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All news for February, 2010

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US
Rapinoe replaces Heath on Algarve Cup roster (Feb 17, 2010 18:56 GMT)
Midfielder Megan Rapinoe has been added to the U.S. roster for the Algarve Cup women's tournament in place of Tobin Heath, who has an unspecified illness.

Wambach returns to U.S. roster for Algarve Cup (Feb 11, 2010 20:27 GMT)
Abby Wambach was among 19 players selected for the U.S. roster for the Algarve Cup after missing last year's tournament while recovering from a broken leg.

Wambach scores twice as U.S. defeats Norway (Feb 11, 2010 17:48 GMT)
Abby Wambach scored both goals as the United States beat Norway 2-1 in the Algarve Cup.

United States women to play friendly vs. Mexico in Utah (Feb 9, 2010 19:50 GMT)
The U.S. national team will host Mexico in a women's soccer international friendly on March 31.

Recovering U.S. F Davies has elbow surgery (Feb 3, 2010 00:57 GMT)
U.S. forward Charlie Davies has undergone elbow surgery as part of his recuperation from injuries sustained in a car crash last October.


MLS
Carlisle: Fire will rely on Pappa for creative spark (Feb 28, 2010 16:08 GMT)
With the departure of Cuauhtemoc Blanco, the Chicago Fire will look to young stars like Marco Pappa to provide offensive punch, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Davis: MLS labor talks simmering ... for now (Feb 26, 2010 18:47 GMT)
MLS labor negotiations have been civil to this point, but owners and players have yet to agree on a major sticking point -- free agency -- as the season draws closer, writes Steve Davis.

MLS labor contract expires; union not striking now (Feb 26, 2010 00:58 GMT)
MLS could be headed to its first strike after players balked at another extension of the old labor contract.

RSL acquires midfielder Luis Gil from Wizards (Feb 23, 2010 23:42 GMT)
Defending MLS champion Real Salt Lake has acquired 16-year-old American midfielder Luis Gil from Kansas City for a second-round draft pick next year, an international player roster spot and 25 percent of any future transfer fee for Gil to a club outs

Carlisle: Work stoppage the only option for MLS Players Union? (Feb 23, 2010 18:36 GMT)
With free agency still a major point of contention, the onus is clearly on the MLS Players Union to invoke a work stoppage if it comes to that. But the question is: Will it?

The longest preseason training ever (Feb 22, 2010 18:24 GMT)
When he's not keeping an eye on how former team Arsenal is doing, Freddie Ljungberg is busy with the Sounders in preseason training.

Union won't say if willing to play under old deal (Feb 22, 2010 01:27 GMT)
The union for Major League Soccer players accused management of failing to bargain seriously and wouldn't say whether it will play under the terms of its expired labor contract.

Davis: Red Bull Arena opening to little fanfare (Feb 21, 2010 18:41 GMT)
The long-awaited Red Bulls stadium is set to debut in March, yet so far, there's been surprisingly little fanfare, writes Steve Davis.

MLS willing to start season under expired contract (Feb 20, 2010 14:54 GMT)
Major League Soccer is willing to start the season under the rules of its expired labor contract.

Carlisle: MLS labor stoppage looms as CBA talks stall (Feb 20, 2010 13:05 GMT)
With MLS officials continuing to take a hard line in the labor talks, a work stoppage appears increasingly likely, writes Jeff Carlisle.

U.S. U-17 midfielder Gil signs with MLS (Feb 19, 2010 20:05 GMT)
U.S. U-17 midfielder Luis Gil, who attracted interest from Arsenal and other European clubs, has signed with MLS and will be allocated through a lottery Monday.

Carlisle: The jury is still out on Luis Landin (Feb 16, 2010 20:51 GMT)
The signing of designated player Luis Landin was supposed to invigorate the Houston Dynamo's offense. However, so far, Landin has been nothing short of a disappointment, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Davis: Landon Donovan still likely to return to MLS (Feb 15, 2010 14:32 GMT)
Landon Donovan's loan stint for Everton has been an unqualified success, but the Galaxy star is still likely to return to MLS in March, writes Steve Davis.

Dallas cuts defender Aziz Ansah of Ghana (Feb 13, 2010 18:59 GMT)
FC Dallas released World Cup-bound defender Aziz Ansah of Ghana on Saturday.

Red Bulls waive goalkeeper Cepero (Feb 12, 2010 22:01 GMT)
The New York Red Bulls have waived goalkeeper Danny Cepero and defenders Carlos Johnson and Walter Garcia.

MLS and players extend bargaining to Feb. 25 (Feb 12, 2010 01:02 GMT)
Major League Soccer and its players have agreed to extend labor talks through Feb. 25 in an effort to avoid a work stoppage.

Schaerlaeckens: Inclement weather halts MLS labor negotiations (Feb 11, 2010 21:18 GMT)
The weather outside is frightful -- especially for the MLS and its players union, whose labor negotiations in Washington were delayed due to the paralyzing East Coast blizzard.

Danish goalie Nielsen says he's joining Wizards (Feb 11, 2010 12:29 GMT)
Danish goalie Jimmy Nielsen says he is joining Kansas City Wizards on a one-year contract.

Davis: Red Bulls hope new stadium starts a new era (Feb 10, 2010 19:18 GMT)
With a new coach and a new stadium, the Red Bulls are optimistic that a new era is set to begin. Steve Davis points out the other story lines you need to know as the MLS preseason is under way.

MLS labor talks postponed due to snowstorm (Feb 10, 2010 18:59 GMT)
Major League Soccer's labor negotiations have been postponed because of the snowstorm in the Northeast.

Galaxy's Mathis out after having knee surgery (Feb 8, 2010 23:27 GMT)
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Clint Mathis will miss four to six weeks after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Beckham academies in L.A., Britain shut down (Feb 8, 2010 23:23 GMT)
The David Beckham Academy in Carson and another location in Britain have closed, although the Los Angeles Galaxy star is working to develop another soccer coaching program for children.

Ready to get back to work (Feb 8, 2010 20:25 GMT)
After an offseason of personal relaxation but uncertainty over whether or not he would return to MLS, Freddie Ljungberg is ready to get back to work.

Carlisle: MLS schedule looks front-loaded (Feb 5, 2010 22:43 GMT)
With 16 teams now on board, MLS will be able to operate a balanced weekly schedule in 2010. However, the slate of games to watch appears heavily front-loaded, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Revolution keeper Reis has surgery on left knee (Feb 5, 2010 02:14 GMT)
New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis has had surgery on his left knee.

Red Bulls adding Estonia midfielder Lindpere (Feb 4, 2010 17:01 GMT)
Estonia midfielder Joel Lindpere has signed with the New York Red Bulls from Norwegian club Tromso.

Schaerlaeckens: D.C. content without a DP for now (Feb 2, 2010 21:09 GMT)
Coming off two subpar seasons, D.C. United has overhauled its roster. However, for now at least, D.C. is content to do without a Designated Player, writes Leander Schaerlaeckens.

Chivas USA acquires El Salvador star Romero (Feb 2, 2010 06:14 GMT)
Osael Romero is set to join Chivas USA after the club announced they acquired the El Salvador national team midfielder Monday.

Ralston joins AC St. Louis after long MLS career (Feb 1, 2010 23:54 GMT)
Steve Ralston has signed with AC St. Louis of the new North American Soccer League after a 14-year career with Major League Soccer.

Castro, Shuttleworth re-sign with the Revs (Feb 1, 2010 23:25 GMT)
The New England Revolution have re-signed Honduran left midfielder Mauricio Castro and backup goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.

Jaime Moreno re-signs with D.C. United (Feb 1, 2010 18:56 GMT)
Major League Soccer's career goal leader Jaime Moreno has re-signed with D.C. United.


UEFA Europa League
Hodgson left counting cost of Euro trip (Feb 26, 2010 08:57 GMT)
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson was left counting the cost of Fulham's historic progress into the last-16 of the Europa League after leading scorer Bobby Zamora picked up an Achilles injury.

Benitez hails Reds' fighting spirit after victory (Feb 26, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was pleased with the character shown by his side in their 3-1 victory over Unirea Urziceni in Romania, which sealed a 4-1 aggregate win and a place in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Europa: Liverpool through, Roma stunned (Feb 25, 2010 20:28 GMT)
Liverpool avoided a potential Europa League embarrassment in Romania as they came from behind to win 3-1 against Unirea Urziceni to book their place in the last-16.

Europa League draw (Feb 25, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Europa League draw

Unirea coach vows to attack Liverpool (Feb 24, 2010 18:15 GMT)
Unirea Urziceni coach Roni Levy intends to attack Liverpool as his side attempts to overturn a 1-0 Europa League deficit in their second leg in Bucharest on Thursday.

Benitez's strange inquisition by Romanian press (Feb 24, 2010 17:37 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is in no hurry to rush striker Fernando Torres back into action against Unirea Urziceni in the Europa League on Thursday.

Athletic could face sanctions after crowd trouble (Feb 19, 2010 11:24 GMT)
Athletic Bilbao could face heavy sanctions from UEFA after crowd trouble marred Thursday night's Europa League draw against Anderlecht. Fans clashed on the pitch after the game, which ended 1-1.

Harris: Low marks for frustrated Liverpool (Feb 18, 2010 23:00 GMT)
Harry Harris gives Liverpool a four out of ten after a frustrating night in the Europa League.

Europa League: Amauri sinks Ajax, Ngog salvo (Feb 18, 2010 20:09 GMT)
Liverpool striker David Ngog's goal nine minutes from time eventually broke the resistance of a determined Unirea Urziceni to give the Reds a 1-0 win at Anfield in the Europa League.

Gerrard promises Reds reaction in Europa League (Feb 18, 2010 10:34 GMT)
Steven Gerrard has warned Liverpool are ready to right the wrongs of what has been a desperately poor season when their Europa League campaign gets underway against Unirea Urziceni on Thursday night.

Carragher to make Reds return (Feb 17, 2010 12:22 GMT)
Injury worries appear to be easing for Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as defender Jamie Carragher is fit to face Unirea Urziceni in Thursday's Europa League tie at Anfield while Yossi Benayoun, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson are all close to retu

Moyes rues giving Lisbon a Sporting chance (Feb 16, 2010 21:18 GMT)
Everton manager David Moyes was frustrated with his side after a late goal meant their Europa League hopes are hanging in the balance.

Sporting prepared for long-ball football at Everton (Feb 16, 2010 10:01 GMT)
Sporting Lisbon defender Tonel is bracing himself for a physical battering against Everton in the Europa League at Goodison Park on Tuesday night.


UEFA Champions League
Kalou: Inter ref was wrong (Feb 25, 2010 11:57 GMT)
Goal-hero Salomon Kalou insists referee Manuel Gonzales was wrong to deny Chelsea a first-half penalty when Walter Samuel brought him down in the box during Inter Milan's 2-1 victory over the Blues at the San Siro.

Mourinho confident ahead of Chelsea return (Feb 24, 2010 23:24 GMT)
Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan will travel to Stamford Bridge for the second leg of their Champions League tie with Chelsea full of confidence after securing a 2-1 win at the San Siro.

Adams: Insult and injury for Blues (Feb 24, 2010 22:49 GMT)
Tom Adams explains why Chelsea deserved more from a difficult night in Inter's San Siro.

Blanc delighted to see Bordeaux prove quality (Feb 24, 2010 15:52 GMT)
Laurent Blanc admitted his delight at seeing his Bordeaux side finally deliver a performance befitting their championship-winning status on Tuesday.

Stuttgart boss Gross bemoans missed chances (Feb 24, 2010 11:09 GMT)
Stuttgart coach Christian Gross bemoaned his side's inability to take their chances, but admitted the 1-1 home draw with Barcelona in the Champions League was not a bad result.

Mourinho claims credit for Blues players' success (Feb 24, 2010 08:51 GMT)
Jose Mourinho claims he made Chelsea's stars the players they are today during his time at the club, as he again stoked the flames ahead of the Blues trip to face his Inter milan side in the Champions League last-16 on Wednesday.

Cech understands Mourinho's mind games (Feb 23, 2010 15:35 GMT)
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech insists the players will not be affected by former boss Jose Mourinho's mind games ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash against Inter Milan on Wednesday night.

Brassell: Chelsea return is crucial to Mourinho's future (Feb 23, 2010 11:43 GMT)
Andy Brassell says Mourinho's Chelsea reunion is about more than proving a point.

Lampard returns, but Zhirkov out of Inter trip (Feb 23, 2010 11:17 GMT)
Frank Lampard has been passed fit to travel with the Chelsea squad ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16, first leg tie against Italian champions Inter Milan.

Ancelotti: Italy will support Chelsea over Inter (Feb 23, 2010 10:59 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti claims all of Italy will be supportive of his attempts to knock Inter Milan and former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho out of the Champions League.

Mourinho questions Chelsea's strength (Feb 22, 2010 09:04 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has stoked the fire ahead of his side's Champions League last 16 clash with Chelsea by claiming a "strong'' team would not have dropped the number of points the Blues have this season.

Ballack wary of meeting with Mourinho's Inter Milan (Feb 20, 2010 11:04 GMT)
Michael Ballack is looking forward to meeting up with Jose Mourinho again next week but recognises the perils of taking on the Inter Milan coach.

Wenger not 'paranoid' despite match-fixing history (Feb 20, 2010 10:49 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has said he believes referee Martin Hansson is "incompetent" rather than "dishonest" as he revealed he has been a victim of match-fixing in the past.

Wenger continues Hansson attack, backs Fabianski (Feb 19, 2010 11:42 GMT)
Arsene Wenger believes UEFA needs to overhaul the way it chooses referees after accusing Sweden's Martin Hansson of not being competent following a controversial Champions League tie against Porto on Wednesday night.

Ref Ovrebo admits to goal mistake (Feb 18, 2010 20:57 GMT)
Referee Tom Henning Ovrebro has admitted he should have ruled out Miroslav Klose's last-minute winner in Bayern Munich's Champions League victory over Fiorentina on Wednesday.

Cesc defends Fabianski as Campbell blames ref (Feb 18, 2010 15:23 GMT)
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas insists goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is a "very good" goalkeeper despite his mistakes against Porto on Wednesday.

Italian Football Federation president criticises ref (Feb 18, 2010 14:34 GMT)
Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Giancarlo Abete has hit out at the officials in charge of Bayern Munich's Champions League tie against Fiorentina on Wednesday.

Lomas: Desailly: Mourinho will never heal from Chelsea exit (Feb 18, 2010 11:19 GMT)
Mark Lomas talks to former Chelsea captain Marcel Desailly ahead of the Blues' Champions League trip to Inter Milan.

Referee Ovrebo under fire again (Feb 18, 2010 08:08 GMT)
Champions League referee Tom Henning Ovrebo has again come under-fire as Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli said a series of poor decisions cost his side a 2-1 defeat at Bayern Munich.

Harry Harris: Sol impresses back in the limelight (Feb 17, 2010 22:47 GMT)
Harry Harris is on Campbell Watch as the centre-back had an eventful night at Porto.

Wenger slams Porto ref (Feb 17, 2010 22:22 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger accused referee Martin Hansson of a ''massive mistake'' in his side's 2-1 defeat to Porto.

Becks tips Rooney for awards (Feb 17, 2010 17:21 GMT)
David Beckham is tipping Wayne Rooney to capture the greatest honours in the game later this year.

Wenger backs Fabianski (Feb 17, 2010 11:56 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger he has full faith in the ability Lukasz Fabianski to replace injured goalkeeper Manuel Almunia in Wednesday night's UEFA Champions League last 16 tie with Porto.

Ronaldo confident of Real Madrid comeback (Feb 17, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Cristiano Ronaldo is confident Real Madrid can turn around their Champions League tie with Lyon and avoid tumbling out of the competition at the last-16 stage for the sixth successive year.

Rooney one of world's elite, insists Ferguson (Feb 17, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Wayne Rooney as one of the best players in the world and backed the striker to break the 30-goal barrier this season following his match-winning performance against AC Milan.

Harris: Beckham proves enduring quality against United (Feb 16, 2010 22:37 GMT)
Harry Harris says David Beckham's display agaisnt Manchester United proves he can still play a role for England.

Ferguson hails "fantastic" Rooney after brace (Feb 16, 2010 22:28 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson hailed a "fantastic" performance from two-goal Wayne Rooney after Manchester United overcame an early setback to beat AC Milan 3-2 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday night.

Arsenal dealt major blow with five injury absentees (Feb 16, 2010 14:47 GMT)
Arsenal will miss a further five first-team players due to injury when they travel to Portugal for the first leg of their Champions League tie against Porto.

Desailly expects United to triumph over AC Milan (Feb 16, 2010 12:42 GMT)
Former France captain Marcel Desailly has told Soccernet he is backing Manchester United to overpower AC Milan when the two sides meet in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Lyon president feels Benzema is isolated at Madrid (Feb 16, 2010 12:13 GMT)
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has claimed striker Karim Benzema feels isolated at Real Madrid ahead of his return to Stade Gerland on Tuesday night.

Ferguson: Rooney now ranks among world's best (Feb 16, 2010 09:02 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson believes Wayne Rooney can now be considered among the very best in the world and is a Manchester United hero to rank alongside David Beckham.

Ferguson banking on Rio as Vidic doubts grow (Feb 16, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping Rio Ferdinand can retain his fitness as Nemanja Vidic's future looks far from certain at Manchester United.

Ferguson expecting tough challenge from Italy (Feb 15, 2010 19:57 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson expects a more forceful Champions League challenge from Italy this season - but he still believes holders Barcelona represent the biggest danger to Manchester United's hopes of reclaiming the trophy.

Beckham set to start against Manchester United (Feb 15, 2010 16:56 GMT)
Sources in Milan claim David Beckham will start against former club Manchester United on Tuesday night, seven years after he left for Real Madrid.

United pair Vidic and Anderson left at home (Feb 15, 2010 14:33 GMT)
Manchester United centre back Nemanja Vidic will miss Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg at AC Milan, while midfielders Ryan Giggs and Anderson were also left out of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad.

Huntelaar ready to take Champions League chance (Feb 15, 2010 12:09 GMT)
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is set to start for AC Milan against Manchester United in the Champions League last-16 on Tuesday, and the Netherlands striker insists he is ready to prove his worth to the San Siro faithful.

Legend Mazzola claims Inter have no weaknesses (Feb 15, 2010 11:45 GMT)
Inter Milan legend Sandro Mazzola believes Jose Mourinho's side have shown that they don't possess any weaknesses this season.

Giggs believes Beckham could play on for years (Feb 15, 2010 08:45 GMT)
Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs has praised the longevity of former team-mate David Beckham, and predicts the AC Milan loanee could play on for another three or four years.

Benzema in Real squad to face former club Lyon (Feb 14, 2010 14:44 GMT)
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema could face former club Lyon in the Champions League this week after being given the green light to return to action following a groin injury.

Arshavin and Song set to miss out on Porto clash (Feb 13, 2010 11:42 GMT)
Andrei Arshavin has revealed he expects to miss the Champions League tie with Porto because of a hamstring injury.

Ronaldo wary of Italian Champions League threat (Feb 12, 2010 14:53 GMT)
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has warned Manchester United and Chelsea not to underestimate their Italian Champions League opponents, claiming they "remain difficult to beat".

Sir Alex hopes Giggs is back for Milan return leg (Feb 12, 2010 09:39 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has set Ryan Giggs a comeback target for the second leg of the Champions League encounter with AC Milan.

Mourinho: Chelsea unchanged since my reign (Feb 11, 2010 08:59 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has started the mind games ahead of his side's Champions League clash against former club Chelsea, claiming the team he left in 2007 has not evolved.

Real star Benzema a doubt ahead of Lyon return (Feb 9, 2010 15:15 GMT)
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema will almost certainly miss out on a return to Lyon in the Champions League, after medical tests revealed he will be sidelined for at least a week.

Bordeaux game postponed to boost Europe hopes (Feb 9, 2010 14:07 GMT)
The Ligue 1 match between Bordeaux and Auxerre has been postponed in order to give the French champions more time to prepare for their Champions League clash against Olympiacos.

Mourinho seeks improvement ahead of Chelsea tie (Feb 4, 2010 13:37 GMT)
Jose Mourinho insists Inter Milan must improve on recent performances to have any chance of beating Chelsea in the Champions League last 16.

Hargreaves removed from CL squad (Feb 4, 2010 10:35 GMT)
Manchester United have reportedly removed midfielder Owen Hargreaves from their squad for the Champions League knockout stages.

Sir Alex: I have no regrets over Beckham sale (Feb 2, 2010 12:07 GMT)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has "no regrets" over the sale of David Beckham as he prepares to face his former star in opposition.


English National Team
Stoke's Shawcross called up to England squad (Feb 27, 2010 20:47 GMT)
Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross has been called up to the England squad for the friendly with Egypt on Wednesday, just hours after his leg-breaking challenge on Aaron Ramsey.

Moyes heaps praise on "modern" Baines (Feb 27, 2010 12:06 GMT)
Everton manager David Moyes believes Leighton Baines would do England proud if he made Fabio Capello's squad for this summer's World Cup.

Bruce tips Richardson for England chance (Feb 27, 2010 11:53 GMT)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has urged Kieran Richardson not to turn his back on the chance of a surprise World Cup call-up.

Lescott on trial to be England's reserve left-back (Feb 27, 2010 11:17 GMT)
Joleon Lescott will be on trial as an emergency left-back as England coach Fabio Capello tries to find a solution to what has suddenly become a problematic area.

Capello annoyed at England scandal distractions (Feb 27, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Fabio Capello has spoken of his annoyance that he must deal with off-field issues, not football ones, in the lead up to the World Cup finals after John Terry and Ashley Cole attracted headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Bolton defender Cahill could return in four weeks (Feb 26, 2010 11:52 GMT)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has revealed Gary Cahill could return to action within four weeks.

Warnock hopes Bridge decision has opened door (Feb 26, 2010 08:22 GMT)
Aston Villa defender Stephen Warnock believes a door may have been opened for him to earn an England World Cup call-up after Wayne Bridge's decision to quit international football for the foreseeable future.

Fabio Capello hoping for Wayne Bridge U-turn (Feb 26, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Fabio Capello has revealed he is still hoping to include Wayne Bridge in the England squad for the World Cup despite the defender making himself unavailable for selection.

PFA chief Taylor reveals peacemaking efforts (Feb 25, 2010 16:26 GMT)
Players' chief Gordon Taylor has revealed how efforts to make peace between John Terry and Wayne Bridge failed when neither man volunteered to take part in mediation.

Bridge refuses England call (Feb 25, 2010 11:30 GMT)
Wayne Bridge told the England camp on Thursday morning that he is not ready to be in the same dressing room and team hotel as John Terry.

Capello: Playing time key to Owen's finals dream (Feb 24, 2010 15:52 GMT)
England manager Fabio Capello has reiterated to Michael Owen that the striker needs to gain more playing time with Manchester United if he wants to make the World Cup squad.

Striker Bent still holds England World Cup hopes (Feb 24, 2010 15:52 GMT)
Sunderland striker Darren Bent is refusing to give up on his World Cup finals dream and insists his form this season means he deserves to be considered by Fabio Capello.

Capello confirms England will use Rustenburg base (Feb 24, 2010 09:05 GMT)
Fabio Capello has confirmed England will use Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus as their training base for the World Cup in South Africa this summer, after inspecting the facilities on Tuesday.

Terry asks to be judged on footballing matters (Feb 24, 2010 08:24 GMT)
John Terry insists he has put his well-publicised personal troubles behind him and has now refocused himself on winning honours with Chelsea and England, which he says is the only thing he expects the public to judge him on.

Capello calls on South American ref for friendly (Feb 22, 2010 22:45 GMT)
Fabio Capello has given another example of his famous attention to detail by organising for South American referees to take charge of England's friendly against Egypt next week.

Shearer invokes spirit of '96 for England 2018 bid (Feb 22, 2010 18:14 GMT)
Alan Shearer believes England could create an even better atmosphere than the one which lit up Euro 96 if they are given the chance to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

Wenger bemoans Walcott pressure (Feb 22, 2010 16:28 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims Theo Walcott is being put under "terrible pressure" to be ready for the World Cup but is backing his winger to make the final England squad.

Walcott left out of England Under-21s squad (Feb 22, 2010 10:00 GMT)
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has not been included in the England Under-21 squad for the European Championship clash against Greece at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium next week.

Capello visits unfinished World Cup facilities (Feb 22, 2010 08:30 GMT)
England coach Fabio Capello arrived in South Africa on Monday to inspect the country's training base for the World Cup finals and was assured construction would be completed on time.

Arsene Wenger believes Theo Walcott is improving (Feb 21, 2010 13:14 GMT)
Arsene Wenger believes Theo Walcott is maturing with perfect timing for the World Cup in the summer.

Rooney hails 'scary' Capello's effect on England (Feb 21, 2010 08:41 GMT)
England fans can feel even more secure with their national team in the hands of Fabio Capello after star player Wayne Rooney gave the Italian's thorough style a glowing appraisal in comparison to his predecessors.

Ex-Arsenal chief Dein to head up England 2018 bid (Feb 18, 2010 19:20 GMT)
Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has been appointed international president of the England 2018/22 World Cup bid board.

Beckham gives backing to England captain Rio (Feb 17, 2010 09:47 GMT)
David Beckham believes Rio Ferdinand has all the qualities required to be a top England captain.

Lampard: Rio deserves England captaincy (Feb 15, 2010 21:46 GMT)
Frank Lampard believes Rio Ferdinand deserves his chance to captain England and insists he is pleased that Wayne Rooney has not been ''burdened'' with the responsibility of leading the side at the World Cup.

Wayne Bridge ready to answer England call (Feb 15, 2010 20:47 GMT)
Wayne Bridge is ready to put his private concerns to one side and answer the call of England ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.

Ridgewell: Capello should call up Blues stars (Feb 14, 2010 13:26 GMT)
Fabio Capello should look to resolve his defensive problems ahead of the World Cup by turning to Birmingham City, according to Liam Ridgewell.

Eriksson: Cole injury a "big blow" for England (Feb 14, 2010 13:07 GMT)
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson concedes the possible loss of Ashley Cole is a "big blow" for Fabio Capello but expects the country to challenge strongly for the World Cup if they have a fully-fit squad.

Mancini says Bridge will not snub England call (Feb 12, 2010 12:11 GMT)
Wayne Bridge will not turn down a call-up to the England squad for next month's international friendly against Egypt, according to Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini.

Ancelotti hopeful Cole will be ready for finals (Feb 12, 2010 08:16 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti believes Ashley Cole still has a chance to make England's World Cup squad after the left-back was ruled out for up to three months with a fractured ankle.

Broken ankle rules Cole out for three months (Feb 11, 2010 17:42 GMT)
Chelsea have confirmed that Ashley Cole will be sidelined for three months after breaking his ankle, meaning the England international may miss the rest of the season in the build-up to the World Cup finals.

Blatter: Some countries would applaud Terry (Feb 11, 2010 10:35 GMT)
Chelsea skipper John Terry flew out to Dubai on Thursday for showdown talks with his wife following the alleged affair that saw him stripped of the England captaincy.

Former star Gascoigne bailed after disturbance (Feb 8, 2010 17:45 GMT)
Former England star Paul Gascoigne was released on police bail today after he was questioned on suspicion of being drunk in charge of a vehicle.

Capello insists Terry remains vital to England (Feb 8, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Fabio Capello insists John Terry remains one of the most important players in the England squad despite his dismissal as captain on Friday.

Redknapp pushes King's World Cup claims (Feb 8, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has pressed Ledley King's claims for a World Cup squad berth as a specialist back-up for England's first choice central defensive pairing of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.

Warshaw: England sitting pretty after Euro draw (Feb 7, 2010 17:04 GMT)
Andrew Warshaw reports from Warsaw and England learn their fate for Euro 2012.

Capello reflects on "tough" task (Feb 7, 2010 13:02 GMT)
England manager Fabio Capello believes his side have been given one of the toughest draws in qualifying for Euro 2012.

Capello leaves door open for Terry return (Feb 6, 2010 13:45 GMT)
Fabio Capello has not entirely ruled out the possibility of John Terry leading out England team at the World Cup Finals, an England insider has informedSoccernet.

Harris: Capello's decision about morale not morals (Feb 6, 2010 13:41 GMT)
Harry Harris is full of respect for Fabio Capello.

Capello protecting Terry from being "destroyed" (Feb 6, 2010 12:23 GMT)
ESPNsoccernet can exclusively reveal that Fabio Capello considered four key criteria when assessing whether to strip John Terry of the England captaincy, with a desire to prevent the defender being "destroyed" by media pressure key to his even

Football world reacts to Terry sacking (Feb 6, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Prominent football personalities have spoken out in reaction to Fabio Capello's sacking of John Terry as England skipper on Friday, with most agreeing that the decision was fair but that Terry will remain as a strong leader for his country at the Wor

Terry vows to ''give everything'' (Feb 5, 2010 16:34 GMT)
John Terry has vowed to continue ''giving everything'' for England in a statement.

Terry dropped as captain (Feb 5, 2010 16:03 GMT)
John Terry has been dropped as England captain by Fabio Capello after meeting with the Italian at Wembley on Friday. Terry has found himself increasingly under pressure after revelations that he had an affair with the ex-girlfriend of former Chelsea

Terry summoned to Wembley (Feb 4, 2010 09:10 GMT)
John Terry will be summoned to the Wembley offices of Fabio Capello to discuss his future face-to-face with the England manager, who refuses to try to find a 'safe and secret' location to avoid any embarrassment for the current England captain.

Terry set to resign captaincy? (Feb 4, 2010 09:09 GMT)
John Terry will offer his resignation as England captain on Thursday as he pledges to do what is needed to help England's World Cup cause.

Capello talks to decide captain Terry's future (Feb 4, 2010 08:00 GMT)
John Terry's future as England captain should be determined by an all-important meeting with national team manager Fabio Capello, with the pair set for talks ahead of Sunday's Euro 2012 in Warsaw.

John Terry gets backing from England squad (Feb 3, 2010 08:58 GMT)
John Terry has received a series of morale-boosting telephone calls and texts from England squad members in offers of support.

How Capello changed England: The psychology of success (Feb 3, 2010 08:15 GMT)
Sports psychologst Damian Hughes examines Fabio Capello's success with England.

Latics striker Moses sets sights on England call (Feb 2, 2010 09:32 GMT)
New Wigan Athletic striker Victor Moses believes his £2.5 million move to the DW Stadium can pave the way for a full England call-up.

Terry holds England talks with Capello advisor (Feb 2, 2010 08:00 GMT)
John Terry has held talks with Fabio Capello's closest adviser, Franco Baldini, to discuss whether he should resign as England captain.

England players don't care who is skipper - agent (Feb 1, 2010 17:23 GMT)
John Terry's chances of surviving as England captain have taken a huge turn in his favour when ESPNsoccernet discovered that the senior England players have no intention of speaking out against the current skipper.

FA: Capello will make Terry decision (Feb 1, 2010 17:23 GMT)
The Football Association have confirmed that Fabio Capello alone will be responsible for any decision about John Terry's position within the England squad.


English Premier League
Redknapp bemoans mounting injury problems (Mar 1, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Harry Redknapp revealed the full extent of the injury crisis in his squad following the victory over Everton that sent Tottenham back into the top four of the Premier League.

Rafael Benitez steps up his feud with Allardyce (Mar 1, 2010 07:59 GMT)
The long-running spat between Rafael Benitez and Sam Allardyce showed no signs of ending after Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Blackburn at Anfield.

Terry hits back at Bellamy in Bridge row (Feb 28, 2010 22:07 GMT)
John Terry has hit back at Craig Bellamy over his television jibe about his conduct.

Team of the Week, February 28, 2010 (Feb 28, 2010 19:47 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Richard Jolly: Torres provides timely boost (Feb 28, 2010 19:39 GMT)
Richard Jolly watches Fernando Torres return to Liverpool's starting line-up in goalscoring form.

Kevin Palmer: Pav proves Redknapp wrong (Feb 28, 2010 17:09 GMT)
Kevin Palmer hails Roman Pavlyuchenko's return to form as Tottenham win at home to Everton.

Ramsey out for season after surgery on broken leg (Feb 28, 2010 12:54 GMT)
Arsenal have confirmed Aaron Ramsey sustained fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg in Saturday's Premier League match at Stoke and will miss the rest of the season.

Adebayor: I never wanted to leave Arsenal (Feb 28, 2010 11:46 GMT)
Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor knows his return to the Emirates will be "hell'' but claims he never wanted to leave Arsenal, insisting that he was sold because Arsene Wenger didn't want him anymore.

Premier Showdown - Feb 27-28 (Feb 28, 2010 11:27 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Sullivan: Pompey are on the brink of extinction (Feb 28, 2010 11:27 GMT)
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has told ESPNsoccernet that he believes Portsmouth are in serious danger of ceasing to exist, and the club could be just six months away from going out of business completely.

Shawcross claims ''no malice'' in tackle (Feb 28, 2010 00:12 GMT)
Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross insists there was ''absolutely no malice'' in the challenge on Aaron Ramsey which led to the Arsenal player suffering a broken leg during the Premier League clash at the Britannia Stadium.

Gunners battle through adversity (Feb 27, 2010 21:12 GMT)
Richard Jolly watched as Arsenal overcame Aaron Ramsey's agony to beat Stoke.

Wenger saddened by injury (Feb 27, 2010 19:57 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was unable to celebrate his side's vital 3-1 win at Stoke after teenager Aaron Ramsey suffered an horrific injury.

Prem Lge: Ramsey woe, City win Bridge battle (Feb 27, 2010 17:00 GMT)
A horrific injury to Arsenal youngster Aaron Ramsey overshadowed a last-gasp win over Stoke that hauled the Gunners firmly into the Premier League title race.

Kevin Palmer: City win Bridge battle (Feb 27, 2010 17:00 GMT)
Kevin Palmer was at the Bridge as two infamous foes came face-to-face once again.

Craig Bellamy takes swipe at Terry after City win (Feb 27, 2010 15:24 GMT)
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy took a swipe at John Terry after his side's 4-2 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Pompey chief Storrie wants an end to "innuendos" (Feb 27, 2010 12:02 GMT)
Peter Storrie hopes Portsmouth's administrators will publish the club's accounts to put an end to "innuendos'' surrounding his role in the club's demise.

Redknapp insists virus is not a distraction (Feb 27, 2010 11:59 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will make final checks on his players on Saturday after a virus swept through the club ahead of their clash against Everton.

Allardyce claims Benitez has turned to foul tactics (Feb 27, 2010 11:50 GMT)
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce believes Liverpool have adopted the same physical style which Reds boss Rafael Benitez has often criticised him for.

SOCCERNET LIVE: Latest updates and chat (Feb 27, 2010 11:24 GMT)
MatchDay Live - February 27

Sullivan concerned about integrity of results (Feb 27, 2010 11:04 GMT)
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is deeply concerned about the validity, credibility and authenticity of the rest of Portsmouth's Premier League results now the club are in administration.

FA charge Davies over Clattenberg remarks (Feb 26, 2010 16:01 GMT)
Captain Kevin Davies has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association.

Ancelotti: Terry will not be distracted by Bridge (Feb 26, 2010 15:54 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti insists John Terry will not be distracted by the controversy over whether Wayne Bridge will shake his hand when Chelsea meet Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Davis: Portsmouth woes just the tip of the iceberg (Feb 26, 2010 15:36 GMT)
Insolvency expert Danny Davis says clubs have only just woken up to reality.

Skrtel injury has Rafa reaching for options (Feb 26, 2010 14:14 GMT)
Liverpool have announced that Slovak defender Martin Skrtel sustained a broken metatarsal in Thursday night's Europa League victory against Unirea Urziceni.

Van der Sar signs new one-year United deal (Feb 26, 2010 13:32 GMT)
Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has signed a new one-year contract.

Pedersen set to sign deal extension at Blackburn (Feb 26, 2010 11:35 GMT)
Blackburn are close to agreeing a new deal with midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen.

Redknapp confirms Spurs suffering virus outbreak (Feb 26, 2010 10:44 GMT)
Tottenham's preparations for the Premier League clash against Everton have been disrupted by a virus at the club.

Arsenal post £35.2m profit and big debt reduction (Feb 26, 2010 10:03 GMT)
Arsenal have announced pre-tax profits of £35.2 million and a significant reduction in debt for the six months ending November 30, 2009.

Adebayor accepts four-match ban after red card (Feb 26, 2010 09:48 GMT)
Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been handed a four-match ban after being sent off during the FA Cup fifth-round replay defeat against Stoke on Tuesday.

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Tottenham v Everton (Feb 26, 2010 09:43 GMT)
Robin Hackett previews Tottenham's game against Everton, which is live on ESPN UK.

The week that was: Feb 26 (Feb 26, 2010 09:23 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week of hugely differing fortunes for 'fat' Ronaldo and 'waxed' Ronaldo.

Pompey enter administration (Feb 26, 2010 08:42 GMT)
Portsmouth have become the first Premier League club to go into administration and will be deducted nine points.

Chelsea goalkeeper Cech ruled out for a month (Feb 25, 2010 19:10 GMT)
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech tore a calf muscle in the Champions League defeat by Inter Milan and will be out for up to a month, the club have confirmed.

Portsmouth set to go into administration (Feb 25, 2010 15:06 GMT)
Portsmouth will become the first English Premier League club to go into financial administration on Friday, after they missed a deadline for a potential takeover.

Blackburn youngster Hoilett pens new deal (Feb 25, 2010 14:52 GMT)
Blackburn forward Junior Hoilett has agreed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with the club. Hoilett is becoming an increasingly important part of manager Sam Allardyce's first team squad and, as a result, has earned himself a new deal which will ke

Bruce demands back-to-back Sunderland wins (Feb 25, 2010 13:59 GMT)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is targeting back-to-back victories over Fulham and Bolton to re-ignite the club's Premier League campaign.

Wigan boss Martinez blasts refereeing standards (Feb 25, 2010 11:14 GMT)
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has claimed the Premier League is being made to look a laughing stock by poor refereeing decisions. Martinez admitted he is still annoyed that Tottenham's opening goal in their 3-0 win at the DW Stadium last weekend was

Yaya Toure rules out Premier League switch (Feb 25, 2010 10:43 GMT)
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has insisted he has no plans to leave the Nou Camp for the Premier League, but he revealed he has heard of interest from both Arsenal and Manchester City.

United midfielder Anderson out for the season (Feb 25, 2010 10:11 GMT)
Manchester United midfielder Anderson has been ruled out for the rest of the season, after rupturing his cruciate ligament during United's 3-0 win against West Ham on Tuesday. The Brazil international could face up to ten months on the sidelines with

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Chelsea v Manchester City (Feb 25, 2010 09:43 GMT)
Robin Hackett previews Saturday's clash between Chelsea and Manchester City, which is live on ESPN2.

Hubbard: Drama awaits shaky Sunderland (Feb 25, 2010 09:08 GMT)
Norman Hubbard explains why Sunderland are on course for yet another nervy end to the season.

Valcke: Football must learn from Portsmouth crisis (Feb 25, 2010 08:16 GMT)
FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has admitted his surprise at the Premier League's dire financial state and claimed the Portsmouth crisis stands as a warning to the rest of football.

Ronaldo reveals he would relish Rooney reunion (Feb 25, 2010 07:37 GMT)
Cristiano Ronaldo claims that he would love to link up with former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney again in the future, but says he is not impressed with the striker's recent form because ''he was always brilliant."

Burnley defender toasts victory on tele quiz show (Feb 24, 2010 23:28 GMT)
Burnley footballer Clarke Carlisle made a victorious debut today as he became the first Premier League player to appear on TV's Countdown - but said nothing could be a substitute for the thrill of his day job.

Ancelotti awaiting Cech tests (Feb 24, 2010 22:54 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti has not ruled out a swift return for Petr Cech after the goalkeeper was substituted during Chelsea's 2-1 defeat at Inter Milan.

Johnson: Prop up Pompey? (Feb 24, 2010 18:49 GMT)
Dale Johnson on how the Premier League could keep Portsmouth afloat until the summer.

Van Marwijk: Van Persie could be back in April (Feb 24, 2010 15:31 GMT)
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk claims Robin van Persie could be back in action at the start of April after receiving a positive update on the Arsenal forward's recovery from an ankle injury.

Donovan hails Everton fans for Facebook campaign (Feb 24, 2010 11:28 GMT)
On loan Everton midfielder Landon Donovan has been amazed by the support he has received from Everton fans, after learning that a campaign has started on social networking site Facebook to try to keep him at Goodison Park.

Storrie still fighting to rescue Portsmouth (Feb 24, 2010 09:42 GMT)
Peter Storrie will fight for the next 48 hours to resurrect a South African takeover of Portsmouth in a bid to stave off imminent administration.

Bullard makes scoring return for Hull reserves (Feb 24, 2010 09:27 GMT)
Talismanic Hull City midfielder Jimmy Bullard returned to action in the club's reserves on Tuesday night, scoring in the 3-0 victory over Wigan's second string.

Premier League clubs owe 56% of Euro debt (Feb 24, 2010 08:05 GMT)
A report to be released by UEFA on the financial wellbeing of European football will reveal that Premier League clubs owe 56 percent of the continent's total footballing debt, raising further questions about why English football's finances have been

Walcott reveals torment of stop-start season (Feb 23, 2010 18:38 GMT)
Theo Walcott hopes he is now on course to get back to his best - both for Arsenal and England.

Pompey on brink of administration as talks stall (Feb 23, 2010 16:40 GMT)
Portsmouth are now on the brink of going into administration after ESPNsoccernet was tipped off that talks to sell the club have broken down.

Mancini hits out at "incredible" City unrest reports (Feb 23, 2010 15:36 GMT)
Roberto Mancini has defended his training methods, saying he finds it "incredible" that reports have suggested they are a divisive issue within the Manchester City squad.

Ashley Cole not currently seeking move abroad (Feb 23, 2010 14:36 GMT)
Ashley Cole has every intention of riding out the present storm and staying at Chelsea despite his anger at what perceives as a media witch-hunt.

Lennon suffers setback in return from groin injury (Feb 23, 2010 14:31 GMT)
Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon is waiting for scan results after feeling discomfort in his injured groin while training at the weekend.

Fantasy Focus: The popularity stakes (Feb 23, 2010 13:30 GMT)
Dale Johnson gives some tips on who to sign to make ground in Premier League fantasy.

Chat LIVE with Soccernet's Dale Johnson (Feb 23, 2010 13:29 GMT)
Join us at 1500 GMT for a LIVE chat with Dale Johnson.

Chainrai preparing for administration if talks fail (Feb 23, 2010 13:10 GMT)
Portsmouth's owner Balram Chainrai is believed to have consulted insolvency experts in preparation for taking the club into administration if last-ditch talks fail to bring in new finance on Tuesday.

Tevez to return for Chelsea (Feb 23, 2010 12:22 GMT)
Manchester City expect Carlos Tevez to return to the team in time for Saturday's game against Chelsea, according to manager Roberto Mancini. Tevez has been granted compassionate leave by City after his daughter, Katie, was born six weeks premature.

Redknapp confirms Lennon setback (Feb 23, 2010 11:57 GMT)
Aaron Lennon has suffered a setback in his recovery from a groin problem but Harry Redknapp is hopeful he will have the Tottenham winger at his disposal again in "a couple of weeks".

Everton star Pienaar charged with drink driving (Feb 23, 2010 10:27 GMT)
Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has been charged with drink driving, Merseyside Police confirmed on Tuesday morning. The 27-year-old was arrested early on Sunday, only hours after Everton's impressive victory over Manchester United.

Pavlyuchenko happy to prove doubters wrong (Feb 23, 2010 10:18 GMT)
Roman Pavlyuchenko has revealed that a burning motivation to prove his career is not in freefall was behind the Tottenham striker's two-goal cameo against Wigan Athletic.

Harris urges United fans to intensify Glazer protest (Feb 23, 2010 10:03 GMT)
Keith Harris, the former Football League chairman who has formed a consortium looking to buy Manchester United, has urged the club's fans to "hurt the Glazers in their pockets" if they want to force a change of ownership at Old Trafford.

City to line up Mourinho if top-four bid flounders (Feb 23, 2010 09:08 GMT)
Speculation is mounting within football circles that Jose Mourinho will be offered the job at Manchester City if Roberto Mancini fails to get his team into the top four this season.

Benitez denies Spain tension over Torres (Feb 23, 2010 08:30 GMT)
Rafa Benitez believes his close association with Spain coach Vicente del Bosque will ensure the country do not overuse Fernando Torres and risk another injury setback for the Liverpool striker.

Ashley Cole considering Chelsea future - reports (Feb 23, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Widespread reports on Tuesday morning claim the storm of controversy surrounding Ashley Cole has placed his future at Chelsea in real doubt.

Confident Carrick sees Everton loss as a blip (Feb 23, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Michael Carrick insists the only way to treat Saturday's defeat at Everton is as a one-off.

United and Burnley attend Eckersley tribunal (Feb 22, 2010 21:24 GMT)
Burnley will discover later this week how much they must pay Manchester United for defender Richard Eckersley. The two clubs attended an independent tribunal on Monday which sat to decide a fee for Eckersley, who joined the Clarets in July on a four-

Portsmouth still locked in investor talks (Feb 22, 2010 19:28 GMT)
Portsmouth insiders have told Soccernet that talks are still on-going with potential investors in a last-ditch effort to save the financially stricken club from becoming the first Premier League club to enter administration.

Joorabchian defends Tevez over City absence (Feb 22, 2010 14:03 GMT)
Kia Joorabchian has defended Carlos Tevez's commitment to the Manchester City cause after Roberto Mancini "ordered" the striker to return to the club from Argentina, following the premature birth of his daughter.

Al Fahim resigns and gives shares to fans' trust (Feb 22, 2010 12:45 GMT)
Portsmouth have confirmed they have accepted Sulaiman Al Fahim's resignation as non-executive chairman.

Shamed Ashley Cole set for massive club fine (Feb 22, 2010 11:42 GMT)
Newspaper reports on Monday have suggested that Chelsea defender Ashley Cole could be set for a huge club fine following the latest revelations about his private life.

Fifth Official: Brotherly loathing (Feb 22, 2010 10:43 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Barry plays down Bellamy's spat with Mancini (Feb 22, 2010 09:28 GMT)
Gareth Barry says that people should not read too much into the bust-up between Roberto Mancini and Craig Bellamy, insisting it purely shows the desire both have to make a success of Man City.

Chainrai's spokesman says Pompey will not die (Feb 22, 2010 09:02 GMT)
Portsmouth chairman Balram Chainrai has pledged that the club will not go bust.

Downing reveals O'Neill blast that revitalised Villa (Feb 22, 2010 08:56 GMT)
Two-goal Stewart Downing revealed a half-time rollicking from Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill sparked their second half revival against visiting Burnley.

Storrie reveals £131m wage bill (Feb 22, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Peter Storrie has blown wide open to the inside story of where the money has gone at Portsmouth, with Soccernet able to reveal that £131 million has been paid to the players in wages over the past three years.

Who can begrudge Spurs a Champions League place? (Feb 21, 2010 22:30 GMT)
Harry Harris, while admitting an element of bias, believes Spurs can nail fourth place in the Premier League.

Team of the Week, February 21, 2010 (Feb 21, 2010 20:19 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Premier League: Spurs, Villa seize the initiative (Feb 21, 2010 17:10 GMT)
While's Saturday's programme of five matches centred around the battle for the Premier League title, Sunday's games threw new light on the battle for European places after Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa stole a march in the race for fourth place b

Premier Showdown - Feb 20-21 (Feb 21, 2010 16:09 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Zola delighted with "unpredictable, crazy" Diamanti (Feb 21, 2010 13:45 GMT)
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola believes he has unearthed a real gem in Alessandro Diamanti after another stunning performance by the Italian in their 3-0 demolition of relegation rivals Hull at Upton Park.

Evra says winning title will be harder than expected (Feb 21, 2010 13:30 GMT)
Patrice Evra has admitted Manchester United are going to find it harder to win the Premier League title than they imagined.

Moyes confident of keeping Rodwell and Gosling (Feb 21, 2010 12:13 GMT)
David Moyes believes Everton can keep their youngsters Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling out of the clutches of the big boys.

Carragher eyes top summer signings to close gap (Feb 21, 2010 11:52 GMT)
Jamie Carragher feels Liverpool need two or three "top-class additions" if they are to avoid another season battling for fourth.

Van der Sar set to sign new one-year United deal (Feb 21, 2010 11:24 GMT)
Veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar looks set to sign a new one-year contract with Manchester United.

Fergie backing for Glazers (Feb 21, 2010 11:11 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson believes fans have every right to protest against the Glazers but insists he has never had a problem with Manchester United's owners.

Ferguson questions "harebrained" play-off scheme (Feb 21, 2010 10:21 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson feels the notion of a Premier League play-off system to allow clubs finishing outside the top four to compete for a Champions League place is "harebrained".

South African consortium to save Portsmouth? (Feb 20, 2010 23:02 GMT)
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie believes the embattled club will be sold to a South African consortium on Monday, the club's fifth owner of the season, thus saving the club from going under with just days to spare.

Jolly: Chelsea carve victory in Jose's image (Feb 20, 2010 19:14 GMT)
Richard Jolly saw Chelsea beat a somewhat unlucky Wolves as Inter D-Day approaches.

Robinho claims he snubbed Barcelona for Santos (Feb 20, 2010 17:55 GMT)
Robinho claims he rejected the chance to move to Barcelona in order to return to Santos.

Fabianski set for bench role (Feb 20, 2010 17:20 GMT)
Under-fire Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski could find himself taken out of the firing line if regular number one Manuel Almunia is passed fit for the clash against Sunderland.

Premier League: Chelsea profit as United crash (Feb 20, 2010 16:59 GMT)
The Premier League pendulum swung back towards Chelsea after their 2-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers gave them a four-point breathing space at the top having seen Manchester United defeated earlier on Saturday.

SOCCERNET LIVE: Latest updates and chat (Feb 20, 2010 12:54 GMT)
MatchDay Live - February 20

Mascherano insists he would never move to City (Feb 20, 2010 12:31 GMT)
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano insists he would never join Manchester City despite the riches on offer.

Portsmouth owner takes Fratton Park to ease debt (Feb 20, 2010 12:02 GMT)
Balram Chainrai has taken possession of Fratton Park and the freehold of Portmouth's land in return for writing off £10 million of his £17 million loans.

Ferguson wants Scholes to prolong playing career (Feb 20, 2010 11:52 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has urged Paul Scholes to shelve all thoughts of retiring at the end of the current campaign.

Mancini not keen on Champions League play-off (Feb 20, 2010 11:30 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini wants to win a Champions League place on merit - and not via any play-off.

Redknapp holding onto Champions League hope (Feb 20, 2010 11:18 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp insists his side are still in the race for a Champions League place despite seeing the goals dry up in recent weeks.

Portsmouth nine days from going bust after ruling (Feb 20, 2010 09:46 GMT)
Soccernet has been told that Portsmouth are on the verge of going bust after the Premier League refused to allow the club to sell players to raise the £4 million needed to pay this month's wage bill and last month's PAYE.

Boateng launches attack on "amateurish" Pompey (Feb 20, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Kevin-Prince Boateng has slammed Portsmouth over his injury a day after they pleaded with the game's governing bodies to be allowed to sell players.

Carlisle to test his intellect on TV's Countdown (Feb 19, 2010 15:23 GMT)
As Burnley search for the answer to their Premier League survival conundrum, defender Clarke Carlisle is hoping to solve some more of his own.

Unhappy Pavlyuchenko to earn Spurs start (Feb 19, 2010 14:45 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is set to give Roman Pavlyuchenko a rare start over the next week despite a rift with the Russia striker over a potential move to Lokomotiv Moscow.

Bruce expects to be given time despite poor form (Feb 19, 2010 14:36 GMT)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is confident he still has the club's full backing despite his side's recent slide down the Premier League table.

Defender Vidic ready to return for United (Feb 19, 2010 14:23 GMT)
Nemanja Vidic could end his seven-week absence from the Manchester United first team in Saturday's Premier League game against Everton, manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed.

Ferguson hails Rooney ahead of Everton return (Feb 19, 2010 13:57 GMT)
Wayne Rooney returns to Everton on Saturday with Sir Alex Ferguson convinced his star striker at Manchester United is now one of the world's best players.

Chelsea remind players to "protect club's image" (Feb 19, 2010 13:38 GMT)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti and chief executive Ron Gourlay have reminded the first-team squad of their responsibility for protecting the image of the club after a series of embarrassing headlines in recent weeks.

Mascherano plays down importance of City clash (Feb 19, 2010 12:59 GMT)
Javier Mascherano does not believe that Sunday's meeting of Manchester City and Liverpool will be a decisive game in the battle for fourth place in the Premier League.

Mancini denies Bellamy row reports (Feb 19, 2010 12:27 GMT)
Roberto Mancini is adamant he has not fallen out with Craig Bellamy despite reports in a national newspaper that he was involved in a heated row with the Manchester City striker.

The week that was: Feb 20 (Feb 19, 2010 11:22 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week when the world's costliest XI was revealed and Fred felt Kaka's ire.

FA confirms Vieira to serve three-match ban (Feb 19, 2010 11:17 GMT)
The Football Association has confirmed Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira will serve a three-match ban after admitting to a charge of violent conduct on Thursday.

Storrie seeks proof of funds from Pompey suitors (Feb 19, 2010 10:37 GMT)
Chief executive Peter Storrie is seeking proof of funds from Portsmouth's potential fifth owners of the season and Soccernet understands a deal could be struck over the weekend which could save the club from going bust.

Warnock labels Wolves punishment "a disgrace" (Feb 19, 2010 09:58 GMT)
Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock has described as "a disgrace" the Premier League's decision to punish Wolves for fielding a weakened team against Manchester United in December.

Soccernet Preview: Portsmouth v Stoke (Feb 19, 2010 08:32 GMT)
Tom Adams previews Portsmouth's game against Stoke which is live on ESPN UK.

Soccernet Preview: Everton v Man United (Feb 19, 2010 08:32 GMT)
Dale Johnson previews Man United's trip to Everton as Wayne Rooney is back on familiar ground.

Soccernet Preview: Blackburn v Bolton (Feb 19, 2010 08:32 GMT)
Jon Carter previews Bolton's trip to Blackburn live on ESPN UK on Sunday.

Clubs concerned by Pompey plan (Feb 19, 2010 08:20 GMT)
A number of Premier League clubs have voiced their concerns over proposals that Portsmouth will be granted permission to sell their players outside of the transfer window in order to salvage the club's financial situation.

Laporta: Barca won't make Fab bid (Feb 19, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Arsenal's chances of retaining captain Cesc Fabregas this summer have improved following the news that Barcelona president Joan Laporta is not planning to make an attempt to sign the midfielder.

Vieira 'reluctantly' accepts violent conduct charge (Feb 18, 2010 23:19 GMT)
Patrick Vieira will almost certainly be given a three-match ban by the Football Association tomorrow after "reluctantly deciding" to accept a violent conduct charge.

Bullard ready for comeback against West Ham (Feb 18, 2010 18:36 GMT)
Jimmy Bullard could make his latest comeback from injury in Hull's Premier League clash against West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday.

Storrie: Agents have taken a financial hit to help Pompey (Feb 18, 2010 17:17 GMT)
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie has informed Soccernet that players' agents and former owners of the club have agreed to defer payments owed to them, and insisted he has put measures into place that will help save the club from extinc

Pulis believes Stoke deserve credit for fair play (Feb 18, 2010 13:46 GMT)
Stoke manager Tony Pulis has launched a rousing defence of his players in the wake of Patrick Vieira being charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.

Pompey seek permission to sell players (Feb 18, 2010 13:16 GMT)
Portsmouth have asked the Premier League for permission to sell players outside of the transfer window in order to secure their future.

McLeish ready to sign new deal at Birmingham (Feb 18, 2010 11:15 GMT)
Alex McLeish is ready to commit his long-term future to Birmingham after holding preliminary talks regarding a new contract.

Vidic stresses commitment to Manchester United (Feb 18, 2010 10:28 GMT)
Nemanja Vidic has stressed his commitment to Manchester United and rejected rumours he is set to join Real Madrid this summer.

League punishes Wolves over under-strength team (Feb 18, 2010 09:44 GMT)
Wolves have been handed a suspended £25,000 fine after the Premier League decided the team fielded against Manchester United earlier this season was in breach of rules.

Jones to focus on Sunderland after "crazy" January (Feb 18, 2010 09:12 GMT)
After a "crazy" January in which Kenwyne Jones was the centre of a transfer dispute between Sunderland and Liverpool, the striker is now keen to prove his commitment to the Black Cats in the remainder of the season.

Steven Pienaar plays down Bayern Munich link (Feb 18, 2010 08:49 GMT)
Everton winger Steven Pienaar insists he is happy at the club despite rumours he is being lined up for a switch to Bayern Munich.

Bent quits Twitter to focus on relegation battle (Feb 17, 2010 18:21 GMT)
Sunderland striker Darren Bent says he has stopped using Twitter so he can focus on saving his side from Premier League relegation.

Benitez ridicules Champs League play-off plans (Feb 17, 2010 16:17 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has ridiculed the idea of a play-off for the final Champions League place, claiming clubs "will be playing until the end of the century''.

Pavlyuchenko pleads for Tottenham departure (Feb 17, 2010 15:53 GMT)
Roman Pavlyuchenko has accused Harry Redknapp of "jeering" him and the Russian striker has pleaded with his manager to allow him to leave Tottenham Hotspur.

Hammers settle Curbishley compensation claim (Feb 17, 2010 13:29 GMT)
West Ham United have agreed a settlement with Alan Curbishley over the manager's claim for wrongful dismissal, the League Managers Association (LMA) has confirmed.

O'Neill's biggest week (Feb 17, 2010 09:22 GMT)
Phil Shaw on a testing week for Aston Villa that could see them end their long trophy drought.

Dale Johnson: Play-off idea could do more harm than good (Feb 17, 2010 09:22 GMT)
Dale Johnson looks at the issues surrounding a fourth place Champions League play-off.

Arrest warrant issued for Pompey chairman (Feb 17, 2010 09:08 GMT)
Dubai authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Portsmouth chairman Sulaiman al-Fahim over an alleged unpaid debt of £1.3 million.

Hubbard: 'Real' Rooney offers antidote to football glamour (Feb 17, 2010 08:28 GMT)
Norman Hubbard says Waye Rooney's 'real' image is a perfect antidote to the glitz and glamour of modern football.

Agent claims United defender Vidic "not for sale" (Feb 16, 2010 19:36 GMT)
Nemanja Vidic's agent has declared the Manchester United defender is "not for sale" despite persistent reports that the defender will be leaving Old Trafford in the summer.

Arshavin pleads with Fabregas to stay at Arsenal (Feb 16, 2010 18:41 GMT)
Andrei Arshavin has pleaded with Cesc Fabregas not to leave Arsenal for Barcelona at the end of the campaign, although he admits he understands the temptation.

Everton midfielder Fellaini ruled out for six months (Feb 16, 2010 18:26 GMT)
Everton boss David Moyes has revealed that Marouane Fellaini will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury picked up in the Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool.

Chat LIVE with ESPNsoccernet's Dom Raynor (Feb 16, 2010 14:38 GMT)
Join us at 1500 UK for a LIVE chat with Dominic Raynor.

Martinez admits Koumas could be loaned out (Feb 16, 2010 13:33 GMT)
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has revealed midfielder Jason Koumas could leave the club on loan.

Who is there to guide Arsenal's great leader? (Feb 16, 2010 12:58 GMT)
Wayne Veysey asks who at Arsenal is prepared to question Arsene Wenger's judgment.

Fantasy Focus: Increase your Arsenal (Feb 16, 2010 11:45 GMT)
With a third of the fantasy season to go, Dale Johnson advises a move for Arsenal players.

Mancini wants more focus ahead of Stoke game (Feb 16, 2010 11:38 GMT)
Roberto Mancini has called on his Manchester City players to pay more attention at set-pieces as they aim to gatecrash the Premier League's top four.

Coyle encouraged by Cahill progress after clot (Feb 16, 2010 10:50 GMT)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has been encouraged by Gary Cahill's progress after the defender was sidelined with a blood clot in his left arm.

''Famous'' English club linked with IPL franchise bid (Feb 16, 2010 10:22 GMT)
The owners of a "top UK football club" are interested in buying a cricket team in the Indian Premier League according to IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.

Wenger and Moyes voice fears over play-off plans (Feb 16, 2010 09:21 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger sees no sense in the proposed introduction of a play-off for the final Champions League spot - and insists there is no reason to think the top four will always stay the same.

Redknapp blocks Lokomotiv bid for Pavlyuchenko (Feb 16, 2010 08:37 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has blocked a Lokomotiv Moscow bid for striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Ashton: Owners ''ripping their hair out'' over me (Feb 15, 2010 21:46 GMT)
Dean Ashton admits West Ham's new owners David Sullivan and David Gold must be ''ripping their hair out'' at the decision of the previous Hammers regime to award him a new five-year contract just 18 months before he was forced to quit the game at the

Eriksson considering offers, says agent Still (Feb 15, 2010 21:03 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson is a man in demand, according to his agent Athole Still.

Sunderland confirm six-week lay-off for Henderson (Feb 15, 2010 17:21 GMT)
Sunderland have confirmed teenage midfielder Jordan Henderson will miss the next six weeks after damaging ankle ligaments against Wigan earlier this month.

Premier League ponder Champs League play-off (Feb 15, 2010 14:57 GMT)
Soccernet understands that some Premier League clubs have expressed their fears about the adverse effect on English football should there be a four-way play-off to decide who claims England's final Champions League place.

Morgan: Liverpool should have accepted my offer (Feb 15, 2010 14:19 GMT)
Wolves owner Steve Morgan claims Liverpool would be debt-free if they accepted his investment offer before George Gillett and Tom Hicks eventually took charge at Anfield.

Fifth Official: Pompey play up (Feb 15, 2010 10:46 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Hodgson: Premier League remains our priority (Feb 15, 2010 10:44 GMT)
Roy Hodgson has stressed that the league remains Fulham's chief priority this season, despite seeing his team advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

Saints fans assail Pompey chief and wife (Feb 15, 2010 09:59 GMT)
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie and his wife were attacked after Portsmouth's 4-1 FA Cup victory over Southampton on Saturday, with Saints fans shoving bank notes in their faces.

Whelan: We need tighter financial regulations (Feb 15, 2010 09:58 GMT)
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has urged the Premier League to implement and enforce tighter financial regulations, describing struggling Portsmouth's plight as a "crying shame".

Utaka wage reports quashed (Feb 15, 2010 09:12 GMT)
John Utaka wants it be known he's not on an exorbitant wage at Portsmouth after being singled out for criticism.

Togo want Prem stars to help fight Nations Cup ban (Feb 14, 2010 22:14 GMT)
Togo coach Hubert Velud has once again slammed the decision to ban the team from the next two editions of the African Nations Cup, revealing they are attempting to get Premier League stars on their side in a bid to overturn the sanction.

Storrie: Fifth Portsmouth takeover is close (Feb 14, 2010 20:03 GMT)
Peter Storrie has announced to Soccernet that he anticipates Portsmouth will be saved from going bust as he believes that the fifth takeover of the season is now likely to be confirmed within the next 48 hours.

McLeish steps up bid to keep Hart at Birmingham (Feb 14, 2010 17:02 GMT)
Alex McLeish has told Birmingham chief executive Michael Dunford to step up attempts to keep keeper Joe Hart at St Andrew's for at least another season.

Del Bosque: Rafa's Torres loss is Spain's gain (Feb 14, 2010 13:56 GMT)
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque wants Fernando Torres to play as few games for Liverpool as possible in the build-up to the World Cup in order to ensure that the striker is at his peak in South Africa.

Altidore keen on permanent move to Hull City (Feb 14, 2010 12:37 GMT)
United States star Jozy Altidore has hinted he wants to remain at Hull City beyond the expiration of his loan deal at the end of the current Premier League season.

Brady to relinquish Ireland role to focus on Arsenal (Feb 14, 2010 12:09 GMT)
Liam Brady has announced he will step down as Ireland's assistant manager in April in order to focus fully on his duties as the head of Arsenal's youth academy.

Gold: Premier League cannot let Pompey go bust (Feb 14, 2010 11:52 GMT)
West Ham co-owner David Gold has urged the Premier League to "take responsibility" for Portsmouth's financial crisis and prevent the club from sliding towards extinction.

Etherington reveals £1.5 million gambling losses (Feb 14, 2010 10:59 GMT)
Stoke winger Matthew Etherington has admitted he lost £1.5 million before giving up gambling and claims card games between team-mates were a problem during his time at West Ham.

Van Persie reveals snub to four clubs last summer (Feb 14, 2010 10:23 GMT)
Robin van Persie says his emotional attachment to Arsenal convinced him to reject four rival clubs when signing a new contract last summer.

Bent blames lack of communication for poor form (Feb 13, 2010 16:00 GMT)
Sunderland striker Darren Bent believes poor communication on the pitch and a failure to defend as a team have led to their recent poor form.

Iwelumo seals emergency loan to Bristol City (Feb 13, 2010 15:27 GMT)
Bristol City have signed Chris Iwelumo on a month-long emergency loan deal from Wolves.

Moyes forced to wait for news on Fellaini (Feb 13, 2010 14:20 GMT)
Everton will have to wait until next week to discover the extent of Marouane Fellaini's ankle injury.

John Terry accepts fault for defeat at Everton (Feb 13, 2010 12:37 GMT)
John Terry has accepted responsibility for the goals that saw Chelsea lose 2-1 at Everton on Wednesday night.

Liam Brady to leave Republic of Ireland role (Feb 13, 2010 11:25 GMT)
Arsenal director of youth development Liam Brady has put club before country and confirmed he will be standing down as assistant manager of Republic of Ireland in April.

Benayoun closing in on return from broken rib (Feb 13, 2010 10:43 GMT)
Rafael Benitez has revealed that Yossi Benayoun has return to first-team training with Liverpool after his broken rib.

Guus Hiddink confirms departure from Russia post (Feb 13, 2010 10:18 GMT)
Russia boss Guus Hiddink has confirmed he will leave the position when his contract expires in the summer.

Redknapp can't understand Portsmouth spending (Feb 13, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Former Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has questioned why the struggling Premier League club continued to spend after the departure of former owner Alexandre Gaydamak.

Benitez rules out chance of quick Torres return (Feb 13, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has dismissed speculation star striker Fernando Torres could return to action next week.

Fabregas dismisses age as an excuse for Gunners (Feb 13, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Arsenal skipper Francesc Fabregas insists the club cannot use age as an excuse should they fail to deliver a trophy this season.

Boss Hodgson blasts "ingratitude" of Fulham fans (Feb 12, 2010 17:20 GMT)
Roy Hodgson has slammed Fulham fans who have criticised club owner Mohamed Al Fayed for not splashing the cash in pursuit of silverware.

Struggling Pompey sign Serbia defender Tosic (Feb 12, 2010 16:45 GMT)
Struggling Portsmouth have signed former Werder Bremen defender Dusko Tosic on a free transfer, with Avram Grant attempting to bolster his options ahead of the club's relegation run-in.

Hull midfielder Boateng wins red card appeal (Feb 12, 2010 15:35 GMT)
Hull City midfielder George Boateng has succeeded in his appeal against his dismissal in the match against Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday and his three-match ban has been withdrawn, the Football Association has announced.

Coyle optimistic Cahill could play again this term (Feb 12, 2010 11:49 GMT)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has not given up hope that defender Gary Cahill could play again before the end of the current campaign.

Top stars shun gay awareness campaign (Feb 12, 2010 10:17 GMT)
Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor has defended the game's top players after reports that no top players were prepared to appear in a video campaign against homophobia.

The week that was: Feb 12 (Feb 12, 2010 10:12 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week when Milan laughed off claims they sold Madrid a crocked Kaka.

Jolly: Jovanovic deal a sign of the times (Feb 12, 2010 10:12 GMT)
Richard Jolly explains why the arrival of Milan Jovanovic is symptomatic of Liverpool's recent transfer policy.

Rooney gives evidence in £4.3m commission fight (Feb 12, 2010 08:01 GMT)
England striker Wayne Rooney played a starring role in the defence of his agent - as he battled a £4.3 million legal suit.

FA confirms Hull appeal over Boateng dismissal (Feb 11, 2010 17:04 GMT)
Hull City have appealed against the red card shown to midfielder George Boateng in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

FA charge Pompey's Grant with improper conduct (Feb 11, 2010 17:04 GMT)
The Football Association have charged Portsmouth manager Avram Grant with improper conduct for confronting referee Kevin Friend at half-time during the 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Tuesday.

Gerrard upset by "crazy" Webb decision (Feb 11, 2010 11:57 GMT)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has blasted referee Howard Webb's "crazy" decision not to award them a penalty in Wednesday night's 1-0 defeat at Arsenal.

Fletcher explains United's own goal fortune (Feb 11, 2010 11:53 GMT)
Darren Fletcher has a simple explanation for the astonishing number of own goals Manchester United have benefited from this season.

Hull and Arsenal fined for row (Feb 11, 2010 11:41 GMT)
Hull City have been fined £40,000 and Arsenal £20,000 and both clubs warned over their future conduct for failing to control their players in a Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium on December 19.

Fabregas and Barcelona deny summer deal (Feb 11, 2010 10:19 GMT)
Arsenal captain Cesc Fàbregas has denied rumours that he has agreed a deal to join Spanish champions Barcelona next season.

Giggs out for four weeks with broken arm (Feb 11, 2010 09:48 GMT)
Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs fractured his arm in Wednesday night's Premier League 1-1 draw at Aston Villa and will be sidelined for four weeks.

Storrie: VAT dispute is behind Portsmouth case (Feb 11, 2010 09:31 GMT)
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie has told Soccernet why he believes Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs are pushing the stricken Premier League club to the brink of going bust.

Redknapp and Mandaric in court on tax charges (Feb 11, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Premier League manager Harry Redknapp and former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric faced charges of tax evasion in court om Thursday.

Giggs a doubt for Milan after arm injury at Villa (Feb 10, 2010 23:35 GMT)
Ryan Giggs has been sent for an X-ray on an arm injury he suffered at Aston Villa, sparking fears he could miss Manchester United's Champions League encounter with AC Milan on Tuesday.

Chelsea confirm Terry will miss Cardiff cup tie (Feb 10, 2010 23:11 GMT)
Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins tonight confirmed John Terry will not play against Cardiff in the FA Cup on Saturday and will be given time off.

Premier League: Arsenal win as rivals slip up (Feb 10, 2010 22:17 GMT)
Arsenal beat Liverpool

Premier Showdown - Feb 9-10 (Feb 10, 2010 18:02 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

SOCCERNET LIVE: Latest updates and chat (Feb 10, 2010 16:33 GMT)
MatchDay Live - February 9

Coyle talks up Wilshere England prospects (Feb 10, 2010 15:35 GMT)
Bolton boss Owen Coyle has been impressed by the start youngster Jack Wilshere has made to his Wanderers career and is convinced he has an England international of the future on his hands.

Pompey handed reprieve (Feb 10, 2010 13:18 GMT)
Portsmouth have been given a seven-day reprieve to sort out their financial mess after Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) told the High Court that the club are "insolvent". The club must be provide a "statement of affairs" by 4pm GMT on February

Man City's Vieira charged by FA over Whelan kick (Feb 10, 2010 13:03 GMT)
Manchester City are waiting to hear whether Patrick Vieira will face disciplinary action after appearing to kick Stoke City's Glenn Whelan between the legs.

Pompey submit statement of affairs to High Court (Feb 10, 2010 12:54 GMT)
Portsmouth will discover in the next few hours if they are solvent and can persuade courts on March 1 not to shut them down.

Barca "flatly deny" Fabregas move (Feb 10, 2010 12:18 GMT)
Barcelona "flatly deny'' they have reached an agreement with Cesc Fabregas to bring him back to the club at the end of the season. Reports in Spain suggested the Arsenal midfielder could be heading back to Barca in the summer, but the club have acted

Ex-Spurs chairman Sugar blasts irresponsible clubs (Feb 10, 2010 11:08 GMT)
Former Tottenham chairman Lord Sugar has criticised the "irresponsible manner'' in which he thinks most football clubs' finances are run, with Portsmouth facing the threat of being wound up on Wednesday over an unpaid tax debt.

McLeish crosses fingers on Christian Benitez injury (Feb 10, 2010 10:15 GMT)
Alex McLeish is hoping Birmingham striker Christian Benitez will be fit "sooner rather than later'' after being forced to change his starting line-up for the first time in 13 Premier League games.

Striker Jovanovic reaches Liverpool agreement (Feb 10, 2010 09:59 GMT)
Highly-rated Serbia international Milan Jovanovic has revealed that he will join Liverpool on a free transfer this summer, after his contract at Standard Liege expires.

Hubbard: Clubs avoiding continuity issues (Feb 10, 2010 09:57 GMT)
Norman Hubbard explains why clubs are opting for continuity in their managerial appointments.

Nani: I've never considered quitting United (Feb 10, 2010 09:39 GMT)
Manchester United winger Nani has claimed he never thought about quitting Old Trafford even in the depths of his miserable form, and revealed he is aiming to become "one of the best in the world".

Wenger: Arsenal can't afford to buy big names (Feb 10, 2010 09:00 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that budget restrictions mean he "cannot afford" to bring big-name players to the club, and also insisted that football lives in an "artificial world".

Brown hails Rooney influence (Feb 10, 2010 08:02 GMT)
Wayne Rooney's presence is enough to give Manchester United a lift such is the aura that has been built up around the England striker, according to club and international team-mate Wes Brown. Rooney took his goal tally for the season to 23 in the 5-1

Benitez plans to copy rivals to smother Arsenal (Feb 10, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez plans to follow the counter-attacking blueprint set by Manchester United and Chelsea when his side take on Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday night.

Bruce woes eased as Malbranque escapes injury (Feb 10, 2010 08:00 GMT)
The dark cloud surrounding Sunderland after their Premier League draw at Portsmouth has been given a silver lining with the news that winger Steed Malbranque has been released from hospital after having tests on a chest injury.

Portsmouth seek 28-day delay to winding-up order (Feb 9, 2010 23:31 GMT)
Portsmouth have failed to reach agreement with the Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs over a £7.5 million debt and will go to the High Court begging for a 28-day delay to a winding-up order.

City boss Mancini still confident of top four finish (Feb 9, 2010 23:16 GMT)
Roberto Mancini insists he is more confident than ever that Manchester City can finish fourth in the Premier League this season, despite suffering two defeats in his first six league games in charge.

Premier League: Pompey fight on, City loom up (Feb 9, 2010 22:07 GMT)
Manchester City's hunt for fourth place continues after a routine yet unconvincing 2-0 defeat of Bolton Wanderers. Adam Johnson and Patrick Vieira were able to make debuts and the younger Englishman was the more impressive in winning the penalty that

SOCCERNET LIVE: Latest updates and chat (Feb 9, 2010 17:37 GMT)
MatchDay Live - February 9

Calderon: Ronaldo snubbed Barca for Real move (Feb 9, 2010 17:13 GMT)
Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon claims Cristiano Ronaldo rejected a move to Barcelona in order to join their bitter rivals.

Moyes sweats on Fellaini fitness ahead of Chelsea (Feb 9, 2010 16:39 GMT)
Everton boss David Moyes is still anxiously awaiting news on the fitness of key midfielder Marouane Fellaini.

John Terry to be rested for Cardiff City match (Feb 9, 2010 16:11 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti has given John Terry compassionate leave of absence to see his wife and family in Dubai as he seeks to sort out his private life.

Spurs boss Redknapp riled by long-ball claims (Feb 9, 2010 15:23 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has hit back at claims his side rely on Peter Crouch's height and has branded accusations of long-ball football as "rubbish''.

Benitez: Liverpool unlikely to sign Chamakh (Feb 9, 2010 14:26 GMT)
Rafael Benitez has admitted there is little chance of Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh joining the club this summer.

Ferdinand withdraws appeal against FA decision (Feb 9, 2010 13:36 GMT)
Rio Ferdinand has withdrawn his appeal against the extension of his three-match ban for violent conduct.

Ancelotti explains backing for scandal-hit Terry (Feb 9, 2010 12:57 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti has explained he has not thought of replacing John Terry as Chelsea captain as it is not his job to "monitor the private lives" of his playing staff.

Blackburn to mark death of supporter against Hull (Feb 9, 2010 12:49 GMT)
Blackburn will mark the death of a supporter when they face Hull in the Premier League at Ewood Park on Wednesday.

Fantasy Focus: Squad of the Month (Feb 9, 2010 12:42 GMT)
Dale Johnson picks out the top performing Premier League fantasy players for January.

Robinho aims dig at Roberto Mancini's tactics (Feb 9, 2010 12:19 GMT)
Robinho has criticised Roberto Mancini for not giving him the freedom to express himself. The striker was loaned back to his first club, Santos, last month and marked his debut on Sunday with the winning goal in their 2-1 win over Sao Paulo.

Wenger denies Chamakh deal (Feb 9, 2010 11:49 GMT)
Arsene Wenger maintains no deal has yet been done to sign Marouane Chamakh, who is available on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Bolton skipper: Man City not ready for top four (Feb 9, 2010 11:01 GMT)
Bolton skipper Kevin Davies has dismissed Manchester City's chances of breaking into the top four this season ahead of the meeting of the two sides on Tuesday night.

Wenger blames press for Ballack row erupting (Feb 9, 2010 10:36 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has blamed the press for misrepresenting his post-match comments after Michael Ballack accused the Arsenal manager of being a bad loser following his side's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Blues chairman denies bad blood with Hammers (Feb 9, 2010 10:22 GMT)
Birmingham owner Carson Yeung's right-hand man, Peter Pannu, has insisted there will be no bad blood when they meet previous owners David Sullivan and David Gold at West Ham on Wednesday.

Ferguson considering Scotland return after talks (Feb 9, 2010 10:11 GMT)
Birmingham midfielder Barry Ferguson claims new Scotland boss Craig Levein is the only manager who could tempt him to return to international football.

Portsmouth make £1.8m offer as talks continue (Feb 9, 2010 09:53 GMT)
Portsmouth have offered £1.8 million on their outstanding tax bill of £7.5 million as they seek to delay the winding-up order issued by HM Revenue & Customs.

Van Persie's ankle recovery "right on schedule" (Feb 9, 2010 09:17 GMT)
Robin van Persie has described his recovery from a serious ankle injury as "right on schedule" as he aims to return for the latter stages of Arsenal's season.

Indian tycoon Ambani denies making Liverpool bid (Feb 9, 2010 08:36 GMT)
Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani has swiftly denied reports on Tuesday morning that he has made an offer to secure a 51% stake in Liverpool.

Coyle defends Davies (Feb 9, 2010 08:08 GMT)
Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle has urged the Football Association not to take action against Kevin Davies despite the striker claiming referee Mark Clattenburg has a personal grudge against him.

Chat LIVE with ESPN Soccernet's Mark Lomas (Feb 9, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Join us at 1500 BST for a LIVE chat with Mark Lomas.

Sullivan: Zola has every right to criticise me (Feb 9, 2010 08:00 GMT)
David Sullivan has warned West Ham will face "Armageddon" if they are relegated this season and has prepared all present at Upton Park for substantial pay cuts in the summer.

Ballack slams Wenger criticism (Feb 8, 2010 23:40 GMT)
Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has hit out at Arsene Wenger's criticism of the Premier League leaders, after the Arsenal boss accused the Blues of tactically fouling his players during the 2-0 defeat that has left the Gunners nine points adrift i

Under-fire Terry thanks Chelsea fans for support (Feb 8, 2010 19:01 GMT)
Embattled Chelsea captain John Terry has thanked the club's fans for their support in the wake of allegations about his private life. Terry was stripped of the England captaincy by Fabio Capello as a result of his alleged affair with Vanessa Perronce

Kagisho Dikgacoi blow heightens Fulham problems (Feb 8, 2010 15:14 GMT)
Fulham midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi has been ruled out for up to six weeks because of ankle ligament damage.

Sunderland midfielder Henderson facing lay-off (Feb 8, 2010 14:29 GMT)
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has confirmed Jordan Henderson is to have a scan on his injured ankle and expects the midfielder to be out for at least a month.

Stoke striker Fuller arrested after nightclub incident (Feb 8, 2010 12:24 GMT)
Stoke City striker Ricardo Fuller has been arrested following an incident at a nightclub, the Premier League side confirmed on Monday morning.

Edman's Wigan deal cancelled by mutual consent (Feb 8, 2010 11:37 GMT)
Wigan have confirmed that left-back Erik Edman has left the club ahead of an expected move to Helsingborg.

Fifth Official: Team Terry out in full force (Feb 8, 2010 10:47 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Cahill ruled out for months (Feb 8, 2010 09:50 GMT)
Bolton defender Gary Cahill has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a blood clot in his arm.

Kevin Davies hits out at referee Mark Clattenburg (Feb 8, 2010 09:16 GMT)
Bolton forward Kevin Davies believes referee Mark Clattenburg disallowed his goal against Fulham because of "something personal".

Wenger feels Chelsea experience cost Arsenal (Feb 8, 2010 08:47 GMT)
Arsene Wenger believes Chelsea's experience and efficiency meant they were able to prevent Arsenal playing on the weekend.

Storrie pleads for time as Revenue hearing looms (Feb 8, 2010 08:38 GMT)
Soccernet can reveal that lawyers representing Portsmouth were locked in crisis talks with the lawyers of HM Revenue & Customs on Monday in a last-ditch bit to ward off Wednesday's winding-up order.

Marouane Chamakh hoping to seal Arsenal switch (Feb 8, 2010 08:24 GMT)
Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has confirmed he wants to join Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer.

Burnley plan Turf Moor works, Football University (Feb 8, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Burnley have announced plans to use their Premier League status to boost the town by establishing England's first "Football University" as part of an ambitious "Premier Plan" that would also see Turf Moor stadium redeveloped.

Buoyant boss Ancelotti praises "perfect" Terry (Feb 8, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti paid tribute to his "perfect'' captain John Terry after two goals from Didier Drogba against Arsenal put the Blues back on top of the Premier League.

Kevin Palmer: Terry shrugs off media storm (Feb 7, 2010 19:21 GMT)
Kevin Palmer was at Stamford Bridge to watch John Terry lead Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League.

Premier Showdown - Feb 6-7 (Feb 7, 2010 14:05 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Troubled Portsmouth set for yet more upheaval (Feb 7, 2010 10:51 GMT)
Portsmouth could be on course for their fifth owner of a turbulent season.

Ancelotti: Rooney the best player in the world (Feb 7, 2010 10:33 GMT)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney as the best player in the world.

Injured Blackburn Rovers fan dies in hospital (Feb 7, 2010 09:44 GMT)
A football fan critically injured at a Premier League match on Saturday died in hospital, police said on Sunday.

Team of the Week, February 07, 2010 (Feb 7, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Kevin Palmer: Spurs' brand new Bentley (Feb 6, 2010 20:36 GMT)
Kevin Palmer was at Tottenham as David Bentley continued his return from exile against Villa.

Penalty escape delights Villa defender Dunne (Feb 6, 2010 19:57 GMT)
Richard Dunne conceded his Aston Villa side may have been fortunate not to concede a late penalty in the 0-0 draw with fellow Champions League hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

SOCCERNET LIVE: Latest updates and chat (Feb 6, 2010 17:34 GMT)
MatchDay Live - February 6

Premier League: United go top, Liverpool win derby (Feb 6, 2010 17:28 GMT)
Manchester United crushed Portsmouth 5-0, with a hat-trick of Pompey own goals helping Sir Alex Ferguson's side climb to the top of the Premier League and piling more woe on the struggling south coast club.

Harris: Battling Benitez believes in fourth place (Feb 6, 2010 16:03 GMT)
Harry Harris pays tribute to the heroics of Rafa Benitez and ten-man Liverpool in the derby.

Portsmouth won't challenge Chainrai takeover (Feb 6, 2010 15:10 GMT)
Portsmouth executive director Mark Jacob has revealed to Soccernet that the club will not be challenging the temporary takeover of Hong Kong-based businessman Balram Chainrai.

Spurs manager Redknapp targets top three finish (Feb 6, 2010 14:21 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes the teams chasing a place in the Champions League can also finish in the top three of the Premier League this season.

Chelsea boss Ancelotti backs under-fire Terry (Feb 6, 2010 10:11 GMT)
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has thrown his support behind under-fire John Terry, after the Blues skipper was stripped of the England captaincy by Fabio Capello on Friday, insisting that he is a "very strong character".

Striker Saha extends Everton contract until 2012 (Feb 6, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Everton striker Louis Saha has signed a two-year contract extension which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2012. Saha's current deal was due to expire this summer and he was attracting interest from a number of clubs. However, he has opt

Hicks could sell Dallas Stars ice hockey team (Feb 5, 2010 23:18 GMT)
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is looking into the possibility of selling his NHL ice hockey team the Dallas Stars.

Fulham striker Johnson out for the season (Feb 5, 2010 19:40 GMT)
Fulham have confirmed that Andy Johnson has been ruled out for the rest of the season following surgery on his knee.

Rafa's ''crucial'' period (Feb 5, 2010 15:06 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez begins what he believes is a ''crucial'' period for his side with the 213th Merseyside derby at home to Everton.

Nasri: We can't lose at Chelsea (Feb 5, 2010 14:25 GMT)
Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri feels the Gunners will blow any chance they have of winning the Premier League if they lose at Chelsea on Sunday.

Arsenal's Fabregas reasserts his love for Barcelona (Feb 5, 2010 12:19 GMT)
The future of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is under the microscope again after the midfielder gave a radio interview highlighting his love for Barcelona.

United to cite Mascherano example in Rio appeal (Feb 5, 2010 11:19 GMT)
Manchester United will cite the example of Javier Mascherano when they attempt to prove Rio Ferdinand did not lodge a ''frivolous'' appeal against a three-match ban last week.

Dave Watson: Everton can finish fourth again (Feb 5, 2010 11:12 GMT)
Mark Lomas speaks to former Everton captain and club legend Dave Watson ahead of the Merseyside derby.

Evra: Fergie is like a child (Feb 5, 2010 10:33 GMT)
Manchester United defender insists that Sir Alex Ferguson still behaves ''like a child'' whenever his side notch up a victory.

Storrie: Portsmouth available for ''nothing'' (Feb 5, 2010 09:54 GMT)
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie has revealed to ESPNsoccernet that the club have two potential new buyers and that the club is going for a knock down price of "nothing".

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Tottenham v Aston Villa (Feb 5, 2010 09:27 GMT)
Jon Carter previews the battle for Europe as Villa travel to face fourth-placed Tottenham.

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Liverpool v Everton (Feb 5, 2010 09:26 GMT)
Mark Lomas previews the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, which is live on ESPN2.

The week that was: Feb 05 (Feb 5, 2010 09:24 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week when Robinho removed his Clark Kent disguise and donned his Superman underpants.

Chainrai: I have zero interest in buying Portsmouth (Feb 5, 2010 08:11 GMT)
Hong Kong-based businessman Balram Chainrai claims that despite taking control of Portsmouth on Thursday, he has no intention of staying in charge in the long term and that he is not the ''owner'' of the club.

Wenger backs Walcott to recover form and fitness (Feb 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger refuses to be frustrated by Theo Walcott's lack of form as the Arsenal striker continues his return from injury.

Van der Sar: United experience is key in title race (Feb 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Edwin Van der Sar believes Manchester United have the awareness that separates them from the rest and is confident they can kick on and lift an unprecedented fourth successive title.

Man City to make summer move for Real's Gago (Feb 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Manchester City will make another move to sign Real Madrid's Fernando Gago in the summer, having failed to land the Argentine midfielder on transfer deadline day.

Kuyt under pressure (Feb 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt says that he has felt under pressure as the Reds struggle to compete with some of their best players on the sidelines this season.

James waives contract rights to save England place (Feb 5, 2010 07:59 GMT)
David James has agreed to scrap a clause in his contract which gives him an automatic new deal after a set number of appearances to preserve his hopes of being England's number one at the World Cup in South Africa.

Chelsea cleared over Kakuta signing (Feb 5, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Chelsea's transfer ban has been lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the club have been cleared of any wrongdoing regarding the transfer of Gael Kakuta.

Wenger insists Gunners back in title hunt (Feb 5, 2010 07:38 GMT)
Arsene Wenger believes the Premier League title race will go to the wire after seeing his Arsenal side beat Liverpool 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium to move to within six points of leaders Chelsea, who were beaten at Everton.

Chelsea ready to move for Aguero and Ribery? (Feb 4, 2010 20:05 GMT)
Roman Abramovich will authorise a £200 million summer transfer extravaganza to land the world's best young talent to refresh an aging squad.

Ferguson reveals earlier Canada emigration plans (Feb 4, 2010 15:33 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he was so disillusioned with professional football at one point in his playing career that he almost quit the game and came close to emigrating to Canada.

Deco reveals international retirement plans (Feb 4, 2010 15:16 GMT)
Chelsea midfielder Deco has revealed he intends to quit Portugal after this summer's World Cup.

Everton remaining optimistic over new stadium (Feb 4, 2010 13:20 GMT)
Everton are looking again at the possibility of redeveloping Goodison Park but chief executive Robert Elstone remains optimistic over hopes for a new stadium in the city.

Soccernet looks at Portsmouth's owners (Feb 4, 2010 12:44 GMT)
Soccernet looks at Portsmouth's owners over the past six months.

Agent: Jovanovic has not signed for Liverpool (Feb 4, 2010 12:33 GMT)
Standard Liege forward Milan Jovanovic has not agreed to join Liverpool and is in advanced negotiations with Valencia, according to his agent.

Hull City settle Duffen dispute out of court (Feb 4, 2010 11:46 GMT)
Hull City have settled their legal dispute with former chairman Paul Duffen out of court, the club announced on Thursday morning.

Bridge and Lescott in line to return against Hull (Feb 4, 2010 11:19 GMT)
Manchester City have revealed both Wayne Bridge and Joleon Lescott are in line to feature against Hull on Saturday.

Birmingham to make major changes in summer (Feb 4, 2010 10:18 GMT)
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is set to reshape his squad in the summer with "significant" additions and "eight or nine players likely to leave".

Q&A: Ruud van Nistelrooy on Hamburg, Madrid and the Premier League (Feb 4, 2010 09:59 GMT)
Nick Bidwell speaks to Ruud van Nistelrooy about Hamburg, Madrid and the Premier League.

Injured Dyer won't quit after Sullivan drops hint (Feb 4, 2010 09:55 GMT)
Soccernet has learned that Kieron Dyer has no intention of retiring after new owner David Sullivan was quoted as saying the player should consider ending his career as he is costing the club too much for too little a return.

Chainrai takes over Pompey (Feb 4, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Portsmouth have been taken over by Balram Chainrai, after he exercised his right to buy 90% shareholding, but the Hong Kong businessman has no interest in running the club himself.

Hodgson fears op will end Johnson's season (Feb 3, 2010 23:38 GMT)
American surgeon Richard Steadman will perform an operation on Andy Johnson's knee on Thursday in a bid to save the striker's injury-plagued season.

Portsmouth confirm signing of free agent Rocha (Feb 3, 2010 17:46 GMT)
Portsmouth have confirmed the signing of former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ricardo Rocha on a free transfer until the end of the season.

Giggs: Rooney closing in on world's best players (Feb 3, 2010 15:35 GMT)
Ryan Giggs believes Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney is edging closer to those players currently regarded the best in the world after a sensational run of form that has seen the England striker already surpass his Premier League goal tally fo

Clarets new boy Cork takes advice from dad (Feb 3, 2010 15:02 GMT)
Jack Cork is hoping to make his father proud and prove he can cut it in the top flight with Burnley after arriving on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season.

Bruce expects Benjani to put pressure on Jones (Feb 3, 2010 13:28 GMT)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has challenged new signing Benjani Mwaruwari to push Kenwyne Jones all the way for a place in his starting line-up.

City slammed over Gago bid (Feb 3, 2010 10:25 GMT)
Fernando Gago's agent has hit out at Manchester City over their handling of their bid for the player, with Real Madrid's sporting director Jorge Valdano echoing his displeasure.

Wenger's No.1 priority (Feb 3, 2010 10:02 GMT)
Norman Hubbard says Arsenal's recent failures can be put down to a goalkeeping conundrum.

Palmer: Time for Wenger to swallow his pride (Feb 3, 2010 09:59 GMT)
Kevin Palmer says it is time for Arsene Wenger to swallow his pride and open his chequebook.

Burnley boss Laws feels transfer window X-factor (Feb 3, 2010 09:41 GMT)
Burnley boss Brian Laws has compared his dealings in the January transfer window to an episode of X-factor, though he believes he was a kinder judge than Simon Cowell.

Redknapp backs Beckford top flight ambition (Feb 3, 2010 09:06 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp reckons Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford would be a "good gamble'' for a Premier League side to take.

Liverpool chase £100m investment before summer (Feb 3, 2010 08:57 GMT)
Liverpool require a £100 million cash injection before the summer or owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett could face a decision of whether to sell the club when the current debt-refinancing agreement ends in July.

Stoke's Etherington beating gambling addiction (Feb 3, 2010 08:26 GMT)
Stoke winger Matthew Etherington says that he is confident he is winning his battle with a gambling problem after revealing he was taking steps to manage his addiction.

Ancelotti prepared to give captain Terry a rest (Feb 2, 2010 23:12 GMT)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed he will allow under-fire captain John Terry some time away from the team if he needs it, but insists no decision has yet been made.

Premier League holds £2m of Pompey transfer funds (Feb 2, 2010 16:37 GMT)
The Premier League will hold on to more than £2 million from Portsmouth's player sales in January to cover money owed to other clubs.

Grant hits out at broken promises (Feb 2, 2010 16:33 GMT)
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant has hit out at the broken promises which have left his side staring Premier League relegation in the face.

Premier League confirm Benjani's Sunderland deal (Feb 2, 2010 16:08 GMT)
The Premier League have confirmed Benjani Mwaruwari's loan move from Manchester City to Sunderland has been given the go-ahead.

McLeish believes top targets wanted to join Blues (Feb 2, 2010 14:40 GMT)
Alex McLeish insists Birmingham's top transfer targets in January were willing to move to St Andrew's.

Wolves made bid to lure Keane back to Molineux (Feb 2, 2010 14:29 GMT)
Harry Redknapp feels he was right to allow Robbie Keane to join Celtic on loan - but maintains the Republic of Ireland striker still has a future at Tottenham Hotspur.

Fantasy Focus: New kids on the block (Feb 2, 2010 14:08 GMT)
Dale Johnson gives his thoughts on the late January movers and their fantasy worth.

Chat LIVE with Soccernet's Dale Johnson (Feb 2, 2010 12:54 GMT)
Join us at 1500 GMT for a LIVE chat with Dale Johnson.

Fan gets three-year ban over racial abuse (Feb 2, 2010 12:38 GMT)
A football fan was banned from attending games for three years on Tuesday after he admitted racially abusing the mother of Premier League striker Darren Bent.

Liverpool want new investors by end of season (Feb 2, 2010 12:38 GMT)
Liverpool are aiming to strike a deal with investors before the end of the season so they can get plans for a new stadium back on track, the club's managing director has said.

Ferdinand appeals against extra one-match ban (Feb 2, 2010 12:33 GMT)
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has appealed against the extra match of the four-game suspension imposed by a FA disciplinary commission.

Carragher unfazed by Benitez speculation (Feb 2, 2010 11:56 GMT)
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher insists speculation over the future of manager Rafael Benitez and some of the club's players comes with the territory at Anfield.

Pazzini flattered by Juve link, denies Chelsea move (Feb 2, 2010 11:18 GMT)
Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini is honoured to be a reported target of Juventus and has dismissed reports that he is set to join Chelsea

Goalkeeper Begovic "delighted" with Stoke move (Feb 2, 2010 10:03 GMT)
New Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has expressed his joy at completing his move to the Britannia Stadium before Monday's transfer deadline.

Ancelotti warns players to focus on Hull clash (Feb 2, 2010 08:49 GMT)
As the private life of captain John Terry continues to make headlines on both the front and back pages, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has warned his team not to lose focus when they look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League with victo

Whatever happened to the next Ronaldinho? (Feb 2, 2010 08:35 GMT)
Andy Brassell examines Anderson's failure to live up to his immense potential at United.

Keane can earn hero status at Parkhead (Feb 2, 2010 08:29 GMT)
Gareth Maher thinks Robbie Keane's loan to Celtic will help him to reignite his career and prove he is not past his best.

Kewell agent hits out at 'disgraceful' Liverpool docs (Feb 2, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Harry Kewell's agent has claimed Liverpool doctors "literally had no idea what they were talking about" as the player was plagued by injuries during his time at Anfield.

Spurs skipper Keane joins Celtic (Feb 2, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Tottenham captain Robbie Keane is heading to Scotland to discuss a loan move to Celtic, ESPNsoccernet understands.

Man City beat deadline to sign Adam Johnson (Feb 2, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Manchester City have completed the last-minute transfer of Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.

West Ham complete Benni McCarthy deal (Feb 2, 2010 07:59 GMT)
West Ham United have completed the signing of Benni McCarthy from Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee.

Bruce admits Sunderland lacking, Pulis happy (Feb 1, 2010 23:20 GMT)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce readily admitted there had been little quality on show when his drew 0-0 with Sunderland, live on ESPN.

Premier Showdown - Jan 30 - Feb 1 (Feb 1, 2010 21:00 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Confusion reigns over Benjani's Sunderland move (Feb 1, 2010 20:57 GMT)
Steve Bruce is hopeful Benjani will be joining the club after Sunderland's last-gasp move for the Manchester City striker.

Pompey stopper Asmir Begovic joins Stoke City (Feb 1, 2010 18:39 GMT)
Stoke have completed a £3.25 million deal for Portsmouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

DEADLINE DAY: All the updates and gossip (Feb 1, 2010 18:34 GMT)
Deadline Day Live - February 1

D-day deals: Nugent extends loan, Toon sign Best (Feb 1, 2010 15:25 GMT)
Some of the deadline deals you may have missed....

Pinto open to Premier League if he leaves Barca (Feb 1, 2010 14:21 GMT)
Soccernet has learned that goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto would welcome a move to the Premier League if he leaves Barcelona this summer.

Pavlyuchenko close to Birmingham move - agent (Feb 1, 2010 12:52 GMT)
Roman Pavlyuchenko's agent has confirmed to ESPNsoccernet that Tottenham and Birmingham City are in still in talks over a last-gasp move for the Russian striker and that a deal is "70-75%" likely to happen on transfer deadline day.

Tigers rebuff renewed £5m Wolves bid for Hunt (Feb 1, 2010 12:33 GMT)
Hull City have rejected another bid for midfielder Stephen Hunt, confirmed as being for £5 million.

Man City's move for Mariga collapses over permit (Feb 1, 2010 11:54 GMT)
Mcdonald Mariga's move from Parma to the Premier League is off.

Wigan seal Moses deal, Moreno joins on loan (Feb 1, 2010 11:07 GMT)
Wigan have confirmed the signing of Crystal Palace starlet Victor Moses for an undisclosed fee.

Spurs defender Hutton heads to Sunderland (Feb 1, 2010 10:29 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur are reported to have made a move for Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach.

Fifth Official: JT scores away from home (Feb 1, 2010 10:17 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Diomansy Kamara completes Celtic loan switch (Feb 1, 2010 10:12 GMT)
Fulham striker Diomansy Kamara has joined Celtic on a six-month loan with an option for a permanent deal.

Fulham complete triple swoop (Feb 1, 2010 09:54 GMT)
Roma striker Stefano Okaka is reported to have finalised his six-month loan switch to Fulham.

Sullivan: West Ham tie up Mido and Ilan deals (Feb 1, 2010 08:52 GMT)
a knock down salary - perhaps the only player in the world to > negotiate his wages down to such a low level in a bid to prove > himself.

Wayne and Coleen Rooney defend legal action (Feb 1, 2010 08:21 GMT)
A multi-million pound court hearing involving England striker Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen will not begin until Tuesday.

Wenger eager for Arsenal to bounce back quickly (Feb 1, 2010 08:19 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has challenged his young Arsenal side to show their true title credentials at Chelsea next weekend after being handed a championship masterclass by Manchester United.

Grant can't rule out deadline day departures (Feb 1, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant admits he cannot guarantee that Monday's transfer window deadline day will not bring any more departures from the cash-strapped, rock bottom Premier League club.


English FA Cup
Seeding Third Round would boost FA Cup (Feb 25, 2010 10:57 GMT)
Seeding the third round to ensure more giant-killing feats would boost the FA Cup, says Harry Harris.

FA plan to revamp FA Cup (Feb 25, 2010 10:04 GMT)
The Football Association are considering an overhaul of the FA Cup and will embark on a major consultancy process to canvass the best way to reinvigorate the oldest Cup competition in the world.

FA Cup: Stoke down City, Spurs thrash Bolton (Feb 24, 2010 22:45 GMT)
Stoke heaped more pressure on Roberto Mancini after they beat ten-man Manchester City 3-1 to book their place in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.

SOCCERNET LIVE: Latest updates and chat (Feb 24, 2010 15:49 GMT)
MatchDay Live - February 24

World Cup hopeful Holden set for Bolton debut (Feb 24, 2010 08:35 GMT)
World Cup hopeful Stuart Holden is set to make his long-awaited debut for Bolton in Wednesday's FA Cup fifth-round replay at Tottenham.

FA asks Warnock to explain assistant ref comments (Feb 16, 2010 11:27 GMT)
The Football Association has asked Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock to explain his post-match comments following his side's draw against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Warnock to discover fate after referee outburst (Feb 15, 2010 17:30 GMT)
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock is set to find out on Tuesday whether he faces action from the Football Association following his comments in the aftermath of his side's FA Cup draw against Aston Villa.

Team of the Week, February 14, 2010 (Feb 14, 2010 18:39 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Warnock slams linesman's "incompetence" (Feb 14, 2010 18:18 GMT)
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock slammed referee Kevin Friend and his assistant Trevor Massey for potentially costing his side a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after their 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.

FA Cup draw: Chelsea to face Man City or Stoke (Feb 14, 2010 17:23 GMT)
The draw for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

FA Cup: Palace push Aston Villa, Fulham cruise (Feb 14, 2010 17:03 GMT)
Tottenham were out-played for long periods but hit the crossbar twice and missed a second-half penalty as their exhilarating FA Cup fifth round tie at Bolton finished 1-1.

Jolly: Coyle's Trotters turn a corner? (Feb 14, 2010 16:55 GMT)
Richard Jolly was at the Reebok Stadium to see Bolton frustrate Tottenham in the FA Cup.

FA Cup: Stoke hold City, holders ease through (Feb 13, 2010 15:42 GMT)
Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Stoke in the FA Cup, as the Potters kept their dreams alove by forcing a replay.

Chelsea cash in on Cardiff woes (Feb 13, 2010 15:24 GMT)
Kevin Palmer was at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea strolled past financially striken Cardiff in the FA Cup.

Cardiff boss Davie Jones eyeing Chelsea scalp (Feb 13, 2010 14:29 GMT)
Dave Jones is hoping for something of a miracle on Saturday as his takes his beleaguered Cardiff side to Chelsea looking to cause an FA Cup fifth-round upset.

Nick Bidwell: Pardew plots Pompey scalp (Feb 12, 2010 17:39 GMT)
Nick Bidwell talks to Alan Pardew ahead of Southampton's FA Cup clash with Portsmouth.

FA Cup Team News: Ancelotti names Blues line-up (Feb 12, 2010 08:00 GMT)
All the latest news on injuries and call-ups ahead of this weekend's FA Cup action.

FA Cup: Premier League scalps claimed again (Feb 2, 2010 22:26 GMT)
Notts County produced an FA Cup replay shock with a 2-0 win at Premier League Wigan Athletic on Tuesday to earn a place in the fifth round.


English Carling Cup
Harry Harris: Rooney provides a touch of class (Feb 28, 2010 19:44 GMT)
Harry Harris looks at the differing fortunes of Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen at Wembley.

Cup winner Rooney an injury doubt for England (Feb 28, 2010 19:33 GMT)
Wayne Rooney is a major injury doubt for England's friendly with Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday.

O'Neill bemoans ref's refusal to send off Vidic (Feb 28, 2010 18:27 GMT)
Aston Villa boss has blasted referee Phil Dowd's refusal to send-off Nemanja Vidic three minutes into Sunday's Carling Cup final defeat to Manchester United.

Ferguson: Man City were wrong to sell Dunne (Feb 28, 2010 10:46 GMT)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has criticised the transfer policy of rivals Manchester City, after labelling Richard Dunne "the buy of the season" following his move from Eastlands to Aston Villa last summer.

O'Neill: United have impossible job replacing Fergie (Feb 28, 2010 10:26 GMT)
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has ruled out taking over as manager of Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson retires, claiming that whoever replaces the 68-year-old will have an "impossible job" on their hands.

Ferguson considers resting Rooney for final (Feb 27, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he is considering leaving red-hot striker Wayne Rooney out of his Carling Cup final starting line-up to rest him for important fixtures on the horizon.

Carling Cup Final: Man United v Aston Villa (Feb 26, 2010 13:00 GMT)
Jon Carter previews the first showpiece of the season as Man Utd take on Aston Villa in the Carling Cup final.

Sir Alex facing cup final goalkeeping dilemma (Feb 25, 2010 13:27 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he is facing a Carling Cup goalkeeping conundrum, with Edwin van der Sar, Thomas Kuszczak and Ben Foster all vying for a place in his starting line-up for Sunday's Wembley showpiece.

Rio Ferdinand ruled out of Carling Cup final (Feb 23, 2010 22:24 GMT)
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is out of the Carling Cup final with a back injury, Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed.

Fan denies throwing coin at City striker Bellamy (Feb 9, 2010 11:42 GMT)
A Manchester United fan on Tuesday denied throwing a coin at Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy during last month's derby.

Villa teen Baker banned over selling cup tickets (Feb 5, 2010 08:56 GMT)
Aston Villa's teenage defender Nathan Baker has been banned from attending the Carling Cup final after trying to sell tickets for the February 28 clash with Manchester United on Facebook.


England
Capello would take England Italy final (Feb 10, 2010 17:50 GMT)
Fabio Capello would be more than happy to face his native Italy in the World Cup final in South Africa this July, the England coach said on Wednesday.


Spanish National Team
Torres gets Spain call with Navas and Negredo (Feb 26, 2010 12:51 GMT)
Fit-again Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has been included in the Spain squad to face France on March 3.

Peyret: Spain's secret talent (Feb 8, 2010 08:26 GMT)
Didac Peyret explains why Jesus Navas, Spain's best kept secret, is finally ready to shine.


Spanish Primera Liga
Pellegrini promises Real Madrid have more to give (Feb 28, 2010 11:03 GMT)
Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini is still looking for more from his side despite seeing them continue their superb domestic form with a 5-1 mauling of Tenerife.

Guardiola claims Barca back to their best after win (Feb 28, 2010 10:56 GMT)
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola felt his side were back to near their best during their 2-1 home win over Malaga, even though they needed a late strike from Lionel Messi to seal the points.

La Liga: Barca battle, Higuain stars for Real (Feb 27, 2010 19:12 GMT)
Barcelona suffered a scare, but battled hard to break down Malaga and keep their place at the top of La Liga with a 2-1 win.

Pique signs new Barca deal (Feb 26, 2010 13:47 GMT)
Gerard Pique has agreed a new contract with Barcelona until 2015.

Alves not worried about new Barcelona deal (Feb 26, 2010 12:57 GMT)
Brazil international Dani Alves has said he is not worried that he is yet to sign a new deal at Barcelona.

Sergio Ramos would prefer Navas to Ribery (Feb 26, 2010 12:24 GMT)
Sergio Ramos has revealed he would prefer to see Sevilla winger Jesus Navas join Real Madrid than Franck Ribery.

The Soccernet Quiniela - Week 14 - Social networking (Feb 25, 2010 09:07 GMT)
Phil Ball steps into the breach to preview Liga's weekend matches in the Soccernet Quiniela.

Zaragoza winger Pennant sent home from training (Feb 25, 2010 08:32 GMT)
Real Zaragoza winger Jermaine Pennant is facing a heavy fine after being sent home from training by coach Jose Gay for arriving late for the third time in two weeks.

Higuain plays down Ronaldo and Alonso row (Feb 23, 2010 15:20 GMT)
Real Madrid's leading scorer Gonzalo Higuain has played down the penalty row between Xabi Alonso and Cristiano Ronaldo during the 6-2 win over Villarreal.

Valencia boss wants Alexis red card overturned (Feb 23, 2010 14:50 GMT)
Valencia boss Unai Emery is hoping the sending-off of defender Alexis in Monday night's 2-1 win over Getafe will be overturned.

Valdano hopes Pellegrini speculation is now over (Feb 22, 2010 12:23 GMT)
Real Madrid's 6-2 demolition of Villarreal earned the thumbs-up from director general Jorge Valdano, who hopes the victory will lift some of the pressure on coach Manuel Pellegrini and his team.

Phil Ball: Battles in Bilbao (Feb 22, 2010 10:07 GMT)
Phil Ball reviews the weekend action in La Liga, and explains why Athletic's trip to Anderlecht could prove eventful.

La Liga: Rampant Real Madrid hit Villarreal for six (Feb 21, 2010 22:14 GMT)
A Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid answered their critics following their midweek Champions League defeat at Lyon and eased some of the pressure on coach Manuel Pellegrini with a thumping 6-2 victory over Villarreal.

Yokohama F Marinos close in on Nakamura deal (Feb 21, 2010 12:44 GMT)
Yokohama F Marinos president Akira Kaetsu is confident the club will complete the signing of midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura from Espanyol before the start of the 2010 J-League season.

Guardiola hoping for more from returning Henry (Feb 21, 2010 10:41 GMT)
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was happy to see Thierry Henry return to the side with a goal in Saturday's 4-0 win at home to Racing Santander and believes the Frenchman has much more to offer the Catalan side.

La Liga: Henry steps in as Barcelona romp (Feb 20, 2010 21:57 GMT)
Thierry Henry was on target as Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 home win over Racing Santander on Saturday to move five points clear at the top of La Liga.

Real sound out Inter coach Mourinho - report (Feb 19, 2010 12:02 GMT)
Madrid-based newspaper Marca claims Real Madrid have begun to assess the possibility of bringing Jose Mourinho to the club from Inter Milan in the summer.

The Soccernet Quiniela - Week 13 - Home comforts (Feb 19, 2010 11:21 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez previews La Liga's weekend matches in the Soccernet Quiniela.

Ex-Como president says he missed out on Messi (Feb 18, 2010 13:12 GMT)
Genoa president Enrico Preziosi claims he had the chance to sign Lionel Messi during his time with Como.

Liga: Real Madrid turn focus back to title race (Feb 18, 2010 10:58 GMT)
Real Madrid have little time to dwell on their midweek disappointment against Lyon as they prepare to face Villarreal on Sunday in the first of what could prove a decisive run of home matches.

Eto'o aims to wipe away blues with trophy haul (Feb 17, 2010 15:04 GMT)
Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o says he misses life at Barcelona but is focused on winning trophies with his new club.

Maxwell rates Pep Guardiola over Jose Mourinho (Feb 16, 2010 13:59 GMT)
Barcelona defender Maxwell has heaped praise on Pep Guardiola, describing him as "the most complete coach" he has played under.

Forlan open to ending career in South America (Feb 16, 2010 13:13 GMT)
Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan has revealed he would like to end his career in Argentina with Independiente or in Brazil with Sao Paolo.

Peyret: Guardiola losing faith in Henry (Feb 15, 2010 14:27 GMT)
Didac Peyret believes Thierry Henry may be all but finished at Barcelona.

More injury woe for Barcelona as Xavi sidelined (Feb 15, 2010 13:23 GMT)
Barcelona have suffered another blow with the news that key midfielder Xavi will be sidelined for around two weeks through injury. The Spain international was substituted towards the end of Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid and tests today revea

Phil Ball: Sunshine and shadow (Feb 15, 2010 10:44 GMT)
Phil Ball reviews the weekend action in La Liga, and mourns the passing of Real Madrid great Luis Molowny.

Guardiola gracious in defeat (Feb 15, 2010 09:23 GMT)
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola admitted his side were not at their best after seeing their unbeaten La Liga record ended by Atletico Madrid on Sunday - but insisted the credit must go to their opponents.

La Liga: Injury-hit Barcelona beaten by Atletico (Feb 14, 2010 18:50 GMT)
Fernando Soriano struck an injury-time equaliser to salvage a point for Almeria and heap more frustration on a Getafe side who will be keen to put this week behind them.

La Liga: Real blitz Xerez, Valencia rescue point (Feb 13, 2010 19:32 GMT)
Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice on his return from suspension as Real Madrid flourished late in the game to thrash bottom club Xerez and put pressure on leaders Barcelona.

Real Madrid legend Luis Molowny dies aged 84 (Feb 13, 2010 13:31 GMT)
Real Madrid are mourning the death of their legendary former player and coach Luis Molowny after he died on Friday night at the age of 84.

Real Madrid agree deal to sign Sergio Canales (Feb 12, 2010 20:13 GMT)
Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign teenage midfielder Sergio Canales from Racing Santander, the club announced.

The Soccernet Quiniela - Week 12 - Rotation not allowed (Feb 12, 2010 10:12 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez previews La Liga's weekend matches in the Soccernet Quiniela.

Liga: Weakened Barca to play Atletico roulette (Feb 11, 2010 13:45 GMT)
Barcelona will protect their unbeaten La Liga record with a makeshift defence when they visit Atletico Madrid on Sunday for a fixture that traditionally produces a blizzard of goals.

Raul set to join New York Red Bulls - report (Feb 11, 2010 11:09 GMT)
Real Madrid's record-breaking captain Raul will join MLS side New York Red Bulls next season, according to Spanish daily Marca.

Laporta unwilling to share Barca's TV cash (Feb 10, 2010 18:47 GMT)
Barcelona are unwilling to accept a system of sharing television revenue among La Liga clubs as it would weaken their ability to compete with European rivals, president Joan Laporta said on Wednesday.

Chygrynskiy out as Barca defensive crisis deepens (Feb 10, 2010 14:36 GMT)
Barcelona's have been dealt yet another defensive blow after Dmytro Chygrynskiy became the latest player to be ruled out of their weekend trip to Atletico Madrid.

Barca winger Jeffren pens new two-year deal (Feb 10, 2010 13:48 GMT)
Barcelona winger Jeffren has signed a two-year extension to his contract, tying him to the Catalan club until 2012. Jeffren, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, becomes the ninth Barca player to renew his deal this campaign.

Barca defender Abidal facing two-month absence (Feb 9, 2010 15:35 GMT)
Barcelona have confirmed that defender Eric Abidal is facing up to two months on the sidelines.

Granero still confident of Real title success (Feb 9, 2010 00:03 GMT)
Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero feels both he and the team are improving all the time as they look to make up the ground on league-leaders Barcelona.

Kaka: I'm improving after recovering from injury (Feb 8, 2010 18:50 GMT)
Real Madrid playmaker Kaka believes he has shaken off a lingering groin injury and his form is improving after an unspectacular start to life in the Spanish capital.

Peyret: Ibra remains an enigma (Feb 8, 2010 16:06 GMT)
Didac Peyret assesses the recent form of Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Juve midfielder Tiago wants permanent Atleti move (Feb 8, 2010 14:54 GMT)
Juventus midfielder Tiago has revealed he would like to make his loan move to Atletico Madrid permanent.

Granero still confident of Real title success (Feb 8, 2010 13:09 GMT)
Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero feels both he and the team are improving all the time as they look to make up the ground on league-leaders Barcelona.

Ibrahimovic unconcerned by drought (Feb 8, 2010 12:46 GMT)
Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic insists he is not concerned by his recent barren spell in front of goal.

Madrid youngster Opare nearing first-team action (Feb 8, 2010 12:06 GMT)
Ghanaian right-back Daniel Opare says he has received assurances that he has a future at Real Madrid.

Ball: Good habits stand Barca in good stead (Feb 8, 2010 09:59 GMT)
Phil Ball watches Barcelona send out a clear message to the rest of the Primera Liga.

La Liga: Nine-man Barcelona edge past Getafe (Feb 7, 2010 19:28 GMT)
Valencia spoiled Onesimo Sanchez's debut as Real Valladolid coach on Saturday, winning 2-0 to secure third place in La Liga for another week.

Liga: Mallorca make it a perfect 10 at home (Feb 7, 2010 18:28 GMT)
A late header from Nunes earned Real Mallorca a 1-0 win over Villarreal that preserved their perfect home record in La Liga on Sunday.

The Soccernet Quiniela - Week 11 - Foreplay recommended (Feb 5, 2010 09:21 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez previews La Liga's weekend matches in the Soccernet Quiniela.

De la Pena facing three months out after surgery (Feb 4, 2010 14:40 GMT)
Espanyol captain Ivan de la Pena will go under the knife next week and could be sidelined for another three months.

La Liga: Ibrahimovic looking to get back on track (Feb 4, 2010 12:09 GMT)
Barcelona have played down Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goal drought as they continue their drive towards the title against La Liga bogey team Getafe on Saturday.

Spanish FA agrees to Monday night football plans (Feb 2, 2010 17:38 GMT)
Primera Division matches will now be played on Mondays after the Spanish football league ratified an agreement with the federation.

Onesimo takes reins from Mandilibar at Valladolid (Feb 2, 2010 13:08 GMT)
Real Valladolid have sacked coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, the club have confirmed.

Metzelder prepared for World Cup omission (Feb 2, 2010 11:30 GMT)
Real Madrid defender Christoph Metzelder has accepted that he is not going to be part of the Germany squad at this summer's World Cup.

Carter: Europe's top transfer deals (Feb 2, 2010 09:30 GMT)
Jon Carter looks at the biggest deals from the winter window that have happened in Europe.

Barcelona's impact on the beautiful game (Feb 2, 2010 08:35 GMT)
Didac Peyret examines the classic Barcelona midfielder model and its latest stars.

Pique wants new Barcelona deal before summer (Feb 2, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Soccernet has learned that Gerard Pique hopes to sign a new long-term deal at Barcelona before the summer.

Xavi rubbishes suggestions of refs favouring Barca (Feb 1, 2010 17:55 GMT)
Xavi has dismissed suggestions from Madrid newspapers that Barcelona are given special treatment by referees.

Atletico 'keeper De Gea signs new deal (Feb 1, 2010 17:05 GMT)
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea has signed a contract tying him to the Primera Division club until June 30, 2013.

Fiorentina loan Keirrison (Feb 1, 2010 08:37 GMT)
Barcelona's Brazilian striker Keirrison will join Fiorentina on loan until June 2011.

The Heel of God (Feb 1, 2010 08:29 GMT)
Phil Ball is lifted out his seat by a piece of magic from Guti, which evokes memories of Cantona.

Real Zaragoza sign Brazilian World Cup winner (Feb 1, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Real Zaragoza have continued their major recruitment drive during the January transfer window with the signing of Brazilian World Cup winner Edmilson.


Italian National Team
Adams: The South Africa Angle, February 24 (Feb 24, 2010 08:00 GMT)
The South Africa Angle welcomes news that Alessandro Nesta could be enjoying an unlikely revival with Italy.

Lippi looks to make final Italy squad decisions (Feb 5, 2010 12:48 GMT)
Italy boss Marcello Lippi says he is pleased with his side's progress as he looks to select the final six players for his World Cup squad.

Italy stick with Confed Cup base for Finals (Feb 2, 2010 09:51 GMT)
Italy's World Cup training base in South Africa will be the same facility they used during last year's woeful Confederations Cup campaign.


Italian Serie A
Serie A: Pato knock takes gloss off Milan win (Feb 27, 2010 20:05 GMT)
An injury to Pato took the gloss off Milan's 3-1 victory over Atalanta with the Brazilian striker now facing an anxious race against time to be fit for the Champions League return leg against Manchester United.

Serie A: Catania leapfrog Lazio after big win (Feb 27, 2010 19:40 GMT)
Catania put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three of Serie A with an impressive 4-0 win over Bari.

Juve star Amauri out for weeks with thigh injury (Feb 27, 2010 12:08 GMT)
Juventus striker Amauri is set to miss three to four weeks with a thigh injury.

Kaladze fumes at "dirty" treatment from AC Milan (Feb 27, 2010 12:05 GMT)
Kakha Kaladze could be getting a club fine for his birthday, and find himself on the way out of AC Milan, after hitting out over a lack of playing time this season.

Inter lining up Blanc as Mourinho replacement (Feb 24, 2010 10:07 GMT)
Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc is tipped to succeed Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan if the Portuguese boss fails to lift this season's Champions League for the Nerazzurri.

Flamengo striker Adriano open to Europe return (Feb 23, 2010 16:02 GMT)
Flamengo striker Adriano feels he could make a return to European football despite distancing himself from a move to Roma.

Christian Panucci leaves Parma by mutual consent (Feb 23, 2010 14:06 GMT)
Former Italy defender Christian Panucci has had his Parma contract terminated by mutual consent.

Handcuffs gesture lands Mourinho three-match ban (Feb 22, 2010 17:15 GMT)
Jose Mourinho has been given a three-match ban and fined 40,000 euros following his handcuffs gesture during Saturday's match with Sampdoria in which two Inter Milan players were sent off.

Serie A: Roma cut Inter's lead to five points (Feb 21, 2010 17:39 GMT)
AS Roma reinvigorated the Serie A title race by beating Catania 1-0 on Sunday and cutting the gap with leaders Inter Milan to five points.

Udinese dismiss De Biasi and turn to Marino again (Feb 21, 2010 12:55 GMT)
Udinese have parted company with coach Gianni De Biasi and placed Pasquale Marino back in charge just two months after he left the post.

Serie A: Milan hope to recover from United loss (Feb 18, 2010 12:00 GMT)
AC Milan will attempt to overcome the disappointment of their Champions League defeat to Manchester United on Sunday when they return to Serie A action at Bari.

Lengthy lay-off for Fiorentina defender Gamberini (Feb 16, 2010 11:49 GMT)
Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini will be sidelined until May after undergoing shoulder surgery on Tuesday.

Serie A: Juve come from behind, Inter held (Feb 14, 2010 16:18 GMT)
A disputed penalty allowed Juventus to win their first game under coach Alberto Zaccheroni as they came from behind to beat Genoa 3-2.

Serie A: Roma reclaim second spot with 4-1 win (Feb 13, 2010 19:13 GMT)
Roma moved immediately back up to second place in Serie A with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Palermo. Having dropped down the standings after AC Milan beat Udinese on Friday night, Roma wasted no time in taking the place back.

Roma boss Ranieri impressed by Totti work ethic (Feb 12, 2010 15:09 GMT)
Roma coach Claudio Ranieri has praised the work ethic of captain Francesco Totti, after surprisingly naming the playmaker in his squad to face Palermo despite reports he requires knee surgery.

Mourinho fined by FIGC for Milan derby outburst (Feb 11, 2010 22:01 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has been fined €18,000 for his outburst after last month's Milan derby, the Italian Football Federation said on Thursday.

Serie A: Riise's form has Roma on winning streak (Feb 11, 2010 13:48 GMT)
Second-placed AS Roma will be hoping for more of the same from John Arne Riise as they aim for their ninth consecutive win when they host Palermo in Serie A on Saturday.

Lazio appoint Reja to replace sacked Ballardini (Feb 10, 2010 09:25 GMT)
Lazio have sacked coach Davide Ballardini and replaced him with former Napoli boss Edy Reja. Ballardini had been under immense pressure following last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Catania that dropped Lazio into the Serie A relegation zone.

Sampdoria reject talk of Cassano-Del Niri rift (Feb 9, 2010 13:08 GMT)
Sampdoria general director Giuseppe Marotta insists Antonio Cassano's exclusion from the squad is simply a "technical choice" and denied reports of a rift with coach Luigi Del Neri.

Reja confirms Lazio talks as axe looms for boss (Feb 9, 2010 11:14 GMT)
Edy Reja has confirmed he is in talks with Lazio to replace under-fire coach Davide Ballardini. Former Napoli boss Reja is under contract with Hajduk Split until June 2011 but is trying to sever ties with the club.

AC Milan announce Emirates sponsorship deal (Feb 9, 2010 00:00 GMT)
Dubai government-owned Emirates airline is to sponsor AC Milan from next season in a four-year shirt deal worth around 50 million euros ($68.31 million), a source close to the Italian club said on Monday.

Serie A: Inter juggernaut rolls on, Milan draw (Feb 7, 2010 16:42 GMT)
Inter Milan roared 10 points clear at the top of Serie A after the champions secured a 3-0 home win over Cagliari on Sunday and second-placed AC Milan drew.

Serie A: Juventus labour to draw at Livorno (Feb 7, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Simplicio blasted in an 87th minute winner to help Palermo move closer to the Champions League places with a 2-1 Serie A victory over Parma on Saturday.

Mourinho fined 13,000 euros over journalist spat (Feb 5, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has agreed to pay a €13,000 fine to settle a disciplinary case over an altercation with a journalist, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Thursday.

Ronaldinho denies holding 'mega party' in Milan (Feb 4, 2010 18:39 GMT)
Ronaldinho has defended himself against accusations that he held a 'mega party' prior to AC Milan's derby defeat to Inter Milan on January 24, amid claims that a lack of professionalism on his part undermined the team.

Serie A: Fiorentina facing difficult Roma test (Feb 4, 2010 11:49 GMT)
Fiorentina could be in danger of overstretching their resources as they fight for success on three fronts with high-flying AS Roma visiting them in a Serie A encounter on Sunday.

Simplicio happy at Palermo after failed Inter move (Feb 3, 2010 14:22 GMT)
Fabio Simplicio is happy to stay at Palermo until the end of the season after his move to Inter Milan fell through.

Toni surprised at 'stupid' former team-mate Mutu (Feb 3, 2010 12:42 GMT)
Roma striker Luca Toni has voiced his surprise at the news of Adrian Mutu's latest doping controversy, describing the Romanian striker's actions as "stupid".

Ronaldinho handed party fine by AC Milan (Feb 3, 2010 10:29 GMT)
Ronaldinho has reportedly been fined by AC Milan after the club discovered he attended a party during the week leading up to the derby defeat to Inter Milan.

Berlusconi angry that Milan signed Inter's Mancini (Feb 2, 2010 23:34 GMT)
AC Milan owner and Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi took time out from a trip to Israel to lambast his own club and chief executive Adriano Galliani on Tuesday for signing Inter Milan winger Mancini on loan.

Mancini relishing Milan chance after leaving Inter (Feb 2, 2010 15:32 GMT)
Brazilian winger Mancini is keen to revive his career at AC Milan after joining the Rossoneri on a six-month loan deal from rivals Inter Milan.

Inter Milan chief Moratti delight at Mariga deal (Feb 2, 2010 11:04 GMT)
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti believes the arrival of highly-rated youngster McDonald Mariga is the "best thing that could have happened" to the club in the January transfer window.

Mariga joins Inter after Man City move collapses (Feb 1, 2010 18:51 GMT)
McDonald Mariga has joined Inter Milan on a permanent transfer from Parma after missing out on a move to Manchester City.

Brazilian winger Mancini swaps Inter for AC Milan (Feb 1, 2010 15:40 GMT)
Brazilian winger Mancini has completed his cross-city switch from Inter Milan to AC Milan on a six-month loan deal.

Fiorentina sporting director slams Mutu (Feb 1, 2010 11:50 GMT)
Fiorentina sporting director Pantaleo Corvino has described Adrian Mutu as a "child'' following the player's doping positive tests.

Flamini and Huntelaar to remain with AC Milan (Feb 1, 2010 09:45 GMT)
Holland striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is to stay at AC Milan for the rest of the season.


Italy
Ghana coach Rajevac calls off Balotelli chase (Feb 25, 2010 14:30 GMT)
Milovan Rajevac has revealed he has given up trying to convince Mario Balotelli to play for Ghana and insisted the Inter Milan striker has now missed his chance to play for the Black Stars.


German National Team
Low names 26-man squad for Argentina game (Feb 26, 2010 13:14 GMT)
Germany coach Joachim Low has named a 26-man squad for next week's international friendly against Argentina in Munich.

Low and Germany officials declare end to row (Feb 9, 2010 10:00 GMT)
The row over the extension of Joachim Low's contract as Germany coach beyond the World Cup was officially ended at a press conference on Tuesday, although questions still remained about Low's future.

Löw will not accept German FA ultimatum (Feb 7, 2010 11:06 GMT)
Germany coach Joachim Löw has warned that he may not even be interested in extending his contract beyond the end of the World Cup as a row over his future shows signs of escalating.


German Bundesliga
Bundesliga: Bayern hit summit after Hamburg win (Feb 28, 2010 19:23 GMT)
A goal from Franck Ribery was enough to take Bayern Munich to the top of the Bundesliga for the first time since May 2008 thanks to a 1-0 win over Hamburg.

Heynckes: Leverkusen felt weight of expectation (Feb 28, 2010 11:58 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen coach Jupp Heynckes admitted maybe pre-match expectations had got the better of his side, who were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Cologne on Saturday.

Hleb has no intention of extending Stuttgart stay (Feb 28, 2010 09:58 GMT)
Alexander Hleb insists he is not considering staying with Stuttgart when his loan spell from Barcelona ends in the summer, after admitting his relationship with coach Christian Gross has deteriorated beyond repair.

Bundesliga: Leverkusen held, Cacau stars (Feb 27, 2010 17:37 GMT)
Cologne frustrated Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen by stealing a point with a 0-0 draw in the Rhine derby at the BayArena.

Schalke coach Magath delighted with comeback win (Feb 27, 2010 11:36 GMT)
Schalke manager Felix Magath was full of praise for his side's powers of recovery after they came from behind to win the Revier Derby against neighbours Borussia Dortmund on Friday night.

Hunt extends Werder Bremen contract until 2014 (Feb 24, 2010 15:52 GMT)
Hunt extends Werder Bremen contract until 2014 Werder Bremen midfielder Aaron Hunt has signed a contract extension, which will keep him at the club until June 2014.

German ref speaks out over sexual harassment (Feb 23, 2010 13:46 GMT)
The referee who alleged he was sexually harassed by the former German Football Association's refereeing advisor Manfred Amerell has spoken of his anguish.

Bundesliga: Leverkusen go top after Bremen draw (Feb 21, 2010 20:10 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen returned to the top of the Bundesliga, but they failed to take full advantage of Bayern Munich's slip-up on Saturday as they could only draw 2-2 at Werder Bremen.

Coach labels Hannover a "team of schoolboys" (Feb 21, 2010 11:29 GMT)
Hannover coach Mirko Slomka turned his frustration on his players after their 4-1 Bundesliga defeat to Borussia Dortmund, labelling them a "team of schoolboys".

Bundesliga: Bayern run ends, Cacau hits four (Feb 20, 2010 17:11 GMT)
VfB Stuttgart striker Cacau hit four goals, including a first-half hat-trick, in a 5-1 Bundesliga victory at Cologne on Saturday while Bayern Munich's 13-match winning run ended after a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg.

Bundesliga: Schalke manager revisits Wolfsburg (Feb 18, 2010 15:56 GMT)
Felix Magath returns to the scene of his finest hour this weekend as he takes Schalke to defending champions Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.

Agent claims Bayern Munich interest in Krasic (Feb 18, 2010 12:15 GMT)
CSKA Moscow winger Milos Krasic is a target for Bayern Munich, according to the player's agent.

Flying Dutchman gaining momentum (Feb 17, 2010 12:08 GMT)
Jon Carter on the revival of Arjen Robben at Bayern Munich and what that could mean for the Dutch.

Butt signs one-year contract extension at Bayern (Feb 16, 2010 11:16 GMT)
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at the Allianz Arena until June 2011.

Schalke boss Magath happy with three-point gap (Feb 15, 2010 15:25 GMT)
Schalke manager Felix Magath believes that Sunday's 2-0 win over Cologne has given his side a valuable cushion in the top three of the Bundesliga.

Bundesliga: Schalke keep up pressure at top (Feb 14, 2010 18:49 GMT)
Schalke moved within three points of the top of the Bundesliga with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Cologne at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen.

Van Nistelrooy hailed after two-goal haul (Feb 14, 2010 10:50 GMT)
Ruud van Nistelrooy knew he had to take matters into his own hands as his first two goals for Hamburg yesterday secured them an important 3-1 away win over Stuttgart.

Bundesliga: Leverkusen stay top, Ruud stars (Feb 13, 2010 16:34 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen moved three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga for now at least, but were made to sweat against Wolfsburg at the BayArena.

Nurnberg left furious with referee after defeat (Feb 13, 2010 12:20 GMT)
Nurnberg director of sport Martin Bader has slated the performance of referee Florian Meyer and insists he should not be allowed to take charge of the team's matches in future.

Stomach bug threatens Bayern (Feb 11, 2010 15:27 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal is worried that a stomach bug could ruin his team's push for silverware.

Rummenigge happy with "terrific" Van Gaal rant (Feb 11, 2010 14:11 GMT)
Bayern Munich have won 11 games in a row but coach Louis van Gaal has still read the riot act to his players twice in the last week.

Hesse: Added time is relative (Feb 9, 2010 09:16 GMT)
Uli Hesse explains why time is very much a fluid concept when applied to football matches.

Wolfsburg keep faith with Kostner until summer (Feb 8, 2010 13:59 GMT)
Wolfsburg general director Dieter Hoeness has confirmed that caretaker manager Lorenz-Gunther Kostner will remain in charge until the end of the season.

Bundesliga: Dortmund lose touch after defeat (Feb 8, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Borussia Dortmund lost touch with the Bundesliga leaders after surrendering a 2-1 lead and suffering a 3-2 home defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Bundesliga: Leaders unperturbed by slip up (Feb 7, 2010 10:20 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen coach Jupp Heynckes was refusing to panic as his side were caught at the top of the Bundesliga by Bayern Munich on Saturday.

Bundesliga: Bayern win to pull level with leaders (Feb 6, 2010 16:58 GMT)
Bayern Munich won 3-1 at fading champions VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday to draw level on points with Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga.

Ribery set to decide on future by end of March (Feb 5, 2010 11:30 GMT)
Franck Ribery has yet to make a decision over where he will play next season but expects to announce whether he will remain at Bayern Munich or join another club before the end of March.

Van Buyten, Muller and Bastuber commit to Bayern (Feb 4, 2010 14:45 GMT)
Bayern Munich trio Daniel Van Buyten, Thomas Muller and Holger Badstuber have agreed new contract extensions with the Bundesliga outfit.

Bundesliga: Robben's longjohns under scrutiny (Feb 4, 2010 11:58 GMT)
Bayern Munich attacker Arjen Robben has been in sparkling form since the mid-season break but his longjohns, rather than his nifty footwork, could be under the spotlight for Saturday's visit to champions VfL Wolfsburg.

Van Gaal: Ruud couldn't stand Bayern competition (Feb 3, 2010 11:03 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal insists he did not enter the race to sign Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy because he did not think the player could stand the competition at his club.

Van Gaal listened to fans over Braafheid deal (Feb 2, 2010 10:53 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal sent Edson Braafheid on loan to Celtic to spare the defender the criticism of the Bundesliga club's outspoken supporters.


French National Team
Zinedine Zidane: A flawed genius (Feb 17, 2010 14:04 GMT)
Jon Carter says Zinedine Zidane is a World Cup Legend, despite his final game disgrace.

Domenech makes World Cup vow to Vieira (Feb 13, 2010 11:05 GMT)
France coach Raymond Domenech claims Patrick Vieira will captain Les Bleus at the World Cup if he manages to get a run of matches at Manchester City.

Toulouse dealt blow as star striker Gignac injured (Feb 9, 2010 11:27 GMT)
Toulouse have been hit by the news star striker Andre-Pierre Gignac will be sidelined for at least three weeks. Gignac suffered the injury during Sunday's goalless draw against Lyon.

Bordeaux boss Blanc rejects Les Bleus talk (Feb 4, 2010 13:50 GMT)
Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc has rubbished reports that he has agreed in principle to take over as France coach.


French Ligue 1
Ligue 1: Lyon miss out after Boulogne stalemate (Feb 28, 2010 21:38 GMT)
Lyon's hopes of regaining the Ligue 1 title suffered a blow as they were held to a goalless draw by struggling Boulogne.

Ligue 1: Montpellier level, Lyon maintain charge (Feb 27, 2010 21:51 GMT)
Montpellier went level with leaders Bordeaux after an easy 3-1 win over Rennes thanks to a brace from Joris Marveaux.

Bordeaux striker Sertic signs contract extension (Feb 26, 2010 16:10 GMT)
Bordeaux striker Gregory Sertic has signed a two-year extension to his contract, tying him to the Stade Chaban Delmas until June 2014.

PSG captain Makelele to retire at end of season (Feb 25, 2010 12:55 GMT)
Paris St Germain captain Claude Makelele has announced he plans to retire at the end of the season. The former Real Madrid and Chelsea midfielder has been an almost ever present this campaign, taking part in all but three of PSG's Ligue 1 matches.

Nancy rocked by injury blow to striker Hadji (Feb 24, 2010 17:28 GMT)
Nancy have been rocked by the news top scorer Youssouf Hadji will be sidelined for three weeks with a groin injury.

Ligue 1: Lyon hit four, Niang treble lifts Marseille (Feb 21, 2010 20:37 GMT)
A hat-trick from Mamadou Niang helped Marseille move up to fourth in Ligue 1 with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Nancy at the Velodrome.

Ligue 1: Le Mans win as Montpelier slip up (Feb 20, 2010 22:33 GMT)
Two quickfire goals around the half-hour mark set Le Mans on their way to a vital 3-1 away victory against their Ligue 1 relegation rivals Boulogne.

Lyon president reveals two sales planned for June (Feb 18, 2010 15:01 GMT)
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has revealed that two players will be leaving the club in June.

Chalme agrees contract extension at Bordeaux (Feb 16, 2010 14:15 GMT)
Matthieu Chalme has extended agreed a contract extension with Ligue 1 champions Bordeaux.

Ligue 1: Bordeaux three clear, Auxerre up to sixth (Feb 14, 2010 19:23 GMT)
Bordeaux restored their three-point lead over Montpellier at the top of Ligue 1 thanks to a 3-1 home success against St Etienne.

Ligue 1: Montpellier's dream run continues (Feb 13, 2010 20:51 GMT)
Montpellier's dream season continued as they edged out Grenoble to take a share of the Ligue 1 lead.

Bordeaux president rubbishes Blanc France link (Feb 12, 2010 15:27 GMT)
Bordeaux's president Jean-Louis Triaud has denied reports that Laurent Blanc will take over from Raymond Domenech as coach of the French national team after this summer's World Cup.

Bordeaux must learn from defeat, says Fernando (Feb 11, 2010 14:11 GMT)
Bordeaux must learn a lesson from their shock defeat at Stade Rennes last weekend and get the defence of their Ligue 1 title back on track when they host lowly St Etienne on Sunday, says midfielder Fernando.

Chamakh: I haven't signed for Arsenal yet (Feb 10, 2010 15:15 GMT)
Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh insists he has not agreed a deal to move to Arsenal but admits he is unlikely to remain at the Stade Chaban Delmas once his contract expires at the end of the season.

Brassell: Time for coveted Chamakh to make his move (Feb 9, 2010 09:29 GMT)
Andy Brassell examines the Premier League credentials of much-coveted Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh.

Marshall: Made in Montpellier (Feb 9, 2010 09:23 GMT)
Paul Marshall examines the youthful exhuberance behind Montpellier's rise to shock Ligue 1 title contenders.

Blanc to play B-Team to ease Bordeaux congestion (Feb 8, 2010 18:10 GMT)
Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc has rvealed he is prepared to send his B team to play a delayed League Cup semi-final next week after the French League turned down his request to ease the crowded calendar.

Good news for Bordeaux after Diarra scan (Feb 8, 2010 11:18 GMT)
Bordeaux midfielder Alou Diarra will undergo tests on Monday to determine the severity of the thigh injury he sustained at Rennes on Saturday.

Ligue 1: Saint Etienne halt Monaco's winning streak (Feb 8, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Saint-Etienne ended Monaco's four-game winning streak with a decisive 3-0 home win on Sunday.

Ligue 1: Rennes thrash leaders Bordeaux (Feb 6, 2010 20:26 GMT)
The race for the Ligue 1 title was thrown wide open on Saturday evening as Rennes recorded a surprise 4-2 victory over leaders Bordeaux.

Boulogne director Dupuis given five-year ban (Feb 5, 2010 10:59 GMT)
Boulogne sporting director Bruno Dupuis has been hit by a five-year ban for breaking the nose of Paris St Germain director of communications Bruno Skropeta.

Lille starlet Eden Hazard signs contract extension (Feb 4, 2010 14:19 GMT)
Lille midfielder Eden Hazard has extended his contract with the Ligue 1 outfit until 2014.


Dutch National Team
Vlaar survives cut to make Holland 23 (Feb 26, 2010 13:35 GMT)
Ron Vlaar remains on target to make his first international appearance for Holland in more than four years after being named in Bert van Marwijk's final squad for next week's friendly against the United States.

Vlaar staying calm after Netherlands call-up (Feb 18, 2010 14:11 GMT)
Feyenoord defender Ron Vlaar is not getting carried away by his call-up to the provisional Holland squad for their friendly with the USA next month.

Legend Gullit appointed president of World Cup bid (Feb 9, 2010 12:05 GMT)
Former world player of the year Ruud Gullit has been named president of Holland and Belgium's bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

Gullit: I want to see the Netherlands win ugly (Feb 8, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Mark Lomas talks to Netherlands legend Ruud Gullit about the Oranje's chances of success in South Africa.


Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie: El Hamdaoui keeps AZ push alive (Feb 27, 2010 22:06 GMT)
Mounir El Hamdaoui's quickfire hat-trick kept AZ Alkmaar's push for Europe on course with an easy 3-0 Eredivisie victory at Vitesse Arnhem.

Ron Jans named as new boss of Heerenveen (Feb 22, 2010 12:27 GMT)
Heerenveen have announced Ron Jans will take over as coach for next season.

Eredivisie: PSV stunned by late Rotterdam strike (Feb 21, 2010 22:56 GMT)
PSV Eindhoven saw their lead at the top of the Eredivisie cut to a single point as they were pegged back by a stoppage-time equaliser against Sparta Rotterdam.

Eredivisie: Yet more ref rage at FC Utrecht (Feb 20, 2010 22:41 GMT)
Nana Asare and Dries Mertens condemned 10-man NAC Breda to a 2-0 defeat as, for the second week in succession, FC Utrecht saw their match delayed due to abusive chants aimed at the referee.

Groenendijk loses Willem II job after NEC loss (Feb 19, 2010 13:50 GMT)
Willem II have parted company with coach Alfons Groenendijk following a miserable season for the Tilburg club. A 2-1 loss at NEC Nijmegen in midweek has left the side second from bottom in the Eredivisie.

Eredivisie: Ref halts Utrecht game after abuse (Feb 14, 2010 15:02 GMT)
Referee Tom van Sichem stole the limelight in an otherwise forgettable Eredivisie goalless draw between between FC Utrecht and Feyenoord.

Eredivisie: Twente smash and grab, Ajax win (Feb 13, 2010 21:17 GMT)
FC Twente scored twice in the final 10 minutes - including an injury-time winner - as they came from behind to beat Vitesse Arnhem and move to within three points of the Eredivisie summit.

Eredivisie: PSV move three clear after home win (Feb 6, 2010 22:32 GMT)
Maza Rodriguez and Ola Toivonen scored vital goals as Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven moved three points clear of second-placed FC Twente with a 2-0 home win over ADO Den Haag.

Twente sign 'keeper Mihaylov from Liverpool (Feb 6, 2010 11:33 GMT)
Dutch title hopefuls FC Twente have completed the signing of 21-year-old Bulgaria goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov from Liverpool on a permanent deal.

Eredivisie: Suarez bags four as top two both win (Feb 3, 2010 22:38 GMT)
PSV Eindhoven remain top of the Eredivisie on goal difference from FC Twente after both teams won on Wednesday night, while Luis Suarez scored four for Ajax.

Heerenveen head coach De Jonge resigns (Feb 3, 2010 20:58 GMT)
Heerenveen coach Jan de Jonge has stepped down after a series of disappointing results, the Dutch club said on their official website on Wednesday.

Late leveller earns NAC a point against AZ (Feb 2, 2010 23:32 GMT)
A last-minute goal by Kees Kwakman earned NAC Breda a 1-1 draw at home to Eredivisie champions AZ Alkmaar.


Scottish National Team
Levein names Scotland squad (Feb 22, 2010 12:20 GMT)
Allan McGregor and Barry Ferguson have missed out on a recall to the Scotland squad.

Craig Levein warns trio to expect hostile reception (Feb 21, 2010 10:54 GMT)
Scotland boss Craig Levein has warned Kris Boyd, Allan McGregor and Lee McCulloch to expect a hostile reception from members of the Tartan Army if their international exiles end next week.

Scotland to start Euro campaign away at Lithuania (Feb 19, 2010 12:41 GMT)
Scotland will begin their European Championship qualifying campaign with an away game against Lithuania on Friday, September 3, the Scottish Football Association confirmed on Friday.

Acid test for Craig Levein (Feb 18, 2010 11:33 GMT)
Andy Moir on Scotland's new boss Craig Levein and the tests facing him over the coming months.

Levein welcomes McCulloch Scotland availability (Feb 15, 2010 10:24 GMT)
Scotland manager Craig Levein has welcomed Lee McCulloch's decision to make himself available for the national team. The versatile Rangers player announced he did not wish to be considered a few games into George Burley's reign, in order to focus on

Driver's Scotland dream in tatters, say SFA (Feb 12, 2010 17:42 GMT)
Andrew Driver's dream of playing for Scotland lies in tatters after the Scottish Football Association discovered he was not eligible under the new school rule after all.

Hearts' Driver pledges allegiance to Scotland (Feb 5, 2010 10:43 GMT)
Hearts winger Andrew Driver has pledged his allegiance to Scotland.


Scottish Premier League
SPL Team of the Week - February 28 (Feb 28, 2010 20:03 GMT)
Neil McDougall picks out the top performers from the weekend's action in Scotland.

Drysdale: Celtic's absent conviction cost them at Ibrox (Feb 28, 2010 18:01 GMT)
Neil Drysdale says Celtic lacked any real conviction in their 1-0 Old Firm Derby defeat to Rangers.

SPL: Aberdeen woe continues (Feb 27, 2010 17:22 GMT)
Aberdeen's dreadful run extended to eight matches without a win after they lost 1-0 to ten-man Hearts at Pittodrie.

McGhee fears being dragged into trouble (Feb 27, 2010 15:15 GMT)
Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee admitted his side will need to make a drastic improvement to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.

Celtic's Hinkel still scarred by Lafferty tackle (Feb 27, 2010 11:56 GMT)
Celtic defender Andreas Hinkel claims Kyle Lafferty could have broken his leg with a reckless challenge on him in the last Old Firm game at Parkhead in January.

Boyd reveals doubts over new Rangers deal (Feb 26, 2010 10:27 GMT)
Kris Boyd admits the uncertainty surrounding Rangers could prevent him signing a new contract at Ibrox.

Stage set for Old Firm showdown (Feb 26, 2010 09:23 GMT)
Andy Moir previews the weekend's Old Firm game, which Celtic cannot afford to lose.

SFA blast Celtic ref pressure ahead of Gers clash (Feb 25, 2010 09:11 GMT)
The Scottish Football Association have hit out at a Celtic source for trying to "exert additional pressure'' on the match officials for Sunday's Old Firm derby by leaking the club's apparent frustration at refereeing decisions.

SPL launches probe into state of Motherwell pitch (Feb 23, 2010 11:38 GMT)
The Scottish Premier League has confirmed it is investigating the condition of Motherwell's pitch. The much-maligned Fir Park surface has come under fire again this season, despite the club having completed a £350,000 renewal of their pitch and drain

Probe starts after Gers' McGregor is attacked (Feb 23, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Police have launched an inquiry after Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor was attacked on a night out.

St Johnstone defend late Gers postponement (Feb 22, 2010 09:09 GMT)
St Johnstone chairman Geoff Brown suspects a fault with the club's undersoil heating system claimed their Premier League game with Rangers.

Rangers 'keeper McGregor involved in "incident" (Feb 21, 2010 22:43 GMT)
Rangers have confirmed goalkeeper Allan McGregor had been involved in an "incident'' in Glasgow city centre amid reports he had received hospital treatment.

SPL Team of the Week - February 21 (Feb 21, 2010 20:13 GMT)
Neil McDougall picks out the top performers from the weekend's action in Scotland.

SPL: Celtic thank Keane as Rangers frozen out (Feb 20, 2010 17:23 GMT)
Celtic chipped into Rangers' 10-point lead at the top of the SPL on Saturday, reducing the gap to seven points with a 1-0 win at home to Dundee Utd.

Mowbray rejects rumours he is unsettled at Celtic (Feb 20, 2010 11:40 GMT)
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has dismissed rumours that he is unsettled at Parkhead.

Hibs boss Hughes hit with six-game touchline ban (Feb 19, 2010 10:55 GMT)
John Hughes will serve a six-match touchline ban after being sent to the stands during Hibernian's 5-1 thrashing at St Johnstone, the Scottish Football Association confirmed on Friday.

SPL loses Champions League place to Belgium (Feb 19, 2010 10:45 GMT)
Scotland will lose one of their two Champions League places from the season after next, the Scottish Premier League confirmed on Friday. Thursday's Europa League results for Belgian clubs saw them overtake Scotland into 15th spot in UEFA's co-efficie

Rangers chairman looks to solve financial woes (Feb 18, 2010 11:38 GMT)
Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston is hopeful Lloyds Bank will agree to alter the business plan which is causing manager Walter Smith so much concern - providing the club retain the title.

Drysdale: Awful Aberdeen have little to smile about (Feb 18, 2010 08:28 GMT)
Neil Drysdale examines why Aberdeen fans have had little to smile about since the glory days of the 1980s.

Rangers announce surprise jump in profits (Feb 17, 2010 18:41 GMT)
Rangers have announced a profit of just over £13million in interim results for the six months up to the end of 2009.

"Happy" Novo still in the dark over Rangers future (Feb 16, 2010 16:47 GMT)
Rangers striker Nacho Novo insists he is still in the dark over his future at the club as he focuses on the Gers' quest for domestic glory.

Juve boss says sole task is European qualification (Feb 16, 2010 13:48 GMT)
Juventus coach Alberto Zaccheroni admits his only target at the club is to ensure they qualify for next season's Champions League.

Boyd hits back at Zemmama over comments (Feb 16, 2010 11:01 GMT)
Kris Boyd has denied deliberately elbowing Merouane Zemmama in Rangers' 3-0 win over Hibernian and branded the midfielder a hypocrite for accusing Kenny Miller of diving in the same game.

Celtic chairman still backing under-fire Mowbray (Feb 16, 2010 10:38 GMT)
Celtic chairman John Reid insists under-fire manager Tony Mowbray deserves the "loyalty and moral support" of the club's board.

Celtic chairman John Reid defends club's finances (Feb 15, 2010 13:50 GMT)
Celtic chairman John Reid has defended the state of the club's finances, after the Hoops revealed a decrease in turnover of almost 23% for the six months to the end of 2009.

SPL Team of the Week - February 15 (Feb 15, 2010 11:49 GMT)
Neil McDougall picks out the top performers from the weekend's action in Scotland.

SPL: Thriller at Pittodrie, Hearts edge Falkirk (Feb 13, 2010 16:58 GMT)
Aberdeen came from behind three times against Celtic in an eight-goal thriller at Pittodrie to put a dent in the Hoops' Clydesdale Bank Premier League title hopes.

Pittodrie hero MacLean glad he made Dons move (Feb 13, 2010 15:03 GMT)
On-loan Plymouth striker Steven MacLean admitted he was glad he joined Aberdeen, after netting twice in Saturday's thrilling 4-4 draw with Celtic.

McGhee may field weakened team against Celtic (Feb 12, 2010 13:44 GMT)
Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee has admitted he may field a weakened team against Celtic in Saturday's Scottish Premier League encounter. McGhee believes the SPL clash is less important than the Dons' Scottish Cup fifth-round replay against Raith three day

The children of the Scottish revolution (Feb 12, 2010 12:21 GMT)
Mark Lomas talks to Scotland Under-21s manager Billy Stark about SPL clubs' increasing reliance on youth.

Fortune expects Rangers to crack under pressure (Feb 12, 2010 10:50 GMT)
Marc-Antoine Fortune believes Rangers will crack under the pressure of Celtic pursuing them at the top of the Premier League.

Falkirk announce May departure, appoint Pressley (Feb 11, 2010 12:29 GMT)
Eddie May's short reign as Falkirk manager came to an end on Thursday after the club announced his departure and the appointment of Steven Pressley in his place.

Moir: Greatness beckons for Smith (Feb 11, 2010 10:08 GMT)
Andy Moir has nothing but praise for Walter Smith, a man proving himself to be one of the great Scottish managers.

SPL: Celtic make up ground as Rangers are held (Feb 10, 2010 22:42 GMT)
Celtic closed the gap on leaders Rangers with a 2-0 victory over Hearts on Wednesday night.

Smith confirms intention to turn down Gers offer (Feb 9, 2010 11:58 GMT)
Steven Smith has confirmed he is set to reject a new contract at Rangers but is determined to bow out with a treble. Smith, 24, has been offered a year's extension by the club.

Kamara: New-look Celtic ready to challenge (Feb 8, 2010 19:28 GMT)
New-look Celtic are ready to begin salvaging their Scottish Premier League title hopes, according to new loan signing Diomansy Kamara.

McCulloch believes fitness is key to treble hopes (Feb 8, 2010 15:35 GMT)
Lee McCulloch believes Rangers have every chance of securing the treble this season if they can avoid injury.

Moir: New signings Keane to impress in Cup (Feb 5, 2010 09:26 GMT)
Andy Moir takes a look at the new arrivals looking to impress in the Scottish Cup this weekend.

Smith concerned for Rangers' future (Feb 4, 2010 13:28 GMT)
Rangers manager Walter Smith has warned that their off-field problems "will only get worse".

Craig Brown set for 18-month Motherwell stay (Feb 4, 2010 12:21 GMT)
Craig Brown has confirmed that he will continue as Motherwell manager until the end of next season.

Keane still believes Celtic can clinch league title (Feb 4, 2010 12:15 GMT)
Robbie Keane insists there is no reason Celtic cannot peg back rivals Rangers and win the league title.

Beasley reveals shock after fire attack on car (Feb 4, 2010 10:59 GMT)
Rangers attacker DaMarcus Beasley has spoken of his shock after his car was deliberately set on fire.

Old Firm sign new sponsorship deal with Tennent's (Feb 3, 2010 14:48 GMT)
Celtic and Rangers have been handed a boost after securing a "multi-million pound'' sponsorship deal with Tennent's Lager. The Scottish brewer has confirmed a three-year deal with both Old Firm clubs, with the full campaign to be launched in the summ

Mowbray defiant after Bhoys flop at Killie (Feb 2, 2010 23:04 GMT)
Tony Mowbray has refused to concede the SPL title to Rangers despite his Celtic reign sinking to a new low with defeat at Kilmarnock.

Mowbray adopts scorched-earth transfer policy (Feb 1, 2010 21:28 GMT)
Neil Drysdale marvels at the risky transfer policy adopted by Tony Mowbray at Celtic.

Aberdeen tie up swoop for MacLean & Paterson (Feb 1, 2010 21:19 GMT)
Aberdeen finally completed the signing of Plymouth striker Steven MacLean on loan until the end of the season.

Kilmarnock sign ex-Aberdeen skipper Severin (Feb 1, 2010 20:19 GMT)
Kilmarnock manager Jimmy Calderwood has signed former Aberdeen captain Scott Severin on loan.

Middlesbro' complete swoop for McDonald & Miller (Feb 1, 2010 18:20 GMT)
Middlesbrough have completed a last-gasp double deal for stikers Scott McDonald and Lee Miller.


World
CONCACAF pledges to rebuild offices in Haiti (Feb 3, 2010 01:04 GMT)
The president of soccer's governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean has pledged to help Haiti rebuild the offices of its governing body following last month's earthquake.


World Cup 2010
Chile call-off friendlies after huge earthquake (Feb 28, 2010 13:34 GMT)
Chile have called off friendlies against Costa Rica and North Korea next week in the wake of the massive earthquake which hit the country in the early hours of Saturday.

Ivory Coast sack coach Vahid Halilhodzic (Feb 27, 2010 17:47 GMT)
Ivory Coast have sacked coach Vahid Halilhodzic, sparking fresh speculation that Guus Hiddink is set to take charge for this summer's World Cup.

Lagerback named as new coach of Nigeria (Feb 27, 2010 11:34 GMT)
Nigeria have appointed former Sweden coach Lars Lagerback as the man to lead them to the 2010 World Cup finals.

Eriksson expects Nigeria response by Saturday (Feb 26, 2010 14:07 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson expects to learn if his application to become Nigeria boss has been successful by Saturday morning.

Ronaldo: O Fenomeno (Feb 26, 2010 09:35 GMT)
Jon Carter on how the most prolific scorer in World Cup history, Ronaldo, has created his legend.

Six bar staff charged over Cabanas shooting (Feb 25, 2010 17:55 GMT)
Mexico City prosecutors have charged six employees of a local bar with covering for the suspect in the shooting of Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas.

Eriksson and Hoddle on five-man Nigeria list (Feb 25, 2010 16:38 GMT)
Former England managers Sven-Goran Eriksson and Glenn Hoddle are on a five-man shortlist to be the new coach of Nigeria, the national federation have confirmed.

First XI: World Cup battles (Feb 24, 2010 17:34 GMT)
Robin Hackett looks at the First XI bad-tempered World Cup games.

Bougherra: Leaving France saved my career (Feb 23, 2010 18:32 GMT)
Algeria defender Madjid Bougherra has hailed his move to Rangers for saving his career and says that it is the tolerant attitude the people of Glasgow have towards his religion that has made him happy.

FIFA: World Cup could not start tomorrow (Feb 23, 2010 17:06 GMT)
FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke admits South Africa would not be ready to host the World Cup if the tournament started tomorrow.

Bafana Bafana forced to move training camps (Feb 23, 2010 16:58 GMT)
While the England team awoke to news that their World Cup base was still a building site, Bafana Bafana learned that their planned training venue won't see the smallest bit of concrete.

Switzerland blow as Frei suffers broken arm (Feb 23, 2010 11:45 GMT)
The Swiss national team has received a blow with all-time leading scorer Alexander Frei ruled out of action with a broken arm.

Gerets turns down chance to coach Ivory Coast (Feb 22, 2010 12:35 GMT)
Eric Gerets claims to have rejected the chance to coach Ivory Coast at the World Cup finals.

Eriksson and Hoddle both on Nigeria shortlist (Feb 21, 2010 17:57 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has been invited to a meeting with the Nigerian Football Federation over the possibility of taking charge of the side ahead of this summer's World Cup.

Honduras omit trio from squad for Turkey (Feb 20, 2010 22:05 GMT)
Honduras head coach Reinaldo Rueda has left Noel Valladares, Ramon Nunez and Osman Chavez out of his squad for the friendly international against Turkey.

La Volpe warns Aguirre about Mexico flopping (Feb 20, 2010 22:03 GMT)
Former Mexico coach Ricardo La Volpe has warned incumbent boss Javier Aguirre that if the side was eliminated in the first round at the this year's World Cup finals, it would be regarded as a failure.

Roger Milla: Indomitable Lionheart (Feb 19, 2010 11:32 GMT)
Mark Lomas looks at the impact of perennial super-sub and Cameroon World Cup Legend, Roger Milla.

FIFA addresses lack of demand for finals tickets (Feb 19, 2010 08:55 GMT)
FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has pledged to increase the number of World Cup tickets available to South Africa residents in order to ensure that the summer's finals are sold out.

USA to face Turkey in final World Cup warm-up (Feb 17, 2010 17:54 GMT)
USA will complete their World Cup preparations with a friendly international against Turkey in Philadelphia, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

Veterans out as Spurs pair return for Cameroon (Feb 17, 2010 16:48 GMT)
Cameroon have excluded the vastly experienced Rigobert Song and Geremi from their squad to face Italy on March 3, but Paul Le Guen has recalled Tottenham defenders Sebastien Bassong and Benoit Assou Ekotto.

Gonzalez and Cavani back for Uruguay (Feb 17, 2010 16:43 GMT)
Ignacio Gonzalez and Edinson Cavani are back in the Uruguay squad for the friendly match against Switzerland on March 3.

An urges North Korea to keep faith with Kim (Feb 17, 2010 13:45 GMT)
An Yong-Hak insists Kim Jong-Hun must be given the chance to coach North Korea at the World Cup finals, despite a number of foreign coaches being linked with the post.

Antic adamant Vidic will be fine for World Cup (Feb 17, 2010 13:03 GMT)
Nemanja Vidic's continued absence from the Manchester United squad is not cause for concern for Serbia, according to coach Radomir Antic who fully expects the defender to be in his squad for the World Cup finals.

Ronaldo tips Pienaar to star in South Africa (Feb 17, 2010 12:31 GMT)
Cristiano Ronaldo expects South Africa midfielder Steven Pienaar to flourish when the World Cup finals take place in his home country in June.

Bin Hammam: World Cup would lift Middle East (Feb 17, 2010 12:30 GMT)
Asian Football Confederation president Mohammed Bin Hammam believes staging the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will provide the whole Middle East region with a lift it so desperately needs.

Adams: The South Africa Angle, February 17 (Feb 17, 2010 09:12 GMT)
The South Africa Angle examines Sepp Blatter's latest outburst regarding the World Cup finals.

First XI: World Cup legends (Feb 17, 2010 09:12 GMT)
Robin Hackett looks back at the greatest World Cup heroes of all-time.

Maradona notifies World Cup squad definites (Feb 17, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Argentina coach Diego Maradona claims to have notified around a dozen players of their selection for his World Cup squad, but insisted he has not ruled anybody out after naming a 20-man squad for the March 3 friendly against Germany.

South African workers vent anger over imports (Feb 16, 2010 17:01 GMT)
Workers in South Africa have threatened to "kick FIFA's door down" if their demands for World Cup merchandise to be produced locally are not met by this Friday.

Egyptian FA to allow Shehata to join Nigeria (Feb 16, 2010 15:57 GMT)
Hassan Shehata can coach Nigeria at the World Cup if he wishes, according to the Egyptian Football Association.

Diego Forlan hopes to defy expectations (Feb 16, 2010 15:25 GMT)
Uruguay striker Diego Forlan says he does not want to make any predictions about how far they can go in South Africa.

Chile midfielder Jara out for the season (Feb 16, 2010 10:14 GMT)
Chile midfielder Gonzalo Jara is expected to miss the rest of the season with a broken metatarsal, although he should be fit in time for the World Cup.

Ronaldo happy with security in South Africa (Feb 16, 2010 10:14 GMT)
Cristiano Ronaldo has given his endorsement to the security of South Africa ahead of the World Cup and says that he is ''not worried'' by the concerns over safety.

Japan 3-0 Hong Kong: Tamada hits a brace (Feb 13, 2010 14:38 GMT)
Striker Keiji Tamada scored twice to propel Japan to a 3-0 victory over Hong Kong at the East Asian championship on Thursday, easing the pressure on coach Takeshi Okada.

Blatter: Europe has lack of respect for Africa (Feb 12, 2010 17:56 GMT)
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has hit out at the critics who have commented on the security situation in South Africa, claiming that they have a lack of respect for Africa as a continent.

Maradona slams Valdano over Real's Argentines (Feb 11, 2010 22:10 GMT)
Argentina coach Diego Maradona has hit out at Real Madrid director general Jorge Valdano for not doing enough to help the national team.

Home-based Argentina edge past Jamaica (Feb 11, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Late goals by Martin Palermo and Ignacio Canutto helped World Cup-bound Argentina avoid an embarrassing loss to Jamaica in an international friendly in Mar del Plata.

The top 2010 World Cup coaches (Feb 10, 2010 20:20 GMT)
Robin Hackett selects some of the best coaches going to this year's World Cup.

Ireland boss Trapattoni interested in Nigeria (Feb 10, 2010 19:14 GMT)
Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni would be interested in becoming the new Nigeria boss, according to his representative.

Matej Mavric: Slovenia can reach second round (Feb 10, 2010 11:31 GMT)
Slovenia centre-back Matej Mavric is confident that his side can progress from the group stages of the World Cup, despite never having won a single game at the tournament before.

Under-fire Japan boss Okada vows to play safe (Feb 10, 2010 11:22 GMT)
Japan coach Takeshi Okada has admitted to having cold feet about fielding untested players in his side's East Asian championship game against Hong Kong on Thursday.

Motherwell's McGlinchey eyes New Zealand spot (Feb 10, 2010 09:48 GMT)
Motherwell new-boy Michael McGlinchey says that he hopes claiming a first-team place at Fir Park will secure him a spot in New Zealand's World Cup squad.

Ronaldinho left out of Brazil squad by Dunga (Feb 10, 2010 09:47 GMT)
Ronaldinho has been dealt a major blow to World Cup ambitions after he was left out of Brazil's squad for their final warm-up match against Republic of Ireland in London.

Adams: The South Africa Angle, February 10 (Feb 10, 2010 08:26 GMT)
The South Africa Angle sheds light on a row that has sparked some real debate in Germany this week.

Striking at the heart of Japan's woes (Feb 10, 2010 08:26 GMT)
Jon Carter looks at the attacking problems that have hindered Japan's preparations for the World Cup.

Maradona closes door on Riquelme return (Feb 10, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Diego Maradona has put an end to a growing campaign for the return to the Argentina team of playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme.

Nigeria claim Hiddink is ready to replace Amodu (Feb 9, 2010 10:49 GMT)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has claimed Guus Hiddink is interested in taking charge of the national side.

Amodu Nigeria sacking down to public pressure (Feb 8, 2010 19:13 GMT)
The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) insists his organisation were forced to sack coach Shaibu Amodu because of public pressure for a more high-profile appointment.

Socceroos suffer setback as Kemp injured (Feb 8, 2010 11:00 GMT)
Australia international Matthew Kemp has been ruled out for nine months after the defender ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in Melbourne Victory's 2-0 win over North Queensland Fury last Friday.

Nigeria sack coach Amodu ahead of World Cup (Feb 6, 2010 11:16 GMT)
Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu will not lead the Super Eagles at this summer's World Cup finals, despite guiding the side to third place in the African Nations Cup.

Henry handball ref Hansson selected for finals (Feb 6, 2010 10:36 GMT)
Swedish referee Martin Hansson, who missed France's controversial handball during the qualifying play-off against the Republic of Ireland, has been selected in the group of 30 elite referees who will be officiating at the World Cup in South Africa.

World Cup 'massive factor' in McDonald move (Feb 5, 2010 13:30 GMT)
New Middlesbrough signing Scott McDonald says the World Cup was a key factor in his decision to leave Celtic.

First XI: Who will be the World Cup's breakthrough stars? (Feb 5, 2010 09:29 GMT)
Robin Hackett looks at some of the players who could become global stars at the World Cup.

FIFA will choose World Cup officials on Friday (Feb 5, 2010 07:59 GMT)
The referees and linesmen to officiate at the upcoming World Cup will be chosen by FIFA on Friday at the end of a selection process lasting more than two years.

Maradona reaches century of Argentina call-ups (Feb 5, 2010 07:59 GMT)
The number of calls-ups to the Argentina team by coach Diego Maradona reached 100 in 15 months after he drew up a squad for next week's friendly at home to Jamaica.

Ghana coach Rajevac resolves Muntari row (Feb 4, 2010 14:18 GMT)
Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac says he has resolved his differences with Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari, having dropped the midfielder for the African Cup of Nations.

Maradona calls up even more fresh faces (Feb 4, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Argentina coach Diego Maradona has decided to give seven new players their first national team call-ups, despite facing the challenge of culling the 78 players he used in World cup qualification down to a squad of 23.

South Korea, Mexico get Ecuador warm-ups (Feb 4, 2010 08:00 GMT)
World Cup-bound nations South Korea and Mexico will both add to their pre-tournament preparations with warm-up matches against Ecaudor in May, the Ecuadorean Football Federation (FEF) said on Wednesday.

Ahn Jung-hwan handed South Korea lifeline (Feb 3, 2010 11:43 GMT)
South Korea's Ahn Jung-hwan, whose golden goal in 2002 knocked Italy out of the World Cup, could be in line for a surprise recall to the national team after coach Huh Jung-moo arranged to have him watched in China.

SA airlines under investigation for price fixing (Feb 3, 2010 11:30 GMT)
Six airlines are under investigation by the South African competition commission for allegedly colluding on prices to be adopted during the World Cup.

Adams: The South Africa Angle, February 03 (Feb 3, 2010 08:15 GMT)
The South Africa Angle on John Terry's captaincy and Guti's claims for a place in Spain's squad.

Cabanas retains World Cup hope after shooting (Feb 2, 2010 13:16 GMT)
Salvador Cabanas has reportedly told his father that he plans to play for Paraguay at the World Cup as he steps up his recovery.

When was the World Cup bid ever off-track? (Feb 2, 2010 08:36 GMT)
John Iannantuono is more than a little sceptical about Sepp Blatter's 2018 World Cup talk.

Egypt's Shehata claims interest from Nigeria (Feb 2, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Hassan Shehata claims he has been offered the chance to lead Nigeria at the World Cup after guiding Egypt to the African Nations Cup title.


Women's Professional Soccer
Boxx goes first to Saint Louis in dispersal draft (Feb 4, 2010 23:45 GMT)
Midfielder Shannon Boxx has been selected first by Saint Louis Athletica in the Women's Professional Soccer disperal draft.

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