Football A-Z

Tottenham wins with late goal on San Siro

2011-02-16T19:59:00.002Z

AC Milan vs Tottenham was one of the most anticipated quarter finals of the Champions League. The Italians were hoping for a comfortable win that would allow them to start as favorites in the second leg. However the first half of the game seemed to show something totally different.

Tottenham started to pus from the begining of the match, and created several goal opportunities. For the first 45 minutes AC Milan seemed a little bit dazed and overwhelmed by Tottenham's forcing. They managed however to resist and keep the score even at half time.

The second half showed two different teams. Milan started to push and began creating opportunities, while Tottenham retreated and tried to counter whenever it had the opportunity. Milan took control of the game, and everybody expected a tough final for Tottenham. However, in the 80th minute, a wrong pass from Ibrahimovic resulted in a fast counter-attack, and Peter Crouch scored an unexpected goal. In the last 10 minutes Milan tried to even the match but didn't manage to create real danger. Ibrahimovici scored a goal that was rejected due to a foul, and his protests were in vainb. The game ended 0-1 to the crowd's dismay, and Tottenham will have a comfortable advantage to defend in the second round.

Beckham plays down England record

2009-03-27T13:52:00.002Z

David Beckham says he is more interested in getting England to the 2010 World Cup than breaking Bobby Moore's appearance record.

Former captain Beckham will become England's most capped outfield player by winning his 109th cap if he plays in Saturday's friendly against Slovakia. But the 33-year-old said: "It would be special but I would rather get the team to the World Cup than anything else.

"When I was on 94 caps I never expected to make 100."

With Arsenal winger Theo Walcott ruled out through injury and Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips struggling with an ankle problem, Beckham stands a good chance of figuring in coach Fabio Capello's plans for the friendly at Wembley as England prepare for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier with Ukraine. Should he be chosen in the first XI it would be the 100th start of his England career, but it is a position he refuses to take for granted as just over two years ago his international career seemed over.

He added: "I didn't believe I would play for England once I was taken out of the team. When I was left out of the squad by [former coach] Steve McClaren I just allowed myself to be proud of the number of caps I had. As a young boy all I dreamed of was playing at Wembley and playing for my country, even if it was just the once. It was only when I got to 50 that I thought about reaching 100. But I definitely felt I would end up on 94."

Beckham's career has been revitalised by a loan move from Los Angeles Galaxy to AC Milan and it appears to have secured his short-term future in the squad. If he stays fit throughout their World Cup qualification campaign - and the tournament itself should they qualify - he is in line to break Peter Shilton's all-time England record of 125 caps.

That landmark, though, is not something he is considering at the moment. "Once we've qualified I need to stay fit and get in the squad," he said. "If that happens we will wait and see where I am on the caps front. If I break Shilton's record then great. If not we will have to see what the future holds."

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Keane to impress!

2008-08-11T17:51:00.002+01:00

Standard Liege v Liverpool

If Robbie Keane scores the last goal, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on this match.

* Applies to 1st/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles placed before kick-off only.
* Max Refund €300/£200 per customer/bet.
* Applies to win part of each way goalscorer bets only.
* Own goals do not count.
* If the Robbie Keane plays no part in the game, the special will refer to ' if the last goal is scored outside the box'.
* Paddy Power football rules apply.

Lampard wants Inter move - Moratti

2008-07-18T15:04:00.001+01:00

Inter chairman Massimo Moratti claims that number one target Frank Lampard has given the green light to move to Italy. The Nerazzurro supremo has admitted for the first time that the club have reached an agreement with the England international.

Lampard has reportedly accepted the chance to reunite with former manager Jose Mourinho at the Giuseppe Meazza, news that will surely disappoint his numerous supporters.

Nevertheless, Moratti understands patience is needed for Inter, as Chelsea could snub the offer and block the exit of their talismanic midfielder. "For the acquisition of Lampard we need to have patience,” Moratti told the club’s official website. “We have the player's approval but we have to respect Chelsea's rights. His club has every right to keep him."

Source: sport.setanta.com

Euro 2008 is over - Congratulations to Spain

2008-07-03T20:23:00.002+01:00

Euro 2008 is over, after some fantastic nights with spectacular games. Spain obtained a deserved win, after winning all games except for the draw against Italy in the quarter-finals. Germany played well and reached the finals, but it didn't shine.

Some strong teams were big disappointments, like France and Italy who played very bad. There were others who impressed, and left the tournament with the head up, like it was the case of Turkey, Russia or Croatia. Personally, I liked Turkey most during this tournament, because of their determination and offensive style. They never surrendered and managed to turn the game in their favor in some situations when nobody believed there is anything else that could be done. The games against Switzerland, the Czech Republic or Croatia were unforgettable, and I can say that Terim's team won my respect in this tournament.

I think the most unlucky teams were Netherlands, Croatia and Portugal, who showed good football in all their games, but didn't manage to get to the semi-finals.

The conclusion is that the most constant team won the tournament. Congratulations to Spain for this extraordinary performance!

Paddy Power weekend bulletin

2008-06-19T22:30:00.002+01:00

Paddy Power (Friday 20th June – Sunday 22nd June)

Euro 2008
Croatia v Turkey Friday, 7.45pm
Holland v Russia Saturday, 7.45pm
Spain v Turkey Sunday, 7.45pm

Other Sport
Amir Khan v Michael Gomez Boxing Saturday 10pm
French Grand Prix F1 Sunday, 1pm

PADDY POWER MONEY-BACK SPECIALS

Penalty Points
If you back a team to win in 90 mins and they go on to reach the semi-finals via a penalty shootout Paddy Power will refund losing win-draw-win 90 minute match bets on that team.

Terms & Conditions: Applies to win-draw-win 90 minute single bets placed before kick-off only. Max Refund €300/£200 per customer/bet. Paddy Power football rules apply.

PADDY POWER QUARTER FINAL SPECIALS

To Reach Semi Finals
2/5 Croatia
7/4 Turkey
1/3 Holland
2/1 Russia
8/11 Spain
Evs Italy

To Win On Penalties

9/1 Croatia
9/1 Turkey
9/1 Holland
9/1 Russia
15/2 Spain
15/2 Italy

To Win in Extra Time

15/2 Croatia
14/1 Turkey
15/2 Holland
17/1 Russia
17/2 Spain
10/1 Italy

Spain v Italy
13/1 Spain to come from behind and win
4/1 Match to go to penalties

Luca Toni Specials
The Italian striker has looked more like the leaning tower or Pisa than a Roman gladiator so far this tournament, missing even the barn door let alone the actual goal. How will he perform against Spain? (90 mins only)

How many shots will Luca Toni have?
Evs Three or less
8/11 Four or more

Will Toni have more shots on target or off target?
Eve More off target than on
11/5 More on target than off
11/5 Tie

How many shots will Luca Toni have off target?
4/5 Two or less
10/11 Three or more

Who will have most shots on target?
6/4 Villa
6/4 Torres
11/5 Toni

Latin Temperaments - First player to be sent off

20/1 Ramos
20/1 Marchena
22/1 Puyol
22/1 Senna
25/1 Fabregas
28/1 Alonso
28/1 Capdevilla
33/1 Casillas
33/1 Iniesta
33/1 Xavi
33/1 Juanito
33/1 Albiol
33/1 Arbeloa
40/1 Garcia
40/1 Silva
50/1 Torres
50/1 Villa
50/1 Guiza

16/1 Materazzi
22/1 De Rossi
25/1 Perrotta
25/1 Camoranesi
25/1 Zambrotta
28/1 Grosso
28/1 Panucci
33/1 Buffon
33/1 Toni
33/1 Cassano
33/1 Ambrosini
33/1 Barzagli
40/1 Quagliarella
40/1 Borriello
40/1 Aquilani
40/1 Gattuso
40/1 Chiellini
50/1 Del Piero
50/1 Di Natale

Holland v Hiddink’s Russia
10/1 Hiddink to be sent to the stands
9/2 Hididnk to sing the Dutch anthem
66/1 Hiddink to wear an orange tie
250/1 Hididnk to celebrate a Dutch goal

How Many Will Holland Score?
7/2 None
7/4 One
23/10 Two
9/2 Three
17/2 Four or more

EURO 2008 WEEKEND MATCHES

Match Betting
Home Draw Away
Croatia v Turkey 10/11 23/10 7/2
Holland v Russia 5/6 12/5 4/1
Spain v Italy 6/4 2/1 11/5

Correct Scores & First Scorers

Croatia v Turkey
1-0 2-0 2-1 3-0 3-1 3-2 4-0 4-1 4-2
5/1 7/1 7/1 14/1 14/1 25/1 40/1 40/1 80/1

0-0 1-1 2-2 3-3 0-1 0-2 1-2 0-3 1-3 2-3 4-0 4-1 4-2
7/1 5/1 13/1 80/1 9/1 22/1 12/1 80/1 45/1 50/1 375/1 225/1 250/1

First Goalscorer

6/1 Petric
6/1 Olic
7/1 Budan
15/2 Klasnic
9/1 Kalinic
10/1 Kranjcar
11/1 Modric
14/1 Srna
18/1 Kovac
18/1 Vukojevic
25/1 Pranjic
25/1 Leko
33/1 Vejic
33/1 Corluka
40/1 Knezevic
40/1 Simic
40/1 Simunic
50/1 Kovac

7/1 No Scorer e/w odds 1/3 places 1, 2, 3

15/2 Nihat
9/1 Semih Senturk
10/1 Tuncay
10/1 Mevlut
16/1 Kazim-Richards
16/1 Arda Turan
18/1 Tumer Metin
22/1 Karadeniz
22/1 Hamit Alintop
25/1 Sabri Sarioglu
25/1 Emre B
33/1 Ayhan Akman
33/1 Hakan Balta
40/1 Ugur Boral
40/1 M Topal
50/1 Emre A
66/1 Servet Cetin
66/1 Emre G

Holland v Russia
1-0 2-0 2-1 3-0 3-1 3-2 4-0 4-1 4-2
11/2 7/1 13/2 13/1 12/1 22/1 30/1 30/1 60/1

0-0 1-1 2-2 3-3 0-1 0-2 1-2 0-3 1-3 2-3 4-0 4-1 4-2
17/2 5/1 12/1 66/1 10/1 25/1 13/1 90/1 45/1 45/1 425/1 225/1 225/1

First Scorer

5/1 Van Nistelrooy
6/1 Van Persie
13/2 Huntelaar
7/1 Vennegor
8/1 Kuyt
8/1 Robben
8/1 Sneijder
10/1 Van Der Vaart
20/1 Engelaar
22/1 De Zeeuw
25/1 Van Bronckhorst
28/1 Heitinga
28/1 De Jong
33/1 Ooijer
40/1 Mathijsen
40/1 Bouma
40/1 Boulahrouz
50/1 De Cler

17/2 No Scorer e/w odds 1/3 places 1, 2, 3

8/1 Pavlyuchenko
10/1 Arshavin
10/1 Sychev
11/1 Adamov
11/1 Saenko
18/1 Semak
18/1 Bystrov
18/1 Ivanov
18/1 Zyrianov
20/1 Semshov
25/1 Zhirkov
28/1 Ignashevich
28/1 Torbinsky
28/1 Shirokov
40/1 Anyukov
40/1 Kolodin
50/1 Yanbayev
66/1 V Berezutskiy

Spain v Italy
1-0 2-0 2-1 3-0 3-1 3-2 4-0 4-1 4-2
11/2 10/1 17/2 25/1 22/1 35/1 90/1 80/1 125/1

0-0 1-1 2-2 3-3 0-1 0-2 1-2 0-3 1-3 2-3 4-0 4-1 4-2
6/1 9/2 13/1 90/1 13/2 13/1 9/1 40/1 30/1 40/1 150/1 100/1 175/1

1st Scorer

11/2 Torres
11/2 Villa
7/1 Guiza
15/2 Garcia
12/1 Silva
14/1 Fabregas
14/1 Iniesta
18/1 Xavi
18/1 De La Red
22/1 Alonso
25/1 Senna
25/1 Ramos
33/1 Capdevilla
40/1 Juanito
40/1 Marchena
50/1 Puyol
66/1 Arbeloa
66/1 Navarro

6/1 No Scorer e/w odds 1/3 places 1, 2, 3

13/2 Toni
8/1 Del Piero
8/1 Di Natale
9/1 Borriello
9/1 Cassano
9/1 Quagliarella
16/1 Perrotta
16/1 Camoranesi
18/1 Aquilani
18/1 De Rossi
28/1 Ambrosini
33/1 Panucci
40/1 Grosso
40/1 Materazzi
40/1 Chiellini
50/1 Zambrotta
66/1 Barzagli

F1

F1 2008 Driver’s Championship

5/4 Raikkonen
15/8 Hamilton
7/2 Massa
7/1 Kubica
50/1 Heidfeld

Constructor’s Championship

1/4 Ferrari
5/1 McLaren
11/2 BMW

French GP
Driver Outright Podium 1st to Retire
Raikkonen 5/4 2/7 33/1
Massa 15/8 4/11 25/1
Kubica 13/2 4/5 33/1
Hamilton 8/1 5/4 28/1
Kovalainen 14/1 15/8 18/1
Heidfeld 25/1 7/2 28/1
Alonso 28/1 4/1 18/1
Webber 80/1 18/1 25/1
Trulli 100/1 25/1 20/1
Coulthard 200/1 33/1 12/1
Button 200/1 40/1 18/1
Rosberg 200/1 50/1 20/1
Piquet 200/1 50/1 8/1
Glock 200/1 40/1 14/1
Barrichello 200/1 50/1 20/1
Nakajima 250/1 66/1 8/1
Bourdais 300/1 80/1 15/2
Vettel 300/1 66/1 9/1
Fisichella 500/1 100/1 10/1
Sutil 500/1 100/1 15/2

BOXING

Amir Khan v Michael Gomez
1/25 Khan
33/1 Draw
8/1 Gomez

Round Betting

Khan Round Gomez
9/2 1 66
4 2 66
7/2 3 80
9/2 4 80
7 5 80
10 6 125
14 7 125
16 8 125
20 9 125
25 10 125
33 11 125
50 12 125
6 Points 25
1/10 KO/TKO 16

Italy vs Romania preview

2008-06-13T13:13:00.002+01:00

Italy must bounce back from their Dutch disappointment when they take on Romania in Zurich. The world champions were among the favourites to lift the trophy prior to the start of the tournament, but Monday's 3-0 loss has left them in a precarious position and piled the pressure on boss Roberto Donadoni.

Anything less than victory for the Azzurri against Romania would be deemed a disaster, while a second successive defeat would eliminate them from the tournament.

Changes

Donadoni has revealed that he could make up to five changes and has confirmed that Alessandro Del Piero and Giorgio Chiellini will come in. Fabio Grosso, Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Cassano have also been tipped to feature from the start, while Marco Materazzi, Andrea Barzagli, Antonio Di Natale and Mauro Camoranesi could be the ones who find their places under threat.

Donadoni realises the importance of picking up three points but has stressed that his side will have to find the right balance between attack and defence. He said: "Winning is fundamental for us. We have worked towards that goal and will do everything to achieve it. We must not think if we have not scored by the fourth minute it is a disaster. The game lasts 90 minutes and we must be patient."

Piturca hope

Romania tested France's patience in their opening match and held out for a goalless draw to boost their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals. They were impressive in defence and will look to similarly frustrate Italy, but coach Victor Piturca has hinted at a slightly more attacking approach.

Striker Ciprian Marica is set to miss out after suffering a blow to his head in training on Tuesday but Piturca has no other injury concerns. Adrian Mutu toiled away up front against Les Bleus with little support but still managed to pose problems and Piturca is hoping his side can break down the Italian backline. "I haven't decided who will start yet, but I might make some changes from the game against France," he said. "We will have to be vigilant in defence but there will also be times when we press in the opponents' half. The team that's better organised and can produce moments of inspiration will have the best chance of winning. Italy are the favourites, but we came here to put on a good display and our main aim is to qualify for the knockout stage."

Source: skysports.com

Dutch fans eagerly await opening Euro 2008 match

2008-06-09T14:31:00.000+01:00

The Swiss city of Bern is slowly turning orange as hundreds of Dutch football fans descend on the city to watch the Netherlands play its first Euro 2008 match. The Dutch squad faces Italy on Monday evening. The Swiss authorities expect around 30,000 Dutch football fans to come to Bern to support their team. Most of the fans don't have tickets for the match but will follow the action on large outdoor screens throughout the city.

Marco van Basten, coach of the Dutch squad, says that striker Arjen Robben will probably miss the Netherlands' second match against France on Friday as well as tonight's opening game. The striker suffered a groin strain during training on Saturday and will need about a week to recover. It is possible that Robin van Persie will be in the starting lineup for this evening's match. Earlier, coach Van Basten said van Persie would not be fit but he is making a rapid recovery from his thigh injury.

Source: radionetherlands.nl

Euro 2008 special bets

2008-06-04T16:03:00.003+01:00

Euro 2008 is starting this week, and we would like you to take the opportunity and place your bets now! We managed to make a list with some interesting bets and their odds from Expekt, one of the bookmakers we recommend most for Euro 2008.

Euro 2008 winner of group A:

Portugal - 2.35
Czech Republic - 3.50
Switzerland - 3.85
Turkey - 7.50

Euro 2008 winner of group B:

Germany - 1.70
Croatia - 3.25
Poland - 6.75
Austria - 17.00

Euro 2008 winner of group C:

Italy - 2.75
France - 3.05
Holland - 3.10
Romania - 11.00

Euro 2008 winner of group D:

Spain - 1.85
Greece - 5.00
Sweden - 5.00
Russia - 5.50

Euro 2008: Which group does the winner belong to?

Group A - 4.00
Group B - 3.40
Group C - 3.10
Group D - 4.25

Euro 2008 winner:

Germany - 4.50
Spain - 6.00
Portugal - 7.50
Italy - 7.50
France - 9.00
Holland - 11.00
Croatia - 12.00
Czech Republic - 16.00
Russia - 20.00
Switzerland - 23.00
Greece - 26.00
Sweden - 30.00
Turkey - 34.00
Poland - 34.00
Romania - 34.00
Austria - 76.00

Euro 2008 UEFA Player Of The Tournament:

C Ronaldo - 5.50
M Ballack - 8.00
F Torres - 8.00
C Fabregas - 11.00
M Klose - 15.00
L Toni - 15.00
F Ribery - 15.00
D Villa - 21.00
R van Nistelrooy - 26.00
T Henry - 26.00
A Pirlo - 26.00
Deco - 26.00
K Benzema - 29.00
L Podolski - 34.00
Z Ibrahimovic - 34.00
A Del Piero - 34.00
I Casillas - 34.00
G Buffon - 34.00
R Van Persie - 34.00
N Kahveci - 51.00
M Gomez - 51.00
A Frei - 67.00
A Mutu - 67.00
H Larsson - 67.00
P Pogrebnyak - 67.00
L Modrić - 67.00
T Sanli - 81.00
N Kranjčar - 81.00
M Petrić - 81.00
E Smolarek - 101.00
J Koller - 101.00

Source: Expekt.com

Kuyt Hoping For Euro 2008 Place

2008-05-27T14:28:00.001+01:00

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt is hoping that his goal-scoring return to the Netherlands national side will secure a place in Marco Van Basten’s Euro 2008 squad.

Kuyt scored the opener in his nation’s 3-0 over Ukraine on Saturday evening, but is still not guaranteed to be on the plane to this summer’s championships. Coach Marco Van Basten still has one more cut to make before the announcement of a 23 man panel on Wednesday. FC Twente goalkeeper Sandor Boschker and Feyenoord midfielder Denny Landzaat were the victims of Van Basten’s decision to cut his provisional panel from 26 to 24 in the wake of the Ukraine win, and the 36 times-capped Kuyt will not rest on his laurels.

The 27-year old had been largely ignored in favour of Klaas Jan Huntelaar of late, and the ex-Feyenoord man is eager to grasp the chance to make a positive impression before Wednesday’s squad deadline. With Van Basten’s decision imminent, Kuyt’s seventh international goal may earn him a place in the manager’s final plans. He told Dutch newspaper De Telegraf: “I am glad that I am part of the Holland team again. I think we made a good impression as a team. Only at the end of the match we got tired. That is logical looking at the efforts of the last weeks.”

Although a prolific front man in his native country, since his 2006 transfer to Liverpool, Kuyt has toiled mostly as a right winger. His work-rate and attitude have endeared him to the Anfield crowd but his goal scoring record plummeted. However, the former Feyenoord man seems happy in the role, despite admitting to being unsure at first. "It's gone well for me," he said of his right-wing berth. "Sometimes things just fall into place. I had the feeling when it started that it was temporary, but it went so well we carried on. The way we play now for the Netherlands is very similar to the Liverpool system, and I think I have shown I can play there. You have players who can turn a match with one touch and players who perform in service to the team. I have no problem playing for the team. I feel really strong. That is the advantage of playing in the Premier League. It is the physically toughest league in the world and you only get better and stronger from playing there."

Author: Peter Staunton
Source: goal.com

David Beckham scores from 60 yards!

2008-05-25T12:12:00.003+01:00

David Beckham scored an amazing goal from a 60 yards distance in the MLS away game against Kansas City Wizards. In the 90th minute Galaxy were leading 2-1, and Wizards' goalkeeper came for a corner. Galaxy recovered the ball and Becks scored from his own half with an amazing 60 yards shot! Here is the video with the most important match facts of this spectacular game:

Anelka questions Blues role

2008-05-23T14:43:00.001+01:00

Striker Nicolas Anelka has warned Chelsea that he is unhappy after being asked to play out of position since joining the club. The France international has scored just two goals since joining the Blues from Bolton Wanderers in a £16million deal during the transfer window.

But speaking after making a brief cameo appearance at the end of Champions League Final defeat to Manchester United, the well-travelled striker has revealed his disenchantment with his start to life at Stamford Bridge. Anelka has been employed in a wide role on the few occasions he has started games for Avram Grant's side.

"I didn't come here to play on the left or right," he told L'Equipe. "When I came here, people told me I would play in a 4-4-2. "In England, I no longer need to prove that I am better through the middle. Since I arrived, I haven't played in my position. Never as a number nine, always on the left or the right. Until now, I haven't said anything. I was a newcomer, I haven't wanted to make a story out of it because I still didn't know the club. But from next season, I insist I will no longer be the little newcomer."

Source: http://www.football.co.uk

Champions League Final Preview

2008-05-20T20:56:00.002+01:00

FA asks Grant to explain himself

2008-05-16T17:57:00.001+01:00

The Football Association have written to Chelsea coach Avram Grant to ask him to explain his remarks about referee Steve Bennett.

Grant called Bennett's integrity into question after Manchester United's 2-0 win at Wigan last Sunday earned a 10th Premier League title for Sir Alex Ferguson. Chelsea, level on points with United before kick-off, could only draw at home with Bolton.

But Bennett came under fire for not awarding the home side a penalty for handball and then opting not to send off Paul Scholes for a second bookable offence when he fouled Wilson Palacios. At his Champions League media conference on Wednesday, Grant said: "I told you that I believed in the tradition of the fair English game. I will not say anything against it. But what happened is what I expected. In England there are very good referees, but there are some - a few that you can influence, like you saw. I think in our game against Manchester United at Old Trafford, the referee (Mike Dean) influenced the result for sure. We know that. I think the red card for Mikel John Obi in that game should not have been a red card, I think that Paul Scholes should have had a red card on Sunday and Wigan a penalty also. But it is finished. I congratulate Manchester United."

Grant has until May 28 to reply.

Source: teamtalk.com

Rangers' Tetris defence is something to be admired

2008-05-15T19:32:00.001+01:00

The Uefa Cup final was an absorbing contest, not an example of anti-football. Rangers may not have won the Uefa Cup, but this was a wonderfully spirited and intelligent performance - and one that was entirely in keeping with the thrillingly cussed and belligerent displays that had brought them to Eastlands.

You didn't need to be a Rangers fan to be gripped by this Uefa Cup final. It's a point that needs to be made. Rangers in Europe - so we have been told - are a team in thrall to a nihilistic blanket defence, pioneers of a neurotically cautious Scotch Bolt. Five goals were scored in nine knockout ties including tonight. This, it has been suggested by some, just isn't on. What game do they think they're playing? Where are the thrills? Where are the spills?

It's still one of the most irritating aspects of football's flowering into a global light entertainment product that this kind of thing gets punted about the place. Increasingly, the skills valued by the mass market of football consumers are limited to those that are lightest on the palate - and most telegenic.

Everybody likes a little flair. But moments of individual flourish should be hard-won, their impact decisive. Teams such as Rangers - well organised, physically resilient, highly-skilled in defence - preserve the value of these game-breaking skills. Put simply, they make you work for it.

True, Rangers did start this final with four centre backs across their back line in Kirk Broadfoot, Sasa Papac, David Weir and Carlos Cuellar. They left out the attacking midfielder Nacho Novo. Their opening move of the game, after three seconds, was a diagonal pass from right-back for Jean-Claude Darcheville to hare after.

And as expected we saw contrasting styles: a team that played the ball to its forwards' feet at interesting angles around the penalty area; against a team that steeled itself to defend and then break to support its front man. But Rangers also played some nice stuff, keeping the ball in midfield before springing forward - to dramatic effect as early as the eighth minute when Darcheville almost found Steven Whittaker with a pull-back close to goal. These were isolated moments. Much of the joy of watching Rangers play in Europe is what could be called a Tetris Defence: that sense of gaps constantly plugged and holes filled with hard-running cover from midfield and back four. Zenit stretched Rangers on the flanks. Andrei Arshavin roamed across the front line. Konstantin Zyryanov pulled out wide on the right. Rangers tracked doggedly.

The closest Zenit came in the first half was a shout for a penalty when a cross hit Broadfoot's outstretched arm from close range inside the area. Some referees give them, but not this one. He was consistent too: Rangers went unrewarded in the second half when the ball ricocheted into Igor Denisov's upper arm in the six-yard box. Zenit's goal came after Rangers had looked to be changing tack and chasing a goal in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Denisov's run in behind Cuellar was well timed. The goal was made by Arshavin's perfectly weighted pass.

And yes, even for a Rangers-centric neutral, there was a thrill of delayed gratification in this isolated moment of skillful execution . This was an opening you knew the Russians had worked for. It was Zenit's goal - but you applauded it partly out of appreciation for the skill of Rangers' defending to that point. So, Zenit held on and even got another in the 94th minute, again created by a clever pass by Arshavin. In truth Rangers never looked like having the attacking variations, or the resources within their squad, to chase the game with 15 minutes remaining. Arshavin was the most talented attacker on display. Rangers' cussed defence gave him a stage to show his skills and he rose to the challenge. This isn't anti-football. It's just football.

Another thought about Rangers' progress in Europe. It's worth considering the recent record of English teams in this tournament. For all the potency of the Premier League's executive elite, the Uefa Cup tells us this isn't a strength with any depth. This year Blackburn went out in the first round. Bolton, Everton and Spurs in the last 16. Going further back Liverpool in 2001 are the only English team to win the Uefa Cup in the last 24 years, in which time the English league has provided only three finalists.

Recently the suspicion has arisen that, perhaps, some of them just don't care enough to work at this the way Rangers have. Last season Steve Coppell said he didn't want Reading to qualify for the Uefa Cup because it wasn't a lucrative enough competition. This year Gary Megson scandalously fielded a second team when Bolton played Sporting.

All the more reason, then, to applaud both Rangers and Zenit; and to enjoy the spectacle of two teams competing for a prize they genuinely coveted. In the build-up both teams admitted to feeling an additional burden of expectation. "It would give more credibility to the game in our country if we could win," Walter Smith pointed out. Russian football has a similar agenda. CSKA Moscow's success in this tournament three years ago was hailed as an era-defining, floodgates-opening moment. Tonight might just be another step in that direction. But Scotland can also be proud.

Author: Barney Ronay

UEFA Cup Final Preview: Zenit Sankt Petersburg vs Glasgow Rangers

2008-05-12T15:19:00.001+01:00

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - Zenit St Petersburg chase their first European silverware when the free-scoring Russian champions take on Rangers in the UEFA Cup final at the City of Manchester stadium on Wednesday (1845 GMT).

Zenit, bidding to become the second Russian side in four seasons to lift the trophy after CSKA Moscow's success in 2005, have produced some memorable performances en route to their first European final. The Russians overcame Villarreal and Olympique Marseille in the early knockout rounds before making the rest of Europe sit up with a 4-1 quarter-final, first-leg demolition of Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. Then, in the semis, Zenit held Bayern Munich at home before stunning the four-time European champions with a 4-0 rout in the return to qualify for the final in style.

Zenit coach Dick Advocaat said the UEFA Cup final was the most important game of the season for his club, who have made an indifferent start to the defence of their Russian title. 'That's what I told my players,' the Dutchman told reporters on Friday following training. 'After we beat Bayern I told them if you play like you did against the Germans you have a good chance of winning the trophy.'

Zenit will be without Russia striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, the competition's joint top-scorer with 10 goals, who is suspended but welcome back influential playmaker Andrei Arshavin who missed the second leg of the semi-final. 'I don't like to talk about individual players, especially those who will be missing,' said Advocaat. 'The important thing is how the team responds to the challenge. We have done this (overcome suspended players) in the past and I hope we can do it again.' The final pits Dutchman Advocaat against the club he managed for three and a half years between 1998 and 2002, winning two league titles with the Glasgow side.

'I've said from the beginning that I would love to play Rangers in the final and it's great that it will happen,' he said. Rangers are bidding for the quadruple of UEFA Cup and three domestic trophies in a remarkable season that has already yielded one piece of silverware in the shape of the Scottish League Cup. But their quest for success on four fronts has caused a fixture pile-up which is fully testing the depth of Walter Smith's squad. Rangers have the Scottish title destiny in their own hands - they trail arch rivals Celtic by four points but will be crowned champions if they win their remaining three games, and their season will end with a Scottish Cup final appearance against Queen of the South on May 24.

The foundations for their fine UEFA Cup run have been laid on a rock-solid defence that has conceded just two goals in eight matches since they parachuted into the competition after finishing third in their Champions League group. Rangers have knocked out Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen, Sporting and Fiorentina, in a penalty shootout, to reach the final, their first European showpiece since they lifted the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1972. Rangers striker Daniel Cousin is banned following his dismissal in the semi-final second leg.

Romania - Gigi Becali accused of bribe in the football championship scandal

2008-05-09T17:05:00.000+01:00

Anti-Graft prosecutors accuse the real estate mogul Gigi Becali of bribe, after arresting five of his close collaborators yesterday. The group was found carrying 1.4 million euro, money designed - prosecutors say - for bribing the players of Universitatea Cluj. In the football game last night, between Universitatea Cluj and CFR Cluj, an even result or a victory of Universitatea would have turned Steaua Bucharest, Becali's team, into champion. Becali declared last night than his collaborators were in Cluj for real estate deals, not to bribe the Universitatea players.

Sources say that the money didn't have to be paid to the Universitatea players, the simple promise of a bribe being a criminal act.

The editor in chief of Romanian sports daily Gazeta Sporturilor, Catalin Tolontan, declared in a TV interview that Becali's collaborators were detained before the game begun and that there are suspicions that the 1.4 million euro were about to be paid to an Universitatea Cluj official, in case the game result would have turned out fine for Becali.

According to Gazeta Sporturilor, the Anti-Graft Prosecution Office (DNA) carefully monitored the way the football championship evolves in its last games and were certain that Becali would attempt to financially stimulate Universitatea, in order to prevent CFR from winning the title. All five collaborators of Gigi Becali were released during the night, around 3.00 AM. Along with them, the prosecutors also detained one of the Universitatea Cluj players, Gigel Coman.

In case the prosecutors prove that the money was for Universitatea, Steaua risks to lose up to 9 points in its ranking and a severe fine.

Source: hotnews.ro

Carvalho doubt for Chelsea

2008-05-07T21:09:00.001+01:00

Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho is a fitness doubt for the Premier League finale at home to Bolton on Sunday.

Carvalho was substituted 11 minutes from time in the Blues' 2-0 victory over Newcastle on Monday afternoon after twice falling heavily on his back. The Portugal international underwent intensive treatment on Tuesday and is desperate to be fit in time to face Wanderers at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea must better Manchester United's result at Wigan if they are to lift the Premier League crown, while Bolton are all-but safe from relegation.

Vital

Carvalho is a vital member of Avram Grant's side and has not been on the losing side in the last 42 league games he had played in. It is a run that stretches back to Chelsea's away defeat at Tottenham in November 2006. Striker Salomon Kalou is also struggling with an ankle injury but he should be fit in time.

Cole

Meanwhile, England left-back Ashley Cole, rested for their win over Newcastle on Monday, believes Bolton will not make it easy for them. "Bolton will be coming to the Bridge wanting to win whether they are safe or not, we'll be so focused and determined to beat them," said Cole. "We have a lot of big players with big hearts and everyone wants to win. We have to win because it would be a killer if Manchester United got a draw and we didn't get a result."

Source: Sky Sports

Keane: I'm lucky to still be in a job

2008-05-05T16:12:00.001+01:00

Sunderland boss Roy Keane launched a withering attack on his side and warned he is ready to discard several players in a huge summer overhaul.

The Black Cats arrived at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday safe from relegation and were second-best throughout to a Bolton side fighting desperately for their lives, who came away with a 2-0 victory.

Afterwards Keane renewed his calls for a massive transfer kitty to bring in new players and vowed to wield the axe in the coming days on members of his squad he feels have consistently failed to take their opportunities.

The Manchester United legend even went so far as to say he is fortunate not to have been shown the door himself.

"We've lost 22 games this season and people keep telling me we've had a good season - but I'm lucky to still be in a job," said Keane. You learn a hell of a lot about your players all the time and this match just confirmed what I'm thinking anyway. People say to me that we achieved our goal last week, but do we keep living in last week? Every game is an opportunity to impress me, but there will be changes in the summer because I'm saying the same thing week in, week out. I'm fed up of saying it and really bored with myself now at this stage - really, really bored."

Keane will throw out the players he feels are not up to the job after a superb strike from El-Hadji Diouf and an own-goal from Daryl Murphy handed Bolton victory.

Keane continued: "Gordon Strachan and one or two other managers have said that if you tell a player something more than two or three times and he doesn't do it, then get shot of him. I've been very patient and very kind to some of my players. But we need to invest and we need invest wisely and we need to move certain people on. That will be done this week - if not this week then the following week. It's irrelevant to me whether players are under contract or not. If they are you just pay them up to go because you want certain characters. You pay them to come and you pay them to go and that's what we'll have to do. I'll have a very busy week, trust me."

It was a scathing assessment, even by Keane's standards, and a revealing insight into the winning mentality which brought the Irishman seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and Champions League glory during his glittering Old Trafford career.

Keane is disgusted with the idea that surviving relegation should be considered success for Sunderland.

"I remember a few years ago Everton stayed up on the last day of the season and people were on the pitch crying," he said. "But you're thinking 'that's Everton Football Club'. I don't want us walking round the pitch next week and accepting the supporters' applause for survival. I want to think bigger than that because I don't think survival is anything to celebrate. When I'm on my holidays in the summer I'll be thinking of those 22 defeats. I've not forgotten about the games at Luton (3-0 defeat in the Carling Cup) and Wigan (3-0 defeat in the FA Cup).

"I've not forgotten about Everton away, Tottenham away, Man City at home and Newcastle away. These are the games I remember - I don't really remember the victories and I've always worked that way. I must be a naturally miserable person - there's no way getting away from it - and it's my family who I feel sorry for because I've got to go home to them. So my players are very lucky they don't actually live with me - very, very lucky."

Source: teamtalk.com

Scholes earns second chance at Champions League final

2008-05-02T16:59:00.001+01:00

Nine years ago, when Manchester United won the Champions League final at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Paul Scholes was a face in the crowd.

Manchester's most recognized ginger head, he was suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards for his ill-timed tackles. The other side of Scholes, his exquisitely weighted passes and his eye for a spectacular goal, has now carried United to this season's final.

We are never likely to know what Scholes thinks or feels when he produces such moments. After he scored the only goal of the semifinal against Barcelona, he left by the back door, going home to his wife and three young children.

His goal Tuesday came after 14 minutes. Gianluca Zambrotta, an Italian World Cup winner, failed to look before hitting a clearance straight to Scholes. He responded with an act that every child and many seasoned pros should study.

Scholes's balance was balletic. He was on the toes of his left foot, his head was over the ball, eyes facing the target 25 meters away. The shot with his right foot sent the ball arching away from goalkeeper Victor Valdés, into the furthermost top corner of the net.

Inept defending, exquisite finishing, a picture book goal that sent United to the final and Barcelona to an uncertain future.

Barcelona could not match such brilliance. "The blame lies with the players, the coaches and the technical staff," said a club statement Thursday reviewing the season and the coach. "Frank Rijkaard now has to find a way of finishing the season in a dignified fashion and making people remember his successes."

Scholes hastened that by obeying an instinct was evident 20 years ago, when United signed him as a 14- year-old. They say that when he strikes a ball in training the sound is sweeter than the rest, a ping of perfection.

It is a gift that, all being well, affords him a long overdue final on May 21.

Author: Rob Hughes

CL Preview: Chelsea - Liverpool

2008-04-30T15:48:00.002+01:00

Can Liverpool do something they haven't previously managed under Rafael Benitez - score a goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge? They will have to if they want to reach their third Champions League final in four seasons. The Reds need at least a score-draw at the Bridge, a venue that Chelsea have turned into a formidable fortress. The Blues have suffered a solitary defeat in their last 125 home games, while Liverpool have failed even to score on Chelsea's ground in eight attempts under Benitez.

Chelsea are unbeaten in eleven Champions League home ties, a run spanning eight victories and three draws, dating back 26 months to a 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in the first knockout round of 2005-06.

So, is the tie firmly in Chelsea's favour? Well, not necessarily, although John Arne
Riise’s stoppage-time howler has given Liverpool a far steeper hill to climb than had seemed probable when last week's first leg entered its fateful 94th minute.

The away goal Chelsea secured via Riise's largesse will only be significant if the score at the Bridge finishes 0-0. Any other result and its importance diminishes, although another 1-1 draw would force extra-time and, possibly, penalties. Chelsea know all about spot kicks, having succumbed to the Merseysiders in a shoot-out after extra-time at the same stage of last year's competition.

A higher scoring draw than 1-1 and Liverpool will go through.

Liverpool's focus will be clear - go for victory. Chelsea could be tempted to gamble on a goalless draw, but that would be a high-risk strategy and one that manager Avram Grant and his players will almost certainly reject - particularly after going for the jugular at home to Manchester United last Saturday in the Premier League title race and being rewarded with a priceless win. That outcome should have given Chelsea plenty of confidence as they strive to reach a Champions League final for the first time in their history, even though Liverpool have never lost a semi-final tie to Chelsea, either domestically or in Europe....

The Reds have also not lost a semi-final in this competition since being controversially defeated 4-3 on aggregate by Internazionale in 1964-65, subsequently beating Zurich (1976-77), Borussia Monchengladbach (1977-78), Bayern (1980-81), Dinamo Bucharest (1983-84), Panathinaikos (1984-85) and Chelsea (2004-05, 2006-07).

In contrast, the Blues have fallen at the semi-final hurdle three times previously. Those three semi-final appearances have all come since Roman Abramovich bought the club and launched them into football's financial stratosphere. Claudio Ranieri's side stumbled against Monaco in 2004, and Jose Mourinho's Chelsea were thwarted twice by Wednesday's opponents Liverpool in the last three seasons. Now Avram Grant has the opportunity to put those heart-breaks behind the West London club and make it third time lucky against Liverpool.

But Benitez is undaunted by history or venue, and has challenged his players to break their dismal Stamford Bridge scoring hoodoo to set up a Moscow date with either Barcelona or Manchester United. The identity of the other finalists will be known when Chelsea and Liverpool kick-off on Wednesday, following Tuesday's conclusive second leg at Old Trafford, with the first all-English, all-Premier League final one of the two possible prospects. The chance to meet and try to beat United in Moscow next month is likely to provide additional incentive to the protagonists at Stamford Bridge - although taking on Barca in a showpiece event is also the stuff of dreams.

Benitez played it cool when journalists asked him if Chelsea's home record concerned him. “Not really,” he said. “I don't know how many games they are without losing. When you talk about Chelsea over the past four or five years, they are a team that are progressing and improving so I think it is normal. The majority of teams have problems there. This is something we can change tomorrow. It's another competition, it's totally different. The mentality, the atmosphere, the time of kick-off - everything will be different.”

Liverpool have now guaranteed themselves fourth place in The Premier League after Everton were held to a draw by Aston Villa on Sunday, so the Reds can afford to concentrate solely on Champions League glory. For Chelsea, their win against United at the weekend means they are neck-and-neck with the Red Devils at the top of the table. Only goal difference separates the two sides, who both have two League games left in which to clinch the title. Grant's strategic and therefore tactical considerations will be rather more complex as a result.

It might be said that Benitez has the potential distraction of Anfield's boardroom civil war to shut out of his pre-match thinking, though given Liverpool's failure to mount a serious title challenge, the Champions League has assumed disproportionate importance for the Spaniard, and he will be desperate to avoid a semi-final defeat in the competition.

Benitez insists: “I'm not really worried about how the season will be judged. It is more about how can we progress in this competition and can we feel happy with ourselves after the game? I think it is important to know we have guaranteed fourth position. That has been the key over the past few years and now we must try to go to the final.”

Meanwhile Grant can argue that his job has been on the line since succeeding Mourinho in September, with a hostile media and unsympathetic fans choosing to ignore his impressive record as Chelsea boss and instead focusing on the negatives. The Israel has been repeatedly told, at least by the newspapers, that anything less than triumph in the Premier League and Champions League will spell his exit from the Bridge. Yet he has carried that burden while steering the Blues to the brink of ultimate success in both competitions, and deserves credit and respect for that.

Deja-Vu

The rivalry between Liverpool and Chelsea intensified following the appointment of Iberian adversaries Benitez and Mourinho at the respective clubs in the summer of 2004. They have since met six times in Champions League encounters, excluding this season's semi-final. Liverpool have shaded the meetings, with two wins to Chelsea's one.

Their first Champions League clash was in the 2004-05 semi-final when Luis García's fourth-minute goal in the second leg at Anfield was enough to earn the Reds a 1-0 aggregate victory on the way to their epic final triumph on penalties against AC Milan in Istanbul.

The following season, Liverpool and Chelsea were paired in the group stage, and produced two goalless draws as both reached the knock-out rounds, Liverpool as group winners.

Then last season Liverpool proved to be Chelsea's nemesis again at the semi-final stage. They lost the first leg 1-0 at Stamford Bridge thanks to a 29th minute strike from Joe Cole, but won the return on 1st May, also 1-0, when Daniel Agger netted after 22 minutes. Extra-time failed to separate the sides but in the penalty shoot-out, Liverpool emerged 4-1 winners.

The Reds took the first spot-kick, Boudewijn Zenden converting (1-0); Arjen Robben's shot was saved (1-0); Xabi Alonso scored to make it 2-0; Frank Lampard pulled one back (2-1); Steven Gerrard, scored (3-1); Geremi's effort was saved by Pepe Reina (3-1); and Dirk Kuyt score to make it 4-1 and take it beyond Chelsea's grasp.

Previous Meetings In The Champions League

27.04.2005 Semi Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
03.05.2005 Semi Liverpool - Chelsea 1-0
28.09.2005 Group Liverpool - Chelsea 0-0
06.12.2005 Group Chelsea - Liverpool 0-0
25.04.2007 Semi Chelsea - Liverpool 1-0
01.05.2007 Semi Liverpool - Chelsea 1-0 (Liverpool win 4-1 on pens aet)
22.04.2008 Semi Liverpool - Chelsea 1-1

Liverpool and Chelsea have also met three times in domestic competition this season. The first clash was early on and produced a 1-1 draw at Anfield on 19th August, though Chelsea enjoyed good fortune when referee Rob Styles unaccountably awarded them a penalty when Florent Malouda fell over in the box, Lampard making the most of the 62nd-minute gift to equalise Fernando Torres' first goal for his new club in the 16th minute.

When the two sides squared up again, Grant had replaced Mourinho as manager. It was a Carling League Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge on 19th December, and Lampard (59) and Andriy Shevchenko (90) scored the goals that ended Liverpool's interest in the competition.

The third meeting this season yielded no goals in a Stamford Bridge stalemate in the Premier League on 10th February.

Then came last week's first leg of this Champions League semi-final. Riise's own goal four minutes into added time at Anfield cancelled out Dirk Kuyt's 43rd-minute strike and shifted the balance of the tie in Chelsea's direction.

Asked if Chelsea were fortunate to take a 1-1 draw from that first leg, Benitez said: “Yes, clearly they were lucky because Petr Cech made two or three saves, so they were lucky, yes."

He added: "I was really surprised and of course very disappointed with the own goal. The reaction in the dressing room was one of great disappointment."

Overall the clubs have now met 151 times. There have been 67 wins for Liverpool, 52 for Chelsea, and 32 draws.

Chelsea's home record against Liverpool in all competitions is P73 W41 D16 L16, while Liverpool have managed three draws and five defeats in eight visits to Chelsea under Benítez. Their last goal at the Bridge was scored by Bruno Cheyrou in a 1-0 Premier League victory on 7th January, 2004.

The Teams For Last Week's First Leg:

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio (Riise 61), Kuyt, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel (Benayoun 75), Gerrard, Torres. Subs Not Used: Itandje, Hyypia, Crouch, Pennant, Lucas.
Goal: Kuyt 43.

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Lampard, Makelele, Ballack (Anelka 86), Joe Cole (Kalou 63), Drogba, Malouda. Subs Not Used: Hilario, Shevchenko, Obi, Alex, Belletti.
Booked: Terry.
Goal: Riise 90 og.

APRIL FORM GUIDE

Chelsea

26 Apr (Premier League) v Man Utd (H) WON 2-1 (Ballack 2, 1 pen)
22 Apr (Champions League) v Liverpool (A) DREW 1-1 (Riise og)
17 Apr (Premier League) v Everton (A) WON 1-0 (Essien)
14 Apr (Premier League) v Wigan (H) DREW 1-1 (Essien)
08 Apr (Champions League) v Fenerbahce (H) WON 2-0 (Ballack, Lampard)
05 Apr (Premier League) v Man City (A) WON 2-0 (Dunne og, Kalou)
02 Apr (Champions League) v Fenerbahce (A) LOST 1-2 (Deivid og)

Liverpool

26 Apr (Premier League) v Birmingham (A) DREW 2-2 (Crouch, Benayoun)
22 Apr (Champions League) v Chelsea (H) DREW 1-1 (Kuyt)
19 Apr (Premier League) v Fulham (A) WON 2-0 (Pennant, Crouch)
13 Apr (Premier League) v Blackburn (H) WON 3-1 (Gerrard, Torres, Voronin)
08 Apr (Champions League) v Arsenal (H) WON 4-2 (Hyypia, Torres, Gerrard pen,
Babel)
05 Apr (Premier League) v Arsenal (A) DREW 1-1 (Crouch)
02 Apr (Champions League) v Arsenal (A) DREW 1-1 (Kuyt)

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea

Midfielder and top scorer Frank Lampard looks set to return, having played in the 1-1 draw at Anfield but missed Saturday's 2-1 win over Manchester United following the death of his mother Pat from pneumonia.

Squad: Cech, Hilario, Belletti, Ferreira, Carvalho, Alex, Ben-Haim, Terry, A Cole, Bridge, J Cole, Ballack, Essien, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Malouda, Kalou, Anelka, Drogba, Shevchenko, Mikel, Makelele.

Last Starting XI (v Man Utd): Cech, Ferreira (Anelka 66), Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Ballack, Obi, Essien, Kalou (Shevchenko 81), Drogba, Joe Cole (Makelele 87). Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Belletti.

Liverpool

Norwegian full-back John Arne Riise, who scored that injury-time own goal after coming on as a substitute in the first leg, could replace injured Fabio Aurelio, the Brazilian defender having been ruled out by a groin injury.

Benitez could also recall Sami Hyypia to centre-back, switch Jamie Carragher to right-back and Alvaro Arbeloa to the left - or recall Steve Finnan to one of the full-back berths.

Striker Fernando Torres is sure to start after being rested for Saturday's draw with Birmingham. Peter Crouch, who has scored when used recently, could partner Torres at the expense of Ryan Babel.

Squad: Reina, Carragher, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Skrtel, Riise, Finnan, Babel, Benayoun, Gerrard, Lucas, Alonso, Mascherano, Pennant, Crouch, Kuyt, Torres, Voronin, Itandje.

Last Starting XI (v Birmingham): Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Skrtel, Riise (Insua 64), Pennant, Plessis, Lucas, Benayoun, Crouch, Voronin. Subs Not Used: Itandje, Gerrard, Kuyt, Carragher.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

On such an occasion as this managers and fans look for their biggest names to perform, although often it is the unsung hero who changes the course of the match.

For Chelsea, the biggest names are John Terry, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba and (if he plays), Frank Lampard. Terry and particularly Ballack were outstanding at the weekend against United, though Drogba was well below his best apart from the superb ball in for Ballack's headed opener. It is impossible to predict what frame of mind Lampard will be in; he was distinctly below par in the first leg, however understandably. An intriguing statistic is that Terry, who will undoubtedly lead by example, has scored only one goal in a very long time. Given that a set-piece is likely to determine the outcome of another tense, tight encounter, maybe Terry will be the scorer. As for Ballack, he is in top form and the best bet in blue to dictate the play. His experience and cool in high-pressure situations could be helpful to Chelsea.

Liverpool's key players will probably be Jamie Carragher at the back, Steven Gerrard in midfield and Fernando Torres up front. Carragher's tussle with Drogba could prove significant, and the Scouse defender will be anxious to keep the Ivorian out of the Reds' penalty area for all the obvious reasons. Gerrard's ability to impose his will on the game from midfield will probably be aided by Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, but challenged by Ballack and Michael Essien, with Mikel or Makele lending support and - if he plays - Lampard looking to run from deep positions and strike.

In attack Liverpool look to have the edge with Torres, given that Chelsea's strikers have not delivered much lately. On Chelsea's last ten goals in all competitions, three have been scored by their opponents, six by midfielders and only one by a striker (Salomon Kalou). Torres, in contrast, is in clinical mood.

Connections

Kalou in fact is a former team-mate of Liverpool's Dutch striker, Dirk Kuyt. The two were together at Feyenoord in Rotterdam between 2004 and 2006 and struck up a productive partnership. Kuyt netted 51 League goals and Kalou 35 during their two seasons together.

As for Liverpool's Israeli midfielder, Yossi Benayoun, he played for Chelsea boss Avram Grant when the pair were employed by Maccabi Haifa in the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons. They won two League titles together, and Benayoun later also played under Grant for the Israel national team.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka spent the second half of the 2001-02 season on loan to Liverpool, scoring four goals in 20 League appearances for the Reds and professing disappointment when then manager Gerard Houllier chose not sign his compatriot on a permanent deal.

Andriy Shevchenko may feature in a cameo role but he will be particularly keen to inflict defeat on Liverpool. The Chelsea striker's penalty for AC Milan in the shoot-out at the end of the 2005 Champions League final was saved by Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek, sealing the Reds' amazing comeback against the Rossoneri and allowing Steven Gerrard to hoist the trophy.

PREDICTION

If past clashes are a reliable guide, this will be tense, incredibly tight and unlikely to be laden with goals. The subtle changes this time around are that the second leg is at Chelsea not Anfield, and that Liverpool will have to go out to try and win the game. Both camps have been making the expected pre-match noises, but when the match kicks off it will be decided on the margins, by a flash of brilliance or momentary lapse. It is almost impossible to pick a winner, but Chelsea may just have a jot more momentum after Saturday, and have forgotten how to lose at the Bridge. They might just shade it and give Grant the satisfaction of going one better than Mourinho.

Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool

Author: Graham Lister
Source: goal.com

Inter set to retain title

2008-04-28T15:59:00.000+01:00

Internazionale could retain the Serie A title if they beat city rivals AC Milan next weekend after they secured a 2-1 victory against Cagliari on Sunday. Goals by Patrick Vieira and Marco Materazzi put Inter in control of the match and Davide Biondini's late goal proved to be no more than consolation for Cagliari. AS Roma kept the title race alive with a 4-1 victory against relegation-threatened Torino. David Pizarro's penalty gave Roma the lead before Mirko Vucinic doubled their advantage and a Mancini brace put them 4-0 ahead at the interval.

Nicola Ventola scored for a well-beaten Torino side early in the second half before Roma defender Juan was sent off. Juventus also led 4-0 at half-time before eventually clinching a 5-2 victory against Lazio. Defender Giorgio Chiellini scored the first and last goals for Juve with Mauro Camoranesi making it 2-0 before Alessandro Del Piero grabbed his 18th goal of the campaign. David Trezeguet made it 4-0 before the interval but Lazio responded with goals of their own after the break from Rolando Bianchi and Sebastiano Siviglia.

Daniele Gastaldello scored with a stoppage-time header as Sampdoria drew 2-2 at Fiorentina while Filippo Inzaghi notched a hat-trick as AC Milan won 4-1 at Livorno. Udinese remain on track for a UEFA Cup spot after beating Catania 2-1 and Empoli won 1-0 at Genoa thanks to Ignazio Abate's goal which gives them a chance of avoiding the drop. Francesco Cozza scored twice as Reggina beat Parma 2-1 in a crucial relegation battle but the game between Napoli and Siena, and Palermo's clash with Atalanta ended goalless.

Source: football.co.uk

Premiere League weekend preview

2008-04-25T23:19:00.003+01:00

It’s a huge weekend in the English Premier League as the season reaches it’ climax. Who will win the title? Who will reach Europe? Who will go down? This weekend should give us some big clues!

Chelsea 2.5 Draw 3.00 Man Utd 2.7

With a three point lead going into this match a victory here for Man Utd over their closest rivals would all but secure the Premiership title. Any chance for Chelsea?

Birmingham 2.8 Draw 3.2 Liverpool 2.3

After a crushing defeat at the hands of Aston Villa last week Birmingham are in real trouble of suffering relegation. On Saturday they face a huge task as they welcome Liverpool to St Andrews.

Man City 1.85 Draw 3.4 Fulham 3.75

Fulham could be relegated this weekend if a number of results go against them but they’ll fancy their chances of taking something from a Man City side with nothing to play for.

Sunderland 2.2 Draw 3.2 Middlesboro 3.00

Both these sides are locked together on 36 points and should be clear of any relegation worries. Sunderland lost to local rivals Newcastle last week and will look to regain some North East pride here.

Tottenham 1.85 Draw 3.4 Bolton 3.75

Two wins in a row for Bolton have given their survival hopes a shot in the arm and on Saturday they look to move out of the relegation zone when they travel to White Hart Lane.

West Ham 2.4 Draw 3.2 Newcastle 2.7

After an excellent run of form lately Newcastle are now just five points behind West Ham in the Premier League. Another win for Kevin Keegan’s side?

Wigan 2.1 Draw 3.2 Reading 3.2

Reading are in real trouble after three consecutive defeats and Steve Coppell’s side can’t afford to lose again here against Wigan on Saturday.

Portsmouth 2.1 Draw 3.2 Blackburn 3.2

Both these sides have Europe on their mind as we approach the end of the season. Blackburn need to win to keep their Intertoto Cup hopes alive while Portsmouth will qualify for the UEFA Cup if they beat Cardiff in the FA Cup Final in three weeks.

Everton 2.2 Draw 3.2 Aston Villa 3.0

This is a huge game for both sides as the race for 5th place and the UEFA Cup spot reaches its conclusion. Villa are in great form and are going for their fourth win in a row.

Derby 9.0 Draw 4.75 Arsenal 1.28

Both these sides will be playing out the season with nothing to play for and for Derby it’s a season they’ll be eager to forget with just one win in the league all year!

Who will win Euro 2008?

2008-04-25T00:18:00.003+01:00

There is not much time left before the start of Euro 2008, and people are already starting to think who the favorites are. The bookmakers have all agreed that Germany is the main favorite to win Euro 2008. Having a look at the odds for winning Euro 2008 at any major bookmaker you will notice that Germany is way ahead of the next teams.

The second favorites are Spain and Italy, considering the bookmaker's odds. Spain has a slight advantage over Italy, but the odds are pretty similar. On the fourth place comes Portugal, followed by France, Holland, Croatia and Czech Republic.

There is another thing all bookmakers agree on: the fact that Austria has the smallest chances to win. Betting on Austria could get you 100 times the money staked.

A detailed list of odds for winning the Euro 2008 for all major bookmakers can be found here: Euro 2008 winning outrights

Last-second own goal hands Chelsea draw at Liverpool

2008-04-23T11:24:00.002+01:00

Liverpool's John Arne Riise erased 94 minutes of hard work on the final play of Tuesday's Champions League semifinal clash against English rival Chelsea.

Riise scored an own goal in the 95th minute - just seconds before the whistle was blown to end the match - and Chelsea escaped Anfield with a 1-1 tie in the first leg of their series. Chelsea hosts the second leg April 30 at Stamford Bridge.

Dirk Kuyt scored late in the first half and Liverpool was in control until the disastrous ending. Liverpool, which won the Champions League in 2005 and lost in the championship last season, is trying to advance to the final for the third time in the last four years. Liverpool and Chelsea were evenly-matched in the first half but the hosts were able to create more scoring chances. Kuyt had the first chance, playing the ball down off his chest in the 13th but before he could run onto the ball a few steps into the box, a Chelsea defender was able to touch the ball away with goalie Petr Cech also charging out. Chelsea's clearance was just in time because Kuyt's outstretched foot was only inches away from poking the ball past Cech.

One of Chelsea's best scoring opportunities was stopped by Liverpool's Jamie Carragher, who made a sliding effort at the top of the penalty area to deflect the ball away from Didier Drogba. Liverpool's Fernando Torres wasted his only chance of the first half, shooting straight into Cech in the 31st minute. Torres broke free on the left side of the area and would have scored if he would have placed the ball to either side of the Chelsea goalie. Liverpool finally got the goal it was looking for in the 43rd minute when Kuyt volleyed a shot through Cech's legs from about eight yards out.

Javier Mascherano's poorly-hit shot looped into the box and dropped to Kuyt in behind Chelsea's defense. Kuyt was able to hold off Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele, who then fell into the Liverpool striker, and convert the goal. Chelsea nearly equalized in the 67th minute on Michael Ballack's header but it was poorly directed and Liverpool goalie Pepe Reina made an easy save. Less than a minute later, Ballack helped set up another chance when he passed to Frank Lampard, who made a quick pass to Florent Malouda on the left side of the area. Malouda unleashed a hard shot, but Mascherano came out of nowhere to slide and knock the ball away for a corner kick.

With four minutes of extra time added, Liverpool was within seconds of taking a 1-0 lead to Chelsea for the second leg. But just a few seconds into the fifth minute of stoppage time, Chelsea took a quick throw in and Salomon Kalou crossed low cross to the front of the net. Riise dove to the ground to try and head the ball wide, but it deflected into the upper left corner past a helpless Reina. Riise remained on the ground and could only put his hands to his head in disgust as Chelsea celebrated.

On Wednesday, England's Manchester United hosts Spain's Barcelona in the first leg of their semifinal series. The second leg is at Barcelona on April 29.

Source: sportsnetwork.com

Serie A top scorers

2008-04-21T10:54:00.004+01:00

19 Borriello M. (Genoa)
18 Trezeguet D. (Juventus)
17 Del Piero A. (Juventus)
16 Di Natale A. (Udinese) , Mutu A. (Fiorentina)
15 Ibrahimovic Z. (Inter)
14 Kaka' R. (Milan) , Totti F. (Roma)
13 Amauri C. (Palermo)
12 Bellucci C. (Sampdoria) , Pandev G. (Lazio) , Rocchi T. (Lazio)
11 Cruz J. (Inter) , Doni C. (Atalanta)
10 Maccarone M. (Siena) , Quagliarella F. (Udinese) , Tavano F. (Livorno)

Serie A results

2008-04-21T10:46:00.002+01:00

April 19
AS Roma 1 - 1 Livorno
Fiorentina 1 - 0 Palermo

April 20
AC Milan 5 - 1 Reggina
Atalanta 0 - 4 Juventus
Cagliari 2 - 0 Empoli
Catania 1 - 0 Lazio
Parma 1 - 2 Napoli
Sampdoria 3 - 0 Udinese
Siena 0 - 1 Genoa
Torino 0 - 1 Inter Milan

Great Players - Paolo Rossi

2008-04-18T11:39:00.003+01:00

Paolo Rossi (born September 23, 1956, Santa Lucia, province of Prato, Tuscany) is a former Italian football (soccer) player. In 1982, he led Italy to the 1982 World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot. Rossi made his debut in the professional Italian soccer with Como, to which Juventus had sent him to gain experience after three operations to his knees. His career come to a turing point when Vicenza, then Lanerossi Vicenza, engaged him: in the 1976-'77 season Rossi's qualities of implacable striker led his team to the promotion to Serie A, Italy's soccer first division. In the following season Rossi realized 24 goals, and was selected by Italian national football team's manager Enzo Bearzot for the 1978 World Cup. Rossi confirmed his growth in the tournament, gaining international fame as one of world's best strikers.

Rossi's property as footballer had been till then shared by Vicenza and Juventus. When the two clubs were called to set the property, Lanerossi offered the shocking sum of 2,7 billions lire for Rossi, who therefore became Italy's most costly sportsman ever to that date. In 1979 Vicenza was declassed to Serie B, and he was loaned to Perugia. Here he was involved in a famous betting scandal, and was disqualified for three years (later reduced to two).

Rossi returned just in time for 1982 World Cup, but Italian journalists and tifosi lamented he was in very poor shape. This view seemed to be confirmed by Italy's first, appalling three matches, in which he was allegedly described as a ghost wandering over the field aimlessly. Bearzot, however, staunchly confirmed Rossi for the decisive round robin, in which his team was to face Argentina, the last World Champion, and Brazil, then considered the No. 1 favorite for the final title. After Italy surprisingly beat Argentina, Rossi shattered the latter signing three memorable goals and leading Italy to semi-finals. Here his two goals again won the match for Italy against Poland. He also opened the series of three goals with which Italy beat Germany in the final, to gain win third World Cup. Rossi's accomplishments in the Spanish World Cup gained him the title of European Footballer of the Year in 1982. After 1982 Rossi played with Juventus, winning one European Winners Cup (1985), one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1984) and one Intercontinental Cup. After his stint with Turin's club, he was ceded to a then straggling AC Milan. Rossi's abilities, however, were declining. After a dismaying participation to 1986 World Cup, he ended his career at Verona in 1987. He is currently a construction entrepreneur, together with his former team mate Giancarlo Salvi.

Rossi scored a total of 20 goals in 48 caps for Italy. Rossi was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

Source: netglimse.com

Standings for major European leagues

2008-04-16T12:18:00.002+01:00

We are proud to announce that we added a new feature on this blog. We added the standings for the most important leagues in Eurpe: English Premiership, Spanish Primera Division and Italian Serie A. They can be found on the right side of the blog, and are automatically updated, so you don't have to worry about the updates.

We are planning to add more cool features in the future to the blog, so you can enjoy the stay. Live scores and odds, player biography or match previews with betting suggestions are some of the features we're planning to implement.

Wenger insists trophies will come

2008-04-14T12:29:00.001+01:00

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has vowed their attacking style will bring them silverware as he conceded the Premier League title was now out of reach.The club are set to be trophyless for a third season after their 2-1 defeat by Manchester United on Sunday, but Wenger was unequivocal.

"We will continue to play the way we do but better," Wenger said. "The trophies will come. The main target is to keep the team together. They are absolutely amazing." And striker Emmanuel Adebayor has backed Wenger's "vision" for Arsenal - and declared the Gunners will come out fighting next season. "Arsene is a great man and a great manager," declared Adebayor, who now has 20 Premier League goals this season. He has achieved a lot of things with this club. For sure he is going to be here. He has a vision to bring a lot of good players to this club like Alex Hleb, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Cesc Fabregas and William Gallas. They are his players. So, for sure, we will win something, no doubt about that."

The Gunners are now nine points behind leaders United with just four fixtures remaining, and three points behind Chelsea having played a game more. A disappointed Wenger hinted that certain decisions which went against Arsenal at Old Trafford highlighted a recent trend, but was keen to stress the pride he felt in a team which were controversially knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool in midweek. "Overall, I am very proud of my team's performance," he said. "We had to be exceptionally strong after the Liverpool game - and we were. I feel the difference between success and failure is very little. We do not feel there is much between ourselves, United and Chelsea when it comes to technical ability and quality. So it is difficult to accept we will not win the title. I want to win trophies and it is sad we cannot win a trophy this season. On the other hand, I feel we have done a lot for the Premier League this season by the way we have promoted it."

Arsenal needed to win at Old Trafford to start clawing back the Premier League leader's six-point advantage but a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty cancelled out Adebayor's opener before Owen Hargreaves grabbed the winner to effectively end Arsenal's hopes. Hargreaves' free-kick came after Gilberto had been punished for a challenge on Patrice Evra while Ronaldo's penalty was awarded following a handball by William Gallas. Wenger said: "Those two decisions made it difficult for us but overall we have to take it. With the penalty you can give it or not give it. As for the free-kick I do not think Gilberto touched Evra."

Paddy Power special offers for this weekend

2008-04-11T11:53:00.001+01:00

Please find to follow Paddy Power's Weekend Football Bulletin.

Paddy Power specials this week look at the clash between Man Utd and Arsenal and managers under pressure. For the big game, and with Ronaldo seemingly unable to stop scoring, Paddy Power are betting on the inevitable with odds for when the Portu-geezer scores his first v Arsenal on Sunday.

We are also offering sack race head-to-head betting between Wenger & Fergie as well as Benitez and Avram Grant whilst for the first time in a long time due to customer requests Paddy Power are offering betting on the next Arsenal manager.

Finally, with the awarding of penalties (or not in some cases) proving hugely topical of late Paddy Power are betting on who next gets a penalty favour between Liverpool and Arsenal, how many penalties will be awarded this weekend and whether Arsenal or Man Utd get a spot kick at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Paddy Power Weekend Bulletin

Premiership outright
Championship Outright & Relegation
Man Utd v Arsenal penalties
When will Ronaldo score his first v Arsenal
Arsenal v Liverpool - first penalty favour
How many Prem penalties this weekend
Wenger v Ferguson Sack Race
Benitez v Grant Sack Race
Next Arsenal manager
Ronaldinho next season

Correct score and 1st scorer betting for live TV games

Match betting for all English & Scottish domestic matches

Bent' it like Beckham!

2008-03-25T13:10:00.002Z

International Friendly Weds 26th March KO 8pm

Live Sky Sports 1

France v England

If David Bentley or David Beckham score at any time, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st /last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast single bets.

Top Bookmakers

2008-03-19T19:54:00.004Z

We have released a list with the best football bookmakers on the internet, to help our visitors to find the best place to bet on football. The top 10 online bookmakers can be easily spotted in the upper right part of the blog. We consider that betting at a serious bookmaker is a big advantage for any bettor, because we care about the odds you get and the safety of your money. All the bookmakers mentioned in the top are of the highest quality standards.

Lampard left frustrated and confused over Chelsea's delay on deal

2008-03-15T14:02:00.000Z

Frank Lampard admits he has been left frustrated and confused by his failure so far to agree terms on a new contract at Chelsea, with the club only expecting talks to reopen with his representative at the end of the season.

The England midfielder, who has 15 months to run on his deal, scored four times in the 6-1 demolition of Derby County on Wednesday night to take his season's tally to 17, but claims the uncertainty over his future is unsettling. Discussions had begun over a new long-term contract last summer only to stall with no agreement reached, prompting both parties - apparently with Lampard's blessing at the time - to postpone their resumption until the summer.

Source: football.guardian.co.uk

Keep 'em Keane!

2008-03-13T15:32:00.002Z

Man City v Tottenham

If Robbie Keane scores the last goal, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st /last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on the match.

Sevilla 3 Fenerbahce 2 (Agg 5-5, Pens 2-3)

2008-03-05T12:26:00.000Z

Volkan Demirel was the hero for Fenerbahce as they advanced from a penalty shoot-out into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in their history. After 90 minutes Sevilla led 3-2 to cancel out the first-leg deficit and make the scores 5-5 on aggregate, and with no goals in extra time it was left to visiting goalkeeper Volkan, who saved from Julien Escude, Ivica Dragutinovic and Dani Alves.

Volkan had earlier gifted Sevilla a two-goal lead within nine minutes, as four goals were scored in a pulsating first half. He failed to deal with long-range efforts by Dani Alves and Seydou Keita, and although Brazilian forward Deivid pulled a goal back for Fenerbahce on 20 minutes, Sevilla restored a two-goal advantage with a deflected Frederic Kanoute shot just before half time.

Deivid pounced for his second with 11 minutes left, and with no more goals after extra time it was left to Volkan to make amends for his earlier errors. He saved Sevilla's second penalty from Escude, and although Palop kept out Edu Dracena's powerful effort in response, Volkan then stopped Enzo Moresca's blasted shot and punched away Alves' powerful effort to send the Turkish side through.

Sevilla had dominated from kick-off, their early pace troubled the Fenerbahce defence, and when Keita was held back by Selcuk Sahin the home side fortuitously took a fourth-minute lead with the resulting free-kick. Alves' powerful 35-yard strike was straight at Volkan, who could only punch the ball into the top corner putting Sevilla ahead in the tie under the away goals rule.

Their confidence yielded a second goal just five minutes later, Keita striking a left-foot swerving shot from a similar range which deceived the 26-year-old Turkey goalkeeper and flew into the top-left corner. Fenerbahce began to recover and Deivid scored on 20 minutes, shooting low from 12 yards through an advancing crowd after a Mehmet Aurelio corner had not been cleared.

Both sides then went close as space opened in midfield, and Sevilla took advantage five minutes before the break. Alves crossed from the right to Kanoute, who controlled with his chest from 12 yards and fired a low volley at goal, which was deflected by Gokhan Gonul past the helpless Volkan. Sevilla held on for the rest of the half, Christian Poulsen clearing off the goal-line deep into injury time after Aurelio had set-up Deivid's shot.

Fenerbahce played with more fluency in a quieter start to the second half, and came close to an aggregate equaliser through Alex and then two chances for Ugur Boral. And the home side paid the price for their own missed opportunities on 79 minutes as Fenerbahce drew level on aggregate.

Deivid crept unmarked behind the defence to latch onto a long free-kick from Alex, and first hit the post before pouncing on the rebound to score from two yards. The game remained 3-2 after 90 minutes and went into extra-time, where both sides struggled to maintain their earlier intensity.

Deivid had chances for a hat-trick, but missed two 20-yard efforts within a minute while Alves shot a 25-yard free kick wide on 99 minutes. Alves hit a 25-yard free kick against the wall in injury time, and the game went into penalties, where Volkan's saves ensured a safe passage for Fenerbahce.

Teams:

Sevilla Palop, Daniel, Escude, Dragutinovic, Adriano Correia, Jesus Navas (Kone 105), Poulsen (Maresca 94), Keita, Diego Capel, Kanoute, Luis Fabiano (Renato 77).

Subs Not Used: De Sanctis, Duda, Mosquera, De Mul.

Booked: Keita, Daniel.

Goals: Daniel 6, Keita 9, Kanoute 41.

Fenerbahce Demirel, Gonul, Edu Dracena, Lugano, Wederson, Deivid, Aurelio, Sahin (Senturk 62),Boral (Kazim-Richards 111), Alex (Bilgin 112), Kezman.

Subs Not Used: Kulbilge, Cakmak, Arat, Turaci.

Booked: Sahin, Deivid, Gonul, Wederson, Kezman.

Goals: Deivid 21, 80.

Agg (5-5) Fenerbahce win 3-2 on penalties

Att: 38,626

Ref: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).

Source: sportinglife.com

Rafa savours Reds victory

2008-02-21T20:02:00.000Z

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez was a happy man after seeing his side beat Internazionale 2-0 at Anfield in the first leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie. Late goals from Dirk Kuyt and Steve Gerrard gave the Reds a comfortable advantage for the return leg in Milan, with Inter having had to play for an hour with ten men following the dismissal of central defender Marco Materazzi. That left Benitez to reflect on the perfect response to the weekend's FA Cup humiliation at home to Barnsley.

He said: "This result is good for the confidence of the team, the supporters and the club. I always had confidence in my players. They played well, with passion, and they passed the ball excellently. It was clearly much better than the last match and even though Inter Milan had ten men for a long spell, they were still formidable opponents who were organised, defended well and were always capable of scoring on the break. I accept that we needed this win as a team, we needed to progress in the competition. As a manager, you are always pleased with a win like this and this is now the time to be happy. I know people will say they cannot understand how we can lose to Barnsley and then beat Inter Milan. But on Saturday we changed the team, we had ten internationals on the pitch and missed a lot of chances. This time we were better, we had far less chances but we scored two good goals. It gives us a great chance in the second leg."

Source: football.co.uk

All transfers in 2008: Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United

2008-02-13T14:33:00.002Z

Liverpool Transfers:

Players In:
Martin Skrtel (Zenit St. Petersburg - £6.5million)
Javier Mascherano (West Ham United - £18.6million)

Players Out:
Jack Hobbs (Scunthorpe United - on loan)
Craig Lindfield (Chester City - on loan)
Mohamed Sissoko (Juventus F.C. - £8.2million)
Lee Peltier (Yeovil Town - undisclosed)
Besian Idrizaj (FC Wacker Innsbruck - undisclosed)

Manchester City Transfers:

Players In:
Nery Castillo (Shakhtar Donetsk - on loan)
Felipe Caicedo (FC Basle - £5.2million)
Filippo Mancini (Inter Milan - on loan)

Players Out:
Danny Mills (Derby County - on loan)
Marc Laird (Millwall - undisclosed)
Ched Evans (Norwich City - on loan)
Matthew Mills (Doncaster Rovers - on loan)
Rolando Bianchi (SS Lazio - on loan)
Georgios Samaras (Celtic - on loan)
Ishmael Miller (West Brom - undisclosed)
Ousmane Dabo (SS Lazio - undisclosed)
Paul Dickov (Blackpool - on loan)

Manchester United Transfers:

Players In:
Manucho Goncalves (Petro Atletico, Angola - undisclosed)
Robert Brady (St. Kevins Boys - undisclosed)
Rodrigo Possebon (Sport Club Internacional - undisclosed)

Players Out
Michael Barnes (Chesterfield - on loan)
Adam Eckersley (Port Vale - free transfer)
Kieran Lee (QPR - on loan)
Jonny Evans (Sunderland AFC - on loan)
Lee Martin (Sheffield United - on loan)
Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City - £1million)
Phillip Bardsley (Sunderland AFC - £2million)
Febian Brandy (Swansea City - on loan)
Manucho Goncalves (Panathinaikos - on loan)

Egypt defy doubters and odds

2008-02-10T14:53:00.000Z

Despite being reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions, few Egypt fans would have predicted their team would contest the final in Ghana. However, in defiance of all that doubt, the Pharaohs are now on the verge of claiming a sixth title with a second successful back-to-back defence. They have made it this far in some style too, with a 4-1 demolition of pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast in Thursday's semi-finals and a 4-2 win over finalists Cameroon in their opening Group C game.

After a relatively poor qualifying campaign, nothing was really expected from the team in Ghana, and fans are reported to be happy to make it as far as the final. But during the tournament a togetherness has emerged which has yet to be matched by the other competing teams.

"We have a side that plays for each other and maybe even for me as coach," said coach Hassan Shehata. "I think there is an understanding that we have, a special bond. I think we will win."

The Pharaohs' unity could be attributed to their strong domestic league and the fact that many of the players in the squad are based on home soil. "They prove that you don't need to play in Europe to be a top quality footballer - just look at midfielder Hosny Abd Rabou who has had a great tournament," said BBC World Service commentator Richard Connelly.

And in Shehata, they have a man who knows what he wants and how to achieve it, even if that means making tough decisions. He famously substituted Mido in the semi-finals two years ago to the disgust of the star striker, only for his replacement Zaki to score with his first touch. Shehata has also had to rebuild much of the team that won in 2006 due to unforeseen circumstances and injuries.

Rising star in the Egyptian game and 2006 medal winner, left-back Mohamed Abdul-Wahab, died of a heart defect during a training session in August 2006. Key players such as 2005 BBC African Footballer of the Year Mohamed Barakat and striker Mido were both ruled out for the tournament through injury.

And midfielder Hossam Ghaly decided not to travel to Ghana in order to complete his transfer to English Premier League side Derby. The loss of such big names would trouble even the best teams in the world, but Egypt have shown they have a large pool of talent to call on. Former Nigeria captain Sunday Oliseh, who made it to the final in 1994 and 2000 says the team element is key to the Pharaohs' success.

"I was surprised Egypt made it through the semi-finals because I really thought Ivory Coast had the capability to overcome them," he said. "But it turns out that this Egyptian team is even stronger than we thought because not only did they play well, but they are stronger as a team than they are as individuals and that makes them very hard to beat."

Connelly added: "They're an exceptional team who are comfortable with the system they play; they all know their own responsibilities and what to expect from their team-mates." Shehata is also looking to become only the second coach to win successive Nations Cup titles - the only other person to do it is Ghana's CK Gyamfi in 1963 and 1965.

Source: bbc.co.uk

Capello demands winning mentality

2008-02-04T18:39:00.000Z

Steven Gerrard says new England coach Fabio Capello wants his squad to demonstrate a winning mentality. The Italian held his first training session on Monday ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Switzerland.

Gerrard said: "We had a quick meeting last night [Sunday] and he told us it is a fresh start for everyone. He has made it clear he wants a winning mentality around the place and wants to build a winning team with players pulling in the same direction."

Sunday's team meeting and Monday's open training session was Capello's first with the squad since replacing Steve McClaren as head coach two months ago. He will take his players for a second training session at Wembley on Monday evening before a final session at Arsenal's training ground on Tuesday. The Liverpool skipper added: "He thinks we can improve going forward and defensively also. "He said to us in a team meeting and also on the training ground that he has paid attention to watching how we perform individually and as a team. He has watched a lot of our games. I don't think it is about enjoying yourself with the manager off the pitch. It is all about seriousness and getting results in an England shirt. That is the most important thing, not having a laugh and a joke. I think everyone was nervous because it is a new manager but we're certainly excited."

Much has been made of Capello having to learn English in order to communicate with the squad, with the 61-year-old insisting he would learn the language within a month of arriving in England last December. Capello is still expected to give his news conference on Tuesday in Italian, with a translator alongside him. But Gerrard said he was understood fully by the players when he spoke to them in a meeting and at training. "It was all English. It surprised me, he was really good," he said. "All the session was put across to the players in English. He got some help from a translator but it was better than I thought."

Defender Rio Ferdinand was also impressed by Capello's command of English and admitted he was excited at the chance to work with the former Real Madrid coach. He said: "He has addressed us all in English, surprisingly good English too. He commands your respect, just knowing what he has achieved gives him an aura, but there is no fear involved. It is like the first day at a new school, going to secondary school from primary school. You are intrigued and excited to see what new ideas and methods the manager has got and what he is going to bring. We are like school kids, soaking up all the information he has got."

Scouting for African talent

2008-01-30T09:24:00.000Z

At the end of the 19th Century, European countries, in what became known as the scramble for Africa, sought to carve up the continent between them. But in 2008 the scramble is of an altogether different nature - to secure the continent's finest footballing talent.

The regard in which African players are now held by Premier League clubs is plain for all to see. When Mali hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2002, England's top flight was stripped of just eight players. Fast forward to the 2008 edition in Ghana and that figure has risen to a staggering 35.

And, despite many a manager's criticism of the tournament's mid-season scheduling, it appears likely that the trend will only continue to grow. BBC Sport understands that all bar five Premier League clubs have sent scouts to the Nations Cup, not only to spot potential recruits for the here and now but, more importantly, for the future.

"We already know the players and I don't think any clubs of our calibre go there to sign a player - they should know who they want a long time before," said Chelsea's chief scout and head of youth development Frank Arnesen. "We are monitoring for the future." Chelsea's four players competing at the Nations Cup - Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and Jon Mikel Obi - were purchased from other European clubs at a total cost of more than £50m.

Part of Arnesen's job is to ensure the club secure the best possible talent at the best possible price. If a club can identify and buy talent before African players make their name in the major European leagues, there are huge savings to be made. But even if they have made a name for themselves, BBC Sport found a widespread belief in the Premier League that African players offer excellent value for money.

"Look at Habib Beye, who we signed from Marseille for £2m," said Newcastle first-team coach Steve Round. "For a full international of his pedigree and the amount of games he has played in Europe and the Champions League, to get an English player of the same pedigree could cost you in the region of £8m-10m."

Just as important as the financial advantages are the physical and technical perks. "One of the most significant changes to the Premier League over the past five years is how much the high intensity output has improved - it has gone up about 2.5km in the last five years which is a colossal amount," added Round.

"That is partly due to better training methods and better athletes being produced but also because of the influx of a lot of these African players who, physically, are very good." Tord Grip, a member of the Manchester City coaching staff under Sven-Goran Eriksson, added: "They seem to be well-suited to the style of play in the Premier League. "African players are strong, athletic and good technically. You also find that they are very motivated, because they have come from a difficult and poor background."

Arnesen insists individuals from any background can make it to the top, but the Dane concedes the amount of football played by Africans as they grow up is key to their development, a point echoed by Damien Comolli. "When you go to any country in Africa, people, especially kids, play football from eight in the morning until late at night," said Tottenham's sporting director. "When you have millions of kids playing street football all day long, players will come through, exactly like in Brazil."

Scouting is a time-consuming and expensive business and BBC Sport has learned that one major Premier League club's scouting wage bill runs close to £1m. If monitoring players in Europe is a difficult logistical exercise it is even harder in Africa, given the sheer size of the continent - Nigeria's population alone is more than 130 million. Arsenal, who have former player Gilles Grimandi scouting for them in Ghana, have had an advantage over many of their Premier League rivals because of manager Arsene Wenger's close relationship with compatriot Jean-Marc Guillou.

As well as giving Wenger his break in management - the two worked together at Cannes - Guillou helped set up an academy in the Ivory Coast, run in co-operation with the local team ASEC of Abidjan. Graduates of that Academy include Arsenal's Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, Chelsea's Kalou, and half the Ivory Coast 2006 World Cup squad. "They are now well-coached because some of them are coming through various coaching systems or development centres that are producing quality players now," said Wigan assistant manager Eric Black.

"The indiscipline that was there maybe 10 years ago is disappearing. They're being coached by European coaches who are in Africa, or when they are at clubs in Europe." With players from just four Premier League clubs - Derby, Aston Villa and Manchester City and Wigan - not present in Ghana and the country awash with their scouts, England needs little convincing of Africa's worth.

African players in Premier League:

Arsenal: Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Alexandre Song
Birmingham: Richard Kingson, Mehdi Nafti, Radhi Jaidi
Blackburn: Aaron Mokoena
Bolton: El-Hadji Diouf, Abdoulaye Meite
Chelsea: John Obi Mikel, Didier Drogba and Saloman Kalou, Michael Essien
Everton: Joseph Yobo, Ayegbeni Yakubu, Steven Pienaar
Fulham: Diomansy Kamara
Liverpool: Momo Sissoko
Manchester United: Manucho
Middlesbrough: Mohamed Shawky
Newcastle: Obafemi Martins, Geremi, Abdoulaye Faye, Habib Beye
Portsmouth: Papa Bouba Diop, Nwankwo Kanu, John Utaka, Sulley Muntari
Reading: Andre Bikey, Emerse Fae, Ibrahima Sonko
Sunderland: Dickson Etuhu
Tottenham: Didier Zokora
West Ham: John Paintsil, Henri Camara

Additional reporting by Simon Austin, Russell Barder, Chris Bevan and Phil McNulty.

Sorce: bbc.co.uk

Liverpool duo close to £350m deal

2008-01-23T17:48:00.000Z

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett hope to complete a £350m refinancing deal on Thursday to secure their immediate Anfield future.

City observers said on Tuesday the package was under threat, with Dubai International Capital (DIC), waiting in the wings with a proposed takeover bid. But BBC Sport has learned Hicks expects to seal the deal imminently. Hicks will also reveal the revamped design for Liverpool's new stadium at the same time as the cash package.

The twin announcement will be seen as a reaffirmation of Hicks' determination to remain at Anfield along with co-owner George Gillett, despite interest from DIC.The financial package is expected to help the American duo repay money borrowed for their £218.9m takeover in March 2007. They would also then be able to repay loans used to sign players last summer and start work on a re-scaled plan for a new stadium in Stanley Park.

Hicks and Gillett were forced to scale back a futuristic stadium plan in December, but are now ready to unveil a new-look 70,000-capacity arena. If the re-financing package, which has been agreed with the Royal Bank of Scotland and American bank Wachovia, goes ahead as expected, it will strengthen the Americans' position at Anfield. And Hicks will also feel he will be in a stronger position should he decide to sell in the future, dealing a blow to DIC's hopes of mounting a swift bid to take control at Anfield. Hicks and Gillett were the target of crowd demonstrations from Liverpool supporters unhappy with their regime during Monday's televised game against Aston Villa, with banners calling for DIC to mount a bid.

But Hicks, in particular, has remained defiant in the face of protests and insisted he had no intention of selling his 50% share in the club. "I've not received any offer to purchase the club from DIC or anyone else, much less accepted any such offer," Hicks said on Monday. It remains to be seen whether DIC, the investment arm of the Dubai government, will now pull out of a proposed bid to take control at Anfield, with the refinancing package unlikely to clear all the clouds of uncertainty over the club.

BBC Sport revealed on Saturday that DIC's interest had been seriously re-ignited and a potential bid was in place. But it is believed DIC have made it clear they will not pay over the odds for Liverpool, and are not prepared to give Hicks and Gillett a huge profit if they sell. Some City sources believe the new deal, and its interest payments, will only be a financial "sticking plaster" and DIC will wait to see if there are further problems for Hicks and Gillett while maintaining an interest in buying Liverpool. Liverpool decided to sell to Hicks and Gillett instead of DIC in March 2007 but the American businessmen, and Hicks in particular, have been criticised for the way they have run the club.

Hicks admitted holding talks with Jurgen Klinsmann last November about the German taking over from Rafael Benitez as manager. The owners and Benitez have also had a very public spat after the Spaniard criticised their transfer policy. If Hicks has cemented his position via the loan, Benitez's long-term prospects look bleak.

And Liverpool fans will be even more critical after an interview, first broadcast on the Major League Baseball website six months ago, was publicised by the British press on Wednesday. "People are worried that I might take money away from the Texas Rangers [Hicks' baseball franchise] to go to Liverpool," Hicks said. "But it is just the reverse. Liverpool is going to throw off lots of extra money which, if I choose to, I can use for the Rangers or the Dallas Stars ice hockey team."

Source: bbc.co.uk

Ashley encouraged to bring Deco to Newcastle

2008-01-18T12:50:00.000Z

Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan is in agreement with club owner Mike Ashley about moving for Barcelona star Deco. Ashley has coveted the Portugal international since buying Newcastle and has been encouraged by the midfielder's admission that his days at the Nou Camp are numbered.

Keegan is in agreement with Ashley about Deco's star appeal and will seek to bring the midfield schemer to St James' Park this month - though an end of season deal is more likely.

Source: tribalfootball.com

Match of the day report

2008-01-13T10:20:00.001Z

Manchester United - Newcastle United 6-0

Hat-trick hero Cristiano Ronaldo led a second-half destruction of Newcastle United as the Red Devils soared back to the top of the table. The Red Devils seem intent on adding a 10th Premier League title to their regained status as the world's richest club. And with Ronaldo in this mood, it is difficult to see how they can be stopped. After a goalless opening period, the Portugal winger broke Newcastle's resistance with a low free-kick, added a startling second with a neat finish to a move involving Wayne Rooney and double scorer Carlos Tevez, then completed his first Red Devils three-timer two minutes from time. Ronaldo now has 22 goals for the season, which puts him on a par with another legendary marksman, Alan Shearer.

Following a hard-fought opening period, the hosts cut loose in amazing style. Quite aside from Ronaldo's heroics, Tevez scored twice and Rio Ferdinand blasted home an impressive volley from Rooney's chipped pass. The match ended with Newcastle captain Alan Smith dismissed for his protests at Tevez's rout-completing effort, which may, or may not have crossed the line. Ferguson was not the only one to feel aggrieved though as Newcastle, despite their lack of chances, were denied a goal when an offside flag was raised against Michael Owen, who finished off James Milner's lofted pass. Smith clipped Ronaldo's heels just as he was about to shoot, offering the Portugal winger the kind of free-kick chance he craves.

As the Newcastle wall, to a man, jumped, Ronaldo drove a low shot underneath them which Given could not keep out. Five minutes later, Giggs got on the end of a loose ball in a flash and squared to Tevez, who swept home with ease. Their hopes of gaining something from the contest virtually extinguished, Newcastle could have done without lone front-man Michael Owen firing wide from close range after Edwin van der Sar had pushed Charles N'Zogbia's shot into his direction. And so it proved as Ronaldo finished off an excellent move involving Rooney and Tevez. A brilliant Ferdinand finish was followed by Ronaldo's third, before Tevez completed the victory.

Source: premierleague.com

Premier League Results

2008-01-13T10:09:00.000Z

Saturday 12th January 2008

Arsenal 1-1 Birmingham City
Aston Villa 3-1 Reading
Derby County 0-1 Wigan Athletic
Middlesbrough 1-1 Liverpool
Everton 1-0 Manchester City
Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United 2-1 Fulham
Manchester United 6-0 Newcastle United

All UK transfers so far in 2008

2008-01-10T16:07:00.000Z

10 January 2008

Ed Asafu-Adjaye [Luton - Salisbury] Loan
Ahmet Brkovic [Luton - Millwall] Free
Chris Coyne [Luton - Colchester] £350,000
Sylvain Ebanks-Blake [Plymouth - Wolves] £1.5m
David Edwards [Luton - Wolves] £675,000
Lewis Emanuel [Luton - Lincoln] Loan
Peter Enckelman [Blackburn - Cardiff] Loan
Ryan Hall [Crystal Palace - Dagenham & Redbridge] Loan
Johnny Harkness [Kidderminster - Worcester] Loan
Shwan Jalal [Peterborough - Morecambe] Loan
Darren Kenton [Leicester - Leeds] Loan
Mark Little [Wolves - Northampton] Loan
Lee Martin [Man Utd - Sheff Utd[ Loan
Brendan Moloney [Nottm Forest - Chesterfield] Loan
Craig Rocastle [Port Vale - Gillingham] Loan
Gavin Strachan [Peterborough - Notts County] Free
Peter Sweeney [Stoke - Leeds] Free
Callum Willock [Port Vale - Stevenage] Free

9 January 2008

Robbie Savage [Blackburn - Derby] £1.5m
Jason Byrne [Cardiff - Bohemians] Free
Richard Chaplow [West Brom - Preston] £800,000
John Halls [Reading - Crystal Palace] Loan
Chris Herd [Aston Villa - Port Vale] Loan
Marc Laird [Manchester City - Millwall] Free
Diego Leon [Grasshopper Zurich - Barnsley] Free
Dave Mulligan [Scunthorpe - Port Vale] Loan
Phil Starkey [Ebbsfleet - Tonbridge] Loan

8 January 2008

Sam Aiston [Northampton - Wrexham] Free
Phil Bolland [Chester - Wrexham] Free
Gabor Bori [MTK Hungaria - Leicester] Loan
Danny Coles [Hull - Bristol Rovers] Undisclosed
Colin Daniel [Crewe - Grays] Loan
Paul Heckingbottom [Barnsley - Bradford] Free
Kevin Horlock [Doncaster - Scunthorpe] Free
Bradley Johnson [Northampton - Leeds) £250,000
Joe Lewis [Norwich - Peterborough] £400,000
Paul Mayo [Notts County - Darlington] Loan
Jason Norville [Barnet - Woking] Free
Sam Oji [unattached - Leyton Orient]
Richard O'Donnell [Sheff Wed - Rotherham] Loan
Laurent Robert [Unattached - Derby]
Ian Ross [Sheff Utd - Rotherham] Free
Simon Rusk [Northwich - York] Free
Scott Spencer [Everton - Yeovil] Loan
Rowan Vine [Birmingham - QPR] £1,000,000
Gavin Ward [Chester - Wrexham] Free

7 January 2008

Ben Alnwick [Tottenham - Leicester] Loan
Jonathan Hayes [Leicester - Northampton] Loan
Stephen McPhee [Hull - Blackpool] Undisclosed
Michael Poke [Southampton - Torquay] Loan
Danijel Subotic [Basle - Portsmouth] Undisclosed
Ben Tozer [Swindon - Newcastle] Undisclosed

5 January 2008

Lionel Ainsworth [Hereford - Watford] Undisclosed
William Easton [Dundee Utd - Ayr Utd] Free

4 January 2008

Felix Bastians [Nottingham Forest - Notts County] Loan
Craig Bentham [Bradford - Farsley] Loan
Dean Bennett [Chester - Kidderminster] Loan
Ryan Bertrand [Chelsea - Norwich] Loan
Martin Brittain [Unattached - Walsall] Free
Steve Bushell [Halifax - Hyde United] Free
Paul Carden [Accrington - Cambridge] Loan
Nick Carle [Genclerbirligi - Bristol City] Undisclosed
Ian Craney [Swansea - Accrington] £85,000
Jermaine Easter [Wycombe - Plymouth] £210,000
Jonny Evans [Man Utd - Sunderland] Loan
Adrian Forbes [Blackpool - Millwall] Undisclosed
Santos Gaia [Stevenage - Grays] Free
Adam Gross [Grays - Weymouth] Loan
Fitz Hall [Wigan - QPR] Undisclosed
Marcus Holness [Oldham - Rochdale] Free
Damian Jarrett [Unattached - Stafford] Free
Neil Kilkenny [Birmingham - Leeds] Loan
Leon Knight [Milton Keynes Dons - Wycombe] Undisclosed
James Lawson [Grays - Chelmsford City] Free
Ryan Lynch [Crewe - Stafford] Loan
Sherjill MacDonald [Apeldoorn - West Brom] £200,000
Craig McAllister [Grays - Oxford United] Undisclosed
Michael Malcolm [Rushden & Diamonds - Weymouth] Non-contract
Shelton Martis [West Brom - Scunthorpe] Loan
Adam Miller [Stevenage - Gillingham] Undisclosed
Danny Mills [Man City - Derby] Loan
Jon Munday [Kidderminster - Worcester] Loan
Adam Murray [Macclesfield - Oxford United] Undisclosed
Fred Murray [Stafford - Stevenage] Free
John Nutter [Stevenage - Gillingham] Undisclosed
Matthew Pattison [Newcastle - Norwich] Undisclosed
Lee Ridley [Cheltenham - Lincoln] Loan
Lloyd Rigby [Rochdale - Vauxhall Motors] Loan
David Roberts [Bangor City - Weymouth] Non-contract
Ian Selley [Lewes - Grays] Free
Adam Smith [Chesterfield - Lincoln] Loan
Andrew Teague [Macclesfield - Tamworth] Loan
Stanislav Varga [Sunderland - Burnley] Loan
Emanuel Villa [UAG Tecos - Derby] £2m
Peter Vincenti [Millwall - Stevenage] Free
Paul Watson [Rushden & Diamonds - Crawley] Undisclosed
Greg Young [Halifax - Altrincham] Free
Laczko Zsolt [Olympiakos - Leicester] Loan

3 January 2008

Patrick Agyemang [Preston - QPR] £350,000
Michael Barnes [Man Utd - Chesterfield] Loan
Tommy Doherty [Unattached - Wycombe]
Stewart Drummond [Shrewsbury - Morecambe] £15,000
Kevin McIntyre [Macclesfield - Shrewsbury] £50,000
Danny Pugh [Preston - Stoke] £500,000
Leslie Thompson [Bolton - Torquay] Loan
Simon Yeo [Chester City - Bury] Loan

2 January 2008

Keith Barker [St Patrick's Athletic - Northwich] Free
Martin Butler [Walsall - Grimsby] Free
Akos Buzsaky [Plymouth - QPR] Undisclosed
Joel Byrom [Clitheroe - Northwich] Free
Matthew Connolly [Arsenal - QPR] Undisclosed
Wilfried Domoraud [Yeovil - Weymouth] Loan
Hogan Ephraim [West Ham - QPR] Undisclosed
Danny Grainger [Gretna - Dundee Utd] Undisclosed
Cayne Hanley [FC United - Northwich] Free
Thomas Harban [Barnsley - Halifax] Free
Nathan Joynes [Barnsley - Halifax] Free
Neil McCafferty [Derry City - Grays] Undisclosed
Ryan McCann [unattached - Queen of the South]
Jim McNulty [Macclesfield - Stockport] Free
Eric Odhiambo [Leicester - Dundee Utd] Loan
Sebastian Sorsa [HJK Helsinki - Leeds] Free
John Stewart [Falkirk - Queen of the South] Loan
Danny Swanson [Berwick - Dundee Utd] Undisclosed
Andrew Wright [unattached - Scunthorpe]

1 January 2008

Cliff Akurang [Histon - Barnet] Undisclosed
Guy Branston [unattached - Notts County]
Lee Bullock [Hartlepool - Bradford] Loan
Tom Cahill [Rotherham - Altrincham] Loan
Adam Dugdale [unattached - Droylsden]
Adam Eckersley [Man Utd - Port Vale] Free
Liam Hatch [Barnet - Peterborough] £150,000
Barry Hayles [Plymouth - Leicester] Undisclosed
Steve Howard [Derby - Leicester] Undisclosed
James Jennings [Macclesfield - Altrincham] Loan
Lukas Jutkiewicz [Everton - Plymouth] Loan
Liam King [Rotherham - Altrincham] Loan
Scott Laird [Plymouth - Stevenage] Loan
Kieran Lee [Man Utd - QPR] Loan
Scott Loach [Watford - Morecambe] Loan
Gavin Mahon [Watford - QPR] Loan
Scott Mitchell [unattached - Peterborough]
Damian Scannell [Eastleigh - Southend] £5,000
Mamadou Seck [Sheffield Utd - Scunthorpe] Loan
Gary Speed [Bolton - Sheffield Utd] Loan
Andy Todd [Rotherham - Accrington] Loan
Ryan Toulson [Halifax - Altrincham] Loan
John Welsh [Hull - Chester] Loan
Ashley Westwood [Chester - Stevenage] Free
Tom Williams [Wycombe - Peterborough] Loan

Source: bbc.co.uk

Arsenal take Diarra from Chelsea

2008-01-08T18:55:00.000Z

Arsenal completed a late move to sign midfielder Lassana Diarra from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee. The Gunners say the 22-year-old Frenchman, who can play at right-back, has signed a long-term deal. The former Le Havre player said: "I have great respect for the manager Arsene Wenger and am attracted by the style of football that the team plays. Of course I am excited by what the future holds and keen to play my part in helping Arsenal fight for trophies."

Diarra, who has played for France in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, will wear the number eight shirt. Wenger added: "Lassana is a multi-functional player, making him a great addition to our squad. Not only is he hard working, he has a creative edge and is comfortable playing in the middle of the pitch or at right-back."

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Castillo makes debut mark

2008-01-06T19:54:00.000Z

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson was delighted with the debut display by Nery Castillo in the goalless draw with West ham in the FA Cup third round. The 23-year-old Mexico international forward has joined the Citizens on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk and lasted 72 minutes of the Upton Park encounter, making a favourable impression on Eriksson. Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson was delighted with the debut display by Nery Castillo in the goalless draw with West ham in the FA Cup third round.

He said: "He is a new player, coming to a new country, a new club with a new style of football and he can't speak very much English - when you think about all that he was brilliant. He started the game absolutely fantastic. He has quick feet, good technique, very seldom gives the ball away and has a lot of pace. He will be an important player for us in the future. He was very, very good."

Meanwhile, the Swede also admitted that he is keen to do well in the FA Cup, having fielded a virtual full-strength side against the Hammers. He added: "If you are in the Champions League and are fighting to win the Premier League, then I can understand it. If you want to be competitive all over the place you have to almost have two teams and rotate players. But we are not playing in Europe and we were knocked out of the Carling Cup, so we will do everything we can in the league and the FA Cup."

Source: football.co.uk

Edwin van der Sar has agreed a new one-year deal to remain at Old Trafford

2008-01-04T17:26:00.000Z

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told his club's official website: "Edwin has agreed a new contract for another year. It'll be totally as a player [and not as a coach]. We're delighted at that because his consistency and experience has been a great help to this club. There is great competition for places amongst our goalkeepers. I'm sure Edwin will want to stay as our number one, but Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak will give him a good challenge."

Source: footballtransfers.info

Edmilson wants to stay at Barcelona

2008-01-03T17:38:00.000Z

The Brazilian joined Barcelona from Lyon in 2004 but has made just 79 appearances for the club in three and a half years, and with his contract due to expire in the summer, the midfielder is hoping to earn a new deal.

"When I came to Barca I was in great shape," he told El Mundo Deportivo. "I was 28, had experience, was physically fit and arrived with a strong desire to grow even more. Then I was out for eight months and I came back and well, things have continued from there. I just hope that the five or six months I have left on my contract allow me to say goodbye with a trophy. The truth is that things have not gone as I imagined they would. I always said that I wanted to play in a great club and then I was injured after arriving. I am slightly sad because nobody has been able to see the Edmilson from before. I am open to the possibility (of a new contract). Of the players that all arrived at the same time as me, I am the only one not to have had my contract revised. If there is a chance for me to stay another year, or two or three, then we shall see. Up until now I have had no offers and if it were down to me I would stay here."

With Yaya Toure set to depart from the African Nations Cup, Edmilson is looking to reclaim his place as the holding midfield player. "There are other players, like Rafa (Marquez) and Andres (Iniesta), that can play there too, but I will have to see what happens," he said. "I feel good. The operation went well and the first three months of recovery were very important and I feel better than last season. Now I want to rediscover my rhythm and to play again."

Source: worldsoccer.com

Tottenham & Inter Keen On Atletico’s Maniche

2008-01-02T15:02:00.000Z

According to reports in Spain and England, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan are said to be keen on Portuguese international Maniche. The 30-year-old playmaker, who had a loan spell with Chelsea in the second half of the 2005-06 season, is currently playing for Atletico Madrid where his contract runs out in June.

The former Porto player's agent, Jorge Mendes told The Daily Star: "There have been a number of European clubs who have demanded information on Maniche, including the Premier League. It all now depends on whether they can negotiate with Atletico."

Source: premiershiplatest.com

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T20:52:00.000Z

Football A-Z wishes you a Happy New Year! May all your wishes come true in 2008!

Ferguson warns players over discipline

2007-12-30T11:16:00.000Z

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has warned that he will not hesitate to sell any player who breaches club discipline. Ferguson has taken a hard line with his players throughout his career and has not been afraid to sell some of the club's biggest stars. And his latest warning comes after the club's Christmas party ended in rape claims.

The United boss has reportedly fined the players involved in the party a total of one million pounds (1.9 million dollars) - the biggest penalty ever dished out by a Premiership team for a breach of discipline. And he has also banned any more parties and told his millionaire players there will never be a repeat performance.

The Scot said: "Football has changed but you cannot lose your control. That is why we make changes here at Manchester United when we see anyone interfering with this sense of control. When we see this, then it's time for them to go because this club is based on everyone being together. When we start going off at tangents you have to assess it - definitely."

Ferguson also expressed his dislike of the celebrity lifestyle now enjoyed by many high-profile players. "What annoys me about some players today is this personal glory thing," he said. "They score a goal and then knock players out of the road so they can have their own private, personal gratification and praise from the fans. It's ugly seeing these kind of celebrations. These present-day footballers need to be noticed, with their earrings and tattoos. They no longer go to the small Italian restaurants but to the big and bright places."

Source: newsnow.co.uk

Matthaus among candidates for Bosnia job

2007-12-29T17:33:00.000Z

SARAJEVO (AFP) - German football legend Lothar Matthaus is among the candidates to coach the Bosnian national side, the country's football association said Friday. Apart from the German World Cup-winning captain the association is talking with two more candidates - former Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar and former Bosnian football star Meho Kodro - a spokeswoman said.

The new coach will be announced on January 5, spokeswoman Slavica Pecikoza told AFP. He is to replace Fuad Muzurovic who had been sacked on December 17 after his team failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

Source: soccernews.com

Chelsea confirms Lampard blow

2007-12-27T20:12:00.000Z

Chelsea have confirmed that Frank Lampard faces 'a few weeks' on the sidelines after the midfielder sustained a thigh injury in the first half of the amazing Boxing Day draw with Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. The England international had to be replaced by Michael Ballack in the 26th minute of the clash against Martin O'Neill's side that eventually ended 4-4.

Chelsea have confirmed that Frank Lampard faces 'a few weeks' on the sidelines after the midfielder sustained a thigh injury in the first half of the amazing Boxing Day draw with Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. A brief statement on the Blues' official website read: "Scans today have revealed a tear in Frank Lampard's right thigh. The tear is not in the same leg that Frank injured earlier this season. He will begin his rehabilitation immediately and we hope to have him back playing within a few weeks."

Chelsea boss Avram Grant had said after the eight-goal thriller: "We can't give a diagnosis on Frank Lampard yet, we'll wait and see. Frank was not happy about coming off because he likes playing, even in training games. We need to wait for an update."

Lampard's absence is a further blow to Grant who will be without several players next month when the African Cup of Nations starts. In addition, Ashley Cole and Ricardo Carvalho will be suspended after they were dismissed against Villa while John Terry's metatarsal injury means he continues to be unavailable.

Source: football.co.uk

Carvalho sorry for tackle

2007-12-26T22:16:00.000Z

Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho has apologised for his vicious two-footed challenge on Gabriel Agbonlahor in Boxing Day's 4-4 Barclays Premier League draw with Aston Villa. Carvalho was shown a straight red card by referee Phil Dowd for the 80th minute horror-tackle that could have inflicted serious injury on Agbonlahor.

The Portuguese defender said: "It was never my intention to hurt Gabriel Agbonlahor with the tackle. I was going for the ball and I don't want people to think that I tried to hurt another player. I didn't see him after the game to apologise but I asked for a message to be passed on to him." Chelsea boss Avram Grant backed Carvalho's claim there was no malice involved in the incident. He said: "For me what's important is that Carvalho did not intend to hurt the player - I didn't see any intention. The red card was the decision of the referee and I respect it. I will look at the incident again."

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill maintained the sending off was fully justified. He said: "It was straightforward red card and Gabriel was the last man, even though he had 40-odd yards to go."

Carvalho will now miss matches against Newcastle and Fulham and an FA Cup third-round tie against Queens Park Rangers. His dismissal was one of three in a controversial clash at Stamford Bridge with team-mate Ashley Cole and Villa centre back Zat Knight also receiving their marching orders. The absence of Carvalho and Cole leaves Chelsea without virtually their entire first-choice defence with skipper John Terry also in the treatment room.

Source: football365.com

Wenger not interested in new transfers

2007-12-25T17:11:00.000Z

The absence of Ivory Coast players Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue could be a severe blow for the Gunners as the current Premier League leaders seek their first title since 2004.

But Wenger admits he may have to "suffer" during January rather than buy players who will end up being surplus to requirements. "Kolo Toure goes off to the African Nations Cup shortly and we may lose Alex Song for it as well," said the Frenchman. "Even with Johan Djourou returning from Birmingham we would then be left with three specialist centre-backs. "If I signed another one we'd have too many after the African Nations. Sometimes you just have to suffer during the tournament and let your players play."

Philippe Senderos is determined to seize his chance when Toure goes on international duty with Ivory Coast. "It could be a big opportunity for me to go in there and show what I can do," said the Switzerland defender. "I believe I've already shown what I'm capable of but this could be a big chance to come into the team for a while. "It would be a good time to come in as well - we are playing great football, winning games, and I'm ready for the challenge." Senderos would probably partner skipper William Gallas.

Source: teamtalk.com

Angolan striker Manucho signs with Manchester United

2007-12-24T15:35:00.000Z

Manchester United have agreed to sign Petro Atletico Luanda's striker Manucho on a three-year deal. The Angolan international will join next month provided that he receives a work permit.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told his club's official website: "We have had Manucho here for a 3-week trial and have been impressed enough to offer him a 3-year contract. He is a tall, agile and quick forward and through contacts that [assistant-manager] Carlos [Queiroz] has was brought to our attention around six months ago."

2007 Player of the Year goes to Brazil: Kaka and Marta!

2007-12-23T19:21:00.000Z

The FIFA World Player of the Year title goes to Brazil, for both men and women! Kaka (AC Milan) and Marta (Umea IK) were the winners. Runners up were Lionel Messi (Barcelona) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester) for men, Birgit Prinz (FFC Frankfurt) and Cristiane (VfL Wolfsburg) for women. Five out of six are of Latin origin.

Kaka goals and tricks

Marta goals and tricks

The history of football (12)

2007-12-23T18:59:00.000Z

Chapter 10: World Cup

FIFA Men's World Cup

The first football world cup was played in Uruguay in 1930. In the first championship match between Argentina and Uruguay, both teams couldn't decide on a ball so they used Argentina's ball the first half and Uruguay's in the second. Many countries did not enter, with most of them coming from the Americas. By 1950 however, European teams took interest, and the competition blossomed into the worlds biggest footballing event. From this, other championships emerged - The European Championship, South America's Copa América, Oceania's OFC Nations Cup, Asian Cup, African Cup Of Nations and North America's Gold Cup are the main competitions of each continent. The Brazilian team, known as "Seleção", is the biggest title holder in the World Cup, having won five times. The runner-up is Italy, with four titles, having won the latest edition in 2006.

FIFA Women's World Cup

The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated with the FIFA Women's World Cup 1991, hosted in China, with 12 teams sent to represent their countries. Over 650,000 spectators attended the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup and nearly 1 billion viewers from 70 countries tuned in. Of the five tournaments held to date (2007), the USA and Germany have won the championship twice and Norway once. Women's confederations are the same as men's: Oceania (OFC), European (UEFA), North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF), South American (CONMEBOL), Asian (AFC) and African (CAF). The U.S.'s most famous womens goal was that of Brandi Chastain in 1999.

Source: Wikipedia

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Chapter 9: Founding of F.I.F.A.

The need for a single body to oversee the worldwide game became apparent at the beginning of the 20th century with the increasing popularity of international fixtures. The English Football Association had chaired many discussions on setting up an international body, but was perceived as making no progress. It fell to seven other European countries to band together to form this association. FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) was founded in Paris on May 21, 1904 - the French name and acronym persist to this day, even outside French-speaking countries. Its first president was Robert Guérin.

FIFA presided over its first international competition in 1906, however it met with little approval or success. This, in combination with economic factors, led to the swift replacement of Guérin with Daniel Burley Woolfall from England, by now a member association. The next tournament staged the football competition for the 1908 Olympics in London was more successful, despite the presence of professional footballers, contrary to the founding principles of FIFA.

Membership of FIFA expanded beyond Europe with the application of South Africa in 1909, Argentina in 1912 and the United States in 1913. FIFA however floundered during World War I with many players sent off to war and the possibility of travel for international fixtures severely limited. Post-war, following the death of Woolfall, the organisation fell into the hands of Alexander Bartholomew. The organization had a new leader though after Bartholomew's death in 1919. It was saved from extinction, but at the cost of the withdrawal of the Home Nations, who cited an unwillingness to participate in international competitions with their recent World War enemies.

In 1946 the four British nations returned. On 10 May 1947 a 'Match of the Century' between Great Britain and 'Rest of Europe XI' was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow before 135,000 spectators - Britain won 6-1. The proceeds from the match, coming to £35,000, were given to FIFA, to help re-launch it after World War Two. This was followed by FIFA's first post-war World Cup in 1950, held in Brazil. FIFA, meanwhile, continued to expand so that by the time of its fiftieth anniversary it had 84 members.

Source: Wikipedia

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Chapter 8: Football spreads around the world

United States

The first soccer club in the United States was the Oneida Football Club of Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1862. It is often said that this was the first club to play association football outside Britain. However, the Oneidas were formed before the English Football Association (FA); it is not known what rules they used and the club wound up within the space of a few years. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the club is often credited with inventing the "Boston Game", which both allowed players to kick a round ball along the ground, and to pick it up and run with it.

The first U.S. match known to have been inspired by FA rules was a game between Princeton and Rutgers in 1869, although the game included features such as extremely physical tackling and teams of 20 each. Other colleges emulated this development, but all of these were converted to rugby-oriented rules from soccer-oriented rules by the mid-1870s on, and they would soon become famous as early bastions of American football. (For more details see: History of American football.)

Early soccer leagues in the U.S. mostly used the name football leagues: for example, the American Football Association (founded in 1884), the American Amateur Football Association (1893), the American League of Professional Football (1894), the National Association Foot Ball League (1895), and the Southern New England Football League (1914). However, the word "soccer" was beginning to catch on, and the St Louis Soccer League was a significant regional competition between 1907 and 1939. What is now the United States Soccer Federation was originally the U.S. Football Association, formed in 1913 by the merger of the American Football Association and the American Amateur Football Association. The governing body of the sport in the U.S. did not have the word soccer in its name until 1945, when it became the U.S. Soccer Football Association. It did not drop the word football from its name until 1974, when it became the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Two further soccer leagues were started in the 1967, the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer League. These merged to form the North American Soccer League in 1968, which survived until 1984. The NASL also ran an indoor league in the later years.

Indoor soccer was a great success in the 1980's to the 90's, in part due to the input of the North American Soccer League. When the NASL folded, other leagues, including the Major Indoor Soccer League filled in to meet the demand. A new MISL exists today with eight teams slated for the 2007-2008 season. However, it is unrelated to the original MISL. The highest level of soccer in the United States is Major League Soccer.

Source: Wikipedia

The history of football (9)

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Chapter 8: Football spreads around the world

South America

The first recorded football match in Argentina was played already in 1867 by English railway workers. The first football team in South America, Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata (now in professionalism) was created in Argentina, in 1887. The Argentine professional leagues (previously, football was an amateur sport) were founded in 1931 by the Argentine Football Association, which itself was founded by a Scottish schoolteacher Alexander Watson Hutton in 1893. The first ever championship to take place in Argentina was the AAF Championship of 1891 making Argentina's the oldest football league outside mainland Britain.

In the 1870s an expatriate named John Miller who worked on the railway construction project in São Paulo together with some 3000 other immigrant families from the British Isles in the last decades of the 19th century. Mr. Miller decided to send his young boy Charles William Miller to England for his education. In 1884 Charles aged 10 was sent to Bannisters school in Southampton. Charles was a natural footballer who quickly picked up the arts of the game. The football association was being formed at the time. Eton, Rugby, Charterhouse and other colleges all had developed their own rules to the game. As an accomplished winger and striker Charles held school honours that were to gain him entry first into the Southampton Club team and then into the County team of Hampshire.

In 1892 a couple of years before his return to Brazil, Charles was invited to play a game for the Corinthians, a team formed of players invited from public schools and universities.

On his return Charles brought some football equipment and a rules book with him. He then went on to develop the new rules of the game amongst the community in São Paulo. In 1888, six years before his return, the first sports club was founded in the city, São Paulo Athletic Club. São Paulo Athletic Club won the first three years championships. Miller's skills were far and above his colleagues at this stage. He was given the honour of contributing his name to a move involving a deft flick of the ball with the heel "Chaleira".

Charles Miller kept a strong bond with English football throughout his life. Teams from Southampton and Corinthians Club came over to Brazil and played against São Paulo Athletic Club and other teams in São Paulo. One on occasion in 1910 a new local team was about to be formed after a tour of the Corinthians team to Brazil and Charles was asked to suggest a name for the team. He suggested they should call themselves after Corinthians.

In 1988 when São Paulo Athletic Club celebrated its centenary and the English Corinthians Team came across again to play them at Morumbi Stadium. The end of the tour was against the local professional Corinthians Paulista team with Sócrates and Rivelino amongst its players. This game was played at Paecambu Stadium in São Paulo and true to Corinthian principles of good clean football the score was 1 to 0 in favour of the locals when as agreed Socrates changed shirts to play alongside the English amateurs. This did not affect the score unfortunately although a largely packed stadium was cheering on for a drawn result.

The Brazilian Football Confederation was founded in 1914, and the current format for the Campeonato Brasileiro was established in 1971.

Source: Wikipedia

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Chapter 8: Football spreads around the world

Continental Europe

The oldest club in continental Europe could be the Swiss club Lausanne Football and Cricket Club, founded 1860.

Football was introduced by English residents in the Danish club Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB) and in the Swiss club FC St. Gallen in 1879. This makes KB and St. Gallen the oldest still existing football clubs on Continental Europe. The Danish Football Association was founded in 1889. Italian football was played in regional groups from its foundation in 1898 until 1929 when the Serie A was organized into a national league by the Italian Football Federation. The first italian clubs are Genoa, Juventus and AC Milan (1901 photo of AC Milan, Serie A champions, can be seen). La Liga, Spain's national league, had its first season in 1928, with its participants based off of the previous winners of the Copa del Rey, which began in 1902. The modern German national league, the Bundesliga was late in foundation, especially for European countries, given it wasn't founded until 1963. The German Football Association was founded as early as 1900 with the first German football champions being Leipzig in 1903. However, prior to the formation of the Bundesliga, German football was played at an amateur level in a large number of regional leagues.

Source: Wikipedia

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Chapter 7: From amateurism to professionalism

When football was gaining popularity during the 1870s and 1880s professionals were banned in England and Scotland. Then in the 1880s, soon after Wanderers disbanded, in the north of England, teams started hiring players known as 'professors of football', who were often professionals from Scotland. This was the first time professionalism got into football. The clubs in working class areas, especially in Northern England and Scotland wanted professional football in order to afford playing football besides working. Several clubs were accused of employing professionals. In 1885 the FA legalized professional football, but with a national wage limit. The northern clubs made of lower class paid players started to gain momentum over the amateur 'Gentleman Southerners'. The first northern club to reach the FA Cup final was Blackburn Rovers in 1882, where they lost to Old Etonians, who were the last amateur team to win the trophy.

Early English women's teams, such as the Dick, Kerr's Ladies from Preston, were so popular that their matches raised money for charities. The first recorded women's football match, on 23 March 1895, was held in England between a northern and southern team. The fundraising matches continued, in spite of objections. A maximum wage was placed on players, players challenged this and came close to strike action in 1909, but it was not to be for another fifty years before the maximum wage was abolished. In 1921, women were banned from playing on FA league grounds. FA history states that this ban "effectively destroyed the game" in England for the next 40 years. Hakoah Vienna was probably the first non-British club to pay their players during the 1920s.

In 1934 the Swedish club Malmö FF was relegated from the top division after it had been discovered that they paid their players, something that was not allowed in Swedish football at the time.

Source: Wikipedia

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Chapter 6: The first international

Charles Alcock, who was elected to secretary of the FA at the age of 28, devised the Idea of an international competition, inaugurating an annual England-Scotland. His put advertisements in papers in Glasgow, informing people of an international between the two countries at Kennington Oval, that the home of Surrey Cricket Club. After the appeal, a team of Scottish players was put together and captained by Robert Smith, one of the three brothers who helped found Queens Park FC. His team which lost the match 1-0 was composed entirely of Scots, living in England. Other the next three annual fixtures at Kennington, the best the Scots could manage was a 1-1 draw, the fourth fixture was played at the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick. It was a goalless draw, and so one of the most bitterly disputed fixtures in footballing history was born. The first non-European international was contested on the 28 November 1885, at Newark, New Jersey, between the USA and Canada, the Canadians winning 1-0.

Source: Wikipedia

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Chapter 5: The first League

In 1888, William McGregor a gentleman from Perthshire and a director of Aston Villa F.C was the main force between meetings held in London and Manchester involving 12 football clubs, with an eye to a league competition. These 12 clubs would later become the Football League's 12 founder members. The meetings were held in London on 22 March 1888, the main concern was that an early exit in the knockout format of the FA cup could leave clubs with no matches for almost a year, not only could they suffer heavy financial losses, but fans didn't often stick around for that long without a game, when other teams were playing. Matters were finalised on the 17 April in Manchester.

McGregor had voted against the name The Football League, as he was concerned that it would be associated with the Irish Land League. But this name still won by a majority vote and was selected. The competition guaranteed fixtures and members for all of its member clubs. The clubs were split equally among North and Midlands teams and Southern teams, who were still strictly amateur.

A rival English league called the Football Alliance operated from 1889 to 1892. In 1892 it was decided to formally merge the two leagues, and so the Football League Second Division was formed, consisting mostly of Football Alliance clubs. The existing League clubs, plus three of the strongest Alliance clubs, comprised the Football League First Division.

Source: Wikipedia

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Chapter 4: The first FA Cup

On July 20, 1871, C. W. Alcock, a gentleman from Sunderland and a former pupil of Harrow School proposed that "a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the [Football] Association",[1] the idea that gave birth to the competition. At the first FA Cup in 1872, Wanderers and Royal Engineers met in the final in front of 2,000 paying spectators. Despite the Royal Engineers being the heavy favourites, one of their players sustained a broken collar bone early on and since substitutions had not yet been introduced, the Engineers played a man down for the rest of the match which they eventually lost 1-0.

The FA Cup was a success and within a few years all of the clubs in England wanted to take part. To do so they had to accept the FA code, which led to the quick spread of a universal set of rules. These rules are the basis of which all association football rules today stem from.

Later competitions saw the 'Gentleman' or Southerners dominate with Old Etonians, Wanderers, Royal Engineers and Oxford University who amongst them took 19 titles. Queens Park withdrew in the semi-finals of the 1873 cup (which due to the format being played that year meant that all the challengers to Wanderers' trophy played a competition for the right to throw down the gauntlet and play the holders, hence the full name FA Challenge Cup) because they had trouble raising travel expenses to pay for the constant trips to England, this directly led to the formation of the Scottish FA. However despite this, Queens Park continued to participate in the FA Cup, reaching the final twice, before the Scottish FA banned Scottish clubs from entering in 1887.

In 1872, Alcock purchased the Football Association Cup for £20. That year, fifteen clubs entered the competition. Queen's Park reached the semi finals without playing due to withdrawals, but then after a goalless draw with Wanderers, were forced to withdraw as before the advent of penalties and extra time, they could not afford to come back to London for the replay. Wanderers won the cup outright in 1878 after what remains to this day one of only two hat tricks of wins ever. However they returned the cup to the FA in order for the competition to continue, on the condition that no other club could win the cup outright ever again.

Source: Wikipedia

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Chapter 3: Foundations of a competition

The laws laid down by the FA had an immediate effect, with Sheffield and Nottingham (now Notts County) joining playing an annual fixture on the FA code among others. In 1865 Nottingham Forest was founded, and the first derby game took place. Over the next two years Chesterfield and Stoke joined the code. This finally meant that football was no longer an exclusive sport of public schools. However, it was by no means a working class pass time. By this time teams had settled into 11 players each, and the game was played with round balls. It previously stated that all players in front of the ball were offside, eliminating passing of the ball forwards, much like in rugby today. The rule was relaxed. A Sheffield against London game in 1866 had allowed the FA to observe how the rules were affecting the game; subsequently handling of the ball was abolished except for one player on each team, the goalkeeper. A red tape was added between the two goalposts to indicate the top of the goal, and a national competition was proposed.

Source: Wikipedia

The history of football (2)

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Chapter 2: The Football Association

During the early 1860s, there were increasing attempts in England to unify and reconcile the various football games that were played in the public school of England. In 1862, J. C. Thring, who had been one of the driving forces behind the original Cambridge Rules, was a master at Uppingham School and he issued his own rules of what he called "The Simplest Game" (these are also known as the Uppingham Rules). In early October 1863, another new revised version of the Cambridge Rules was drawn up by a seven member committee representing former pupils from Harrow, Shrewsbury, Eton, Rugby, Marlborough and Westminster.

Ebenezer Cobb Morley, a solicitor from Hull, wrote to Bell's Life newspaper in 1863, proposing a governing body for football. Morley was to become the FA's first secretary (1863-6) and its second president (1867-74), but is particularly remembered as it was he who drafted the first Laws of the Game at his home in Barnes, London, that are today played the world over. For this, he is considered not just the father of the Football Association, but of Association Football (soccer) itself.

On the evening of October 26, 1863, representatives of several football clubs in the Greater London area met at the Freemason's Tavern on Long Acre in Covent Garden. This was the first meeting of The Football Association (FA). It was the world's first official football body and for this reason is not preceded with the word English. Charterhouse was the only school which accepted invitations to attend. The first meeting resulted in the issuing of a request for representatives of the public schools to join the association. With the exception of Thring at Uppingham, most schools declined. In total, six meetings of the FA were held between October and December 1863. Committee member J. F. Alcock, said: "The Cambridge Rules appear to be the most desirable for the Association to adopt."

After the third meeting, a draft set of rules were published by the FA. However, at the beginning of the fourth meeting, attention was drawn to the recently-published Cambridge Rules of 1863. The Cambridge rules differed from the draft FA rules in two significant areas; namely running with (carrying) the ball and hacking (kicking opposing players in the shins). The two contentious FA rules were as follows:

IX. A player shall be entitled to run with the ball towards his adversaries' goal if he makes a fair catch, or catches the ball on the first bound; but in case of a fair catch, if he makes his mark he shall not run.

X. If any player shall run with the ball towards his adversaries' goal, any player on the opposite side shall be at liberty to charge, hold, trip or hack him, or to wrest the ball from him, but no player shall be held and hacked at the same time.

At the fifth meeting a motion was proposed that these two rules be removed from the FA rules. Most of the delegates supported this suggestion but F. W. Campbell, the representative from Blackheath and the first FA treasurer, objected strongly. He said, "hacking is the true football". The motion was carried nonetheless and — at the final meeting — Campbell withdrew his club from the FA. After the final meeting on 8 December the FA published the "Laws of Football", the first comprehensive set of rules for the game later known as Association football. The game also came to be called "soccer" as a shortening of "Association" around the same time as Rugby football, colloquially referred to as "rugger", was developing as the main carrying of the ball version of English football, and "soccer" remains a common descriptor in countries with other prominent football codes today.

These first FA rules still contained elements that are no longer part of Association football, but which are still recognisable in other games (Rugby Union, Australian rules football): for instance, a player could make a fair catch and claim a mark, which entitled him to a free kick, and; if a player touched the ball behind the opponents' goal line, his side was entitled to a free kick at goal, from 15 yards in front of the goal line.

The laws of the game agreed on by the FA members stipulated a maximum length and breadth for the pitch, the procedure for kicking off, and definition of terms, including goal, throw in, offside. Passing the ball by hand was still permitted provided the ball was caught "fairly or on the first bounce". Despite the specifications of footwear having no "tough nails, iron plates and gutta percha" there were no specific rule on number of players, penalties, foul play or the shape of the ball, captains of the participating teams were expected to agree on these things prior to the match.

Source: Wikipedia

The history of football (1)

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Chapter 1: The beginning

The history of association football, which is usually known simply as football, can be traced to traditional football games played in Europe in ancient times. However, the modern game has its roots in the formation of the The Football Association (FA) in England in 1863. Several clubs met in London, to create a universal code, that would allow clubs to play each other without dispute. At the time, football clubs all played by their own, individual codes of rules, and game-day rules had to be agreed upon before they could play one another.

The impact of the FA code was not immediate, as sport was still very much an amateur activity. The first professional clubs were formed after working class people took up the sport, and entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to make money from spectators coming to see star players. Once professionalism took hold, the popularity of the game became immense and was soon spread throughout the world by British expatriates.

Source: Wikipedia