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English National Team
Crouch and Ferdinand return to England training (Mar 31, 2009 18:18 GMT)
Rio Ferdinand was able to take some part in England training this morning, fuelling a belief that he will be fit for the key World Cup qualifier against Ukraine at Wembley.

Pearce to open talks over new England contract (Mar 31, 2009 15:44 GMT)
Stuart Pearce has begun negotiations about extending his stay as England Under-21 manager.

Lampard gains strength from England boo-boys (Mar 31, 2009 15:23 GMT)
Frank Lampard has admitted it was tough being the target of the England boo-boys, but believes the experience has made him a stronger player.

England's young Lions given French lesson (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Stuart Pearce believes the 2-0 friendly defeat to France could prove to be a blessing in disguise for his Under-21 side ahead of this summer's UEFA European Championships.

England facing striker crisis as Bent is ruled out (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England are facing a growing striker crisis after Darren Bent limped out of training on Tuesday, ahead of the World Cup qualifier with Ukraine.

Aggression is part of my game, insists Rooney (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Wayne Rooney insists he would not be the same player if he tried to curb his natural aggression.

Lampard: Don't write off Owen (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England midfielder Frank Lampard believes Michael Owen still has a future with England once the Newcastle United striker returns to full fitness and is back amongst the goals.

Carter: Owen should play a part for England (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jon Carter on the debate over the failure to select Michael Owen for England.

Capello leaves Owen out in the cold (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Fabio Capello has hinted that Michael Owen's England career may be over after calling up Darren Bent in the midst of a striker injury crisis.

Terry: Shevchenko has point to prove (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England skipper John Terry has warned his team-mates not to underestimate Andriy Shevchenko on Wednesday night as the Ukraine striker will be hungry to prove people wrong.

Crouch slams "out of order" Skrtel (Mar 30, 2009 02:23 GMT)
Peter Crouch has accused former Liverpool team-mate Martin Skrtel of deliberately kicking him and adding to England's striker crisis.

Rooney shrugs off temper concerns (Mar 30, 2009 02:22 GMT)
England striker Wayne Rooney brushed aside concerns over his temperament by insisting: "I am always in control.''

Hamstring injury rules out Heskey (Mar 29, 2009 20:28 GMT)
Emile Heskey has been ruled out of England's World Cup qualifier against the Ukraine at Wembley on Wednesday.

Record breaker Beckham happy to be super sub (Mar 29, 2009 19:11 GMT)
England record breaker David Beckham is happy to carry on helping his country anyway he can.

Terry tips Rooney to top 150 caps (Mar 29, 2009 18:37 GMT)
England captain John Terry reckons "frightening'' Wayne Rooney can only get better.

Raynor: Rooney steals the show on Beckham's big day (Mar 29, 2009 02:34 GMT)
Dom Raynor watches Wayne Rooney destroy Slovakia on Beckham's big day.

Beckham breaks Moore's record (Mar 29, 2009 01:42 GMT)
David Beckham became England's most capped outfield player when he won his 109th cap as a halftime substitute in the friendly against Slovakia at Wembley on Saturday.

England skipper Terry can see green shoots (Mar 28, 2009 17:50 GMT)
Captain John Terry believes England have learnt lessons from their defeat against Euro 2008 winners Spain and are "going in the right direction'' to again be a formidable force in world football.

England Under-21s smash Norway for five (Mar 28, 2009 17:36 GMT)
England Under-21s produced a ruthless performance to destroy their Norwegian counterparts in a snowy friendly on Friday.

Terry urges fans to stop booing players (Mar 28, 2009 17:34 GMT)
Skipper John Terry has urged England fans to get behind the team at Wembley instead of being so quick to criticise the players.

Capello: Gerrard at the top of his game (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England coach Fabio Capello has hailed Steven Gerrard as one of the best players in the world.

Capello hopeful over King future (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Fabio Capello has spoken of his controversial selection of Ledley King, who suffers from chronic knee problems, claiming he hopes the defender will feature in England's future.

International injuries worry O'Neill (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill admits he becomes fraught with worry every time his players go away on international duty.

England skipper focused on Slovakia (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England captain John Terry insists he is thinking of nothing but football ahead of the friendly clash with Slovakia at Wembley.

Wright-Phillips misses out on England training (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips was again absent from England's final training session before the friendly against Slovakia at Wembley.

Beckham: Rooney in the right hands (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England midfielder David Beckham is confident Fabio Capello and Sir Alex Ferguson are the right managers to get the best out of Wayne Rooney without curbing his aggression.

Agbonlahor and Richards out of Under-21 squad (Mar 26, 2009 23:43 GMT)
Gabriel Agbonlahor and Micah Richards have pulled out of the England Under-21 squad to face Norway and France due to hamstring strains.

Heskey hails Wembley fans (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England striker Emile Heskey believes supporters at Wembley can be a 12th man now Fabio Capello's side have won them over.

Wales' Gunter sings praises of "remarkable" King (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur youngster Chris Gunter believes club-mate Ledley King would be among the best defenders in the world if it were not for his knee problem.

Shilton hopes Foster is handed England chance (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England legend Peter Shilton hopes Fabio Capello will give Ben Foster the chance to stake his claim for the number one jersey ahead of the World Cup.

Gerrard hoping for forward role (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England midfielder Steven Gerrard is hoping for the chance to occupy the same roving role for his country that has brought such stunning success at Liverpool.

Raynor: England reign over for King (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
King's decision to withdraw him from England duty effectively ends his international career, says Dominic Raynor.

Gerrard expects King to return for England (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Steven Gerrard does not believe Ledley King's withdrawal from England's squad on Tuseday will inhibit his chances of further call-ups to the national team.

Agbonlahor called-up to England U-21 squad (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has been called up to the England Under-21 squad for the friendlies against Norway and France.

Knee injury forces King to quit England camp (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Ledley King is thought to be seriously considering his international future after being forced to pull out of the England squad on Tuesday as a result of his chronic knee injury.

Baines delighted to win first England call-up (Mar 24, 2009 00:27 GMT)
Everton defender Leighton Baines has described his England call-up as the "proudest moment of my career".

Capello promises to take no chances with King (Mar 23, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England coach Fabio Capello has promised Tottenham Hotspur he will take no chances with Ledley King's fitness.

Capello - Milan move no guarantee for Beckham (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Fabio Capello has said he is pleased David Beckham will stay at AC Milan until the end of the season but that the move would not guarantee his England place.

Walcott and Lennon named in Under-21 squad (Mar 19, 2009 22:22 GMT)
Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon have been named in the England Under-21 squad for the friendlies against Norway and France in the next international break.

Beckham: Being at Milan makes me far fitter (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
David Beckham has outlined how his England career had benefited from his loan move to the San Siro.

O'Neill: No new contract, no England link (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Martin O'Neill has made a pair of twin denials.

O'Neill emerges as FA's choice to replace Capello (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Martin O'Neill has emerged as the Football Association's current first choice to replace Fabio Capello as England head coach when the Italian steps down.

Capello's England slip to ninth in FIFA rankings (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England have slipped a place in the latest FIFA World Rankings, falling to ninth following their 2-0 loss in Spain last month.

Dasey: Gazza, Spurs and the satellite dish (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
With Gazza on the road to recovery Jason Dasey recounts the time he met the troubled star.

Galaxy want Beckham to miss friendly (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena is ready to ask England boss Fabio Capello not to include David Beckham in his squad for this summer's friendly against Holland.

Triesman separates football and politics (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Football Association chairman Lord Triesman has announced he will not sit as a Labour peer in the House of Lords until England's 2018 World Cup bid campaign is over.


English Premier League
Juve chief rubbishes talk of Trezeguet to Chelsea (Mar 31, 2009 22:12 GMT)
Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has brushed aside rumours linking David Trezeguet with a move to Chelsea this summer.

Van Persie wants to see ambition before signing (Mar 31, 2009 21:56 GMT)
Robin van Persie is ready to pledge his future to Arsenal if they can match his own trophy-winning ambitions.

Baggies hope to keep Simpson for another year (Mar 31, 2009 19:35 GMT)
West Brom manager Tony Mowbray wants on-loan Arsenal striker Jay Simpson to remain with the Baggies for another season.

Owen builds up fitness for relegation battle (Mar 31, 2009 18:11 GMT)
Newcastle skipper Michael Owen has ignored the ongoing debate over his England future to take full advantage of the international break, according to caretaker manager Chris Hughton.

Liverpool to hand new contracts to young stars (Mar 31, 2009 18:08 GMT)
Liverpool are planning to offer new contracts to two of their most promising home-grown stars.

Gunners chief: We can keep hold of Cesc (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsenal's chief executive Ivan Gazidis is "very confident" that Cesc Fabregas will not head a mass departure of the Gunners' young stars this summer.

Ang. - Beckham en tête des salaires (Mar 30, 2009 16:04 GMT)
Le milieu de terrain anglais David Beckham avec 32,4 millions d'euros annuels (salaires et revenus annexes) devance l'attaquant argentin Lionel Messi (28,6 millions d'euros) au classement des "salaires des stars" que publiera mardi le bi-hebdomadair

Neville nearing fitness after reserve run-out (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United defender Gary Neville lasted almost an hour of Monday night's reserve-team draw with Newcastle United at St James' Park.

Madrid's Van det Vaart cool on Chelsea link (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has refuted reports linking him with Chelsea, but accepts his future remains open to question.

Hull City submit Fabregas statements to FA (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Hull City have submitted their full version of events to the Football Association following allegations assistant manager Brian Horton was spat at by Arsenal club captain Cesc Fabregas.

U.S. tycoon Kroenke increases Arsenal stake (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
American tycoon Stan Kroenke has increased his stake in Arsenal to just over 20% at a cost of some £42.5million after buying 5,000 ordinary shares from fellow director Danny Fiszman.

Agbonlahor can get back on track, says Young (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Luke Young is backing Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor to end his current goal drought sooner rather than later.

Fifth official: March 30 (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright ugly from the weekend.

Mourinho scoffs at suggestions Sir Alex will retire (Mar 30, 2009 04:24 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has brushed off talk of him taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United next summer by insisting the Scot is going nowhere.

Hull to submit Fabregas evidence on Monday (Mar 29, 2009 23:14 GMT)
Hull chairman Paul Duffen is certain the Football Association will uncover the truth during their investigation into claims that Brian Horton was spat at by Arsenal club captain Cesc Fabregas.

Drogba and Malouda happy to stay at Bridge (Mar 29, 2009 23:07 GMT)
Chelsea team-mates Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda insist they have no intention of leaving Stamford Bridge.

Agent claims Mancini turned down Man Utd offer (Mar 29, 2009 19:00 GMT)
Roberto Mancini turned down the role of Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United, according to the former Inter Milan coach's agent.

Hiddink to take consultancy role with Blues? (Mar 28, 2009 17:45 GMT)
Chelsea's interim coach Guus Hiddink is considering a consultant's role with the club when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

Mancini 'turned down' United job offer (Mar 28, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Roberto Mancini turned down the role of Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United, according to the former Inter Milan coach's agent.

Adebayor given Arsenal go ahead for Togo game (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor, sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring injury, has been given permission by club manager Arsene Wenger to return for Togo in Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Cameroon.

Benitez says Liverpool won't be signing Silva (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has dismissed speculation linking him with a summer move for Spain star David Silva.

Wenger has ''no problem'' with Adebayor game (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has ''no problem'' with Emmanuel Adebayor playing for Togo during the international break - and feels it would be good for the striker to get a game.

Scudamore hits back at Blatter's outburst (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has hit back in the row with FIFA president Sepp Blatter by suggesting a limit on foreigners in the English top flight borders on "xenophobic rhetoric".

John Terry's mother arrested (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
England and Chelsea captain John Terry's mother and mother-in-law have been arrested by police for shoplifting, after being accused of stealing food and clothing worth £800 from Tesco and Marks and Spencer.

AZ's Dembele laughs off Arsenal link (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
AZ Alkmaar forward Moussa Dembele has laughed off reports suggesting he is a summer target for Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

Van Persie wanted Rangers move (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Holland star Robin van Persie has revealed he was ''desperate'' to join Rangers as a teenager.

Spurs' Cudicini hits out at former club Chelsea (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Carlo Cudicini has admitted he was surprised by how ordinary his former club Chelsea looked when his Tottenham side beat them 1-0 last week.

Liverpool target Valencia midfielder Silva (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Valencia midfielder David Silva has emerged as Liverpool's principal transfer target for the summer according to reports in the British media on Friday.

Under-fire Robinho defends form for Citizens (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester City forward Robinho believes the perception that he performs better for Brazil than he does for his club side can be attributed to the star names he plays alongside at international level.

United boss Ferguson to quit next year, says son (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson will retire as Manchester United manager at the end of next season, according to his son Darren.

Carter: The week that was: Mar 20-26 (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jon Carter on a week of corner flag abuse, Brazilian bickering and the beginning of referees' war.

Blatter slams Premier League obsession with cash (Mar 26, 2009 23:46 GMT)
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has launched another attack on the Premier League by criticising chief executive Richard Scudamore and his obsession with finding more revenue streams for the richest league in the world.

Santa Cruz hoping to return against Everton (Mar 26, 2009 23:36 GMT)
Striker Roque Santa Cruz is hopeful he can rejoin Blackburn's relegation battle in time for their next match in the Premier League.

Man Utd approach another Indian sponsor (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United have sent a shirt sponsorship proposal to the Indian conglomerate Tata Group.

Belgian star Defour eyes Villa switch (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Standard Liege playmaker Steven Defour would be willing to try his luck outside Belgium if an acceptable offer came his way.

Liverpool's Hicks selling Texas Rangers shares (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is looking to sell part of his share in Major League Baseball team Texas Rangers.

Boro fined for ref rage against Baggies (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Middlesbrough have been fined £6,000 by the Football Association after the club admitted a charge of "failing to control their players" against West Brom on January 17.

Benitez: Gerrard should be PFA Player of Year (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez believes that Steven Gerrard should be named PFA player of the year.

Meggo: United slip is good thing for Bolton (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bolton manager Gary Megson is delighted by Manchester United's stumble at the top of the Premier League as he hopes it will now make things easier for his own side.

Time running out for Robinho (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
British record signing Robinho could be facing a spell on the bench, says Norman Hubbard.

Whelan: Mike Ashley has ruined Newcastle (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Wigan owner Dave Whelan claims his Newcastle counterpart Mike Ashley has driven the north-east club to the brink of relegation from the Premier League

Betting firm drops Merson from ad campaign (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A bookmaker has dropped gambling addict and former Arsenal star Paul Merson from its advertising campaign.

Gillett denies preparing to sell sporting assets (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
American businessman George Gillett angrily denied on Wednesday reports that he is considering selling his sporting assets including Premier League soccer club Liverpool and NHL team the Montreal Canadiens.

Skrtel: Utd could crumble (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel believes Manchester United could crumble under the pressure as the end of the season draws near.

City boss Hughes: No ''fracture'' at Eastlands (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes claims any perception of a rift between him and his £32.5m forward Robinho has always been wide of the mark.

Fletcher: United itching to atone (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Darren Fletcher admits the international break has come at an awkward time for a Manchester United side itching to atone for consecutive defeats.

UEFA to charge club with match fixing within days (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
UEFA will bring match fixing charges against a European club within days, European soccer's governing body said on Wednesday.

Drogba interested in extending Chelsea stay (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Striker Didier Drogba is willing to discuss a contract extension with Chelsea. The 30-year-old's fortunes have improved dramatically under interim coach Guus Hiddink.

Evra unconcerned by Red Devils slump (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has described his team's recent defeats to Liverpool and Fulham as nothing more than "a little accident".

Referees see red over FA's Friedel U-turn (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A row is brewing between Premier League referees and the Football Association following their decision to overturn goalkeeper Brad Friedel's red card at Liverpool.

"I still have the dressing room" - insists Hughton (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Newcastle United's caretaker coach Chris Hughton insists he has the complete backing of the players despite reports the relegation threatened club are lining up Terry Venables to ride to their rescue.

Under fire Ancelotti wants to stay at AC Milan (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has reiterated his desire to remain at the club next season despite persistent rumours linking him with a move to Chelsea this summer.

Blackburn defender Ooijer confirms PSV switch (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Blackburn Rovers defender Andre Ooijer has confirmed he will return to PSV Eindhoven next season.

Peters: Gillett looking to cut a deal (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jerrad Peters looks at George Gillett's decison to boost Liverpool's coffers by selling his ice hockey team.

Holland: Saving football from itself (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Phil Holland on UEFA's plans for a luxury tax, administration worries and a sale not happening at Anfield.

Gerrard: "Never happier" (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Steven Gerrard has revealed that he is ready to sign a contract extension with Liverpool.

Blues chief tight-lipped on Ancelotti link (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has refused to comment on rumours linking AC Milan head coach Carlo Ancelotti with a Stamford Bridge move in the summer.

McCartney's Man City red card rescinded (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sunderland full-back George McCartney has had the red card he received in Sunday's defeat at Manchester City rescinded today by the Football Association.

Friedel's red card overturned (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel has had the red card he received in Sunday's defeat at Liverpool rescinded by the Football Association on Tuesday.

Sacking Southgate wouldn't help - Gibson (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has been told by chairman Steve Gibson that his job is safe, despite the club facing the threat of relegation from the Premier League.

Stoke sweat on new injury blow to Sidibe (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Stoke City are hoping Mamady Sidibe has avoided a serious injury after the striker was stretchered off prior to Monday night's reserve game at Aston Villa.

City boss Hughes buoyed by returning Bojinov (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes believes the return of striker Valeri Bojinov after serious injury problems is a major boost for the club.

Boost for Villa as Bouma makes comeback (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Aston Villa left-back Wilfred Bouma provided a welcome ray of sunshine for manager Martin O'Neill by continuing his comeback from injury in playing a second 90 minutes for the reserves against Stoke City on Monday night.

Man United are in a fight now - Carragher (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jamie Carragher has warned Manchester Untied that Liverpool now have the mental strength to mount a serious assault on the Premier League title.

Newcastle players want Venables - report (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Terry Venables could take over at relegation-threatened Newcastle United amid reports that the club's troubled players have lost faith in the acting-managerial pair Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood.

Grobbelaar tips Liverpool keeper Reina to score (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool legend Bruce Grobbelaar would not be surprised to see Jose Reina add a goalscoring threat to his list of attributes.

Fantasy Focus: Squad of the Month (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Dale Johnson reveals the top performing Premier League fantasy players in March.

Sunderland appeal red card given to McCartney (Mar 24, 2009 00:34 GMT)
Sunderland will file an appeal against the red card shown to defender George McCartney in the 1-0 loss to Manchester City.

Walcott could be back to face Man City (Mar 24, 2009 00:31 GMT)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger expects to have Theo Walcott back from his knee injury for the club's Champions League challenge after the international break.

Redknapp checks out Milito in trip to Italy (Mar 24, 2009 00:25 GMT)
Argentina striker Diego Milito was among the players Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp looked at during Genoa's victory over Udinese at the weekend.

Brown grateful for international break (Mar 24, 2009 00:23 GMT)
Hull manager Phil Brown hopes to use the forthcoming international break to regroup and get his squad ready for a crucial run of fixtures in April.

Ljungberg fears Wenger could quit (Mar 23, 2009 21:21 GMT)
Former Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg fears Arsene Wenger may leave the club if he is offered a bigger budget to work with elsewhere.

Anelka ruled out for three weeks, say French (Mar 23, 2009 19:51 GMT)
Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka will be out of action for three weeks after injuring a toe, the French Football Federation (FFF) said on Monday.

O'Neill desperate to find answers to Villa slump (Mar 23, 2009 18:51 GMT)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has warned his team that they have come too far for their Champions League dream to disintegrate.

Nolan keeps his cool as Newcastle struggle on (Mar 23, 2009 18:50 GMT)
Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan is refusing to panic despite his side slipping into the Premier League relegation zone following the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend.

Rafa to focus on perfect finish for Liverpool (Mar 23, 2009 16:54 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has insisted he is not concerned with Manchester United's results as the Premier League title race enters the final straight.

Premier Showdown - Mar 21-22 (Mar 23, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Red-carded Rooney avoids further punishment (Mar 23, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will not face any further disciplinary action from the FA following his red card at Fulham on Saturday, despite raging at referee and punching corner flag on his way off the pitch.

Villa striker Harewood goes on loan to Wolves (Mar 23, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Mick McCarthy has added to his attacking options by signing Marlon Harewood on loan from Aston Villa until the end of the season.

Riera: United are showing signs of title pressure (Mar 23, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool winger Albert Riera reckons it is Manchester United and not Rafa Benitez who are "cracking up" as the title-race hots up.

Fifth official: March 23 (Mar 23, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright ugly from the weekend.

Jolly: Liverpool's unforeseen excellence (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Richard Jolly was at Anfield to watch resurgent Liverpool smash five past Aston Villa.

Team of the Week, March 22-23, 2009 (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Southgate - We must play to our strengths (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Under-pressure Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is determined to stick to his principles and believes his team can play their way out of trouble.

Wenger urges players to focus on Arsenal not Villa (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told his players Champions League qualification remains in their own hands regardless of what Aston Villa do.

Chelsea and Hiddink left to rue missed opportunity (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Guus Hiddink admitted Chelsea's Premier League title bid was hanging by a thread as he left White Hart Lane to concentrate on Russia for the next 11 days.

Man Utd's woes compounded by Berbatov injury (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov will miss Bulgaria's 2010 World Cup qualifiers away to Ireland on March 28 and at home against Cyprus four days later due to an ankle injury.

Ferguson acknowledges bad day at the office (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson acknowledged his team were not good enough as they 2-0 lost at Fulham on Saturday.

The Insider: Chelsea's White Hart pain (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Insider watched as Spurs prevented Chelsea taking advantage of Man Utd's slip.

Bundesliga: Hertha crash to Stuttgart reverse (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Champions Bayern Munich beat Karlsruhe 1-0 on Saturday to move within a point of Bundesliga leaders Hertha Berlin who lost 2-0 against VfB Stuttgart.

Premier League: Man Utd meltdown, Stoke win (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A Manchester United meltdown at Craven Cottage blew the title race wide open as Fulham beat them 2-0 while Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney both saw red.

Torres targets 103-year-old Liverpool goal record (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Birthday boy Fernando Torres will be aiming to shoot down a 103-year-old Liverpool scoring record against Aston Villa.

Agbonlahor sends warning to Arsenal (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Aston Villa can pull off shock results at Liverpool and Manchester United to keep alive their hopes of securing a Champions League spot.

James questions Pompey players' agenda (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James believes some of his team-mates may be playing for a move away from Fratton Park, rather than concentrating on saving the club from relegation.

The best is yet to come, promises Arshavin (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Andrey Arshavin has promised the Arsenal fans there is plenty more to come from him as he adjusts to life at the Emirates.

O'Neill hints that Barry could leave Villa (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Martin O'Neill has dropped another strong hint he would allow Gareth Barry to leave Aston Villa at the end of the season if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Drogba cautioned over throwing coin at fans (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has received a caution for allegedly throwing a coin at Burnley fans during a match in November, it emerged on Saturday.

Ferguson tells Benitez his spending doesn't add up (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has re-opened hostilities with Rafa Benitez by disputing the Liverpool manager's claim that he has spent more on transfers than the Spaniard.

Redknapp: Lennon lacked proper coaching (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has criticised the previous regime at White Hart Lane by insisting Aaron Lennon was not coached properly and questioning why a second right winger was bought last summer.

Mason: Legal anarchy in the UK (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Podcast host Dan Mason has a Hammers-eye view on the Carlos Tevez affair.

Fresh Walcott injury setback for Gunners (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Theo Walcott could be set for another spell on the sidelines after a knee injury ruled the Arsenal winger out of next week's England Under-21 internationals.

Allardyce rules Roque out of international duty (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has ruled striker Roque Santa Cruz out of Paraguay's forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Tottenham winger Lennon signs two-year deal (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur winger Aaron Lennon has signed a new contract which ties him to the White Hart Lane club until 2014.

Assault charge dropped against Reds' Gerrard (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
An assault charge against England star Steven Gerrard has been dropped, a court heard on Friday.

Reds hand Rafa £30m transfer war chest (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has been handed a £30m war chest along with his new five-year contract, according to reports in the UK press.

Sbragia's future is still in doubt, insists Quinn (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn admits Ricky Sbragia's future as manager is still unclear.

United keen to move on from Liverpool mauling (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson might still be rejecting talk of an unprecedented quintuple but coach Rene Meulensteen has revealed Manchester United's hunger to get back to winning ways.

Newcastle boss Kinnear earmarks Spurs return (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear has targeted a return to the hotseat next month following heart surgery.

Hiddink hints at Chelsea stay if Russia falter (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Guus Hiddink hinted on Friday he could take over at Chelsea on a full-time basis if Russia failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.

The week that was: Mar 06-13 (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week when Brazilian club Corinthians chased the "dream" of a Zidane-Ronaldo reunion.

Guus could be back at the Bridge in November (Mar 19, 2009 22:24 GMT)
Guus Hiddink could return to Chelsea in November if Russia fail to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Rovers striker Santa Cruz in Paraguay squad (Mar 19, 2009 22:20 GMT)
Paraguay head coach Gerardo Martino has included Roque Santa Cruz in a 28-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Ecuador.

Hicks plans to build bright future (Mar 19, 2009 21:30 GMT)
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has spoken of his delight at pinning manager Rafael Benitez down to a new five-year contract and insisted he was "never worried" about his future.

Brown fined after Newcastle incident (Mar 19, 2009 20:38 GMT)
Hull manager Phil Brown has been fined £2,500 and warned as to future conduct by the Football Association after admitting a charge of improper conduct.

O'Neill eager to tie Petrov to extended contract (Mar 19, 2009 19:16 GMT)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is stepping up his bid to persuade key midfielder Stiliyan Petrov to sign a new contract.

Barton closing in on comeback (Mar 19, 2009 19:13 GMT)
Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton could return for the final five games of the season.

"I'm not injury prone," declares Owen (Mar 19, 2009 18:22 GMT)
Newcastle United striker Michael Owen has insisted he is not injury prone as he makes his latest return from a spell on the sidelines.

Spurs reveal record £39.8m profits (Mar 19, 2009 18:01 GMT)
Tottenham will be exploring various avenues to finance their new stadium, financial figures have revealed.

Benitez set to tie star players to longer deals (Mar 19, 2009 16:51 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will make the long-term future of his star players the number one priority after penning a new contract of his own to run until the summer of 2014.

Sir Alex writes off hopes of quintuple (Mar 19, 2009 15:35 GMT)
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he does not believe Manchester United will pick up five trophies this season.

Brown vows to "fully support" Horton (Mar 19, 2009 15:33 GMT)
Hull must decide whether to lodge a formal complaint to the Football Association over their allegation Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas spat at assistant manager Brian Horton.

Hughes vows to go on the attack against Aalborg (Mar 19, 2009 15:31 GMT)
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes will guard against complacency by telling his side not to sit back against Aalborg.

Vidic lauds strength of the English game (Mar 19, 2009 15:22 GMT)
Nemanja Vidic feels the Premier League can give itself a hefty pat on the back as four of its teams wait to discover their Champions League fate.

Hiddink hints at Chelsea stay if Russia fail to qualify (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Guus Hiddink hinted on Friday he could take over at Chelsea on a full-time basis if Russia failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Portsmouth forced to shelve stadium plans (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Portsmouth have postponed plans to build a new stadium because of the economic downturn.

Wigan not planning legal action over Tevez (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Wigan Athletic have rejected suggestions they are to pursue legal action against West Ham United to recover Premier League prize money they may have missed out on, in light of the Carlos Tevez affair.

Zola laments the "nonsense" of UEFA's formats (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola believes West Ham are four wins away from Europe - but he has launched an attack on the format of UEFA competitions and feels they have been devalued.

Hubbard: Out of Toon and lacking in hope? (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Newcastle could yet be rebranded as the Championship's biggest club, says Norman Hubbard.

Rosenthal backing Redknapp to deliver (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Ronny Rosenthal believes his former side have the right man in Harry Redknapp to turn around their current lack of form and steer the club to safety.

Benitez signs new five-year Liverpool deal (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez has signed a new deal with Liverpool to keep him at Anfield until 2014.

Fixture switch means pile-up for Man United (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United have confirmed their Premier League encounter with Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium will take place on Wednesday, May 13.

Mourinho plots £100m Premier League raid (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Didier Drogba and Nemanja Vidic top Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho's wish list after reportedly being given the go ahead to launch a £100m summer transfer raid on Premier League clubs.

"Rovers defender Ooijer to return to PSV" (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Andre Ooijer's agent Sigi Lens claims a deal has been struck which will see the Blackburn defender rejoin PSV Eindhoven in the summer.

FA wait on report on Fabregas 'spitting' row (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The FA await the referee's report and any possible formal complaint from the Tigers' coaching staff after allegations of spitting by Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas overshadowed Tuesday's FA Cup tie with Hull.

Hughes: Jo has a future back at Man City (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes expects Brazilian striker Jo to return a better player once his loan deal with Everton expires at the end of the season.

Holland: The German football tax (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Phil Holland on how the price of a beer could save the Bundesliga and fresh worries for West Ham.

Alves rubbishes reports of move to Chelsea (Mar 18, 2009 01:32 GMT)
Barcelona defender Daniel Alves has denied he has any interest in a move to Chelsea after a British newspaper claimed he was eager to join the club in the summer.

Chelsea will battle till "bitter end" - Hiddink (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Guus Hiddink has vowed to push Manchester United to the ''bitter end'' in the Premier League title race and also wants to guide Chelsea to Champions League glory.

Tuncay reveals Boro's new positivity after draw (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Tuncay Sanli is confident Middlesbrough's last-gasp escape against Portsmouth has set them up for a Premier League fightback.

Warnock considers suing West Ham over Tevez (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock is seriously considering whether to pursue a personal compensation claim against West Ham United over the Carlos Tevez affair.

Hammers' Green relieved to escape serious injury (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
West Ham United goalkeeper Robert Green felt he was fortunate to escape without serious injury when he was caught Jonas Olsson's elbow in Monday night's stalemate against West Bromwich Albion at Upton Park.

Fantasy Focus: Catch a falling star (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Dale Johnson picks out that fantasy legends who no longer produce the goods.

FA confirm two-game suspension for Vidic (Mar 16, 2009 19:19 GMT)
The Football Association have confirmed Nemanja Vidic will sit out Manchester United's next two Premier League matches after his dismissal in Saturday's defeat to Liverpool.

Kinnear on course for April comeback (Mar 16, 2009 18:18 GMT)
Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear remains on course to return to work next month as he continues his recovery from heart surgery.

West Ham agree Tevez compenastion (Mar 16, 2009 17:11 GMT)
West Ham United and Sheffield United have confirmed they have come to an agreement on compensation over the Carlos Tevez affair, bringing to an end a saga which has rumbled on for almost two years.

Sir Alex boycotts TV interviews (Mar 16, 2009 16:08 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly refused to give television interviews to Sky Sports before or after Saturday's crushing 4-1 defeat to Liverpool in protest at the kick-off time.

Deco faces season KO with hamstring problem (Mar 16, 2009 15:49 GMT)
Guus Hiddink will have to fight for glory on three fronts without the services of Portugal midfielder Deco.

Agbonlahor vows to rediscover scoring touch (Mar 16, 2009 15:47 GMT)
Martin O'Neill will meet with Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor on Monday after attacking fans for their reaction towards the England player when he was substituted during Sunday's home defeat to Tottenham.

Zola targets Europa League to top off first season (Mar 16, 2009 15:42 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola believes his West Ham side have the mental strength to deliver European football at the first time of asking.

Premier Showdown - Mar 14-16 (Mar 16, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

BBC apologise for Pardew's use of word 'rape' (Mar 16, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The BBC have apologised after one of its football pundits compared a tackle by a Chelsea player to rape.

Anichebe receives official apology from cops (Mar 16, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Everton striker Victor Anichebe has received a personal apology from a police chief after he was questioned by officers while looking in a jewellery shop window.

The end of a classic British farce (Mar 16, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Dale Johnson on a long-running saga which left egg aplenty on faces.

Fifth official: March 16 (Mar 16, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright ugly from the weekend.

Jolly: Spurs halt Villa's push for Champions League (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Richard Jolly was at Villa Park to watch Martin O'Neill's men stutter in the race for the top four.

Defender Toure fails to commit future to Arsenal (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Kolo Toure has refused to commit his long-term future to Arsenal, fuelling rumours he is set for a summer exit.

Team of the Week, March 14-15, 2009 (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Corluka: We have failed at Spurs this season (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Tottenham defender Vedran Corluka admits the club have failed this season - no matter how strongly they finish their Premier League campaign.

Barnes backing for boss Benitez (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool great John Barnes believes Rafael Benitez remains the right man to lead the Anfield club forward.

Utd legend Charlton: Pressure is off champions (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United great Sir Bobby Charlton hopes the humiliating defeat by Liverpool can prove a blessing in disguise.

City defender Dunne hits out at Drogba over diving (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester City's Richard Dunne has claimed that Chelsea striker Didier Drogba 'cons' referees with his diving antics and says it makes it difficult for defenders to stay on the pitch.

Fergie looking for United response after thrashing (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson is adamant that Manchester United will rise from their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool.

Ang. - Liverpool écrase United (Mar 14, 2009 16:18 GMT)
Liverpool a fait tomber avec la manière Manchester United (4-1) samedi à Old Trafford lors de la 29e journée du Championnat d'Angleterre et relance la course au titre en revenant à quatre points seulement des hommes de Sir Alex Ferguson.

Premier League: Reds crush United, Gunners fire (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
All the action from Saturday's Premier League games.

Rafa: We must win every game (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez has set Liverpool the target of winning all their remaining nine games if they want to wrestle the Premier League title away from Manchester United.

Given: City rise will not be as quick as Chelsea (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Shay Given has warned Manchester City fans not to expect the Blues to leap into England's elite as quickly as Chelsea did.

Hiddink: Terry will stay at Chelsea despite City bid (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Guus Hiddink believes John Terry will spend the rest of his career with Chelsea, even if Manchester City come calling again in the summer.

Benitez determined to get back in title race (Mar 13, 2009 23:16 GMT)
Rafael Benitez says his side have it within them to win at Old Trafford on Saturday and throw the Premier League title race open again.

Southgate urges side to start again for run-in (Mar 13, 2009 21:48 GMT)
Gareth Southgate admits his Middlesbrough side deserve to be in relegation trouble - but claims their past performances are now "irrelevant''.

Hodgson bemoans workload as Fulham form dips (Mar 13, 2009 21:43 GMT)
Roy Hodgson is hoping his Fulham squad can return next season bigger and better after admitting the lack of numbers at Craven Cottage is beginning to take its toll.

West Ham to agree compensation with Blades (Mar 13, 2009 21:03 GMT)
West Ham United and Sheffield United are believed to have come to an agreement on compensation over the long-running Carlos Tevez affair, with the Blades set to be paid £10m.

Bougherra committed to Gers as Magpies hover (Mar 13, 2009 19:27 GMT)
Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra would gladly snub a double-your-money move to Newcastle if the Premier League club try to buy him this summer.

Striker Villa will snub Man City move - agent (Mar 13, 2009 19:19 GMT)
Valencia striker David Villa has no intention of moving to a club outside Spain, his agent was quoted as saying on Friday.

Ferguson admits he's still baffled by Rafa's rant (Mar 13, 2009 15:46 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson intends to consult the works of great psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud to try and work out what lies behind the legend of 'Rafa's rant'.

United censor Rooney's hatred for Liverpool (Mar 13, 2009 15:46 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has fanned the flames ahead of Saturday's crunch Premier League showdown with Liverpool at Old Trafford by revealing he "hates" Liverpool.

Benitez seeks assurances over Liverpool's plans (Mar 13, 2009 15:42 GMT)
The uncertainty over the future of Rafael Benitez shows no sign of being resolved in the immediate future with the Liverpool manager revealing he is still waiting to see proof of long-term stability before signing his new contract.

Zidane names Gerrard as best player in the world (Mar 13, 2009 15:40 GMT)
Zinedine Zidane believes Steven Gerrard is the best player in the world.

Giggs expects Liverpool to pose a serious threat (Mar 13, 2009 15:39 GMT)
Ryan Giggs insists Manchester United will not be caught off guard by Liverpool's Jekyll and Hyde form.

Ballack joins calls for Hiddink to stay at Chelsea (Mar 13, 2009 15:37 GMT)
Midfielder Michael Ballack wants interim coach Guus Hiddink to forget about Russia and sign on at Chelsea for a three-year stint.

On that day: Rosenthal helps Liverpool to the title (Mar 13, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jon Carter remembers the impact Ronny Rosenthal had on Liverpool and talks to the man himself.

The week that was: Mar 06-13 (Mar 13, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week when strike sensation Walter appeared on Man United's radar and Andriy Voronin ruled out a return to Anfield.

Angry Anichebe unhappy despite police apology (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Police officers tried to grab injured Everton striker Victor Anichebe's crutches to stop him "escaping" when he was wrongly accused of attempting to rob a jewellers, the player said on Thursday.

Spurs' Redknapp bemoans lack of British talent (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp fears it will be impossible for teams to copy Aston Villa's policy of using homegrown players due to a shortage of British talent.

Hammers' Collison ruled out for seven weeks (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
West Ham midfielder Jack Collison has been ruled out for six to seven weeks with a dislocated kneecap, the club have confirmed.

Mascherano: I'll keep my cool (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is determined to keep his cool when he returns to face Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time since blowing his top last season.

Rooney: Make or break for Reds (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has stoked the fires ahead of Saturday's showdown with Liverpool by claiming a Manchester United victory would send Rafael Benitez's side crashing out of the title race.

Owen to play a part against Hull (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Newcastle skipper Michael Owen will play against fellow Premier League strugglers Hull on Saturday.

Carroll signs new deal (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Newcastle striker Andy Carroll has committed his future to the club by signing a new three-and-a-half-year contract.

Anichebe ''awaits apology'' over police swoop (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Everton's Victor Anichebe was caught up an incident after he was swooped on by police who saw him looking in a jeweller's window and thought the striker was casing the joint.

Hubbard: A nice problem to have (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Forget fantasy football Norman Hubbard picks a theoretical side from a Liverpool-Man Utd mash-up.

Blatter: I'm not out to 'get' English football (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
FIFA president Sepp Blatter insists he is not 'out to get' English football.

Holland: Beckham eyes franchise football (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Phil Holland on Beckham's hopes for an MLS franchise, Valencia's debts and Thaksin's farewell.

Edman returns Spurs signing-on fee to Heerenveen (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Former Heerenveen defender Erik Edman has returned money awarded to him as part of his move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2004 after admitting he made a mistake.

Hughton: Owen can lead Newcastle to safety (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Chris Hughton is backing Newcastle United skipper Michael Owen to fire the club to Premier League safety on his return from injury.

Beckenbauer likens mercurial Bayern to Liverpool (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Club president Franz Beckenbauer compared Bayern Munich to Liverpool after his team scored a record 12-1 aggregate win over Sporting to stroll into the Champions League quarter-finals.

Hodgson hails Allardyce ahead of Rovers clash (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is confident Sam Allardyce will keep Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League.

Villa skipper Laursen hit with fresh injury setback (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Aston Villa skipper Martin Laursen has suffered a setback in his bid to return to action after his knee problem.

Now bring on Man United, says bullish Benitez (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Buoyed by Liverpool's 4-0 Champions League demolition of Real Madrid at Anfield Rafa Benitez insisted the Reds can force their way back into the Premier League title race with a win at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Mourinho: I could be United boss - in 20 years (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jose Mourinho has tipped Sir Alex Ferguson to remain as Manchester United manager for another 20 years.

Di Michele wants to extend West Ham stay (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
West Ham United striker David Di Michele wants to stay at Upton Park beyond the end of the season when his loan from Serie A side Torino expires.

Fourth place in our own hands - Villa's Young (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Luke Young admits Aston Villa's destiny ''is in our own hands'' as they look to secure a Champions League spot for the first time.

West Brom announce ticket price freeze (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
West Bromwich Albion have frozen season ticket prices for next season, if purchased by the end of April, irrespective of which division they are in.

Lampard vows to keep pushing in title fight (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Frank Lampard fears the Premier League title may be out of Chelsea's reach this season.

Stoke misfit Kitson heading back to Reading (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Stoke City's record signing Dave Kitson is returning to former club Reading on loan and is likely to make the move permanent if the Royals are promoted to the Premier League.

Fantasy Focus: Building up an Arsenal (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Dale Johnson wonders if Arsenal players could provide fantasy treasure in the run-in.

Sunderland's Prica completes move to Norway (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sunderland striker Rade Prica has completed a move to Norwegian side Rosenborg for an undisclosed fee.

Cisse annoyed by his Sunderland uncertainty (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sunderland striker Djibril Cisse is annoyed at the delay over a decision on his future.

Fulham's fair play could lead to Europa League (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Fulham's good behaviour on the pitch could lead to a place in the Europa League next season.

Chelsea's Cole targets pre-season comeback (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Joe Cole has been forced to write-off any chance of playing again this season but insists he is ''ahead of schedule'' in his recovery after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.

Milan targeting £35m swoop for Evans and Vidic? (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
AC Milan are reported to be considering an audacious £35m joint summer bid for Manchester United defenders Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans.

Fifth official: March 09 (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright ugly from the weekend.

Wenger buoyed by returning stars for ''final sprint'' (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger feels the return of fit-again frontmen Eduardo and Theo Walcott, along with recovering captain Cesc Fabregas, can prove ''decisive'' as Arsenal head into the critical p

Team of the Week, March 8, 2009 (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Kuwaitis takeover for Liverpool still ongoing (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A Kuwaiti investment group are continuing negotiations to invest in Liverpool, with representatives set to meet co-owner Tom Hicks "within the next two weeks".

Wenger: Football could be next for terrorists (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed concerns that militants could attack Premier League clubs but added he had no plans to seek increased security for his side.

Redknapp confident of winning drop battle (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is confident his side will avoid the drop after seeing them snatch a precious point at Sunderland.

Ferguson cannot consider retirement (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson admits he is in the "penalty shoot-out" of his managerial career.

Benitez: Torres improving ahead of Real clash (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Fernando Torres is winning his race to be fit in time for Liverpool's Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Chelsea defender Ferreira out for the season (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Chelsea full-back Paulo Ferreira has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Newcastle's Owen ready for 'cup final' comeback (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Newcastle United captain Michael Owen is gearing himself up for a 'cup final' as he prepares to return to action.

Man City quit Thailand after fans lose interest (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Manchester City have closed down thier Thailand operations following former owner and ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's sale of the club, ending ambitious plans of becoming "Asia's Premier League team".

O'Neill seeks consistent European qualifictaion (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Martin O'Neill has set his sights on qualifying for Europe every season with Aston Villa - even though he admits their recent history does not merit demanding such lofty targets.

Chelsea boss lets apologetic Cole off the hook (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has escaped further punishment from his club following his arrest for drunk and disorderly conduct.

Ronaldo "arrogance" attracts foul play - Wenger (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims Cristiano Ronaldo's "arrogance" makes him a target for bad tackles from opposing defenders.

The week that was: Feb 28 - Mar 05 (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Jon Carter on a week of Ribery romancing and Ben Foster's amazement at i-Pod technology.

Taylor denies tunnel bust-up with Ronaldo (Mar 5, 2009 23:34 GMT)
Steven Taylor swiftly dismissed claims he was involved in a furious tunnel bust-up with Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mowbray sets target for Baggies to avoid drop (Mar 5, 2009 23:26 GMT)
Tony Mowbray has told his West Brom players they have to win their next four home games to have any chance of surviving in the Premier League.

O'Neill braces Villa for crucial "ten-game season" (Mar 5, 2009 23:21 GMT)
Martin O'Neill is confident Aston Villa's Champions League challenge will not fizzle out - and he is hoping a five-day break in Dubai will recharge the batteries for the final leg of the season.

Cole sorry for foul-mouthed tirade (Mar 5, 2009 19:53 GMT)
Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole has apologised to the police for a foul-mouthed tirade that led to him being arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct.

Cole in "drunk and disorderly" arrest (Mar 5, 2009 19:53 GMT)
Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole has been arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, sources have claimed.

Liverpool planning pre-season tour of Asia (Mar 5, 2009 19:37 GMT)
Liverpool are planning a pre-season tour of Asia this year with stops in Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong, officials said on Thursday.

Moyes reveals Anichebe's season is over (Mar 5, 2009 17:58 GMT)
Everton striker Victor Anichebe has been ruled out for the remainder of the season by his manager David Moyes.

Hughton convinced spirit will save Newcastle (Mar 5, 2009 16:32 GMT)
Chris Hughton is bracing himself for a dramatic end to a traumatic Premier League season convinced Newcastle can escape the drop.

Fabregas links his Arsenal future to Wenger (Mar 5, 2009 16:31 GMT)
Arsenal skipper Francesc Fabregas has revealed his long-term future with the club may be linked with that of manager Arsene Wenger.

Blatter claims Fergie support over foreign quota (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
FIFA president Sepp Blatter claims he has the support of Sir Alex Ferguson for his six-plus-five principle, which would limit the number of foreign players on a team to five.

Torres confident of being fit for crunch clashes (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is confident he will be fit for the club's crucial clashes in Europe and at home in the next ten days.

Drogba determined to stay at Stamford Bridge (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Didier Drogba wants to stay at Chelsea when his contract expires next season.

Reds' takeover negotiations going ''really badly'' (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Efforts by Tom Hicks and George Gillett to sell Liverpool to a Kuwaiti investment consortium have stalled over their refusal to revise the £500m valuation of the club.

On that day: A new career in a new town (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
John Brewin remembers the Manchester United mega-flop that was Juan Sebastian Veron.

Hubbard: Fergie's future fledglings face tough task (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Norman Hubbard wonders what will become of the next generation of United prospects.

Prem wrap: Man Utd restore seven-point lead (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Manchester United restored their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Newcastle United.

Parry keen to remain in the game (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Outgoing Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry wants to stay in football and maintain his involvement in the European game.

Ferguson to bring back Man United's big guns (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will bring back several key players for Wednesday night's Premier League clash at Newcastle United following his side's Carling Cup victory on Sunday.

Baxter pens Everton deal (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Everton have signed teenager Jose Baxter, one of their brightest young prospects, on a new two-and-a-half year contract.

Ljajic targets first-team place at Man Utd (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Manchester United new boy Adem Ljajic has given himself 12 months to force his way into Sir Alex Ferguson's first-team squad.

West Ham defender Behrami out for season (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
West Ham United midfielder Valon Behrami has confirmed he will sidelined for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

LMA demand new process for ref grievances (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Football clubs, managers and players should have a formalised complaints procedure for refereeing decisions, according to a report produced by the League Managers' Association and the Professional Footballers' Association.

Arshavin - Premier League harder than it looked (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Arsenal midfielder Andrei Arshavin has admitted that the Premier League is far harder than it looked on television and that he has been surprised by the physicality of the English game.

Marwood joins Man City (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Former England international and TV commentator Brian Marwood has joined Manchester City in the role of Football Administrator and is one of three major new appointments to the club's administration team.

Redknapp bluster not fooling Southgate (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has warned he will not be "sucked in" by Tottenham Hotspur counterpart Harry Redknapp's claims his squad is depleted by injury and fatigue.

Moyes admires Allardyce effect (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Sam Allardyce's success at relegation-haunted Blackburn Rovers has come as no surprise to Everton boss David Moyes.

Hughes rues Bellamy absence as Villa await (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Mark Hughes admits the absence of Craig Bellamy will leave a major hole in his Manchester City side to tackle Aston Villa at Eastlands on Wednesday night.

Fulham look to tie down defender Hangeland (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed that negotiations have begun to improve and extend the contract of defender Brede Hangeland ahead of Wednesday night's clash with Hull City.

Wenger lowers sights to fourth place finish (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has set his sights on catching Aston Villa in the race for a Champions League spot - after admitting recent failings in front of goal have ended their hopes of challenging for the Premier League title.

Jolly: Let the inquest begin (Mar 4, 2009 07:54 GMT)
Richard Jolly watched Liverpool finally overcome the parked bus, or Sunderland, at Anfield.

Hart to manage Pompey until summer (Mar 4, 2009 07:29 GMT)
Paul Hart has been named Portsmouth manager until the end of the season.

Premier Showdown - Mar 3-4 (Mar 4, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Barca slump is warning to us, says Fergie (Mar 4, 2009 06:58 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson feels his Manchester United players need only take a look at what has happened to Barcelona in La Liga to see how quickly their fortunes could be transformed this season.

Loan in the balance after Leto hits out at coach (Mar 4, 2009 06:43 GMT)
Liverpool midfielder Sebastian Leto's loan spell at Greek champions Olympiakos may be over, following a bust-up with the club's coach Ernesto Valverde.

Eriksson dismisses link with Portsmouth (Mar 4, 2009 06:41 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has again dismissed reports he is set to leave his post as Mexico coach in favour of a return to the Premier League with Portsmouth.

Holland: Keep calm and carry on (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Phil Holland on worries over the FA's TV deal, sponsoring the quintuple and West Ham.

Laursen set for April Old Trafford return (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Aston Villa skipper Martin Laursen has been pencilled in to make his first team comeback from injury in the Premier League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on April 5.

Dalglish breaks silence over Hillsborough disaster (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Kenny Dalglish has broken his silence on the Hillsborough disaster, saying police and officials should have delayed the kick-off.

Bellamy out for two weeks as Bojinov returns (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Craig Bellamy looks set to miss at least two weeks after suffering a knee injury in Manchester City's defeat at West Ham United on Sunday.

Rooney fit to play against Newcastle (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has shaken off a virus and will play in Manchester United's trip to Newcastle United on Wednesday.

Chelsea chief Buck: There will be upheaval (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has claimed that the club will see ''a handful'' of players leave in the summer, while he also expects the Blues to bring in some new talent.

Liverpool tracking Valencia defender Albiol (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Valencia's Spanish international defender Raul Albiol according to Valencia's sporting director Fernando Gomez.

Neville: Quintuple ''difficult'' (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Manchester United captain Gary Neville admits winning another three trophies this season will be 'very difficult', after pocketing the Carling Cup at Wembley on Sunday.

Campbell calls for tougher penalties for racism (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell has said that he would like to see tougher penalties for clubs whose supporters are convicted of racist chanting.

Benitez to ask ''everybody'' over loss of form (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez will mount his own inquest into Liverpool's faltering title challenge, claiming that he will ask ''everybody'' to get to the root of the problem.

Wenger keen for Gallas to stay with Arsenal (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has insisted that former skipper William Gallas' future remains at Emirates Stadium, after the defender was linked with a move away from the club.

Hiddink would ''love'' to stop United quintuple (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Guus Hiddink has the greatest respect for Sir Alex Ferguson and what he has achieved at Manchester United - but would ''love it'' if Chelsea could prevent them from completing a clean sweep of all the trophies this season.

Torres' ongoing injury woes frustrate Benitez (Mar 3, 2009 07:07 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has bemoaned Fernando Torres' injury troubles as their Premier League title challenge fizzles out.

Fantasy Focus: February Squad of the Month (Mar 3, 2009 07:00 GMT)
It's the turn of Everton's players to lead the way in Premier League fantasy, reveals Dale Johnson.

Hiddink refuses to concede title to Man Utd (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Guus Hiddink has refused to concede the Premier League title to Manchester United despite the Old Trafford club's imperious form, seven point lead and game in hand.

Man Utd lining up Ribery to replace Ronaldo? (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Manchester United has emerged as the latest club to be linked with a move for Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery, thanks primarily to statements to the 25-year-old French international's agent.

Ronaldo insists final ref was wrong to book him (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed referee Chris Foy was wrong to book him for diving during the Carling Cup Final.

Man City missing £46m of injured striking talent (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Manchester City will be without £46m of striking talent when the take on Aston Villa in the Premier League on Wednesday unless Robinho and Craig Bellamy after the pair picked up injuries in Sunday's 1-0 against West Ham United on Sunday.

Fifth official: March 02 (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright ugly from the weekend.

Rafa - Europe is Liverpool's best hope for success (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez has admitted that Liverpool are reliant on a slip-up by Premier League leaders Manchester United if the title is to go to Anfield for the first time since 1990 and that the Champions League is now their best hope for silverware this se

Jenas thoughts turn to Spurs survival bid (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jermaine Jenas wants to take the spirit of Sunday's Carling Cup performance into their survival bid, insisting there is no time to dwell on their defeat at Wembley.

Ferguson tells cup hero Foster the future is his (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has moved to assure Ben Foster his time will come as Manchester United's number one after the keeper man-of-the-match performance in the Carling Cup final.

O'Neill again forced to defend Villa selection policy (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill's claims his decision to concentrate on Champions League qualification is based on footballing rather than financial reasons.

Brown admits saving Hull will be toughest test (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Phil Brown admits he is now facing one of the biggest challenges of his career in attempting to pull Hull City away from relegation.

Premier Showdown - Feb 28 - Mar 1 (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Team of the Week, March 01 (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Triesman: There is life in goalline technology idea (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Football Association chairman Lord Triesman insists there is ''life in the corpse'' of goalline technology.

Trotters boss Megson gets new rolling contract (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Bolton manager Gary Megson has agreed a new rolling contract, the club have confirmed.

United set to offer Ronaldo £200k a week deal (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Manchester United look set to end the speculation over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo by offering him a £200,000 a week deal to stay at Old Trafford.

Rio: Mourinho could manage United one day (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Rio Ferdinand believes Jose Mourinho has the credentials to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager.

Chelsea's Drogba denies getting Scolari the sack (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has strenuously denied he was part of a player conspiracy to get Luiz Felipe Scolari the sack.

Premier League: Reds suffer, saviour Lampard (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
All the action from the Premier League weekend.


English League Championship
Perth Glory dismiss interest in striker Phillips (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Perth Glory have dismissed claims they are looking to bring Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips to the club.

Birmingham to report Glory over Phillips claim (Mar 26, 2009 23:25 GMT)
Birmingham will ask the Football Association to report Perth Glory to FIFA after recent comments from the Australian club expressing a strong interest in striker Kevin Phillips.

Perth Glory target Birmingham striker Phillips (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Perth Glory coach Dave Mitchell has confirmed the club are aiming to secure former England striker Kevin Phillips for the upcoming A-League season.

Wolves strengthen grip on Championship top spot (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Wolves have opened up a five-point gap at the top of the Championship after beating relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest 1-0 on Saturday.

Championship: Reading boost promotion hopes (Mar 18, 2009 05:10 GMT)
Reading boosted their automatic promotion chances with a 1-0 win at Doncaster in the Championship.

Championship: Wolves ease nerves with win (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Wolves produced another jittery home performance but did enough to defeat rock-bottom Charlton 2-1 and end their four-game winless run at Molineux.

Spurs misfit Dos Santos joins Ipswich on loan (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Tottenham's Giovani Dos Santos has joined Ipswich on loan for the rest of the season.

Champ'ship: Reading, Wolves & Birmingham held (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Automatic promotion contenders Wolves, Birmingham and Reading were all held to draws in the Coca-Cola Championship tonight.

Champ'ship: Birmingham hot on Wolves' heels (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Coca-Cola Championship leaders Wolves continued their return to form with a scrappy win at Sheffield Wednesday.

Slade hoping to make big noize as Brighton boss (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Championship strugglers Brighton have confirmed Russell Slade as their new manager until the end of the season.

Championship: Wolves extend lead with victory (Mar 4, 2009 07:30 GMT)
Wolves extended their lead at the top of the Championship after Sylvan Ebanks-Blake held his nerve to convert a penalty and claim a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.


English League One
League One: Peterborough close in on Leicester (Mar 29, 2009 00:47 GMT)
Peterborough maintained their superb run of form with a deserved 2-0 win over leaders Leicester in League One.

On that day: Leeds live the nightmare (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
John Brewin recollects the decline and fall of Peter Ridsdale at Leeds United.

League One: Laird secures surprise Millwall win (Mar 18, 2009 05:08 GMT)
Millwall continued their impressive away form with a 1-0 win at MK Dons which took them level on points with their third-placed hosts in League One.

Royle appointed Oldham boss after Sheridan exit (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Joe Royle has been appointed Oldham manager until the end of the season.

League One: Foxes maintain lead despite draw (Mar 4, 2009 07:33 GMT)
League One leaders Leicester could manage only a 1-1 draw with Stockport as Peterbrough moved into second place with a win at Leyton Orient.


English League Two
League Two: Bees lead is cut to five points (Mar 29, 2009 01:07 GMT)
Brentford's lead at the top of League Two is down to five points after their draw against promotion rivals Gillingham.

League Two: Bees miss chance to stretch lead (Mar 18, 2009 05:25 GMT)
League Two leaders Brentford blew their chance to go 10 points clear when they lost 1-0 at home to mid-table Chesterfield.

League Two: Bees pull further clear at the top (Mar 4, 2009 07:32 GMT)
Front-runners Brentford extended their lead at the top of League Two with a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Grimsby.


English FA Cup
Brown accuses Fabregas of spitting at Horton (Mar 18, 2009 05:24 GMT)
Phil Brown has accused Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas of spitting at Hull assistant manager Brian Horton after the Gunners progressed to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Arshavin "desperate" to face Hull - Wenger (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger as revealed that Andrei Arshavin is so ''desperate'' to be part of Arsenal's FA Cup bid that he is clamouring to start Tuesday night's quarter-final against Hull City despite having eight stitches in his foot.

Ferguson backs Moyes over Wembley cup semis (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has backed David Moyes' view that the FA Cup has been devalued by the decision to play semi-finals at Wembley.

Saha relishing FA Cup semi against Man Utd (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha believes Everton can repeat their 1995 heroics and derail Sir Alex Ferguson's quadruple bid.

Moyes reveals half-time hairdryer treatment (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Everton boss David Moyes revealed that his players were given the scolding of their lives to get them back into their FA Cup quarter-final with Middlesbrough.

Jolly: Everton dare to dream but United await (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A risk on Louis Saha took Everton to Wembley, says Richard Jolly.

FA Cup draw: Everton face Man Utd in semis (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
FA Cup semi-final draw: Arsenal or Hull v Chelsea, Manchester United v Everton. Matches to be played on April 18 and 19 at Wembley.

Wenger lauds Eduardo after stunning strike (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger praised the samba skills of Eduardo after the Brazil-born Croatian striker netted a sublime goal to help fire Arsenal into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after Burnley were beaten 3-0 at Emirates Stadium.

Fergie sweats over Rio after FA Cup stroll (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is a concern for the Champions League clash against Inter Milan this week after picking up an ankle injury in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Fulham.

Wenger hails Walcott return for Arsenal (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger admits it is "great" to have Theo Walcott back in contention for Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round clash with Burnley - but warned against expecting too much too soon from the England winger.

Burnley boss primed for full-strength Gunners (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Burnley manager Owen Coyle does not believe victory over Arsenal already this season gives his side any psychological advantage heading into Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round clash at the Emirates Stadium.

Vidic won't be swotting up on Fulham strike duo (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Nemanja Vidic is not going to spend too much time doing background work on what Fulham pair Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora are likely to do in the FA Cup this weekend.

Everton star Cahill sensing more FA Cup glory (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Everton midfielder Tim Cahill is relishing Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Middlesbrough.

Sir Bobby blasts managers over weak teams (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Sir Bobby Robson has criticised managers' decisions to select weakened teams for cup competitions this week and has warned it could backfire.


English Carling Cup
Foster in the clear after using iPod for penalties (Mar 3, 2009 06:43 GMT)
The Football Association have revealed they will take no action against Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster after he used an iPod to watch Spurs taking penalties before Sunday's Carling Cup final penalty shootout.

Fergie casts doubt on quintuple bid (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson celebrated the second trophy out of a possible five this season for Manchester United - but still insisted his team will not pull off an incredible quintuple.

Video evidence helped hero Foster thwart Spurs (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Carling Cup hero Ben Foster watched videos of Tottenham players taking penalties immediately before the shootout which ended with Manchester United maintaining their quintuple quest at Wembley.


England
Injury crisis sees Bent called in to England squad (Mar 28, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Fabio Capello has called Darren Bent into the England squad for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against the Ukraine.

Capello dismisses calls for Owen (Mar 28, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Fabio Capello has ruled out the possibility of drafting Michael Owen into his England squad.

King and Baines handed shock England call-ups (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Fabio Capello has made the amazing decision to hand Ledley King an England recall even though the Tottenham defender cannot train.

Becks hopeful of keeping England place (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
David Beckham was unsure how his England prospects will be affected if he has to return to Los Angeles Galaxy next month from his loan stint at AC Milan.


Scottish National Team
McManus returns to training with Scotland (Mar 31, 2009 19:50 GMT)
Stephen McManus has handed Scotland a fitness boost when he trained ahead of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier with Iceland.

McManus and Hutton could start for Scotland (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Scotland assistant manager Terry Butcher has confirmed defenders Stephen McManus and Alan Hutton may start this week's World Cup qualifier against Iceland - but ruled midfielder Kris Commons out of the match.

Eidur to add to Scottish pain (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Iceland star Eidur Gudjohnsen hopes Scotland's confidence has suffered a blow in the wake of their defeat to Holland.

Burley targets greatest ever victory (Mar 28, 2009 17:47 GMT)
George Burley admits victory in the Amsterdam ArenA would represent the pinnacle of his managerial career.

Dutch legend Cruyff issues warning for Scots clash (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Holland legend Johan Cruyff has warned there is no chance the Dutch team will underestimate Scotland in tomorrow's World Cup qualifier.

Hamstrung Hartley pulls out of Scotland squad (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Midfielder Paul Hartley has pulled out of Scotland's squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Holland and Iceland due to a hamstring injury, a Scottish FA spokesman confirmed.

Injury problems mounting for Scotland (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Scotland expect Stephen McManus to become the fourth player to pull out of the World Cup qualifier against Holland.

Hutton ready to take on Netherlands (Mar 24, 2009 00:30 GMT)
Alan Hutton insists he is ready to face Holland in Saturday's World Cup qualifier if called upon.

Burley recalls Teale to Scotland qualifying squad (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Derby County winger Gary Teale was on Tuesday recalled to the Scotland squad for the World Cup qualifying double-header against Holland and Iceland.

Burley warns 'keeper Gordon over Scotland place (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
George Burley has warned Craig Gordon his place in the Scotland side may be at risk if he does not regain his spot in the Sunderland team.


Scottish Premier League
SPL clubs agree to begin work on new structure (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Scottish Premier League today announced its member clubs had agreed to begin ''detailed work'' on the formation of a second tier.

Seven Rangers fans held in UEFA Cup riot probe (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Police hunting Rangers hooligans after last year's riots in Manchester made a further seven arrests on Tuesday.

Strachan: Cup win will not affect title race (Mar 16, 2009 15:45 GMT)
Gordon Strachan is adamant Celtic's Co-operative Insurance Cup final success against Rangers will have no bearing on the destiny of the Premier League title.

SPL: Fletcher earns Hibs derby victory (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Steven Fletcher earned Hibernian a 1-0 win and manager Mixu Paatelainen his first derby victory after a controversial Premier League clash against Hearts at Easter Road.


Scottish CIS Insurance Cup
Strachan hails Hoops' goalscoring hero O'Dea (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A jubilant Gordon Strachan hailed unlikely hero Darren O'Dea for sticking with Celtic after seeing him score his first goal for more than two years in today's Co-operative Insurance Cup final.

Rangers pair target treble with win over Celtic (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Kenny Miller and David Weir believe victory in the Co-operative Insurance Cup final can propel Rangers all the way to the treble.


French National Team
Mavuba replaces Diaby for France (Mar 31, 2009 19:53 GMT)
Rio Mavuba has been called up by France for tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against Lithuania after fellow midfielder Abou Diaby was ruled out of the match because of injury.

Ederson would consider playing for France (Mar 31, 2009 17:59 GMT)
Lyon's Brazilian playmaker Ederson would seriously entertain with the idea of playing for France.

France striker Gignac fit for World Cup qualifier (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
France striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has been passed fit for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Lithuania.

Henry delivery upbeat message after crucial win (Mar 29, 2009 19:10 GMT)
France captain Thierry Henry believes his side's current position in World Cup qualifying Group Seven is better in reality than it looks on paper.

Domenech wants win to be "catalyst" (Mar 29, 2009 19:06 GMT)
France coach Raymond Domenech is confident the 1-0 victory over Lithuania in Kaunas will kickstart his team's stuttering World Cup qualifying campaign.

Domenech safe even if France lose to Lithuania (Mar 28, 2009 20:26 GMT)
France coach Raymond Domenech's job will be safe even if his team lose their crunch World Cup qualifier against Lithuania.

France turn to strikers Remy, Luyindula (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Strikers Loic Remy and Peguy Luyindula have been called up to the France squad to face Lithuania in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday after an injury to Jimmy Briand, the national federation has said.

French hit by injury blow to Rennes striker Briand (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jimmy Briand has been ruled out of France's World Cup qualifier against Lithuania, after dislocating his left kneecap in training.

New recruit Hoarau living the Les Bleus dream (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Guillaume Hoarau is still pinching himself following his call-up to France's squad ahead of the forthcoming World Cup qualifying double-header against Lithuania.

Evra says France's fans lack football culture (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
France defender Patrice Evra has slammed French fans, claiming their lack of support for the national team shows a lack of football culture and that their support paled in comparison to that he receives at Manchester United.

Vieira left out of France squad for qualifiers (Mar 19, 2009 22:18 GMT)
Patrick Vieira has been left out of the France squad for their next two World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania, coach Raymond Domenech said on Thursday.

Italy to share Euro 2016 with France? (Mar 16, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Italy would be willing to co-host Euro 2016 with fierce rivals France but the French have poured cold water on the notion saying they wanted to go it alone.

France to go it alone in bid for Euro 2016 (Mar 5, 2009 17:57 GMT)
France are not excluding the possibility of submitting a joint bid with Italy to host Euro 2016.


French Ligue 1
Dalmat detained after altercation with police (Mar 31, 2009 18:00 GMT)
Sochaux captain Stephane Dalmat has been taken into custody after an alleged altercation with police during a night out in Paris.

L1 - Orange touché, le foot français inquiet (Mar 31, 2009 16:48 GMT)
L'interdiction faite mardi à Orange (groupe France Télécom) de subordonner l'abonnement à Orange Sport à une souscription "triple play" (télévision, téléphone et internet), fait trembler le football et plus largement le sport français, qui craint de

L1 - Orange : demande d'interdiction confirmée (Mar 31, 2009 12:00 GMT)
La cour d'appel de Paris a rejeté mardi la demande d'Orange qui réclamait la levée provisoire de l'interdiction qui lui avait été faite fin février de subordonner l'abonnement à Orange Sport à une souscription +triple play+ (télévision, téléphone et

L1 - Orange piégé sur le "triple play" (Mar 31, 2009 11:59 GMT)
La Cour d'appel de Paris a rejeté mardi la demande d'Orange qui réclamait la levée provisoire de l'interdiction qui lui avait été faite fin février de subordonner l'abonnement à Orange Sport à une souscription 'triple play' (télévision, téléphone et

Dalmat charged with assault on wife and cop (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sochaux captain Stephane Dalmat was charged on Tuesday with assaulting his wife and a policeman.

Juninho could be ready to rejoin Vasco de Gama (Mar 28, 2009 20:24 GMT)
Lyon captain Juninho could be ready to come to former club Vasco da Gama's rescue in a bid to lift the fallen Brazilian giants back into the big time.

Marseille ordered to play behind closed doors (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Olympique Marseille have been ordered to play a Ligue 1 home game behind closed doors due to repeated use of flares by their fans, the club said on Friday.

PSG skipper Makelele refutes retirement reports (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Paris St Germain captain Claude Makelele has denied telling a Spanish newspaper he will retire from football at the end of the season.

Puel feels the heat as Lyon claim vital win (Mar 23, 2009 18:44 GMT)
Lyon coach Claude Puel is aware his side cannot afford to relax despite ending their recent slump with victory over Sochaux.

Le Guen admits PSG now no room for error (Mar 23, 2009 18:12 GMT)
Paris St Germain coach Paul Le Guen knows his side have left themselves with very little wriggle room in the Ligue 1 title race.

Ligue 1: Lyon retake top spot after Sochaux win (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Olympique Lyon re-established themselves as Ligue 1 leaders with a 2-0 victory at home against struggling Sochaux on Sunday.

Ligue 1: Marseille go top after Nantes victory (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Girondins Bordeaux took over at the top of Ligue 1 for a few hours at least with a 3-0 victory at bottom club Le Havre on Saturday.

L1 - Orange suspend Orange Sport (Mar 20, 2009 09:25 GMT)
L'opérateur Orange va suspendre la commercialisation d'Orange Sport, sa chaîne de télévision payante consacrée au sport, entre le 24 et le 31 mars, dans l'attente d'une décision de justice, a-t-il indiqué vendredi dans un communiqué.

L1 - Discipline : les sanctions (Mar 19, 2009 21:53 GMT)
Sanctions prises jeudi par la commission de discipline et prenant effet à partir de lundi:

Ligue 1: Lyon could be knocked off perch (Mar 19, 2009 19:44 GMT)
Olympique Lyon could be knocked off the top of the Ligue 1 table by the time they host Sochaux on Sunday (1600 GMT) and the champions admitted they were feeling the strain of their recent miserable run of form.

L1 - 29e journée : les échos (Mar 19, 2009 18:35 GMT)
Echos avant les matches de la 29e journée de Ligue 1 disputés samedi:

Dopage - Laurent Blanc réclame des sanctions (Mar 19, 2009 18:09 GMT)
L'entraîneur de Bordeaux (L1) Laurent Blanc a réclamé jeudi "des noms et des sanctions contre les fautifs" après l'étude de l'Agence française de lutte contre le dopage (AFLD) laissant apparaître l'utilisation de stéroïdes par des joueurs de footbal

Marshall: The soon-to-be Famous Five (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Paul Marshall selects five future stars on the Ligue 1 talent conveyor belt.

Boumsong backs Lyon to recover from slump (Mar 16, 2009 18:01 GMT)
Jean-Alain Boumsong has rubbished talk of a crisis within the Lyon camp despite seeing his side suffer four defeats over the past fortnight.

Gerets insists title is still Lyon's to lose (Mar 16, 2009 15:31 GMT)
Marseille coach Eric Gerets believes Lyon still hold the aces in the battle for the Ligue 1 title, despite seeing his team reduce the deficit to Les Gones to just one point with a 3-1 win at arch-rivals Paris St Germain.

Ligue 1: Leaders Lyon stunned by Auxerre (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sluggish Olympique Lyon were in danger of losing their lead to Paris St Germain in Ligue 1 after they were stunned 2-0 at home by mid-table Auxerre on Sunday.

Bordeaux keep title hopes alive with narrow win (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Girondins Bordeaux kept their Ligue 1 title hopes alive with a 2-1 home victory over mid-table Nice on Saturday.

Benzema pledges future to Lyon for next season (Mar 13, 2009 23:15 GMT)
Karim Benzema has confirmed he will be staying at Lyon for next season.

L1 - Paris SG-Marseille: les échos (Mar 13, 2009 17:38 GMT)
Echos avant le match Paris SG- Marseille comptant pour la 28e journée de Ligue 1 disputé dimanche (21h00):

Lyon blame French soccer for early UCL exit (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The structure of French soccer and an inability to compete financially with Europe's big clubs are partly to blame for Olympique Lyon's Champions League exit, chairman Jean-Michel Aulas said.

Marseille eye revenge and boost for title hopes (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Olympique Marseille are gunning for revenge over Paris St Germain when they visit their arch rivals on Sunday (2000) as the Ligue 1 title race hots up.

L1 - RER : Condoléances de la FFF (Mar 9, 2009 12:32 GMT)
La Fédération française de football a exprimé lundi en milieu de journée ses "plus vives condoléances aux familles et aux amis des deux jeunes victimes du terrible accident survenu samedi soir après la rencontre LOSC Lille Métropole-Olympique Lyonna

L1 - RER : la porte était ouverte (Mar 9, 2009 12:17 GMT)
Les supporteurs lillois heurtés samedi soir par un RER à Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis) ont accédé à la voie ferrée alors que la porte d'accès était "ouverte" et son "système de fermeture défaillant", selon les premières auditions et constatation

Ligue 1: Rennes beat Auxerre, La Havre win (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
First-half strikes from Carlos Bocanegra and Jimmy Briand earned Rennes victory over Auxerre today.

Ligue 1: Giuly pearler helps PSG edge past Lorient (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Paris St Germain won 1-0 at Lorient on Saturday to close within one point of leaders Olympique Lyon, who visit Lille later this evening.

CdL - Bilalian la verrait disparaître (Mar 5, 2009 12:49 GMT)
La disparition de la Coupe de la Ligue reste "une hypothèse à envisager" si elle ne trouve pas les financements nécessaires, a assuré jeudi à l'AFP le directeur des sports de France Télévisions, Daniel Bilalian, dont le groupe est le seul enchérisse

Ligue 1: Hoarau hoists PSG closer to Lyon (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Guillaume Hoarau scored two and set up a third to help Paris St Germain move within four points of leaders Olympique Lyon with a 4-1 demolition of Nancy on Sunday.


German National Team
Germany coach Loew wary of wounded Wales (Mar 31, 2009 23:21 GMT)
Germany coach Joachim Loew has likened Wales to "a wounded fighter who wants to retaliate'' ahead of the World Cup qualifier at the Millennium Stadium.

Loew happy with committed performance (Mar 29, 2009 19:25 GMT)
Germany coach Joachim Loew applauded what he felt was a professional performance from his players in the 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Liechtenstein.

Loew picks goalkeeper Enke for starting spot (Mar 26, 2009 23:34 GMT)
Germany coach Joachim Loew said on Thursday he had picked Hanover 96 keeper Robert Enke to start the upcoming 2010 World Cup qualifying matches against Liechtenstein and Wales.

Germans not looking past Liechtenstein test (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Germany assistant coach Hans-Dieter Flick insists his players will not simply be using Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein as a warm-up for the trip to Wales next week.

Germany have injury doubts for qualifier (Mar 23, 2009 23:33 GMT)
Germany coach Joachim Low is sweating over the fitness of goalkeeper Rene Adler and playmaker Piotr Trochowski ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein.

On that day: Matthäus, great but unloved (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
John Brewin on why Germany legend Lothar Matthäus was hugely successful but unpopular too.

Podolski earns recall into Germany squad (Mar 19, 2009 19:51 GMT)
Germany coach Joachim Low has recalled Lukas Podolski, Arne Friedrich, Marcell Jansen and Robert Enke for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Wales.

Ballack hailed by national team coach Low (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Germany coach Joachim Low feels Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack is maturing as a captain and has praised him for his attitude in last month's friendly defeat against Norway.

Ballack will keep captain's role for 2010 - Loew (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Michael Ballack will captain Germany at the 2010 World Cup, assuming the three-times winners qualify, but midfield colleague Torsten Frings still has work to do to secure his place, coach Joachim Loew said.


German Bundesliga
Uli: Germany's greatest village team? (Mar 31, 2009 06:00 GMT)
Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger tells the story of SV Alsenborn, Germany's original village side.

Bayern will face ''brutal struggle'' to keep Ribery (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness believes the club face a "brutal struggle" to keep hold of Franck Ribery.

Schalke sack Rutten after poor run of form (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Schalke 04 have sacked coach Fred Rutten following a run of poor results this season, the Bundesliga club said on Thursday.

Bayern chief rules out summer striker purchase (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has ruled out making any more signings in the summer, warning the club will have to make do with the strikers they have.

Klinsmann meets targets but hungry for more (Mar 23, 2009 21:04 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann claims he has already fulfilled the main target he was given when he took over at the German champions, but knows he cannot afford to rest on his laurels.

Bundesliga: Guerrero on fire for Hamburg (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Peruvian Paolo Guerrero scored twice in the second half to give visitors Hamburg SV a 2-1 win over Schalke 04 on Sunday which put them within a point of leaders Hertha Berlin.

Kahn in talks over joning Schalke (Mar 19, 2009 19:55 GMT)
Former Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has confirmed he is in talks with Schalke about becoming their new general manager.

Van Bommel, Demichelis extend deals (Mar 19, 2009 19:52 GMT)
Bayern Munich captain Mark van Bommel has extended his contract with the Bundesliga champions by a year and will stay until June 2010, manager Uli Hoeness said on Thursday.

Bundesliga: Bayern boosted by Ribery's return (Mar 19, 2009 19:04 GMT)
Bayern Munich's bid to retain their Bundesliga title will be boosted by inspirational playmaker Franck Ribery's return from injury when they host basement side Karlsruhe on Saturday.

Klinsmann backs Bayern to beat injury crisis (Mar 18, 2009 04:57 GMT)
Bayern Munich's injury crisis will not derail the team's challenge for European and domestic honours over the coming weeks, coach Juergen Klinsmann said on Tuesday.

Diego demands Europe to stay at Bremen (Mar 18, 2009 04:53 GMT)
Werder Bremen midfielder Diego is unlikely to stay at the club if they fail to qualify for Europe next season.

Pizarro facing two-year ban amid agent claims? (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Peruvian international striker Claudio Pizarro insists he has done nothing wrong amid reports he could face a two-year ban for acting as an agent.

Lehmann and Diego embroiled in "cheat" spat (Mar 16, 2009 17:59 GMT)
Jens Lehmann was at the centre of more controversy yesterday when he clashed with Werder Bremen's Diego on the way to the dressing room.

Klose out for eight weeks (Mar 16, 2009 17:58 GMT)
Bayern Munich will be without striker Miroslav Klose for up to a month as he needs ankle surgery.

Bayern chief wants public to fund TV contracts (Mar 16, 2009 17:56 GMT)
Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has claimed all German residents should pay a supplement on their television licence fee to help fund football clubs.

Bundesliga: Hamburg stay in title chase with win (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Hamburg SV scored twice in the first half to beat visitors Energie Cottbus 2-0 on Sunday and stay within four points of Bundesliga leaders Hertha Berlin.

Bayern striker Klose to miss rest of the season? (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich could be without striker Miroslav Klose for the rest of the season after he suffered a possible broken ankle in Saturday's 3-0 win at Bochum.

Voronin on target as Hertha beat Leverkusen (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bundesliga leaders Hertha Berlin needed a lucky Andriy Voronin goal to beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 on Saturday and maintain a four-point cushion at the top.

Werder chairman resigns over player agency link (Mar 13, 2009 23:15 GMT)
Juergen Born quit as Werder Bremen chairman on Friday after German media reports alleged he had personal financial dealings with a Peruvian players' agency at the expense of the club.

German league sees record 2007-08 revenues (Mar 13, 2009 19:16 GMT)
Revenues grew by 10 percent in the 2007-08 season to just under two billion euros with fan numbers also on the increase as stadium capacities grow, the German Soccer League (DFL) said on Friday.

Rummenigge: Ribery won't be sold in the summer (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has reiterated that Franck Ribery will not be sold to Barcelona, or anyone else, in the summer.

Hertha focus on title push despite striker fears (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bundesliga leaders Hertha Berlin are keeping their eyes firmly fixed on the prize of a first title since 1931, while trying not to get distracted by the realisation that their potent strikeforce could soon be dismantled.

Uli: Hertha fighting against history (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger on the surprise of Hertha Berlin being top of the German league.

Schalke manager Mueller sacked but coach spared (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Schalke 04 sacked general manager Andreas Mueller on Monday after a disappointing season so far, but have kept faith in their Dutch coach Fred Rutten.

Leverkusen confirm interest in midfielder Barnetta (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen have received enquiries about their Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta amid reported interest from several clubs in England.

Bundesliga: Leverkusen lose pace after draw (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen failed to close in on the leading positions in the Bundesliga when they were held 1-1 at home by lowly VfL Bochum.

Bundesliga: Bayern crush hapless Hannover (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Champions Bayern Munich crushed Hanover 5-1 to climb back up to second place in the Bundesliga on Saturday, four points behind leaders Hertha Berlin.

Muller demands backing as Schalke struggle on (Mar 5, 2009 23:17 GMT)
Schalke general manager Andreas Muller has demanded that the Bundesliga club come clean with him about his future, because he has no intention of leaving.

Hoeness hits back at Klinsmann's critics (Mar 5, 2009 19:39 GMT)
Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has leapt to the defence of coach Jurgen Klinsmann after his side crashed out of the DFB-Pokal.

Bundesliga: Ribery feels heat ahead of Hanover (Mar 5, 2009 16:29 GMT)
Franck Ribery is under growing pressure to lift his game as struggling champions Bayern Munich, in fifth place four points off the top, take on mid-table Hanover 96 (1430 GMT) in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Donovan to return to Galaxy next week (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Landon Donovan, who has been on loan with Bayern Munich, will return to the Los Angeles Galaxy next week, the team announced.

Bayern's Hoeness: Stop questioning Klinsmann (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Juergen Klinsmann, with only one Bundesliga win from five matches this year, received a vote of confidence from manager Uli Hoeness on Tuesday.

Bundesliga game delayed as fabs lock team bus (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
The Baden-Wurttemberg derby between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart yesterday was delayed by 15 minutes after the Stuttgart team coach was blocked from entering the stadium by home supporters.

Bundesliga: Wolfsburg beat Hamburg, Bayern held (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Hamburg failed to regain top place in the Bundesliga when they lost 3-1 at home to Wolfsburg on Sunday while champions Bayern Munich had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Werder Bremen and dropped to fifth.


Dutch National Team
Van Persie out of Dutch squad with leg injury (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Netherlands striker Robin van Persie pulled out of the Dutch squad preparing to play Macedonia in a World Cup Group Nine qualifier on Wednesday.

Injured Van Persie doubtful for Macedonia clash (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Holland may head into their World Cup qualifier against Macedonia without Robin van Persie after the Arsenal forward missed training on Monday due to a groin problem.

Dutch coach Van Marwijk delighted with victory (Mar 29, 2009 19:28 GMT)
Holland coach Bert van Marwijk hailed a "terrific" performance by his side following the 3-0 win over Scotland.

Dutch fail to lure Van Der Sar to play again (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Holland boss Bert van Marwijk has revealed he tried to lure Edwin van der Sar out of international retirement for a second time.

Kuyt and Babel named in Netherlands squad (Mar 13, 2009 23:15 GMT)
Liverpool duo Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel have been called up the Holland's squad ahead of the resumption of their World Cup qualification campaign later this month.


Dutch Eredivisie
Bouwes: Talking football (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Ernst Bouwes gets to grips with football's peculiar lingo - a language all of it's own.

Eredivisie: PSV target Europe after Vitesse win (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
PSV Eindhoven boosted their hopes of clinching a Europa League berth with a comfortable victory over Vitesse Arnhem.

Eredivisie: AZ maintain 11 point lead at the top (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
AZ Alkmaar regained their 11-point advantage at the top of the Eredivisie with a 1-0 victory at FC Utrecht.

FC Twente extend unbeaten run to 17 games (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
FC Twente extended their unbeaten run to 17 games with a 2-0 win at Willem II which strengthens their hold on second place in the Eredivisie.

Eredivise: Alkmaar move 11 points clear at top (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Runaway Eredivisie leaders AZ Alkmaar moved 11 points clear at the top of the table this afternoon after winning at NEC Nijmegen while second-placed FC Twente could only draw with PSV Eindhoven.

Eredivisie: Heerenveen punish ten-man Groningen (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Viktor Elm netted a stoppage-time winner as Heerenveen defeated nine-man FC Groningen to move level on points with Ajax and enhance their bid for European football next season.

Eredivisie: PSV clinging to Champs League hopes (Mar 5, 2009 23:31 GMT)
PSV Eindhoven are drinking in the last chance saloon if they hope to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Bouwes: End of the Roda for Fortuna (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Ernst Bouwes on why the credit crunch means the end for pioneering Dutch club Fortuna Sittard.

Eredivisie: Twente close the gap on AZ at the top (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Blaise Nkufo's first-half strike was enough for FC Twente to claim victory at home to ADO Den Haag and reduce AZ Alkmaar's lead at the top back to nine points.


Italian National Team
Injuries won't stop Lippi going on the attack (Mar 31, 2009 21:58 GMT)
Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino and Antonio di Natale are all missing for Italy but Azzurri coach Marcello Lippi still plans to still field an attacking line-up against the Republic of Ireland in Bari.

Trap: Cassano row won't put off Italy (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Marcello Lippi's decision to exclude Antonio Cassano from the Italy squad will have no bearing on Wednesday's World Cup qualifier, Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni said.

McGeady ruled out of Ireland clash in Italy (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Republic of Ireland winger Aiden McGeady has been ruled out of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier in Italy.

Ireland still targeting top spot - Given (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Shay Given is refusing to accept defeat in the Republic of Ireland's battle to overhaul Italy at the top of World Cup Group Eight.

McGeady training boost for Republic (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Republic of Ireland winger Aiden McGeady handed manager Giovanni Trapattoni a boost when he was able to complete light training ahead of Wednesday's World Cup qualifying clash with holders Italy.

Lippi expecting Italy to qualify for finals in style (Mar 29, 2009 19:08 GMT)
Italy coach Marcelo Lippi has urged his side to build on the advantage they now have at the top of Group Eight as they prepare for their next World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland.

Hostile reception reports irk Italy coach Lippi (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Italy coach Marcello Lippi has been rankled by media reports he could receive a rough reception for overlooking Sampdoria's Antonio Cassano when the world champions host Ireland in Bari on Wednesday.

Striker Iaquinta poised to start for Italy (Mar 26, 2009 23:27 GMT)
Vincenzo Iaquinta would have no qualms operating as the main striker in Italy's World Cup qualifier in Montenegro, the Juventus player said on Thursday.

Trapattoni prepares for Italian job (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Kevin Palmer speaks to Giovanni Trapattoni ahead of Ireland's World Cup clash with Italy.

Lippi tight-lipped over Cassano omission (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Italy coach Marcello Lippi declined to give reasons on Tuesday for his decision to again omit in-form Sampdoria playmaker Antonio Cassano for two World Cup qualifiers.

Pazzini thanks Sampdoria for Italy call-up (Mar 23, 2009 23:31 GMT)
Giampaolo Pazzini believes his January move to Sampdoria has helped him move to the brink of fulfilling his dream of playing for Italy after being handed a first senior international call-up.


Italian Serie A
Good news for Di Natalie over knee injury (Mar 31, 2009 23:22 GMT)
Antonio Di Natale's knee injury is less serious than first expected, after tests ruled out the need for surgery.

Agent claims Madrid are interested in Maicon (Mar 31, 2009 18:02 GMT)
Real Madrid are among the leading European clubs interested in acquiring Inter Milan's Maicon, according to the player's agent.

Ancelotti underlines commitment to AC Milan (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has reiterated his desire to remain with the Italian giants as long as they clinch a place in the Champions League.

Udinese's Di Natale heads for scan on knee (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale will undergo further tests in Barcelona on Tuesday to confirm the extent of his knee injury.

Mourinho voices support for FIFA's "6+5" rule (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has thrown his backing behind FIFA's controversial "6+5" rule, designed to limit the number of foreign players in domestic leagues, insisting that focusing on home grown players is the right path to take.

Di Natale could be ruled out for the season (Mar 30, 2009 02:18 GMT)
Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale has suffered a partial tear of the cruciate ligament in his left knee and could miss the rest of the season.

Ancelotti insists Milan are close to perfection (Mar 28, 2009 17:37 GMT)
AC Milan only need two good close-season signings to be back at their best, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday.

Maradona owes 37 million euros to tax authorities (Mar 28, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Argentina coach Diego Maradona owes the Italian taxman 37million euros from his days playing with Napoli, according to the Association of Italian taxpayers.

Argentina 'keeper Carrizo warns Lazio over future (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Argentina goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo has threatened to leave Lazio in the summer unless he is given more playing time.

AC Milan crush Ancelotti-to-Madrid speculation (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
AC Milan have quashed media speculation that coach Carlo Ancelotti could take charge of Real Madrid this summer.

Ex-Torino coach Novellino "didn't expect" sacking (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Walter Novellino admits he was surprised by Torino's decision to sack him on Tuesday night.

Camolese back after Torino sack Novellino (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Giancarlo Camolese has been appointed Torino coach for a second time after the Serie A strugglers sacked Walter Novellino on Tuesday.

Changing Inter's "philosophy" taking Jose time (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jose Mourinho's burning ambition is to lead Inter Milan to Champions League glory, but the Portuguese coach is finding it difficult to put his plan into practice.

Inter president admits Ibrahimovic could go (Mar 23, 2009 21:16 GMT)
Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be sold if a club offers enough money and the striker really wants to leave, Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti said on Monday.

Mourinho causes new storm (Mar 23, 2009 18:48 GMT)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has infuriated his peers by strongly hinting that Italian coaches are influenced by their club presidents when making team selections.

Serie A: Leaders Inter ease past lowly Reggina (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Inter Milan took another big step towards retaining their Serie A title with an easy 3-0 win over bottom side Reggina on Sunday.

Serie A: Juve close gap after Roma thrashing (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Juventus moved back to within four points of Serie A leaders Inter Milan with a comprehensive 4-1 victory away to Roma tonight.

Gattuso pay cut offer could be taken up by Milan (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Gennaro Gattuso's offer to take a pay cut could be accepted but the radical step should not be imposed on all players, AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday.

Becks dreams of UCL glory with Milan (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
David Beckham claims it is his ''dream'' to win the Champions League with AC Milan, even if they were to come up against his former club Manchester United in the final.

MLS chief defends Beckham "timeshare" deal (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Having David Beckham return to the Los Angeles Galaxy for half a season is better than not having the England star back at all, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has insisted.

CAS rejects bid to increase Cherubin's ban (Mar 19, 2009 22:32 GMT)
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) bid to increase a one-month ban given to Italian footballer Nicolo Cherubin for a doping offence.

Salihamidzic remains hopeful of title for Juve (Mar 19, 2009 19:48 GMT)
Juventus winger Hasan Salihamidzic insists the Bianconeri have not given up on the Serie A title yet, despite trailing Inter Milan by seven points.

AC Milan chief Galliani backs European salary cap (Mar 19, 2009 19:12 GMT)
AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani has called for a salary cap in soccer to cut costs as the sport deals with the global economic crisis.

Serie A: Giovinco stepping out of shadows at Juve (Mar 19, 2009 19:08 GMT)
Sebastian Giovinco is looking to boost his claim for a regular place with another sparkling display when second-placed Juventus visit Serie A rivals AS Roma on Saturday.

Real Madrid to launch £10m bid for Beckham? (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
David Beckham could be subject to a remarkable summer transfer bid from Real Madrid, but only if Florentino Perez becomes the club's next president.

Striker Quagliarella pledges future to Udinese (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Italy forward Fabio Quagliarella has pledged his future to Udinese.

AC Milan's title bid ruined by injuries - Galliani (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani believes a succession of high-profile injury setbacks have cost his side the chance of challenging city rivals Inter for this season's Serie A title.

Milan braced for news on injury to Abbiati (Mar 16, 2009 18:07 GMT)
AC Milan fear goalkeeper Christian Abbiati could be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Mourinho confident as Inter close in on title (Mar 16, 2009 18:03 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has no doubt in his mind his team will win the Scudetto.

Serie A: Milan romp as Inzaghi nets 300th goal (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Evergreen striker Filippo Inzaghi netted his 300th career goal when he struck twice in AC Milan's thumping 5-1 Serie A win at Siena on Sunday.

Giovinco shines in Juventus comeback win (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Juventus ended a difficult week on a high when winger Sebastian Giovinco inspired a 4-1 home win over Bologna on Saturday.

Mourinho stays silent over 'punch' allegations (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho refused to comment on allegations he hit a fan after his side's Champions League elimination by Manchester United in midweek.

Juve coach Ranieri slams "childish" Trezeguet (Mar 13, 2009 21:38 GMT)
Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri has lashed out at David Trezeguet, likening him to a "spoilt child" after the striker complained about being substituted during the Bianconeri's Champions League exit to Chelsea.

AC Milan facing Kaka dilemma for Siena trip (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Kaka hopes to be fit for AC Milan's Serie A clash at Siena on Sunday (1400GMT) but a recent change of tactics means the Brazilian may have a battle on his hands to get back into the side.

Beckham committed to the Galaxy (Mar 11, 2009 22:20 GMT)
ESPN SportsCenter's Hannah Storm catches up with David Beckham to talk over his future.

Beckham should be fit for Milan's trip to Siena (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
AC Milan midfielder David Beckham will be fit to face to travel to Siena for Sunday Serie A match despite injuring his ankle in training.

Napoli coach Donadoni plays down expectations (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
New Napoli coach Roberto Donadoni has said fans should not expect too much during his first few months in charge.

Donadoni succeeds sacked Reja as Napoli boss (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Napoli have sacked coach Edy Reja after a run of poor results and replaced him with former Italy manager Roberto Donadoni, the Serie A club said on Tuesday.

Beckham suffers ankle sprain in training session (Mar 11, 2009 06:43 GMT)
AC Milan midfielder David Beckham was forced to pull out of training on Thursday with an ankle injury.

Struggling Lecce sack Beretta, appoint De Canio (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Second-from-bottom Lecce sacked coach Mario Beretta on Monday and handed Luigi De Canio the challenge of keeping the team in Serie A.

Italian press praise ''intelligent'' Beckham (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Italian media showered praise on David Beckham following Sunday's announcement that he will remain with AC Milan until the end of the season.

Milan flattered by Becks' comment (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
David Beckham's claim that staying with AC Milan is ''a dream'' has gone down very well with the Serie A club's coach Carlo Ancelotti who has revealed the club is flattered by the 33-year-old.

Ancelotti delighted with Beckham's contribution (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti admits David Beckham has exceeded all expectations during his first two months as an AC Milan player on the day it was confirmed he will remain with the club until June 30.

Serie A: Beckham shines as Milan rout Atalanta (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A hat-trick from Filippo Inzaghi inspired AC Milan to a comfortable win over Atalanta today to ease some of the pressure on coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Sissoko out for season as injuries pile up (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Juventus midfielder Mohamed Sissoko has broken a metatarsal bone in his left foot which may keep him out for the remainder of the season.

Beckham's extended stay in Italy confirmed (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
David Beckham will stay on loan at AC Milan for the rest of the season before returning to Los Angeles Galaxy although his long-term future remains unresolved.

"Beckham Milan deal still not completed" (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A deal to extend David Beckham's loan deal at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy until June is still to be finalised, a source close to the negotiations said on Sunday.

Mourinho: Keep the faith despite injury crisis (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho refused to panic on Saturday despite losing two more injured centre backs ahead of the Champions League clash with holders Manchester United.

Serie A: Inter end Genoa's unbeaten home run (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
AS Roma lost David Pizarro to injury and had fellow midfielder Daniele De Rossi sent off in a 1-1 home draw with Udinese on Saturday.

Milan veteran Maldini hits back at Mourinho jibe (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini has responded angrily to Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho's claims that the Rossoneri win will nothing this season.

Milan have Beckham agreement in place with LA (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
AC Milan have an agreement in place with Los Angeles Galaxy to keep David Beckham on loan at the Italian club until the end of the Serie A season.

Ancelotti bullish over future at San Siro (Mar 5, 2009 17:56 GMT)
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is confident his side will meet their target and finish third in Serie A this season as he prepares for Sunday's home clash with Atalanta.

Beckham a world away from the Galaxy (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Matthias Krug catches up with AC Milan chief Adriano Galliani as Beckham's loan-deal winds down.

Arena expects Beckham to return to Galaxy (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
The David Beckham saga took another twist tonight when Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena insists the England midfielder is expected back in the United States next week.

Roma skipper Totti confident of quick return (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Roma captain Francesco Totti is confident he will recover in time to face Arsenal in the Champions League last 16 return leg next week.

Ranieri fans flames of dispute with Mourinho (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
The growing spat between Juventus and Inter Milan has moved on to a personal level after Juve boss Claudio Ranieri hit back at Jose Mourinho.

Raynor: Mourinho revelling in controversy (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Inter coach Jose Mourinho is right at home amid the controversy of Serie A's diving storm, says Dominic Raynor.

Mourinho: Rivals ''will win nothing'' (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Jose Mourinho has hit out at his Serie A rivals, claiming that they will win nothing this season. The Inter coach also blasted criticisms of his side as ''intellectual prostitution''.

Milan chief: Kaka not for sale in the summer (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
AC Milan general manager Adriano Galliani is adamant Brazilian superstar, Kaka will not be leaving the San Siro in the summer.

Inter 'keeper Toldo signs two-year extension (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Inter Milan goalkeeper Francesco Toldo has signed a two-year contract extension.

Beckham loan move close to being extended (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
David Beckham could stay on at AC Milan until the end of the season after a 'timeshare' agreement has reportedly been agreed, according to sources in the American media.

Milan hope to extend loan deal for Beckham (Mar 3, 2009 07:32 GMT)
AC Milan are working to extend David Beckham's loan from Los Angeles Galaxy until the end of June with an eye to signing him permanently next year, chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Monday.

Crespo to leave Inter Milan in summer (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Hernan Crespo has announced he will leave Serie A title favourites Inter Milan in the summer, a development which is likely to trigger approaches for the player from across Europe and South America.

Ancelotti bemoans Milan injury list after defeat (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has blamed a lengthy injury list for his side's recent slump in form.

Serie A: Crespo saves point for Inter (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
AC Milan, knocked out of the UEFA Cup in midweek, were rocked again on Sunday as a 2-1 defeat at Sampdoria in Serie A left coach Carlo Ancelotti's position looking precarious.


Spanish National Team
Casillas believes Turkey clash will be pivotal (Mar 31, 2009 22:57 GMT)
Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has described the World Cup qualifier against Turkey as "the most important game" remaining on the road to South Africa 2010.

Alvarez: Del Bosque taking his chance again (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez says Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is the right man to lead the side forward.

Spain coach Del Bosque taking nothing for granted (Mar 29, 2009 19:27 GMT)
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is confident complacency will not become an issue for his players even though the European champions appear to already have one foot in next year's World Cup finals.

Spain riding high but still fear the Turks (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Spain can avoid the problems that have beset their qualification campaigns for recent major tournaments by beating Turkey twice to all but assure their place at the 2010 World Cup, striker David Villa said.

Del Bosque uneasy being regarded as favourites (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Vicente del Bosque is uncomfortable with suggestions Spain are favourites to add the World Cup title to their European Championship crown in South Africa next year.


Spanish Primera División
Valdes' agent demands Casillas' pay packet (Mar 31, 2009 19:40 GMT)
Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes should earn as much as his Real Madrid counterpart Iker Casillas, claims his agent.

Liverpool lining up move for £18m Eto'o? (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez is ready to launch an £18m bid to bring Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o to Anfield according to reports in Spain.

Boluda steps in ahead of Real Madrid election (Mar 29, 2009 23:09 GMT)
Real Madrid took steps on Sunday towards resolving the uncertainty at the club caused by December's resignation of president Ramon Calderon by confirming his interim successor and setting a date for a new election.

Barca's Laporta: Messi is not for sale at any price (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that Argentine forward Lionel Messi is not for sale at any price.

Free football for Villarreal's unemployed fans (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Villarreal will offer unemployed season-ticket holders free passes in 2009-10 to help fans feeling the effects of the global economic crisis, president Fernando Roig said on Tuesday.

Alvarez: Andalucía rises to prominence (Mar 23, 2009 16:40 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez on the five teams making Andalucía proud of its football.

Guardiola still wants more as Barca hit six (Mar 23, 2009 16:19 GMT)
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was still looking for ways his side could improve even after watching them smash six goals past Malaga to take another stride towards their goal of winning a trophy treble this season.

No regrets for Ramos as Huntelaar hits form (Mar 23, 2009 16:18 GMT)
Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos preferred not to speculate on what might have been if Klaas Jan Huntelaar had been registered for the Champions League instead of Lassana Diarra as the Dutchman continued his red-hot goalscoring form.

La Liga: Classy Barcelona hit Malaga for six (Mar 22, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Klaas Jan Huntelaar scored twice for Real Madrid in a 3-0 home win over Almeria on Sunday that kept the champions hot on the heels of Barcelona in the Primera Liga title race.

La Liga: Villarreal down Bilbao, Sevilla impressive (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Second-half goals from Santi Cazorla and Matias Fernandez gave Villarreal a deserved 2-0 win at home to Athletic Bilbao.

Alves wants to see out career at Barcelona (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Defender Daniel Alves said he had made a big leap forward in his career by moving to Barcelona from Sevilla and he would like to see out his playing days with the Primera Liga leaders.

Hleb admits to difficult times at Barcelona (Mar 19, 2009 22:53 GMT)
Barcelona winger Alexander Hleb insists he has no regrets about moving to the Nou Camp but admits he is not playing as well as he did at Arsenal.

La Liga: Gudjohnsen fears Real (Mar 19, 2009 19:06 GMT)
Barcelona's superb attacking displays have won high praise this season but striker Eidur Gudjohnsen said the team were well aware that playing the most attractive game does not always guarantee success.

Messi keen to spend whole career at Barca (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Lionel Messi wants to stay at Barcelona for the rest of his career, the Argentina forward said on Thursday.

Roberto Carlos coy over Real Madrid return (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
ROBERTO CARLOS OPEN TO MADRID RETURN Former Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos has not ruled out a move back to the Bernabeu, should Florentino Perez return to the presidency of the Spanish giants this summer.

Atletico coach looks to build on much-needed win (Mar 16, 2009 15:57 GMT)
Atletico Madrid coach Abel Resino has called for more of the same from his side after seeing them produce a superb comeback to beat high-flying rivals Villarreal at the Vicente Calderon.

Alvarez: Good manners (Mar 16, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez on a weekend when not every La Liga fan observed the required etiquette.

La Liga: Atletico comeback, Barcelona stroll (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Defender Antonio Lopez netted a late header as Atletico Madrid fought back from two goals down to beat 10-man Villarreal 3-2 in the Primera Liga on Sunday.

Five star Madrid destroy Bilbao at San Mames (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Real Madrid bounced back from their Champions League humiliation to beat 10-man Athletic Bilbao 5-2 in a thrilling and fiery encounter at San Mames.

Silva committed to helping Valencia arrest slide (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Valencia midfielder David Silva is committed to helping Los Che out of their slump - and has given little credence to a possible summer switch to Juventus.

Valencia confirm talks with Man City over Villa (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Valencia vice-president Fernando Gomez has confirmed they have held talks with Manchester City regarding the possible transfer of star striker David Villa to the Premier League side.

Real smarting after Champions League humbling (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Real Madrid return to Primera Liga action on Saturday needing to pick themselves up after their Champions League humiliation at Liverpool midweek and seeing arch rivals Barcelona sweep aside Lyon.

Sylvinho wary of treble talk (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Lucy Turner speaks with Barcelona fullback Sylvinho ahead on their European clash with Lyon.

Alvarez: Missed chances (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez on Real's lucky draw in the Madrid derby as the real Barca return.

La Liga: Valencia stunned by struggling Numancia (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Valencia's hopes of a lucrative place in next season's Champions League were dented on Sunday when they surrended the lead to lose 2-1 at relegation threatened Numancia in the Primera Liga.

Barca defender Puyol tweaks ankle ligaments (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Barcelona defender Carles Puyol faces three weeks out because of twisted ankle ligaments, the Primera Liga leaders said on Saturday.

La Liga: Barca victorious, Madrid derby all square (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Barcelona returned to winning ways and extended their Primera Liga lead with a 2-0 home victory over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday while Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 home draw by city rivals Atletico.

Ramos: Madrid derby comes before Anfield test (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Real Madrid cannot afford to start thinking about the second leg of their Champions League tie with Liverpool until they have dealt with city rivals Atletico, coach Juande Ramos has warned.

La Liga: Atletico Madrid bid to tilt title race again (Mar 5, 2009 23:19 GMT)
A week after giving arch-rivals Real Madrid a huge helping hand in their title bid, Atletico Madrid will be looking to do likewise for stuttering pacesetters Barcelona as Abel Resino's men make the short trip across town to the Bernabeu.

Debts of 450m euros may force Valencia fire sale (Mar 5, 2009 21:59 GMT)
Valencia may be forced to sell players to resolve the club's dire financial problems, the Primera Liga side's new chief executive Javier Gomez has revealed.

Messi wants to finish career with Barcelona (Mar 5, 2009 20:48 GMT)
Barcelona ace Lionel Messi has reiterated his desire to remain at the Nou Camp for the rest of his career amid increasing speculation about his future.

Raul: We'd swap momentum for Barca's points (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Real Madrid captain Raul admits he would still rather be in Barcelona's position despite his side looking the form horse in the race to be Primera Liga champions.

Strachan urges Nakamura to stay at Celtic (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Gordon Strachan has urged Shunsuke Nakamura to remain at Celtic beyond the current campaign.

Real Madrid set date for presidential election (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Real Madrid's stand-in chief Vicente Boluda has announced that the club's presidential elections will take place on July 5.

Valencia star Albiol wants to stay at Mestalla (Mar 4, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Raul Albiol has given Valencia fans a much-needed boost by declaring he wants to stay at the club for the rest of his career - although he realises the decision may not be down to him.

Barca chief points finger at defence for slump (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Barcelona sporting director Txiki Begiristain has blamed defending for the team's recent slump in form.

Ramos: Barcelona pursuit has only just begun (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos has warned the pursuit of Primera Liga leaders Barcelona "has only just begun".

Alvarez: Atletico find their mood (Mar 2, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez tries to unearth a reason for Barcelona's current dip in their La Liga form.

La Liga: Aguero stuns Barca in seven-goal thriller (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Ten-man Malaga missed a chance to move up two places to fourth when they lost 2-0 at home to Recreativo Huelva in the Primera Liga on Sunday.


Europe
NEC Nijmegen accept fine for crowd incident (Mar 28, 2009 21:38 GMT)
NEC Nijmegen have decided not to appeal against the punishment they received after a match official was struck by an object during their UEFA Cup clash with Hamburg last month.

UEFA oppose WADA offer "whereabouts" proposal (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Efforts to force star footballers to inform drug-testers of their daily whereabouts are in disarray after UEFA joined FIFA in opposing the rule.

CSKA Sofia risk losing European place again (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Bulgarian champions CSKA Sofia are in danger of being excluded from European competition for a second consecutive year because of debts, a Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) official said on Tuesday.

Man City get Hamburg test in UEFA Cup draw (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Hamburg boss Martin Jol feels his side will be up against one of the best six sides in England when they take on Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.

UEFA Cup draw (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.

Xerez president, driver detained after shooting (Mar 19, 2009 22:20 GMT)
The president of Xerez soccer club, Joaquin Bilbao, resigned on Thursday after he spent the night in a police cell following his suspected involvement in a shooting incident at a bar.

Ajax delighted with players despite Euro exit (Mar 19, 2009 19:02 GMT)
Ajax coach Marco van Basten insists his team can hold their heads up high despite being dumped out of the UEFA Cup by Marseille at the Amsterdam ArenA.

Gerets praises players after hard-fought victory (Mar 19, 2009 19:00 GMT)
Marseille coach Eric Gerets admitted his side were given the runaround at times by Ajax in the second leg of their UEFA Cup last-16 clash.

Relief for Hughes as Man City scrape through (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes admitted his side had survived a scare to claim their place in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in Aalborg on Thursday night.

UEFA Cup holders Zenit knocked out by Udinese (Mar 19, 2009 07:00 GMT)
UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg were knocked out at the last-16 stage by Udinese on Thursday while Hamburg SV stunned Galatasaray to deny the Istanbul side the chance of a May final in their home city.

Coupe de France: Rennes wreck Rodez's hopes (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Stade Rennes marched into the French Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 home win over third division Rodez on Wednesday.

CAS temporarily lifts dope bans on Italian pair (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Italian soccer players Daniele Mannini and Davide Possanzini have had their one-year bans temporarily lifted so their doping cases can be re-examined, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Wednesday.

Bellamy unlikely to return against Aalborg (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes has all but ruled out the possibility of Craig Bellamy making a surprise return in Europe on Thursday.

French Cup: Toulouse beat Lille in shootout (Mar 18, 2009 06:25 GMT)
Toulouse needed a penalty shootout to overcome Lille at home in the French Cup quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw marred by three red cards on Tuesday.

UEFA deny planning for Euro Super League (Mar 18, 2009 01:38 GMT)
European soccer's governing body UEFA and the continent's top clubs have no plans to create a "Super League" to replace the Champions League and UEFA Cup, officials said on Tuesday.

Coupe de France: Lille prepare for Toulouse (Mar 16, 2009 19:23 GMT)
Lille's visit to fellow Ligue 1 high-flyers Toulouse is the stand-out match in this week's Coupe de France quarter-finals.

Greece: Derbyshire nets brace in Olympiakos rout (Mar 16, 2009 15:28 GMT)
Olympiakos thrashed struggling Iraklis 5-0 to maintain their nine-point advantage at the top of the Super League table and leave them on the verge of claiming a fifth successive league title.

Gerets regrets failure to put UEFA tie to bed (Mar 13, 2009 19:25 GMT)
Marseille coach Eric Gerets rued his side's inability to grab another goal when up against 10 men during their UEFA Cup last-16 first leg against Ajax.

Robinho passed fit for City's UEFA Cup clash (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Record signing Robinho has been passed fit for Manchester City's last-16 UEFA Cup tie against Aalborg at Eastlands on Thursday.

Spalletti coy ahead of Roma's Arsenal showdown (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Roma coach Luciano Spalletti is keeping his cards close to his chest ahead of tomorrow's crunch Champions League last-16 clash against Arsenal at the Stadio Olimpico.

France and Italy amongst four Euro 2016 bids (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
France and Italy will go head to head in the contest to host Euro 2016 and will also face competition from Turkey and a joint bid from Norway and Sweden.

Ramos: Madrid future does not rely on Liverpool (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Juande Ramos insists that his Real Madrid future does not rest on whether his side reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

Hiddink hails impact of Essien (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink believes the return to fitness of midfielder Michael Essien will be crucial as the Blues face Juventus in the last-16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Top clubs back Platini under 18 transfer limit (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The top clubs and leagues have backed UEFA chief Michel Platini's proposal to scrap international transfers in Europe for players under 18, European soccer's governing body said on Monday.

Mourinho charged after Juventus comments (Mar 5, 2009 19:17 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has been charged by the Italian football federation for comments made in Tuesday's press conference where he claimed Juventus are benefiting from questionable refereeing decisions in Serie A.

Mourinho in shock after Sampdoria mauling (Mar 5, 2009 19:17 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho slammed his team after they fell to a shock 3-0 defeat to 10-man Sampdoria in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final clash and admits he is "worried" by their form.

Barca goal Guardiola looking forward to Bilbao final (Mar 5, 2009 17:53 GMT)
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is predicting a "marvellous" Copa del Rey final after his side and Athletic Bilbao both booked their spots in May's showpiece at Valencia's Mestalla stadium.

AZ double dream ended after cup defeat (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
AZ Alkmaar's bid for a Dutch league and cup double was ended at the quarter-final stage this evening as the runaway Eredivisie leaders succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at home to NAC Breda.

Samp batter Inter 3-0 in Coppa Italia first leg (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Sampdoria strike duo Giampaolo Pazzini and Antonio Cassano exposed a brittle Inter Milan defence to give the 10-man hosts a shock 3-0 win in their Italian Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Messi strikes to help Barcelona reach final (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Lionel Messi struck late to help Barcelona seal a place in the King's Cup final on Wednesday, a 1-1 draw at Real Mallorca completing a 3-1 aggregate victory for the Primera Liga leaders.

Lyon beaten by Lille in Cup, PSG stunned (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Holders Olympique Lyon were knocked out by Lille 3-2 in a dramatic French Cup last 16 tie while third division side Rodez stunned Paris St Germain 3-1 after extra time on Wednesday.

Leverkusen dump holders Bayern out of Cup (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen dumped Bayern Munich out of the German Cup with a 4-2 victory over the holders in Wednesday's quarter-final.

UEFA backs refs to stop matches due to racism (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
UEFA will back referees who stop matches because of racist behaviour from fans, the European body's director of communications William Gaillard said on Wednesday.

Coppa Italia: Lazio take first leg lead over Juve (Mar 4, 2009 07:28 GMT)
Lazio came from behind to beat Juventus 2-1 at home in the first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final on Tuesday thanks to second-half goals by Goran Pandev and Tommaso Rocchi.

French Cup: Guingamp surprise Le Mans (Mar 4, 2009 06:58 GMT)
Bakary Kone scored a late winner as Ligue 2 side En Avant Guingamp defeated top flight Le Mans 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the French Cup on Tuesday.

DFB Pokal: Schalke sent crashing to Mainz (Mar 4, 2009 06:49 GMT)
Schalke's dismal season continued when they were sent crashing out of the DFB-Pokal to second division Mainz.

Iniesta fit for Barca, Fabiano back for Sevilla (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has been passed fit for the King's Cup semi-final second leg at Real Mallorca on Wednesday, said the Primera Liga leaders.

DFB Pokal: Mainz and Wehen targets shocks (Mar 3, 2009 06:43 GMT)
Mainz and Wehen Wiesbaden will be looking to upset the form book this week as they aim to book a place in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal at the expense of Bundesliga opposition.

Lille coach Puel prepares to face former club (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Former Lille coach Claude Puel returns to the Stade Metropole with his new club Lyon on Wednesday in the pick of this week's Coupe de France last-16 ties.

Juve's Amauri targets Coppa Italia goals (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Juventus forward Amauri will be aiming to show the controversy surrounding his international future has not deprived him of his eye for goal in the Italian Cup semi-final first leg at Lazio on Tuesday.

Italy interested in making bid for Euro 2016 (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Italy will make a bid to host Euro 2016, Italian football federation (FIGC) president Giancarlo Abete said on Monday.

Scotland and Wales scrap Euro 2016 plans (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Scotland and Wales have dropped plans to co-host the 2016 European championships due to the financial demands of the expanded tournament, their football associations said on Monday.


UEFA Champions League
UEFA launch Champions League fix charge (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
UEFA have charged FYR Macedonian club FK Pobeda for "manipulating the outcome of a UEFA match to gain undue advantage for themselves and a third party".

Barcelona's Henry wary of 'dangerous' Bayern (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has warned his team-mates there will be no room for error when they take on Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Benitez: Man United still European favourites (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez maintains that holders Manchester United are now favourites to retain the Champions League crown.

Villarreal's Pires excited by Gunners reunion (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Villarreal midfielder Robert Pires is looking forward to the chance to pit his wits against former club Arsenal after the two clubs were paired together in Friday's draw for the Champions League quarter-finals.

Liverpool draw Chelsea, holders handed Porto (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool will continue their annual European rivalry with Chelsea after the Friday's Champions League quarter-final draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, pitted the Premier League duo against each other yet again.

Champions League: Ronaldo wary of Bayern threat (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Cristiano Ronaldo believes Bayern Munich could be the team to derail Manchester United's bid for a second successive Champions League crown.

Champions League draw (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Champions League

Gerrard fears no-one ahead of Champs draw (Mar 18, 2009 23:13 GMT)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is not worried by the prospect of facing any of the seven sides in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Platini: UEFA will consider Hillsborough request (Mar 16, 2009 21:36 GMT)
Michel Platini has promised Liverpool that UEFA are keen to avoid forcing the club to play the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

Gerrard plea over Hillsborough anniversary (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has called on UEFA not to schedule the club's Champions League quarter-final second leg for April 15 - the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy.

Players call for Hiddink to stay (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Chelsea's players are beginning to increase the clamour for Guus Hiddink to stay in charge of the team on a permanent basis.

Police investigate Mourinho 'punch' reports (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Inter Milan have denied allegations that coach Jose Mourinho assaulted a fan after Wednesday night's Champions League defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

UEFA to probe Drogba abuse (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Chelsea will give their full support to UEFA if there is to be an investigation into claims that Didier Drogba was subjected to racist abuse in Turin.

Guardiola favours English opponents for quarters (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Barcelona would relish a match against one of the four English clubs that have qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals along with the Primera Liga leaders, coach Pep Guardiola said.

Inter's Jose tips United for five-star greatness (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jose Mourinho has tipped Manchester United to complete an amazing five-timer this season.

Gaillard: UEFA won't take final away from Rome (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said that moving the Champions League final away from Rome would make fans less safe, after an Arsenal fans' bus was attacked.

Wenger salutes Gunners' 'huge mental strength' (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A relieved Sir Alex Ferguson accused Manchester United of playing suicide football after watching them edge past Inter Milan and into the Champions League quarter-finals at Old Trafford.

Jolly: Mourinho's Inter undone by United (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Richard Jolly was a Old Trafford as Man Utd dealt Mourinho's Inter a knockout blow.

Champions League: Barca overwhelm Lyon (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Holders Manchester United soothed a painful old wound for Alex Ferguson by knocking Inter Milan out of the Champions League on Wednesday, as Barcelona mauled Olympique Lyon 5-2 in a thrilling return to form.

Wenger salutes Gunners' 'huge mental strength' (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger praised the ''mental strength'' of his Arsenal side after they came from behind to win a penalty shoot-out against Roma to secure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

United clash "game of our lives", says Cordoba (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Colombian defender Ivan Cordoba believes Inter Milan will have to play the game of their lives against Manchester United on Wednesday night to book a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Ronaldo: I'd play in Italy because of the women (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo continued the mutual back slapping that has typified the build up to Manchester United's Champions League clash with Inter Milan by heaping praise on Italy for the quality of their football and the beauty of t

Real defender Pepe fumes at Torres' opener (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Real Madrid defender Pepe feels the goal which set Liverpool on their way to a famous Champions League victory on Wednesday night should not have stood.

Same again for Scholes (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Paul Scholes has demanded the same again ahead of Manchester United's Champions League night of destiny with Inter Milan.

Vucinic preaches patience for Roma (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Roma must score twice against Arsenal on Wednesday if they wish to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League but Mirko Vucinic has urged his team-mates to be patient.

Arsene hails defence (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger hopes his young Arsenal side can get the rewards their determination deserves as they look to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Ranieri backing Italian pair to restore pride (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri will be backing Inter Milan and Roma to fly the flag for Italian football in the Champions League following his club's elimination from the competition.

Jolly: Liverpool blow Real Madrid away (Mar 11, 2009 05:14 GMT)
Richard Jolly watches Liverpool destroy Real to underline the Premier League's dominance.

Triumphant Benitez goes on the attack again (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez insisted his side's Champions League demolition of Real Madrid proved that his side can play attacking football and deserve their position as Europe's top team.

Hiddink thrilled as battling Blues go through (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Didier Drogba claimed Juventus' early goal made Chelsea's job easier as they made it through to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-2 draw in Turin tonight.

Ferguson confirms Ferdinand fit to face Inter (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Rio Ferdinand will play against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

Arsenal fans "at risk" travelling to Stadio Olimpico (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsenal supporters planning to attending Wednesday night's Champions League clash with Roma have been warned that they are ''at risk'' if they travel alone to the Stadio Olimpico.

Mourinho denies coveting Ferguson's job (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jose Mourinho has denied he has designs on Sir Alex Ferguson's job as manager of Manchester United, distancing himself from previous comments attributed to the Inter Milan boss.

Rafa defends record ahead of Real Madrid test (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez believes he deserves more credit for the job he has done since taking over at Liverpool in 2004.

Ramos wants Real to reclaim their ''prestige'' (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos believes Tuesday night's Champions League clash with Liverpool provides an ideal opportunity for the Spanish giants to restore their ''prestige'' on the global stage.

Chelsea ''war machine'' back on track - Ranieri (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The widening gulf between Italian and English clubs is purely down to money, according to Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri.

Hiddink's ''charisma'' behind new spirit - Ballack (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Midfielder Michael Ballack insists Chelsea's fighting spirit and power has returned under the leadership of interim coach Guus Hiddink.

Buffon explains ambition behind City snub (Mar 9, 2009 18:41 GMT)
Gigi Buffon tells Kevin Palmer why he subbed Man City and of his admiration for the Premier League.

Raul claims Ronaldo would be welcome at Madrid (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Real Madrid captain Raul believes Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo would be 'accepted' if he moved to the Bernabeu, while also admitting he has never been tempted to move to England himself.

Bayern's injured Altintop to miss Sporting match (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Midfielder Hamit Altintop has been added to Bayern Munich's growing injury list ahead of their Champions League tie against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.

Torres trains but Benayoun a doubt for Liverpool (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
News that striker Fernando Torres was fit enough to train on Monday ahead of Liverpool Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday was tempered by a hamstring injury to midfielder Yossi Benayoun.

Ribery remains Bayern's trump card (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Nick Bidwell speaks to Franck Ribery about his future ahead of Bayern's UCL clash with Sporting.

Man Utd at most risk in English bid for UCL sweep (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Holders Manchester United's tie with Inter Milan is the most precariously balanced as the big four English teams bid to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the second year in succession.

Jose: I can be next Man United manager (Mar 8, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has, in true style, stirred the pot ahead of his team's Champions League second round return leg against Manchester United on Wednesday by saying he could take over as manager at Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson fina


Global
"Angola may struggle to host Nations Cup" (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Angola's shortage of accommodation may overshadow the African Nations Cup next year despite the country's $1 billion efforts to build stadiums, airports and hotels.

Ali: The shadow of a gunman (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Halima Ali on the devastating effect terrorism has had on Pakistani football.

Futebol Brasileiro: Portuguesa hit Marilia for four (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Portuguesa hammered 10-man Marilia 4-1 to move up to fourth in the standings of the Sao Paulo state championship.

China: Antar leads Shandog to victory (Mar 29, 2009 19:04 GMT)
Lebanese playmaker Roda Antar scored the winner for Shandong Luneng as the defending champions edged Shaanxi Baorong 1-0 at home to claim their first victory in the 2009 Chinese Super League.

Brazil: Sao Paulo edge out Palmeiras (Mar 29, 2009 19:02 GMT)
An early goal by Washington made the difference as Sao Paulo handed leaders Palmeiras their first defeat in the Sao Paulo state tournament with a 1-0 win.

Kelly: Different strokes for different folks (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sam Kelly gauges differing reactions from Robinho and Ronaldo to some ill-chosen words.

Dasey: Times are a-changin' for Dylan (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jason Dasey talks to Dylan Macallister about his hopes of getting back into the Socceroo setup.

Ronaldo grabs brace in Corinthians cruise (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Striker Ronaldo scored twice for Corinthians in a 2-2 draw against modest Ponte Preta in the Paulista championship on Wednesday.

Mexican club Santos sack head coach Guzman (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jimmy Briand has been ruled out of France's World Cup qualifier against Lithuania, after dislocating his left kneecap in training.

Brazil legend Pele misquoted over Robinho slur (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Pele has denied alleging that Manchester City star Robinho had taken drugs. The Brazil legend was quoted as saying that Robinho and former world footballer of the year Ronaldo used recreational drugs at a private party in Sao Paolo.

Palmeiras through to state championship semis (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Palmeiras became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the Sao Paulo state tournament after defeating Bragantino 2-1.

WADA slams soccer authorities over doping reform (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has warned soccer officials that the sport runs the risk of being dropped from the Olympics if its authorities failed to recognise the reality of drugs cheats.

S.America: Uruguay hit by more violence (Mar 23, 2009 21:15 GMT)
Uruguay was hit by another bout of crowd violence when Penarol supporters attacked a group of women and children following their team's defeat to Defensor Sporting at the weekend.

Argentina: Three see red as San Lorenzo slump (Mar 23, 2009 16:23 GMT)
San Lorenzo's problems continued on Sunday when they had three players sent off in a six-minute spell in their 3-0 loss to Colon in the Argentine championship.

Mexico: Toluca continue fine unbeaten run (Mar 23, 2009 16:22 GMT)
Defending champions Toluca continued their unbeaten run in the Mexican Clausura championship with a 3-1 win over struggling Cruz Azul on Sunday.

World Cup winner Burruchaga quits Banfield (Mar 23, 2009 16:21 GMT)
World Cup winner Jorge Burruchaga quit as coach first division Banfield on Sunday, the second Argentine coach to resign in less than 48 hours.

China: Shanghai battle back to take points (Mar 23, 2009 16:16 GMT)
Bulgarian international Yanko Valkanov's late strike and substitute Shen Longyuan's spectacular volley in the dying minutes helped Shanghai Shenhua to come from a goal down and beat newly promoted Jiangsu Shuntian 2-1 in their 2009 Chinese Super Leag

Brazil: Vasco maintain charge at top of table (Mar 23, 2009 15:25 GMT)
Vasco da Gama defeated Flamengo 2-0 to join Fluminense at the top of Group A of the Taca Rio in the second half of the Campeonato Carioca.

Michel leaves Sundowns club after fans protest (Mar 23, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Former France manager Henri Michel left South African club Mamelodi Sundowns on Monday, the day after he had to be driven away by riot police to escape angry fans after a cup defeat.

FIFA presses ahead with 6+5, upset with WADA (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
FIFA will press ahead with plans to increase the number of home-grown players at clubs after a study said the idea was compatible with European law.

Brazilians hail another precocious talent in Neymar (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Brazilians believe they have uncovered another precocious talent in the shape of 17-year-old Neymar, who after only four first-team appearances has been hailed as the new Robinho.

Copa Libertadores: Nacional thump River Plate (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Argentina's River Plate slumped to their second successive defeat in the Copa Libertadores when they were thumped 3-0 by Uruguayans Nacional on Thursday.

Argentina: Bossio sees plenty of work to do (Mar 19, 2009 22:51 GMT)
Lanus goalkeeper Carlos Bossio is not getting carried away with his team's fine start to the Clausura campaign ahead of Sunday's visit to Huracan in the seventh round.

Maradona sad as Boca fans label him a traitor (Mar 19, 2009 15:29 GMT)
Being labelled a traitor by fans of his favourite club Boca Juniors had been deeply upsetting, Argentina coach Diego Maradona has revealed.

Libertadoes: Libertad first to make it through (Mar 19, 2009 15:27 GMT)
Paraguayan champions Libertad became the first team to book their place in the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores after a 1-0 win over San Lorenzo secured their fourth consecutive victory.

Copa do Brasil: Naymar stars as Santos advance (Mar 19, 2009 15:26 GMT)
Teenage forward Neymar was the star of the show as Santos destroyed Rio Branco 4-0 to complete a 6-1 aggregate win in their Copa do Brasil first round tie.

Quintero again at the double for Santos Laguna (Mar 19, 2009 15:25 GMT)
Colombian striker Carlos Darwin Quintero scored twice as Mexico's Santos Laguna beat compatriots Atlante 2-1 at home to edge ahead in their CONCACAF Champions League semi-final.

Corinthians play down Zidane, Ronaldo reunion (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Corinthians director Mario Gobbi has played down reports the club are looking to lure Zinedine Zidane out of retirement.

Lanus become latest Argentine Copa crash (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Lanus continued a dismal run by Argentine clubs in the Libertadores Cup when they lost 2-1 at home to Chilean side Everton.

Kone on target to keep up 100% record (Mar 18, 2009 01:45 GMT)
Kone Mohamed scored as Thailand's Chonburi FC maintained their 100% start in Group G of the AFC Cup after edging out Malaysian treble winners Kedah 1-0 at Darulaman Stadium.

Al Jazira hoping to bounce back from defeat (Mar 18, 2009 01:43 GMT)
Al Jazira coach Abel Braga hopes his team can banish the memory of last week's shock defeat to Umm Salal and kick-start their Asian Champions League bid with victory over Esteghlal at the Azadi Stadium.

Power struggle between senior FIFA figures (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
An astonishing power struggle is developing between two of FIFA's most senior figures, which could have implications for the future of world football.

New Zealand schedule second match in Thailand (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
New Zealand have added a match against Thailand A to their southeast Asian tour after their planned game against Indonesia was cancelled because of security reasons.

Dasey: 'Unlucky' Ken's Asian adventure (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jason Dasey meets the former Chelsea player now working in Malaysia for the AFC.

Gamba chasing top spot in Champions League (Mar 16, 2009 18:06 GMT)
Defending champions Gamba Osaka will look to claim sole leadership of Group F of the Asian Champions League when they face FC Seoul of South Korea at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Tuesday.

Fowler raring to go after arriving in Australia (Mar 16, 2009 15:40 GMT)
After arriving in Townsville on Sunday afternoon, North Queensland's marquee signing Robbie Fowler said he cannot wait to start pre-season training with the A-League's newest team.

Two shot as Boca fans fight amongst themselves (Mar 16, 2009 15:38 GMT)
An 85-year-old woman and 55-year-old man were shot when Boca Junior fans fought amongst themselves before their team's match against Argentinos Juniors on Sunday, an emergency services official said.

Argentina: Velez remain in touch with leaders (Mar 16, 2009 15:37 GMT)
Velez Sarsfield moved up to second place in Argentina's Clausura after sharing a 1-1 draw with unbeaten River Plate.

ASEAN seek intervention to rein in Hammam (Mar 16, 2009 15:35 GMT)
South East Asian football officials have made a formal plea to FIFA president Sepp Blatter to rein in Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam as the battle for control of the continental body heats up.

Brazil: Fred makes scoring return to Fluminense (Mar 16, 2009 15:34 GMT)
Former Lyon striker Fred scored twice on his return to Brazil to help Fluminense come back from a goal down to beat 10 man Macae 3-1 in the second round of the Campeonato Carioca's Taca Rio.

Chile: Universidad go top after Colo Colo victory (Mar 16, 2009 15:32 GMT)
Universidad Catolica took the honours in Chile's top derby after beating Colo Colo 1-0 to join Union Espanola at the top of the Apertura.

Al Ahli make solid start to Champs League defence (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Egypt's Al Ahli made a comfortable start to the defence of their African Champions League crown by beating Young Africans of Tanzania 3-0 in the first leg of their second-round tie in Cairo on Sunday.

Sabella appointed new coach of Estudiantes (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Alejandro Sabella has been appointed the new coach of Estudiantes, signing a deal until June 2010.

Leaders Palmeiras end three-game winless run (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sao Paulo state tournament leaders Palmeiras ended their three game winless run with a 3-0 home win against Gremio Barueri.

Surprise package Lanus stay top in Argentina (Mar 15, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Surprise package Lanus scored twice in three minutes to beat Colon 2-1 at home on Saturday and stay top of the Argentine Clausura championship.

Urawa Reds earn first win under new boss (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Urawa Reds earned their first win of the season under new manager Volker Finke as they defeated FC Tokyo 3-1 in the J.League at Saitama Stadium.

Caraglio inspires Rosario rout in Argentina (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
A first-half brace from Milton Caraglio helped Rosario Central to destroy Arsenal 5-0 on the opening day of the sixth round of the Argentinian Clausura.

AFC hands backing to Al Khalifa for FIFA role (Mar 13, 2009 19:23 GMT)
Asian Football Confederation president Mohammed Bin Hammam's position on the FIFA executive committee could be in jeopardy after 19 AFC countries backed rival Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

Colo Colo sink champions LDU with goal flurry (Mar 13, 2009 15:33 GMT)
Chilean champions Colo Colo scored three times in eight minutes to hand titleholders LDU a 3-0 defeat in their Libertadores Cup match on Thursday.

Schwarzer: Australia cannot neglect Asian Cup (Mar 13, 2009 15:29 GMT)
Australia's World Cup qualifying campaign is going strong but goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer believes the Socceroos must also do all they can to reach the 2011 Asian Cup finals.

Brazil: Vasco prove to be too strong for Botafogo (Mar 13, 2009 15:28 GMT)
Vasco da Gama destroyed rivals Botafogo 4-1 to maintain their perfect record in the second stage of the Rio de Janeiro state tournament.

Gremio win despite amazing triple miss in Copa (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Former champions Gremio notched their first win of the Libertadores Cup on Wednesday, recording a 1-0 victory at Colombians Boyaca Chico despite an astonishing triple miss from Jonas.

Ronaldo on target again as Corinthians win (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Ronaldo continued his impressive return from a year-long injury layoff as he scored for the second game in a row to give Corinthians a 2-1 win over Sao Caetano on Wednesday.

Estudiantes coach Astrada quits after cup loss (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Estudiantes coach Leonardo Astrada resigned on Wednesday to become the fourth coaching victim since the Argentine season resumed one month ago.

Libertadores: Preciado nets precious Quito winner (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Leider Preciado came off the bench to score an 85th-minute winner for Deportivo Quito in a 1-0 over Estudiantes and earn his side their first victory in Copa Libertadores group five.

Carter: Ronaldo fighting another fitness battle (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Jon Carter wonders if we will ever see the best of Corinthians' 'Fat Ronaldo' again?

Ronaldo opens goal account for Corinthians (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Former Real Madrid and Inter Milan striker Ronaldo scored his first goal for Corinthians in injury-time to rescue a 1-1 draw with Palmeiras in the Campeonato Paulista.

India targets elite players for Asian Cup scheme (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Indian soccer federation hopes to launch an ambitious two-year plan that will commit the country's leading players to preparations for the 2011 Asian Cup.

Four sent off as River win with Gallardo brace (Mar 9, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Four players were sent off as River Plate, helped by two goals from former Argentina forward Marcelo Gallardo, beat Arsenal 3-1 in a stormy Clausura championship match on Sunday.

Crowd riot forces abandonment of Argentine match (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Rioting fans forced an Argentine first division match between provincial teams Godoy Cruz and San Martin-Tucuman to be abandoned in the second half.

Copa Libertadores: Libertad extend winning streak (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Paraguayan champions Libertad recorded their third win in Group Eight of the Copa Libertadores after defeating Argentina's San Lorenzo 2-0.

Ronaldo delighted with return from injury (Mar 5, 2009 21:53 GMT)
Corinthians striker Ronaldo is hoping his long-awaited comeback from injury will pave the way to bigger and better things.

Australia 0-1 Kuwait: Aussies struggle to qualify (Mar 5, 2009 19:41 GMT)
A below-par Australia suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Kuwait to leave them struggling in their 2011 Asian Cup qualifying group.

Concacaf Champs: Cruz Azul, Puerto Rico through (Mar 5, 2009 16:28 GMT)
Cruz Azul booked their place in the CONCACAF Champions League semi-finals after completing a 2-0 aggregate victory over Mexican rivals Pumas.

Libertadores: Late Figueroa strike lifts Boca (Mar 5, 2009 16:27 GMT)
An 87th-minute header by Luciano Figueroa gave six time champions Boca Juniors a 1-0 victory over Deportivo Tachira and pushed the Argentinians to the top of Group Two in the Copa Libertadores.

Ronaldo gets black eye in frenzy (Mar 5, 2009 16:25 GMT)
Brazilian striker Ronaldo's return to action after a 13-month knee injury layoff was marred by an ugly media scrum following Wednesday's Copa Brasil game that left the 32-year-old nursing a black eye.

SFA warn politicians to stay out of Olympic debate (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
The Scottish Football Association have warned MSPs to stay out of the debate over a British Olympic team.

Libertadores: Torres sparkles in Colo Colo win (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Colombian playmaker McNelly Torres scored a goal and set up two others to lead 10-man Colo Colo to a 3-1 away win over Brazil's Palmeiras as the Chileans claimed their first victory in Group One of the Copa Libertadores.

Barcelona scrap plans to launch MLS franchise (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Barcelona's plans to launch a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami are dead, MLS have confirmed.

Dasey: Time to bring in a cup competition? (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Jason Dasey says the A-League Grand Final could easily be replaced by an 'Aussie Cup'.

Ronaldo set to make long-awaited return (Mar 4, 2009 06:48 GMT)
Brazil legend Ronaldo could finally return from injury to make his Corinthians debut in a Copa do Brasil tie on Wednesday.

River Plate's 100-kilo striker told to lose weight (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
River Plate's new signing Cristian Fabbiani, a cult figure nicknamed The Ogre by supporters, has been told to eat less by his coach after officially passing the 100-kilo mark.

Uruguayan players strike over unpaid wages (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Uruguayan players have gone on strike over unpaid wages and bonuses, forcing this week's midweek league matches to be called off.

Merlo takes over as boss of Rosario Central (Mar 3, 2009 06:27 GMT)
Rosario Central have appointed Reinaldo Carlos Merlo as their new coach to replace Gustavo Alfaro who was sacked on Saturday night.

River routed by San Lorenzo in Argentina (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
River Plate sank to one of their worst defeats in recent memory when they were routed 5-1 by San Lorenzo in the Argentine Clausura championship on Sunday.

Corinthians held, fans mob new signing Ronaldo (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Corinthians were held to a 1-1 draw at Marilia in the Paulista championship on Sunday as new signing Ronaldo, who is expected to make his debut in the next two weeks, watched the stands.

Ronaldo fined by Corinthians for curfew break (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Three-time World Player of the Year Ronaldo has been suspended and fined by Brazilian outfit Corinthians after breaking a team curfew.

Mexican champs Toluca maintain unbeaten record (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Champions Toluca maintained their unbeaten record in the Mexican Clausura championship by twice coming from behind to hold Monterrey to a 3-3 draw on Saturday.

Palmeiras march on in Sao Paulo tournament (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Palmeiras remain unstoppable at the top of the Sao Paulo state tournament standings as they recorded their ninth victory in 10 games with a 1-0 over Guarani.

Racing foiled in injury-time, Central fire coach (Mar 1, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Racing Club's new coach Ricardo Caruso Lombardi was deprived of a winning debut when his side conceded an injury-time equaliser in a 1-1 home draw against Argentinos Juniors in the Argentine championship on Saturday.


World Cup 2010
FIFA wants minute's silence for Abidjan victims (Mar 31, 2009 22:52 GMT)
FIFA has asked for a minute's silence to be observed before the start of World Cup qualifiers this week following the stadium crush in Ivory Coast on Sunday that killed at least 19 people.

Concacaf: Pavon returns to haunt Mexico again (Mar 31, 2009 22:08 GMT)
Honduras striker Carlos Pavon, architect of two famous World Cup qualifying wins over Mexico, is returning to haunt them again at the age of 35.

Norway stick with Olsen for remaining qualifiers (Mar 31, 2009 19:32 GMT)
Norway extended Egil Olsen's temporary contract as national team coach on Tuesday for the remainder of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

S.America: Uruguay look to halt Chilean revolution (Mar 31, 2009 15:34 GMT)
Uruguay will try to halt Marcelo Bielsa's impressive revival of Chile when the two sides meet in the South American World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday.

Struggling Belgium sack coach Vandereycken (Mar 31, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Belgium dismissed coach Rene Vandereycken on Tuesday after a spate of poor results severely damaged their World Cup qualification hopes, a spokesman for the Belgian Football Association said.

Brazil's difficulties will continue, warns Dunga (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Brazil are likely to struggle in the South American World Cup qualifying group until the end of the competition, coach Dunga warned on Monday.

Henry Kissinger backs U.S. World Cup bid (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, architect of President Richard Nixon's detente with China, faced a new diplomatic challenge on Monday - helping craft a U.S. bid to host the soccer World Cup.

Blundering Boruc Pole-axed for San Marino clash (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc has been dropped by Poland for the World Cup qualifier against San Marino on Wednesday and is returning to Glasgow.

Ivory Coast chief pleads for calm after tragedy (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The president of the Ivory Coast Football Federation Jacques Anouma has pleaded for calm as investigations start into Sunday night's tragedy which left at least 19 people dead and 132 injured.

FIFA probe N.Ireland coin throwing incident (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
FIFA have launched an investigation into the incident at Windsor Park on Saturday when assistant referee Stefan Wittberg was hit by a coin thrown from the crowd.

Argentina missing Milito, Lavezzi and Gutierrez (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Argentinian Football Association have announced that Ezequiel Lavezzi and Diego Milito will miss the World Cup qualifier against Bolivia due to injuries, as will Newcastle United midfielder Jonas Gutierrez who is banned.

Rivalries rekindled as Asian qualifying heats up (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Old rivalries on and off the field will reignite on Wednesday when qualification for the 2010 World Cup reaches its most critical stage in Asia.

Evans awe-struck by Finals dream (Mar 30, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United defender Jonny Evans finds the prospect of playing in the World Cup in South Africa "unbelievable".

At least 19 dead in Ivory Coast tragedy (Mar 30, 2009 05:01 GMT)
Several supporters were believed to have died after a stadium tragedy in Ivory Coast.

Africa: Drogba hits two in Ivory Coast rout (Mar 30, 2009 04:31 GMT)
Didier Drogba marked his return to competitive internationals with two goals on Sunday, captaining the Ivory Coast to a crushing 5-0 win over Malawi in their opening World Cup qualifier.

Bellamy admits Wales have no chance of qualifying (Mar 29, 2009 23:11 GMT)
Wales captain Craig Bellamy has faced up to the sad reality of constant failure with a small nation on the World Cup stage.

Eriksson calls for more of the same in return game (Mar 29, 2009 23:06 GMT)
Mexico coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is calling on his team for a repeat performance when they seek their first away win of the World Cup qualifying campaign against Costa Rica on Wednesday.

Uruguay turn to Victorino against Chile (Mar 29, 2009 23:05 GMT)
Uruguay coach Oscar Washington Tabarez has called-up Mauricio Victorino ahead of their crunch World Cup qualifier against Chile.

S.America: Maradona joy, Colombia end drought (Mar 29, 2009 19:22 GMT)
Diego Maradona made a dream home debut as Argentina coach when his side demolished Venezuela 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday while Uruguay and Colombia followed suit with home wins.

Japan toasts Nakamura match-winning display (Mar 29, 2009 19:20 GMT)
Japan toasted Shunsuke Nakamura on Sunday after his strike gave the "Blue Samurai" a 1-0 win over Bahrain and all but booked their place at the 2010 World Cup.

Concacaf: Relief for Sven, USA snatch point (Mar 29, 2009 19:18 GMT)
The United States and Trinidad & Tobago snatched dramatic late draws in their CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers on Saturday while Mexico lifted the pressure on coach Sven-Goran Eriksson by beating Costa Rica 2-0.

Serbia hope home wins will take them to finals (Mar 29, 2009 19:16 GMT)
Serbia have taken a big step towards reaching the 2010 World Cup finals after beating Romania in their Group Seven qualifier on Saturday and must now get the job done on home soil, coach Radomir Antic said.

Iran sack Daei after defeat to Saudi Arabia (Mar 29, 2009 19:14 GMT)
Ali Daei, the world's all-time highest international goalscorer, has been sacked as Iran coach after his team's 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying, state media reported on Sunday.

Bosnia dreaming of first World Cup finals (Mar 29, 2009 19:13 GMT)
National pride and raucous celebrations swept across Bosnia into the early hours of Sunday after a 4-2 World Cup qualifying win in Belgium left the Balkan country on course to reach the 2010 finals in South Africa.

Maradona hails "perfect game" after thrashing (Mar 29, 2009 18:36 GMT)
Diego Maradona felt that his team played "the perfect game" as he marked his first competitive outing as Argentina's national coach with a 4-0 victory over Venezuela in Buenos Aires.

Asia: Japan and North Korea go top in qualifying (Mar 29, 2009 00:45 GMT)
Japan and North Korea snatched the lead in their respective groups on Saturday with home wins on a thrilling night of Asian qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.

Turkey striker Nihat to start against Spain (Mar 28, 2009 17:39 GMT)
Turkey captain Nihat Kahveci will partner Semih Senturk up front in Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Spain, coach Fatih Terim said on Friday.

Ecuador clash comes too soon for Kaka (Mar 28, 2009 17:31 GMT)
Brazil midfielder Kaka will miss Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Ecuador with a foot injury.

'Proud' record-breaker Beckham thanks family (Mar 28, 2009 07:00 GMT)
David Beckham dedicated breaking Bobby Moore's outfield appearance record for England with a 109th cap in the 4-0 friendly win over Slovakia at Wembley to his family.

At least nine arrests after clashes in Belfast (Mar 28, 2009 07:00 GMT)
At least nine people were arrested during violent clashes between rival Northern Ireland and Poland supporters in Belfast today.

Africa: Adebayor goal leads Togo to World Cup win (Mar 28, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor marked his comeback from injury with a goal to guide Togo to a 1-0 win over Cameroon in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

Brazil midfielder Kaka to miss Ecuador qualifier (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Brazil playmaker Kaka will miss Sunday's World Cup qualifier in Ecuador because he has not fully recovered from an injury to his left foot, team doctor Jose Luis Runco said on Friday.

World Cup ticket applications pass one million (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Applications for World Cup tickets passed the one-million mark five days before the first phase of sales closes, FIFA said on Friday.

Nakamura puts in overtime to make Bahrain pay (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura has been spending extra hours alone on the training ground plotting Bahrain's downfall in this weekend's World Cup qualifier.

Maradona coy on selection plans for Argentina (Mar 27, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Diego Maradona is keeping a lid on his team selection plans ahead of his first competitive game in charge of Argentina.

Ireland rocked by Duff hamstring injury (Mar 27, 2009 03:20 GMT)
Damien Duff has been told he still has a major role to play in the Republic of Ireland's bid for World Cup qualification this season despite being sent home injured.

Mascherano calls for "attitude" from Argentina (Mar 27, 2009 03:19 GMT)
Captain Javier Mascherano admits Argentina must face the World Cup qualifier against Venezuela on Saturday with "seriousness and attitude" to improve their home form.

John out to right the wrongs of penalty miss (Mar 27, 2009 03:18 GMT)
Trinidad & Tobago striker Stern John is looking to make amends for his penalty miss last time out in the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Honduras.

Togo set to risk hamstrung Adebayor (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Togo look set to risk the wrath of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger by playing striker Emmanuel Adebayor in their World Cup qualifier against Cameroon.

Kenya's kits stolen before Tunisia qualifier (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sales of Kenyan soccer uniforms are set for a boost after the national team's kit went missing days ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Tunisia.

Japan face difficult test in visit of Bahrain (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Japan have a chance to put a year of stuttering performances behind them by topping their World Cup qualifying group with a win over Bahrain on Saturday, but if history is anything to go by, it will be far from easy.

Portugal facing crunch match with Sweden (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Portugal must overcome their frayed nerves to beat Sweden in a crunch World Cup qualifier on Saturday and avoid an uphill struggle to reach the 2010 finals in South Africa.

Chileans single out Solano as danger man (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Chile have identified Peru captain Nolberto Solano as the main threat in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday.

Peters: Africa's elite aiming to impress (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Don Peters previews the contenders for the African World Cup qualifying spots.

Peters: African eyes all turn to World Cup (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Don Peters wonders if African football is ready as it enters a crucial time in its history.

Sven under fire after axing Mexico hero Naelson (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson's Mexican adventure has taken another unhappy twist with his decision to drop midfielder Antonio Naelson, one of the country's most creative players.

Politics and football don't mix, says Peru's Solano (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Peru captain Nolberto Solano has asked for politics to be kept out of next Sunday's World Cup qualifier against bitter rivals Chile.

Mystery injury puts Benni's Bafana future in doubt (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
South Africa striker Benni McCarthy has again put his international future in jeopardy after claiming he is carrying an injury despite medical reports suggesting otherwise.

Kaka given a 50% chance of facing Ecuador (Mar 25, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Brazil playmaker Kaka has been given a 50 percent chance of facing Ecuador in Sunday's World Cup qualifier.

Dunga keeps Brazil pressure in perspective (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Brazil coach Dunga, usually seen as a tough, uncompromising figure, touched on a personal drama and came close to tears in a television interview on Monday.

Stoilov upbeat despite loss of Berbatov (Mar 23, 2009 23:38 GMT)
Losing captain Dimitar Berbatov to injury will not diminish Bulgaria's confidence for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Ireland in Dublin, coach Stanimir Stoilov said on Monday.

Injured Valdivia to miss Chile qualifiers (Mar 23, 2009 21:38 GMT)
Chile playmaker Jorge Valdivia has been left out of the squad for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers away to Peru and at home to Uruguay because of injury.

Adebayor picked by Togo despite being injured (Mar 23, 2009 21:12 GMT)
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been named in Togo's squad for the World Cup qualifier against Cameroon on Saturday despite having been out for six weeks with a hamstring injury.

South Korea select seven overseas players (Mar 23, 2009 15:26 GMT)
South Korea coach Huh Jung-moo has summoned seven overseas players for the FIFA 2010 World Cup qualifier against DPR Korea on April 1.

Colombia coach Lara adds Nareja to squad (Mar 23, 2009 15:23 GMT)
Colombia coach Eduardo Lara has called up Francisco Najera to the squad for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Venezuela after it was confirmed defender Luis Amaranto Perea will miss the games due to injury.

Toure wants tribute to victims of stadium disaster (Mar 23, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure has urged his team-mates to give their all to reach the 2010 World Cup as a tribute to the fans who died last night during their qualifier victory over Malawi.

Europe: No shocks as big guns all pick up wins (Mar 21, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Germany, Italy and the Netherlands took significant strides towards next year's World Cup finals with comfortable qualifying wins on Saturday.

Okada selects Japan squad to face Bahrain (Mar 19, 2009 19:21 GMT)
Japan coach Takeshi Okada has called up Albirex Niigata forward Kisho Yano for the first time since June ahead of the World Cup qualifier with Bahrain later this month.

Vandereycken names Belgium squad for Bosnia (Mar 19, 2009 19:20 GMT)
Belgium head coach Rene Vandereycken has called up 24 players, including Premier League stars Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) and Marouane Fellaini (Everton), for the qualifying double-header against Bosnia on March 28 and April 1.

Kewell returns for Uzbekistan qualifier (Mar 18, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Striker Harry Kewell has been added to Australia's squad for their World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan next month.

Brazil optimistic over Kaka's availability (Mar 18, 2009 04:56 GMT)
Brazil hope Kaka will be fit to play in their World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Peru.

Ecuador name squad for Brazil and Paraguay (Mar 18, 2009 04:55 GMT)
Premier League trio Antonio Valencia, Segundo Castillo and Felipe Caicedo have been included in the Ecuador squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Paraguay.

FIFA confirm 2018 and 2012 World Cup bidders (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
FIFA have confirmed which countries have made a bid to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Ireland to host S.Africa in September friendly (Mar 17, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The Republic of Ireland are to play World Cup hosts South Africa in a friendly in September.

Hiddink recalls Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko (Mar 16, 2009 21:33 GMT)
Russia coach Guus Hiddink has recalled Arsenal forward Andrei Arshavin and Tottenham Hotspur striker Roman Pavlyuchenko for upcoming 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Injury Bellamy named in Wales World Cup squad (Mar 16, 2009 19:21 GMT)
Wales boss John Toshack has named captain Craig Bellamy in his squad for the next two World Cup qualifiers even though he is a serious doubt due to a knee injury.

Trapattoni keeps faith with Ireland squad (Mar 16, 2009 19:17 GMT)
Giovanni Trapattoni will celebrate his 70th birthday on Tuesday with his sights set firmly on next summer's World Cup finals.

Australia officially enter race to host World Cup (Mar 16, 2009 18:09 GMT)
Australia have officially joined the race to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup after submitting their bid to FIFA.

Pizarro and Farfan left out again by Peru coach (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Peru's top strikers Claudio Pizarro and Jefferson Farfan were again overlooked by coach Jose del Solar as he named his squad for World Cup qualifing matches against Chile and Brazil.

Maradona tells striker Crespo to leave Inter (Mar 14, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Argentina boss Diego Maradona has named Hernan Crespo in his provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, but told the striker he should leave Inter Milan if he wants to stay a part of his plans.

Interpol consulted on World Cup finals security (Mar 13, 2009 15:35 GMT)
World Cup 2010 organisers are working with Interpol to protect South Africa from a repeat of the recent terrorist attacks on cricketers in Pakistan.

Peseiro confident of salvaging Saudi campaign (Mar 13, 2009 15:30 GMT)
Saudi Arabia's new coach Jose Peseiro is adamant he can revive the Gulf side's flagging qualifying campaign to avoid the almost unthinkable prospect of missing out on a 2010 World Cup finals berth.

Ronaldo not ready for Brazil return (Mar 13, 2009 15:25 GMT)
Brazil coach Dunga insists it is too soon to talk about the possibility of Ronaldo returning to the national squad, despite his immediate impact on his comeback from injury.

Anderson delighted with Brazil recall (Mar 13, 2009 15:24 GMT)
Manchester United midfielder Anderson is looking forward to returning to national team duties after he was named in Brazil's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Kelly: Diego's Román ruin (Mar 12, 2009 18:48 GMT)
Sam Kelly examines Juan Román Riquelme's decision to snub Maradona and Argentina.

Premier League trio called-up to Brazil squad (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Premier League trio Robinho, Elano and Anderson have all been named in the Brazil squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Peru.

World Cup hosts keen to tap into ''Brand Beckham'' (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
World Cup organisers will look to tap into David Beckham's ''brand'' before the 2010 tournament and have promised to honour him in South Africa if he equals the record for the most England caps.

Blatter plays down security fears for 2010 event (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Sepp Blatter insists the match schedule for next year's World Cup will not be altered as a result of the terrorist atrocity in Pakistan earlier this month.

Five-goal Mexico ease pressure on Eriksson (Mar 12, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Mexico thrashed 10-man Bolivia 5-1 in a friendly on Wednesday to ease the pressure on under-fire coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Riquelme quits Argentina and blames Maradona (Mar 11, 2009 07:08 GMT)
Playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme quit the Argentine national side for the second time in three years on Tuesday and blamed coach Diego Maradona for his decision.

FIFA postpones decision over 2014 venues (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
FIFA will announce the 12 host cities for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in May and not later this month as originally planned, world soccer's governing body said on Wednesday.

Riquelme still has time to reconsider - Maradona (Mar 11, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Argentina coach Diego Maradona would welcome back playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme if he reconsidered his decision to quit the team.

Sven eyes experimental Mexico strikeforce (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Underfire coach Sven-Goran Eriksson can try out alternative strikers when Mexico meet Bolivia in a friendly on Wednesday.

Dunga leaves Brazil door open for Ronaldo (Mar 10, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Brazil coach Dunga believes striker Ronaldo still has an international future if he can recapture his best form.

Eriksson under no illusions ahead of Costa Rica (Mar 7, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Mexico manager Sven-Goran Eriksson believes he could be out of a job later this month if his side fail to beat Costa Rica in their World Cup qualifying fixture.

Hush: Expectations high for World Cup hosts (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
The pressure is on the South African squad ahead of the 2010 World Cup, says Andrew Hush.

S.Africa needs more funds for 2010 - official (Mar 4, 2009 08:00 GMT)
South Africa needs to allocate more funds and boost marketing to promote the 2010 World Cup among South Africans, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Argentine Luduena applies to play for Mexico (Mar 4, 2009 06:47 GMT)
Argentinian-born Daniel Luduena could be the next foreign-born player to play for Sven-Goran Eriksson's Mexico after applying for a Mexican passport.

Austria part company with veteran boss Bruckner (Mar 3, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Karel Bruckner has left his position as coach of the Austrian national team, the Austrian football federation (OFB) announced on Monday.

Republic of Ireland to play Socceroos in friendly (Mar 2, 2009 08:00 GMT)
The Republic of Ireland will warm up for their vital World Cup qualifier against Cyprus in September with a friendly against Australia.


Women's Professional Soccer
Sol shut out Freedom in inaugural WPS game (Mar 29, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Allison Falk and Camille Abily each scored and the Los Angeles Sol blanked the Washington Freedom 2-0 on a blustery Sunday in the inaugural game of the Women's Professional Soccer league.

Leg healed, Wambach set for new WPS (Mar 26, 2009 07:00 GMT)
Abby Wambach was still in the ambulance, the morphine easing the pain from her broken leg, when she got a call phone from her hero, mentor and friend Mia Hamm.

Purdy: WPS season preview (Mar 24, 2009 07:00 GMT)
The WPS is set to kick off and aims to succeed where the WUSA failed, writes Jacqueline Purdy.

Women's soccer league to allow in-game 'tweets' (Mar 20, 2009 07:00 GMT)
In-game Twitter posts might be a technical foul of sorts in the NBA, but at least one sports league is embracing the idea of having players use the social networking Web site during a game.

Purdy: WPS notebook (Mar 6, 2009 08:00 GMT)
With the team jerseys and rosters unveiled, the WPS is ready to kick off, writes Jacqueline Purdy.

Marta bringing star power to the L.A. Sol (Mar 5, 2009 08:00 GMT)
Marta arrived and Los Angeles rolled out the red carpet.