AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has already congratulated his star Brazilian striker Kaka for what appears to be his anticipated collection of the European Footballer of the Year award. . . . more . . .
A reform of the European Champions League for the period 2009/12 was agreed by the UEFA executive committee on Friday night. . . . more . . .
Everton boss David Moyes has revealed he would like to manage his native Scotland one day but only when he is older. . . . more . . .
Roy Hodgson has resigned as national football team coach, the Football Association of Finland said Friday. . . . more . . .
Rangers winger DaMarcus Beasley will undergo surgery on his injured knee in the United States and is facing several months on the sidelines, manager Walter Smith confirmed Friday. . . . more . . .
South Africa have ditched star striker Benni McCarthy for the 2008 African Nations Cup in Ghana. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to unleash Wayne Rooney on Fulham on Monday following the Manchester United striker's rapid recovery from an ankle injury. . . . more . . .
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted Friday that he could "understand the clamour" for Jose Mourinho to become England's next manager. . . . more . . .
David Beckham proved his superstar status Friday as he trained in front of more than 15,000 screaming school children ahead of a weekend friendly between his Los Angeles Galaxy team and the Wellington Phoenix. . . . more . . .
The Japan Football Association said Friday it has picked Takeshi Okada, who coached Japan at their first World Cup in 1998, to return to the job to replace the ailing Ivica Osim. . . . more . . .
Dutchman Dick Advocaat has apologised for reneging on a coaching contract and leaving Australia without a national coach two months out from qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, reports said Friday. . . . more . . .
England star David Beckham will be the star attraction next February when top US, Japanese and Australian football clubs meet here in the debut of a new tournament, the Pan-Pacific Championship. . . . more . . .
Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton gave their fans a UEFA Cup night to remember Thursday as Bayern Munich were held to a draw by Portuguese minnows Sporting Braga. . . . more . . .
Germany great Franz Beckenbauer and UEFA President Michel Platini are just two of the leading football figures who have already been consulted by Football Association (FA) chief executive Brian Barwick as he tries to find a successor to Steve McClaren as England coach. . . . more . . .
Ben Bamfuchile said Thursday he had quit as coach of shock 2008 African Nations Cup qualifiers Namibia. . . . more . . .
Zheng Zhi, the China captain, may still be struggling to get to grips with the English language but the midfielder insists communication on the field is proving less of a problem as he gets used to life with Charlton Athletic. . . . more . . .
Holders Celtic and their arch-rivals Rangers will begin their Scottish Cup campaigns at home to lower league opposition following the fourth round draw here Thursday. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon on Thursday ruled out a recruitment drive over the winter break despite their shock 3-2 loss to Werder Bremen in Champions League action. . . . more . . .
Middlesbrough midfielder Julio Arca looks set for a Premier League return after three months out with a medial ligament injury but Egyptian striker Mido faces an extended stay on the sidelines. . . . more . . .
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan hailed his side's 2-1 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk as their best ever win - and match winner Massimo Donati as a hero. . . . more . . .
Football superstar David Beckham landed in a rugby stronghold Thursday but it was hardly enemy territory as hundreds of fans gave him a rapturous welcome in New Zealand's capital. . . . more . . .
Rafa Benitez resisted the temptation to gloat after Liverpool's 4-1 win over Porto gave a substantial boost to his power struggle with the club's American owners. . . . more . . .
Indian IT firms used to selling their services to banks and manufacturers are now looking to the world of sport for new business, after a breakthrough deal with football's governing body FIFA. . . . more . . .
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp insisted Thursday he was not the focus of a police probe into corruption in English football as he hit out against his arrest. . . . more . . .
Werder Bremen upset nine-time titleholders Real Madrid 3-2 to leave Champions League Group C too close to call with one match remaining. . . . more . . .
A late goal from Brazilian forward Bobo threw Besiktas a lifeline on Wednesday as the Turkish giants earned a valuable 2-1 victory over Marseille. . . . more . . .
Premier League strugglers Derby County on Wednesday named former Wigan coach Paul Jewell as their new manager. . . . more . . .
Massimo Donati was Celtic's Champions League hero as his injury time strike secured a 2-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Fernando Torres kept Liverpool's Champions League rescue mission on course and did Rafa Benitez a favour in the process as his double strike inspired a 4-1 win over FC Porto on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
AC Milan secured qualification to the Champions League knock-out stages after a battling 1-1 draw against Benfica here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Chelsea produced a dominant performance to outclass Norwegian champions Rosenborg 4-0 on Wednesday and guarantee they will top Group B and reach the knockout phase of the Champions League for the sixth straight time. . . . more . . .
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) on Wednesday gave their full backing to national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, congratulating the Brazilian for leading them to a fourth consecutive European championship finals. . . . more . . .
Away supporters have been barred from the potentially volatile Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo this weekend. . . . more . . .
British police questioned Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp and four others Wednesday as part of an investigation into alleged corruption, the English Premier League club said. . . . more . . .
Louis van Gaal has reiterated his desire to become the new England manager and pointed Wednesday to a release clause in his contract as coach of AZ Alkmaar should the FA come knocking. . . . more . . .
Lyon captain Juninho believes his side can get the Champions League victory they need when they travel to Ibrox Park on December 12 to meet Rangers in the battle for second spot in Group E. . . . more . . .
Alex McLeish was confirmed as the new manager of Birmingham City at a news conference held by the Engish Premier League club on Wednesday, just a day after he'd resigned his post as Scotland coach. . . . more . . .
Saudi Arabian goal-machine Yasser Al Qahtani, nicknamed "The Sniper", was Wednesday named Asian player of the year and said he wanted to move to Europe, with Middlesbrough leading the chase. . . . more . . .
Premier League strugglers Derby County on Wednesday named former Wigan coach Paul Jewell as their new manager. . . . more . . .
South Korea's football governing body has shortlisted three candidates, including former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, to coach the national team, a news report said Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Cristiano Ronaldo's last-gasp winner against Sporting Lisbon will allow him to let his Manchester United stars put their feet up. . . . more . . .
Alex McLeish left Scotland searching for their third manager of the year after he resigned from his post. . . . more . . .
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is willing to consider the vacant position as manager of England's national team, he told The Sun tabloid in an early edition of its Wednesday paper. . . . more . . .
Roma breezed into the Champions' League knockout phase and ended the UEFA Cup hopes of Dynamo Kiev after thrashing the Ukrainian champions 4-1 in their group F clash here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Barcelona secured qualification for the knockout phase of the Champions League Tuesday as group E winners after French champions Lyon twice came from behind to level 2-2 with the Spanish giants. . . . more . . .
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo hit a stoppage-time stunner that clinched a 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday and ensured his side will finish top of Champions League Group F. . . . more . . .
Rangers lost 3-2 to battling VfB Stuttgart here on Tuesday but can still reach the Champions League knockout phase if they draw with Lyon in their final group game. . . . more . . .
Sevilla gained revenge for their humiliating 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in the opening game of this season's Champions League when they turned the tables with a 3-1 win here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan secured top spot in group G and a place in the Champions League knock-out phase with a 3-0 victory over Fenerbahce at the San Siro here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Porto midfielder Ricardo Quaresma believes his team experience of winning away to Turkish giants Besiktas will help his side cope with the challenge of the Anfield crowd when they face Liverpool in the Champions League here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Chelsea have been charged with failing to control their players after Michael Essien was sent-off during their 2-0 Premier League win away to Derby last weekend. . . . more . . .
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez attempted to calm the speculation surrounding his future ahead of the key Champions League clash with Porto, as goalkeeper Jose Reina threw his backing behind his boss. . . . more . . .
Benni McCarthy is available for Blackburn Rovers's Premier League match with Aston Villa at Ewood Park despite being injured last weekend. . . . more . . .
France international striker David Trezeguet said he will stay at Italian giants Juventus for the rest of his career, Gazetta dello Sport reported on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Alex McLeish resigned Tuesday as coach of the Scotland national football team, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) said in a statement. . . . more . . .
David Moyes became Tuesday the second Premiership manager in two days, after Sir Alex Ferguson, to be charged by the Football Association regarding comments criticising the performance of referee Mark Clattenburg. . . . more . . .
David Beckham scored off one of his signature free-kicks and received a yellow card as under-prepared LA Galaxy were hammered 5-3 by Sydney FC in their exhibition match here Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Europe's top football official, former Juventus midfield star Michel Platini, has been told by England's Premier League to "mind his own business." . . . more . . .
The Japan Football Association said Tuesday it had entered talks with former national coach Takeshi Okada to return to the job to replace Ivica Osim, who suffered a stroke. . . . more . . .
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) have rejected an official approach, believed to have come from Birmingham, to talk to national team manager Alex McLeish. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan, Barcelona, AS Roma and Rangers are on the brink of qualifying in Tuesday's Champions League group matches though Arsenal and Manchester United have already reached the knockout stages. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich have shown how bad performances on the football pitch do not necessarily impact on a club's commercial success - as long as the cash registers keep pinging and the fans buy the shirts. . . . more . . .
Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has warned Lyon that the Catalan giants will not settle for anything less than a win in their Champions League group E clash here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Birmingham City are set to ask permission from the Scottish Football Association to talk to Scotland manager Alex McLeish about becoming their new boss, according to British media. . . . more . . .
Serie A club Udinese are to try out a fan passport - called a PassaSport - later this season in a bid to curb crowd violence. . . . more . . .
A 'Celtic Cup' featuring Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could kick off in 2009 after the four federations agreed "in principle" to the idea on Monday. . . . more . . .
A tragedy which led to the death of seven fans at the Fonte Nova stadium has drawn attention to the urgent need for venues be improved before football's 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. . . . more . . .
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged by the Football Association (FA) after letting fly at referee Mark Clattenburg during the Red Devils' 1-0 Premier League defeat away to Bolton. . . . more . . .
Steve Bruce rounded on his former club Birmingham City when giving his first news conference as Wigan Athletic manager at the JJB Stadium here Monday. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged his Manchester United players to make their final Champions League Group F clash against Roma meaningless next month by cementing top spot with victory against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Villarreal's Argentina international midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme has agreed a nine-million-euro deal with his club to move to Boca Juniors in his home country, the Spanish first division club said on Monday. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich coach Uli Hoeness said Monday that he would not stand in the way of French defender Willy Sagnol leaving the club if the player insisted. . . . more . . .
Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has emerged as a bookies favourite to take over from Billy Davies as manager of English Premier League basement club Derby County. . . . more . . .
Japan and South Korea might be smiling but it was a less than happy affair for Australia and China when the Asian qualifying draw was made for the 2010 World Cup here. . . . more . . .
Ryan Giggs believes Manchester United's Champions League victory against Dynamo Kiev proves they can cope with the injury problems that threaten to derail their season. . . . more . . .
David Beckham says he is eager to help England qualify for the 2010 World Cup and claim his 100th international cap. . . . more . . .
Asia's football chief Mohamed bin Hammam has urged just one Asian bid to maximise the confederation's chances of hosting the 2018 World Cup. . . . more . . .
Blackburn face a nervous wait to see if Benni McCarthy faces a spell on the sidelines after the South Africa striker needed stitches for a knee gash during his side's 2-2 draw at Fulham. . . . more . . .
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic has admitted he would rather have avoided facing an England squad bent on revenge in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. . . . more . . .
The future of Paris St Germain coach Paul Le Guen could become a big talking point in the French first division this week after Nice added to the club's growing list of defeats. . . . more . . .
Roma's hopes of securing qualification to the Champions League knock-out stages have been hit by a triple injury blow. . . . more . . .
Hamburg continued their impressive early season form to consolidate their third place in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 home win over struggling Rostock on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Villarreal missed the chance to knock Real Madrid off the top of the Spanish championship following a 1-1 draw with Almeria on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Blackburn defender Stephen Warnock scored a late equaliser to give Mark Hughes's side a 2-2 draw against Fulham on Sunday. . . . more . . .
AC Milan scraped a 2-1 victory at Cagliari on Sunday as a stunning Andrea Pirlo free-kick five minutes from time stole the points. . . . more . . .
Robert Green rescued West Ham as he saved Jermain Defoe's stoppage time penalty to preserve a 1-1 draw against Tottenham on Sunday. . . . more . . .
England paid the price for their failure to reach Euro 2008 on Sunday when they were drawn with Croatia again in one of the toughest qualifying groups for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. . . . more . . .
Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o resumed team training Sunday after three months out injured, the club announced. . . . more . . .
Michael Owen admits England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 because the players have been unable to cope with the fear factor. . . . more . . .
Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez will stay with the Premier League champions beyond his current loan deal, according to Sir Alex Ferguson. . . . more . . .
David James has slammed sacked England coach Steve McClaren for his disastrous handling of the team's goalkeepers. . . . more . . .
A shattered England will be praying for a lucky break at the preliminary draw for the World Cup on Sunday after missing out on being among the top European seeds. . . . more . . .
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has vowed to press ahead with proposals to introduce a cap on the number of foreign players in club sides, despite opposition from leading clubs and the European Union (EU). . . . more . . .
Sepp Blatter defended Sunday the decision to bring the football World Cup to Africa for the first time, saying any organisational problems would be overcome and downplaying fears over crime. . . . more . . .
English superstar David Beckham says he is close to full fitness for LA Galaxy's exhibition match with Sydney FC here on Tuesday and hopes to play the whole 90 minutes. . . . more . . .
Sacked England coach Steve McClaren said his successor will benefit from his failure in the high-profile job. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger praised William Gallas's predatory instincts after the France defender opened up Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League. . . . more . . .
Liverpool's comfortable 3-0 victory at Newcastle has done nothing to alter manager Rafa Benitez's desire to bring in new players during the Premier League's transfer window in January. . . . more . . .
Chelsea coach Avram Grant expects to have Didier Drogba available for this week's Champions League away game against Rosenborg, after the Ivory Coast striker was forced to sit out Saturday's comfortable and controversial 2-0 victory over Derby County at Pride Park. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson faces an appointment with the English Football Assocation after being sent to the stands during his team's fiery 1-0 defeat to Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. . . . more . . .
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan believes his side's 3-0 win at home to Aberdeen has set them up perfectly for their crucial Champions League game on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Ten-men Real Madrid allowed Barcelona to make up ground in the title race after stumbling to a 1-1 draw at Real Murcia on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Sacked England coach Steve McClaren said his successor will benefit from his failure in the high-profile job. . . . more . . .
French champions Lyon bounced back from their humbling defeat to Marseille last time out with a commanding 2-0 win away to Rennes on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Back-up strikers Julio Cruz and David Suazo tore Atalanta apart as champions Inter Milan stretched their lead at the top of the Serie A table to three points with a narrow 2-1 victory on Saturday. . . . more . . .
John Terry returned to banish some of his England frustrations as Chelsea strode to a 2-0 victory over Derby at Pride Park on Saturday, which was marred by Michael Essien's late red card. . . . more . . .
William Gallas was Arsenal's inspiration as Arsene Wenger's side extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Wigan on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson watched the second-half from the stands as Nicolas Anelka condemned Manchester United to a 1-0 defeat at Bolton on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Tim Cahill confirmed his return to full fitness by joining Ayegbeni Yakubu in scoring a brace for a rampant Everton in their 7-1 hammering of Sunderland here Saturday. . . . more . . .
Portsmouth continued their flying start to the season with a 2-0 defeat of Birmingham on Saturday, their first top flight win at St. . . . more . . .
Martin O'Neill received immediate evidence that he was right to snub England for Aston Villa as his side won 3-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday. . . . more . . .
A stunning injury-time winner from Stephen Ireland gave Manchester City a 2-1 victory over luckless Reading in the Premier League on Saturday and preserved the home team's 100-percent record at Eastlands. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich captain Oliver Kahn has slammed football's governing bodies UEFA and FIFA for the extra workload handed to players involved in the recent qualifiers. . . . more . . .
As the anticipation and speculation gathers surrounding who will be England's new manager, the list of contenders now contains an array of foreigners including two Germans, an Italian and a wily Portuguese. . . . more . . .
France midfielder Franck Ribery provided the inspiration as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich returned to winning ways with a 2-1 home win over VfL Wolfsburg. . . . more . . .
Rafa Benitez warned Liverpool's American owners they must back him in the transfer window after his side romped to a 3-0 win at Newcastle on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs drew 2-2 here Saturday as the highlight of the South African season focussed attention on Durban ahead of Sunday's World Cup draw. . . . more . . .
Celtic cruised to an easy 3-0 victory at home to Aberdeen to stay three points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Liverpool remain unbeaten in the Premier League after a 3-0 victory at Newcastle, whose manager Sam Allardyce is under increasing pressure after his team offered little resistance on the way to another alarming setback. . . . more . . .
Brazilian superstar Ronaldo will make his first appearance of the season for AC Milan by starting Sunday's match at Cagliari, coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Ticket prices for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will range from 20 to 900 dollars, while 120,000 seats will be given away for free, organisers announced on Saturday. . . . more . . .
The recent wave of crowd violence in Italy has hit away fans hard with only four grounds open to visiting supporters during Saturday and Sunday's first division programme. . . . more . . .
Software group Satyam has become FIFA's first major sponsor from India after being appointed as their official IT services provider for the next seven years. . . . more . . .
Jurgen Klinsmann, who led Germany to the World Cup semi-finals in 2006, has hinted he might be interested in the vacant England manager's post if he gets certain conditions. . . . more . . .
The English Football Association are reportedly interested in German coach Bernd Schuster as the next England manager according to Spanish daily Marca on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Terry Venables reckons the job of England manager job may be more suited to a foreigner like Fabio Capello, the former England boss wrote in The Sun newspaper on Saturday. . . . more . . .
FIFA president Sepp Blatter urged South African construction workers on Saturday not to wreck the 2010 World Cup, saying the successful staging of the tournament lay in their hands. . . . more . . .
Unsettled Czech striker Milan Baros should know within the next two weeks whether he will quit French champions Lyon, his agent told Saturday's edition of the Czech daily Sport. . . . more . . .
Luiz Felipe Scolari insisted Friday that he intends to see out his contract as Portugal coach despite being linked with the vacant England manager's job. . . . more . . .
League One club Leeds have written to the Football Association (FA) requesting the matter of their 15-point deduction be referred to the High Court rather than FA arbitration. . . . more . . .
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he tried to buy much-travelled French international forward Nicolas Anelka several times. . . . more . . .
England captain John Terry admitted Friday that he would love to play for the national team under former manager Jose Mourinho. . . . more . . .
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday met with 2002 World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to discuss the setting up of a commission aimed at stemming the exodus of footballers to foreign clubs. . . . more . . .
Wigan have confirmed that Steve Bruce will take over as manager on Monday. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson believes that the English Football Assocition (FA) were too quick to dispense with Steve McClaren's services. . . . more . . .
Italian veteran coach Fabio Capello has confirmed he is "very interested" in taking over as England manager following the sacking of Steve McClaren on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Cape Town is to stage the draw for the finals of the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa, tournament organisers said on Friday. . . . more . . .
Republic of Ireland international John O'Shea signed a three-year contract extension with Manchester United on Friday which will keep him at Old Trafford until 2012. . . . more . . .
Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson says he expects Asia will produce one of the world's next great footballers of the likes of Diego Maradona. . . . more . . .
CS Sfaxien of Tunisia captain Abdelkrim Nafti says Al-Merreikh of Sudan are wasting time turning up for the second leg of the African Confederation Cup final Saturday. . . . more . . .
Four months after uniting their war-ravaged country by winning the Asian Cup, the Iraqi football team is "in chaos" as they prepare for World Cup qualifying. . . . more . . .
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant England manager's position, according to reports Friday. . . . more . . .
Argentina remained top of the FIFA rankings for November, released by world football's ruling body on Friday, but Brazil and Italy have closed the gap on the top ranked team. . . . more . . .
Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson says he expects Asia will produce one of the world's next great footballers of the likes of Diego Maradona. . . . more . . .
David Beckham believes a foreign manager is likely to replace Steve McClaren as England coach. . . . more . . .
A Vietnamese appeals court has reduced or suspended the prison terms of six football referees and officials jailed in July for corruption and match-fixing, a court clerk said Friday. . . . more . . .
South Africa's ability to stage the world's most-widely watched sporting event will undergo intensive scrutiny on Sunday when it hosts the qualifying draw for the 2010 football World Cup. . . . more . . .
Italy's sports security watchdog on Thursday recommended the limitation of movement of fans from five Serie A clubs - Inter Milan, Napoli, Lazio, Juventus and Genoa - to fixtures on December 1 and 2. . . . more . . .
Peter Crouch has admitted England weren't good enough to qualify for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Thursday he would favour the return of the Home Nations tournament after all four British sides failed to reach the 2008 European Championships. . . . more . . .
Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce insists he is not interested in succeeding Steve McClaren as England coach. . . . more . . .
Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington admits he is unsure of his future after his side's heroic effort to reach Euro 2008 ended in failure. . . . more . . .
David Beckham has vowed to continue his quest to win a century of caps for England under whoever succeeds Steve McClaren as head coach. . . . more . . .
Russia celebrated Thursday their qualification for the Euro 2008 finals, praising Croatia's glittering performance at Wembley and Russia manager Guus Hiddink. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren admitted he could have no complaints after being sacked as England coach. . . . more . . .
Asian powerhouses Japan and South Korea will be joined by regional newcomers Australia at the Beijing Olympics football competition next year after coming through Wednesday's final qualifying round. . . . more . . .
Britain's newspapers savaged Steve McClaren on Thursday after the England manager failed to guide his team to the 2008 European Championships. . . . more . . .
Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is the favourite to be the next permanent England manager, bookmakers said Thursday. . . . more . . .
David Beckham has vowed to continue his quest to win a century of caps for England, despite the bitter disappointment of missing out on qualification for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Northern Ireland's dream of reaching their first major finals since the 1982 World Cup came to an end when they lost 1-0 to Spain here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Germany's captain Michael Ballack said on Wednesday he is hoping to end his injury nightmare and return to action for English giants Chelsea next month. . . . more . . .
A nightmare evening for goalkeeper Scott Carson and a late goal by Croatia substitute Mladen Petric combined to ensure England will miss out on Euro 2008 after a heart-breaking 3-2 defeat at Wembley on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Keeper Sebastien Frey had a poor debut for France in their 2-2 draw against Ukraine and did little to show that he could be the reserve keeper to Gregory Coupet at next year's Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Germany finished their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with a mainly lacklustre effort as plucky Wales held the hosts to a 0-0 draw in Frankfurt on Wednesday night. . . . more . . .
World champions Italy eased to a 3-1 victory against minnows Faroe Islands in a Euro 2008 qualifier here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Northern Ireland's dream of reaching their first major finals since the 1982 World Cup came to an end when they lost 1-0 to Spain here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Steve Bruce's presentation as new Wigan manager has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, the Premier League strugglers said on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich's French defender Valerien Ismael is set to leave Bayern Munich this winter after he slammed coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for giving him little chance to win back his place with the German league leaders. . . . more . . .
The Czech Republic, who had already qualified for Euro 2008, beat Cyprus 2-0 with plenty to spare in their final qualifying game here on Wednesday to finish atop Group D. . . . more . . .
A yellow Brazil football shirt worn by Pele during the 1970 World Cup final has been sold for 66,500 pounds (92,500 euros, 137,100 dollars) at an auction in London, Christie's said Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic, who has shined in Spain's Under-21 side, said Wednesday he is not yet thinking of a place in the full national team despite receiving praise from national coach Luis Aragones. . . . more . . .
Construction workers at one of the stadia to host the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa returned back to work after their dispute was resolved with the employers, officials said. . . . more . . .
Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic, who has shined in Spain's Under-21 side, said Wednesday he is not yet thinking of a place in the full national team despite receiving praise from national coach Luis Aragones. . . . more . . .
Italy's World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi has rejected an offer to replace Steve Bruce as manager of Birmingham City. . . . more . . .
Barcelona fans have responded to Ronaldinho's recent poor form by shunning his No. 10 shirt in favor of those worn by teammates Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry. . . . more . . .
Steve Bruce's presentation as new Wigan manager has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, the Premier League strugglers said on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich team manager Uli Hoeness has threatened to resign following his verbal attack on supporters last week who criticised the club's executive board. . . . more . . .
Australia and Japan booked their places at next year's Beijing Olympic football tournament after draws with North Korea and Saudi Arabia respectively on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich's French defender Valerien Ismael has attacked coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for giving him little chance to win back his place with the German league leaders. . . . more . . .
South Africa's preparations for the 2010 football World Cup were dealt a new blow Wednesday by a fresh bout of strike action by construction workers at one of the host stadia, their union said. . . . more . . .
Former Everton and England midfielder Peter Reid has rejected an offer to coach the Iranian national side, according to a report Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Thailand's election battle spilled onto the football pitch Wednesday as the Democrat Party unveiled plans for Premier League club Everton to coach young Thai players. . . . more . . .
England manager Steve McClaren has dropped David Beckham for the decisive Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia at Wembley, according to various press reports on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid are set to extend Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy's contract a further two years until 2010, according to reports on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Kenya's poor-performing national team is seeking 1.5 million dollars from the state for next year's international assignments. . . . more . . .
The head of the Croatian Football Federation was briefly arrested for alleged shoplifting at London's Gatwick airport on the eve of a crunch Euro 2008 qualifier against England, police said Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Germany's hot-shot striker Miroslav Klose is looking forward to concluding his country's Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with a goal bonanza on Wednesday when they take on minnows Wales. . . . more . . .
Northern Ireland star David Healy insists that his side can make their Euro 2008 dream become a reality in Las Palmas on Wednesday night. . . . more . . .
Under fire Italy boss Roberto Donadoni may have thought that leading the world champions to the Euro 2008 finals would give him some breathing space from his detractors, but he has quickly found out otherwise. . . . more . . .
Israel have handed out the lifeline: England can have no complaints if they fail to grasp it against Croatia. . . . more . . .
The cast list for Euro 2008 will be completed on Wednesday with England, Northern Ireland and Portugal among those nations scrapping it out for one of the four remaining places. . . . more . . .
Rising star Teko Modise scored twice late in the first half as South Africa beat Canada 2-0 in a friendly international on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Fiorentina are allowing themselves to dream about finishing in the top four and qualifying for next season's Champions League, according to captain Dario Dainelli on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Italy coach Roberto Donadoni challenged his players on Tuesday to earn the right to be included in the 23-man squad that will take part in next summer's Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland. . . . more . . .
Veteran Italy striker Filippo Inzaghi urged his team-mates on Tuesday not to get too far ahead of themselves, particularly with the Club World Cup looming in December. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich manager Uli Hoeness has gone on a charm offensive with the club's fans following last week's verbal attack on supporters who criticised the lack of atmosphere in the Allianz Arena. . . . more . . .
Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida's thigh injury is worse than first expected and he is set to miss Werder Bremen's key games against Real Madrid and the crucial Bundesliga clash with Hamburg. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid's Dutch winger Arjen Robben resumed team training Tuesday after more than a month out injured, the club said. . . . more . . .
Japan may have to start selecting a successor to Ivica Osim, who suffered a serious stroke last week, as national coach in December, the Japan Football Association president said Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Steven Gerrard believes England can destroy Croatia with an aerial bombardment in Wednesday's Euro 2008 crunch clash at Wembley. . . . more . . .
Roma captain and talisman Francesco Totti has ruled out a return to the Italian national team, despite the world champions' qualification for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Joe Cole and Croatia boss Slaven Bilic are both West Ham old boys but the England midfielder is expecting no favours from Bilic at Wembley on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
John Terry gave England a boost ahead of their make-or-break Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia when he returned to training with the rest of the squad here on the eve of the match. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid plan to give their international defender Sergio Ramos, who has reportedly sparked interest from AC Milan, a salary hike in order to hold on to him, sports daily Marca said Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Newcastle are to receive 100,000 pounds (206,000 dollars) per week in compensation for as long as Michael Owen is sidelined by the injury he sustained on England duty last week. . . . more . . .
Former East German football clubs are becoming increasingly concerned about the rising tide of hoolinganism and violence amongst their supporters, with experts fearing it could disrupt Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Peter Crouch believes he can fire England to Euro 2008 as long as David Beckham is given the chance to supply the ammunition. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren has struggled to keep England on course for Euro 2008 despite having a so-called golden generation to call on. . . . more . . .
England star David Beckham will have some new help in the midfield for the Los Angeles Galaxy, which obtained US veteran Clint Mathis from the New York Red Bulls on Monday. . . . more . . .
Nearly 30,000 football fans attended Monday's fifth edition of the Match Against Poverty organised here by football legends Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo as part of their work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). . . . more . . .
Portsmouth defender Linvoy Primus is eyeing a return to football after knee surgery carried out by renowned United States specialist Dr Richard Steadman. . . . more . . .
England are set for a cash injection of up to 24 million pounds if they qualify for the Euro 2008 Championships. . . . more . . .
German Bundesliga club Werder Bremen saw a three-fold increase in their profits last season, the team's annual general meeting heard on Monday. . . . more . . .
Italian football federation president Giancarlo Abete said Monday that a solution to the endemic violence in football has to come from the people and not politicians. . . . more . . .
German club SV Hamburg said on Monday their Dutch coach Huub Stevens would leave at the end of the season to join PSV Eindhoven to be closer to his sick wife. . . . more . . .
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said Monday he planned to stay at Anfield despite reports linking him with a move to German giants Bayern Munich. . . . more . . .
Italian champions Inter Milan and Juventus are set to battle it out for the signature of Argentina playmaker Juan-Roman Riquelme in the January transfer window, press reports suggested Monday. . . . more . . .
Peter Crouch insists he can cope with the pressure of leading England's attack in their decisive Euro 2008 showdown against Croatia. . . . more . . .
Steve Bruce was confirmed as the new manager of Wigan Athetic by chairman Dave Whelan on Monday. . . . more . . .
Spain's captain Iker Casillas Monday leapt to the defence of manager Luis Aragones, who came in for some fierce criticism during the qualifying campaign for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
John Reid, Britain's former Home Secretary, was confirmed Monday as the new chairman of Scottish football giants Celtic during the Glasgow club's annual general meeting. . . . more . . .
Barcelona's Portugal international Deco said Monday that every defeat for the club now becomes a new crisis. . . . more . . .
Cameroon and Ivory Coast secured slots at the 2008 Beijing Olympics football tournament with impressive weekend wins. . . . more . . .
Russian Football Union (RFU) chief Vitaly Mutko has defended his players following the 1-2 defeat away to Israel on Saturday which all but wiped out their hopes of qualifying for the Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Scotland coach Alex McLeish has vowed to stay in his job despite the crushing 1-2 home defeat to Italy on Saturday that doomed his side's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
The coaches of Singapore and Thailand hailed the progress their teams have made after reaching the third round of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, in contrast to Indonesia who flopped out of contention. . . . more . . .
Three Iraqi footballers and an assistant coach failed to leave Australia with their team after an Olympic qualifier match at the weekend, an Australian football source said on Monday. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren has endured a rollercoaster spell in charge of England and he admits there is still one more white-knuckle ride to survive. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren has endured a rollercoaster spell in charge of England and he admits there is still one more white-knuckle ride to survive. . . . more . . .
Raymond Domenech revealed on Sunday that he has already laid out the strategy which he hopes will ensure success for France in Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
The Netherlands coach Marco van Basten has been hit by a spate of injuries ahead of Wednesday's final Euro 2008 qualifier in Belarus with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Clarence Seedorf and Edwin Van der Sar all ruled out. . . . more . . .
The Houston Dynamo won a second consecutive Major League Soccer title Sunday because Zimbabwean Joseph Ngwenya stole New England's heart and Canadian midfielder Dwayne De Rosario swiped the trophy. . . . more . . .
Steve Bruce is close to leaving Birmingham for a second spell as manager of rudderless Wigan, chairman Dave Whelan revealed on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren insists there is no chance of England playing for a draw against Croatia as his side try to get the point they need to reach Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
France midfielder Florent Malouda will miss his country's final Euro 2008 qualifier with the Ukraine on Wednesday as he is still suffering from a knee injury, French coach Raymond Domenech said on Sunday. . . . more . . .
The German League Cup could be a thing of the past come the 2008-09 season judging by remarks made by German Football League president Reinhard Rauball on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Jens Lehmann was accused on Sunday of having made an indecent gesture to German supporters calling for him to be replaced by locally-based goalkeeper Robert Enke during Germany's 4-0 win over Cyprus. . . . more . . .
Australia and Japan are on the verge of qualifying for next year's Beijing Olympics alongside hosts China, with South Korea and Bahrain set to battle it out for the final berth. . . . more . . .
Roberto Donadoni said Sunday that his dream was to emulate the winning mentality of the great AC Milan team of 1989-90 after guiding Italy to the Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Jurgen Klinsmann is set to be offered the chance to become Australia coach after Dick Advocaat's shock decision to snub the Socceroos. . . . more . . .
England boss Steve McClaren has paid tribute to Israel's professionalism after they beat Russia to give his squad a Euro 2008 lifeline that looks set to save the beleaguered head coach from the sack. . . . more . . .
Goals from Joan Capdevila, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos gave Spain a comfortable 3-0 win over Sweden here on Saturday to secure their qualification for next summer's Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Goals from Joan Capdevila, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos gave Spain a comfortable 3-0 win over Sweden here on Saturday to secure their qualification for next summer's Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Israel upset Russia 2-1 here Saturday to breathe fresh life into England's desperate last ditch bid to qualify for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Scotland's Euro 2008 dreams were cruelly crushed after a 2-1 defeat at home to world champions Italy on Saturday, courtesy of Christian Panucci's injury time winner. . . . more . . .
The United States of America's national football team broke its winless streak on African soil when they beat South Africa 1-0 in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge at Ellis Park Stadium here on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Australia showed Dick Advocaat what he will be missing as David Carney's superb strike gave the Socceroos a 1-0 win over Nigeria in London on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich's French international defender Willy Sagnol has played his first full game since suffering a knee injury back in April. . . . more . . .
Costa Rican international striker Paulo Wanchope retired from football Friday, ending a 12-year career plagued by injuries after completing the Major League Soccer season for the Chicago Fire. . . . more . . .
David Beckham is tantalisingly close to becoming only the fifth Englishman in history to earn 100 caps for his country but claims he is more concerned with the prospect of England missing out on the UEFA Euro 2008 Finals. . . . more . . .
Japan's star players expressed shock but hope Saturday that national team coach Ivica Osim would recover after suffering a serious strike. . . . more . . .
Australia have one foot in next year's Beijing Olympics after defeating Asian champions Iraq 2-0 in Gosford on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Brazilian international playmaker Kaka has agreed a contract extension that will keep him at AC Milan until 2012, the Gazzetta dello Sport said Saturday. . . . more . . .
Dutchman Dick Advocaat has stunned Australian football by turning down the chance to coach the Socceroos, reports said here Saturday. . . . more . . .
Michael Owen will miss England's potentially decisive final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on Wednesday after limping out of a 1-0 friendly win over Austria here. . . . more . . .
David Beckham made a tremendous impact on Major League Soccer despite an injury-hampered first season that limited the star England midfielder's time on the field, MLS commissioner Don Garber said. . . . more . . .
Scotland fully deserved their victories over France and deserve their chance to knock one of the World Cup finalists out of Euro 2008, according to Italy manager Roberto Donadoni. . . . more . . .
After losing three prior Major League Soccer finals, the New England Revolution enter Sunday's MLS Cup championship rematch against Houston hungry to prove they have what it takes to win a title. . . . more . . .
Brett Emerton has backed his old mate Nicky Carle to make a big impact on his first start for Australia in Saturday's friendly against Nigeria. . . . more . . .
Alex McLeish has warned Italy to expect the toughest game of their lives in their crucial Euro 2008 match at Hampden on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Germany defender Marcell Jansen had an operation on Friday to repair the ankle ligaments he damaged training with the national squad on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Lisbon giants Benfica have hit out at the severity of a six-match ban which UEFA slapped on their Cameroonian defender Agustin Binya. . . . more . . .
Brett Emerton has backed his old mate Nicky Carle to make a big impact on his first start for Australia in Saturday's friendly against Nigeria. . . . more . . .
Germany's goalkeeper Jens Lehmann said on Friday he will stay with English Premier League side Arsenal, even though he has lost his status as first-choice shot-stopper at the north London club. . . . more . . .
England were too self-confident going into their qualifying campaign for Euro 2008, according to Croatia coach Slaven Bilic. . . . more . . .
Football governing body FIFA may introduce goal-line technology at the 2010 World Cup if it proves effective at the world club championship in Japan next month, a FIFA executive said Friday. . . . more . . .
Married footballers are "more stable" than their single counterparts, according to Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster. . . . more . . .
Former Cameroon coach Winfried Schaefer is in talks with the bosses of Iran's football team about coaching the national side, according to a report in German newspaper Die Welt on Friday. . . . more . . .
It was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission to one of the joint hosts of Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Thaksin Shinawatra on Friday revealed plans to make Manchester City a global power, starting with academies in Thailand and China and link-ups with a host of clubs around the world. . . . more . . .
Japan coach Ivica Osim, a Bosnian who led the former Yugoslavia to the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals, suffered a stroke Friday and is in serious condition, the Japan Football Association said. . . . more . . .
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich are poised to sign teenage Brazilian defender Breno for 14 million euros (20.45 million dollars), according to German tabloid Bild on Friday. . . . more . . .
Thaksin Shinawatra has revealed plans to make Manchester City a global power, starting with academies in Thailand and China and link-ups with a host of clubs around the world. . . . more . . .
With all due respect to the rest of European football's big guns, most eyes this Saturday could focus on the Euro 2008 fates of the only trio from the continent to have won the World Cup. . . . more . . .
DC United forward Luciano Emilio of Brazil was named the Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player here Thursday, calling the honor the greatest moment of his career. . . . more . . .
Mark Schwarzer has told Australia's football federation chiefs that they must have a new national coach in place before the World Cup qualifying campaign begins. . . . more . . .
German striker Mario Gomez insists there is no room for error in the intense competition for Germany's two forward positions ahead of Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Cyprus. . . . more . . .
Atletico Madrid's Greek international right back Giourkas Seitaridis could miss the Euro 2008 finals owing to an achilles injury, the Spanish club said here on Thursday. . . . more . . .
An Italian policeman who shot dead a football fan, sparking nationwide riots, now faces a charge of voluntary homicide, his lawyer said Thursday. . . . more . . .
Togo have been barred from hosting 2010 World Cup qualifiers after violence during a home match with Mali last month. . . . more . . .
Australia has the perfect credentials to host the 2018 World Cup, according to Socceroos striker Scott McDonald. . . . more . . .
Australia midfielder Tim Cahill has pulled out of Saturday's friendly against Nigeria in London. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich manager Uli Hoeness says he regrets his heated verbal attack on the club's supporters who criticised the lack of atmosphere in the Allianz Arena. . . . more . . .
Tottenham's new manager Juande Ramos has his eye on Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas for next season, and the club is ready to pay a record 40 million euros for the Spanish international, a Spanish newspaper said Thursday. . . . more . . .
Chelsea are ready to offer Barcelona 60 million euros (88 million US dollars) for its Brazilian star midfielder Ronaldinho, Catalan sports daily Sport reported Thursday. . . . more . . .
The 15-year-old brother of Birmingham's Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios has been released after being kidnapped in the central American country, the English club revealed on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren has got used to bareing the brunt of a nation's frustrations but the beleaguered England coach could have done without being damned with faint praise from his players as well. . . . more . . .
Urawa Reds are setting their sights on taking AC Milan's scalp after they restored Japanese footballing pride by beating Iran's Sepahan to win their first Asian Champions League title. . . . more . . .
The joint bid by Belgium and The Netherlands to host the 2018 World Cup finals was welcomed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Wednesday according to the Dutch Football Federation president. . . . more . . .
Germany's head coach Joachim Loew is insisting on a top-class performance against minnows Cyprus in Hanover on Saturday to wipe out memories of Germany's Euro 2008 Czech humbling last month. . . . more . . .
Republic of Ireland defender Stephen Carr on Wednesday announced his retirement from international football. . . . more . . .
UEFA president Michel Platini lamented Wednesday the growth in violence which he claims is holding football hostage. . . . more . . .
England stars Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen handed Steve McClaren a boost on Wednesday when they backed the beleaguered manager to carry on even if England fail to reach Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Building work at all the 2010 football World Cup venues in South Africa looks set to grind to a halt next week after the biggest union announced it would embark on secondary strike action. . . . more . . .
Algerian international striker Malek Cherrad has signed an 18-month deal with Algerian first division side MC Algiers, the club confirmed on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
England midfielder David Beckham has been offered the chance to train with Premier League side Arsenal during the Major League Soccer close season, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Scotland boss Alex McLeish has admitted that he is agonising over how many out-and-out forwards he names in his starting line-up for Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy. . . . more . . .
Former Manchester United player John Doherty has died at the age of 72, the English Premier league club confirmed on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Thousands of mourners joined in calls for justice at the funeral Wednesday of young Italian football fan Gabriele Sandri, shot dead by a policeman. . . . more . . .
Russia boss Guus Hiddink insisted Wednesday that under-pressure Group E rivals England do not deserve to qualify for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Germany's vice-captain Bernd Schneider is set for a return to training with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen this weekend after recovering from the knee strain he picked up last September. . . . more . . .
Ukraine boss Oleg Blokhin said Wednesday that his players would fight for pride in their remaining Euro 2008 qualifying matches -- and the pleasure of keeping France from the finals. . . . more . . .
Sunderland defender Nyron Nosworthy will be out of action for up to six weeks after tearing his hamstring against Newcastle at the weekend. . . . more . . .
Steven Gerrard fears England's agonising wait to discover their Euro 2008 fate could turn ugly if their qualification bid ends in failure. . . . more . . .
Chelsea's Portuguese central defender Ricardo Carvalho has been ruled out of action for up to eight weeks after suffering a spinal column injury during last weekend's 1-1 draw with Everton. . . . more . . .
Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves has been ruled out for England's friendly with Austria in Vienna on Friday. . . . more . . .
AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka has admitted that he is considering quitting Italian football amid the increasing violence and scandals surrounding the sport in the country. . . . more . . .
Emmanuel Adebayor believes Arsenal have proved that they will push Manchester United all the way to the wire in the Premier League title race this season. . . . more . . .
France striker Thierry Henry helped Barcelona to a rare away win this term as they claimed a far from impressive 3-0 victory over third division Alcoyano in their Spanish Cup round of 32 first leg clash. . . . more . . .
Portugal's veteran defender Ricardo Carvalho has a back problem and will miss their crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Finland and Armenia on November 17 and 21, the national team doctor said on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Czech striker Milan Baros raised on Tuesday the possibility of leaving French champions Lyon when the January transfer window opens. . . . more . . .
Two of the Serie A matches postponed because of the death of a Lazio fan have been rearranged for December 5, the Italian league said on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren has been assured that there will be no move to sack him as England coach before the final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia next week, even if his side already know they have no chance of reaching the finals. . . . more . . .
Germany's head coach Joachim Loew says he will sit down with first-choice goalkeeper Jens Lehmann to discuss recent comments the shot-stopper may quit Arsenal to play in the Bundesliga. . . . more . . .
France coach Raymond Domenech turned down the offer of a bottle of Scotch whisky from a Scottish journalist here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Czech manager Karel Bruckner on Tuesday added defender Tomas Zapotocny and midfielder Jiri Kladrubsky to his squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Slovakia on November 17 and San Marino four days later. . . . more . . .
Dutchman Leo Beenhakker will remain coach of Poland's national team until at least November 2009, the head of the Polish football federation said Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Nigeria's teenage goal-scoring sensation Macauley Chrisantus, the top-scorer at this year's Under-17 World Cup, has signed a contract with Bundesliga side Hamburg it was announced on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
France and Lyon striker Karim Benzema insists his work with the six-time French champions is still in progress, amid reports of huge interest in his talents from Real Madrid. . . . more . . .
Mali international and Seville striker Frederic Kanoute has been ruled out of action for two weeks with a right calf strain, the Spanish club said Tuesday. . . . more . . .
European football's governing body UEFA have selected the international Red Cross (ICRC) as their official humanitarian partner for the 2008 European championships in Switzerland and Austria. . . . more . . .
Controversy-prone Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has apologised to Dickson Etuhu after escaping punishment for planting his studs in the Sunderland star's groin. . . . more . . .
A Chinese-language website offering exclusive stories and video from England's top football league was launched Tuesday to tap into the soccer-mad fan base of the world's largest nation. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has come out in support of coach Ottmar Hitzfeld after publicly criticising him following the league leaders recent poor results. . . . more . . .
Paul Jewell, the manager who took Wigan into the Premiership and kept them there, has ruled out a return to the Premier League club as they battle for survival in the top flight. . . . more . . .
Urawa Reds coach Holger Osieck believes his injury-hit side and Iran's Sepahan are evenly balanced and predicted a tough fight in their AFC Champions League title showdown Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Emanuel Adebayor scored for the first time in nine matches to guide unbeaten Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League table and maintain his remarkable record of the Gunners never losing in any match he has scored in for them. . . . more . . .
A controversial proposal by UEFA chief Michel Platini that would have seen domestic cup winners qualify for the prestigious Champions League has reportedly been rejected. . . . more . . .
Footballer Anton Ferdinand, who plays for English Premier League side West Ham, faced the first day of a trial accused of hitting a man in a brawl outside a nightclub in London Monday. . . . more . . .
Slowly but surely, South African midfielder Steven Pienaar is recapturing the form that made him one of the most sought-after players in Europe in his early twenties. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren is being given widespread backing as the under-fire England manager begins the countdown to his team's date with Euro 2008 destiny. . . . more . . .
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard refused to accept on Monday that his starstudded side were in crisis as claimed by the Catalonian press following Barca's latest reverse, a 2-0 away defeat at Getafe. . . . more . . .
Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann admitted Monday he was ready to leave Arsenal this winter and play for a second division side in order to preserve his place in the national team ahead of Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Midfielder Cesc Fabregas dismissed speculation he is eyeing a move back to his native Spain, insisting Monday he wants to see out his career with Arsenal. . . . more . . .
English Premier League club Manchester City, owned by ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, plan to sign three Thai players, a football club chairman said Monday. . . . more . . .
Israel captain Yossi Benayoun has been ruled out of action for three weeks after a scan revealed an adductor tear, his Liverpool team confirmed on Monday. . . . more . . .
Italy's football authorities decided Monday to suspend second and third division matches at the weekend in the wake of the fatal police shooting of a fan that sparked widespread riots. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the current Manchester United squad as the strongest he has had in over two decades in charge of the Premier League champions. . . . more . . .
Avram Grant has insisted that Chelsea's bid to get back into the title race will not be derailed by an injury list which has been lengthened to include Ricardo Carvalho. . . . more . . .
Strugglers Marseille showed current form cannot always gauge the outcome as they beat French league leaders Lyon 2-1 for only their third win of the season thanks to two goals from Mamadou Niang. . . . more . . .
Tim Cahill's brilliant overhead-kick one minute from full-time earned Everton a barely-deserved point at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and put the brakes on Chelsea's march up the Premier League table. . . . more . . .
Juande Ramos got his first Premier League win as Tottenham eased to a 4-0 success over managerless Wigan on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Cristiano Ronaldo took over where Wayne Rooney left off as Manchester United continued their impressive assault on the Premier League title in a 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Gary Megson's hopes of securing his first win in charge of Bolton were dashed as fans favourite Ivan Campo failed to take two second-half chances to break the deadlock in a goalless draw with fellow strugglers Middlesbrough. . . . more . . .
Nigeria strikers Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka have been ruled out of their country's friendly against Australia. . . . more . . .
Bayer Leverkusen are up to fifth in the table thanks to their win over VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday while Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich stay top despite their 3-1 humbling at champions VfB Stuttgart. . . . more . . .
Brazilian international Robinho showed why some observers tout him as the next Pele with a mesmerising display, including two goals, as Real Madrid downed Real Mallorca 4-3 to stay top of La Liga. . . . more . . .
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart frustrated Portsmouth with a series of fine saves in his side's 0-0 draw at Fratton Park on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Defending champion Houston Dynamo advanced to the Major League Soccer final with a 2-0 triumph over Kansas City here Saturday. . . . more . . .
Germany coach Joachim Loew says his side must win their last two Euro 2008 qualifier games against Cyprus and Wales to boost confidence after they were humbled 3-0 by the Czech Republic last month. . . . more . . .
Gabriel Agbonlahor gave Aston Villa the local bragging rights as his late goal clinched a 2-1 win over bitter rivals Birmingham on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Joey Barton could face a suspension after the English Football Association confirmed they are investigating the Newcastle midfielder's ugly challenge on Sunderland's Dickson Etuhu. . . . more . . .
The spectre of football violence in Italy resurfaced on Sunday after the shooting dead of a fan by a policeman sparked nationwide disturbances which forced the suspension of three scheduled first division matches. . . . more . . .
Israel captain Yossi Benayoun is to undergo a scan on an adductor injury which could keep him out of his country's Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia next week. . . . more . . .
League leaders Bayern Munich's 3-1 surprise defeat at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday was the German giants' first defeat of the season and has left the club's senior figures reeling in shock. . . . more . . .
Iraqi midfielder Nashat Akram has been added to an updated list of contenders for the Asian Player of the Year award, the continent's football governing body said Sunday. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren believes David Beckham is on a mission to win over 100 caps for England and prove his critics wrong. . . . more . . .
Celtic's young Dutch midfielder Evander Sno has vowed to stay in Glasgow and fight for his place - despite rumours he wants to leave in January. . . . more . . .
Charlton manager Alan Pardew told his players not to get carried away after China midfielder Zheng Zhi kept them on course for the Premier League. . . . more . . .
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez saluted Fernando Torres after the Spanish striker climbed off the bench to fire his side within three points of the Premier League summit. . . . more . . .
England's David Beckham will be trying to show top form ahead of Euro 2008 qualifying in a Los Angeles Galaxy friendly here Sunday that marks the debut of new Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit. . . . more . . .
Hapless Paris Saint Germain drew 0-0 with Nancy in French league action on Saturday night leaving their fans without a win at home this season. . . . more . . .
Six away points from a possible 18 is not good enough for a team with title aspirations and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard admitted that he would have to go back to the drawing board after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Getafe. . . . more . . .
Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard struck in the dying minutes to give Liverpool a 2-0 win over Fulham at Anfield on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Dundee United and Hibernian both took advantage of the Old Firm's international break to close the gap at the top of the Scottish Premier League on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Derby's chances of surviving in the Premiership were dealt another blow as West Ham inflicted a demoralising 5-0 defeat on the bottom side in front of their own supporters. . . . more . . .
Football's world governing body FIFA confirmed Saturday that they have lifted on a conditional basis the suspension imposed on the Kuwait Football Association (KFA). . . . more . . .
Ten-man Bayern Munich crashed to their first defeat of the season as they were humbled 3-1 by defending Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, but still stay top. . . . more . . .
Roy Keane admitted Sunderland had been taught a harsh lesson about life in the Premier League after they blew the chance to beat local rivals Newcastle. . . . more . . .
Germany's coach Joachim Loew insisted in the press here on Saturday the lack of financial resources is not the only reason why Bundesliga clubs have struggled in Europe this season. . . . more . . .
With an 8-0 Anfield victory against Besiktas still fresh in the memory, it would seem an odd time for Liverpool's home form to be called into question. . . . more . . .
Newcastle rode their luck to snatch a 1-1 draw in the Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland on Saturday thanks to James Milner's fortunate equaliser. . . . more . . .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes he can rival Sir Alex Ferguson's 21-years at Manchester United after admitting he would be lost without the pressure of management. . . . more . . .
Former Dutch football star Ruud Gullit was introduced as coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy, joining English star David Beckham in trying to lift the struggling team into a world-class squad. . . . more . . .
Major League Soccer will add an expansion team in Seattle in 2009, a move that would boost the US football league to 15 teams, according to the Seattle Times. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren has defiantly declared that he is still the man to take England forward. . . . more . . .
Etoile Sahel of Tunisia stunned title holders Al-Ahly of Egypt 3-1 Friday to win a first African Champions League title. . . . more . . .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned that Michel Platini's proposals to change the Champions League will put the integrity of the competition at risk. . . . more . . .
English Football Association chiefs have denied that an emergency board meeting has been scheduled to decide national team manager Steve McClaren's fate. . . . more . . .
Chelsea manager Avram Grant has told Steve McClaren that Frank Lampard should be an essential part of the England team. . . . more . . .
Ghana-born US teen star Freddy Adu is set to claim his third cap when the United States plays South Africa next week in Johannesburg as part of an American lineup announced here Friday. . . . more . . .
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will be sidelined for at least four weeks after suffering an ankle injury in training on Friday. . . . more . . .
Scotland coach Alex McLeish believes his side can take advantage of Italy's fear factor in their crucial Euro 2008 showdown. . . . more . . .
German football federation bosses appeared Friday to give Iranian-born midfielder Ashkan Dejagah a second chance to play for his adopted country. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson believes Mark Hughes can confirm his growing reputation as one of the game's brightest young managers by steering Blackburn into the Champions League. . . . more . . .
David Beckham has been recalled to England's squad for their forthcoming matches against Austria and Croatia. . . . more . . .
The Los Angeles Galaxy have hired former European Player of the Year Ruud Gullit as their new head coach, the Major League Soccer club announced Thursday. . . . more . . .
Everton's teenage super sub Victor Anichebe came off the bench to win a penalty and score his side's second goal in their 2-0 UEFA Cup win at Nuremberg on Thursday night. . . . more . . .
DC United striker Jaime Moreno has been called up by Bolivia for World Cup 2010 qualifying matches at Argentina on November 17 and Venezuela on November 20, the team announced Thursday. . . . more . . .
Goals either side of half-time by Bayern Munich's forgotten hero Lukas Podolski was not enough as Bolton Wanderers fought back to claim a 2-2 draw in Thursday night's UEFA Cup clash. . . . more . . .
English Premiership football power Chelsea announced Thursday the launch of a US web site that club chief executive Peter Kenyon hailed as a key innovation after US visits for the past four years. . . . more . . .
Tottenham won 2-0 at Hapoel Tel Aviv in UEFA Cup action on Thursday night in a defensive display which impressed Spurs skipper Robbie Keane. . . . more . . .
France coach Raymond Domenech named a 24-man squad for the friendly against Morocco on November 16 and the Euro 2008 clash against Ukraine on November 21. . . . more . . .
Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva wants to finish his career with the Premier League leaders despite spending most of this season on the sidelines. . . . more . . .
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the Premier League champions until 2012. . . . more . . .
Much-travelled Frenchman Philippe Troussier is lined up to take over as the new coach at Benin, one of his associates told AFP on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Dimitar Berbatov insists he is happy at Tottenham and plans to stay with the struggling Premier League club. . . . more . . .
Italian giants AC Milan are keen to sign Spain's international defender Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid, sports daily Marca reported on Thursday. . . . more . . .
England would be worthy hosts for the 2018 World Cup, Brazilian legend Pele has said. . . . more . . .
Japanese champions Urawa Reds were upbeat after their 1-1 draw away at Iran's Sepahan in the first leg of the Asian Champions League final. . . . more . . .
Retired Dutch star Ruud Gullit might be the new coach of English star David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy, a Wednesday Sky Sports report said, but the Major League Soccer team had no comment. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed his side's best Champions League start in five years as a reflection of the match-winning brilliance of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger has accomplished the first phase of his Champions League mission but the Arsenal manager has told his side they can't afford to rest on their laurels. . . . more . . .
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has admitted that his side still face a cut-throat fight for Champions League survival despite running up with their biggest European win in 27 years with an 8-0 rout of Besiktas. . . . more . . .
Retired Dutch star Ruud Gullit might be the new coach of English star David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy, a Wednesday Sky Sports report said, but the Major League Soccer team had no comment. . . . more . . .
Sheffield FC, officially the oldest club in the world, will mark its 150th anniversary with a friendly against Inter Milan reserves at Bramall Lane on Thursday which will be attended by Brazilian football legend Pele. . . . more . . .
Manchester United strolled into the knockout stages of the Champions League and completed their best start in the tournament in five years with a 4-0 win over Dynamo Kiev at Old Trafford on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
An own goal in the dying seconds gifted Roma a 2-2 draw against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
First half goals from Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi gave Barcelona a 2-0 win over an unambitious Rangers in their European Champions League Group E encounter here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Arsenal booked their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Slavia Prague on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Lyon were made to battle before relaunching their sunken bid for a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a hard-fought 4-2 win over German side VfB Stuttgart on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Sheffield FC, officially the oldest club in the world, will mark its 150th anniversary with a friendly against Inter Milan reserves at Bramall Lane on Thursday which will be attended by Brazilian football legend Pele. . . . more . . .
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has made former manager Paul Jewell his number one chance to take over from Chris Hutchings. . . . more . . .
Preki, a Yugoslavian-born US citizen who was twice named Most Valuable Player, was named Major League Soccer's Coach of the Year on Wednesday after guiding Chivas USA to a Western Conference crown. . . . more . . .
Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has hinted he will allow Dimitar Berbatov to leave if the Bulgaria striker makes it clear he is unhappy. . . . more . . .
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech will miss Sunday's Premier League clash against Everton after a scan confirmed he has a torn calf muscle. . . . more . . .
Iran's Sepahan and Urawa Reds of Japan fought to a 1-1 draw in a pulsating AFC Champions League final first leg on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Sheffield FC, officially the oldest club in the world, will mark its 150th anniversary with a friendly against Inter Milan reserves at Bramall Lane on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Manchester United can deliver the perfect anniversary present to Sir Alex Ferguson by clinching their place in the knockout stage of the Champions League here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Barcelona fought out a dour 0-0 draw at Rangers two weeks ago and have been widely criticised for their play away but at home, in their Nou Camp citadel, they are a different proposition. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger expects Arsenal to foil Slavia Prague's revenge mission and seal their place in the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez admits his side still face a cut-throat fight for Champions League survival despite running up their biggest European win in 27 years with an 8-0 rout of Besiktas. . . . more . . .
European football governing body UEFA are to investigate Augustin Binya's horror tackle which forced Celtic midfielder Scott Brown out of Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica. . . . more . . .
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan described Aiden McGeady as "awesome" after his performance against Benfica in the Champions League. . . . more . . .
Marseille failed to react to club president Pape Diouf's lambasting of them after their latest French league disappointment at the weekend and went down to their first defeat in the Champions League this term here on Tuesday, a 2-1 reverse by FC Porto. . . . more . . .
Yossi Benayoun claimed a hat-trick as Liverpool kept their Champions League campaign alive with an 8-0 demolition of Besiktas, their biggest European win in 27 years. . . . more . . .
Aiden McGeady was Celtic's Champions League hero as they beat Benfica 1-0 in Glasgow on Tuesday to keep on course for qualification from the group stages. . . . more . . .
Chelsea boss Avram Grant admitted his side were fortunate to pick up a point at Schalke 04 after the Bundesliga outfit dominated Tuesday night's Champions League clash. . . . more . . .
Champions League holders AC Milan shrugged off their modest domestic form to beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 here on Tuesday and put one foot into the last 16. . . . more . . .
Marseille failed to react to club president Pape Diouf's lambasting of them after their latest French league disappointment at the weekend and went down to their first defeat in the Champions League this term here on Tuesday, a 2-1 reverse by FC Porto. . . . more . . .
A Congolese player at FC Brussels who walked out after being racially abused by the Belgian club's president Johan Vermeersch has agreed to return. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger will be without Cesc Fabregas, Kolo Toure, Tomas Rosicky and Alexander Hleb for Arsenal's Champions League clash at Slavia Prague on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Manchester United captain Gary Neville is out of Wednesday's Champions League tie against Dynamo Kiev with a calf injury. . . . more . . .
Liverpool have been given the green light to build their redesigned 400 million pounds stadium. . . . more . . .
Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved has openly apologised for his tackle which left Inter Milan's veteran Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo requiring leg surgery. . . . more . . .
Germany's coach Joachim Loew admitted on Tuesday he will sit down with Arsenal's veteran goalkeeper Jens Lehmann later this year to discuss whether he goes to Euro 2008 next summer as first-choice shot-stopper. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan's party-mad Brazilian striker Adriano has been told by coach Roberto Mancini to tone down his behaviour if he wants to regain his place in the Italian champions side. . . . more . . .
Alex Ferguson is convinced his Manchester United squad is now strong enough to deliver the second Champions League triumph of the Scot's 21-year reign at Old Trafford. . . . more . . .
Hundreds of Everton fans face being turned away at the turnstiles before their side's UEFA Cup clash in Nuremberg on Thursday after their tickets were cancelled due to fears of crowd trouble. . . . more . . .
Injured Wales captain Craig Bellamy will miss his country's final two European Championship qualifiers later this month. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid are set to give former player David Beckham the ultimate compliment by inviting his Los Angeles Galaxy side to Spain for a challenge match in December, according to a report here Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Vitor Oliveira is the new coach of first division side Uniao de Leiria, taking over from Paulo Duarte who resigned on Monday after a fourth consecutive defeat. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson has lent his support to FIFA's plans to limit the number of foreign players in each team -- and he feels that title rivals Arsenal would protest the loudest at such a rule. . . . more . . .
English-based stars Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill are expected to have limited game time in Australia's football friendly this month against Nigeria in London. . . . more . . .
Rafael Benitez insists it will not be the end of the world if Liverpool are effectively eliminated from the Champions League following Tuesday's encounter with Besiktas. . . . more . . .
Schalke 04 are hoping that a revenge win against Chelsea will revive their flagging Champions League campaign, but their chances of success were looking doubtful after top striker Kevin Kuranyi was injured at the weekend. . . . more . . .
The first World Cup to be held in Africa can be the glue which binds a continent too often riven by conflict, according to the man in charge of organising the world's most popular sporting event. . . . more . . .
Former US national team coach Bruce Arena resigned on Monday as manager of Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls. . . . more . . .
A second-half strike by Irish international Stephen Ireland saw Manchester City defeat Sunderland 1-0 and move into third in the Premiership. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan's veteran midfielder Luis Figo will undergo surgery Tuesday on a fractured fibula suffered in his club's 1-1 draw with Juventus at the weekend. . . . more . . .
Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi underwent right knee surgery Monday and will be out of action for the next six weeks, his Spanish club announced. . . . more . . .
Former Soviet and Ukrainian international defender Oleg Luzhny was appointed interim manager of Ukraine's champions Dynamo Kiev after Josef Szabo was hospitalised with a heart attack, the club announced on Monday. . . . more . . .
Uniao de Leiria coach Paulo Duarte has resigned after blaming himself for the Portuguese first division side's worst start to the season in 25 years. . . . more . . .
Dozens of illegal football betting houses across Asia have been shut down in an operation coordinated by Interpol, the global police organisation announced Monday. . . . more . . .
Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen suffered a blow on Monday as it was announced that their leading scorer Ivorian international striker Boubacar Sanogo would be out for up to three weeks. . . . more . . .
France manager Raymond Domenech insisted Monday that France should not rely on Italy beating Scotland this month to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Nils Liedholm, who captained Sweden at the 1958 World Cup finals and as a coach guided AC Milan and Roma to Serie A titles, has died at the age of 85, ANSA reported on Monday. . . . more . . .
Schalke 04's hopes of reviving their flagging Champions League campaign suffered a blow on Monday after striker Kevin Kuranyi was ruled out of Tuesday's clash with Chelsea. . . . more . . .
Croatian police were investigating reports Monday that fans of local football club Hajduk Split sold and wore T-shirts bearing Nazi symbols. . . . more . . .
Roma will be without their emblematic captain Francesco Totti for the Champions League group F encounter with Sporting in Lisbon on Wednesday, the Italian side have confirmed Monday. . . . more . . .
English Premier League strugglers Wigan Athletic sacked manager Chris Hutchings on Monday. . . . more . . .
Rafael Benitez insists it will not be the end of the world if Liverpool are effectively eliminated from the Champions League following Tuesday's encounter with Besiktas. . . . more . . .
Struggling Lens hauled themselves out of the relegation zone with a stirring come from behind 3-2 win against Saint Etienne on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Kevin Nolan struck deep in injury time to earn Bolton a 1-1 draw and a precious Premier League point at West Ham on Sunday. . . . more . . .
A rejuvenated Ronaldinho scored two trademark free-kicks as Barcelona moved to within one point of tabletoppers Real Madrid courtesy of a 3-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich's lead at the top of the Bundesliga has been cut to just two points while Karlsruhe kept up their impressive form with a 1-0 win at home to strugglers Duisburg on Sunday. . . . more . . .
A second-half goal by Christian Nade saw Hearts share the spoils 1-1 with city rivals Hibernian here on Sunday in their Scottish Premiership clash. . . . more . . .
Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olympico on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Brazil striker Ronaldo has been included by Carlo Ancelotti in the mis-firing AC Milan squad for Tuesday's Champions League trip to Shakhtar Donetsk. . . . more . . .
Slavia Prague's slim hopes of beating Premiership leaders Arsenal in their Champions League clash on Wednesday suffered a serious blow on Sunday as it was revealed the Czech league's leading scorer Stanislav Vlcek would miss the match. . . . more . . .
Veteran German coach Otto Rehhagel said on Sunday he would not make up his mind over his future until after Greece had defended their European title next year. . . . more . . .
Schalke 04's hopes of reviving their Champions League campaign suffered a blow on Sunday as it was revealed that German international striker Kevin Kuranyi was a major doubt for their match with Chelsea on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Ailing Italian giants AC Milan complained on Sunday that their Serie A woes were down to poor refereeing. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said his side were kicking themselves after their failure to hit the target against Eintracht Frankfurt allowed Hamburg to cut their league lead to just two points. . . . more . . .
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez admitted he was disappointed to see his team lose the opportunity to gain ground on the Premier League leaders after their 0-0 draw with Blackburn. . . . more . . .
Harry Redknapp fears the African Nations Cup could wreck Portsmouth's European ambitions after his side's impressive 4-1 victory over Newcastle strengthened their top four credentials. . . . more . . .
If the respective reactions of the two managers is any guide, Arsenal emerged from their showdown with Manchester United with more to celebrate than the Premier League's reigning champions. . . . more . . .
Marseille's miserable league season failed to improve a whole lot on Saturday when the relegation-threatened south coast 'giants' had to settle for a goalless draw against Lorient at the Stade Velodrome. . . . more . . .
Sevilla showed there is life after Juande Ramos turning in a terrific display to down in-form champions Real Madrid 2-0 late on Saturday. . . . more . . .
AC Milan's dismal home league form continued Saturday as Torino frustrated the San Siro faithful by holding out for a 0-0 draw. . . . more . . .
Liverpool's grandstand finish was not sufficient to earn them anything more than a point in Saturday's 0-0 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park - another disappointment in a season of several so far for boss Rafa Benitez. . . . more . . .
UEFA president Michel Platini said on Saturday he is still keen to increase the number of on-field match-day officials in football from three to five. . . . more . . .
Hamburg defender Bastian Reinhardt struck nine minutes from time to seal a 2-1 win over Hertha Berlin and close the gap behind dominant Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to just two points on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Derby remain rooted to the foot of the Premier League as their miserable away form continued with a 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Zimbabwean striker Benjani Mwaruwari added to his new-found reputation as one of the Premier League's most lethal finishers to help Portsmouth sweep emphatically past Newcastle 4-1 on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Everton snatched a dramatic 3-1 victory over Birmingham thanks to two injury-time goals on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Chelsea closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to three points after goals from Frank Lampard and Juliano Belletti gave them a comfortable 2-0 win at struggling Wigan on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Northern Ireland striker David Healy proved an inspired substitution as he lifted Fulham to their first Premiership win since August 15 in beating Reading 2-1 on Saturday and give manager Lawrie Sanchez some breathing space. . . . more . . .
Luke Young scored his first goal for Middlesbrough to earn a 1-1 draw against Tottenham and deny Juande Ramos a first Premier League win. . . . more . . .
Rangers won 2-0 at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle to stay three points behind Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has stood by his assertion that top footballers in England are being paid too much money despite admitting that he got his figures wrong. . . . more . . .
Saint Petersburg side Zenit are within one match of winning their first ever Russian title after a hard-fought 1-0 home win over FC Moscow on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Chelsea have a chance to avenge their series of cup defeats to Liverpool after being handed a League Cup quarter-final clash against Rafa Benitez's side. . . . more . . .
Arsenal captain William Gallas insisted his side's dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester United showed they have the fighting spirit to win the Premier League. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini has been boasting about the strength in depth of his squad ahead of this weekend's crucial trip to Juventus. . . . more . . .
Spanish league leaders Real Madrid will be looking to maintain the style that took them to a 5-1 mid-week win at Valencia when they visit Sevilla on Saturday. . . . more . . .
A black African player at FC Brussels has walked out after allegedly being racially abused by the Belgian club's president Johan Vermeersch. . . . more . . .
Czech international striker Milan Baros was clocked doing 271 kilometres an hour (168 miles an hour) in his Ferrari on a motorway east of here on Thursday, police sources said on Friday. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger is never likely to count Sir Alex Ferguson among his close friends but the Arsenal manager admits his old rival's all-consuming passion for Manchester United strikes a chord with him. . . . more . . .
Brazil coach Dunga told local television on Friday that he will also take charge of the country's Olympic team next year in Beijing. . . . more . . .
New Valencia coach Ronald Koeman said Friday he believes the club can make up the lost ground behind league leaders Real Madrid in La Liga. . . . more . . .
Swiss international striker Alexander Frei is to go under the knife on Tuesday to cure a calf problem, his club Borussia Dortmund said on Friday. . . . more . . .
AC Milan's Brazil forward Ronaldo is close to making his comeback from a thigh injury, the club's coach Carlo Ancelotti said Friday. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson has praised Arsene Wenger for masterminding Arsenal's Premier League recovery ahead of Saturday's showdown between the two clubs at the Emirates Stadium. . . . more . . .
Nemanja Vidic believes another clean sheet can provide the foundation for a Manchester United victory in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal. . . . more . . .
Barcelona slipped back in the Spanish championship race when they were held to a 1-1 draw by lowly Valladolid on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o is set to return to action before the end of November, the Catalan club announced on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Aaron Mokoena could be back in action for Blackburn as early as this weekend after an x-ray confirmed that he had not broken his leg, as had been feared. . . . more . . .
Hertha Berlin defender Josip Simunic is to be sent to anger management classes by the Bundesliga club after picking up his fourth red card in eight months. . . . more . . .
German international midfielder Torsten Frings will be out for the rest of the year after aggravating the same knee injury which kept him out for three months at the start of the season. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson believes he will next cross swords with Jose Mourinho in the Champions League rather than the Premiership. . . . more . . .
Manchester United will welcome back captain Gary Neville at Stockport on Thursday night in what will be his first game in seven months. . . . more . . .
Celtic may have crashed out of the Scottish League Cup - after a 2-0 defeat against Hearts - but manager Gordon Strachan insists his players can be proud of their efforts. . . . more . . .
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez reckons Harry Kewell can be like a new signing after the Australia winger put six months of injury misery behind him to help his side reach the League Cup quarter-finals. . . . more . . .
Benni McCarthy shot Blackburn to League Cup victory at Portsmouth but an injury to his South African team-mate Aaron Mokoena spoiled the prolific striker's evening. . . . more . . .
New Tottenham manager Juande Ramos demanded improvement in all areas of his team's performance after seeing it progress to the quarter-finals of the English League Cup. . . . more . . .
Avram Grant admitted Frank Lampard had saved Chelsea's blushes after the England midfielder's hat-trick inspired a dramatic 4-3 League Cup win over Leicester. . . . more . . .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could hand a shock recall to Brazil's 2002 World Cup winner Gilberto Silva for Saturday's crunch clash with Manchester United to prove once and for all that he hasn't fallen out with him. . . . more . . .