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Milan's Ronaldinho Will Sign 2014 Extension

De Assis says 2014 extension is on the horizon, despite Palmeiras links...

'Dinho's future has been up in the air, but he has not been at odds with the club over a renewal. Milan have always made clear their intention to keep him, and the playmaker has accepted their proposals over staying.

"We are ready to respect the current contract and then we will speak about the renewal," De Assis told Il Corriere dello Sport.

"Milan for life? Of course, when we sit down at the table to talk we will seal an accord that expires on June 30, 2014.

"There will not be any problems. There is no rush to sign, it's just a formality."

The Brazilian earns around €8 million per annum under his current agreement, but his new deal will see that drop to around €6m.

Despite De Assis' confirmation, Globoesporte are reporting Palmeiras are tracking the ace. They claim a Brazilian company is ready to sponsor a move there.

But that seems unlikely given the reciprocal intent between the Rossoneri and their player to continue together.

There Is No Swap Deal Between Real Madrid & Barcelona For Kaka And Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The player's agent has definitively denied any contact with Real Madrid and declared that the striker will stay at the Camp Nou...

As reported by Sport, Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will stay a Barcelona player next season, as the player's agent vehemently denies any contact with Real Madrid with respect to a possible swap deal involving Brazilian midfielder Kaka.

"I have never spoken with Madrid nor have I ever spoken of a possible trade for Kaka. I don't know anything about that," declared Ibra's agent, Mino Raiola.

Sport further claims that, pending any last minute developments, Ibrahimovic will remain at Barcelona, providing coach Pep Guardiola with another viable option up front.

While the Swedish striker has been the subject of a host of transfer rumours this summer, especially since Barca signed striker David Villa from Valencia, it seems the player's transfer fee and wage demands are undesirable burdens for other teams to take on in what has become a relatively tight transfer market in financial terms.

Spain Are World Champions!

Netherlands 0-1 Spain (AET): Andres Iniesta Goal Wins World Cup For La Furia Roja
The Barcelona midfielder's 116th-minute strike makes Spain the world champions for the first time.

Spain are champions of the world after Andres Iniesta's goal deep into extra-time gave them victory over Netherlands in the World Cup final at Soccer City after a goalless first 105 minutes.

Iniesta netted as Spain broke to punish 10-man Holland after John Heitinga's sending-off seven minutes earlier.

Both sides lined up as expected. Netherlands continued with the 1 to 11 which has been Bert van Marwijk’s first choice line -up since Arjen Robben’s return from injury, while Vicente Del Bosque favoured Barcelona’s Pedro to Liverpool’s Fernando Torres just as he had for the semi-final victory over Germany.

At the renditions of the national anthems there were signs of nerves across the faces of players on each side, everyone concerned knowing that they could make history for their country by claiming the moniker of world champions for the first time.

The opening few minutes were notable mainly for the inability of either side to really string a significant series of passes together as every player looked to get a calming first touch of the ball. But in the fifth minute Spain created a real opportunity for themselves as they started to impress their authority on proceedings.

Xavi sent a free-kick in from the right to find the Sergio Ramos, who had gained half a yard on the flinching Robin van Persie, but the right-back’s header came from an awkward height and allowed Maarten Stekelenburg to make a full-length parry to keep the scores level.

Holland’s first shot at goal came when Dirk Kuyt scuffed a 30-yard effort after Sergio Busquets had failed to control a simple square pass, but the Liverpool wide man’s effort was easily gathered by Iker Casillas.

In the 11th minute Spain created a second decent opportunity, and again it was full-back Ramos who was the Johnny on the spot. Having run at Giovanni van Bronckhorst, he took a step to the right and saw a gap open up, but his right-footed effort was well blocked by Joris Mathijsen.

From the resulting corner Xavi Hernandez swung in a delicious far post ball for David Villa, but the striker’s volleyed effort hit the side-netting when he’d have hoped to do better.

Moments later the 10 men were hit with another yellow when Van der Wiel took down the self same Iniesta.

Many Spain players asked for Holland to be reduced to nine when Robben turned in a left foot effort long after the whistle had gone for offside, but Webb, not for the first time tonight, showed leniency towards a man walking the tightrope.

With five minutes left a Wesley Sneijder free-kick was clearly met with a heavy deflection off Fabregas in the wall, but the referee’s rough night continued when he failed to spot the touch and gave a goal kick. There was then an apparent foul on Elia on the edge of the area overlooked as Holland looked for a winner.

And the decision was to be vital as Spain broke to the other end of the pitch and scored a 116th minute winner.

With the 10-man Dutch stretched, the Furia Roja used the extra man as Andres Iniesta got on the end of a crossfield ball at the far post to drill across Stekelenburg into the back of the net.

Spain's only bad news of the night came when Torres pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury in the second minute of injury time, but he'll be taking a World Cup winner's medal to the treatment table with him.

Two of Europe’s great foot balling nations are preparing to contest the World Cup

Two of Europe’s great flamboyant foot balling nations are preparing to contest the World Cup, yet the Netherlands have suddenly become a pragmatic force who are difficult to defeat while Spain have at times been over elaborate in attack and have been sneaking through games by the tightest of margins for the duration of the competition.

Of the two nations, the Oranje have the greater World Cup pedigree. During the 1970s, ‘Total Football’ caught the world’s imagination, yet twice the Netherlands came up short when placed in the final.

 It is coach Bert van Marwijk’s job to ensure that it’s third time lucky for the Dutch. “We have come here for the ultimate prize, that is our goal and we will only enjoy this tournament if we win it," a determined Van Marwijk told the press prior to the semi-final. Favouring the Netherlands is the fact that they’ve had a full 24 hours more than Spain to rest up prior to this monumental occasion.

The Oranje met Uruguay in the first semi-final, which was predicted to be a closely-fought match but ultimately ended in a five-goal thriller, with the Europeans edging through 3-2 despite failing to hit their best level.
 

Spain Sail Into Final!

Spain have made history by going into the World Cup final with a goal from a rare source in veteran Carles Puyol. The Barcelona man towered above the German defence to power home a header and give La Furia Roja a 1-0 victory and move onto the final to face the Netherlands.

Germany 0-1 Spain: Carles Puyol Heads La Furia Roja Into Historic World Cup Final
La Furia Roja are through to their first ever World Cup final with another slender but pivotal win...

Spain will set up a mouth-watering showdown with the Netherlands in the final of the 2010 World Cup after a solitary Carles Puyol goal was enough to squeeze out a 1-0 win over Germany.

Both teams made one change from their regular line-up as Piotr Trochowski replaced the suspended Thomas Mueller for the Germans while out-of-form Fernando Torres was dropped in favour of Pedro Rodriguez in the Spanish side.

Germany kicked off but immediately and happily surrendered possession as they invited Spain to attack. The cagey opening was halted by an intruder streaking onto the pitch but it was the European champions who carved out the first real chance of the game on six minutes.

Pedro slipped in a sublime through ball to David Villa, who just managed to get a touch to it but it wasn’t enough to trouble an alert Manuel Neuer.

La Furia Roja were entrenched inside the German half as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Oezil provided glimpses of threat on the counter-attack for Die Mannschaft. But it was the Spaniards again who had the next chance after 13 minutes. From a short corner, Andres Iniesta drilled in a cross from the right flank and Carles Puyol stooped low to send a bullet header just over the bar.

Straight to the other end, an Oezil corner forced Iker Casillas to flap the ball nervously away as Joachim Loew’s side started to enjoy a bit more of composure and possession on the ball. Spain regained control as quickly as they gave it away, although they failed to create any meaningful goalscoring chances.

In fact, the next opportunity didn’t arrive until the half-hour mark and even then, Xabi Alonso’s 25-yard screamer flew wide of Neuer’s left post. Trochowski then showed how it was done when his left-footed piledriver from a similar distance forced Casillas to make a brilliant sprawling save.

Oezil managed to create more panic in the Spain box when he shimmed past two defenders but hesitated when he prepared to pull the trigger as Puyol pinched the ball off him. Vicente del Bosque’s troops finished the half the stronger side with Sergio Ramos, Iniesta and Pedro creating openings, but it was Oezil who had a penalty shout turned down right before the whistle after a challenge from Ramos.
 

Argentina Coach Diego Maradona Tells Reporters: My Time Is Up!

The outspoken coach tells Argentine television that he has no more to give the national team, while stopping short of an official resignation.

Dejected Argentina coach Diego Maradona seemed to admit that his spell directing the national team had come to an end in an interview with national TV station Cronica.

"That is it, my time has finished," 'El Pelusa' told reporters from the channel who had come to his house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

"I have given all that I have."

After harsh criticism during qualifying, the controversial trainer won international plaudits for both his attacking style of play on the field and often unorthodox behaviour off it. His inexperience as a coach was eventually found out in the World Cup quarter-finals however, as the Albiceleste were taken apart by a superior and better-organised German side.

Despite many senior players and officials calling for Dieguito to stay at the helm, from today's words it seems that Maradona has made his decision to step down, although there is yet to be an official statement from either him or the AFA.

As happened so often in South Africa however, it was the legendary number 10 who had the final word this morning in Buenos Aires, telling Cronica and fans who had gathered to beg for his continuity: "I just want to enjoy the afternoon with my family."

Germany sent Argentina packing with a stunning quarter-final performance

Argentina 0-4 Germany: Die Mannschaft Comprehensively Outclass Maradona's Men. Germany sent Argentina packing with a stunning quarter-final performance. Germany hammered Argentina in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup on a gorgeous afternoon in Cape Town. Thomas Mueller opened the scoring for die Mannschaft after just three minutes, and Germany took second half goals from Miroslav Klose (68, 89), and Arne Friedrich (74) to round off their comprehensive victory.

Following emphatic wins in the Round of 16, coaches Diego Maradona and Joachim Loew named unchanged lineups. There had been fitness concerns for Argentine forward Lionel Messi and German winger Lukas Podolski, but the pair were declared ready to play from the start.

For Argentina, Gabriel Heinze and Javier Mascherano entered the game just a yellow card away from missing out on a possible semifinal berth. The Germans had to be more careful, with Arne Friedrich, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Oezil, Thomas Mueller, Philipp Lahm, and substitute Cacau all set to earn suspensions in the event of a booking.

Argentina kicked off the match and were faced by a high-intesity, pressing German machine that could not have started the match better. After just three minutes, Lukas Podolski won a free kick from Nicolas Otamendi. Schweinsteiger delivered a gorgeous cross to Mueller, who beat Otamendi to the ball and nodded home the opening goal, his fourth of the tournament.

After the opener, Argentina found it difficult to move fluently forward. The entire German team dropped back to deny their opponents space to pass, and were quick to exploit a rather exposed Argentine defence. With Mascherano the only buffer for his team's centre halves, the Germans created and used space in the centre of the park.
 

Now where it gets serious

World Cup 2010: Right everyone, this is where it gets serious - it's quarter-finals time. And what a way for them to start with Netherlands and Brazil meeting in a heavyweight encounter.

These two sides have produced three memorable meetings in past World Cups, and once again boast impressive sides packed with talent. The day's second game is most certainly the battle to be the tournament's dark horse.

With Uruguay winning Group A and USA winning Group C, that half of the draw had a slightly unusual look. What you cannot deny, however, is how impressive Uruguay and Ghana have been so far.

Both sides are based on a sound defensive game, but have also been proven to be dangerous in the attacking third. A place in the last four awaits.

World Cup 2010: Chelsea Star John Terry Apologises To England Boss Fabio Capello For Public Outburst

John Terry has issued an apology to England manager Fabio Capello, following the Chelsea defender's call for a frank exchange of views following the Three Lions' draw with Algeria last week.

Terry had implied to reporters that some unpleasant things were likley to be said by players to the manager at a team meeting on Sunday evening.

He also named Joe Cole as a player who should come into the team to improve the attacking options.

As it turned out, the team meeting is believed to have run along conventional lines, with Capello speaking and the players listening.

Capello also branded Terry's outburst "a big mistake" in a television interview on Monday, and now Terry has apologised and given his manager his full backing.

It also appears that the backing Terry expected from certain of his team-mates did not materialise.

"I went into yesterday's press conference with the intention of being honest," Terry said, according to The Daily Mail.

"I was asked a question about Joe Cole and maybe I went too far. But it was never my intention to upset the manager or the players and if I did upset anyone, I apologise.

"I have told the manager he has my total support and I would like to stress that I don't believe I have been a disruptive influence in the camp.

"I would now like to put this episode behind me and concentrate on trying to win what is a massive game for England. All I was trying to do was to say how important it is to me to try to win the World Cup.

"I just hope people at least appreciate that I have taken the time to call you and have asked you to report what I have to say in response."

England have played to a second consecutive draw at the 2010 World Cup

England have played to a second consecutive draw at the 2010 World Cup, leaving their chances of qualifying for the next round in major doubt. The Three Lions failed to muster any real offence as Algeria held them to a 0-0 draw at Green Point Stadium.

England 0-0 Algeria: Nervous Three Lions Freeze In Tournament Headlights
Anxiety and pressure stifle matters in Cape Town...

Princes William and Harry could provide little inspiration for England, as Fabio Capello's men slumped to a goalless draw with Algeria that has thrown their World Cup ambitions in a stark light.

The opening exchanges looked a little rushed and revealed little apart from that once again the Jabulani ball might cause problems, with Algerian keeper Rais M'Bholi reaching behind his head to collect a towering, if aimless, cross which seemed to balloon over him unexpectedly.

Ryad Boudebouz led a raid down the right for the Algerians, but the match was a cagey affair by and large, with good, if at times a little fraught, defending frustrating the early thrusts from both sides.

Final ball delivery from both open play and set-piece was terrible, continuing the theme of much of the tournament so far.

Jamie Carragher looked lively and just about quick enough at the heart of the defence though, whilst Gareth Barry's ability to calm things down in midfield was already apparent in the otherwise fragmented early minutes.

New Zealand claimed their first ever World Cup finals

New Zealand claimed their first ever World Cup finals point with a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time from defender Winston Reid with just seconds remaining on the clock.

Slovakia had thought they had done just enough to win after Robert Vittek had given them the lead with an excellent back post header from a superb Vladimir Weiss cross from the right.

In a match in which the Kiwis had more than held their own, they will feel they richly deserved their point as every member of the side played above themselves. As with most games in this tournament, it was a pedestrian start on a bright but chilly day in Rustenburg in the far north of South Africa.

The Kiwis refused to buckle under the intensity of the occasion and more than held their own in the first half.

Indeed, the All Whites had the best of the first half, threatening the Slovakian goal early on when Chris Killen got on the end of a Simon Elliott free-kick.

Unfortunately for the underdogs, his tame header was straight at Jan Mucha though to his credit, Martin Skrtel did just enough to impede the tall Middlesbrough striker.

South Africa were denied a famous opening day

South Africa were denied a famous opening day win in World Cup Group A, Mexico's Rafael Marquez securing a 1-1 draw after Siphiwe Tshabalala's stunning 53rd minute opener.

After a spectacular opening ceremony and welcoming messages from FIFA president Sepp Blatter and South African president Jacob Zuma, the 2010 World Cup kicked off to the excitable sound of the vuvuzelas brought to the game by a colourful capacity crowd at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

 In the opening minutes the hosts were carved open as the adventurous Mexicans forced their way into the South Africa box and when keeper Itumeleng Khune spilt a cross, Giovani dos Santos was superbly blocked by Aaron Mokoena as he looked set to tap into the empty net. It was a real let off for the home side, but the Mexicans continued to knock the ball about with freedom.

Barcelona are reportedly are weighing up the merits of a move for Fernando Torres

Barcelona are reportedly are weighing up the merits of a move for Liverpool hot-shot Fernando Torres.

The Spain international's future at Anfield looks to be the subject of much speculation after seeing compatriot Rafael Benitez depart the club yesterday following a disappointing season at the helm of the Reds.

 Barcelona's interest in Torres is not exactly new as El Nino was already on the Catalan club's agenda last summer, but a transfer never materialised.

Chelsea have also been credited with an interest in the 26-year-old striker, who cost Liverpool a fee in the region of €30 million, but it is believed the Blues' preference lies in the shoulders of Barcelona's Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Agent Prepares Contract With Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho Draws Up Inter Rescission

The countdown to Mourinho joining Real Madrid has started and an official deal could arrive within the next 48 hours...

Jose Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes is speaking to Real Madrid chiefs at the Bernabeu as he tries to iron out the finer details that will secure the coach's move to the club from Inter.

Marca, AS and Sky Sport 24 all report Mendes as being present in a high-powered meeting at the Bernabeu offices in which he is trying to prepare a three-year deal worth €10 million per annum for his client.

And, as Mendes brings out his convincers and a contract in Madrid, Mourinho is in Milan where he is expected to meet Nerazzurri chief Massimo Moratti today so they can work on his contract rescission.

That is worth a reported €7m, but it is unknown as to whether it will be Real Madrid or Mourinho himself who pays for it. There have also been reports that the rescission could be waved by Inter due to Saturday's Champions League success.

The feeling from both Madrid and Milan is that an official announcement could come as early as Wednesday. Tuesday will be a day reserved for further negotiations if both clubs and coach need extra room to manoeuvre.

Earlier, Mourinho told Marca he is "capable of winning the Champions League with Real".

Leonardo Confirms He Will Leave Milan

The coach has revealed he will leave at the end of the season..

Milan coach Leonardo has confirmed he will leave the club after Saturday night's match against Juventus.

The Brazilian has been tipped to leave the club for sometime, and now it's official.

He and CEO Adriano Galliani both announced the move during Friday afternoon's press conference.

Leonardo told the club's official website:

"We are here to communicate that we have decided to separate by mutual consent in a tranquil and serene manner just like our relationship has been over the years.

"There are no surprises. Everything has been clear today like always. We have reached the end.

"We have qualified for the Champions League which is what we wanted, and we decided this morning to make official the choice we made in Via Turati.

"The time has come to close, but we have done it with tranquility."

Galliani added: "I am sorry that we have decided to separate. But, we did it amicably and by mutual consent."

The club have not announced who will replace Leonardo yet, but Galliani said: "We have not made contact with other coaches. There is no rush."

Marco van Basten has killed off all possibilities of him becoming the new Milan coach

Marco van Basten has killed off all possibilities of him becoming the new Milan coach, claiming he is "not ready" for the role.

Current boss Leonardo has been tipped to leave the club when the Serie A season comes to a close next week. Van Basten has been linked with the role and on Saturday he said: "Now is not the time to talk about Milan.

" Well, he has found the time to talk, and he has pulled out of the running.

"I am not ready as I still have a problem with my ankle and I have to resolve it," he told Sky Sport 24.

"I cannot undertake a heavy job like a coaching role." Meanwhile, the morning edition of Il Corriere dello Sport claims club CEO Adriano Galliani prefers the Mauro Tassotti/Filippo Galli partnership that has been widely rumoured to succeed Leonardo.

The Liga dream remains alive...

Real Madrid 5-1 Athletic Bilbao: Blancos Leave It Late To Batter 10-Man Basques

Four late goals gave Real Madrid a deserved win over ten-man Athletic Bilbao to keep the La Liga race with Barcelona alive until the final matchday.

The scoreboard may have read 5-1 at full time, but despite this eventual mauling, the hosts endured a nervy evening in which at more than one point their title hopes seemed to be on the verge of expiration.

Fernando Amorebieta's early red card and the ensuing Cristiano Ronaldo penalty seemed set to pave an easy road for the Blancos, but Fran Yeste's equaliser just before the break made for a nervy second half.

However strikes from Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema gave Manuel Pellegrini's side a fighting chance at the championship, with the Merengues needing Barcelona to lose next weekend following the Catalans' 3-2 win over Sevilla.

Athletic had the first chance as Toquero tested Casillas with a header after Yeste's cross, but as news filtered through the ground that Barcelona had taken an early lead, Madrid came forward with purpose.

Cristiano Ronaldo was looking particularly dangerous in the early stages, but Madrid's ambition - they desperately needed to settle their nerves and keep pace with Barca - allowed Toquero a near-one-on-one that only the impressive Sergio Ramos could prevent.

Guardiola's Men Stay Top Heading Into The Final Day

A goal from Pedro turned out to be the difference as the Blaugrana managed to stay top of the La Liga table despite some late second half pressure from ten man Rojiblancos in Seville. Sevilla lost out to a determined Barcelona side who managed to keep themselves in pole position at the top of La Liga heading into the final match day.

Barcelona went into the game with one thing on their minds, which was putting themselves in the ideal position to wrap up the title. Three points and at least a draw for Athletic Bilbao at Real Madrid would give Pep Guardiola’s men the title. Meanwhile Sevilla needed the three points for a Champions League slot.

In the end both Barca and Madrid picked up all three points, the Blancos blitzing Athletic 5-1 at home, meaning that week 38 will see the trophy given its final destination.

On Saturday night, though the away team strolled to a 2-0 lead in the first half through Messi and Bojan, rarely looking threatened at this point. Pedro added a third before Sevilla staged a mini-come back in the second-half via Fredi Kanoute and Luis Fabiano, but ultimately Barca saw the game out.

Barcelona lead by 1 point
Barcelona started very brightly and created a half chance inside the third minute. Dani Alves raced up on the right to supply support for Messi who obliged with a superb through ball. Unfortunately for Barca the full-back’s effort flew well wide of goal.

However, it did not take them long to get in front. Messi won a free kick and picked himself up quickly. Maxwell played a quick ball over the top, which Messi controlled well on with his chest before firing beyond a helpless Palop in the Sevilla goal.

The Rojiblancos did not get the ball inside Barcelona’s box until the tenth minute. Good passing build-up play ended when Fabiano lofted a ball forwards, which Valdes claimed with alarming regularity. It was looking like it could be a long night for the home side.
 

Inter Milan to the final of the Champions League

Remember the days when it was impossible to score against Italian teams? When Serie A defences were so mean that European attackers would melt in their boots? When hitting just one goal against a side from the peninsula was considered an achievement?

For a variety of reasons - including the backpass and offside rules, disgracefully synthetic footballs, faster pitches, fitter players, zonal marking, and perhaps a slowdown in the production line – Italian club backlines over the last decade had lost their mojo somewhat.

What we saw from Inter tonight, though, was a throwback to some of the great Italian defensive displays from the past. Granted, the Nerazzurri do not possess a single homegrown player in their entire starting XI, let alone their back four, and Barcelona certainly played into their hands with their somewhat predictable short passing game, but it cannot be underestimated what an achievement it is to keep at bay the world’s best attacking unit for over an hour with just ten men. Kudos to Jose Mourinho once again, of course, for getting his tactics spot on.

For long spells of the match, it was almost too easy for the Inter defence. Aside from a world class Julio Cesar finger-tip save from Lionel Messi in the first half, Barca did not create a chance of note for the first 80 minutes. It was only when centre-back Gerard Pique was pushed up-front for the final 10 minutes that the Blaugrana started to ask questions. Bojan missed a virtual open goal before Pique set up a grandstand finish with 83 minutes on the clock. But Inter heroically managed to hold on, even if they had their hearts in their mouth when Bojan had a winner disallowed for a handball by Yaya Toure that appeared to be ball-to-hand.

Wayne Rooney Aims To Return For Manchester United's Last Game Of The Premier League

Game Of The Premier League Season Against Stoke City
England striker eases concerns over his fitness for World Cup.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, the newly-crowned PFA Player of the Year, has eased fears about his fitness for the World Cup, proclaiming that he intends to return for the Red Devils' final game of the Premier League season against Stoke City.

England's talisman was unable to play in United’s 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday because of an injured groin sustained in training - and there were fears that he could be sidelined for up to a month with the problem.

But Rooney dispelled concerns that the injury could jeopardise his availability for Fabio Capello's World Cup squad, revealing to journalists at the PFA awards ceremony that he intends to return for United's final game of the season at home to Stoke City - a possible title decider. United trail Chelsea by one point in the race for the Premier League crown with two games remaining.

“The groin will be fine for the World Cup, there are no worries about that,” Rooney stated.

“I’m hoping to play for United in the last game of the season.”

That will be music to the ears of both United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and England coach Capello, since Rooney has been troubled by injury concerns since hurting his ankle in the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich earlier in the month.

England open their World Cup campaign in Rustenburg against the USA on June 12, but the Three Lions leave for their training camp in Austria on May 17 ahead of a friendly against Mexico a week later.

Rooney was thrilled to receive the PFA accolade and paid tribute to the role Ferguson has played in his career.

"It's a great feeling to win because it's voted for by the players. It's a great honour and I'm really proud.

"I remember coming here in 2005 and 2006 to win the young player of the year award. I saw the players winning the main one and it's something I've aimed for since."

He added: "Sir Alex is a great manager who has really brought me on as a player since I joined United. His hunger passes through to the players.

"It's great to see that he's pushing 70 and he hasn't changed a bit. I'm sure he'll be at United a long time yet."
 

Barcelona Have Promised Arsenal They Will Not Bid For Cesc Fabregas This Summer

"There was a private conversation that took place in the boardroom and assurances have been made at the highest possible level," Hill-Wood told ESPN Soccernet.

"Arsenal do not expect those to be broken.

"I was not privy to the conversation, but was told about it. They said to us they are not interested [this summer]. It was a recent conversation, as recent as the time that they played us in the Champions League in fact as we got a bit upset because of all the media speculation."

To avoid potentially unsettling speculation in future, the understanding between both clubs is that they will approach each other directly if they ever wish to conduct business — although Hill-Wood believes a bid for Fabregas is unlikely.

"Subsequent to the conversation, if they are interested at any time in the future, they would come to us directly," he said.

"However I'm not sure they are going to do that, because they told us they are pretty happy with what they have got and are pretty happy with their current players."

With Barcelona undergoing a presidential election in the summer, the signing of Fabregas is likely to be a central pledge from all the candidates hoping to replace current incumbent Joan Laporta. But Hill-Wood isn't sure that the midfielder is an obvious target, and wonders if he'd even get in the European champions' first XI.

"If you want my opinion, I'm not sure he would even get in their team," he said.

"Do they need him? I'm not sure that they do. And they said to us they are not interested.

"That suits us fine. Fabregas is an Arsenal player and we want him to remain an Arsenal player. We hope he stays with us for a very long time."

The eyes of the foot balling world will be locked on the Santiago Bernabeu

The eyes of the foot balling world will be locked on the Santiago Bernabeu come Saturday night as two of the game’s greatest titans, los Merengues and la Blaugrana, do battle. Locked together at the summit of La Primera Division on 77 points, having spilled only 13 points apiece this season, Real Madrid and Barcelona are set to do battle on Saturday evening at the Bernabeu in what is by some distance the most anticipated fixture of the Spanish season to date.

Though both camps seem to have been at pains to stress this game will not be decisive, there can be little doubt that it is vitally important to both sides, but most notably Real, who simply cannot afford to let their great rivals escape in the league having already crashed out of the Champions League. “There are still many games,” Ezequiel Garay told AS.

“It is clear that all the games we have left are very difficult and we cannot focus only on one.” Undoubtedly Saturday’s clash against Barcelona is the toughest left for los Blancos, who are acutely aware that the Spanish title race has boiled down to the most expensively assembled side ever and the one who have been tagged by many pundits as the best team in the history of the game.

Lionel Messi is the finest player ever to have played the game...

Champions League: Messi 4-1 Arsenal - The Greatest Player You Ever Saw! With the aid of sepia-tinted lenses, nostalgia and memory gaps, it is all too easy for seasoned observers of the game to submit the names of Pele, Cruyff and Maradona as the greatest players of all time. In this day and age, we have to work very hard in order to snatch a full 90 minutes worth of performance from that Holy Trinity. Youtube exists and is a precious commodity for revisiting the old stuff but it is the same tool which prompted Newcastle to buy Nacho Gonzalez. In other words, it can make a player seem as good as it wants to. Without the benefit of objective, critical analysis on a day to day, week to week basis, we can neither dismiss the legacy of the greats, nor can we take it at absolute face value.

In the last decade and a half, with an over-abundance of televisual exposure and the advent of online streaming, we can generally see what we want when we want and plenty of it too. Zinedine Zidane, at Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid led football into the information age and Ronaldinho took up the reins in the middle part of the last decade. Cristiano Ronaldo is still dazzling but rarely has the world been in the presence of such consistent greatness as Lionel Messi. On Tuesday night, we were treated to a display of absolute, undiluted genius.

This was not simply 'another' good showing from the Argentine. We have seen plenty of those already; three hat-tricks in 2010 alone before Leo put Arsenal to the sword with ferocious ruthlessness. Every Barcelona game in La Liga and the Champions League is broadcast to an audience of millions and, even at the tender age of 22, Messi's reputation as one of the best players in the world precedes him. Still, he found the audacity to astound.

Barcelona Hero Lionel Messi Stresses

Importance Of Team Effort After Four Goal Haul Against Arsenal
The Argentinian takes his tally for the season to 39...

Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi stressed the importance of the whole team's effort after he scored all four goals in a masterful display of finishing against Arsenal to see the Blaugrana safely through to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Although Arsenal took the lead through Nicklas Bendtner, Messi soon took control of the game with a sublime first half hat-trick and the 22-year-old Argentinian finished his mesmeric display with a late second half solo effort to claim his 39th goal from 42 games so far this season.

"I'm very happy. I've always been treated very well by our fans. I feel very good, so happy for this victory. We knew we had to play a game like this in front of our supporters. We started badly but we ended in spectacular way," he told TVE afterwards before turning his focus to the top of the table Primera Liga clash against Real Madrid at the weekend.

"What is important here is that the team keeps on winning. I hope we can continue like this, but we have to keep working. There's plenty to do in the Champions [League] and also in La Liga. Now we've got a very important game and we should keep on working like this."

Messi also noted that it would be difficult to repeat his four goal haul this weekend in El Clasico insisting a win is all that matters. He also stated that he was happy to complete his first UEFA Champions League hat-trick, his fourth of the season in all competitions.

"No, it's very difficult. The most important thing is to win, 1-0, whatever, but to get a win," he remarked.

"This is the first one [match ball] in Champions [League] , so I'm very happy with this."
 

Barcelona's Lionel Messi: To Be A Legend, One Needs To Win A World Cup

Barcelona's Lionel Messi: To Be A Legend, One Needs To Win A World Cup
Messi believes he needs a World Cup title to be considered among the best ever...

Despite only being 22 years old, Barcelona's Lionel Messi is already being compared with the greatest footballers of all time, many deeming him to be better than Di Stefano, Pele, Cruyff and Maradona. But for 'La Pulga' himself, what marks a true legend is glory on the international stage.

"To be a legend, one needs to win a World Cup," said Messi in comments to El Mundo, slighting the many titles he has already won as a player and with his club. "I am 22 years old. Everything is happening very quickly and I have to be calm."

With his feet on the ground and without letting the success rise to his head, the number one player in the Castrol rankings played off having worked in training to score the goals he scores by weaving through a sea of defenders. "They happen because they happen. I do not think before such runs. The important thing is to want it."
 

Barcelona Striker Lionel Messi Hoping To Beat Out Manchester United's Wayne Rooney For European Golden Boot

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has his sights set on catching Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and winning the European Golden Boot.

The Argentina international has been in blistering form lately, netting eight times in his last four league games, including hat-tricks against Valencia and Real Zaragoza on consecutive Sundays.

Messi has scored 25 goals in La Liga this season and with his recent goal glut, the 22-year-old is now in a close competition with Rooney and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba for Europe’s Golden Boot award.

Rooney has scored 26 times in the Premier League this season while Drogba has hit the net 24 times after scoring a brace against Portsmouth on Wednesday.

Messi, who is the reigning World Footballer of the Year, knows that earning the award as top scorer in Europe would be a great honor, especially with players he is competing against for the honour.

"It would be wonderful to win the Golden Boot. I look at the list and it is sensational to see I have scored more goals than Didier Drogba,” Messi told The Sun.

"But to be just one goal behind Rooney is also enormous. Rooney is a big striker and what he is doing is developing into a phenomenal season."
 

Germany Striker Lukas Podolski Attacked Journalist After Loss Against Argentina

The Koeln attacker wasn't too happy with a journalist's comments after the game...

German international Lukas Podolski wasn't too happy with the comments of DSF reporter Christian Ortlepp in the aftermath of the Nationalelf's 1-0 friendy loss against Argentina. The striker attacked the reporter.

"That wasn't your best outing in a German shirt. Your best actions probably took place during the warm-up," Ortlepp was reported as saying to Podolski in the mixed zone.

The Koeln attacker was clearly not amused, and reacted by challenging the DSF reporter to a fight.

"You have a big mouth with all your journalist friends around you, but I'd like to see you coming to my door. Bring it on," said Podolski to Ortlepp before trying to push him in the face.

However, the DSF reporter downplayed the interview later on and denied that Podolski had physically attacked him.

"Lukas probably misinterpreted my words and then overreacted a bit. However, he didn't attack me or anything," said Ortlepp to Express.

Milan 3-1 Atalanta: Orobici Outdone By San Siro Samba Show

The Rossoneri consolidated their position in second with an important victory over the struggling Bergamaschi…

Leonardo’s Milan were desperate to keep the pressure on leaders Inter as they hosted a struggling Atalanta side to the San Siro.

The Rossoneri took command in the opening period when Alexandre Pato scored a brace to punish the visitors for some shortcomings at the back.

After the break the Orobici reduced the deficit when Valdez fired a rocket past Cristian Abbiati. Milan regained command on the hour mark however when Marco Borriello latched onto Ronaldinho’s saved penalty. Despite some late pressure there was no way back for Atalanta and Milan were left to celebrate an important victory on their quest for scudetto glory.

The game started brightly with the visitors immediately going close when Valdez snapped a shot wide of the mark from 18 yards.

Seconds later Milan were given a boost at the news that Inter had gone behind in Udine, and the Rossoneri immediately burst forward in a bid to capitalise on their city rivals shortcomings.

Atalanta continued to battle hard in the middle of the park and this frustrated Leonardo’s men as they searched for space without much joy down the flanks. Despite the lack of space Milan were taking control of possession and the opening goal was looming in the air.
 

Barcelona Star Lionel Messi: We Have To Improve In Order To Beat Stuttgart

Argentine admits lacklustre performance in Germany… FIFA World Player of the Year Leo Messi has admitted Barcelona will have to play a lot better than they did last night if they hope to beat German side Stuttgart and progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

“We’ll have to play better in the return leg than we did tonight,” Messi told the club’s official website following their 1-1 draw in Germany.

Barca went into the break a goal down and Messi revealed he was well aware that his side had to improve if they expected to avoid defeat.

“I can’t remember exactly what the coach [Pep Guardiola] said at half-time, but we knew we had to change things if we were to avoid a defeat.

“I don’t know what went wrong. It’s true that recently we’ve not been playing the same football we are used to, but now is the key moment and we have to get back to that level."

Barcelona will host Die Roten in the second leg at Camp Nou on March 17.

Xavi stands up for Messi over Ronaldo appeal evidence

Barcelona midfielder Xavi has stood up for his team mate Lionel Messi after Real Madrid used video of the Argentine forward to try and get a Cristiano Ronaldo red card rescinded.

Ronaldo was shown a straight red during Sunday's 2-0 win over Malaga after catching defender Patrick Mtiliga with a flailing arm and breaking his nose.

As part of their appeal against the card, Real presented evidence to the Spanish football federation which included video of an incident when Messi used his arms to shake off a Sevilla opponent who was holding him back.

Messi was awarded a free-kick and the RFEF ruled that as the referee had not mentioned the incident in his match report it was not relevant and, in any case, no injury had been caused.

"You have to assess the intention of each player," Xavi said.

"Leo wants to carry on playing and Cristiano wants to break free of the defender with a swipe of his arm," added the Spain international, who is one of Barca's club captains.

"Leo is the number one and you can't damage his image in any way. He's humble, hard-working and always thinks about the group. Not like other footballers."

The RFEF's disciplinary committee decided Ronaldo's actions were not wilful or reckless, which would have meant a longer suspension, but that he had been guilty of dangerous play.

Real have said that if their appeal was unsuccessful they would take the case to Spain's Sporting Disciplinary Committee, a body overseen by the government sports council.

"For me, the (Ronaldo) incident is very clear," Xavi said. "It's a red and the two-match ban is extremely fair."

Xavi Strike Not Enough As Andalucians Progress On Away Goals Rule.

The Blaugrana's hopes of another sextuple winning year has ended after being eliminated from the Copa del Rey...

Barcelona nabbed the only goal of the night through Xavi just past the hour mark but Sevilla denied them a winning aggregate goal despite a ruthless onslaught from the visitors. Sevilla qualified for the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on away goals having scored twice at the Camp Nou in the first leg.

Trailing 2-1 at home, Barca coach, Pep Guardiola did not hesitate naming his strongest possible outfield team on a wet, soggy night in Seville.

But it was the hosts who almost took the lead after just two minutes. Jesus Navas' corner found Romaric, whose header was brilliantly parried away by Jose Pinto, before the rebound was blocked by Dani Alves.

But on 63 minutes, Barca pulled the aggregate scores levelled when Romaric's clearance spun off Xavi, but the ball fell kindly back to the playmaker to arrow in a thunderous drive on the edge of the box into Palop's bottom left corner.

A goalmouth scramble with five minutes to go presented Messi with yet another chance, but his low shot was slapped away by Palop.

The pressure from Barcelona was unrelenting as the clock ticked down but in the end, Sevilla held on to hand Pep Guardiola a taste of his first ever elimination from a cup competition as the Andaluz side go on to meet Deportivo La Coruna in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
 

Lionel Messi Wins FIFA World Player Of The Year Award

The Barcelona star beat off stiff competition to be crowned FIFA's World Player Of The Year. Lionel Messi has capped a sensational 12 months in Barcelona colours by being crowned FIFA World Player Of The Year.

Messi, who described his presence at the FIFA Gala as "the culmination of a year that cannot be improved upon", has managed to indeed go one better, sealing the only title still evading him.

The diminutive Argentine beat off competition from the a host of the world’s best including team-mates Andreas Iniesta and Xavi, as well as Real Madrid stars Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Portuguese having already admitted that "he [Messi] will probably win the award".

The crown capped a quite incredible year for the 22-year-old Argentinian forward who, as a pivotal member of Pep Guardiola’s all conquering Barca squad, beat Estudiantes in FIFA’s Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi on Saturday to lift their sixth title in the last 12 months.

Messi will add FIFA’s prestigious title to pretty much every individual award in European football; having already been crowned UEFA Club Forward of the Year, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and UEFA Champions League Top Scorer amongst a host of other individual titles.

Messi’s incredible achievements will go down as one of the most successful seasons ever endured by a single player in club football history.
 

Messi Heads Blaugrana Into The History Books With Extra-Time Goal

Barca have been crowned the best club side in the world after a dramatic finish to the FIFA Club World Cup. Barcelona had to come from behind to steal a 2-1 win against Estudiantes in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. Pedro netted an 89th minute equaliser to cancel out Mauro Boselli’s surprise opener, but Lionel Messi struck in the second period of extra-time to etch the Catalan behemoths’ name into the record books.

Barcelona began in their usual manner, pushing forward from the first whistle, with Messi and Dani Alves combining well down the right flank early on.

But just as it was in the semi-final against Atlante, the Spaniards’ yawning defence was exposed after just four minutes when Juan Veron lifted a gorgeous through ball over the backline for Enzo Perez, but Victor Valdes dashed off his line just in time to smother the ball.

Barca had their first opening on eight minutes when Alves’ through ball was touched on by Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Xavi, but the playmaker decided to square it to the backpost for Thierry Henry instead of going for the shot, and ‘Titi’ could only watch the ball trickle out of play at the byline.

Clear cut chances were hard to come by as both sides battled for supremacy in midfield. On 27 minutes, Veron tried his luck from distance when he picked up Leandro Benitez’s delivery from a corner and drilled in a searing half volley from angle, but it flew wide of Valdes’ right post.

Xavi then thought he had earned himself a penalty when he ran onto Messi’s through pass but as he tried to flick it past the on-rushing Albil, he was felt by the shot-stopper, but the referee only signalled for a goalkick.

But on 37 minutes, completely against the run of play, Los Pincharratas surged into the lead. Juan Diaz floated in a perfectly weighted cross from the left and Mauro Boselli ghosted in between Eric Abidal and Carles Puyol to thump a bullet header past a hapless Valdes.

Barcelona responded with Ibrahimovic attempting a ambitious bicycle kick from an indirect Messi free kick, but was marginally beaten to the ball by Albil. Frustration began to show in the faces of the European champions as they continually struggled to find a way to break down the sturdy Estudiantes defence, as the Copa Libertadores winners marched back into the dressing at the break with a deserved 1-0 lead.

Pep Guardiola introduced Pedro for Seydou Keita at the start of the second half, but it was Ibrahimovic who almost equalised for Barca when he darted into the box and skipped past Desabato but his low shot across the face of goal bobbled agonisingly wide.

Around the hour mark, Pedro was twice gifted a clear scoring chance right in front of goal when he ran onto a cross from the left but on both occasions, he failed to make clean contact with the ball.

The incessant pressure paid off two minutes from time when the Estudiantes defence lost their concentration and Barca drew level. Pique headed on a high ball from Ibrahimovic to Pedro, who found himself completely unmarked inside the box and the youngster cleverly looped a header over Albil to send the game into extra-time.

Barcelona came firing out of the blocks and Messi first saw an early free kick dip agonisingly over the bar. The Argentine then fired wide from close range after being teed up by Ibrahimovic. The Swede himself then had an excellent chance in the 102nd minute when he was put through by Jeffren, but blasted his shot high and wide.

The South Americans had nothing left in the tank in attack for the final 15 minutes of extra time. But it was their defence who suffered another lapse in concentration as the Europeans finally went in front in the 110th minute. Alves’ pin-point cross picked out Messi, who found himself unattended inside the box as he coolly chested the ball past a despairing Albil from three yards out.

There was one last drama a minute into injury time of extra time when Veron swept in a free kick and Desabato rose high inside the crowded box but sent his glancing header inches wide of Valdes’ left post.

That was the last action of the game and of the tournament as Barcelona held on to claim a historic sixth title this year alone as they return to Spain as the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup champions.

World Cup 2010: I Am A Better Player At Milan That What I Was At Barcelona: Ronaldinho

The Brazilian has grasped the nettle and has big plans that he wants to fulfil...
Milan striker Ronaldinho claims he is better now than when he was at Barcelona in response to his new-found form.

The Brazilian appears revived this season. He is back on his feet and firing on all cylinders at Milanello and an indifferent start to the campaign and 'Dinho has explained his resurgence, believing he his far stronger compared to his days at Camp Nou.

"I am back to how I was. In fact I think I am even stronger now," he told Il Corriere Dello Sport.

"Everything seems easier now."

Ronaldinho has insists the positive upshot he has been enjoying has been influenced by coach Leonardo's framework.

"I am really good friends with Leonardo. We always speak about everything in my language. I have never had such a perfect relationship with a coach before."

With such good form and promise in the offing, the Brazilian believes he will not be ignored by Selecao coach Carlos Dunga in June for the World Cup.

"I want to play in a further two World Cups. How can Dunga not pick me if I carry on playing like this? I want to be the protagonist in South Africa," he concluded.

Lionel Messi Wins Ballon d'Or 2009

The Barcelona star is European Footballer of the Year...

Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Argentina has won the Ballon d'Or 2009 award, making him the first player from his country to be crowned European Footballer of the Year.

The 22-year-old has now occupied all of the top three places, having debuted in third in 2007 before rising to second last year.

Furthermore, Messi has won by the greatest margin ever recorded in the history of this venerable competition. Out of a possible 480 points, Lionel scored 473 - a new record, and far ahead of the man in second place, namely last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese managed 233 points.

In winning the prize, awarded by France Football following voting by a panel of journalists from across the world, Messi becomes the youngest Ballon d'Or winner since Michael Owen's win as a 21-year-old in 2001.

In a year that Barcelona won an historic treble of the Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey, it seemed inconceivable that a player without the Blaugrana shirt would receive the award.

Barca midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi were also shortlised, but Messi was considered favourite by virtually every observer.

As such it was no surprise when he was confirmed as the winner late on Monday evening.

Teammate Xavi, meanwhile, is said to have ended up in third place.

Lionel Messi Wins Ballon d'Or 2009

The Argentinian was surprised by the winning margin...

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has declared himself "honoured" to have been selected as the Ballon d'Or winner for 2009 after it was revealed that the Argentinian has been crowned the best footballer in Europe.

"It is my great honour to be selected for the Ballon d'Or, but also to be the first Argentine in history to receive this award," he told France Football's website.

He expressed surprise at the margin of victory after securing 473 points, 240 ahead of second placed Cristiano Ronaldo and also declared that collecting this individual award was very important to him.

"Honestly, I knew I was among the favourites, because Barca enjoyed a successful 2009 where we won everything. But I did not expect to win by a margin as large [240 points]. You know, the Ballon d'Or, is something very important to me. All those who won were great players. And some greats have never won it," he noted before setting his sights on replicating this success.

"It will not be easy to repeat a year like we just experienced. I hope the next year will be in the same vein. But winning the Ballon d'Or two years in a row, it's not easy ... "

El Clasico Showed Why La Liga Is The Best In The World Barcelona 'Keeper Victor Valdes

The shot stopper is pleased with the result of last night's encounter, and believes that the spectacle demonstrated the quality in the Primera Division...

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes played a key role for the Spanish champions in their 1-0 win against Real Madrid in el Clasico on Sunday night, and he is understandably happy with the result.

"We are pleased with how the game went. The one-on-one with Cristiano [Ronaldo] fortunately went in our favour," he told AS, referring to the save he made from the Portuguese star early on in the match.

"We expected a brave Real Madrid who would come to play a good game on the counter-attack, because they have good players to do so," he mused.

With a number of Ballon d'Or nominees on show at the Camp Nou, Valdes believes last night's game showed why the Primera Division stands head and shoulders above the likes of the Premier League and Serie A.

"It says a lot about the Spanish league. It's the best league in the world and that's why the best players want to come and play here," he declared.

The Blaugrana are in action again in the league on Wednesday night against Xerez, and the 'keeper doesn't want to write off the league's basement side as "any team can give you problems."

Guardiola Congratulates Barcelona Players After Inter Victory

Barca will secure top spot in Group F with a win in Kiev. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola congratulated his players after they defeated Inter on a 2-0 score line in the UEFA Champions League to leave themselves top of Group F with one game remaining.

First half goals from Gerard Pique and Pedro secured a comfortable win for the champions and the Blaugrana's coach says they must finish the job against Dynamo Kiev in a fortnight.

"I congratulate my team on how they have performed. We have taken a very important step. Now we must finish it in Kiev. We depend only on ourselves," he remarked.

Guardiola also said that he did not play either of his star strikers, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi, because he ran the risk of having them injured for a long time and he said the squad has shown that there are enough players to cover their absences.

"It is clear that I feel safer with Ibra and Leo on the field, but there was a risk of losing both for a long time. I understand that people care, because they're two great players. But on this squad, all players offer enthusiasm and very different things," he noted.
 

Italy Coach Marcello Lippi Opens Door To Amauri & Liverpool’s Alberto Aquilani

The Nazionale coach has offered a couple of players a source of hope for World Cup 2010, hinting that they could be used in future games...

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has opened the national team door to Juventus striker Amauri and Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani.


Amauri's desire to play for the Nazionale has received mixed views in Casa Azzurri. Giampaolo Pazzini opposed the idea, but Nicola Legrottaglie sponsored the Brazilian-born forward to feature.


Lippi was impartial on Tuesday, claiming he did not want to hear more "nonsense" regarding the 29-year-old, but he has already shifted his viewpoint.


"The indications from World Cup qualifying mean little, very little," Lippi told Rai Sport.

"I have a varied group and it needs to be complete. If I haven't considered a certain player, then why should I not consider him if the conditions are right? Look at Aquilani for example.

"If he plays with consistency for Liverpool then why shouldn't I consider him? As for Amauri, there is still some time to discuss him.

"Amauri is a Brazilian, but we can talk when he is Italian."
 

Milan Legend Paolo Maldini: I Could Return To Help The Team

The iconic defender has offered the hand of support for his side, but in a director's role...

Milan legend Paolo Maldini admits he has considered returning to the club to help them out this term, but it will not be on the pitch.

The Italian retired from the game at the end of last term following a distinguished career at the San Siro. Reports claimed Maldini would take on a director's role, and he has now made himself available to the cause.

"I gave plenty and received a lot and I feel so much love for the Milan colours. It goes beyond the people who work there," Maldini told La 7 Gold.

"If there is the chance to do something positive that will help this team then I will always be there. My life has always been without other roles on the side, and I want to continue like that.

"The team have great pride and they are capable of always giving a moment of important emotions."

The Rossoneri have grasped the nettle of reform following a poor start to the season, and Maldini hopes the good run continues. But, his Champions League prediction sees Chelsea and Barcelona at the forefront of the chasing pack.

"We are going through a good period because the team has found consistency in the Champions League and in Serie A. They know how to play football," added the former Italian international.

"The Champions League? I think Barcelona are the strongest team, but my friend [Carlo] Ancelotti's Chelsea are well equipped."
 

Ronaldinho Believes Milan Can Win Champions League

The Rossoneri take on Real Madrid this evening at the Meazza stadium in the clash of the titans mark two...

Milan forward Ronaldinho is hoping to continue his current good form when his side face Real Madrid tonight in the Champions League in what promises to be another entertaining encounter between the two most successful sides in European history.

And, after his teams' 3-2 victory in the Bernabeu two weeks ago, the much-maligned Brazilian was sounding confident about the Rossoneri’s chances, both for this match, as well as for the entire tournament.

“I expect a great night of Champions League for the entire team and I want to do my best for this team,” affirmed the superstar to Milan Channel.

“Milan can win the Champions League? Yes I think so, Milan is a great team with a great history in the Champions League. I think that we can do well, it’s difficult but not impossible,” he added.

Ronaldinho then responded to a question about his possible recall to the Brazil squad in time for next year's World Cup.

“A return to the national team? I don’t think about anything else apart from Milan, I think about doing my best here, then returning to the national team will come naturally, but my priority now is to do well for Milan, then we’ll see about the national team,” he stated.

In tonight's game, Ronaldinho will probably line-up behind his fellow countryman Pato and veteran goal-poacher Pippo Inzaghi as Milan look to take another step towards qualification to the knock-out stages.

Carles Puyol Accepts New Barcelona Deal

Barcelona have secured the services of their club captain for the rest of his career...

Carles Puyol is set to put an end to all the speculation by penning a new deal with Barcelona to keep him at the club until 2013, according to the Catalan club.

The Blaugrana captain's current deal is due to run out at the end of the current season and talks had been put on hold while the player received assurances about his place in the team.

While no decision was made, rumours surfaced that Puyol could be included in a deal to sign Robinho from Manchester City, while Arsenal were also said to be monitoring his situation.

Having been at Camp Nou since he joined the youth ranks in 1995 the 31-year-old stated that he never wanted to leave, despite his agent claiming he needed to be certain he would play regularly.

A deal has been struck that will see Puyol remain at Barcelona until 2013, when he will be 35, and should be signed and made official early next week, the club's official website reported.

"Carles will stay here for many years because he is a Barca man," Xavi was quoted as saying by El Mundo Deportivo. "He is an example to everyone and his renewal is fantastic news."

Ronaldinho Is Better On The Ball Than Kaka

Milan Coach Leonardo Ronaldinho may be much-maligned at Milan, but he still has what it takes to be a world beater, according to his coach...

Leonardo is convinced that Ronaldinho still has the quality to be a star and believes that the Milan ace is better at handling the ball than Kaka.

The two Brazilian players go head-to-head on Wednesday night as the Rossoneri visit Real Madrid in the Champions League, and the coach thinks his player can perform.

Kaka left Milan in the summer for €67 million and, despite the Brazilian's inconsistent first term at the San Siro, Leonardo turned to Ronaldinho to become the creator for the team.

"I think they are very different players, but they both have great skills in attack. They played together with Brazil and at Milan," Leonardo told a press conference.

"Ronaldinho may lack Kaka's acceleration, but he handles the ball better. They are both extraordinary players."

Four years after earning a standing ovation from sections of the Madrid crowd as a Barcelona player, Ronaldinho is back and Leonardo thinks that he retains his star status.

"There were a lot of people at Madrid airport to see him," he stated.

"He is still a special and outstanding player. I don't think people have lost interest in him."

Barcelona Star Thierry Henry Sidelined For 10 Days

The forward picked up an injury while on international duty with France...

Barcelona forward Thierry Henry has been ruled out for 10 days as a result of the injury he picked up on international duty with France, according to a report in Marca.

The Blaugrana medical team identified the injury as a hamstring strain, and Henry will therefore miss the crucial match with Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday.

However, there is better news for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede also picked up a knock against Albania, but reports suggest that he has only suffered some bruising to his right knee.

While he did not take part in training on Thursday, Ibrahimovic should be fit enough to play against los Che this weekend.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is also suffering from fatigue after taking part in Argentina's World Cup qualifiers but will likely feature on Saturday evening.

La Liga Is Not Just About Barcelona And Real Madrid - Gerard Pique

People are not looking at the big picture, according to the Blaugrana centre back...

After Sevilla's 2-1 victory against Real Madrid last weekend, Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has declared that people should be more aware of the threat that los Nervionenses and Valencia pose.

"There are a lot of teams playing at a high level like Sevilla or Valencia, who could also become involved," Pique told AS.

"The league is very open and it's not just about Real Madrid and Barcelona."

In the same vein, Pique does not believe that los Blancos are dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo, nor was his absence the reason for their defeat at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

"He is a very important player, but Real Madrid have more than one player. There are lots of new players and they have to adapt - they won't play perfectly on day one, and this was shown in Seville.

"I wouldn't say that [the defeat] was just because of the defence. Everyone was defending and the whole team attacked - the errors should not be attributed to the defence."

Gianluigi Buffon Expects 'Extraordinary' Match Between Juventus & Bayern Munich

The Italian international is looking forward to the match against the Germans... Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes the Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on Wednesday could be one for the history books.

"Against Bayern it will be a match for those with brave hearts, it is a match that is ferocious for footballers," he was quoted as saying by Datasport.

"On Wednesday we will have no hesitation or fear, because we are playing against a very strong team in an extraordinary context. On paper, the Bavarians are our rivals in the group, but we will fight them and Bordeaux for first place."

The shot stopper then turned his attention to Sunday's 1-1 draw with Bologna, where his side conceded an injury time equaliser.

"We have wasted an opportunity, but that is the beauty of football too," he mused.

"To give up a goal at the end always makes me angry, even if we are winning 5-0. It must serve as a lesson and we must turn it into a healthy setback."

The Bianconeri are now second in the Serie A standings, one point behind Sampdoria.

Pele: Barcelona's Lionel Messi Should Win World Player Award 

It's the Argentinians turn to capture the FIFA trophy. Brazil legend Pele says that Barcelona forward Lionel Messi should be crowned FIFA World Player of the Year.

The Argentinian was the key figure for Pep Guardiola's side this year as they won an unprecedented five trophies, picking up the European Club Footballer of the Year award along the way and now Pele says it's time Messi was recognised as the best in the world.

"After giving it to Ronaldinho, Kaka and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, now it's the turn of [Lionel] Messi," Pele said, according to Sport.

Pele also said that he hopes Messi's national side, Argentina do not miss out on World Cup qualification.

"It's hard to imagine a World Cup without Argentina. Nobody expected this to happen but that's football. It wouldn't be good for football if they were not there," he said.

No Real Madrid Deal In Place At All - Franck Ribery

With Real Madrid unable to prise the winger away from Bayern this year, he has already reacted to rumours about next summer...

Franck Ribery has dismissed suggestions that there is a deal in place for him to go to Real Madrid next summer, but did reiterate his desire to play in the Spanish league.

The French star has been chased by Los Merengues, among others, all summer, only for Bayern Munich to resist and keep hold of a player whom they see as crucial to their plans.

After Madrid announced that they had given up hopes of signing Ribery this year, reports surfaced that a deal had been struck that would see him go to the Bernabeu in 12 months' time.

"Is there an agreement between Bayern and Real for a transfer next summer? Never, I deny it. That is fake. Absolutely nothing has been sorted out so far," he told France Football.

"Bayern officials didn't propose to me any extension. Maybe we will talk. I have never closed any door.

"My preference is to move to Spain. One day I will play in La Liga."

Barcelona have also made their interest known, and Ribery appeared keen to move to Camp Nou last term after Barca played Bayern and he revealed that he had asked Thierry Henry about the club.

Barcelona Keeper Victor Valdes: repeating The Treble Is A Reality

Repeating The Treble Is A Reality - Barcelona Keeper Victor Valdes
The Spanish custodian believes it will be possible to emulate last year's success.

Barcelona clinched an unprecedented treble last season after adding the Champions League to the La Liga and the Copa del Rey titles, and keeper Victor Valdes thinks doing it again is achievable.

"It is a reality. Only a few teams have made it in history, it is very hard, but to do it we have to work," Valdes said at a press conference.

Valdes noted he does not think that defending Barcelona's treble will bring more pressure than that with which they are already familiar simply through playing for the Catalan giants.

"I believe that most importantly we defend the shirt of the best club in the world, and that involves a lot of things on all levels," he noted.

"One of them is that every day they demand the best of you and that you go out and defeat any team. That is a pressure but is a beautiful challenge.

"Being able to play in all competitions is a pride as a player, and being able to win them, some of them again and others for the first time, that is a beautiful pressure."

When asked about which club have more pressure - Barcelona in defending their treble, or Real Madrid through their heavy spending - Valdes stated: "Every club have their own level of pressure.

"Those are two great clubs worldwide and it is up to us to defend a lot of things this year. I only talk about what goes on in my house, and we have to defend these titles and try to win others. That is something nice."

Although Zlatan Ibrahimovic could not score for Barcelona on his debut, Valdes believes the Sweden international will be a big hit at the club.

"He can bring many positive things, in the aerial game, in holding the ball, creating spaces and pressuring," Valdes said.

"He requires a time to adapt, we are trying to help him in everything. I think he will be a player that will mark a season at the club."

Samuel Eto'o To Make Inter Debut In Pirelli Trophy Clash Against Monaco

Samuel Eto'o To Make Inter Debut In Pirelli Trophy Clash Against Monaco
Jose Mourinho will give Eto'o the nod and the wink tomorrow night...

Samuel Eto'o will make his debut for Inter when his side clash against Monaco for the Pirelli Trophy tomorrow night.

Il Corriere Dello Sport claims the former Barcelona hitman will take to the field in Monte Carlo from the first minute. Eto'o trained in front of around 1,000 fans who turned up to get a glimpse of their new hero.

According to reports, Jose Mourinho is likely to start off with the following formation as he tests the Diego Milito - Eto'o partnership.

Inter president Massimo Moratti was also at the training ground to see his man in action.

Voices claim the Nerazzurri are looking for another striker to replace the Cameroon international in January, as Eto'o will be involved in the African Cup of Nations from January 10 - 31.

The club continue to be linked with FC Twente striker Marko Arnautovic.

Barcelona's Ibrahimovic: I Am Not Here To Replace Samuel Eto'o

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is keen to be his own man at Camp Nou after completing a dream move...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed how he had an agreement with Inter that he would only leave for Barcelona and insisted that he is not at Camp Nou to replace Samuel Eto'o.

The giant Swedish international was presented to the media and then thousands of fans on Monday evening as he donned the Blaugrana number nine shirt for the first time.

Taking Eto'o's number though was no indication that he was going to be a direct substitute for the Cameroonian striker, who went to Inter in the exchange deal.

"Eto'o is part of the history book of this club and he will always be a hero here," said Ibrahimovic to the massed ranks of reporters.

"I have not come to replace Eto'o – I am somebody different, somebody new, but I will try to achieve as much as Eto'o did, or even more.

Ibrahimovic then heaped praise on Inter supremo Massimo Moratti for helping to complete what he views as a dream move to the European champions.

"Moratti helped me in every way, he did everything for me and my family," he continued.

"I said to Moratti a few months ago, 'Nobody can get me, only one club can get me and that's Barcelona', and he told me, 'If you want it like that you will get it like that'.

"So all my respect, because it is not easy to sell a player that means so much to the team."

Now Ibrahimovic cannot wait to start training and on Tuesday morning he was able to stop by and meet his new team-mates at training before heading to hospital for an operation on his hand.

"They have so many great players; Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Touré," he beamed.

"I know the team off by heart and I can't wait to play with them – I think playing with them will make me a better player. I'm living a dream."

Milan Put Ronaldinho On Strict Diet

The samba ace has been told to lose some weight this summer.

Milan have put Brazilian ace Ronaldinho on a strict diet, hoping he will lose at least four kilograms between now and the beginning of the season in August, according to Il Corriere Dello Sport.

‘Dinho’ returned to action on Monday afternoon for pre-season at Milanello and he has been working hard and with intensity. The report suggests the player is currently overweight and both Leonardo and athletic coach Daniele Tognaccini have devised a special exercise programme for the Brazilian so he can shift the extra pounds and be ready in time for next term.

Furthermore, it is suggested the player put on more weight during his summer holiday. A big season from Ronaldinho is expected this year as he will have to step up to the plate following Kaka's departure to Real Madrid. Patron Silvio Berlusconi is said to be counting on the Brazilian to lead the team in their battle for glory.

"Ronaldinho has been working hard during pre-season," Tognaccini told Sky Sport Italia.

"He has been doing specific exercises related to his physical condition. I think working with the ball is more stimulating for him."

Confederations Cup Team Of The Tournament

Brazil Team won the Confederations Cup. Carlo Garganese offers his picks for the best XI of the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Defence:

 Maicon (Brazil) – Twice made 'Team of the Round', scoring against the United States, and providing a number of assists, there can be little doubt that Maicon is the best right-back in the world.

Lucio (Brazil) – Brazil's best 'defender' during the competition, the Bayern Munich man also proved very dangerous at corners down the other end, and he scored the winner in the final that won the cup.

Matthew Booth (South Africa) – The symbol of South Africa's journey to fourth place. A towering presence at the heart of the Bafana Bafana defence, Booth showed real heart.

Tsepo Masilela (South Africa) – Consistently impressive down the left hand side throughout the competition. Defended well, and was exciting going forward too.

Midfield:

Clint Dempsey (United States) – Showed himself to be a man for the big occasion by scoring in both the semi-final and the final. The Fulham star has come on leaps and bounds in the last year or so.

Felipe Melo (Brazil) - What a difference Felipe Melo has made to Brazil since debuting in February. The Fiorentina man was a rock in the middle-of-the-park, heading home against the USA in the groups. Can now be considered as one of the world's best all-round midfielders.

Kaka (Brazil) – Real Madrid will be delighted to have Kaka on board based on his performances in South Africa. Electric throughout, scoring twice against Egypt, offering a number of assists, and instigating Brazil's attacks.

Attack:

David Villa (Spain) – Scored in all of the group games, and although he was slightly under-par in the semi-final and third-and-fourth playoff, the Spaniard still deserves his place in Team of the Tournament.

Luis Fabiano (Brazil) – Won the Golden Boot after scoring five goals, two of which were in the final against America. A much maligned player is Fabiano, but he hit back at his critics in South Africa.

Landon Donovan (United States) - USA's best player in each of their three group games, scoring against Italy, causing havoc in the 3-0 win over Egypt, and also finding the net in the final. A contender for Player of the Tournament, and easily good enough to be playing in Europe.

Brazil Team lift the Confederations Cup

The Americans made it tough, but quality told for the Selecao

Brazil fought back from 2-0 down to lift the Confederations Cup of 2009 with a thrilling victory in Johannesburg.

It was a deserved win for the Selecao, but one that also saw the USA show their counterattacking proficiency in the first half.

Clint Dempsey had the first real chance when he flashed a shot wide from twenty yards, but Brazil led up to the ten minute mark by placing pressure on the American final third.

But the USA found an excellent piece of cutting edge in the tenth minute to take the lead, Jonathan Spector launching a deep, deep cross that Lucio failed to deal with. There was Clint Dempsey to guide the ball past an oddly motionless Julio Cesar.

The Brazilians raised their game heading towards the half hour mark, but in fact this was to be their undoing. When Robinho surrendered the ball on the edge of the box in the 27th minute, the Americans launched a superb counter that culminated in Charlie Davies squaring an excellent one-two ball to Landon Donovan.

The ex-Bayern man, still having it all to do, managed a wonderful first touch to dink the ball past Lucio and then drilled home from the edge of the area.

Andre Santos could have pulled one back five minutes later as the Brazilians continued the pressure, but the frustration was clear as he picked up a needless booking soon after.

Robinho's long-range effort closed the half, though, with the impression that Brazil lacked end product despite a surfeit of possession and half-chances.

That was to change almost immediately after the restart. The hitherto-quiet Luis Fabiano netted Brazil's first of the evening with an excellent turn-and-shot from the edge of the box that caught Demerit flat-footed and proved too much for the impressive Tim Howard.

The hour mark approached with Brazil beginning to dominate, Tim Howard having plenty to do, but Davies also had a chance at the other end that Julio Cesar had to parry.

That wasn't before Brazil should have equalised, though. A swooping cross to Kaka saw the midfielder head home off the crossbar, with Tim Howard pawing it off the line. It actually seemed to go across, though, but the assistant failed to indicate a goal.

Still, Brazil managed the leveler soon afterwards, with Kaka being involved in the buildup. An excellent cross on the run found Robinho, who scooped the ball off the crossbar; Luis Fabiano was there to head home the rebound.

American hearts were well and truly broken ten minutes later as Elano's cross was met by a thundering header from Lucio, and Brazil seemed on course for victory.

Onyewu came close with a header at the other end, but Brazil had done enough in the second period to make it a third Confederations Cup.

The USA, meanwhile, will be bitterly disappointed, but have certainly won the respect of the footballing world after a gutsy and technically proficient tournament.
 

Deco has reiterated his desire to leave Stamford Bridge

The Portuguese player Deco has reiterated his desire to leave Stamford Bridge and is desperate to reunite with his compatriot Mourinho.

Serie A champions Inter are reportedly in talks with Premier League giants Chelsea over Portuguese pair Ricardo Carvalho and Deco and the midfielder admits he is looking for a fresh challenge.

“I had a rather difficult season at Chelsea. I had a serious injury and I could not play my best football,” Deco said to the Corriere dello Sport.

 “I was hoping for something different. My agent, Jorge Mendes, has talked to the club and said that I am not happy at Chelsea. I know full well that I have a contract but I would like to leave.

“Are Inter my preferred destination? Yes, I am waiting and I would love for this deal to go through.

” Deco has worked under Jose Mourinho at Porto, where they won the Champions League in 2004, and hopes to play alongside want-away Swedish ace Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the San Siro.

Barcelona Offer Liverpool Eto'o In Mascherano Deal

Barcelona Offer Liverpool Eto'o In Mascherano Deal
The Catalans are still interested in signing the Liverpool midfielder...

Barcelona are not giving up in their bid to sign Javier Mascherano this summer and are reportedly ready to use Samuel Eto'o as part of a deal that will see the Argentine move to Spain.

The Mirror reports that Barcelona have offered the striker to Liverpool and are still interested in signing Mascherano, despite assertions this week by Rafael Benitez that he is not for sale.

Certainly Eto'o's future at the Camp Nou does not look too promising at the moment with his contract running out next summer and an extension not yet signed.

The Cameroonian has been linked with a move to Inter as well as Liverpool and Manchester United, and it appears he could leave Barcelona.

Whether or not any deal for Mascherano would depend on a sale of Yaya Toure is not clear but the Argentine's agent, Walter Tamer, spoke this week about his client's dream to play for Barca.

One factor that the Spanish side might be looking to take advantage of is Liverpool's financial situation, which is not strong at the moment.

The Merseyside club will probably not have too much money to spend this summer and, with the forward line lacking depth, they might be tempted by Eto'o.

Around €70 million to land the France international

Los Blancos are willing to pay around €70 million to land the France international forward. According to a report in the British tabloid The Sun,
Spanish giants Real Madrid are likely to beat Chelsea in the race for Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery.

Los Blancos president Florentino Perez confirmed on Friday that the 26-year-old is one of their top transfer targets this summer.

Although he revealed that he is good friends with members of Die Roten's hierarchy, general manager Uli Hoeness responded by stating that the Bundesliga giants have no intention of selling one of their most prized assets.

However, it is claimed that once los Merengues have tied up a €70 million (£62m) deal for Milan star Kaka, they will offer a similar fee in the hope of landing the France international attacker.

Barcelona Win Champions League 2008-2009

Barcelona have won the Champions League at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, beating last year's winners Manchester United by two goals...

Players from both sides won their fitness battles to make the starting line-ups: Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry for Barcelona, and Rio Ferdinand for Manchester United.

 Otherwise, Sylvinho played in defence for the Catalan giants, with Sergi Busquets also starting. United made one change from the semi-finals: Ryan Giggs in for the suspended Darren Fletcher, with Park Ji-Sung again involved.

Manchester United, playing in white, made a positive start, with Anderson winning a free kick from Toure Yaya. Cristiano Ronaldo's ensuing delivery swerved low into the body of Victor Valdes and bounced clear, and the onrushing Park might have finished were it not for a strong block by Gerard Pique.

 Lionel Messi had his first crack at the other end, after 19 minutes, but his swerving drive was just high and wide. At the other end, it was clear that Ballon d'Or holder Ronaldo was trying to do it all himself in the final third. He squirmed away from Toure Yaya, but his shot trundled wide of the same post again.
Thus it finished, and Barcelona are the Champions League winners 2008-09.

Inter's Luis Figo Retires From Football

The Portuguese legend has announced his retirement from football, following the Nerazzurri's Scudetto success tonight... Luis Figo has hung up his boots, after Inter were crowned Italian champions following AC Milan's 2-1 defeat at Udinese.

Figo, 36, had already been linked with retirement last season after a bust-up with coach Roberto Mancini but Jose Mourinho's appointment made him reconsider and continue at the club for another year.

The 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year has now decided to call time on a very successful 20-year career on the same night Inter won their 17th Serie A trophy.

"This is the first time I am champion without playing," he told A BOLA. "This is the best way to end." The winger believes this Serie A trophy is special as Inter faced stiff competition to finish at the top of the table.

"In Italy, winning a title is always very hard, but with everyone in the fight [Juventus, AC Milan and Roma], unlike what happened with the other titles we claimed, you can say that this one was a little bit different, a little bit harder," he added.

Figo signed a deal with Al-Ittihad in 2007 but reneged on the offer after the Saudi Arabian side failed to meet the terms of the agreement.

And Figo, who has been linked with a move to Major League Soccer in the past, admits he could postpone retirement in order to play in a league outside of Europe.

He said, "I will not play again at the highest level. And I will most likely not accept any offer. Only if something special emerges and it is from outside of Europe. But it is not likely."

Figo, who was involved in a hugely controversial move from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000, won a total of 23 titles during his career, including a Champions League trophy in 2002.

The Portuguese ace made 127 appearances for his country, guiding the Seleccao to the Euro 2004 final, where they lost to Greece, and a fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Cup.

Barcelona Given 20,000 Tickets For Champions League Final

The Catalan side have been given nearly 20,000 seats in Rome...

Barcelona have been told today that they will receive 19,544 tickets for the UEFA Champions League final on May 27 in Rome and that the prices will range from €70 up to €200.

The official Barcelona website reports that, following a meeting with UEFA representatives on Friday, the Catalan club were given an exact figure for the number of tickets that the club could divide up as it sees fit for the clash with Manchester United.

The club will release 80% of the tickets to club members and supporters' clubs, with the remaining 20% to be given to those with contractual obligations, sporting connections and institutional commitments with Barca.

Hence the club has announced that there will be 15,634 supporters who will attend the game, while 3,909 will go to the aforementioned causes.

It is thought that Manchester United will be given a similar amount of tickets for the final, even though the Stadio Olimpico actually holds 72,700 fans.

It has also been confirmed that Pep Guardiola's side will be seen as the home team for the final and as a result will be allowed to wear their familiar colours of blaugrana for the match.

There will be four price categories for the UEFA Champions League final tickets in the Olympic Stadium in Rome. The cheapest ticket available will be €70, with €90 seats and €140 seats also available before the price rises to €200 for the most expensive.
 

Barcelona Batter Real Madrid At The Bernabeu

Barcelona were at their brilliant best this evening as they moved seven points clear at the top of La Primera by thrashing their nearest rivals on Madrid's home patch...

Barcelona humiliated Real Madrid at the Bernabeu this evening to move seven points clear at the top of La Primera Division with four games to play.

In a frenetic encounter, featuring eight goals, the Catalans outclassed their opponents in a terrific display of attacking football and could easily have had more goals than the six they scored.

After going behind early to a Gonzalo Higuain header they responded well and within seven minutes found themselves in front.

First Thierry Henry passed the ball around Iker Casillas and then with twenty minutes on the clock, Carles Puyol found himself unmarked from a free-kick to head into the net.

The Catalans were not about to stop at 2-1 either and they continued to push forward, forcing Casillas to make a few more saves before a Lassana Diarra mistake saw Lionel Messi add a third.

Madrid hit back soon after the break as yet another free-kick resulted in a goal, this time with Sergio Ramos heading home at the back post.

Henry scored his second soon afterwards, though, to secure the win. Later, Messi added another with a superb goal, before Gerard Pique got on the scoresheet after tapping home from close range.

The win puts Barcelona within touching distance of the Primera title and means that Madrid's season is all but over with four games left.

With both coaches deciding to go for their strongest teams from the start, it was little surprise that the match started at a frantic pace. Within the first minute Sergio Ramos had clumsily passed straight to Messi, who found Xavi, only for Iker Casillas to save his shot from outside the box. That chance set the tone for the early stages though as Arjen Robben darted through the Barcelona defence a couple of times and Messi set up Eto'o for the striker to disappointingly shoot straight at the 'keeper.

Guus Hiddink Knows It Will Be Hard For Chelsea To Stop Barcelona Star Messi

The Dutchman admits that he is hatching plans for the Argentine maestro, but it will tricky to prevent such a talent from shining...

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink seemingly has one man on his mind ahead of his side's Champions League trip to Catalunya to face Barcelona in the first leg of the semi-final. That man is Lionel Messi.

A lot of talk in recent weeks has centred around which of the Blues defenders will be tasked with marking the Argentine, but Hiddink acknowledges that whoever takes on the job will not find it easy.

"I think a lot of teams have shown it is very difficult to stop them, they are able to score. The front line is world class, Henry has class, experience, [Samuel] Eto'o I had as a young player at Real Madrid when he was 17, at that time he was already impressive and of course he got titles and experience," he explained to Chelsea's official website.

"Then of course, the youngster [Messi], who I have seen in the tournament for Argentina a few years ago. He has big promise, within a short period he made it happen completely. I like very much the way he plays, he does like the stardom of playing and it's very effective. It looks very simple but it is very difficult."

Jose Bosingwa, the Portuguese international usually deployed by the Blues as a right-back, will likely switch to the left for the game against Barca, in order to counter Messi's threat. Hiddink certainly seemed to think the player was capable of coping with such a daunting task.

"We have some more options, but if he is doing well he can do the job," the Dutchman added.

"If you go to a double man [marking system], then we fail somewhere, another player with the quality to cause the damage. If you focus too much on that you forget there are other big players that can do the damage."

Some sides have adopted a less than wholesome approach against Barcelona recently, committing systematic fouls in an attempt to disrupt the flow of the Catalans' game. Hiddink concluded by asserting that this would not be the tactic used by his side, stating, "I haven't thought of that and it will not become an idea to play them in that way. These are those players that make football attractive to see.

"Of course we want to stop him but we will never use means outside of the rules. That's not to say there are not clashes, normal duels that are physical, but not out of what is permitted."
 

Ronaldinho: Milan's Objective Is The Champions League

The former Barcelona star claims his side's only goal is to enter Europe's premier club competition next season...

Milan finished a disappointing fifth in Serie A last season, missing out on the Champions League in the process. It is no secret that their objective is to return to the continental stage and Ronaldinho is pleased his side are close to achieving their goal.

"We are experiencing a crucial moment of the season. I am glad that I am feeling good during a positive spell for the team," the optimistic Brazilian told Milan Channel.

"I want to be at my best by the end of the week. I'm glad I have recovered from my injury. I feel that I'm ready to help out the team."

The Rossoneri have typically done well in the Champions League in recent years, winning the competition in 2003 and 2007, as well as being finalists in 2005.

"The goal of the entire team is to reach the Champions League, while my personal goal is to play better," he revealed.

"In May we have some important matches like the one against Juventus, and the best way to prepare is to give our maximum effort in all our matches. Here at Milan, we have a great desire to return to the Champions League."

Ronaldinho started the season off well, but has had little impact in 2009, suffering from both injury and poor form. Overall, he has eight goals in 24 Serie A matches.

It Is Impossible To Play In La Paz - Lionel Messi

The Argentine players reflected on their humiliating loss to Bolivia...

Lionel Messi has declared today that playing against Bolivia in La Paz was "impossible" but that it is not an excuse for their 6-1 thrashing.

Argentina were completely outclassed by their hosts and looked a shadow of the side that had destroyed Venezuela a few days earlier.

Speaking to Tyc Sports before they fly back to join their respective club sides, many of the players reflected on the defeat, including Messi.

"Personally, I think that it is impossible to play there, even though there are players who go there and play. That cannot be an excuse for the loss though," he mused.

"We did not expect to lose like that. It cost us to play in La Paz but for them it was alright. We are hurt by how the game turned out. We have to continue ahead, to keep doing the good things that this team does and then to correct our mistakes."

Whilst Messi was critical of the altitude that the game was played at, other players were more accepting of the way that Bolivia outclassed them, such as captain Javier Mascherano.

"Bolivia played the perfect game," he said after the defeat.

"For some of us, playing at that height was new, for others it was not, but we cannot say that we lost because of it. We lost because our opponents played better and we did not do things well."

Gabriel Heinze also attributed his team's defeat to the way that Bolivia played, but believes Argentina can learn from it.

"This has to be something that we learn from and it will bring us closer, this is good and we are growing in all senses," he affirmed.

Chelsea Are Interested In Juventus Star David Trezeguet

The Frenchman’s representative has confirmed that the Blues and other Premier League sides are chasing his client.

Despite Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli denying that the club has been contacted by Chelsea over the availability of striker David Trezeguet, the player’s agent has insisted that his client’s future could indeed lie in England.

“A divorce could suit both parties,” Antonio Caliendo told Tuttosport. “David is now only focussed on the Scudetto race as he wants to catch Inter and does not want to think about anything else.

“But Chelsea and three other important English sides have targeted David and I can’t deny that he would gladly move to England. He likes the Premier League and could excel there.”

The 31-year-old’s contract will run out in 2011, however, he fell out with coach Claudio Ranieri after being substituted during a Champions League game against Chelsea last month and could decide to seek a fresh start at the end of the season.

“We will talk with the Juve directors,” continued the representative. “We have an excellent rapport with them and I don’t need to hide anything from them.

“They are aware of this situation, but they also want to just focus on the Scudetto at the moment. That is why we will discuss the matter in due time.”

Dunga Gives Ronaldinho Total Freedom In Brazil Team

With the absence of Kaka, Dunga has allowed Ronaldinho total freedom for when Brazil take on Ecuador on Sunday...

It was confirmed that Kaka won't take part in the game due to injury, and because of this Dunga will allow his AC Milan teammate, Ronaldinho, more freedom to work his magic.

"With the ball at his feet he will have complete freedom. But when he isn't with the ball he is going to have to run back and help out. He is a player with great creativity and I hope he takes advantage of all of his characteristics, to do well," said Dunga.

Ronaldinho will be expected to perform, even if Brazil face Ecuador, a team who they have struggled against in Quito in recent years.

Dunga responded to declarations made by Ecuador boss Sixto Vizuete, who claimed that the Brazilians are "scared" of the high altitude in Quito.

"Everyone works in their own way. We exclusively think about the Selecao. We respect all of our rivals, but we can't worry about what they say, we have to think about ourselves. Every coach has his style."

In respect to his starting formation, Dunga said they will repeat the same team who beat Italy 2-0 in a friendly match in London.

"We have come here with the idea of that team, we worked with it in training. We don't have much time to train, but we have to be solid when the time comes to play. We have to work hard. Against Italy we played well and there's no reason why this should change now," he concluded.

I Never Want To Leave Barcelona - Lionel Messi

The Argentine has declared his desire to stay with the Catalan club...


Lionel Messi has admitted today that if it were up to him he would never leave Barcelona as he is happy there.

The Argentine has been linked with a move away from the Camp Nou lately but has stated on previous occasions that he is not likely to leave Catalonia any time soon.

Now, speaking to AS, he not only declared that he would not leave the club, but assured that he would certainly not leave for arch-rivals Real Madrid.

"I would not sign for Real Madrid, if it were up to me I would stay with Barcelona my whole life," he declared.

"There are things that money cannot buy, like happiness, and how well I am in Barcelona right now."

Certainly the young forward has impressed greatly with Barcelona and they would surely be delighted were he to stay with them for the foreseeable future.

Messi was speaking today at an event to raise awareness for Fragile X Syndrome and declared his happiness at helping the cause.

"I loved the idea and it is very good to help. It has gone better than expected and it is a very good gesture," he said of the campaign.

Milan Legend Paolo Maldini: This Will Be My Last Season

Paolo Maldini confirmed that he will retire from football at the end of this campaign...

Milan defender Paolo Maldini has all but confirmed his retirement this season by revealing that his body will not allow him to play beyond the final whistle come May.

Maldini, who has been a loyal servant to the Rossoneri for his entire professional career, has always maintained his stance on calling it a day at the end of this term.

The Italian international will turn 41-years-old in June and he admits that his legs will not be able to carry him through another tough season next year.

"I am still here today because I still have fun playing," Maldini told the club's official website.

"I think that you need to be lucky and avoid major injuries to enjoy a career like mine.

"However, even my body has begun to feel the strains, and this will be my last season. I don't think that my body will allow me to play beyond this [term] at the highest level."

The Italian international is set to hang up his boots in May, despite some voices suggesting that he should go on another year.

Ronaldinho Prepares For Milan Derby By Having A New Hair Cut!

Ronaldinho Prepares For Milan Derby By Having A New Hair Cut.
While most Milan players were preparing for the derby on the training pitch, 'Dinho got ready by going to the barbers...

Milan ace Ronaldinho is keen to impress in the derby, in fact so much so that he has taken time off to have a new haircut, so he looks his best during Sunday's showdown clash with Inter.

The Brazilian, who was in hot form against Italy on Tuesday, is likely to regain his place in the starting XI as Kaka will miss the game through injury.

Ronaldinho was not able to escape the photographers and cameramen who chased him around Milan and into a luxury hair salon.

Sport.es claims the play-maker was a little fussy with his style and the hairdresser worked patiently to ensure the 2002 World Cup winner was happy with his new look.

According to the Spanish publication, Ronaldinho was never previously seen having a new hairstyle done in public and he never went to Manolo Garcia, a hairdresser who is reputedly popular amongst many Blaugrana players.

The talented player then left and went home to show off his new hair to the rest of the family. He is likely to play in the derby and he will be hoping for a repeat performance from the reverse as he was the match-winner on that occasion.

Milan will need Ronaldinho to be in top form against Inter as they are currently eight points behind the league leaders. If the player is not at his best, then he will at least be looking like it with his new chop.

Juventus Without Buffon And Marchisio For Coppa Italia Tie

Juventus Without Buffon And Marchisio For Coppa Italia Tie
The Bianconeri welcome back a few key players for tomorrow night's game against Napoli, but one or two important names will be missing from the team sheet.


Juventus host surprise package Napoli at the Olimpico in Turin on Wednesday night in a Coppa Italia quarter-final that will be decided in a single match, with the winner going on to face Lazio in the semi-finals.

Juventus go into the match on the back of two losses in the row in Serie A which has seen the Bianconeri lose ground to leaders Inter.

Napoli are also experiencing a difficult moment in terms of results, with a draw and two losses in their last three games denting their confidence.

The Bianconeri have a few players missing through injury, as both midfielder Cristiano Zanetti and defender Giorgio Chiellini recently suffered setbacks, and will not be available against the Partenopei.

Claudio Marchisio is another Juventino that is set to miss out with a slight muscle problem, while 'keeper Gianluigi Buffon is absent with flu.

Juve also have some good news however, as David Trezeguet, Tiago and Mauro Camoranesi are all called up, following some time out recovering.

Both sides will be desperate to win the encounter and progress, thereby giving their fans something to cheer about. Juve have not won the Italian Cup since the 1994-95 campaign, but they will be confident of their chances as they attempt to go one step closer to their aim tomorrow night.

Barcelona Plan Two New Signings And A Contract Extension For Eto'o

Pep Guardiola is already holding meetings with Barcelona's technical secretary Txiki Begiristain about the formation of the squad for next term and lot will depend on how the current campaign concludes.

Barcelona will only add two new players in the summer and try and tempt Samuel Eto'o to pen a contract extension at the club if they do not complete a clean sweep of trophies, according to a report.

The Blaugrana are the current favourites to win the Spanish League and Copa del Rey in addition to the Champions League, but already coach Pep Guardiola is planning for next season.

If the Catalan outfit complete a unique treble then a rethink will be made in order to ensure that the squad does not lose the hunger that appeared to leave them after tasting European success in 2006.

As things stand, the plans being drawn up at Camp Nou see Barça adding just two new players, like they did in 2005 when Mark van Bommel and Santi Ezquerro joined. Of course, the following season Barça went on to win the Champions League.

Henrique is also set to join after spending the season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen and that decision, which was confirmed by the Brazilian central defender's agent, Naor Malaquías, leaves question marks over Martín Cáceres and Gaby Milito.

Thierry Henry and Eidur Gudjohnsen are two other players that Barça could be tempted to let go, but the former will only be allowed to leave if David Silva arrives from Valencia.

Eto'o is considered to be one of Guardiola's main summer projects as he mulls over whether to offer the Cameroonian striker a new deal, given the fee that he could command.

Next season the free-scoring striker will participate in the African Cup of Nations and shall be heavily involved in internationals leading up to the World Cup Finals in South Africa.

That could see Barcelona tempted to cash in on his form and plough all the money into prising David Villa to Camp Nou and away from the clutches of Real Madrid.

Milan President Silvio Berlusconi Cancels Kaka Deal

Milan President Silvio Berlusconi Cancels Kaka Deal At Last Minute
It was all settled: Kaka was joining Man City. Then Berlusconi stepped in at the last minute, and incredibly called off the deal...

Following one of the most astonishing turnarounds in transfer history, Kaka's move to Manchester City has now officially fallen through.

It was reported on SKY Italia at just past 2230 CET that Milan and Manchester City had agreed a fee, and that a transfer was almost certain, with only Kaka's signature required to complete the deal.

However, in an incredible turnaround, Milan President Silvio Berlusconi stepped in to call off the deal, claiming Kaka is "unsellable" and "will be staying at Milan."

Crunch talks were held this evening in Milan between Bosco Leite - Kaka's father and agent - as well as City chief executive Garry Cook and Milan officials.

There were rumours that Kaka would be announced as a City player in the morning. The 26-year-old was escorted by police from his house this evening, shortly after he was seen holding aloft a Rossoneri shirt and applauding protesting fans.

Berlusconi has now appeared live on SKY Italia and declared: "I am very happy.

"Kaka is not only a great player on the pitch, he is also a very honourable man.

"Not only is money not everything to him, he is happy to stay at Milan with all his friends.

"He is touched with everything he has received from all the fans in Milan who pleaded him to stay.

"Kaka has never held Milan to ransom by trying to up his own contract while considering Manchester City's offer.

"He hasn't asked for an extra penny to stay here - he is a very honourable man.

"What has happened over the last week with Man City proves that money is not everything in football.

"Milan told Kaka about the offer of Man City, just like we did with Sheva [Andriy Shevchenko] about Chelsea.

"The offer Kaka received was substantially more, but he never held Milan to ransom, and chose to stay.

"Me personally, as a football fan, I am very, very happy

"He's very strong spiritually. Underneath his shirt, he wears 'I belong to Jesus' so he's very spiritual.

"He is an extraordinary boy."

Manchester City have just issued their own take on the events, and they claim that it was them, and not Berlusconi, who called off the deal.

Kaka's Family Pushing Him Towards Manchester City

Kaka is being pushed to City by his own family, triggering suggestions that money is the motive behind it.

Kaka's father Bosco is expected to land in Milan later this afternoon in order to push his son towards Manchester City as the move begins to gather momentum.

Bosco, who also acts as the player's agent, will have a long talk with Kaka to discuss plans for a move to Manchester City and help push the deal through.

La Gazzetta Dello Sport claims the agent has already asked Milan for Kaka's wages to be increased if the club want him to stay. Such a demand seems unlikely to be fulfilled as the player is already earning €9 million per season after tax; City are reputedly offering around €15m per year. Bosco is pressing ahead for his son to sign for the English side and it seems as if money is the only reason behind his wishes.

The Rossoneri have not responded to the wage increase demand from the agent just yet but, if the answer from the club is a 'no', then Kaka is likely to be pushed by his own father to leave Milan and sign for City.

It is believed the Italians will refuse the increase after president Silvio Berlusconi revealed he wanted to balance the club's wage sheet on Saturday, triggering suggestions that he is not prepared to offer the Brazilian a higher wage.

Kaka is the highest paid player at Milan while Ronaldinho, who earns around €4m per season, is second. The club are afraid other players may begin to ask for increases and this will cause instability.

There was talk about Real Madrid making a last-minute offer but the very latest reports suggest that was just paper talk as the Spanish giants have not come forward yet.

Ronaldinho’s House Burgled By Bumbling Thieves

Thieves are running rampant around Italy – first Napoli’s Marek Hamsik, now Milan star Ronaldinho is the one to suffer. But there is a funny side to this story… Just days after Slovakian sensation Marek Hamsik was robbed at gunpoint in Naples, another Serie A star, Ronaldinho, has suffered at the hands of thieves.

The Brazilian star’s villa in Galliate Lombardo was burgled during Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday morning, with bandits taking tens of thousands pounds worth of jewellery and watches.

Ronaldinho was not at home at the time, as he had flown out to Brazil for the Christmas holidays only a few hours earlier.

Incredibly, the thieves, who obviously did not plan their robbery very well, overlooked Ronaldinho’s most prized possession, which was staring them right in the face - the trophy cabinet which contains all the medals he has won during his career, including his prestigious 2005 Golden Ball.

Thieves become thieves for a number of reasons – and a lack of intelligence is often one of them.

Kaka Unhappy With Milan Tactics

Former golden ball winner Kaka has revealed he is not happy with how he is being used on the field by Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti. Milan have attained some poor results this season and sit six points behind Inter in the standings. It seems Kaka has become frustrated with the tactics Milan are using ahead of their match with Catania on Sunday.

It appears that the Brazilian believes he and compatriot Ronaldinho are having difficulty co-existing in the current Milan formation, according to ANSA.

"There are some problems, we run so much and are not compact," he explained. "I was accustomed to being by Seedorf, just behind a single striker, usually Inzaghi."

Now, it seems Ronaldinho is playing further upfront and Kaka needs to do more of the dirty work. "Ronaldinho? Before I could move from side to side and had more opportunities in attack. Now, I don't like the way I'm playing."

Kaka is still expected to be in the line-up with Ronaldinho on Sunday against the Sicilians at the San Siro.

Inzaghi: Kaka Will End His Career At Milan

Like two sheeps looking for grass, Supperpippo is convinced his Brazilian team-mate will follow in his footsteps and retire at the club.

Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi is convinced teammate Kaka will end his career at the club, despite the Brazilian claiming he wants to play in England.

Kaka had the alarm bells ringing at San Siro this week when he told the media of his ambition to play in the Premier League. This was followed by reports that Manchester City were ready to launch a €100 million transfer assault for the star.


The Rossoneri have always stated clearly that their prized asset is not for sale at any price and Inzaghi insists this is still the case.


So confident of Kaka's stay is Superpippo, that he has gone as far as to say that Kaka will retire at Milan.

"I cannot see Kaka wearing another jersey,” Inzaghi told Il Corriere Dello Sport.

"He is loved by everyone here and he adores the environment at Milan. I know what he thinks about this club, so I am very tranquil.

"He only said that he admires the Premier League and it's a different thing than going to play there.

"Wait and see - Kaka will follow me and he will finish his career at Milan."

Il Diavolo have Scudetto ambitions this season, but Inzaghi thinks winning it will be easier said than done. Indeed, he believes this year's title race will be long and hard.

"It will be difficult for every team this season because the league is more balanced," added Inzaghi.

"There are more teams capable of winning the Scudetto and I think it will be fun for all the fans."
 

Dunga Explains 'Dinho Snub

Brazilian national team coach Carlos Dunga has commented on his team selection, from which Milan's Ronaldinho has once again been left out.
Dunga has chosen Inter Milan's troubled striker Adriano in his squad to face Portugal on Wednesday, but Ronaldinho has been left out.

The Rossonero has done well since his transfer from Barcelona in the summer, and his fitness and condition has improved immensely.

Ronaldinho's goals have helped Milan to a comfortable position in the UEFA Cup group stages and second place in Serie A, one point behind leaders Inter.

Despite his performances and his improvement since last playing for Dunga at the Olympics, he will not take part in the midweek international friendly.

The skillful Milan star may lose confidence after yet another game going by without pulling on the blue and gold of Brazil, but Dunga is keen to explain that his omission is merely a precaution to afford him rest.

“I know that 'Dinho works hard and does well at Milan. I don't need to risk him in this friendly.

“I just want him to get back to perfect condition as soon as possible because he is an irreplaceable player for us,” said the Selecao coach.

Raul: I Dreamt Of Milan

Real Madrid captain Raul has been playing with the Spanish giants for 14 years, but he admits to being fascinated by Italian players and that he fantasized about a Rossoneri future when he was a kid. The Merengues stalwart was given his debut in a Real shirt in October 1994 and has won an endless number of prestigious trophies with the Blancos, but he confesses to having two Italian players as his role models: Milan captain Paolo Maldini and ex-Italy legend Roberto Baggio.

"I grew up with Roberto and now I am getting old with Paolo," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "I loved watching Baggio play football, and when I finally managed to meet him, I realized what a great person he truly is.

"As for Paolo, I was still a kid when he was already lifting European cups, I am 31 now and he is still there. He is a true professional and a point of reference for all the footballers.

"There are few like him: Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti, Paul Scholes or Ryan Giggs, who have spent their whole careers in big and demanding clubs, where you always need to give your all."

Raul has always played for the Blancos and will end his career in Madrid, but he admits that several clubs tried to lure him away over the years.

"Yes, they did approach me, but my answer was always the same," noted the striker, "and, after all, everybody knew I was keen to stay put.

"However, I did have some fantasies when I was little and dreamt about my footballing future: I often thought about Milan, and I would have loved to play with legends such as Marco Van Basten, Carlo Ancelotti, Ruud Gullit and Roberto Donadoni. Just think about a Raul-Van Basten partnership."
 

Ronaldinho Rips Apart Sorry Samp

Ronaldinho scored twice, and Pippo Inzaghi once, as an impressive Milan side swept past sorry Sampdoria 3-0 at San Siro.
Milan still had selection problems coming into this game, as Andrea Pirlo, Philippe Senderos, Kakha Kaladze, and Rino Gattuso were injured, and Gianluca Zambrotta suspended. Kaka was rested, meaning that Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato supported the returning Marco Borriello in attack.

Sampdoria, who still had not won in Serie A this season, were minus the services of centre backs Pietro Accardi and Hugo Campagnaro, as well as midfielders Angelo Palombo and Daniele Dessena. Gennaro Delvecchio was the link to forward and star man Antonio Cassano.

First Half

There was a bright start to the game, and Stefano Lucchini made a vital block on Pato's left footed shot after the Brazilian had been threaded through by Borriello.

On five minutes Cassano launched a counter-attack, and delivered a delightful through ball for Paolo Sammarco, whose angled shot was pushed away by Christian Abbiati. Jonathan Bottinelli then rose highest at a corner, and headed a couple of yards wide.

Sampdoria looked dangerous when they came forward, and Paolo Maldini saved Milan's skin with a fantastic block on Marco Padalino's 20-yard shot.

Midway through the first half, Delvecchio executed a stunning bicycle kick on the edge of the area that finished just a yard wide, with Abbiati scrambling across his goal.

Milan then created the best chance of the game so far, as Marek Jankulovski embarked on a wonderful solo run, before playing a one-two with Ronaldinho, but with just Luca Castellazzi to beat, he shot weakly at the Samp goalkeeper.

Cassano was displaying all of his class every time he touched the ball, and he turned swiftly on 37 minutes to force Abbiati into a routine save.

Milan almost had another fine opportunity a few minutes later, as Pato played a one-two with Ronaldinho, but the game's outstanding player so far, Lucchini, made a brilliant goal-saving tackle.

Second Half

Carlo Ancelotti made one change at half time, replacing Pato with compatriot Kaka. The European and World Footballer of the Year almost scored with his first touch as he headed just wide from a left wing cross. Milan really put their foot on the accelerator at the start of the second half, and Kaka also saw a shot deflected off target.

On 53 minutes the home side were given the perfect chance to break the deadlock as Lucchini was, somewhat harshly, penalised for handling a Jankulovski cross in the area. Lucchini, and his coach Walter Mazzarri, were furious, but this didn't perturb Ronaldinho who buried his penalty past Castellazzi. Lucchini was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

The former Barcelona man was really in his stride now, and on 65 minutes he scored his and Milan's second of the afternoon, combining with Kaka before bursting into the area and sliding the ball into the bottom corner.

Borriello was not far away from adding a third with a delightful improvised chipped effort from 25 yards that finished not too far wide. The 40-year-old Maldini then proved that he is a superhuman by bursting past his man down the left and crossing for Borriello, who didn't get enough on his header.

Ronaldinho was now searcing for his hat-trick, and he whipped a free kick over the bar from just outside the area. Down the other end Cassano produced a piece of magic, turning smartly before curling just over from 30 yards out.

Massimo Ambrosini's miss-hit cross almost lofted into the far corner, while substitute Emerson headed over from a croner, as Milan continued to come forward. With six minutes remaining Ronaldinho again went close, as his half volley was kicked away by Castellazzi.

In the final minute of play, Milan did indeed get a third, and it was substitute Pippo Inzaghi who grabbed the goal. A brilliant team move involving Ronaldinho, Kaka and Ambrosini ended with Inzaghi rounding Castellazzi and slotting home.

There was still time for Ronaldinho to force Castellazzi into another save from a free kick, as Milan won 3-0 in what was a impressive victory. Sampdoria are still yet to win this season, and drop into the relegation zone.
 

Kaka and Robinho lead Brazil to victory

World player of the year Kaka returned after an 11-month international absence to inspire five-time champions Brazil to a 4-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Venezuela here on Sunday.

The 26-year-old AC Milan star was on target after just five minutes and set up the third goal as Brazil moved back into the second place in the South American standings with 16 points, four behind leaders Paraguay.

Manchester City ace Robinho also grabbed a share of the headlines with two sublime goals.

Venezuela came into the match buoyed by having won a friendly between the two nations 2-0 in a friendly in Boston last year, their first ever victory ending a run of 17 successive defeats against their illustrious rivals.

However, within 20 minutes, any hopes Venezuela coach Cesar Farias had off overseeing another shock were extinguished.

With just six minutes gone, Kaka beat goalkeeper Renny Vega with a shot from a difficult angle which went in off the post. It was the AC Milan star's 23rd international goal in his 60th appearance.

Four minutes later, Robinho made it 2-0 when he cut inside from the left and drove the ball into the back of the net from 30 yards.

By the 20th minute, it was 3-0 with troubled striker Adriano, recalled this year after a series of fitness and disciplinary problems, finding the net from close range.

Kaka had broken from midfield and sent Elano, another Manchester City player on the pitch, free down the left-hand side.

His shot fell invitingly for Adriano to beat Vega and to justify his selection by coach Dunga who was deprived of the injured Luis Fabiano.

Venezuela had chances to hit back before half-time as Brazil's defensive frailties looked in danger of being exposed, but Alejandro Guerra, Jorge Rojas, Juan Arango and Giancarlo Maldonado all wasted opportunities.

Adriano was booked on the stroke of half-time which means he will be suspended for Wednesday's visit of Colombia.

Brazil keeper Julio Cesar was twice called on early in the second half to save from Maldonado at close range.

Venezuela, the only South American team never to have played in a World Cup, paid for their wastefulness after 69 minutes when Robinho added his second goal of the night being put through by Kleber.

Robinho controlled the ball superbly, steadied himself and slotted the ball into the corner of the net.
 

Juventus To Swoop For Tourè?

According to Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, sporting director Alessio Secco and CEO Jean-Claude Blanc have pinpointed the missing piece in the Old Lady midfield.

The Blaugrana holding midfielder is allegedly at odds with coach Pep Guardiola, and the Bianconeri could be poised to make a sizeable offer to prise him away from the Nou Camp, when the transfer market reopens next January.

Tuttosport claims that the player's agent has been presented with a bid of a five-year-contract worth €3.8million per season.

Blanc had hinted earlier this week that Juve are prepared to scour the market in January "if there are opportunities to improve".

The Bianconeri bolstered their midfield with the purchase of Danish international Christian Poulsen, but his acquisition raised eyebrows in Turin, for the supporters had been keen on seeing gifted Liverpool playmaker Xabi Alonso at the Stadio Olimpico.

Poulsen has yet to kick into gear for the Old Lady, but Blanc and president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli have shown their support for the fiery midfield man by stating that his signature was considered very carefully and that in the next few games the Danish will prove his worth.
 

Henry: Messi The Best Footballer In The World

While on a promotional visit to Buenos Aires, French striker Thierry Henry revealed that he believes Lionel Messi is the best player in the world. Henry, who will turn 31 in August, praised his Barcelona team-mate, and insisted the Argentine "is the best footballer in the world".

Since arriving at the Catalan giants last season, Henry has had the opportunity to observe the Albicelestes star first hand, and he affirmed that he has been blown away by his exceptional skills.

"I have the possibility to watch Messi in training each morning, and because of what he demonstrates he is the best player in the world," he stated during a press conference.

"It is a pleasure to watch him, and because of the way he plays he is an undisputed leader of the Barcelona team."

The 1998 World Cup winner also praised Boca Juniors playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, a player who he regards as being "different" and that he likes very much because he "plays as if he were playing on the street".

Finally, Henry stated that he cannot understand how Argentina, the team he regards as being the best in the world, "hasn't won a title [the World Cup] in 22 years".

News source: Goal.com