Real Madrid are prepared to listen to offers for a whopping 16 players in the summer, including club captain Raul.

According to Sport, Florentino Perez and his team have already outlined their transfer plan for next season, in the likely event of his regaining power at Real Madrid. Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Lassana Diarra and Ruud Van Nistelrooy are the only indispensable players.

While Raul is not on that list, it does not mean that Real Madrid are intent on offloading him. They will, however, listen to any lucrative offers, with various Premiership clubs thought to be interested.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka remain Perez's main objectives. His main dream would be to land Lionel Messi, but at the moment it does not appear to be a realistic possibility.

Finally, it has been learnt that Jorge Valdano would resume a key role at the club, while Zinedine Zidane would take up his preferred role as a coach of one of the youth teams.

FootyFilms

1st GOAL FOR AALBORG IN UEFA....they play Man City thursday....

me boss at dem!

It is the news that will strike terror in the hearts of Premiership defenders. Cristiano Ronaldo is enlisting the help of Usain Bolt, the triple Olympic sprint champion, to add searing pace to his dazzling repertoire of step-overs and dummies.

The link-up between the FIFA World Player of the Year and the fastest man on the planet will take place this summer and is, according to Bolt's agent Ricky Simms, far from a commercial stunt.

It is born out of their mutual admiration after Bolt, a passionate football fan away from the track and a huge admirer of Ronaldo, recently sent a message to the Manchester United star asking for a signed shirt.

The Jamaican already has a large collection of original signed shirts which occupies pride of place in a room at his home in Kingston.

Ronaldo, himself a big fan of Bolt, was only too happy to oblige but had a request of his own. In return, he said, he would like some advice from the world record-holder on how to improve his own speed on the football pitch.

Bolt has now agreed to travel to Manchester for a coaching session with the Portuguese player and the pair are in the process of arranging a suitable date.

"It's definitely going to happen," said Simms. "We'll sort something out in this summer when Usain comes to Europe to compete."

Ronaldo is hardly a slouch when it comes to attacking at pace, though the mind boggles at what he could do to defenders with some extra help from the man who redefined the boundaries of sprinting in Beijing last year.

With his trademark bow and arrow mime, Bolt could also give the Portuguese player a lesson in the art of showboating. Or maybe the lesson will be the other way round.

LONDON (AP) - Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has no fears of another English takeover of the Champions League, even with four Premier League clubs in the quarterfinals, and would welcome the opportunity to knock one of them out. Last season's final was an all-English confrontation between Manchester United and Chelsea and, with Liverpool and Arsenal also in Friday's quarterfinal draw, it could happen again for the May 27 final in Rome. The chances of that happening will be halved if the English teams wind up facing each other in the last eight. Although that would guarantee two Premier League clubs in the semifinals, it would also mean any two from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, FC Porto and Villarreal also getting there. Barcelona was the only non-English team to reach the semifinals last season and was knocked out by eventual champion Man United. With his team six points clear at the top of the Spanish league, Guardiola, who succeeded Frank Rijkaard this season, said his team isn't afraid of anyone. "If you want to win the Champions League you have to play with the best in Europe. So we'll take the challenge," Guardiola said. "It would be nice to taste success against one of the English clubs. If we have to play one of them, it will definitely be a good match." But Guardiola believes few teams will want to meet his star-studded team. "It will be difficult for us but they have to come here to play, so I'm sure it will be difficult for them too," he said. "Whoever our opponents are, we will study them closely and try to pinpoint their weaknesses." Barcelona and United go into the draw as the bookmakers' joint favorites at 5-2 and neutral fans might see that as a great final with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez taking on Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, whose team's odds are 6-1 with William Hill, said the other seven should be scared of the Reds after their 4-0 win over Real Madrid in last week's first knockout round and then their 4-1 Premier League victory at United. "We are not running scared of anybody. We will take who we get and believe that we are going to go through," Gerrard said. "If you are asking me about a fear factor in the Champions League, then I think it is the other seven teams in the draw who are going to have concerns about coming up against us after that Real Madrid result." A five-time winner of the trophy, Liverpool has become used to facing fellow English clubs in the Champions League, having played Chelsea three different times and also knocking out Arsenal last season. But four-time winner Bayern made it to the last eight with an overwhelming 12-1 aggregate triumph over Sporting Lisbon, although it has lost striker Miroslav Klose through injury. Having scored seven Champions League goals this season and 10 in the Bundesliga, Klose injured his ankle in Bayern's league victory over VfL Bochum on Saturday and needed surgery that could rule him out for two months. His usual partner up front, Luca Toni, has missed the last five league games with an Achilles' tendon injury but hopes to return to training later this week. "Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea, they are all uncomfortable rivals," Bayern goalkeeper Michael Rensing said of the draw. "There is not much difference between them." Porto and Villarreal are the outsiders of the eight, who are made up of five previous winners, two runners up and a semifinalist. Villarreal, which ousted Panathinaikos in the previous round, made it to the semifinals three years ago on its debut in the tournament, losing 1-0 on aggregate to Arsenal, and is hoping to make it at least that far again. "We have been in the Champions League before and we are focused on getting as far as possible," said Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini, who has been at the club since 2004. "We will try to keep playing the football we showed we could play in the second half against Panathinaikos. "In our last campaign, we didn't deserve to go out as semifinalists. We should have been in the final. That is in the past, though. We now have to focus on our next opponents and try to beat them."

Footytube

The Champions League quarter-final and semi-final draw takes place at 12:00 CET [6:00 am Ja time] on Friday March 20th.

As a reminder, the squads remaining are English quartet Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool; Spanish outfits Barcelona and Villarreal; German cracks Bayern Munich; and Portuguese shock troops FC Porto.

Fi all di fellow football fans and fanatics alike post your predictions or preference to the UCL draw.
I realize dat most zonerz EPL fans styl but anyways
My Predictions:
Barca - Arsenal
Manu - L'pool
Chelsea - Bayern Munich
Villareal - Porto

i hardly call di Epl top 4 English caza di  small existence or non-existence of english players in their respective English squads. Wolidung styl
[Barca me seh!! mawd!]

LIVERPOOL and Chelsea will meet in the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League.

This morning's draw in Nyon paired the Reds, champions in 2005, against last season's beaten finalists.

FINAL PRIZE ... European Cup

Defending champions Manchester United will play Portuguese champions Porto, while Arsenal were paired with Spanish side Villarreal.

Barcelona will meet Bayern Munich in the other match.

Champions League quarter-final draw:

Villarreal v Arsenal

Manchester United v Porto

Liverpool v Chelsea

Barcelona v Bayern Munich

The first legs will be played on April 7/8 with the second legs on April 14/15.

Semi final draw:

Manchester United/Porto v Villarreal/Arsenal

Barcelona/Bayern Munich v Liverpool/Chelsea

The first legs will be played on April 28/29 with the second legs on May 5/6.

After their shock exit to Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup tournament, Milan were back to training on Friday in a much scrutinised environment.

Those who started the match against Werder Bremen worked in the gym, while the rest trained on the pitch under Milan staff and that watchful eye of Rossoneri vice-president, Adriano Galliani.

The good news for coach Carlo Ancelotti is that star players Kaka and Ronaldinho were able to train, doing several differentiated exercises at Milanello in the gymnasium.

The Brazilian internationals could not take part in the recent loss to the German opponents in midweek at the San Siro due to injury. Despite the fact they have resumed training, neither is expected to be in the squad for Sunday's match against Sampdoria as they work on regaining full fitness.

A press conference is scheduled for 13:00 CET on Saturday, shortly before the team departs for Genoa. The Rossoneri currently sit in third place in the Serie A standings with 48 points, 11 behind league-leaders and city rivals Inter.

There have only been four sub-10 times ever run on Australian soil, but resurgent Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell hopes to change all that come tomorrow.

Once the world's fastest man, Powell will seek to run the first sub-10 time in a 100 metres for almost 10 years Down Under when he races at the IAAF Grand Prix at the Olympic Park.

To date, only American Maurice Greene, Namibian Frankie Fredericks and Trinidadian Ato Boldon have dipped below the 10-second barrier, with Greene having performed the feat in 1998 and at the Sydney Olympics two years later.

Powell, who finished fourth in the 400 metres at the Sydney Track Classic last Saturday, said he was eager to write his name into the record books in Australia.

Exciting year

"Sub-10 is easy, so is 9.8. I really want to go below 10 seconds," said Powell, whose last nine races over 100 metres have come back at below 10 seconds including seven under 9.9.

"It's going to be an exciting year, I'm right behind Usain (Bolt) and trying to make my way to the top."

Greene holds the fastest time in Australia with 9.87 seconds in 2000, with Fredericks having run 9.94 in 1999 and Bolden clocking 9.99 also in 2000.

In his previous outings Down Under, Powell clocked an easy 10.3 seconds at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and also cruised to an uncomplicated 10.04 seconds at the Melbourne Track Classic last year.

Challenging time

The 26-year-old, who is gearing up for the World Championships in Berlin in August, said he believed he could easily cover 9.99 seconds but admitted though 9.94 was also a possibility, that time would be more of a challenge.

Powell might find his quest somewhat challenging as he will wrestle not only against the weight of history but against an anticipated strong headwind and inclement weather.

One of his worries won't be competition though, as training partner Nesta Carter, a member of Jamaica's gold-medal winning sprint relay team in Beijing, will be his only real challenge in the 100 metres field.

Corinthians striker Ronaldo seems like he is back to old habits after staying out late on Thursday evening which led to him missing Friday morning's training session.

Globoesporte.com claims the former Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid and Milan ace was allowed by coach Mano Menezes to stay out until 11pm, but Ronaldo partied late, and into the early hours of the morning.

As a result, the Brazilian missed training, but the club have tried to play down the situation. Reports suggest Ronaldo skipped the session because he was supposed to have physiotherapy with Bruno Mazziotta this morning. However, witnesses saw the player return to the hotel at dawn.

Menezes has tried to brush the hype under the carpet, claiming Ronaldo had other plans.

"Ronaldo didn't train with the rest of the players because he stayed in the hotel for a scheduled task [physiotheraphy]," the coach is quoted as saying by Globoesporte.com.

The rest of the Corinthians players trained as normal as they prepare for the game against Marilia on Sunday.

Ronaldo is unlikely to feature though as he is not fully fit to make his debut.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo put  Manchester United in front from the penalty spot after Pepe Reina had brought down Park Ji-Sung on 23 minutes.

Fernando Torres bustled past Nemanja Vidic to level five minutes later and Steven Gerrard put the Merseysiders in front from the spot a minute before the break after he had been fouled by Patrice Evra.

Vidic was shown a straight red for a foul on Gerrard on 73 minutes and further punishment was inflicted as Fabio Aurelio curled home the free-kick.

Andrea Dossena lobbed Edwin van der Sar in the final minute to complete a magnificent victory and cut the lead on the champions to just four points.

 

 
Jose Mourinho endured anything but a special night at Old Trafford as Manchester United continued their remarkable season by reaching the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Inter Milan.

Five years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson felt Porto fluked their way to a two-legged success at exactly the same stage of the competition, and that was the result which launched Mourinho's career.

This time, United were the team who carried the good fortune as goals at the beginning of each half from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo proved enough to cast aside a mistake-riddled performance from which Inter should have profited.

Victory keeps the Red Devils on course for an unprecedented quintuple and, to Ferguson's satisfaction, allowed him to record a second win in 14 head-to-head duels with Mourinho as, in front of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the cream of England proved too strong for the best of Italy.

Yet, as good as United were in the San Siro a fortnight ago, they were bad in the opening period here.

The number of sloppy passes quickly reached double figures and kept going, with Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney particular offenders.

Indeed while Rooney at least managed one decent 30-yard effort that flew wide, and eventually a telling cross for the second goal, Carrick could hardly do a thing right.

Inter were not particularly brilliant. Yet as it became obvious their opponents were not the supermen their domestic form makes them out to be, the Italians grew in confidence, no-one more so than Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Anonymous in the first leg and initially deprived of his regular strike partner Adriano, who started on the bench, the Swede was transformed.

Ibrahimovic had already looked dangerous when he found space between Rio Ferdinand and John O'Shea and rose to meet Maicon's curling free-kick.

The header took the ball downwards, then back up, flicking against the bar with Edwin van der Sar beaten.

Ibrahimovic then turned provider, floating over a superb cross for Dejan Stankovic, who had got behind Patrice Evra only to scoop his far-post shot over when he should have done much better.

In between, Van der Sar got the faintest of touches, unseen by the referee, to a Stankovic snap-shot which might just have crept in without the veteran Dutchman's intervention.

Apart from Rooney's shot, United's response was one good chance for John O'Shea. The Irishman continued his gallop into the Inter box as Ryan Giggs - the one menacing figure in a red shirt - and Rooney opened the Serie A leaders up, only to stroke his shot against Julio Cesar's legs.

How fortunate therefore that the Red Devils had got their noses in front before their below-par performance became apparent.

Vidic was clearly eager to make up for lost time, having been suspended for the first leg due to his dismissal at the Club World Cup.

And when Giggs floated over a fourth-minute corner, the Serbian took maximum advantage of Patrick Vieira's ill-timed slip to steer a precise header into the bottom corner.

It was the first notable event of an evening that began with Mourinho taking a slow stroll out of the tunnel, to his dug-out, totally on his own before the teams had entered the pitch, shaking hands on the way, as he did before the second half as well.

The bravado merely fuelled a growing belief that, in Mourinho's mind at least, he will be the man who eventually replaces Ferguson, providing of course the Scot does leave at some point in the next 20 years, by which time he will be 87.

Mourinho must have felt 87 four minutes after the restart as Inter found themselves two adrift.

The Italians seemed to have regained the initiative in the early moments of the second period. But when Giggs and Scholes presented Rooney with a decent crossing opportunity, Ronaldo rose to power home.

Any feeling the visitors might claw their way back was dispelled just before the hour, when Adriano, given his head in response to Inter's worsening position, volleyed against the inside of a post and saw the rebound bounce to safety.

Ferguson would no doubt claim it was the luck United were missing five long years ago.

This time there was no touchline charge for the Special One.

Berbatov and Rooney drew good saves out of Julio Cesar as United look to build on their lead, while the introduction of Luis Figo offered Inter another attacking outlet which resulted in Ibrahimovic accidentally turning another effort fractionally wide, admittedly after a couple of pretty dismal attempts at goal.

With the game won, United's swagger returned as Mourinho and Inter slipped slowly away.

 The Football Association have revealed they will take no action against Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster after he used an iPod to watch Spurs taking penalties before Sunday's Carling Cup final penalty shootout.

 

 

The 25-year-old confirmed he watched a spot-kick taken by Jamie O'Hara in the UEFA Cup defeat to PSV Eindhoven last season - and then saved his penalty at Wembley.

In that game, O'Hara fired a shot to the left of the goalkeeper and on Sunday he sent Tottenham's first penalty the same way and Foster saved.

The idea of using an iPod as a tactical aid is new and not against the laws of the game. It brings into question a loophole in FIFA's regulations with regards to the use of technology and it is possible they could now move to tighten up their rules.

An FA spokesman said: "What happened was not against the rules so we will not be investigating the matter further."

Foster said: "Just before the shootout I was looking at an iPod with goalkeeping coach Eric Steele and it contained images of Tottenham's players taking penalties.

"They told me for Jamie O'Hara I should stand up and be strong and he would probably go the way he did. I have done a lot of research before but this is an innovation we have brought in at the clu

Arsenal squeezed into the quarter-finals of the Champions League after a dramatic 7-6 penalty shoot-out win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico after losing 1-0 on the night, drawing 1-1 on aggregate.

Brazilian defender Juan capitalised on some poor defending to fire the Italians in front and level the tie after just 10 minutes.

The Gunners grew in stature as the match went on, but could not find a way through as extra-time passed - with Roma's Max Tonetto missing a crucial sudden-death spot-kick.

Roma had started the better, and it was no surprise when they took the lead.

Arsenal failed to clear their lines, as Francesco Totti swept a low cross into the penalty area, which was completely missed by both William Gallas and Kolo Toure and went through the legs of Rodrigo Taddei.

The ball rolled all the way to Juan at the far post, and the Brazilian defender thumped his shot past Manuel Almunia.

The goal for the home side lifted the already electric atmosphere inside the Stadio Olimpico, which will host the Champions League final in May.

It also opened the match up as the Gunners - unbeaten in 17 games before this game - now had to score to progress in normal time.

After 20 minutes, Abou Diaby found himself in a good position at the far post following a corner - but could not direct the ball with enough power to test Roma keeper Doni.

At the other end, Almunia was called into action twice in quick succession.

First the Spaniard denied Marco Motta with a strong block at the near post before tipping the follow-up strike from Taddei behind at full stretch.

Arsenal were on the back foot now, as the home fans cranked up the volume in a sustained spell of pressure.

Ten minutes before the break Gael Clichy got away down the left, and floated over a cross into the area.

Diaby arrived to meet it on the penalty spot, but his header was straight at Doni.

In the final moments of the first half, Roma were screaming for a penalty when Motta charged into the right side of the Arsenal box and went down under the challenge of Clichy.

The referee, though, was unimpressed - much to the disgust of the home fans with television replays suggesting they had a strong case.

The Italians started the second half brightly and substitute Julio Baptista - who had a loan spell with Arsenal - came close to connecting with a right-wing cross as he arrived a pace in the six-yard box.

In a rare moment of action at the other end, Bacary Sagna almost squeezed a near-post header in from a corner, but Doni was well positioned.

Arsenal, though, slowly built some pressure.

Emmanuel Eboue's cross was just too far ahead of Nicklas Bendtner in the centre, with the Dane doing well to force a corner.

Roma were still a threat, though, as Totti drove the ball at Almunia with pace from 20 yards.

Diaby controlled the ball on the edge of the area following a corner, and was unfortunate to see his shot drift wide.

Wenger turned to Theo Walcott with 17 minutes left, as the England winger replaced Eboue.

In a huge let-off for the Barclays Premier League club, Baptista somehow managed to miss his kick with the goal there for the taking as the ball came across into the six-yard box.

Eduardo came on for Bendtner with five minutes left. Toure headed over from close range in the dying moments - but there was no way through as the tie went to extra-time.

There were some tired legs now, and Arsenal looked to exploit the space on the counter-attack.

After 103 minutes, Robin van Persie volleyed over after being teed up by Denilson in the six-yard box.

Walcott's angled drive, after 111 minutes, was straight at Doni.

The home crowd were screaming for a penalty when Baptista went down between Gallas and Toure, but again the referee was unmoved.

The match would, though, ultimately be decided from the spot in the lottery of a shoot-out.

Eduardo saw his opening effort saved by Doni, but Mirko Vucinic stabbed his straight at Almunia three kicks later.

Walcott, Baptista, Nasri and Denilson all scored, before Totti stepped up to send the shoot-out into sudden death at 4-4.

Toure coolly dispatched his effort, as did Sagna and then John Arne Riise for Roma.

With the tally at 6-6, Diaby slotted home before the pressure got to Tonetto as he blazed the ball over and the Gunners were into the quarter-finals.

Jamaica and Stoke striker Ricardo Fuller was arrested yesterday for alleged driving offences.

The 29-year-old Fuller was stopped by police close to the Premier League club's training ground in central England and taken in for questioning.

"His vehicle was seized and he was arrested for driving licence and vehicle insurance offences and taken to Northern Area custody facility where he will be interviewed," police said.

Fuller has been out of action for the Premier League club since injuring his shoulder in an onfield collision while playing against Sunderland two weeks ago.

The forward, who last featured for Jamaica in a failed World Cup qualification bid, has six goals for Stoke City so far this season. According to the police, Fuller will appear in court on March 6.

 Manchester City will be without £46m of striking talent when the take on Aston Villa in the Premier League on Wednesday unless Robinho and Craig Bellamy recover from injuries picked up in Sunday's 1-0 defeat against West Ham United on Sunday.

 

 

£30m Brazilian summer signing Robinho is struggling with an ankle injury while £16m January acquisition Bellamy has a knee problem which will require he meet a specialist in London to assess its seriousness.

With England defender Micah Richardsstruggling to be fit for the home game against Villa thanks to a hamstring problem, under pressure City manager Mark Hughes is facing an injury crisis.

The fear for Hughes is that top scorer Robinho will be out for more than one match. ''He got tackled on the edge of the box late on in the match and he thinks he has got a similar injury to when we played Arsenal a while back and which forced him to miss a number of games,'' said Hughes.

Hughes denied claims that the focus for City's season has switched from the Premier League to the UEFA Cup, the club''s last chance for silverware this season.

If City can see off the challenge for Aalborg they will reach the UEFA Cup quarter-finals and be a step near to a title, but Hughes insists: ''The priority is to finish as high as possible up the Premier League table and to keep our focus.''

And so it should be, unless City beat Villa they could go into their next league fixture against title hopefuls Chelsea just three points above the relegation places.

Beckham again tops MLS salary list

 Arsenal cruised into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Championship side Burnley at Emirates Stadium.

Fine goals from Mexican teenager Carlos Vela and Eduardo either side of half-time and Emmanuel Eboue's late strike set the Gunners up for a home tie against Hull in a fortnight's time and moved them a step closer to Wembley.

The victory - achieved with several of the first-team regulars rested and which marked a welcome return for England winger Theo Walcott after four months out because of a shoulder problem - extended Arsenal's unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions and proved just the right tonic ahead of next week's crucial Champions League trip to Roma.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger obviously had one eye on the European fixture given his team selection, as leading scorer Robin van Persie and full-back Gael Clichy were left on the bench while midfielder Denilson did not feature at all.

However, Wenger would have still expected this side to prove too strong for the visitors, cheered on by some 5,000 travelling fans.

Burnley boss Owen Coyle, though, had certainly not instructed his men to sit back and take a beating.

The Clarets, who knocked Arsenal out of the Carling Cup at Turf Moor back in December, started with plenty of attacking intentions in a fluid 4-3-3 formation. Alex Song made a well-timed challenge on Kevin McDonald as the visitors had the best of the early possession.

Eboue sprung the offside trap into the left side of the penalty area on seven minutes, but as he shaped to shoot, Burnley captain Steve Caldwell made a superb sliding tackle.

The Gunners finally took the lead with a fine breakaway goal on 25 minutes.

Andrei Arshavin latched onto a loose pass and threaded it through to Vela.

The Mexican teenager pushed the ball between Clarke Carlisle's legs and raced away towards goal. Joey Gudjonsson tugged back at his shirt, but Vela only had one thing on his mind, as he reached the edge of the area before chipping the ball over Jensen into the net.

The goal settled down the Emirates Stadium crowd - which at 57,454 was someway down on the official capacity.

As torrential rain suddenly swept into the ground, Burnley were now in danger of being over-run.

Carlisle made an important block just when Vela looked set to shoot from 18 yards.

Eduardo then chested down a through ball and burst into the box, where only a last-ditch tackle from Caldwell prevented him from extending the lead.

There was, though, a scramble in the Arsenal six-yard box when reserve keeper Lukasz Fabianski flapped at a near-post corner, which bounced off Chris McCann and then William Gallas before being hacked away.

Just before the break, Jensen tipped Eboue's angled drive around the his right-hand post.

Arsenal doubled their advantage with another well-worked goal six minutes into the second half.

Song chipped an angled ball over into the right side of the penalty area - where Eduardo had timed the run perfectly to flash in a superb volley off the outside of his left foot.

Burnley, though, refused to lie down and Martin Paterson sent a curling effort just wide from 18 yards, before Eagles was replaced by Wade Elliott.

Arsenal soon regained full control and it only looked a matter of time before the host chalked up a third, with Arshavin's header just lacking the power to beat Jensen.

Eduardo should have scored again when he was picked out at the far post by a deep cross from Sagna - but this time the Brazilian-born Croatia marksman could only head the ball back across goal and wide from six yards.

Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey and England winger Walcott were introduced for the final 20 minutes.

Walcott almost marked his return with a goal when latching onto Arshavin's pass, but Jensen was out quickly to make a smart save.

Substitute van Persie missed his kick at the far post, before Arsenal finally made it 3-0 with five minutes left.

Song's clever back-heel put Eboue clear into the right side of the penalty area and he drilled the ball into the far corner from close range.

A header from Caldwell hit the top of the crossbar following a corner - but there was to be no consolation goal for the brave, but outclassed visitors.

Manchester United thrashed Fulham 4-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals and keep up their hopes of an unprecedented quintuple.

But they suffered an early scare when Nemanja Vidic had to track back to clear Andrew Johnson's effort off the line.

Carlos Tevez then gave them the lead in the 20th minute when heading home at the far post after Wayne Rooney had nodded on a corner.

Ten minutes later, Rooney hit the post from close range from a Park Ji-Sung cross from the right.

But Tevez made no mistake with a great second goal on 35 minutes. The Argentinean collected the ball near the half-way line and went on a mazy run to the edge of the Fulham box where he unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Rooney then added the third five minutes after the re-start when he curled an excellent effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Park scored the fourth - again with a deft finish - nine minutes before the end to complete the rout.

United have secured the World Club Cup and the Carling Cup already, are in control in the Premier League and have now reached the last four of the FA Cup for a record 26th time.

Their seemingly unstoppable march into the history books continues with their UEFA Champions League clash against Inter Milan at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

 Cristiano Ronaldo's caution in the Carling Cup final may have been ill-deserved - but at least it was well-timed in terms of the FA's disciplinary calendar.

The Portuguese winger's fourth yellow card in domestic competitions fell on 1 March - the day after the cut-off point for the five-bookings rule. A fifth caution for Ronaldo at this stage of the season would only earn him a warning now, instead of a ban.

That will surely be good news for Sir Alex Ferguson, who initially feared Ronaldo would be "near to missing a game" when referee Chris Foy booked the Portuguese winger after first rejecting his claim for a penalty against Tottenham's Ledley King.

"It's disappointing, not so much because he didn't give the penalty but because he booked Cristiano," Sir Alex told MUTV.

"You can't appeal against a yellow card so that has been added to Cristiano's record now. That's twice it's happened this season (for 'simulation'). It's too easy an option for these referees. He (Foy) should be challenged on why he gave the yellow card."

Ronaldo's other domestic bookings this season have all come in the league, against Chelsea home and away and last month's 2-1 win over Blackburn at Old Trafford. 

The FA's Disciplinary Procedures document states: "If a player accumulates five recorded cautions in First Team Competitive Matches between the opening day of the Playing Season and the last day in February in the same season, he will be suspended automatically for a period covering One First Team Match."

 

Bayern Munich playmaker, Franck Ribery has become one of the most sought-after players over the past year with some of Europes heavyweights all gunning for his signature.

Mega-rich clubs, Real Madrid, Chelsea and ManchesterCity have all unashamedly declared their interest in the 25-year-old but it appears that their hopes of signing the French international have all but vanished after reports that Barcelona had reached a pre-agreement with Bayern to buy the player at the end of the current season.

And if that wasnt enough for Barca to thwart off their competition, Riberys agent, Alain Migliaccio has revealed that his client will only leave the Allianz Arena for one destination.

If Ribery does leave Bayern, he will only leave to join a club like Barcelona, where they have all the best players, he declared in an interview with Catalan radio station, RAC-1.

It would be a phenomenal opportunity for him to play with Barca, Migliaccio added.

Despite yesterdays reports of a basic agreement being reached by the Blaugrana and Die Roten , neither club have yet to officially confirm that a deal has been done.

 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims Cristiano Ronaldo's "arrogance" makes him a target for bad tackles from opposing defenders.

 

 

Hitting out at the rise of rash challenges in the Premier League of late, Wenger singled out the Manchester United star as a player who receives rough treatment, sometimes due to his "provocative" behaviour.

But the Arsenal boss wants to see an end to rough house tactics and has called for players who make bad tackles to get bans of more than 10 matches.

"Every bad tackle that is not punished I feel is not right," Wenger said when asked about Alan Smith's two-footed challenge on Ronaldo during Wednesday night's Premier League match against Newcastle United at St James's Park.

But Wenger added: "With Manchester United I am a bit cautious because sometimes I feel they get too much protection and sometimes they don't get enough. Ronaldo is a specific example of that. Sometimes his arrogance is provocative - and his class as well."

"But when a player is not protected it's not right. When there is a bad tackle you have to be punished and get sent off the pitch."

Wigan Athletic's Lee Cattermole saw red on Wednesday night for a lunge at Scott Parker, while Everton confirmed on Thursday that Victor Anichebe will miss the rest of the season as a result of a Kevin Nolan tackle on January 22.

Wenger wants to see longer bans of up to 10 matches introduced for guilty players, claiming three matches is not enough when the victims can be sidelined for so long.

"They could create a special committee to analyse if three [games' suspension] is enough or not," he said. "I feel in some tackles 10 games is not enough."

"An accident can happen when two people go for the ball but it is very rare. What I see is that guys go into the tackle to hurt the player. There is not sufficient punishment."

Premier League managers David Moyes and Harry Redknapp have backed Wenger's call for greater scrutiny on dangerous tackles.

Everton boss Moyes, who has lost Anichebe for the rest of the season, said: "Certain things need to be looked closer at. I have not been happy for a while with some of the FA decisions and the people making those decisions.

"Maybe a panel is needed, or a group of people, who can look at certain things.

"Certainly we want to wipe out bad challenges like the one that has ended Victor Anichebe's season. We should be looking into such serious challenges, it did a lot of damage.''

Anichebe has had an operation to repair ligament and cartilage damage this week.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Redknapp believes the panel could also put right any injustices that occur.

He added: "Maybe we should have a panel looking at each sending-off. The Carlton Cole sending off was diabolical, the kid has put his foot up to pull a ball down and a player got across him. How can that be a second yellow card and a sending-off? There is nothing malicious about that, he didn't even know the player was coming.

"People have to look at that and say it's a crazy sending-off and should be rescinded. Other tackles when people are going over the top of the ball and are violent, maybe we could do with more than three matches for that type of tackle.''

 Craig Bellamy looks set to be sidelined for at least two weeks after suffering a knee injury in Manchester City's defeat at West Ham United on Sunday.

 

 

The Welsh striker tore fibres in a patella tendon and City boss Mark Hughes concedes the "best-case scenario" is two to three weeks out.

Bellamy, who saw a specialist in London on Monday, has made an instant impression since arriving in a £14m deal from West Ham United and with Robinho also set to miss City's match with Aston Villa on Wednesday, Hughes has little choice up front.

"It's not an old injury," said Hughes. "It's the patella, he's torn fibres in his knee. He's going to be a big miss."

"Since he came to the club he has carried the fight for us and against a team like Villa you need as many of your top players available as possible."

With Brazilian striker Jo on loan at Everton, City have been hit hard after Robinho damaged ligaments in his ankle at Upton Park; but Hughes is hopeful the Brazilian will return for their UEFA Cup last-16 tie with Aalborg.

Bulgarian Valeri Bojinov is set to continue his return from injury with a place on the substitutes' bench against Villa in the Premier League and Hughes is confident the striker can overcome 20 months of injury hell since his £6million arrival from Fiorentina.

''At the moment Valeri is still an unknown quantity for everybody,'' said Hughes. ''He was an outstanding teenager and people paid a lot of money for him because they recognised the ability he had. Unfortunately his career has hit the buffers because of injuries.

''We are delighted that he is back but we can't place too much pressure on him. We don't know if he can play his natural game in the Premier League because he has never completed a game here.''

The 23-year-old is still carrying a bit of excess weight and after a horror run, which has included surgery on a cruciate knee ligament injury, followed by a ruptured Achilles tendon, Hughes may be tempted to give Bojinov a decent run off the bench.

''I had him in my starting line-up for the first game of the season, that is how highly I rate him,'' revealed Hughes. ''Unfortunately, he didn't even make the kick off because of the injury.

''Now it is just whether he can come back and make a real impression for us. We all hope it happens because everybody here thinks the world of him.

''Providing he stays clear of the injuries that have compromised him so much, Valeri has a real opportunity to establish himself as a top Premier League player.''

 

 
Dimitar Berbatov fired Manchester United seven points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory at lowly Newcastle.

 Fergie salutes his battlers

The Bulgarian clinched the points with a 56th-minute strike, but United had to come from behind to re-establish their advantage over Chelsea and Liverpool with a game in hand.

There was jubilation on Tyneside when, with just nine minutes gone, Peter Lovenkrands ended Edwin Van der Sar's record of not having conceded a league goal since November 8 after the keeper failed to cling on to Jonas Gutierrez's shot.

But it took the visitors just 11 minutes to restore parity through Wayne Rooney, and Berbatov ensured United's run of successive league wins stretched to 11 after Park Ji-Sung pounced on an error by Ryan Taylor.

As Sir Alex Ferguson's bandwagon rumbled on ominously, opposite number Chris Hughton was at least able to console himself with a spirited performance in front of an appreciative crowd of 51,636, although that will count for little if it is not transformed into points over the coming weeks.

Such have been the contrasting fortunes of the two clubs this season since they drew 1-1 at Old Trafford during the opening round of fixtures in August, that the talk before kick-off was not of if United would win, but by how many.

But with just nine minutes gone, it was Newcastle who took the lead against all odds as Van der Sar's run without conceding a Premier League goal came to an end in ignominious circumstances.

The Dutchman failed to hold Jonas' shot as it leapt up off the sodden turf and Lovenkrands stabbed the rebound home before casting an anxious glance at referee Steve Bennett's assistant and only then beginning his celebrations.

St James' Park erupted as fans who had arrived fearing a repeat of Liverpool's 5-1 demolition job at the end of December - United won on Tyneside by the same scoreline last season - dared to believe their side could emerge with something to show for their efforts.

It might have been 2-0 within four minutes when Obafemi Martins fired inches wide under pressure from Rio Ferdinand, with the Nigerian also forcing a good 31st-minute block from the England defender after Van der Sar had failed to deal with a Ryan Taylor corner.

However, by that point, United had made the most of their greater share of the possession to get themselves back on level terms in fine style.

Rooney, back in the side after recovering from a virus, turned superbly past Fabricio Coloccini on to John O'Shea's pass and blasted a left-foot shot past Steve Harper with the help of a deflection off Steven Taylor, although the defender's contribution was largely irrelevant.

United continued to enjoy the greater share of the ball and defender Nemanja Vidic header over with the goal at his mercy after the home defence had failed to deal with a 39th-minute Michael Carrick corner.

But the Magpies continued to threaten with Martins and Jonas causing problems.

Mr Bennett had to deal with an ugly incident in injury time when Steven Taylor caught Cristiano Ronaldo with a flailing arm and then careered into Carrick on the sideline, sparking a furious response from skipper Ferdinand.

After consulting his assistant, the referee booked Taylor, and Ferdinand followed him as he continued his protests following the half-time whistle.

A feisty affair continued in the same vein after the break with Vidic accusing Martins of catching him with an elbow as the pair jumped for a high ball.

Van de Sar had to race from his line to prevent Lovenkrands from latching on to a 52nd-minute through-ball, but when the second goal did arrive, it did so predictably at the other end.

Ryan Taylor slipped as he attempted to chest a deep ball back to Harper and Park got there first to square for Berbatov, who calmly slotted it into the empty net.

Newcastle were visibly deflated by the reverse as United once again assumed control, and they might have increased their lead as they powered their way towards the final whistle.

Harper had to save from Ronaldo and Berbatov in quick succession as time ran down, and then dived bravely at the Portugal international's feet after he had slipped away from Steven Taylor.

But Newcastle made one last push and it was Van der Sar who finished the busier of the two keepers as he kept out first Lovenkrands and then Martins, although without any great difficulty.

The Argentinian has no interest in jumping on the Citizens' bandwagon and insists that all talk of a move away from the Nou Camp, especially to Real Madrid, is completely made up.

In previous seasons Messi has expressed the gratitude that he has towards Barca for the treatment he received when he was young - and he has reiterated his desire to stay in Catalunya.

"If it depended only on me then I will stay at Barcelona for the rest of my career and no other club will convince me otherwise," he said in an interview with Publico. "The rumours are pure fantasy."

Talk of problems on the pitch at Barcelona has not affected Messi's ambitions and he has made winning the Champions League the priority this season.

"The Champions League is the most difficult and we are thinking more game-to-game," he said. "But we will have to be able to beat anyone if we want to win it.

"But we can beat anyone with the players we have. With players like Xavi, Iniesta and Dani Alves all assisting, it is natural that we will score goals."

Meanwhile, Messi has confirmed that he is now free to play for Argentina in any games they want him to play.

Barcelona successfully appealed to the Argentine authorities to rest him for recent internationals following his participation in last summer's Olympics.

But now Messi has confirmed that he is ready to return to the international fold.

"Everything has been arranged and I am going to be in the games of the national team", said Messi to Radio La Red.

Messi revealed a visit from coach Diego Maradona convinced Barca that he should be given the green-light to play for his country again.

"When Diego came to talk with the people of Barcelona and the coach Joseph Guardiola, everything changed," he said.

"That's why I was able to play against France (last month) and I will surely also play in the games that are about to come."

 Chelsea full-back Paulo Ferreira has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

 

 

Although Ferreira has only been on the fringes of the first team this season, having been displaced by summer arrival Jose Bosingwa, the news will come as a blow to Blues boss Guus Hiddink.

The Portuguese defender is the third Chelsea player to suffer a serious knee problem this season, withJoe Cole and Michael Essien also affected by ACL injuries.

Ghana international Essien is back in training with the reserves and has been included in Hiddink's squad for Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Coventry, while Cole is out for the rest of the season.

Ferreira, who joined Chelsea from Porto in 2004, has started just one Premier League game and appeared as a substitute in a further six matches.

But the 30-year-old is a hugely experienced defender at both international and at club level; winning two Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and the Champions League in his final year at Porto, also under Mourinho.

Centre-back Ricardo Carvalho has shaken off a hamstring problem to boost Hiddink's defensive options for Saturday's FA Cup clash.

Chelsea's top scorer Nicolas Anelka is ruled out with a bruised toe and Portuguese playmaker Deco is missing with a muscle injury.

 March 6, 2009

 Arsenal midfielder Andrei Arshavin admits he is struggling to complete a match for his new team and has been surprised by the physicality of the Premier League.

 

 

The Russian joined the Gunners in the January transfer window for a fee of around £15m, but has not played regular competitive football since the conclusion of the Russian league season at the end of November.

He has made two starts for Arsene Wenger's side, including a full 90 minutes against Fulham at the weekend, but claims he needs to improve his fitness before he can improve his form.

"Even before the end of the first half I felt as if I had spat my lungs out," said Arshavin. "It was a hard match for me. In the second half my legs simply refused to serve me.

"I am not physically strong enough yet to play the whole of the match. But I think with each coming game I play it will be easier in this sense."

Arshavin has shown glimpses of his talent since his arrival, but has been short of the sparkling form that saw him light up Euro 2008 with Russia; and the midfielder admits he is not yet fully in tune with his new team-mates.

"We do not fully understand each other yet," he added. "I need to get used to the new kind of football and to my new team-mates before I begin playing my usual way."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, has declared that he is not concerned with his player's subdued performances as he believes he will have a big impact on the side in the coming games.

The Frenchman said: "You can see his match fitness is not completely there yet. I believe physically it will take him another 10 days.

"I'm convinced he will soon have a tremendous influence on our game because he has a quick brain and is many steps ahead of the game.

"Even on Saturday he set up two great chances for Robin van Persie. They were two great passes and he had two great opportunities too. When you can have that kind of impact on a game, it is very positive."

 On-loan Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham could stay on at AC Milan until the end of the season on a 'timeshare' agreement, although the Italian club have said no deal has been struck yet.

 

 

The future of the England international is reportedly close to being concluded, but AC Milan chief Adriani Galliani told the club's official website: ''I have read that everything is resolved but that is not the case. The deal is not resolved.

''We are in fact working on the possibility that he remains on loan until June 30 but no agreement has been reached.''

On Monday, Galliani confirmed the club's intention to sign Beckham, but revealed their idea was now to extend his loan until June - after which point he will return to LA Galaxy, and then in January he will join the club for free as he has a clause in his contract which allows him to leave the MLS in November.

"I hope I succeed in sorting it out that he stays until 30th June," Galliani told the club's television station. "After that he can go back to Los Angeles, before returning to us next January.

"That is what we are trying to do. It is complicated as we always knew it would be, but we are still trying."

Galaxy have insisted that Beckham will return to the States on March 9, but the player has already publicly confirmed his desire to stay in Italy beyond his current loan agreement.

If his loan is extended he will rejoin the American side midway through the MLS season where he would have already missed 17 games and would then be free to transfer to Milan in the new year.

Milan are keen to sign Beckham to a permanent deal but are unwilling to pay £10 million - the valuation LA Galaxy have put on the midfielder - for the star who has impressed in Italy making nine Serie A starts and scoring twice.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti has also revealed he had no intention of playing Beckham when he showed up to train with the Rossoneri but was quickly won over by his work ethic.

''At the beginning he (Beckham) was set to train with us for two months and I didn't think about playing him,'' said Ancelotti in an interview with Foot Magazine. ''Then, I saw how he trained and I had no choice. We tried to get him four years earlier and two years ago but the negotiations faded away.

''I can say he is a great player. He has won me over with his performances and his character.''

Ancelotti believes the 33-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has improved with age and even said aspects of his game were better than former FIFA World Player of the Year Kaka.

''On the pitch, Beckham sees everything before everyone else,'' said Ancelotti. ''His vision of play is better now than during his time in Manchester and in that respect, he has nothing to envy Kaka for.

''He is slower but much stronger tactically and technically. He is very intelligent and works a lot.''

Ancelotti followed up his praise for Beckham with criticism of Ronaldinho. The Brazil playmaker has failed to impress following his move from Barcelona with the Milan boss hinting he was not working hard enough on the training field.

''Players like him (Ronaldinho) base everything on talent,'' said Ancelotti. ''I have coached many great players and the majority think they can make the difference just with talent. This is not true.

''In modern football if you don't have good physical condition and work in training it's difficult to shine in a game.''

AC Milan are working to extend David Beckham's loan from Los Angeles Galaxy until the end of June with an eye to signing him permanently next year, chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Monday

"Negotiations are getting more intense. I hope to manage to arrange for him to stay here at least until June 30 on loan," Galliani told the club's in-house TV channel.

"Then he could return to Los Angeles and come back in January. It's a complicated path, as we have always known, but I'm trying."

The clubs are close to an agreement for the loan extension which should be finalised by the end of the week, the Los Angeles Timesreported on its website.

Beckham is due to return to Galaxy on March 9 if a deal is not reached. The clubs had been in talks over a permanent transfer but were unable to agree on a fee.

The 33-year-old midfielder initially joined Milan to stay in contention for England selection during the U.S. close season but enjoyed playing top class football again so much he set his sights on a long-term stay.

Beckham has settled well, scoring two goals in nine Serie A games, although the level of his recent performances has dipped as Milan have run into some poor form. They were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Werder Bremen last Thursday and are 12 points behind league leaders Inter Milan.

 

 

Manchester United emerged triumphant in a penalty shoot-out once again to lift a major trophy as they beat Tottenham 4-1 on penalties to win the Carling Cup after a 0-0 draw in extra-time. Fergie: League is the priority

A Carling Cup final triumph over Tottenham may not quite have the same resonance as the Champions League success they enjoyed at the Luzhniki Stadium but it was enough to maintain hopes of an unprecedented quintuple.

Indeed, taking into account last season's phenomenal achievements, United now have five trophies on their mantelpiece, including the Community Shield, and their hunger is some way off being sated.

Goalkeeper Ben Foster saved Jamie O'Hara's opening spot-kick for Spurs, and David Bentley's miss allowed Brazilian midfielder Anderson to slot home the decisive kick.

It was something of a surprise that Sir Alex Ferguson should name Rio Ferdinand as skipper.

The England defender had not featured for a minute of United's run to Wembley, with Nemanja Vidic having more of a claim on a starting spot.

As it turned out, United were glad of Ferdinand's presence as their defence came under increasing pressure from a Spurs outfit that started slowly, then gradually improved as the opening period wore on.

Although Luka Modric enjoyed plenty of possession in his role as playmaker, Aaron Lennon created more problems.

Lennon had plenty to prove, especially to those, including the watching England coach Fabio Capello, who feel the winger's delivery is not good enough.

Lennon showed he was up for the contest by fizzing past Patrice Evra before drilling a low cross to the edge of the six-yard box where Roman Pavlyuchenko might well have completed the notable achievement of scoring in every round if Ferdinand had not slid in to clear.

The flying Yorkshireman had switched wings by the time he floated over another cross for Pavlyuchenko that invited a firm header. Unfortunately the striker was unable to test Foster, who had won the battle with Tomasz Kuszczak to replace Edwin van der Sar.

Until he was helped off in extra-time, Lennon was the brightest attacking player on view, overshadowing a United strike force kept at bay by Ledley King and Michael Dawson.

In the absence of Jonathan Woodgate, who pulled out with an Achilles injury, King was superb, a throwback to the days when he was such a key figure for England under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

In his first major final Darron Gibson came mightily close to putting the Red Devils in front. However, while his shot was too much for Heurelho Gomes, it also flashed wide of the Brazilian's left-hand post.

Ferdinand was also a mere couple of inches away with a dipping volley that nestled on the roof of Tottenham's net.

Nani had the best chance though, letting fly with a snap-shot that threatened to creep in at the corner, only for Gomes to get down to make a fine save at the near post.

Unfortunately for Pavlyuchenko, he could not locate his radar at half-time. He skied a terrible free-kick way over the crossbar and while his effort could not be faulted, it was no surprise when he made way for O'Hara.

Jermaine Jenas was much closer when he tried his luck, although United had regained a semblance of authority in midfield, where Anderson's presence left Carlos Tevez on his own up front.

Tevez had gone close with an instinctive back-heel as an off-target Jonny Evans effort flew towards him and his industry matched that for which Wayne Rooney - ruled out by a virus - is so renowned.

Up to that point, the major let-down was Cristiano Ronaldo, who just could not get into the game and was booked for diving for the second weekend running.

On this occasion, the FIFA World Player of the Year was unlucky. It is debatable whether King's penalty-box challenge was a foul. There was, however, no debate over actual contact.

Given Joe Hart, now second-choice goalkeeper at Manchester City, was in the squad that tackled Spain last month, Capello was probably more delighted than Harry Redknapp to see Foster keep out a goal-bound Lennon effort 20 minutes from time.

It was the nearest either side came to breaking the deadlock until the final seconds, when Ronaldo finally broke free of his shackles and crashed a brute of a shot against the post.

Tevez glanced an extra-time header just wide, with Darren Bent drawing an excellent feet-first save out of Foster later on.


 

I certainly did not expect Sepp Blatter,the eighth president of FIFA, an outspoken man born in Visp near the Swiss Alps, who succeeded Brazilian Joao Havelenge in June 1998, to crack a joke. Well, not straight away. Who do I think will win the next FIFA World Cup? asks Mr Blatter effusively. Then he adds, Thats simple - the team that scores more goals in the final! [Laughs] Ok, Im joking. I would say the simple truth is that the gap between the traditional powers and smaller footballing nations has narrowed so much that on any day, any team could beat any other team. This is one of the beautiful aspects of national team football. Maybe this was his way of making me feel at ease.

However, Blatter manages to regain his composure and soon enough the conversation is in full flow.

Although allegations of corruption have blighted him in the past, Mr Blatter claims he is very concerned about the state of football today. He initiated a project for the FIFA Congress to create a Task Force: For the Good of the Game, comprising of three working groups (for financial matters, political matters and competitions) to actively seek solutions to challenges. In general, I think there is too much football on TV. There are also many pressing and unpleasant issues that also must be dealt with, including corruption, racism, betting and doping. These are major problems we face, said Blatter.

The most powerful man in football also claims to be concerned with the tempestuous issue of foreign ownership in football and the economic downturn.

Sounding suitably presidential, he said, What motivates owners of top football clubs and are these people genuinely interested in the game of football?

What if they lose interest in the clubs and leave? What happens to the clubs then? Certain questions need to be answered. There is always a danger that these people will just one day leave even though English football in particular is very attractive to investors.

Something is wrong and I dont know how it can be stopped, added Blatter.

"Buying a football club is a major attraction. However, control of football's finances is paramount in the face of the difficult financial situation.

Nowadays, you see players from all backgrounds gracing the Premier League, La Liga and Seria A week in week out and they certainly use large numbers of foreign players thanks to rules on free movement of labor within the 27-nation bloc.

However, Blatter would like to see a certain rule in force by 2012. The Swiss president wants to introduce a rule that would ensure every team would have at least six players on the field who are eligible to play for the national team of the country where their club is based. Although, this would mean a total of five foreign players could take the field, there would be no limit on the potential number under contract at a club.

When asked about his plan for national quotas for players in European club teams, Blatter snapped, "Football can govern itself."

Claiming that such quotas were good for strengthening the teams' national identity and the growth of local talent. He said: "You cannot compare footballers with normal workers."

This reminded me of the infamous Slave comment attributed to Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo. Oddly, Blatter denied ever making his infamous Ronaldo comparison.

He said: My comment was distorted. I never said that he (Ronaldo) is a slave.

"I specifically mentioned slavery because youngsters that European clubs are trying to get 13, 14 and 15 years old boys and bring them to the big clubs - this is modern slavery."

As Blatter regains his presidential posture, I ask him if 'positive integration rather than positive discrimination will help football retain its universal appeal.

He adds, The beautiful game is not just a sport of 22 players on the field, but an incredibly valuable tool for social integration. In the UK I am sure the member associations will ensure the likes of Asian players will play football at a high level. At a business level you have many successful entrepreneurs from the Asian community, people like Afzal Kahn, owner of the F1 number plate and a bespoke vehicle brand which has many footballers who buy their products so maybe they can help in promoting the game to the community.

Blatter believes faith and religious diversity are encompassed in the promotion of the positive values associated with football from all over the world from "England to Spain to India and Iran".

He said, It is very important that football can see beyond religion. But FIFA does not just ignore its impact. For example, Doctor Yacine Zerguini, an eminent specialist at the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre, has been conducting ongoing research on the effects of observing Ramadan for Muslim players that has been very positive, said Mr Blatter.

I ask Mr Blatter whether he feels FIFA is morally obligated to act quickly to discipline teams if their fans are guilty of racist chanting. He admits previous penalties for racist or discriminatory incidents around the world were far too lenient, and acknowledges that FIFA is obliged to take action in a global context. I am pleased to report to you that we now have strict and more unified regulations that everyone in the football family is required to follow, including suspensions, point deductions and disqualification for teams, to punish such incidents," he added.

"Now that we have the instruments, together, the football family can work to c****at racism and discrimination. However, it is important to remember that it is the member associations themselves who bear the primary responsibility of the implementation of the new regulations within their jurisdiction."

Mr Blatter singled out Liverpools never say die attitude as an inspiration to millions of fans and players worldwide after their impressive victory against Real Madrid. He said, Bravo Liverpool! Impressive as ever. Liverpool showed the same never say die attitude we all saw in Istanbul."

Blatter feels one day a World Cup could be held in an Asian country, adding, "The FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates was a tremendous success, so I have no doubts that we will see many FIFA competitions in the many diverse associations in the future."

He went on to cite the example of Russian football as an ideal model for developing football countries to follow. He said, Its very interesting that in Russia you will see some fantastic football players because of the organisation and new structure.

Now that they have a professional structure, many more young players will develop.  In general it is very good that Russia becomes powerful country in the world football. It should be this way because in the past they have had some great teams and other countries can learn from them.

The Swiss native feels it is important to distinguish between the sporting context of football, which the world governing body FIFA can and should influence, and the cultural context surrounding the game and clubs within each respective association. Of course," he went on, "how fans and players celebrate a win, for example, in England as compared to Saudi Arabia are as similar in as many ways as they are different. Thus each association and club has to deal with the special circumstances of incorporating diversity in their own way and there is no single rule or guide with which FIFA can instruct its  member associations.

We have developed football and taken it to the world. Now it is our obligation to use football to help build a better future for us

After leading his Liverpool side to a vital victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, Rafael Benitez put an end to rumors that he would quit the club because of contractual issues.

And Javier Mascherano could hardly be happier.

I am delighted [Benitez] has said he is staying. I havent spoken to him about his situation but Liverpool are doing a great job in the Champions League and Premier League and he is the main reason for that, he said in The Sun.

We are a top side and Rafa has got us playing at this level. We have shown it against Barcelona, Inter Milan last season and now Real Madrid.

We know we are a team that works really hard and the manager has to take credit for that. Every single player gives 100 per cent for him.

Mascherano at arrived at Liverpool in the winter of 2007 after a baffling stint at West Ham United, with whom he made just three Premier League stars.

Since then the Argentine international has established himself as one of Europe's best holding midfielders, and he owes it all to Benitez.

The 24-year-old continued, It is hard to explain exactly how much he means and how much he has done for me.

"When I came to Liverpool I didnt have any confidence left, as I hadnt been playing at all for West Ham. But now I find I am always calm when I am playing because he has put such trust in me. All I can say to Rafa is Thank you.

He has taken me from the lowest point in my career to this. Now everything I do is not only for the team but for Rafa too.

Franco-American president of Monaco, Jerome de Bontin, has admitted defeat in his attempts to resuscitate the beleaguered club, stating that family reasons will see him return to the USA. A controversial character, de Bontin only took charge of les Monegasques in April 2008, meaning his tenure lasted less than a year.

He has frequently courted controversy with the clubs supporters, who are, even by Ligue 1 standards, relatively thin on the ground. Indeed, the fans have been boycotting Monaco games since week three of the season due to the increased ticket prices to watch their side at the Stade Louis II.

Monacos first non-principality-born president also has the reputation of being something of an astute businessman, making purchases of players from all around the world to try and attract foreign interest in the club. Park Chu Young, a South Korean star signed in the summer, is one such talent while young American Freddy Adu is another who joined for a similar reason.

Like the clubs season to date (they sit 12th in Ligue 1), these purchases have had mixed success, with Adu barely featuring at all for the first team.

The official release on Monacos official website assures supporters that there will be no problems attracting a future backer, stating, At the next meeting of the board of directors in March 2009, Monaco will announce their new owner. With their new investors, AS Monaco will have the capability to return to the ranks of the French and European elite.

Big ambitions, indeed, for les Monegasques

Another Real Madrid era is about to draw to a close. After Raul revealed a few days ago that he is considering bringing his Los Blancos playing days to an end in 2011, another of the teams loyal veteran, Guti, has followed suit by admitting he could leave the club at around the same time.

The 32-year-old midfielder also unveiled his plans for the future, declaring that he would like to try his luck in another country before hanging up his boots for good.

I have already enjoyed many years at the club and I hope to enjoy the remaining three that I have left. My target is to continue playing at Madrid until 2011, he said in an interview with La Sexta.

After that, I hope to be able to go to an exotic country like the USA, Qatar or Dubai and play there. It would be a great way to end my career.

And after that, I will try to take on the role of a coach. At some point, I would love to be on the bench in the dugout, he added.

The focus then shifted to more current and pressing matters, namely Operacion Remontada, or Operation Comeback: Now, Barcelona are seven points ahead of us, but I believe that when they see us approaching even closer, they will raise their game.

Before, they had a sufficient enough an advantage to be calm and relaxed, but now, they know that in each and every game, three vital points are at stake, he affirmed.

Guti also looked forward to the Champions League second leg clash with Liverpool at Anfield in just under two weeks time.

We have a team to overcome any setback and win at any ground. I believe that Madrids style of football is completely different from Liverpools but there was not a single moment [in the first leg] where they allowed us to play our own game, he explained.

Finally, the vice-captain spoke about the future of the club, including any possible signings: It is necessary to only bring in players who can really make a difference to the team. Otherwise, were better off giving a chance to our own youth players.

As for the club presidency, I believe Florentino Perez should return. He has already demonstrated that he is a good president. He signed the best players in Europe and because of that, we won numerous domestic and continental titles, he concluded.

Guti, who just recently returned from a calf muscle injury, could make his first start for Madrid in a month when they take on Espanyol on Saturday night.

Real Madrid 0-1 Liverpool

The big team news prior to kick-off centered around two key players in the game: Arjen Robben and Steven Gerrard. While Real Madrid had the in-form Dutchman back from injury and straight into the starting line-up, Liverpool only had their talismanic captain starting on the bench. But it didnt matter for them in the end.

First Half

It was Madrid who did all the attacking early on and predictably, they had the first real chance at goal after five minutes. Arjen Robben slipped in a lovely through pass to Raul, who took the ball past Martin Skrtel but onto his weaker right foot, he could only shoot straight at Pepe Reina.

Los Merengues continually dominated the contest and both Sergio Ramos and Pepe tried their luck from identically overhead bicycle kicks off a 10th minute corner, but neither could hit it cleanly enough to trouble Reina. Moments later, Marcelo rifled in a bullet half-volley from a tight angle but the Liverpool shot-stopper was not to be beaten at his near post.

The Scousers first opportunity didnt arrive until the 20th minute when Fernando Torres crept behind the offside line held by Pepe and Fabio Cannavaro and streamed towards goal but his shot on the right channel was parried away brilliantly by Iker Casillas.

Minutes after that, the Blancos goalkeeper had to be alert again as he charged off his line when Yossi Benayoun broke clear into the box from the right and Iker was forced to flap the ball away when the Israeli tried to lob it over him.

Right on the half-hour mark, Gonzalo Higuain had the ball in the back of the net when he pounced on a Sergio Ramos header which came back off the bar, but the Argentine forward was standing in an offside position and the goal was rightly canceled out by the referee.

Madrid ended the half the stronger with a flurry successive chances from distance. Marcelo and Higuain both came close from 20 yards out, before Robben tried his luck when on two occasions, he waltzed past a crowd of defenders, checked onto his favorite left foot but neither attempt were on target.

Two minutes before the break, Albert Riera almost had his heart in his mouth when he tried to clear Robbens low cross but the ball skidded off his shin towards his own goal, but Reina was alert to make the save.

However, it was Xabi Alonso who almost stunned the home crowd when his hopeful 60-yard effort right on 45 minutes forced Casillas to back-track and make a full stretch save to tip the ball over the bar.

Second Half

Despite picking up a knock, Torres was sent back out onto the pitch for the second period. Marcelo, however, was not as Juande Ramos made the first change of the game sending in Guti to inject more attacking depth in midfield.

Liverpool caused the first real panic of the half when Rieras cross forced Casillas well off his line to parry it out but Alonsos follow-up volley just bobbled wide.

Robben was soon up to his usual tricks again as he snaked his way down the right past three defenders but he could only crash his shot into the side netting. Sergio Ramos had the next look-in at goal minutes later with a blistering long range effort but Reina got his body behind the ball to make a clean save.

Clear-cut chances quickly dried up after that as both sides adopted a more cautious approach. It wasnt until the 70th minute when the Bernabeu faithful were up on their feet. Madrid broke on the counter and Robben charged forward before cutting on to his left foot and unleashing a thunderbolt, but Reina managed to swat the ball over the bar.

But with 10 minutes to go, Liverpool stunned the Bernabeu. Heinze clumsily gave away a free kick when he bundled Kuyt down on the left flank, and Fabio Aurelio whipped in an inch-perfect delivery for an unmarked Yossi Benayoun, who thumped a header into the top left corner past a hapless Casillas.

The Spaniards were visibly shaken as they failed to respond. The Premier League giants immediately pulled men back and Madrid ended the match on a whimper, barely creating any danger after going behind.

It was exactly the result Liverpool were angling for and they will head back to Anfield for the second leg clash on March 10 feeling confident of progressing to the quarter finals thanks to this priceless 1-0 win.

LINE-UPS

Real Madrid (4-4-2): Casillas Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze Robben, Lass, Gago, Marcelo (Guti, 46) Higuain, Raul

Unused subs: Dudek, Saviola, Sneijder, Metzelder, Miguel Torres, Van der Vaart

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio Xabi Alonso, Mascherano Benayoun, Kuyt (Lucas, 91), Riera (Gerrard, 88) Torres (Babel, 61)

Unused subs: Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Ngog

REAL MADRID 0-1 LIVERPOOL

0-1: Liverpool (Benayoun, 80)

BOOKINGS

Real Madrid: Cannavaro (47), Gago (86)

Liverpool: Torres (54), Mascherano (65), Riera (83)

AC Milan have been dealt a blow to their offence as they will be without creative influences Ronaldinho and Kaka for the crucial match against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti's squad was posted on theMilan official website and did not include the pair of Brazilians, who are both listed as injured. The duo are both suffering from muscular injuries and they will not be available on Thursday evening. The tactician had previously stated that he hoped that they would recover in time, but unfortunately for the Milan squad this has not been the case.

Meanwhile, long-term injury absentees Alessandro Nesta and Gennaro Gattuso will certainly miss out as well. However, Alexandre Pato and Andriy Shevchenko have both returned to fitness and could start the match at the San Siro.

The first-leg ended in a 1-1 draw with Filippo Inzaghi opening the scoring and Werder attacking midfielder Diego claiming a late equaliser.

The Rossoneri have fallen 11 points behind Inter in the Scudetto race and have been knocked out of the Coppa Italia. The UEFA Cup may represent their last chance for silverware this season.

Olympique Lyonnais held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at the Stade Gerland in their first leg tie of their Champions League clash on Tuesday evening. Les Gones led 1-0 thanks to a superb free kick from Juninho but failed to take advantage of their first period supremacy, eventually succumbing in the second half to a Thierry Henry header.

Henry, Frances record international goalscorer, has exclusively explained to Goal.com that he always felt Lyon would provide stiff opposition.

I know the quality of the Lyon side, he stated after the match. Even if Yaya [Touré] and Seydou [Keita] have both played in the French league, I am the one most aware of their qualities.

We knew that we shouldnt allow Juninho any chance to shoot from free-kicks around our box. He pulled a great goal out of his hat by scoring from a very difficult angle.

The Barcelona star admitted that things were particularly difficult in the first half, and that the Blaugrana were perhaps lucky to only face a one goal deficit at half-time.

We really suffered in the first half because Lyon played really well, he conceded. In the second period, we did not panic. We continued to play our game and increased the intensity of our attacking. Finally, we managed to equalise.

Henry revealed the contrast between Barcas first and second half performances was a simple tactical change made by coach Pep Guardiola at half-time. Pep told us to keep playing but he asked [the forwards] to support the midfield a little more, the 31-year-old stated. We won the battle in the middle of the pitch, which provided us with a little more ammunition.

Despite this improvement in the second half, Henry would not be drawn into making any rash predictions before the second leg in a fortnights time. We have two or three games to play before we meet Lyon [again], he stated. OL are in the same situation. A lot can happen during this period; players can get hurt and others can come back. It will be a tough game, but in Juninho, Lyon have a player that has an exceptional ability to break any deadlock.

Although Henry is playing coy, Barca will be widely considered favourites to progress as Lyon will need to secure an unlikely away win or a high scoring draw to move into the quarter-finals.

Real Madrid striker, Raul, has admitted his adoration for Steven Gerrard in an interview with France Football today.

Raul and Gerrard look set to go head-to-head tonight when Madrid meet Liverpool in the Champions League, and both should be wearing the captain's armband.

The Spaniard declared that he "adores" the England man and admires the fact that the midfielder has remained so loyal to the Reds.

"For me, he is the complete midfielder, with the ability to defend, to attack and to score goals. He is also a man with a strong personality," he gushed.

"He is like Paul Scholes with Manchester United, players who remain faithful to their clubs in the good and bad times. It is always said that they are going to leave, but they always continue in their position."

Certainly Raul is another example of a loyal player, having been at Madrid for his whole career since moving from Atletico as a youngster.

The striker has become one of the greatest ever Real Madrid players during his time at the club, but admitted that he is not thinking about records yet.

"I believe that all the records are for later. Of course, after so many years, I realise what I have done, but I do not want to let my level drop, and I want to take advantage of the time I have left. To put it more clearly: I want more," he declared.

With the blockbuster Champions League tie of the round finally upon us, one coach named his expected line-up and one something a little more obscure. Inter tactician Jose Mourinho paired the resurgent Adriano with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in attack, while both of Manchester United's defensive injury doubts, Jonny Evans and John O'Shea, were fit enough to make the starting line-up. Sir Alex Ferguson pulled a couple of surprises out of his bag, including Park Ji-Sung and Darren Fletcher in midfield, with Wayne Rooney starting on the bench.

First Half

There was some mist in the air as the sides kicked off at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, but nothing murky about Manchester United's sharp performance, which they sustained for the opening half-hour. During that period, they should have been at least one to the good.

Cristiano Ronaldo, booed by the home faithful, looked threatening in the early stages, attacking a Ryan Giggs corner only to see his bullet header beaten away by Julio Cesar.

The Red Devils dominated the early possession and were able to win numerous free-kicks in Ronaldo territory. The Portuguese winger's first effort was pushed away by the 'keeper.

As Inter player after Inter player was whistled by the ref, Ronaldo was able to come ever closer with his attempts. After a Sulley Muntari foul, he swerved one wide of the right-hand post, much to the relief of the tense Nerazzurri support.

United created chances from open play, too. A Giggs through-ball found Dimitar Berbatov, whose driven cross was deflected away before it could reach Park.

Then, Ronaldo's ball from the right hit a confused Giggs on the back. The Welshman, in a great position, couldn't locate it and the chance was gone.

Berbatov the was next to go close, leaping to nod Patrice Evra's cross back across goal and wide of the post.

Inter, for their part, couldn't really get the cogs turning in the final third and were limited to hopeful efforts from distance.

At the busy end, a wide-open Giggs drove a shot at the 'keeper with Berbatov better placed in the middle and Julio Cesar had to push another Ronaldo free-kick away with strong hands, before he looped a header off-target from a Giggs cross.

Having weathered the storm, Inter started to look a bit more comfortable. Ibrahimovic and Adriano dropped deeper to seek the ball and the and the pair almost c****ined to deadly effect. Ibra teased Carrick before clipping a cross just too far in front of the Brazilian.

Inter were becoming increasingly frustrated with the referee and the half ended on a sour note, with the bench going mental after the umpteenth foul was called against them.

Second Half

An early Didier Drogba goal was enough to give Chelsea a vital 1-0 win over Juventus in their Champions League last-16 first leg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Chelsea came racing out of the traps and deserved the lead they took through Didier Drogbas goal inside the first 15 minutes. Juventus initial response was good, though, The Old Lady coming close through Alessandro Del Piero.

The visitors were the better side in the second period and put pressure on the Blues defense, but failed to create enough clear opportunities, meaning an intriguing second leg lies in store with the English side holding the advantage after tonight.

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink caused no surprises with his starting XI. Drogba and Nicolas Anelka joined Salomon Kalou in a three-pronged forward line, while Alex continued to deputize for the injured Ricardo Carvalho in defense. Ashley Cole returned at left-back in place of Paulo Ferreira.

Juventus picked captain Del Piero and Amauri in attack over David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta, while Olof Mellberg came into the defense ahead of Zdenek Grygera, who had started against Palermo at the weekend.

The Blues made a fast start, Kalou cutting inside from left and shooting across the face of goal to give Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon an early test after just four minutes.

Then, Jose Bosingwa found space on the right after being fed by Michael Ballack and whipped in a good cross. Drogba managed to get in front of his marker, Nicola Legrottaglie, and headed just over the bar from close-range.

But the Italians did not heed the warnings, and, in the 12th minute, Chelsea went ahead. Frank Lampard delivered a poor free-kick from the right touchline, which Mauro Camoranesi cleared as far as Kalou 25 yards from goal.

The Ivorian winger was determined to keep the move alive and turned to guide the ball back into the box, where Drogba was able to get onto the wrong side of Legrottaglie and scuff a shot past Buffon into the far corner of the net from just inside the penalty area.

Drogba should have scored again four minutes later, but wasted his third golden opportunity of the opening stages. Lampard fed a corner in and Drogba, who stood completely unmarked six yards out, mistimed his header wide of the post.

That finally seemed to galvanize the visitors, who came close to scoring twice in quick succession as they enjoyed a good spell mid-way through the first half.

Firstly, former Chelsea midfielder Tiago swivelled well outside the box and spotted the run of Del Piero. The Portuguese slipped through a clever pass and the Italian forced Blues keeper Petr Cech into a good save.

From the resulting corner, Del Pieros delivery was helped on by Amauri and so nearly connected with Giorgio Chiellini at the far post. The Brazilian striker should have done better with his header, having lost Chelsea captain John Terry.

Things quietened down as the half progressed, although Juve were still able to threaten as Camoranesis shot deflected narrowly over the crossbar, before Pavel Nedved shot straight at Cech from 20 yards just before half-time.

After the break, Chelsea started well, Drogba again getting a run on Legrottaglie and heading just wide from Bosingwas cross, while a left-footed effort from Lampard was well held by Buffon in the 57th minute.

For Juve, Nedved had another shot which failed to trouble Cech, before substitute Marco Marchionni rifled in an effort from 25 yards that fell just over Czech Republic internationals goal.

Then, Del Piero and Amauri came close with headers in quick succession on 70 minutes as Juventus put pressure on the hosts without creating many clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities.

Juve coach Clauido Ranieri seemed reluctant to alter his sides system while they held the edge in the match, with no sign of Trezeguet until he was brought on in the 86th minute in place of Mohamed Sissoko.

Anelka, who had a quiet night for Chelsea by his high standards so far this season, drove a powerful effort narrowly wide with three minutes to go, before Trezeguet, moments after arriving on the pitch, poorly struck wide after a clever flick by Del Piero.

Then, in the third minute of added time, Nedveds deflected long-range effort came so close to finding the inside of the post, but the home side held on and are in the strong position going into the second leg in Italy.

Real Madrid recently disposed of Real Betis by an overwhelming and thrilling six goals to one. Xabi Alonso believes this is down to the new coaching methods instilled by former Tottenham Hotspur and Sevilla boss Juande Ramos.

Los Merengues have won nine games on the spin, and conceded just twice since December, which is in stark contrast to the form displayed by Liverpool, who struggled for three points throughout January.

Alonso believes Madrid are now playing as a compact unit and have an array of attacking outlets to choose from. Alonso sees things differently from Sir Alex Ferguson, who recently opined that Real lack the pace required to kill a game.

Alonso told Liverpool's official website, "They [Real Madrid] are currently playing as a very compact unit. They have very good strikers like Raul, Robben, and Higuain, but they have also found a team that is very consistent with four defenders and two midfielders who are all very strong, and that is something that we will have to be aware of.

"I expect them to try and win the game and not concede, but we will
have a game-plan and will try to play intelligently. It's always key
to try and score in the away leg of a European tie, so that will be our idea."

Juande Ramos will be familiar with the players available at Liverpool, from his time managing affairs at north London club Tottenham, but Alonso dismisses the theory that this will give the Madrid side the edge.

"I think these days everyone knows a lot of things about all leagues," Alonso claimed. "They will know us well in Spain because our matches are often broadcast live, but Rafa and the players know Real well too so there are no secrets."

Despite being two of the most prominent sides in Europe, having amassed a grand total of 14 European Cups between them, this will be the first time Real Madrid have faced each other since the 1981 final, where an Alan Kennedy strike separated the two sides. Alonso went on to add that the longer you play for Liverpool, the more you come to learn of the club's history, and its pedigree on the continent.

"I was born in '81 so obviously I don't remember much about that game. However, as you grow up, you learn more about the histories of Liverpool, Real Madrid and the European Cup.

"From what I have been told, Real had a good team and it was a huge disappointment for them to lose the final but Liverpool deserved to win.

"It's quite unique that Liverpool have never played Real Madrid at any time, apart from that game, so we are looking forward to facing them," he concluded.

Liverpool and Real Madrid contest the first leg of their round of 16 clash in the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday February 25. The game kicks off at 19:45 GMT.