May 2011 Archives

Patrice Evra acting as an instigator (what's new?) encouraging his France team mate to dump Arsenal and come aboard a "winning team" like Man Utd has generated an expected reaction.

These maybe alarmist words but with Paul Scholes retiring and Ryan Giggs approaching the twilight of his career Man Utd are looking to replenish their midfield.The foot dragging centred around Nasri's contract only fuels these speculations.

However it appears dissatisfaction with the side is not causing the hold up but Nasri's insistence he be paid in line with the club's top earners. He has one more year left on his contract but Wenger is keen on extending his stay which could mean a whole set of new financial terms.

"Are we still in discussions with Nasri? Yes, but we are still in disagreement over the financial contract on offer, which we haven't settled. We are trying to extend his deal."

Wenger has categorically ruled out selling Nasri to Man Utd. Last season's Fabregas transfer saga has been on mute so far which is encouraging but these are early days and Barca can obviously come up with an offer that might be hard to overlook. Up front Gervinho is mentioned as a possible transfer from Lille.

Also on the anvil an established centre back and this is probably the first time one has heard Wenger specifically mention "maybe one who is already used to life in the Premier League" which should revive the Brede Hangelend, Gary Cahill, Christopher Samba rumours.

Sepp Blatter as mad King Lear. "What crisis?"

" Close pent-up guilts,
Rive your concealing continents, and cry
These dreadful summoners grace. I am a man
More sinned against than sinning." (King Lear)

Sepp Blatter could very well use those words for his re-election happening tomorrow. He's made himself the victim.

On a day unfolding with developments thick and fast, the one that stuck out was Jack Warner suspended by FIFA from all football related activities writing a letter to officials of the Caribbean Football Union soliciting votes for Sepp Blatter. This was after Warner had gone on record opposing Blatter's candidacy. Again it was Chuck Blazer acting as whistleblower and alerting Jerome Valcke to Warner merrily making a mockery of his suspension.

The other was the English and thereafter the Scottish FA coming up with statements to delay the election and concentrate on the business of reforming FIFA. But they were the lone voices apart from a few watchdog organizations like Transparency International. A few big sponsors like Coca Cola and Adidas also expressed concern over the state of affairs. Clearly, this is too little too late to change the way FIFA conducts itself. It did not sway Michel Platini who ruled himself out as a candidate till 2015 and like Blatter seems to have developed a tin ear.

"Scandals? I only know what I see in the newspapers and you work for the newspapers. You know more than me."

So barring a miracle Arab spring like happening Sepp Blatter will win a fourth term tomorrow. Jacque Rogge, the IOC president said that this could well be a "Salt Lake moment" for FIFA to clean ship. But "what crisis?" and "keeping it within the family" does not sound like an epiphany. It sounds more like a treacherous Shakespearean tragedy. In Act IV Scene VI of King Lear, Mad King Lear enters wearing a crown of fumitory, or fumaria officinalis, along with "harlocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers" and "darnel".

It's a relief Barca keeps its best moves on the pitch because Gerard Pique, Shakira's present love interest and his team mates tried matching her booty shaking in a failing effort. Xavi was on stage but the rest of the heavenly triangle Messi and Iniesta were absent. Busquets too having decided being upright for one evening was enough.

It was all part of the ongoing festivities following their double with the Colombian bombshell adopted by the club as its muse.

Mmmmm .... there are perks to be had when you win. Arsenal, when do we get to see Lily Allen?

The first Welsh side to make it to the Premiership. They join already promoted QPR and Norwich City. In the playoffs against Reading the Swans scored three first half goals with Scott Sinclair, the Championship's highest scorer scoring a quick brace and Stephen Dobbie (video link)adding a third.

After the break Reading fought back as Noel Hunt (video link) and Matt Mills (video link) headed home from two successive corner to make the match very interesting. But eventually Sinclair was not to be denied his hat trick as he scored from the spot (video link), after Andy Griffith clumsy challenge brought down Fabio Borini.

Swansea's march to a 90m payoff couples a stunning turnaround for a club financially dead a decade ago and bought for a pound. Brendan Rodgers, the manager also had an emotionally satisfying afternoon after he won against his former club. He was sacked by Reading after 23 matches in 2009.

Much of their success has to do with the Swans adopting a Barcelona type of passing game with dynamic movement down the channels and a fair depth in midfield creativity. Paul Fletcher explains why they will be a welcome addition to the Premiership.

The club they beat out yesterday had its share of glory under Steve Coppell in their 2006- 07 Premiership initiation when the Royals defied everyone's expectations by finishing eighth, the best result by a debutante.

The ginger haired maestro retires after spending 17 years as a Red Devil where he clocked 676 appearances and scored 150 goals. His career will continue at Utd in a coaching capacity.

Throughout his years Scholes proved to be an excellent goalscorer despite his shifting roles within the squad. Earlier he played as second striker to Andy Cole, later moving to midfield when Roy Keane was injured, and back again behind Ruud Van Nistelrooy after Juan Sebastian Veron joined the squad.

The video shows a lot of his goals and one is reminded of Scholes's blindingly quick feet and ability to burst out of almost nowhere. In later years he slowed down but he continued to dazzle with his precision passes and lovely through balls. In the 2010 World Cup England's lack of midfield creativity and cohesion was thoroughly exposed. In retrospect, Fabio Capello's desperation to woo Scholes back from international retirement after a dizzying display of delectable passing was fully understandable. But by then Scholes had also become somewhat of a liability for his poorly timed tackles.

His halting demeanour in his few TV appearances showed a man less surefooted in his public appearances. That low key temperament was part of the charm. Part of that too was his fealty to Utd where he spent his entire playing career. Scholes:

"I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour."

They rarely make them like Scholes anymore. He will be missed on the pitch not just by Utd but by all fans who love the game as it should be played.

Zinedine Zidane, no slouch when it comes to the label of the greatest midfielder paid the ultimate accolade in 2009, "Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest of his generation.". Enough said.

Video footage showing Blatter in denial about there being a "crisis" in FIFA.

He also sounds a bit like Don Corleone when he talks about FIFA being a family.

He maybe a bit of a fascist but he's made the IOC a cleaner organization

FIFA is imploding from within as each passing minute brings about more and more details of corruption with Jack Warner deciding to turn whistle blower. It's all a bit rich coming from a man who has millions profiting from his position within the FIFA hierarchy. But they're eating their own as they say.

He made public an email sent by Jerome Valcke, the FIFA general secretary sent stating Mohammed Bin Hammam "bought" Qatar the World Cup and questioning why the AFC chairman would even consider running for president.

" For MBH [Mohamad Bin Hammam], I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB [Joseph Sepp Blatter]."

" Or he thought you can buy Fifa as they [Qatar] bought the WC [World Cup]'."

Warner also made allegations that Sepp Blatter made a gift of $1m and computers to CONCACAF without the permission of the financial committee.

At this point FIFA has lost all moral authority over the global game. It is an unethical organization interested in keeping a small group of men in power at all cost so that they can continue to enrich themselves through a system of bribes and quid pro quo patronage. Sepp Blatter's unopposed re-election is all the proof we need that the system is rigged.

Dick Pound, who knows a few things about cleaning up house suggested breaking away from FIFA and putting together an organization that truly represents the sport. I would seriously consider introducing term limits and a rotating council of executives as a first step towards reform.

Robbie Keane scored his 49th goal for the Republic of Ireland.They beat Scotland 1 - 0 to claimd the inaugural Carling Nations Cup.

The Carling Nations Cup is a biennial international association football tournament involving the national teams of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.England ,for reasons unknown,are making themselves conspicuous by their absence. The tournament was initially proposed by then Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez in 2006.
The 2013 edition is scheduled to take place in Wales.

FIFA cleared the re-election of Sepp Blatter as FIFA president today.

"No investigation against Blatter is warranted," according to Petrus Damaseb, the ethics committee deputy chairman.

A full inquiry into Mohammed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner having made bribes to the Caribbean Football Union officials in exchange for their votes in the presidential elections will be conducted later till which time both executive members are suspended. Sepp Blatter has been cleared of wrongdoing because he advised against making these payments.

Quick impressions: This is all part of a rapid response seeking to elevate Blatter above the fog. He's been made out as an unwitting dupe dragged down by the calumny of others. This does nothing to absolve FIFA of corruption and the system of patronage enjoyed under Blatter.

FIFA fielded a kangaroo court for the benefit of the world to show they deeply care about the issue of corruption. But this really does nothing. It just punted on the question of Bin Hammam and Warner who once the fire and smoke dies down will be exonerated at a later stage. Blatter got away on a his word against mine technicality. The intention behind this exercise was made amply clear - as per Jerome Valcke, FIFA's general secretary the election will go ahead as planned for June 1st. At this point Blatter isn't even keeping up the pretense that there is anything genuine about these elections.

Separately there is the issue of Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma of the CAF allegedly receiving $1.5 million payments for their Qatar vote. The English FA also sent evidence backing Lord Triesman's allegations of bribery especially in regards to Jack Warner. Ricardo Texeiria and Worawi Makudi, the other two officials charged by Lord Triesman have been cleared by FIFA. No word on Nicholas Leoz, the Paraguayan FA chief also similarly accused of wrongdoing.

Man Utd were the real caricatures in the final

In a nod to the Guardian one will attempt five things we learned from the Man Utd vs Barca Champions League final which will for obvious reasons not go down as a classic. It takes two teams to make one. And I will clench my fists a la Sir Alex and resist the urge for redundancies like, " Messi is a genius."

The system won: The aftermath has led predictably to finger pointing. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have been slagged most charitably as "old" and at its most vituperative "crap". There is some weight to the former as Giggs and Scholes are now in their late 30s but the adage "old" in this case is synonymous for "ineffective". Nothing could be further from the truth. Giggs was celebrated as a genius till the last day of the Premiership as part of Sir Alex's vaunted man management. He is still very much so and this match should not be used to belittle a player of his quality.

Instead lets look at why Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi will not play for another side other than Barca. It is precisely days like these. Xavi would be a fish out of water at Man Utd or Real Madrid because of their premium on counterattacking. Messi does not score enough for Argentina burdened with the creation of his own goals. All those triangles work because they have honed a system which has been in place for four decades. Without that system these footballers would be merely technically gifted. With it they're practically geniuses. Giggs on the other hand would improve an attack in any side he's on.

Rinus Michels's football philosophy put into place at Ajax in the late 60's was brought to Barca over the years through Cruyff and Louis Van Gaal. Pep Guardiola played under that system and he now is its most visible practitioner. Behind the scenes Liverpool is quietly putting together their version of tiki taka under the tutelage of two former La Masia assistants as are fifteen other teams. Laurent Blanc guilty of racial perversion last month insists on a similar direction for Les Bleus.

Barcelona are not a cheating, diving, whingeing team: The final saw one player with his hand on the ejection button and it was not a Barca player. Antonio Valencia failing in his attempt to be a Pepe. The usual suspects Pedro, Sergio Busquets, Mascherano, and Dani Alves were part of the upstanding citizens brigade letting their feet do the talking. They did not crowd Viktor Kassai and badger him about his decisions as previously feared.

Giggs was marginally offside when he passed to Wayne Rooney for the equalizer but the Blaugrana instead of moaning used it to put in one of the most commanding second half performances. The ugliness of El Crassico left everyone in need of a cold shower. Jose Mourinho used the Stockholm syndrome to batter Barca's reputation on and off the pitch. Yesterday's final saw Barca put to rest all that negativity.

Chicharito Hernandez has a lot to learn: He cannot hold up well, he cannot create his own goals, and he's naive about the offside rule. Sir Alex was still right in playing the Mexican up front because that is not what he was there for. He's a goalscorer and if he jumped the gun it was because the lack of service rightly made him anxious. Again the debate wrongly centres around whether he's ready for the big league.

He's just 22 years old and some of those goals he scored proved pivotal to the Premiership and Champions League. Dimitar Berbatov might have had a prolific season but by the same token scores a lot of garbage goals.

Sir Alex had little choice: The 2009 Champions League final saw Barca execute their tactics of "sterile domination" to perfection. Their form of defense was to keep the ball away from Man Utd while doing enough to win. After that display, Sir Alex vowed not to repeat the same mistakes. But playing in the Premiership in its present form is probably one of the toughest tasks at hands with considerable resources and craft devoted to winning it.

One can get sidetracked from European ambitions having to contend with Chelsea, Arsenal, and City with the last two years proving it is only going to get harder with an even bigger group now clamouring for the top spots. La Liga has no such illusions. The gap between the top two clubs and the rest is now a rift valley and getting bigger. Barca is relatively less distracted in its quest for world domination.

Sir Alex's patchwork midfield worked well enough to win them the Premiership but came apart at the seams faced against Barca. It brings to the surface questions that first surfaced a couple of years ago. Who exactly are the heirs apparent to Messrs Scholes and Giggs? Nani and Anderson have shown improvement but at the same time are works in progress. The Portugese is shedding his showboating but continues to lack the craft and vision. Anderson has arrested his decline into a tough tackling clean up man but he lacks the passing abilities of Scholes. Holding onto the veteran duo was an imperative forced on by the exigencies of the Premiership. Now comes the hard part of replacing an era.

The Premiership came off second best: Barcelona comes to Wembley and contemptuously dismantles the league's top team. We could examine from that narrow perspective but in its broader implication it puts the rest of the league under the microscope.

The corollary to the most competitive league is that it also suffers in quality. Supporters love to point to the number of Premiership clubs in the final stages of the Champions League as an indicator of its omnipotence. But running numbers is not a sign of that at all. It's a bit like saying the USA produces the largest amount of beef but going to an Argentinian steakhouse for its cut.

The best passing English club Arsenal has had its fair share of encounters over the years with Barca and come out looking like Stoke. Utd were more like Birmingham. And one would be really stretching if Chelsea would have made more of a match. If Giggs, Carrick, Park Ji Sung, and Valencia were no shows think of where that would leave John Obi Mikel, Malouda, Lampard, and Essien. City with its stable of three holding midfielders might have formed a bulwark to keep the score down but then there again is the question of Mancini's attacking intent.

I'll add one more: The ABU crowd is huge and growing. They were out in full force yesterday. And yes, Messi is a genius. There I said it - now I can unclench my fists and bowels.

His first goal in England also equalled Ruud van Nistelrooy's record of 12 Champions League goals in one campaign.

szólj hozzá: Barcelona 2-1 M utd

Sir Alex was gracious in defeat
"They're the best in Europe, no question about that. In my time as a manager, I would say they're the best team we've faced. Everyone acknowledges that and I accept that. It's not easy when you've been well beaten like that to think another way. No one has given us a hiding like that. It's a great moment for them. They deserve it because they play the right way and enjoy their football.
But how long it lasts ... whether they can replace that team at some point ... they certainly have the right philosophy, but it's always difficult to find players like Xavi [Hernández], [Andrés] Iniesta and [Lionel] Messi all the time. But they're enjoying the moment that they have just now. We never controlled Lionel Messi, but many people have had to say that over the years"

szólj hozzá: Barca vs Man UTD

The suspicion that the Premiership was fought amongst a group of 30 lb lightweights and won depending on who blinked first was borne out today.

If this does not convince football at its core is a team sport than nothing ever will. The match was over minutes into the final although Man Utd might point rightly to Rooney's superlative finish as evidence to the contrary. Other than that serendipitous event it was complete domination and the achievement of a 3-1 scoreline suggests a chasm between the best representatives of world football.

Utd not for the first time came across a system. That system believes football is not a hierarchical top down system. It is a parallel distributed model where the executor is a player privy to the best knowledge and therefore primed to set forth the next sequence of action. Nominally it is Xavi. But it could be Iniesta, Alves, Messi, or Busquets in a Medusa like conundrum for any team worth its salt. Which so far none have yet to solve.

The coming out like gangbusters for the first few minutes flattered to deceive as Barca were able to blunt back Man Utd's telegraphed intent of scoring first. Thereafter it was a thoroughly clinical Barca taking over. Like sharks smelling a wounded quarry they circled the Utd goal and under that inexorable pressure it became a matter of time when the citadel would fall. Unlike the walk the ball home stererotype Pedro, Messi, and then Villa showed no hesitation in pulling the trigger from range. In between space evacuated was as rapidly filled up in a series of seamless linkages animating Barca's game. The odd Man Utd possession when they did get the ball back was confined to a fruitless long ball.

The English version's instinctual recoiling of a collective which spurns misty eyed tropes of individual effort, bottle, and legends has run its course. This is an incomparable Barcelona team reaping the benefits of a system put into place three decades before. Everyone wants to aspire to and replicate. Even Sir Alex was forced into acknowledgment.

" No one has given us a hiding like that. It's a great moment for them. They deserve it because they play the right way and enjoy their football."

Manchester United - Bayern Munich Final 1999... by 91Zuzu91

The bitterest two minutes for Bayern as Utd struck back through Teddy Sheringham and the baby faced Ole Gunnar Solksjaer in added time after victory looked inevitable. The look on Lothar Matthaus is priceless.

"Can Manchester United score? They always score."

Wembley was a happy hunting ground for Man Utd in their first Champions League victory in 1968 when they beat Benfica, 4-1. Bobby Charlton with a brace, George Best, and Brian Kidd scored for Utd while Graca pegged one back for the Portugese giants.

Best was a thorn dazzling with his footwork and Charlton was a sublime finisher. But the finals also saw an unsung hero in John Ashton switching flanks as a winger and troubling the defense with his pace and service. Surely, sharing number 10 with the legendary Eusebio is a bit much but Utd's David Sadler, a centre back who could play in midfield and as forward was not at all intimidated. His run down the left and measured cross to Charlton set up Utd's first goal.

The match hung in balance 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes. In now what is established Utd tradition, the Red Devils changed everything around in the following eight minutes.

In the final there are glimpses of Eusebio's genius and sportsmanship. At one point congratulating Alex Stepney, the Utd goalie for making a brilliant save.

43 years later the Premiership champions hope their historical victory at Wembley will give them a lift against Barca, the prohibitive favourite.

You have seen the C Ronaldo 53 goal video.Here's the Messi 52 goal video...

One of the truest voices in contemporary times is no more. Gil Scott Heron was the voice of elegant outrage and inconvenient truths dazzling us with a cascade of indelible words and images. Poet, activist, humanist. I had the honour of listening to him in SOB's years ago in one of his increasingly infrequent appearances but his art and passion were unmistakable.

The revolution will not be televised but thanks to you it is being heard loud and clear everywhere by everyone. RIP, Gil!

Kolo Toure is banned for six months from all football because he took pills that belonged to his wife.

Arsene Wenger on his former protege:

"He wants to control his weight a little bit because that's where he has some problems and he took the product of his wife."

Toure had problems controlling his weight while he was playing football. Imagine what will happen sitting on the sidelines. Hopefully this time around he gets to a Stairmaster.

Falcao's use of telekinesis makes him very dangerous

It is bewildering how Arsenal is one club which manages to get linked to every player despite the ever decreasing number of transfers.

The latest is Radamel Falcao whose performance in the Portugese Liga has everyone raving. He comes with a steep price tag. Part of the problem is his €30m buyout clause. Arsenal need to strengthen considerably in other key positions and blowing most of their transfer money on one purchase is not prioritizing effectively.

This is standard operating procedure for agents wrangling for a better deal. Porto will have to cough up more money to keep Falcao. 90% of the market works that way.

Mohamed Bin Hammam has accused Sepp Blatter of being aware of all the skullduggery and of having done nothing.
A statement from the Bin Hammam's office read: "The accusations also contain statements according to which Mr. Blatter, the incumbent FIFA president, was informed of, but did not oppose, payments allegedly made to members of the Caribbean Football Union. Mr. Bin Hammam has therefore requested that the investigation by the Ethics Committee be extended to include Mr. Blatter himself. The timing of the accusations so close to the election of FIFA president on June 1, 2011 suggests that they are part of a plan to damage Mr. Bin Hammam and force him to withdraw as a candidate for the FIFA presidency."
Blatter said that he was "shocked, saddened and deeply unhappy"
Not a very convincing Blatter
Not very pompous Blatter
Quite deflated in fact.
A flatter Blatter.
With both the main candidates under scrutiny what's going to happen to the presidential elections is now a matter of some debate.

Barca TV take you through their three Champion's League victories mainly..

and a walk down Manchester United memory lane put together by MUTV

Twenty two years this day the league title hung in balance as Arsenal needed two goals to win against Liverpool at Anfield on the last day.

Alan Smith got them going but one goal was not going to be enough and as each tense moment ticked by it was looking like Liverpool had sealed league victory. But everything was to change in stoppage time as Michael Thomas burst through to score and pull the in one of the most dramatic finishes in football history.

It's a roll call of legends in a legendary moment. John Lukic- Lee Dixon- Nigel Winterburn- Tony Adams- Steve Bould- Paul Merson- David O'Leary- Kevin Richardson- David Rocastle - Alan Smith- Michael Thomas.

Looking at those names and at the Swiss cheese defense we've now. "Where did all the defense go? I don't know, I don't know."

Does anyone see the irony in FIFA ordering an investigation into an election opponent of Sepp Blatter without the FIFA president stepping aside from the fray? Where have we seen these sort of tactics before? Ah yes, name any totalitarian regime.

Mohammed Bin Hammam, the AFC chairman has till tomorrow to present his defense. The ethics committee will meet on Sunday and deliver its verdict in time for the June 1st election. Say it with me "kangaroo court". And just like that corruption and the system of unprecedented patronage enjoyed and furthered under Blatter will disappear. Not. He'll just have vanquished his opponent which is what he wanted in the first place.

Does this not say enough about Blatter that nine of the 24 executive members have either been suspended or are under ethics investigations? Under his watch. The world body needs cleaning up and this is beyond Blatter or his challengers because they're part of that corrupt system. FIFA need an equivalent of a receivership with an autonomous body guiding that process before we can even think of presidential elections.

It's not just europe that's under a cloud these days.
Fifa's vice-president Jack Warner and presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam are in the dock facing bribery charges. Hammam says the allegations are just Blatter using underhanded tactics to make sure he wins the election.
Blatter?
Underhand stuff?
Surely not.

Blackbum may rule the roost with him in charge

Carlo Ancelotti successfully removed the clause that stipulates he cannot be employed by another Premiership club by agreeing to a smaller severance amount. The Italian humiliated by Chelsea's crass gesture shows his serious intent to continue coaching in England counting redemption as one of his motives. Chelsea's new found acquiescence may also have to do with their rivals locked into their managers.

Ancelotti could have moved to City if Mancini had failed to get them to the Champions League or the FA Cup. Harry Redknapp shows no inclination for the Chelsea job and Liverpool have been revitalized by Kenny Dalglish. Arsenal is Arsene and vice versa. Lower down too most clubs appear stable at the helm. Every indication is that the league unlike their European counterparts will see little managerial movement.

It would then have to be a club with outsize ambitions in terms of success as well as marketability, fairly deep pockets to afford Ancelotti's salary and transfer choices, and importantly for the Italian represent an opportunity to showcase his coaching nous. An educated guess would put Blackburn in the running as a destination.

Venky's, the Indian owners despite their less than surefooted landing in the Premiership have made it clear they see the club in the top echelon. Sam Allardyce was infamously sacked after the owners decided he was not their man to lead them to a Champions League spot. Given the talent depth this would be the equivalent of finding Sergio Busquets upright the whole duration of a match.

Steve Kean, the caretaker manager was given a measured vote of confidence before the season was over but his less than compelling efforts saw a side positioned 7th at the end of January fighting till the last day to stave off relegation. The side slid five places down from their 2009-10 finish. Not exactly where the new owners wanted to be.

An Ancelotti arrival at Ewood will signal Blackburn's serious desire for a U turn while the Italian gets a shot at glory for effecting that upward mobility. Having a managerial resume as impressive and internationally credentialed as Ancelotti's should make signings easier. It's a much quieter market but the low key Italian might prefer that after the bruising London spotlight. The caveat of course is Kean's recently signed two year permanent contract which the owners will have to pay out or alternatively a managerial assistant position could be created by mutual consent to work under Ancelotti. The Indian owners have shown a taste for unpredictability. This is not as left field after the first look.

At Arsenal next season?

Arsene Wenger has been a long time admirer of the former Lyon striker now at Real.

"His movement is always intelligent, he is able to combine well with other players to make a difference, and also make individual strikes. So, in my opinion, he is one of the best in the world."

"He could be a possible signing"

This is all in the realm of speculation but Sergio "Kun" Aguero has been strongly linked with a move to Atletico's crosstown rivals. Which means Benzema sparingly used by Mourinho could become surplus. There is chatter that Real could be offered £ 20m plus Gael Clichy.

Wenger has indicated he wants to move fast in the transfer market because the "store may close" with the financial fair play rules kicking in from next season.

Benzema with Van Persie playing just behind could be a lethal pair. The French striker will not be starved of service with all the chances Arsenal create. They just need someone more direct.

This Taiwanese animation lampoons the Giggs affair and makes the salient point. Be afraid, very afraid of censoring the internets (sic). Because it will blow up in your face. If only Giggs had been more savvy he would have taken heed of the Streisand effect.

Here is Sir Alex caught in the act of trying to ban a reporter who strayed from the reservation by asking a question about Ryan Giggs.

"We'll get him" is distinctly gangster-ish but it also gives you an insight into how the Man Utd manager wants to keep away a media circus salivating at the prospect of a bigger story than the Champions League finals. "Give them an inch, they'll take a yard."

It was Gary Neville's testimonial, an emotional occasion as he was reunited with brother Phil, Nicky Butt, and David Beckham as they took on Juventus. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes completed the class of 1992 reunion. But it was Manuel Giondonato's brilliant free kick that had everyone talking. The Italian side won 2-1.

Simone Pepe equalized after Wayne Rooney gave United the lead from a vintage Giggs cross. The Welsh midfielder has been in the news lately for extra-curricular activities which has Sir Alex a bit worried about his mental frame heading into the big showdown this weekend with Barca.

As for Gary Neville it is difficult to recall a scrappier full back. He would never make a World XI by a mile but if ever there was one called All Heart XI he would surely be one of the first choices.

A bold, decisive signing as Atletico Madrid's David De Gea is signed as a £17m replacement for the retiring Edwin Van der Sar. The transfer fee for the 20 year old sensation is the highest paid by an English club for a goalie.

A changing of the guard? Not really. De Gea according to Sir Alex has all the leadership and organizational attributes of Van der Sar and the video clip above seems to show he has the reflexes as well. This is an investment in a young goalie that will pay off in the years to come.

Wenger summing up the season after the Fulham match.

" But we are not to go overboard. Maybe one year you will realise that it is not easy to finish in the top four every time. Even if people say we have to spend money, we have to be realistic. We cannot buy players for £50 million and, even if we try to strengthen our team and spend money if needed, that is fact. "

There are two points here but they all point to Wenger's defensive prickliness and his apparent disconnect. The line "one year you will realise ........ " has this accusatory ring -fans need to wake up and smell the coffee. But it does not square with the hubris shown not two months ago with Wenger explicitly stating Arsenal was on target for the quadruple. It might have been a throwaway line but it was laid down by the manager not the fans.

As Arseblog correctly points out - which Arsenal fan demands spending £50 million on a player? Part of why Wenger is so sought after is the corrective he brings to a transfer market on steroids. No one is asking him to give up on that. But not to bring a reinforcement for Thomas Vermaelen in the winter transfer with the knowledge his season was all but over was foolhardy and it cost us dearly.

It also opens up a debate on whether Wenger's transfer picks where he has spent money have been successful. In the last few years it has not panned out as planned. Andrey Arshavin has lived in the shadow of his exuberant first year and now the side is looking to recoup the money. Samir Nasri so scintillating in the first half of the season faded away in the new year stuck on the wings. He is now holding up his contract extension. Thomas Vermaelen outstanding first season gave way to a second sidelined by injury. Sebastian Squillaci has been an unmitigated disaster. Laurent Koscielny is a work in progress but in the right direction.

For a manager so famously budget conscious this is a questionable rate of return. The £50 million player is a canard Wenger really needs to stop trotting out. He has to do better with the money he has and not lay into club supporters.

Grimsvotn spews ash

Icelandic volcanic ash changes the Catalonian club's travel plans.

They will be in London this evening two days ahead of schedule. Grimsvotn is the offender this time with meteorologists predicting prevailing winds will carrying its ash to English airspace potentially shutting down busy hubs like Heathrow.

More worryingly for Pep Guardiola is the prospect of their fans not being able to make it if the volcano continues to spew more ash in the next few days.

A do over for Freddy

Bob Bradley announces his 23 man roster for the Gold Cup.

Goalkeepers: Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Etienne), Jonathan Bornstein (UANL Tigres), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Eric Lichaj (Leeds), Oguchi Onyewu (FC Twente), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Rizespor), Michael Bradley (Aston Villa), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (New England Revolution), Jermaine Jones (Blackburn Rovers), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Jozy Altidore (Bursaspor), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Freddy Adu's inclusion stands out. Bob Bradley decides to resurrect the midfielder's fortunes as he finds playing time with Turkish second league side Rizespor. It's been a meandering journey for the one time teenage phenom after butting heads with micro managing Piotr Nowak at DC United six years ago.

Robbie Rogers call up is a real head scratcher.

The player who every pundit and fan was betting on was Timmy Chandler and his exclusion has everyone talking. Except for Eric Lichaj this is a slow and reactive defense.

Cherundolo is a solid right back but a wingback like Chandler would have given a different dimension with his speed and ability to bust open wide. Jonathan Spector is now exclusively used as a holding midfielder at West Ham after his performance as right back was widely disparaged.

On the other flank Jonathan Bornstein, Bradley's first choice for years continues to inspire no confidence except in Honduras. One would have liked to see Jay De Merit in Gooch's place because the former Watford defender is the only one capable of tracking back quickly. One still remembers how Bocanegra got burned by Asamoah Gyan in the World Cup. This defense could have a tough time stopping someone as elusive as Chicharito or the speedier Carlos Costly or Bryan Ruiz.

Robbie Rogers made a decent impression in the 2009 Gold Cup but since then he's been unconvincing. For all his speed he's lightweight on the ball. Not sure what Bradley was thinking there. Alejandro Bedoya would have been a better choice.

Chris Wondolowski last season's Golden Boot winner has been in good scoring nick so one can see why Bradley would consider him. Having said that he's a career journeyman not exactly in the first flush of youth. One would have preferred to give Teal Bunbury an opportunity for international experience.

There is news that Chandler's omission might have to do with his club FC Nürnberg putting their foot down rather than the more eyebrow raising "fatigue" factor.

Kia Rooney very wisely absolutely refused to take a shot at goal until the requisite goal line tecnology was put into place.
At the wise old age of 1 year and 6 months he rightly knows that the hideously ancient Blatter is wrong about not allowing goal line tech.
He didn't want any controversy over whether the ball actually crossed the line or not.
Not after what happened between England and Germany in World Cup 2010...!

Jozy Altidore in the frontline again at the forthcoming Gold Cup

Bob Bradley decided to field a largely untested Gold Cup squad in 2009 who were good enough to get to the final where they were convincingly trounced by Mexico. None of the big names like Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, or Carlos Bocanegra were included. Bradley's experiment resulted in Stuart Holden making his transition to the MNT where he's become a fixture.

This year's Gold Cup squad composition should reflect two things. To return to the 2013 Confederations Cup as a goal and the improved standards of the CONCACAF region especially Mexico. The US has ceded ground to its arch rivals evident in its recent encounters.

El Tri has signaled its serious intent mixing young talent with experience in its Gold Cup squad. The sensational Chicharito Hernandez and two 2009 Gold Cup stand outs Giovani Dos Santos and Efrain Juarez will share the spotlight with veteran defender Rafa Marquez now with the NY Red Bulls and midfielder Gerardo Torrado.

Honduras is represented by Celtic wing back Emilio Izaguirre, whose exploits have earned him every Scottish honour including player of the year. Los Catrachos also rely on its Premiership veterans Maynor Figueroa, Wilson Palacios, and Hendry Thomas to provide a strong holding midfield with the counterattacking qualities of Carlos Costly and Walter Martínez.

Complicating the US effort is a number of players short of match practice or coming back from injuries.

This is especially true for the defense with Oguchi Onyewu and Jay De Merit. Gooch has been struggling to find form since his knee injury in 2009 and following his short lived stint at AC Milan has not impressed at his new club FC Twente. De Merit has returned to starting squad football with the Vancouver Whitecaps after seasons of dwindling appearances for Watford. Left back continues to be problematic with Bradley switching between Jonathan Bornstein and Carlos Bocanegra. Speedy Eric Lichaj at Leeds could be an option. The right back position could see Timmy Chandler challenge veteran Steve Cherundolo. Especially if Bradley wants wingbacks to really push up and open up the wide game.

New York's Tim Ream and Norwich City's Zak Whitbread could also get call ups.

The situation brightens somewhat in the midfield with Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan virtual locks. Dempsey has had an outstanding season at Fulham scoring the most Premiership goals for a US player in a season. Donovan has been the subject of transfer speculation with AS Roma's US owners reportedly desirous of bringing him from the Galaxy.

Maurice Edu had another solid season with Rangers. Jermaine Jones was one of the bright spots in Man Utd's dismantling of Schalke in the Champions League semi-finals. Michael Bradley's appearances for Aston Villa have been limited since making his loan move from Borussia M'gladbach but that should not slow down the third wheel in the midfield. Benny Feilhaber and Alejandro Bedoya could also benefit from the absence of Stuart Holden due to injury.

Up front, Charlie Davies would have been a prohibitive favourite but he's out with a hamstring problem after a stellar comeback from horrific injuries which kept him out for a year. That leaves the door open for Edson Buddle to partner Jozy Altidore with two strong options in Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury.

There is no better choice than Tim Howard in goal. His back ups could potentially be Marcus Hahnemann and David Yelldell.

Ferguson with his manager of the year award...

Richard Williams, hands down the poorest analyst in the Guardian stable justifies Carlo Ancelotti's departure in a shoddy piece. According to him Ancelotti is the beneficiary of hand me downs while at Milan and then Chelsea. In short the double was achieved because of Rainieri, Mourinho, and Guus Hiddink.

But this is what you get posting two articles 7 minutes of each other. No measured introspection just narcissistic navel gazing.

The more courageous article would have been how Roman Abramovich destroyed football while spending close to a billion dollars on transfers. Write about how Chelsea spends the most on wages and owns close to 30% of the Premiership debt. This is a clueless owner who gets diddly squat return on investment. That really should be the focus.

At this point, Man City's owners look classy by comparison because they've continued to believe in Roberto Mancini despite spending millions on transfers and running up the third highest wage bill. They too would like instant gratification but seem equally intent on building a legacy.

Andre Villas Boas adds the Portugese Cup to his feathers as FC Porto run riot over Vitória de Guimarães, 6-2 in the final. With Ancelotti gone, Jose Mourinho's former understudy is the favourite to take over the Chelsea job. But there are doubts he will. Guus Hiddink is next and even Mourinho has not been ruled out.

James Rodríguez reprised a performance his countryman Radamel Falcao would be proud of by scoring a hat trick. Boas rested his frontline striker. The other Colombian Fredy Guarin so instrumental in Porto's success entered the pitch in the second half. Hulk added to the tally and his reputation.

" I'm here and you're there and we're not together. Backs to the wall r us."

The signs of retreat were everywhere. From Cesc Fabregas preferring to spend his day in Barcelona at the Spanish Grand Prix to Arsene Wenger cheerleading Man Utd's Champions League dream. But it was on the pitch once again to remind us where it had all unraveled.

The thought of ceding the last automatic Champions League spot to Man City would provide motivation against Fulham. That was the hope. But this side has shown time and time again when it comes to grasping opportunities it does so smearing its palms liberally with Crisco. Arsenal's lack of will and composure is now amongst its trademarks and should serve as caution to Laurent Blanc that technical perfection is not the Rosetta Stone to success.

Mark Hughes did nothing different from what other clubs have done as Fulham tactically set about using the long ball and exploiting Arsenal's high line. It paid dividends as Bobby Zamora cutting back after latching onto Clint Dempsey's pass found Steve Sidwell who slid his shot past Wojciech Sczeszny. The Polish goalie could have done better perhaps with a more horizontal posture.

Arsenal were able to answer back through Robin Van Persie, the one bright spot in Arsenal's attack after he deftly controlled Abou Diaby's diagonal pass and swept the ball past Mark Schwarzer. It was RVP's 18th goal in 19 starts. An eye raising stat for a second striker.

It was back to square one once the second half resumed as Johan Djourou whiffed on a Chris Greening cross and Bobby Zamora was able to muscle his way in front of Vermaelen to head the ball home. It could have gotten worse if Vermaelen had not effected a goal line save after Danny Murphy cut through a collapsing defense.

Not even Zoltan Gera's ejection four minutes after being introduced made much of a difference. Gera clattered into Vermaelen in a two footed tackle studs and in a flash Martin Atkinson had a red card out.

Marouane Chamakh up front was an effete antagonist in comparison to the bristling muscularity of Zamora at the other end. Wenger brought in Arshavin and Walcott to shake up the attack. The former continued his slide into irrelevance and the latter was anonymous till the 89th minute for the equalizer.

For Fulham, Gera's dismissal might cost them a place in the Europa Cup on fair play grounds while Arsenal's draw was tame surrender and they now face the prospect of contending with Bayern Munich, Villareal, or Udinese for the Champions League playoffs.

For those looking for signs of change there was none as Pat Rice continues for another season with Wenger's primary criteria comfort with his assistants. There was no statement from Stan Kroenke either and as Arsenal's majority owner this is hugely disappointing. What are his thoughts about this season? What does he expect next season? At this point we rely on Wenger to undergo some sort of self realization that it cannot be business as usual. He has escaped the pressure exerted by a more activist ownership evident elsewhere and Kroenke remaining silent does not help.

Carlo Ancelotti was too highbrow for Stamford Bridge

Not entirely unexpected. Details soon.

Update: Chelsea release a statement on Ancelotti

"Chelsea Football club can confirm that Carlo Ancelotti parted company with the club today (Sunday, 22 May)," the statement read.

"The owner and board would like to thank Carlo for his contribution and achievements since taking over as manager in July 2009, which included winning the Double for the first time in the club's history."

"However, this season's performances have fallen short of expectations and the club feels the time is right to make this change ahead of next season's preparations."

Carlo you were too good for those Neanderthals. Money can buy you a team, it can't buy you class. They have no patience, they don't know how to build a legacy, they don't know football. You recorded the first double in their history and this is how you get repaid. For what it is worth I respect your intelligence, your dry wit, and your accomplishments. You're the anti Mourinho and will always prove a refreshing counterpoint.

Hugo Rodallega's 78th minute winner at the Brittania ensured Wigan remain in the Premiership.

Blackburn had already ensured Premiership participation after scoring three quick goals against Wolves at the Molineaux. It was down to Wolves, Wigan, Blackpool, and Birmingham fighting for that last spot.

Wolves were facing an uphill task and Blackpool looked like pulling off a famous victory at Old Trafford leading 2-1. At White Hart, Birmingham were behind Spurs.

Meanwhile Wigan and Stoke were battling to a scoreless draw which would have not helped because of their adverse goal differential. Could Blackpool dodge relegation?

Ian Holloway's side could not stop Anderson scoring a goal. It was 2-2. But as long as Wigan did not score even a draw would ensure survival.

Rodallega's goal changed all of that. An outright win with three points pushed them to 42 points and just behind Blackburn. Wolves, Birmingham, and Blackpool were now scrambling to survive. At 2-2 it was still Blackpool's to lose. In a familiar pattern they unable to stop a second half surge by their opponents and were down, 2-4.

Their hopes fading just as Birmingham's were picking up on a Craig Gardner goal at White Hart which brought the Blues level.

For a few pulsating minutes Alex McLeish's side looked like they had dodged a bullet before Wolves remembered they were at Molineaux. Jamie O'Hara and Stephen Hunt's late goals were enough to claw back a crucial advantage on goal differential. It was now or never for Birmingham as they tried to go all out in the remaining minutes. But Spurs closed that door shut after Roman Pavlyuchenko scored their second goal.

Wigan had to see out an agonizing 6 minutes + in added time but Rodallega's goal stood. Full credit to Roberto Martinez for steering his side through these nerve wracking last few weeks.

Charlie Adams and Charles N'Zogbia: Who will be the saviour?

Russian roulette. Five clubs battle it out to stay up in the Premiership. Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool, Wolves, and Wigan The killer B's vs the killer W's for the phonetically inclined. Wigan stay or we gonna fall?

The emotional favourite for the neutrals is Blackpool obviously. Ian Holloway's squad have played delightful football with no let up in attack while being absolutely shambolic at the back. They however face the toughest challenge playing Man Utd unbeaten in its citadel. Holloway's best bet would be with the title wrapped up Sir Alex's side maybe less inclined to go all out.

Birmingham's season has rapidly unraveled and they look to gain a win against Spurs. But the London side are tough to beat at home with only one loss. A tall order for a team that struggles to score.

Wigan come into their match against Stoke with a bit of momentum after a relegation saving win against West Ham last weekend. Stoke has little to play for but could use back to back losses against City as motivation. Wigan's attack is delightfully unpredictable. The stage is set for some vintage Charles N'Zogbia.

Blackburn and Wolves have the best chances of staying up but they're pitted against each other providing fresh material for last day theatrics. Rovers travel to Molineaux and a win will guarantee staying up. Having the best goal differential boosts their chances even if the result is a draw or a loss depending on how many rivals lose.

Mick McCarthy is a bit more hamstrung with a goal differential comparable to Birmingham, Blackpool, and Wigan. A win would be most desirable. Hopes for staying up with a different result would depend on the these three losing and the margin of the loss.

The Beeb has the low on the permutations and the combinations.

C Ron set a new La Liga goal scoring record by scoring 40 goals in a season - the last two in this final game against Almeria.Real Madrid beat them 8 - 1.That scoreline also includes a hat trick from Adebayor.Details...

szólj hozzá: Rea 8-1 Alm

Paolo Di Canio, the former West Ham player turned fascist thug becomes Swindon Town's newest manager.

A leading trade union has decided to end its sponsorship after Di Canio's appointment was confirmed. Swindon's demographics have pushed its status as "bellwether Britain" to the forefront with the town a magnet for multinational companies including Honda, Motorola, Alcatel-Lucent Technologies, Intel, and WH Smith.

Desmond Morris, the author of The Naked Ape and The Soccer Tribe was born in Wiltshere. He might have a few things to say about Di Canio. Swindon's own XTC are equally adamant.

"No thugs in our house, are there dear?
We made that clear
We made Graham promise he'd be a good boy"

If Man Utd can sign this chap in the goal their worries are over.He's the real thing...!

Celtic have just finished beating Motherwell 3- 0 to win the Scottish FA Cup final.
Wells defender Stephen Craigan managed to get away with one of the handballs of the year.Perhaps it was because he was lying down at the time and the Ref had not done any training in detecting low level handball fouls

David Luiz, Branislav Ivanovic, Paulo Ferreira and Nicolas Anelka keep a bunch of aliens at bay.

Qatar may lose the World Cup.

A Fifa inquiry into persistent claims of corruption during the bidding process could lead to the FIFA executive committee making the unprecedented move of redoing the vote that gave Qatar the victory.

Blatter,who has his beady eyes firmly fixed on being reelected to the the post of FIFA president said.
"But don't ask me now yes or no, let us go step by step. It's like we are in an ordinary court and in an ordinary court we cannot ask: 'If, if, if'."
If 'The Sunday Times' allegations are proved right then among those implicated will be Mohamed bin Hammam, the president of the Asian football confederation, who is running against Blatter for Fifa's presidency.
A look at some the stadia planned for World Cup 2022.
So what happens now ?

The ceremony..

A compilation of his goals...

Simon Kuper's new book "The Football Men" tries to take us beyond what we know of the football superstars on TV and media.

Some insights. Most of them glorify their family turning it into a warm cocoon which is a reaction from a later life governed by mercantilism and ulterior motives. Growing up they know very little outside of football. Certainly, school holds no charm for them and only Frank Lampard is mentioned as having a remote interest in academia.

Professionally, they undergo a "culture shock" when they sign for clubs with a global following. Suddenly their life and locker room is filled with people who are removed from their culture and upbringing. It leads to a sort of separation anxiety with lingering suspicions. In Steven Gerrard's case he gives voice to his grudges that foreign players are basically cheats and they foul, dive, and whinge too much.

Perhaps it is their early turning to the sport that gives them their precociousness. But most of them instinctively realize that football carries far more weight than a misplaced loyalty to their boyhood club. They're able to break with their past fairly comfortably which invariably leads to much angst amongst fans who denounce them as traitors. In Ashley Cole's case it was because of Arsenal's recalcitrance to offer more than £55,000 a week in salary that proved to be the breaking point.

Stardom though seems to bring no real joy. In Carragher's case his idea of relaxing is to soak in a hot tub after a grinding match. And Rooney's favourite hobby is sleeping and sports betting. Kuper also mentions the lack of self awareness and insight most of them seem to have barring Carragher and Gerrard. For Lampard the sight of Roman Abramovich's yacht has aspirational value and puts into perspective his lack of personal wealth.

Nationalism is over rated too. Most of them expressed disappointment in failing to take England further in 2006 but it was almost always compared to the anguish felt if the same had happened to their club. The period of mourning if it could be called that was very brief. This lack of emotion is at odds with the widespread belief that England will eventually win the World Cup.

The FT has an excerpt >>

David Conn's article on the finances of the 20 Premiership clubs is a continued portrayal of clubs living beyond their means. Some are better geared towards fulfilling the requirements of UEFA's financial fair play rules set to kick in next season. Amongst them Arsenal is held up as a standard because of their self sustaining model.

The snapshot above provide flattering numbers because the Highbury real estate sales (apartments/ retail) netted the club an additional £156m. This is a one off item and one can't look forward to this source for further revenue.

The 6.5% increase in ticket prices should partially offset that loss but with a dispirited fan base Arsenal might struggle with increasing gate and match day income. Another note of concern is its wage bill the fourth largest in the Premier League. The £110m forked out in salaries is almost borderline criminal with the club so shorn of success.

Arsenal is one of the four clubs that have zero owner contribution. The owners of the remaining clubs have picked up the £2.3bn tab mainly to pay out transfer fees and player wages. Very little has gone to capital improvement or building a new stadium.

However Arsenal's desire for a balanced budget could be under duress because clearly there is need to go into the transfer market in a big way to bolster Wenger's faltering experiment. Andrey Arshavin's potential move to recoup the £15m paid to Zenit St Petersburg and Cesc Fabregas's almost certain departure might represent the last season for high priced cash outs. Alisher Usmanov has tempted with past offers of paying out of pocket with a quid pro quo of a seat on the board. This summer could see that tussle renew.

Adidas promote their predator boot with some crazy ideas...
Here are Van Persie and Kaka kicking flouroscent footballs at people running past them dressed in strange white uniforms..

.and here's Berbatov doing a Godfather imitation...!

Santos, Brazil's only hope left after a ruinous Copa Libertadores managed to overcome Once Caldas on aggregate after drawing 1-1 at Vila Belmiro. They won the first leg against the Colombians on the road, 1-0

In the 11th minute Neymar shot them into the lead after a shoddy clearance provided him with a perfect pass. The striker quickly made room and lashed the ball past the goalie. However Once refused to lie down and the home crowd became increasingly nervy.

Their worst fears were realized when Wason Renteria managed to deflect a swerving free kick relayed to him by his team mates. The scores were now level with Santos barely holding on. Neymar had the perfect opportunity to ice the match with a penalty but he missed. The remaining minutes saw no further damage done by either team.

Sad news for the Rossoneri as Andrea Pirlo who served their club so brilliantly for ten seasons is moving on to Juventus. His Milan contract expires on June 30th and he's accepted a three year contract to play for the Bianconeri.

Pirlo was one of the catalysts of the Milan attack who could change the outcome in a stroke with a deceptively struck pile driver, wickedly curling free kick, or a perfectly timed long ball. All done with a languid nonchalance hiding one of the keenest footballing brains. Although Massimiliano Allegri was seemingly keen on retaining Pirlo after his season was lost to injuries it was evident the midfielder would have a tough time coping with the evolution of a speedier and more muscular game.

He made 284 appearances for Milan and scored some of the most spectacular goals during that time. It is hard to find a top ten list without one of his contributions. Here is one of his latest. A scorcher against Parma which still shows he has the touch that Juve hope to capitalize on.

For those who never tire of Pirlo, there is this >>

szólj hozzá: Por 1-0 Bra

In the all Portugese finals, it was Porto taking bragging rights. And fittingly it was Radamel Falcao, arguably Europe's hottest striker scoring the winner off a beautifully whipped in cross from Colombian compatriot Fredy Guerin.

This was Falcao's17th goal in the Europa Cup, eclipsing the previous record of 15 goals in a single UEFA championship held by Juergen Klinsmann.

This is a fantastic achievement for Andres Villas Boas in his first year at Porto. He leads them to the Europa Cup title, the first time in eight years, and following in the footsteps of mentor Jose Mourinho. Earlier the club riding an unbeaten 30 matches streak won the Primeira Liga. This weekend they challenge Vitoria de Guimaraes for the Portugese Cup after beating Benfica on away goals in a pulsating comeback. A trifecta the Special One would be proud of.

The Arsenalistas did themselves proud. The club has long been overshadowed by the big three of Portugese football and their first entry into a major European championship will raise their profile.

Alan Shearer came face-to-face with himself at the unveiling of his new Madame Tussauds waxwork.

Avram Grant should have gone four months ago. That is the conventional wisdom and a fairly safe one at that. But the problem was no one was willing to take over for him. Grant reveals that there were six candidates including Martin O'Neill, Steve McLaren, and Sam Allardyce who were sought out in January but they would not do it because " they knew the situation there."

He's now the second manager to go in the 17 months since David Gold and David Sullivan took over West Ham.

The fish stinks from the head down.

The meddling duo undermined then manager Gianfranco Zola right from the outset. Their underhandedness was thoroughly exposed by the Graham Dorrans controversy and putting up the players (except for Scott Parker) for sale without Zola's knowledge. The Chelsea legend was shown the back door despite the Hammers surviving the drop. He left saddened by "adverse comments" from within the club.

It was the same situation with Steve Bruce a couple of years ago at Birmingham when Gold and Sullivan owned that club. Bruce was promised a new contract which was subsequently reneged on by the board. In the end, he departed for Wigan described unfeelingly by Sullivan thus, "We've got £3m and it's the best business the club has ever done. ". Bruce spent eight years with the Blues, six of them as manager, but he was never shown respect from the owners.

Grant is the latest in the line of managers treated badly by the former porn merchants. Part of the problem is their grandiose, unrealistic expectations which now unfortunately includes the Olympic Stadium.

Manchester City moved into 3rd place in the EPL rankings with a 3 - 0 win over Stoke City.Two very good goals from Tevez .
For Stoke City it was more of the same thing - having just finished losing to Manchester City in the FA cup final.
So what are the latest Manchester City rumours ?
Tevez is staying.
Ronaldo is coming into the team at some mind boggling transfer fee.

szólj hozzá: M3-0S

Back to the drawing board

The dust has barely settled. From the braggadocio of the "quadruple" barely two months ago to surveying the detritus of this season. Arsene Wenger has the look of a man utterly bewildered by these developments. He set sail for the New World but all he found was his way back to Dover.

All is not lost however. There are a few things Wenger can consider to successfully negotiate this stalemate and start off next season with a fresh new perspective.

Conflicting expectations: Every season we're promised an Egyptian style revolution but end up with the Libyan version. One step forward, two steps to the side. Winning three matches in a row is not a sign of impending glory or a glimpse of Shangri La. Having Abou Diaby play one match well is not just cause to declare him the next Patrick Vieira. Or Theo Walcott to Robert Pires. Or anyone to anyone. When everything goes south do not change expectations to "if it means second for the next twenty years, I'll be happy". The result is mixed messages and a squad that has less incentive to work harder. Hold off on all proclamations.

Lets get real about talent: Arsenal ad nauseum is touted as the most talented team in the Premiership. And yes, there are moments when we see it in the flowing, intuitive style that is its trademark. But this is to gloss over a squad that is all over the map. There is a large subset that seems to lack the core competencies. Where do Bendtner, Diaby, Denilson, Eboue, Clichy, and Squillaci fit in? This comes to the fore every time the going gets tough. The reality Arsenal is carried on its back at most by five players. Enormous pressure on a core group that can ill afford an off day. Wenger needs to realize this in double quick time.

Tactical decisions: RVP's an excellent second striker. However he's less effective when stuck up front being neither fast nor particularly good in the air. That he's managed to score so many goals is testimony to his creativity, desire, and to the number of chances per goal. To be fair Marouane Chamakh was supposed to be that man before he put his id to pasture. Wenger can maximize RVP's talent by acquiring a proper front man or helping find Chamakh's inner Ayn Rand. Bendtner is not a straight swap for Arshavin, Nasri should be played more central, and Walcott is not a winger. To wait till the 70th minute to make substitutions with the game on the line does not make a lot of sense either.

Set pieces are heaven and hell: Nothing kills a match or gets it going as much as a set piece. Arsenal have destroyed themselves at both ends. Conceding far too many while scoring too few. The bottom line is a dreadful predictability where sides who can't match the ground game use the air for targeted assassinations. Invariably the defense loses composure and concedes a goal. The opposing defense then packs the middle as Arsenal in knee jerk fashion try and scythe through it as free kicks, corners, and crosses increasingly become ineffectual. Those who suggest Wenger neglects this aspect may have a point. Put Plan B on the table.

Gaming the referees: Part of Wenger's persona is of a reactive whinger. He's become a cottage industry on You Tube with his arm flapping, bottle throwing, muttering gesticulations. Sir Alex is seen as a winner because he takes a pro-active stance towards referees praising Howard Webb or bludgeoning Martin Atkinson before the game. He's taken his lumps being fined or suspended for his offenses while establishing the trope of a side using every bit of leverage to affect each and every aspect of the game. It has paid dividends on the pitch. Wenger needs to regain his psy ops chops.

Implicit in these five new rules is the assumption that Wenger will continue as Arsenal's manager. He is still the best bet there is but he needs to acknowledge that results are best obtained match to match. The side never regained its psyche after the Carling Cup loss. It would be the proper place to confront those demons head on. Baby steps for a club known more for its fleet of foot.

In a 4th division Spanish game between Burgos and Tordesillas Jorge Troiteiro scored this goal for Burgos against a bunch of defenders by managing to make 3 of them all rush off in the wrong direction at the same time. So this is either an example of a really brilliant goal or an example of some really non brilliant defending.

Sergio Ramos started a hot trend. On Saturday, Vincent Kompany dropped the FA Cup. Yesterday, it was Maarten Stekelenburg keeping the newest tradition alive.

We might have a new entry in the lexicon. "Break a leg" which many actors use means "good luck." "Drop a cup" could mean "have a successful season".

The Red Bulls defense goes to sleep allowing Justin Braun to score a hat trick.

Thierry Henry keeps his hot streak going with a deft touch off Rafa Marquez's on the dime long ball. Dwayne De Rosario gets his first goal in a Red Bulls jersey from the spot. But the story is the cheap goals given up on two set pieces.

New York are still atop the leader board in the Eastern Conference. They also top the MLS with $13,397,087 paid out in player salaries.

The Dutch prove their talent is in good hands. And Arsenal have a future star in Kyle Ebecilio, the player of the tournament.

szólj hozzá: L0-2T

In the battle for a Europa spot, Spurs came out on top. Rafael Van Der Vaart snaps out of his somnolence ever so often to score some spectacular goals. This was one of them. Luka Modric scored off the spot after Steven Pienaar was brought down by Flanagan in a touchy feely way. Liverpool looked flat after going full throttle against Fulham, Newcastle, and Birmingham.

This was Spurs first win at Anfield in eighteen years and they're now a point ahead in the race for fifth. It was a mixed bag for London clubs as Newcastle drew Chelsea. Which should do it for Carlo Ancelotti. West Ham were relegated. Arsenal lost to Villa in a downward spiral. Fulham pushed Birmingham into relegation mire.

Busquets has been plagued by dementors since childhood

Instead there is overwhelming evidence that he seeks to make monkeys out of referees with his serial diving and imaginary fouls. Which is what UEFA needs to go after. Or are they indeed dementors that prey on him?

UEFA's clean bill means Busquets is cleared to face Man Utd in the Champions League final. He will find the English to be far more unforgiving if he is caught cheating.

Which look will he sport in the UAE?

Don Diego decides Dubai will be his next stop. He is to coach Al Wasl in the fledgling UAE Professional League on a two year contract. The club is owned by Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the brother of the present UAE potentate.

Al Wasl has been designated as one of the top twenty Asian clubs by the IFFHS. Francisco Yeste, the long time Atletico Bilboa midfielder and Khalid Darwish, UAE's version of Maradona are the familiar names on the squad. Past managers include Hassan Shehata, the present coach of the Egyptian national team and former Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana.

The club finished fifth last year and Maradona's signing is seen as a step towards reaching the top.

A rueful looking Diego Lopez fished out the ball from goal after two sublime free kicks by Cristiano Ronaldo had him beaten all ends up. Villarreal lost to Real, 1-3.

Goal number 37 and 38 for Ronaldo drew him level with legends Telmo Zarra and Hugo Sanchez's record of most league goals scored in a season. Real close out their season against relegated Almeria at home which should provide Ronaldo with some real opportunities to run up the score.

Before that Marcelo put Real up chipping over Lopez sweetly after his surging run. Cani was able to narrow the gap for the Yellow Submarines after Marcelo was turned around by Mario Gaspar who laid a nice cross which the midfielder finished off.

Both Valencia and Villarreal have sewn up Champions League spots.

Mirsolav Klose misses out and in the annals of misses this is close as you can get. But before we get close minded there have been others committed by strikers of equal repute. Like Kei Kamara. Or Yakubu. OK. Not really.

From the days of Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, and George Best the Man Utd dynasty had to wait 26 years to win their next top flight league title in the 1993 inaugural Premiership season. Sir Alex endured seven years of disappointment before he came up with that triumph.

Since then Utd has been almost automatic winning 12 more titles with the exception of Arsenal (3), Chelsea (3), and Blackburn (1). This montage links the last time Utd won the league under Sir Matt Busby and the Ferguson era. A generation missed out on the aura of invincibility that the club currently enjoys. A similar history echoed at Liverpool which in a paradoxical way looks to its arch rivals for succour.

A banner flown by cheeky Milwall supporters celebrate West Ham's demotion which should ensure some headline grabbing encounters with their arch rivals in the Championship.

szólj hozzá: W3-2W

Charles N'Zogbia administered the deathblow with his last gasp heroics in the 94th minute. He scored a brace and Connor Sammon added a debut goal as Wigan came back to sink West Ham after they took a two goal lead through Demba Ba.

Avram Grant gets the axe as expected minutes after the match ended. This time the worst owners in the league were at hand to see their team go down.

Wigan are not out of the woods and vie with Birmingham, Wolves, Blackpool, and Blackburn to remain in the Premiership.

Man Utd would love nothing better to sign off on their Premiership success with an unbeaten record at OId Trafford. But if there is one team they would not begrudge losing to it would have to be Blackpool. Ian Holloway's side show no signs of sacrificing principles to give into bourgeois desires for survival.

Saturday's game was an absolute cracker and this 16 minute clip deserves every minute of viewing as Blackpool ousted Bolton in a herculean effort. It would be to football's advantage if they stay promoted.

While Man Utd bask in their enviable 19th title, spare a thought for those they've left behind. Arsenal were once pretenders.

They've become the public spittoon for every team badly in need of clearing their throat. Stoke might have lost the FA Cup final but at least they can pride themselves in shooting down Arsenal the previous weekend. This time it was mortally wounded Aston Villa without a manager who stuck a knife. The Gunners suffered their fourth home loss and have dropped twenty points.

They did things no differently than many others relying on a long ball which saw Sebastien Squillaci do a two footed mambo allowing Darren Bent to go onside and score with a deft touch. Within four minutes it was two down as Bent benefiting from a Vermaelen slip up and Squillaci's indecision race through to slot the ball past Szczesny. Comical defending all around and perfectly sticking to theme.

Lets also add if it wasn't for bad luck, Arsenal would have no luck at all. Aaron Ramsey was denied a legitimate claim to a penalty as Richard Dunne tackled him in the box. Marouane Chamakh had a goal waived for a non-existent foul. And well before Van Persie got one back he was denied a first when his umpteenth shot hit the upright. He's been the silver lining in this soulless epitaph to a season. Vermaelen is back from an eight month layoff and apart from the slip up performed creditably.

For those brave souls willing to fork out six percent more for season tickets there is no indication things will get better. Arsene Wenger and Pat Rice are still figuring out whether the players need a course in astrophysics to figure out the trajectory of the ball. Till then they're little bit naive. A little lacking in height. A little lacking in mental strength. Whichever is the excuse du jour.

Wenger has become the quintessential insider seemingly more interested in who inhabits the boardroom and who sells how many shares. He has a firm footing when it comes to such topics but it is disheartening to see a manager flounder when it comes explaining what is happening on the pitch.

One thing is clearly evident he's not getting the players to respond to him for one reason or another. Another is that there are only five or at most six players earning their right to the starting squad. The rest of them are just in it for the ride.

It is also not coincidental that Arsenal have switched off after ensuring Champions League participation after Wenger made remarks which can be construed as shifting benchmarks of success. A huge motivation killer if there ever was one.

Whatever the off season brings one hopes Wenger comes to self realization on his own. Since financial fair play rules ostensibly affect other clubs more than Arsenal's self sustaining model, offering it as a rationalization for future improvement gains little traction. A Squillaci signing is a bad signing whichever way you want to slice and dice. It highlights basic flaws in Wenger's ten year plan.

If autodidactic processes fail then Wenger should give us, his armchair critics, the benefit of the doubt without resorting to his usual prickly self defensiveness. There is nothing to suggest that Stan Kroenke will be anything more than a rubber stamp in a cat and mouse preoccupation with Alisher Usmanov for ownership control.

A status quo that John Henry, Liverpool new owner is unwilling to abide by. Wenger's first act should be to make each and every player earn their right to represent Arsenal. Pride. You can never have enough of it.

Kevin Prince Boateng kept the promise he had made a month or so ago that he would do the moonwalk if AC Milan won the Scudetto.They did and he did.
Fulham fans will have to agree that this MJ impersonation is a whole lot better than the one that they have on their ground.

Manchester City claim some silverware after a wait that has lasted 35 years.Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen made some wonderful finger-tip flying saves to keep out curling shots from Tevez and Mario Balotelli.A pile driver from Yaya Toure finally gave them the goal that gave them their first trophy in a long long time.The first trophy they say is the hardest to get.
It's got to get better from here

Old Trafford was an oasis largely because these folks decided to grow up

Chicharito "Sweet Pea" Hernandez successfully milked his moment for the penalty against Blackburn giving them the crucial point they craved for their record 19th title. It came as great relief for a side frequently out of depth on the road.

The players themselves will have no quibble with the fact that this successful season had Sir Alex's imprimatur all over it. He did it being one step ahead of his peers. Sweet Pea's signing is the culmination of a canny pursuit launched in the Mexican heartland well before pundits were raving about his World Cup debut.

No manager has a better sense of his squad's attributes or demonstrated a surer touch with tactical decisions. It is one thing having the depth which Utd enjoys and quite another knowing what to do with it. As an example, Ryan Giggs second half introduction changed everything when Blackpool were two goals up. One can point to Sir Alex's hand in Wayne Rooney's evolution as a complete footballer employing him in the slot or out on the wing. The former Everton man is not the goalscoring machine he was but he's the catalyst for almost every attack.

Part of this success lay in converting Old Trafford into a fortress that could not be breached while chalking up an indifferent away record. That calculus cost them just a day's slippage in the leader table. It is at home the side seems to have rediscovered clarity of purpose. An outcome influenced in no small measure by fans showing up to cheer on their team and not to engage in political posturing.

Last season's Tea Party version of Utd football were notably missing. The Gold and Green spawn made the Glazers ownership an issue as Old Trafford took centrestage in their bitter and vociferous histrionics. The consortium behind the takeover portrayed a club in dire financial straits with a promise to return to a debt free Newton Heath standard. Ideology triumphed pragmatism. Their faithful foot soldiers numbering 10,000 provided the optics of a burgeoning revolt. The Gold and Green adopted "Love Man Utd, Hate the Glazers" as a unifying cry aimed at recruiting those dismayed by a club living beyond their means. It however bitterly divided fans who took to every public and social forum to air their opinions.

The discord spilled over to the team. Sir Alex, a manager famous for studiously maintaining a firewall between ownership and the locker room was forced into a statement supporting the Glazers. Rooney enjoying an unstoppable season took the opposite tack to the unceasing delight of those supporting the takeover. These divisions might have caused a temporary loss of focus as Utd who lost last season by a point to Chelsea on the last day could have cleared that hurdle en route to dropping eight points at Old Trafford.

Despite all the vulnerability this season the title came uncontested - aided and abetted by an unblemished home record. Having 65,000 fans on your side is a plus. A more quantitative analysis will establish Manchester Disunited as a statistically significant factor to explain variance in a successful season. For each title won and each Chicharito signed, there is less and less reason to push the Glazers out.

Man Utd on the bubble for a record 19th top flight title and Man City with a chance to win their first silverware since 1976.

United are at Blackburn and Man City play Stoke at Wembley in the FA Cup final.

Ryan Giggs makes his 573rd appearance the most in the Premier League going past David James (572).

Two relegation threatened clubs - Blackpool and Wolves are in the limelight pitted against Bolton and Sunderland respectively. Mick McCarthy has to overcome an adverse record at the Stadium of Light to breathe easier.

Ian Holloway's side has gotten off to a bright start leading Bolton, 2-1 at Bloomfield Road.

The FA are going to press charges against Sir Alex for saying that Howard Webb was "definitely the best referee in the country" two days before the game against Chelsea last weekend.
This goes against the FA guidelines in the Respect for referees campaign.

Kenny Dalglish's appointment as permanent manager was a mere formality.

Taking a club from mid table to a Europa Cup spot in three months is not just mere accomplishment in itself but the way they've done it has the pundits talking. For the first time in a long time there is fear and loathing in playing Merseyside. The credit goes to Liverpool's changing of the guard - a different owner in John Henry who has shown serious intent to return the club to the top and the anointment of Dalglish.

The Liverpool legend's return has had a visceral effect. Liverpool spurned instant gratification and delved into their own ranks for home grown talents like Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing, and John Flanagan to build a future. Balancing out are the pragmatic and necessary additions of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez. More are to come with Ashley Young being pursued. Pepe Reina extending his presence is an indication of how much has changed. Not so long ago it was a wounded club bleeding players with even talisman Steven Gerrard considering a move to Real Madrid.

Behind the scenes Henry's concern about bloated wages for a squad so shallow in depth has signaled the end of the free ride. A chalkboard detailing player productivity? It seems to have worked as Liverpool tore aside Fulham in terrifying fashion. Their third game in a row with three or more goals scored. Thirty five scored in Dalglish's sixteen matches for the best second half this season. The side has been equally obdurate at the back with 14 goals conceded for a +21 differential.

One has to wonder aloud if Dalglish had been appointed a few weeks earlier Liverpool could have returned to the big dance. That we're contemplating just this is a glimpse into how much words like "optimism" and "challenge" are being bandied around at Anfield these days.

Amazing skill from Neymar dressed as a zebra....!

The table shows the change in standings if all the shots which struck the upright had gone in. Yes, folks its a structural issue alright except its not those killer set pieces. Don't let Arsene Wenger see this statistic. Robin Van Persie for a 40 goal season!

From Who Ate All The Pies >>

With a name like Hope Solo it is little wonder her brilliant performance against Brazil in the 2008 Olympics finals was perceived as instrumental in the US winning gold. One lost count of the many saves she made.

A stunning comeback from the previous year after she fell out of favour of Greg Ryan who benched her for the semi-finals in the 2007 World Cup in favour of veteran Briana Scurry. The Brazilians routed the US, 4-0. Solo did not mince words after the loss.

"It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. ... You have to live in the present. And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past."

Ryan saw red. Solo was dismissed from further participation in the World Cup and flew back from China on her own dime. She was ostracized by her team mates for her self serving words and spent the rest of the season on the bench.

Solo has been rehabilitated under present coach, Pia Sundhage who firmly believes she is her best hope (her name lends itself to endless puns).

"Hope Solo is coming back from injury and we are happy with what we see. Of course I've talked about the last World Cup with her, and between then and now we had the Olympics in 2008 and the way she played, saving a ball in the final."

A shoulder surgery kept Solo out of the World Cup qualifying rounds. Without her the US gave up some key goals and after a shocking loss against Mexico were in danger of missing out before winning the playoffs against Italy.

Her return in March to the WPS has her back in form and she leads the goalkeeping stats. Sundhage included Solo and Abby Wambach in the 21 woman squad announced over the weekend for the World Cup in Germany starting June 26th. The squad will prepare with a two match warm up against Japan.

Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart (Philadelphia Independence), Jill Loyden (magicJack), Hope Solo (magicJack)

Defenders: Rachel Buehler (Boston Breakers), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Ali Krieger (out of contract), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Atlanta Beat), Christie Rampone (magicJack), Becky Sauerbrunn (magicJack)

Midfielders: Shannon Boxx (magicJack), Tobin Heath (Sky Blue FC), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Heather O'Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Philadelphia Independence), Lindsay Tarpley (magicJack)

Forwards: Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (Western New York Flash), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (magicJack)

Scotland's shame. This is a disgusting attack and whatever one may think of Neil Lennon he does not deserve this. For the Celtic manager its been a turbulent season. Letters carrying bullets, a mail bomb, and the fracas with Ally McCoist, the Rangers manager. But this could have been even more dangerous with the fan doing grievous harm if he had been carrying a weapon.

The Blaugrana secure their 21st league title and third in succession drawing Levante 1-1. They needed just a point. The match started without pomp or swagger almost as if the title could wait. But Keita's header off a pinpoint Xavi long ball swung the match into overdrive.

The goal introduced a frenetic quality. Levante responded to the setback with Martin Caciedo punishing Gerard Pique's sloppy defending and a distracted Victor Valdes. The second half saw Barca push trying to go out as winners with Messi showing off a vintage bit of skill but unfortunately for him the ball hit the upright and went across goal. The last 15 minutes saw both teams killing time in a mutual pact.

The celebrations began in Plaza Catalunya which quickly filled with 12,000 fans mocking Mourinho's paean of pain "Por qué? Por qué? Por qué? Por qué?".

The party will start at 7:30 PM this Friday evening to allow for parents to bring their children to celebrate with the team as Saturday is a school holiday. Sandro Rosell obviously takes Barca's UNICEF ambassadorial role seriously. "The children will learn from our exemplary players". No information whether that involves tips on diving as taught by Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets, and Pedro or playing referee by pulling out imaginary cards. This aside, Barca are deserving winners. Congratulations!

Early on in the game against Getafe he managed to whack a fan in the stands on the face when he cleared the ball.It caused some damage to the person concerned.
At the end of the game he came over and gave him a brand new Real Madrid shirt and a hug.A nice gesture from a player with a reputation for petulance and sulking and other such things....

Sepp Blatter whose cronies are the ones square in the eye of the present bribery allegations is now flapping his gums about corruption.

Yes, all window dressing for an election year. FIFA is very, very concerned about Lord Triesman's allegations against some very high ranking executive members. And now there is a report of Issa Hayatou from Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast accepting a $1.5 million bribe to vote for Qatar.

Andre Villa Boas, whose FC Porto bludgeoned the Portugese Liga into submission and now faces Braga in the Europa Cup final in his first season is being eyed by Roman Abramovich to replace Carlo Ancelotti. Boas is a former Chelsea assistant of Mourinho who was charged him with the responsibilities of compiling full dossiers on the opposition. A task whose every intricate detail is known to Mourinho who performed the very exact function under Louis Van Gaal while at Barcelona.

The present Porto manager got the first taste of his profession when Sir Bobby Robson in his Porto tenure seeing a kindred spirit in the eager 16 year old gave him coaching 101's.Years later, he became Mourinho's trusted lieutenant following his success to Chelsea and Inter. Giving into his managerial ambitions he ditched Mourinho to strike out on his own. Porto gave him the job last year and he has led them to the status of Invincibles.

Boas's career in parallel invites many comparisons to Mourinho. But unlike his former mentor, he's not stuck with the pall of anti-football. In fact, he seems to have consciously adopted the opposite tack. Boas has incorporated elements of Barca's game with a high pressing style and employing an aggressive 4-3-3 formation. They've gone to become the Invincibles with their incendiary attack and their stoic defensive displays.

Abramovich's Chelsea ownership is increasingly consumed looking for Mourinho's clone. Chelsea's Big Bang version began after he left with expectations cooling off. Now it seems all a bit adrift. Everyone post has been a square peg except Hiddink the cameo artist who is tied down with his Turkish obligations. Lets be fair. Chelsea, a club that thrived on his circus antics and anti-football need Mourinho.

szólj hozzá: m city-tottenh 1-0 wanzery.com

It's not been a good end to Peter Crouch's season. A bone headed send off against Real in the first 15 minutes of their Champions League first leg and now an own goal which sent Man City to their Champions League debut.

As the commentator points out Danny Rose, a familiar name to Arsenal fans was a step slow in getting to James Milner who sent in a stinging cross to which Crouch reflexively stuck out his leg.

Otherwise Spurs were the more enterprising side in an insipid match but their attacking verve came to nought without a finisher. City on the other hand are just dull and tiresome to watch with the exception of David Silva.

Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be a liberated man after the series of El Clasicos showcased Leo Messi's versatility as a goalscorer. But Ronaldo's direct and muscular approach is enough to browbeat lesser opposition. Today it was Getafe and he was on target with a hat trick. Nothing elaborate or spectacular. Karim Benzema also added to the tally.

Ronaldo is now on 36 goals and ahead of Messi's 31 goals for the Pichichi race. More significantly he is now in sight of Telmo Zarra and Hugo Sanchez's record of 38 goals in a single season with two matches left. That is illustrious company.

Zarra is Spain's record goal scorer in the Primera with 252 goals in 278 matches and a six time winner of the Pichichi. Sanchez is second in goals scored and a five time Pichichi winner while at Real Madrid, four of them consecutively.

Meanwhile Barcelona can close out on the Liga title with a draw against visiting Levante tomorrow. They have a game in hand over Real who are five points behind and also have an better goal differential and a head to head advantage.

A new film called "Will" is based around Liverpool's famous 2005 Champions League victory.
It tells the story of an orphan named Will who travels across Europe to get to Istanbul to see Liverpool play the CL final of 2005.
And so he gets to see Liverpool fabulously coming back from being 3 goals down to eventually beat AC Milan on penalties.
And then maybe everyone lives happily ever after.
Looks good.
Trailer...

And to convince you that truth is stranger than fiction here's something even more incredible.
Howard Webb singing "You'll never walk alone ".............!

They all look like Sepp Blatter. This is Nicolas Leoz eying a knigthood.

A rogues gallery. Nicolas Leoz, Jack Warner, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi were all singled out by Lord Triesman for attempted bribery in lieu of casting their vote for England's 2018 World Cup bid. Triesman, the former FA chief was speaking before a parliamentary sub-committee and revealed he would be taking his case to FIFA.

Nicolas Leoz, the Paraguayan FA chief even demanded a knighthood in exchange. For Jack Warner, CONCACAF's head a far simpler request for cash for his pet projects. Thailand's Worawi Makudi wanted the TV rights for a friendly between England and Thailand. And Ricardo Texiera, the CBF president kept it open ended.

Leoz, Warner, Texieira, and Issa Hayatou, the CAF head honcho are part of BBC's Panorama series investigating football corruption.

It's a cartel of well connected dinosaurs who scratch each others back under the influence of mutually assured despoilment.

Chantal Jouanno, the Sports minister clears Laurent Blanc of wrongdoing

That was quick and more importantly it comes before the results of the FFF's own investigation which are due this afternoon.

The FFF quickly distanced itself from the DTN after Mediapart had exposed a proposal by the technical body to establish quotas on bi-national subjects which could significantly impact black players and players of North African origin.

Chantal Jouanno, the Sports minister stated "there was no evidence or body of evidence that would say it violated the 2001 law on discrimination"

"The means to limit bi-nationals have indeed been discussed. The subject was addressed in a clumsy and inappropriate manner. They could be implied to restrict on the base of race but there was no introduction of quotas. "

The special investigator in charge of the investigation also said the words used in the meetings were too tenuous to be construed as evidence for systematic racial discrimination.

There appears to be a concerted effort to whitewash Laurent Blanc and to portray him as a victim of happenstance rather than a demagogue who used inflammatory words to make a point.

According to Jouanno, Blanc was not involved in any discriminatory process and attended the meeting for the first time in which he discovered the envisaged proposal to deal with the stated problem.

"There is no evidence that the manager endorses discriminatory projects." Instead, "he strives to restore the values ​​at the heart of the game," she said.

The Minister proposed an internal audit to help reform the FFF. The complete report will be published in 5-6 weeks to allow the parties involved to validate or contradict the contents. This is in line with the FFF's own internal investigation in which "discriminatory remarks" were made ​​during the meeting on 8 November, but could not establish "any evidence of the establishment of a system" of ethnic quotas in French football. The DTN was looked on as a rogue element in need of rapprochement with the national body.

This however does not absolve Francois Blaquart, the suspended chief of the DTN who clearly stated the unspoken existence of quotas.

Chantal Juoanno is a close ally of Nicolas Sarkozy with rumours that she is a bit too close. She is also a 12 time judo champion.

Only Santos remain in the last eight of the Copa Libertadores as Cruzeiro, Gremio, Fluminese join reigning champions Internacional in failing to advance.

Tim Vickery thinks he knows why this has come to pass. Brazilian clubs have failed to cope with the 4-3-3 system with two wide strikers which have been adopted by their opposition.

It took a goal 6 seconds faster than Chicharito's against Chelsea for Liverpool to go up against Fulham. Maxi Rodriguez capitalizing on Schwarzer's desperate effort to stave off an own goal. Five minutes later Maxi volleyed in Glen Johnson's cross for Liverpool's second goal. Not ten minutes after that Schwarzer made a hash of Dirk Kuyt's speculative shot putting Fulham in a three goal hole.

Moussa Dembele, easily one of Fulham's stars gets one back for the Cottagers craftily angling the ball past Reina. However there was no stopping Maxi with a lashing shot from 25 yards away which Schwarzer knew very little about completing his second hat trick this season.

Luis Suarez always dangerous raced ahead to find Jonjo Shelvey's pass and then brilliantly side stepped Schwarzer's challenge to sweep the ball into goal. Steve Sidwell took full advantage of a botched clearance to hammer home a half volley to narrow the gap.

Liverpool climb to 5th and are assured of European competition. Just a bit of speculation here but if Kenny Dalglish had been hired earlier would Liverpool be in the top four? More importantly, they now can be rightfully considered legitimate threats to challenge for a 19th title in the new season.

Barca's B team beat its Real Madrid counterparts 3-1 in the Youth Champions Cup final on Saturday notching up another El Clasico victory in what appears to be a disheartening harbinger for their arch rivals. Within this team lies the next generation of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Pique, Puyol, and Pedro. Scary, isn't it? A thousand year reign.

Rafa Alcantara aka Rafinha was the star with two goals and an assist. The 18 year old is the son of midfielder Mazinho who was part of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning squad. Older brother Thiago will make the transition to the senior squad this summer and is also part of Spain's U21.

Gerard Deulofeu, Oriol Romeu, Marc Muniesa, Cristian Tello, Ilie Sánchez, Martí Riverola, and Sergi Gómez are names to watch out for. Giovani Dos Santos's brother Jonathan progress as a holding midfielder is being monitored by Pep Guardiola. Barca B's Andreu Fontas was most recently promoted coming in place of Eric Abidal for the rest of the season.

Luiz shifts the blame endlessly for the defensive error that let Man Utd score that 36th second goal..........

This is what a set piece looks like to Arsenal

Arsene Wenger after the Stoke loss.

" We have conceded, I think, 21 from set-pieces and only 17 in open play. That is something we have to correct. It is the easiest thing to correct in the game but you still must understand the flight of the ball and want to be first to the ball. I feel we are sometimes a bit naïve."

This is an example of coaching failure. As Arseblog points out if it is the easiest thing to correct then why has it not already been done. You don't need a course in astrophysics to understand the flight of the ball. Johan Djourou and Kieran Gibbs were not undone by a free kick that slithered around like Nagini.

Djourou allowed Kenwyne Jones to front him and Gibbs shockingly ducked to get out of the way. Jones did not do anything with the flight of the ball. He just walked it in. And where was the wall? Sticking Arshavin in front is not going to make Pennant think differently.

Remember when we were conceding goals from set pieces a few seasons ago the gaffer pinned it down to a lack of inches on the part of the centre backs. The answer was obvious - go get a pair of defenders taller than William Gallas.

I seriously think Wenger does not get defense and it seems he does not get attack either. Van Persie is best at the slot, he is not a centre forward, Bendtner is. But Wenger insists on sticking him out wide. Chamakh is also a centre forward but he seems to have abdicated those responsibilities.

Midfield is where Arsenal showcase their creativity but at each end you need basic players. Someone who can shoot the ball when in the box and defenders who can defend set pieces. Man Utd do well because they have the well drilled pair of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic at the back and Chicharito up front whose only responsibility is to score goals.

Pat Rice may be an important figure in Arsenal history with impressive defensive credentials but if after all this we're still trying to figure out why we concede set pieces then we have a job not well done. Rice will be retiring at the end of the season and it will be advisable to turn to someone like Steve Bould to rectify the situation. Like Arseblog said the the lack of focus on fundamental aspects of the game means we cannot look to the transfer market for an easy way out.

C Ron took his goal tally to 31 goals.Real Madrid beat Sevilla 6 -2 with Ronaldo scoring four of those six goals.Ronaldo is now two goals ahead of Messi in the race to be the top scorer of the season.

Dramatic 97th minute goal by Mauro Boselli in the Genoa derby giving the home side a 2-1 win and sending a dagger into Sampdoria's efforts to keep from getting relegated. Genoa also played a man down with Giandomenico Mesto sent off in added time for elbowing Palombo.

Floro Flores finally scored with his header after coming close on a couple of occasions to send the Grifoni ahead. Fans set of flares in celebration and the stadium filled with smoke bringing a temporary halt to the match. Eduardo's error failing to collect the ball cleanly after a Palombo piledriver was punished by Nicola Pozzi following up. Sampdoria was level but it set the stage for Boselli's last minute heroics.

Antonio Di Natale continues to impress and he scored his 27th and 28th goal of this season after Alexis Sanchez and Mauricio Isla did the spadework.

Udinese were down to 10 men in the 66th minute after Gabriele Angella brought down Tommaso Rocchi. But Samir Hamdanovic, another standout saved Mauro Zarate's penalty. Libor Kozak managed to narrow the gap for Lazio after making a connection with Zarate's cross. Udinese managed to survive a torrid 10 minutes to return to the Champions League for the first time since 2004- 05.

"I hope I never get to see the likes of you in Dagestan"

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport the owner of Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, Suleiman Kerimov is ready to offer Gennaro Gattuso, the snarling pit bull of AC Milan the equivalent of Cristiano Ronaldo's salary. Kerimov can easily afford to do so as the 118th richest individual in the world with a personal fortune estimated at over $7 billion.

At 34 years and a step closer to retirement this might be a tempting offer for Gattuso to cash in even if it means a club very few have heard of. Kerimov is determined to make Anzhi a top notch club in the Russian league a la Abramovich with Chelsea. Gattuso if he decides to join can count Roberto Carlos, Jucelei, and Diego Tardelli as team mates.

Massimiliano Allegri is also unsure of the status of veterans Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo whose contracts are up this year. Pirlo whose season was injury plagued is still highly sought by Allegri. Massimo Ambrosini will remain with the Rossoneri. If Pirlo or Gattuso leave then Milan will have to find someone to bolster Mark Van Bommel in midfield. Kevin Prince Boateng on loan from Genoa as part of the co-ownership deal between both clubs will also likely be retained due to a "gentlemen's agreement."

Adriano Galliani is determined to get Paulo Henrique Ganso the highly regarded midfielder from Santos. Federico Marchetti is likely to join as Christian Abbiati's understudy in goal. AC Milan are also anticipating the arrival of Phillipe Mexes from AS Roma and Taye Taiwo from L'OM in the summer to take over from Alessandro Nesta and Marek Jankulovski.

The era of zero tituli is over. Milan win their first Scudetto since 2004 after a scoreless draw with Roma. Massimiliano Allegri wins it on his managerial debut. A pair of former players send their congratulations.

Kaka: "We're the champions of Italy"

This was the message which Kaka sent in the night to Adriano Galliani on Milan's 18th Scudetto. Galliani confessed during the celebrations: "I would do anything for Kaka - he's a player and an amazing guy. I cried when he was sold. It was one of the saddest moments of my career "

Ronaldinho on Twitter: "I want to congratulate all my mates - it was a deserved success. Milan will always be in my heart."

Congratulations, AC Milan. A title richly deserved.

szólj hozzá: everton-m city 2-1 wanzery.com

While the focus was firmly and rightly so on the Man Utd vs Chelsea game for its earth shattering import the best football was being played between Everton and Man City. The Toffees behind a Yaya Toure goal mounted a comeback at Goodison Park which will be remembered for a long time in one of the best 45 minutes of a second half.

Joleon Lescott is a commonly evoked turncoat with the faithful but it was Sylvain Distin making the opposite trip who hurt City with his brilliant header that drew Everton level. Phil Neville then sent a curling cross which saw little Leon Osman rising above Vincent Kompany for an even more triumphant conversion. See above video.

The half had everything. Open ended flowing football with a deluge of chances for Everton who laid siege to Joe Hart's citadel. David Silva was far too clever for City's own good in the few chances they had. Toure was a beneficiary.

City are assured of Champions League participation with Spurs's draw against Blackpool. They now fight Arsenal for the critical 3rd and 4th position which will determine an extra round for CL progress.

Manchester United lay claim to their 19th title

Chicharito ....

szólj hozzá: Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea

Vidic....

szólj hozzá: Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea

Chelsea pulled one back through Lampard but it wasn't enough.

Man Utd win and have their 19th title well in their grasp.

Chicharito Hernandez and Nemanja Vidic were the goalscorers but Antonio Valencia was the man of the match in my opinion. He shredded Ashley Cole to bits and his service to Rooney and Hernandez should have ensured a far more comfortable victory over Chelsea. Alex a half time substitute effected two critical saves off Rooney.

The Blues came back into the match in almost anticlimactic fashion when Branislav Ivanovic's header off a free kick just found Frank Lampard onside for a toe poke into goal. It breathed hope into the match. Suddenly there was an air of nervousness. A sequence of events temporarily incapacitated three defenders adding to the vulnerability.

Rio Ferdinand recovered quickly but Fabio and Jonny Evans had to stand out as Ivanovic took his throw. But we've seen adversity bring out the best in Utd. Chelsea could not capitalize further on the Lampard goal as the Utd defense reorganized effectively and the last fifteen minutes was all Valencia - easily the most overlooked in Utd's attacking options who was just brilliant down the right. Hernandez could easily been celebrating a hat trick and Rooney should have gotten a goal or two.

An imperfect Man Utd team who kept the door ajar ever so slightly for Arsenal and later on Chelsea closed it emphatically. How? It comes down to playing as a team. It comes down to players stepping up. It comes down to belief. It comes down to plan B,C,D, and E. Sir Alex befuddled many with his unconventional line ups partly necessitated by tactics, injuries, and a full slate of matches but Utd always posed challenges because they allowed no stereotyping.

Carlo Ancelotti faces an uncertain future. Two titles in his debut year and none to show this season. This was his last throw of dice and all indications are he expects to leave.

An iconic moment: David Luiz looking at Carlo Ancelotti and mouthing "Who? Me?!!" after his mistake allowed Chicharito Hernandez a clear path to goal. The Mexican striker needed no second invitation. It took just 36 seconds and Old Trafford was rocking.

Nemanja Vidic inflicted further damage when he cleverly held back and at the right moment came from behind Ashley Cole to head Ryan Giggs corner perfectly.

Chelsea should have been down to ten men in the 38th minute when Branislav Ivanovic cynically fouled Wayne Rooney, his second bookable offence. But Howard Webb took a very, very lenient view.

45+ minutes left, two goals down and Chelsea have a mountain to climb. They finished the first half with an improved display but it will take a miracle to win. A draw will serve no purpose.

Man Utd again show the heart of champions. Sir Alex is winning the tactical battle against Carlo Ancelotti. It is amazing to see how their players line up so quickly in favourable positions to counterattack. A buzzsaw of activity.

szólj hozzá: S3-1A

The afterglow of the Man Utd victory is truly over. Arsenal failed to stoke the dying embers of their title hopes. They reverted to familiar form as they piled up the error count.

Cut and paste. Kenwyne Jones got the ball rolling with the Gunners conceding yet another set piece goal after Johan Djourou and Kieran Gibbs ducked their defensive responsibilities. Defending 101.

Cut and paste. Jermain Pennant with yards to roam with Djourou giving him space took a snapshot which Wojciech Szczesny should have done better with his weak effort. It could have been worse with Song biting the dust leaving Walter free to cut in from the left and his curling effort from an angle struck the crossbar.

A moribund attack failed to dent the deficit. Andrey Arshavin distinguished himself with some stellar tackles but his stupid foul on Pennant led to the free kick and Stoke's first goal.

Cut and paste. On the other flank, Theo Walcott's equally impotent display meant a predictable shifting of focus down the middle where Stoke concentrated its manpower.

An unusually subdued Wenger who sat down the entire duration of the match without the verbal and movement tics was forced into an unusual overhaul at half time bringing in Marouane Chamakh and Nicklas Bendtner for Arshavin and Aaron Ramsey.

Jack Wilshere provided a combative edge getting into a tete a tete with former Arsenal starlet Pennant coming close to being ejected. Mark Halsey in consultation with the linesman decided that that the U21 had got enough of the ball although his studs up tackle took out the midfielder.

The events provided a spark and Van Persie sitting behind Chamakh with Bendtner out on the left came close with Asimir Begovic pulling off a good save after Chamakh had laid off the ball for the Dutch striker. Arsenal's goal came minutes later from the in form Van Persie taking advantage of a distracted Stoke defense reacting to Bendtner to lash a goal with his right foot.

Cut and paste. The inevitable Arsenal giveaway came a minute later. Laurent Koscielny was unable to shepherd away Jonathan Walters who manages to pass to Wilkinson. The defender's driving shot is blocked poorly by Djourou and the Arsenal defense in disarray fail to stop Walters from pouncing on the ball and putting it into an empty goal.

A tame end to a broken season. Arsenal now have to stop City who have a match advantage from sneaking into third and having to go through the CL qualification. round.

The incessant nodding next to Lampard and Torres routine...

..and then the playing the fool behind Chelsea TV presenter Gigi Salmon's back routine..

Ancelotti meanwhile is hoping that Luiz won't play the fool at the crunch game against Man Utd.That won't be funny.

Mourinho has quite an impressive list of bans to add this latest one to

April 2003:
One-game ban for tugging Lucas Castroman's shirt to delay a throw in he was about to take in a Porto Lazio UEFA cup semifinal game.

March 2005:
Two-game ban
For accusing referee Anders Frisk of conversing with Frank Rijkaard after Chelsea lost 2 - 0 to Barcelona in the Champion's League round of 16.

February 2010:
Three-game ban
'Handcuffs' gesture after Inter Milan were reduced to nine men after defenders Walter Samuel and Ivan Cordoba were dismissed in a home game against Sampdoria.

November 2010:
Two-game ban
After a victory 5 -1 over Murcia in the Copa del Rey he used "disrespectful vocabulary" against referee Jose Luis Paradas Romero.

November 2010:
Two-game ban
For instructing Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso to ensure that they were sent off in the champion's league against Ajax

UEFA takes an exceedingly dim view of Jose Mourinho's "Porque?" screed. A five match ban with one already served and one that goes into effect three years prospectively. Which means Real will be without him in their first three Champions League matches. And Florentino Perez is losing patience. Not a good week for him.

Mediapart's editor in chief, Edwy Plenel writes why the racism row is so damaging and the quota system abhorrent. Mediapart is the publication that exposed radical changes sought by the DTN in stealth with regards to training policy that could impose limits on young black players and players of North African origin seeking admission to the training academies.

Plenel exposes dual nationality concerns as smoke and mirrors for racial contagion and a populist hypernationalism. He quotes Francois Blaquart, the now suspended DTN chief.

"We could trace, on a non-spoken basis, a sort of quota," he said then. "But it must not be said. It stays as action only. There you are, we be careful. We have the lists, at some point in time..."

The issue of dual nationality is a sticky one. The need to address it has been ostensibly sparked by French players of other European origin who have chosen to spurn France. In other words, these players have poisoned the well for a larger group of players who happen to be black or North African in origin and the existence of quotas could affect them disproportionately.

Laurent Blanc at first lied about the existence of the project and then was forced into a statement of contrition when he was exposed as being one of it's chief architects. Many have sought to paint this as a necessary change in developing players with better technical skills and foregoing the earlier emphasis on speed and strength. Many cite Alou Diarra as an example why Blanc could not be racist.

Paul Doyle points out Blanc might have been clumsy rather than racist but there is no walking back the sin of resorting to racial stereotypes to reinforce his point. That is racism. This is not the outcome of a single meeting although it provides most of the talking points. Plenel talks about a series of meetings, events, and comments which provide proof that these were changes actively sought and fostered by Blanc and Eric Mombaerts, the U21 coach.

In the NFL it was that there could be no black quarterback because they were perceived to be lacking in vision and decision making skills. Till Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham showed the way. Now every other QB is black and like their white counterparts show a similar range of strengths and weakness's.

In football, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Claude Makelele are players with established impeccable technical credentials.

In fact, when one watches Makelele in his Galacticos days, it is obvious why Real fell apart after he left. His was a job that Xabi Alonso, Lass Diarra, and Pepe could not accomplish at the Bernabeu last week. Vieira is celebrated for his strength but he was Cannavaro when it came to the craft of tackling. And Henry's blinding speed augmented a clever and creative brain/hand to score a number of breath taking goals.

Those who desire to represent France and give off their best will do so despite the existence of quotas or the drum towards arbitrarily defined national values. Everyone in the Republic of France irrespective of origin, race or religion should be afforded the same chance in this self selecting process.

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie on the skills you need to make it into the Premier League.

szólj hozzá: Villarreal 3-2 Porto All goals

It was always going to be an uphill task overcoming a four goal deficit. The Yellow Submarines went for broke and it led to an opening goal by Cani for a bright start but Porto struck back on the counter with Hulk and Falcao giving the Portugese club a 2-1 lead to quickly snuff out Villarreal's hopes for a comeback. The latter is sure to be bound for one of the bigger European clubs this summer.

Joan Capdevila and Giuseppe Rossi scored in the last 10 minutes to give the home side a win but it was Porto doing the victory lap. They meet Braga in an all Portugese finals. Get out chorizos and cerveja.

szólj hozzá: S.Braga 1-0 Benfica Highlights

Custodio's magnificent header gave Braga a vital goal at home and the Arsenalistas held Benfica scoreless to advance to the Europa Cup final for the first time. Benfica came tantalizingly close to snatching the all important equalizer but the upright kept out Oscar Cardozo after the Braga goalie was beaten all ends up.

Braga has traditionally lagged behind the big three of Portugese football - Benfica, Porto, and Sporting Clube de Portugal who have significant European honours. That could change when they face Liga rivals FC Porto in the Europa Cup finals.

Martin Palermo is Boca Juniors heart and soul. Many have abandoned the club to go to the lucrative European leagues but not Palermo. This was a goal scored against Independiente and it is as good a goal as any.

Not as haunting as Roger Whittaker's version of "Why" but pretty good anyway...

Yannick Noah lends his voice against the quota system

There seems to be no ambivalence or finessing what Laurent Blanc said in those closed door meetings with Francois Blaquart. The words he uttered are not the words of an unwilling participant. These are the words of a person playing the racial divide, of a saboteur, a malcontent.

A high ranking whistleblower in the FFF confirmed what Blanc said even as the French national team manager continued to maintain his words were taken out of context. The chorus of voices expressing outrage continues to grow and has spilled into the larger sports community with Yannick Noah joining in. Blanc's words have reignited the issue of race and it affects not just the narrow world of footballers of different ethnic and racial origin but everyone not perceived as French, blanc, or beholden to the republic.

Blanc cannot commit himself to coaching the national team and pretend it was his evil alter ego indulging in a momentary lapse of reason. There are players who might feel team selection is based on the way he thinks and feels and not on sound footballing tactics. Of double standards employed in the future which subtly excludes them. It is not unlike the level of mistrust Raymond Domenech engendered with his personal biases and bizarre fetishes.

Domenech was the coach under whom the racial divide bubbled over leading to bitter acrimony and open revolt. The FFF appointed Blanc based on the level of trust and confidence reposed in him from his successful association with clubs including a large representation from the black and North African community. Blanc was also part of the multihued Les Bleus counting Lilian Thuram and Zinedine Zidane as compatriots in their 1998 World Cup triumph. A coach with impeccable credentials to repair the fracture and regain cohesion.

Blanc's first step was to start fresh with players untainted by the World Cup debacle. A promising beginning and a few good results to show. But a growing feeling that cleaning out the stable might now carry a different connotation is bound to split the sport once again and subsequently the nation. Patrick Viera on the controversy:

"If these people stay, then that's the door open to all discriminations. If football really wants to fight against this scourge, if the FFF want to show that they have the values of the Republic, then there are strong decisions that must be made. They shouldn't forget that they are the elite of football. It's they who will design the French football of tomorrow. It's they who are supposed to defend community harmony."

It won't just be football as victim. The FFF has to take a strong stand. Blanc needs to resign.

Darron Gibson was Andres Iniesta with his superb pass to Antonio Valencia which got Utd started. Gibson came up with the second goal helped hugely by Manuel Neuer when his lashed shot was muffed by the Schalke goalie.

Jose Manuel Jurado took advantage of a Man Utd pile up at the back to slam the ball past Van Der Sar. Schalke had a pulse for a brief moment.

The game was truly put away by Anderson with a great piece of hustle which saw him fall, bounce back up, and round the ball away from the nonplussed Neuer. Minutes later the Brazilian was left with the simple act of tapping the ball into an open goal after Berbatov's flawless cross found him. Am I saying Neuer had an off day? Yes, he did. And Schalke's defense or lack of defense was exposed through both semi-final legs.

But the biggest talking point was Sir Alex's decision to rest as many as nine starters from the first leg and give his second string a crack at this game. No doubt the Chelsea match this weekend with the Premiership title hanging in balance was uppermost in his mind.

Man Utd move to Champions League finals where the face Barca in a repeat of their 2009 encounter which Barca won easily, 2-0 (apart from a great opening spell with CR7 looking unstoppable).

Wembley is where Man Utd won their first CL title in 1967-68 beating Benfica, 4-1 in extra time with goals scored by Bobby Charlton (2), George Best, and Brian Kidd. Benfica's only goal was scored by Jaime Graça. Sir Alex hopes Wembley will prove luckier against a Barca team that will be considered the favourite.

Messi's praises being sung by all and sundry but Pele begs to differ.
Arsène Wenger
"Messi's like a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make. He made the impossible possible. He has something exceptional. He has six or seven years in front of him, touchwood that nothing happens to him, and he can reach unbelievable levels. In the biggest games, exceptional players still make the difference. Messi is the best player in the world, and by a distance."
Pep Guardiola
"It's frightening at 23 he is to be the third-highest goalscorer of a club that's a century old. We are lucky to have him. Put in the superlatives yourselves, I'm running out."
Hristo Stoichkov
"Once they said they can only stop me with a pistol but today you need a machine gun to stop him."
Ruud Gullit
"He is already the best in the world and it is also all about the work he does without the ball. He wants to tackle back and get the ball. He is an exceptional talent. I still think Diego Maradona is the best player I have ever seen - but Messi is closing in fast. He's a wonderful sight in full flight and we are lucky to have him around."
Diego Maradona
"I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Lionel Messi. Messi is a genius and he can become an even better player. His potential is limitless and I think he's got everything it takes to become Argentina's greatest player."
Carles Puyol
"He is a spectacular player, there is nobody else like him. I should know because I have suffered so much in training."
Ander Herrera
"I'm not sure he's human."
Xavi
"It is clear that Messi is on a level above all others. Those who do not see that are blind."
Sir Alex Ferguson
"Well, I had Ronaldo here as a player and I think he is the best player in the world. He can play with both feet, he has fantastic skill, strength and bravery, and he's a greater header of the ball. But Messi is an absolutely fantastic player also. It's difficult to choose between the two, it's the toss of a coin."
Ossie Ardiles
"But for some time I have thought that Diego could never be surpassed, and nor could Pele, but no longer. I would now say that Lionel Messi will go down in history as the No. 1 player of all time, the best that there ever was.

Pele
"Nobody did what Pele did. Being champion of the world at 17-years-old, won three World Cups, scored more than 1,208 goals, only him. Pele is the best. You can mention players that played for 10 years, for example [Franz] Beckenbauer, [Michel] Platini, [Eric] Cantona, Bobby Charlton, George Best, then come [Diego] Maradona, Zico. Those players used to play a long time. Now the players they play one year, two years, then disappear."

Well I guess he's right but talking about yourself in the third person is not a good sign....

As expected the club raised ticket prices in the afterglow of the Man Utd win. Its a whopping 6.5% and its being met by stiff opposition from the Arsenal Supporters Trust.

"The AST is very disappointed at this increase. The Arsenal board are clearly out of touch with today's economic climate and have taken a decision which will price loyal supporters out of the Emirates."

So what's left in your wallet? One thing for certain, this year's AGM is going to be a contentious affair. And if the fans are expected to fork out more then they have every right to also expect more.

Franck De Bleekere was spot on with the decision to disallow Gonzalo Higuain's goal. The referee blew the whistle just before the striker put the ball in goal because a tumbling Cristiano Ronaldo took down Mascherano from behind while on his way to intercepting the ball from Higuain.

If you look carefully, as CR7 falls his elbow comes down on Masch's right foot. There is solid contact and the Argentinian goes down and milks it a few times. On this occasion there is no arguing he was impeded. Where Bleekere made a mistake in not awarding a free kick when Pique barged into CR7 kick starting this controversial chain of events.

As is his wont, CR7 was a bit distraught. "It was better not to have come" and "Next time give the cup directly to Barcelona." He had a bit about Mascherano. " In England you could never throw him down, here he was dying everytime you touched him".

He has a point; clearly Mascherano was Barca's candidate for the hall of shame. But Real had their red card candidates in Carvalho, Adebayor and Diarra all who miraculously survived.

Real were far more attacking this leg but never seriously threatened except at the very beginning and another 10 minute spell in the seond half. The goal conceded by Barca was a result of them getting too cute. The Catalans were the superior team by far and they deserve to go to the Champions League finals. Fans can now cleanse themselves of all the fecal matter thrown by both clubs. We'll get to see a real football final without Mourinho's insane clown posse.

On a sidenote it was heartwarming to see the standing ovation given to Eric Abidal who came on in the last minute. He was sidelined following surgery to remove a tumour on his liver.

The CL final is according to the script.Barcelona went ahead of Real Madrid with an aggregate score of 3 -1. Mourinho watched the game from the gloom of his hotel room.Ronaldo had words to say about a disallowed goal.

szólj hozzá: Barça 1-1 RMadrid - Highlights

Jose Mourinho will watch the second leg of the Champions League in a hotel room. Aitor Karanka, his assistant has been delegated on the pitch but it did not stop Mourinho playing his pre-match mind games.

This time it was Franck De Bleekere getting singled out. The Belgian referee is officiating the match and was the target of Mourinho's ire when he sent off Thaigo Motta in last year's semi-finals between Inter and Barca. That decision was part of a long list cited as evidence that UEFA favoured the Catalonians. For his part, the referee stated "this was all about football."

For Real to have any chance they need to attack from the get go. Karim Benzema their hottest striker in the Champions League should partner Cristiano Ronaldo. Ozil and Angel Di Maria form the supply line and will have to do a better job of finding the two strikers than the first leg. On the bench Karanka can turn to Gonzalo Higuain, Kaka, and Adebayor to bolster the attack. One thing is for sure, this is not the time to turn to anti-football.

Another sign the former porn merchants have lost all confidence in West Ham. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

The Championship is not exactly the place to recoup money. Every indication that there will be a fire sale in the summer because the club can ill afford all those bloated wages. Scott Parker will be a hot commodity and I can think of any number of clubs who would want him including Arsenal. But West Ham's owners have bigger plans now that they have won their bid for the Olympic Stadium. Football might be relegated not just next season but altogether.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett and Liverpool rank up there when we think of a mismatch between owners and their clubs. But surely the duo of David Gold and David Sullivan now take that title by a mile. From barely avoiding relegation to now inevitable relegation at the cost of one of the most back handed dismissals of a coach in living memory is a further indictment on their poor judgment and constant meddling.

Paul Lambert takes the Canaries from League 1 to the Championships and onto the biggest prize, the Premiership in successive years. Yet another Glaswegian manager finding success. The side were in the bottom of League 1 when Lambert joined in 2009 and had just endured another humiliation: A 7-1 loss to Colchester.

Yesterday they returned to the Premiership after six years beating Pompey through a Simeon Jackson goal. The Canadian striker elevated to the pantheon of heroes with his header of a David Fox cross setting of waves of jubilation amongst the traveling fans at Fratton Park. Jackson's season was part of a frenetic finish that saw the Canaries drop just one match in their last 15 matches.

From all accounts it's a club that likes to play attacking football reflecting the manager's own style as a creative midfielder. Lambert was part of the Borussia Dortmund squad that won the 1997 Champions League and his cross led to the first goal for an eventual 3-1 win over Juventus. His success continued at Celtic winning four SPL titles and captaining the Bhoys to the 2003 UEFA Cup final.

Paul Fletcher has more on how Lambert pulled off the Canaries spectacular rise.

Norwich's Premiership appearance is a huge windfall not only for the club which stands to gain about £90m but the city's hotels, pubs, and shops are looking to drive up business with the arrival of thousands of football fans.

Meanwhile QPR who won promotion sweats out the awaited verdict on alleged third party violations involving the transfer of Argentinian midfielder Alejandro Faurlin in 2009. The club could be docked points which would see them contend with Cardiff and Swansea for the final PL berth.

Iker Casillas had a match to forget. Zaragoza dodged relegation as they won 3-2 over the Merengues. Angel Lafita picked up a brace as well as a penalty when Ricardo Carvalho shoved him off the ball. Gabi converted the spot kick.

Real closed the gap through Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema but were unable to come up with a leveler. Check out Lafita's first goal which came after a Casillas blunder of epic proportions. No Sara Carbonero behind the goal filming footage for any such distractions.

Their Champions League encounter might have sucked out all the air but over the weekend Barca blew their chances of sealing the Liga when they fell to stumbling Real Sociedad, 1-2. It started well enough after Thiago put them through collecting a pass meant for Messi and scooped the ball over Claudio Bravo.

But Sociedad struck back in the second half after sub Diego Ifran took advantage of some sloppy defending and was able to put the ball into the net before Jose Pinto could get to it.

The controversial Sergio Busquets and Pinto did not cover themselves in glory in Sociedad's game winning goal. Busquets brought down David Zurutuza as he was cutting into goal and Xabi Prieto's weakly struck penalty was horribly muffed by Pinto. It was a huge moment for the Basque team.

Its all coming to a boil. An aggrieved Real played footage that shows Sergio Busquets mouthing off to Marcelo words that are lip read as Mono, Mono (Monkey, Monkey in Spanish).

Busquets is no angel. He's in the pantheon of shameless cheats. Imaginary dementors knock him down. But unless there is unvarnished proof in the form of accompanying audio we're assuming he said a racial slur. It could be the more innocuous Bobo (Dumbass in Spanish). Assumption is the mother of all eff ups. We have seen this before. Expert lip readers brought on to interpret Marco Materazzi's instigation of Zidane were proven wrong.

Osama Bin Laden did not get enough time to savour Arsenal's win over Man Utd. Was he really a Gooners fan? There is circumstantial evidence that he was.

The joke is he was hiding in Arsenal's trophy cabinet. No one bothered to open it for more than six years.

He has the good grace to look a bit sheepish in the end.Everyone knows you are not supposed to kick a table tennis ball...............!

France continues to be rocked by after shocks stemming from its World Cup debacle. Mediapart, a Paris based journal that focuses on social and political commentary published a recent series of articles which document a covert plan to start limiting the number of black players and players of North African descent seeking admission into the country's football academies.

According to Mediapart, Francois Blaquart, chairman of the DTN (National Technical Board) which oversees coaching policy laid out a secret blueprint that would impose a 30% cap of certain categories of youth players during a recent meeting. It was a closed door affair and was attended by Laurent Blanc, the present coach of Les Bleus and Eric Mombaerts, the U21 coach.

This is a potentially explosive issue. France's 1998 World Cup triumph was largely seen through the lens of racial integration on both sides of the debate. Inclusionists felt players like Zinedine Zidane and Lilian Thuram represented the new France but there were large swaths of the French society especially the far right who decried the 'blanc, black, beur' as alien to their culture.

The most recent World Cup performance and a new government edict banning cultural symbols pointedly aimed at the Muslim population have emboldened these voices. Alain Finkelkraut, a virulent critic of Les Bleus warned the damage done to national pride was due to a racial divide, one side that upheld France as 'French' and the other subsuming it under a polyglot nation. 'Blanc, black, beur' or more 'Black, beur, blanc' to give it an edge in outrage is an euphemism for washed out nationalism.

Laurent Blanc seems to have actively encouraged this discriminatory process. During the DTN meeting he expressed concern with the current stereotype of a French footballer as "large, strong, powerful" and suggested that it needed to be changed.

"And who are the large, strong, powerful? The blacks. That's the way it is. It is a current fact. God knows that in the training centres and football academies, there are lots."

He went on to say that Spain did not have this problem.

"I'm going to give you the example of the Spanish. They don't have these problems [...] The Spanish, they told me 'we don't have a problem. Us, we don't have any blacks'."

Blanc rationalizes his unpalatable statement by implying Spain enjoys its status as the world's present footballing power because of a direct association between nationalism and racial monochromy. It is actually a strange example and belies years of Spanish underachievement blamed on regional sectarianism.

The trend of French born ethnic players who trained in France and then took advantage of recently changed FIFA rules to switch national allegiances was also brought up Blanc as further proof of loss of national fealty. He did not name those players or countries but this World Cup saw Antar Yahia and Nadir Belhadj bolstering Algeria, their country of origin. Other examples include Marouane Chamakh (Morocco), Sebastien Bassong (Cameroon) and Moussa Sow (Senegal).

Surely Blanc knows better. This is a two way street. Does he not acknowledge the blinding fact that France achieved success with the surfeit of talent at their disposal from its former colonies? The reversal shows the level of competition for a berth in the national squad. Many of these players know that they're not good enough and stand a better chance of representing their country of origin. Which departing player has hurt France's chances?

These are not the shocking statements of a politician drumming up the grievances of the far right. They come from the national manager, a former Marseilles player. Part of a club inextricably linked with the story of of black and North African immigration. Blanc returned from Barca and saw first hand the club's rejuvenation because of this open policy. After 18 years, Marseilles gained their first Championnat last season with a new generation of players.

Jean Tigana, Marcel Desailly, William Gallas, Samir Nasri, and Franck Ribery exemplify the underpinning of varied ethnicity which have made the club the most storied in French football history. L'OM have been nurtured by their North African fan base who remained loyal to their team in their darkest hour following the Bernard Tapie scandal.

Blanc also reaped the fruits of that immigration most recently through his managerial stint with Bordeaux who won their first Championnat after 10 years in 2009. The Girondins were helped by standouts like Alou Diarra and Yoan Gouffran playing alongside Yoann Gourcuff and Benoît Trémoulinas.

Lilian Thuram, Blanc's team mate in their 1998 World Cup success has been left saddened by these developments. "Of course you feel hurt, of course," Thuram said in a television interview yesterday. "You feel it's a perpetual (cycle) of always casting doubt on people with regards to their colour and religion."

France is in a delicate stage of rebuilding its squad and recent form shows encouraging signs they're heading in the right direction. A recent match with England showed a gulf in the talent gap between the two countries. Unlike Italy which is in dire need of talent the French U21 squad which won last year's Euro are represented by players who in a few years should make a seamless transition to the senior squad.

Usually affirmative action seeks to leaven the ethnic and racial imbalance but France is going through the throes of reverse racism. Unfortunately if it is allowed to happen to an institution where the effects of such social engineering are visceral it could seriously alienate the very actors who consider the sport as a means towards assimilation. Laurent Blanc's path to national success can only be assured if he remains colour blind.

Update: Francois Blaquart has been suspended by the FFF and the plan has been abandoned. Laurent Blanc issued an apology but states he was misquoted and his support for a quota was aimed at stopping dual nationality players and not to discriminate against black players or players of North African origin. The FFF is still in the process of investigating and its president Fernand Duchaussoy said that Blanc's future would depend on its outcome. A separate inquiry has been ordered by the French sports minister and will be available in a few weeks.

szólj hozzá: Liverpool - Newcastle 3:0

Luis Suarez seems hellbent on consigning Fernando Torres to the wayback machine and its Kuyt nice as Liverpool go Maxi against Newcastle. Andy Carroll discovers he does not have to do much against his former club.

Liverpool continues its resurgence under Kenny Dalglish and with a group of fresh homegrown talent augmented by some class signings have reason for optimism. John Henry has shown that he takes his role as Liverpool's owner seriously and is looking to trim the fat in a big way.

szólj hozzá: chelsea-totten 2-1 wanzery.com

Sandro's bit of magic before Andre Marriner decides to put on the blinkers in the Chelsea vs Spurs match. Can 'Arry Redknapp cry conspiracy a la Mourinho? You see David Bernstein, the newly appointed FA head is a huge Man City fan and served as the club's president. Its all a set up so City hurdles through to the Champions League over their nearest rivals.

szólj hozzá: A1-0M

Arsenal's matches of late come with advisories so this is a rare opportunity to enjoy an unadulterated moment. Aaron Ramsey's serum was what an ailing Arsenal needed. We fans have had to suffer through Newcastle, WBA, Spurs, Liverpool to name but a few so this win is as big as they come. The title is lost so why should it matter? Because the Premiership is also about narratives and rivalries. This keeps it honest.

Aaron Ramsey gave Arsenal what it craved, a goal and leadership. The Welsh midfielder had big shoes to fill starting in place of Cesc Fabregas but he grew in confidence and asserted his place in midfield. One moment crystallized this boldness when Robin Van Persie cut back, looked up, and found Ramsey at the top calling for the ball. It was a perfect finish as the midfielder squeezed it past Van Der Sar with a lovely angled shot.

Justice extracted for Nemanja Vidic's sly handball which should have been a penalty and red card but was missed by Chris Foy's officiating crew. Foy it should be said almost played like Utd's 12th man interjecting his body exasperatingly in the way of some promising buildups. He and the linesmen were rightly booed off at halftime.

A goal of precarious beauty. Who knew how long Arsenal had left to savour? Previous editions have shown the Gunners at their vulnerable worst just after such moments. Ramsey's first Premier League goal should have been a wildly exuberant occasion but the celebrations were tempered with the current reality. It called for leadership qualities and he came to the fore immediately organizing the defense waving Song and Wilshere to fall back as Utd launched their expected counterattacks. Arsenal were helped by an underwhelming Rooney and Chicharito Hernandez but the Emirates have seen Arsenal die a thousand deaths before through self inflicted wounds and not endeavour.

Forty minutes separated the side from the agony and the ecstasy. A win would have huge for Man Utd's title hopes. For Arsenal it was colossal. If self esteem can be measured in yards from a yawning abyss, then the London team were an inch from the precipice.

Samir Nasri's injury force out at half time was a dismaying development but Andrey Arshavin, his replacement made his mark in an unexpected way. The Russian so fond of steaming upfield without the due diligence of tracking back showed a penchant for timely tackles. Arsenal's improved effort on defense stemmed from Jack Wilshere and Alex Song successfully sniffing out incipient attacks. Laurent Koscielny also caught the eye with his tough marshaling. And Bakary Sagna came out best in an absorbing duel with both Nani and Patrice Evra.

The introduction of both Sebastian Squillaci and Emmanuel Eboue was met with murmurs of trepidation. The former's vulnerability against pace is well documented but Wenger had no choice because of Johan Djourou's injury. The Cote d'Ivoirian's was a definite gamble given his propensity for mentally fragile moments. Wenger probably deciding Walcott could do no more.

Arsenal dodged another painful end when Chris Foy overlooked Michael Owen getting tangled up in added time for a penalty call. For an added bonus the sight of Wojciech Szczesny milking the clock in perfectly intelligent ways shows a goalkeeper fully confident in his powers. He did not have very much to do except for a couple of Rooney free kicks and a save off a Nani snapshot.

The gap between Chelsea and Man Utd close to three and if Utd have to win the title they will have to do it at home next weekend against their second placed opposition. For a match, the Emirates was not their happy hunting grounds. If they win the title it will be despite their poor away record. Fortress Old Trafford remains their best bet.

Spurs were at the receiving end of two questionable calls by the touchline official.Chelsea's second goal from Kalou was a touch offside.
The first goal from Lampard was also a dodgy decision.
The picture shows that Lampard's shot did not cross the line completely.The video replay shows the ball not clearing the line from one angle only .How on earth is a linesman supposed to get such a call right if he doesn't get video assistance?
Redknapp on the unfairness of it all here...
And until we get to the straw that will eventually break the camel's back this kind of rot will continue.

szólj hozzá: ---