qualify in this campaign lying third, a comfortable five points ahead of Villarreal.

On Sunday Sevilla travel to promoted Malaga who are having an incredible season on their return to the top-flight sitting just three points off the top four.

Fixtures

Saturday

Valencia v Recreativo Huelva, Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid

Sunday

Malaga v Sevilla, Valladolid v Getafe, Espanyol v Real Mallorca, Real Betis v Osasuna, Sporting Gijon v Deportivo La Coruna, Racing Santander v Numancia, Atletico Madrid v Villarreal, Almeria v Barcelona

Silva could join Juventus

2009-03-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Valencia star David Silva has admitted that he could join Italian giants Juventus at the end of the season.

The Spanish club is struggling with financial problems and could be forced their star players and the Bianconeri are looking to bring in someone to replace Pavel Nedved in the summer.

“Why would Nedved want to retire? He still looks very young when you see him in action,” Silva told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“He has been one of European football’s greats and I don’t think I deserve to be compared to him.

“Juve were knocked out of the Champions League by Chelsea, but they went out with their heads held high.

“They are a great and prestigious club on the international stage and they have so many champions.

“Could I win the Champions League with Juve next season? Why not? I dream of the magical moment of lifting that trophy.”

[Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport]

Hiddink will still leave at end of season

2009-03-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink has reiterated his desire to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the Premier League season despite numerous players wanting the Dutch manager to stay on, according to BBC Sport.

Michael Ballack and Petr Cech are reportedly two of the players hoping Hiddink will stay on past the end of the season with 6 wins and a draw against Juventus since the Russian national team manager took over.

However, Hiddink has once again told press that he will leave Chelsea in order to concentrate on his role as manager of the Russian national side, saying: “I made it very clear a few weeks ago - and again recently - what the future will be for me after 30 May, I don’t have to do that again.”

Under Hiddink Chelsea have reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup semi-final and have moved up to second in the Premier League, causing the likes of Cech and Ballack to publicly praise Hiddink, but the Dutchman remains undeterred saying: “They might change their minds about me when I put them on the bench or not even in the squad,” joked Hiddink.

“But there is a good atmosphere of work here and we are very demanding of each other. If they are happy with the way we are working and it’s going well with results it’s all OK. “

Robinho believes in Man City

2009-03-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Brazilian superstar Robinho believes Manchester City can challenge for silverware in the coming seasons.

Robinho was among the first to join City following the club’s takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group.

“Chelsea came to me with a good offer (in the summer) and they are huge club. On top of that, they had a coach in Big Phil (Scolari), for whom I have the biggest respect,” Robinho said in the Daily Express.

“Every player wants to play for a big club like Chelsea, but Manchester City made me a great offer and the opportunity to be involved in a huge project - and I’m very pleased with the way things have gone so far.

“I’m sure that one day we can rival clubs like Chelsea. We are a very ambitious club and many people underestimate us.

“We may not be the biggest club yet, but let’s not forget where Chelsea were a few years ago. We can do as well as they’ve been doing in recent years.

“Manchester City are aiming for big things and with the new wealthy owners anything is possible.

“We want to be up there and maybe win the Champions League one day. That’s the ultimate aim.”

Liverpool stun United to keep title race alive

2009-03-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

Liverpool breathed new life into the Premier League title race with a stunning 4-1 win against 10-man Manchester United on Saturday.

Rafa Benitez’s side came from behind in an explosive clash at Old Trafford to move within four points of leaders United, who still have a game in hand on their bitter rivals.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first half penalty gave United the lead, but Fernando Torres equalised and Steven Gerrard scored from the spot to put Liverpool in front before half-time.

In the 77th minute, Nemanja Vidic was sent off for hauling down Gerrard and Fabio Aurelio scored from the resulting free-kick.

Andrea Dossena completed a memorable day for the Reds when he lobbed in the fourth in the 90th minute, handing United their biggest home defeat since QPR ran riot at Old Trafford on New Years Day 1992.

A rush of blood from Liverpool keeper Jose Reina had gifted United the lead in the 23rd minute. Carlos Tevez clipped a pass towards Park Ji Sung, who was going away from goal, and Reina rashly charged off his line to send the South Korea winger crashing to the turf.

Ronaldo made Reina pay for his misjudgement as the Portugal winger stepped up to lash home the penalty.

But United’s lead was short-lived. In the 28th minute, Vidic allowed a long punt forward to bounce over his head and Torres nipped in to rob the United defender and stroke a cool finish past Edwin van der Sar.

Just before half-time Torres sent Gerrard surging away from Patrice Evra into the penalty area. Evra could only hack Gerrard down and the Liverpool captain picked himself up to slot in the spot-kick.

Vidic’s nightmare day was complete in the 77th minute when he lost possession to Gerrard and hauled down the midfielder, earning a straight red card from referee Alan Wiley.

Aurelio rubbed salt into Vidic’s wounds as he curled the free-kick past van der Sar. Then Dossena ran clear to chip in the fourth, condemning the hosts to their first league defeat at Old Trafford since February 2008 and sealing Liverpool’s first double over United for seven years.

Chelsea, seven points behind United, can keep alive their title hopes with a win at home to Manchester City on Sunday.

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Henry Wary Of Facing Arsenal

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