The Italian football team is full of leaders

Italy coach Marcello Lippi insisted his team is full of born leaders all over the pitch ahead of Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Montenegro in Podgorica.

Lippi was reacting to claims in the Italian press that the world champions lack a player with natural charisma.

“It’s not true that this team doesn’t have a leader, there’s (Gianluigi) Buffon, (Gianluca) Zambrotta, (Fabio) Cannavaro, (Daniele) De Rossi, (Andrea) Pirlo,” he said.

“All those that I have named are intelligent footballers who give their all for the team.

“There are others who aren’t here who are merely roosters in a henhouse.”

That comment was a clear reference to Sampdoria’s Antonio Cassano, who once again has been left out of the squad despite excellent club form.

Cassano is an undoubted talent but a wayward one whose temperament and tantrums have held him back in his career, not only at international level but also at his clubs.

Despite his ability he failed to make it at either AS Roma or Real Madrid and he has played only 15 matches for Italy since making his debut in 2003.

“Every coach has his cross to bear, a player with public and press pressure behind him,” added Lippi.

“This doesn’t create a problem for me and I don’t give explanations because they cause more of a palaver than they are worth.”

Lippi also hit out at the Italian press who have been running stories this week about claims from some fans in Bari, where Italy host the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday, that the World Cup winning coach will be jeered for not picking Bari native Cassano.

“What really, really, really annoys me is this climate created by certain newspapers about Wednesday’s match in Bari against Ireland,” he added.

“We will see how they receive me.”

As for Montenegro, Lippi is expecting fired up opponents, particularly after they ran the world champions close in Lecce at the back end of last year.

“For them it will be a party outside the ground and an historic occasion on the pitch. It’s normal that they want to beat the world champions,” said Lippi.

“For our part we just want to demonstrate the difference in abilities of the two teams.

“But we must be careful because, like all Slavs, the Montenegran footballers have good technical ability and play at pace.”

England boss Capello rounds on Redknapp

Fabio Capello suggested Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was guilty of double standards after failing to be as critical of Alan Hutton’s inclusion in the Scotland squad as he was about Ledley King’s call-up for England duty.

Spurs centre-back King was withdrawn on Tuesday from England’s squad for Saturday’s friendly international against Slovakia and next week’s World Cup qualifier with Ukraine.

The 28-year-old Spurs captain does not train with his club between matches because of a chronic knee condition and so was a surprise inclusion in England manager Capello’s 24-man squad.

“It’s pointless. If he plays against Ukraine there is no way he can play on Saturday against Blackburn,” Redknapp said before King’s withdrawal.

However, Scotland manager George Burley has called up Hutton even though the full-back hasn’t played a first-team match for several months because of a foot injury and only recently made his comeback in a reserve fixture.

Hutton is not expected to feature in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier away to the Netherlands but could play against Iceland on Wednesday.

“We followed Ledley King for the last four or five games,” Capello told reporters here on Friday. “He played very well in all the games.

“We put him in the squad. When he was here the England medical staff checked him and the first day the knee was not good,” the Italian added.

“We waited one day to understand and check the knee again. It was the same. After this we decided he can go back home.

“But I have to say something. Mr Redknapp spoke about the England national team. But (Alan) Hutton, the Scottish player, after two months of injury, is in the Scotland squad.

“I don’t understand why he spoke about Ledley King and not about Hutton. Only this. They are different problems for him.

“He (King) played the last game. He was not injured. He played. Now I am happy because I spoke with the player.”

Redknapp, speaking before Hutton played 71 minutes of Monday’s reserve match against West Brom, said: “I spoke to George Burley and he said he definitely wouldn’t play him against Holland. It’s too quick.”

Hutton has repeatedly insisted he is ready for the rigours of international football but Redknapp said: “He has not played a game yet, so I don’t know you can work that out.”

Few question Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney’s suitability for England in terms of fitness and talent. But his temper, which led him into the kind of disciplinary trouble which saw him sent-off against Fulham last weekend remains an issue.

“He is young and sometimes his reactions are not so good, but he’s a good player and man,” Capello said on Friday.

“I spoke to him and sometimes we need to be a little bit aggressive. With him, I hope the level of the aggression will be balanced. Just aggressive, not too much.”

Juve will sign one star in the summer

Juventus chief executive Jean-Claude Blanc said on Wednesday that the Italian giants will sign a star player in the summer.

Juve are currently trailing Inter Milan by seven points in Serie A with only nine games remaining.

Following their elimination from the Champions League by Chelsea earlier this month, club coach Claudio Ranieri said they needed bigger stars to compete for the top honours.

And Blanc has now promised him at least one.

“I’m not talking about the transfer market but what I can tell you is that we will buy a star player,” Frenchman Blanc told investors at a conference in Milan.

“One who can herald a new era of success.”

Juve are not out of the championship race but will need to not lose any more ground on Inter ahead of the pair’s clash in Turin next month.

Were they to win that and reduce the gap between the two to no more than four points, Juve would certainly be in with a chance of claiming their first title since 2003.

“We’ll see what shape we’re in at the direct clash between the two teams,” added Blanc.

“Until it’s mathematically impossible, we’ll keep fighting.”

Bulgaria gives green light to sale of CSKA Sofia

Bulgarian authorities gave the green light on Wednesday to the sale of top Bulgarian football club CSKA Sofia by its Indian owner, businessman Pramod Mittal, to a Bulgarian company.

The country’s competition protection committee said on its website that the “acquisition of 100 percent of CSKA’s shares by the Bulgarian Titan Sport company” will not contravene national anti-monopoly legislation.

The authorisation was necessary for Mittal and Titan Sport to finalise the sale of the club after a corresponding agreement was signed on March 6.

Mittal, who is the younger brother of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, bought the club two years ago. But his spell as club owner was characterised by various financial troubles.

CSKA, who have won the Bulgarian championship 31 times and are the current champions, did not take part in this season’s Champions League after failing to cover their debts and obtain a license.

Krkic not looking to leave Barca

Barcelona youngster Bojan Krkic insists he has no intention of leaving the Camp Nou at the end of the season.

Speculations have suggested that the 18-year-old would be interested in a move away from the club in order to get regular first-team football next season.

“I have never even thought about going, firstly because I have faith in my chances, something that was reaffirmed to me last year, and secondly because I believe that I can compete with the players and that I can play in a team at the level of Barca,” Krkic told Catalunya Radio.

“I am at home because here I have my club, my family, my friends and in no other place would things be so good.

“At Barca, the best team in the world, we will always have the best defenders, the best midfielders and the best forwards, which is key.

“But I am keen to show that players from the youth team are also important. I try to stay away from the stories and ignore them all.”

Ibra staying but Maxwell leaving Inter

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s agent on Wednesday denied that his client is looking for a move away from Inter Milan.

However, Mino Raiola confirmed that another client of his, Brazilian left-back Maxwell, will definitely be leaving the San Siro at the end of the season.

Ibrahimovic sparked speculation about his future on Sunday when he said after his two-goal starring role in Inter’s 3-0 home win over Reggina: “I’m totally focused on winning the title but as for next season, we’ll see.

“I’m very happy to be at Inter but next year we’ll see.”

Inter president Massimo Moratti responded on Monday by saying: “I can’t imagine Inter without Ibrahimovic.

“But if that were to happen, it would not stop the club from carrying on.”

Ibra, as he is known in Italy, is a reported target for Barcelona but Raiola told Radio Radio that the Sweden striker, who Italian media claim to be the highest paid player in Serie A, will be going nowhere.

“People are talking about convincing Zlatan to stay but no-one has said he is leaving,” said Raiola.

“Zlatan has a great relationship with Moratti. There’s no reason for them to have a meeting (to discuss his future).

“Moratti was right when he said that we’ve given bait to the newspapers and the media to develop a story which for now doesn’t exist.

“If I or Zlatan or (Inter coach Jose) Mourinho don’t say anything Italy stops talking about football.”

Raiola also dismissed speculation that Ibrahimovic has set demands for staying with Inter.

“Zlatan has never asked for reinforcements or more money and anyone who says otherwise is a liar,” he added.

As for Maxwell it is the end of the road, however. The Brazilian was one of two players individually picked out by Mourinho for criticism following a 3-1 defeat at Atalanta in January and he lost his place to teenager Davide Santon.

Santon has impressed ever since and Maxwell has not been able to win his place back in the team.

“With Mourinho either you’re Zlatan and he takes you to his home or if you’re not Zlatan you’re dead and that’s not right from a coach’s point of view,” blasted Raiola.

“The relationship between Maxwell and Mourinho is finished.”

Raiola suggested Maxwell could move to Inter’s city rivals AC Milan.

“That’s not a decision for Inter to take but the player’s. We’ll terminate his contract, we’ll pay what has to be paid but we won’t set one price for Milan and another for other clubs.

“All the big teams know how good this player is.”

FIFA, UEFA stance ignores reality: WADA chief

World anti-doping chief John Fahey on Wednesday accused FIFA and UEFA of ignoring reality, after they rejected rules that ease out-of-competition drugs testing of individual footballers.

“One of the key principles of efficient doping control is the surprise effect and the possibility to test an athlete without advance notice on a 365 day basis,” the World Anti Doping Agency President said in a statement.

“Alleging, as FIFA and UEFA do, that testing should only take place at training grounds and not during holiday periods, ignores the reality of doping in sport.

“Experience has demonstrated that athletes who cheat seize every opportunity to do so and dope when they believe they won?t be tested,” he added.

Since the beginning of January, the world anti-doping code requires elite athletes to give notice of their location on a chosen one-hour period each day, seven days a week.

“WADA was surprised and concerned to read the statement issued on March 24 by the world and European football governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA, in relation to universally harmonized whereabouts requirements that took effect on January 1, 2009,” the anti-doping agency said.

Football’s world and European governing bodies on Tuesday formally rejected the ‘whereabouts’ rule, arguing that team sport players should be treated differently.

FIFA and UEFA had stressed “the fundamental differences between an individual athlete, who trains on his own, on the one hand, and a team-sport athlete, who is present at the stadium six days out of seven, and thus easy to locate, on the other hand.”

“FIFA and UEFA therefore oppose the individual ‘whereabouts’ rule, and want to see it replaced by collective location rules, within the scope of the team,” the footballing bodies said.

But the anti-doping agency retorted on Wednesday that the code endorsed by its executive committee last May - including by representatives of team sports - had already accommodated football’s demands.

Drogba ready to extend Chelsea deal

Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba could be ready to extend his Chelsea contract, according to his agent.

Drogba has been linked with Europe’s top clubs as it appeared he was likely to leave Stamford Bridge earlier this season.

Drogba’s current contract keeps him with the Blues until 2010.

“Didi has a deal with Chelsea, so he is relaxed about his future,” he said in the Daily Express.

“It was very important for him to return to his best level without bad injuries, and he has shown that he is one of the best players in Europe.

“In football, you can never write anything off. There are big opportunities at Chelsea, so we will see what happens.

“If they present a new proposition then we will study it and after that Didi will make a decision on his future.

“A lot of big clubs in Europe have asked about him, but we will not make any decision until the end of the season.

“He is happy, playing well and his return to form and goals point to the fact he is enjoying his football at Chelsea.”

Gerrard wants new Liverpool deal

Steven Gerrard has admitted he is keen on signing a new contract with Liverpool.

The Reds skipper has two years left on his current deal and reports have linked him with several clubs, including Real Madrid and Chelsea in recent years.

“I have never been happier throughout my whole career than I am at the moment,” he said. “I have two years left on my contract and if there was a chance to extend it, I am sure I would.

“I am playing in a top team, with world-class players and I believe in the manager. Going forward, I am sure we can be successful.

“For years and years I have moaned about not being involved in a title race and being far away from the others. At the moment, I am playing in a team that’s capable of beating anyone in the league.”

FIFA, UEFA reject anti-doping ´whereabouts´ rule

FIFA and UEFA on Tuesday formally rejected rules that allow anti-doping authorities to locate individual players for out of competition drugs testing.

The governing bodies of European and world football said in a joint statement that there were fundamental differences between an individual athlete and those involved in team sports that needed to be taken into account in the World Anti Doping Agency’s (WADA) ‘whereabouts’ rule.

“The governing bodies of FIFA and UEFA formally reject the stance taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) concerning the ‘whereabouts’ rule and, more specifically, the individual location of team-sport athletes,” the statement said.

“FIFA and UEFA want to stress the fundamental differences between an individual athlete, who trains on his own, on the one hand, and a team-sport athlete, who is present at the stadium six days out of seven, and thus easy to locate, on the other hand.”

“FIFA and UEFA therefore oppose the individual ‘whereabouts’ rule, and want to see it replaced by collective location rules, within the scope of the team and within the stadium infrastructure.”

Since the beginning of January, elite athletes are required to give notice of their location on a chosen one-hour period each day, seven days a week, under the world anti-doping code.

FIFA had already signalled its defiance of the requirement after an executive committee meeting last Friday by insisting on special treatment for footballers.

PSV chasing Celtic Vennegoor of Hesselink

According to Voetbal International, reigning Eredivisie title holders PSV are interested in signing Celtic striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. The forward’s current deal with the Hoops expires at the end of this campaign.

PSV are unhappy with the performances of their current strikers and are reportedly ready to offload Danny Koevermans and Danko Lazovic in the upcoming transfer window. They have targeted Vennegoor as the perfect replacement for one of the duo.

The 30-year-old hitman has struggled to find his best form this campaign and has scored only two goals in 16 league appearances. However, Celtic are still keen to hold onto the towering forward and are expected to offer Vennegoor a new deal in the near future.

Buffon expects Inter to win the Scudetto

Juventus goalkeeper Gigi Buffon believes Inter will win the Scudetto this season.

The Old Lady are seven points behind the Nerazzurri in the race for the Scudetto.

“Inter will surely win the Scudetto because they have a big lead over us,” Buffon said on Sky Sport 24.

“They are a very balanced side and so it is difficult when you let them get an advantage.

“However, there is obviously some hope we could catch them otherwise I wouldn’t bother playing on Sunday.

“Inter are the most complete squad with the best unit. At the moment they deserve to be top and under pressure they managed to respond by winning games extremely easily.

Klinsmann delight as below-par Bayern close gap

Bayern Munich boss Jurgen Klinsmann was delighted the defending Bundesliga champions ground out a 1-0 win over Karlsruhe to narrow the gap on leaders Hertha Berlin to just a point.

“The three points were what mattered,” said Klinsmann despite his side’s average performance as a single first-half strike from Argentina striker Jose Sosa gave Bayern the three points.

With leaders Hertha Berlin losing 2-0 in Stuttgart, both Bayern and third-placed Wolfsburg are now only a point off the top, but Munich’s performance at their Allianz Arena against rock-bottom Karlsruhe was far from impressive.

“We?ve won the way Hertha have won seven or eight times this season, which is OK from time to time,” added Klinsmann.

“Especially in the second half, it didn?t go the way we wanted it to. We were too hurried, Karlsruhe fought back and made chances.

“We failed to wrap it up in the first half. Nevertheless, we?re satisfied enough. It?s good we?re only a point behind Berlin.

“The players are allowed an occasional off day.”

With Bayern facing Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals next month, captain Mark van Bommel was also demanding more from his side.

“There?s nothing much to say. We played badly, but won,” said Bayern’s Dutch skipper who signed a year’s extension to his contract in midweek.

“It was OK to start with and we scored the goal. But otherwise, we?re all aware it wasn?t great. At this stage of the season, these are the games you have to win, and we?ve gone out and won.

“There are three points at stake, we?ve taken them, and that?s all that matters.”

League leaders Hertha Berlin let their four-point lead slip to just a single point as they were beaten 2-0 at VfB Stuttgart.

“It was a very good game,” said delighted Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel.

“The team responded well to the 4-0 defeat by Werder Bremen the week before and rose to the challenge. They corrected a lot of mistakes and I am very happy.”

With both Bayern and third-placed Wolfsburg hard on his side’s heels, Hertha coach Lucien Favre was critical of his side’s performance after losing captain Arne Friedrich with a first-half thigh injury.

“Stuttgart were clearly better,” said the Swiss coach. “We saw two different teams, one played very well, the other one badly.

“If the team doesn’t function properly you will concede goals. We had a bad game and sometimes you have to accept that as a coach.”

Villarreal boost Champions League hopes

Villarreal put the pressure on Champions League rivals Atletico Madrid and Malaga with a 2-0 home win over 10-man Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Goals from Spanish international Santi Cazorla and Mati Fernandez saw fourth-placed Villarreal move five points clear of chasing Atletico and Malaga who are in action on Sunday.

For Bilbao, who had Markel Susaeta sent off late on, it was another setback as they have failed to win in their last seven outings and are not yet safe from the drop.

Turkish striker Nihat had the hosts’s first opening but his shot from an acute angle was blocked and Bilbao cleared their lines.

Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez, called up into the Spain squad for the first time this week, was called into action on 13 minutes producing a fine save to thwart Igor Gabilondo’s deflected shot.

The breakthrough arrived in the 68th minute with Cazorla’s fierce shot into the corner after Bilbao were cut open.

Susaeta was sent off for a second yellow card all but ending Bilbao’s hopes of getting back in the game. Fernandez then scored in stoppage time to wrap up the win for Villarreal.

Third-placed Sevilla entertain Valladolid in Saturday’s late match looking to extend their lead over their chasing Champions League rivals.

Valladolid are down in ninth but are only four points off the final UEFA Cup spot and have already beaten Sevilla this season along with Real Madrid, Villarreal and Valencia.

“It is a tricky game against a team that has surprised a lot of the top teams,” said Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez.

“Valladolid have the ability to score goals and we need to be careful. Our stadium needs to be a fortress if we want to get the points we need (to qualify for the Champions League).”

Real Madrid take on Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday trying to put the pressure on Barcelona, six points ahead at the top, in the title race.

“We cannot slip up,” said goalkeeper Iker Casillas. “There are about two months left. A lot can happen, but things can also get ugly if the league is won early.”

It is an emotional game for Almeria’s Mexican coach Hugo Sanchez who played for Real between 1985 and 1992 winning four Pichichi crowns in the process.

Barcelona host Malaga at Camp Nou on Sunday as they continue their bid for a historic treble.

“If I had to prioritise one of them, it would be the league because it?s what gives you stability and sets the tone for the team,” said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. “We have to focus on the next match above any other.”

Spurs check Chelsea title charge

Chelsea missed a gilt-edged chance to pile pressure on Manchester United in the English Premier League title race as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday.

Luka Modric’s superb strike early in the second half consigned Guus Hiddink to his first defeat since assuming control at Stamford Bridge on an interim basis, but while the Dutchman will be piqued at losing his unbeaten record, his real annoyance will be at failing to capitalise on United’s surprise defeat at Fulham.

Instead, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side retain their four-point lead over Chelsea - a lead that could be stretched to seven if they win their game in hand - and Hiddink might well come to see this as the day his hopes of restoring the league championship to west London were snuffed out.

Ferguson, a close friend of Harry Redknapp, will be feeling even better disposed towards the Tottenham manager after this result, which should also extinguish any lingering relegation fears at White Hart Lane.

Instead, Redknapp can start looking up towards the seventh place that will guarantee a place in next season’s Europa League, the successor to the UEFA Cup.

For Hiddink, however, this defeat represented the most painful of reality checks and the Dutchman will have plenty to ponder on his flight to Moscow on Sunday, as he prepares for Russia’s World Cup qualification double-header against Azerbaijan.

It was not simply the result which will have dismayed him, but Chelsea’s limp performance. There was no energy or zip to the visitors’ football and not even the most one-eyed observer could claim that Tottenham did not deserve their triumph.

The only consolation, of sorts, was that Chelsea are not the first of the Premier League’s established elite to come unstuck in these parts. Spurs can now boast that in home league games against Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea they have collected eight points and conceded just one goal.

Kick-off may have been delayed by half an hour due to traffic problems caused by a security alert, but Spurs still began at a rattling pace, thanks largely to the energetic Wilson Palacios and Jermaine Jenas, who refused to grant any of Chelsea’s advanced midfield trio a moment’s peace.

Chelsea’s rhythm was wrecked. The visitors produced just two long-range shots from Michael Essien and Nicolas Anelka - both comfortably saved by Heurelho Gomes - in a toothless first-half performance and while Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper, was hardly under siege, Spurs still looked the likelier scorers.

In the 18th minute, Gomes’s long downfield punt was horribly misjudged by Alex, the ball bouncing over him and into the path of Robbie Keane. The Ireland striker’s half-volley was cleanly struck but Cech proved equal to it at his near post.

Keane was a persistent menace, and he forced Cech into another smart save six minutes later, firing off a shot from 12 yards after a storming run from Vedran Corluka.

Hiddink must have been baffled at his team’s lethargy, especially as news had filtered through of Manchester United falling behind at Fulham, but if the Dutchman hoped that the interval would shake Chelsea out of their stupor, he was mistaken.

They started the second period in the same ponderous fashion they had finished the first and this time they were punished. After Aaron Lennon had wriggled into space on the right, the England winger squared to the top of the penalty area, where Modric was lurking with intent. One swish of his right boot sent the ball scudding into the bottom corner, and Spurs had a deserved lead.

Not even falling behind was enough to spark a Chelsea revival and it took until the final 15 minutes for Hiddink’s side to generate any meaningful momentum.

Gomes was finally forced into serious action in the 78th minute, when John Terry rose highest to meet Frank Lampard’s inswinging free-kick and the England defender’s header was clawed behind.

United self-destruct, Fulham blow title race wide open

Danny Murphy and Zoltan Gera struck to hand Fulham a shock win over nine-man Manchester United and throw open the Premier League title race.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s league leaders followed last weekend’s defeat to Liverpool with a second successive reverse that opened the door for Chelsea and Liverpool to close the gap at the head of the table.

And to make a miserable afternoon even worse, Ferguson was forced to watch as Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were dismissed, ruling them out of crucial games in the final run-in.

The week-long post-mortem that followed last weekend’s jarring 4-1 defeat had been centred on the impact it might possibly have on United’s poise during the run-in.

Prior to that reverse, Ferguson’s side had been cruising towards a third successive title, destroying any hopes the chasing pack may have had with a formidable run of eleven successive league victories.

But the nature of Liverpool’s victory suddenly punctured United’s air of invincibility.

And judging by this shocking display at Craven Cottage, it has deflated the swaggering self-belief that had previously been a hallmark of the reigning champions’ campaign.

Having looked alarmingly fragile at the back seven days earlier, United showed no signs of having resolved the defensive problems that had allowed Liverpool to beat Edwin van der Sar four times.

Nemanja Vidic - last weekend’s guiltiest culprit - was absent following his sending off against Rafael Benitez’s side, and without the normally reliable Serb the visitors looked vulnerable to almost every early Fulham attack.

Not that the defence was given much protection by a midfield that was constantly caught in possession and seemed incapable of picking out the simplest of passes.

Credit must go to Fulham for their direct approach, with the lively forwards Andrew Johnson, Bobby Zamora and Clint Dempsey stretching the United back-line to provide ready targets for steady service delivered from midfield.

The alarm bells should have been ringing for Ferguson’s side just two minutes into the game when Dempsey found space inside the box and fired wide of Van der Sar’s near post from a narrow angle.

United briefly looked as though they might respond when Dimitar Berbatov headed over four minutes later - but astonishingly that turned out to be the visitors’ only real chance of a one-sided opening half.

Instead it was the Fulham strikers who repeatedly found space between United’s back-pedalling back four, forcing Van der Sar into a succession of excellent saves that prevented the home side taking more convincing control of the game.

There was little the Dutch keeper could do, however, about Murphy’s 17th-minute penalty that gave Fulham a deserved lead.

Zamora may lack pace but his presence had already unsettled Ferguson’s side before he rose to meet Simon Davies’s corner and saw his header palmed away by Van der Sar.

The ball came back to Zamora whose second effort was goal-bound until Scholes turned goalkeeper to concede the spot-kick and earn a red card.

Once again reduced to ten men, it was clear that this would be a stern test of United’s character but the remainder of the first half offered few signs that they were capable of clawing their way back into the game.

Ferguson’s stern glare as he left the pitch at half-time suggested he had seen more than enough and it was no surprise when the ineffectual Berbatov was replaced at half-time by Rooney.

Rooney’s omission from the starting line-up had been a surprise and the England forward immediately gave United a more meaningful attacking threat.

But although the visitors managed to carve out some presentable chances, Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer pulled off a string of outstanding saves to deny Cristiano Ronaldo, Park Ji-Sung and Rooney.

And when Ferguson’s side were launching a series of desperate late attacks, Gera broke and exchanged passes with Johnson before finishing with an acrobatic volley.

Then, to cap a shocking afternoon for the champions, Rooney gestured in frustration at referee Phil Dowd, earning himself a second yellow card and ensuring United finished the game with nine men.

Old boy Sanchez aims to dent Real title bid

Hugo Sanchez became a legend at Real Madrid in seven trophy-laden seasons but on Sunday the Mexican will put sentiment aside as his Almeria side look for a first ever win at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Legendary striker Sanchez starred for Real between 1985 and 1992, winning five league titles and four ‘Pichichi’ (top goalscorer) crowns, but now he wants to get one over on his old club.

“It will be emotional to return to Real Madrid but I have to put my job first and we will go for the three points,” said Sanchez.

“I would like to make Almeria history by winning at the Bernabeu for the first time.”

The only problem for Sanchez, and Almeria, is that Real can afford no slip-ups as they look to close the six-point gap to frontrunners Barcelona.

Juande Ramos’s side may have crashed out of Europe but they have won 11 of their last 12 games to stay on Barca’s heels and French midfielder Lass Diarra believes they are capable of winning all their remaining fixtures to snatch the league title.

“There is a positive atmosphere in the squad,” said Diarra.

“Our goal is to win the title by winning every game. We are very much alive and I think we can catch up with Barcelona. I am convinced we are capable of winning all our matches.”

Having halved a one-time 12-point gap to Barca, Real have just the league on which to focus while their arch-rivals must also focus on the Kings Cup final and the Champions League.

Barca manager Pep Guardiola rested Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry last weekend in the 2-0 win over Almeria as he tries to keep his stars fresh for the key final few months of the season.

Bojan Krkic, 18, scored both goals against Almeria but admits it is difficult to force his way into Barca’s star-studded line-up.

“It is not easy to get a game when you have Eto’o, (Lionel) Messi and Henry in front of you. They are three of the best players in the world,” said Bojan.

Malaga are the visitors at Camp Nou on Sunday, and are looking to claim another big scalp. The promoted side have surprised everyone this season and are only two points off the Champions League spots.

Atletico Madrid are level on points with Malaga after a morale-boosting 3-2 win over Villarreal last time out and aim to build on that success at strugglers Real Mallorca on Sunday.

Uruguayan international Diego Forlan has scored more than any other player in 2009 with nine league goals taking his tally to 19 - just four behind the league’s top-scorer Samuel Eto’o.

“I didn’t expect to score so many goals in Spain because it is a tough league,” confessed Forlan. “I am quite far away (from Eto’o) and I don’t really set targets. I just keep on working hard.”

Villarreal need to make amends for the defeat to Atletico and they host Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Sevilla are well positioned in third six points ahead of Villarreal and want to consolidate their lead at home to Valladolid on Saturday.

For Valencia the Champions League dream is rapidly disappearing with the 2004 champions falling five points off the top four after one win in their last eight league matches.

Unai Emery’s side travel to an improving Racing Santander outfit on Sunday needing a win to take the spotlight off their well-publicised financial problems.

Milan focus on Champions League return

AC Milan face a tough trip to Napoli as they continue their push for a top three finish and automatic entry into next season’s Champions League group stages.

Milan finished fifth in Serie A a year ago and spent this season in exile in the UEFA Cup until they were knocked out by Werder Bremen at the end of last month.

But now, according to injured midfield general Gennaro Gattuso, the Italian giants are focussed on securing a top three finish.

While Milan may have failed to put up a championship fight this season — they trail leaders and city rivals Inter by 12 points — Gattuso is convinced that they would have succeeded where their neighbours failed and beaten Manchester United in the Champions League.

“If Milan had come up against Manchester we would have beaten them,” he said. “In one-off matches we can achieve the unexpected.

“But for us right now the most important thing is getting back into the Champions League, a year in the UEFA Cup has hurt us.”

The clash in Naples will be the latest step in achieving that objective and they will be looking to maintain their six-point lead over fourth placed Genoa, who host Udinese.

But Gattuso is expecting a rejuvenated Napoli under former Italy coach and Milan midfielder Roberto Donadoni, who is taking charge of his first home match.

Napoli have not won in 10 league matches but the mood around the camp has improved since Donadoni’s arrival.

“Donadoni’s arrival will have made things even harder but if we win then third place is in the bag,” said Gattuso, who is not likely to play again this season due to a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in December.

Before the season began this match would have been viewed as potentially a crucial one in the title race but Roma’s disastrous start to the season sees them arrive at this juncture with their eyes set firmly on clinching fourth place, not the title.

They trail Genoa in that race by two points but have stuttered recently, drawing their last three matches and winning only two of the last seven.

Juventus, in stark contrast, have won four in a row and are still dreaming of a first scudetto crown since 2003, having had their 2005 and 2006 titles stripped due to match-fixing.

Midfielder Claudio Marchisio, an increasingly important part of the team with Malian Momo Sissoko out injured, believes Juventus can still pull back the seven-point gap to Inter.

The two sides meet in Turin in four weeks.

“We’ve having a great season and we are going to keep on believing right to the end,” he said.

“There are still a lot of points to play for and Inter are starting to feel tired after all their matches.

“This is a decisive moment, we need to look for a maximum of points in our next three matches against Roma, Chievo and Genoa so we can be in the best possible position when we play the leaders.”

Inter host rock bottom Reggina on Sunday and will be odds on to come away from that with three points, particularly since star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic put his European disappointment behind him with a brace last weekend in the 2-0 win over Fiorentina.

Carlos keen on Real Madrid move

Brazilian full-back Roberto Carlos has revealed that he would be interested in a return to Real Madrid if Florentino Perez wins the club’s presidential election.

Carlos has just recently signed a one-year extension with Turkish side Fenerbahce.

“I have a year left on my contract, but many things can happen with Florentino,” Marca quote him as saying. “I have renewed here and have another season, but we shall see because everyone knows I have great respect for him.

“Fenerbahce have given me the opportunity to be here for ten or 15 years, but I have already spent eleven years of my life with Real Madrid.

Walcott blow for Gunners and England

Theo Walcott’s hopes of a return to the England squad next week have been dashed by a knee injury that means another frustrating spell on the sidelines for the Arsenal winger.

The 20-year-old, who had only just completed his recovery from a serious shoulder injury, suffered the fresh setback in training on Friday.

“He will have a scan on his knee today and we are a bit surprised and worried because he was in very good form coming back,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted.

“That is very bad news for us. Out for the rest of the season would be too long, but certainly he is out of the squad for the Newcastle game tomorrow and he could be out of the squad for England.”

Wenger added: “Theo locked his knee when he was walking back from training, so it could be a cartilage. Training was fully normal and maybe he has done it in training and it came out when he stopped. But we have to see how he responds today. I hope that it is not serious, but he has to be scanned.”

Walcott had been named in England’s under-21 squad for matches next week but a good display at Newcastle on Saturday may have resulted in promotion into Fabio Capello’s senior squad for next week’s friendly against Slovakia, which is followed by a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

Arsenal go into Saturday’s match looking to keep their noses in front of Aston Villa in the battle for fourth place and the Premier League’s finally qualifying place for next season’s Champions League.

Wenger admits he is worried that the international break could affect his side’s recent momentum.

“Now many of the team go away on international duty and I hope we do not lose players through injuries because many of our players are coming back now from injuries. It looks like we are in a good situation.

“Cesc Fabregas should be fit in two weeks. He is back in full training now and during the international break he has two weeks to sharpen up.”

Although his priority is holding off Villa, Wenger has not given up hope of catching the sides above Arsenal.

“We have prepared ourselves mentally to give absolutely everything in every game,” he said. “It is down to us. I would like to change the order of the top four to get in front of one or two teams.”

Wenger added: “The title is not as much done as people think it is. Manchester United has a huge advantage, because they are four points ahead and have a game in hand. But it is still open, because they all still have to play us, so it will be interesting.”

Bayern happy with Barcelona draw

Bayern Munich were celebrating mildly on Friday despite being drawn against Spanish giants Barcelona - one of the title favourites - in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The German champions had been hoping to play the first leg away from home, and that wish was granted in Nyon Friday where Manchester United drew FC Porto, Liverpool drew Chelsea and Arsenal were handed a tie with Villarreal.

The first leg of Bayern’s showdown with the Catalan giants and 2006 Champions League winners takes place at the Nou Camp stadium on Wednesday 8 April with the return in Germany on Tuesday 14 April.

“This is fantastic news for our football club,” enthused Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness.

“As we’ve been saying all along, if we’re to be drawn against one of the giants, we want the first leg away from home, and that’s what we’ve got. Barcelona at the Allianz Arena in the return is a dream come true for our fans.”

Klinsmann added: “Coming face-to-face with the best team in Europe at the moment is a terrific challenge for us all.

“It’s something truly out of the ordinary. Barcelona will be exceptionally tough, but anything’s possible. We believe in ourselves, and there’s no need to be overawed.”

Bayern last triumphed in the competition in 2001. Should they reach the semis the Bavarian giants would face either Liverpool or Chelsea in the last four, with the first leg at the Allianz Arena on 28/29 April, and the return in England on 5/6 May.

“It’s a shame we don’t have the same sequence [with the return at home] for the semi-finals,” Hoeness commented.

The quarter-final tie will be an emotional affair for Mark van Bommel, a Champions League winner with Barcelona in 2006.

Messi: I would stay at Barcelona forever

Lionel Messi wants to stay at Barcelona for the rest of his career, the Argentina forward said. “I have said many times that if it were up to me I would stay my whole life at Barca,” he said at a book presentation in the Catalan capital.

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

So far, he has scored 18 goals in 24 league matches and netted six times in the Champions League and five times in the King’s Cup.

United handed plum draw as Chelsea draw Liverpool

Holders Manchester United were handed arguably the plum pick of the Champions League quarter-finals draw after being pitted against 2004 champions FC Porto here Friday.

For the second year in a row four English teams feature in the last eight with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool also looking for a quick and comparatively easy passage to the semi-finals.

While 2006 finalists Arsenal were drawn to play Spanish side Villarreal, semi-finalists the same year, an all-English quarter-final will see Liverpool take on Chelsea at Anfield before travelling to Stamford Bridge a week later.

In the other quarter-final 2006 winners Barcelona welcome Bayern Munich to the Nou Camp before playing the second leg in Germany.

Quarter-finals draw:

Match 1

Villarreal (ESP) v Arsenal (ENG)

Match 2

Manchester United (ENG) v FC Porto (POR)

Match 3

Liverpool (ENG) v Chelsea (ENG)

Match 4

Barcelona (ESP) v Bayern Munich (GER)

Semi-finals

Manchester United (ENG) or FC Porto (POR) v Villarreal (ESP) or Arsenal (ENG)

Barcelona (ESP) or Bayern Munich (GER) v Liverpool (ENG) or Chelsea (ENG)

Quarter-final matches played on 7/8 and 14/15 April

Semi-finals - 28/29 April and 5/6 May

Final - Rome May 27

Ballack´s charm offensive on Germany team-mates

Germany captain Michael Ballack has been working hard to build bridges with his team-mates following last autumn’s spat with national coach Joachim Loew, senior players have revealed.

Chelsea midfielder Ballack caused a storm here last autumn when he accused Loew of failing to show senior players enough respect and loyalty after veteran midfielder Torsten Frings was kept on the bench for two World Cup qualifiers.

Ballack was later forced to issue an apology and backed down, but it became clear things were not entirely harmonious in the Germany camp.

And senior players defender Philipp Lahm and striker Miroslav Klose have revealed Ballack is now working hard to improve his image within the national team.

“He approaches players far more now than he used to,” Bayern Munich’s Lahm told Stern magazine.

And Klose, who misses both Germany’s qualifiers against Leichtenstein, in Leipzig on March 28, and Wales, on April 1 in Cardiff, with an ankle injury, says Ballack must lead by example on and off the field.

“You notice that Michael tries to integrate himself more,” said Klose, who has captained Germany in Ballack’s absence.

“But he must also do that on the field, that will not happen today or tomorrow, but is something he must learn and create for himself.”

After Germany lost the Euro 2008 final 1-0 to Spain in Vienna last June, several senior players criticised Ballack for using strong language, especially in his on-field row with team manager Oliver Bierhoff.

Ballack later justified his words by saying when he started his career, a football dressing room was the place where problems within the team were thrashed out.

“Things are different to how they were,” said Ballack, who made his debut in 1999.

“My challenge is to conduct myself as the captain of the national team and to be approachable for the younger players.”

And Loew himself says he has seen a change in attitude from his captain, who has won 90 caps.

“During the last game, I had the feeling that Michael was communicating more and that is good,” said the national coach.

Germany have lost their last two games at home - the first time that has happened since 1956 - when they went down 2-1 to England at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium last November and were then humbled 1-0 by Norway in February.

Minnows Leichtenstein - ranked 151 in the world - take on Germany on March 28 in a World Cup qualifier and Germany need a convincing win to underline their place as group leaders ahead of Russia.

Bellamy hopes of Aalborg return dashed

Craig Bellamy’s hopes of making an early return to action in Manchester City’s UEFA Cup meeting with Aalborg on Thursday have been dashed after manager Mark Hughes ruled the striker out of the trip to Denmark.

City are strong favourites to proceed to the last eight of the competition after a 2-0 first leg win and Bellamy had been optimistic about the chances of featuring in his first game since suffering a knee injury at the start of this month.

Hughes said Sunday’s Premier League clash against Sunderland would be a more realistic target for the Wales striker, who has been an instant hit with the City fans since his January move from West Ham.

Hughes is hoping Belgian midfielder Vincent Kompany will come through a late fitness test on a toe injury.

“It is a lot better than it has been, although he is still having a little bit of pain,” the City boss reported. “He had a run out for the first time yesterday and we will make a late decision on him.

“Hopefully we will have the option because he will give us that little bit of strength in the middle of the park we maybe lacked (in a 1-0 defeat at Chelsea) at the weekend.”

Hughes believes City have got a great chance of lifting the trophy this season but insisted that Aalborg’s prospects of overturning the first-leg deficit would not be under-estimated.

“They are a good side,” he said. “People shouldn’t under-estimate the task that is ahead of us.

“They have caused good teams problems in the past and people shouldn’t be distracted by how well we played in the first leg.

“They didn’t play as well as people expected because of the manner of our performance.

“If they get ahead they are likely to cause you problems. We have to make sure we are in control of the tie.”

Marchena still confident

Valencia defender Carlos Marchena remains confident that they can manage to qualify for the Champions League this season, in spite of their current crisis.

Los Che’s are five points adrift of the Primera Division top four, following their 1-1 draw at home to Recreativo Huelva.

“The Champions League is still within reach for us. Nothing is impossible and there are a lot of games to play for and the points difference isn’t that big,” he was quoted as saying by Marca.

“Of course, there are a group of other teams who are all chasing the same thing as we are. But we cannot give up and we must try with all our might [to qualify].

“There have been games where we have missed our chances to win, but if we continue pushing, we will win again eventually.”

Football Fan Shoots Player Dead

An Iraqi football fan shot dead a player of the opposing team as he tried to score an equalizing goal in the final minutes of a match last Saturday. The shooting occured in Hilla (100 km south of Baghdad) during a match between local teams.

According to police accounts, as soon as the player, Haider Kadhim, was one-on-one with the goalkeeper and close to scoring the equalizer, a fan in the crowd shot his gun at him. The fan arrested immediately but the player did not survive the shooting.

While this is sad news (and prime material for dark humor; gives ‘he went down like he was shot’ a whole new meaning) and clearly no advert for football being an instrument of peace, the incident needs to be taken in context of the local situation and of the position football holds in different societies across the world.

If there’s one thing football has taught us about social dynamics, it’s that perfectly rational individuals will turn into raving lunatics when put in an highly-charge emotional setting as a group and given a target to unite themselves against. It’s fun, it’s passion, it’s football, it’s madness, but at the end of the day as long you’ve had fun and you’ve channeled your frustrations of the day / week through the fan experience, it’s all good, right?

Now take that dynamic and put that in the middle of a (relatively) unmonitored environment with a much higher degree of stress and a history of violence, and you’re just asking for something to go wrong.

This isn’t specific to Iraq, or typical of the Middle East. You won’t find many incidents of fan violence (let alone shootings) in UAE or Saudi Arabia, for example. It’s part of football all over the world and it really bubbles through when extreme social / cultural / political / economic divides manifest themselves in the guise of football rivalry, even though football has nothing to do with it.

Be it street gangs in Argentina, fighting on the pitch in the pub in South Korea, chants heard in Glasgow, fans beaten to death in Indonesia, stabbings in Rome, fans attacking players in Turkey or stadium brawls in Serbia, these conflicts are about rational people confusing the escapist illusions of football with real life, and inflicting (and suffering) harsh consequences as a result.

Jimenez unhappy at Inter

Inter midfielder Luis Jimenez admits he is eager to leave the club at the end of the season.

The Chilean midfielder is frustrated by the lack of first-team opportunities with the Nerazzurri.

“I asked to leave in the winter - I had several offers and big clubs came forward,” Jimenez lamented in La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“However, Inter said that they needed me and a transfer was out of the question. I was amazed and the situation has deteriorated still further since then.

“I can’t come to terms with what is happening and I can’t see a good reason for it.

“I feel good and I even discussed things with Jose Mourinho recently and that left me optimistic, but I obviously misunderstood what he was saying.

“I thought I would be brought back into the team, but I wasn’t even in the Coppa Italia squad.

“Sometimes I feel like a ghost in training and I don’t want to spend another season like this.”

Barcellona, Laporta dreams about the Treble

Barcelona are seen once again as favourites to land La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, but club president Joan Laporta is refusing to start thinking about treble celebrations.

“We are enjoying a good run now, but the season is far from over and we must remain prudent,” he said in an interview with RAC-1 programme ‘Tu diras’.

“What is important is that we continue to show we are the team to beat, and that we are back to our best. I believe that the Real Madrid fans are disappointed to see Barca so solid and strong again.

Ancelotti: We still aim for the second place

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that the club are interested in Inter full-back Maxwell and reassured the fans on Kaka’s condition. “Maxwell is a player Milan like a lot, I think we will talk about it in a while,” he said. “He is one of the best wing players around.”

“Checks on Kakà have been made, it’s nothing serious. Abbiati? This season, destiny has been against us,” he continued, referring to the goalkeeper’s season-ending injury.

On the team’s objective in the league, Ancelotti said, “We are doing well and we are still aiming for the second place, we aren’t getting complacent. We also have the direct encounter against Juventus to play at home”.

Gordon hoping to get place back

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon admits that he is frustrated with his situation at the club.

But the Scottish star is determined to get his place back from Hungarian goalkeeper Marton Fulop.

“It has been frustrating and annoying at times but you have got to put up with that and do the usual thing of get back to basics and you work hard in training and wait for your chance,” he told Sky Sports News.

“But it is very difficult to do that and not get upset but I have knuckled down and put in some good performances.

“Hopefully I have put myself in contention for this weekend (against Manchester City).

“There have been days when it has been difficult but I am a professional player and it is how you react and I hope to win my place back very soon.”

Bayern´s Hoeness suggests football levy

Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has suggested each household in Germany pay an extra two euros (2.5 US dollars) per month to put German league football back on terrestrial television.

Hoeness has suggested an additional levy to the 17.98 euros (23 US dollars) German TV licence fee to help the professional game here close the yawning gap between its TV revenue compared to those in England, Spain and Italy.

“My biggest hope is that folk will at some point be prepared to pay two euros a month for their football,” Hoeness told German finance magazine Wirtschaftswoche.

“That’s not even half a pack of cigarettes or a small beer in the pub.”

Hoeness believes an additional two euros per month from Germany?s 37 million TV households would generate some 900 million euros (1.166 billion US dollars) in annual revenue.

Bundesliga football is currently broadcast on cable television provider Premiere, with subscribers paying around 25 euros (32 US dollars) per month.

But the idea supported by Hoeness has been met with scepticism here as negative headlines appeared along the lines of “Solidarity surcharge for footballers” and “Compulsory fee for millionaire players”.

But Hoeness insists the minor extra payment could put German football back on terrestrial television here and would mean regular access to top Bundesliga games for all.

“I mean that for an additional two euros per month the man in the street would be able to watch the entire first and second Bundesliga programme ?free?,” said Hoeness.

“A two euro monthly charge would allow public service broadcasters ARD and ZDF to show every game live.

“Everyone, and I repeat, everyone could watch every match live, and/or at a time of their choosing, and/or potentially free on demand.

“More people in Germany are passionate about football than anything else.

“Not everyone wants to watch soap operas, folk music, romantic drama, arts programming, or even politics.

“But everyone still has to pay a 17.98 euro monthly licence fee.”

The 36 clubs in the Bundesliga’s two divisions currently receive a total of around 300 million euros (389 million US), a figure set to rise to 412 million (534 million US) from next season, so under Hoeness’ plan German clubs would receive double their current payment.

“German football would certainly then begin to close the gap to the other major European football markets,” added Hoeness, who steps down as Bayern manager at the end of the season.

Hoeness says while leading clubs around the continent received between 80 (103 million US) and 130 (168 million US) million euros annually from national TV rights, Bayern earn some 50 million (64 million US) from television, 30 million (38.8 million US) of which comes from the Bundesliga.

And with the financial crisis starting to seep down through German society, Hoeness said Bayern may drop their gate prices to help their fans.

“The man in the street is likely to be hit hardest by the global recession,” said Hoeness.

“People who can?t just get away for the weekend, who may no longer have money left over to follow their club and purchase a ticket for the match,” said Hoeness.

“If it becomes really bad and unemployment soars, we?ll review our ticket prices and adjust them to reflect the situation.”

Liverpool stun United to keep title race alive

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pato confident of Champions League success next season

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

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

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

“It’s normal sometimes to go through a period like we have. However, I am sure we will return to the Champions League next season and we will win it. We will start a new cycle.”

Pato has scored 12 goals so far in the Serie A for AC Milan.

Football Legends - Peter Schmeichel

DENMARK
1981-2003
Gladsaxe-Hero (1981-1984) Hvidovre IF (1984-1987) Brøndby (1987-1991) Manchester United (1991-1999) Sporting Portugal (1999-2001) Aston Villa (2001-2002) Manchester City (2002-2003)

There has never been a better goalkeeper in the history of the Premiership than “The Great Dane.” Schmeichel had a pretty good career outside the Premiership, too, but it was his time at Manchester United where he became a legend. Schmeichel went to Old Trafford for the relatively paltry sum of £530,000, a price which Sir Alex Ferguson later teemed “The Bargain of the Century.” During his time in the Premiership, he kept clean sheets in 42% of his starts, the greatest ratio in league history. Schmeichel won 5 Premiership titles, 3 F.A. Cups, 1 League Cup, and, most notably, the 1998-1999 UEFA Champions League, where he served as skipper in place of suspended Roy Keane during the Finals and got to hold the trophy over his head on his last night as a United player. Schmeichel was voted UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year and World Goalkeeper of the Year in 1992 and 1993. He was recently voted “Greatest Goalkeeper of All-Time” in a Reuters poll, defeating the likes of Yashin and Banks.

Schmeichel had a successful international career as well. He remains the most-capped Danish player of all time with 129 appearances to his credit. He helped lead Denmark to the European Championship in 1992, and was the number one keeper for his country in the 1998 World Cup, where they fell to Brazil in the Quarterfinals.

Schmeichel wasn’t the nicest guy on the pitch. Indeed, the fiery keeper was accused of racism by Arsenal’s Ian Wright, and he was known for chewing out his own teammates for mistakes or errors. He was one of the few players to have survived a row with Sir Alex Ferguson, though. Evidently, the gaffer recognized his keeper’s worth and chose not to drive him away like he did with Keane, David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Jaap Stam, and others.

In any case, his shadow at Old Trafford remains so large that many quality goalkeepers have tried to replace him, and all have failed to measure up. Even Edwin Van der Sar, who has done well at United and has a chance to surpass the Great Dane in terms of trophies won, is always described as “the best goalkeeper since Schmeichel.” That’s a legend.

Football Legends - Dino Zoff

ITALY
1961-1983
Udinese (1961-1963) Mantova (1963-1967) Napoli (1967-1972) Juventus (1972-1983)

He was a winner with both club and country, and most pundits have ranked him among the top three goalkeepers of all time. He was one of the greatest keepers in Serie A history, winning six Scudetti, two Coppa Italia titles, and one UEFA Cup during his tenure at Juventus. He had to wait a bit before he could achieve success on the international level. He made one start for Italy during their run to the 1968 European Champions, picking up a win against Bulgaria in the Quarterfinals, and didn’t play at all during the 1970 World Cup. When he finally became the undisputed Number One, he immediately showed that it was a long-time coming. He didn’t concede an international goal for an astounding 1,142 minutes, a span that lasted from 1972 to 1974. He captained Italy to the 1982 World Cup and became the oldest man to ever hold the trophy.

He had outstanding instincts, lightning-quick reflexes, and was a great shot-stopper. He wasn’t all natural talent, however, as he also had an excellent sense of positioning. Unlike some of his counterparts, who played with fire and passion, Zoff was unflappable on the pitch, projecting a quiet, but strong confidence that was infectious. He rarely yelled at teammates, almost never humiliated them, and was revered for his sportsmanship. His leadership during the 1982 World Cup was widely praised as he held his team together amid stinging criticism from the press back home in Italy. After early setbacks, the Italian team came together and put together an impressive string of victories that included wins against the Maradona-led Argentinean squad, Brazil, Poland, and West Germany.

Dignified and cool under pressure, Zoff showed that you don’t have to have an outsized personality to be a successful goalkeeper.

Football Legends - Gordon Banks

ENGLAND
1955-1978
Chesterfield City (1955-1959) Leicester City (1959-1966) Stoke City (1966-1972) Cleveland Stokers (1967) St Patrick’s Athletics (1977) Ft Lauderdale Strikers (1977-1978)

Perhaps the greatest English goalkeeper of all time, Banks will live, forever, in English football lore for his time as England’s number 1 goalkeeper during the 1966 and 1970 World Cups. In 1966, Banks was virtually impenetrable, keeping four straight clean sheets before being beaten on a penalty kick from Portuguese legend, Eusebio. Banks conceded two goals in the final against West Germany, the first as a result of miscommunication with defender Jack Charlton, and the other on a deflected free kick, but was instrumental in shutting the door on West Germany during extra time, turning away a shot from Siggy Held that would have equalized the match after England had gone ahead.

In 1970, Banks would add to his legend, turning away a shot from Pele that’s been called the greatest save in football history. During their group-stage match, Brazil and England were deadlocked at 0-0 when Jairzinho beat his defender down the right wing and sent a long cross towards the far post where Pele waited. All Pele needed to do was get his head on the ball and he would, seemingly, have the easiest goal of his career. Surely, Banks, who had been guarding the near post and, as a result, was way out of position following Jairzinho’s cross, was easily beaten and wouldn’t have gotten to the shot unless he had bionic arms. So confident was Pele that his header was going in that he turned away and shouted “Goal!” as soon as he made contact. Banks, however, leap across his line with superhuman effort and managed to get enough of a touch to send it out for a corner. Pele was dumbfounded and later described that save as the best he had ever seen. England eventually lost to Brazil, but managed to advance to the Quarterfinals, where they lost to West Germany. Banks proved his value to the team, as he fell violently ill before the match and had to miss out. His understudy was breached 3 times and England’s title defense was over.

On the club level, Banks played extremely well for Leicester and Stoke, although the silverware was much harder to come by. He won the 1964 League Cup with Leicester, but memorably lost in the F.A. Cup Final to Manchester United in 1963, the latter playing in its first trophy since the Munich Air Disaster. Banks’ career was cut short after he was injured in a car accident that left him blind in one eye. He recovered enough to play for the NASL, but was never the same.

Football Legends - Lev Yashin

RUSSIA
1949-1971
Dynamo Moscow

He spent his entire career behind the Iron Curtain, but anyone who knew anything about football knew about Lev Yashin. Nicknamed “The Black Spider” because of his intimidating all-black kit and because he, seemingly, had eight arms due to all the breathtaking saves he made on a routine basis, Yashin was universally regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world by his peers. Yashin led the Soviet Union to three straight World Cups, carrying his team to the Quarterfinals in 1958 and 1962. He also led the Soviet Union to the Olympic gold medal in 1956 and the European Championship in 1960. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1963, becoming the only goalkeeper ever to win that prestigious honor. His dominance was such that he finished first or second in almost every single meaningful poll to determine the greatest goalkeeper of all time.

He was respected for his leadership abilities on the pitch and often acted as a de facto skipper, even though he never actually donned the armband. Yashin also changed the way goalkeepers played the game. Until Yashin, it was unheard of for a keeper to punch the ball away instead of try to catch it. Yashin was also one of the first to utilize the quick throw in order to ignite counterattacks, and frequently ventured out of the penalty area. We may take these things for granted nowadays, but these tactics were novel concepts when Yashin brought them to the game.

He was one of the greatest shot stoppers of all time, reputedly stopping over 150 penalty shots. His training regimen was unique, as well. He admitted to smoking before a match as a way of calming his nerves, and then drinking to loosen up his muscles. Clearly, a number of athletes from all sports can give him credit for that innovation.

Europe’s biggest stage is quickly becoming England’s "playground"

Before 1999 when Manchester United lifted the Champions League you had to go back to 1984 for another British winner when Liverpool won it. It then took another six years before another English side lifted the trophy (Liverpool again in what might have been the best final ever), but since then there has been a massive English domination at least one English finalist since the 2004-05 campaign. It’s easy to see that Europe’s biggest stage has never been more lopsided.

Don’t get me wrong, I always like to see English sides go through and do well, but I think what makes the competition so fantastic is when the rest of the Europe has a legitimate say as well. I don’t support one of the ‘top four’ teams, but when it comes to European football I will always follow the English sides. As an observer of the game though I want a bit more variety. When Liverpool drew Real Madrid the initial thoughts were it could be a tricky tie, but when Liverpool smashed Real Madrid 5-0 on aggregate, was anyone really shocked? I know I wasn’t.

The real surprise is that we have no Italian representatives in the quarter-final stage of the competition. They all came up against English opponents and all of them were beaten thoroughly. Roma were only beaten by Arsenal on penalties, but if Arsenal had been more clinical in front of goal, especially in the first leg, they would have hammered them by a far greater margin.

So who still has a shot amongst the final eight? I’d put money money on Barcelona. They are probably the only side out of the four none English clubs left in the competition you can really see lifting the trophy. Perhaps Bayern Munich at a push (their record 12 goals in the last round was something to see) but I just can’t imagine Villareal or Porto getting any further than the next round (unless paired together of course).

As much as I love too see the English sides doing well and winning the competition it’s a shame to see Europe’s great clubs struggling against the Premier League opposition. When I first started following football the English league was a long way behind the rest of Europe, and it was rare that any English team advanced advanced at all.

Now though Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are expected to beat almost any other European side they come up against. This is great for the English game but perhaps not for the European game as a whole. In 1995 Ajax lifted the trophy with a side containing a large amount of players who had been brought through the club’s youth system, such as Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids and Ronald de Boers amongst others. In today’s game those players would have left for ‘bigger’ European clubs earlier in their career, and that’s why I can’t see the Dutch throwing out a winner anytime soon.

Man Utd defend deleting Rooney “hate” comment

Manchester United on Friday defended removing a detrimental comment about title rivals Liverpool by striker Wayne Rooney from their website.

Rooney, a boyhood fan of Liverpool neighbours Everton where he began his career, told United’s television station MUTV he hated the Anfielders, who visit Old Trafford for a key Premier League match on Saturday.

“I?m very excited about the game because I grew up as an Everton fan hating Liverpool - and that hasn?t changed,” said Rooney, adding United were out to finish off Liverpool’s title hopes with a win that would virtually wrap up a third consecutive title by sending the Red Devils ten points clear.

A club spokesman said the club had deemed it necessary to remove the comments.

“In advance of the game we felt this was the best option.

“The comments are open to wilful mis-reporting and neither the club nor Wayne wanted that to happen.”

A new abridged posting on the site read simply: “I?m also very excited about the game because I grew up as an Everton fan.”

Rooney did, however, praise Liverpool’s showing in Tuesday’s Champions League thumping of Real Madrid and added that, domestically, “Liverpool have been brilliant all season and put up a good challenge” in the Premiership.

Meanwhile, Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez has hinted he may leave if he feels the club does not have a long-term project to compete with United.

The Spaniard has been stalling for months on signing a new contract - his current deal runs out next year - but says he will decide where his future lies by the end of this month.

“I must decide on my future in the next two weeks and I want a medium or long-term project,” he told The Sun newspaper.

“I don’t want to be working from day to day always hanging on the latest result. I will work where I feel I can develop a project.”

“What I want is hard to find in Spain. Long-term projects do not exist, not like they do in England.”

Silva could join Juventus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

United deny Mourinho re-run at Old Trafford

Sir Alex Ferguson avenged one of the most painful defeats of his managerial career as Manchester United advanced to the last eight of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan here on Wednesday.

Headers from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo sent the defending champions through exactly five years and two days after Mourinho had performed his famous sprint down the Old Trafford touchline in celebration of the last-minute equaliser that had seen United eliminated at the hands of FC Porto, the club he was to lead to glory in that season’s competition.

Inter had their moments in an evenly balanced first half and in the immediate aftermath of United’s second goal.

But United’s victory was ultimately comfortable enough to have the home fans singing “you’re not special anymore” for Mourinho’s benefit, long before the final whistle.

The 90 minutes of frustration the defending champions had been forced to endure in the first leg had largely been due to the efforts of Julio Cesar.

Here, Inter’s Brazilian goalkeeper found himself picking the ball out of the net inside four minutes. Ronaldo won a corner on the right, Giggs chipped it to the back post and Vidic took advantage of Patrick Vieira’s slip to head powerfully past Cesar’s right hand.

Half-chances for Dimitar Berbatov and Ronaldo quickly followed as Inter reeled.

But United’s early tempo soon subsided, passes started to go astray and Inter began to pose a threat, notably through Maicon’s forays down the right.

One cross resulted in Vidic slicing an attempted clearance over his own bar and it was the right-back who created Inter’s best chance of the opening period.

A dipping delivery from a deep freekick was misjudged by Rio Ferdinand, leaving Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a free header that the Swede powered into the turf in textbook fashion, only to watch in dismay as it rebounded up and on to the top of the bar.

A long range strike from Dejan Stankovic soon afterwards was sufficiently close for Edwin van der Sar to throw himself full length to his left and it was clear United were in for a far more testing evening than the opening exchanges had suggested.

John O’Shea, played into the box by Rooney’s flick seven minutes into the break, was denied by Cesar’s dive at his feet, but Inter could boast of equally good chances as the interval approached, most notably for Stankovic, who got goalside of Patrice Evra only to lift Ibrahimovic’s clever cross over the bar from the edge of the six-yard box.

Ibrahimovic himself was only inches away with a drive across van der Sar and the Dutchman had to get down smartly to smother Maicon’s strike.

Inter were in the ascendant but their momentum was punctured by the sloppy defending that contributed to United’s second, three minutes into the second half.

Giggs was at the origin of it, weaving his way in from wide on the right. Scholes helped the ball on to Rooney on the left of the box and the England forward’s chip was nodded in by Ronaldo with Inter’s flat-footed back four pleading in vain that Berbatov, at the back post, was offside.

Even at 2-0 down, Inter knew a goal would put them right back in the tie with a 2-2 draw sufficient for victory on the away goals rule, and Mourinho’s men will curse the bad luck that contributed to Adriano’s flying volley coming back off the inside of the post rather than spinning into the net.

The chances continued to come at the end however with Cesar denying Ronaldo, at point blank range, and then Rooney, from 25 yards, in quick succession.

European Cups - Champions League - Result

March 11
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AS Roma | 1 - 0 | Arsenal --- Penalti Shoot-out (6 - 7)
Barcelona | 5 - 2 | Lyon
FC Porto | 0 - 0 | Atletico Madrid
Manchester United | 2 - 0 | Inter Milan

Roma game vital for Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits their Champions League clash with Roma tonight is vital for their season.

The Gunners have a 1-0 advantage, ahead of the clash at the Stadio Olimpico.

“In Rome we are playing for the destiny of the team, that’s what is at stake,” Wenger told The Sun.

“This is a defining moment for us and a night when everyone has to stand up and show what they are made of.

“This team has grown together and gelled well over the last three months going from strength to strength.

“They have resisted some extreme pressure and now they are ready to show their value on the biggest stage.

“With all our players back from injury we will be a very strong team and a real force in this competition, but first we have to get past Roma, which is a big hurdle to clear.”

Balotelli warns United

Inter Milan youngster Mario Balotelli has warned Manchester United ahead of their clash at Old Trafford tonight.

United only managed a 0-0 draw in the first leg and Balotelli believes they could end up paying for failing to find the net at the San Siro.

Balotelli told Sky Sports: “In a European tie, 0-0 is not a bad score. If we score there, they will need to score two goals, which is not easy.

“It is now 55-45 for them because they are at home. They are a great team as we all found out in the first leg, however we are also very good.

“We will be ready for Old Trafford, our manager has got a great record there as well, so we will be fine, but it will be difficult.

Spalletti vows to improved Roma showing

AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti insisted that his side would put in an improved showing in Wednesday’s Champions League second leg clash against Arsenal.

Two weeks ago the Italians came off clearly second best in a 1-0 defeat in London that could easily have ended more emphatically in the Gunners’ favour.

Spalletti had admitted to being surprised by how well Arsene Wenger’s team played at the Emirates and he claimed they could be even better still at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.

“I have already said that they had developed in a way that even they weren’t expecting given how they had been playing,” he said of Arsenal’s first leg performance.

“They played well in the first leg, playing good football with high fitness levels that they hadn’t shown in their previous matches.

“Now they have won their last few matches, they’ve got players coming back to fitness, they’re enthusiastic and that’s what I’m expecting.

“However, I know that we will be different from the team you saw in London and above all we will have our fans behind us, something which can make the difference.

“Even if it will be difficult, we can still progress to the next round.”

Roma have lost to Manchester United at the last eight stage in each of the last two seasons but in the group stage they finished above Chelsea.

At this stage last season they also knocked out Real Madrid, winning at home and away.

However, on this occasion, they have to overcome a deficit and Montenegro striker Mirko Vucinic said he can’t wait for the match to start.

“It’s an important match and just thinking about it gives me a headache,” he said.

Old Trafford feels like ´home´

Jose Mourinho has fuelled speculation he could succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager by revealing Old Trafford “feels like home” ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 second-leg tie at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

The Inter Milan coach, a leading candidate to follow Ferguson when the 67-year-old Scot finally opts to end his now 23-year stint at the club, refused to distance himself from rumours linking him with a return to English football.

Mourinho, who enjoyed three successful seasons at Chelsea, has endured a difficult relationship with the Italian media since his arrival at Inter last year.

And he admitted that managing reigning European champions United had real appeal — even if he has to wait 20 years for Ferguson to quit.

Mourinho, whose Italian club team held United to a goalless draw in the first-leg, told reporters here on Tuesday: “2004 was the first time I came to Old Trafford with Porto, so everything was new for me.

“But now it is like home because, in the five years since I first came here, I have been a lot of times in the Premier League, Carling (League) Cup and FA Cup semi-finals.

“It has become part of my life and in that sense it’s a different feeling coming back,” the Portuguese added.

“I even know the groundsman. He is asking me to train on one side of the pitch because that side has no sun. I know the man, he’s a nice guy, so that’s okay!

“But succeeding Sir Alex? In 20 years maybe! He’s tough, he’s strong, he is happy and he loves it. He still wins, so let him be here for 20 more years!”

Mourinho, who is backing Argentinian defender Walter Samuel to prove his fitness in time for the second-leg, inspired Porto to a Champions League victory over United in the second round in 2004 — the year he guided the Portuguese club to the European title.

“Because of that goal, we could win the competition. Without it, we wouldn’t even reach the quarter-final.

“A few years later, a lot of people knew those Porto players, but at that time they didn’t. Who was this this crazy manager running down the touchline?

“It was a crucial moment in our career. Our careers changed and that team was destroyed because everyone had the potential for different flights.

“That was the goal which opened doors in England for me and my career was never the same. Of course I remember that moment really well, but that’s football, that’s over and I’m not one to look back.

“On Wednesday, we will try to do it against a very, very good team. We have in mind what we have to do and we know our qualities.

“Football is football. You never know what will happen, but we are prepared for the game and we believe we can do it.”

Majestic Reds leave Real down and out

The return of Fernando Torres provided the spark Liverpool have been missing of late as Rafael Benitez’s side swept into the last eight of the Champions League with a 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid here on Tuesday.

In more than half a century of European competition this was the nine-times European champions’s first visit to Anfield and, after what was a painfully chastening evening, they will be in no hurry to return.

It is now five years since Real last managed to advance beyond this stage of the competiton while Liverpool take their place in the quarter-finals for the fourth time in five seasons under Benitez.

Torres, sidelined since an ankle injury forced him to limp out of the first leg, capped an exhilarating display of pace and technique with a 16th-minute opener.

A double from captain Steven Gerrard, the first from the penalty spot, and a late strike by substitute Andrea Dossena completed a 5-0 aggregate win.

From the outset it was evident that Juande Ramos’s side would struggle to cope with the drive, pace and invention of a Liverpool side playing with a verve that belied their recent stuttering form in the Premier League.

More of the same at Manchester United on Saturday and the domestic title race might just be back on again, particularly if Torres can stay fit for the run-in.

Despite his two-week lay-off, the Spaniard was quickly reminding the Anfield faithful of what their side misses in his absence.

Collecting a pass from Gerrard on the edge of the penalty box, he pulled off the most audacious flick-and-turn combination to leave Fabio Cannavaro wobbling on his heels while the striker bore down on Casillas.

The goalkeeper’s boot frustrated Torres’s attempt at a cute near post finish but the tone for the evening had been set.

The corner that resulted from that piece of genius from Torres was cleared to Javier Mascherano, whose shot would have dipped under the bar but for the Spain goalkeeper’s second fine save of the evening.

Upended on the edge of the area, Gerrard curled an 8th-minute freekick around the Real wall. Casillas’s position was predictably immaculate but by this stage a goal for the hosts was looking a question of when, not if.

It duly arrived with quarter of an hour gone. Cannavoro and his fellow centreback Pepe failed to deal with a bouncing ball on the edge of their area, Torres muscled his way between them, fed the overlapping Dirk Kuyt and went on to stab home the Dutchman’s low cross.

A glancing header from Martin Skrtl drew another good stop from Casillas and the Real keeper excelled himself further to keep out Gerrard’s full-stretch volley after another piece of trickery from Torres had left Sergi Ramos sprawling on the left of the box.

Liverpool had done enough to earn a second goal but the penalty that brought it was unfortunate for Real. Gabriel Heinze unable to get out of the way when Alvaro Arbeloa’s attempted to chest the ball down sent it against his upper arm.

For once, Casillas made the wrong call, diving the wrong way as Gerrard thumped the spot-kick to his right.

Belatedly spurred into action, Real finally forced Pepe Reina into a save and it required a good one to keep out Wesley Sneijder’s free-kick, unleashed with rare ferocity before a wall had been assembled.

The Dutchman, whose season has been blighted by injury, tested Reina again just before the interval after Arjen Robben, largely anonymous until then, got free on the left and cut the ball back to his international team-mate.

Sneijder’s growing influence offered Real encouragement they might be able to make a game of it after the break.

But any optimism on that score was extinguished within two minutes of the restart as Real’s fragile defending was exposed again.

Babel found getting away from Sergi Ramos on the left far too easy and the winger’s cutback was perfectly measured for an untracked Gerrard to sidefoot past Casillas from 14 yards.

Dossena’s close-range strike finished Real off two minutes from time after Babel and Mascherano had combined down the right to open up their demoralised opponents.

Villarreal advance to last eight with Greek success

Argentine midfielder Ariel Ibagaza scored one goal and then turned provider for Joseba Llorente’s winner to lift Spanish club Villarreal into the Champions League quarter-finals after a 2-1 victory Tuesday night at Greek side Panathinaikos.

Ibagaza, a surprise starter by Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini, gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 49th minute when he took a well-aimed pass from Joan Capdevila to score from up close past Panathinaikos keeper Mario Galinovic.

But Panathinaikos came roaring back to score just six minutes later to delight - albeit briefly - a sellout 60,000 crowd at the Athens Olympic Stadium when striker Vangelis Mantzios headed the ball beyond goalie Diego Lopez’s reach after a perfect corner from midfielder Giorgos Karagounis.

Mantzios’ fourth goal in six UEFA Champions League matches made the score 1-1, just as in the first leg of the first knockout round of the competition in Spain.

The winning tally by forward Llorente came in the 70th minute from up close after a nifty pass from Ibagaza split the Panathinaikos defence.

The first half was mostly dull, with no threats from either team coming until the 28th minute when Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi had an ideal opportunity to score blasting a left-footed shot just outside the penalty box which was deflected wide after hitting two Panathinaikos defenders.

The visitors had a goal ruled out by referee Massimo Busacca in the 35th minute when Ibagaza scored from up close in a mixup in front of the Panathinaikos goalmouth, but the official ruled that Ibabaza fouled defender Loukas Vintra.

The best chance for the home team in the first half came when Mantzios broke away from two defenders after taking a perfect pass from midfielder Simao, but Mantzios’ hard, low left-footed shot was deflected by Lopez.

Chelsea oust Juve after 2-2 thriller

Goals from African pair Didier Drogba and Michael Essien earned Chelsea a 2-2 draw at Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday to send last year’s finalists through to the quarter-finals 3-2 on aggregate.

In a pulsating match Juve finished with 10 men following the second half dismissal of Giorgio Chiellini but goals from Vincenzo Iaquinta and evergreen Alessandro Del Piero had briefly given them cause to hope.

Instead the first of three Anglo-Italian ties in the second round went the way of the powerful Premier League.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg and needing to score, Juve coach Claudio Ranieri picked an attacking line-up with Del Piero playing behind forwards David Trezeguet and Iaquinta.

Iaquinta played a one-two with Trezeguet, whose return ball flicked over his head was perfectly weighted, allowing his strike partner to outpace John Terry and finish past Petr Cech with aplomb.

Juve suddenly had a spring in their step and Del Piero tried his luck from distance, forcing Cech to tip the ball over.

The hosts were looking comfortable and having the better of things without looking like adding to their lead.

But the game turned on its head in a crazy spell at the end of the first period.

On 45 minutes Drogba lined up to take a free-kick which he bent around the wall and just inside the post.

Gianluigi Buffon got across his line to clutch the ball at the post at the second attempt but television replays showed it had just sneaked over the line.

It wasn’t given but Chelsea’s frustration fired them up enough to equalise in first half stoppage time anyway.

Frank Lampard set his sights from distance and his shot took a deflection and looped up with Buffon arching back to tip it onto the bar.

It came down and may too have crossed the line but Essien charged in to bundle the ball home and leave no doubt this time that the Blues were on level terms.

That changed the tone of the game and it took Juventus a full quarter of an hour of the second period to start looking dangerous.

When they did Del Piero was the architect of a move on 65 minutes that almost resulted in a score as he crossed for Trezeguet to head goalwards, only for Cech to produce a flying save.

Ranieri introduced young playmaker Sebastian Giovinco and he too almost created something but Del Piero couldn’t quite get a flick on his team-mate’s free-kick.

But 20 minutes from time any chance of a Juve revival seemingly died as Chiellini picked up a second booking for clattering into Drogba.

However, moments later Del Piero fired a free-kick into the Chelsea wall that struck Michael Ballack’s raised arms and the referee pointed to the spot, with Del Piero himself cooly slotting the ball home.

It was game on but seven minutes from time Chelsea sealed their passage into the last eight as substitute Juliano Belletti crossed for Drogba to poke home from close range for his fourth goal in five games.

Double for Podolski as Bayern set new record

Germany striker Lukas Podolski struck twice on Tuesday as Bayern Munich hammered Sporting Lisbon 7-1 to set a new Champions League record on their way to the quarter-finals.

Tuesday night’s rout at Munich’s Allianz Arena means the tie finishes 12-1 on aggregate and sets a new record for a Champions League knock-out stage tie - bettering Olympique Lyonnais’ old mark of 10-2 against Werder Bremen in the 2004/05 season.

Luca Toni and Franck Ribery had both scored two goals in Lisbon a fortnight ago in the first-leg Round of 16 tie to virtually ensure Bayern Munich a last eight spot when Sporting were hammered 5-0 in Portugal.

Both Italy’s Toni and France’s Ribery were missing with injury for the second-leg, but their absence was barely felt.

Having totally dominated in Lisbon, Bayern carried on where they left off as Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto flicked a pass to Podolski, who lobbed Sporting goalkeeper Rui Patricio after just seven minutes.

And having scored in the 5-1 hammering of Hanover in the German league last Saturday, Podolski made it three goals in two games with an opportunist bicycle kick after a Patricio error which he smashed into the net on 34 minutes.

And things went from bad to far worse for the guests when Sporting defender Polga knocked a cross into his own net on 39 minutes.

Lisbon captain Joao Moutinho hit a superb dipping effort into the top left-hand corner on 42 minutes to peg the arrears back to 3-1, but Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger scored less than two minutes later to make it 4-1 at the break.

Munich teenager Thomas Mueller took over from Schweinsteiger and the 19-year-old had played just two minutes of his Champions League debut when he set up Bayern’s fifth goal after 74 minutes.

Mueller beat the Sporting defence on the right and put in a pin-point accurate cross which Miroslav Klose headed back for captain Mark van Bommel to drill home.

And Klose grabbed one of his own when he was brought down by Sporting defender Pedro Silva, but the Germany star picked himself up from the turf to drill home his penalty on 82 minutes.

And Mueller profited from a saved shot from Podolski on 90 minutes when he was presented with a simple tap-in as Bayern became the first team to score 12 goals over two legs in a Champions League knock-out tie.