Archive soccer news from around the world
North Korean football in dock after ugly crowd scenes (Mar 31, 2005)
North Korean football was in the dock after thousands of fans went on the rampage following a World Cup qualifier defeat by Iran, hurling bottles and chairs at players and officials. . . . more . . .
Brazilian Lincoln flattered by Real interest (Mar 31, 2005)
Schalke 04's Brazilian playmaker Lincoln admits he is flattered by talk of interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid but vowed to stay at the Arena Auf Schalke. . . . more . . .
Argentina and Brazil lead the way in South America qualifiers (Mar 31, 2005)
Powerhouses Argentina and Brazil consolidated their positions atop the South American zone World Cup qualifying groups after the latest round of matches. . . . more . . .
Pennant released from prison (Mar 31, 2005)
Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant has been released from prison after serving 31 days of a three-month sentence for drink driving offences. . . . more . . .
Chelsea faces crunch UEFA disciplinary hearing (Mar 31, 2005)
Chelsea were facing a potentially damaging disciplinary hearing at European soccer's governing body UEFA, following the English side's claim that referee Anders Frisk acted improperly during their Champions League clash against Barcelona. . . . more . . .
Chelsea fined and Mourinho banned by UEFA (Mar 31, 2005)
Chelsea were fined 50,000 euros and their manager Jose Mourinho banned for two games by UEFA here for accusing referee Anders Frisk of improper conduct in the Champions League clash with Barcelona. . . . more . . .
Beckham defends Owen after Alberto attack (Mar 31, 2005)
England captain David Beckham has called for Michael Owen to be shown "more respect" after the striker was on the receiving end of a bitter verbal attack by Azerbiajan boss Carlos Alberto. . . . more . . .
Saving Lazio prevented fan violence, says Berlusconi (Mar 31, 2005)
Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the deal to save Lazio from bankruptcy prevented the threat of violence from the Rome club's volatile fans. . . . more . . .
Donovan leaves Bundesliga to join MLS Los Angeles Galaxy (Mar 31, 2005)
American striker Landon Donovan has returned to Major League Soccer from Bayer Leverkusen of the German Bundesliga and will play for the Los Angeles Galaxy, who open the MLS season on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Shearer postpones retirement plans: reports (Mar 31, 2005)
Former England skipper Alan Shearer has cancelled plans to retire and will play on for Newcastle next season, reports said. . . . more . . .
Late-show Poles keep up pressure on England (Mar 30, 2005)
Poland kept up the pressure on England for automatic qualification for the 2006 World Cup from Group 6 with a slender 1-0 win against Northern Ireland. . . . more . . .
Kuwait and Saudi battle to stalemate (Mar 30, 2005)
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia battled to a 0-0 stalemate leaving South Korea in the Group A driving seat in the race for the 2006 World Cup finals. . . . more . . .
Croats and Czechs turn up World Cup pressure (Mar 30, 2005)
Croatia and the Czech Republic boosted their dreams of making the 2006 World Cup finals with convincing wins as another busy night of qualifiers got underway in Europe. . . . more . . .
Sissoko joins Kanoute in Mali quit threat (Mar 30, 2005)
Mali midfielder Mohamed Sissoko joined Tottenham striker Frederic Kanoute in considering retirement from international football following the violence which followed the team's shock World Cup defeat to Togo at the weekend. . . . more . . .
Ukraine eye first World Cup finals with Denmark victory (Mar 30, 2005)
Ukraine shrugged off the absence of injured star striker Andrei Shevchenko to beat Denmark 1-0 and take another huge step towards their first ever World Cup finals. . . . more . . .
Kanoute shocked by death threats after Mali defeat (Mar 30, 2005)
Tottenham striker Fredi Kanoute says he may quit playing for his country Mali after he was threatened by angry fans following the 2-1 World Cup qualifier loss to Togo last weekend. . . . more . . .
Bayern can do the treble says Kahn (Mar 30, 2005)
Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn claims Bayern Munich are more than capable of winning the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup this season to lift a historic treble. . . . more . . .
Rooney assault claim withdrawn (Mar 30, 2005)
A student who said he'd been assaulted by England striker Wayne Rooney has withdrawn his claims, police said. . . . more . . .
Eriksson fearful of player burn-out (Mar 30, 2005)
Sven-Goran Eriksson fears the demands of international football may lead to a growing number of players cutting short their England careers. . . . more . . .
Iran win marred by crowd trouble as Japan get back on track (Mar 30, 2005)
Iran overpowered North Korea 2-0 in Pyongyang triggering an angry reaction from home fans while Japan were gifted a 1-0 win over Bahrain thanks to an own goal in their Asian World Cup qualifier. . . . more . . .
Angry scenes in Pyongyang after World Cup loss to Iran (Mar 30, 2005)
Wild scenes erupted in Pyongyang after North Korea lost their World Cup football qualifier to Iran, with angry fans throwing bottles and chairs at the referee and visiting team. . . . more . . .
Scotland not for me says Juninho (Mar 30, 2005)
Brazil maestro Juninho says he is quitting Scottish football having become disillusioned with the way the game is played north of the border. . . . more . . .
Coyne blunder kills Wales hopes (Mar 30, 2005)
Wales' nightmare World Cup campaign suffered a new low when a blunder by goalkeeper Danny Coyne handed Austria a 1-0 victory in their Group Six clash. . . . more . . .
Own goal hands Japan 1-0 win over Bahrain in World Cup qualifier (Mar 30, 2005)
Japan kept their bid to qualify for next year's World Cup finals in Germany on track with a 1-0 victory over Bahrain in Asian qualifying, courtesy of an own goal. . . . more . . .
Leverkusen to cut losses with US star Donovan (Mar 30, 2005)
Bayer Leverkusen have told US international midfielder Landon Donovan that he can leave the club opening the door for a swift return to his homeland. . . . more . . .
Ukraine eye World Cup finals with Denmark victory (Mar 30, 2005)
Ukraine shrugged off the absence of star striker Andrei Shevchenko to beat Denmark 1-0 and take another huge step towards their first ever World Cup finals. . . . more . . .
Mourinho defiant as Chelsea prepare for hearing (Mar 30, 2005)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho remained in combative mood ahead of Thursday's UEFA hearing into the English Premier League leaders' claims that referee Anders Frisk acted improperly during their Champions League clash against Barcelona. . . . more . . .
Israel's Badier gives France the Blues (Mar 30, 2005)
Israel's Walid Badier scored a late equalizer for a 1-1 draw against France at the Ramat Gan stadium night to keep European zone World Cup Group 4 wide open. . . . more . . .
Charlton announce loss of over 1 million pounds (Mar 30, 2005)
English Premiership side Charlton Athletic announced a net loss of 1.682 million pounds for the six months ended December 31, 2004. . . . more . . .
England labour to World Cup win over minnows (Mar 30, 2005)
Steven Gerrard and David Beckham struck as England remained on course to qualify for next summer's World Cup finals with a 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan at St James' Park. . . . more . . .
Second-string Italy held by Iceland (Mar 30, 2005)
An experimental Italy side were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw against Iceland in an international friendly. . . . more . . .
Switzerland struggle past minnows Cyprus (Mar 30, 2005)
Switzerland capitalised on a game in hand with a 1-0 victory in their World Cup qualifier against Cyprus in Zurich after they nearly squandered precious points against the group four minnows. . . . more . . .
Stalemate adds to Spain's World Cup woe (Mar 30, 2005)
Spain's stuttering World Cup campaign suffered another hiccup when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Group Seven rivals Serbia-Montenegro. . . . more . . .
Robben vows to make Chelsea run-in return (Mar 30, 2005)
Arjen Robben said he was determined to regain fitness before the season ended and play a part in the climax to what is already shaping up as Chelsea's greatest season. . . . more . . .
Iran out-muscle angry North Koreans 2-0 in Asian World Cup qualifier (Mar 30, 2005)
Iran overpowered North Korea 2-0 in Pyongyang in a spiteful Asian World Cup qualifying match in which the home team and crowd of 70,000 at Kim Il-Sung stadium reacted furiously to the loss. . . . more . . .
Emerson said in line for Madrid move (Mar 30, 2005)
Juventus midfielder Emerson is set to add to Brazil's colony of Real Madrid stars this summer by moving to the Bernabeu, Marca sports daily reported. . . . more . . .
No rest for Chelsea promises Ferguson after lifetime achievement award (Mar 29, 2005)
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson insisted his team had not given up hope of catching runaway Premiership leaders Chelsea after being honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 HMV Football Extravaganza dinner in London. . . . more . . .
Scolari unfazed by Mourinho interest in his job (Mar 29, 2005)
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said he thought it was natural that Chelsea's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho would like to one day take the post which he now occupies. . . . more . . .
Barca 'dreaming' of Henry deal (Mar 29, 2005)
Spanish league leaders Barcelona are "dreaming" of landing Arsenal's French striker Thierry Henry and linking him up with Cameroon forward Samuel Eto'o and Brazilian star Ronaldinho in a star-studded attack. . . . more . . .
It's not all over for Scotland, Taylor says (Mar 29, 2005)
Scotland still have a chance of reaching the World Cup finals and have been boosted by a good performance in the 2-0 loss in Italy on Saturday according to SFA chief executive David Taylor. . . . more . . .
Barca star Eto'o to face judge over reckless driving (Mar 29, 2005)
Barcelona's Cameroon international striker Samuel Eto'o is to appear before a judge on April 7 in Palma, Mallorca, to answer charges of dangerous driving following a road accident on October 10, the plaintiff's lawyer said. . . . more . . .
England unchanged for Azerbaijan as Eriksson backs Beckham (Mar 29, 2005)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson named an unchanged side to face Azerbaijan in Wednesday's European zone Group Six World Cup qualifying match here at St James' Park and stressed he was happy for David Beckham to continue as captain. . . . more . . .
Chelsea already guilty in UEFA's eyes: Mourinho (Mar 29, 2005)
Chelsea's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho believes his club have already been found guilty ahead of a UEFA ruling into the English Premiership leaders' controversial conduct in last month's Champions League visit to Barcelona. . . . more . . .
Australia cruise to a 3-0 win over brave Indonesia (Mar 29, 2005)
Australia's foray into Asian football met with success as they extended their unbeaten international run to 11 matches with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Indonesia at Perth's Subiaco Oval. . . . more . . .
England unchanged for Azerbaijan (Mar 29, 2005)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson named an unchanged side to face Azerbaijan in Wednesday's European zone Group Six World Cup qualifying match here at St James' Park. . . . more . . .
Queiroz open to return to Africa (Mar 29, 2005)
Manchester United's assistant coach Carlos Queiroz said he would be willing to return to Mozambique to coach the southeast African nation's national team before retiring. . . . more . . .
AC Milan's Rui Costa relieved after jet scare (Mar 29, 2005)
AC Milan midfielder Manuel Rui Costa has expressed his relief after he and his family escaped unhurt from an emergency landing made by his private jet at the city's Malpensa airport. . . . more . . .
Rooney completes journey from fan to hero (Mar 29, 2005)
Wayne Rooney was once a 12-year-old football fan who wanted to be Michael Owen. . . . more . . .
Private jet with Milan player, family, in emergency landing (Mar 29, 2005)
A private jet carrying AC Milan's Portuguese international Manuel Rui Costa and his family was involved in an emergency landing at the city's Malpensa airport, airport authorities said, adding that those aboard were unhurt. . . . more . . .
Kerr rings changes for China (Mar 29, 2005)
Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr announced several changes to his side to play China in an international friendly here at Lansdowne Road. . . . more . . .
Morrison's late strike sees off China (Mar 29, 2005)
Clinton Morrison's goal eight minutes from time was good enough to give the Republic of Ireland a lacklustre 1-0 friendly win over China at Lansdowne Road here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Robben out of Bayern match (Mar 28, 2005)
Dutch winger Arjen Robben will miss Chelsea's Champions League quarter-final game against Bayern Munich after injuring himself in the World Cup qualifier against Romania. . . . more . . .
French sports minister slams cynical Barthez (Mar 28, 2005)
French Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour slammed claims by French international goalkeeper Fabien Barthez that the world of football was rotten as the words of a bitter man. . . . more . . .
Real, like Schumi, will be great again: Helguera (Mar 28, 2005)
Real Madrid, facing finishing a second straight season empty-handed, will be great again just as surely as Michael Schumacher is not finished after two winless starts to the new Formula One season, according to Real defender Ivan Helguera. . . . more . . .
Mexico maintains mastery of US visitors with World Cup win (Mar 28, 2005)
Mexico continued a home-field mastery of arch rival United States, taking a 2-1 victory that snapped a 16-match US unbeaten streak. . . . more . . .
81 arrested after riots follow Mali's World Cup defeat (Mar 28, 2005)
Police have arrested 81 people after angry football fans ran riot in the streets of Mali's capital Bamako following their country's World Cup qualifying match home defeat at the hands of Togo, police said. . . . more . . .
Hartson ready to play on for Wales (Mar 28, 2005)
Wales striker John Hartson dispelled speculation about his future by stating that he has no intention of quitting international football. . . . more . . .
Carlos Alberto impressed by England (Mar 28, 2005)
Azerbaijan boss Carlos Alberto said he believes England are the best team in Europe and are ready to win the World Cup next year. . . . more . . .
Beckham and Gerrard return to England training (Mar 28, 2005)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson looks set to name an unchanged line-up for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan after David Beckham and Steven Gerrard shook off injury worries and trained with the squad on Monday. . . . more . . .
I've nothing left to prove to Madrid says Owen (Mar 28, 2005)
England striker Michael Owen said that he has nothing left to prove to his Real Madrid teammates. . . . more . . .
Casillas eyes United move (Mar 28, 2005)
Real Madrid's Spanish international goalkeeper Iker Casillas claimed that English Premiership side Manchester United are interested in signing him. . . . more . . .
Rosicky not for sale, indebted Dortmund tell Tottenham (Mar 27, 2005)
Borussia Dortmund slapped a not for sale sign on their Czech international midfielder Tomas Rosicky after an approach by English Premiership side Tottenham. . . . more . . .
Henry still uncertain for Israel qualifier says Domenech (Mar 27, 2005)
France coach Raymond Domenech admitted that star striker Thierry Henry was fit to play against Switzerland in their group four 2006 World Cup qualifier but was sidelined to avoid any risk of injury. . . . more . . .
Birmingham close to Pennant deal (Mar 27, 2005)
Birmingham are close to tying up a three-million-pound (4.3-million-euro) deal for Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant following his release from prison next week. . . . more . . .
Argentina stay ahead of Brazil in South America qualifiers (Mar 27, 2005)
Argentina stayed top of the South American zone World Cup qualifiers at the weekend when they rallied from a goal down to defeat Bolivia 2-1 at altitude in La Paz. . . . more . . .
Wales door still open for Savage (Mar 27, 2005)
Wales assistant manager Roy Evans said that Robbie Savage could still return to Welsh colours after an acrimonious split with national manager John Toshack that led to his international retirement. . . . more . . .
Robben rules out Armenia, Bayern matches after ankle injury (Mar 27, 2005)
Arjen Robben has ruled himself out of Holland's World Cup qualifying match with Armenia and Chelsea's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich after sustaining an ankle injury. . . . more . . .
Eriksson grateful for made-by-Mourinho midfield (Mar 27, 2005)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has paid tribute to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho for helping him to construct a midfield quartet that he insists should be the envy of the world. . . . more . . .
Blues boss Mourinho joins Israel peace promotion (Mar 27, 2005)
Wearing a blue jersey with the slogan "Jose Mourinho coach for peace" Chelsea's Portuguese manager kicked off his Israeli peace tour at the Ramat Gan stadium near Tel Aviv. . . . more . . .
Kaka seals Brazil win (Mar 27, 2005)
A late goal from AC Milan's attacking midfielder Kaka gave world champions Brazil a 1-0 win over Peru in their South America zone World Cup qualifier. . . . more . . .
US futility in Mexico continues with 2-1 World Cup qualifying loss (Mar 27, 2005)
Mexico snapped a record 16-match unbeaten streak by the United States, keeping their perfect home mark over their arch rivals with a 2-1 victory in a World Cup 2006 qualifying match. . . . more . . .
European big guns look to book World Cup spots (Mar 26, 2005)
Europe's big guns play World Cup 2006 qualifiers in the knowledge they have little room for error with just one automatic group qualifying spot up for grabs. . . . more . . .
Nigeria scrape past Gabon to go top (Mar 26, 2005)
Nigeria scraped past Gabon 2-0 to go top of the World Cup 2006 African zone group four, which also serves as a qualifying tournament for next year's African Nations Cup. . . . more . . .
Argentina extend lead with win over Bolivia (Mar 26, 2005)
Argentina rallied from a goal down to extend their lead on top of the South American zone World Cup qualifiers with a 2-1 win over Bolivia. . . . more . . .
Gerrard rubbishes Chelsea move rumours (Mar 26, 2005)
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard said he is fed up hearing that he is about to leave Merseyside for Chelsea, and has insisted he is committed to Rafael Benitez's side. . . . more . . .
Super sub Suan stuns Irish (Mar 26, 2005)
A last gasp goal from Israel's Abas Suan held Ireland 1-1 and threw World Cup qualifying Group 4 wide open. . . . more . . .
Irish facing tricky tie against Israeli underdogs (Mar 26, 2005)
Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has warned his players to be wary of what could prove to be a tricky tie against Israel in their World Cup qualifier. . . . more . . .
Misfiring France held to scoreless draw by Switzerland (Mar 26, 2005)
Former world champions France dropped potentially precious points in their entertaining World Cup 2006 qualifier with group four rivals Switzerland which ended in a scoreless 0-0 draw. . . . more . . .
Spain swamp China in friendly (Mar 26, 2005)
Spain swatted China 3-0 in an international friendly in a rain-soaked warm-up for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier with Serbia and Montenegro. . . . more . . .
Diouf leads Premiership goal parade as Senegal crush Liberia (Mar 26, 2005)
El-Hadji Diouf scored twice as Senegal crushed Liberia 6-1 to strengthen their chance of a second consecutive World Cup appearance. . . . more . . .
Sub Elrich saves Aussie blushes with late winner over Iraq (Mar 26, 2005)
Substitute Ahmad Elrich scored with his first touch to give Australia a flattering 2-1 win over Iraq in a football international at the Sydney Olympic stadium. . . . more . . .
Beckenbauer confirms interest in UEFA presidency (Mar 26, 2005)
Franz Beckenbauer confirmed his interest in standing for the 2006 UEFA presidency. . . . more . . .
Pirlo's precision sinks Scotland (Mar 26, 2005)
Italy took a step closer to the 2006 World Cup after beating Scotland 2-0 in a Group Five qualifying match at the San Siro. . . . more . . .
Six killed, 40 injured in Iran-Japan football match (Mar 26, 2005)
Five people were trampled to death and 40 injured in a crush of spectators after Friday evening's World Cup qualifier between Iran and Japan, and another person died of an apparent heart attack brought on by the nail-biting clash, press reports said. . . . more . . .
England turn on the style (Mar 26, 2005)
England took another step towards qualifying for the World Cup with an entertaining 4-0 win over a hopelessly outclassed Northern Ireland here in their group six qualifier. . . . more . . .
Lucky South Africa edge Uganda in World Cup qualifier (Mar 26, 2005)
South Africa looked far from contenders for a place at the 2006 World Cup in Germany as they laboured to a 2-1 win over Uganda in a Group 2 qualifier. . . . more . . .
Saudi Arabia beat much-fancied Koreans (Mar 25, 2005)
Saudi Arabia's convincing 2-0 victory over World Cup semi-finalists South Korea has put Gabriel Calderon's team well on course to qualify for the 2006 finals in Germany. . . . more . . .
Henry and Trezeguet likely to French strike force (Mar 25, 2005)
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and his Juventus counterpart David Trezeguet have shaken off injury niggles and look likely to spearhead France's attack against Switzerland in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday. . . . more . . .
England hand Cole licence to thrill (Mar 25, 2005)
England's 50th international under the guidance of Sven-Goran Eriksson is shaping up as a milestone in more than just the numerical sense. . . . more . . .
Japan and Iran set for battle in crucial World Cup qualifier (Mar 25, 2005)
Two of Asia's top teams, Iran and Japan, will be battling it out in Tehran in the latest round of Asian qualifiers, a fixture seen as critical for both sides' 2006 World Cup dreams. . . . more . . .
Undermanned Bahrain upset North Korea 2-1 in Pyongyang (Mar 25, 2005)
Bahrain's bid to make the World Cup finals for the first time received an unexpected boost when they upset North Korea 2-1 in their Asian qualifying match in Pyongyang. . . . more . . .
Giggs set to carry on with Wales (Mar 25, 2005)
Wales skipper Ryan Giggs has vowed to continue in international football despite seeing seven players call time on their careers with the country following the departure of Mark Hughes as the national side's boss. . . . more . . .
Henry and Trezeguet likely to speahead French strike force (Mar 25, 2005)
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and his Juventus counterpart David Trezeguet have shaken off injury niggles and look likely to spearhead France's attack against Switzerland in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Retirement won't affect Eriksson's job insists FA boss (Mar 25, 2005)
Football Association (FA) executive director David Davies insisted that his retirement after next year's World Cup will have no bearing on Sven-Goran Eriksson's future as England head coach. . . . more . . .
Gerrard welcomes four-week break (Mar 25, 2005)
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard welcomed the four-week break granted to the England squad ahead of the 2006 World Cup. . . . more . . .
Refs too harsh on Rooney claims Ferdinand (Mar 25, 2005)
Centre-back Rio Ferdinand believes that referees are being too harsh on England and Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney. . . . more . . .
Eriksson backs Rooney to shrug off assault row (Mar 25, 2005)
Sven-Goran Eriksson is confident that Wayne Rooney will not allow allegations he was involved in a nightclub brawl earlier this week affect his performance in England's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland on Saturday. . . . more . . .
AS Roma sporting director Baldini quits (Mar 25, 2005)
AS Roma sporting director Franco Baldini has quit, it was revealed at the Italian first division club. . . . more . . .
Cahill to play for Australia against Iraq (Mar 25, 2005)
Everton midfielder Tim Cahill will spearhead a near full-strength Australia team in their football international against Iraq here on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Bundesliga stars help Iran to 2-1 win over Japan (Mar 25, 2005)
Iran made sure their World Cup dream was kept on track with a convincing 2-1 home win against top Asian rivals Japan, largely thanks to their trio of Bundesliga-based stars. . . . more . . .
Sanchez extends Northern Ireland contract (Mar 25, 2005)
Coach Lawrie Sanchez has been rewarded for turning Northern Ireland's fortunes around with a two-and-a-half-year contract extension which will see him lead the team in their bid to reach the 2008 European Championships. . . . more . . .
Drogba vows to do better (Mar 25, 2005)
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba said Friday he'd yet to hit top form since joining the Premiership leaders in a 24 million pounds pre-season move from French club Marseille. . . . more . . .
Beckham hints at Real exit over paparazzi harassment of children (Mar 24, 2005)
David Beckham has dropped the strongest hint yet that he could be forced to quit Real Madrid because of paparazzi harassment of his children in the Spanish capital. . . . more . . .
Becks backing Cole to seize England chance (Mar 24, 2005)
David Beckham believes Joe Cole is ready to force his way into England's World Cup plans. . . . more . . .
Ferdinand prepared to win ugly (Mar 24, 2005)
Manchester United centreback Rio Ferdinand has warned his England team-mates not to underestimate the threat posed by Northern Ireland's unheralded players in Saturday's World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford. . . . more . . .
Ferdinand prepares for changing of the guard (Mar 24, 2005)
The Old Trafford surroundings will be familiar but for Rio Ferdinand Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland still represents a step into uncharted territory. . . . more . . .
Robinson happy to be in England spotlight (Mar 24, 2005)
England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has said he is happy to live with an increased public profile if that's part of the price he has to pay to fulfil his dream of being an international regular for the next 10 years. . . . more . . .
Benitez dismisses speculation of Real move (Mar 24, 2005)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has dismissed speculation that he could become Real Madrid's next coach. . . . more . . .
Gunners chief seeks speedy resolution to Cole issue (Mar 24, 2005)
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has called for a speedy resolution to the Premier League investigation into Chelsea's alleged illegal approach to Arsenal's England left-back Ashley Cole. . . . more . . .
Gerrard vows to set the record straight at World Cup 2006 (Mar 24, 2005)
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard has promised that England fans will see the best of him at next summer's World Cup in Germany. . . . more . . .
Sven gets his way over four-week break (Mar 24, 2005)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has won his battle with the English football hierarchy to ensure his players will have a four-week break between the end of the 2005-06 club season and the start of the World Cup finals. . . . more . . .
Kenyon hits back at UEFA (Mar 24, 2005)
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has claimed the club have little chance of receiving a fair hearing from European soccer governing body UEFA when they answer disrepute charges next week. . . . more . . .
Germany use bet warning system in wake of Hoyzer scandal (Mar 24, 2005)
The German Football Federation (DFB) and German Football League (DFL) have signed a rolling contract with security company 'Betradar' to monitor betting in German football. . . . more . . .
Fitness fanatic Klinsmann wants 'high tempo' German side (Mar 24, 2005)
German national coach Jurgen Klinsmann believes his team must be one of the fittest in world football if they are to achieve their aim of World Cup glory in 2006. . . . more . . .
Cahill puts country first ahead of Everton (Mar 24, 2005)
Midfielder Tim Cahill has gone against the wishes of his English club Everton by making himself available to play for Australia in their two matches over the Easter period. . . . more . . .
United supremo backs off from Fergie ultimatum (Mar 23, 2005)
Manchester United's chief executive David Gill has moved to avert a potentially damaging rift with Sir Alex Ferguson by playing down comments which implied the Scot's position at the club could be under threat. . . . more . . .
Liverpool face striker crisis as Baros apologises for horror tackle (Mar 23, 2005)
Liverpool face the unenviable prospect of having to play one of the biggest games of their season without a single recognised striker. . . . more . . .
Hamburg keen on Takahara (Mar 23, 2005)
German first division side SV Hamburg are in talks with Japanese international striker Naohiro Takahara about a lucrative new deal to keep him at the AOL-Arena. . . . more . . .
Best calls for Ireland united (Mar 23, 2005)
Northern Ireland great George Best has called for a unified national team. . . . more . . .
Montella ruled out of Scotland match (Mar 23, 2005)
Roma striker Vincenzo Montella pulled out of the Italy squad for Saturday's 2006 World Cup qualifier against Scotland at Milan's San Siro stadium. . . . more . . .
Beckenbauer missed UEFA boat says Platini (Mar 23, 2005)
France legend Michel Platini has spiced up the race for the 2006 UEFA presidency claiming his main rival, West Germany's 1974 World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer, would have been better going for the post a decade ago. . . . more . . .
Cole ready to grab England chance with both hands (Mar 23, 2005)
Joe Cole's emergence as a key player for Chelsea looks set to be rewarded with a place in the England starting line-up for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland. . . . more . . .
Beckham issues word of caution to Rooney (Mar 23, 2005)
David Beckham has issued a warning to Wayne Rooney about the need to be prudent in his activities off the pitch as police probe an alleged nightclub assault by the Manchester United teenager. . . . more . . .
Giggs future to be decided at United (Mar 23, 2005)
Ryan Giggs' future at Manchester United is set to be decided at talks this summer aimed at resolving a dispute over the length of a new contract. . . . more . . .
German stars to net 300,000 euros for World Cup win (Mar 23, 2005)
The German Football Federation(DFB) reached agreement to give Jurgen Klinsmann's players a 300,000 euro (389,000 dollar) bonus if they win the 2006 World Cup on home soil. . . . more . . .
Rooney's England place safe despite police inquiry (Mar 23, 2005)
Wayne Rooney is set to retain his place in England's squad for their World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland despite police inquiries into an alleged nightclub brawl. . . . more . . .
Beckham hints at Real exit over paparazzi harassment of children (Mar 23, 2005)
David Beckham has dropped the strongest hint yet that he could be forced to quit Real Madrid because of paparazzi harassment of his children in the Spanish capital. . . . more . . .
Reyes for Real and Owen a Gunner (Mar 23, 2005)
Arsenal striker Jose Antonio Reyes already has one foot in Real Madrid's door, according to press reports which say the unsettled Gunner could join the Madrid giants at the end of June. . . . more . . .
Chelsea charged over alleged illegal approach to Cole (Mar 23, 2005)
The English Premier League have issued formal charges against Chelsea over an alleged illegal approach to Arsenal's England left-back Ashley Cole. . . . more . . .
Eriksson touts World Cup glory as bait for four-week break (Mar 23, 2005)
Sven-Goran Eriksson believes the four-week break he has demanded for his squad before next year's World Cup could make the difference between England coming home as flops or heroes. . . . more . . .
Eriksson: Four-week break could mean World Cup gold for England (Mar 22, 2005)
Sven-Goran Eriksson believes the four-week break he has demanded for his squad before next year's World Cup could make the difference between England coming home as flops or heroes. . . . more . . .
Axe threat looms over Italy's Gattuso (Mar 22, 2005)
AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso could be forced to drop out of the Italy squad for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Scotland if the Italian football federation (FIGC) carry out their threat to sanction players who refuse to take blood tests. . . . more . . .
Schalke struggle to shake off 'choker' tag (Mar 22, 2005)
German teams locked in a title showdown with Bayern Munich often tend to fold like a cards player holding a bad hand, and Schalke 04's 2-1 defeat by lowly Mainz 05 on Sunday suggest the Ruhr club may be the latest team to choke under the pressure. . . . more . . .
Manchester United sees interim profits slump (Mar 22, 2005)
Manchester United, the world's richest football club, posted a 54-percent slump in half-year profits to 12.4 million pounds (17.9 million euros, 23.6 million dollars), citing lower revenues from television deals and European football matches. . . . more . . .
Foreign journalists descend on Pyongyang for World Cup campaign (Mar 22, 2005)
Dozens of foreign journalists arrived in Pyongyang to report on North Korea's World Cup football campaign, kicking off a rare major international media presence in the Stalinist state. . . . more . . .
Ferguson "sackable" says United CEO (Mar 22, 2005)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is "sackable", the club's chief executive David Gill said after the club announced a 54-percent slump in half-year profits to 12.4 million pounds (17.9 million euros, 23.6 million dollars). . . . more . . .
Johnson doubt for England (Mar 22, 2005)
Crystal Palace striker Andrew Johnson is a doubt for England's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland on Saturday after missing out on the squad's first training session. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid to take stake in Chinese club (Mar 22, 2005)
Spanish football giant Real Madrid plans to buy a 30 to 40 percent stake in Chinese club Beijing Guo'an for 30 million yuan (3.6 million dollars). . . . more . . .
Giggs counting on Grand Slam factor to lift Wales (Mar 22, 2005)
Ryan Giggs has urged his Wales team-mates to draw inspiration from the country's rugby heroes as they seek to get their World Cup qualifying bid back on track against Austria. . . . more . . .
Chelsea's Huth rules out Bayern move (Mar 22, 2005)
Chelsea's German defender Robert Huth said he did not want to join Bayern Munich despite their interest in him. . . . more . . .
No Juninho offers says O'Neill (Mar 22, 2005)
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill said the club had not received any offers for Juninho even though the playmaker has made it clear he wants to return to his native Brazil. . . . more . . .
Manchester United sees interim profits halve (Mar 22, 2005)
Manchester United, the world's richest football club, posted a 54-percent slump in half-year profits to 12.4 million pounds (17.9 million euros, 23.6 million dollars). . . . more . . .
Eriksson talks up Heskey as England lose Johnson (Mar 22, 2005)
Crystal Palace striker Andrew Johnson has been ruled out of England's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Smith calm over Dickov absence against Italy (Mar 22, 2005)
Scotland manager Walter Smith has reacted calmly to the loss of striker Paul Dickov ahead of Saturday's World Cup qualifier away to Italy, saying it was "disappointing but not a surprise." . . . more . . .
Show goes on despite UEFA action against Chelsea, says Mourinho (Mar 22, 2005)
Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho said his focus on his job has not been hurt by UEFA's decision to open disciplinary proceedings against him and the London-based club on charges of bringing the game into disrepute. . . . more . . .
Johnson out of England squad (Mar 22, 2005)
Crystal Palace striker Andrew Johnson has been ruled out of England's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland on Saturday. . . . more . . .
AC Milan's Nesta ruled out of Scotland match (Mar 22, 2005)
Italy defender Alessandro Nesta has been ruled out of Saturday's 2006 World Cup qualifier against Scotland at Milan's San Siro stadium. . . . more . . .
Unknown striker tipped to trouble England's big name defenders (Mar 22, 2005)
Northern Ireland have recalled Warren Feeney for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against England on Saturday and the unknown striker has been tipped to trouble England's big-name defenders at Old Trafford. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan owner plays down Adriano loss (Mar 22, 2005)
Inter Milan owner Massimo Moratti has insisted his team can cope without injured striker Adriano. . . . more . . .
Barca target PSV's van Bommel (Mar 22, 2005)
Barcelona have made PSV Eindhoven captain Mark van Bommel their number one target for next season. . . . more . . .
Liverpool face striker crisis as Baros apologises for horror tackle (Mar 22, 2005)
Liverpool face the unenviable prospect of having to play one of the biggest games of their season without a single recognised striker. . . . more . . .
Eriksson defends England's US tour (Mar 21, 2005)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson defended his plans for a post-season tour to the United States after the two-match trip was criticised by both Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger. . . . more . . .
Brazilian ace Roque Junior extends Leverkusen stay (Mar 21, 2005)
Brazilian World Cup winner Roque Junior has extended his contract at Bayer Leverkusen until June 2007. . . . more . . .
Victory comes at a cost for Liverpool (Mar 21, 2005)
Rafael Benitez was left counting the cost of Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Everton with potentially costly injuries to Dietmar Hamann, Fernando Morientes and Luis Garcia marring this bruising Anfield encounter. . . . more . . .
UEFA take action against Chelsea (Mar 21, 2005)
European football's governing body UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Chelsea and the club's manager Jose Mourinho on charges of bringing the game into disrepute. . . . more . . .
Defence the key for masterful Milan (Mar 21, 2005)
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti lavished praise on his rock-solid defence for providing the platform for Sunday's 2-0 Serie A win at Roma. . . . more . . .
Kluivert not prepared to go Dutch anymore (Mar 21, 2005)
Newcastle striker Patrick Kluivert has all but ended his international career as he announced that even if he was called up to the Dutch national squad he would probably turn it down. . . . more . . .
I've no problem with Redknapp says Saints supremo (Mar 21, 2005)
Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe has dismissed suggestions on that he and manager Harry Redknapp did not get on in an interview with 'The Independent' newspaper. . . . more . . .
Redknapp set for Woodward talks (Mar 21, 2005)
Southampton manager Harry Redknapp has said he planned to hold talks with Sir Clive Woodward following the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand which finishes in July. . . . more . . .
Vieira reveals double dream (Mar 21, 2005)
Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira believes a double of second place in the Premier League and FA Cup victory will represent a successful season for the north London club. . . . more . . .
Stubbs slam Baros challenge (Mar 21, 2005)
Everton captain Alan Stubbs has blasted Liverpool striker Milan Baros for his dangerous challenge during Sunday's Merseyside derby saying the flying tackle was "shocking." . . . more . . .
Rio rubbishes Chelsea chatter (Mar 21, 2005)
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand has blasted talk of a move to English Premiership leaders Chelsea, and admitted for the first time he was partly to blame for the controversial drugs affair which threatened to tarnish his career. . . . more . . .
Saints out of drop zone as Boro humbled (Mar 20, 2005)
Southampton moved out of the English Premiership relegation zone with a 3-1 win over UEFA Cup spot chasers Middlesbrough at the Riverside. . . . more . . .
Inter victory spiced with Latin flavour (Mar 20, 2005)
Inter Milan defeated Fiorentina 3-2 at the San Siro to strengthen their position in third place in Italy's Serie A. . . . more . . .
Five star Rangers cruise to League Cup victory (Mar 20, 2005)
Rangers lifted the Scottish League Cup with a 5-1 thrashing of Motherwell at Hampden Park. . . . more . . .
Wenger insists van Persie still has work to do (Mar 20, 2005)
Arsene Wenger has warned Robin van Persie that he still has to prove himself to the Arsenal fans despite the Dutch winger's match-winning goal against Blackburn on Saturday. . . . more . . .
PSG grab precious win over Auxerre (Mar 20, 2005)
Paris St Germain gave their suffering fans a glimmer of hope with a 1-0 league victory over visitors Auxerre which all but secured their top flight survival this season. . . . more . . .
Dalglish wary about Liverpool/Juventus tie (Mar 20, 2005)
Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has warned that the Champions League clash with Juventus must not be allowed to get out of hand over emotions linked to the Heysel Stadium tragedy. . . . more . . .
Heskey back in England fold (Mar 20, 2005)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has recalled Birmingham City striker Emile Heskey to the England squad for the forthcoming 2006 World Cup qualifiers. . . . more . . .
United stars warned Cup places on the line (Mar 20, 2005)
An unhappy Alex Ferguson has warned his players that they are playing for their places in next month's FA Cup semi-final meeting with Newcastle after they struggled to beat Fulham 1-0 at Old Trafford. . . . more . . .
Monaco scrape precious win against Marseille (Mar 20, 2005)
Didier Deschamps had to wait a nervous 90 minutes before finding his smile again as Monaco scraped a precious 2-1 victory over Marseille which moved the Principality side up to third in the table. . . . more . . .
Eriksson insists Beckham still England's leader - for now at least (Mar 20, 2005)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has insisted that he still regards David Beckham as the natural choice to lead England into next year's World Cup finals. . . . more . . .
10-man Liverpool claim crucial win over Everton (Mar 20, 2005)
Liverpool gave their hopes of Champions League qualification a major boost as goals from Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia secured a crucial 2-1 win against near neighbours and closest rivals Everton at Anfield. . . . more . . .
Chelsea sink Palace to close in on title (Mar 20, 2005)
A stunning opener from Frank Lampard sent Chelsea on their way to a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace that edged them a little closer to their first title in half a century. . . . more . . .
Bayern stay top as Schalke fold under pressure (Mar 20, 2005)
After just a week at the Bundesliga summit Schalke 04 trail Bayern Munich once again following a 2-1 defeat at Mainz 05. . . . more . . .
O'Neill desperate to make Bellamy a permanent Bhoy (Mar 20, 2005)
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has vowed to do everything he can to ensure Craig Bellamy remains at Parkhead beyond the expiry of his short-term loan from Newcastle in the summer. . . . more . . .
Rangers and Motherwell up for Cup (Mar 20, 2005)
Rangers will be favourites to lift the first major prize of the Scottish season when they take on Motherwell in the League Cup final on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Moyes urges Everton to remain calm ahead of crucial Merseyside derby (Mar 20, 2005)
Everton manager David Moyes has urged his players to stay calm in the run-up to the biggest Merseyside derby in years at Anfield on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Blunder hands City victory in Birmingham derby (Mar 20, 2005)
Birmingham City beat local rivals Aston Villa 2-0 in the English Premiership at St Andrews, with an error by Villa goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen again gifting City their opener. . . . more . . .
Madrid victory cuts lead of runaway leaders Barcelona (Mar 20, 2005)
Real Madrid made up some ground on Barcelona in the Spanish title race with a 1-0 victory over Malaga thanks to a second-half goal by Roberto Carlos. . . . more . . .
City triumph in Birmingham derby (Mar 20, 2005)
Birmingham City beat local rivals Aston Villa 2-0 in the English Premiership at St Andrews. . . . more . . .
Tottenham enquire about Czech ace Rosicky (Mar 20, 2005)
English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur have approached Borussia Dortmund about Czech international midfielder Tomas Rosicky. . . . more . . .
Majestic Milan rejoin Juve at the top (Mar 20, 2005)
AC Milan rejoined Juventus at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win over Roma for the reigning champions' eighth consecutive league victory and their 10th in all competitions. . . . more . . .
Benfica midfielder Petit out of World Cup qualifier (Mar 20, 2005)
Benfica midfielder Armando Petit suffered a rib injury on Saturday and will miss Portugal's friendly against Canada next weekend and the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on March 30. . . . more . . .
Del Piero gives Juve the edge (Mar 19, 2005)
Alessandro Del Piero scored the only goal as Juventus beat Reggina 1-0 to open up a three-point lead over AC Milan at the top of Serie A. . . . more . . .
Gerrard highlights derby stakes (Mar 19, 2005)
Steven Gerrard has billed Sunday's showdown with Everton at Anfield as the biggest Merseyside derby of his career to date and warned his team-mates that millions of pounds, not just pride, will be riding on the result. . . . more . . .
Newcastle hope UEFA win could change Shearer's mind (Mar 19, 2005)
Newcastle United's continuing run in the UEFA Cup could help persuade striker Alan Shearer to extend his career. . . . more . . .
Celtic seek to steal a march on Rangers (Mar 19, 2005)
Celtic will return to the top of the Scottish Premier League if they beat crisis club Dundee United at Tannadice. . . . more . . .
Ten-man Barcelona surge 14 points ahead in Spain (Mar 19, 2005)
Ten-man Barcelona's 1-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna put them a massive and surely unbeatable 14 points ahead in the Spanish title race. . . . more . . .
Ronaldo cheers record crowd (Mar 19, 2005)
Cristiano Ronaldo provided a welcome winner for Manchester United in their otherwise drab 1-0 victory over Fulham in front of a record Premiership crowd of 67,959 at Old Trafford. . . . more . . .
Van Persie magic gives Gunners Cup edge (Mar 19, 2005)
A moment of magic from Robin van Persie handed Arsenal victory at Blackburn Rovers and ensured Arsene Wenger's side will carry a significant psychological advantage when the two clubs meet again in next month's FA Cup semi-final. . . . more . . .
Keane hits late winner to spoil Pearce's debut (Mar 19, 2005)
Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane came off the bench to spoil Stuart Pearce's debut as Manchester City's new manager by hitting the winner in a 2-1 win for Tottenham. . . . more . . .
Chelsea sink Palace to close in on title (Mar 19, 2005)
A stunning opener from Frank Lampard sent Chelsea on their way to a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace that edged them a little closer to their first title in half a century. . . . more . . .
Pompey edge towards safety (Mar 19, 2005)
Portsmouth ended Newcastle's eight-match winning run to inch closer to safety with a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park. . . . more . . .
Bayern back at the summit after comeback win (Mar 19, 2005)
Bayern Munich returned to the summit of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 comeback victory over struggling Hansa Rostock at the Olympic Stadium. . . . more . . .
Wiltord strikes to heap pressure on Marseille (Mar 19, 2005)
French champions Lyon heaped the pressure on title rivals Marseille after a convincing 1-0 win away to Strasbourg gave them an 11-point lead at the top of the league table. . . . more . . .
Predators Bayern ready to prey on Schalke (Mar 19, 2005)
Schalke 04 have been hunting German powerhouse Bayern Munich for months, but since going top of the Bundesliga Ralf Rangnick's side have now become the prey. . . . more . . .
Bellamy fires Bhoys back to top (Mar 19, 2005)
Craig Bellamy claimed a sensational hat-trick as Celtic moved back to the top of the Scottish Premier League with a thrilling 3-2 win at bottom side Dundee United. . . . more . . .
Ferguson furious at England summer tour (Mar 19, 2005)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has joined the list of club managers unhappy about England's summer friendlies in the United States. . . . more . . .
Old pals put friendship to one side as Milan face Roma (Mar 19, 2005)
Former team-mates Carlo Ancelotti and Bruno Conti used to room together, but their friendship will be put to one side on Sunday when joint Serie A leaders AC Milan play Roma here in the capital. . . . more . . .
Fergie wades into Frisk row (Mar 19, 2005)
Sir Alex Ferguson has waded into the row over the retirement of Anders Frisk with comments that will inevitably be interpreted as criticism of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho's role in the Swedish referee's premature departure from the game. . . . more . . .
Real test of faith for Madrid (Mar 19, 2005)
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez demanded that his players didn't lose heart this week in the midst of what will probably become the club's worst barren spell in more than two decades. . . . more . . .
Forsell may be ready for return to Chelsea: Mourinho (Mar 19, 2005)
Chelsea's Finnish international striker Mikael Forsell is showing signs that he is ready to return to the London-based club, according to coach Jose Mourinho. . . . more . . .
In your face Eagles promise to make Chelsea sweat (Mar 19, 2005)
Crystal Palace have made a habit of confounding predictions this season. . . . more . . .
English opposition suits us say Bayern (Mar 19, 2005)
Bayern Munich claim they are happy to face Premiership leaders Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Champions League pointing out their habit of coming out on top when they face English opposition in Europe. . . . more . . .
Bayern confirm interest in Chelsea star Huth (Mar 19, 2005)
Bayern Munich have approached Chelsea about their German international defender Robert Huth, general manager Uli Hoeness confirmed. . . . more . . .
Germany announce additional warm-up games for World Cup (Mar 19, 2005)
German national coach Jurgen Klinsmann has pencilled in three new friendly matches against South Africa, China and the United States as the hosts prepare for the 2006 World Cup. . . . more . . .
Second the new first for Wenger (Mar 18, 2005)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has warned his players that they could pay a huge price if they fail to overhaul Manchester United and clinch second place in the Premiership. . . . more . . .
Champions League draw pits Liverpool against Juve (Mar 18, 2005)
A Milan derby and an emotional clash between old European rivals Liverpool and Juventus marked the draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. . . . more . . .
Liverpool legend welcomes Juventus clash (Mar 18, 2005)
Liverpool and Juventus have both welcomed their meeting in the Champions League quarter-finals as an opportunity to strengthen the bonds forged between the two clubs in the wake of the 1985 Heysel disaster. . . . more . . .
Moyes tells Toffees to keep cool (Mar 18, 2005)
Everton manager David Moyes has urged his players to stay calm in the run-up to the biggest Merseyside derby in years at Anfield on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Wenger lashes English FA over US tour (Mar 18, 2005)
Arsene Wenger has slammed the English Football Association for organising an end-of-season tour of the United States that will deny Arsenal's England internationals a badly needed rest this summer. . . . more . . .
Cahill buzzing over first Merseyside derby for Everton (Mar 18, 2005)
Australian midfielder Tim Cahill said he can't wait for Sunday's Merseyside derby against Liverpool with victory almost clinching lucrative Champions League football for Everton next season. . . . more . . .
Newcastle get Sporting Lisbon in UEFA Cup (Mar 18, 2005)
Sporting Lison were heading back to the northeast of England after being drawn against Newcastle United in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. . . . more . . .
Milan derby and Liverpool/Juventus mark Champions League last eight (Mar 18, 2005)
A Milan derby and an emotional clash between old European rivals Liverpool and Juventus marked the draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. . . . more . . .
Mourinho targets unbeaten home run (Mar 18, 2005)
Jose Mourinho has set his Chelsea players the target of finishing the season unbeaten at Stamford Bridge. . . . more . . .
Regrets? United have a few (Mar 18, 2005)
Manchester United go into Saturday's Premiership clash with Fulham seeking revenge for one of the most frustrating afternoons of a very frustrating season. . . . more . . .
Twenty years after Heysel tragedy Liverpool and Juventus meet again (Mar 18, 2005)
A Milan derby and an emotional clash between old European rivals Liverpool and Juventus marked the draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. . . . more . . .
Newcastle veto Sporting bid to field Viana in UEFA Cup (Mar 18, 2005)
Newcastle have rejected a request from UEFA Cup quarter-final opponents Sporting Lisbon for on-loan midfielder Hugo Viana to be allowed to play in the tie. . . . more . . .
"Wenger should forget about Aragones" says Spanish caoch (Mar 18, 2005)
Spain coach Luis Aragones said Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger should "forget about Luis Aragones" and bury a race row over the Spaniard's comments about French striker Thierry Henry dating back to October. . . . more . . .
Benitez distances himself from Real move (Mar 17, 2005)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has insisted he is committed to the Merseyside club and dismissed speculation linking him with a return to Spain as the next boss of Real Madrid. . . . more . . .
Beckenbauer eyes UEFA presidency (Mar 17, 2005)
West Germany's 1974 World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer admits he is willing to step up his bid to become the next UEFA president after the German Football Federation (DFB) gave him their backing. . . . more . . .
Parma edge Sevilla to clinch quarter-final place (Mar 17, 2005)
Parma booked their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup after edging Sevilla 1-0. . . . more . . .
Barbosa helps end Boro's UEFA Cup ambitions (Mar 17, 2005)
Middlesbrough payed the price for a poor first leg display after they exited the UEFA Cup before the quarter finals stage after a 1-0 second leg defeat to Sporting Lisbon. . . . more . . .
Bellamy wants to stay a Bhoy (Mar 17, 2005)
Craig Bellamy has revealed that he wants to turn his loan stay at Scottish champions Celtic into a permanent move. . . . more . . .
Kewell and Benitez row deepens (Mar 17, 2005)
Harry Kewell's relationship with Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has deteriorated further after the Australia winger hit out at the manager for questioning the validity of his recent injuries. . . . more . . .
Blackburn frustrate insipid Liverpool (Mar 17, 2005)
Rafael Benitez admitted Sunday's Merseyside derby has become a "must-win" fixture for Liverpool after a lacklustre display in a goalless draw with Blackburn at Anfield. . . . more . . .
Ronaldo headed for the top says Fergie (Mar 17, 2005)
Manchester United's Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo is already among the ten best footballers in the world and with more experience will become the world's top player, his manager Sir Alex Ferguson said. . . . more . . .
Esposito steers Cagliari into Italian Cup semis (Mar 17, 2005)
Cagliari advanced to the last four of the Italian Cup despite losing the second leg of their quarter-final tie away to Sampdoria. . . . more . . .
Shearer double gives Olympiakos a Dyer night (Mar 17, 2005)
A double from Newcastle captain Alan Shearer inspired his side to a 4-0 humbling of Greek outfit Olympiakos and handed them a place in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals with a 7-1 final aggregate score. . . . more . . .
Benitez seeks to cool Kewell injury row (Mar 17, 2005)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has moved to cool a row with Harry Kewell over the Australian winger's injury record. . . . more . . .
Feyenoord refuse to release Japan's Ono for World Cup qualifier (Mar 17, 2005)
Dutch side Feyenoord refused to release their midfielder Shinji Ono for Japan's World Cup qualifier against Iran next week, the Japan Football Association said. . . . more . . .
Controversial FA Cup semi-final kick-offs set (Mar 17, 2005)
Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final against Blackburn has been scheduled for 1115 GMT on Saturday, April 16 and the second semi, between Manchester United and Newcastle, will start at 1300 GMT the following day, the Football Association announced. . . . more . . .
Parma edge Sevilla to clinch quarter-final place (Mar 17, 2005)
Parma booked their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup after edging Sevilla 1-0. . . . more . . .
Barbosa helps end Boro's UEFA Cup ambitions (Mar 17, 2005)
Middlesbrough payed the price for a poor first leg display after they exited the UEFA Cup before the quarter finals stage after a 1-0 second leg defeat to Sporting Lisbon. . . . more . . .
Raul won't stay past sell-by date if 'sacrifice' needed (Mar 16, 2005)
Real Madrid striker Raul is ready to "sacrifice" his career with the club if it helps the team, currently struggling in the title race and out of Europe. . . . more . . .
Figo a possibility, but I don't want slackers says Scolari (Mar 16, 2005)
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari issued a warning to players who arrive in the national team hoping to do the minimum in a bid to preserve their form for their club. . . . more . . .
French probe Ronaldinho's Swiss bank account (Mar 16, 2005)
French fraud squad detectives are reportedly investigating how television channel Canal Plus put 15 million euros into the Swiss bank account of Brazil star Ronaldinho. . . . more . . .
Monaco lose more ground on rampant Lyon (Mar 16, 2005)
Monaco failed to make up ground on runaway league leaders Lyon with a 0-0 draw at Strasbourg which leaves Didier Deschamps' Principality side in fourth position in the French league table. . . . more . . .
Chelsea close in on championship crown (Mar 16, 2005)
Chelsea extended their lead at the top of the English Premiership to 11 points with a 1-0 win over relegation battlers West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge. . . . more . . .
France call-up for injured Henry but Pires still out in the cold (Mar 16, 2005)
Injured striker Thierry Henry was named in the France squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Israel, on March 26 and 30, but there was no place for Arsenal team-mate Robert Pires. . . . more . . .
Roma edge penalty shoot-out to give Conti debut win (Mar 16, 2005)
Roma beat Fiorentina 7-6 in a penalty shoot-out to clinch a place in the semi-finals of the Italian Cup. . . . more . . .
Udinese end Milan's treble hopes (Mar 16, 2005)
AC Milan's hopes of winning three trophies this season were ended after they were unceremoniously dumped out of the Italian Cup by Udinese. . . . more . . .
Corruption critic Zhao Junzhe voted China's Footballer of Year (Mar 16, 2005)
Liaoning captain Zhao Junzhe, a leading critic of corruption in the Chinese game, has been voted Footballer of the Year. . . . more . . .
No one for sale at Real as Raul mulls 'sacrifice' (Mar 16, 2005)
Real Madrid striker Raul is ready to "sacrifice" his career with the club if it helps the team, currently struggling in the title race and out of Europe. . . . more . . .
Blackburn frustrate insipid Liverpool (Mar 16, 2005)
Liverpool's hopes of a top four finish in the Premiership suffered a serious setback when they struggled to a goalless draw with Blackburn at Anfield. . . . more . . .
Bellamy fires up Celtic in Rangers chase (Mar 16, 2005)
Celtic moved back to within a point of Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers with a game in hand after a 2-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle. . . . more . . .
Ref row escalates as UEFA schedules talks over Frisk retirement (Mar 16, 2005)
The row triggered by top referee Anders Frisk's retirement from football escalated as UEFA scheduled emergency talks on Chelsea's role in the Swedish official's decision to quit the game. . . . more . . .
No early cheering for Chelsea (Mar 16, 2005)
Chelsea were hardly in celebratory mood after taking a further big step towards the English Premiership title. . . . more . . .
Referees feeling the heat (Mar 16, 2005)
Tennis umpires used to be the most abused adjudicators of professional sport as any of them who came under the fiery temper of John McEnroe or Ilie Nastase could confess to but now the disease has spread to rugby and football referees. . . . more . . .
Shearer double gives Olympiakos a Dyer night (Mar 16, 2005)
A double from Newcastle captain Alan Shearer inspired his side to a 4-0 humbling of Greek outfit Olympiakos and handed them a place in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals with a 7-1 final aggregate score. . . . more . . .
Souness upbeat about Olympiakos return (Mar 16, 2005)
Newcastle manager Graeme Souness was cautiously optimistic about their UEFA Cup match at home to Olympiakos especially as his side have not lost a single match in Europe this season. . . . more . . .
Huth and Ballack back for Germany (Mar 16, 2005)
Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann has recalled Chelsea defender Robert Huth to his 19-man squad to face Slovenia in Celje on March 26 despite his lack of first team action for the English Premiership leaders. . . . more . . .
UEFA blames Mourinho for crisis (Mar 16, 2005)
UEFA referees' chief Volker Roth claims Jose Mourinho and managers like him who stoke up fans against referees are causing a crisis in football. . . . more . . .
Troubled Dortmund poised for summer clear-out (Mar 16, 2005)
Six-time German champions Borussia Dortmund confirmed they will be letting at least six players leave the club in the summer in a bid to combat their acute financial problems. . . . more . . .
Aussie coach fires another broadside at Liverpool's Benitez (Mar 16, 2005)
Australia football coach Frank Farina again took aim at English Premiership side Liverpool, saying their Spanish manager Rafael Benitez had bowed to pressure by continuing to play unfit Aussie midfielder Harry Kewell. . . . more . . .
"Monumental disaster" United's only hope says Neville (Mar 16, 2005)
Gary Neville has admitted only a monumental disaster for Chelsea can lead to Manchester United winning the Premiership title this season. . . . more . . .
Platini to bid for UEFA presidency (Mar 15, 2005)
Former France captain Michel Platini announced he would bid for the presidency of European football's governing body UEFA at the next elections in 2006. . . . more . . .
Chelsea close in on championship crown (Mar 15, 2005)
Chelsea extended their lead at the top of the English Premiership to 11 points with a 1-0 win over relegation battlers West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge here. . . . more . . .
Serb-Croat ethnic tensions erupt on and off soccer pitch in Sydney (Mar 15, 2005)
Weekend rioting between ethnic Croat and Serb supporters of rival Sydney soccer clubs spread beyond the pitch overnight when a car was firebombed and a clubhouse was riddled with bullets. . . . more . . .
Adriano's hat-trick sends Porto packing (Mar 15, 2005)
Brazilian striker Adriano scored a stunning hat-trick as Inter Milan beat holders Porto 3-1 in their Champions League first knockout round second leg match to dump them out of the competition and become the third Italian team to reach the quarter-finals. . . . more . . .
Roy Keane recalled to Ireland squad for Israel and China (Mar 15, 2005)
Roy Keane was recalled to the Republic of Ireland squad by manager Brian Kerr when he named his 23-man squad for the World Cup qualifier away to Israel in Tel Aviv on March 26 and the home friendly with China three days later. . . . more . . .
Hasselbaink blow for Boro (Mar 15, 2005)
Middlesbrough striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has been ruled out of Thursday's Uefa Cup match against Sporting Lisbon with a knee injury. . . . more . . .
SFA extend Mikoliunas ban (Mar 15, 2005)
Hearts winger Saulius Mikoliunas was banned for an extra five matches by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) disciplinary committee after barging linesman Andy Davis in the recent match against Rangers. . . . more . . .
O'Neil handed Scotland recall for Italy (Mar 15, 2005)
Scotland manager Walter Smith sprang a surprise by recalling Brian O'Neil for the World Cup qualifier away to Italy on March 26. . . . more . . .
A season in one night for determined Inter (Mar 15, 2005)
Inter Milan are determined to keep their season alive by beating Porto and become the third Italian club to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. . . . more . . .
European champions FC Porto crash out of Champions League (Mar 15, 2005)
Portuguese side FC Porto became the first Champions League holders to fail to make the quarter-finals as they were beaten 3-1 by Inter Milan in their first knockout round second leg match. . . . more . . .
Forget about me Shearer tells Newcastle (Mar 15, 2005)
Newcastle United captain Alan Shearer has told his teammates to banish any thoughts of providing him with a storybook finish to his career and instead concentrate their efforts on winning the north-east English club's first major piece of silverware in 36 years. . . . more . . .
Mourinho steps up referee row with UEFA (Mar 15, 2005)
Jose Mourinho has threatened to take legal action against UEFA referees' chief Volker Roth unless he retracts the claim that Chelsea's manager is "an enemy of football". . . . more . . .
Germany prepares to open its arms to World Cup visitors (Mar 15, 2005)
With more than 14 months to go before the whistle blows for the opening match of the 2006 football World Cup, the German tourism industry is licking its lips in anticipation of a bumper crop of visitors. . . . more . . .
Chelsea's Mourinho to participate in Israeli-Palestinian peace match (Mar 15, 2005)
Chelsea football coach Jose Mourinho is to visit Israel on March 27 to participate in an Israeli-Palestinian match for peace. . . . more . . .
Eriksson sympathises with refs ahead of Northern Ireland Test (Mar 15, 2005)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said managers had a "responsibility" to maintain a decent relationship with referees. . . . more . . .
Beckham launches football academy (Mar 14, 2005)
England captain David Beckham launched his own football academy in London but stressed it was about children enjoying themselves and not just about producing future stars. . . . more . . .
Nakata back in Japan squad for World Cup qualifiers (Mar 14, 2005)
Japan coach Zico said that Fiorentina midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata would play for the first time in a year in the World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Bahrain later this month. . . . more . . .
Chelsea condemn Frisk death threats (Mar 14, 2005)
Chelsea promised to take action if it was proved that any of their supporters had made threats against referee Anders Frisk which convinced the Swedish official to retire. . . . more . . .
Blatter shocked at verbal assaults on referees (Mar 14, 2005)
World football boss Sepp Blatter said he was shocked at the recent spate of verbal attacks on referees. . . . more . . .
Del Neri quits as Roma coach (Mar 14, 2005)
AS Roma coach Luigi Del Neri has resigned and been replaced by 1982 World Cup hero Bruno Conti, the Italian first division club announced. . . . more . . .
German legend Haessler calls it a day (Mar 14, 2005)
Thomas Haessler, the last member of West Germay's 1990 World Cup winning team, has decided to hang up his boots at the age of 38. . . . more . . .
Capello relieved as linesman lets Juve off the hook (Mar 14, 2005)
Fabio Capello admitted his team were lucky to escape with all three points from a 1-0 win at Chievo which enabled the Turin giants to remain neck and neck with AC Milan at the top of Serie A. . . . more . . .
Newcastle pay heavy price for Cup win (Mar 14, 2005)
Newcastle United were left to count the cost of booking a fourth FA Cup semi-final appearance in seven years thanks to a 1-0 victory over Premiership rivals Tottenham. . . . more . . .
Hughes continues FA Cup affair (Mar 14, 2005)
Mark Hughes's remarkable association with the FA Cup is set to take a new twist after the Blackburn Rovers manager steered his side into the semi-finals of the competition. . . . more . . .
Mourinho branded enemy of football (Mar 14, 2005)
A top European football official has branded Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho an enemy of football following the sudden retirement of Swedish referee Anders Frisk. . . . more . . .
Blind coach for Ajax (Mar 14, 2005)
Ajax Amsterdam have named Danny Blind as their new coach in succession to Ronald Koeman who resigned last month after they were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by French side Auxerre. . . . more . . .
United and Arsenal kept apart in FA Cup semi-final draw (Mar 14, 2005)
Holders Manchester United and arch-rivals Arsenal were kept apart when the draw for the semi-finals of the FA Cup was made. . . . more . . .
Terry honoured by Moore link as Robson warns Chelsea (Mar 14, 2005)
Chelsea captain John Terry said he was flattered by comparisons between himself and England 1966 World Cup-winning skipper Bobby Moore. . . . more . . .
German saboteurs want Wembley bridge named after Hamann (Mar 14, 2005)
When names were being put forward for the bridge which will lead to England's all new Wembley Stadium, 1966 World Cup heroes such as Geoff Hurst and Bobby Charlton surfaced. . . . more . . .
Dortmund avoid bankruptcy (Mar 14, 2005)
Six-time German champions Borussia Dortmund avoided bankruptcy when Molsiris - the company that owns a 94 percent stake of the Westfalen Stadium - accepted their financial rescue package. . . . more . . .
Savage calls it a day for Wales (Mar 14, 2005)
Wales star Robbie Savage announced his retirement from international football. . . . more . . .
Scholes refuses to concede Premiership title to Chelsea (Mar 14, 2005)
Manchester United's Paul Scholes refused to rule out Premiership glory although they are well behind Chelsea but added it was all systems go for the FA Cup this season. . . . more . . .
Robben on course for Chelsea return against Baggies (Mar 14, 2005)
Chelsea winger Arjen Robben has recovered from two fractures in his foot and could feature in Tuesday's English Premiership match against relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge. . . . more . . .
Merciless Milan in seventh heaven (Mar 13, 2005)
AC Milan opened up a three-point lead over Serie A title rivals Juventus after defeating Sampdoria 1-0 for their seventh consecutive league victory. . . . more . . .
Batistuta calls time on his career (Mar 13, 2005)
Argentinian international centre-forward Gabriel Batistuta announced his retirement from football just two days after his lucrative contract with Qatari side Al-Arabi was cancelled. . . . more . . .
No way back to Newcastle for Bellamy (Mar 13, 2005)
Newcastle United are no longer interested in recalling controversial striker Craig Bellamy to their ranks. . . . more . . .
Bayern star Ze Roberto bound for Madrid (Mar 13, 2005)
Bayern Munich's Brazilian star Ze Roberto is reportedly set to join Atletico Madrid at the end of the season after refusing to accept a pay cut at the Olympic Stadium. . . . more . . .
Dickov fires Blackburn into FA Cup semis (Mar 13, 2005)
Paul Dickov took Blackburn Rovers into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 45 years with a late penalty that ended Leicester City's hopes of becoming the only Championship side in last four of the competition. . . . more . . .
Bayern have not signed me says Podolski (Mar 13, 2005)
German international striker Lukas Podolski claims he has not agreed to join 18-time German champions Bayern Munich vowing to to honour his contract at FC Cologne. . . . more . . .
Rangers victory steps up title pressure (Mar 13, 2005)
Rangers struck twice in the dying moments to beat Dundee 2-0 as Alex McLeish's men opened up a four-point gap over bitter rivals Celtic in the race for the Scottish Premier League title. . . . more . . .
Kluivert fires Newcastle into FA Cup semi-finals (Mar 13, 2005)
Patrick Kluivert was the scourge of his Dutch compatriot Martin Jol with the winner as Newcastle edged out their Premiership rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 to book a place in the FA Cup semi-finals. . . . more . . .
Forlan on target again as Villarreal go third (Mar 13, 2005)
Diego Forlan was nicknamed 'Diego Forlorn' during his time at Manchester United but he's a happy man now as he got his 17th goal of the season in Villarreal's 4-1 win over Espanyol. . . . more . . .
Schalke go top as Lincoln's Brazilian magic bewitches Bayern (Mar 13, 2005)
Schalke 04 underlined their title credentials with a 1-0 home win over title rivals Bayern Munich to establish a three point lead at the Bundesliga summit. . . . more . . .
FA Cup salvation for Euro flops Arsenal and United (Mar 13, 2005)
Arsenal and Manchester United put their Champions League misery behind them with the consolation prize of making the semi-finals of the FA Cup. . . . more . . .
Spanish title dream slips further away from slumping Real (Mar 13, 2005)
Real Madrid slumped to a 2-1 defeat at lowly Getafe as the 29-times Spanish champions fell 11 points behind league leaders and bitter rivals Barcelona in the race for the title. . . . more . . .
Monaco fall foul to Akale's antics (Mar 13, 2005)
Monaco will have reason to be feeling aggrieved after their 2-2 draw with Auxerre, a result which left Didier Deschamps' side short of moving up to third position in the French league. . . . more . . .
Linesman's error lets Juve off the hook (Mar 13, 2005)
AC Milan and Juventus remain neck and neck at the top of Serie A after they both recorded hard-fought 1-0 victories but the Turin giants' victory at Chievo was shrouded in controversy. . . . more . . .
O'Neill issues Rangers goal warning (Mar 13, 2005)
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has issued a warning to Rangers and the rest of the Scottish Premier League that his side will be gunning for goals in the title race run-in. . . . more . . .
Swedish referee Frisk retires following death threats (Mar 12, 2005)
Swedish referee Anders Frisk announced his retirement following death threats from Chelsea supporters after their Champions League match against Barcelona at the Nou Camp last month. . . . more . . .
Wenger faces the facts and admits he was wrong (Mar 12, 2005)
Arsene Wenger has admitted he was "wrong" not to bring in some more experienced players this season - but declared Arsenal's future was in safe hands. . . . more . . .
Wenger calls for action against Chelsea (Mar 12, 2005)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has bitterly condemned Chelsea's reported meeting with Ashley Cole and demanded the English FA Premier League take action against the Stamford Bridge club. . . . more . . .
Ljungberg edges Arsenal into FA Cup semi-finals (Mar 12, 2005)
Freddie Ljungberg kept Arsenal's faltering season alive with a third-minute goal that took Arsene Wenger's side into the FA Cup semi-finals against 10-man Bolton Wanderers. . . . more . . .
Six shooters Celtic cut Rangers lead (Mar 12, 2005)
A sensational 6-0 win for Celtic at home to Dunfermline reduced Rangers' lead in the Scottish Premier League to a solitary point. . . . more . . .
Misfiring Bremen jeopardise Champions League slot (Mar 12, 2005)
German champions Werder Bremen's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League were struck a blow following a disappointing 0-0 home draw with Mainz 05. . . . more . . .
United recover from Euro heartbreak to reach FA Cup semis (Mar 12, 2005)
Manchester United put their midweek Champions League failure behind them by breezing into the FA Cup semi-finals with a 4-0 win over Southampton at St Mary's. . . . more . . .
No surprises as Inter draw again (Mar 12, 2005)
Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw against Lazio, despite playing the final 35 minutes with an extra man. . . . more . . .
Football fan makes trans-Atlantic trip for cancelled game (Mar 12, 2005)
For North Carolina-based football fan Chris Barrett, the trip to England to watch his favourite team in action was a long-cherished dream, after years of saving money. . . . more . . .
Fiorentina still gripped by relegation fears (Mar 12, 2005)
Fiorentina remain in serious danger of losing their Serie A status despite fighting back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Lecce. . . . more . . .
Six Star Celtic cut Rangers lead (Mar 12, 2005)
A sensational 6-0 win for Celtic at home to Dunfermline reduced Rangers' lead in the Scottish Premier League to just a point. . . . more . . .
Lyon affirm title aims but Marseille still in the hunt (Mar 12, 2005)
French champions Lyon showed they were in no mood for loosening their grip on the league race with a 2-1 home win over bottom club Istres which reinforced their eight-point lead over Marseille. . . . more . . .
Barca bounce back after Champions League exit (Mar 12, 2005)
League leaders Barcelona restored some pride after their exit from the Champions League at the hands Chelsea by cruising to a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. . . . more . . .
Winter break needed for English clubs says Queiroz (Mar 11, 2005)
English clubs will never gain the rewards they deserve in European competition until they bring in a winter break as is the case in other top leagues on the continent, Manchester United's assistant manager Carlos Queiroz said. . . . more . . .
Sporting want Newcastle to return Viana (Mar 11, 2005)
Sporting Lisbon want Newcastle to agree to return their former midfielder Hugo Viana, who is currently on a one-year loan with the Portuguese first division side, the director of the club said. . . . more . . .
Vieira and Henry totally committed to Arsenal, says Wenger (Mar 11, 2005)
Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry are totally committed to Arsenal, manager Arsene Wenger said, as he shrugged off reports that both French stars would leave unless the squad is strengthened. . . . more . . .
Pearce takes over at Manchester City (Mar 11, 2005)
Former England left-back Stuart Pearce has been installed as Manchester City manager until the end of the current season following the shock departure of Kevin Keegan. . . . more . . .
England travels to US for two May friendlies (Mar 11, 2005)
England will play two international friendlies in the United States in May. . . . more . . .
Pearce Manchester City's boss until end of the season (Mar 11, 2005)
Manchester City have confirmed that Stuart Pearce, formerly the club's assistant manager, will take charge of the side for the rest of the season following the departure of Kevin Keegan. . . . more . . .
Souness cautious despite Newcastle win (Mar 11, 2005)
Newcastle United's UEFA Cup bid is well placed after a 3-1 demolition of Olympiakos, whose ill discipline left them to finish the first leg of the fourth round tie with only nine players. . . . more . . .
Keegan leaves Manchester City (Mar 11, 2005)
Kevin Keegan parted company with Manchester City despite his recent insistence that he would see out the remaining year on his contract with the Premiership club. . . . more . . .
Di Canio fined 10,000 euros for fascist salute (Mar 11, 2005)
Lazio's Paolo Di Canio was fined 10,000 euros for making a fascist salute during their derby match with AS Roma at the Olympic stadium last month. . . . more . . .
Australia's 'fantastic opportunity' in Asia: Farina (Mar 11, 2005)
Australia's planned shift to play in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) was potentially the best thing that could happen for the game here, national coach Frank Farina said. . . . more . . .
'We will not forget,' Real Madrid players say on blasts anniversary (Mar 11, 2005)
"We will not forget," Real Madrid's players said in a statement on their website as Spain marked the first anniversary of the March 11, 2004 train bombings that killed 191 people. . . . more . . .
First footballer held in German match-fixing scandal (Mar 11, 2005)
The match-fixing scandal that has engulfed German professional football of late has led to the detention of the first player involved. . . . more . . .
SFA throws out Hearts bid for penalty probe (Mar 10, 2005)
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) dismissed a call for an enquiry into the most controversial decision of the season so far -- the last-minute penalty that gave Rangers victory over Hearts last week. . . . more . . .
Bayern fly European flag for Germany (Mar 10, 2005)
Germany's hopes of glory in European club competition rest solely on the broad shoulders of Bayern Munich following their 3-2 aggregate Champions League win over Arsenal. . . . more . . .
Liverpool are a dangerous draw warns Benitez (Mar 10, 2005)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez believes his side will prove a dangerous opponent in the last eight of the Champions League, although the Spaniard was keen to play down their overall victory hopes. . . . more . . .
"Cheat and cheat" jibe earns Mourinho 5,000-pound fine (Mar 10, 2005)
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was fined 5,000 pounds for remarks questioning the integrity of the referee who handled his side's League Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester United. . . . more . . .
Missing quintet caused our downfall says Leverkusen coach (Mar 10, 2005)
Bayer Leverkusen coach Klaus Augenthaler was disappointed to see his side crash out of the Champions League following their 3-1 home loss against Liverpool but claimed injuries and suspensions had exposed a threadbare squad. . . . more . . .
Suspect ref Marks arrested for match-fixing (Mar 10, 2005)
German referee Dominik Marks was arrested with Berlin public prosecuters convinced the official is involved in match-fixing. . . . more . . .
Bayern not being held to ransom by Kovac (Mar 10, 2005)
Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath has told Croatian international Robert Kovac to leave the club if money is more important to him than sporting success. . . . more . . .
Mexico and Argentina battle to 1-1 draw (Mar 10, 2005)
Rolando Zarate scored in the 68th minute to offset an own goal and give Argentina a 1-1 draw with Mexico in an international football friendly. . . . more . . .
Australia press on to join Asian confederation: FFA (Mar 10, 2005)
Australia are pressing ahead with efforts to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in a switch from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), the Football Federation Australia (FFA) said. . . . more . . .
Zhu Guanghu named as China's football coach (Mar 10, 2005)
China has appointed Zhu Guanghu as coach of its national football team, replacing Dutchman Arie Haan who was sacked last year, state media reported. . . . more . . .
In-form Newcastle chase double cup glory (Mar 10, 2005)
Newcastle's run to Cup glory on two fronts continues with a trip to Greeks Olympiakos in the UEFA Cup. . . . more . . .
Wenger faces up to prospect of trophyless season (Mar 10, 2005)
A determinedly phlegmatic Arsene Wenger insisted he had no regrets about his side's Champions League exit and refused to accept that it would be a crisis were his side to fail to win a trophy this season. . . . more . . .
Late double hands Boro a sporting chance (Mar 10, 2005)
Two late goals gave Middlesbrough something to cling to after the first leg of their fourth round UEFA Cup tie against Sporting Lisbon ended in a 3-2 win for the visitors here at the Riverside. . . . more . . .
US to host rival Mexico at Columbus in World Cup qualifier (Mar 10, 2005)
The United States will host arch-rival Mexico in a crucial World Cup 2006 North American qualifying match at Columbus, Ohio. . . . more . . .
'Cheat and cheat' jibe earns Mourinho 5,000-pound fine (Mar 10, 2005)
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was fined 5,000 pounds for remarks questioning the integrity of the referee who handled his side's League Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester United. . . . more . . .
Real join Barca on Champions League scrapheap (Mar 10, 2005)
It was always going to be a tall order, and Real Madrid found to their cost that a one-goal advantage is worth nothing when millions of dollars in Champions League revenue is at stake. . . . more . . .
China appoints Zhu Guanghu as new national coach (Mar 10, 2005)
China has appointed Zhu Guanghu as coach of its national football team, replacing Dutchman Arie Haan who was sacked last year. . . . more . . .
US blanks Colombia 3-0 in friendly (Mar 10, 2005)
Pat Noonan and Chad Marshall scored first-half goals to spark the United States past Colombia 3-0 in an international football friendly. . . . more . . .
DC. United beats Jamaican champs in Champions Cup (Mar 10, 2005)
Reigning Major League Soccer champion D.C. . . . more . . .
Henry out for two to three weeks (Mar 10, 2005)
Thierry Henry will be out of action for two to three weeks as a result of a calf strain he suffered as Arsenal crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich. . . . more . . .
Magpies too hot to handle for under-manned Olympiakos (Mar 10, 2005)
Newcastle took a major step towards the UEFA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 demolition of Olympiakos, who finished the match with only nine players. . . . more . . .
Bosnian international Balic changes mind, says will continue to play (Mar 09, 2005)
Bosnian international Elvir Balic has announced that he has changed his mind about retiring from football and will continue to play in the Turkish first division. . . . more . . .
Zalayeta sends Real crashing out (Mar 09, 2005)
Spanish giants Real Madrid were sensationally dumped out of the Champions League by Juventus after losing 2-0 to the Italian side in extra-time. . . . more . . .
Maradona in 'perfect health' after surgery to reduce weight: surgeon (Mar 09, 2005)
Former world soccer champion Diego Maradona is in "perfect health" after undergoing gastric bypass surgery in order to help him reduce weight, one of his surgeons said. . . . more . . .
Chelsea deny swoop on Benfica trio (Mar 09, 2005)
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon denied Portuguese press reports that the London-based club is looking to sign three Benfica stars. . . . more . . .
Liverpool look to lay Bayer ghost to rest in Leverkusen (Mar 09, 2005)
The last time Liverpool visited the BayArena it proved a bitterly painful experience as Bayer Leverkusen used home advantage to win 4-2 and reach the quarter-finals of the 2002 Champions League. . . . more . . .
Gracious Ferguson in awe of masterful Milan (Mar 09, 2005)
Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson tipped AC Milan to win the Champions League after his team were given a European masterclass by the highly efficient Italians. . . . more . . .
Triumphant Chelsea in race storm (Mar 09, 2005)
Chelsea's dramatic Champions League win over Barcelona has been marred by claims by Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o he was called a "monkey" by a Chelsea steward in angry skirmishes after the match. . . . more . . .
Garcia at the double as Liverpool savour Bayer revenge (Mar 09, 2005)
Four-time European champions Liverpool booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a brace from Spanish international Luis Garcia securing a 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. . . . more . . .
Wobbly Gunners worry Henry (Mar 09, 2005)
Thierry Henry admits Arsenal are as worried about defending as scoring when they try to make up a two-goal deficit against Bayern Munich in the European Champions League. . . . more . . .
PSV beat Monaco to book quarter-final spot (Mar 09, 2005)
PSV Eindhoven secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, beating last season's finalists Monaco 2-0. . . . more . . .
Gunners suffer another year of Euro heartbreak (Mar 09, 2005)
A superb Thierry Henry goal was not enough to spare Arsenal from another year of under achievement in Europe as Bayern Munich held out to squeeze into the Champions League quarter-finals 3-2 on aggregate. . . . more . . .
Makaay absence gives Gunners hope (Mar 09, 2005)
Bayern Munich face a test of nerve at Highbury as they seek to defend a 3-1 lead over Arsenal without the reassuring presence of their most reliable source of goals, Roy Makaay. . . . more . . .
Attack the best form of defence, says Real's Zidane (Mar 09, 2005)
Real Madrid's graceful midfielder Zinedine Zidane says his team will not sit on their slender advantage in their crunch Champions League clash against his former club Juventus. . . . more . . .
Humble PSV beat Monaco's millionaires to book quarter-final spot (Mar 09, 2005)
PSV Eindhoven secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, beating last season's finalists Monaco 2-0. . . . more . . .
Ballack ready to blitz Gunners Euro dream (Mar 08, 2005)
Michael Ballack has insisted that Bayern Munich's first leg win over Arsenal was no fluke and warned that the Germans are more than capable of repeating the feat at Highbury on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Liverpool end US cash talks (Mar 08, 2005)
Liverpool said they'd ended discussions with American-based L4 Group about the possibility of a cash injection but said they were seeking funds from elsewhere. . . . more . . .
Aberdeen trial for Czech striker Blaha (Mar 08, 2005)
Czech striker Lubomir Blaha has arrived for a week-long trial with Scottish Premier side Aberdeen. . . . more . . .
Pennant drops appeal against prison sentence (Mar 08, 2005)
Jermaine Pennant dropped his appeal against a three-month prison sentence for drink-driving while banned, his lawyer said. . . . more . . .
Leverkusen reward Augenthaler with new deal (Mar 08, 2005)
Just 24 hours before the Champions League clash with Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen coach Klaus Augenthaler has signed a contract extension at the BayArena until June 2006. . . . more . . .
Defiant Rijkaard ready for Chelsea clash (Mar 08, 2005)
Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard is going into their crunch Champions League match against Chelsea brimming with confidence and insisting he has a clear conscience from the first leg. . . . more . . .
Bayern welcome back Lizarazu for Arsenal test (Mar 08, 2005)
Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath expects French World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu to be fit in time for Wednesday's Champions League clash with Arsenal at Highbury. . . . more . . .
Fulham to face MLS best in All-Star Game (Mar 08, 2005)
English Premiership side Fulham will face the best players from Major League Soccer in the annual MLS All-Star Game, the United States football league announced. . . . more . . .
Crespo on target again as United crash out (Mar 08, 2005)
Manchester United were knocked out of the Champions League after losing 1-0 to AC Milan in front of a 69,000 sell-out San Siro crowd. . . . more . . .
Under-fire Mourinho in Barcelona test (Mar 08, 2005)
Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, who have already won the English League Cup and are favourites to win the Premiership, put their Champions League ambitions on the line against Barcelona in the biggest match of their Portuguese boss's reign. . . . more . . .
Terry breaks Catalan hearts as Chelsea march into last eight (Mar 08, 2005)
John Terry headed Chelsea into the last eight of the Champions League with the crucial goal in an epic 4-2 victory over Barcelona. . . . more . . .
Goal fest as Lyon chew up and spit out Bremen (Mar 08, 2005)
French champions Lyon advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 7-2 hammering of German league title-holders Werder Bremen in their first round knockout phase second leg tie. . . . more . . .
Liverpool attack is best form of defence says Benitez (Mar 08, 2005)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists his team will not sit back on their 3-1 lead in Wednesday's Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena. . . . more . . .
Henry lauds Bergkamp ahead of Bayern clash (Mar 08, 2005)
Thierry Henry has insisted the return of fellow striker Dennis Bergkamp can provide the spark that will see Premiership champions Arsenal overturn a 3-1 Champions League deficit against Bayern Munich at Highbury. . . . more . . .
Benitez banking on Gerrard against Leverkusen (Mar 08, 2005)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has backed skipper Steven Gerrard to have a major influence on the outcome of their last 16 Champions League tie away to Germany's Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Henry victim of his own success says Wenger (Mar 08, 2005)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has come out in support of striker Thierry Henry ahead of Wednesday's Champions League tie against Bayern Munich and insisted his compatriot was "a victim of his own success." . . . more . . .
FIFA back German soccer chiefs over match-fixing scandal (Mar 08, 2005)
World soccer's governing body FIFA threw their full support behind the German football association (DFB) over the current refereeing scandal which has cast a shadow over the runup to the 2006 World Cup in Germany. . . . more . . .
Lizarazu confident of stopping Henry (Mar 08, 2005)
French World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu is confident the Bayern Munich defence can cope with the threat posed by Arsenal's Thierry Henry in Wednesday's Champions League crunch first knockout round second leg clash at Highbury. . . . more . . .
Kewell out of Liverpool's Champions league clash (Mar 08, 2005)
Australia winger Harry Kewell has been ruled out of Liverpool's Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Royle told to repay 423,000 pounds compensation (Mar 08, 2005)
Ipswich Town manager Joe Royle was ordered by a court here to repay the 423,000 pounds (614,000 euros) compensation he was awarded after being sacked as boss of Manchester City. . . . more . . .
Heroes of '68 back United to master Milan (Mar 08, 2005)
Manchester United legends Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles are backing the Red Devils to overcome a 1-0 deficit against AC Milan here on Tuesday and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. . . . more . . .
Lyon striker Govou back in the frame for Bremen clash (Mar 08, 2005)
Striker Sidney Govou is set to return for goal-getting Lyon in the Champions League return leg against Werder Bremen. . . . more . . .
Rooney and Ferguson face FA probe (Mar 08, 2005)
Sir Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney are reportedly being investigated by the Football Association for their behaviour during Manchester United's goalless draw at Crystal Palace. . . . more . . .
Celtic facing Sutton loss (Mar 07, 2005)
Celtic striker Chris Sutton could be out of the Scottish champions' next three matches after sustaining a hamstring injury during Sunday's 3-1 win away to Hibernian. . . . more . . .
Nakata suffers miserable debut as Marseille slump (Mar 07, 2005)
Japanese international defender Koji Nakata suffered a nightmare French league debut when title-chasing Marseille slumped to a 2-0 defeat in the snow and sleet of Saint Etienne. . . . more . . .
Eriksson won't feel complete until England win trophy (Mar 07, 2005)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has said he won't feel his time in charge of the national side is complete until he has won something. . . . more . . .
Wenger confident in young Gunners (Mar 07, 2005)
Arsene Wenger has backed rookie defender Philippe Senderos to rise to the challenge against Bayern Munich this week as Arsenal look to revive their Champions League fortunes. . . . more . . .
Bayern and Schalke recreate 2001 title duel (Mar 07, 2005)
Back in the 2000/01 season Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich fought tooth and nail for the German championship and this campaign has been a carbon copy with the Bundesliga co-leaders locked on 50 points with just 12 games remaining. . . . more . . .
Juventus in for Bayern star Kovac (Mar 07, 2005)
The agent of Bayern Munich defender Robert Kovac, Jurgen Milewski, has confirmed that Italian giants Juventus are interested in poaching the Croatian international defender. . . . more . . .
Henry warns Bayern to expect fired-up Arsenal (Mar 07, 2005)
Thierry Henry has told Bayern Munich to expect a confident Arsenal side when the teams meet in the second-leg of their Champions League battle. . . . more . . .
Injury rules out United's Neville and Saha for Milan clash (Mar 07, 2005)
Gary Neville and Louis Saha have been ruled out of Manchester United's Champions League clash with AC Milan on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
FIFA open probe into Ugandan football management (Mar 07, 2005)
A team from football's world governing body FIFA have opened a probe into the management of the sport in Uganda after the government dissolved the country's national soccer federation last month for financial irregularities. . . . more . . .
I'm fit and raring to go says Zidane (Mar 07, 2005)
Real Madrid's French midfielder Zinedine Zidane said that he has recovered from a left leg muscle strain and was raring to go in Wednesday's Champions League first knockout round second leg match at Italian side Juventus. . . . more . . .
Ronaldinho writes off English elite (Mar 07, 2005)
Barcelona striker Ronaldinho claims all four English clubs will be eliminated from the Champions League this week. . . . more . . .
Bosnian international Elvir Balic retires from football (Mar 07, 2005)
Bosnian international Elvir Balic, whose career included stints at Real Madrid and top Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, has announced that he is retiring from football. . . . more . . .
Robben out of Barcelona match (Mar 07, 2005)
Netherlands winger Arjen Robben is out of Chelsea's Champions League match against Barcelona, Blues boss Jose Mourinho revealed. . . . more . . .
Mourinho blasts UEFA ahead of Barca clash (Mar 07, 2005)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insisted he had not asked for Italian referee Pierluigi Collina to take charge of his side's vital Champions League match against Barcelona. . . . more . . .
Former Cameroon boss Schafer accepts Dubai challenge (Mar 07, 2005)
Former Cameroon coach Winfried Schafer admitted even he was suprised by his whirlwind appointment as manager of Dubai-based side Al Ahli. . . . more . . .
Parry insists Liverpool ground move will happen (Mar 07, 2005)
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry insisted the club would secure the financing it needed to make its move to a new stadium in the city's Stanley Park a reality. . . . more . . .
Mourinho gets UEFA warning ahead of Barca clash (Mar 07, 2005)
Jose Mourinho has been told to keep his nose out of UEFA business after insisting he knew before the decision was announced that Italian referee Pierluigi Collina would take charge of Tuesday's Champions League match between Chelsea and Barcelona here at Stamford Bridge. . . . more . . .
Diouf reignites Bolton's Euro bid (Mar 07, 2005)
El Hadji Diouf's first-half goal was good enough to give Bolton Wanderers a 1-0 win away to Manchester City here that took them into the top six of the Premier League and revived their bid for European football next season. . . . more . . .
Schalke step up Kuranyi interest (Mar 07, 2005)
Schalke 04 manager Ralf Rangnick has admitted his interest in signing German international Kevin Kuranyi from VfB Stuttgart. . . . more . . .
Two children die after Madagascar football stadium crush (Mar 07, 2005)
Two children have died from injuries sustained during a stampede at an overcrowded football stadium. . . . more . . .
Nakata suffers miserable debut as Marseille slump (Mar 06, 2005)
Japanese international defender Koji Nakata suffered a nightmare French league debut when title-chasing Marseille slumped to a 2-0 defeat in the snow and sleet of Saint Etienne. . . . more . . .
Celtic close gap on Rangers with Hibs win (Mar 06, 2005)
Champions Celtic closed the gap on leaders Rangers with a 3-1 Scottish Premier League win away to Hibernian here at Easter Road. . . . more . . .
Wenger outlines stars only transfer policy (Mar 06, 2005)
Arsene Wenger has signalled an end to his frugal transfer policy by admitting that he will be aiming to bring one or more major stars to Highbury this summer. . . . more . . .
Makaay injury weakens Bayern: Magath (Mar 06, 2005)
Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath admits the injury to Dutch international striker Roy Makaay is a hammer blow ahead of the two crucial matches against Arsenal and Schalke 04. . . . more . . .
Souness bowled over by reformed Robert (Mar 06, 2005)
Laurent Robert appears to have secured his Newcastle future after being lavished with praise by manager Graeme Souness for a match-winning performance against Liverpool. . . . more . . .
Better late than never, insists Milan's Costacurta (Mar 06, 2005)
AC Milan's evergreen defender Alessandro Costacurta insisted his team make their own luck after leaving it late once again in a last-gasp 2-1 win at bottom club Atalanta. . . . more . . .
Adriano ends Inter goal drought (Mar 06, 2005)
Adriano scored his first goal in almost three months to give Inter Milan a 2-1 home win over Lecce. . . . more . . .
Chelsea deny Cole inquiry claim (Mar 06, 2005)
Leaders Chelsea have denied a report they are not cooperating with the Premier League inquiry into an alleged illegal approach for Arsenal's Ashley Cole. . . . more . . .
Henry can make the difference against Bayern: Wenger (Mar 06, 2005)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Thierry Henry can rescue his side's faltering Champions League campaign. . . . more . . .
Dortmund and Nuremberg share spoils after penalty drama (Mar 06, 2005)
Borussia Dortmund's slim hopes of reaching the Intertoto Cup suffered a blow as FC Nuremberg scored a controversial late penalty to net a 2-2 draw. . . . more . . .
United know title climb has become mountain (Mar 06, 2005)
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that his side's lingering hopes of overhauling Chelsea in the Premiership title race could have died in the mud at Selhurst Park. . . . more . . .
Ronaldo back in business (Mar 06, 2005)
Ronaldo earned himself a pat on the back from coach Wanderley Luxemburgo after the Brazilian World Cup winner spectacularly ended his two-month goal drought for Real Madrid. . . . more . . .
Mourinho confident of winning Premiership crown (Mar 06, 2005)
Jose Mourinho believes that Chelsea are within reach of their first league title in half a century after brushing past Norwich City. . . . more . . .
SPL still in Rangers hands says McLeish (Mar 06, 2005)
Rangers manager Alex McLeish says the Scottish Premier League title is still in his side's hands, despite suffering a shock 1-1 draw at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. . . . more . . .
Bayern lose Makaay for Arsenal clash (Mar 06, 2005)
Bayern Munich received a major blow ahead of their Champions League clash against Arsenal on Wednesday with Dutch international Roy Makaay ruled out due to a thigh injury. . . . more . . .
Gattuso targets United move (Mar 06, 2005)
AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso admitted that he would jump at the chance to join Champions League rivals Manchester United. . . . more . . .
Baggies off the bottom with derby defeat of Birmingham (Mar 06, 2005)
West Bromwich Albion moved off the bottom of the English Premiership table with a 2-0 win over local rivals Birmingham City here at the Hawthorns. . . . more . . .
Bayern tested us all for cocaine admits Scholl (Mar 06, 2005)
Former German international Mehmet Scholl has revealed that 18-time German champions Bayern Munich ordered all of their players to take drug tests for cocaine following the Christoph Daum scandal in 2001. . . . more . . .
Marcelinho wants to end days at Berlin (Mar 06, 2005)
Brazilian striker Marcelinho admits he wants to end his career at Hertha Berlin and is willing to sign a contract keeping him in the German capital until 2011. . . . more . . .
Profligate Bartlett costs Charlton points (Mar 05, 2005)
Charlton's hopes of securing European football next season suffered a setback as poor finishing from South African striker Shaun Bartlett saw them squander their chance of victory in a goalless draw at London rivals Fulham. . . . more . . .
Chelsea crush Canaries to close in on title (Mar 05, 2005)
Chelsea took a giant step towards claiming their first league title in half a century by brushing past Norwich. . . . more . . .
Veterans Babbel and Hamann given World Cup hope (Mar 05, 2005)
German national coach Jurgen Klinsmann has left the door open for experienced internationals Markus Babbel and Dietmar Hamann to make a late bid to board the plane for the 2006 World Cup. . . . more . . .
Villa return to form (Mar 05, 2005)
Aston Villa got their season back on track, beating Middlesbrough 2-0 at at Villa Park to re-ignite their challenge for a UEFA Cup spot. . . . more . . .
Mourinho heads to Israel on peace promotion mission (Mar 05, 2005)
Chelsea's Portguese manager Jose Mourinho has said he would travel to Israel later this month to watch mixed teams of Palestinian and Israeli children play football as part of a peace initiative. . . . more . . .
Ballack strikes to end Bremen title bid (Mar 05, 2005)
Bayern Munich narrowed the German championship down to a two-horse race grinding out a 1-0 win over reigning champions Werder Bremen at the Olympic Stadium. . . . more . . .
Bayern lose Makaay for Arsenal clash (Mar 05, 2005)
Bayern Munich received a major blow ahead of their Champions League clash against Arsenal on Wednesday with Dutch international Roy Makaay set to be ruled out with a thigh injury. . . . more . . .
Hat-trick hero Henry warms Gunners up for Bayern date (Mar 05, 2005)
Thierry Henry grabbed a sensational hat-trick as Arsenal warmed up for their Champions League crunch with Bayern Munich in style with a 3-0 win over Portsmouth at Highbury. . . . more . . .
Late show Caley cause Ibrox shock (Mar 05, 2005)
A last gasp Bryan Prunty equaliser gave Inverness Caledonian Thistle a shock 1-1 draw away to Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. . . . more . . .
Robert extends Newcastle's winning run (Mar 05, 2005)
A free-kick by winger Laurent Robert earned Newcastle United a 1-0 victory over Liverpool and stretched their winning run to five matches. . . . more . . .
Saints quash talk of relegation as they down Spurs (Mar 05, 2005)
Southampton gave themselves a real chance of escaping relegation as they recorded a deserved 1-0 victory over Spurs here for their first victory in 15 Premiership matches. . . . more . . .
Palace draw could be deadly for United title bid (Mar 05, 2005)
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly had an inspired afternoon as Manchester United were held to a goalless draw that could have crippled their bid to catch Chelsea in the Premiership title race. . . . more . . .
Eto'o on target as Barca extend lead (Mar 05, 2005)
Barcelona increased their lead at the top of the Spanish championship to eight points after they won 1-0 at Osasuna, with bitter rivals Real Madrid being held to a 1-1 draw at Valencia. . . . more . . .
England set to miss pair for World Cup qualifiers (Mar 05, 2005)
England are set to be without both Arsenal's Sol Campbell and Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips for this month's World Cup qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan. . . . more . . .
PSG grab late win as leaders Lyon and Lille slip up (Mar 05, 2005)
A late Pauleta goal handed Paris Saint Germain a last gasp victory at home against Nantes as leaders Lyon as well as contenders Lille and Auxerre all fell in French league action. . . . more . . .
Fergie warns Drogba of over-confidence (Mar 05, 2005)
Didier Drogba's claims that Chelsea have wrapped up the Premiership title have predictably come under fire from Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. . . . more . . .
Juve beat Roma to rejoin Milan at the top (Mar 05, 2005)
Juventus beat Roma 2-1 in a bad-tempered clash at the Olympic stadium to rejoin title-holders AC Milan at the top of Italy's Serie A. . . . more . . .
Henry fit to face Portsmouth (Mar 04, 2005)
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry is fit to face Portsmouth in Saturday's Premier League match at Highbury after recovering from his midweek Achilles problem, the champions' manager Arsene Wenger said. . . . more . . .
Arsenal chase Portuguese international keeper Ricardo: report (Mar 04, 2005)
English giants Arsenal have reportedly made an offer to Sporting Lisbon to hire their international goalkeeper Ricardo Pereira at the end of the current season. . . . more . . .
Henry slams Aragones fine (Mar 04, 2005)
Thierry Henry has told world soccer governing body FIFA to step in and increase the severity of Spain coach Luis Aragones's punishment for racism. . . . more . . .
Nakata ready for culture shock (Mar 04, 2005)
Marseille coach Philippe Troussier has warned Japanese international defender Koji Nakata to brace himself for a culture shock when he makes his French League debut. . . . more . . .
Beckham looks to end career in Madrid (Mar 04, 2005)
England captain David Beckham has ruled out a return to the English Premiership by saying he wants to end his career at Real Madrid. . . . more . . .
FA slammed over Cup changes (Mar 04, 2005)
The Football Association have been blasted over their decision to change the format of the FA Cup for next season. . . . more . . .
Ukraine coach Blokhin threatens to resign (Mar 04, 2005)
Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin has threatened to resign because he claims he is the victim of a political witchhunt. . . . more . . .
SFA summon Hearts striker over linesman attack (Mar 04, 2005)
Hearts forward Saulius Mikoliunas has been called to appear before the Scottish Football Association (SFA) disciplinary committee on March 15 to explain his behaviour in the controversial game against Rangers. . . . more . . .
Chelsea seek multi-million Mutu pay-out (Mar 04, 2005)
Chelsea are seeking eight million pounds (15.4 million dollars) in compensation from former striker Adrian Mutu. . . . more . . .
Ferguson issues Chelsea warning (Mar 04, 2005)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Chelsea the title race is far from finished. . . . more . . .
Nakata eyes Marseille debut (Mar 04, 2005)
Japan defender Koji Nakata could make his long-awaited debut for French giants Marseille in their league clash against St Etienne on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Wright-Phillips injury blow for England and City (Mar 04, 2005)
Shaun Wright-Phillips is out of England's World Cup double-header with Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan later this month after being forced to have knee surgery. . . . more . . .
Pierre-Fanfan out as PSG hit by injury woes (Mar 04, 2005)
Paris Saint Germain have been hit by a string of injury woes ahead of Saturday's league game at home against Nantes with captain Jose Pierre-Fanfan and midfielders Lorik Cana and Charles-Edouard Coridon all declared unfit for action. . . . more . . .
Mourinho vows to stay true to himself (Mar 04, 2005)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insisted he would not alter his character but also promised there would be no repeat of the controversial 'silence' gesture which angered Liverpool fans during last weekend's League Cup final. . . . more . . .
Campbell struggling for England games (Mar 04, 2005)
Arsenal defender Sol Campbell's chances of playing in England's World Cup qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan later this month have been called into question by his club boss Arsene Wenger. . . . more . . .
Lyon suffer French title setback at Caen (Mar 04, 2005)
Lyon's push for a fourth successive French league title came to a shuddering halt when they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at struggling Caen just three days after they were also knocked out of the French Cup. . . . more . . .
Hearts call for penalty inquiry (Mar 04, 2005)
Hearts asked the Scottish Football Association (SFA) to investigate the decision to award Rangers' last-minute penalty on Wednesday after publicly questioning the integrity of the linesman who helped make the spot-kick award. . . . more . . .
Mourinho ready to testify against Mutu (Mar 04, 2005)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has said he is ready to give evidence in court against the club's former striker Adrian Mutu as part of the Premier League leaders 8 million pounds compensation claim against the Romania international. . . . more . . .
Nigeria hand Newcastle defender Babayaro another chance (Mar 03, 2005)
Newcastle defender Celestine Babayaro has been given one last chance to show his commitment to Nigeria after he was picked in a 22-man squad to face Gabon in a World Cup qualifier later this month. . . . more . . .
Peruvian ace Guerrero signs Bayern extension (Mar 03, 2005)
Peruvian international striker Jose Paolo Guerrero has signed a two-year contract extension at Bayern Munich until 2008. . . . more . . .
Marks scandal prompts regional game to be replayed (Mar 03, 2005)
The German Football Federation (DFB) confirmed Thursday that a regional match between the reserve teams of Hertha Berlin and Arminia Bielefeld will now be replayed after referee Dominik Marks was accused of manipulating the game. . . . more . . .
Czech goalie Kouba hangs up his boots (Mar 03, 2005)
Goalkeeper Petr Kouba, who helped the Czech national team reach the finals of the 1996 European football championships, announced his retirement. . . . more . . .
Sir Bobby tells Mourinho to grow up (Mar 03, 2005)
English football's senior manager, Sir Bobby Robson, has told Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to learn some humility. . . . more . . .
Father of Total football dies (Mar 03, 2005)
Rinus Michels, the coach who invented the total football played with such verve by Ajax Amsterdam and Holland, has died aged 77. . . . more . . .
UEFA hit Chelsea with double charge (Mar 03, 2005)
European football's governing body UEFA confirmed that English Premiership leaders Chelsea are facing a double disciplinary charge following their controversial Champions League clash against Barcelona in the Nou Camp stadium last week. . . . more . . .
SFA await referee's report after linesman attacked (Mar 03, 2005)
The Scottish Football Association were awaiting referee Hugh Dallas' report before deciding whether to discipline Hearts winger Saulius Mikoliunas for the Lithuanian's extraordinary attack on an official. . . . more . . .
South Africa star Buckley a target for Stuttgart (Mar 03, 2005)
VfB Stuttgart have confirmed their interest in prising South African international striker Delron Buckley away from Arminia Bielefeld. . . . more . . .
Lyon look to Norman conquest (Mar 03, 2005)
Champions Lyon look to put their French Cup misfortunes behind them when they travel north to Norman stronghold Caen in French league action starting. . . . more . . .
Eriksson gets World Cup boost with FA Cup final change (Mar 03, 2005)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has won his battle to secure a four-week gap before next year's World Cup finals after it was announced the FA Cup final will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2006 in the first match at the new Wembley Stadium. . . . more . . .
Panionios criticize media over match-fix talk (Mar 03, 2005)
An official from Greek first division club Panionios Athens criticized media speculation that the UEFA Cup qualifier between Panionios and Dinamo Tbilisi last December was fixed. . . . more . . .
Jol going nowhere insists Arnesen (Mar 03, 2005)
Tottenham sporting director Frank Arnesen said that head coach Martin Jol would not be leaving the club to take over at managerless Ajax. . . . more . . .
Schafer ponders club management in Dubai (Mar 03, 2005)
Former Cameroon coach Winfried Schafer jetted to Dubai to hold talks about becoming the next manager of club side Al Ahli. . . . more . . .
Spurs trounce Forest to ease into FA Cup quarter-finals (Mar 02, 2005)
Tottenham Hotspur secured the last remaining quarter-final place in this season's FA Cup with a 3-0 fifth round replay win away to Championship strugglers Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. . . . more . . .
Formidable Pizarro fires Bayern into cup semi (Mar 02, 2005)
Peruvian international striker Claudio Pizarro scored four goals as Bayern Munich crushed ten-man SC Freiburg 7-0 to book a place in the semi-finals of the German Cup. . . . more . . .
Southampton relegation fight dented by Prutton 10-match ban (Mar 02, 2005)
Southampton's hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premiership suffered a major blow when midfielder David Prutton was banned for 10 matches and fined 6,000 pounds (8,700 euros) after admitting two charges of improper conduct. . . . more . . .
Baros sees end of road at Liverpool (Mar 02, 2005)
Milan Baros says he will leave Liverpool in the summer if manager Rafael Benitez fails to give him a regular place in the starting line-up for the rest of the season. . . . more . . .
Cameroon goalkeeper's heroics keeps Barca at bay (Mar 02, 2005)
There may not have been any goals but that was the only thing that was lacking as Spanish league leaders Barcelona were held to a 0-0 draw by their local rivals Espanyol. . . . more . . .
Be humble Jose, warns former mentor (Mar 02, 2005)
Premiership leaders Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho should learn to take defeat gracefully warned his former mentor Sir Bobby Robson. . . . more . . .
Owen and Carlos find perfect response for Real (Mar 02, 2005)
Michael Owen hit his ninth goal of the season while Roberto Carlos hammered a perfect response to the Spanish terrace racists as Real Madrid beat Real Betis 3-1 to reignite their title dream. . . . more . . .
Super ref Collina to retire in June (Mar 02, 2005)
Italy's Pierluigi Collina, the most widely known referee in the world, is set to retire in June. . . . more . . .
Robben plays down Barca comeback (Mar 02, 2005)
Chelsea winger Arjen Robben has played down his chances of making a return against Barcelona in the Champions League next Tuesday when the English league leaders have to make up a 2-1 deficit. . . . more . . .
PSG caught on the bounce by Kanga as Cup slips away (Mar 02, 2005)
Paris Saint Germain's catastrophic season continued apace when they were deposed as French Cup holders as Ivorian striker Kanga Akale's goal for Auxerre saw them overturn a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in the round of the last 16. . . . more . . .
Second-string Gunners show steel (Mar 02, 2005)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes his understrength side's gutsy penalty win over Sheffield United in the FA Cup proves the Gunners can yet salvage something from the season. . . . more . . .
Mourinho escapes FA punishment (Mar 02, 2005)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will not face any Football Association charge over his gesture that saw him sent from the dug-out in Sunday's League Cup final win against Liverpool. . . . more . . .
New China football boss facing tough battle on commercializing the game (Mar 02, 2005)
Less than two weeks after being appointed China's top football bureaucrat, Xie Yalong is already showing signs that the tasks facing the nations' most popular sport are too huge for one man to handle. . . . more . . .
Balde facts of Scottish title race staring Celtic in the face (Mar 02, 2005)
Celtic's 3-0 win at home to Dundee was not enough to reduce Rangers' six point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League. . . . more . . .
Keane cleared of assault (Mar 01, 2005)
Manchester United captain Roy Keane was cleared of assaulting a 16-year-old by a magistrates court. . . . more . . .
Pennant jailed three months for drink-driving (Mar 01, 2005)
Arsenal's Jermaine Pennant has been jailed for three months for drink-driving while banned from the road. . . . more . . .
Beattie victim of unprovoked attack: Everton (Mar 01, 2005)
Everton have confirmed that star striker James Beattie, currently banned from playing for headbutting an opponent, was involved in a late-night punch-up outside a Birmigham noodle bar. . . . more . . .
Chelsea's Robben and Kezman in Barcelona frame (Mar 01, 2005)
Chelsea could line up League Cup winner Mateja Kezman and Dutch winger Arjen Robben when they try to overcome a 2-1 deficit against Barcelona in the Champions League next Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Big guns Bremen and Schalke into last four (Mar 01, 2005)
German Cup holders Werder Bremen booked their place in the semi-finals of this season's competition with a comfortable 3-0 win over third division Bayern Munich Amateure. . . . more . . .
Spanish coach fined over Henry slur (Mar 01, 2005)
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) handed national team coach Luis Aragones a 3,000 euro (3,500 dollar) fine for making racist comments about Thierry Henry of France and Arsenal. . . . more . . .
Underused Pinilla wants out of Sporting Lisbon at end of season (Mar 01, 2005)
Chilean international striker Mauricio Pinilla wants to leave Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon at the end of the season unless he is given more time on the pitch, his lawyer said. . . . more . . .
Carroll delays decision on United contract (Mar 01, 2005)
Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll is holding off making a decision on whether to prolong his stay at Old Trafford until the end of the season. . . . more . . .
Almunia finally delivers for Gunners (Mar 01, 2005)
Arsene Wenger's faith in Manuel Almunia was finally vindicated as the Spanish goalkeeper's penalty shoot-out heroics sent Arsenal into the FA Cup quarter-finals at the expense of Sheffield United. . . . more . . .
Prutton set to be hit for six by FA (Mar 01, 2005)
Southampton midfielder David Prutton faces a ban of at least six matches after admitting two charges of improper conduct, including one which relates to him shoving referee Alan Wiley. . . . more . . .
Cameroon goalkeeper's heroics keeps Barca at bay (Mar 01, 2005)
There may not have been any goals but that was the only thing that was lacking as Spanish league leaders Barcelona were held to a 0-0 draw by their local rivals Espanyol. . . . more . . .
Gunners firepower blunted as Henry ruled out of FA Cup replay (Mar 01, 2005)
Premiership champions Arsenal suffered a serious blow before their fifth round FA Cup replay with Championship outfit Sheffield United with the news that leading striker Thierry Henry had been ruled out with an Achilles injury. . . . more . . .
Blatter believes racism will be kicked into touch soon (Mar 01, 2005)
Racism will be a thing of the past for football by the time the 2005-06 season begins claimed FIFA president Sepp Blatter. . . . more . . .
Norwich director cooks up a storm with half-time rally (Mar 01, 2005)
Delia Smith, a director of struggling Premiership side Norwich, has defended her decision to make an impromptu rallying cry to fans at half-time in the Canaries' defeat by Manchester City on Monday. . . . more . . .
Saints earn crack at Red Devils (Mar 01, 2005)
Southampton came from behind to crush League One side Brentford's dreams of an FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United with a 3-1 victory in their 5th round replay. . . . more . . .
Maxi-mun interest in Barcelona derby (Mar 01, 2005)
Barcelona will be out to defend their eight-point lead at the top of the Spanish first division by beating local rivals Espanyol. . . . more . . .
Le Guen hit by Clermont jinx as Lyon pay the penalty (Mar 01, 2005)
History repeated itself in unwanted fashion for Lyon coach Paul Le Guen as his three-time champions were bundled out of the French Cup 4-3 on penalties by second division outfit Clermont after the tie finished 1-1. . . . more . . .
Veterans beat youthful Indonesia in tsunami match (Mar 01, 2005)
A team of international veterans including 64-year-old former Chelsea keeper Peter Bonetti beat a largely youthful Indonesian side 4-3 in a friendly match to raise funds for tsunami victims. . . . more . . .
