Ronaldinho Finally Sign For Milan

Ronaldinho has agreed initial terms with AC Milan and the Serie A club will now speak to Barcelona about a deal, Milan and the player's agent have said.

The 28-year-old Brazilian has had a difficult few months at the Nou Camp because of injury and loss of form and a move has long been mooted.

The forward is out for the rest of the campaign with a leg injury and a transfer can not officially go through until the end of the season.

'In general Ronaldinho and Milan are in agreement,' his agent and brother Roberto de Assis was quoted as saying on the Gazzetta dello Sport website on Saturday.

Gazzetta said a deal up to 2012 worth eight million euros ($12.6 million) a year was in the pipeline with a few clauses to be agreed.

Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani said: 'There is a general agreement with the player. Now a deal has to be reached with Barcelona. Give us time.'

Spanish and Italian media reports have speculated about a transfer fee of between 20 and 30 million euros while some newspapers have talked about Ronaldinho buying up the rest of his contract at Barca.

Milan are fifth in Serie A and in danger of missing next year's Champions League after a poor season. They were dumped out of this year's Champions League as holders by Arsenal in the first knockout round.

Carlo Ancelotti's men have struggled to score and create goals with Brazilian Ronaldo playing just a handful of games before being ruled out long term with a knee injury.

Fellow striker Alberto Gilardino has been lacklustre and world player of the year Kaka has been far from his best.

Despite their troubles, Ancelotti has been assured of his job next term.

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Rafa Benitez Defends His Liverpool Transfer Record

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has defended his record in the transfer market during his time at Anfield.

He told The Times: "At a time when we didn't have endless economic resources, I think that we made good signings in general. We should be talking about players like Reina, Agger, Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia, Torres, Babel, Lucas Leiva, Skrtel and also Arbeloa, Sissoko, Fabio Aurelio, Kuyt. These are players who have brought a lot to the team. And in certain cases � for example, Sissoko and Bellamy � the club gained financially.

"We have signed 28 players in four years for the first team. Considering that the number of changes we had to make when I arrived and the fact that without much money we have to take more risks, I don't think this is a disproportionate number."

Benitez also compared his spending with Liverpool's nearest rivals.

"Chelsea had spent £120 million previously and an additional £240 million to win the league in the 2004-05 season. Manchester United have spent £200 million in recent years. This year on Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves, Anderson and Nani, that cost them more than £70 million. Tottenham have spent £100 million in the last two seasons alone. And Arsenal have spent more or less the same amount as we have on young players with potential.<> "In my four years at Liverpool we have spent £150 million and we have gained somewhere in the region of £70 million. Looking at those numbers, there's a difference of £20 million per season, yet we have won four [trophies] and played seven finals. When all things are considered, that's not a bad return. I think that we're on the right path."

How To Play Soccer

So you want to learn how to play soccer? Well you have come to the right place. To become a good soccer player you need to master several skills. You cannot just focus on one single skill, instead, you must also have other good skills like good control on the ball or quality passes.

You must always tend to improve your soccer skills because there is always something you can improve in your game. So, let's take a look at main how to play soccer skills that you need to master as soccer player.

How To Play Soccer -The Formations

A soccer formation describes how the players in a soccer team are positioned on the field. Different formations are used from match to match depending on the skill of your opponents. If your opponents are ultra defensive then of course a more offensive formation like 4-3-3 is preferable.

But if your opponents are ultra offensive than a 4-4-2 formation is more preferable. For example the 4-4-2 describes the formation of playing with 4 defenders, 4 midfielders and two forwards/centers, and is the most widely used formation in soccer today.

How to Play Soccer - Dribbling

In soccer, dribbling is one of the most difficult skills to master but also one of the most useful attacking moves. In a typical soccer game, you and your teammates attempt to propel the ball toward your opponent's goal through individual ball control, such as dribbling your opponents.

If you master the art of dribbling you will be pretty hard to stop and opponents will need to make unsuccessful tackles on you which will result in useful free kicks and sometimes even penalty kicks.

How to Play Soccer - Heading

To dominate the game in the air you need to have good heading skills. Heading can be painful in beginning because you must hit the ball with right part of your head. But don't worry about headache because there is no medical evidence proving that heading in soccer should cause brain damage. There are four main methods for hitting a ball.


How to Play Soccer - Passing

To perform well in soccer you need to have good passing skills. Passing may seem easy from first sight and in fact it is. What makes passing difficult is the tempo of a match. A low tempo will give you more time to think and you will not make so many mistakes as in high tempo where you need to think fast and pass the ball with accuracy.

How to Play Soccer - Positions

First player in front of the goalkeeper is called defender. As a defender your mission is to stop your opponents from shooting and getting into your goal kick area. There are also teams playing with a defender closer to the goalkeeper than regularly. This position is called libero or sweeper. The libero/sweeper must always be the last player in defense and help his/her defenders.

Behind your forwards and defensive line there are midfielders. As a midfielder your task is to score goals and to stop your opponent's midfielders from scoring. Usually a midfielder is either offensive (means playing higher in the field) or defensive (which means playing nearer your defensive line).

In front of the midfielders there are forwards and centers. The main difference between these two is that a forward normally has good sprinting abilities while centers are stronger and better target players.

How to Play Soccer - Shooting

Good shooting abilities are vital if you want to score goals. With soccer shooting mastered, you will be able to score more goals. Good scoring ability is also important because it may increase your chances of becoming a professional soccer player.

How to Play Soccer -Kicking

Having god kicking skills is not the same as good shooting abilities. A good example on this is the free kick. A direct free kick is a great chance to score goal especially if you have a good technical shoot. You don't have to be the hardest shooting player in your team to become a good free kick taker; instead, you should focus on hitting the goal. A hard shot is more difficult to control and will often end up 50 yards behind the goal.

The Rules

To learn how to play soccer or simply to understand how soccer is played you need to look at some of the basic rules. Let's start...

Each soccer team consists of eleven players who plays together (similar to a orchestra) to score points. These points are called goals and the team that scores most goals during a match is the winner.

A goal is scored when the ball is over the whole goal line. As a soccer player you can use your whole body to control the ball (beside your arms). Only the goalkeeper is allowed to grip the ball with hands. However, as a goalkeeper you may only use your hands to grip the ball while standing in your goal area.

Outside the goal area you have same responsibility as the rest of your team and cannot use your hands anymore. However, you can act like any player on the field and you may also score if you get a chance of course :-) Typically a soccer match last 90 minutes with two 45 minute halves. However, the younger the players are the shorter matches, generally

The soccer ball should be of size 5 for adults and 4 and lower for players younger than 12. You will also need a pair of shin-guards to protect the front of your lower legs against slide tackles. You will also need a pair of shoes but this is only necessary during a regular soccer game. Rings and earring must also be removed before the start of match.

A soccer field can range in size dependent upon the league you are playing, how old you are, indoor field, outdoor field, etc. The most common size of a soccer field will range from 100-130 yards in length. There are also flags on each corner to mark the corner spot. On a soccer field there are usually eleven soccer positions including a goalkeeper.

Five Simple and Effective Ways to Become a Better Football Player

These are tips that I developed from my playing days. These techniques worked well for me and I hope they can help others become the player they want to be.


1. Run every day

Running 3 miles every day is a great cardiovascular workout and will help keep you at your peak fitness. Run uphill as much as possible. At around 2 miles, find a steep hill and sprint up it for about 20-30 meters then turn round and walk back down. Repeat this 5 to ten times before finishing the run. If you do this every day you will find you can play at your best for longer because you'll be stronger and fitter.

2. Do exercises to increase your speed

Find a drop of around 150cm or stand on a barrel or safe object of a similar height. Jump off, landing on both feet in a squatting position and stand up straight as quickly as possible. Make sure you are well warmed up and stretched before doing this exercise to avoid injury. This exercise will strengthen quick reflex muscles in the legs, improving speed.


3. Learn to play with both feet

Most footballers play far better with one foot than the other, it's difficult to improve your touch with your stronger foot. Concentrating on your weaker foot is a quick win as bigger improvements can be made with less work. Kick a ball against a wall using only your weaker foot. Have a scratch game in training where everyone plays only with their weaker foot. It doesn't take much effort and you will notice results within a short space of time.

4. Learn a new trick

When you see a new trick by a professional, watch it closely, over and over again before attempting it. Online video is good for this purpose. Spend 10 minutes every day learning and perfecting the trick. Don't try it in a game until you can do it perfectly every time and don't overuse it or your opponents will figure you out.

5. Learn from the professionals

Watch professional footballers play and copy them. Sounds obvious but you'd be amazed how few players do this. Pick a player who plays in the same position as you and watch him closely, learn his tricks and pay attention to his positions when not on the ball. The player you choose should be someone you look up to and aspire to. The player I liked to learn from was Franck Sauzee, the ex-France, Marseilles and Hibernian midfield player. An excellent all round player who was always at the peak of his game.

Finally, don't be put off if you don't become Maradona over night. It takes time to become a great player and improving every part of your game gradually is the important thing. Sticking to a good routine and training properly are the key things to remember.

Toure: Title tilt still a possibility for Arsenal

Kolo Toure believes he has a 'nasty' streak that can help Arsenal put their Barclays Premier League title bid back on track.

The Gunners head to Bolton tomorrow in their worst run of league form in nine seasons after taking only four points from the last five games to allow both Manchester United and Chelsea to overtake them at the top of the table.

Manager Arsene Wenger believes his side have paid a high price for some poor defensive displays - which was evident at Stamford Bridge last weekend where Toure and central partner William Gallas failed to deal with the threat of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka as the Blues came from behind to win 2-1.

Ivory Coast international Toure, 27, has, though, been one of the most consistent performers since he came into the first team.

The mild-mannered African, who arrived at Highbury in February 2002, learned from legendary former Gunners such as Tony Adams and Martin Keown, who were renowned for their no-nonsense approach.

'One who really helped me a lot was Martin Keown,' Toure said, speaking in the April edition of the official Arsenal magazine.

'I have played with him several times and he helped me establish myself in the squad.

'He (was) always giving me advice, teaching me some of the intelligent things and also some nasty things you need to do in the game.

'Martin was an amazing player for Arsenal. He had a great career and had a good attitude on the pitch - he was always involved, always helping the team, always pushing people to encourage each other and raising the level because you can't rely on just one person to do that.'

Despite now trailing leaders Manchester United by six points - and one behind Chelsea - Arsenal are still not yet out of the title race, as key fixtures between the top three are still to come.

Toure accepts it is a tough battle for the championship, but insists the Gunners must focus only on their own performances rather than worry about what might happen elsewhere.

'It seems that this season the title race involves three teams and this shows that the league is really strong at the moment,' he said.

'But we have to concentrate on ourselves, and on what we have to do over the remaining games - if we win the rest of our games we will have a great chance of winning the title.'

Wenger reported a clean bill of health from those who returned from international duty to the training ground yesterday morning before he set off to the Emirates Stadium where French president Nicolas Sarkozy met Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

However, the Gunners will be missing full-back Bacary Sagna, set to be out for up to a month after suffering an ankle injury at Chelsea.

'It is a big blow because he has been a revelation for us, a fantastic player,' said Wenger, whose side face Liverpool three times in a week after the Bolton game as they resume Champions League action.

The Arsenal manager accepts his team must tighten up at the back if they are to put pressure on leaders United.

Wenger said: 'What we want to do is perform well as a team again and we know we can do that.

'At Chelsea we played okay, but we have to improve. Recently what punished us a lot is that defensively we have made big mistakes.'

The Best League In The World ???

In the next couple of weeks, four English clubs: Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool will be involved in the quarter final stage of the highest club competition tournament in Europe, The European Champions League. A phenomenal feat that would surely make any English natives hold their heads up high with pride and the right to claim, that today, the English Premier League is the best league in Europe and the world.

But, along with the phenomenon, comes an irony regarding English football itself. Despite having four clubs competing in the European Champions League quarter final, their very own national team failed to qualify for the EURO 2008 tournament in Switzerland and Austria. The question is why? Why can't they qualify when they have so many world class players and managers in their league?

The answer lies within the nationality of those world class players and managers. Take a look at the nationality compositions of the four clubs that made it through the quarter final. Exactly how many of them can be defined as "English?"

We have four top-class clubs and none of them are managed by an English manager. The closest thing that comes to an English manager is Alex Ferguson who is Scottish by nationality. Theo Walcott is the only top English player in the Arsenal squad, and he doesn't even see regular first team football. Liverpool only has two English players as regular starters: Steven Gerrard and Jammie Carragher. The same number goes for Chelsea.

With so many foreigners, I don't think it's fair to say that those who are involved in the quarter final can be called "English teams." Rather, they should be called a name that resembles global and European teams who use England as their base.

There has been a lot of criticism about too many foreigners playing in European clubs for quite some time now. But then again, this is the risk of progress, the risk of going global. European football, especially English football, has grown into an "international brand" for football since the early 90's. The Bosman rule, globalization, and the EU labor policies and laws make it possible for any player to work and play football in Europe, as long as they have the skills.

In recent years, we have also seen a number of huge investments in football clubs made by foreign investors. These investments are particularly taking place in England where investors see the most potential for growth and profit. Suddenly, we have a Russian oil tycoon, some American sugar daddies, and Dubai's crowned prince as owners of major European clubs. The football clubs have been taken away from their real owners, the fans. And to make things worse, most of the investors invested in football clubs just so they can sell their stocks back to gain profits. Their sincerity to put money into the long term success of the club is highly questionable.

As with any other investments, all that investors want are fast results. There is no time for them to wait for home-grown players to develop into world class footballers. They want to buy already established players, win some trophies as fast as possible, and increase the value of the club before selling it back to another blood thirsty investor.

Football clubs are being taken out of their roots all over England, and there's nothing the FA, UEFA or FIFA can do about it. They condemn the investments, but can do nothing because the reality is primarily concerned about the money. In a free global market, anyone who has the money is allowed to do whatever he pleases as long as it is within the law. And no law can prohibit the buying and selling of clubs.

This is the sad reality of global football, and it will affect the biggest football nations of Europe. Will they have strong clubs? The most definitely will, but will they have the usual strong national teams? That remains very doubtful...

Our Defences Needs Sorting : Arsene Wenger

“It was a game we should have won but we paid for some lapses in concentration," opined Wenger of Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Long-Ball Chelsea

"It is difficult to swallow because we played quite well and were in control of the game. What was left to Chelsea was to play long balls and we did not deal well enough with it.
"The spirit was right and the mentality was fantastic. But we have some defensive problems which we need to sort out.”

Worst Form

The run of four points from five games is Arsenal's worst in nine years. And Wenger admitted that this has all played into the hands of Manchester United.

Five points off the pace several weeks ago, the Red Devils are now five points clear of second-placed Chelsea and six ahead of Arsenal. "The happiest man will be Alex Ferguson - this is a big setback for us," said Wenger. "When you add the four games we drew and this loss, we just have to come back and win games before we can dream of the title.”

Chelsea's Drogba unhappy with Grant tactics

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was unhappy with coach Avram Grant's tactical decisions in this week's 4-4 draw at Tottenham , it has been revealed.

The Daily Mail says Drogba approached a leading club official in the tunnel area at White Hart Lane and expressed his frustrations with the decisions that rocked the club's title aspirations.

Drogba was particularly upset by the timing of Joe Cole's substitution. The Chelsea winger had scored a wonder goal that seemed to have won the game for Grant's side and he had clearly been the best player on the pitch.

Drogba spoke to assistant manager Steve Clarke as the players left the field on Wednesday night and demanded to know "what was going on?"

That continued when he walked down the tunnel and he sought a leading club official for an explanation on how the club had "thrown away" maximum points.

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Champions League Promises More Fun

There are just 8 teams left in the uefa champions league race out of the 32 that started.The Road to the final in Moscow is getting clearer by the day.The road promises to be fun and tough with four games coming up in April alone.

Yes, for the first time, both quarter-finals and both semi-finals will take place in one month, thanks largely to the looming European Championships.

As such, the importance of having a squad, and the effect of telling engagements in domestic competitions threatens to be greater than ever.

The Draw has paired Arsenal against Liverpool,Manchester Against Roma in a game that Roma will definitely want to win in search of revenge of last season's 7-1 defeat to Manchester United,Barcelona will be Up against Schalke In a tricky match that Barca is expected to win without much problems,Chelsea got their prayers answered when they were paired against Fenerbahce in a game that chelsea will must definitely win

Admittedly, Schalke and Fenerbahce are being considered relative outsiders, but the Germans progressed from a group containing Chelsea and Valencia, while the Turks dealt with Inter and PSV in proud fashion. Then, the steel shown to hold their own and win penalty shoot-outs on away turf can not be ignored either.

Barcelona and Roma, meanwhile, won both home and away, and showed that they can be unstoppable on their day.

It is also the right time to remember some of the legendary clubs that will not be here, talking about the likes of Nine time champions Real Madrid and the defending champions Ac Milan. Bernd Schuster's and Carlo Ancelotti's sides were sent out by two young and energetic sides that proved to Europe that football is not all about the big bucks. Roma and Arsenal, as such, will be very difficult to eliminate, for sheer ebullience if nothing else.

Then we have Chelsea and Liverpool, two sides that have been humiliated in the FA Cup this season (Barnsley take a bow), but who will prove to be an entirely different proposition over two legs. Absolutely nobody will be rested, and there is no chance they will be complacent, for both managers need silverware to secure their respective positions.

And finally, we have Manchester United, who have been installed as favourites for the competition by 90% of the bookmakers, due largely to the fact that they are a lot stronger than the side that looked lost at San Siro last April.

Of course, there is the individual angle as well. The likes of Cesc Fabregas and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the running for the Ballon d'Or, and can silence any doubters by guiding their team to glory. Lionel Messi is unlikely to be fit for the quarter-finals, but even he remains in the fray, along with new entrant Fernando Torres.

The Spaniard has not been mentioned as a candidate yet, but with 26 goals already, if he can guide Liverpool to the Champions League and score a few for Spain this summer, he will probably have 40 for the season. Francesco Totti is another player who has always been overlooked for major awards largely because of lack of silverware. Could European glory offer just the excuse to the jury?

Much will depend on the path that is laid out in front of them - whom they face, whether they play home or away first - and it will all be unveiled on Friday afternoon.

Updates:

1. The 8-0 hammering of Besiktas makes Liverpool the team with the most goals in the competition - 21 from eight games.

Barcelona and Arsenal come in second with 16, while Schalke are last, with just six in eight games. Meawhile, Barcelona are runaway leaders in terms of total shots on target - a mammoth 66.

Team Goals scored in 8 games Liverpool 21 Barcelona 16 Arsenal 16 Roma 15 Manchester United 14 = Chelsea 14 Fenerbahce 13 Schalke 6

2. On the defensive front, Chelsea have been the most miserly, having conceded just the two in eight games, which is what makes them one of the most difficult to knock-out.

Attack-minded Arsenal are the surprise second placed team with four, just ahead of Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona and Schalke. Fenerbahce conceded five at the last 16 stage to ensure they bring up the rear.

The list, more than anything, indicates just how mean you have to be to win this trophy in the modern era.

Team Goals conceded in 8 games Chelsea 2 Arsenal 4 Liverpool 5 = Barcelona 5 = Manchester United 5 = Schalke 5 Roma 8 Fenerbahce 11

3. Finally, if we measure success as the number of points picked up from eight games (allocating points even for the two knock-out games for the sake of analysis), we find Barcelona at the top of the pile, being chased down by Arsenal, Roma and Manchester United.

As an aside, Barcelona, Man Utd and Chelsea are the only unbeaten teams in the competition. Schalke bring up the rear after having practically squeezed through at every stage thus far.

Team Points from 8 games Barcelona 20 Arsenal 17 =Roma 17 = Manchester United 17 Liverpool 16 = Chelsea 16 Fenerbahce 14 Schalke 11

The Quarter finals promise to be full of intrigues,goals ,tackles and so much surprises.I just can't wait to see the games

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Arsenal Must Win Something

Arsenal haven't won anything since the 2005 FA Cup and Van Persie, who has spent much of this season out injured, says he cannot face the thought of a third consecutive campaign with no silverware.

But upon making his return to the first team fold, the Dutchman has vowed to fire the Gunners to Premier League and Champions League glory this season, honours he believes the squad fully deserve.

Winning A Must

"We have to win at least one trophy this season. If we don’t, then we would have played all the fantastic football for nothing," said the striker. “This is our moment and we need to win something. We all realise we are in a fantastic position and this has to be our year.

Double Dreams

"I am not a daydreamer," he continued. "I really think we can win the title and the Champions League this season. Why not? We have the qualities so we just need to stick together and believe in it. Belief can take you very far in football."

Arsenal have stumbled to four consecutive Premier League draws, surrendering the league lead to Manchester United at the weekend, while in the Champions League they face Liverpool in the quarter-finals.

"It is still in our hands to win the double and we have to take these opportunities because we have something special here at Arsenal," Van Persie added before going on to discuss his personal fitness. “Physically I can’t play a full 90 minutes yet but I’m getting there and I just need match fitness now," said the striker, who started his first league game for five months when Arsenal took on Middlesbrough on Saturday.

More Games Needed

"I need three or four games to really get back into my stride but I will give everything I have whenever I’m out on the pitch. It has been a very frustrating season for me. It started really well but now all I ever seem to do is talk about injuries. Yet I don’t feel as though I’m an injury-prone person.

"I suffered a thigh injury in October and then I came back too soon for the Carling Cup semi-final against Spurs and was out for another two months. I take full responsibility for that. It was all my fault. I was too emotionally involved because I was desperate to play.”

Van Persie and Arsenal travel to Chelsea on Sunday.

What Is Happing To Arsenal

Arsenal fans tend to listen when Arsene Wenger speaks. Most recently, he said, "I feel the team fights, we came back again against ‘Boro and this team will fight until the end."

But for many, even the words of their esteemed manager will sound less than re-assuring when one analyses the fact that, barring Arsenal’s fantastic victory in the Champions League against AC Milan, there has been a real downturn in Arsenal’s results as of late.

Never mind that this run of games has seen the Gunners contrive to draw their last four Premiership games, in the process seeing a five point lead over Manchester United evaporate in to thin air. A more worrying prospect for the Arsenal fans will be the form their team is exhibiting as they enter the ‘business end’ of the season, with the team's next five fixtures undoubtedly determining whether the Gunners' three-season wait for a trophy is going to come to an end, or is to extend in agonising fashion.

The scale of the task facing the out-of-sorts Gunners over the next few weeks reads is massive. It starts next Sunday away to the team breathing down their necks in the table, Chelsea, followed by a long trip up North to face bogey team Bolton Wanderers, and then the first of three consecutive games against Liverpool, of which two Champions League Quarter Final games bookend Rafa Benitez’s side travelling to the Emirates for a vital league encounter.

Whilst this run of fixtures would unnerve even the most brazen of Arsenal supporters, the fact that there are worrying echoes of the Gunners' progress last season would seem to only exacerbate the anxiety of the Emirates faithful.

For it was at a similar stage last season when in the space of a few games Arsenal managed to crash out of the Champions League to PSV Eindhoven, a Benni McCarthy thunderbolt sent them out of the FA Cup, Chelsea beat them in the Carling Cup final, and consecutive away day defeats to Everton and Liverpool put the final nail in the coffin of their Premiership challenge for the season.

Whilst the stunning performance of Wenger’s men at the San Siro against AC Milan stands as an example of how Arsenal can equip themselves in a style befitting any title winning team, when one watches the type of displays put in by the Arsenal players in the league in recent weeks then the alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear.

Gone, it would seem, is the breathtaking fluidity that delighted all that had the pleasure to watch Arsenal play, with shining lights such as Cesc Fàbregas and Emmanuel Adebayor on league form alone looking like jaded imitations of the players that started the season in such exciting style.

Furthermore, the injuries to Eduardo da Silva and Tomáš Rosický have seemed to really set the Gunners back, with Arsenal’s trophy push being seriously derailed from the moment that the promising partnership that was developing between Emmanuel Adebayor and Eduardo Da Silva was broken up so horrifically against Birmingham City.

Uncharacteristic mistakes have also begun to creep in, with a case in point being left back Gael Clichy who by twice criminally dawdling in the penalty box against Manchester City and Birmingham City cost the team goals. There was also his last minute infraction against Birmingham City leading to yet another draw, and of course the embarrassing on-pitch implosion of captain William Gallas.

These types of displays would seem to point to the undeniable fact that this youthful Arsenal team are starting to tire at the most vital stage of the season. The cumulative fatigue exhibited by Arsenal contrasts vividly to that of their rivals Manchester United and Chelsea, who are able to boast squads of much more depth.

For example, players of the calibre of Michael Essien, Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba have found themselves on the bench in recent weeks for Chelsea, but the teams winning ways have prevailed.

With regards to Manchester United, the contrast between their squad strength and that of Arsenal’s was displayed in unequivocal fashion in the F.A Cup meeting between the two sides where both managers decided to rest key players. However, the Red Devils' second string simply annihilated their North London counterparts, knocking Arsenal out of the F.A. Cup, and in the process inflicting a 4-0 defeat that would have undoubtedly pleased Sir Alex Ferguson.

Chelsea and Manchester United have also been able to win regularly when not playing anywhere near their maximum. This has not been the case as often for Arsenal, with a review of this weekend’s Premiership fixtures seeing Chelsea and Manchester United winning away to Sunderland and Derby County when playing nowhere near their best, whilst Arsenal dropped two potentially vital points at home to Middlesbrough.

This ability to claim all three points whilst performing well below your previous high standards is a key component of any title push. Arsenal must begin to exhibit this monotonous ability to win to significantly increase their chances of holding aloft the Premiership crown come May.

However , regardless of the poor Premiership form that Arsenal have exhibited in recent weeks, it would be incredibly churlish to write off any team that can boast players of the calibre of Kolo Touré, Cesc Fàbregas, Emmanuel Adebayor et al. when it comes to deciding who will be collecting the silverware on offer come seasons end.

It is not like Arsenal have stopped creating chances over the last few weeks, and supporters will point to dubious refereeing decisions such as Emmanuel Adebayor’s disallowed goal against Middlesbrough and the highly debatable penalty given against Birmingham City as more pertinent reasons for the side’s downturn in results.

Indeed, this Sunday’s visit to Stamford Bridge could provide the team with the perfect opportunity to correct the team’s disappointing results, and get the club’s Premiership title challenge back on track in the most dramatic of fashions.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE : WHICH IS THE BEST LEAGUE IN EUROPE

For the very first time in the history of the champions league,4 teams from the same league (England) made have made it inot the quarter finals.Though this is not surprising since for the last 3 seasons we have always had at least 1 semi-finalist from England,last season witnessed the appearance of 3 semi finalist from England,something that will most likely repeat itself again should all the English Teams measure of to the standard expected of them in the quarter finals in April.

Even Spain and Italy at their best could only produce 3 quarterfinalist in between them,the question that comes to mind then is : WHICH IS THE BEST LEAGUE IN EUROPE? Or is it just a fluke ? Or is that the top four teams in England beginning to wake up ? Or is this the beginning of another dominance of England by English clubs,as was the case when Liverpool,Aston Villa and Nottingham forext won Seven European Cups In just eight seasons.

I just can not wait to see the games and most of the Excitement in the last 8 also involves English teams facing each other.The Gunners' Luck could only place them against veterans-Liverpool

Of the English quartet Chelsea will be the most happy, having drawn Fenerbahce, who on paper perhaps seem the weakest side left. However, Rick Parry of Liverpool revealed his relief at the fact that "at least we don’t have to go to Turkey." Whether this was a reference to the distances to travel or a fear of the Turkish dark horses was unclear.

It was also acknowledged by Parry that drawing an English side was bad luck, with the intriguing situation that the English four are looking some of the most competitive and strongest teams at the moment.

For the ever noisy English media the qualification of 4 Of their teams into the last 8 marks the beginning of an ear. Alex Ferguson, speaking before the draw, proclaimed that ‘the English league is the strongest in Europe’.

Even more telling than a Scot extolling the virtues of the English league was Kaka’s statement: "You can say that the Premier League is not only the best for this season but for what its teams have done over the last few years’." Soon after the draw in Nyon, a visibly relieved Txiki Begiristain, Barcelona's director of sport, also hailed the Premier League as "undoubtedly the strongest league in Europe."

You can blame the Englishmen once in a while for getting carried away, but when praise begins to come from those in the continent - there is most certainly some fire beneath all the smoke.

The fact of the matter is that seven quarter-finalists in two seasons and most possibly six out of eight semi-finalists over the same period is a feat not worth ignoring, even if Serie A and La Liga loyalists may attempt to shoot it down.

Manchester United who has been placed against Roma in a repeat of the quarter finals of last season will sure not be Happy to have Roma again,I am quick to warn the fans of the red devils not to expect a 7-1 win this time around.That said, the feisty reception the Red Devils' fans received in Rome last time round will worry some.

If they are to beat the Italian side they will have to play either Schalke or, more likely, Barcelona, a prospect that will have the mouths of fans the world over watering.

Meanwhile the winners of the all-English tie face either Chelsea or Fenerbahce. Chelsea and Liverpool have a habit of drawing each other in the knock out phases of cups. The Blues have, interestingly enough, often come off worse - unlike in the Premirship - and would be eager to seek revenge.

That said, I honestly think Arsenal has a better chance to progress than Liverpool ( forget the poor performance in the League ) though Liverpool seems to know how to play the ball when it comes to playing it in Europe so also their manager who has not been impressive in the local league but has a big chance in Europe.

This clash promises to be very interesting and full of goal and intrigues ,it is a tripple-header too, : too: the teams also meet in the league in the same week, so the sides will have plenty of opportunities to ‘get to know each other’.

This could be seen as the year the Premier League came of age, announcing itself to the rest of Europe as truly the strongest league on the planet. An all-English final would be the culmination of a true renaissance for the game in its country of origin.

Amid all the criticism directed at this country's football - some justified, some not quite - some of the great positives get forgotten, or deliberately ignored. Surely some credit is due.

I honestly think the dominance of the English League is real,and I look forward to a all English final in Moscow last in the year.I don't want to raise the dust here though but I stronghly believe in a Manchester united - Arsenal final,quote me anywhere

Arsenal - A Brief History

Arsenal is one of the leading English clubs and plays the kind of football most teams can only dream about. Nicknamed the Gunners, they're a North London team with a huge fan base. They're closest rivals are Tottenham Hotspur but like most clubs these days seem to enjoy locking horns with Manchester United.

They were founded in 1886 which also makes them one of the oldest clubs in the English domestic league. Arsenal is also one of the most successive clubs in the England, having won three doubles and the Premier League on two occasions (and counting).

For many years Arsenal played their football at Highbury stadium but now play their home games at the Emirates Stadium which has a capacity of over sixty thousand fans. The move to the Emirates Stadium has also made Arsenal one of the richest clubs in world football, ensuring they continue to be one of the top teams well into the future.

Famous Arsenal players from the past include Cliff Bastin, Ian Wright, Tony Adams and Thierry Henry to name but a few Arsenal legends. For years, Arsenal had a reputation of playing a strong defensive game and winning games by a single goal. Their back four of Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn is legendary and still used by coaches to illustrate how defending should be.

Arsenal football shirts are traditionally red and white, with white shorts and red or white socks. The designs of their away shirt vary but have often been yellow and blue. Nike have manufactured Arsenal shirts for a long time and have a contract to continue doing so.

This is just a concise history of the Gunners but there is significantly more to learn about this brilliant football club.

Yakubu Targets Top Four

Nigerian striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni is still coming to terms with Everton’s midweek Uefa Cup exit after losing a penalty shoot-out to Serie A outfit Fiorentina.The man they call ‘The Yak’ isn’t likely to internalise his frustrations, though, not with a visit to leaky Fulham in store on Sunday.


Only Thierry Henry has scored more Premiership goals than Yakubu since the 2003/04 season. Indeed, Yakubu is looking to add to his 12 Prem strikes as the season enters its crucial phase.


Yakubu insists the Toffees are ready to put their Euro heartache behind them and have fourth-placed Merseyside rivals Liverpool firmly in their sights.


"Going out of Europe will only make us more determined to finish in the top four this season," warned Yakubu. "I have a good feeling about the Fulham game because I scored a hat-trick against them at Goodison. I can feel there are more goals in me.


"They say it was the perfect hat-trick because I scored with my left foot, my right foot and a header - but for every goal I've scored at Everton, I owe the credit to my team-mates and the manager.


"Since I came here I am fitter, faster and better.


"It is a great compliment to the people around me that I have scored more goals in the Premier League than any striker apart from Thierry Henry over the past few years. Players like Henry only come round once in a lifetime and I look up to him, but the comparison will mean nothing if we do not have anything to show for all our hard work at the end of the season.


"Liverpool are favourites to finish fourth, but Everton beat them to it three years ago and we are capable of doing it again. It would be a fantastic achievement, but I believe in my team-mates and I think they believe in me to score the goals which will take us where we want to go.


"We will keep fighting together and, don't forget, we still have to go to Anfield. We were unlucky not to get at least a point against Liverpool at our place and that will be a massive game for both clubs."


Bridge Boy



Despite recent disappointment, Yakubu is relishing his Premier League career, which has flourished at Middlesbrough and now Everton. The footballing high-life is a far cry, he admits, from his days in native Nigeria with the Bridge Boys of Julius Berger.


"I have come a long way since I left Africa and I feel blessed that my career has brought me to such a good club as Everton," he said.


"My first club was called Julius Berger, which is a big Nigerian construction company with its own team.


"They had a grass pitch - not everybody in Africa is able to play on grass - and I remember thinking I was rich when I collected my first wages, which were small.


"After only four months I was spotted by Maccabi Haifa and I went to play for them in Israel. We won the title and [current Chelsea boss] Avram Grant was my coach there.


"I have been on a long journey since those days, and to play in the Champions League next season would be a proud moment."


Reds fans will be hoping that’s a Bridge too far for the Yak.

Champions League Draw

Arsenal has been drawn against Liverpool in the champions league quarter finals Arsenal came out of the bowl first, and they got Liverpool. The Reds will have the luxury of playing the second leg at home.

Incidential the champions league feature will collide with a premier league fiture which makes it 3 games in just 8 days!

In the Other draws Roma will be playing Manchester united ,yet again in a repeat of last year's quartfer which ended in favor 7-1 in favor of the English side.The second leg comes up in old Trafford,this fixture promises to be interesting and full of drama.It may sound controversial but I predict a win for Roma this time around.

The only German team left will be playing former champions Barcelona in what seems to be a easy draw for the la liga outfit.The second leg comes up in Spain.

The Last game will be between Fenerbahce and Chelsea.The second leg comes up in stamford Bridge.This is fixture will hat will involve Mateja Kezman and Nicolas Anelka facing their former clubs.

The semi-finals will see the winners of Arsenal-Liverpool play the winners of Fenerbahce-Chelsea. In what could Yet be another Liverpool-Chelsea semi-final?

The other clas would potentially see Manchester United and Barcelona clash expect if one of Schalke and Roma pulls a surprise as I already predicted.

In general ,the draw seem to be a good draw for chelsea,Barcelona ,manchester united and Liverpool since they all will be playing their last matches at their stadia.

But then again, Arsenal and Roma won in Milan and Madrid respectively, just a few weeks ago, and will back themselves to produce something similar again!

UEFA To Aid Cardiff's Euro hopes

UEFA will intervene if Cardiff win the FA Cup but are prevented from competing in the UEFA Cup, president Michel Platini has revealed.
Cardiff reached the semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Sunday and have been drawn against Barnsley in the last four.

But if they win the April 6 clash then beat either West Brom or Portsmouth in the final the Football Association insist they will not be put forward as one of England's representatives for the UEFA Cup because they come under the jurisdiction of the FA of Wales.

The Welsh governing body reserve their places for winners of their domestic competitions, leaving Cardiff potentially in limbo.

Chairman Peter Ridsdale hinted after the draw the club would challenge the FA's decision - and he would have an ally in Platini.

The former France midfielder told BBC Radio Five Live: 'It's not normal that they participate in one competition and if they win they are out. That is not good.

'If England don't do something we will do something because we always respect the result.'

Wales' sports minister also revealed today he will ask football bosses to stage FA Cup semi-finals at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

The final had a temporary home in Cardiff while the new Wembley Stadium was being built but returned to London last year.

In the week Cardiff City progressed to the semi-finals, heritage minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas told Welsh Assembly Members he would write to the competition's organisers about bringing top domestic football back to the Welsh capital.
'I am sure that the fans throughout the UK would welcome the opportunity to return to Cardiff,' he said.

'I am certainly happy to write to the FA and to suggest to them that semi-finals in future should be held in Cardiff and the Millennium Stadium.'

It comes as the Football Association today confirmed the schedule for this season's FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

The first semi-final will pit West Brom against Portsmouth - the only remaining top-flight team left in the competition - at 12.15pm on Saturday, April 5.

That will be followed the next day by the all Coca-Cola Championship clash between Barnsley and Cardiff, with a kick-off time of 4pm.

BBC1 will broadcast the West Brom v Portsmouth game, while Sky Sports will show Barnsley v Cardiff.

Meanwhile, a make-or-break threat to the financial future of Cardiff City kicked off at the High Court today.

Swiss investment bank Langston is suing the club over £24million in loan notes and is seeking summary judgment for immediate repayment of the debt.

The Coca-Cola Championship club, still savouring Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final victory against Middlesbrough, want repayment deferred and the case to go to full trial.

The Bluebirds faces possible administration if Langston succeeds at the two-day hearing in London before Mr Justice Briggs.

Langston's counsel, Michael Driscoll QC, told the court it was common ground that Langston was a substantial creditor of the club and that the debt owed to it was in excess of £15million.
It was also common ground that Langston loaned £24million to the club in 2004, and it had yet to be repaid anything.

It was the club's case that nothing was payable at the moment.

Mr Driscoll said the question for the court was whether there was enough in what the club said to justify the case going to trial and not being dealt with summarily.

It was Langston's case that there was not, and that it was an appropriate case for summary judgment which was 'clearly desirable' as it would avoid a great deal of cost and time spent in litigation and uncertainty.

Benitez to go on attack at Inter

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez insists his side cannot afford to sit back and defend a 2-0 lead in their Champions League second leg tie at Inter Milan.

The Reds will be aiming to become the fourth English side in the last eight with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United already through.

"It is impossible for us to defend for a long time against such a great team," said the Spaniard.

"We will be looking to score, to hit on the break."

Benitez goes into the game without midfielder Xabi Alonso, who has been left out to attend the birth of his first child.

The Reds boss is believed to be frustrated at Alonso's decision, but Benitez will be counting on the hot goalscoring form of striker Fernando Torres against the Serie A leaders at the San Siro.

Torres has scored seven goals in his last four games, including two-hat-tricks, as he has taken his tally for the season to 25 goals in 34 games.

"I believe that Fernando Torres is the ideal player for this, if we score one then we will surely be through," added Benitez, whose side have won their last five games.

"We are playing well and we have great confidence.

"When we played Inter in the first game we had just been beaten by Barnsley in the FA Cup. Now we face them after five successive victories."

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who has been deployed behind the attack and in front of the the Reds midfield, has formed a promising partnership with Torres in recent games.

"We will be looking to hit them on the counter-attack, and Torres plays that game better than anyone," said Gerrard.

"But we will have to play as well as we have done anywhere this season."

Inter will be without Marco Materazzi after his sending-off in the first-leg and Gerrard believes his replacement will face a torrid task trying to contain Torres. "The lad who comes into their side for Materazzi will not be looking forward to his 90 minutes against Fernando," he said.

The growing partnership between Gerrard and Torres has seen the Spaniard describe his skipper as "one of the best players in the world".

And Gerrard is sure that Torres will be Liverpool's match-winner in the San Siro.

"He's brilliant, fantastic. I wouldn't swap him for any other striker anywhere," said the England midfielder.

"He has been massive for us and gives us so many different options up front. He's banging them in and always looks a threat every time he plays.

"You can play him on his own or with a partner and he just adapts perfectly.

"When you look at the impact he has made in just seven months here, it means that no-one now can make excuses about needing time to settle.

"He is just a kid really in football terms, and he is going to get better and better.

"That is a frightening thought, but not for us. It's frightening for the defences he is going to be coming up against."

Inter boss Roberto Mancini believes a packed San Siro will boost their chances of overcoming the 2-0 first leg deficit.

He said: "I believe a full stadium can make the difference. If the match is going well, the crowd could be decisive."

Mancini also hinted he may play five across the midfield despite the need for goals.

"With many unavailable, it could be a possibility," he said. "To overhaul a 2-0 scoreline we will have to be perfect from every point of view.

"We must play the perfect match, trying not to give Liverpool space. I am not pessimistic, I believe it is possible to go through."

Is Grant A Big Match Manager?

As soon as the Carling Cup finalists were known, it was obvious that one of two new managers would be lifting silverware within months of being appointed. The fact that, in the event, it was Juande Ramos of Spurs rather than Chelsea's Avram Grant not only confirmed the Spaniard's midas touch in cup competitions; it also raised doubts about the Israeli's acumen at the highest level.

Unpopular Changes

Ironically, neither Ramos nor Grant had been popular appointments. Both were succeeding men who had swung the mass of their respective club's supporters behind them: Martin Jol at Tottenham and Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

But while Spurs fans were unhappy with the way Jol was clumsily ousted, they were not anti-Ramos per se; they knew he was a good manager - as his record, especially at Sevilla, proved. And they have seen such a rapid improvement at White Hart Lane since Ramos arrived and started to put his managerial approach into practice that they have embraced the new regime with gusto, especially after Sunday's triumph. Jol may still be liked, but they would not want him back in place of Ramos.

Can you say the same about Grant at Chelsea? The short, brutal answer is, 'No.' Mourinho was adored by the Chelsea fans (and, it was clear, most if not all of the Blues' players). He was always going to be a hard act to follow, whoever took over.

But when Grant, brought in two months earlier as director of football, was handed the reins, the cloud over Stamford Bridge was heavy with disillusion, scepticism and anger. The contrast with Mourinho could not have been starker: the extrovert and self-styled Special One with charisma to spare had been succeeded by the introverted Quiet Man with the permanent hang-dog expression.

Grant's first assignment was at Old Trafford, the home of the defending champions, at the end of the traumatic week in which Mourinho left the club. To nobody's great surprise, United won 2-0, and with some of the senior players apparently threatening to jump ship, predictions of Chelsea's imminent implosion abounded.

Impressive Record

To his great credit, Grant held it all together and, moreover, set the team on a 16-match unbeaten run in which there were some impressive victories: 2-1 at Valencia, 6-0 at home to Manchester City and 4-0 in Trondheim against Rosenborg.

A narrow defeat at Arsenal in which inspirational captain John Terry broke bones in his foot compounded a debilitating injury situation at the Bridge, but despite the privations caused by injuries, suspensions and, in January, the demands of the Africa Cup of Nations, Grant led the team to another unbeaten run that stretched, by coincidence, to 16 games again before Spurs halted it on Sunday at Wembley.

Only the churlish and the uncharitable would argue that Grant's record of just two defeats in his first 34 matches in charge of Chelsea was not impressive. His team had withstood the absences of many key players without losing matches, remaining in contention on four fronts; the mooted exodus of stars in January had not happened; and Mourinho's 'untouchables' policy had been swept away, with the likes of Michael Ballack insisting nobody was untouchable now: you earned your place on merit and good form. And yet there were lingering doubts.

Doubts Persist

The fantasy football that owner Roman Abramovich ousted Mourinho for not providing was still conspicuous by its absence. Chelsea were functional and effective rather than free-flowing with flair. The fans continued to chant Mourinho's name at Chelsea matches, suggesting that Grant had not yet won their hearts. And there were signs latterly that as players returned from injury and Africa to give the coach more options, he was not entirely sure-footed in dealing with the selection dilemmas this posed.

Now, after Sunday's Carling Cup final, in which Chelsea took a first-half lead but uncharacteristically failed to protect it, losing 2-1 to worthy winners Spurs, Grant stands accused of timidity in his team selection, caution in his tactics, lack of urgency and imagination in his substitutions, and lack of motivational powers when his players may have been looking to him for leadership and inspiration.

Damningly, none of those perceived failings were levelled at Mourinho. He ticked all the boxes. And fairly or unfairly, Grant's performance is again being compared to that of the Portuguese following Sunday's defeat. Apart from leading Chelsea to back-to-back Premier League titles, Mourinho took the Blues to three domestic cup finals and won them all. Sunday was Grant's first chance to authenticate his reign with silverware, to confirm that he is also a winner. On this occision, he blew it.

Spurs played well throughout but there was a contrast between the two benches. Ramos appeared to be thinking on his feet, and his tactical switches and substitutions brought rapid dividends and, ultimately, the Cup. Grant seemed less decisive and less flexible. And Chelsea lost.

Positively Negative

Spurs won because Ramos was positive, and instilled positive thinking into his players, while Grant and his team were negative. That is why many neutrals enjoyed the outcome. Chelsea, after taking the lead from a set-piece - Didier Drogba's superb free-kick that maintained the Ivorian's record of scoring in English cup finals - retreated into their negative shells until they were forced to chase the game in the last 15 minutes of extra-time.

If Spurs had not won, at least they would have gone down giving it their best shot. They played with urgency, self-belief and imagination against opponents seemingly primed to play a percentage game which eventually back-fired thanks to a rash handball and a goalkeeping error.

On the touchline, Ramos outwitted and outflanked Grant, whose claim afterwards that for a period before and after half-time Chelsea had dominated was not a view widely held beyond his bench. There was a telling shot on TV - between the end of regulation time and the start of extra-time - of the Chelsea players in a huddle, seeking inspiration and instruction on how to approach the additional half-hour. But who was providing that input? Not Grant, and not the much-vaunted Henk ten Cate. No, it was Chelsea survivor Steve Clarke.

There were other concerns for Chelsea fans, regarding the composition and balance of the team, and the way the substitutions were handled. Why was such a talented and incisive striker as Nicolas Anelka exiled on the wing where his contribution was never more than peripheral? Why was Ballack on the bench when he has been the midfielder in form during the past month? Was it to accommodate Frank Lampard - who perhaps is an untouchable after all? It began to look that way when the industrious Michael Essien, rather than below-par Lampard, was removed from the fray to accommodate (belatedly) Ballack.

There were subversive rumbles in the build-up to the final that, following Grant's team selection for the Champions League game in Greece against Olympiakos, Lampard and Terry had thrown, or threatened to throw, their toys from the pram if not given starting roles at Wembley, despite both having only just returned from lengthy injury absences. Are some of the players, rather than the manager, calling the shots?

And why was the mercurial Joe Cole, a potential match-winner, left on the bench for so long? One of the defining aspects of Mourinho's success was his ruthlessly decisive approach to substitutions. They were not a last resort for Jose but a potent tactical weapon to be used the moment he deduced the opposition had an edge.

After the game, Grant complained about refereeing decisions - the penalty, which looked cut-and-dried, Bridge propelling the ball away with his hand - and even the timing of the final whistle. Of course, every manager, Mourinho included, struggles to cope with defeat and seeks scapegoats when it happens. That's OK, as long as Grant doesn't delude himself that Chelsea were unjustly robbed of the Cup.

Perspective

All of that said, it is important to keep things in perspective. After all, this was just one match, and Chelsea are still in real contention for three trophies, which is all credit to Grant and his players. As he also said after the game, his players must get over their disappointment and re-focus on the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

He revealed that it was "very painful," to lose, although the Chelsea fans do not need to be told that. They feel it just as keenly. And they will hope that the lessons learned from this game will be taken on board when Chelsea find themselves in their next big contest.

But they will be slightly disturbed that the three matches Chelsea have lost under Grant have been a cup final and Premier League games against the two teams above them in the table. They may be wondering whether their manager, solid enough most of the time, lacks the temperament and/or tactical nous for the big matches. Because if he does, Chelsea will plateau rather than reach the next level that chief executive Peter Kenyon trumpeted when putting his spin on the decision to replace Mourinho with Grant.

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Who Is Zidane?

Zinedine Zidane was unable to contact hospitalised star Ronaldo as he recovers from his horrific knee injury because the hospital operator didn’t know who the Frenchman was.

Ronaldo is in hospital in Paris having undergone surgery for the career-threatening ruptured tendon in his knee that he suffered in last Wednesday’s match with Livorno.

Messages of support have flooded in for El Fenomeno, who is set to be out of the game for at least nine-to-twelve months.

One of these well-wishers was none other than France legend Zinedine Zidane, who is a former team-mate of Ronaldo from their time together at Real Madrid.

Zidane yesterday rang up the hospital that Ronaldo is staying at in order to speak to his old colleague and friend.

When the hospital telephone operator asked who was calling, incredibly the name Zinedine Zidane was not recognised by the employee, thus the 1998 World Cup winner was not granted permission to speak to Ronaldo.

Zidane only retired from football in 2006, after winning one Champions League, one World Cup and one European Championship.

Cesc: To Beat Kaka Would Be Fab

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas spoke about the Milan game, and what it would mean to him if they were to beat Milan. He also stated that he wants to spend the rest of his career at the North London club.

Very Happy Here

Speaking in an exclusive interview with CNN, the Spanish international revealed that he has not yet entered discussions about extending his contract beyond its current expiry date but will only leave if he is no longer wanted at the club.

"I am very happy, everything is going well, I have got friends in the club," said the 20-year-old .
"I like the life and I am comfortable with the fans. If they don't want me here, then of course I would like to go back to Spain.

"But if the club wants me and the boss thinks I still can give a lot to the club, then I will stay here. I will be here for as long as they want me."

Wenger Ties Me To Arsenal

Fabregas, who was snatched from Barcelona's youth program in 2003, also said that manager Arsene Wenger was one of the main reasons for him wanting to stay.

"He has an eye to catch young players that he wants in the future, and that is something special," said Fabregas. "I have always been grateful for what he has done for me, what he has done for the club and I feel very lucky to be working under him."

Football Faster Than In Spain

In addition to this, he also highlighted the atmospheres of Premier League stadiums and the fast, attacking nature of the football as crucial factors in his love of the English game.

"Whenever you watch a football game here you can see the passion," he said.
"Even if the two lowest teams in the league are playing you can feel the passion. They always try to go forward, even if the game maybe technically is not the best you can feel they go to win.
"In Spain everything is slower and sometimes it takes 20 minutes to see something happen. But of course technically the Spanish league is very, very good."

Title Challenge

As for the Premier League title, Fabregas sounded a note of caution.
"We have to try to play nice football - not beautiful football, but football that really enables us to win. The fans believe in us and we are quite confident we can do it, but there is still a long way to go."

Beating Kaka And Pirlo Would Be Special

Inevitably, also spoke about this week's Champions League clash against holders AC Milan.
"We are all looking forward to it because it will be a very difficult game," he admitted.
"Everybody says they are not doing well in the league, but this kind of team can kill you in one second. They have massive players like Kaka and Andrea Pirlo - we have to be careful, but I still think we have a good chance."

"To beat a team that contains Kaka and Pirlo would be special for me," he continued.
"They are two of the best players in the world. We must pay close attention to them as they can hurt us. It’s important to cancel them out. If we do this, Milan will have problems.”

Kaka Looks Foward To "Beautiful" Game Against Arsenal

The contest pits the Milanese old guard against Arsene Wenger’s young guns. Kaka, whose real name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, recognises that Arsenal will offer a stern test of Milan’s credentials. Nevertheless, he backs the Rossoneri to dump the English side out of the competition and add to the club’s seven European triumphs.

"People have called this tie against Arsenal a match between an ageing team and a new young, up-and-coming side,” the reigning Fifa world player of the year said. “It is a fair comparison, because the average age in the first team here in Milan is 32, but that doesn't mean we'll struggle against them. Experience counts for everything at this stage of the Champions League.”

“This is a game we can enjoy. It can be beautiful.”

Despite Milan’s determination to succeed, Kaka does not underestimate the threat posed by Wenger’s team. Arsenal enjoy a five point lead in the Premiership over closest rivals Manchester United. However, the Gunners crashed out of the English FA Cup 4 –0 last Saturday against United. Many observers believe the Gunners boss decision not to play his strongest team showed that he had given priority to the match against the 2007 Champions League winners.

"This tie against Arsenal will be open and more interesting than if Milan had been drawn against Liverpool or Chelsea, teams that play more in the traditional English style," Kaka conceded. “They play football the way we like it to see it in Brazil, with style, changing position all the time, moving the ball among themselves so quickly.

“They have won Premier League titles, they were in the Champions League final a few years ago and they have real quality."

Wednesday’s Champions League match is seen as crucial to the Milan team which has not hit its best form this season and lies 21 points behind city rivals Internazionale in Serie A. Kaka sees the Champions League game as a chance for Milan to ignite their season.

"We were inconsistent in the first half of the season," said Kaka. "But we have recovered since the turn of the year and have lost only once in Italy since then, even if the top is still a long way off.

“That means the Champions League is the most important competition we're in - win that and your names are etched down in history, far more so than if you win the domestic league. We are too far behind in Serie A, so the priority is completely to win the Champions League again."

Player Ratings: Manchester United - Arsenal

MANCHESTER UNITED

Van Der Sar 6.0: Pipe and slippers evening for the Dutch keeper. Not tested at all by the misfiring Gunners.

Wes Brown 7.5: Set down a marker for the 12 April clash by keeping Hleb quiet all evening, and making some good contribution to the attack as well.

Rio Ferdinand 6.5: Snuffed out the disappointing Arsenal attack with ease.

Nemanja Vidic 7.0: Improved performance from the big Serb. Made life difficult for Arsenal from corners.

Patrice Evra 7.0: Locked down the left flank and supported the attacks with his usual effervescence.

Darren Fletcher 8: A rare appearance for the Scottish midfielder but he was really in the mood. Got forward, tackled robustly and took his goal well.

Anderson 8.5: In an impressive midfield unit, Anderson stood out as the brightest talent on show. Fizzed throughout the game and is fast becoming undroppable. If only he had a Brazilian goal scorer’s touch.

Michael Carrick 7.0: Ably supported by Anderson and Fletcher fizzing alongside, Carrick’s unsung performance should not belie his contribution to United thoroughly dominating a stronger Arsenal midfield. His pass for Nani’s goal was a peach.

Nani 8.0: At last, the Portuguese winger delivered a performance worthy of his reputation. Excellent display of wingcraft. His goal was a beauty.

Ji Sung Park 6.5: Game and willing but still struggling to impose himself after a long injury lay-off.

Wayne Rooney 8.0: Thundered back after sitting out the derby. Shone as United adopted the England model of the lone front man and set United on their way with a crucial first goal. Terrorised Gallas and Toure all evening and might be disappointed to have scored only once.

Substitutes

Paul Scholes 6.0: Slotted in easily.

Louis Saha 6.0: Looked rusty on his return to the first team. Should have scored late on.

ARSENAL

Jens Lehmann 7.0: Some smart saves alternated with some poor goal kicks, but kept the scoreline from looking like 7-0 or 8-0.

Justin Hoyte 4.0: Troubled by United attackers all evening. The young defender couldn’t make his efforts meaningful.

William Gallas 4.0 : Might now heed the proverb: He who talks big may soon look small. A disappointing evening’s work in the Manchester spotlight. Was at sixes and sevens against Rooney, and his second half kick at Nani deserved a booking too. Perhaps his worst display of the season.

Kolo Toure 5.5: Looked like he was still suffering from jet lag after his exertions in the African Cup of Nations. Lacked his usual authority and positional excellence. Clearly still jaded from his African sojourn.

Armand Traore 4.0: The youngster had a night to forget and was made dizzy by United’s movement and trickery.

Emmanuel Eboue 3.0: Dismissed early in the second half for an ugly challenge on Evra. It was his only contribution to the game.

Francesc Fabregas 5.0: The Premiership’s most improved midfielder didn’t live up to his reputation. Off the pace completely until his substitution. Failed to pick his passes, failed to win the ball, and was simply outplayed on the evening.

Gilberto Silva 5.0: Another talent to leave his better form in the locker room. No impact on the match.

Alexander Hleb 6.5: Didn’t offer his usual menace. A subdued display, but had a little more energy to give to the match than some of his teammates.

Da Silva Eduardo 5.0: His flat display mirrored that of the team.

Nicklas Bendtner 5.0: Got no change out of the United defence and little support from the Arsenal midfield.

Substitutes

Mathieu Flamini 5.0: Lost Fletcher for United’s fourth goal. So much for coming on to limit the damage.

Philippe Senderos 6.0: Should probably have started looking at all that went on at the back.

Emmanuel Adebayor 5.0: Booked for diving seconds after entering the match as a substitute, and that was just about the only thing you remember about him.

Champions League: The Spanish Challenge

Three Spanish sides, three group stage winners, three title hopefuls. Their fortunes have varied at home and abroad of late, but this Spanish trio remains serious about lifting the trophy in Moscow. First up, though, comes the knockout stage...

Roma v Real Madrid (Tue 19th Feb, 20:45 CET)

The Champions League may have been on hiatus since December, but hype ahead of this game has kept the tournament alive in spirit for the past two months.

The two sides have shared a CL group three times already this decade, with no love being lost between the two after a series of eventful encounters.

Madrid are ahead on recent head-to-head, but that's merely spurred Roma on further. More than one prominent giallorosso has come out swinging in the media, stating that the Spaniards' poor road form in the CL will be their undoing in the Eternal City.

Still, the blancos are no shrinking violets, either. They've been building up to their game for some time, which has given them an uncommon amount of focus, but it's perhaps also affected their Liga form.

For a Madrid side that looked nigh-invincible earlier in the season has stumbled a bit since New Year, scraping through matches against Zaragoza and Levante, before finally succumbing to defeats at Almeria and Betis.

Roma will be smacking their lips in anticipation of giving the blancos another going-over on the road - knowing full well that they've failed to win away in Europe so far - but they cannot be complacent by any means.

After all, Madrid have rested some of the squad for this one over the past couple of weeks, and have already left the Italian capital with a draw this season.

That 2-2 tie at Lazio may not have been ideal at the time, but a repeat result would put the Bernabeu men firmly in the drivers' seat as they welcome the Romans for a return game at their fortress.

This point is key. Madrid have won all their Liga and Champions League games at home this season, stumbling only in "lesser" cups. If they can leave Rome with a draw, they're in fine stead to advance. Roma will know this, and thus Iker Casillas will be under bombardment from the word go on Tuesday.

Celtic v FC Barcelona (Tue 19th Feb, 20:45)

Barcelona, meanwhile, face a tough test in Glasgow against home specialists Celtic.

The Bhoys are formidable opposition at their Parkhead base, as any European observer will know. Indeed, just like Madrid, Celtic hold an enviable 100% home record in the group stage.

The blaugrana do, too, with Celtic's fellow Glaswegians Rangers being among their scalps at Camp Nou. As such, they'll feel that they can dismiss the Celts in the second leg. However, they will also remember the goalless draw at Ibrox against the Bears, which will hardly be encouraging ahead of this game.

First, then, comes the trip to Celtic Park, a place to which Barcelona are no strangers. As recently as the 2004-05 campaign, the blaugrana left Glasgow with a win, but one need go back only another season to remember the Bhoys defeating Barcelona en route to their historic UEFA Cup final.

Much has changed since then, with Barcelona manging to lift the famous Champions League trophy in the interim. Frank Rijkaard, who is sai to be under pressure at Camp Nou, is eager to do so again, particularly in order to make up for a disappointing Liga campaign last season.

It seemed as if the stage was set for disappointment again this time as the blaugrana fell eight points off the pace in the Liga, but on Saturday evening, Barcelona's close-fought win at Zaragoza cut the deficit to five. Thus, unlike Madrid, Barcelona come into their CL game on the back of a win. Whether this serves to exhaust them, or spur them on to more success, remains to be seen.

Fenerbahçe v Sevilla (Wed, 20:45)

Finally, Sevilla travel to meet Istanbul outfit Fenerbahçe, who are the lowest-ranked side left in the competition.

However, their relatively modest standing in European football, and their associated coefficient, masks what could be a tough game for the Andalucians. The Yellow Canaries, after all, lost just once in the group stage, and that was away to Italian giants Inter.

Indeed, they managed a home victory over the nerazzurri, showing that the Turks' reputation for creating a fearsome atmosphere at the Şükrü Saracoğlu is far from unwarranted.

In just a few short seasons, though, Sevilla have styled themselves no longer as also-rans but as seasoned European campaigners, and with several intmidating arenas already left humbled by the Andalucians, coach Manolo Jimenez knows that his side neednot fear anyone.

Indeed, by topping a group containing Arsenal, Sevilla have already shown that they have what it takes to dine at Europe's top table, and not merely enjoy the fruits of the UEFA Cup.

Their Liga form has been mixed this season, with the tragic death of Antonio Puerta and eventual departure of coach Juande Ramos throwing things off-kilter, but the rojiblancos have recovered of late to claw into the UEFA Cup zone, and within touching distance of the Champions League spots.

Such domestic concerns will distract them a bit ahead of this clash, but it's worth noting that Sevilla fought successfully on three fronts last season. It's a big, tough squad in Andalucia - but one that may be broken up by wealthy suitors come the season's end. Whether this is a last hurrah or a gateway to better things for the club remains to be seen, but Fenerbahce must be overcome before any plans can be made.

FA Cup Preview: Manchester United - Arsenal

Old Rivals In Match Of The Week

League leaders Arsenal travel to title rivals Manchester United for what is undoubtedly the tie of the Fifth Round. The two have become great rivals since Arsene Wenger's arrival in the country in 1996 and this clash has all the makings of a classic.

United and Arsenal are the two most successful club's in FA Cup history with a combined haul of 21 trophies from 35 finals. Ferguson has won five of them, Wenger four.

The winner of this tie will be among the favourites to add to those trophies because these are clearly the two best sides in the country this season.

Arsenal were tipped by many pundits to finish outside the top this term, but as Gunners fans say, 'Arsene knows'. Wenger has created a team on a shoestring budjet that have excelled beyond even his own great expectations for them.

Arsenal are playing with such energy and style that it is difficult to believe that the club actually made a net profit in the summer's transfer window. Goals are arriving from every part of the team with defensive midfielder Mathieu Flamini and centre back William Gallas scoring vital goals already this campaign.

The main man at the moment is Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor who has stepped out of Robin Van Persie's shadow to produce a stunning run of form where it seems everything his hits turns to goals. With excellent service provided to him by the subtle midfield promptings of Hleb and Fabregas, Adebayor will look to add to his winner at Old Trafford last season, when the Gunners were in a preiod of transition. A huge boost for Arsenal is the return of Kolo Toure at centre-back.

The powerful Ivorian has returned from the African Cup of Nations just in time as Wenger may be without three defenders that started Monday's win over Blackburn at the Emirates.

Returning Rooney Bolsters United

United will be boosted by the return to the team of both Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra, and both players are key to the way United play. Without the energetic duo last week, United appeared flat as they fell to defeat at home to local rivals Manchester City which sees the champions trail Arsenal in the league by five points. Louis Saha is also back after six weeks to provide options up front, something they sorely missed against City.

United will be desperate to put a marker down in the title race by knocking the Gunners out of the cup this weekend. United just never really got going in last week's derby, and looked unusually sloppy at the back where the usually dependable duo of Ferdinand and Vidic each had their worst game of the season so far.

It could be argued that they missed having a shield infront of them, and either Michael Carrick or Owen Hargreaves should return to the starting line up in an attampt to quell Arsenal's quick passign attacking midfield.

Alex Ferguson has laughed off the distance between these sides at the top, arguing with some credibility that Arsenal have the more difficult run in and far less experience. The fiery Scot will hope that his side can back up his argument by beating his old enemy Arsene Wenger's side, and continue in the hunt for a second treble, which Ferguson has mentioned at various points this campaign.

It is hard to recall when United last lost consecutive home games, but that is a fait which awaits them unless they produce a much improved performance against a rampant Arsenal. The sides drew 2-2 at the Emirates earlier in the campaign, and another stalemate can be expected again at Old Trafford on Saturday.

FORM GUIDE

Manchester United

10 Feb v Manchester City (H) LOST 1-2 (Prem)
02 Feb v Tottenham (A) DREW 1-1 (Prem)
30 Jan v Portsmouth (H) WON 2-0 (Prem)
27 Jan v Tottenham (H) WON 3-1 (FA Cup)
19 Jan v Reading (A) WON 2-0 (Prem)
12 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 6-0 (Prem)

Arsenal

11 Feb v Blackburn (H) WON 2-0 (Prem)
02 Feb v Manchester City (A) WON 3-1 (Prem)
29 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0 (Prem)
26 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0 (FA Cup)
22 Jan v Tottenham (A) LOST 5-1 (League Cup)
19 Jan v Fulham (A) WON 3-0 (Prem)

FA CUP THIS SEASON

Manchester United

Round 3 v Aston Villa (A) WON 2-0
Round 4 v Tottenham (H) WON 3-1

Arsenal

Round 3 v Burnley (A) WON 2-0
Round 4 v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0

FA CUP HONOURS (bold ones won under current managers)

Manchester United
11 times winners (1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004)

Arsenal
10 times winners (1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005)

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United Long term casualties Michael Silvestre (knee, Gary Neville (calf) and Ben Foster (knee) are all missing, but the short term problems have all been solved.

As mentioned, Wayne Rooney, Loius Saha and Patrice Evra are all available again. Midfielders Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves as well as Evra and Rooney could return to the starting eleven after sitting out last weekends defeat to City.

Last Starting XI (v Manchester City): Van der Sar - Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea (Carrick 73) - Ronaldo, Scholes, Anderson (Hargreaves 73), Nani (Park 64) - Giggs - Tevez

Arsenal

Jens Lehmann should continue in goal as he has been chosen for all Arsenal's FA Cup ties this season even if first choice Manuel Almunia recovers from a virus in time. Lively midfielder Tomas Rosicky is expected to remain sidelined with a hamstring injury and Denilson (hamstring) and Abou Diaby join him in the stands.

Dutch forward Robin Van Persie (thigh) is still missing, although with Adebayor in such fine form Arsenal are not missing there star forward as much as they would have anticipated. Full-backs Gael Clichy (knee) and Bakary Sagna (personal reasons) could miss out and Johan Djourou (groin) and Philip Senderos (thigh) are also doubtful.

Last Starting XI (v Blackburn): Lehmann - Sagna, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy - Fabregas, Flamini, Gilberto, Hleb - Adebayor, Eduardo

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United - Wayne Rooney, although not the most technically gifted of United's attacking talent, has shown his importance to the team in his absences so far this season. His feisty presence was sorely missed in last weekend's derby defeat, and United never manage to play at as high tempo when Rooney is missing. His return will be a welcome boost and should allow a little more space for the skillfull Tevez and Ronaldo to exploit.

Arsenal - Emmanuel Adebayor is currently the hottest striker in the Premier League, and is enjoying a sensational run of goalscoring form that has seen the Togolese hitman find the net nine times in his last seven Premier League games, plus two in the last round against Newcastle. Adebayor on this form is unplayable and he will cause Ferdinand and Vidic all sorts of problems if they perform as sluggishly as they did last week.

PREDICTION

A game that could go either way between the two top sides in the country. Surely United will have to show an improvement on their lacklustre derdy day defeat last week, but in present form it is hard to back against Arsenal. A score draw and an unwanted replay may be the outcome of this mouthwatering cup tie for old enemies Ferguson and Wenger.

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)

Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal

Keown - I Still Don't Like Manutd

Martin Keown has admitted that he still doesn't feel quite comfortable around Manchester United supporters because of his strong association with Arsenal football club.

Speaking ahead of the hotly anticipated FA Cup clash this afternoon, the former Gunners defender recalled his infamous 'crane' attack on Ruud van Nistelrooy during a particularly bad-blooded affair in 2003, which effectively made him public enemy number one at Old Trafford.

Despite the unsavoury nature of the incident -when Keown mocked van Nistelrooy to the point of near assault after the United striker missed a late penalty- the ex-centre-back insists that he doesn't regret anything, while acknowledging at the same time that he had crossed the line.

"You react as you see fit every day of your life," he reasoned, "and it's the same on the football field.

"We'd contained the game until [Patrick] Vieira was sent off with about 10 minutes to go, and then it was like the Alamo.

"We felt that Van Nistelrooy played a huge part in that sending-off, and we felt cheated. We felt further cheated because we didn't think it was a penalty.

"So, yes, my behaviour was not acceptable from an Arsenal point of view, but you can't take that back.

"I rang my wife after the game, and she's usually very supportive, but she said 'I think you've gone and done it now'. It was the first time she'd ever said anything like that.

"After that I tried to stay in hiding, to be honest. There was a lot of media attention I didn't want, but thankfully it didn't detract from the focus of the team," he added.

"We didn't get beaten for the rest of that season and we won the League. The manager was very, very supportive towards me, as were all the players, and I think I rewarded them for that support, even though I picked up an injury and played only a handful of games."

Keown went on to admit that there was animosity between him and the Dutch striker even before the penalty incident, but also extended what could be interpreted as an olive branch.

"Yeah, I'd paid a few fines to the FA on behalf of Mr Van Nistelrooy," he said.

"I remember once he stamped all over me, and I pushed him away. That cost me £10,000. He suggested I'd punched him in the face. Unfortunately, the camera didn't show him standing on my foot as I was pushing him away.

"Listen, we played Man United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup not that long afterwards, and I sought him out to shake his hand.

"Everyone who knows me off the pitch, knows I used to turn into something quite different on the pitch. I was able to separate the two and wanted everyone else to do the same.

"Obviously, Van Nistelrooy is an outstanding player. He's still doing well at Real Madrid, and he's someone who plays the rules to the limit. At the time I didn't quite see it that way."

Finally, the legendary Gunners defender confessed that he still feels less than fully at ease when amongst the old enemy.

"I don't feel particularly comfortable among United fans even now. Most of them are fine, but there have been a few ... situations. I don't think I'd go to Old Trafford to watch a game."

Fifa Rejects Premier League Plans

The president of football's world governing body Fifa has told the BBC that plans by the Premier League to host games abroad will never happen.
Sepp Blatter also warned that the proposal could harm England's attempt to host the 2018 World Cup.

"This does not take into consideration the fans of the clubs and it gives the impression that they just want to go on tour to make some money," Blatter said.

"This will never happen, at least as long as I am the president of Fifa."

Blatter's comments, in an interview with BBC sports editor Mihir Bose, are the strongest from the governing body since the Premier League's plans were revealed last week.

Top-flight clubs will consider plans to extend the season to 39 games with the extra matches taking place overseas.

But the idea has met with resistance in Asia, Europe and fans in England.

Blatter's stance effectively leave the proposals, for a round of games to take place in five different host cities from January 2011, dead in the water.

"The Premier League is richer than the others, they have more responsibility and what they are trying to do is contrary to this responsibility," he said.

"This is something I cannot understand and definitely the Fifa executive committee will not sanction such an initiative."

A Premier League spokesman said the clubs would "look forward to the opportunity to meet with Fifa in order to discuss this matter in full".

"This was always the starting point in relation to the issue of sanction for the proposed international round, and as such we will be making no comment until after that time," the spokesman added.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore had previously expressed his belief that Fifa could not stop the plan if the clubs receive the go-ahead from England's Football Association.

But Blatter rejected that claim.

"It is not true," he added. "Even if the FA did sanction it, all the national associations receiving these clubs would have to sanction it also. This will be very difficult.

"In addition to that, the Fifa executive committee will apply article two of the Fifa statutes: 'to prevent all methods or practices which might jeopardise the integrity of matches or competitions or give rise to abuse of association football'.

"This is abuse. The rich Premier League is trying to get richer and wants to expand the importance of that league."

There were early signs of Fifa disquiet when it was revealed the governing body had told the Premier League it could not consider the plans until the Football Association had contacted them.



It is understood the FA has held talks with Fifa and is ready to issue a statement distancing themselves from the proposals.

Blatter warned it could affect the FA's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

"When it comes to a decision of the executive committee concerning this matter of the 39th round, and I am sure they will be against it, then it will not have a positive impact on the bid from England for the World Cup in 2018," he added.

Scudamore's plans received a mixed reaction around the world, with the heads of the Asian Football Confederation and Football Federation Australia, which could host any proposed games, rejecting the idea.

The United Arab Emirates Football Association said it would welcome the plan but Uefa boss Michel Platini called it a "nonsense idea".

The proposals were also widely criticised by fans in England and Blatter said he understood their reaction.

"I support the fans 100%," he said. "If I was a fan in England I would say: 'no, please play at home and don't go and exercise your talents abroad'.

"If the plan includes official league matches then, as a fan, I would protest against this."

Fifa will examine the Premier League's proposals at its executive committee meeting on 14 March.