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All news for April, 2006

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US
Dempsey hopes for a World Cup spot (Apr 28, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Clint Dempsey dribbled slowly up the left side, then accelerated past a defender and kicked the ball.

Nike announces donation of soccer fields (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Nike is announcing a commitment valued at $1 million to fuel U.S. soccer in 15 communities throughout the U.S.

Dell'Apa: Pat Noonan and the U.S. roster (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Pat Noonan's prospects for the U.S. World Cup roster looked bright, but an assortment of injuries have left him on the bubble, writes Frank Dell'Apa.

Scurry rejoins U.S. women's team (Apr 25, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Goalkeeper Briana Scurry was picked Tuesday for a two-game trip to Japan by the U.S women's team.

USL Wrap: Thunder surprise champs 4-0 (Apr 24, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The United Soccer Leagues announced that the Washington Freedom will participate in the 2006 W-League season as an Associate Member of the league.

USL-1 season preview (Apr 23, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Established strikers proved to be the hot commodity this offseason in the USL, writes Gerald Barnhart in his USL season preview.

U.S. U-20 women to face Argentina and France (Apr 22, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The final draw for the 2006 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Championship in Russia saw the United States Under-20 women's national team placed in Group D.

Arena: U.S. ready to compete in World Cup (Apr 19, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Bruce Arena thinks the U.S. soccer team is on equal footing with some of the world's top teams as the Americans prepare for the World Cup.

USA rises to fourth in rankings despite loss, tie (Apr 19, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The United States moved up one spot into fourth place in April's FIFA world rankings, the Americans' highest showing.

Spector's shot at making World Cup team takes blow (Apr 18, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Defender Jonathan Spector dislocated a shoulder playing for Charlton, a blow to his chances of making the U.S. World Cup roster.

USL: Harrisburg signs Jamaican international Bennett (Apr 17, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The USL Second Division Harrisburg City Islanders announced that the club has agreed to terms with forward Teofore Bennett.

Bradley to make first start for Dutch club Heerenveen (Apr 15, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Teenage American midfielder Michael Bradley is set to make his first appearance in the Dutch First Division since leaving Major League Soccer, less than three months since being sold to Dutch club Hee

Galarcep: U.S. roster preview (Apr 14, 2006 16:00 GMT)
As the days tick away toward the World Cup, the U.S. roster is pretty much set, writes Ives Galarcep.

FC Barcelona to tour U.S. in August (Apr 12, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Soccer United Marketing (SUM) today announced that FC Barcelona, led by Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho, will play three games this August.

Lewis: U.S. vs. Jamaica recap (Apr 12, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The U.S. game against Jamaica was notable only for Landon Donovan becoming the all-time leader in assists for the U.S., writes Michael Lewis.

Carlisle: U.S. vs. Jamaica recap (Apr 12, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The U.S. national team was surprisingly uninspired against Jamaica in what amounted to a make-or-break match for some players, writes Jeff Carlisle.

U.S. forced to rally for 1-1 tie with Jamaica (Apr 11, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Tony Meola's 100th international appearance didn't go quite as he hoped -- but at least he didn't get a loss.

Galarcep: On Tony Meola (Apr 11, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Despite an inauspicious start to his national team career, Tony Meola endured to become the finest U.S. goalkeeper of his generation, says Ives Galarcep.

Canales: U.S. vs. Jamaica preview (Apr 11, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The game against Jamaica offers the last chance for domestic-based players to show Bruce Arena they deserve a World Cup roster spot, writes Andrea Canales.

Mexico, Venezuela will meet at Rose Bowl (Apr 10, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The Mexican national soccer team will play its final tuneup match before the World Cup against Venezuela at the Rose Bowl on May 5.

Meola, 37, prepares for 100th game with U.S. team (Apr 10, 2006 16:00 GMT)
U.S. goalie Tony Meola will make the 100th international appearance Tuesday night in an exhibition game against Jamaica.

Galaxy acquire forward Glen from Rapids for draft pick (Apr 7, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The Los Angeles Galaxy acquired forward Cornell Glen from the Colorado Rapids Friday in exchange for a third-round choice in the 2007 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

U.S. women to face Japan in May (Apr 7, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The U.S. women's national soccer team will travel to Japan for a pair of matches in early May.

Guzman: On the ODP system (Apr 7, 2006 16:00 GMT)
U.S. Soccer's Olympic Development Program is a good idea that has not gone far enough in the way it identifies talent, writes Fred Guzman.

Johnson, Stewart to play for Jamaica against U.S. (Apr 5, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Forward Ryan Johnson, Real Salt Lake's second pick in Major League Soccer's January draft, was selected Wednesday for Jamaica's roster for next week's exhibition game against the United States.

Harker, last surviving U.S. player of '34 World Cup, dies (Apr 4, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Albert Harker, the last surviving member of the 1934 U.S. World Cup team, has died, the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame said Tuesday. He was 95.

Meola set to make 100th international appearance (Apr 4, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Goalkeeper Tony Meola was included in the U.S. roster for next week's exhibition game against Jamaica and will make his 100th international appearance.

Knoll: On Osborne and Tarpley (Apr 4, 2006 16:00 GMT)
They may be relative newcomers to the U.S. women's national team, but Leslie Osborne and Lindsay Tarpley's bond goes back a long way, writes Corina Knoll.

Canales: U.S. at forefront of athletic training (Apr 3, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The U.S. is not ordinarily considered an innovator in soccer, but it may very well lead the way when it comes to the athletic training of players, writes Andrea Canales.


MLS
Steve Davis: Players may be distracted by World Cup (Apr 30, 2006 16:00 GMT)
With the World Cup approaching, some national team players can be forgiven if their focus is not entirely on MLS right now, writes Steve Davis.

FC Dallas signs Argentine Marcos Charras (Apr 29, 2006 16:00 GMT)
FC Dallas announced the signing of former Argentina-youth international defender Marcos Charras.

Canales: Galaxy off to a slow start (Apr 28, 2006 16:00 GMT)
With the Los Angeles Galaxy off to a slow start, Landon Donovan is stepping up his vocal leadership, writes Andrea Canales.

Columbus acquires Ezra Hendrickson from Chivas USA (Apr 28, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The Crew announced today that it has acquired veteran defender Ezra Hendrickson from Chivas USA in exchange for a conditional pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft.

Carlisle: On Kenny Cooper (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
It's still early but so far Kenny Cooper's decision to sign with MLS has given FC Dallas a huge boost, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Dyer: Meola deserves World Cup consideration (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Tony Meola's resurgence with the Red Bulls warrants a recall to the national team for the U.S. World Cup roster, writes Kristian Dyer.

MLS fines United's Eskandarian for can stunt (Apr 25, 2006 16:00 GMT)
D.C. United's Alecko Eskandarian was fined $250 by Major League Soccer on Tuesday.

Canales: For Club and Country (Apr 25, 2006 16:00 GMT)
For MLS to garner more worldwide respect, its teams need to start peforming better in international competition, writes Andrea Canales.

Player's antics may leave bad taste in league's mouth (Apr 24, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Alecko Eskandarian's unusual goal celebration didn't keep him from becoming the player in the week in Major League Soccer, though it still may get him in trouble with the league.

Canetti resigns as Red Bull assistant GM (Apr 24, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Chris Canetti resigned Monday as assistant general manager of Red Bull New York.

Chang: 10 for MLS to target (Apr 24, 2006 16:00 GMT)
While Ronaldo might not be on his way to MLS, there are other overseas stars that MLS would do well to bring over, writes Jen Chang.

Carlisle: On the resurgence of the K.C. Wizards (Apr 22, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Despite missing the playoffs last year, the Kansas City brain trust resisted the urge to make mass changes, a decision that seems to have paid off, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Red Bulls acquire Peguero from Rapids (Apr 22, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Red Bull New York announced today that the team has acquired forward Jean Philippe Peguero from the Colorado Rapids.

MLS popularity generating building boom of stadiums (Apr 21, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Soccer, as any American will tell you, isn't football. And it certainly isn't baseball.

Galarcep: Mo Johnston's future remains cloudy (Apr 21, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Despite having only one loss in his short career as head coach, Mo Johnston's future with the New York Red Bulls remains murky, writes Ives Galarcep.

Johnston to remain head coach of the New York Red Bull (Apr 20, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Red Bull New York announced today that Marc De Grandpre will assume the role of managing director of Red Bull New York effective immediately.

MLS All-Stars to face Chelsea (Apr 20, 2006 16:00 GMT)
English Premier League champion Chelsea will play in the Major League Soccer All-Star game on Aug. 5

Dell'Apa: On Jovan Kirovski (Apr 20, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Once touted as the future of U.S. soccer, Jovan Kirovski is an afterthought for the national team these days, says Frank Dell'Apa.

Carlisle: On Alexi Lalas (Apr 19, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The relationship between new Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas and coach Steve Sampson is critical if the Galaxy are to prosper, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Canales: On Cornell Glen (Apr 18, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Despite his undoubted talent, Cornell Glen has bounced around MLS in his relatively short career but looks to have found a home with the Galaxy, writes Andrea Canales.

Canales: On Alexi Lalas (Apr 18, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The L.A. Galaxy appeared to score a coup by landing Alexi Lalas as general manager, but the jury is still out on his ability, writes Andrea Canales.

Alexi Lalas named GM of Los Angeles Galaxy (Apr 17, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Alexi Lalas became president and general manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy on Monday, returning to a team he led to the MLS Cup title.

Conrad's Corner: April edition (Apr 17, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Despite a triumphant return to action against New England when he scored the winner, the last couple of months haven't been a bed of roses for Jimmy Conrad.

Sources: Lalas quits Red Bulls, will be Galaxy president (Apr 16, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Alexi Lalas has submitted his resignation to the Red Bulls and will take over as team president of the Los Angeles Galaxy, according to MLS sources.

Carlisle: On Landon Donovan (Apr 14, 2006 16:00 GMT)
With the Galaxy off to a slow start, coach Steve Sampson is considering moving Landon Donovan to midfield to provide a spark, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Canales: Youth is served (Apr 13, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Given the quality of the emerging young players in MLS, it's no wonder that the administration believes that the future of the league can safely depend on such players, writes Andrea Canales.

Red Bulls' Lisi undergoes successful surgery (Apr 12, 2006 16:00 GMT)
New York Red Bulls midfielder Mark Lisi underwent a successful procedure in Munich, Germany to repair a right side inguinal hernia injury.

FC Dallas' Ruiz out 2-3 weeks with hamstring injury (Apr 10, 2006 16:00 GMT)
FC Dallas forward Carlos Ruiz will miss two to three weeks because of a strained hamstring, the team said Monday.

Galarcep: On Ronaldo and MLS (Apr 10, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The rumor of Brazilian star Ronaldo making a move to MLS this summer, is just that, writes Ives Galarcep.

Dyer: Q&A with John Guppy (Apr 10, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Kristian Dyer spoke with John Guppy, as the Chicago Fire's president and CEO reflected on his team's impending move to its new stadium.

Canales: On John O'Brien (Apr 8, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Long recognized as a world-class talent, John O'Brien's career has faltered due to injuries, but now he's finally healthy again, writes Andrea Canales.

Galaxy sign Brazilian forward De Souza (Apr 6, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Thiago De Souza, who has played professionally in his native Brazil and Germany, signed a contract Thursday to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Carlisle: On Ante Razov (Apr 6, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Finally fit and healthy after two turbulent seasons, Chivas USA forward Ante Razov is a threat to lead the league in scoring, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Rapids get more bang for the buck, sign Cannon (Apr 5, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The Colorado Rapids signed two-time MLS goalkeeper of the year Joe Cannon to a multiyear contract, the team said Wednesday.

Rapids re-sign top goaltender Cannon (Apr 5, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The Colorado Rapids on Wednesday re-signed goalkeeper Joe Cannon to a multiyear contract.

O'Brien signs with Chivas USA (Apr 4, 2006 16:00 GMT)
John O'Brien signed with Chivas USA on Tuesday and was selected to play in the U.S. national team's upcoming exhibition game against Jamaica.

Eskandarian returns with a flourish for United (Apr 3, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The headaches never seemed to stop for D.C. United's Alecko Eskandarian.

Rapids sign Spanish defender Aitor Karanka (Apr 2, 2006 17:00 GMT)
The Colorado Rapids announced today the signing of Spanish defender Aitor Karanka to a multi-year deal.

Real Salt Lake sign midfielder Acosta (Apr 1, 2006 17:00 GMT)
Real Salt Lake general manager Steve Pastorino and head coach John Ellinger announced the signing of Salt Lake City native midfielder Adam Acosta.


NCAA & High School
Appeals court affirms dismissal of suit against Dorrance (Apr 11, 2006 16:00 GMT)
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a judge's decision to dismiss a sexual harassment lawsuit against North Carolina women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance.


Europe
Inzaghi named in Italy's World Cup training camp (Apr 30, 2006 16:00 GMT)
AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi has moved a step closer to claiming a place in Italy's World Cup squad after he was selected to take part in a pre-World Cup training camp.

Euro Roundup: Rooney still an option for England's team (Apr 30, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Liverpool defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the semifinals of the FA Cup at Old Trafford.

Rooney out for six weeks with fractured foot (Apr 29, 2006 16:00 GMT)
England striker Wayne Rooney will be out of action for six weeks after fracturing a bone in his right foot.

Rooney stretchered off with foot injury (Apr 29, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Wayne Rooney was carried off on a stretcher during Manchester United's 3-0 Premier League defeat at Chelsea on Saturday.

Chelsea wins Premier League title (Apr 29, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Chelsea retained the Premier League title when the team crushed second-placed Manchester United 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Totti plays in exhibition game two months after injury (Apr 27, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Italian playmaker Francesco Totti returned to competitive soccer in an exhibition game with AS Roma's junior team Thursday.

EU to fight racism, forced prostitution during World Cup (Apr 27, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The European Union is taking steps to figh t racism and forced prostitution during the World Cup.

Koller could return for World Cup (Apr 27, 2006 16:00 GMT)
an Koller, sidelined since September with a knee injury, could be ready to play in the Czech Republic's World Cup opener against the United States on June 12.

Report: FA ready to offer England job to Scolari (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Luiz Felipe Scolari will be offered the job of manager of the English national soccer team, The Sun newspaper claimed on Thursday.

Real Madrid vote out president Martin, elections called (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Fernando Martin has resigned as Real Madrid president after losing a vote of confidence at a board meeting on Wednesday.

FA ready to offer England job to Scolari - report (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Luiz Felipe Scolari will be offered the job of manager of the English national soccer team,

Barcelona eases into Champions League final (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Barcelona reached the Champions League final for the first time in 12 years on Wednesday after a goalless home draw with six-times winners AC Milan.

UEFA president Johansson may apply for re-election (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
UEFA president Lennart Johansson may run for another four-year term when his presidency expires in 2007.

Zidane to retire after World Cup (Apr 25, 2006 16:00 GMT)
French midfielder Zinedine Zidane plans to retire after the World Cup in Germany.

Your Arsenal: Gunners advance to Champions final (Apr 25, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Arsenal advanced to the final of the European Champions League for the first time, playing a 0-0 tie at Villarreal as goalkeeper Jens Lehmann saved Juan Roman Riquelme's penalty kick in the 89th minut

Euro Roundup: West Ham reaches FA Cup final (Apr 23, 2006 16:00 GMT)
A superb late strike by Marlon Harewood gave West Ham United a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Sunday.

Euro Roundup: Liverpool knocks Chelsea out of FA Cup (Apr 22, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Liverpool defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the semifinals of the FA Cup at Old Trafford.

Shearer, 'enduring image of soccer,' retires (Apr 21, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Alan Shearer's right arm-raised goal celebration has been an enduring image of English soccer for the past 18 years.

Makaay, Seedorf left off Dutch World Cup roster (Apr 21, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Roy Makaay and Clarence Seedorf were omitted from provisional 33-man World Cup roster announced Friday by Netherlands coach Marco van Basten.

UEFA Cup: Steaua edges Middlesbrough (Apr 20, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Two fine saves from Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer kept his side in contention as Steaua Bucharest edged the first leg.

Britain unveils tips for soccer fans going to World Cup (Apr 19, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The British government is giving English soccer fans attending the World Cup in Germany some helpful hints, including translations of phrases like "Can I have a beer, please?"

Arsenal takes Champions League semi lead vs. Villareal (Apr 19, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Kolo Toure scored his first goal of the season in the 41st minute, giving Arsenal a 1-0 win over Villarreal in the first leg of the European Champions League semifinals.

Real confirms interest in Gerrard, Adriano and Schuster (Apr 19, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Real Madrid's director of football Benito Floro has proposed the club buy Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Inter Milan's Adriano.

Barcelona takes lead in Champions League semifinals (Apr 18, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Ludovic Giuly scored off a pass from Ronaldinho in the 57th minute Tuesday night, giving Barcelona a 1-0 win over AC Milan in the first leg of the European Champions League semifinals.

Romanian players forced to take lie detector tests (Apr 18, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Players at a Romanian first division club will be forced to take lie detector tests after losing two matches.

Magpies await inevitable news on Shearer injury (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Newcastle are anxiously waiting to discover whether or not Alan Shearer's playing career is over.

Euro roundup: Chelsea one point from league title (Apr 17, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Chelsea moved within a point of winning its second straight English Premier League title by beating Everton 3-0 on Monday, hours after second-place Manchester United edged Tottenham 2-1.

Euro roundup: Liverpool maintains grip on third place (Apr 16, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Liverpool won its seventh straight game in the English Premier League.

Chelsea within sight of second Premier League title (Apr 15, 2006 16:00 GMT)
John Terry and Frank Lampard gave Chelsea a 2-0 victory at Bolton on Saturday, giving the Blues a chance to clinch the Premier League title Monday against Everton at Stamford Bridge.

Ballack confirms talks with Chelsea (Apr 13, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Germany captain Michael Ballack said on Thursday he was in serious talks with Chelsea over a move to the English champions from Bayern Munich.

Racing Santander fined for racist abuse against Eto'o (Apr 12, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Racing Santander have been fined an unspecified sum by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Hiddink confirmed as Russia coach (Apr 12, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Dutchman Guus Hiddink will take over as coach of Russia's national soccer team after this year's World Cup.

Beckham might end career in United States (Apr 11, 2006 16:00 GMT)
England captain David Beckham has again stated his interest in playing in the United States at the end of his career. The former Manchester United midfielder revealed during last summer's England to

Argentina's Heinze close to United return (Apr 11, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Manchester United's Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze, sidelined since suffering a cruciate ligament injury in September.

Hiddink says he's near deal to become Russia's coach (Apr 10, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Gus Hiddink, the coach of PSV Eindhoven and Australia, is close to accepting a deal to become coach of Russia's national team after the World Cup.

Euro roundup: Chelsea rallies past West Ham (Apr 9, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Chelsea rallied past West Ham 4-1 Sunday after playing most of the game with only 10 men in the English Premier League.

Euro roundup: Klose lifts Bremen into second place (Apr 8, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Chelsea's Premier League lead was cut to seven points on Saturday as the Blues were held to a scoreless tie by relegation-threatened Birmingham.

Bayern expects Ballack to move to Chelsea (Apr 8, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich are resigned to losing midfielder Michael Ballack to Chelsea at the end of the season.

Lehmann beats Kahn in Germany's World Cup race (Apr 7, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Coach Juergen Klinsmann has named Jens Lehmann as Germany's first choice goalkeeper for the 2006 World Cup.

Euro roundup: Middlesbrough hammers Basle (Apr 6, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Steaua Bucharest, Sevilla and Schalke advanced to the semifinals of the UEFA Cup with ties on Thursday

Man Utd sign shirt sponsorship deal with AIG (Apr 6, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Manchester United, English soccer's most famous club, announced a four-year shirt sponsorship deal with U.S. insurance company AIG Inc.

Barcelona, Arsenal advance in Champions League (Apr 5, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o scored to lead Barcelona over visiting Benfica 2-0 Wednesday night, while Arsenal played a 0-0 tie at Juventus to win the total-goals series.

AC Milan advances to Champions League semifinals (Apr 4, 2006 16:00 GMT)
AC Milan advanced to the semifinals of the European Champions League on Tuesday night, beating Lyon 3-1 on late goals by Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko.

Euro roundup: Toni goal helps Fiorentina to a tie (Apr 2, 2006 17:00 GMT)
Fiorentina stayed one point ahead of AS Roma in the Serie A after a 1-1 tie.

Wizards top Crew in MLS opener (Apr 1, 2006 17:00 GMT)
ddie Johnson scored in his first game with Kansas City, leading the Wizards to a 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night in the MLS opener for both teams.

Euro roundup: Barca closes in on 2nd straight crown (Apr 1, 2006 17:00 GMT)
Chelsea's Premier League lead was cut to seven points on Saturday as the Blues were held to a scoreless tie by relegation-threatened Birmingham.


UEFA Champions League
Paris Match (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal vs Barca is a mouth-watering Champions League final, says ESPN's Derek Rae.

Milan blame referee for Champions League exit (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan blamed referee Markus Merk for their Champions League semi-final defeat by Barcelona.

Van Bronckhorst keen to court Henry in Euro final (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona full-back Gio van Bronckhorst is hopeful that the Champions League final against Arsenal will see them face a future recruit in Thierry Henry.

Rijkaard delighted with battling display (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said it came as no surprise that his team were made to battle every inch of the way to overcome AC Milan and book their place in their first Champions League final in 12

Pires eyes move to vanquished Villarreal (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires has confirmed he is weighing up a move to Villarreal. Pires, who played a part in the Gunners' semi-final victory over the Spanish club in the Champions League, admitte

Reyes would relish Paris final with Barca (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal forward Jose Antonio Reyes wants to meet Barcelona in the Champions League final in Paris. The Gunners will find out tonight whether Barcelona or AC Milan will be their next European rivals.

Villarreal's Venta admits pain of Euro exit (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Villarreal right-back Javi Venta admitted it will take him and his team-mates some time to recover after their painful exit from the Champions League.

Forlan backs Riquelme after European exit (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Villarreal striker Diego Forlan has absolved team-mate Juan Roman Riquelme of blame after their exit from the Champions League at the hands of Arsenal.

I don't know how we lost, says Villarreal boss (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said clinching a place in a first Champions League final on Tuesday was the perfect way to cap almost a decade of hard work at the London club.

Wenger and Henry hail 'magnificent' Lehmann (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger hailed his 'poker-faced' penalty hero Jens Lehmann after the German led Arsenal into the European Cup final.

Ronaldinho: Victory can start a Barca dynasty (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona forward Ronaldinho believes the Champions League semi-final clash with AC Milan is a defining moment for the Catalan side as they bid to make a mark on the world stage.

'No one will remember us if we lose' - Riquelme (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Juan Roman Riquelme insists Villarreal's Champions League achievements this season will only be remembered if they overturn Arsenal's aggregate lead in the second leg of their semi-final tonight.

Wenger surprised by miserly Euro defence (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger admits the watertight defence which has taken Arsenal to the brink of European glory has come as a shock to him.

Wenger insists Gunners not losing their cool (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger insists he is not cracking under the pressure of Arsenal's European quest. Wenger, who exploded in a fit of fury during Saturday's draw with Tottenham, will demand cool heads from his pl

Pellegrini confident of overcoming Arsenal test (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini believes that his team can turn the tables on Arsenal in their Champions League semi-final as long as they keep faith with their customary patient passing game.

Campbell to return for Arsenal as Senderos is ruled out (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed Sol Campbell will play from the start in tomorrow night's Champions League semi-final second leg against Villarreal.

Riquelme confident of ending Arsenal's run (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Villarreal's inspirational Argentine midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme is convinced the Spanish side can do what no-one has managed in the last nine Champions League games against Arsenal - score a goal.

Cafu and Inzaghi give Milan fitness boosts (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan's fitness worries ahead of their Champions League semi-final, second leg at Barcelona have eased slightly with Brazilian Cafu and striker Filippo Inzaghi declaring themselves fit for Wednesda

'It could have been worse', say Villarreal players (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Villarreal still believe they can turn around their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal despite a poor performance in the 1-0 defeat at Highbury on Wednesday.

Gunning for Paris (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal are in the driving seat despite their narrow victory over Villarreal, says ESPN's Derek Rae.

Wenger content as Gunners edge first leg (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger reflected on a job well done after Arsenal secured a 1-0 win over Villarreal in the last European tie to be played at Highbury and took a step closer to the Champions League final.

Barcelona's Oleguer to miss Nou Camp tie (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona defender Oleguer will miss the return leg of the Champions League semi-final against AC Milan next week after injuring a thigh muscle, coach Frank Rijkaard said on Wednesday.

Milan malaise (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Roberto Gotta was in the stands at the San Siro as Barca claimed the higher ground over Milan.

Villarreal to use 'zonal defence' to counter Henry (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini feels good old fashioned hard work has been the key to his side's success in the Champions League this season and that 'zonal defence' is the best way to counter the

Wenger wants winning Euro farewell for Highbury (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger is convinced his emerging side have the 'character' to write a new chapter in Arsenal's history as they prepare for the final European tie at Highbury.

Ron warns of complacency after San Siro win (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona star Ronaldinho has warned his team-mates not to get carried away by their 1-0 first-leg victory over AC Milan.

'We can still do it', says Milan coach Ancelotti (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan can still make it to the Champions League final despite a 1-0 defeat by Barcelona in their semi-final first leg at the San Siro on Tuesday, coach Carlo Ancelotti said.

Ferguson's good luck message to Forlan (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Diego Forlan revealed Sir Alex Ferguson gave him a personal good luck message as the former Man United striker looks to shatter Arsenal's Champions League dreams when Villarreal head to Highbury.

UEFA appeal Rangers verdict over sectarian chanting (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
UEFA have received an appeal regarding their decision to clear Rangers of sectarian chanting.

Ancelotti confident before Barca meeting (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti believes his team's greater experience in Europe will give them the edge in the Champions League clash against Barcelona.

Henry demands 100% focus on Villarreal (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal captain Thierry Henry has urged his side to focus fully on the job in hand when they aim to take a step closer to the Champions League final against Villarreal on Wednesday night.

Milan striker Inzaghi out of Barcelona clash (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi has been ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg at home to Barcelona due to a high temperature.

Moment to make mark, says Barca's Rijkaard (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard feels it is a time for a changing of the guard as his side gear up for their Champions League semi-final with AC Milan.

Injury blow for Villarreal ahead of Euro semi-final (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Villarreal will be without their two first-choice central defenders for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal on Wednesday.

Larsson adds to Barcelona's injury problems (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson will miss Tuesday's first leg of the Champions League semi-final against AC Milan because of a thigh injury, the Primera Liga club said on Saturday.

Villarreal's Rodriguez, Pena doubtful for Arsenal match (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Villarreal defenders Gonzalo Rodriguez and Juan Manuel Pena are doubtful for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final, first leg at Arsenal.

Barca's Messi likely to miss AC Milan semi (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi will miss both legs of the Champions League semi-final against AC Milan and will return home to Argentina for treatment on his thigh muscle injury.

Rangers fined for Villarreal bus attack (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
UEFA's control and disciplinary body have handed Rangers a £9,000 for the behaviour of their supporters before their away Champions League game against Villarreal on March 7.

Barca's Messi a serious doubt for Milan clash (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is a serious doubt for next week's Champions League semi-final, first leg against AC Milan after being ruled out of Friday's Primera Liga match against Villarreal.

An unlikely success story (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
ESPN's Derek Rae cautions against underestimating surprise package Villarreal.

Awestruck Lippi hails 'beautiful' Gunners (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Italy coach Marcello Lippi has been awestruck by Arsenal's march to the Champions League semi-finals.

Koeman future unclear after Benfica exit (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Benfica coach Ronald Koeman refused to speculate on his future at the Lisbon club after they were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by Barcelona on Wednesday.

Capello to ring changes after Juve exit (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Juventus coach Fabio Capello suggested there could be major changes to his team after Wednesday's limp exit from the Champions League at the hands of Arsenal.

Barcelona wary ahead of Milan semi-final (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Six-times winners AC Milan stand in the way of Barcelona's elusive second European Cup after the Catalans' nervy 2-0 victory over Benfica on Wednesday.

Villarreal relishing challenge of Gunners (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Champions League debutants Villarreal say they are delighted to be facing Arsenal in the semi-finals after the English side completed a 2-0 aggregate victory over Juventus on Wednesday.

Going, going, Gones (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Lyon are out of the Champions League in cruel fashion again. Alex Chick on Europe's nearly men.

Larsson won't change mind over homecoming (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson denies the success he is enjoying with the club this season will alter his decision to return to Sweden in the summer.

Rijkaard cautious as Milan semi-final awaits (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard says his side will face a tough task when they take on his former club AC Milan in the Champions League semi-finals following their 2-0 aggregate win over Benfica.

Wenger buoyant after booking date with Villarreal (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger hailed his young Arsenal side after they progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in the club's history at the expense of Juventus.

Mancini takes the blame for Inter's Euro exit (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Inter Milan's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Spain's Villarreal has condemned the Italian side to another year without a major trophy and is already raising questions about the future

Ancelotti hails Milan match-winner Inzaghi (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan's dramatic 3-1 Champions League quarter-final victory against Olympique Lyon on Tuesday was decided by the quality of finishing and Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti was full of praise for two-goal

Wenger urges Gunners to play without fear (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has called on his Arsenal side to invoke the spirit of Madrid as they aim to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League against Juventus tonight.

Houllier's pride hides pain of Lyon's fall (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Olympique Lyon coach Gerard Houllier was left rueing his side's lack of concentration in the final minutes after two late goals gave AC Milan a 3-1 win in their Champions League quarter-final.

Pellegrini praises Villarreal work ethic (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini says his team's dramatic progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League is no accident.

Koeman revels in Benfica underdog status (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Benfica coach Ronald Koeman is happy his team are underdogs for their Champions League quarter-final return against Barcelona and is confident they can spring a surprise against his former club.

Rijkaard not concerned by Barca's lack of goals (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona may need to get back on the goal trail against Benfica after scoring just once in their last three matches, but coach Frank Rijkaard has urged caution from his side.

Capello hoping for a 'miracle' in Turin (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Juventus coach Fabio Capello insists the Champions League quarter-final tie with Arsenal is far from over even though the English side take a 2-0 lead into Wednesday`s second leg in Turin.

Del Piero loses fitness battle for Arsenal showdown (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero has been ruled out of tomorrow's Champions League quarter-final second leg with Arsenal due to a thigh injury.

Wenger gets players focused for Turin tussle (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger insists each and every one of his Arsenal players is fully aware of the challenges which await them in Turin on Wednesday night. The Gunners will defend a 2-0 lead.

Fabregas and Eboue fit for Juventus showdown (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Eboue have recovered from injury - a badly-bruised foot and a groin problem respectively - and are fit to travel with Arsenal for their match against Juventus.

Barca's Motta out for two weeks with thigh strain (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona midfielder Thiago Motta will be out for two weeks after suffering a thigh strain during his side's 1-1 draw against Real Madrid at the Nou Camp at the weekend, club medical staff said on Mon

Juve's Nedved vows to make Gunners 'sweat' (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved has warned Arsenal to expect a tough battle when the two teams meet in Turin on Wednesday.

Injured Motta set to miss Barcelona Euro clash (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona midfielder Thiago Motta is likely to miss next week's Champions League return match against Benfica after sustaining a groin strain against Real Madrid in the Primera Liga on Saturday.

Fabregas, Eboue injury worries for Gunners (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and full back Emmanuel Eboue are doubtful for next week's Champions League quarter-final, second leg against Juventus in Turin.


English National Team
Gerrard: 'Success without Rooney? Impossible' (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England midfielder Steven Gerrard fears it will be 'impossible to have a successful World Cup without Wayne Rooney' after the Manchester United striker fractured his foot.

'Rooney to miss World Cup group games' - Injury expert (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has no chance of figuring in England's group matches at the World Cup but could be ready for the knockout stages, according to sports injury expert Roger Roberton.

Owen boost, but England fear worst over Rooney (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England striker Wayne Rooney could miss England's first two World Cup matches with a foot fracture, a sports injury specialist said on Sunday.

Rooney's World Cup in jeopardy (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United have confirmed Wayne Rooney broke his foot in Saturday's Premiership clash with Chelsea and will be out for six weeks, casting a doubt over his participation in the World Cup.

McClaren in the spotlight as Scolari says 'No' (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Steve McClaren's name is likely to loom large in the thinking of FA officials contemplating the devastation surrounding their plans for Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Wenger a better bet than Scolari - Lineker (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former England captain Gary Lineker feels it is a 'big ask' for Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari to bring instant success to the national team - and believes if the Football Association must appoint anot

Scolari deal 'blow to British coaching' - Hughes (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Mark Hughes has described the prospective appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as the next England manager as 'a blow to British coaching'.

Pearce sympathy for homegrown candidates (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stuart Pearce has backed the potential appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as successor to Sven-Goran Eriksson, although the Manchester City boss sympathises with homegrown managers who appear to out o

Big Phil does it his way (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Luiz Felipe Scolari has been characterised as a ruthless disciplinarian whose controversial decisions have brought success and a reputation as one of the best coaches in football.

Barwick confirms Scolari talks (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
FA chief executive Brian Barwick returned from Lisbon on Thursday, saying he had been interviewing Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari about the job of next England manager.

'No Big Phil decision until July' - Portugal chief (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portuguese football chief Gilberto Madail is confident Luiz Felipe Scolari will not break a 'gentleman's agreement' by committing to become England's new coach before this summer's World Cup.

Taylor blasts 'pathetic' FA selection process (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former England manager Graham Taylor has described the FA's search for the next national team boss as 'pathetic'. Steve McClaren and Luiz Felipe Scolari are reportedly the front-runners.

England boss should be English - Blatter (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sepp Blatter gave a heavy hint on Tuesday that he would much prefer England to appoint an English national soccer coach instead of another foreigner in succession to departing Swede Sven-Goran Eriksso

Sven: 'We can win World Cup' (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson today insisted his World Cup team can win football's top prize this year.

Rooney fearless ahead of World Cup (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wayne Rooney is adamant England have no need to fear anyone at this summer's World Cup.

Scolari ignores England talk to concentrate on Portugal (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Football Association have been told to forget about Luiz Felipe Scolari by his agent, who insists the Brazilian will not consider becoming England manager until the World Cup is over.

Juninho: Scolari is right man for England job (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Luiz Felipe Scolari should be appointed as the next England manager ahead of Martin O'Neill or Steve McClaren, insists former Middlesbrough star Juninho who has played under all three candidates.

Robson: Beckham not best England captain (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bryan Robson believes David Beckham should not captain England at this summer's World Cup claiming the Real Madrid player is not a natural leader.

McClaren not ready for England - Southgate (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former England defender Gareth Southgate believes his club boss Steve McClaren is not yet ready for the England job.

Eriksson: Owen and co should be fine for finals (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is confident four of his key players will be fit and ready for this summer's World Cup.

King refuses to contemplate World Cup KO (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England defender Ledley King refuses to believe his World Cup dream is over even though he will not play again this season for Tottenham.

Search finished for successor to Sven? (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Football Association have finished interviewing contenders for the England job but no decision has yet been made. An announcement will not be made before next week.

England fans urged to chant in German (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England soccer fans are being encouraged to learn the German versions of well known football chants before the World Cup. It is part of the Foreign Office's package of travel tips for fans.

I'm 50-50 for World Cup place, says Bent (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Darren Bent is hoping a strong finish to the season can secure a place in the England World Cup squad. 'I have scored a lot of goals but a lot of other players can say they have been,' Bent said.

Beckham: Gambling 'no problem' in England camp (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England captain David Beckham has dismissed claims of a rift in the squad caused by card schools and other gambling debts - and insists the only card game he plays is snap.

King struck down by curse of the metatarsal (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ledley King's World Cup hopes have suffered a major blow with Tottenham revealing he has fractured the fourth metatarsal of his left foot.

Hargreaves confident of landing World Cup place (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Owen Hargreaves is confident he will be in Sven-Goran Eriksson's England squad for this summer's World Cup finals after making a successful return from a nagging groin injury.

Curbishley calls for quick England decision (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Charlton boss Alan Curbishley has again called for a decision on the next England manager to be made soon.

Rio backing Sol to return fresher for England (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rio Ferdinand believes Sol Campbell's torrid season could help, rather than hinder, his chances of making England's World Cup squad.

Eriksson misled Football Association - Tribunal (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson misled the Football Association during the Faria Alam scandal, an Employment Tribunal ruled.

Boro making plans for McClaren exit - Cooper (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Colin Cooper believes Middlesbrough are making plans for life after Steve McClaren.

The hopefuls: Michael Carrick (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Dominic Raynor's assessment of England's World Cup hopefuls continues with Michael Carrick.

Hiddink snubs England to become Russia coach (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Guus Hiddink has announced he will be the next coach of the Russian national team.

Rooney statement denies rift with Owen (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has dismissed talk of a rift with England strike partner Michael Owen. Amid reports the Manchester United star has amassed a £700,000 gambling debt, there have been suggestions Rooney is

British government launches anti-touting law (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
New legislation which closes a loophole allowing some World Cup tickets to be legally touted comes into effect. The law makes it a criminal offence for anyone in England and Wales.

Curbs says Young dream is not over yet (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley has played down fears on Monday that captain Luke Young could miss out on a place in England's World Cup squad through injury.

PFA offer to help Rooney with '£700k debts' (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Players' union bosses will be in contact with Wayne Rooney's advisors early this week to offer any assistance required over the England star's reported £700,000 gambling debt.

Hiddink 'insulted' over England approach (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The prospect of Guus Hiddink featuring on the short-list of candidates to become England's new manager disappeared today when it emerged the Dutchman felt insulted by the manner of an approach by the

Blair not taking the rap for Wembley (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tony Blair has admitted he is glad he is not carrying the can for the beleaguered Wembley Stadium project. The Prime Minister insisted it would be 'fantastic' when it was open.

Discussions continue over next England manager (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Football Association have insisted no decision has yet been made on the next England manager. The FA's board met on Wednesday to discuss who will succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson after the World Cup.

No excuses for failure in Germany, insists Beckham (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England captain David Beckham will not offer excuses if Sven-Goran Eriksson's side fail to perform at this summer's World Cup.

Owen reveals 'panic' over World Cup dream (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England striker Michael Owen has admitted he feared his World Cup dream was over when he was told he needed another operation on his injured foot.

Vassell still not given up on World Cup (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester City striker Darius Vassell insists he is ready for an England recall - and prepared to put off essential surgery to go to the World Cup.

Big Sam nails colours to England mast - again (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce has no regrets about publicly stating his desire to become England coach.

Wembley wait now heading for litigation (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Wembley Stadium debacle is heading for the law courts after the builders' refusal to pay penalty clauses for yet another delay to the £757million project.


English Premier League
Team of the Week (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The cream of the crop from the weekend's fixtures are in our Team of the Week.

'Mourinho wouldn't have quit Chelsea' - Kenyon (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon insists Jose Mourinho never seriously considered quitting Stamford Bridge.

Ferguson sounds title challenge for next season (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has vowed Manchester United will be a credible title force next season despite their mauling at Stamford Bridge.

Beckenbauer blasts Blues-bound Ballack (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer has accused Michael Ballack of already mentally being at Chelsea after claiming the midfielder underperformed in the DFB-Pokal Final, which the Bavarian giant

Pompey's Stefanovic hails saviour Redknapp (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portsmouth captain Dejan Stefanovic has urged the man he rates as the greatest manager he has worked with not to walk out on the club for a second time.

Giuly expects Henry to sign for Barcelona (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona star Ludovic Giuly has revealed he expects Arsenal's Thierry Henry to announce before the World Cup that he is to join the Spanish giants this summer.

'It will be harder for Chelsea next season' - Cole (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole believes the English champions will find it even harder to secure a hat-trick of Premier League titles next season.

Curbishley insists there's 'nothing sinister' (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Alan Curbishley insisted there was 'nothing sinister' behind his decision to call time after 15 seasons in charge of Charlton - and maintained he would not be looking for a swift return to management.

Robson: Stick with me, I'll bring us back (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bryan Robson insists he is the right man to lead West Bromwich Albion back into the Premiership following their relegation to the Championship.

Redknapp's final redemption (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
As Pompey avoided relegation Richard Jolly witnessed Harry Redknapp's redemption.

Roeder plays down fresh Owen injury fears (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder has played down fears that Michael Owen may have suffered a severe recurrence of his foot injury.

A champion's farewell? (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Insider saw Chelsea win the title, but did he see Mourinho's final game at the Bridge?

Curbishley announces Charlton exit (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Alan Curbishley will leave Charlton at the end of the season after close to 15 years in charge at The Valley.

Prem: Pompey's win means woe for Baggies and City (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portsmouth condemned Birmingham and West Brom to relegation and guaranteed another season in the Barclays Premiership for the Fratton Park side after they came from behind to win 2-1 at Wigan.

Mourinho: 'I nearly quit the worst club in the world' (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Jose Mourinho clinched his second title in two years at Chelsea, threw his medal into the crowd and then admitted he almost quit the club.

How Chelsea won the title - Match by match (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea clinched their second successive Barclays Premiership title on Saturday. Here is how they have repeated last season's triumph.

Chelsea crush United to win title (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea retained the Premier League title when they crushed second-placed Manchester United 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Mourinho: 'We deserve the title' (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho threw his Premiership title winners' medal and his club blazer into the crowd as the title celebrations got underway at Stamford Bridge.

'I'm staying with Arsenal', insists Cole (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ashley Cole insists he will stay at Arsenal this summer. The England full-back, who has two years remaining on his Gunners contract, has been linked with a big-money move to Real Madrid.

Ferguson has 2007 warning for title-chasing Chelsea (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced Chelsea know they will face a much tougher title scrap from Manchester United next season regardless of whether they retain the championship at Stamford Bridge.

'Struggling' Diouf set for summer of hard graft (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce insists El-Hadji Diouf is going nowhere this summer.

FA confirm Garcia and Mullins will miss cup final (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
West Ham's Hayden Mullins and Luis Garcia will miss the FA Cup final after their appeals for wrongful dismissal were rejected by the Football Association.

£2.5m-Bullard to join Fulham at end of season (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Fulham will sign midfielder Jimmy Bullard from Wigan when the season ends after agreeing a £2.5million fee with the Latics. The 27-year-old Londoner will join on a four-year deal on May 8.

Hughes won't be drawn on Bellamy transfer clause (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes is refusing to acknowledge whether striker Craig Bellamy has a £6million escape clause in his contract.

Sky win 2007 Premiership TV rights (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Premier League have announced that BSkyB have won the right to screen half of the 138 live matches from 2007 to 2010.

Vidic keen to make impression on Champions League (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Nemanja Vidic is not just looking to spoil Chelsea's title party at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. He wants a guaranteed spot in the Champions League as well.

Pearce grateful for fans' support through poor run (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stuart Pearce has escaped the wrath of Manchester City's long-suffering fans over the club's recent six-match losing streak.

Cisse hopes good form can secure Cup final spot (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse hopes a late burst of form can secure an FA Cup final place and a spot in France's World Cup squad.

Chelsea fully focussed on title-clinching game (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole insists Jose Mourinho's side are in fine shape as they bid to claim their second successive Premiership title against Manchester United on Saturday.

Bruce criticises England's McClaren snub (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Steve Bruce believes the pursuit of Luiz Felipe Scolari by the Football Association as a potential successor to Sven-Goran Eriksson is a snub to Steve McClaren.

Henry lands FWA award for a record third time (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Thierry Henry has been named Footballer of the Year for a record third time by the Football Writers' Association.

Premier League consider UK TV rights bids (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Premier League chiefs remained silent about the bids they have received for television rights packages today.

Chelsea fined £10,000 for failing to control players (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea have been fined £10,000 by the Football Association after their players surrounded referee Mark Halsey during the clash against West Brom last month.

Reid 'very close' to penning to Rovers contract (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Blackburn midfielder Steven Reid is poised to commit his future to the Ewood Park club.

Pearce expects Barton and Distin to sign (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stuart Pearce still expects Joey Barton and Sylvain Distin to be part of his squad at Manchester City next season - but the Blues boss has revealed any serious summer offer for either man will be put

Hibbert misses end of season with hernia op (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Everton defender Tony Hibbert will miss the final two games the season after undergoing a hernia operation.

Todd faces anxious wait over knee surgery (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Blackburn captain Andy Todd will discover in the next 48 hours whether he requires surgery for a knee injury.

Weaver could make rare start for Man City (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Nicky Weaver could make his first senior start for Manchester City since August 2003 in Saturday's Premiership encounter with Fulham.

Gunners 'dread' the day Wenger leaves (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood admits the club have not started planning for a future without Arsene Wenger.

Owen finally ready for Newcastle comeback (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England striker Michael Owen believes he is ready to return to Premiership action this weekend. Owen has been able to play a full part in training and stressed he has not been holding anything back.

Tottenham midfielder Jenas to miss Arsenal game (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur's England midfielder Jermaine Jenas will miss Saturday's Premier League derby match at Arsenal with a shin injury.

Premier Showdown - Apr 22-26 (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Rest of the World team is putting up a real fight in our fantastic predictions game. Sign up to take on our experts and you can help take them to ultimate glory!

Allardyce forces Diouf in to extra training (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
El-Hadji Diouf has been forced to undergo extra training sessions by Bolton manager Sam Allardyce after claiming the striker is not fit to play for the club.

Young on course for timely comeback (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Luke Young could return to action for Charlton against Manchester United on the final day of the Barclays Premiership season - just in time to prove his fitness for the England World Cup squad.

Bridge to be the first in Chelsea clear-out? (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea's summer clear-out could see England defender Wayne Bridge leave the club if Fulham manager Chris Coleman can find the cash to turn his loan spell at Craven Cottage into a permanent transfer.

Mido knee injury may endanger Spurs deal (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tottenham striker Mido`s permanent move to White Hart Lane could be wrecked by injury.

Benitez to rest players ahead of Cup final (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez plans to rest some players for Wednesday's Premier League match against FA Cup final opponents West Ham United.

Cup final ticket allocation disappoints West Ham (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
West Ham have described their 23,500 ticket allocation for the FA Cup final against Liverpool as a 'major disappointment'.

Man Utd reveal South Africa tour dates (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United have confirmed the itinerary for their three-match summer tour of South Africa. Sir Alex Ferguson's side will begin their 10-day trip in Durban before heading to Cape Town.

Newcastle deny imminent appointment of Roeder (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has denied reports Glenn Roeder is on the brink of being appointed the club's manager on a permanent basis.

Everton and England's Labone dies aged 66 (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tributes were paid today to former Everton and England defender Brian Labone. The 66-year-old, who won 26 England caps, was found collapsed near his home in Maghull, Merseyside.

'Business as usual' despite Glazer's stroke (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Glazer family insist it is still 'business as usual' at Manchester United despite Malcolm Glazer's stroke.

City's season a 'disappointment' for Pearce (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stuart Pearce will still regard this season as a major disappointment even if Manchester City win their final four games.

O'Leary still in dark over Villa's future (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Aston Villa manager David O'Leary insists he has no talks scheduled to meet chairman Doug Ellis to discuss the club's future.

Chelsea agree grassroots deal in China (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
English champions Chelsea agreed on Tuesday to give their backing to an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) project to develop grass-roots football in China.

Facing the final curtain (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Norman Hubbard compares and contrasts the careers of three strikers who are set to bow out.

United owner Glazer suffers Easter Sunday stroke (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United owner Malcolm Glazer has been released from hospital after suffering a stroke on Easter Sunday. The 78-year-old was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic in Florida on April 16.

Pearce resigned to having reduced budget (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stuart Pearce is resigned to receiving a smaller summer transfer kitty than he believes is required to propel Manchester City back towards the top end of the Premiership.

Rooney determined to spoil Chelsea's title party (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wayne Rooney is desperate to avoid the `devastation' of Chelsea retaining the title at Manchester United's expense on Saturday.

Tainio on sidelines with suspected broken toe (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Teemu Tainio is the latest cause for concern as injuries threaten to undermine Tottenham's final push for a place in the Champions League next season.

Police deny claims of Wenger-Davids tunnel bust-up (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Metropolitan Police have denied that officers were forced to intervene in a tunnel confrontation between Arsene Wenger and Edgar Davids after Saturday's north London derby.

Bolton players want Campo to remain at Reebok (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former Real Madrid star Ivan Campo is being urged to stay at Bolton next season.

Roeder ready to join race for Newcastle job? (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Glenn Roeder has hinted for the first time that since he took over from the sacked Graeme Souness on a caretaker basis in February that he is interested in the vacant manager's job at Newcastle.

Cole backs Blues to bounce back from Cup exit (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Joe Cole insists back-to-back titles will help ease the pain of Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool.

Chimbonda lands place in Team of the Season (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wigan full-back Pascal Chimbonda was the surprise inclusion in the Professional Footballers' Association Premier League Divisional Awards.

Gerrard and Rooney land PFA player awards (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admitted he felt a great sense of humility after being named the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year at a gala dinner in London.

Team of the Week (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The cream of the crop from the weekend's fixtures are in our Team of the Week.

Derby row won't spur Arsenal on - Wenger (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger maintains Arsenal will not take any added incentive into their quest for European glory just to deny Tottenham the chance to play in the Champions League next season.

Boa Morte going nowhere, insists Coleman (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chris Coleman is adamant club captain Luis Boa Morte will not be leaving Craven Cottage as Fulham prepare for a summer spending spree.

Injured Mellberg set for Aston Villa return (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Aston Villa skipper Olof Mellberg is hoping to make his latest comeback against Manchester City on Tuesday. Mellberg has been suffering from a hamstring problem.

Redknapp quizzed as FA investigation continues (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has been quizzed by the Football Association as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of insider betting in football.

Premiership: Taylor turns up relegation heat (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portsmouth seized back the initiative in the battle to stay in the Premiership as Matthew Taylor's late penalty secured a 2-1 victory at home to Sunderland.

The day fair play died (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Insider watched the last derby at Highbury on the day fair play died in English football.

Heinze begins return with reserves run out (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Gabriel Heinze showed no obvious signs of rustiness as he played over an hour for Manchester United's reserves against Aston Villa at the Lamb Ground in Tamworth on Saturday.

Wigan ready to offer Roberts new deal (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wigan manager Paul Jewell is determined to tie star striker Jason Roberts to a new long-term contract this summer.

Shearer will forever be talk of the Toon (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Alan Shearer assured himself of immortality on Tyneside when he moved ahead of Jackie Milburn as Newcastle's leading goalscorer of all time.

Wright warns Blues over Wright-Phillips (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ian Wright believes his stepson Shaun Wright-Phillips should leave Chelsea if he continues to struggle for first-team opportunities.

Chelsea boss rules out third bid for Gerrard (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will not be tempted into an auction for Steven Gerrard for the third summer in succession.

Shearer: I've lived the dream (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Alan Shearer brought the curtain down on his competitive Newcastle career and then insisted 'I've fulfilled my dream'.

Skipper Henry predicts 'war' at Highbury (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal captain Thierry Henry is expecting Saturday's north London derby with Tottenham Hotspur to be an explosive affair.

Moyes hoping Martyn can prove his fitness (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Everton boss David Moyes will give veteran keeper Nigel Martyn every chance to prove his fitness before making a final decision on whether to offer him a new one-year contract.

Heinze set for long-awaited comeback (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Gabriel Heinze is set to make his first appearance since September when he turns out for Manchester United's reserves on Saturday.

Keane prepares for make-or-break derby clash (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane has hailed Saturday's derby clash with rivals Arsenal as the biggest game of his Tottenham career.

Allardyce working to tight transfer schedule (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sam Allardyce has made provisional plans to draft in at least six new players before the World Cup begins on June 9.

Gerrard ignores Real to pledge future to Liverpool (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Skipper Steven Gerrard has moved to distance himself from the speculation which is again threatening to surround his Liverpool future.

Birmingham boss plans for finale without injured Dunn (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Birmingham manager Steve Bruce is resigned to being without midfielder David Dunn for the final three matches of the campaign.

Owen set for Toon return, but it's gloomy for Shearer (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Michael Owen has been named in the Newcastle squad for Saturday's home Barclays Premiership match with West Brom.

Arsenal 'not complaining' about fixture pile-up (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Freddie Ljungberg insists Arsenal have no complaints about being forced to play three crucial matches in less than a week, starting with the north London derby against Spurs on Saturday.

Lampard eyes a century of Blue glory goals (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Frank Lampard can point to the numbers if Michael Ballack wants to know what it takes to become a Chelsea legend.

'Gambling problem, me? Wanna bet?' - Terry (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England and Chelsea defender John Terry has denied he has a gambling problem. 'The figures that have started to be bandied about concerning my gambling are a joke,' Terry told the Daily Mirror

Jol - 'Tottenham deserve to finish fourth' (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tottenham coach Martin Jol leads his team into their most important game of the season convinced his side deserve to finish fourth in the Premiership.

Chelsea to play MLS All-Stars in August (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea today unveiled plans to play Major League Soccer's All-Star team in Chicago on August 5, as part of their summer tour to the United States.

'I'm praying it's not the end' - Shearer (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Alan Shearer looked ahead to tomorrow's scan on his injured knee and admitted: 'I'm praying it's not the end'.

Campbell ruled out of North London derby (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal centre-back Sol Campbell has been ruled out of Saturday's north London derby clash against former club Tottenham.

Toon hope Owen will play in season's last game (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England striker Michael Owen's battle for World Cup fitness will go right down to the wire after it was revealed he is likely to play only one game for Newcastle before the end of the season.

FA reject red card appeal of Everton's Carsley (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The FA have rejected Lee Carsley's claim for wrongful dismissal following the Everton midfielder's red card against Chelsea. He was sent off for a challenge on Didier Drogba on Monday.

Diouf absence 'a mental problem' - Allardyce (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
El-Hadji Diouf remains on collision course with Sam Allardyce and has been left out of the Bolton squad against Charlton on Saturday.

'Gerrard is not for sale,' says Reds boss (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez has firmly dismissed any notion that Liverpool would sell Steven Gerrard to Real Madrid.

'Villarreal want to sign me', says Arsenal's Pires (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires says that Champions League semi-final opponents Villarreal are trying to sign him on a two-year deal when his contract with the London club expires at the end of the se

Scholes to play on despite blurred vision (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Paul Scholes has admitted he may never totally be free of the blurred vision which brought a premature end to his season, but it won't bring to end to his career as he vows to play on for Man Utd.

Gold has last laugh after Savage snub (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Birmingham chairman David Gold had the last laugh after being snubbed by Robbie Savage as Steve Bruce's side climbed out of the Premiership relegation zone courtesy of Mikael Forssell's late winner ag

Ballack: Chelsea deal rumours are 'rubbish' (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Ballack has denied reports he has already agreed a move to Chelsea. ZDF reported the deal was done but Ballack said: 'That is rubbish, it's not true.'

Premier Showdown - Apr 17-19 (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
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Quinn confirms interest in Sunderland takeover (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former Sunderland striker Niall Quinn has confirmed his interest in taking over the Barclays Premiership's rock bottom club.

Police to investigate Gaydamak's Portsmouth investment (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Police are to review a dossier which raises questions over the purchase of Alexandre `Sacha` Gaydamak's 50% stake in Portsmouth, according to a newspaper report.

Solskjaer: United on the brink of greatness (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is convinced Manchester United are on the brink of winning championships again.

Moyes looking to improve Everton strikeforce (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
David Moyes is already working to improve Everton's scoring department that has managed only 31 Barclays Premiership goals all season.

Birmingham extend Upson contract (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Birmingham have formally exercised the two-year option on Matthew Upson's contract - and manager Steve Bruce is backing the defender to overcome the ruptured Achilles tendon which will sideline him fo

Hreidarsson's season over after FA charge (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Charlton defender Hermann Hreidarsson will miss the last three games of the Premiership season after admitting a Football Association charge of violent conduct.

Okocha not planning a move into coaching (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bolton Wanderers playmaker and former Nigeria captain Jay-Jay Okocha is planning to walk away from football when he retires from the game.

Real Madrid target Gerrard as 'priority' signing (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid football director Benito Floro has identified Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard as one of the Spanish club's targets as they look to build for next season.

Bruce braced for final-day drama (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Steve Bruce is braced for Birmingham's fight to stay in the Premiership to go to the final day of the season.

Shearer plans a 'few years off' before management (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Alan Shearer wants a clean break from football before moving into management.

Spurs' Mido closing in on derby-day comeback (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tottenham striker Mido is expected to return to training in the next two days in his bid to overcome a groin injury in time to face Arsenal.

Henry bullish over Arsenal contract extension (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Thierry Henry insisted his commitment on the pitch was enough to prove to the fans how much he loves Arsenal as he refused to become embroiled in a debate over his future with the club.

Chelsea keeper Cech determined to shrug off injury (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is confident of being fit for the title run-in despite having 10 stitches in a leg injury.

'I'll never quit,' insists defiant Blues boss Bruce (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Steve Bruce has insisted he will not quit Birmingham even if they are relegated from the Premiership as he prepares for the return of Robbie Savage in tomorrow's crucial match with Blackburn.

McClaren: Players 'are ready to rise to the challenge' (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren insists his players 'are ready to rise to the challenge' and make history at the club.

Carsley launches appeal against red card ban (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Everton midfielder Lee Carsley has submitted a claim for wrongful dismissal to the Football Association following his red card against Chelsea.

United confirm permanent exit of misfit Bellion (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United have confirmed David Bellion will complete a permanent transfer to Nice this summer.

Ferrari in a race to earn extended Goodison stay (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Italian defender Matteo Ferrari wants to talk to Everton about either extending his current loan for another season or making his move to Goodison Park permanent.

Kirkland faces uncertain future after Baggies loan (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chris Kirkland admits he is unsure which club he will be at next season as he steps up his recovery from long-term injury.

Shearer 'fears the worst' over knee injury (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Newcastle are anxiously waiting to discover whether or not Alan Shearer's playing career is over.

Injury rules Blues defender Upson out for six months (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Birmingham manager Steve Bruce is resigned to Matthew Upson being sidelined for at least six months after it was confirmed the central defender had suffered a ruptured Achilles.

Villa hero Cahill puts contract wrangle on backburner (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Gary Cahill, who scored a spectacular goal in Sunday's derby win over Birmingham, has insisted his future at Aston Villa is 'not an issue' and his main concern is becoming a first-team.

Relaxed Mourinho not surprised by United's win (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Jose Mourinho insists he has no preference where and when Chelsea win their second Premiership title after they set up a showdown clash against Manchester United in a fortnight.

Knee injury threatens to end Shearer's career (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Alan Shearer's career could be over after the Newcastle skipper suffered suspected knee ligament damage in the derby victory at Sunderland.

Blues defender Upson waits on injury update (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Birmingham central defender Matthew Upson is facing several months out of action to add to his side's misery after they slid closer towards the Premiership relegation trapdoor.

Lampard aims to emulate Man Utd 'monopoly' (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea star Frank Lampard has set his sights on matching Manchester United's past dominance of the Premiership.

Record signing Angel set for Villa contract talks (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Record signing Juan Pablo Angel will hold talks with Aston Villa over his future in the summer. However the Colombian international has made it clear he will not be content with a bit-part.

Promoted Warnock set for new Blades deal (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Neil Warnock expects to sign a new deal with Sheffield United after guiding them to the Premiership.

Premier Showdown - Apr 14-16 (Apr 16, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Rest of the World team is putting up a real fight in our fantastic predictions game. Sign up to take on our experts and you can help take them to ultimate glory!

Team of the Week (Apr 16, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The cream of the crop from the weekend's fixtures are in our Team of the Week.

Blades aim to follow lead of West Ham and Wigan (Apr 16, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manager Neil Warnock is convinced Sheffield United can follow the example of Wigan Athletic and West Ham United to make an impact on their return to the Premiership next season.

Rooney resolves 'issues' over gambling debts (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has resolved his 'outstanding issues' with a gambling company, it was announced on Saturday night.

Time running out for Robbo (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Insider was in the stands at Highbury to follow the demise of Bryan Robson.

Premiership: Pompey and Spurs take giant steps (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portsmouth took another giant step towards Premiership survival as they beat an under-strength Middlesbrough side 1-0 at Fratton Park on Saturday.

Rovers join the list of clubs interested in Fowler (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes has joined the queue of clubs wanting to sign Robbie Fowler if the striker does not earn a new contract at Liverpool after this season.

Ferguson defends young stars after Sunderland draw (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has no doubt Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo will fulfil their immense potential despite producing 'probably their worst performances of the season'.

Black Cats look on bright side after unexpected draw (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sunderland goalkeeper Kelvin Davis believes the side showed overdue resilience by earning a goalless draw at Manchester United - on the night their relegation to the Coca-Cola Championship was confirm

Bouba Diop: New contract is no deterrent (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Fulham midfielder Papa Bouba Diop admits he is still a target for other clubs despite signing a new contract and warned that manager Chris Coleman must bring in new faces if the club is to improve sig

Jol prepares summer clearout for Europe (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tottenham are ready to undertake a summer clear-out to pave the way for coach Martin Jol to strengthen his squad for Europe.

Jose wants new trio - including Balllack (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has revealed he wants to freshen up his squad with three new signings this summer - with Michael Ballack top of his shopping list.

Bergkamp tribute to open Gunners stadium (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial match is set to be the first game played at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium. The star-studded fixture is scheduled for July 22.

Jay-Jay: Refs should crack down on Drogba (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Jay-Jay Okocha has called on referee Phil Dowd to clamp down on Didier Drogba when Chelsea visit Bolton on Saturday.

Benitez expects Gonzalez to complete Reds move (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez expects Chilean winger Mark Gonzalez to join the club in time for next season after being turned down for a work permit last August.

Robson sets survival target for struggling Baggies (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bryan Robson believes West Brom must win three of their remaining five matches to have a realistic chance of securing Premiership survival.

Benitez considering Fowler contract situation (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez admits it would be 'easy' for him to give Robbie Fowler a new contract but insists he has a responsibility to the club to look at all the options first.

Arsenal defender Campbell has broken nose confirmed (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal have confirmed Sol Campbell has broken his nose but doctors will assess the injury further before deciding whether he needs surgery now or at the end of the season.

Pearce expects Distin to stay at Eastlands (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stuart Pearce does not believe skipper Sylvain Distin needs any convincing to commit his future to Manchester City.

Ferguson vows to help Heinze reach World Cup (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United will do everything possible to help Argentina's Gabriel Heinze play at the World Cup, manager Alex Ferguson said on Thursday.

Ferguson looks to Bolton for Prem favour (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is hoping near neighbours Bolton Wanderers can do his side a favour by beating Chelsea on Saturday to keep the Premier League title race alive.

Roeder: Owen will return this season (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Newcastle caretaker manager Glenn Roeder said today he is 'confident' England striker Michael Owen will play for the Magpies again this season.

Ballack: 'I am in serious negotiations with Chelsea' (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has confirmed the club are in detailed negotiations with Bayern Munich captain Michael Ballack.

Newcastle report six months losses of £6.3m (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Newcastle have recorded a loss of £6.3million for the past half-year.

Wenger left to rue missed opportunities (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger insisted all was not lost despite Arsenal failing to make the most of their chances against Portsmouth.

Man City youngster Croft signs new deal (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester City winger Lee Croft has signed a two-year contract extension with the Eastlands outfit.

Allardyce rap for 'mouthy' defender Ben Haim (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce has told Tal Ben Haim to show more respect to senior players.

Chelsea still considering leaving the Bridge (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea insist they are still exploring all realistic avenues regarding ground development and have not ruled out a move from Stamford Bridge.

Blackburn lose £4m claim for injured player (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Blackburn Rovers today lost a High Court claim against insurers who refused to pay the club £4million over a back injury which ended the professional career of striker Martin Dahlin.

Chelsea abandon stadium search (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea have abandoned their search for a new stadium site and will now concentrate on raising the capacity at Stamford Bridge to 55,000.

Head injury puts end to Pogatetz's season (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Boro defender Emanuel Pogatetz has been warned against returning to full training for three months for fear of risking his eyesight - he broke his nose and cheekbone in a clash of heads.

Fire crews called to Old Trafford blaze (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Firefighters tackled a blaze which broke out at Manchester United's Old Trafford football ground on Wednesday, the Fire Service said.

Ballack close to Blues deal (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Germany captain Michael Ballack is in advanced negotiations with Chelsea about a move to London, his agent Michael Becker was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Blues trio head PFA Player of the Year nominees (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Premiership leaders Chelsea dominate the nominations for the 2006 Professional Footballers' Association Footballer of the Year Award.

England contender Allardyce committed to Bolton (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sam Allardyce has insisted he is committed to managing Bolton.

Keane will play at Celtic next season - Strachan (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan is confident Roy Keane will still be a Hoops player next season. The 34-year-old only arrived in January but has hinted that a hip injury could force him to retire

Jewell in clear over Dowd 'incompetent' slur (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wigan boss Paul Jewell will not face any formal disciplinary action by the FA, despite describing referee Phil Dowd as 'incompetent' after a some 'nonsensical' decisions at Blackburn Rovers.

Poll: Diving clampdown would have backlash (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England's World Cup referee Graham Poll has explained why match officials feel they cannot adopt a 'zero tolerance' approach.

Easter will 'make or break' West Brom's season (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Defender Paul Robinson believes Easter will 'make or break' West Brom's chances of staying in the Premiership.

Race for places has helped United - Brown (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wes Brown is convinced the extra competition for defensive slots at Manchester United has fuelled the Red Devils' impressive late charge.

Wenger confident of Gunners dual success (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal are heading into the unknown as their season draws to an exciting conclusion.

Charlton preparing for Curbishley departure (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Charlton chief executive Peter Varney has admitted the club are preparing for life without manager Alan Curbishley.

Kenyon pours scorn on Mourinho rift rumours (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon has scotched rumours of a rift between him and coach Jose Mourinho.

'Henry-inspired Arsenal could murder us' - Harry (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp believes Thierry Henry is the best player in the world and admits he does not know how his team will cope with the striker's genius.

Campbell to return for Arsenal against Pompey (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sol Campbell is set to make his first Arsenal appearance in two-and-a-half months at Portsmouth on Wednesday - with manager Arsene Wenger predicting the defender still has a big part to play.

Rejuvenated Kewell reveals debt to Rafa (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rejuvenated winger Harry Kewell has thanked Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez for salvaging his top flight career.

Liverpool's stadium plans re-approved (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The plans for Liverpool's new stadium have been re-approved by the local council without any alterations in the original scheme.

Ballack move 'only about money', claims Bayern chief (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has claimed Michael Ballack's main motivation would be money if he chooses to join Chelsea this summer.

Bolton confident Allardyce will remain at the helm (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside is confident Sam Allardyce will be manager at the Reebok Stadium next season. Allardyce has been linked with the soon-to-be-vacant England job.

Upson eyes return in Sunday's derby with Villa (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Birmingham defender Matthew Upson could be pushing for a recall in Sunday's derby at Aston Villa after starting on the comeback trail following groin and pelvic injuries.

Survey shows Premiership wages still on the rise (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The salaries of players in the Premiership have climbed by 65 per cent since 2000 to an all-time high, a new survey reveals.

Rooney's gambling not a problem, claims Merson (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Paul Merson insists Wayne Rooney should not be judged as an addict even if it is confirmed he has accrued gambling debts of £700,000.

Glazers prepared to invest for success - Gill (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chief executive David Gill insists Manchester United's new owners are prepared to invest in the team to further the Red Devils' quest for success.

Heinze set to return for Premiership run in (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to call on Gabriel Heinze to help muscle Chelsea out of the Premiership title. The injured full-back has not played for the Red Devils since September

'Fans may stay away from Old Trafford' (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The sight of empty seats at Old Trafford for Premiership games is now inevitable, according to a leading fans' group. United have confirmed an average season-ticket price rise of 12.3%.

Rafa: English coaches need to be worldly (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez believes more British managers should broaden their horizons by taking charge of clubs abroad.

WBA's Wallwork misses out on amnesty (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
West Brom midfielder Ronnie Wallwork is 'devastated' at being suspended for two crucial matches in the battle to stay in the Premiership - after missing out by just 24 hours on a Football Association

Big Sam signals interest in signing Fowler (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is ready to make a bid for Robbie Fowler in the summer. Fowler wants to remain at Liverpool in the long-term and scored the winner on his 31st birthday when the two clubs

Old Trafford ticket prices get sharp rise (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United have hit their fans with an inflation-busting 12.3% average rise in season ticket prices for next season. The Old Trafford outfit have confirmed rises ranging from 8.3% to 16.7%.

Premier Showdown - Apr 8/9 (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
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Ferguson rubbishes Rooney gambling allegations (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed allegations that star striker Wayne Rooney has run up gambling debts of £700,000.

Living up to the hype (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Richard Jolly witnessed a Wayne Rooney master class as Man United defeated Arsenal.

Team of the Week (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The cream of the crop from the weekend's fixtures are in our Team of the Week.

Ferguson pins his title hopes on neighbours Bolton (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has stoked up the title race by backing Bolton to help Manchester United make further inroads into Chelsea's seven-point Barclays Premiership lead next weekend.

'We didn't take advantage of extra man' - Pardew (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
West Ham manager Alan Pardew believes the dismissal of Chelsea midfielder Maniche affected his side more than the reigning champions.

Mourinho hails 'amazing' Drogba (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho predicted that Didier Drogba's superb performance would silence the critics who were ready to hound him out of English football.

'Other clubs may have sacked Fergie' - Gill (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill admits rival clubs may have sacked Sir Alex Ferguson for his recent record.

Ferguson to get 'significant' transfer kitty (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United commercial director Andy Anson today revealed Sir Alex Ferguson has been armed with a 'significant' transfer kitty to rebuild his midfield - but confirmed no new funds would be made

Under-fire O'Leary determined to stay at Villa (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Aston Villa manager David O'Leary is refusing to buckle under increasing pressure as the midlands club go into the most demanding seven days of their season.

Worthy of the prize? (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Insider looks at the credentials of Champions League hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur.

Bayern chief expects Ballack to join Chelsea (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness believes midfielder Michael Ballack will join Chelsea in the summer.

Wigan success story to get US TV treatment (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wigan's remarkable success story is about to touch the heart of America.

Prem boss Richards vows to clear name (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Premier League chairman Dave Richards has vowed to clear his name after allegations he was involved in a cover-up of illegal payments at his old club Sheffield Wednesday.

Wenger: 'Chelsea are 80% league champions' (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Chelsea remain very much in the driving seat to win the Premiership title.

Ferguson predicts three-horse-race next season (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Chelsea they will face increased competition from both Manchester United and Arsenal in the Premiership next season.

Benitez dangles contract carrot in front of Fowler (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez has held preliminary discussions with Robbie Fowler about the Liverpool star's future at Anfield.

Mourinho finally feeling the pressure... of bird flu (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Jose Mourinho claims he is more concerned by a potential outbreak of bird flu than Manchester United's Barclays Premiership title challenge.

Agent charged over Cole 'tapping-up' affair (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Football Association have charged agent Jonathan Barnett following his alleged involvement in an illegal meeting between Arsenal full-back Ashley Cole and Chelsea.

Delaney fears injury might end his Villa career (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Mark Delaney may have played his last game for Aston Villa amid fears he will need surgery on his damaged knee.

Torn hamstring ends Clemence's season (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Birmingham midfielder Stephen Clemence has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn hamstring.

Redknapp wants return to Fratton fortress (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has asked his players to turn Fratton Park into the 'fortress' of old over the next eight days when they have three home games vital to their survival ambitions.

Villa sign 'seven-figure' sponsorship deal (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Aston Villa have announced a new shirt sponsorship deal with internet gaming company 32Red.

Delighted Diop signs new Fulham contract (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Fulham midfielder Papa Bouba Diop has signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2009.

Chelsea on alert as Joaquin eyes move (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea are almost certain to be among the interested parties after Real Betis winger Joaquin confirmed he is ready to quit Spain.

Hleb: Arsenal can't afford any slip-ups (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Alexander Hleb knows there are 'no more margins for error' if Arsenal are to secure a top-four finish in the Premiership. Arsenal play second-placed Manchester United on Sunday.

Pearce plays down Eastland's crisis talk (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stuart Pearce insists there is no crisis at Manchester City.

Crouch revels in new-found confidence (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Peter Crouch believes Liverpool's problems in front of goal are a thing of the past.

Carvalho cools United's title hopes (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho has written off Manchester United's chances of winning the Premiership.

Man United still a threat to Chelsea - Charlton (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton insists the current team are 'capable' of pipping Chelsea to win the Premiership title this season.

Coleman confident Bouba will be staying (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Fulham manager Chris Coleman is confident Papa Bouba Diop is ready to sign a new contract.

Negotiations with Diop, whose current deal expires in the summer, are now at an advanced staged.

Bramble back to boost Toon ranks (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Titus Bramble could still play a part in Newcastle's bid for a rousing finish to a traumatic season.

Hughes: Amoruso headed for Rovers exit (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes has confirmed Lorenzo Amoruso is to be shown the door at the end of the season.

Big Sam rapped for ref Riley 'riot' rage (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce has been fined £2000, severely censured and warned as to his future conduct by the Football Association after accusing referee Mike Riley of almost causing a riot.

El Karkouri leaves Addicks for Qatar (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Charlton defender Talal El Karkouri has joined Qatar side Al Gharafa for the rest of the season with a view to a permanent move.

Sol finally ready to return for Arsenal (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Sol Campbell has told Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger he is ready to return to the side for the first time in two months.

Baros denies Villa wantaway claims (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Milan Baros has played down reports he is looking to quit Aston Villa at the end of the season as he prepares to return to action in Sunday's derby clash with West Brom at Villa Park.

Man United unveil AIG as new sponsors (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United have agreed a British record £56.5million shirt sponsorship deal with US finance giant American International Group (AIG), United chief executive David Gill confirmed.

Birmingham chairman Sullivan apologises for outburst (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Birmingham chairman David Sullivan has apologised to his players following his outburst questioning their commitment to the club.

'Best is yet to come' croons 'Pool's Morientes (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool striker Fernando Morientes insists he still has plenty to offer the Anfield club.

Man Utd will push Chelsea 'very close' - Beckham (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
David Beckham has tipped former club Manchester United to push Chelsea 'very close' in the race for the Premiership.

Mido positive on remaining at the Lane (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tottenham striker Mido insists he wants to remain at the club when his loan expires this summer but has not ruled out a return to Roma. Spurs have yet to agree a permanent.deal.

King injury gives Jol cause for concern (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tottenham boss Martin Jol has warned his side they must shake off the loss of Ledley King and cut out the mistakes in order to pick up the points they need to secure a Champions League place.

Not doing it for the fans (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
After the Insider blasted David O'Leary, Norman Hubbard documents his fall from grace.

NTL considering bid for live Premier League football (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Cable giant NTL followed up its takeover deal of Virgin Mobile today by setting its sights on Premier League football rights.

Saha praise for 'complete forward' Ruud (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Louis Saha knows he has a fight on his hands to keep his place in the Manchester United side - because he rates his rival Ruud van Nistelrooy as the best striker in England.

Baros (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
David O'Leary has revealed Aston Villa will make 'a vast profit' if fit again leading scorer Milan Baros opts to invoke the buy-out clause in his contract.

Hasselbaink braced for Middlesbrough exit (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has indicated he will not be at Middlesbrough next season.

Villa protected by £18million Baros buy-out clause (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
David O'Leary has revealed Aston Villa will make 'a vast profit' if fit again leading scorer Milan Baros opts to invoke the buy-out clause in his contract.

Fowler in limbo over new contract at Liverpool (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler admits he is still in the dark over whether he will be offered a new deal at Anfield.

Brown hits back at Davis in row over horror tackle (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Fulham midfielder Michael Brown has denied intentionally hurting Sean Davis during the defeat to Portsmouth at the weekend.

O'Leary vows to fight on at Villa Park (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
David O'Leary has insisted he is the right man to revive Aston Villa's fortunes as speculation continues to mount over his future.

FIFA rule out retrospective action against divers (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
FIFA have ruled out allowing video evidence being used retrospectively to punish players who dive.

Defoe determined to stay and fight for his place (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe remains committed to the club despite admitting that a lack of first-team action has put his World Cup chances at risk.

Jewell set to be hit hard following ref rage (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Football Association have confirmed they will examine comments made by Wigan manager Paul Jewell following his criticism of referee Phil Dowd after last night's 1-1 draw at Blackburn.

Allardyce targets five new faces for next season (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is looking to make five new signings - but insists he will have to swoop before the World Cup starts prices will soar for players involved in the finals.

Premier Showdown - Apr 1-3 (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Rest of the World team is putting up a real fight in our fantastic predictions game. Sign up to take on our experts and you can help take them to ultimate glory!

Injury ends season for Boro's Mendieta (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Middlesbrough were tonight rocked by the news that Spanish midfielder Gazika Mendieta will miss the rest of the season after breaking a bone in his foot in training.

'Double-dealing' Man United snub £70m deal (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Furious Mansion chief negotiator David Kinsman has accused Manchester United of 'double-dealing' after the Red Devils pulled the plug on a world record sponsorship deal.

De Zeeuw: Heat is on (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Wigan skipper Arjan de Zeeuw believes all the pressure will be on Blackburn when the Latics travel to Ewood Park on Monday night.

Newcastle chief promises top class manager (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has promised the club's new manager will be of the highest calibre. Shepherd intends to appoint Graeme Souness' successor before the end of the season.

Diamond striker Tomlin to train with Reds (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rushden & Diamonds striker Lee Tomlin is to spend this week training with European champions Liverpool, his assistant manager Geoff Harrop has confirmed.

Pennant: It's payback time for Birmingham (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Winger Jermaine Pennant has vowed to repay the faith shown in him by Steve Bruce by keeping Birmingham in the Premiership for a fifth successive season.

Villa's Laursen sets mid-May comeback target (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Aston Villa central defender Martin Laursen is confident of receiving the green light to start on the comeback trail in mid-May after being sidelined for nearly eight months with a knee injury.

No-one earned their wages, raps Man City boss (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce claims he 'might as well go on the dole now' if his team fail to learn from their performance against Middlesbrough.

Blackburn aim to step up European bid (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Blackburn midfielder Steven Reid has admitted the fear of playing in next season's Intertoto Cup is driving Rovers on to claim a top-six finish in the Premiership.

Brown tried to break my leg, insists Davis (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davis has accused former Tottenham team-mate Michael Brown of attempting to break his leg. Brown, now at Fulham, went in hard on Davis and was sent off.

Mourinho unconcerned about diminishing lead (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
It would appear there is life in the Premiership title race yet, but with typical bravado, Jose Mourinho is unconcerned.

Saha issues warning to Chelsea (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Manchester United striker Louis Saha is convinced Sir Alex Ferguson's in-form side can overhaul stuttering Chelsea at the top of the Premiership table.

Team of the Week (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The cream of the crop from the weekend's fixtures are in our Team of the Week.

New Newcastle boss to be named soon (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd claims his club are close to deciding on the identity of their new manager. Glenn Roeder remains in charge at St James' Park on a caretaker basis.

'Players using inside info to fleece bookies' (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino has claimed Premiership stars are flouting Football Association rules by betting on football matches. He alleges that players exchange information.

Vote David O'Leary? (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
David O'Leary will soon be looking for alternative employment, reckons our Insider.

Premiership: Chelsea slip up as United close gap (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
On a high scoring day in the Premiership, relegation threatened Birmingham City's goalless draw with runaway leaders Chelsea was perhaps the stand out result.

Blues chief Sullivan blasts back at Jordan (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Birmingham co-owner David Gold today described Simon Jordan as 'an angry young man' after the Crystal Palace chairman's attack on Gold and fellow Blues chief David Sullivan.

Psycho wants summer transfer warchest (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stuart Pearce has already identified his summer transfer targets - but the Manchester City boss needs a chat with chairman John Wardle to find out if he can afford them.

Rafa: Kirkland has no future at Liverpool (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has virtually conceded goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has no future at Anfield. The injury-plagued Kirkland is currently on loan at West Brom.

Robbo: Relegation won't force firesale (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bryan Robson has insisted he will not have to sell off any of West Brom's crop of young talent if the club are relegated from the Premiership.


English FA Cup
Cup Final rivals lodge red-card appeals (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
West Ham and Liverpool have formally lodged appeals with the Football Association against the red cards which threaten to keep Hayden Mullins and Luis Garcia out of the FA Cup final.

Referee switched for FA Cup final over pressure fears (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Referee Mike Dean has lost his place at the FA Cup final to Alan Wiley over fears that he could have faced pressure from Liverpool fans living near his Merseyside home.

Pardew dedicates cup win to Greenwood and Lyall (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
West Ham hero Marlon Harewood believes reaching the FA Cup final puts the gloss on a wonderful season for the Hammers.

Carragher: Reds are closing gap on Chelsea (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Jamie Carragher heads for the FA Cup Final agreeing that Chelsea are a better side than Liverpool but believing that the Anfield club are beginning to bridge the gap between themselves and the champio

No graces from Mourinho as Chelsea crash out (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Jose Mourinho fuelled his feud with Rafael Benitez after Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford to reach the final of the FA Cup.

Boateng hungry to achieve Boro Cup dream (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng will treat Sunday's FA Cup clash with West Ham as if it was the final. 'Tomorrow is what I live for, what I dream about,' the Boro midfielder said.

Liverpool starlets hold on to lift FA Youth Cup (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool's victorious skipper Stephen Darby hailed a tremendous team effort as the Anfield youngsters claimed the FA Youth Cup on Friday night.

Alonso wants revenge in Cup semi-final (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso admits to being spurred on by a desire for revenge as he prepares for Saturday evening's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Mourinho left disappointed by Wembley set-back (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho admits this season's FA Cup has been tarnished by the Wembley fiasco.

Rested Bent raring to go, Curbs warns Boro (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Charlton boss Alan Curbishley has warned Middlesbrough that striker Darren Bent is fired up after being left on the bench against Everton.


England
On The Move - April 2006 (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
There was little movement this month - but check out who did move on.

Allardyce: England job between me and McClaren (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce believes the Football Association face a straight choice between himself and Steve McClaren for the England job.

Scolari withdraws candidacy (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Luiz Felipe Scolari said on Friday he had withdrawn from the running to become England manager, citing the relentless media pressure as one of the reasons for his change of heart.

Scolari defends England talks after Portuguese criticism (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari on Friday defended his contacts with the Football Association but said he had not been offered the job of England manager.

Matthaus tips Robinson as major player for England (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Paul Robinson's emergence as a top-class goalkeeper has transformed England into potential World Cup winners, according to former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus.

Grip insists Owen injury 'not a worry' (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England assistant coach Tord Grip 'hopes and thinks' Michael Owen will be fit for the World Cup and claims 'it is not a big worry' if the striker only plays one more game for Newcastle this season.

England to play Euro qualifiers at Old Trafford (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England will play their their first two home qualifiers for Euro 2008 at Old Trafford, the Football Association have confirmed.


Spanish National Team
Raul confident of being in top form for World Cup (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Spain captain Raul believes he will be in peak form at the World Cup despite missing three months of the season with a serious knee injury and subsequently struggling to regain his place in the Real M


Spanish Primera Liga
La Liga: Valencia delay Barca party, Malaga go down (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Valencia prevented Barcelona from wrapping up the Primera Liga title for a second week in a row when they claimed a comfortable 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Alaves at the Mestalla on Sunday.

Argentina's Aimar back in action for Valencia (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Argentine international Pablo Aimar returned to action for Valencia in their league match at home to Alaves on Sunday, just over two weeks after being admitted to hospital with viral meningitis.

La Liga: Barca have one hand on the trophy (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona gave themselves a chance of wrapping up their second successive league title this weekend when a powerful Ronaldinho strike secured them a 1-0 win at home to relegation-threatened Cadiz on S

Xavi back in Barcelona squad after five-months out (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Spain midfielder Xavi returned to the Barcelona squad on Friday five months after suffering a serious knee injury.

Club success forces Spanish season back a week (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Primera Liga has been forced to extend the season by another week to finish on May 20, after Sevilla and Barcelona both reached European Cup finals.

La Liga: Title to put gloss on perfect week for Barca (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona can crown an impressive week's work this weekend by adding the Primera Liga title to the Champions League final place they secured on Wednesday.

'Players unsettled by Real changes', says Casillas (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas said the constant changes behind the scenes at the club were unsettling players as they tried to focus on securing a Champions League place for next season.

Real Madrid in turmoil after call for elections (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid face further uncertainty after the board ousted Fernando Martin two months into his presidency and called for elections.

Xavi returns to full training after injury (Apr 26, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi completed a full training session with the squad on Friday.

Real president Martin 'voted out by board' (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Fernando Martin resigned as Real Madrid president after failing to hold off calls for elections at a board meeting on Wednesday.

Frustrated Messi suffers another injury setback (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, still recovering from an injury to his right thigh, pulled up during a training session in his native Argentina on Wednesday, media reports said.

Zidane steps down so Real can rebuild (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid's France midfielder Zinedine Zidane says he announced his retirement on Tuesday to give the club time to prepare for next season.

'I retire after World Cup - and that's final' - Zidane (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Zinedine Zidane, 33, said on Tuesday he would retire after the World Cup finals in Germany. 'It's my decision and it's final,' the France and Real Madrid playmaker told French television.

Struggling Santander turn to youthful Yosu (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Relegation-threatened Racing Santander have promoted Nando Yosu to first team coach in place of Manuel Preciado who quit on Sunday after the Primera Liga club lost 3-1 at home to Getafe.

Barca and Sevilla see benefits from abandoned match (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona and Sevilla saw the positive side of Sunday's abandoned Primera Liga match as a chance to rest and avoid any injuries ahead of their respective European ties this week.

From Marrakesh to the Madrigal (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
While having his senses assaulted in Marrakesh Phil Ball discovers an enclave of Barca fans.

La Liga: Stunning Villa hat-trick keeps pressure on Barca (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona were denied the chance of wrapping up the Spanish title on Sunday when a stunning quick-fire hat-trick from David Villa gave Valencia a 3-0 win at relegation-threatened Athletic Bilbao.

La Liga: Sociedad take advantage of distracted Villarreal (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A weakened Villarreal clearly had their focus on next week's Champions League semi-final return against Arsenal as they slumped to a 2-0 home defeat against Real Sociedad in the Primera Liga on Saturd

Zidane in Real Madrid squad to face Malaga (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane was included in the squad to face Malaga at home in the Primera Liga on Sunday, after recovering from an ankle injury.

Injured Ronaldinho ruled out of Sevilla clash (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona forward Ronaldinho has been left out of the squad to play Sevilla in the Primera Liga on Sunday, due to a muscle problem.

La Liga: Valencia slip could hand Barca title (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona will be presented with their first chance to claim the league title this weekend if rivals Valencia fail to beat relegation-threatened Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Tacchinardi extends loan deal with Villarreal (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Italian midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi has extended his loan deal with Villarreal until the end of next season, the club said on Thursday.

Zaragoza's Savio to return to Brazil next season (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Zaragoza's Brazilian forward Savio says he will be leaving the club to return home at the end of the season for personal reasons.

Aimar leaves hospital after meningitis treatment (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Valencia's Argentina midfielder Pablo Aimar left hospital on Wednesday after being treated for a form of viral meningitis.

Barca's Messi hopes to be fit for end of season (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi arrived in Argentina to continue treatment on his injured thigh muscle on Tuesday and said he hoped to be ready for the end of the European season.

Real 'gradually falling apart', claims dissident director (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid is in a desperate situation and it is time to call a presidential election, says club director Ramon Calderon.

Madrid chief denies bust-up with Beckham (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro claims there is not a growing rift between himself and David Beckham. The England captain was not in the starting line-up against Getafe on Sunday.

La Liga: Madrid-derby draw costs Real in race for second (Apr 16, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Valencia opened a two-point lead over Real Madrid in the battle for the Primera Liga runners-up spot when they crushed King's Cup winners Espanyol 4-0 and Real were held to a 1-1 draw at Getafe.

La Liga: Gonzalez goal lifts Sociedad out of drop zone (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A spectacular late strike from on-loan midfielder Mark Gonzalez gave Real Sociedad a 1-0 home win over Racing Santander which lifted the Basque side out of the relegation zone on Saturday.

La Liga: Eto'o keeps Barca's title dream on track (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Samuel Eto'o struck his 24th goal of the season to give Barcelona a 1-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday that took them closer to retaining the title.

Rijkaard rests Ronaldinho ahead of Milan match (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has rested Ronaldinho for a second league match in a row ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final, first leg against AC Milan.

Argentina's Aimar suffering from viral meningitis (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Primera Liga club Valencia have revealed that Argentine international Pablo Aimar is suffering from a form of viral meningitis, making the midfielder a serious doubt for the World Cup.

Euro flavour to Barca-Villarreal clash (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Leaders Barcelona host fellow Champions League semi-finalists Villarreal at the Nou Camp on Friday in a Primera Liga match that both sides hope will be a dress rehearsal for this season's European Cup

Espanyol crush Zaragoza to win Cup final (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Espanyol put aside relegation worries to clinch a scintillating 4-1 win over favourites Real Zaragoza in the King's Cup final at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Zaragoza taunt 'moaning' Espanyol before Cup final (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Zaragoza coach Victor Munoz has described his opposite number as one of life's moaners on the eve of the King's Cup final in Madrid.

Betis striker Oliveira agrees loan move to Sao Paolo (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Betis's Brazil forward Ricardo Oliveira has agreed a loan move to Brazilian club Sao Paulo, the player confirmed on Tuesday.

Zaragoza cautious ahead of showdown with Espanyol (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Zaragoza coach Victor Munoz has warned his side against overconfidence when they take on struggling Espanyol at the Bernabeu on Wednesday in a bid to win the King's Cup for the third time in six

Ronaldo out for up to three weeks with injury (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid striker Ronaldo will be out of action for up to three weeks with a muscle tear in his right thigh, the Primera Liga club said. The striker scored his 100th goal for the club on Saturday.

Rijkaard guards against Barca complacency (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has warned his Primera Liga leaders against complacency after they had to come from behind to draw 2-2 at Racing Santander. Barcelona remain 11 points clear.

Home for lost souls (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Phil Ball says Villarreal have breathed new life into a predictable Spanish scene.

La Liga: Santander hold on for point at Nou Camp (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Lowly Racing Santander gave Barcelona a fright on Sunday before the Primera Liga leaders came back to draw 2-2 and restore their 11-point lead at the top of the table.

La Liga: Real Madrid held at home by strugglers (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid failed to keep the pressure on Primera Liga leaders Barcelona as they were held to a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu by relegation-threatened Real Sociedad on Saturday.

'My period at Betis is finished,' insists Joaquin (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Betis highly-rated winger Joaquin has made it clear that he wants to leave the Primera Liga side at the end of the season despite having four years left on his contract.

Injured Woodgate likely to miss rest of season (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate is likely to miss the rest of the season because of sciatic pain linked to a succession of thigh injuries, coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro said on Thursday.

Referees under fire after Primera Liga controversy (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Controversial refereeing decisions prompted criticism from media, players and fans on Monday after Spanish refs called off the strike that had threatened the weekend's Primera Liga matches.

When Saturday Comes (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Phil Ball regales us with his tale of an entertaining weekend of football in the sun in Spain.

Rijkaard: Roberto Carlos dismissal hurt us (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard believes the dismissal of Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos hurt his side as much as it did their rivals in the 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp on Saturday.

Ronaldo inspires ten-man Real comeback in El Clasico (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A classy solo goal from Brazilian striker Ronaldo helped 10-man Real Madrid come from behind to hold leaders Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp on Saturday.

Deportivo keeper calls for unity after club row (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper Jose Molina has attempted to calm in-fighting which has broken out within the club between the coach and president by assuring that Joaquin Caparros is fully committed


Spain
Aragones names five new faces in massive squad (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Spain coach Luis Aragones spread his net wide for fresh talent when he included five new faces in his 33-man squad for a World Cup get-together on April 10.


Italian National Team
Italy striker Cassano worried about World Cup prospects (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Real Madrid striker Antonio Cassano is worried about his chances of making the Italy squad for the World Cup finals in Germany.


Italian Serie A
Serie A: Juve get back on track with 3-0 win (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Juventus maintained their three-point lead over AC Milan at the top of Serie A when they brushed aside Siena 3-0 on Sunday.

Roma's Totti planning on mid-week comeback (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AS Roma and Italy striker Francesco Totti plans to make his long-awaited return from an ankle injury in Wednesday's Italian Cup final first leg against Inter Milan.

Serie A: Juve, Milan prepare for scudetto showdown (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
How priorities have changed for Italy's leading pair Juventus and AC Milan.

Season over for Milan's Ambrosini (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini will miss the rest of the season after suffering a leg injury in Saturday's Serie A win over Messina.

Cafu extends AC Milan contract (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Brazil captain Cafu has extended his contract with AC Milan for a further year signing up until June 30, 2007, the Serie A club said.

Serie A: Juve's lead cut to three after Lazio stalemate (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Juventus had their lead at the top of Serie A cut to three points after being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Lazio on Saturday, while second-placed AC Milan kept up the pressure with a 3-1 win at Messi

Serie A: Juve can afford no more mistakes (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Serie A leaders Juventus can ill-afford another slip-up when they face Lazio in Serie A on Saturday with rivals AC Milan playing lowly Messina.

Serie A: Cannavaro equaliser leaves Juve five clear (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A Fabio Cannavaro header in the fifth minute of injury time gave Juventus a 1-1 Serie A draw at Cagliari, leaving them five points clear of AC Milan with four games remaining.

Serie A: Kaladze settles Milan derby as fans protest (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A 70th minute strike by Georgian defender Kakha Kaladze gave AC Milan a 1-0 derby win over city rivals Inter in Serie A on Friday.

Owner Moratti prepared to sell Inter Milan (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Inter Milan owner Massimo Moratti says he is prepared to sell the Serie A club if the right buyer comes forward.

Second place race adds spice to Milan derby (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan and Inter face each other in Friday's derby with both side's knowing the outcome could have a major effect on their European aims for next season.

Roma beat Palermo to meet Inter in final (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AS Roma set up an Italian Cup final against holders Inter Milan when they beat Palermo 1-0 on Wednesday to draw 2-2 on aggregate and go through on away goals.

Inter reach Coppa Italia final with second leg draw (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Holders Inter Milan reached the Italian Cup final on Tuesday after a 2-2 draw at Udinese in the second leg of the semi-final.

Shevchenko urges Italian fans to gain perspective (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan's Ukrainian striker Andrei Shevchenko has urged Italian football to sort itself out following the attack by fans on two Inter Milan players.

La dolce vita in decline (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A near-disastrous Champions League for Italy has Norman Hubbard charting the decline of Serie A.

Attacks lead Mancini to consider quitting Italy (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini, whose players were attacked by fans at the weekend, said he would leave Italian soccer when his time at the Serie A club ends.

Inter played attacked by fans at airport (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The president of the Italian Footballers' Association has called for a change in the culture surrounding Italy's favourite sport after fans verbally and physically abused Inter Milan players when they

Serie A: Juve held, Kaka bags hat-trick in Milan win (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Brazilian playmaker Kaka scored a second-half hat-trick as AC Milan came from behind to beat Chievo Verona 4-1 and hang on to second place in Serie A on Sunday.

Serie A: Udinese continue to climb away from danger (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Serie A strugglers Udinese continued their climb away from the relegation zone with a 2-0 win at Livorno on Saturday.

Dodgy keeper? (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Milan's Dida used to believe the adage about Brazilian keepers. Not now, says Roberto Gotta.

Inter hit with fine for Messina racist abuse (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Inter Milan have been fined 25,000 euros after their fans targeted Messina's African defender Marc Zoro with racist abuse during Saturday's Serie A match.

Viola hold off Roma in race for fourth (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Fiorentina held on to fourth place in Serie A after drawing 1-1 at home with their closest challengers AS Roma on Sunday.

Inter fans subject Zoro to racist abuse (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Messina defender Marc Zoro, who threatened to walk off the field after suffering racist abuse from Inter Milan fans earlier this season, was the target of whistles and jeers again when the two teams m

Ancelotti concedes title after Lecce loss (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti said his AC Milan side are now focused on the Champions League and finishing second in Serie A after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Lecce left them nine points behind leaders Juventus.

Italy: Top two falter against bottom two (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Italian Champions League quarter-finalists Juventus and AC Milan failed to beat the bottom two clubs in Serie A on Saturday, with Milan suffering a humiliating defeat.


Italy
Inzaghi named in Italy's World Cup training camp (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi has moved a step closer to claiming a place in Italy's World Cup squad after he was selected to take part in a pre-World Cup training camp.


German National Team
Klinsmann ignores Bayern demands to recall Scholl (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann poured cold water on demands from Bayern Munich to include 35-year-old Mehmet Scholl in his World Cup squad - four years after the playmaker retired from international

Parreira tips Germany for the World Cup (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira believes hosts Germany rather than his own team are favourites to win the World Cup.

Kahn will fight on despite German demotion (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn vowed on Monday to carry on as an international despite missing out on the number one spot for the 2006 World Cup. Coach Juergen Klinsmann revealed that Jens Lehmann woul

Bayern blame Klinsmann for Kahn's dip in form (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich commercial manager Uli Hoeness has accused Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann of waging a campaign of 'psychological terror' on Oliver Kahn that he says is to blame for the goalkeeper's rec

German support for goalkeeper Kahn slumps (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Public support for Oliver Kahn has plunged while backing for Jens Lehmann is surging ahead of next month's decision on who will be Germany's goalkeeper at the World Cup.

Metzelder injury less serious than first thought (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Germany defender Christoph Metzelder is expected to resume training on Thursday after the leg injury he sustained at the weekend turned out to be less serious than first feared.


German Bundesliga
Lizarazu to retire at the end of the season (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former World Cup and European championship winner Bixente Lizarazu said on Sunday he would end his playing career at the end of the season.

Pizarro header clinches 13th German Cup for Bayern (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich beat Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 on Saturday to win the German Cup for the 13th time.

Kahn plans for two more years at Bayern (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich captain Oliver Kahn plans to play for his club for two years after the World Cup and then quit, he said in a newspaper interview on Saturday.

Bayern wary of underdogs in German Cup Final (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich are wary of an Eintracht Frankfurt side with nothing to lose as they prepare for the 63rd German Cup final at the Olympiastadion on Saturday.

Bayern buy TSV 1860's share of stadium (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich have bought out TSV 1860 Munich's share in the new Allianz Arena for 11 million euros ($13.67 million) to save the 'Lions' from the threat of bankruptcy.

We're going to....Berlin? (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger on the German Cup Final's popular relocation to Berlin.

Bundesliga: Bayern move closer despite draw (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich moved a step closer to their 20th Bundesliga championship despite escaping with a 2-2 draw at lowly Mainz on Sunday.

Bundesliga: Hamburg waste chance to close gap (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Hamburg SV squandered a chance to cut Bayern Munich's lead to just one point at the top of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

Nowotny called-up for World Cup fitness check (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen defender Jens Nowotny has been unexpectedly invited by Germany to take part in World Cup fitness tests next week.

Bundesliga: Hamburg SV hot on the heels of Bayern (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Hamburg SV could cut Bayern Munich's lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to just a point on Saturday with a victory at home against Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern defender Ismael suspended for title run-in (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Champions and Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will be without French defender Valerien Ismael for three games after he was banned on Wednesday for elbowing another player.

Stuttgart extend coach Veh's contract for another season (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
VfB Stuttgart have extended the contract of coach Armin Veh to the end of the 2006-07 season even though he has won just three of his 10 matches in charge.

VfL Bochum make quick return to Bundesliga (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
VfL Bochum secured a return to top division of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 victory over also-promoted Alemannia Aachen on Monday, just one year after they were relegated.

Hans makes light work (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger looks at Nuremberg's unexpected change of fortunes.

Bundesliga: Stuttgart maintain slim Euro prospects (Apr 16, 2006 11:00 GMT)
VfB Stuttgart came back from two goals down for a 3-3 draw against 10-man Hanover on Sunday that keeps alive their hopes of a UEFA Cup spot next season.

Bundesliga: Second-half goals keep Bayern clear (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Michael Ballack and Mehmet Scholl struck second-half goals to give Bayern Munich a 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday, keeping the champions four points clear of Hamburg SV with four games lef

Bayern end St Pauli dream in German Cup (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich reached the final of the German Cup with a 3-0 win away to giant-killers St Pauli. Bayern go through to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on April 29.

Eintracht Frankfurt edge into German Cup final (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A cool finish from Ioannis Amanatidis sent Eintracht Frankfurt through to the final of the German Cup with a 1-0 home win over Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday.

Pirates of St Pauli eye another Cup upset (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The German habit of stringing long lists of words together is hardly an endearing feature of the language but there is at least one compound noun that should raise a smile for neutral football fans.

Slomka signs contract extension at Schalke (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Schalke 04 have given coach Mirko Slomka a new contract running to the end of next season, a despite a disappointing result on Sunday that leaves them with little chance of a Champions League place.

Bundesliga: Hamburg close gap to just four (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Hamburg SV beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0 on Sunday to slash Bayern Munich's lead at the top of the Bundesliga to four points.

Bundesliga: Werder thrash Bayern to open race (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Werder Bremen crushed Bayern Munich 3-0 on Saturday to prise open the Bundesliga title race and cap a bad week for Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

Wilmots set for Kaiserlslautern job (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former Belgian international Marc Wilmots is close to signing a deal with Kaiserslautern to become their sporting director next season.

Wolfsburg's Klimowicz hit with four-match ban (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
VfL Wolfsburg striker Diego Klimowicz was suspended for four matches by the German FA (DFB) on Tuesday for elbowing an opponent.

Kohler sacked by beleaguered Duisburg (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
MSV Duisburg revealed on Tuesday they had sacked Juergen Kohler - the 10th Bundesliga coach to be fired this season and the second at the relegation threatened club.

German corruption watchdog warns sport at risk (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
German-based anti-graft watchdog Transparency International on Monday called on sport governing bodies to tackle corruption with coordinated efforts in a warning just two months before soccer's World

Hamburg beat ten-man Schalke to cut Bayern lead (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Hamburg maintained the pressure on leaders Bayern Munich with an impressive victory at Schalke on Sunday afternoon.

The fall of Bayer's Sun King (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayer Leverkusen's big man departed amid scandal, as Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger reveals.

Germany: Bayern held (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bayern Munich had to come from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw at home to bottom club Cologne on Saturday, a result that gives a glimmer of hope to the chasing pack in the Bundesliga.


Germany
Lehmann beats Kahn to World Cup jersey (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Bild newspaper reported on Friday that Jens Lehmann would be Germany's first choice goalkeeper at the 2006 World Cup, relegating Bayern Munich's Oliver Kahn to the sidelines.


French National Team
Chimbonda resigned to missing out on World Cup (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Pascal Chimbonda believes being named in the Professional Footballers' Association's Team of the Year has come too late to land him a place in France's World Cup squad.

Out-of-favour Giuly demands World Cup place (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Barcelona midfielder Ludovic Giuly said on Tuesday he deserved a place in France's World Cup squad, despite being out of favour with coach Raymond Domenech.

Barthez ready to prove his worth ahead of finals (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Olympique Marseille goalkeeper Fabien Barthez says he concentrating only on his own form and hopes that will be enough to make him France's number one at the World Cup finals.


French Ligue 1
Ligue 1: Lyon set points record with crushing derby win (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Champions Olympique Lyon set a single-season points record in Ligue 1 when they crushed neighbours St Etienne 4-0 on Sunday.

PSG salvage their season with French Cup triumph (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Paris St Germain saved their season by downing arch-rivals Olympique Marseille 2-1 in a tense French Cup final at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Ligue 1: Lens triumph in ill-tempered derby (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Racing Lens boosted their chances of playing in Europe next season by beating Lille 4-2 in an ill-tempered northern Ligue 1 derby on Saturday.

Ligue 1: Bordeaux, Lille fight for second spot (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The battle for a place in next season's Champions League is hotting up with Girondins Bordeaux and Lille still vying for second place in Ligue 1.

Ligue 1: Champions Lyon made to wait for points record (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Monaco stalled Olympique Lyon's chase for a Ligue 1 points record when they defeated the French champions 2-1 on Sunday.

Bellion enjoying Nice life in French Ligue 1 (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
David Bellion insists he has no regrets about leaving Manchester United to join French club Nice.

Ligue 1: Lyon set sights on record points total (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
French champions Olympique Lyon can surpass their own Ligue 1 points record when they visit Monaco on Sunday.

Marseille in first cup final in 15 years (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Olympique Marseille crushed Stade Rennes 3-0 on Thursday to reach the French Cup final for the first time in 15 years.

Lyon chairman fighting to keep players at champions (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Olympique Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas says his priority is to keep his best players after the team won a record fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title.

Ligue 1: Nice end Rennes's winning streak (Apr 16, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Nice ended Stade Rennes's winning streak in Ligue 1 on Sunday, registering a 2-1 home victory thanks to a goal from Jacques Abardonado deep into stoppage time.

Ligue 1: Lyon handed fifth-successive title on a plate (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A Peter Odemwingie double earned Lille a 3-2 victory over Girondins Bordeaux on Saturday and handed the Ligue 1 title to Olympique Lyon.

Ligue 1: Metz survival hopes take a blow (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Toulouse seriously weakened Metz's hopes of survival when they beat the bottom club 2-0 in Ligue 1 on Friday.

Stuttering Lyon still on course to make history (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Olympique Lyon will be glad they are playing Paris St Germain on Sunday and not Tuesday after midweek exits in the Champions League and French Cup.

Rennes, Nantes through to French semis (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stade Rennes and Nantes overcame challenges from lower division teams to win their French Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Coupet blunder sends Marseille into Cup semis (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A Gregory Coupet blunder earned Olympique Marseille a 2-1 win at Olympique Lyon and a place in the French Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.

Toulouse coach Mombaerts to be moved upstairs (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Toulouse coach Erick Mombaerts will leave his job at the end of the season and will become the club's deputy chief executive, the Ligue 1 side announced on Tuesday.

Canal Plus to sell Paris St Germain to investors (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Canal Plus has revealed that it has agreed to sell troubled Ligue 1 side Paris St Germain to a group of investors led by Colony Capital, Butler Capital Partners and Morgan Stanley.

'Title effectively ours', says Lyon boss Houllier (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Olympique Lyon have effectively already won a record fifth consecutive title as far as coach Gerard Houllier is concerned.

Ligue 1: Lyon take another step towards fifth title (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Olympique Lyon took a huge step towards a record fifth consecutive title with a 2-1 victory over mid-table Nice and second-placed Girondins Bordeaux were held to a 0-0 draw by St Etienne in the Ligue

French Cup final brought forward to April 29 (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The French Cup final will be played on April 29 instead of May 20 because of the World Cup, the French federation announced on Thursday.

Former PSG chairman Perpere under investigation (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former Paris St Germain chairman Laurent Perpere has been placed under official investigation for using forged documents, the prosecutor's office said on Thursday.

Canal Plus near agreement on PSG sale (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Canal Plus and a group of investors are working on the last details of the sale of troubled Ligue 1 club Paris St Germain, a source close to the talks said on Tuesday.

PSG, Marseille docked a point, presidents banned (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Paris St Germain and Olympique Marseille have been docked a point each over a row involving a Ligue 1 meeting between the two arch-rivals last month.

Lyon close in on fifth successive title (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Lyon's visit to the Champagne region brought closer the date when they can crack open the bubbly for real as a late goal from Tiago against Troyes put them one step closer to a historic fifth consecut

Tiago takes Lyon close to 5th Ligue crown (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Portugal midfielder Tiago propelled Olympique Lyon closer to a record fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title by sealing a 1-0 win at strugglers Troyes on Saturday.


Dutch National Team
Maduro joins Hamburg pair in Holland sicklist (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Dutch international midfielder Hedwiges Maduro will be sidelined for two to four weeks, his club Ajax Amsterdam said on Monday.

Holland, Belgium ponder World Cup 2018 bid (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Netherlands and Belgian football associations are to study the possibility of making a joint bid to stage the 2018 World Cup.

Kalou fights for withdrawl of spoof Dutch ad (Apr 12, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ivory Coast-born Salomon Kalou, denied the chance to play for the Netherlands at the World Cup, wants a spoof advert showing him playing for Germany withdrawn.


Dutch Eredivisie
Ajax hold advantage after play-off first-leg (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ajax Amsterdam beat Groningen 2-0 in the first leg of the Dutch playoff final for a spot in the Champions League third qualifying round on Wednesday.

Blind facing Ajax sack despite play-off success (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ajax Amsterdam said they will review coach Danny Blind's position at the end of this season after a newspaper report on Wednesday that the club will sack him.

Eredivisie: Ajax cruise to 4-2 win at Feyenoord (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ajax Amsterdambeat Feyenoord 4-2 in the second leg of a Dutch leaguesemi-final playoff on Sunday, securing a 7-2 aggregate win.

Ajax beat Feyenoord to progress to play-off final (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ajax Amsterdam beat Feyenoord 4-2 in the second leg of a Dutch league semi-final playoff on Sunday, securing a 7-2 aggregate win.

NAC suspend coach Cees Lok after bust up (Apr 23, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The board of NAC Breda has suspended coach Cees Lok after he fell out with senior members of his squad.

Ajax crush Feyenoord in Dutch play-offs (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ajax Amsterdam beat Feyenoord 3-0 in their Dutch league playoff semi-final first leg clash on Thursday. The winner of the post-season playoffs secure a Champions League ticket.

Everything to play-off for (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ernst Bouwes on how the Eredivisie play-offs have provided a lifeline for Danny Blind.

Dutch: New champions PSV run amok with 6-2 thrashing (Apr 16, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Champions PSV Eindhoven won 6-2 at neighbours NAC Breda in the Dutch first division on Sunday and condemned them to the relegation play offs.

PSV held by Feyenoord as Ajax win too (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Three days after they clinched their 19th title PSV Eindhoven were held to a 1-1 draw by Feyenoord in the Dutch first division on Wednesday.

Lokhoff takes reins at promoted Excelsior (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ton Lokhoff has agreed a two-year deal to coach promoted Dutch side Excelsior Rotterdam.

Eredivise: PSV retain Dutch league title (Apr 9, 2006 11:00 GMT)
PSV Eindhoven retained the Dutch league title on Sunday with a 1-1 draw at home to Groningen, moving on to 80 points with two games left to play.

Alkmaar fight back to beat Breda in five-goal thriller (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
AZ Alkmaar twice fought back from a goal down to beat struggling NAC Breda 3-2 on Tuesday and postpone PSV Eindhoven's Dutch title celebrations for five days.

Holland: PSV close in on title as ten man Ajax beaten (Apr 2, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A late strike by Edrissa Sonko sealed a stunning 2-1 win for Roda JC Kerkrade over Ajax Amsterdam in the Dutch first division on Sunday.

PSV close on title as RBC go down (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
PSV Eindhoven moved to the brink of winning the Dutch title for a second successive year with a 2-1 victory at bottom club RBC Roosendaal on Saturday.


Holland
No room for Makaay, Seedorf in provisional Dutch squad (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Netherlands coach Marco van Basten left out experienced duo Clarence Seedorf and Roy Makaay in naming a provisional 33-man World Cup squad on Friday for the June finals.


Scottish National Team
Dalglish backs Scotland boss over Japan trip (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Kenny Dalglish believes Scotland manager Walter Smith has made the right decision in taking the national team to Japan for the Kirin Cup next month.

Old Firm pair named in Scotland squad for Japan (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Scotland coach Walter Smith has named four new faces in his 20-man squad for the Kirin Cup tournament in Japan next month where they will face Bulgaria and the hosts.


Scottish Premier League
Maloney makes history with double award honour (Apr 30, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Shaun Maloney has become the first player to be named both Player and Young Player of the Year by his fellow professionals in Scotland.

SPL: Rangers recover to keep the pressure on Hearts (Apr 29, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rangers fought back from a goal down at Kilmarnock to win 3-1 in their league encounter on Saturday and keep their Champions League hopes alive.

SPL announce record television deal (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The Scottish Premier League have signed a two-year extension to their current television deal with Setanta Sports.

Gers' Ferguson out for several months after op (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rangers captain Barry Ferguson will be out for up to four months after an ankle operation, the club said on Tuesday.

Petrov will leave Celtic, claims agent (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Stilian Petrov's agent claims Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon will be wasting their time in trying to persuade the Bulgaria international to stay at Celtic.

SPL: Edinburgh derby defeat could cost Hearts (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Hearts lost the Edinburgh derby 2-1 to Hibernian on Saturday and slipped up in the race for second place in the Scottish Premier League and a Champions League slot.

Strachan unmoved by Pertov transfer request (Apr 22, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan is adamant Stilian Petrov's transfer bombshell will not blow his side's derby day chances of victory against Rangers in Sunday's Old Firm clash.

Celtic turn down surprise Petrov transfer request (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Celtic have moved quickly to turn down a written transfer request from Stilian Petrov. The Bulgaria midfielder recently signed a three-and-a-half year contract but has since had a change of heart.

Rangers assistant Wouters set to join PSV (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rangers first team coach Jan Wouters join PSV Eindhoven next season.

Lennon has ambition to fill Hoops hotseat (Apr 20, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Celtic captain Neil Lennon admits he would like to be the Hoops manager after he has stopped playing. The 34-year-old midfielder is currently undertaking his UEFA B coaching license.

SPL: Celtic celebrate championship after home draw (Apr 16, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Champions Celtic were presented with the league trophy after a late goal from Maciej Zurawski salvaged a 1-1 draw with Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League on Sunday.

Hearts keeper Gordon voted SPL Player of the Year (Apr 16, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has been voted Player of the Year by the Scottish Football Writers' Association.

SPL: Hearts strengthen grip on second spot (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Hearts strengthened their grip on the second Champions League place with a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League after 2005 champions Rangers stumbled to a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen.

Strachan voted Scottish manager of the year (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Gordon Strachan has been voted Tennent's manager of the year by the Scottish Football Writers' Association.

SPL: Hearts, Rangers win as race hots up (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rangers beat Motherwell 1-0 with a Kris Boyd winner to keep the pressure on second-placed Hearts in the Scottish Premier League on Saturday. Hearts have 65 points and Rangers 62 from 33 games each.

Celtic striker Hartson facing 'toughest decision' (Apr 7, 2006 11:00 GMT)
John Hartson admits he is facing the most difficult decision of his career - whether to remain at Celtic or quit so he can spend more time with his children.

Celts hopeful on Keane and Hartson (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell is hoping Roy Keane and John Hartson will lead the club into the Champions League next season.

Gers skipper Ferguson face injury lay-off (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson could miss crucial European qualifiers and the first Old Firm game of next season. Surgeons have told the midfielder he will be out for up to 16 weeks after he has recon

Celtic crowned SPL Champions after beating Hearts (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Celtic were crowned Scottish champions with six games to spare after Gordon Strachan's team ran out 1-0 winners over Hearts on Wednesday.

Celtic chairman backs Keane for another season (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Celtic chairman Brian Quinn is confident Roy Keane will continue playing for the club next season.

Strachan praise for players as Celtic close in on title (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, on the verge of winning the Scottish title in his first season in charge, has paid tribute to the players who 'stood up to be counted' after their early Champions Le

Hearts chief Romanov accuses Rix of 'killing the team' (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov has accused former boss Graham Rix of 'killing the team' before his departure from Tynecastle.

Levein won't rule out Tynecastle return (Apr 1, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Former Hearts boss Craig Levein has opened the door to a surprise return to the Tynecastle hot seat.


World
Australia's Cahill facing World Cup fitness battle (Apr 25, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Australia midfielder Tim Cahill's faces a battle to be fit for the start of the World Cup finals.

Costa Rica's World Cup roster leads to criticism (Apr 25, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Star players missing from Costa Rica's training squad for the World Cup criticized manager Alexander Guimaraes in local media on Tuesday.

Ecuador shaman chases 'evil spirits' from World Cup (Apr 24, 2006 16:00 GMT)
A shaman from Ecuador is visiting all 12 World Cup venues in Germany to banish evil spirits before the tournament starts on June 9.

FIFA doping rules don't comply with WADA code (Apr 24, 2006 16:00 GMT)
FIFA's doping rules fail to fully comply with the World Anti-Doping Code, world sport's highest court said Monday.

Brazil's former coach Santana dies at 74 (Apr 21, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Tele Santana, 74, one of Brazil's greatest soccer coaches, died on Friday in a Belo Horizonte hospital where he had been in intensive care for an intestinal infection.

FIFA's Player of the Century washes her own uniform (Apr 21, 2006 16:00 GMT)
China's Sun Wen, FIFA Player of the Century, has been reduced to washing her own uniform in a hostel every evening.

America win CONCACAF Champions Cup for fifth time (Apr 20, 2006 16:00 GMT)
America, Mexico's richest club, won the CONCACAF Champions Cup by beating compatriots Toluca in the two-leg final to qualify for the world club championship in Japan at the end of the year.

German court rules against black market ticket resales (Apr 20, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Fans who sell World Cup tickets on the black market will find their transactions vetoed by the German Soccer Federation (DFB) after a court ruling.

Blatter: Anti-racism rules will apply at World Cup (Apr 18, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Teams at the World Cup will be subject to FIFA's new anti-racism rules, which include a possible three-point penalty in the standings for misbehavior by fans.

Golden ball will be used in World Cup final (Apr 18, 2006 16:00 GMT)
A golden ball will be used at the World Cup final on July 9, organizing committee president Franz Beckenbauer said on Tuesday.

AC Milan beats Inter 1-0 in Good Friday game (Apr 14, 2006 16:00 GMT)
AC Milan beat crosstown rival Internazionale 1-0 in a Good Friday Italian League game, the timing of which upset Cardinal Ersilio Tonini.

FIFA says it has no power to stop forced prostitution (Apr 13, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Soccer's governing body insists it has no power to stop forced prostitution in Germany, which is expected to increase during the World Cup.

Brazilian soccer player faces criminal racism charge (Apr 12, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Prosecutors on Wednesday charged a Brazilian soccer player with racism, a crime in Brazil, for insulting an opponent in a match last month.

Viennot could be first female World Cup linesman (Apr 12, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Nelly Viennot of France could become the first female linesman at a World Cup if she passes fitness and skills tests.

FIFA to pay to repair Gaza field damaged in bombing (Apr 11, 2006 16:00 GMT)
FIFA will pay to repair a soccer field in the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip that was damaged during a bombing this month.

World Cup trophy begins tour of Germany (Apr 11, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The World Cup trophy began a tour of the host country Tuesday, offering German fans a chance to see soccer's most coveted prize.

Hiddink set to become Russia's national team coach (Apr 10, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Gus Hiddink, the coach of PSV Eindhoven and Australia, is close to accepting a deal to become coach of Russia's national team after the World Cup.

Visa, FIFA enter World Cup sponsorship deal (Apr 10, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Visa entered a deal with FIFA on Monday, making the credit card company a global sponsor for the World Cup and other soccer competitions.

Eto'o subjected to racist chants by Santander fans (Apr 9, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o was subjected to racist abuse from Racing Santander fans during their Primera Liga match on Sunday.

Inter Milan players attacked by fans at airport (Apr 9, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Inter Milan fans angered by their team's unexpected elimination from the Champions League attacked the players when they returned from an Italian league victory.

Belgian soccer player dies from stab wounds in Hanoi (Apr 8, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Police in southern Vietnam are investigating the death of a Belgian soccer player who was found in his bed with stab wounds in the chest.

FIFA considering action over Israeli airstrike (Apr 7, 2006 16:00 GMT)
FIFA said Friday it is considering possible action over an Israeli airstrike last week on a soccer field in the Gaza Strip.

Visa sponsorship of FIFA, World Cup worth over $150M (Apr 5, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Visa and FIFA will sign a sponsorship agreement Thursday worth $150 million to $200 million.

Expert: Germany unprepared for terrorism (Apr 4, 2006 16:00 GMT)
A leading disaster expert says Germany is unprepared for a terrorist attack at the World Cup.

CONCACAF sanctions Costa Rica stadium again (Apr 3, 2006 16:00 GMT)
The regional soccer governing body on Monday banned Costa Rica's Saprissa Stadium from hosting international matches after last week's disturbances at a Saprissa-Toluca match.

Mexico leaves Blanco off World Cup roster (Apr 3, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Cuauhtemoc Blanco is being left off Mexico's World Cup roster in a move that appears was partly caused by a strained relationship with coach Ricardo Lavolpe.


World Cup 2006
World Cup streakers facing heavy penalties (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Streakers in Germany not only risk sunburn to sensitive parts of their anatomy if they dart on to the pitch to interrupt soccer matches but also face increased fines following a ruling by a state cour

Polish police to question World Cup ticket winners (Apr 28, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Polish police plan to talk to hundreds of fans with tickets for the World Cup, searching for potential troublemakers as concern rises over the country's hooligan element, police said on Friday.

Brazil seek to end Norwegian jinx (Apr 27, 2006 11:00 GMT)
World champions Brazil will play Norway in a soccer friendly in Oslo in August, hoping to make it fourth time lucky against a team they have never beaten.

Cahill facing prospect of World Cup KO (Apr 26, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Everton midfielder Tim Cahill's World Cup hopes are in severe doubt after the Merseyside club revealed he is set to be be sidelined for six weeks with knee ligament damage.

World Cup 2002 - Hosts Korea/Japan (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A new continent, surprise packages and a redemption. Steve Wilson is your guide this time.

World Cup 1998 - Hosts France (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
France united behind their team of all the talents as expected champions Brazil collapsed amid rumours about their star man.

World Cup 1994 - Hosts USA (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
It didn't see the game reborn in the USA but the 1994 finals is an unfairly maligned tournament perhaps let down by its ending, says John Brewin.

World Cup 1990 - Hosts Italy (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A balmy Italian affair with plenty of memories but low in footballing spectacle, John Brewin casts his mind back to Italia '90.

World Cup 1986 - Hosts Mexico (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A squat little man dominated the return to Mexico just as he dominates the account John Brewin gives of the World Cup of two decades past.

World Cup 1982 - Hosts Spain (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
An expanded competition, an old-style Brazil side, a fine showing from the men from Ulster but an Italian victory. John Brewin looks back to a summer in Spain.

World Cup 1978 - Hosts Argentina (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
John Brewin looks back on a tournament wracked by controversy as hosts Argentina lifted their first crown amid a background of allegations and politicial intrigue.

World Cup 1974 - Hosts West Germany (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
West Germany dulled the brilliant orange of Cruyff's Holland as the hosts were again winners. It was the time of total football.

FIFA launch World Cup gambling offensive (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
FIFA have launched an offensive against possible match-fixing at the World Cup finals and will be asking referees to pledge they will not place any bets at the World Cup finals.

Over 1m hotel rooms booked for World Cup (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
One million hotel stays have been booked for the World Cup by soccer fans from 72 countries, Germany's organising committee said on Tuesday.

World Cup 1970 - Hosts Mexico (Apr 25, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Probably the best team ever won their third trophy as Mexico hosted their first finals. John Brewin remembers the first tournament played in full technicolour.

Schwarzer facing fight to be fit for World Cup (Apr 24, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will miss Middlesbrough's bid for European glory after undergoing surgery to repair his fractured cheekbone.

Ankle injury rules Swiss star out of showpiece (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Swiss midfielder Johann Lonfat is out of the World Cup finals after failing to recover from an ankle injury.

Angola name squad for pre-World Cup tourney (Apr 21, 2006 11:00 GMT)
World Cup finalists Angola named captain Akwa and goalkeeper Joao Ricardo in a 24-man squad on Friday for next week's Cosafa Castle Cup in Lesotho.

Racism campaigners welcome World Cup plans (Apr 19, 2006 11:00 GMT)
'Kick It Out' have welcomed proposals for FIFA to clamp down on racism at the World Cup finals by deducting points from guilty nations.

Blatter: Anti-racism rules will apply at World Cup (Apr 18, 2006 16:00 GMT)
Teams at the World Cup will be subject to FIFA's new anti-racism rules, which include a possible three-point penalty in the standings for misbehavior by fans.

World Cup 1966 - Hosts England (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Well, you know who won - but what about the rest of the tournament? John Brewin has it all, including the amazing North Koreans and the first World Cup furore between England and Argentina.

World Cup 1962 - Hosts Chile (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The samba men of Brazil cement their dominance of world football in a tournament best remembered for the notorious 'Battle of Bogota'.

World Cup 1958 - Hosts Sweden (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Records tumble as the game's greatest ever player emerges on the world stage. Soccernet's John Brewin explains all.

World Cup 1954 - Hosts Switzerland (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Not for the first time in World Cup history, a German side wrecks the dreams of every romantics' choice.

Referees' wages doubled for World Cup finals (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Referees at the 2006 World Cup have won a 100 per cent pay rise and will earn £23,000 each.

Beckenbauer claims FIFA is criticism superfluous (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Franz Beckenbauer has lashed out at FIFA for its criticism of World Cup organisers and said Germany was ready to host the tournament. 'They're completely superfluous,' he stormed.

Golden ball to be used in World Cup final (Apr 18, 2006 11:00 GMT)
A golden ball will be used at the World Cup final on July 9, organising committee president Franz Beckenbauer said on Tuesday.

World Cup 1938 - Hosts France (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
John Brewin relives the 1938 World Cup in France. Italy were the reigning champions, but standing in their way were a new force - Brazil.

World Cup 1934 - Hosts Italy (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
The second edition of the World Cup took place in Italy and in the era of the facist dictator only victory would satisfy Mussolini, writes John Brewin.

World Cup 1930 - Hosts Uruguay (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
John Brewin looks back at each World Cup starting with 1930's inaugural event where Uruguay discovered the benefit of home advantage.

World Cup 1950 - Hosts Brazil (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
World War II resulted in a 12 year absence for the World Cup. It returned in 1950 with Brazil as hosts and favourites, John Brewin looks back.

Chile back Brazil's bid for 2014 World Cup (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Brazil has thanked Chile for supporting its plans to host the 2014 World Cup following FIFA president Sepp Blatter's suggestion that the Chileans could launch a joint bid with Argentina instead.

Taider's bid to play for Tunisia turned down (Apr 17, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Tunisia's bid to have Toulouse midfielder Nabil Taider available at the World Cup finals has been turned down by FIFA, the Tunisian Football Federation said.

South Korea line up Senegal and Bosnia for warm-ups (Apr 15, 2006 11:00 GMT)
South Korea have pencilled in friendlies against Senegal and Bosnia in late May as part of their preparations for the World Cup finals, the Korea Football Association (KFA) announced.

Korean striker Lee set to miss finals (Apr 14, 2006 11:00 GMT)
South Korea's Lee Dong-gook will miss the World Cup after being told he needs surgery to repair torn knee ligaments, his K-League club said on Friday.

Trinidad name 24-man World Cup squad (Apr 13, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Trinidad and Tobago coach Leo Beenhakker has announced a provisional 24-man squad for this summer's World Cup finals.

Ukraine keeper Shovkovsky eyes first team return (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Ukraine goalkeeper Oleksander Shovkovsky may return to first-team action on Wednesday after nearly three months out injured, boosting the national team's chances ahead of their first World Cup finals

South Korea striker Lee suffers World Cup blow (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
South Korea striker Lee Dong-gook could miss the World Cup finals after tearing knee ligaments. It would be a shattering blow to Lee, who was omitted from South Korea's squad four years ago.

Australia seek full-time coach to replace Hiddink (Apr 11, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Australia hope to appoint a full-time coach to replace Guus Hiddink when the Dutchman leaves the job after this year's World Cup in Germany.

Sweden appoint scouts to World Cup opponents (Apr 10, 2006 11:00 GMT)
England's World Cup rivals Sweden have appointed scouts to watch each of their three opponents in Germany this summer.

Legend Maradona ready to lead Argentina (Apr 8, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Diego Maradona believes he has a chance of coaching Argentina if Jose Pekerman does not lead them them to World Cup glory this summer in Germany.

Iran president considers World Cup trip (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may travel to Germany to watch his national team play at the World Cup in June, the head of Iran's soccer federation said on Thursday.

Sorin mystified by Veron hate campaign (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Argentina captain Juan Pablo Sorin does not know why midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron has apparently fallen out with him.

Saudi Arabia deny Milutinovic link (Apr 6, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Saudi Arabian team manager Sahad Al Museibih has denied a report that globe-hopping coach Bora Milutinovic could lead the team at the World Cup in Germany.

Angola bring forward friendly against Argentina (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Angola have brought forward their World Cup friendly against Argentina in Naples by one day to avoid a clash with Italy's match against Switzerland, the Angolan Football Federation said on Wednesday.

Veron's World Cup chances dealt another blow (Apr 5, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron's remote chances of playing at the World Cup dwindled further after his ugly clash with captain Juan Pablo Sorin during Tuesday's Champions League match.

Mexico striker Blanco baffled by World Cup snub (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Mexico forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco is baffled by coach Ricardo La Volpe's decision not to take him to the World Cup.

Olisadebe throws in towel on World Cup chances (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Nigerian-born striker Emmanuel Olisadebe has given up hope of a place in Poland's World Cup squad four years after he was Europe's top scorer in the national team's advance to the 2002 finals.

Brazil president backs bid to host 2014 World Cup (Apr 4, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has promised to back the country's bid to host the 2014 finals. 'Football is the greatest passion in the country and it deserves to host the World Cup,' he s

Togo finalise warm-up programme for World Cup (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Togo will play friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Liechtenstein to warm up for the World Cup finals in Germany.

Mexico leave Blanco out of World Cup squad (Apr 3, 2006 11:00 GMT)
Mexico's gifted but volatile forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco will miss this summer's World Cup finals after being omitted from coach Ricardo La Volpe's provisional 26-man squad on Sunday.

April 2006
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