More Soccernet News

All News | Europe | England | US | UEFA Europa League | UEFA Champions League | Global | World Cup | Euro 2012 | Australia | MLS | Women's USA Team | NCAA | Americans Abroad | MISL | United Soccer Leagues | World Cup 2010 | Women's Professional Soccer

Archived News:
Month: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
Year: 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006


US
U.S. women's unbeaten streak vs. Mexico at 24 (Mar 29, 2010 00:11 GMT)
Amy Rodriguez and Shannon Boxx scored first-half goals as the United States stayed unbeaten against Mexico with a 3-0 win on Sunday.


MLS
Carlisle: Morales moves on from last year's lows (Mar 30, 2010 17:55 GMT)
Javier Morales played a central role in Real Salt Lake's reaching the MLS Cup, but the end of 2009 was a bittersweet one for him. On Saturday, Morales was able to (emphatically) put any disappointment behind him, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Carlisle: Sophomores lead charge for Seattle (Mar 26, 2010 17:24 GMT)
Sophomore slumps? Don't tell the Seattle Sounders FC that 2010 will be a disappointment. Their promising season-opening win over Philadelphia is just the beginning.

Dell'Apa: Chicago Fire preview (Mar 26, 2010 16:09 GMT)
Will the Chicago Fire miss the departed Jon Busch, the team's little keeper that could? Perhaps, but the Fire are hoping 6-foot-4 Andrew Dykstra is up to the tall order of filling Busch's shoes in net, writes Frank Dell'Apa.

Rodriguez: Sounders expect more in 2010 (Mar 25, 2010 21:26 GMT)
After a terrific expansion season that included the playoffs and the U.S. Open Cup title, Seattle expects more success in 2010, writes Justin Rodriguez.

Carlisle: Sounders look to regain scoring touch (Mar 25, 2010 15:42 GMT)
The Sounders had great support as an expansion team but need to regain the scoring touch they lost late in the season.

Carlisle: Mellower Nowak leads expansion Union (Mar 25, 2010 14:32 GMT)
Known for his intensity, Philadelphia Union coach Peter Nowak admits he can no longer expect the perfect game from his players.

Red Bulls sign 3 draft picks, including D Ream (Mar 24, 2010 22:33 GMT)
The New York Red Bulls have signed defender Tim Ream, forward Conor Chinn and midfielder Irving Garcia.

Dell'Apa: Toronto FC preview (Mar 24, 2010 19:49 GMT)
Preki is building Toronto FC from the back, but what the club seems to need most right now is the kind of firepower its new coach displayed in his old playing days, writes Frank Dell'Apa.

Carlisle: Columbus Crew among favorites (Mar 23, 2010 21:33 GMT)
The Columbus Crew has enough talent that last year's playoff collapse shouldn't affect the team's fortunes this season, writes Jeff Carlisle.

MLS commish criticizes D.C. for lack of stadium (Mar 23, 2010 21:23 GMT)
MLS commissioner Don Garber is upset that there is no plan for a new stadium in Washington for D.C. United.

Rodriguez: FC Dallas preview (Mar 23, 2010 20:46 GMT)
FC Dallas striker Jeff Cunningham will need to repeat his Golden Boot-worthy production this year for the Hoops to have a chance to improve, writes Justin Rodriguez.

Carlisle: MLS can still reap benefits from Beckham (Mar 23, 2010 18:18 GMT)
The MLS has never reaped the full benefits of David Beckham, but his injury may end up spelling good news for the league.

Report: MLS minimum salary rises to $40,000 (Mar 23, 2010 17:52 GMT)
Major League Soccer's minimum salary for senior players will rise to $40,000 this season, according to contract terms obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Dell'Apa: Real Salt Lake preview (Mar 23, 2010 16:12 GMT)
Real Salt Lake aims to build on its MLS Cup title with a stronger regular season performance in 2010, writes Frank Dell'Apa.

Carlisle: L.A. Galaxy preview (Mar 23, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Los Angeles manager Bruce Arena will be counting on some complementary players to increase their production for the Galaxy this season, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Carlisle: Chivas USA preview (Mar 22, 2010 19:29 GMT)
Midfielder Osael Romero is just one of the many new faces in L.A., but it remains to be seen whether different is necessarily better for Chivas USA, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Schaerlaeckens: Players didn't win free agency (Mar 22, 2010 17:33 GMT)
The MLS season will start on time, but the players didn't win their ultimate goal in the labor negotiations: More freedom of movement.

Rodriguez: D.C. United preview (Mar 22, 2010 16:49 GMT)
An old friend joins D.C. United as coach (Curt Onalfo) in 2010, and the club will rely on an aging set of legs (Jaime Moreno) to help carry it. Now, writes Justin Rodriguez, fans hope United can visit its old stomping grounds: the MLS playoffs

Red Bulls open new arena in style, down Santos (Mar 21, 2010 02:39 GMT)
Joel Lindpere, Mike Petke and Dane Richards scored to lead New York over Santos 3-1 in an exhibition Saturday that opened $200 million Red Bull Arena.

Carlisle: MLS, union can finally breathe easy (Mar 20, 2010 19:53 GMT)
Major League Soccer and its players reached a five-year labor contract that ends the threat of a strike. And as you might imagine, the agreement was met with a great deal of relief from both sides.

MLS, players sign 5-year contract, avoid strike (Mar 20, 2010 14:23 GMT)
Major League Soccer and its players signed a five-year labor contract Saturday that avoids a strike scheduled for next week.

Carlisle: San Jose Quakes (Mar 19, 2010 21:59 GMT)
San Jose finished dead last in the Western Conference in 2009, but team officials were encouraged by late signs of life. The truth about who this year's Quakes are probably lies somewhere in the middle, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Dell'Apa: Colorado Rapids preview (Mar 19, 2010 20:17 GMT)
The 2010 Colorado Rapids appear to be emphasizing strength over style, but the team's fortunes ultimately rest on the shoulders of Conor Casey, writes Frank Dell'Apa.

Carlisle: San Jose Quakes (Mar 19, 2010 18:26 GMT)
San Jose finished dead last in the Western Conference in 2009, but team officials were encouraged by late signs of life. The truth about who this year's Quakes are probably lies somewhere in the middle, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Schaerlaeckens: Aging Euro stars will cost MLS (Mar 18, 2010 20:08 GMT)
Thierry Henry and other recognizable Euro stars can give MLS a boost in the PR department, but they're an awful investment strategy for a league that's supposedly in dire financial straits.

Carlisle: Free agency remains hot-button issue (Mar 18, 2010 15:52 GMT)
MLS labor negotiations are set to begin again Thursday, with free agency remaining the major sticking point to a deal, writes Jeff Carlisle.

MLS Preview: Houston Dynamo (Mar 18, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Dynamo manager Dominic Kinnear may have to reshuffle his personnel if Houston is to remain near the top of the MLS standings, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Dell'Apa: New-look Revolution ready for a fresh start (Mar 17, 2010 22:01 GMT)
Only three Revolution players remain from the starting XI that lost the MLS Cup final in 2007. The new additions to the squad couldn't care less about New England's past failures, writes Frank Dell'Apa.

Dyer: Without additions, Red Bulls risk falling flat (Mar 15, 2010 23:04 GMT)
The New York Red Bulls have a gleaming stadium set to open, a new European brain trust and a star in Juan Pablo Angel. But without more remodeling, it likely won't be enough, writes Kristian Dyer.

MLS contract rules detrimental to players (Mar 15, 2010 18:25 GMT)
Busy with the Sounders in preseason training, Freddie Ljungberg is still hopeful that the MLS CBA talks can be resolved.

Dyer: 2010 Philadelphia season preview (Mar 14, 2010 18:54 GMT)
In the weaker Eastern Conference, expansion franchise Philadelphia could exceed expectations, writes Kristian Dyer.

MLS players say they're unified in labor talks (Mar 13, 2010 02:20 GMT)
Kasey Keller wants to make sure fans who hear about a possible strike in MLS understand the current standoff is about player rights and not salaries.

Carlisle: MLS players unified behind possibility of strike (Mar 12, 2010 16:25 GMT)
With MLS labor talks continuing to stagnate, the MLS Players Union has given the strongest indication yet that it is prepared to go on strike, writes Jeff Carlisle.

MLS players authorize league's first strike (Mar 12, 2010 00:22 GMT)
MLS players have overwhelmingly voted to authorize the first strike in the league's history, which would wipe out openers scheduled to start March 25.

Red Bulls sign ex-Toronto goalkeeper Sutton (Mar 11, 2010 19:53 GMT)
The New York Red Bulls have signed goalkeeper Greg Sutton.

MLS management and union end 2 days of talks (Mar 11, 2010 03:12 GMT)
Negotiators for MLS management and players have ended two days of talks and agreed to keep up discussions with the federal mediation service.

Dyer: 2010 Kansas City season preview (Mar 9, 2010 13:29 GMT)
What the Kansas City Wizards lack in talent, the team aims to make up for in work rate and effort, writes Kristian Dyer.

FC Dallas acquires Wizards goalkeeper Hartman (Mar 9, 2010 02:01 GMT)
FC Dallas has signed goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, a four-time MLS All-Star.

Carlisle: A glimmer of hope in the CBA talks (Mar 6, 2010 14:57 GMT)
With MLS management and the players union seemingly at an impasse, the hope is that a federal mediator can help resolve the labor dispute, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Forward Casey signs 3-year deal with Rapids (Mar 6, 2010 08:00 GMT)
The Rapids signed forward Conor Casey to a three-year deal following a season in which he set a franchise record with 16 goals.

Federal mediator appointed for MLS labor talks (Mar 6, 2010 00:13 GMT)
A federal mediator will be at the bargaining table when Major League Soccer's labor talks resume next week.

MLS commish wants EPL to invest in U.S. teams (Mar 4, 2010 02:14 GMT)
MLS commissioner Don Garber is turning his focus to English Premier League clubs.


Europe
Beckham tears tendon; World Cup uncertain (Mar 14, 2010 22:15 GMT)
David Beckham has torn his left Achilles' tendon and is at risk of missing the World Cup.


UEFA Europa League
David Villa disappointed with last-eight draw (Mar 19, 2010 16:39 GMT)
Valencia striker David Villa felt a Europa League quarter-final against fellow Primera Division side Atletico Madrid was scant reward for their hard-fought last-16 win.

Europa League draw (Mar 19, 2010 16:11 GMT)
Draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Europa League.

Liverpool boss ready for tough Benfica test (Mar 19, 2010 14:58 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is wary of the threat posed by Benfica having previously been dumped out of Europe by them.

Zebina slams Juve fans after Fulham shock (Mar 19, 2010 12:44 GMT)
Juventus defender Jonathan Zebina has lashed out at the club's supporters after the Italian giants fell further into crisis with a humiliating Europa League exit at Fulha.

Europa League: Fulham drawn with Wolfsburg (Mar 19, 2010 12:35 GMT)
Fulham's reward for their stunning victory over Juventus is a Europa League quarter-final with German side Wolfsburg.

Benitez remains cautious as Liverpool go through (Mar 19, 2010 08:01 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez believes his side are more than capable of winning the Europa League but he will not allow his players to get ahead of themselves.

Hodgson the No.1 choice for England (Mar 18, 2010 21:39 GMT)
Harry Harris says Roy Hodgson is perfect for England when Fabio Capello steps down.

Dempsey: Gamble paid off (Mar 18, 2010 20:27 GMT)
Clint Dempsey admitted his gamble had paid off after his stunning strike earned Fulham a 4-1 win over Juventus to send the Cottagers into the last eight of the Europa League.

Europa League: Fantastic Four (Mar 18, 2010 20:09 GMT)
An early strike from David Trezeguet left Fulham needing four goals to win their Europa League clash against nine-man Juventus, but they completed one of the most amazing comebacks in European football as they won the tie 4-1.

Reina: Liverpool must hit top form against Lille (Mar 18, 2010 11:46 GMT)
Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina believes the squad have to use Monday's morale-boosting 4-1 win over Portsmouth to get them through Thursday night's tricky Europa League last-16 second leg tie against Lille.

Zamora feels he can get the better of Cannavaro (Mar 18, 2010 10:09 GMT)
Fulham striker Bobby Zamora believes he can get the better of World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro in Thursday night's Europa League match against Juventus.

Benitez rues missed chances in Lille defeat (Mar 12, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was left to rue missed opportunities in the 1-0 Europa League last-16 defeat in Lille but has backed his side to turn things around in next week's second leg.

Europa: Liverpool rocked, Fulham lose in Turin (Mar 11, 2010 22:02 GMT)
Liverpool's stuttering season took another turn for the worse tonight as they lost 1-0 away to Lille in the first leg of their Europa League.

Lille boss Garcia out to claim Liverpool scalp (Mar 11, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Lille coach Rudi Garcia has called on his side to show some St Etienne spirit in their Europa League last-16 first-leg tie against Liverpool.

Hodgson out to make more "history" with Fulham (Mar 11, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Roy Hodgson is relishing the opportunity of carving a new chapter in Fulham's history by beating Juventus in the Europa League clash on Thursday.

Juve coach Zaccheroni wary of Cottagers (Mar 11, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Alberto Zaccheroni has warned his Juventus side to avoid complacency against Fulham as he looks to put one over on his old adversary Roy Hodgson in Thursday's Europa League last 16 first leg contest.

Europa League strikes back (Mar 10, 2010 17:56 GMT)
Good subplots in the last-16 ties suggest the Europa League could blossom, says Andy Brassell.

Portsmouth out of Europa League running? (Mar 9, 2010 12:59 GMT)
It appears that Portsmouth have no chance playing in the Europa League next season, even if they qualify by right through the FA Cup.


UEFA Champions League
Cesc Fabregas suspects he has broken leg (Mar 31, 2010 22:22 GMT)
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas fears his season is over after suffering a suspected broken leg during Arsenal's dramatic 2-2 Champions League draw against Barcelona at Emirates Stadium.

Gunners left to admire Barca's brilliance (Mar 31, 2010 22:22 GMT)
Kevin Palmer is in awe as Barcelona produce a masterclass, and Arsenal show they have guts.

Wenger: Too early for Fabregas injury diagnosis (Mar 31, 2010 21:28 GMT)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was unable to give an indication of the extent of the injury sustained by Cesc Fabregas during Arsenal's thrilling 2-2 draw with Barcelona in the quarter finals of the Champions League.

Pjanic: We must finish the job in Bordeaux (Mar 31, 2010 09:00 GMT)
Lyon midfielder Miralem Pjanic has warned his team not to think the job has already been done when they head to Bordeaux for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Ji-Sung Park still confident United will progress (Mar 31, 2010 08:31 GMT)
Manchester United midfielder Ji-Sung Park remains confident about reaching the Champions League semi-finals, and insists that things "will be different" when Sir Alex Ferguson's side host Bayern Munich in the quarter-final second leg at Old Trafford

Wenger: Arsenal can beat the best in the world (Mar 31, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has tried to boost the confidence of his young Arsenal side by claiming they can beat anyone in the world ahead of their clash with Champions League holders and competition favourites Barcelona.

Van Gaal believes Bayern are still the underdogs (Mar 30, 2010 22:25 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal revelled in a "sweet" victory over Manchester United tonight, but insisted his side are still the underdogs to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Bayern defeat underlines need for summer reinforcements (Mar 30, 2010 22:00 GMT)
After defeat at Bayern, Harry Harris believes United are relying too heavily on Wayne Rooney.

Fergie: United must "wait and see" on Rooney blow (Mar 30, 2010 21:31 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has said Manchester United will be forced to "wait and see" regarding the severity of an ankle injury sustained by Wayne Rooney on Tuesday night.

Ibrahimovic: I have nothing to prove in England (Mar 30, 2010 19:24 GMT)
Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic insists he has nothing to prove against English clubs as he prepares to put Arsenal to the sword in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

Thomas Vermaelen rules out Leo Messi fear factor (Mar 30, 2010 14:57 GMT)
Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen maintains there will be "no time to be intimidated" by Lionel Messi when Barcelona head to Emirates Stadium for Wednesday night's Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Fabregas facing late fitness test (Mar 30, 2010 12:52 GMT)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that captain Cesc Fabregas will face a late fitness test to assess whether he is ready to face former club Barcelona in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Drogba handed two-match ban for Inter red card (Mar 30, 2010 11:25 GMT)
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has been handed a two-match European ban after being sent-off during Chelsea's Champions League last-16 second leg defeat to Inter Milan.

Wenger focused on his own players (Mar 30, 2010 10:11 GMT)
Nick Bidwell chats to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger ahead of the showdown with Barcelona.

Bayern focus on Man United star Rooney (Mar 30, 2010 09:58 GMT)
Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery believes Wayne Rooney is "carrying" Manchester United and stopping the striker is key to getting a result against Tuesday's visitors to the Allianz Arena.

Wenger "amazed" by Sol's Indian summer (Mar 30, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson is confident the Ivory Coast are good enough to knock either Brazil or Portugal out of the World Cup.

Van Gaal: Van der Sar not a natural goalkeeper (Mar 30, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich manager Louis van Gaal has branded Edwin van der Sar a "manufactured goalkeeper" ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Manchester United at the Allianz Arena.

Van Gaal claims United "should be scared" (Mar 29, 2010 16:22 GMT)
Louis van Gaal insists Manchester United have more reason to be afraid of Bayern Munich than the German giants do of their 1999 Champions League final conquerors.

Guardiola: Barcelona will have a go at Gunners (Mar 29, 2010 13:46 GMT)
Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola has promised not to ditch his attacking ideals as the Spanish giants prepare to face Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Wenger seeks to lift players for Barca test (Mar 29, 2010 13:40 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was in downbeat mood on Sunday as he looked ahead to Wednesday's Champions League showdown with Barcelona.

Rooney and Ferdinand fit for Bayern showdown (Mar 29, 2010 08:46 GMT)
Manchester United's chances of overcoming Bayern Munich to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League have increased following the news that both Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand have travelled to Germany for the first leg.

Thierry Henry ready for "emotional" Arsenal return (Mar 29, 2010 08:18 GMT)
A return to Arsenal on Wednesday night will be an "emotional" occasion for Thierry Henry, the man named the club's greatest ever player following his move to Barcelona.

Bayern wait on Robben (Mar 29, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich are "worried" that winger Arjen Robben will miss Tuesday night's Champions League quarter-final tie against Manchester United due to a calf injury.

Robben fired up ahead of United challenge (Mar 28, 2010 18:29 GMT)
Nick Bidwell speaks to Arjen Robben about the challenge of Manchester United.

Injured Iniesta to miss date with Arsenal (Mar 28, 2010 08:40 GMT)
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has been ruled out of Wednesday's Champions League match with Arsenal due to a hamstring injury.

Toure: Barcelona aware of Fabregas threat (Mar 26, 2010 13:17 GMT)
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has revealed that his team-mates are acutley aware of the threat of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, ahead of the Catalans' clash with the Gunners in the Champions League quarter-final first leg next Wednesday.

Beckenbauer: Bayern "fear" Rooney (Mar 24, 2010 18:30 GMT)
Franz Beckenbauer concedes Bayern Munich will "fear" Wayne Rooney when they come face-to-face with the in-form Manchester United striker in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Thierry Henry reluctant to face former club Arsenal (Mar 22, 2010 20:40 GMT)
Thierry Henry has admitted he is not relishing the Champions League tie against his former team Arsenal.

Fabregas unfazed by Barcelona challenge (Mar 21, 2010 23:28 GMT)
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas maintains the Gunners would have had to face Barcelona sooner or later if they are to fulfil their dream of becoming the best in Europe this season.

Terry blames refs for Chelsea Euro exits (Mar 21, 2010 10:52 GMT)
Chelsea captain John Terry has hit out at the standard of refereeing in the Champions League in the wake of his side's elimination from the competition at the hands of Inter Milan.

Palmer: Louis van Gaal's Special relationship (Mar 20, 2010 07:16 GMT)
Kevin Palmer hears Louis van Gaal remember the days when he and Jose Mourinho were colleagues, not rivals.

Champions League draw (Mar 19, 2010 16:20 GMT)
Draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Champions League.

Champs League: Arsenal draw Barca (Mar 19, 2010 11:20 GMT)
Arsenal have drawn Barca in quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Laurent Blanc believes Ligue 1 is closing the gap (Mar 18, 2010 13:10 GMT)
Laurent Blanc believes Bordeaux's qualification for the last eight of the Champions League suggests the gap between Ligue 1 and Europe's top leagues is closing.

Gross: Messi can now be compared to Maradona (Mar 18, 2010 08:06 GMT)
Stuttgart boss Christian Gross believes Lionel Messi can now be compared to Diego Maradona.

Puyol warns Barcelona's best is yet to come (Mar 17, 2010 23:48 GMT)
Carles Puyol has warned Barcelona's best is yet to come after the Spanish club booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 4-0 win (5-1 aggregate) against Stuttgart at the Camp Nou.

Adams: Forget Rooney, magical Messi is the world's best (Mar 17, 2010 22:34 GMT)
Forget Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi is the world's best player after destroying Stuttgart, says Tom Adams.

Gourcuff: We must avoid Barcelona in last eight (Mar 17, 2010 22:30 GMT)
Yoann Gourcuff reminded everyone why he had been compared to the great Zinedine Zidane by helping Bordeaux reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a superb whipped free kick.

Barcelona star Xavi ruled out for over two weeks (Mar 17, 2010 12:36 GMT)
Barcelona playmaker Xavi has been ruled out of Wednesday night's Champions League match with Stuttgart through injury.

Sevilla president insists Jimenez will not be fired (Mar 17, 2010 10:46 GMT)
Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido has come out in support of Manolo Jimenez following the club's Champions League exit, insisting the under-pressure coach's immediate future at the club is safe.

Inter president hails 'Man of the Match' Mourinho (Mar 17, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti hailed Jose Mourinho as the 'Man of the Match' after he won the tactical battle with Carlo Ancelotti to dump Chelsea out of the Champions League.

Palmer: Returning hero exposes Chelsea flaws (Mar 16, 2010 23:17 GMT)
Kevin Palmer watches Jose Mourinho expose fatal flaws at the heart of his former side Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho: Blues win wasn't about revenge (Mar 16, 2010 22:29 GMT)
A triumphant Jose Mourinho insisted the best team had won after Inter broke Chelsea's heart at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho reiterates desire to return to England (Mar 16, 2010 21:05 GMT)
Jose Mourinho has again stated he wants to one day return to English football on the eve of his trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in the Champions League.

Stuttgart await "game of our lives" against Barca (Mar 16, 2010 18:23 GMT)
Stuttgart director of sport Horst Heldt admits his team must play "the game of our lives'' if they are to knock holders Barcelona out of the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Jose out in the summer if Inter fail to progress (Mar 16, 2010 09:55 GMT)
Jose Mourinho will lose his job at the end of this season if Inter Milan fail to progress past his former club Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Tuesday night, according to an Italian source.

Messi feels the pressure of being world's best (Mar 16, 2010 08:54 GMT)
Nick Bidwell talks to Lionel Messi about Rooney, the Champions League and being the best in the world.

Mourinho looking to break Chelsea hearts (Mar 16, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Kevin Palmer says Jose Mourinho will have a burning desire for success on his Stamford Bridge return.

Ancelotti: Blues focused on Inter, not Mourinho (Mar 15, 2010 15:53 GMT)
Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti insists his players will not be distracted by former boss Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League tomorrow night.

Malouda: Players not focused on Jose (Mar 15, 2010 13:39 GMT)
In-form Chelsea winger Florent Malouda insists Jose Mourinho's successful managerial tenure at the club is now just history as far as the players are concerned.

Moratti hails Mourinho return ahead of Blues tie (Mar 15, 2010 11:45 GMT)
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti is confident Jose Mourinho's presence on the bench will inspire his team to victory at Chelsea on Tuesday.

Beaten Inter promise response against Chelsea (Mar 13, 2010 12:51 GMT)
Inter Milan technical director Marco Branca believes it will be a very different Nerazzurri performance on Tuesday than was evident in Friday night's woeful defeat at Catania.

Mourinho hoping luck is on his side against Chelsea (Mar 12, 2010 15:48 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho insists Champions League glory comes down to luck as he prepares to return to Stamford Bridge next week. Inter take a 2-1 lead to Chelsea in the second leg of the first knockout round in Mourinho's first return as a ma

Terry confident Chelsea can upset Jose return (Mar 12, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Chelsea captain John Terry is convinced the club can end Jose Mourinho's bid for Champions League glory when the former Blues boss makes his return to Stamford Bridge next week.

Aulas had tear in eye as Lyon ousted Madrid (Mar 11, 2010 15:03 GMT)
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas revealed his emotions got the better of him as he watched his side send mighty Real Madrid crashing out of the Champions League at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

Rooney not focused on Ronaldo goal record (Mar 11, 2010 12:54 GMT)
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney insists he is not thinking about breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's 42-goal record despite taking his tally for the season to 30 with a brace against AC Milan on Wednesday night.

Spanish media savage Madrid (Mar 11, 2010 11:45 GMT)
The Spanish press have already given Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini the sack following Wednesday night's Champions League exit, despite director general Jorge Valdano issuing a vote of confidence in the Chilean.

Harris: Rooney on the brink of greatness (Mar 11, 2010 09:11 GMT)
Harry Harris says after his brace against Milan, Wayne Rooney is closing in on becoming the world's best player.

Leonardo hails "complete player" Rooney (Mar 11, 2010 08:16 GMT)
AC Milan manager Leonardo hailed Wayne Rooney as a "complete player" after the Manchester United striker spearheaded the 4-0 demolition of his Serie A side in their Champions League last-16 clash at Old Trafford.

Real coach Pellegrini gets vote of confidence (Mar 11, 2010 08:00 GMT)
The white hankies were out at the Bernabeu as Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday night but director general Jorge Valdano has given under-pressure coach Manuel Pellegrini a vote of confidence.

Pellegrini has no plans to quit despite Madrid exit (Mar 10, 2010 23:51 GMT)
Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini dismissed any suggestion he might step down in the wake of his side's Champions League exit at the hands of Lyon.

Richard Jolly: Rooney upstages returning hero (Mar 10, 2010 23:04 GMT)
Richard Jolly was at Old Trafford as David Beckham's return was soured by a heavy defeat.

Guti blames Real Madrid exit on lack of teamwork (Mar 10, 2010 22:49 GMT)
Guti believes Real Madrid's failure to perform as a team was the reason for their Champions League exit to Lyon on Wednesday night.

Beckham hails match-winner Rooney after defeat (Mar 10, 2010 22:10 GMT)
David Beckham described Wayne Rooney as among the world's best as Manchester United put his AC Milan side out of the Champions League.

Denilson: Arsenal "have to win" Champions League (Mar 10, 2010 13:30 GMT)
Arsenal's 5-0 trouncing of Porto on Tuesday night has given Arsenal real hope of securing their first Champions League title according to Denilson, who is adamant the Gunners "have to win" the competition.

Cautious Campbell won't dream of final return (Mar 10, 2010 10:42 GMT)
A first appearance at Emirates Stadium may have yielded a superb 5-0 win over Porto on Tuesday night, but Sol Campbell is not allowing himself to dream of making amends for the pain of 2006 and returning to the Champions League final in his second sp

Fiorentina coach Prandelli backs players (Mar 10, 2010 10:20 GMT)
Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli admitted he was hugely disappointed with his team's elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich on Tuesday, but insisted his side has what it takes to recover their disappointing domestic seas

Ribery hails team spirit as Bayern Munich progress (Mar 10, 2010 09:20 GMT)
Franck Ribery believes Bayern Munich's dramatic progression to the Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of Fiorentina on Tuesday underlines the unity in the ranks at the Bundesliga club.

Harris: Super Sam leads the way for Gunners (Mar 10, 2010 08:58 GMT)
Harry Harris was impressed by Samir Nasri's strike and Arsenal's fine performance under Arsene Wenger.

Ferguson calls for fan unity ahead of Milan clash (Mar 10, 2010 08:51 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed reports that Manchester United's 'anti-Glazer' faction will disrupt the club's Champions League clash with AC Milan at Old Trafford on Wednesday, insisting he is confident supporters will unite to cheer on his players.

Leonardo cagey on Beckham start (Mar 10, 2010 08:00 GMT)
AC Milan coach Leonardo is not promising David Beckham a place in his starting line-up at Old Trafford tonight even though he is aware what a "special" occasion it is for the former Manchester United favourite.

Wenger hails confident Bendtner after treble (Mar 9, 2010 23:03 GMT)
Arsene Wenger hailed the confidence of Nicklas Bendtner after the Denmark striker got back on the goal trail with a hat-trick as Arsenal secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Porto at Emirates

Bendtner finds shooting boots (Mar 9, 2010 22:50 GMT)
Kevin Palmer was at the Emirates to wintess Nicklas Bendtner find his goalscoring touch.

Rooney declared fit for AC Milan showdown (Mar 9, 2010 11:17 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has been declared fit for Wednesday night's Champions League last-16, second leg tie between Manchester United and AC Milan.

Arsenal suffer Gallas setback in latest injury blow (Mar 9, 2010 08:33 GMT)
Arsenal have renewed fears over the fitness of William Gallas after Arsene Wenger conceded the defender suffered a recurrence of a calf injury after being "pushed" to return by the club.

Porto's Ferreira plays down Fabregas loss (Mar 9, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira feels the absence of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas through injury will not change the way the Gunners tackle Tuesday night's crunch Champions League clash at Emirates Stadium.

Bidwell: Wenger aiming to upset the odds (Mar 8, 2010 18:47 GMT)
Nick Bidwell hears Arsene Wenger make a case for scrapping away goals as he targets European glory.

Ronaldo expects Real to progress past Lyon (Mar 8, 2010 15:53 GMT)
Cristiano Ronaldo is confident that Real Madrid, with the help of their fans, will break with recent tradition and progress through to the Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of Lyon this week.

Pato included in Milan's Champions League squad (Mar 8, 2010 13:41 GMT)
AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato has been included in Leonardo's 22-man squad for Wednesday's Champions League last-16 return leg against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Hamstring injury forces Fabregas out of Porto tie (Mar 8, 2010 11:53 GMT)
Cesc Fabregas has been ruled out of Arsenal's Champions League last-16 tie against Porto on Tuesday night after failing to train due to a hamstring injury.

Berbatov set to start as Rooney fights to face Milan (Mar 8, 2010 08:44 GMT)
Dimitar Berbatov could take a key role in Manchester United's Champions League clash with AC Milan on Wednesday if they are without Wayne Rooney.

Striker Pato remains a doubt for United return leg (Mar 2, 2010 18:11 GMT)
AC Milan will have to wait until Monday to find out if striker Alexandre Pato will be fit to play in the Champions League return leg against Manchester United.

Fiorentina launch appeal against Gobbi ban (Mar 2, 2010 10:58 GMT)
Fiorentina have confirmed they will appeal against the three-match ban handed out to defender Massimo Gobbi.


English National Team
Peters: Rustenburg ready to host England (Mar 30, 2010 14:52 GMT)
Don Peters finds Rustenburg's residents eagerly awaiting the arrival of England at this summer's World Cup.

Fabio Capello contract reports cleared up (Mar 29, 2010 15:07 GMT)
Soccernet can reveal that Fabio Capello's contract fully commits him to the England job until 2012, despite recent suggestions to the contrary.

Spiritual healer: I can get Beckham fit (Mar 27, 2010 14:48 GMT)
A spiritual healer has claimed he can get David Beckham fit "within three days" despite medical experts ruling him out of action for around six months.

England kick off Euro qualifiers with Friday fixture (Mar 25, 2010 14:32 GMT)
England will kick off their Euro 2012 qualification campaign at home to Bulgaria on Friday September 3.

The week that was: Mar 25 (Mar 25, 2010 09:27 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week when the press ran out words to describe just how good Lionel Messi is.

Eight years on, Eriksson slams "stupid" Southgate (Mar 24, 2010 13:31 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has finally responded to an eight-year-old jibe by describing Gareth Southgate as "stupid" for comparing him to former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith during the 2002 World Cup.

Eriksson urges England to gamble on Cole (Mar 24, 2010 10:09 GMT)
Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson believes Fabio Capello should not be afraid to take a World Cup gamble on Ashley Cole if medical advice on the Chelsea defender's injury is positive.

Watmore supported Fergie over 'inconsistencies' (Mar 23, 2010 18:39 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson's gripe about the inconsistencies in the FA's disciplinary structure was one of a series of reasons for the surprise resignation of chief executive Ian Watmore.

FA announces short-term Watmore replacement (Mar 23, 2010 17:15 GMT)
The Football Association has appointed chief operating officer Alex Horne as acting chief executive following the resignation of Ian Watmore.

Milner can be "star of World Cup", claims Petrov (Mar 23, 2010 11:34 GMT)
England international James Milner will be the "star of the World Cup", according to Aston Villa team-mate Stiliyan Petrov.

Rooney could miss Bolton trip as knee fears grow (Mar 23, 2010 09:38 GMT)
Wayne Rooney could be rested for Manchester United's trip to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday amid fears that his niggling knee injury is getting worse.

Young 'must express himself with England' (Mar 21, 2010 13:53 GMT)
Martin O'Neill has urged Aston Villa winger Ashley Young not to be overawed when he joins up with England as he looks to stake a late claim to be part of Fabio Capello's World Cup squad.

Ferguson: Hargreaves must forget World Cup (Mar 20, 2010 10:24 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has told Owen Hargreaves to forget about the World Cup and concentrate solely on club matters at Old Trafford.

Fabio Capello to wait for Wayne Bridge U-turn (Mar 19, 2010 12:41 GMT)
England coach Fabio Capello insists there is time for Wayne Bridge to return to the international fold, admitting the situation that led to the full-back's decision to make himself unavailable for selection was "heated''.

The week that was: Mar 19 (Mar 19, 2010 09:14 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week when an agent revealed that Newcastle thought Zidane "wasn't good enough".

Carrick backs Beckham for World Cup role (Mar 19, 2010 08:17 GMT)
Michael Carrick believes David Beckham's presence as a non-playing member of England's World Cup party would be welcomed throughout Fabio Capello's squad.

Hargreaves hoping to make World Cup squad (Mar 18, 2010 14:10 GMT)
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has revealed his World Cup dream is giving him extra motivation to return from injury.

Donovan sends message of support to Beckham (Mar 18, 2010 11:34 GMT)
Los Angeles Galaxy captain Landon Donovan has sent a message of sympathy to David Beckham.

Adams: The South Africa Angle, March 17 (Mar 17, 2010 08:39 GMT)
The South Africa Angle explains why David Beckham still has a key role to play for England at the World Cup.

Pienaar plays down English World Cup chances (Mar 16, 2010 12:15 GMT)
South African midfielder Steven Pienaar has claimed that England will struggle against top opposition at the World Cup and thinks Argentina are the team to watch.

Capello hopeful over Cole and Bridge return (Mar 16, 2010 09:12 GMT)
Fabio Capello is a playing a patient, waiting game, but is still convinced he will have both his first choice left-backs, Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge, in his 23-man World Cup squad.

Is Theo Walcott ready to come of age? (Mar 16, 2010 08:52 GMT)
Wayne Veysey speaks to Theo Walcott's former mentor about whether the player is ready to come of age.

Surgeon confirms Beckham will miss World Cup (Mar 16, 2010 06:59 GMT)
The surgeon who has operated on David Beckham has said it will be four to five months before he is able to even run again, ending all hope of a place in England's squad for the World Cup finals.

Beckham ''destroyed'' by blow (Mar 15, 2010 15:48 GMT)
David Beckham was "completely destroyed" when he reported the news of his torn Achilles to the England camp immediately after it occurred on Sunday night.

UEFA to decide England's Euro 2012 fixtures (Mar 15, 2010 15:18 GMT)
Fixtures for England and Wales' Euro 2012 qualifying campaign will be decided by a UEFA draw in Israel next week after all the nations involved in Group G failed to agree on acceptable dates.

O'Neill backs Villa pair to fill Beckham void (Mar 15, 2010 12:32 GMT)
Martin O'Neill believes Aston Villa duo Ashley Young and Stewart Downing are capable of "playing very well indeed'' in the right-sided midfield role that is up for grabs in the England squad after David Beckham's injury blow.

Beckham's England career over (Mar 15, 2010 08:39 GMT)
Harry Harris on David Beckham's injury.

Capello "sad" as Beckham misses World Cup (Mar 15, 2010 08:04 GMT)
Fabio Capello has offered his support to David Beckham and confirmed that the England camp do not expect the midfielder to play at the World Cup finals due to a torn Achilles tendon.

Beckham ruled out of World Cup through injury (Mar 14, 2010 22:42 GMT)
David Beckham has been ruled out of the World Cup after tearing his Achilles tendon during AC Milan's 1-0 victory over Chievo.

Chelsea insist Ashley Cole remains on course (Mar 14, 2010 20:24 GMT)
Chelsea have reacted swiftly to deny suggestions left back Ashley Cole is behind schedule in his bid to recover from a broken left ankle.

No World Cup guarantees for David Beckham (Mar 14, 2010 09:56 GMT)
England international David Beckham fears he may not get to realise his dream of playing in his fourth World Cup in South Africa this summer.

Lomas: Rooney on fatherhood and World Cup (Mar 12, 2010 08:49 GMT)
Mark Lomas hears Wayne Rooney talk about fine form, follicles and how fatherhood has changed him.

Capello sets 'minimum' goal of World Cup semis (Mar 11, 2010 08:00 GMT)
England manager Fabio Capello has announced a "minimum" target of reaching the World Cup semi-finals in South Africa, while admitting he would ideally like to win the final against his native Italy.

Ferguson reveals Brown out for up to six weeks (Mar 9, 2010 10:13 GMT)
Fears that Wes Brown could miss the remainder of the season for Manchester United and the World Cup finals have been allayed, with Sir Alex Ferguson instead expecting the defender to be sidelined for between four and six weeks.

England caught up in "bugging" controversy (Mar 9, 2010 09:05 GMT)
The Football Association has reportedly ordered an investigation after claims that the players and coaches from the England team were secretly recorded in the build-up to last week's friendly against Egypt.

Sir Alex blames injured Rooney for England run (Mar 6, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has blamed Wayne Rooney for getting himself injured while playing for England and attacked England officials and the media for contributing to the star striker's knee problem.

Gary Lineker: The predator (Mar 5, 2010 11:14 GMT)
Dale Johnson looks at the World Cup legend of Gary Lineker, Golden Boot winner in 1986.

Pearce admits Under-21s were second best (Mar 4, 2010 21:57 GMT)
Stuart Pearce admitted England face an uphill battle to qualify for the Under-21 European Championship next summer after the 2-1 defeat by Greece.

Peter Crouch hoping he has staked England claim (Mar 4, 2010 12:49 GMT)
Tottenham striker Peter Crouch is hoping he has "staked a bit of a claim" to be at the forefront of England coach Fabio Capello's World Cup plans after continuing his prolific goalscoring form for his country.

Lomas: Paying the World Cup penalty (Mar 4, 2010 11:05 GMT)
Mark Lomas talks to Alan Shearer and Ronald Koeman about World Cup penalty shoot-out heartache.

Harris: Crouch forces Capello rethink (Mar 4, 2010 10:58 GMT)
Harry Harris presents his 23-man squad to go to South Africa after watching England beat Egypt.

Terry wins England backing, Tevez unimpressed (Mar 4, 2010 08:35 GMT)
John Terry received backing from the England camp after overcoming early boos from the crowd at Wembley - but Carlos Tevez says he could have been killed for his actions in Argentina.

Chris Waddle criticises Walcott (Mar 4, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Former England winger Chris Waddle believes Theo Walcott "doesn't understand the game" and should not be in the international reckoning.

England Under-21s slump to Greece loss (Mar 4, 2010 07:59 GMT)
England's hopes of qualifying for next summer's Under-21 European Championship suffered a major blow with defeat to Greece in Doncaster.

More questions, then some answers for Capello (Mar 3, 2010 23:33 GMT)
John Brewin was at Wembley to see John Terry overcome the boo-boys against Egypt.

FA announces England's World Cup itinerary (Mar 3, 2010 12:39 GMT)
Fabio Capello will name his World Cup squad on June 1 following final warm-up games against Mexico and Japan, the Football Association confirmed on Wednesday.

Kelly surprised to see England snub Zamora (Mar 3, 2010 11:32 GMT)
Fulham defender Stephen Kelly has told Soccernet he was surprised to see Fabio Capello overlook Bobby Zamora for the latest England squad.

Greece return to top ten in latest FIFA rankings (Mar 3, 2010 10:51 GMT)
England and Germany have both moved up one place in the FIFA rankings while Greece have returned to the top ten for the first time since June 2008.

Ferdinand heard he was new captain on TV (Mar 3, 2010 09:03 GMT)
Rio Ferdinand has revealed he discovered he was England's new captain while watching TV news, and three weeks on from his appointment he has still not had a conversation with coach Fabio Capello.

Toure backs Bridge to return to the England fold (Mar 3, 2010 08:03 GMT)
Kolo Toure fully expects his Manchester City team-mate Wayne Bridge to return to the England fold despite withdrawing his services ahead of the World Cup finals.

England's united squad to leave scandals behind (Mar 3, 2010 08:00 GMT)
England's big names have presented a united front in telling the world it's time to draw a line under recent off-field distractions and start focusing on football if they are to have a shot at World Cup glory in South Africa.

Pearce rejects criticism over Walcott (Mar 3, 2010 07:59 GMT)
England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce maintains international duty had nothing to do with Theo Walcott's injury-hit season for Arsenal.

Preview: England v Egypt (Mar 2, 2010 20:49 GMT)
Dominic Raynor previews England's match against Egypt as preparation for the World Cup begins.

Carter: England's problem positions (Mar 2, 2010 20:49 GMT)
Jon Carter on the problem positions within the England squad, as the World Cup edges closer.

Shehata backs England for World Cup (Mar 2, 2010 20:18 GMT)
Egypt coach Hassan Shehata believes England should be aiming high at this summer's World Cup, as his side prepare to take on the Three Lions at Wembley on Wednesday.

MLS chief insists Beckham will return to USA (Mar 2, 2010 18:34 GMT)
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has insisted David Beckham will return to play in the USA after the World Cup.

Capello encouraged by England players' training (Mar 2, 2010 15:19 GMT)
England manager Fabio Capello has been encouraged by the performance of his players in training, despite the negative headlines surrounding the camp in recent weeks.

Milner says Wembley pitch is not up to scratch (Mar 1, 2010 23:40 GMT)
James Milner has criticised the state of the Wembley pitch and claims it is not good enough "for the home of the England team".

Capello quashes Juventus link (Mar 1, 2010 17:16 GMT)
Fabio Capello will decide his future with England after the World Cup finals, but he has dismissed reports in Italy that he plans to take over at Juventus.

Rooney offers support (Mar 1, 2010 14:08 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has confirmed that he is "hopeful" of playing against Egypt on Wednesday after having a scan on his knee injury.

England manager Capello set to start Rooney (Mar 1, 2010 09:24 GMT)
Fabio Capello will play Carling Cup winner Wayne Rooney back at Wembley against Egypt on Wednesday if a scan on his knee gives the England striker the all clear.

Stoke boss backs Shawcross England call-up (Mar 1, 2010 08:10 GMT)
Stoke City manager Tony Pulis insists Ryan Shawcross deserves his England call-up, despite the defender being sent-off for a leg-breaking tackle at the weekend.


English Premier League
Owusu-Abeyie leaves Portsmouth for Qatar (Mar 31, 2010 20:46 GMT)
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie has left Portsmouth after signing for Qatar club Al Sadd.

Fantasy Focus: March Squad of the Month (Mar 31, 2010 19:35 GMT)
Dale Johnson picks out the top performing Premier League fantasy players for March.

Gosling out for nine months with knee injury (Mar 31, 2010 14:26 GMT)
Everton midifelder Dan Gosling has been ruled out for nine months with a knee injury picked up in Everton's 0-0 draw with Wolves last weekened.

Sprained ankle rules Rooney out for up to a month (Mar 31, 2010 14:17 GMT)
Wayne Rooney is expected to be out for two to four weeks after spraining his ankle in the closing moments of Manchester United's 2-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich.

Hodgson: Beaten Fulham have "no case to answer" (Mar 31, 2010 13:37 GMT)
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson insists he would have "no case to answer'' were West Ham to cry foul about his team selection against Hull last weekend.

New injury blow for Pompey as Ben-Haim ruled out (Mar 31, 2010 12:41 GMT)
Struggling Portsmouth have been hit by another injury setback as defender Tal Ben-Haim has been ruled out with a groin problem and is unlikely to be fit for the FA Cup semi-final with Spurs at Wembley on April 11.

McLeish proud of Birmingham's impressive season (Mar 31, 2010 10:35 GMT)
Alex McLeish has revealed his pride at Birmingham taking points off all of the big four clubs in their first season back in the Premier League. The Blues shared the spoils in the home matches with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal and also claim

Mancienne fully focused on Wolves survival (Mar 31, 2010 10:24 GMT)
Wolves Michael Mancienne is putting any thoughts on his long-term future on hold to concentrate on helping Mick McCarthy's side achieve Premier League survival.

Coyle hopes Chung-yong Lee will stay at Bolton (Mar 31, 2010 09:20 GMT)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle remains adamant Chung-yong Lee will be staying at the Reebok Stadium, amid speculation that the South Korea winger could be on his way out of the club in the summer.

Sullivan hopeful of Hammers Dubai cash injection (Mar 31, 2010 08:21 GMT)
David Sullivan has confirmed that he is in Dubai with Karren Brady seeking Middle East investors to buy half of West Ham United.

Van der Sar: We can cope without Rooney (Mar 31, 2010 08:06 GMT)
Edwin van der Sar insists Manchester United can win without Wayne Rooney as Sir Alex Ferguson and Fabio Capello wait anxiously to discover the extent of the striker's ankle injury.

Defoe's speedy return boosts Spurs challenge (Mar 31, 2010 07:44 GMT)
Jermain Defoe has boosted Tottenham's push for a Champions League place and provided some element of solace for England in the wake of Wayne Rooney's injury by making a rapid recovery from a hamstring injury.

Carragher wants to finish career with Liverpool (Mar 31, 2010 07:42 GMT)
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has revealed to Soccernet that he hopes to finish his career at Liverpool, and insisted that the Reds can still capture fourth place in the Premier League this season.

Garrido praises "special" City team-mate Tevez (Mar 30, 2010 18:23 GMT)
Javier Garrido has hailed Manchester City colleague Carlos Tevez as "one of the best strikers in the Premier League" and told Soccernet the Argentina star can make the difference in the race for fourth.

Premier League clubs set for boost in TV cash (Mar 30, 2010 16:21 GMT)
Premier League sides will each benefit by an extra £7.5 million per season from the overseas television deals, club chairmen have been told.

Hreidarsson and Webber ruled out for six months (Mar 30, 2010 14:47 GMT)
Portsmouth have confirmed that both Hermann Hreidarsson and Danny Webber face at least six months out of action, after picking up serious injuries during the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday.

Martinez faces FA probe after criticising Atwell (Mar 30, 2010 11:28 GMT)
Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez could be charged by the Football Association following comments made about referee Stuart Atwell after Monday night's defeat at Manchester City.

West Ham United in talks with Dubai investors (Mar 30, 2010 10:42 GMT)
Soccernet can reveal that West Ham United have opened talks with Middle East investors to become the latest Premier League club seeking cash from overseas.

Carragher: We can still salvage our season (Mar 30, 2010 09:24 GMT)
Mark Lomas talks to Jamie Carragher about Liverpool's chances of turning their disappointing season around.

Benitez keen to keep Torres happy at Reds (Mar 30, 2010 09:15 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez hopes to keep star striker Fernando Torres happy by going on a winning run until the end of the season to secure Champions League football.

De Gea linked with Manchester United move (Mar 30, 2010 08:53 GMT)
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Davide De Gea is holding out for a dream move to the Premier League with Manchester United after turning down Wigan Athletic.

Hammers prepare complaint against Fulham (Mar 30, 2010 08:30 GMT)
Relegation-threatened West Ham United are set to lodge a complaint against Fulham for resting some of their best players at Hull City to prepare for their historic Europa League quarter-final with Wolfsburg on Thursday.

Mancini salutes unstoppable City striker Tevez (Mar 30, 2010 07:09 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini hailed hat-trick hero Carlos Tevez following an "important" 3-0 win against Wigan Athletic that keeps the Eastlands club in the race to finish fourth in the Premier League.

Tevez both hailed and questioned after City win (Mar 29, 2010 21:51 GMT)
Shay Given hailed Manchester City team-mate Carlos Tevez for the hat-trick which saw off Wigan in the Premier League.

Premier Showdown - Mar 27-29 (Mar 29, 2010 17:50 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Ferguson defends Vidic against Coyle claims (Mar 29, 2010 17:21 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has hit back over Owen Coyle's assertion that Nemanja Vidic committed a 'terrible tackle' on Johan Elmander at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday.

Petrov apologises for abject Chelsea performance (Mar 29, 2010 14:32 GMT)
Stiliyan Petrov has apologised to the Aston Villa fans who made the 250-mile round trip to Chelsea to watch their side's 7-1 drubbing at the hands of the Premier League title chasers on Saturday.

Agent plays down talk of England return for Hleb (Mar 29, 2010 12:53 GMT)
Alexander Hleb's agent has dismissed reports that the midfielder could return to the Premier League this summer, telling Soccernet that his client is "looking forward" to rejoining parent club Barcelona in the summer.

Zola confirms he will remain West Ham manager (Mar 29, 2010 11:53 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola has issued a statement to confirm that he will remain in charge of West Ham despite suffering a run of six consecutive defeats.

Rafa Benitez hits back at Redknapp criticism (Mar 29, 2010 11:48 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has hit back at the continued criticism aimed at him mostly by ex-players who are now pundits.

Coyle keen to keep hold of loan star Wilshere (Mar 29, 2010 10:52 GMT)
Owen Coyle will be speaking to Arsene Wenger regarding the possibility of keeping Jack Wilshere at Bolton Wanderers next season.

Paul Gascoigne charged with drink-driving (Mar 29, 2010 10:32 GMT)
Former England footballer Paul Gascoigne has been charged with drink-driving, it was claimed on Monday. The former Newcastle and Tottenham midfielder was arrested last month after an incident at a takeaway in Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire.

Fifth Official: Own goal on target again (Mar 29, 2010 10:28 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Martinez warns Wigan side ahead of City test (Mar 29, 2010 09:36 GMT)
Wigan Athletic cannot afford to assume that their top-flight status is secure ahead of Monday's game against Manchester City, according to manager Roberto Martinez.

Multiple arrests following East Lancashire derby (Mar 29, 2010 07:59 GMT)
As many as 40 football fans were being questioned on Monday following Sunday's derby between Blackburn Rovers and Burnley.

Government aims to overhaul ownership structure (Mar 29, 2010 07:44 GMT)
The government has drawn up ambitious proposals to give supporters a greater say in how their football clubs are run, according to a report on Monday.

Mido: Players know Zola is the man to keep us up (Mar 29, 2010 07:00 GMT)
West Ham striker Mido insists the whole squad are behind under-fire manager Gianfranco Zola and that his team-mates don't have the look of a group about to get relegated from the Premier League.

Hodgson defends fans' right to boo Bullard (Mar 29, 2010 06:59 GMT)
Roy Hodgson defended Fulham fans' right to boo Jimmy Bullard as the Hull midfielder faced his former club in the Tigers' 2-0 victory at the KC Stadium.

Rafael Benitez happy with Liverpool tactics (Mar 28, 2010 19:12 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez felt the hard work his side had been putting in over the last few weeks paid dividends in the 3-0 win over Sunderland at Anfield.

Bilic staying with Croatia amid Hammers talk (Mar 28, 2010 14:54 GMT)
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic has ruled himself out of the running to become the next West Ham manager.

Spurs tracking Hammers' striker Carlton Cole (Mar 28, 2010 14:32 GMT)
Arsenal have secured first option on West Ham striker Carlton Cole, according to reports in the Sunday press.

Portsmouth want Grant to stay as manager (Mar 28, 2010 12:09 GMT)
Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou wants manager Avram Grant to remain at the club beyond the end of the current season.

Lord Triesman insists FA remains powerful (Mar 28, 2010 11:32 GMT)
Lord Triesman has insisted that the Football Association will never hand over control of the England team to the professional game.

Zola heads back to Italy to consider future (Mar 28, 2010 11:18 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola is in back home in Italy for three days pondering his future having given his drained players a rest, as they are exhausted by the threat of relegation after six straight defeats.

Zola given stay of execution after meeting (Mar 27, 2010 21:01 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola has survived the sack at West Ham United because of an incredible sequence of events in the last 24 hours but will consider his future overnight following the Hammers' 1-0 defeat to Stoke.

Soccernet Preview: Man City v Wigan (Mar 27, 2010 20:41 GMT)
Tom Adams previews Man City's game against Wigan which is live on ESPN UK on Monday.

Van der Sar draws praise from Ferguson (Mar 27, 2010 20:23 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hailed the contribution of veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar after the Premier League champions remained on top of the table with a 4-0 win at Bolton.

Arsene Wenger loses cool in press conference (Mar 27, 2010 19:27 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger lost his cool during his post-match press conference after a late goal from Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips dented his side's Premier League title hopes.

West Ham draw up shortlist to replace Zola (Mar 27, 2010 18:22 GMT)
West Ham have put Graeme Souness, Glenn Hoddle, David O'Leary and Terry Venables on a four-man shortlist to replace Gianfranco Zola after West Ham suffered a sixth successive defeat.

Premier League: Berba puts United top (Mar 27, 2010 16:44 GMT)
Dimitar Berbatov scored a brace as Manchester United made light of Wayne Rooney's absence to beat Bolton Wanderers 4-0 at the Reebok Stadium to reclaim top spot in the Premier League.

Torres urges club to make four top-class signings (Mar 27, 2010 14:02 GMT)
Fernando Torres has confirmed he has no plans to leave Liverpool this summer but has again called on the club to invest in "quality players" for next season.

MATCHDAY LIVE: Latest updates and chat (Mar 27, 2010 12:26 GMT)
MatchDay Live - March 27

Sullivan denies "fat, lazy and useless" claim (Mar 27, 2010 10:11 GMT)
David Sullivan has denied calling West Ham's players "fat, lazy and useless" following newspaper reports on Saturday morning, but does believe that they played no better than a middle table Championship side against Wolves.

Zola refuses to allow pressure to get to him (Mar 27, 2010 09:59 GMT)
Under-pressure West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola maintains he is not about to bang his head against a wall in frustration and will instead continue to have a smile on his face as he looks to keep the club in the Premier League.

Martinez believes survival can be a springboard (Mar 27, 2010 09:55 GMT)
Roberto Martinez believes Wigan's young talent provides a platform for a lasting Premier League legacy - but is not taking survival for granted yet.

Laws calls on spirit of Sheffield for derby date (Mar 27, 2010 09:53 GMT)
Burnley manager Brian Laws is hoping some of his Sheffield derby magic rubs off on his players this weekend.

Sam Allardyce calls for "controlled aggression" (Mar 27, 2010 09:50 GMT)
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has called on his players and the fans to keep their cool when they visit a "hostile'' Turf Moor.

Scudamore disappointed with Watmore exit (Mar 27, 2010 09:48 GMT)
Chief executive Richard Scudamore has revealed he was saddened by the resignation of Football Association boss Ian Watmore.

Wenger still angry at Taylor over Eduardo tackle (Mar 27, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has played down the revenge factor ahead of Arsenal's trip to Birmingham but he has not forgiven Martin Taylor for the horror challenge which left Eduardo with a broken leg and dislocated ankle.

Ferguson admits he still feels end-of-season nerves (Mar 27, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits he still gets pre-match nerves before games as the season reaches what he once famously referred to as "squeaky bum time''.

Zola warns Sullivan of "damage" following outburst (Mar 26, 2010 16:26 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola has warned West Ham co-owner David Sullivan his criticism of the team could have caused "damage" to the struggling side and that the time for talking is now over as the Hammers seek to preserve their top-flight status.

Spurs wrap up deal for Brazilian midfielder Sandro (Mar 26, 2010 15:59 GMT)
Tottenham have announced that they have completed a deal to sign Sandro from Internacional, with Harry Redknapp describing the midfielder as "one of the brightest prospects to come out of Brazil."

Ancelotti: Euro exit could give us title edge (Mar 26, 2010 15:21 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti insists Chelsea are ready to plunder Premier League glory from under the noses of Arsenal and Manchester United after shaking off the disappointment of their Champions League exit.

Benitez confirms Riera set for Liverpool exit (Mar 26, 2010 15:13 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has confirmed the club are looking to offload winger Albert Riera in the next fortnight.Riera angered Benitez with his outspoken criticism last week, claiming the manager does not communicate with players and describi

Tottenham post impressive financial results (Mar 26, 2010 15:02 GMT)
Tottenham have generated revenue of more than £50 million for the first half of the season despite a lack of European football during the current campaign.

Redknapp backs Zola to keep West Ham up (Mar 26, 2010 14:57 GMT)
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has backed Gianfranco Zola to keep West Ham in the Premier League. Zola faces a must-win game at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, in the knowledge that nothing but a victory will do for his side's bid for survival, as w

Redknapp wants boo boys to recognise success (Mar 26, 2010 14:27 GMT)
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has criticised supporters who jeered his side off at half-time against Fulham and has told the "few idiots'' to remember the season they have had.

Rooney, Scholes and Giggs fit to face Bolton (Mar 26, 2010 14:18 GMT)
Manchester United trio Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are all fit and available for selection for the visit to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

Mancini charged by FA (Mar 26, 2010 13:33 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association after his clash with Everton counterpart David Moyes on Wednesday.

Everton contact Cook over Eastlands row reports (Mar 26, 2010 12:38 GMT)
Everton have confirmed they have asked Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook "for his observations" following an alleged incident in a game between the two clubs on Wednesday night.

Gerrard admits poor form (Mar 26, 2010 12:34 GMT)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admits he is not happy with his form this season but insists he is still capable of producing the kind of performances which have so often turned matches for his side in the past.

Mascherano praises under-fire boss Benitez (Mar 26, 2010 11:36 GMT)
Midfielder Javier Mascherano has praised Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez for making him "a better player and a better person'' and claimed the Reds must win all their remaining games in order to finish fourth this season.

Red Knights rule out United bid this season (Mar 26, 2010 09:52 GMT)
The Red Knights consortium have revealed they do not expect to make a bid for Manchester United before the end of the season.

Nani pens new United deal (Mar 26, 2010 09:32 GMT)
Manchester United winger Nani has signed a new four-year contract with the club after being rewarded for his impressive form this season with a deal that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2014.

Soccernet Preview: Bolton v Manchester United (Mar 26, 2010 09:27 GMT)
Dale Johnson previews Man United's trip to Bolton, live on ESPN UK on Saturday.

Zola on the brink as he faces 'must-win' game (Mar 26, 2010 09:19 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola faces the axe if West Ham fail to win against Stoke on Saturday, after the Hammers boss had an amazing training-ground clash on Thursday with co-owner David Sullivan.

Essien hands Chelsea much-needed injury boost (Mar 26, 2010 08:31 GMT)
Chelsea have been given a much-needed boost by midfielder Michael Essien as the club's growing injury crisis worsened with the loss of defender Ricardo Carvalho with ankle ligament damage.

Wenger: Champions League will not distract us (Mar 26, 2010 08:31 GMT)
Arsene Wenger insists his players will not be distracted by the forthcoming glamour Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona when they bid to keep their Premier League title bid alive with victory at Birmingham on Saturday.

Rocha: Malouda should have walked for elbow (Mar 26, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Portsmouth defender Ricardo Rocha believes Florent Malouda should have been sent off for the elbow which saw him taken to hospital with a facial injury.

Benitez: Run-in success vital to attract new recruits (Mar 26, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has urged his side to kick on in domestic and European competition so the club is an attractive proposition for new signings in the summer.

Upson: Hammers owner comments are "irrelevant" (Mar 25, 2010 18:49 GMT)
West Ham captain Matthew Upson has dismissed criticism from the club's co-owner David Sullivan as "irrelevant".

Carvalho absence deepens Chelsea injury crisis (Mar 25, 2010 17:39 GMT)
Chelsea's defensive injury crisis has deepened after the club confirmed defender Ricardo Carvalho is expected to be out of action for at least a month.

Portsmouth agree to send Tosic to QPR on loan (Mar 25, 2010 15:42 GMT)
Portsmouth have agreed to send Serbia international Dusko Tosic on loan to QPR, subject to approval from the Football League.

Sturridge escapes punishment (Mar 25, 2010 15:28 GMT)
Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge will not be punished for his clash with Portsmouth's Tommy Smith in last night's 5-0 victory at Fratton Park.

Mick McCarthy grateful for stability at Wolves (Mar 25, 2010 15:16 GMT)
Mick McCarthy believes Wolves' off-pitch stability has given them an advantage over their relegation rivals in the battle to stay in the Premier League.

Cahill in contention to face Manchester United (Mar 25, 2010 14:38 GMT)
Bolton boss Owen Coyle says defender Gary Cahill is in contention to face Manchester United on Saturday.

Frank Queudrue joins Colchester United on loan (Mar 25, 2010 14:13 GMT)
Birmingham defender Franck Queudrue has joined Colchester United on an emergency loan deal until the end of the season.

Owen Hargreaves to return to first-team training (Mar 25, 2010 13:37 GMT)
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves is to return to first-team training as he prepares to come back into the side for the run-in.

CSKA deny interest in Liverpool winger Riera (Mar 25, 2010 12:22 GMT)
CSKA Moscow have denied holding an interest in Albert Riera, but the Liverpool winger is still expected to move to the Russian Premier League.

Wenger cautious over Van Persie and Gallas (Mar 25, 2010 11:45 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has warned fans not to expect "miracles" from Robin van Persie should the Arsenal forward return to action before the end of the season.

Wenger understands Mancini-Moyes bust-up (Mar 25, 2010 10:31 GMT)
Arsene Wenger believes the touchline bust-up between Roberto Mancini and David Moyes shows managers are human.

Italian sides leading race to sign CSKA's Krasic (Mar 25, 2010 10:02 GMT)
CSKA Moscow winger Milos Krasic looks set to move to Serie A this summer amid interest from AC Milan, Juventus and Inter Milan.

Pompey midfielder Hughes hits out at 'useless' ref (Mar 25, 2010 09:02 GMT)
Portsmouth midfielder Richard Hughes has hit out at "useless" referee Lee Mason following an alleged elbow incident in the 5-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Hammers chief Sullivan plays down Hoddle link (Mar 25, 2010 08:34 GMT)
Glenn Hoddle could be in line to replace Gianfranco Zola if West Ham fail to battle their way out of relegation trouble, but co-owner David Sullivan has played down speculation linking the former England boss with a move to Upton Park.

Nice striker Remy keen to secure Arsenal switch (Mar 25, 2010 08:04 GMT)
Nice striker Loic Remy has revealed he is eager to secure a transfer to Arsenal this summer.

Moyes the calmer head at Eastlands (Mar 24, 2010 23:22 GMT)
Richard Jolly was at Eastlands as David Moyes and Roberto Mancini went head-to-head.

Premier League: Chelsea storm back to second (Mar 24, 2010 22:49 GMT)
A David James howler helped Chelsea to a 5-0 victory at bottom-club Portsmouth as the Blues moved a point behind Premier League leaders Manchester United.

Returning Hargreaves still playing through pain (Mar 24, 2010 18:53 GMT)
Owen Hargreaves may never be pain-free despite hitting the comeback trail last week.

Spurs misfit Taarabt: "Real and Barca want me" (Mar 24, 2010 18:51 GMT)
Tottenham misfit Adel Taarabt has claimed he is being tracked by Spain's biggest clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Coyle keeping fingers crossed for Rooney absence (Mar 24, 2010 17:55 GMT)
Owen Coyle hopes Wayne Rooney's name will be conspicuous by its absence on Manchester United's team sheet when Bolton host the reigning champions on Saturday.

MATCHDAY LIVE: Latest updates and chat (Mar 24, 2010 17:42 GMT)
MatchDay Live - March 24

Sullivan urges Hammers to pull together (Mar 24, 2010 16:31 GMT)
David Sullivan has told Soccernet that West Ham must present a united front if they are to avoid potentially disastrous relegation which could cost them around £40 million.

Manchester United announce freeze on ticket prices (Mar 24, 2010 16:06 GMT)
Manchester United have announced that ticket prices will be frozen for next season, despite recent suggestions to the contrary.

Portsmouth to replace squad with free transfers (Mar 24, 2010 13:57 GMT)
Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou has told Soccernet that the club will be on the lookout for a completely new team based on free transfers this summer.

O'Neill leaving Carew contract talks on hold (Mar 24, 2010 13:24 GMT)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is putting talks over a new deal for in-form striker John Carew on hold until the end of the season.

League allows Pompey to sell before summer (Mar 24, 2010 12:27 GMT)
The Premier League has given Portsmouth permission to sell players before the end of the season.

West Ham co-owner Gold offers Zola support (Mar 24, 2010 11:58 GMT)
West Ham co-owner David Gold has given his backing to boss Gianfranco Zola after fans chanted for his dismissal during the 3-1 defeat at home to Wolves.

Scholes expects perfect United run-in (Mar 24, 2010 11:30 GMT)
Paul Scholes is convinced Manchester United can win all their remaining seven games to retain their Premier League crown.

Ribery will only leave for Barcelona or Real Madrid (Mar 24, 2010 11:13 GMT)
Franck Ribery has confirmed it will be a straight choice between Barcelona and Real Madrid if he leaves Bayern Munich this summer.

Harry Redknapp plays down interest in Joe Cole (Mar 24, 2010 10:39 GMT)
Harry Redknapp has suggested he will not look to sign Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole if he leaves Chelsea this summer.

Boyd confident he would succeed in England (Mar 24, 2010 10:09 GMT)
Kris Boyd insists he would be a success in the Premier League after Birmingham boss Alex McLeish revealed plans to make another swoop for the Rangers striker.

West Ham board concerned by Zola naivety (Mar 24, 2010 09:28 GMT)
ESPNsoccernet understands that the West Ham board are concerned about Gianfranco Zola's inexperience, and believe the Italian showed a degree of tactical naivety against Wolves in the crushing 3-1 defeat at Upton Park on Tuesday.

United director Arnold praises 'excellent' Glazers (Mar 24, 2010 09:24 GMT)
Manchester United commercial director Richard Arnold insists the Glazer family's ownership is consistent with the demands made by Sir Alex Ferguson.

Fletcher: United old guard will guide us to title (Mar 24, 2010 08:03 GMT)
Darren Fletcher believes that the experience of Manchester United's old guard could prove the decisive factor in this season's Premier League title race.

Arshavin: Arsenal need more stars to win trophies (Mar 24, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Andrey Arshavin believes Arsenal needs to buy "three or four real stars" before it can realistically challenge for trophies despite the club's lofty position on the Premier League table.

Cole confronts Hammers fan (Mar 24, 2010 07:00 GMT)
West Ham striker Carlton Cole reportedly had to be restrained by police and stewards after a confrontation with an unhappy fan immediately after his side's loss to Wolves on Tuesday night.

Zola on brink after losing "must win" game (Mar 23, 2010 22:25 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola's future is now highest on the agenda after West Ham were hammered in a match with Wolves that new owners David Gold and David Sullivan had earmarked as a "must win" contest for survival.

Allardyce unimpressed with Ancelotti remarks (Mar 23, 2010 16:12 GMT)
Sam Allardyce has taken a swipe at Carlo Ancelotti for becoming the latest big-name coach to belittle his Blackburn side.

Vermaelen red card appeal rejected by FA (Mar 23, 2010 15:08 GMT)
Arsenal's appeal over Thomas Vermaelen's red card has been dismissed by the Football Association.

Hamstrung Lescott sidelined for five weeks (Mar 23, 2010 14:40 GMT)
Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott will be out for four to five weeks with a hamstring tendon injury, the club confirmed on Tuesday.

Chat LIVE with Soccernet's Mark Lomas (Mar 23, 2010 14:34 GMT)
Join us at 1500 GMT for a LIVE chat with Mark Lomas.

Ancelotti: I'll be at Stamford Bridge next season (Mar 23, 2010 13:15 GMT)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti believes he will "definitely" still be in charge of the Blues next season whatever happens in the Premier League run-in.

Fantasy Focus: Starting from scratch (Mar 23, 2010 12:47 GMT)
Can you build a fantasy team now and be Manager of the Month? Dale Johnson will find out.

Injured duo Skrtel and Aurelio close to return (Mar 23, 2010 10:43 GMT)
Injured Liverpool defenders Martin Skrtel and Fabio Aurelio could make a return to action early next month.

Ivanovic sidelined for a month, Cech returns (Mar 23, 2010 10:26 GMT)
Chelsea have been dealt another defensive injury blow with the news that Branislav Ivanovic will be out for at least a month, after tearing his medial knee ligaments against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday.

Tottenham agree deal for Internacional's Sandro (Mar 23, 2010 08:32 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur have finally agreed a deal with Brazilian club Internacional to sign Sandro Ranieri, subject to the midfielder passing a medical and being granted a work permit.

Liverpool agree £6m Riera deal with CSKA Moscow (Mar 23, 2010 07:55 GMT)
Outspoken Liverpool midfielder Albert Riera, who described the club as a "sinking ship", is set to join CSKA Moscow in a £6 million deal, according to reports.

Cole: No Chelsea contract offer on the table (Mar 23, 2010 07:30 GMT)
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has revealed that contract negotiations with the London club have broken down and a number of Premier League clubs will be on alert.

McCarthy insists the pressure is on West Ham (Mar 23, 2010 06:59 GMT)
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has turned the pressure up on West Ham ahead of Tuesday night's crucial Premier League clash at Upton Park.

Juventus eager to secure Benitez for next season (Mar 22, 2010 21:28 GMT)
Juventus are increasingly keen to secure Rafael Benitez for next season after their disappointing campaign suffered further blows in recent days.

Arsenal appeal suspension, Van Persie to return (Mar 22, 2010 18:12 GMT)
Arsenal have appealed against Thomas Vermaelen's red card against West Ham on Saturday.

Liverpool "closer" to Mascherano contract deal (Mar 22, 2010 17:00 GMT)
Contract talks with Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano are edging closer to a resolution but manager Rafael Benitez accepts there is still a little more work to do.

Pompey handed fine as Andronikou meets League (Mar 22, 2010 13:27 GMT)
Portsmouth Administrator Andrew Andronikou is locked in talks with the Premier League hoping to finally negotiate a raft of financial aid.

Sir Alex lauds Park after match-winning goal (Mar 22, 2010 12:00 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has heaped praise on Ji-Sung Park after the South Korean scored the winning goal against arch-rivals Liverpool on Sunday.

FA launch probe after Kirkland is hit by missile (Mar 22, 2010 11:11 GMT)
The Football Association have launched an investigation after Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was struck by a missile from the crowd on Saturday.

Fifth Official: Torres' spot of bother (Mar 22, 2010 10:50 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Benitez and Carragher still targeting fourth (Mar 22, 2010 10:41 GMT)
Jamie Carragher still believes that Liverpool have every chance of finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League next season - despite Sunday's defeat at arch rivals Manchester United.

Gianfranco Zola has two games to prove worth (Mar 22, 2010 08:47 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola has two games left to prove he is the right man for the job as West Ham manager. And the Italian boss could even face the axe after Tuesday night's home game with Wolverhampton Wanderers with a poor result.

Team of the Week, March 21, 2010 (Mar 21, 2010 20:26 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Team of the Week, March 28, 2010 (Mar 21, 2010 18:49 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Premier League: United down Liverpool, Blues held (Mar 21, 2010 18:10 GMT)
a

Benitez accuses Valencia of diving to win penalty (Mar 21, 2010 16:08 GMT)
Darren Fletcher praised the way Manchester United were able to "grind out'' victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford which took them back to the top of the Premier League.

Striker Keane committed to Tottenham return (Mar 21, 2010 14:17 GMT)
On-loan Celtic striker Robbie Keane has confirmed he intends to start next season back at Tottenham. The 29-year-old has impressed since arriving in Glasgow on transfer deadline day last month.

Premier Showdown - Mar 20-21 (Mar 21, 2010 13:14 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Ex-player Nicol wants drastic Liverpool changes (Mar 21, 2010 11:41 GMT)
Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol believes the club need to make "drastic'' changes if they are to challenge again for major silverware.

Potential Pompey investor to remain anonymous (Mar 21, 2010 11:09 GMT)
The man fronting a consortium interested in a takeover of Portsmouth has defended the decision of the group's main investor to remain anonymous at this stage - a move that has infuriated many of the club's fans who have witnessed Pompey change hands

Giggs: Rooney will be a United record breaker (Mar 21, 2010 10:27 GMT)
Ryan Giggs has backed team-mate Wayne Rooney to set a multitude of records with Manchester United, even tipping the in-form striker to surpass his incredible tally of appearances for the club.

Ferdinand aiming to end United losing streak (Mar 21, 2010 10:27 GMT)
Rio Ferdinand has admitted he is desperate to end Liverpool's winning streak against Manchester United, and is confident that the current champions have what it takes to overcome last season's title rivals at Old Trafford.

Fabregas: We'll prove our quality (Mar 20, 2010 19:57 GMT)
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas insisted there will be ''no excuses'' as they bid to win the Premier League title, following Thomas Vermaelen's dismissal in the 2-0 win over West Ham.

Jolly: United remain on course for record (Mar 20, 2010 18:40 GMT)
Richard Jolly watched Liverpool fail to slow Man Utd's challenge for a record 19th title.

Pulis laments performance of ref Dean in defeat (Mar 20, 2010 18:18 GMT)
Stoke boss Tony Pulis blasted referee Mike Dean for sending off Dean Whitehead and revealed he had attempted to have the referee changed last week.

Jolly: Young impresses as Villa labour (Mar 20, 2010 17:28 GMT)
Richard Jolly was impressed by Ashley Young's display as Aston Villa laboured to a 2-2 draw with rivals Wolves.

Premier League: Arsenal top, Disaster for Dowie (Mar 20, 2010 17:11 GMT)
Arsenal went back on top of the Premier League as they saw off West Ham 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Benitez expecting Torres to get even better (Mar 20, 2010 14:06 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez believes striker Fernando Torres is hitting top form at just the right time with a trip to Manchester United looming on Sunday.

MatchDay Live: Latest updates and chat (Mar 20, 2010 13:10 GMT)
MatchDay Live

Defoe allays fears over hamstring injury (Mar 20, 2010 12:22 GMT)
Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe insists he could be ready to return from a hamstring injury in just ten days, despite manager Harry Redknapp suggesting on Friday that he could be out of action for " a few weeks".

Chelsea boss Ancelotti focused on double glory (Mar 20, 2010 11:30 GMT)
Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has told his squad to focus on becoming only the seventh club in the history of the English game to achieve the league and FA Cup double.

Villa star Milner set for summer contract talks (Mar 20, 2010 10:54 GMT)
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has revealed he is keen to reward midfielder James Milner for his excellent form this season by offering him a new long-term contract this summer.

O'Neill: Race for fourth will go to the wire (Mar 19, 2010 16:16 GMT)
Martin O'Neill believes the battle for fourth in the Premier League will be undecided until the finale of the season.

Defoe out for "few weeks" with hamstring injury (Mar 19, 2010 12:03 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe will be out of action for a "few weeks" after tearing his hamstring, manager Harry Redknapp confirmed on Friday.

Sir Alex slams FA as Gerrard escapes again (Mar 19, 2010 11:13 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has begun the war of words ahead of Sunday's Premier League showdown with Liverpool by accusing the Football Association's disciplinary panel of being "dysfunctional'' after Steven Gerrard escaped censure for the second time in a ma

McLeish expecting to spend in the summer (Mar 19, 2010 09:45 GMT)
Alex McLeish claims he has received a "positive'' response from the Birmingham board in terms of the finances available to strengthen the squad and improve the infrastructure for next season.

Soccernet Preview: Arsenal v West Ham United (Mar 19, 2010 09:28 GMT)
Dale Johnson previews Arsenal's home game against West Ham, live on ESPN UK on Saturday.

Soccernet Preview: Aston Villa v Wolves (Mar 19, 2010 09:24 GMT)
Jon Carter previews the Midlands derby of Aston Villa v Wolves, live on ESPN 2 on Saturday.

Injured Ramsey snubs calls from Shawcross (Mar 19, 2010 08:10 GMT)
Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross has yet to hear from Aaron Ramsey as he tries to apologise for the tackle which broke the Arsenal midfielder's leg.

Riera: Rafa has "something personal" against me (Mar 19, 2010 08:06 GMT)
Liverpool winger Albert Riera has continued to stoke the flames of the very public falling out with Rafael Benitez by suggesting that his manager has "something personal" against him.

Song goes "crazy" as two-match suspension ends (Mar 19, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Alex Song admits he has been going crazy watching from the sidelines during a two-match ban - and cannot wait to get back into the thick of Arsenal's title challenge.

Hargreaves vows to return after reserves run out (Mar 19, 2010 07:57 GMT)
Owen Hargreaves insists he can rediscover his best form.

Redknapp insists Keane must return to Tottenham (Mar 19, 2010 07:53 GMT)
Harry Redknapp insists there is "no way'' he will let Celtic keep Robbie Keane beyond his current loan deal.

Riera suspended by Liverpool after Benitez attack (Mar 18, 2010 19:14 GMT)
Albert Riera has been suspended by Liverpool for his outspoken attack on manager Rafael Benitez's communication skills and the club, which he described as a ''sinking ship''.

Michael Brown: Gerrard ''got away'' with elbow (Mar 18, 2010 17:57 GMT)
Michael Brown believes Steven Gerrard ''got away'' with elbowing him the back of the head, but maintains there is no lingering hard feelings towards the England midfielder.

Pompey's Grant reflects on a ''sad day for football'' (Mar 18, 2010 16:10 GMT)
Avram Grant reflected on a ''sad day for football'' after confirmation of Portsmouth's nine-point deduction for going into administration all but relegated the club from the Premier League.

Laws feels paper looked to destabilise Burnley (Mar 18, 2010 15:25 GMT)
Brian Laws insists he will lose no sleep over claims - shot down by Burnley - that he is facing the sack.

Manchester United announce new sponsorship deal (Mar 18, 2010 15:12 GMT)
Manchester United have announced their third major sponsorship deal in a week.

Fabregas to return but Gallas has 'endless' injury (Mar 18, 2010 13:38 GMT)
Cesc Fabregas is poised to return from injury as Arsenal entertain West Ham on Saturday, but William Gallas' fitness is an ongoing concern for manager Arsene Wenger.

Ancelotti under fire as owner considers changes (Mar 18, 2010 11:07 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti faces the sack after only his first season in charge of Chelsea if he fails to deliver the Premier League title.

Alex McLeish in talks over new Birmingham deal (Mar 18, 2010 10:21 GMT)
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has started negotiations with club owner Carson Yeung over a new contract.

Dowie: Hull job my biggest challenge (Mar 18, 2010 09:30 GMT)
Iain Dowie admits he faces the biggest challenge of his managerial career after being appointed Hull boss with just nine matches left to secure survival in the Premier League.

Hubbard: Iain Dowie's to-do list (Mar 18, 2010 08:30 GMT)
Norman Hubbard spells out exactly what Iain Dowie must do if he is to keep Hull in the Premier League.

Terry involved in car accident following defeat (Mar 18, 2010 06:59 GMT)
Chelsea captain John Terry was involved in a car accident following Tuesday night's Champions League exit at the hands of Inter Milan, which resulted in a member of the club's security staff sustaining an injured leg.

Riera blasts Benitez to put Anfield future in doubt (Mar 17, 2010 23:22 GMT)
Albert Riera has indicated a desire to leave Liverpool and launched an outspoken criticism of Rafael Benitez - accusing the Reds manager of failing to communicate with his players and lacking the style to manage Real Madrid.

Row breaks out between Storrie and administrator (Mar 17, 2010 23:05 GMT)
Four owners, one administration, nine points docked, players sold off behind the manager's back, £70 million in debt, and just when you thought it couldn't get any worse at Portsmouth, a spat has broken out behind the scenes in the boardroom.

Wolves striker hits out at boss and team-mates (Mar 17, 2010 15:23 GMT)
Wolves striker Stefan Maierhofer has criticised Mick McCarthy and his team-mates after failing to break into the first-team at Molineux.

Pepe Reina close to signing new Liverpool deal (Mar 17, 2010 14:40 GMT)
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has said he expects to sign a contract extension in the near future.

Portsmouth in talks to guarantee club's survival (Mar 17, 2010 14:22 GMT)
Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou believes he can strike an unprecedented deal with the Premier League to guarantee the survival of the club.

Fletcher expecting tough test against Liverpool (Mar 17, 2010 13:15 GMT)
Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher expects Liverpool to raise their game when they visit Old Trafford on Sunday.

Kenwyne Jones in line to make swift comeback (Mar 17, 2010 12:47 GMT)
Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones suffered no lasting damage in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

Coyle delighted as Gary Cahill returns to training (Mar 17, 2010 12:15 GMT)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle is delighted that Gary Cahill has returned to training following a blood clot in his left arm.

Burnley dismiss 'ludicrous, irresponsible' Laws talk (Mar 17, 2010 12:08 GMT)
Burnley chairman Barry Kilby has dismissed claims the club are looking at replacing manager Brian Laws just over two months after he was appointed.

Arsenal defender Traore dreaming of PSG switch (Mar 17, 2010 11:55 GMT)
Arsenal youngster Armand Traore believes he will eventually play for Paris St Germain, the "club of his dreams", although he admits a move this summer would be too early.

Portsmouth's nine-point deduction is confirmed (Mar 17, 2010 10:55 GMT)
Portsmouth have been deducted nine points after entering administration.

Carrick: Berbatov hitting top form at the right time (Mar 17, 2010 10:28 GMT)
Michael Carrick believes Dimitar Berbatov is "hitting top form at the right time" as Manchester United seek Premier League and Champions League glory.

Dowie appointed short-term Hull boss (Mar 17, 2010 09:48 GMT)
Iain Dowie has been appointed as the new manager of Hull City on a short-term contract until the end of the season.

Fantasy Focus: Make mine a double (Mar 17, 2010 08:41 GMT)
Dale Johnson looks at the pitfalls of a fantasy gameweek which sees 15 Premier League fixtures.

Iain Dowie looks set to be named new Hull boss (Mar 17, 2010 08:33 GMT)
Iain Dowie looks set to be named as the new manager of struggling Hull.

Bridge ruled out for one month following operation (Mar 17, 2010 08:18 GMT)
Manchester City full-back Wayne Bridge is set to be sidelined for around a month after undergoing a hernia operation on Tuesday afternoon.

Reina hails "incredible" spell by Liverpool (Mar 16, 2010 22:45 GMT)
Jose Reina hailed an "incredible'' first-half spell as Liverpool routed Premier League basement club Portsmouth 4-1 at Anfield.

Tigers to name new manager (Mar 16, 2010 19:06 GMT)
Hull City are to move swiftly in appointing a new manager, with chairman Adam Pearson saying he expects to have Phil Brown's replacement installed by Wednesday morning.

Gerrard to escape FA punishment over 'elbow' (Mar 16, 2010 14:38 GMT)
The FA have confirmed they will take no action against Steven Gerrard following his clash with Portsmouth's Michael Brown during Liverpool's victory at Anfield on Monday night.

Hull working through hit-list (Mar 16, 2010 14:19 GMT)
Hull City chairman Adam Pearson claims to have read some "pretty reasonable" speculation over the identity of the club's next manager but insists there are more candidates.

Chat LIVE with Soccernet's Robin Hackett (Mar 16, 2010 14:14 GMT)
Join us at 1500 GMT for a LIVE chat with Robin Hackett.

Blackburn 'keeper Robinson ruled out for a month (Mar 16, 2010 13:29 GMT)
Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a calf injury, the club have confirmed.

Buffon "very annoyed" by Man City speculation (Mar 16, 2010 13:05 GMT)
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is not interested in joining Manchester City at the end of the season and is becoming "very annoyed" with the constant speculation.

The Hull hot-seat (Mar 16, 2010 11:48 GMT)
Soccernet takes a closer look at the favourites for the Hull job.

High Court: Portsmouth administration valid (Mar 16, 2010 11:06 GMT)
A High Court judge has ruled that Portsmouth's administration is valid and has suspended the winding-up petition placed on the club by HM Revenue & Customs.

Pompey deadline over points penalty (Mar 16, 2010 09:03 GMT)
Portsmouth's Administrator Andrew Andronikou has revealed to ESPNsoccernet that the club face an astonishing 19-point deduction and the threat of relegation down two divisions.

Tottenham close on move for midfielder Sandro (Mar 16, 2010 08:21 GMT)
Internacionale president Vittorio Piffero claims Tottenham's deal for Brazilian youngster Sandro is imminent.

Hammers target Pompey's Piquionne and Dindane (Mar 16, 2010 08:17 GMT)
West Ham are targeting both Portsmouth strikers Frederic Piquionne and Aruna Dindane, as potential summer transfers.

Benitez plays down fears of new Gerrard video row (Mar 16, 2010 07:46 GMT)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard could again become embroiled in a row about trial by television after appearing to strike Michael Brown on the back of the head in the 4-1 win over Portsmouth at Anfield.

Premier Showdown - Mar 13-15 (Mar 15, 2010 16:32 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Midfielder Huddlestone signs new deal at Spurs (Mar 15, 2010 15:26 GMT)
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone has signed a new contract which will keep him at White Hart Lane until 2015, the club have announced.

Windass: Brown did a "fantastic job" at Hull (Mar 15, 2010 12:20 GMT)
Dean Windass, the man who fired Phil Brown's Hull side into the Premier League in 2008, has paid tribute to his former manager following the news that the Tigers sacked their manager on Monday.

Cahill poised to return to training with Bolton (Mar 15, 2010 12:01 GMT)
Bolton defender Gary Cahill is scheduled to return to training on Monday just 37 days after being diagnosed as having a blood clot in his left arm.

Tigers announce sacking of Phil Brown (Mar 15, 2010 11:04 GMT)
Phil Brown has been sacked as Hull City manager with the Tigers revealing they felt a change of leadership was the "correct option" in order to protect the club's top-flight status.

Sunderland lose striker Jones for at least a month (Mar 15, 2010 10:35 GMT)
Steve Bruce expects striker Kenwyne Jones to be sidelined for at least a month due to a hip injury in news that could undermine Sunderland's chances of pulling decisively away from the relegation zone.

Ferguson fears Arsenal as title race intensifies (Mar 15, 2010 09:45 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson believes Arsenal may yet "mount the biggest challenge" to Manchester United's aspirations of claiming a fourth consecutive league title and a record 19th to surpass Liverpool's tally.

Fifth Official: Beckham's break (Mar 15, 2010 09:26 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Agger: I won't walk away from struggling Liverpool (Mar 15, 2010 09:25 GMT)
Daniel Agger will not consider his Liverpool future this summer, despite suggestions over the weekend that Fernando Torres' long-term future is in doubt due to the club's current predicament.

Administrator urges League to rethink penalty (Mar 15, 2010 08:59 GMT)
Portsmouth's administrator Andrew Andronikou has given a 'team talk' ahead of Monday's game against Liverpool and told the players he will do all he can to persuade the Premier League not to dock nine points - a scenario he feels would "distort" the

Fergie hints Ronaldo could rejoin United in future (Mar 14, 2010 21:36 GMT)
A sensational return to Old Trafford could be on the cards for Cristiano Ronaldo after Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson suggested he may be able to resign the striker in the future.

Mancini denies Italy talk, salutes flying Johnson (Mar 14, 2010 19:40 GMT)
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini admitted this summer's World Cup finals might come too early for Adam Johnson after seeing him snatch a precious point at Sunderland.

Team of the Week, March 14, 2010 (Mar 14, 2010 19:40 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Jolly: United's odd couple showing signs of success (Mar 14, 2010 17:33 GMT)
Richard Jolly says the Dimitar Berbatov-Wayne Rooney partnership could still succeed.

Pompey administrator irked by Lloyd bid talk (Mar 14, 2010 15:14 GMT)
Portsmouth's administrator, Andrew Andronikou, has launched an attack on the man supposedly bidding to become the the cash-stricken Premier League club's fifth owner of the season.

Robbie Keane will return to Spurs, Jordan insists (Mar 14, 2010 12:47 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur first team coach Joe Jordan insists there is no chance of Robbie Keane remaining at Celtic beyond the end of his loan period.

Madrid "obsessed" about Rooney, Calderon says (Mar 14, 2010 11:06 GMT)
Real Madrid have an "obsession'' about signing Wayne Rooney, but would need to fork out £80million or more to do so, according to former president Ramon Calderon.

Red Knight banned from Old Trafford box seat (Mar 14, 2010 10:16 GMT)
Keith Harris, the mastermind behind the Red Knights, has been banned from executive seats at Old Trafford.

Mourinho future in doubt, top clubs on red alert (Mar 14, 2010 09:37 GMT)
Jose Mourinho could be at the centre of an incredible managerial merry go round which could see some of the biggest names and largest clubs switching their bosses if he leaves Inter Milan this summer.

Jolly: Wigan profit from astute dealings (Mar 14, 2010 09:30 GMT)
Richard Jolly reveals the secrets behind Wigan's success in remaining in the Premier League.

Jolly: Wenger's Arsenal look like the real deal (Mar 13, 2010 21:22 GMT)
Richard Jolly says that Arsenal's fighting spirit suggests they are the real deal.

Campbell: Gunners got their just deserts at Hull (Mar 13, 2010 20:13 GMT)
Sol Campbell believed Arsenal's hard-fought win over Hull was deserved as they boosted their Premier League title credentials.

Palmer: Chelsea need to tighten up against Inter (Mar 13, 2010 18:52 GMT)
Kevin Palmer feels Chelsea were flattered by the 4-1 scoreline against West Ham.

Premier League: Drama as Gunners rein in Blues (Mar 13, 2010 17:01 GMT)
A second-half brace from Didier Drogba helped earn Chelsea a 4-1 home victory against West Ham United to move the Blues back to the top of the Premier League.

Torres future hinges on Anfield recruitment (Mar 13, 2010 12:47 GMT)
Fernando Torres could quit Liverpool in the summer if the Premier League club do not recruit enough quality players to turn them into title contenders.

Soccernet Preview: Liverpool v Portsmouth (Mar 13, 2010 12:45 GMT)
Robin Hackett previews Liverpool's game against Portsmouth, which is live on ESPN UK on Monday.

MATCHDAY LIVE: Latest updates and chat (Mar 13, 2010 12:21 GMT)
MatchDay Live - March 13

Man City contract talks on hold for Wright-Phillips (Mar 13, 2010 09:59 GMT)
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has been told that negotiations over a new contract will remain on hold until the end of the season.

Liverpool monitoring McLeish contract talks (Mar 13, 2010 09:42 GMT)
Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish is again being linked with the Liverpool manager's job after initially being revealed as a potential candidate to replace Rafa Benitez by Soccernet on March 5.

Storrie quits as chief executive of Portsmouth (Mar 13, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Peter Storrie has announced to ESPNsoccernet that he has quit as chief executive of Portsmouth.

Zola targets ten more points to avoid relegation (Mar 12, 2010 16:25 GMT)
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola believes his team need ten more points to beat the drop - and is challenging his players to upset the form book and pick three of them up at former club Chelsea on Saturday.

Soccernet Preview: Hull v Arsenal (Mar 12, 2010 16:13 GMT)
Jon Carter previews Arsenal's trip to Hull, which is live on ESPN UK on Saturday afternoon.

O'Hara eyes top flight stay if Pompey are relegated (Mar 12, 2010 16:11 GMT)
Portsmouth loanee Jamie O'Hara hopes his form for the south coast strugglers will put him firmly in the shop window, should he prove surplus to requirements at Tottenham when he returns to White Hart Lane.

Turnbull set to start, amid Chelsea keeper crisis (Mar 12, 2010 15:30 GMT)
Chelsea have been plunged into a goalkeeping crisis ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League return leg against Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.

McLeish sets his strikers Europa League target (Mar 12, 2010 15:20 GMT)
Alex McLeish has admitted for the first time that Birmingham could qualify for the Europa League - if his current strikers can deliver sufficient goal-power during the remainder of the season.

Brown apologises for Bullard and Barmby brawl (Mar 12, 2010 15:12 GMT)
Hull City manager Phil Brown has confirmed that midfield pair Nick Barmby and Jimmy Bullard were involved in a bust-up in a public park on Monday, and apologised for the incident, which happened in front of members of the Women's Institute.

Clichy: Title win would be better than 'Invincibles' (Mar 12, 2010 14:15 GMT)
Arsenal defender Gael Clichy believes that winning the Premier League this season would be a bigger achievement than their 'Invincible' season of 2003-04.

Beckham to snub Red Knights campaign offer (Mar 12, 2010 13:08 GMT)
ESPNsoccernet understands David Beckham will politely decline any invitation from fans' groups and the Red Knights to put his name to the campaign attempting to oust the Glazer family from their position as owners of Manchester United.

Giggs ready for United comeback against Liverpool (Mar 12, 2010 10:29 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson believes Ryan Giggs' month-long absence with a broken arm has provided him with the rest required to be a major weapon for Manchester United in the title run-in.

Quinn: Bruce is safe even if Sunderland go down (Mar 12, 2010 09:30 GMT)
Under-fire Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is safe, even if the club fail to win another game this season according to chairman Niall Quinn.

The week that was: Mar 12 (Mar 12, 2010 09:23 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week when Pellegrini was called a ''coward'' and sacked by the media.

Blatter defends decision over goal-line technology (Mar 12, 2010 09:00 GMT)
Sepp Blatter has defended FIFA's decision to rule out goal-line technology on the grounds of cost and keeping the game the same throughout all levels of football. FIFA, supported by the Welsh and Northern Irish Football Associations, voted at the In

Soccernet Preview: Tottenham v Blackburn (Mar 12, 2010 08:50 GMT)
Robin Hackett previews Blackburn's trip to high-flying Tottenham, which is live on ESPN2.

Sam Allardyce admits: I don't like Rafa Benitez (Mar 12, 2010 08:18 GMT)
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce says that he ''doesn't like'' Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez and reopened the ongoing spat between the two.

Man City sign agreement to develop Eastlands land (Mar 12, 2010 08:09 GMT)
Manchester City have signed an agreement with Manchester City Council to develop land around their Eastlands stadium.

Wenger reiterates Real snub (Mar 12, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said he would not be interested in becoming the next Real Madrid manager, claiming he will see out his current contract to 2011.

David Gill insists Glazers are in for the long haul (Mar 12, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has insisted that the Glazer family will be at the club for some time to come after announcing a new commercial partnership.

HMRC drop Portsmouth legal challenge (Mar 11, 2010 15:15 GMT)
HM Revenue and Customs have announced they have dropped their challenge to the validity of Portsmouth's appointment of an administrator.

Fabregas to miss Hull match with hamstring injury (Mar 11, 2010 13:45 GMT)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas appears to have little chance of returning from his hamstring injury to face Hull at the KC Stadium on Saturday.

Donovan happy with "fantastic" Goodison spell (Mar 11, 2010 11:16 GMT)
On-loan forward Landon Donovan believes his short-term spell with Everton has been a success as he prepares for his final match with the club this weekend.

Eboue: Wenger's like my dad and I want to stay (Mar 11, 2010 10:55 GMT)
It has been a long and hard journey for Emmanuel Eboue to win over a sceptical Arsenal support, but having done so, the Ivorian is now intent on staying at Emirates Stadium and helping the club end their prolonged wait for a trophy.

Chainrai confident he'll get Pompey cash back (Mar 11, 2010 10:11 GMT)
Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai, who took control of Portsmouth after the club defaulted on loans from him, insists he will get his money back.

O'Neill latest to be linked with Liverpool job (Mar 11, 2010 09:39 GMT)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is the latest name to be linked with the Liverpool job, according to Soccernet sources.

Hubbard: Michael Owen remains an enigma (Mar 11, 2010 09:33 GMT)
Norman Hubbard examines why Michael Owen is still a figure that polarises opinion.

Mancini treading a well worn path (Mar 11, 2010 09:32 GMT)
Chris Peterson wonders if Manchester City's change in manager has made much difference.

Nomura to advise Red Knights on Man Utd bid (Mar 11, 2010 09:01 GMT)
The battle for control of Manchester United has taken another twist following confirmation that a leading global investment bank has agreed to advise on a possible acquisition of the Old Trafford outfit by the Red Knights group.

Vermaelen happy to prove the critics wrong (Mar 11, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Arsenal centre-back Thomas Vermaelen is relishing the chance to have the last laugh on the club's critics this season after being written off in the Champions League and domestic title race.

Portsmouth make 85 staff members redundant (Mar 11, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Portsmouth have been forced to make 85 staff redundant as a result of ongoing cost-cutting measures under the administration of UHY Hacker Young.

Bent reveals Sunderland owner visit inspiration (Mar 10, 2010 15:30 GMT)
Sunderland striker Darren Bent has revealed a dressing-room visit by owner Ellis Short helped galvanise the Black Cats for the demolition of Bolton on Tuesday, with Bent producing a particularly scintillating display on his way to a hat-trick in the

Laudrup: Bendtner still has much to learn (Mar 10, 2010 13:00 GMT)
Nicklas Bendtner may have scored a headline-grabbing hat-trick as Arsenal beat Porto 5-0 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League but he still has much to learn, according to Danish legends Brian and Michael Laudrup.

Macheda return set to boost United striking options (Mar 10, 2010 11:30 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson expects Federico Macheda to return from a long-standing calf problem in two weeks time, to provide a timely boost to Manchester United's limited striking options.

Gerrard escapes FA action, Rafa plays down row (Mar 10, 2010 10:50 GMT)
Steven Gerrard will not be subject to disciplinary action from the FA as a result of his alleged gesture at referee Andre Marriner.

Burnley boss Laws praises Stoke's 'perfect model' (Mar 10, 2010 08:21 GMT)
Burnley manager Brian Laws has hailed Stoke as the "perfect model'' for newly-promoted Premier League clubs ahead of the Clarets' home clash with the Potters on Wednesday.

Pienaar dismisses move reports (Mar 9, 2010 17:11 GMT)
Steven Pienaar has dismissed reports suggesting he may be on his way out of Everton as "speculation''.

Captain King still two weeks away for Tottenham (Mar 9, 2010 15:06 GMT)
Tottenham skipper Ledley King faces at least another fortnight on the sidelines nursing his thigh injury before returning to help the club's challenge for a Champions League place.

Captaincy made Cesc more committed (Mar 9, 2010 13:58 GMT)
In the latest indication that his long-term future remains at Arsenal and not hometown club Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas says assuming the responsibility of the captaincy has made him more committed to the club.

Everton star Pienaar hit with 12-month driving ban (Mar 9, 2010 13:50 GMT)
Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has been banned from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving, a court official confirmed on Tuesday.

Grant slams broken "promises" (Mar 9, 2010 11:43 GMT)
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has hit out at those in charge of the beleaguered Premier League club over the course of the season, claiming a string of promises have been broken and that he expects "there will be more surprises".

Donovan asks Galaxy to prolong Everton stay (Mar 9, 2010 10:42 GMT)
Landon Donovan has told LA Galaxy he wishes to extend his loan deal with Everton after making a real impression at Goodison, but the United States forward is prepared for disappointment.

Lehmann confirms intention to retire in the summer (Mar 9, 2010 09:53 GMT)
Jens Lehmann appears ready to end his career at the conclusion of the current season after confirming he will not be renewing his contract with Stuttgart.

Tosic leaves Portsmouth without playing a game (Mar 9, 2010 09:24 GMT)
Portsmouth have confirmed that Serbian defender Dusko Tosic has left the club just weeks after signing on a free transfer from Werder Bremen.

Fantasy Focus: February Squad of the Month (Mar 9, 2010 08:58 GMT)
Dale Johnson picks out the top performing Premier League fantasy players for February.

Gerrard in hot water following Marriner incident (Mar 9, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Steven Gerrard's conduct is under scrutiny on Tuesday morning but Rafael Benitez insists he did not see the incident in which his captain is alleged to have made a crude gesture towards referee Andre Marriner during Liverpool's defeat to Wigan.

Behrami demands change of attitude at West Ham (Mar 8, 2010 23:49 GMT)
Valon Behrami has insisted West Ham will have to sort their heads out if they are to stand any chance of avoiding relegation. The Hammers slipped closer to the danger zone on Saturday after a 2-1 home defeat to fellow strugglers Bolton.

Jolly: Disjointed Liverpool undone by classy Wigan (Mar 8, 2010 23:27 GMT)
Richard Jolly saw a poor Liverpool side surrender an opportunity to stake their claim for fourth place at Wigan.

Benitez laments poor Liverpool showing (Mar 8, 2010 22:37 GMT)
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez delivered a brutally honest assessment of his side's performance in their 1-0 Premier League defeat at Wigan on Monday.

McLeish: We must spend to stay up next season (Mar 8, 2010 19:47 GMT)
Alex McLeish has warned he will need to undertake a major spending spree this summer if Birmingham are to consolidate their position in the Premier League.

Premier Showdown - Mar 6-8 (Mar 8, 2010 17:31 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

FA chairman Triesman backs idea of fan-run clubs (Mar 8, 2010 16:34 GMT)
English Football Association chairman Lord Triesman believes the Red Knights' takeover campaign is a sign of their concern for Manchester United and insists that a fan-run club could work in England.

Grella bemused by Benitez criticism of Blackburn (Mar 8, 2010 15:28 GMT)
Vince Grella has defended Blackburn's style of play, insisting the performance at Liverpool that was mocked by Rafael Benitez would provide a match for anyone in the Premier League.

United set to sign young Standard Liege defender (Mar 8, 2010 15:06 GMT)
Standard Liege full back Marnick Vermijl is set to join Manchester United in the summer. Vermijl, 18, has held trials at Old Trafford and, having apparently impressed Sir Alex Ferguson, is understood to have agreed a three-year contract at

Benitez not yet prepared to risk Aquilani inclusion (Mar 8, 2010 14:12 GMT)
Rafael Benitez admits has no plans to give Alberto Aquilani regular first-team football at present because Liverpool cannot afford to lose games.

Malbranque back in fold after breach of discipline (Mar 8, 2010 11:58 GMT)
Steed Malbranque returns to the Sunderland squad for Tuesday night's Premier League clash with Bolton after being punished for a breach of club discipline.

Kuszczak considering future at Manchester United (Mar 8, 2010 10:37 GMT)
Goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak has warned he is ready to leave Manchester United if he is not given first-team football.

Fifth Official: A Royal thumping (Mar 8, 2010 10:26 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Redknapp: Brits are dying breed in Premier League (Mar 8, 2010 10:08 GMT)
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes British owners and managers are a dying breed in the Premier League.

Football takes a backward step (Mar 8, 2010 08:34 GMT)
Andrew Warshaw reports on the IFAB's decision to give up on goal-line technology for good.

Ferguson given funds (Mar 8, 2010 08:16 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson will be allowed to spend up to £80 million this summer as he targets a new striker and goalkeeper.

Gianfranco Zola on the brink at West Ham United? (Mar 8, 2010 03:01 GMT)
The futures of manager Gianfranco Zola and up to half of the playing staff are on the line at West Ham following the shock home defeat to Bolton and the return of a genuine threat of relegation.

Admin: Pompey can fund themselves to Wembley (Mar 7, 2010 23:25 GMT)
Portsmouth's administrator Andrew Andronikou has pledged the club will have sufficient funds to make it through to the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley and to the final itself.

Team of the Week, March 7, 2010 (Mar 7, 2010 19:44 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Arsenal goal-hero Walcott hoping to silence critics (Mar 7, 2010 13:23 GMT)
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott hopes his match-winning performance against Burnley will have shown people just what he is capable of.

Pini Zahavi behind £1 billion bid for Man United (Mar 7, 2010 12:14 GMT)
Super-agent Pini Zahavi was unmasked in the Sunday papers as the Soccernet source who broke the story last week of a £1 billion cash bid for Manchester United.

Fabregas "lucky" to escape serious injury (Mar 7, 2010 10:51 GMT)
Cesc Fabregas accepts being physical is part of the English game, but feels he has been lucky to escape the type of serious injury suffered by team-mate Aaron Ramsey.

Ferguson denies backing Red Knights takeover bid (Mar 7, 2010 10:17 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has furiously denied reports that he has thrown his support behind the Red Knights' bid to buy the club and oust the Glazers.

Vice-captain Carragher prepared to leave Liverpool (Mar 7, 2010 09:42 GMT)
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has revealed that he would have "no problem'' walking away from Anfield if he is not offered a new contract.

Chelsea captain Terry defends questionable form (Mar 7, 2010 09:23 GMT)
Chelsea captain John Terry insists he is "playing well" despite the mistakes that have crept into his game in the wake of the scandal which has engulfed him over the past month.

Match-winner Scholes toasts 100th PL strike (Mar 6, 2010 21:13 GMT)
Paul Scholes was delighted to score his 100th league goal of his career to send Manchester United top of the Premier League.

Premier League: Scholes fires United to the summit (Mar 6, 2010 19:32 GMT)
Manchester United moved to the summit of the Premier League with a narrow 1-0 defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers in a game in which they were denied the services of Wayne Rooney.

Cesc Fabregas injury sours Gunners victory (Mar 6, 2010 19:00 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes captain Cesc Fabregas is a doubt for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Porto after he limped off in Saturday's 3-1 win over Burnley.

Diaby demands better protection in Ramsey wake (Mar 6, 2010 15:13 GMT)
Abou Diaby has warned serious injuries like Aaron Ramsey's double broken leg will continue to happen unless Arsenal receive more protection from referees.

Wilkins still optimistic despite Essien setback (Mar 6, 2010 13:51 GMT)
Michael Essien has suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee problem but Chelsea have contradicted reports suggesting the midfielder could miss the remainder of the season.

Chamakh "prepared" for Premier League move (Mar 6, 2010 12:52 GMT)
An expected move to Arsenal may not have been officially confirmed, but Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh says he is already preparing for life in the Premier League.

Ferguson scoffs at Red Knights' boycott proposals (Mar 6, 2010 12:08 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has ridiculed calls by Keith Harris, one of the Red Knights looking to buy Manchester United, for the club's supporters to stage a boycott in an attempt to force the Glazer family out of Old Trafford.

Robinho claims Mancini showed a "lack of ability" (Mar 6, 2010 11:20 GMT)
Robinho has cast further doubt over his long-term future at Manchester City by describing Roberto Mancini as a manager suffering from a "lack of ability" in his dealings with the striker.

LA Galaxy to prevent Donovan from extending loan (Mar 6, 2010 10:46 GMT)
LA Galaxy are adamant Landon Donovan will not be allowed to extend his loan contract with Everton, although the threat of industrial action in MLS may yet force a rethink for the American club.

Wenger fear for Ramsey, Whelan thanked (Mar 6, 2010 10:07 GMT)
Arsene Wenger fears Aaron Ramsey may never be the same player, as the young midfielder starts his recovery from a horrendous leg break suffered against Stoke City.

Wright-Phillips: I'm not being greedy (Mar 6, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips admits he has been upset by a breakdown in talks over a new contract and denies he is being greedy. The England international is reportedly seeking a 25 percent pay rise on weekly wages of £60,000.

Everton hopeful of extending Donovan deal (Mar 6, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Everton are hoping to extend Landon Donovan's loan spell at Goodison Park until the end of the season.

Soccernet Preview: Wigan v Liverpool (Mar 5, 2010 17:59 GMT)
Tom Adams previews Liverpool's trip to Wigan which is live on ESPN UK on Monday.

Terry admits to poor form, Wilkins praises Joe Cole (Mar 5, 2010 16:49 GMT)
John Terry says that he proved a point to his critics in England's victory over Egypt at Wembley and admitted that his own form for his club had not been up to scratch.

Wenger stands by comments (Mar 5, 2010 15:50 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger maintains there must always be a place in the game for the art of tackling - but continues to stand by his comments in the aftermath of Aaron Ramsey's double leg break at Stoke.

Benitez hopeful on Mascherano and Reina deals (Mar 5, 2010 14:48 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is confident midfielder Javier Mascherano and goalkeeper Jose Reina will sign new contracts with the club before the end of the season.

Martinez supports Wenger stance on tackles (Mar 5, 2010 12:03 GMT)
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has backed Arsene Wenger's call for football authorities to crack down on over-physical challenges. The Frenchman branded Ryan Shawcross' leg-breaking tackle on Aaron Ramsey last Saturday "just ridiculous''.

Injury rules Owen out for the season (Mar 5, 2010 09:55 GMT)
Manchester United striker Michael Owen has been ruled out for the season after tests revealed the extent of the hamsting injury he picked up in last Sunday's Carling Cup final. The news puts an end to Owen's already slim hopes of making Fabio Capello

Bosingwa injury rules him out of World Cup (Mar 5, 2010 09:54 GMT)
Chelsea full-back Jose Bosingwa will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup with Portugal as he requires further surgery on a knee injury, the Premier League club have confirmed.

Soccernet Preview: Wolves v Manchester United (Mar 5, 2010 09:48 GMT)
Mark Lomas previews Manchester United's trip to Wolves live on ESPN UK on Saturday.

Park sets sights on Manchester United treble (Mar 5, 2010 09:28 GMT)
Park Ji-Sung has set his sights on completing a hat-trick of trophies with Manchester United this season, and believes his team-mates have what it takes to add the Premier League and Champions League titles to the Carling Cup trophy they won last wee

McLeish linked with replacing Rafa at Liverpool (Mar 5, 2010 09:17 GMT)
Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish is the shock name being mentioned within board rooms in the Premier League as a potential candidate for the Liverpool manager's job, should Rafa Benitez be lured away from Anfield by Juventus in the summer.

Red Knights can meet £1.2bn United asking price (Mar 5, 2010 08:40 GMT)
The Red Knights, a group of city financiers working on a possible takeover over Manchester United, have insisted they have the resources to meet the Glazer's £1.5 billion asking price for the club, after ESPNsoccernet revealed on Thursday that

Benitez: We can't afford any more mistakes (Mar 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez admits his side cannot afford any more mistakes in their battle to secure a fourth place finish and with it Champions League football next season.

Wright slams Manchester City over SWP contract (Mar 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Ian Wright has accused senior Manchester City figures of treating his adopted son Shaun Wright-Phillips "like a youth-team player'' in contract talks.

The week that was: Mar 05 (Mar 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Dominic Raynor on a week when Marco Materazzi had another pop at Zinedine Zidane.

Everton defender Jagielka relives robbery (Mar 4, 2010 21:58 GMT)
Phil Jagielka has revealed details of the robbery on his house, admitting "time stood still" in the incident.

Ferguson: Arsenal are serious title contenders (Mar 4, 2010 20:31 GMT)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Arsenal are serious contenders in the Premier League title race but is still backing his own team to retain the trophy.

Apologetic Shawcross won't change his style (Mar 4, 2010 18:14 GMT)
Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross has sent text messages of support to Aaron Ramsey after breaking the Arsenal youngster's leg - but he insists the horrific injury will not lead to him changing his style.

Sunderland's date with Villa rescheduled (Mar 4, 2010 17:47 GMT)
Sunderland's Premier League trip to Aston Villa has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 24

FA fine Pompey boss Grant for referee rant (Mar 4, 2010 17:29 GMT)
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has been warned as to his future conduct and fined £1,000, with a further £4,000 fine suspended until the end of the season, after he admitted a charge of improper conduct to the Football Association on Thursday.

Andronikou: Twelve interested in buying Pompey (Mar 4, 2010 16:03 GMT)
Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou has revealed he has heard from 12 parties interested in buying the debt-ridden club.

Arda Turan admits interest in playing for Liverpool (Mar 4, 2010 15:36 GMT)
Turkey international midfielder Arda Turan says that he would be interested in a move to Liverpool.

Burnley ready to get physical to beat Arsenal (Mar 4, 2010 15:21 GMT)
Burnley defender Leon Cort insists they will not be holding back on their tackles against Arsenal on Saturday.

Chairman vote against Champions League play-off (Mar 4, 2010 13:53 GMT)
The chairmen of Premier League clubs have voted against a proposal to introduce a play-off to decide English football's fourth Champions League place.

Park: Lee destined to be a Premier League star (Mar 4, 2010 13:30 GMT)
South Korea captain Park Ji-Sung has told Soccernet he has been "very impressed" by the impact made by Bolton's Lee Chung-Yong in the Premier League this season.

Ex-United star Solskjaer hails instinctive Rooney (Mar 4, 2010 13:20 GMT)
Wayne Rooney is scoring goals through sheer instinct, according to former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Wigan happy Ridgewell avoided retrospective ban (Mar 4, 2010 13:07 GMT)
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has said he is pleased the FA has decided against retrospectively punishing Liam Ridgewell despite describing his tackle on James McCarthy as a "leg-breaking challenge".

Glazers turn down £1bn-plus offer for United (Mar 4, 2010 12:05 GMT)
The Glazer family have turned down a £1 billion-plus cash offer to sell Manchester United from one of the world's richest men, Soccernet can reveal.

Donovan deserves Goodison return (Mar 4, 2010 11:17 GMT)
Norman Hubbard examines Landon Donovan's impact at Everton since his move across the pond from LA Galaxy.

McCarthy pays tribute to boss after Ireland bow (Mar 4, 2010 10:40 GMT)
After making his international debut for Republic of Ireland against Brazil on Tuesday, Wigan midfielder James McCarthy has paid tribute to Roberto Martinez for the impact the manager has had on his career.

Holden out for six weeks after extending stay (Mar 4, 2010 10:35 GMT)
Bolton midfielder Stuart Holden faces at least the next six weeks on the sidelines after fracturing his right fibula.

Gill: Glazers unmoved amid Red Knights' talk (Mar 3, 2010 17:20 GMT)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has insisted the Glazers do not want to sell the club and questioned the practicality of the Red Knights' possible takeover bid.

McLeish happy to hear Yeung transfer advice (Mar 3, 2010 15:52 GMT)
Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish insists he will "not dismiss out of hand'' any possible signings put forward to him by Birmingham owner Carson Yeung and the board.

Spurs send Huddlestone to see specialist (Mar 3, 2010 14:06 GMT)
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone will consult a specialist after suffering ankle ligament damage during the victory over Everton at the weekend.

Coyle rejects claims Arsenal players are targeted (Mar 3, 2010 13:58 GMT)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has dismissed Arsene Wenger's claim that Arsenal's players are targeted by their Premier League opponents.

Arsene Wenger reveals interest in Felipe Melo (Mar 3, 2010 13:26 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has revealed Arsenal are still interested in signing Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo.

Man City's Johnson arrested over headbutt claim (Mar 3, 2010 12:22 GMT)
Manchester City's Michael Johnson is under investigation after allegedly headbutting a fan of rivals United in a nightclub, police said on Wednesday.

Liverpool lose Aurelio for up to three weeks (Mar 3, 2010 12:06 GMT)
Liverpool's defensive injury problems show no sign of subsiding following the news that Rafa Benitez expects Fabio Aurelio to be absent for up to three weeks.

West Ham's Sullivan reiterates Portsmouth fears (Mar 3, 2010 10:40 GMT)
David Sullivan has reiterated his fears that Portsmouth will "cease to exist" within the next six to 12 months following their return to the High Court to answer further questions posed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

Nani backs United's pursuit of Sporting star Veloso (Mar 3, 2010 10:07 GMT)
Nani believes his former team-mate Miguel Veloso has the necessary quality to play for Manchester United, should Sir Alex Ferguson firm up his interest in the midfielder.

United report improved financial results (Mar 3, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Manchester United's owners have strengthened their financial position despite the protests against them after releasing figures showing increases in revenue and profits.

Sir Alex supports Shawcross over tackle (Mar 3, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross after his leg-shattering tackle on Aaron Ramsey was condemned by Arsene Wenger as "horrendous" and "no coincidence".

Mellberg backs fellow Swede Elmander to deliver (Mar 2, 2010 19:39 GMT)
Former Aston Villa captain Olof Mellberg has backed his Sweden team-mate Johan Elmander to deliver for Bolton. Elmander has struggled to live up to his £10 million price tag since joining the Premier League strugglers from Toulouse in 2008, scoring o

United chief Gill backs UEFA financial proposals (Mar 2, 2010 18:55 GMT)
Premier League clubs have no excuses if they fail to comply with UEFA's proposed rules on teams only spending what they earn, Manchester United chief executive David Gill claimed on Tuesday.

Red Knights hoping for boycott (Mar 2, 2010 14:48 GMT)
The group behind the proposed takeover of Manchester United is hoping 10,000-plus season ticket holders refuse to renew this summer to force the Glazers to sell up.

Chat LIVE with Soccernet's Robin Hackett (Mar 2, 2010 14:35 GMT)
Join us at 1500 GMT for a LIVE chat with Robin Hackett.

Ridgewell will face no action over McCarthy tackle (Mar 2, 2010 10:25 GMT)
Birmingham defender Liam Ridgewell is to face no Football Association action over his challenge on Wigan midfielder James McCarthy during Saturday's Premier League clash at St Andrew's.

Revenue demands probe into Pompey's finances (Mar 2, 2010 09:47 GMT)
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has insisted there must be a "full and independent investigation" into Portsmouth's finances - especially transactions which have taken place between the club and Balram Chainrai.

Liverpool ready to offer Mascherano new deal (Mar 2, 2010 09:25 GMT)
Liverpool are reportedly ready to offer Javier Mascherano a new contract to stave off interest from Barcelona in the summer.

Gazidis praises Wenger for transforming Gunners (Mar 2, 2010 08:48 GMT)
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has praised the work of manager Arsene Wenger but insisted "his legacy is not written yet".

Deco wants to leave Chelsea for Brazil in summer (Mar 2, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Chelsea midfielder Deco has revealed he hopes to leave the club this summer and return to his native Brazil to be closer to his children and play first team football.

Liverpool's Skrtel out until May with foot injury (Mar 2, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Liverpool will have to do without Martin Skrtel in their bid for Champions League football next season as the defender will be sidelined for virtually the rest of the season due to the broken metatarsal he sustained against Unirea Urziceni.

City financiers investigate takeover of Man Utd (Mar 1, 2010 22:18 GMT)
A group of well-connected Manchester United supporters have played the first hand of their attempts to wrest control of the club from the unpopular Glazer family's regime.

Hammers reveal cost of Icelandic regime (Mar 1, 2010 21:04 GMT)
The scope of West Ham's "ill-judged" spending over recent seasons has been been revealed in the club's latest accounts.

Neville to decide on future at season's end (Mar 1, 2010 17:15 GMT)
Gary Neville has shelved all thoughts about his future until the end of the season. The 35-year-old's present contract comes to an end this summer and, so far, there have been no hints he is going to get another one.

Steven Fletcher ruled out of Scotland friendly (Mar 1, 2010 15:38 GMT)
Burnley striker Steven Fletcher has been ruled out of Scotland's friendly against the Czech Republic on Wednesday after breaking a bone in his hand.

Michael Owen is "loving it" at Manchester United (Mar 1, 2010 15:27 GMT)
Manchester United striker Michael Owen insists he is very happy at Old Trafford.

Surgeon offers hope over Aaron Ramsey injury (Mar 1, 2010 15:14 GMT)
The surgeon who operated on Arsenal forward Eduardo's horrific leg injury has offered hope to Gunners fans praying Aaron Ramsey makes a full recovery from a similar setback.

Pompey face court after new taxman challenge (Mar 1, 2010 15:03 GMT)
Portsmouth must return to the High Court on Tuesday after Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs challenged their voluntary administration.

Tribunal sets £500k fee for Man Utd defender (Mar 1, 2010 12:43 GMT)
Burnley must pay Manchester United £500,000 plus add-ons for defender Richard Eckersley after the fee was determined by a Football Association tribunal.

We won it for Bridge, claims Man City star Barry (Mar 1, 2010 12:22 GMT)
Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry has paid tribute to the professionalism of Wayne Bridge and felt his team-mate's personal problems were a motivating factor in their 4-2 defeat of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Carragher hails Torres (Mar 1, 2010 12:13 GMT)
Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher hailed the "special" talents of Fernando Torres, expressing hope the player would come through Spain's midweek friendly against France unscathed to spearhead the club's bid for Champions League football next sea

Kiwi still interested in buying Portsmouth (Mar 1, 2010 11:36 GMT)
New Zealand businessman Victor Cattermole is still interested in buying Portsmouth, despite the Premier League's bottom club club going into admistration and facing a nine point deduction.

Fifth Official: Building Bridges (Mar 1, 2010 10:34 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Premier League clubs borrow from money lender (Mar 1, 2010 08:42 GMT)
A private individual has loaned three Premier League clubs "tens of millions" as some of the elite have already spent TV revenues and season tickets for forthcoming seasons.

Sullivan: Hammers planned player fire sale (Mar 1, 2010 08:00 GMT)
West Ham United would have been forced to sell £8 million worth of players in January, £16 million in the summer and £20 million if they were relegated had the club not fallen into new hands, co-owner David Sullivan told Soccernet.


English FA Cup
In-form Carew sweating over FA Cup fitness (Mar 30, 2010 11:53 GMT)
In-form striker John Carew is sweating on his chances of being fit for Aston Villa's FA Cup semi-final showdown with Chelsea after suffering a back injury that saw him leave Stamford Bridge in pain on Saturday following the humiliating 7-1 Premier Le

Redknapp reminds O'Hara of Spurs allegiance (Mar 23, 2010 17:25 GMT)
Harry Redknapp sent a stern reminder to Jamie O'Hara that his ultimate loyalties lie with Tottenham after the midfielder admitted he wants Fulham to knock Spurs out of the FA Cup.

FA has no plans to kick Portsmouth out of FA Cup (Mar 8, 2010 09:34 GMT)
Portsmouth will have to make special representation to the FA to collect their £1 million-plus TV and prize money for reaching the FA cup semi-finals - but there are absolutely no plans to kick them out of the tournament.

Chelsea pull Villa, Pompey await Londoners in draw (Mar 7, 2010 18:13 GMT)
Holders Chelsea are set to face Aston Villa at Wembley after the draw for the semi-finals was completed after their 2-0 quarter-final defeat of Stoke City.

McLeish preparing for "siege" at Fratton Park (Mar 6, 2010 15:41 GMT)
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish believes it is right crisis club Portsmouth are still part of the FA Cup but warned his players to beware of the "siege mentality'' at Fratton Park ahead of Saturday's quarter-final clash.

Utaka hoping for Pompey FA Cup silver lining (Mar 5, 2010 13:57 GMT)
Portsmouth forward John Utaka is determined his side can cut through the gloom enveloping the south-coast club by booking another Wembley date with victory in Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Birmingham.


English Carling Cup
O'Neill accuses referee Dowd of making up rules (Mar 5, 2010 17:09 GMT)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has accused referee Phil Dowd of "making up the rules as he went along" during the Carling Cup final.

Poll: Dowd used common sense on Vidic foul (Mar 1, 2010 11:03 GMT)
Former Premier League referee Graham Poll believes Phil Dowd used a technicality in the rules to avoid sending off Nemanja Vidic during Manchester United's Carling Cup victory over Aston Villa on Sunday.


England
England finalise Mexico friendly details (Mar 17, 2010 16:44 GMT)
England's penultimate friendly before the World Cup, against Mexico at Wembley, will be played on Monday, May 24 at 8pm.

Beckham "feeling positive" after surgery in Finland (Mar 16, 2010 17:54 GMT)
David Beckham says he is "feeling positive'' following surgery on his Achilles tendon.


Spanish National Team
Vicente Del Bosque plays down Spain chances (Mar 25, 2010 13:00 GMT)
Vicente del Bosque has warned Spain supporters not to get carried away with pre-tournament expectations of success this summer.

Cisse gets France call-up (Mar 1, 2010 10:02 GMT)
Panathinaikos forward Djibril Cisse has been called up to the France squad as cover for injured striker Louis Saha despite his furious rant after initially missing out.

Eduardo Alvarez: Undercover at the Calderon (Mar 1, 2010 09:53 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez attends the Vicente Calderon at the end of a busy week in La Liga.


Spanish Primera Liga
Barca goalkeeper Pinto set for contract extension (Mar 30, 2010 11:58 GMT)
Barcelona reserve goalkeeper Jose Pinto is on the verge of signing a new one-year contract with the Spanish and European champions.

Phil Ball: Out on the edges (Mar 29, 2010 10:20 GMT)
Phil Ball's trip to Espanyol confirms that the gap is widening in the Primera Division.

Pellegrini admits Real concerns despite derby win (Mar 29, 2010 09:51 GMT)
Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini felt his side were full value for their derby victory over Atletico but was concerned that the Rojiblancos were able to net two goals at the Bernabeu.

La Liga: Real edge past Atleti (Mar 28, 2010 20:19 GMT)
Goals from Giuseppe Rossi, Joseba Llorente and substitute Robert Pires sealed a comfortable 3-0 win for Villarreal over Sevilla.

Primera Liga: Ibrahimovic wins it for Barcelona (Mar 28, 2010 00:03 GMT)
Barcelona provisionally moved back to the top of the Primera Division standings by becoming only the second team to take points off Real Mallorca at their Ono Estadi this season.

Tiago hopes for permanent Atletico Madrid move (Mar 26, 2010 11:18 GMT)
On loan Atletico Madrid midfielder Tiago Mendes has revealed he would like to make his move to the Spanish club permanent, insisting he has no desire to rejoin struggling parent club Juventus.

Sevilla assistant Alvarez named caretaker coach (Mar 26, 2010 10:59 GMT)
Sevilla assistant coach Antonio Alvarez will take charge of the the first team until the end of the season, the La Liga club confirmed on Friday. Alvarez takes over from Manolo Jimenez who was sacked following Tuesday's 1-1 draw against rock-bottom X

The Soccernet Quiniela - Week 18 - Crunch time (Mar 26, 2010 08:47 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez previews La Liga's weekend matches in the Soccernet Quiniela.

Liga: Real hoping to down Atletico in Madrid derby (Mar 25, 2010 14:07 GMT)
Real Madrid will hope to strike a big blow in the Primera Division title race this weekend when they play host to mercurial local rivals Atletico while Barcelona make the potentially tough trip to Real Mallorca.

Alves backs Ibra to resume early season form (Mar 25, 2010 12:34 GMT)
Barcelona defender Dani Alves hopes team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goals against Real Zaragoza and Osasuna over the last few days will help the striker resume his early season form.

Primera Liga: Late show boosts Barcelona (Mar 24, 2010 23:38 GMT)
Late goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bojan Krkic gave victory to an off-colour Barca side at home to Osasuna on Wednesday evening.

Fifth-placed Sevilla sack Jimenez after draw (Mar 24, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Sevilla have sacked manager Manolo Jimenez after their winless run stretched to seven games with a 1-1 home draw to bottom placed Xerez in La Liga on Tuesday night.

La Liga: Sevilla and Depor slip up in top-four chase (Mar 23, 2010 23:43 GMT)
Sevilla's aspirations of securing Champions League football next season suffered a damaging blow on Tuesday night as an injury-time goal gave lowly Xerez a 1-1 draw at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Barcelona boss Guardiola facing disciplinary action (Mar 23, 2010 17:40 GMT)
Barcelona have confirmed that the Spanish football federation have initiated disciplinary proceedings against coach Pep Guardiola.

Sevilla chief calls for fans to back new coach (Mar 23, 2010 11:06 GMT)
Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido has called on the club's fans to stick by the team as new coach Antonio Alvarez attempts to turn around their fortunes.

Pep Guardiola running out of words for Leo Messi (Mar 22, 2010 10:27 GMT)
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola admits he has run out of superlatives to describe Lionel Messi following another stunning performance from the Argentinian ace.

La Liga: Real Madrid battle back against Gijon (Mar 21, 2010 20:41 GMT)
Real Madrid continued their perfect home record and provisionally moved three points clear at the top of Primera Division, but they were given a scare by Sporting Gijon when winning 3-1 on Saturday night.

La Liga: Magical Messi sees Barca past Zaragoza (Mar 21, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Lionel Messi continued his remarkable goalscoring form with a hat-trick as Barcelona moved level once more with Real Madrid at the Primera Liga summit with a 4-2 victory at Real Zaragoza.

Sanchez to undergo heart op in bid to save career (Mar 20, 2010 12:48 GMT)
Sevilla defender Sergio Sanchez has decided to undergo heart surgery in Germany in a bid to save his playing career, after being told in early January to stop all physical activity for the time being due to a heart condition.

The Soccernet Quiniela - Week 17 - Relegation Struggles (Mar 19, 2010 09:11 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez previews La Liga's weekend matches in the Soccernet Quiniela.

Bayern Munich will not 'automatically' sell Ribery (Mar 18, 2010 15:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Franck Ribery could remain with the club next year even if he fails to sign a new deal.

Liga: On-form Messi looks to help Barca keep pace (Mar 18, 2010 12:23 GMT)
Barcelona will hope playmaker Lionel Messi can continue his majestic recent form this weekend as the reigning champions seek to keep pace with Primera Division leaders Real Madrid.

Real aim to tie hat-trick hero Higuain to new deal (Mar 15, 2010 15:39 GMT)
Real Madrid general director Jorge Valdano has revealed the club are in talks with Gonzalo Higuain over a new deal which he hopes will keep the striker at the club for the rest of his career.

Lessons from Lyon (Mar 15, 2010 08:50 GMT)
Phil Ball looks at the lessons of Lyon for Madrid and another sublime show from Lionel Messi.

Barca assistant credits Henry for Valencia victory (Mar 14, 2010 23:23 GMT)
Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova hailed Thierry Henry as the key to their 3-0 Primera Division win over Valencia at the Nou Camp.

Liga: Messi hits hat-trick, Madrid thrash Valladolid (Mar 14, 2010 20:06 GMT)
Barcelona beat Champions League hopefuls Valencia 3-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday thanks to a spectacular hat-trick from Lionel Messi.

Peyret: How do you solve a problem like Kaka? (Mar 13, 2010 22:27 GMT)
Didac Peyret explains why Kaka has failed to reproduce his best form in his first season at Real Madrid.

Liga: Deportivo hold Sevilla, Getafe beat Mallorca (Mar 13, 2010 21:24 GMT)
Champions League-chasing Real Mallorca's poor away form returned to haunt them as they slumped to a heavy 3-0 defeat at Getafe, whose own European hopes received a big boost.

Real playmaker Kaka sidelined for Valladolid clash (Mar 13, 2010 13:22 GMT)
Real Madrid playmaker Kaka has been ruled out of Sunday's Primera Division trip to Real Valladolid through injury.

The Soccernet Quiniela - Week 16 - Karma at work (Mar 12, 2010 10:05 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez previews La Liga's weekend matches in the Soccernet Quiniela.

Peyret: De la Pena: Born under a bad sign (Mar 11, 2010 09:32 GMT)
Didac Peyret charts the career of Ivan de la Pena - a very individual talent who has divided opinion.

Palacios reveals ambition to play for Real Madrid (Mar 10, 2010 11:50 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Wilson Palacios has admitted that he dreams of playing for Real Madrid, though he remains happy at White Hart lane at present. Palacios has b

Cruyff believes Barca players have to work harder (Mar 8, 2010 13:21 GMT)
Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff has told the team they must work harder if they are to recover their form.

Jose Reyes furious after red card at Real Zaragoza (Mar 8, 2010 10:45 GMT)
Atletico Madrid winger Jose Reyes was left seething following his dismissal during Sunday night's 1-1 draw at Real Zaragoza, claiming he was innocent of any wrong-doing.

Xerez target miracle escape after Malaga victory (Mar 8, 2010 10:19 GMT)
Xerez`s players were given renewed belief they can achieve a "miracle" and avoid relegation following their impressive 4-2 away victory over Malaga.

Phil Ball: Marauding Madrid (Mar 8, 2010 09:04 GMT)
Phil Ball on the weekend's La Liga action, as Real Madrid overtook Barcelona at the top.

La Liga: Mallorca maintain Champions Lge push (Mar 7, 2010 21:23 GMT)
Real Mallorca swept aside Sporting Gijon 3-0 in La Liga on Sunday to keep up their push for a place in next season's Champions League.

Toure looks to the future following Barca draw (Mar 7, 2010 12:50 GMT)
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure was quick to switch his attention to next week's testing clash with third-placed Valencia after seeing his side drop two points at 13th-placed Almeria.

Real Madrid late show delights boss Pellegrini (Mar 7, 2010 12:45 GMT)
Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini hailed his side's last-gasp victory over Sevilla as "psychologically important".

La Liga: Real go top after dramatic win over Sevilla (Mar 6, 2010 21:55 GMT)
Barcelona twice came from behind to claim a point at Almeria in a match blighted by some bizarre refereeing decisions from Carlos Clos Gomez.

Barca coach Guardiola wants Henry back on form (Mar 5, 2010 16:10 GMT)
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has called on Thierry Henry to rediscover the form which saw him plunder 26 goals in the club's glittering campaign last term.

Peyret: How Higuain has silenced the doubters (Mar 5, 2010 14:05 GMT)
Didac Peyret examines a successful season for Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain.

Higuain on ketchup advice (Mar 5, 2010 12:42 GMT)
Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain has revealed he received a valuable piece of advice from former team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy when he arrived at the Bernabeu - to treat goals like ketchup.

The Soccernet Quiniela - Week 15 - La Furia are ready (Mar 5, 2010 10:23 GMT)
Eduardo Alvarez previews La Liga's weekend matches in the Soccernet Quiniela.

Liga: Ramos wary of Navas as Madrid face Sevilla (Mar 4, 2010 14:27 GMT)
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has again heaped glowing praise on "extraordinary" Sevilla winger Jesus Navas ahead of this weekend's Primera Division showdown between the two high-flying clubs at the Bernabeu.

LFP chief says tax demands are not disrespectful (Mar 4, 2010 11:09 GMT)
Liga National de Futbol Profesional (LFP) chief executive Francisco Roca has insisted the body's demands for better tax rates across football are not insensitive in the country's current economic plight.

Ronaldo confident Real Madrid can win title (Mar 2, 2010 11:32 GMT)
Cristiano Ronaldo is confident he will end his first season at Real Madrid as a Primera Division title winner.

Didac Peyret: Guti remains a man of conflict (Mar 1, 2010 10:54 GMT)
Didac Peyret takes a closer look at the much-maligned Real Madrid midfielder Guti.


Italian National Team
Toto Schillaci: One-hit wonder (Mar 26, 2010 09:25 GMT)
Tom Adams remembers when Italian World Cup Legend Toto Schillaci took the world by storm in 1990.

Dino Zoff: Timeless class (Mar 19, 2010 09:14 GMT)
Tom Adams charts the long and glorious career of our next World Cup Legend, Dino Zoff.

Lippi backs Balotelli but plays down Italy hopes (Mar 16, 2010 13:48 GMT)
Inter Milan outcast Mario Balotelli has received the backing of Italy coach Marcelo Lippi.

Totti could make himself available for Italy (Mar 11, 2010 18:32 GMT)
Francesco Totti is considering coming out of international retirement for this summer's World Cup.

Ancelotti has no interest in taking Italy job (Mar 3, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has insisted he is not interested in replacing Marcello Lippi as coach of Italy after the World Cup.

Mancini: I want to coach Italy in the future (Mar 2, 2010 16:57 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has revealed he would love to coach Italy in the future and insisted he plans to remain at Manchester city for "many years".

Lippi confirms Nesta will not make Italy return (Mar 1, 2010 15:55 GMT)
Italy coach Marcello Lippi has revealed Alessandro Nesta will not be coming out of international retirement.

Zidane would never apologise to Materazzi (Mar 1, 2010 12:56 GMT)
France legend Zinedine Zidane "would rather die" than apologise to Marco Materazzi, whom he headbutted during the 2006 World Cup final.


Italian Serie A
Italian authorities demand one-year ban for Mutu (Mar 31, 2010 15:12 GMT)
Italy's anti-doping prosecutor is demanding that Adrian Mutu receives a one-year ban after twice failing a drugs test earlier this year.

Prandelli happy to commit future to Fiorentina (Mar 31, 2010 11:00 GMT)
Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli has confirmed he has no plans to leave the club in the summer, after being heavily linked with a move to Juventus.

Trapattoni reveals he turned down Juventus job (Mar 31, 2010 07:09 GMT)
Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni has revealed that he turned down the Juventus job in favour of the challenge of steering the Irish towards Euro 2012 qualification. "It was impossible to divide my time between Ireland and a club," Trapat

Mourinho: I am not happy in Italian football (Mar 31, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has admitted he is "very happy at Inter, but not in Italian football", fuelling speculation that his dislike for both the Italian media and football federation could lead to him exiting the San Siro this summer.

"I am not happy in Italian football," says Mourinho (Mar 30, 2010 21:36 GMT)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho says he is "not happy in Italian football.''

Sacchi: Euro distraction will cost Inter the title (Mar 30, 2010 13:04 GMT)
Former Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi believes the Champions League is proving a distraction for Inter Milan and has tipped Roma to usurp the reigning Serie A champions.

Zebina in racism allegation (Mar 29, 2010 14:20 GMT)
Juventus defender Jonathan Zebina claimed he was the victim of racism after being hit by a fan on Sunday. Zebina was slapped on the back of the head by a Juve supporter as he was about to enter the team's bus.

Mario Balotell's agent rubbishes Milan move talk (Mar 29, 2010 11:36 GMT)
Mario Balotelli's agent has dismissed suggestions that the young forward is keen to swap Inter Milan for rivals AC Milan in the summer.

Fiorentina expect Prandelli to ignore lure of Juve (Mar 29, 2010 09:22 GMT)
Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli will almost certainly be staying at the club, according to sporting director Pantaleo Corvino. Speculation in the Italian press has linked Prandelli with a move to Juventus this summer

Leonardo: Milan still favourites (Mar 29, 2010 09:06 GMT)
Leonardo remains convinced that AC Milan are favourites to win the Serie A title despite a 1-1 draw with Lazio at the weekend that leaves them in third place, three points behind rivals and leaders Inter Milan.

Serie A: Disappointing Milan held by Lazio (Mar 28, 2010 16:40 GMT)
Felipe Melo headed an 82nd-minute winner as Juventus claimed a vital 2-1 victory over Atalanta following back-to-back league defeats.

Ranieri hails Roma players after Inter scalp (Mar 27, 2010 21:52 GMT)
Roma coach Claudio Ranieri hailed his team's battling spirit after they beat Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

Sampdoria president insists Cassano staying put (Mar 26, 2010 10:44 GMT)
Sampdoria president Riccardo Garrone has warned interested clubs against making a move for star striker Antonio Cassano this summer, insisting he is "Sampdoria's heart".

Serie A: Italy prepares for the 'match of the year' (Mar 25, 2010 14:56 GMT)
Roma coach Claudio Ranieri is thrilled with the way his troops are playing ahead of Saturday's "match of the year" against title rivals Inter Milan.

Serie A: Eto'o double helps Inter extend lead (Mar 24, 2010 23:16 GMT)
Inter Milan extended their lead at the top of the Serie A table to four points as they recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory over bottom club Livorno at the San Siro.

AC Milan midfielder Flamini happy at San Siro (Mar 24, 2010 09:39 GMT)
AC Milan midfielder Mathieu Flamini would rather remain at the San Siro than return to England amid reports the Rossoneri are set to offer the France international a new deal.

Juventus goalkeeper Buffon not going anywhere (Mar 24, 2010 08:26 GMT)
Juventus director Roberto Bettega insists goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is not for sale and is confident he will still be between the posts for the Serie A giants next season.

Inzaghi targets title for Beckham and Nesta (Mar 23, 2010 06:59 GMT)
AC Milan veteran Filippo Inzaghi has urged his team-mates to swiftly get over the disappointment of not going top at the weekend and push on for the Scudetto. And he said the Milan squad wants to win the title for injured stars David Beckham a

Balotelli risks Inter future by wearing Milan shirt (Mar 22, 2010 22:32 GMT)
Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli appears to have put his future at the club in further jeopardy after posing in an AC Milan shirt on a television show.

Alexandre Pato suffers injury setback (Mar 22, 2010 18:40 GMT)
AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato faces another spell on the sidelines after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Napoli.

Del Piero reveals Juve's plan to recover form (Mar 22, 2010 11:41 GMT)
Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero has revealed the players have asked for an extra day's preparation as they prepare to put their "devastating'' week firmly behind them.

"Honoured" Mancini dismisses Juventus link (Mar 21, 2010 16:35 GMT)
Roberto Mancini could be set to quit Manchester City in the summer to return to Italy and take the reins at Juventus, according to reports in the English press.

Serie A: Milan stumble to draw with Napoli (Mar 21, 2010 16:29 GMT)
Inter Milan's hopes of a fifth successive Serie A title suffered a setback on Saturday evening as Jose Mourinho's side were held 1-1 at Palermo.

Serie A: Inter slip up again, Vucinic hits three (Mar 20, 2010 22:06 GMT)
Inter Milan's hopes of a fifth successive Serie A title suffered a setback on Saturday evening as Jose Mourinho's side were held 1-1 at Palermo.

Lazio boss Reja issues ultimatum over psychologist (Mar 20, 2010 13:31 GMT)
Lazio coach Edy Reja has blasted the club's owner Caludio Lotito for hiring a sports psychologist behind his back in a bid to help improve the Biancocelesti's fortunes, with Reja insisting that he may leave the club if he is not allowed to run

Serie A: Inter welcome Mourinho back to the bench (Mar 18, 2010 11:57 GMT)
Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti is glad to have Jose Mourinho back on the bench for Saturday's Serie A match at Palermo.

Mourinho able to walk away from Inter at any time (Mar 18, 2010 08:41 GMT)
Jose Mourinho says he is free to leave Inter Milan at any point during the next three years of his contract.

Colomba ends the Bologna malaise (Mar 18, 2010 08:30 GMT)
Roberto Gotta on the story of Bologna, who look safe in Serie A for another season.

Marco Materazzi questions Mario Balotelli attitude (Mar 17, 2010 15:04 GMT)
Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi has told Mario Balotelli "the door is open" if he wants to leave the club.

Nesta to return to action within a month (Mar 16, 2010 06:59 GMT)
AC Milan were handed a silver lining following David Beckham's injury when it was revealed Alessandro Nesta should be back in action in around a month.

Serie A: Roma miss chance, Milan leave it late (Mar 14, 2010 18:03 GMT)
AS Roma failed to put extra pressure on stuttering leaders Inter Milan when they were held to a 3-3 draw at lowly Livorno amid a flurry of goals in Serie A on Sunday.

Milan defender Alessandro Nesta set for surgery (Mar 13, 2010 19:21 GMT)
AC Milan have confirmed defender Alessandro Nesta will have an operation on his knee on Monday.

Injured Nesta could miss the rest of the season (Mar 12, 2010 13:56 GMT)
AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta has been told that he may have to undergo surgery on his injured knee, meaning he could be out of action for the rest of the season.

Palermo striker Hernandez won't leave, says agent (Mar 12, 2010 11:16 GMT)
The agent of Palermo striker Abel Hernandez has played down speculation that his client will leave the Italian club this summer and move to Premier League side Arsenal.

Serie A: Milan coach Leonardo looks to move on (Mar 11, 2010 14:21 GMT)
AC Milan coach Leonardo has already forgotten his team's 4-0 humiliation at Manchester United in the Champions League and is focused on challenging for the Serie A title.

Melo urges Juventus to make summer signings (Mar 10, 2010 13:47 GMT)
Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo believes the club desperately need some new signings this summer if they are to close the gap on reigning champions and current Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

Fiorentina chief insists Prandelli will remain coach (Mar 10, 2010 11:58 GMT)
Fiorentina president Diego Della Valle insists coach Cesare Prandelli will remain at the club next season, despite rumours linking the former Juventus player with a return to the Old Lady.

Inter chief Moratti frustrated at dropped points (Mar 8, 2010 16:49 GMT)
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti was left frustrated by his side's failure to extend their lead at the top of Serie A on Sunday.

FIGC chief questions FIFA 'mistake' on technology (Mar 8, 2010 14:34 GMT)
Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete believes FIFA is making a mistake by refusing to experiment with goal line technology.

Cagliari coach Allegri rejects Milan and Juve talk (Mar 8, 2010 11:47 GMT)
Cagliari boss Massimiliano Allegri insists he will respect his contract despite being linked with a move to a number of top Serie A clubs.

Balotelli agent plays down talk of new Inter deal (Mar 8, 2010 11:37 GMT)
Mario Balotelli's agent has played down media reports suggesting the Inter Milan striker is set to sign a new deal.

Serie A: Lacklustre Inter held by battling Genoa (Mar 7, 2010 17:31 GMT)
Palermo regained fourth place in Serie A on Sunday when Fabrizio Miccoli's late goal gave them a 1-0 home win over relegation-threatened Livorno.

Serie A: Roma and Milan draw, Juve go fourth (Mar 6, 2010 20:38 GMT)
Juventus moved back into the top four in Serie A thanks to a narrow victory over Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Juve chief denies Domenech will take coach's job (Mar 6, 2010 17:11 GMT)
Juventus president Jean-Claude Blanc insists "there is no possibility" of Raymond Domenech taking charge of the Serie A giants in the summer.

Borriello wants Inter striker Balotelli at Milan (Mar 5, 2010 11:50 GMT)
AC Milan striker Marco Borriello has revealed he would love Mario Balotelli to come and join him at the Rossoneri from city rivals Inter. Balotelli has impressed with some scintillating displays for Inter this season, but his inconsistency has

Serie A: AC Milan seek Roma victory without Pato (Mar 4, 2010 13:43 GMT)
Saturday's game between Roma and AC Milan in the Italian capital is the best Serie A has to offer, according to Adriano Galliani.

Moratti confident Mourinho will stay with Inter (Mar 2, 2010 10:46 GMT)
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti is confident Jose Mourinho will remain at the San Siro despite persistent rumours over his future.


German National Team
Schweinsteiger not expecting Kuranyi recall (Mar 30, 2010 13:50 GMT)
Bastian Schweinsteiger feels there is no chance of Joachim Low recalling in-form Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi to the Germany squad for this summer's World Cup finals.

Beckenbauer: Low must end Kuranyi feud (Mar 29, 2010 10:11 GMT)
Franz Beckenbauer has urged Joachim Low to reconsider his stance on Kevin Kuranyi after seeing the ostracised striker lead the Bundesliga goalscoring charts this season.

Germany's 'keeper conundrum (Mar 17, 2010 08:46 GMT)
Jon Carter highlights the inexperience Germany have in one of their most important positions.

Beckenbauer rasies fears over Germany's Adler (Mar 15, 2010 10:09 GMT)
Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer has accused the country's first-choice goalkeeper Rene Adler of making "one error after the other" following an unconvincing performance against Hamburg at the weekend.

Franz Beckenbauer: Der Kaiser (Mar 12, 2010 17:44 GMT)
Tom Adams explains why Franz Beckenbauer is a World Cup legend thanks to his exploits with West Germany.

Hesse: German football scandals blown out of proportion (Mar 9, 2010 08:58 GMT)
Uli Hesse pours cold water on suggestions that German football is falling apart after a recent spate of scandals.

Klinsmann backs Germany to shine under Low (Mar 6, 2010 15:20 GMT)
Jurgen Klinsmann has tipped Germany for glory at this summer's World Cup and claims the insecurity over the future of current national team coach Joachim Low will not affect the players.

Bundesliga: Van Gaal looking for Bayern double (Mar 4, 2010 14:45 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal has hinted he may leave the club to become Germany coach this summer, should his side's current success continue.

Maradona targets World Cup after Germany win (Mar 4, 2010 09:52 GMT)
Argentina boss Diego Maradona claims his side will be going to South Africa with realistic ambitions of winning the World Cup this summer.

Sammer expects Low to stick with Germany (Mar 3, 2010 13:40 GMT)
DFB technical director Matthias Sammer does not believe coach Joachim Low will walk away from the Germany national team when his contract expires after this summer's World Cup.


German Bundesliga
Cacau to leave Stuttgart in the summer (Mar 31, 2010 14:37 GMT)
Cacau is to leave Stuttgart as a free agent at the end of the season after rejecting the club's latest contract offer. The 29-year-old Brazilian-born Germany international has featured regularly for Stuttgart this season, and has eight goals in 20 ap

Robben set to return for Bayern at Schalke (Mar 31, 2010 11:08 GMT)
Arjen Robben is set to return for Bayern Munich when they travel to face league-leaders Schalke in a crunch Bundesliga match on Saturday.

Former Arsenal keeper Lehmann to retire (Mar 30, 2010 14:48 GMT)
Stuttgart goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will retire from football at the end of the Bundesliga season.

Hesse: Magath finding the winning move (Mar 30, 2010 09:30 GMT)
Uli Hesse examines how Felix Magath's love of chess has helped put Schalke on the brink of a shock title.

Bundesliga: Monchengladbach humble Hamburg (Mar 28, 2010 19:02 GMT)
Hamburg's hopes of playing in Europe next season suffered another blow this afternoon as they went down 1-0 at Borussia Monchengladbach.

Bundesliga: Schalke capitalise as Bayern slip up (Mar 27, 2010 21:31 GMT)
Two goals from Kevin Kuranyi took Schalke to the top of the Bundesliga standings with six games of the season remaining as the Royal Blues triumphed 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen.

Stuttgart hopeful of keeping striker Cacau (Mar 26, 2010 16:24 GMT)
Stuttgart director of sport Horst Heldt believes Germany international Cacau will soon commit himself to a new deal with the club.

Bundesliga: Title race looks ready to heat up (Mar 25, 2010 16:00 GMT)
This weekend sees the first of three consecutive matchdays which could go a long way in determining who will be crowned champions of Germany this season.

Van Gaal hails Robben heroics on terrible pitch (Mar 25, 2010 14:20 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal thanked Arjen Robben for booking his side's place in the final of the DFB-Pokal.

Schuster on verge of taking Ivory Coast job (Mar 23, 2010 17:03 GMT)
Former Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster claims he is on the verge of accepting an offer to coach the Ivory Coast at the World Cup.

Van Gaal claims rivals can't cope with pressure (Mar 23, 2010 15:01 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal believes his side's rivals are getting cold feet.

Elia lashes out at Hamburg over injury agony (Mar 23, 2010 12:05 GMT)
Hamburg midfielder Eljero Elia has criticised his club for unnecessarily dragging out his injury agony.

DFB hit Nurnberg in pocket for crowd trouble (Mar 23, 2010 11:05 GMT)
Bundesliga side Nurnberg will be allowed to sell only a limited number of tickets for their away games in Freiburg and Hamburg after their supporters caused trouble at a recent match against Bochum.

Hamburg goalkeeper signs new two-year contract (Mar 22, 2010 23:21 GMT)
Hamburg have put their faith in Frank Rost's back-up goalkeeper Wolfgang Hesl by extending his contract until 2012.

Wolfsburg coach wants patience after horror loss (Mar 22, 2010 11:29 GMT)
Wolfsburg coach Lorenz-Gunther Kostner pleaded for "a little bit of understanding'' after his side were thrashed 5-1 by rock-bottom Hertha Berlin.

Magath bemoans killer instinct after another draw (Mar 22, 2010 10:30 GMT)
Schalke manager Felix Magath was left to rue a missed opportunity after his side made up only a point in league leaders Bayern Munich with a 2-2 draw in Hamburg.

Bundesliga: Bayern stunned, Bayer slip up (Mar 20, 2010 17:46 GMT)
Bayern Munich lost in the Bundesliga for the first time since September as two late goals earned Eintracht Frankfurt a dramatic 2-1 win at the Waldstadion.

Bundesliga: Title-chasing Schalke held by Hamburg (Mar 20, 2010 16:57 GMT)
Schalke missed a chance to grab the lead in the German Bundesliga as they could only claim a share of the points in an entertaining 2-2 encounter at Hamburg.

Berlin fans handed three-year stadium bans (Mar 19, 2010 15:07 GMT)
Hertha Berlin have banned 23 fans for three years following ugly scenes at the Olympia Stadion at the end of their 2-1 defeat to Nurnberg last weekend.

Bundesliga: Title hopefuls facing difficult matches (Mar 18, 2010 12:50 GMT)
The race for the Bundesliga title begins in earnest this weekend with the three candidates Bayern Munich, Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen all facing tricky away games.

Van Bommel signs contract extension at Bayern (Mar 17, 2010 12:24 GMT)
Bayern Munich captain Mark van Bommel has agreed a new contract which ties him to the Bundesliga leaders until the end of next season.

Ze Roberto rules out New York Red Bulls switch (Mar 17, 2010 11:39 GMT)
Hamburg's veteran midfielder Ze Roberto has ruled out a summer move to the New York Red Bulls.

Nerlinger eyes new superstar at Bayern Munich (Mar 16, 2010 15:33 GMT)
Bayern Munich director of sport Christian Nerlinger has told his club's fans they can look forward to seeing a new big name in their squad next season, regardless of whether Franck Ribery stays.

Hamburg's Ze Roberto tempted by MLS switch? (Mar 16, 2010 13:43 GMT)
Hamburg winger Ze Roberto has received a lucrative offer to end his career with the Red Bull New York, according to a report in Germany's Bild newspaper.

Hertha deny Funkel's job under threat after loss (Mar 15, 2010 13:24 GMT)
Hertha Berlin president Werner Gegenbauer does not believe the position of coach Friedhelm Funkel is under threat. The Hertha board met on Sunday night to discuss the club's predicament.

Ribery rebuffs attempts to start contract talks (Mar 15, 2010 12:59 GMT)
Franck Ribery has rebuffed Bayern Munich's first approach to commence negotiations over a new contract and told them to wait until the end of the season.

Van Gaal: Bayern were lucky to reclaim top spot (Mar 14, 2010 13:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal admitted his side had been lucky to get away with all three points against relegation-threatened Freiburg on Saturday.

Bundesliga: Hertha fans riot, Bayern fight back (Mar 13, 2010 19:48 GMT)
Dozens of angry Hertha Berlin fans, some armed with steel bars, stormed the Olympic stadium pitch on Saturday after a 2-1 loss to Nuremberg left the rock-bottom capital side contemplating relegation.

Schalke go top of Bundesliga and earn break (Mar 13, 2010 10:09 GMT)
Schalke's reward for moving to the top of the Bundesliga on Friday night was a special two-day holiday, although they will be getting back down to the grind after the weekend.

Bundesliga: Schalke 04 play down title chances (Mar 11, 2010 14:10 GMT)
The Bundesliga leadership could change hands for the third time in as many weeks this weekend as Schalke get the chance to stake their claim for silverware this season.

Bayern coach Van Gaal admits Ribery exit fears (Mar 10, 2010 15:11 GMT)
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal admits his side's progression to the Champions League quarter-finals does not guarantee that prized asset Franck Ribery is going to stay at the Allianz Arena.

On-loan Nurnberg defender Breno out for season (Mar 8, 2010 14:45 GMT)
Nurnberg's hopes of avoiding the drop have suffered a blow after it was confirmed on-loan central defender Breno will miss the rest of the season through injury.

Heynckes accuses players of lacking commitment (Mar 8, 2010 12:26 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen boss Jupp Heynckes accused his players of "lacking commitment and passion" after they slipped to their first defeat of the season at Nurnberg on Sunday.

Ribery claims trio of clubs interested in his services (Mar 8, 2010 09:50 GMT)
Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery has claimed there are a few clubs interested in taking him away from Germany in the summer and that he has yet to make up his mind over where he will end up.

Bundesliga: Leverkusen slump to shock first defeat (Mar 7, 2010 17:27 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen, unbeaten in their first 24 outings, finally lost their first Bundesliga game of the season when they went down 3-2 at lowly Nurnberg on Sunday.

Bundesliga: Podolski goal damages Bayern (Mar 6, 2010 17:21 GMT)
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich were frustrated on the road and had to settle for a solitary point at Cologne.

German ref Kempter suspended after revelations (Mar 5, 2010 14:39 GMT)
Michael Kempter, the referee at the centre of sexual harassment allegations against former German Football Association refereeing advisor Manfred Amerell, has been suspended from officiating this weekend.

Rummenigge: Bayern want Ribery, Kroos to stay (Mar 5, 2010 13:40 GMT)
Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has re-iterated the club's intentions to keep hold of star man Franck Ribery and promising youngster Toni Kroos at the end of the season.

Bayern Munich defender Demichelis facing lay-off (Mar 4, 2010 11:41 GMT)
Bayern Munich defender Martin Demichelis faces several weeks on the sidelines after breaking his jaw bone in Argentina's 1-0 win over Germany on Wednesday night.

DFB chief in court over sexual harassment case (Mar 4, 2010 11:21 GMT)
The president of the German Football Association, Dr Theo Zwanziger, will resign from his position if he loses the case being brought against him on Thursday by former referee Manfred Amerell.

Bayer Leverkusen content to finish second (Mar 3, 2010 14:37 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen coach Jupp Heynckes claims finishing runners-up to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga would still be a major achievement this season.

Mesut Ozil happy to bide his time over new deal (Mar 3, 2010 09:45 GMT)
Werder Bremen midfielder Mesut Ozil is playing for time as he continues to leave the club's fans in suspense over a new contract. The Germany international's current deal runs until 2011.

Van Gaal: I'd put money on Bayern title win (Mar 1, 2010 10:49 GMT)
Louis van Gaal is ready to put his money on Bayern Munich winning the title after his side moved top of the table for the first time this season with a 1-0 win over Hamburg on Sunday.


French National Team
Bayern Munich blast France over Ribery injury (Mar 20, 2010 15:35 GMT)
Bayern Munich are set to complain to FIFA over France's handling of Franck Ribery's ankle injury, with the Bundesliga club claiming he aggravated an existing problem by playing for Les Bleus in a friendly against Spain.

Didac Peyret: Cisse finds his place at Panathinaikos (Mar 1, 2010 12:44 GMT)
Didac Peyret examines the career of the eccentric Panathinaikos striker Djibril Cisse.


French Ligue 1
Fernandez delighted with Auxerre league position (Mar 30, 2010 11:42 GMT)
Auxerre boss Jean Fernandez believes his side can already claim to have had a successful season despite missing the chance to go two points clear at the top of Ligue 1 on Monday.

Ligue 1: Lille thrash Montpellier, Nice win again (Mar 28, 2010 19:26 GMT)
Nice made it a hat-trick of victories since new manager Eric Roy took charge as they beat Toulouse 2-0.

LFP president Thiriez disappointed with Lyon stance (Mar 25, 2010 10:40 GMT)
The president of the French football league Frederic Thiriez is "very disappointed" Lyon are showing a lack of "fair play" in the ongoing squabble over the date of their match against Grenoble.

Bordeaux midfielder Sertic ruled out for one month (Mar 24, 2010 12:21 GMT)
Bordeaux midfielder Gregory Sertic will be sidelined for around a month with a broken toe.

Bordeaux want Lyon-Grenoble game moved (Mar 23, 2010 15:08 GMT)
Bordeaux have confirmed they have appealed to the French League to move Lyon's match against Grenoble forward a day in order to "re-establish equilibrium'' between the two ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash.

Brassell: Excitement mounts in the Ligue 1 title race (Mar 23, 2010 13:48 GMT)
Andy Brassell looks at the latest movers and shakers in the most exciting Ligue 1 title race in years.

Egypt star Gedo hoping to secure Lyon switch (Mar 22, 2010 20:28 GMT)
Egypt attacker Mohamed 'Gedo' Nagy has revealed he is hoping to secure a move to Ligue 1 side Lyon.

Cris admits Lyon's title chances are over (Mar 22, 2010 12:05 GMT)
Lyon veteran Cris admits their title chances are in tatters following their 2-1 defeat at Marseille.

Ligue 1: Bordeaux fight back, Montpellier triumph (Mar 21, 2010 21:37 GMT)
Bordeaux stayed top of Ligue 1 after they came from behind to beat ten-man Lille 3-1 at the Stade Chaban-Delmas.

Ligue 1: Pedretti takes Auxerre top in France (Mar 20, 2010 20:48 GMT)
Benoit Pedretti's injury-time winner saw off spirited Le Mans and sent Auxerre top of the Ligue 1 table with a 2-1 win. Pedretti struck just two minutes after Thorstein Helstad thought he had snatched a point for Le Mans

Ligue 1: Hooliganism takes centre stage (Mar 18, 2010 13:01 GMT)
There will be as much scrutiny on off-field events this weekend in Ligue 1 as those on it despite the title race heading towards a nail-biting climax.

PSG fan dies after attack from fellow supporters (Mar 18, 2010 11:24 GMT)
A Paris St Germain fan attacked by supporters of his own club has died after weeks in a coma.

Ligue 1: Lille move in striking distance of leaders (Mar 14, 2010 20:55 GMT)
Lille capped an excellent week with a hard-fought win over Grenoble which moved them to within two points of the Ligue 1 summit.

Ligue 1: Bordeaux, Montpellier and Lyon held (Mar 13, 2010 21:19 GMT)
Bordeaux's recent slump continued as they failed to find a way past Monaco on Saturday.

Olle-Nicolle sacked as manager of Nice (Mar 10, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Nice have confirmed the sacking of coach Didier Olle-Nicolle after less than a year in charge of the Ligue 1 club.

Chamakh hails Bordeaux penalty hero Carrasso (Mar 8, 2010 12:41 GMT)
Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has hailed the performance of goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso during their 1-1 draw in the top-of-the-table clash against Montpellier on Sunday night.

Ligue 1: Montpellier saved after missing two pens (Mar 7, 2010 22:42 GMT)
Alberto Costa grabbed an injury-time equaliser for Montpellier at Bordeaux as the top two sides in Ligue 1 played out a 1-1 draw which also featured two missed penalties and a red card.

Marseille defender Heinze sidelined for three weeks (Mar 5, 2010 12:31 GMT)
Marseille defender Gabriel Heinze has been ruled out for three weeks after suffering a stress fracture to his fibula while on on international duty for Argentina in midweek.

Bordeaux to challenge LFP rescheduling decision (Mar 4, 2010 15:09 GMT)
Bordeaux are to challenge the decision of the LFP to reschedule their Ligue 1 match against Auxerre for March 10.

Coupet: PSG squad "responsible" for OM violence (Mar 3, 2010 18:53 GMT)
Paris St Germain goalkeeper Gregory Coupet admits he and his team-mates feel "strongly responsible'' for the outbursts of violence which tarnished the weekend's Classico against Marseille and left a fan in critical condition.

PSG striker Luyindula ruled out for three weeks (Mar 3, 2010 14:33 GMT)
Paris St Germain striker Peguy Luyindula will be out of action for around three weeks with a right knee injury.

Brandao back in training after hamstring injury (Mar 3, 2010 14:24 GMT)
Marseille striker Brandao resumed training on Wednesday morning after three weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Kombouare laments "catastrophic" PSG loss (Mar 1, 2010 11:18 GMT)
Paris St Germain coach Antoine Kombouare was left frustrated after seeing his team crash to a 3-0 defeat in the Classico against Marseille, calling it "catastrophic".


Dutch National Team
Braafheid: Dutch must overcome the hype (Mar 17, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Netherlands defender Edson Braafheid has insisted his team-mates must learn to live with the favourites tag they are so often handed before major tournaments.

Bouwes: Dutch clubs still facing financial peril (Mar 10, 2010 09:12 GMT)
Ernst Bouwes examines the increasingly perilous financial situation at some Dutch football clubs.

Van Marwijk agrees two-year contract extension (Mar 2, 2010 15:46 GMT)
Holland coach Bert van Marwijk has agreed a new two-year contract extension, the Dutch football association have confirmed.


Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie: Ajax cut Twente's lead to four points (Mar 29, 2010 15:11 GMT)
Ajax moved back to within four points of Eredivisie leaders FC Twente thanks to a routine win over FC Groningen.

Eredivisie: Ruiz treble helps Twente extend lead (Mar 27, 2010 23:14 GMT)
Bryan Ruiz scored a stunning hat-trick inside the first five minutes of the second half as FC Twente extended their lead at the top of the Eredivisie table with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Sparta Rotterdam.

Eredivisie: Suarez on target as Ajax hit five (Mar 21, 2010 14:28 GMT)
Luis Suarez scored twice in a dominant Ajax display as Eredivisie basement club RKC Waalwijk were brushed aside in a 5-1 victory at a sold-out Mandemakers Stadion.

Eredivisie: Twente hold PSV to stay in pole (Mar 20, 2010 21:39 GMT)
Feyenoord's contest with Vitesse Arnhem was abandoned at half-time on Saturday night due to heavy rain in Rotterdam.

PSV accept ban due to 'unpredictable justice' (Mar 18, 2010 14:40 GMT)
PSV Eindhoven have accepted the four-match ban imposed on Ibrahim Afellay because the Eredivisie club have no confidence in the suspension being reduced.

Advocaat says he is in frame to replace Hiddink (Mar 18, 2010 14:32 GMT)
AZ Alkmaar boss Dick Advocaat has denied being approached by Russia to succeed Guus Hiddink as manager, but believes he is on the shortlist.

Eredivisie: FC Twente capitalise to go above PSV (Mar 7, 2010 18:50 GMT)
FC Twente moved two points clear at the top of the Eredivisie thanks to a 1-0 win over bottom side RKC Waalwijk this afternoon.

Eredivisie: Breda inflict PSV's first defeat of season (Mar 6, 2010 22:19 GMT)
Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 2-1 at NAC Breda.

Andy van der Meyde joins PSV on short-term deal (Mar 3, 2010 14:48 GMT)
PSV Eindhoven have signed former Ajax and Inter Milan winger Andy van der Meyde until the end of the season.


Scottish National Team
Brown shows true worth of experience (Mar 16, 2010 08:55 GMT)
Neil Drysdale talks to Craig Brown as the Motherwell boss proves experience can be key.

Scotland boss Levein lines up Sweden friendly (Mar 4, 2010 19:10 GMT)
Craig Levein's second game in charge of Scotland will be in Sweden, the Scottish Football Association confirmed on Thursday.

Moir: Levein starts as he means to go on (Mar 4, 2010 10:58 GMT)
Andy Moir believes Craig Levein get off to an impressive start as Scotland manager when beating Czech Republic.

Levein relieved as Scotland beat Czech Republic (Mar 4, 2010 10:08 GMT)
Craig Levein has revealed pre-match nerves ahead of his first game as Scotland manager were the reason for his lack of celebrations when Scott Brown grabbed the winner against Czech Republic on Wednesday night.

McCulloch set to miss out on Scotland return (Mar 3, 2010 14:10 GMT)
Lee McCulloch's hopes of a first Scotland cap for almost two and a half years were all but dashed on Tuesday after manager Craig Levein confirmed the midfielder was "99.9%'' certain to miss the friendly against Czech Republic.

Fletcher: Levein has laid down the law to players (Mar 2, 2010 17:13 GMT)
Scotland skipper Darren Fletcher insists all the players are well aware they will suffer the consequences if they dare to repeat the infamous "boozegate'' affair under Craig Levein.

McFadden backs Scotland duo to beat jeers (Mar 1, 2010 12:48 GMT)
James McFadden joked that returning Scotland stars Lee McCulloch and Kris Boyd are "big enough and ugly enough" to take any stick that might come their way from the Tartan Army in Wednesday's friendly against the Czech Republic at Hampden.


Scottish Premier League
Hibernian star Zemmama sidelined for the season (Mar 31, 2010 13:19 GMT)
Hibernian have reportedly lost Merouane Zemmama for the remainder of the season after the midfielder suffered a knee injury.

Brown: Lennon a "great choice" for Celtic boss (Mar 30, 2010 17:26 GMT)
Celtic skipper Scott Brown believes Neil Lennon would be a "great choice'' to manage the club on a long-term basis.

McGhee faces summer rebuilding operation (Mar 30, 2010 10:44 GMT)
Andy Moir on a summer of rebuilding which lies ahead for Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee.

Scotland's richest man rules out Rangers bid (Mar 30, 2010 10:12 GMT)
Scottish businessman Jim McColl has revealed he has no intention of underwriting a fans' takeover bid for Rangers.

Thomson eyes new deal after joining 100 club (Mar 29, 2010 10:40 GMT)
Kevin Thomson is hoping to earn a new contract at Rangers. The midfielder, who has just over a year left on his current deal, reached a century of matches for the Ibrox club in the 4-1 win at Hearts on Saturday and wants to ensure he plays 100 more.

Rangers Trust hoping to launch takeover (Mar 29, 2010 06:59 GMT)
Rangers Supporters' Trust has confirmed it has submitted an "exploratory document'' to the club with the aim of taking over Sir David Murray's majority shareholding.

SPL Team of the Week - March 28 (Mar 28, 2010 17:45 GMT)
Neil McDougall picks out the top performers from the weekend's action in Scotland.

Smith keen to tie up Wilson's future with Gers (Mar 28, 2010 06:59 GMT)
Walter Smith expects Danny Wilson to pledge his future to Rangers this coming week after grabbing his first goal for the club as the Scottish champions claimed a 4-1 win over Hearts in the Premier League.

SPL: Lennon kicks off Celtic reign with victory (Mar 27, 2010 18:43 GMT)
Neil Lennon's first game as Celtic's interim manager saw Kilmarnock trounced 3-1 in a one-sided clash at Parkhead.

Starlet Fleck agrees long extension with Rangers (Mar 26, 2010 16:29 GMT)
John Fleck has agreed a new deal with Rangers which keeps him at Ibrox until the summer of 2013.

Lennon wants Celtic manager's job permanently (Mar 26, 2010 13:53 GMT)
Celtic caretaker boss Neil Lennon says he wants to manage the Hoops on a permanent basis after taking over from Tony Mowbray at Parkhead on an initial deal until the end of the season.

New Celtic assistant Mjallby vows to restore pride (Mar 26, 2010 08:36 GMT)
Johan Mjallby has vowed to help Neil Lennon restore Celtic's "winning mentality'' after confirming he had agreed to assist the club's interim manager. Former Parkhead skippers Lennon and Mjallby will take charge of the team until a permanent successo

Drysdale: Bhoys left with Mowbray mess (Mar 25, 2010 16:40 GMT)
Neil Drysdale examines the reasons behind Tony Mowbray's departure from Celtic on Thursday.

Mowbray leaves Celtic (Mar 25, 2010 14:59 GMT)
Manager Tony Mowbray has left Celtic following the 4-0 defeat at St Mirren, according to reports.

Mowbray accuses Rangers of "negative football" (Mar 25, 2010 11:28 GMT)
Tony Mowbray has accused Rangers of playing "negative football" in the wake of Celtic's 4-0 thrashing at St Mirren.

Mowbray silent on future after thrashing (Mar 25, 2010 00:02 GMT)
Tony Mowbray refused to discuss his future after Celtic were demolished 4-0 on Wednesday night by the Scottish Premier League's second-bottom side St Mirren.

Hibs could be the best in the business (Mar 24, 2010 09:09 GMT)
Andy Moir believes that Hibernian have the right model for success in Scotland.

O'Dea expects McGeady to remain at Celtic (Mar 23, 2010 16:45 GMT)
Darren O'Dea does not believe his Celtic team-mate Aiden McGeady is in any rush to leave Parkhead.

SPL Team of the Week - March 20 (Mar 20, 2010 22:27 GMT)
Neil McDougall picks out the top performers from the weekend's action in Scotland.

SPL: Celtic smash Saints, Dons woe continues (Mar 20, 2010 17:31 GMT)
Robbie Keane kept up his impressive scoring rate for Celtic as his second-half penalty helped the Parkhead men to a comfortable Clydesdale Bank Premier League victory over St Johnstone.

Jefferies: We could have scored five against Hibs (Mar 20, 2010 15:46 GMT)
Hearts manager Jim Jefferies felt his team should have scored four or five goals against Hibernian as his derby selection gamble paid off in style.

Rasmussen happy in Keane's shadow at Celtic (Mar 17, 2010 13:22 GMT)
Morten Rasmussen insists he is content to be in the shadow of Celtic team-mate Robbie Keane.

Samaras: Hoops won't give up on title charge (Mar 16, 2010 16:47 GMT)
Georgios Samaras insists Celtic will not give up on the Scottish Premier League title until it is mathematically impossible to topple Rangers.

Rangers chairman keen to avoid takeover debt (Mar 16, 2010 10:41 GMT)
Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston is determined to prevent Andrew Ellis - and any other potential purchaser of the club - saddling the club with the kind of debt the Glazers have brought to Manchester United.

Moir: Three's the magic number in Scotland (Mar 16, 2010 08:46 GMT)
Andy Moir examines the runners and riders as the race for third place intensifies in Scotland.

Talk of Rangers' treble ''premature'', says Little (Mar 16, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Rangers forward Andrew Little insisted there had been no mention of the treble among the players after manager Walter Smith claimed such talk was ''premature''.

McCoist seeking improvement against St Mirren (Mar 16, 2010 06:59 GMT)
Ally McCoist insists Rangers have no time to dwell on their Scottish Cup setback against Dundee United as they prepare to contest the first silverware of the season.

Bougherra not thinking of leaving Rangers (Mar 12, 2010 10:52 GMT)
Madjid Bougherra insists he is not thinking about leaving Rangers after this summer's World Cup.

McNamara suffers season-ending broken leg (Mar 12, 2010 10:20 GMT)
It has been confirmed that Jackie McNamara's season is over after he broke his leg on Wednesday.

Keane praises Celtic strike partner Rasmussen (Mar 10, 2010 14:20 GMT)
Celtic striker Robbie Keane has paid tribute to fellow forward Morten Rasmussen, with the Dane starting to suggest he may be the Irishman's ideal foil at Parkhead.

Rangers boss Smith welcomes cup distraction (Mar 10, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Rangers manager Walter Smith is hoping a break from league action will rejuvenate his players for the title run-in after watching them grind out a win at Kilmarnock.

Celtic open talks with Boruc in bid to keep Pole (Mar 9, 2010 13:25 GMT)
Tony Mowbray has revealed that Celtic have opened contract talks with goalkeeper Artur Boruc. The Poland international's current deal is set to run out at the end of next season.

Manager Smith welcomes Rangers takeover talk (Mar 8, 2010 19:30 GMT)
Walter Smith welcomed the prospect of a period of uncertainty at Rangers coming to an end after the club confirmed majority shareholder Sir David Murray has begun discussions regarding a takeover.

Rangers confirm takeover talks with Andrew Ellis (Mar 8, 2010 09:52 GMT)
Rangers have confirmed that principal shareholder Murray International Holdings has begun discussions with London-based property developer Andrew Ellis about a takeover of the Glasgow club.

SPL Team of the Week - March 7 (Mar 7, 2010 19:35 GMT)
Neil McDougall picks out the top performers from the weekend's action in Scotland.

SPL: Rangers win takes them 13 clear at the top (Mar 6, 2010 17:29 GMT)
Rangers are seven victories away from the Scottish Premier League title after they came from behind to defeat St Mirren 3-1.

Murray mulls options as takeover talk grows (Mar 6, 2010 14:03 GMT)
Rangers have confirmed that major shareholder Sir David Murray is "considering options'' regarding his shareholding in the club following reports today that a takeover could be imminent.

Mowbray blasts Brown appeal failure as "political" (Mar 5, 2010 15:07 GMT)
Tony Mowbray today claimed the decision to turn down Scott Brown's appeal against his red card in last week's Old Firm derby defeat was "political''.

Rangers boss Smith favours SPL expansion (Mar 5, 2010 14:58 GMT)
Rangers manager Walter Smith would be in favour of the Scottish Premier League expanding - but would prefer a league of 18 teams rather than 16.

Celtic lose appeal over Scott Brown sending off (Mar 4, 2010 15:33 GMT)
Celtic have lost their appeal against Scott Brown's dismissal during the Old Firm derby defeat on Sunday.

Kevin Kyle to have trial in Russian danger zone (Mar 4, 2010 11:02 GMT)
Kevin Kyle is set to play in a trial match for Spartak Nalchik on Thursday, according to the Russian club's assistant coach.

SPL warns Celtic and Rangers over TV deals (Mar 3, 2010 15:41 GMT)
Celtic and Rangers will not be allowed to stay in the Scottish Premier League if they try to negotiate their own TV deals.

Mowbray: We've not had 'fair share' of decisions (Mar 3, 2010 14:09 GMT)
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray admits he felt his team had not had their "fair share" of decisions this season even before having Scott Brown sent off in Sunday's Old Firm derby defeat.

UEFA chief Taylor predicts Scottish football gloom (Mar 2, 2010 20:33 GMT)
UEFA events chief executive and former Scottish Football Association supremo David Taylor has warned the game in Scotland will continue on a downward spiral if something is not done to arrest the slide.


World
Beckham set to return to Old Trafford with Milan (Mar 9, 2010 19:33 GMT)
Despite being unlikely to start, David Beckham's mere presence at Old Trafford could boost AC Milan's attempt to overturn a 3-2 deficit against Manchester United in the Champions League.

Pappa, Guatemala beat El Salvador in exhibition (Mar 4, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Guatemala beat El Salvador on Wednesday in an exhibition.


World Cup 2010
South Korea offer North games in 2022 bid (Mar 31, 2010 18:17 GMT)
South Korea have offered neighbours North Korea an olive branch by offering them the right to stage some matches in the 2022 World Cup, should South Korea's bid be successful.

Cabanas kicking a ball again after attack (Mar 31, 2010 16:37 GMT)
Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas has been kicking a football again as he continues his recovery from a shooting incident.

Honduras coach Rueda denies quit threat (Mar 31, 2010 15:44 GMT)
Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda has denied that a row over unpaid bonuses could force him to resign less than 75 days before the start of the World Cup finals.

Ghana admit delay in Boateng nationality switch (Mar 31, 2010 14:40 GMT)
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) remains confident of ensuring Kevin-Prince Boateng will represent the country at the 2010 World Cup finals despite admitting that his application to switch nationality has stalled recently.

Algeria star Mansouri praises 'Sheikh' Saadane (Mar 31, 2010 12:54 GMT)
Algeria captain Yazid Mansouri has paid tribute to legendary coach Rabah Saadane as the country prepare for their first World Cup finals in 24 years.

Gilberto happy to remain 'Invisible' for Brazil (Mar 31, 2010 12:14 GMT)
World Cup veteran Gilberto Silva is happy to live up to his nickname of 'The Invisible Wall' and says his critics will only help motivate him when Brazil begin their campaign in South Africa in June.

First XI: Lost to the World Cup (Mar 31, 2010 08:59 GMT)
Robin Hackett looks back at the First XI greats who never made it to the World Cup.

Adams: The South Africa Angle, March 31 (Mar 31, 2010 08:59 GMT)
The South Africa Angle explains why Sven-Goran Eriksson's reign is doomed from the start.

Clubless Craig Moore in doubt for Australia (Mar 31, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Australia's defence has been dealt a further blow ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after Craig Moore was reportedly sacked by his Greek club Kavala.

Maradona undergoes surgery after dog attack (Mar 30, 2010 14:23 GMT)
Argentina coach Diego Maradona has undergone facial surgery after being attacked by one of his dogs, according to reports.

City defender Onuoha targets Nigeria call (Mar 30, 2010 14:11 GMT)
Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha is ready to turn his back on England in order to experience World Cup football with Nigeria this summer.

Drogba backs Eriksson for Ivory Coast success (Mar 30, 2010 13:42 GMT)
Didier Drogba has welcomed the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson as Ivory Coast coach and believes the arrival of the former England boss has come at the right time for the African side.

Eriksson enthused by Ivory Coast challenge (Mar 29, 2010 14:08 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson is excited at the prospect of leading Ivory Coast at the World Cup finals and is confident the Elephants can progress from a group that includes Brazil and Portugal.

Sven-Goran Eriksson named Ivory Coast boss (Mar 28, 2010 20:51 GMT)
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has been appointed Ivory Coast boss for the World Cup this summer.

Maradona, Messi say best is yet to come (Mar 26, 2010 13:22 GMT)
Diego Maradona has said that if he is to be surpassed in World Cup legend then he would be happy if it was Lionel Messi that did so.

Australia coach Verbeek reveals quit reasons (Mar 26, 2010 12:44 GMT)
Australia boss Pim Verbeek has revealed he turned down the chance to extend his contract beyond the World Cup because of the exhausting demands of the job.

Iannantuono: Rufer: No pressure on New Zealand (Mar 26, 2010 09:14 GMT)
John Iannantuono speaks to New Zealand legend Wynton Rufer about the country's chances in South Africa.

Dempsey: Group stage exit would be US failure (Mar 26, 2010 07:00 GMT)
USA forward Clint Dempsey admitted he can't wait to face England at the World Cup in South Africa, but warned that anything other than progression to the second round would represent a finals failure for Bob Bradley's side.

Eriksson remains keen on Ivory Coast post (Mar 24, 2010 16:57 GMT)
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson would relish the opportunity to coach Ivory Coast at this summer's World Cup finals but admits no deal is yet in place.

650,000 tickets remain unsold for World Cup (Mar 24, 2010 14:52 GMT)
South Africa 2010 may have already made history. But not in a fashion that will please FIFA who have been forced to admit that, with just eleven weeks to go before the big kick-off on June 11, this is the first modern World Cup that has not completel

First XI: World Cup upsets (Mar 24, 2010 08:29 GMT)
Robin Hackett looks back at the First XI greatest World Cup upsets.

Adams: The South Africa Angle, March 24 (Mar 24, 2010 07:00 GMT)
The South Africa Angle explains that Lionel Messi must still prove his credentials on the biggest stage of all.

Koren: We'll prove Slovenia doubters wrong (Mar 24, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Slovenia captain Robert Koren has told ESPNsoccernet he is confident that Slovenia will prove they deserve their place on the world stage at this summer's World Cup finals.

Low bows to Bundesliga and calls off camp (Mar 23, 2010 14:16 GMT)
Germany coach Joachim Low has cancelled a training camp with the national team next month in order to accommodate the wishes of the Bundesliga clubs at what will be a key period in the season.

Australia defender Kisnorbo to miss World Cup (Mar 22, 2010 23:32 GMT)
Australia defender Patrick Kisnorbo is set to miss the World Cup after picking up an Achilles injury playing for Leeds on Monday night.

Verbeek to leave Australia after World Cup (Mar 22, 2010 07:42 GMT)
The worst-kept secret in Australian football has finally been confirmed - Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek will part company with the country after this summer's World Cup.

Grella: Australia ready to write new history (Mar 20, 2010 14:18 GMT)
Australia midfielder Vince Grella admits the pain of Australia's last-minute World Cup exit to Italy in 2006 was hard to take, but insists his side are ready to move on and write a new chapter into the country's football history books.

Nelsen: New Zealand can be competitive (Mar 18, 2010 17:34 GMT)
New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen believes his side are ready to announce themselves on the world stage, and have no plans to be World Cup whipping boys in South Africa this summer.

Milijas confident Serbia will progress from group (Mar 18, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Serbia midfielder Nenad Milijas is confident his side will progress to the World Cup second round, despite being drawn in one of the toughest groups in South Africa.

USA arrange warm-up match against Australia (Mar 17, 2010 18:43 GMT)
The United States will face Australia in a World Cup warm-up game in Johannesburg on June 5. Both sides face tough opening World Cup fixtures, with the US kicking off their campaign against England on June 12, while the Socceroos play Germany. The

FIFA blame Ghana FA for wait over Boateng (Mar 17, 2010 15:55 GMT)
FIFA has blamed the Ghana Football Association for the delay in changing the nationality of Portsmouth star Kevin-Prince Boateng.

World Cup blunders (Mar 17, 2010 08:39 GMT)
Robin Hackett picks out some of the game's biggest mistakes in the First XI World Cup blunders.

A deal with the devil (Mar 17, 2010 07:00 GMT)
Sam Kelly looks at how Argentinean politicians could use World Cup hooligans to their advantage.

Culina to train with PSV ahead of World Cup (Mar 16, 2010 07:56 GMT)
Gold Coast United captain Jason Culina will prepare for Australia's World Cup campaign by training with former club PSV Eindhoven for five weeks.

Marquez to quit Mexico after World Cup finale (Mar 15, 2010 12:54 GMT)
Mexico defender Rafael Marquez has revealed his intention to retire from international football after the 2010 World Cup.

Worried fans turning to private security in SA (Mar 15, 2010 12:54 GMT)
Thousands of new gun permits are being applied for in South Africa by private security firms in the country amid growing World Cup safety fears.

Surgeon: Beckham should make full recovery (Mar 15, 2010 10:46 GMT)
Surgeon Sakari Orava is optimistic David Beckham will make a full recovery from an operation on his injured Achilles tendon.

Hiddink rejects Ivory Coast World Cup offer (Mar 13, 2010 13:26 GMT)
Guus Hiddink has turned down repeated appeals from Didier Drogba to manage the Ivory Coast at this summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.

Uruguay's Tabarez: We have a duty to history (Mar 12, 2010 15:02 GMT)
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has called on his players to take inspiration from the country's great history in the World Cup as they look to succeed in South Africa.

Iannantuono: Time to plan for life after Pim (Mar 11, 2010 09:56 GMT)
John Iannantuono hopes Australia appoint a permanent coach if Pim Verbeek resigns after the World Cup.

Ivory Coast yet to appoint Guus Hiddink (Mar 11, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Guus Hiddink has not signed a deal to coach Ivory Coast at this summer's World Cup, the country's football federation has said.

Higuain targets Golden Boot in South Africa (Mar 10, 2010 16:26 GMT)
Gonzalo Higuain is dreaming of arriving in South Africa a Champions League and La Liga winner, and finishing the World Cup as Golden Boot winner in a victorious Argentina side.

Ivory Coast ask Troussier to coach national side (Mar 10, 2010 14:53 GMT)
Philippe Troussier has been approached by the Ivory Coast to take charge of the national team at this year's World Cup, following the dismissal of Vahid Halilhodzic last month.

Who will lead the Elephants? (Mar 10, 2010 09:07 GMT)
Jon Carter on the contenders to take over the vacant Ivory Coast job ahead of the World Cup.

First XI: World Cup goals (Mar 10, 2010 09:07 GMT)
Robin Hackett selects his First XI best World Cup goals in part two of a two-part feature.

Adams: The South Africa Angle, March 10 (Mar 10, 2010 09:04 GMT)
The South Africa Angle explains why South Korea are now shouldering the expectations of a continent, as well as the world.

Verbeek unwilling to discuss Socceroos future (Mar 9, 2010 12:38 GMT)
Australia coach Pim Verbeek is remaining coy over whether he will commit his future to the national side beyond the World Cup finals this summer.

Ivory Coast in talks with Eriksson over role (Mar 6, 2010 16:53 GMT)
Ivory Coast have confirmed talks are underway with Sven-Goran Eriksson as they look to fill their managerial vacancy ahead of the World Cup finals.

Police chief insists South Africa safe for fans (Mar 5, 2010 10:27 GMT)
South Africa's minister of police Nathi Mthethwa has urged supporters to ignore the "prophets of doom'' when they travel to the World Cup. The host nation for this summer's finals are devoting huge resources to ensuring the fans' safety, including th

Ivory Coast want Hiddink as their coach (Mar 4, 2010 21:51 GMT)
Guus Hiddink is the man the Ivory Coast football association want as their next coach, president Jacques Anouma has confirmed.

Australia's Verbeek hails ''pure talent'' of Oar (Mar 4, 2010 13:03 GMT)
Pim Verbeek will keep Socceroos revelation Tommy Oar under his microscope in Holland as he sizes up the "pure talent" for World Cup selection.

Ivory Coast hope to make Hiddink appointment (Mar 4, 2010 09:13 GMT)
Ivory Coast have approached Guus Hiddink about taking charge of the side for this summer's World Cup but Sven-Goran Eriksson has ruled himself out of the running.

Friendly review: Spain beat France, Italy held (Mar 3, 2010 22:08 GMT)
A round-up of all Wednesday's main friendly games.

Kjaer keen to link up with Agger at Liverpool (Mar 3, 2010 19:36 GMT)
Palermo defender Simon Kjaer has admitted he would like to link up with compatriot Daniel Agger at Liverpool.

Paraguay's Cabanas released from hospital (Mar 3, 2010 18:04 GMT)
Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas has been released from hospital after he was shot in the head last month in a bar in Mexico City.

Doyle tips boys from Brazil to win World Cup (Mar 3, 2010 08:42 GMT)
Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle has told Soccernet that Brazil deserve to be amongst the favourites to win the World Cup following their impressive 2-0 victory at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

Second XI: Greatest World Cup goals (Mar 3, 2010 08:27 GMT)
Robin Hackett selects his Second XI best World Cup goals in part one of a two-part feature.

Adams: The South Africa Angle, March 3 (Mar 3, 2010 08:00 GMT)
The South Africa Angle sees Dunga blow the whistle on Ronaldinho's World Cup chances.

Palmer: Dunga left with plenty to ponder despite win (Mar 3, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Kevin Palmer thinks Dunga still has plenty left to ponder ahead of the World Cup, after watching Brazil beat Ireland.

Japan boss Okada pins hopes on Honda (Mar 3, 2010 00:04 GMT)
Under-fire Japan coach Takeshi Okada has hit back at his critics and insisted that CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda can be the man to transform the Blue Samurai's struggling fortunes.

North Korea claim AFC Challenge Cup triumph (Mar 2, 2010 20:05 GMT)
North Korea's preparations for the World Cup have been given a boost after they narrowly defeated Turkmenistan to claim the biennial AFC Challenge Cup.

Argentina coach Maradona promises new glory (Mar 2, 2010 17:43 GMT)
Argentina coach Diego Maradona has urged his fellow countrymen to stop living in the past, and promised to give his nation something new to celebrate this summer.

Valcke: African fans not priced out of World Cup (Mar 2, 2010 15:37 GMT)
FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke has rejected claims that African football fans are being priced out of the World Cup in South Africa.

Australian squad contenders (Mar 2, 2010 09:22 GMT)
Brett Taylor looks ahead at the possible contenders for the Australian World Cup squad.

Karagounis: We can't wait for World Cup start (Mar 2, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Greece star Giorgos Karagounis claims his side ''cannot wait'' for the World Cup in South Africa as he aims to prove the Euro 2004 winners' doubters wrong.

Halilhodzic furious over Ivory Coast dismissal (Mar 1, 2010 13:44 GMT)
Vahid Halilhodzic is furious with former employers Ivory Coast following his sacking over the weekend, saying the move was "politically" motivated.

Denmark youngster Eriksen gets call-up (Mar 1, 2010 11:48 GMT)
Denmark coach Morten Olsen has included Ajax youngster Christian Eriksen in his squad for Wednesday's international friendly against Austria.