LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea's resurgence under Avram Grant gathered pace as they cruised to a 2-0 win over Schalke 04 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Grant's side were gifted the lead when Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer let Florent Malouda's shot trickle through his legs before Didier Drogba scored with a second half header at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are now on a four-match winning run and stretched their unbeaten streak under Grant to six matches. Perhaps suggestions that Jose Mourinho's departure would cause Chelsea to lose their way were premature.
They are back on track to qualify for the knockout stages of Europe's elite club competition and there were even glimpses of the crowd-pleasing football that Roman Abramovich has demanded.
Grant has promised Chelsea will turn on the style after three years of spectacularly effective but often uninspiring football under Mourinho.
While this was hardly the stuff of greatness, it was enough of a contrast to Chelsea's last Group B home match - the dour draw with Rosenborg that signalled Mourinho's departure - to please Abramovich.
The Russian couldn't ask for much more on his 41st birthday and Grant dedicated the win to his boss.
"I haven't seen him yet but if we can bring him a present for his birthday that is good," Grant said. "He did so much for the club, so much for the fans and for football.
"He is a very positive guy. I don't want to speak more about him except to say Happy Birthday."
The Israeli believes Chelsea are gradually playing the kind of attacking football he wants.
"We can play better but on the other hand we played good, positive football," he said.
"We scored two goals and could have scored more. We won and are in first place. I can't ask for more at this moment."
Schalke coach Mirko Slomka felt Drogba's goal killed off his side.
He said: "The goals came at bad moments and that affected our motivation. The second goal was a bitter blow but there may have been a question of it being offside.
"We were unfortunate to hit the post but overall Chelsea were able to cope with everything we offered."
The German club's preparations were hit by Kevin Kuranyi's late withdrawal through injury and Slomka's side still hadn't recovered from the loss of their star striker when they fell behind in the fourth minute.
Chelsea could hardly believe their luck at receiving such a present.
When Drogba flicked Frank Lampard's long pass to Malouda there was no real danger. The France winger tricked his way past Rafinha but his weak shot should still have been simple enough for Neuer.
Instead the Schalke keeper made a complete hash of it and allowed the ball to squirm through his legs into the net.
It was Malouda's first goal since the opening day of the season and he will seldom score so easily.
Chelsea were able to stay in cruise control for long periods, with one prolonged spell of keep-ball frustrated Jermaine Jones so much that the Schalke midfielder earned a booking for scything down Wayne Bridge.
When Michael Essien headed wide from Lampard's corner, it seemed only a case of when Chelsea would score again, but Schalke should have snatched an equaliser moments later.
In the 28th minute, Carlos Grossmuller beat Petr Cech from close range, only to see a linesman's flag rule out his effort.
Television replays suggested Schalke were unlucky not to be level.
That sudden threat re-energised Chelsea and Drogba forced a good save from Neuer with a glancing header from Malouda's cross.
Joe Cole tested Neuer again with a powerful low drive just before half-time as Chelsea raised the tempo.
Drogba claims he wants to leave because Mourinho's departure has affected morale, but you would never know it from his performances.
He had lifted Chelsea out of their post-Mourinho blues with the winner in Valencia and struck again at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Drogba started and finished the move that led to Chelsea's second goal in the 47th minute.
His pass to Lampard was spread wide to Paulo Ferreira, who whipped in an inviting cross that Drogba dived to head past Neuer from close range.
Schalke's unstinting work-rate was all well and good but they lacked a cutting edge.
When they finally did carve open the Chelsea defence their luck was out.
Rafinha's cross was crying out to be met with a convincing header. Soren Larsen did just that, but held his head in disbelief as the ball cannoned off the post and into Cech's grateful grasp.
Alex was fortunate to escape a red card in the final minutes when he cynically pulled back Larsen as the Schalke striker chased his weak backpass, but Chelsea had done enough.
Rabu, 24 Oktober 2007
Chelsea's revival gathers pace as Schalke are brushed aside
Bremen beat Lazio to claim Euro lifeline
BREMEN, Germany (AFP) - Werder Bremen gave themselves a faint Champions League lifeline as they sealed an impressive 2-1 win at home to injury-hit Lazio on Tuesday night.
There had been nervous faces round Bremen's Weserstadion with the home side needing something from the game to revive their fading European aspirations after back-to-back defeats at Real Madrid and home to Olympiakos.
But a first-half goal by Bremen's Ivory Coast striker Boubacar Sanogo calmed the nerves before his Portuguese forward partner Hugo Almeida sealed the win with a second-half strike, before the Italians grabbed a late consolation.
"We were definitely the better team," said Bremen's injured midfielder Tim Borowski.
"Unfortunately, we relaxed a bit too much at the end, but we held on for the win and we have to build on this now to keep our Champions League hopes alive."
This was the Italians first defeat in Group C after draws against the Greek and Spanish champions as Bremen leap-frogged them into third place.
Real top the group thanks to their 4-2 win over Olympiakos in Madrid on Wednesday night which puts the Greeks second.
But this was an injury-hit Lazio with play-maker Stefano Mauri and defender Sebastiano Siviglia the latest added to the list at the weekend.
The Italians also had 43-year-old goalkeeper Marco Ballotta between the sticks and he was tested early on by Brazilian midfielder Diego.
But the home side took the lead on 28 minutes when Diego lobbed the Lazio defence and striker Sanogo held off the challenges to stab his shot home and score his ninth goal of the season.
The game tempo was raised immediately as the Italians stepped up their game and Bremen defender Petri Panansen was yellow carded for a brutal shoulder challenge.
It stayed 1-0 at the break, but the German side kept the pressure on the Italian defence and Portuguese striker Almeida converted the cross of defender Clemens Fritz on 54 minutes.
German international Fritz charged down the wing and whipped his cross in behind the Italian defence for Almeida at the back post.
Apart from picking up three yellow cards, the Italians offered little to worry Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese until midfielder Christian Manfredini gave them a consolation goal on 82 minutes to make for a tense finale.
Lazio's Aleksandar Kolarov smashed his free-kick at Wiese who saved only to push the ball into the path of Manfredini who clinically slotted home.
Almeida hit the back of the net in injury-time, but the linesman flagged for off-side.
The win may have opened Bremen's account, but the Germans still have a mountain to climb to keep alive their slim chances of reaching the first knock-out stage.
They must now travel to Lazio's Stadio Olimpico on November 6, before hosting group favourites Real Madrid on November 28 and then travelling to Olympiakos on December 11.
Double-trouble Robinho repays Real Madrid faith
MADRID (AFP) - Robinho repaid the faith shown in him by Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster by scoring two crucial second half goals as the Spanish giants edged past 10-man Olympiakos 4-2 in the Champions League here on Wednesday.
The spotlight has been on the Brazilian striker for more than just his scoring ability after he returned late from international duty following Brazil's 5-0 thrashing of Ecuador last week.
He was alleged to have been involved in some late night celebrations which delayed his return to the Spanish capital and Robinho had a face-to-face meeting with Schuster on Monday to provide his explanations.
Nevertheless, Schuster decided to start with Robinho on Wednesday to give him a chance to prove his commitment to the club and, in turn, the player saved Schuster's blushes with a brace of outstanding late goals.
"He's a player who knows how to win games. I'm not going to go back to the other subject. He started hesitantly but after he got his first goal, he was outstanding, playing with much more confidence," praised Schuster.
The victory takes Real Madrid back to the top of the Champions League Group C with seven points from their three games and retains their 100 per cent home record, both in La Liga and in continental competition.
"These were three important points. It makes life a lot less difficult in qualifying for the next round," added a clearly relieved Schuster.
"We suffered. I wasn't happy with the way we started but we showed our character and the players got the fruits of all their hard work," added the German coach, reflecting on the fact that Real had to come from a goal down before triumphing.
Real wasted little time in drawing first blood, with club captain Raul finding the net in under two minutes.
Slack defending left Ruud van Nistelrooy with the space to have a clear shot and although the Olympiakos goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis managed to charge down the Dutch striker's shot, the ball fell straight to the feet of Raul.
However, Real were left to regret their over-confidence after taking an early lead.
Olympiakos equalized just five minutes later when former Atletico Madrid midfielder Luciano Galletti was left free to slot home a left foot shot from almost exactly on the penalty spot.
Galletti's goal was created by Predrag Djordjevic, who dashed down the left flank pulling the ball back from the dead ball line.
The drama of the opening exchanges continued unabated when Olympiakos defender Vassilis Torosidis was dismissed after only 12 minutes for holding onto van Nistelrooy on the edge of the penalty area.
However, Olympiakos slowly regained their composure, helped by several good saves by Nikopolidis.
The Greek visitors then stunned the 50,000 Real supporters in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium by taking the lead less than two minutes after the break.
Julio Cesar, who got a Champions League winners medal with Real in 2000, showed his old club he can still turn on the style by breaking free of his marker before pushing the ball past Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Djordjevic was once again the service provider, sending over a free kick for the Brazilian defender to latch onto.
Real immediately turned up the pressure in a bid to get an equaliser but had to wait until the 67th minute when Sergio Ramos' pass from the right wing found Robinho clear at the far post after 67 minutes and the Brazilian's deft low header just sneaked past Nikopolidis.
Robinho almost got his second when he danced through the Olympiakos defence with 13 minutes to go only for Christos Patsatzoglou to take a blatant kick at his shins.
The Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot, and Patsatzoglou was perhaps lucky to stay on the field, but van Nistelrooy then sent the spot kick high into the night.
However, Robinho finally put Real into the lead after 83 minutes when he finished off an inch-perfect pass from van Nistelrooy.
Javier Balboa then added Real's fourth goal two minutes into injury time, the Spanish-born Equatorial Guinea international's first strike in the Champions League.
Marseille stay top after grappling point from Porto
MARSEILLE, France (AFP) - Struggling French giants Marseille held on to steal a point after being dominated throughout their 1-1 draw against Champions League group A rivals FC Porto on Wednesday.
Both sides could previously boast winning European club football's biggest prize in the past 15 years, but illustrious football was at a premium at the Velodrome despite the conspicuous dominance of 2004 winners Porto.
Mamadou Niang opened the scoring for Marseille late in the second half, but a foul from the hosts' keeper, Steve Mandanda, gave Porto a deserved penalty that was converted by Lucho Gonzalez barely 10 minutes later.
Despite the unwelcome draw, Marseille are still top of their group with a two-point cushion over Porto.
Marseille had created history for a French club by beating Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the group stages but the menace of Porto proved a seemingly more difficult challenge than beating the former European champions.
France's only winners of the European Cup, in 1993, Marseille's defence were kept on their toes in a first-half that was expertly dominated by the visitors who came close twice to silencing the Velodrome inside the first quarter hour.
After nine minutes Porto midfielder Raul Meireles was given time to advance and unleash a shot which Mandanda did well to parry, the ball ricocheting off his post.
Barely five minutes later the increasingly generous hosts' defence gave Raul Meireles another chance to open the scoring, the midfielder unleashing another goalbound drive which hit the post, this time without the aid of Mandanda's hand.
Porto were in command, and it didn't take long for Marseille's Belgian coach Eric Gerets to begin screaming at his men to move up a notch in a bid to stem the flow of Porto's liberated midfield.
It still took until the half hour mark for Marseille to begin resembling an attacking team, a free kick from Boudewijn Zenden forcing Porto keeper Helton to box the ball away with his fists.
Two minutes later the Dutch midfielder aimed a cross at dangerously positioned Djibril Cisse although the ball was bundled to safety.
A 25-metre drive from Bruno Cheyrou, which sailed high and wide of Helton's upright, characterised Marseille's disappointing first half.
After the interval Porto emerged with a similar gameplan and it took only seconds before they came close to breaking the deadlock, a bullet header from Lisandro Lopez forcing Mandanda to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Niang then provided a brief glimmer of hope for the hosts with an angled shot which Helton handled easily.
It was against the run of play, in the 69th minute, that Marseille stunned Porto when Niang defied the close attention of a defender to connect with Cisse's cross-goal pass after the ball had been headed back into the former Liverpool striker's path following Porto's attempt to clear.
Marseille's joy soon ended, however, after Porto won a deserved penalty when Mandanda tripped Lisandro and Lucho Gonzalez beat the keeper to level the scores from the penalty spot.
Benfica break Celtic with late winner
LISBON (AFP) - Benfica ensured Celtic's miserable away record in the Champions League continued after Oscar Cardozo's late goal handed them a 1-0 victory here on Wednesday.
The Paraguayan striker had spurned a number of chances throughout the match and it had looked as if the Scottish champions would be able to hang on for a rare away point in the competition.
But with only three minutes remaining Cardozo was played in by substitute Angel Di Maria and duly broke Celtic's spirits to give Benfica their first victory in Group D.
The result means Celtic and Benfica are both on three points in the section, behind Ukraine side Shakhtar Donetsk and AC Milan who have six points apiece.
Having lost their opening two games in Group D Benfica started in a determined manner to get their Champions League campaign up and running.
However, with Celtic setting out to keep things tight, the Portuguese side were unable to trouble the visitor's Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc in the opening stages.
The Scottish side have an awful away record in the competition - with only one draw and 13 defeats in their 14 games before Wednesday - and they almost gifted their hosts the lead in the 23rd minute.
Ireland international Aiden McGeady's misplaced header allowed Leo to race in on goal, his cut back then seemingly created an easy chance for Cardozo but from eight-yards out the Paraguayan failed to get any contact on the ball, under pressure from Stephen McManus.
Celtic were soaking up a lot of pressure but in the 33rd minute only a good save prevented them taking the lead.
Paul Hartley's free-kick was nodded down by New Zealand striker Chris Killen for the onrushing Massimo Donati but the Italian's first-time effort from 12-yards was palmed away by Benfica goalkeeper Quim.
At the other end Boruc was called into action for the first time in the 43rd minute, tipping Konstantinos Katsouranis' net-bound header over his crossbar with an acrobatic leap.
Benfica began the second half with renewed vigour and were again denied by some fantastic goalkeeping in the 51st minute.
Cristian Rodriguez's chip across goal was met by Cardozo and his downward header, from only a few yards out, looked a certain goal until Boruc flung himself low to his right to push the ball away.
A minute later Rui Costa set himself up by rolling the ball through the legs of Donati in the penalty area but then ruined his good work by blasting the ball well over from a tight angle.
Celtic were in danger of being overrun but in the 59th minute McGeady went close to putting them in front when he cut in from the right and struck a powerful shot which required Quim to tip round his post at full-stretch.
Benfica were still doing most of the attacking and within two minutes they were denied twice by the woodwork.
First Rodriguez's shot from 20-yards in the 64th minute was spilled by Boruc into the path of Cardozo who should have done better than smashing the ball off the bar from six-yards.
And then in the 66th minute Cardozo was again inches away from the opener when he spun away from defender John Kennedy and curled a shot past Boruc but which bounced back off the bottom of the post.
But just as it looked like it was not going to be Cardozo or Benfica's night he popped up to score a dramatic late winner in the 87th minute.
Argentine substitute Di Maria's chip over the Celtic defence picked out the Paraguayan perfectly and he chested the ball down before poking it beyond Boruc from eight-yards.
Four star display eases Milan's nerves
MILAN, Italy, (AFP) - Doubles from Alberto Gilardino and Clarence Seedorf helped ease the sense of crisis enveloping AC Milan as the European titleholders beat Shakhtar Donetsk 4-1 in the Champions League here on Wednesday.
This was only Milan's second home victory this season in any competition and it lifted them up from third to head Group D on goal difference from Shakhtar.
One familiar name missing from the AC Milan teamsheet was Dida, the Brazilian international goalkeeper who was handed a two match ban for his theatrical collapse after a brush with a spectator in their 2-1 loss to Celtic at Hampden Park.
Australian Zeljko Kalac replaced Dida for this must win game if Milan were to put the wheels back on their Champions League defence bid.
Italian World Cup winner Gilardino gave the unsettled San Siro fans the perfect start, heading in Andrea Pirlo's sixth minute corner to the far post.
Kaka, favourite in most quarters to be named FIFA's World footballer Of The Year, had an effort saved by Andriy Pyatov keeping goal for Shakhtar, but two minutes later Gilardino had put AC Milan further ahead.
This time it was the turn of Seedorf to fill the role of provider, sending the ball in from the left for Gilardino to head in to leave Shakhtar with an uphill task of taking anything out of the game.
Shakhtar manager Mircea Lucescu then made the first substitution in defence, bringing on Tomas Hubschman for Alexandr Kucher.
The Ukrainian visitors came out for the second half in feisty mood and in the 51st minute they were rewarded by the quick thinking of striker Cristiano Lucarelli, back in Italy for the first time since leaving Serie A side Livorno in the summer.
Kalac, proving an able replacement to Dida, was up to saving Brandao's shot after a fluffed clearance from Milan defender Massimo Oddo but the ball was deflected into the path of Lucarelli who volleyed into an empty net.
But Seedorf then extinguished Shakhtar's hopes of drawing level when killing off the tie with his own double in the 63rd and 69th minutes.
His first goal, a pinpoint left-footed volley, came off a corner from Pirlo and the second, a fine 45-metre volley after a spineless Kalac punch.
Ballack insists he will play again this year
BERLIN (AFP) - German captain Michael Ballack insisted he will play again this year, despite reports in the press here the Chelsea midfielder will not make his comeback until 2008.
The 31-year-old has been out with an ankle injury since April 22 and German national team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt said last week Germany's captain is still a few weeks away from resuming training.
But according to a report in Wednesday's edition of German magazine Sport-Bild, Ballack will not play again until 2008.
Speaking on German television channel Premier after watching his side's 2-0 Champions League win over Bundesliga side Schalke 04 on Wednesday night, Ballack insisted he will be back in Premier League action for Chelsea later this season.
"I am not a doctor, I am just a player, but I think I will be playing again this year, the pain has almost gone," he insisted.
"I will need to work hard in training to get my fitness up, but I plan to play again this year.
"I don't know where that information came from, I am very optimistic of my prospects of training with Chelsea again soon.
"It is not like a cruciate knee ligament injury when a player knows he will be back in six months.
"My injury is complicated, but I can reassure you I will do all I can to return as fast as I can."
Ballack injured his ankle in April's Premier League clash with Newcastle and required two operations.
The midfielder has missed seven German internationals as his country became the first side to qualify for next summer's Euro 2008 tournament.
Liverpool hit bottom with 2-1 defeat at Besiktas
ISTANBUL (AFP) - Liverpool failed to revive their flagging Champions League season, remaining winless after three games and bottom of their group Wednesday with a 2-1 loss to Besiktas.
It started well for the visitors, with Steven Gerrard taking a shot on goal in the first minute and Tello lucky to clear an Andriy Voronin ball off the Besiktas goal line just five minutes later after some sloppy defending.
But a defensive muddle made it 1-0 for the home side after only 13 minutes.
Jamie Carragher wrestled the ball away from Bobo after a dangerous run by the Brazilian to the goal line, but his clearing shot bounced off Steve Finnan to fall in front of Serdar Ozkan whose kick took a deflection off Sami Hyppia to leave Pepe Reina wrong-footed.
As the game settled into midfield, Arne Riise in the 17th and Gerrard in the 20th forced saves from Besiktas goalie Hakan Kurtulus.
Besiktas riposted with Tello shooting wide from 25 meters in the 34th minute and a fine volley from Edouard Cisse, who joined Besiktas this year from Paris Saint Germain, going just wide two minutes later.
Liverpool piled on the pressure in the final minutes of the half, with Ryan Babel in particular wreaking havoc with the Besiktas defence on the left, but to no avail.
Besiktas were in a more defensive mode in the second half, but came close on 51 minutes when Reina blocked a close shot from Bobo after a fine deep pass into the penalty box from Koray Avci, on for Serdar Kurtulus in the 42nd.
Rafael Benitez put Yossi Benayoun in for Jermaine Pennant in the 59th and Liverpool again put the pressure on, but the equalizer failed to come.
Andriy Voronin booted the ball in on 68 minutes after a moment of panic in the Besiktas defense, but was ruled off-side.
Gerrard came close in the 72nd only to have Hakan grab the ball from his feet on the six-yard line.
Rafael replaced Javier Mascherano with Lukas Leiva in the 76th but as he bolstered his attack, Besiktas seemed more dangerous: Koray Avci stole the ball and sent Higuain, who replaced fellow Argentine Delgado in the 62nd, running for the penalty box with a precision pass to Bobo, who managed to shoot over the bar from less than one metre.
Liverpool's hopes were dashed six minutes later when Bobo atoned, catching a deep pass from Besiktas captain Ibrahim Uzulmez on the left to knock the ball in between Reina's legs.
Benitez brought Peter Crouch on for Hyypia in the 83rd as Liverpool settled into the Besiktas half of the field, hoping to beat the Istanbul defence with high balls to the 2.02-metre striker.
But it was a flying header by Gerrard on a badly cleared ball that made it 2-1 five minutes from time.
It was too little too late, however, as Besiktas survived five minutes of hell at the end of the game as Liverpool settled into their penalty box, the last serious threat a Crouch header slapped into corner by Hakan three minutes into extra time.
Selasa, 16 Oktober 2007
Terry hands England boost for Russia crunch match
MOSCOW (AFP) - England's bid to clinch their place at the Euro 2008 finals have been bolstered by signs that captain John Terry will be back at the helm for their qualifying clash with Russia here on Wednesday.
The Chelsea defender, who missed Saturday's 3-0 win over Estonia with a knee injury, has returned to training and, barring a fresh setback, will return to a defence that is steeling itself for a testing evening in the Russian capital.
Sub-zero temperatures, a hostile 78,000 crowd and an unfamiliar artificial surface will all combine to make the examination Steve McClaren's side face in the Luzhnik Stadium more rigorous.
But it is nevertheless one they should feel confident of passing.
Any concerns the England players have about what awaits them on Wednesday evening will be more than offset by memories of the ease with which Russia's defensive infrastructure was dismantled in their 3-0 defeat at Wembley last month.
That win put England in control of their own destiny in group E, a position they will retain as long as they avoid defeat on Wednesday evening.
A draw would leave McClaren's men requiring one more point from their final qualifier, at home to a Croatian side who are likely to have already clinched their finals spot by that stage.
Russia will be relieved that a broken metatarsal bone has prevented Emile Heskey from making the trip to Moscow. The Wigan forward's power and ability to generate openings for Michael Owen was at the heart of much of England's good work when the two sides met at Wembley last month.
In his absence, Wayne Rooney has returned to partner Owen and scored his first competitive goal for his country since Euro 2004 in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Estonians.
The fact that Rooney may not have been guaranteed a starting spot had Heskey not succumbed to injury articulates the rich resources McClaren can tap and Russia's coach Guus Hiddink readily acknowledges that his side cannot match the quality of their guests.
"England are better and have more confidence," the Dutchman acknowledged. "We need to score but we should not get carried away with attacking -- we also need to keep a close watch on their leading players."
Hiddink believes England will have done sufficient homework on the artificial surface to neutralise any advantage his players may have gained from their greater familiarity with it.
"There has been a lot of talk about this in the build up to the game but I don't think there will be any real advantage to us," he said. "But our fans will create a fiery atmosphere and it will be difficult for England."
Russia go into the match buoyed by the news that Hiddink has decided to extend his time in charge of the national side until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
But their preparations have been hit by the loss of winger Vladimir Bystrov to injury.
England will be without first-choice left-back Ashley Cole, who suffered an ankle injury in the win over Estonia, and look set to leave Frank Lampard on the bench for a second successive match.
McClaren had toyed with the option of switching to a 4-3-3 formation which would allow Lampard to come into the team at the expense of the Chelsea team-mate Shaun Wright-Phillips.
But the indications from England's final training sessions were that he intends to persevere with Gareth Barry and Steven Gerrard in the centre of midfield with Wright-Phillips and Joe Cole patrolling the flanks.
At left-back McClaren must choose between Everton's Joleon Lescott, who made his debut as a second half substitute on Saturday, his vastly more experienced club-mate, Phil Neville, and Reading's Nicky Shorey as cover for Ashley Cole.
Giggs signs new deal with United
MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs signed a one-year contract with the Premier League champions on Tuesday.
Giggs's current deal expired at the end of this season but he will now remain at Old Trafford until at least June 2009.
Agreeing to extend his stay with United means Giggs should beat Sir Bobby Charlton's club record of 759 appearances. The Wales star has played 727 times and is one of United's most decorated playerswith 18 major medals to his name, including nine Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one European Cup.
"I am delighted to have signed for a further season," Giggs told United's website. "I am enjoying football more than ever and I hope to carry on playing football for Manchester United for as long as I can.
"I would like to thank Sir Alex Ferguson, the fans and everyone at the club for the great support I have received over the years."
United manager Ferguson hailed Giggs's loyalty to the United cause.
"Ryan Giggs epitomises the word loyalty, he signed here as a 14-year old school boy and is still with the club 20 years on," Ferguson said.
"Apart from his playing ability he has a fantastic demeanour and is a great role model to the younger players. I am sure he will be at the club for a long time to come."
Selasa, 09 Oktober 2007
Spanish clubs not paid as broadcasters battle for supremacy
MADRID (AFP) - Several Spanish clubs have complained over non-payment of fees for television broadcasts of matches, the result of a cut-throat battle between two media groups for control of the market, a Spanish business daily reported Tuesday.
Six clubs in the first division and most of those in the second division have not been paid this month by AVS, a subsidiary of media giant Sogecable, which holds the broadcast rights, La Gaceta de los Negocios quoted sources close to the Spain's professional football league (LFP) as saying.
AVS said the non-payments were due to financial difficulties, the paper said.
AVS holds the broadcast rights to matches for 12 first division clubs, including those of league leaders Real Madrid Barcelona.
But for the past few months, Sogecable, which operates Canal Plus in Spain, and the Mediapro group have been locked in a battle to control television broadcast rights, which has at times led to the non-tranmission of certain matches.
In July 2006, the two groups agreed that AVS could have broadcast rights. But Mediapro then negotiated with the clubs to hold those rights from 2009, excluding Sogecable from the profitable market.
Since then each side has accused the other of failing to respect their commitments.
The LFP is meanwhile attempting to resolve the conflict, La Gaceta said, but gave no further details.
The first division clubs that have complained are Almeria, Osasuna, Recreativo Huelva, Majorca, Espanyol Barcelona and Valladolid.
Row after Iranian-born German refuses to play in Israel
BERLIN (AFP) - Germany's main Jewish group has criticised the decision of an Iranian-born German international footballer to refuse to play in Israel for political reasons.
Ashkan Dejagah, 21, said he feared his family in Iran would be a target for reprisals if he played against Israel in an under-21 international match in Tel Aviv on October 12.
The German Football Federation (DFB) said it had "accepted" the "personal" reasons given by Dejagah, a talented striker who is believed to have a good chance of making the step up to the senior German squad.
The leader of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Charlotte Knobloch, said she hoped Dejagah would now be banned from German national teams.
Dejagah is "behaving in an extremely unsporting way because sporting contests are supposed to be peaceful, carried out with respect and overcome political tensions," Knobloch said.
"In view of Germany's historical responsibility to maintain friendly relations with the Jewish state, it would be a great affront to tolerate this anti-Israeli behaviour in silence.
"I therefore expect the DFB to ban the player from the German national side."
DFB president Theo Zwanziger said the under-21 team's coach, Dieter Eilts, had told him he had accepted Dejagah's "personal reasons" for refusing to make the trip to Israel.
But he said the basic position of the German federation was clear: "We cannot accept that players refuse to play in a match because of their view of the world or their religion."
Zwanziger said in Tuesday's edition of Bild newspaper: "Whoever wears our (German national) shirt must identify with the country and its basic values.
"Otherwise one must do without them."
Dejagah told the BZ tabloid: "I have more Iranian than German blood in my veins, that must be accepted.
"I am doing this out of respect. At the end of the day, my parents are Iranians."
Iran does not recognise Israel's right to exist and Iranian President President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the country to be wiped off the map.
FIFA pleased with progress South Africa making for 2010 World Cup
CAPE TOWN, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - World football's governing body FIFA said Tuesday that South Africa's programme of stadium building remained on schedule, despite a recent strike by construction workers in Cape Town.
"So far, things are all right," FIFA spokesman Alain Leiblang told journalists in Cape Town as a FIFA delelation wrapped up a tour of the 2010 World Cup hosts.
"All things are on track. I don't want to say for the future, but for the two cities that we have inspected everything is correct."
Amid a three-day inspection of four of the country's nine tournament host cities, Leiblang said outstanding issues were merely a matter of detail.
No serious shortcomings had been identified, and there was littles concern over recent labour disputes between workers and stadium construction companies in Cape Town and Durban.
"This is nothing. I have known much worse," said Leiblang -- referring to a general strike in France as it prepared to host the same tournament in 1998.
"So far, we have a calender, we have a time schedule, it is on track."
Leiblang was part of a group of FIFA subject experts in South Africa to examine progress with information technology, telecommunications, stadium building, media and marketing, hospitality and security.
The team visited Johannesburg on Monday, Cape Town on Tuesday, and will proceed to Durban and Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.
The visit was partly aimed at ensuring a balance between FIFA's World Cup needs and the legacy to remain after the world's most popular sporting event is staged on African soil for the first time ever.
"From time to time we have to say: 'take care, don't go in this direction, there is no need. Don't do more than we need'," said Leiblang.
Construction of the 68,000-seater Green Point Stadium, due to host one of the 2010 semi-finals, was halted for a week last month in a dispute over travel benefits.
And workers at Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium have threatened to down tools for higher wages.
Bolton striker Anelka relishing UEFA Cup challenge against Bayern
PARIS (AFP) - French striker Nicolas Anelka said an upset of UEFA Cup favourites Bayern Munich by Bolton would put the Premiership club on the map as a European force, following Tuesday's group stage draw.
Bayern Munich, who have had a continual presence in the Champions League for a decade and a half, are in the second-tier UEFA Cup this time and would look a tough draw but Anelka saw the positive side of playing the German giants.
Anelka told the Bolton club website they had nothing to lose when they go to Munich next month: "I would love to go there and upset the world of football by winning. It would put Bolton on the map in terms of being a European force.
"Bayern Munich are the best team in the competition and will give us a great test in Munich. I have played at the old Olympic Stadium many times and the atmosphere is amazing.
"The new Allianz Arena, where they play now, is one of the best stadiums in the world. I haven't played there before but I'm looking forward to it. Bayern have some great players that will be a threat to us.
"My international team-mate Franck Ribery joined them from Marseille this season and he is a great talent, who has the ability to change a game."
In Group F, Bolton have home games against Portugal's Braga and Greeks Aris Salonika before trips to Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade, who won the competition in 1991.
"The match against Red Star will be very intimidating," Anelka added. "They always seem to raise their game in European competition and their fanatical fans are always very passionate at home. It will be a great atmosphere in Belgrade and one that the Bolton fans will look forward to."
Meanwhile Tottenham Hotspurs have been drawn against Belgians Anderlecht, the team they beat in the 1984 final, in Group G while Everton are up against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in Group A.
In Group B, Scotland's Aberdeen meet Greeks Panathinaikos and Atletico Madrid.
Each team will play two matches at home and two away with the group stage starting on 25 October and the top three of the five go through. They will be joined by eight third-placed teams from the Champions League groups for the knockout round.
UEFA Cup group stage:-
Group A
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Zenit Saint-Petersburg (RUS)
Everton (ENG)
Nuremberg (GER)
Larissa (GRE)
Group B
Panathinaikos (GRE)
Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS)
Atletico Madrid (ESP)
FC Copenhagen (DEN)
Aberdeen (SCO)
Group C
Villarreal (ESP)
AEK Athens (GRE)
Fiorentina (ITA)
Mlada Boleslav (CZE)
IF Elsborg (SWE)
Group D
FC Basel (SUI)
SV Hamburg (GER)
Rennes (FRA)
Dynamo Zagreb (CRO)
Brann Bergen (NOR)
Group E
Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
Sparta Prague (CZE)
Spartak Moscow (RUS)
Toulouse (FRA)
FC Zurich (SUI)
Group F
Bayern Munich (GER)
Bolton (ENG)
Braga (POR)
Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Aris Salonika (GRE)
Group G
Anderlecht (BEL)
Tottenham (ENG)
Getafe (ESP)
Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR)
Aalborg (DEN)
Groupe H
Bordeaux (FRA)
Austria Vienna (AUT)
Galatasaray (TUR)
Panionios (GRE)
Helsingborg (SWE)
Spanish court rules on media war
MADRID (AFP) - A Spanish court has moved to end a cut-throat battle between two media giants over broadcast rights to football matches, court documents revealed Tuesday.
They said the court on Monday ruled that the Mediapro group must respect an agreement reached in July 2006 under which AVS, the subsidiary of the rival Sogecable company, is allowed to broadcast most of the matches on cable and satellite television.
The deal allowed Mediapro to broadcast just one match per day on its free La Sexta channel.
Since their agreement last year, Mediapro has negotiated directly with clubs, signing up almost all of the first division clubs for 2009 and excluding Sogecable from the profitable market.
Since then, each side has accused the other of failing to respect their commitments.
The court's decision is provisional until it can make a definitive ruling on the issue.
But following the announcement, Sogecable stock had risen 7.18 percent to 27.01 euros by 3:30 pm.
In its decision, the court said it "forbids Mediapro, for the 2007/08 season, from any act exploiting the rights ceded to AVS" in their 2006 agreement.
Mediapro said it would "rigorously respect the decision." Spanish business daily La Gaceta de los Negocios said Tuesday that several Spanish clubs have complained over non-payment of fees for television broadcasts of matches, a result of the conflict.
Six clubs in the first division and most of those in the second division have not been paid this month by AVS, it quoted sources close to the Spain's professional football league (LFP) as saying.
AVS said the non-payments were due to financial difficulties, the paper said.
The first division clubs that have complained are Almeria, Osasuna, Recreativo Huelva, Majorca, Espanyol Barcelona and Valladolid.
Owen on track as England lose Brown
LONDON (AFP) - Michael Owen handed England a major boost as he came through the squad's first training session ahead of their Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia, 11 days after undergoing hernia surgery.
But head coach Steve McClaren will have to do without back-up defender Wes Brown for at least the match against Estonia at Wembley on Saturday.
McClaren said the Manchester United defender had been sent back to his club after having a knee injury assessed by England's medical staff.
Brown, who may have been involved against Estonia because of McClaren's desire to rest first choice players ahead of next week's trip to Russia, is the third player to drop out of England's 27-man squad, joining injured strikers Dean Ashton and Andrew Johnson on the sidelines.
McClaren was delighted to see Owen -- who has scored four goals in England's last three competitive matches -- firing on all cylinders.
But he would not be drawn on the key selection dilemmas he faces, notably whether to restore Frank Lampard to his starting line-up following Gareth Barry's impressive displays against Israel and Russia last month.
"There are plenty of issues to talk about, as far as the team on Saturday goes," McClaren said. "Decisions will be made on Friday.
"Frank Lampard has been a great servant to England. I'm on record as saying he was our man of the match against Germany (in a 2-1 friendly defeat in August). He is looking good in training and we will see."
On Owen, McClaren said: "He looked very sharp, all the players did considering they played (for their clubs) only two days ago."
Owen has made it clear he is keen to play in both upcoming matches, despite the reservations of his Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce over whether he will be up to that so soon after his surgery.
"No risks will be taken, but Michael is a very, very important player for us," McClaren said.
"There is no club v country issue, no conflict. It is just dialogue between myself, the manager, the club and the player. Ultimately we don't take risks with any player but anybody in my situation would want Michael playing."
Owen made a scoring return to the Newcastle side on Sunday, coming off the bench to claim his club's third goal in a 3-2 win over Everton.
Minggu, 07 Oktober 2007
Kalou gives Grant his first league win
BOLTON, England (AFP) - Salomon Kalou delivered a first league win for Chelsea under new manager Avram Grant as his goal clinched a 1-0 victory at Bolton on Sunday.
After claiming just two points and no goals in their last four league games, Grant's side desperately needed to get back on track as they try to keep pace with leaders Arsenal.
And while Kalou's 41st minute strike ensured Chelsea were not cut adrift in the early stages of the title race, the display at the Reebok Stadium suggests the new Stamford Bridge chief has plenty of work to do if he is to restore his side's challenge.
For Bolton manager Sammy Lee this was the latest frustration in a disastrous season that has brought just one league win and leaves them rooted second bottom.
Grant's decision to rush back Frank Lampard following the midfielder's six-week absence with a thigh injury underlined the manager's urgent desire to end his side's alarming recent run.
Lampard's winner against Portsmouth on August 25th was Chelsea's last league goal prior to Kalou's timely strike.
And without the England international and suspended striker Didier Drogba, the London club's goal threat has been virtually non-existent.
With Drogba still missing and Lampard clearly not 100 percent fit, Chelsea against looked a shadow of the side that won back to back league titles under Jose Mourinho.
While Joe Cole worked tirelessly in an attempt to unlock Bolton's improving defence, the visitors' attacking efforts were more often laboured than inspired.
Lampard showed why had been recalled when he latched onto a poor clearance and forced Jussi Jaaskelainen into a full-length dive in the 17th minute.
And the Bolton keeper was called into action once again eleven minutes later to tip away Florent Malouda's angled snapshot that was arrowing towards the bottom corner.
Chelsea's laxness in attack was matched by the shaky performance of their back-four that included skipper John Terry who was once again below his best.
Bolton would have been ahead if Ivan Campo had taken more care with a 30th minute shot that was denied by Petr Cech.
Cech again showed his worth when he came to the rescue after Terry had been wrong-footed by Nicolas Anelka, saving with his legs to prevent the Frenchman claiming his sixth league goal of the season.
Grant's side were lucky to escape when Steve Sidwell escaped without punishment after appearing to handle the ball in his own penalty area.
And they enjoyed a second dose of good fortune when a sloppy piece of defending by Abdoulaye Meite gifted Kalou the opportunity to snatch the match-winner.
Meite appeared to switch off when a loose ball bounced outside the Bolton box, allowing Kalou to nip in between the centre-back and the onrushing Jaaskelainen before slotting the ball home.
It was hardly deserved, but Bolton proved incapable of responding to the challenge and their efforts to claw back an equaliser faded quickly during an immediately forgettable second half.
Wanderers almost brought an abrupt end to Chelsea's celebrations when Stelios headed against the bar in added time, but Grant's side held on.
After their victory at Valencia on Wednesday, the Blues are finally back to winning ways, even if they are yet to completely convince.
Blackburn bounce back after UEFA Cup misery
BLACKBURN, England (AFP) - Blackburn moved up to fifth in the Premier League table with a hard fought 2-1 win over Birmingham at Ewood Park on Sunday.
Goals from David Bentley and Benni McCarthy put the hosts 2-0 ahead before Cameron Jerome ensured Rovers boss Mark Hughes had a nervous few moments before the finish.
Blackburn bounced back well from their midweek UEFA Cup humbling at the hands of little Greek outfit Larissa, who progressed 3-2 on aggregate despite losing 2-1 on the night.
Despite that set-back Paraguay forward Roqwue Santa Cruz said Saturday that Blackburn were aiming for a top four finish this season and that ambition looked less of a pipe dream on Sunday after this important victory.
Hughes's outfit are now rubbing shoulders with the likes of Liverpool and are even above Chelsea, albeit only on goal difference.
England midfielder Bentley opened the scoring for Rovers with a neat turn and shot from the edge of the area on the quarter-hour mark.
Blackburn continued to dominate and added a second on 56 minutes with substitute McCarthy, the South Africa striker, smashing home a spot-kick after former Arsenal centre-half Johan Djourou brought down Santa Cruz in the box.
Just 12 minutes later Cameron Jerome gave Brum a lifeline as he crashed home a headed pass from defender Liam Ridgewell to give Birmingham boss Steve Bruce hope in the battle between two former Manchester United stallwarts, now plying their trade as Premier League managers.
Birmingham piled on some late pressure but failed to convert it into a goal and the defeat leaves them precariously close to the drop zone, with just a point separating them from the bottom three.
Brilliant Elano double keeps City on the march
MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Manchester City's remarkable resurgence under Sven Goran Eriksson shows no signs of slowing down as his side easily beat Middlesbrough 3-1 on Sunday.
City have been transformed since the Swedish coach took charge in July and their sixth Premier League win of the campaign consolidated third place in the table.
It was all over at Eastlands before half-time as Chris Riggott's early own goal was followed by a superb strike from in-form Brazil midfielder Elano, who added another stunning effort after the break.
Ben Hutchinson reduced the deficit in the 89th minute but it was no consolation for the woeful visitors.
While it is far too early to proclaim City as genuine title challengers, they are definitely in the running for a place in the Champions League.
In contrast, Middlesbrough's third consecutive league defeat leaves Gareth Southgate's side sliding towards a relegation battle.
Eriksson deserves great credit for revitalising City from the moribund outfit who struggled under Stuart Pearce last season and their confidence is sky high at present.
Martin Petrov set the tempo as he tested Mark Schwarzer with a fierce 25-yard shot early on.
The hosts didn't have to wait long to go in front. In the 10th minute Riggott was unable to adjust as Richard Dunne tried and failed to connect with Petrov's corner, the ball cannoning in off the unfortunate Middlesbrough defender.
City were threatening to run away with it as Petrov and Stephen Ireland combined to set up Emile Mpenza, but he shot straight at Schwarzer.
Middlesbrough finally mustered a response when Lee Cattermole headed Fabio Rochemback's cross goalwards and City's young keeper Joe Hart did well to push it away.
Elano had shown his ability to score from distance with a tremendous free-kick against Newcastle but Middlesbrough still let him size up a shot from 25 yards in the 33rd minute. Inevitably they paid the price.
Michael Johnson's pass gave Elano the opportunity and he wasted no time driving a blistering effort past Schwarzer.
With Egypt striker Mido injured, Middlesbrough were bereft of attacking options, forcing Southgate to give 20-year-old Tom Craddock his first start.
Craddock's effort couldn't be faulted but he lacked composure when two good chances fell his way in the second half. First his touch allowed Hart to smother, then he rushed his volley and sent it well wide.
When Jon Woodgate chopped down Mpenza on the edge of the area, Elano eagerly snatched the ball for the set-piece. Middlesbrough must have feared the worst and Elano didn't disappoint as he ripped a fierce shot past Schwarzer.
That was the end of the contest. Hutchinson's first senior goal, scored with a minute to go, never threatened to stop City extending their 100 percent home record.
Perfect six for Messi as Barca rout Atletico
MADRID (AFP) - Argentine sensation Lionel Messi scored for the sixth game in succession as Barcelona overpowered Atletico Madrid 3-0 on Sunday to stay in touch with leaders Real Madrid.
AC Milan's Brazilian Kaka may have won the FIFPro award for Player of the Year, where votes are cast by his fellow professionals, but Barcelona believe Messi is the best player on the planet and on current form it is hard to disagree.
The 20-year-old Argentine was sensational at Camp Nou scoring his sixth league goal to stay at the top of the goalscoring charts.
It was Barcelona's fourth straight league win but they still trail Real Madrid by two points after the champions defeated Recreativo Huleva 2-0.
Dutch international Ruud van Nistelrooy, the league's top-scorer last season, scored on 72 minutes before Gonzalo Higuain netted in the final minute to keep Real at the summit.
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard drafted Ronaldinho back into the starting line-up with the Brazilian, who had missed the last three league matches with a calf injury, starting alongside Thierry Henry and Messi in attack.
Barcelona had thumped Atletico 6-0 on their own ground towards the latter end of last season so the visitors were out for revenge but their quest was not helped when they conceded twice inside four minutes.
On the quarter hour mark Italian goalkeeper Christian Abbiati let a routine Messi cross slip out of his hands and Deco could not believe his eyes as he rolled home into the empty net.
Four minutes later Messi played a great one-two with Ronaldinho and rifled a shot past Abbiati for his sixth goal of the season and Xavi added a third late on.
Atletico had won their last three matches but Barcelona were streets ahead and Atletico's promising Argentine striker Kun Aguero, 19, was overshadowed by compatriot Messi - as everyone was.
Barcelona are playing scintillating football at the moment and that has turned the spotlight on Real coach Bernd Schuster who promised freeflowing football but is grinding out workmanlike results reminiscent of his predecessor Fabio Capello.
Real have made their best start since 1991 but Schuster's rotation policy has been questioned with the German chopping and changing his team.
Schuster admitted his team had been lucky at times this season saying somewhat tongue-in-cheek that because the Pope is German God is on his team's side.
Luck deserted them when Wesley Sneijder hit the post but van Nistelrooy scored in the final quarter hour before Higuain struck to keep them two points clear at the top.
Elsewhere Villarreal, now four points behind Real, lost for only the second time in 15 matches with a 3-2 reverse against Osasuna.
Sevilla, third last season, are in a crisis after losing their fourth league game in a row with a goal from Riki handing Deportivo La Coruna a surprise 1-0 win.
Sevilla have just six points from their first six matches and are 13 points behind pacesetters Real.
Mutu earns Viola draw against Juve
ROME (AFP) - Former Juve forward Adrian Mutu scored a late penalty to deny his former club Fiorentina a priceless victory at the Stadio Franchi on Sunday.
Juventus started the day in second place but dropped to third after the loss of two points allowed Roma, who cruised to a 3-0 win at Parma, to leap-frog them as Inter Milan's closest challengers.
Fiorentina came into the game with one of only two unbeaten records this season but needed the Romanian striker's successful penalty two minutes from time to snatch a share of the spoils.
Juve boss Claudio Ranieri, returning to his former club, had surprisingly left Alessandro Del Piero on the bench but his replacement Vincenzo Iaquinta opened the scoring on 23 minutes, pouncing on a loose ball after a collision between Fiorentina pair Dario Dainelli and Alessandro Gamberini left the striker free in the box.
Despite almost snatching the win, Ranieri admitted his side would struggle to keep up with the best teams this season.
"We want to compete, but we can only do so if the other big clubs give us the opportunity. We did enough to win today, but weren't sharp enough in those final minutes."
Fiorentina looked naturally jaded following their penalty shoot-out victory over FC Groningen of the Netherlands in the UEFA Cup on Thursday night.
After the break Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli went for broke, pushing Christian Vieri into the fray in an attacking line-up.
Chances came thick and fast at both ends before Nicola Legrottaglie blocked a Vieri header with his arm and the referee pointed to the spot, allowing Mutu to rifle home the equaliser.
"We were in the thick of the action right from the start and until Vincenzo Iaquinta's opening goal, Juve did not have a single chance," said Prandelli, who praised his team's effort.
"All we were missing was a little bit of sharpness, but I could not have asked for more from my men. Despite the fitness worries, they overcame that obstacle with sheer heart."
Francesco Totti scored a brace as Roma bounced back from their midweek Champions League defeat at Manchester United (1-0) to move back above Juventus into second.
It was the Giallorossi's first win in four league games and Parma were the ideal opponents to end Roma's recent poor run of results, that included a 4-1 home defeat to Inter last weekend.
"It is true we did not lock the result away immediately, but neither did we struggle," said Roma boss Luciano Spaletti.
"We maintained our balance and showed great character in reacting to the defeats with Inter and Manchester United. I am sure my men will be able to take the right things from this win without letting themselves get over-excited."
They opened the scoring on three minutes as Mirko Vucinic robbed Paolo Castellini to set up Totti with an easy tap-in.
Amantino Mancini made it 2-0 on the counter-attack and following the dismissal of Parma's Bernardo Corradi on 27 minutes, Totti wrapped up the points late on following good work from Daniele De Rossi.
European champions AC Milan scored an impressive 5-1 victory at Lazio to move them up to eighth place in the table, seven points behind the leaders.
It was a welcome goal spree for Milan who lost to Celtic earlier this week in the Champions League and had previously only won one of their first six league games.
In other matches, Genoa are up to fifth after beating Cagliari 2-0 at home while Livorno remain rock bottom on two points from seven games after a 1-0 loss at Catania.
On Saturday Julio Cruz scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Napoli at the San Siro as champions Inter consolidated their lead at the top of the table.
Bayern open up five-point lead in Germany
BERLIN (AFP) - Bayern Munich opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga as they inflicted a 3-0 defeat on Nuremberg to push the German Cup holders deeper into the relegation zone.
Munich were without top-goal scorer Miroslav Klose as the top-scorer at last year's World Cup struggles with a knee injury, while Lukas Podolski has again missed his chance to stake a claim in the first-team as he missed the game with a fever.
The win puts Bayern clear at the top, while Nuremberg stay in the relegation zone having picked up just one win in their last ten games.
The home side took the lead at the Allianz Arena when Luca Toni scored his seventh league goal of the season in the 31st minute. Ze Roberto added a second five minutes from the break and then Toni added a third nine minutes from time.
On Saturday, Armin Veh coach of defending champions VfB Stuttgart admitted his side are in crisis after they were beaten 2-0 at home by Hanover which leaves them 12th in the league.
This was Stuttgart's third defeat in a week after they were humbled 2-1 by Bundesliga minnows Hansa Rostock last weekend and beaten 2-0 at home by Barcelona in the Champions League in midweek.
Last season's second-division champions Karlsruhe are up to second in the league thanks to their impressive 2-0 win with two goals by striker Christian Timm at Schalke 04, who are now fifth.
Werder Bremen are back up to third thanks to their 3-1 win at third-from-bottom Duisburg on Saturday.
Hamburg went fourth in the league thanks to captain Rafael van der Vaart's 49th minute winner at Arminia Bielefeld.
VfL Wolfsburg enjoyed a 1-0 win over Hansa Rostock at home, while Hertha Berlin's striker Marko Pantelic missed the chance to grab his sixth league goal of the season when he missed an injury time penalty as his side drew 0-0.
On Friday night, 10-man Borussia Dortmund lifted themselves up the Bundesliga table after Italian midfielder Giovanni Federico scored the winner in their 2-1 home victory over VfL Bochum.
Lyon strike crucial blow to Bordeaux's challenge
PARIS (AFP) - Lyon ruthlessly exposed Bordeaux's lack of title quality in a clinical 3-1 victory at their main rivals on Sunday.
After Lyon had a stuttering start to the season, Bordeaux looked likely to pose the main obstacle to a seventh straight title for Alain Perrin's men.
But this comprehensive victory has left Lyon looking just as formidable as in their previous six seasons of domination, despite their woeful Champions League form - two matches played, two 3-0 defeats suffered.
Lyon now head the table from surprise-package Nancy, who won 3-1 at Monaco on Friday night, on goal difference with Le Mans, 2-0 home winners over Nice on Saturday, in third and Bordeaux fourth and four points off the pace.
Lyon won thanks largely to the fine form of veteran Brazilian playmaker Juninho and young France forward Karim Benzema. Juninho created the opening goal for his countryman Cleber to head home from a free-kick on five minutes.
On 23 minutes Hatem Ben Arfa released Benzema with a long ball and the striker pounced to score his 10th goal of an increasingly impressive season.
Juninho set up another goal from a dead ball for Swede Kim Kallstrom to transform on the hour before another Brazilian Jussie reduced the deficit seven minutes from time.
It all proved that Laurent Blanc's team have a long way to go if they are to hope to eventually run Lyon close when the silverware is handed out at the end of the season.
In Sunday's other match, a goal from Achille Emana gave Toulouse a 1-0 victory at second from bottom Sochaux.
On Saturday Marseille came thudding back down to earth with a bump as St Etienne quickly made them forget their midweek Champions League heroics in a 1-0 defeat.
Marseille came into their game on a high after a stunning 1-0 victory at last season's Champions League finalists Liverpool, which left the French Riviera side top of their qualifying group with a perfect six points from two games.
Their league form has been markedly different, though, and this was a case of back to reality for Eric Gerets's men, who found themselves in the relegation zone at full-time.
"After the good match against Liverpool I was sure the team was developing confidence," said a bemused Gerets. "Many players were off their game and we gave away a lot of balls."
The match seemed to be heading to dull 0-0 stalemate until Geoffrey Dernis popped up three minutes into stoppage time to crash a rasping drive in off the underside of the bar from 25 yards.
The defeat means that the former giants of French football have just one win this season from their 10 matches, and that a 2-1 success over lowly Caen.
Paul Le Guen's tenure as Paris St Germain's coach looks under threat after their home woes continued with a disastrous 3-1 defeat to Rennes at the Parc des Princes.
Le Guen's men have now lost three and drawn three of their six home matches this season and PSG president Alain Cayzac admitted he is running out of patience.
"I didn't say the situation was extremely serious, but it is serious," he said. "It's true that I advocated time and assured that the club should look to the medium term, but it's out of the question that we can continue to be this disappointing."
Rennes opened the scoring on 19 minutes through former PSG midfielder Jerome Leroy but Brazilian Ceara equalised for the hosts on 57 minutes.
Any hopes of pushing on from there were ended, though, by goals from Jimmy Briand and Sylvain Wiltord in the final 17 minutes.
Owen's return perfectly timed for McClaren
LONDON (AFP) - Michael Owen gave England coach Steve McClaren a much-needed boost as he marked his return from surgery with a goal in Newcastle's 3-2 win over Everton.
Owen made an instant impact when he came on for the last 16 minutes at St James Park on Sunday just nine days after a double operation to cure hernia and groin problems.
His 90th minute strike will have brought a smile to McClaren's face ahead of his country's crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia on Saturday and Russia the following Wednesday.
But the coach saw his attacking options dwindle after Everton manager David Moyes confirmed frontman Andrew Johnson will miss the qualifiers to have an ankle operation.
"Andy's got an ankle operation, he's got a groin strain, so he's going to miss the next three or four weeks," Moyes said.
McClaren is already without Emile Heskey and is waiting for the results of scans on Dean Ashton, who looks likely to miss out as well after suffering a knee injury in West Ham's defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday.
As if that wasn't enough of a concern, Owen's Newcastle team-mate Alan Smith has a slight knee problem, although he will report for duty.
There was one piece of good news for McClaren as Frank Lampard played the full 90 minutes of Chelsea's 1-0 win at Bolton on Sunday.
Owen's cameo appearance was enough to convince him he will be fit to start.
"I'm fine. I'm playing without pain and will only get better," Owen said.
"It's only a minor thing but it took a lot of determination to come back so soon. I've put in a lot of hard work over the last week and I was disappointed not to actually start.
"The surgeon's advice is what I will look at more than anything else. She tells me to push it as hard as I like."
However, Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce fears Owen could suffer a setback if he plays in both matches and he plans to speak to McClaren to voice his concerns.
"I don't know whether two games in such a short space of time is right, but it's not my decision, though I will speak to Steve about that," Allardyce said.
Chelsea midfielder Lampard was making his first appearance since August after recovering from a thigh injury and his return has left McClaren with a selection dilemma.
Gareth Barry had filled in well for Lampard and formed an impressive partnership with Steven Gerrard during England's win over Israel and Russia last month.
In contrast Lampard and Gerrard have rarely dovetailed well, so McClaren must decide whether to break up his in-form central midfield to accomodate the Blues star.
Sabtu, 06 Oktober 2007
No excuses from Smith as Hibs go top
GLASGOW (AFP) - Walter Smith has refused to blame a hangover from Rangers' Champions League exploits for his side's failure to return to the top of the Scottish Premier League.
Unbeaten Hibs took advantage of a jaded Gers display to claim a 1-0 win at Ibrox on Saturday, leapfrogging both their hosts and Celtic in the process.
But Smith insisted the defeat was not the result of fatigue, four days after his squad pulled off a sensational 3-0 win in Lyon.
"I felt the game was really even," the former Scotland boss said. "In the the end we didn't really create enough throughout the match.
"I don't think it had anything to do with the midweek match. That's no excuse. If it is an excuse then we've got four more defeats still to take!
"Give Hibs a little bit of credit. They weren't coming here to roll over and so it's up to us to be better in terms of chance creation."
Hibs have now completed a double over Celtic and Rangers this season but their manager, John Collins, was refusing to read too much into his side's unexpectedly elevated position.
"The lads have done ever so well but the one thing you don't do in football is get carried away," the former Fulham, Monaco and Scotland midfielder declared. "If you get carried away, you get knocked straight back down to earth."
Hibs' achievement is all the more remarkable for the fact that they have lost four key players to the Old Firm in the last year -- Kevin Thomson, Ian Murray and Steven Whittaker are all on the books at Ibrox while Scott Brown joined Celtic in the summer.
"We got players from the Second Division in Norway, the Third Division in France, Millwall didn't want some of them - the list is endless," Collins said.
"But, when we look at players, we don't look at their past. The past doesn't count, it's what they can do in the future."
The decisive moment in a match painfully devoid of goalmouth action came just after the hour mark.
Felipe Morais swung in a corner and defender David Murphy rose above the home side's defence to head the ball past Allan McGregor in the Rangers goal.
Rangers managed to rouse themselves from their torpor for a late onslaught which should have yielded an equaliser when Spanish defender Carlos Cuellar headed wide from Charlie Adam's free-kick.
Rangers had enjoyed marginally the better of a listless opening half in which Adam, restored to the side at the expense of Lee McCulloch, squandered a couple of good chances to give them the lead.
The win sent Hibs two points clear at the top of the table but Celtic had the chance to relaim the lead with victory at bottom side Gretna on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Hearts made it a good day for both Edinburgh sides with a 4-2 win against Falkirk at Tynecastle.
Goals from Audrius Ksanavicius, Marius Zaliukas, Andrius Velicka and substitute Christian Nade put Hearts on cruise control before late strikes Graham Barrett and Pedro Moutinho put a more flattering gloss on the scoreline for Falkirk.
Dundee United were indebted to a Darren Dods header 12 minutes from time for their 1-0 over Motherwell at Tannadice, keeping their fifth clean sheet in the process.
Inverness twice came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw at Kilmarnock. Aime Koudou's opener for Killie was cancelled out by Simon Ford heading into his own net and Don Cowie's free-kick secured a point after Colin Nish had restored the home side's lead.
Ashton injury adds to McClaren's dilemmas
LONDON (AFP) - England coach Steve McClaren will have to plan without Dean Ashton as he prepares for crucial Euro 2008 qualifers against Estonia and Russia.
Ashton suffered knee ligament damage during West Ham's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday and Hammers boss Alan Curbishley admitted the striker is almost certain to miss the matches on October 13 and 17.
McClaren's attacking options are dwindling. He could have done without seeing his back-up targetman injured as he is already without Wigan forward Emile Heskey, while Michael Owen may have to play even though he is far from fully fit after a groin operation.
It is terrible luck for Ashton who has yet to make his England debut after suffering a serious ankle injury while training with the national team in August 2006.
"Dean has hurt his medial knee ligament," Curbishely said. "I would think he is very doubtful for England. He couldn't really run near the end so I imagine that is it for him.
"It's a big blow for England but it's also a big blow for us as we have injuries aplenty up front.
"It all depends how badly he has hurt his ligaments. We will have to wait and see but I would say things are looking a bit tight for the next two weeks.
"You feel sorry for the lad because he has had his fair share of bad luck and has worked ever so hard to get himself back fit and playing."
McClaren will send out a very different England team against Estonia from the one that beat Russia 3-0 in their last match.
He is considering leaving out three of his first choice defence to avoid the risk of John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole getting bookings that would rule them out of the crunch trip to Russia.
The trio are all one yellow card away from suspension and McClaren said: "It is a consideration. I have to ask myself do I want to risk losing someone.
"It means picking a team for Estonia is not an entirely straightforward issue, there are other factors involved as well.
"Clearly though, our priority is to win and avoid dropping points at home as we did against Macedonia. If we do that, what happens in Russia is irrelevant."
McClaren must also decide whether to bring back Frank Lampard at the expense of Gareth Barry.
Lampard is fit after a thigh injury and McClaren admitted he had been disappointed to lose the Chelsea midfielder for the last two matches.
But Barry produced two excellent performances in those games and gelled well with Steven Gerrard - something that Lampard has never managed.
McClaren said: "Frank gives us another option because he is a midfield player who can score goals, which is something we have spoken about before," McClaren said.
"He was man of the match against Germany in August but no individual player has any right to be guaranteed a place in the England side.
"It is on performances and form. I will have no hesitation in picking players I think will win the game. Other players have to understand that."
Jumat, 05 Oktober 2007
McClaren won't put Owen at risk
LONDON (AFP) - Steve McClaren insists he will not jeopardise Michael Owen's fitness after including the Newcastle striker in his squad for the crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia.
Owen's Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has warned McClaren that he is ready to demand the forward be left out of the matches on October 13 and 17 if he is not fully recovered from surgery last week on a groin injury.
Owen hopes to be involved when Newcastle face Everton on Sunday and, with so much at stake as England enter crunch time in Group E, McClaren will give the forward every opportunity to prove he is ready to start.
McClaren, who named Everton defender Joleon Lescott and West Ham forward Dean Ashton in his squad, will keep Allardyce up to date with his player's fitness when he arrives for training next week, but the England coach knows he must decide whether to gamble on Owen's fitness.
"I'm delighted to have Michael available," he told Sky Sports. "Two or three weeks ago that looked an impossibility. He has had the operation and come through it well.
"He says he's flying and feeling very good. Hopefully he will play on Sunday, then he will be assessed in training and if he is fit he will play for England.
"I spoke to Sam this morning. This club versus country thing is never a problem. I've got a great relationship with Sam.
"Michael will be assessed by their medical team and ours. This is not a decision that will be taken lightly."
With Owen's status uncertain and Emile Heskey out with a foot injury, McClaren was relieved to be able to welcome back Ashton.
The West Ham striker suffered an ankle injury while training with England in August 2006 and is only just beginning to find his form again.
McClaren, who also has Wayne Rooney back from injury, said: "It's great to have Dean back. I was really sick for him when he got that injury, especially because it was with England.
"He has worked so hard, come through so much and got his rewards. He is improving game by game and deserves his call up."
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is in the squad despite missing several matches with a thigh injury and his club colleague John Terry is also included after playing in a protective mask when the Blues beat Valencia on Wednesday.
David Beckham, Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick are all sidelined through injury.
McClaren admitted Lampard's return has given him a selection headache in central midfield after Gareth Barry's impressive displays in the wins over Israel and Russia.
"I was disappointed to be without Frank for the last two games because he was man of the match against Germany," McClaren said.
"Garth Barry came in and did a fantastic job and that's given me competition for places.
"People who were outside of the squad in the last two games have to look and see what's needed to get back in.
"I spoke with JT (Terry) straight after the game on Saturday when he was injured and everyone was saying he would be out for a long time.
"He said to me he would be fit and that's why he is captain of England. He's remarkable."
McClaren admitted Lescott deserved a call-up after his superb form this season. The versitile defender is Everton's top scorer with three league goals and was on target again in their UEFA Cup win over Metalist on Thursday.
"Lescott is one of those players who is improving week by week," McClaren said. "He can play at left-back and in the centre of defence and is proving to be a goalscorer as well."
Fergie vows to ease Saha's return
Sir Alex Ferguson insists he will not rush Louis Saha's return to action despite the France striker making his first Manchester United start for seven months this week.
Saha's Champions League display against Roma confirmed he is finally over the knee and ankle injuries that have dogged the forward since the turn of the year.
But United manager Ferguson, whose side face Wigan on Saturday, is determined to nurse the former Fulham man through his latest comeback in order to prevent the 29-year-old suffering yet another set-back.
"We were encouraged by the vigorous performance Saha gave us because he has that great physical presence and speed and I thought it was a really first class game in his first start for a long time," Ferguson said.
"We are on the right path with him and what we've done so far is without doubt the right thing to do. What we have to decide now is if he ready for a second start or do we put him back on the bench where he can make an impact also."
Saha's 15 goals before the turn of the year helped lay the foundations for United's title triumph last season and Ferguson is convinced the striker can play a major role in his side's ambitions this year.
But despite wanting to protect his player, the manager is adamant he will not attempt to limit the striker's involvement with the France national squad.
"His scoring record is excellent," Ferguson added. "He scored 15 last year before he got his injury and if he had remained he could have got 30, who's to say, because he has that threat of a goal in different ways, headers, either foot, very good.
"International football is not an issue for him at the moment. Although France have called him into the squad, it doesn't mean they are going to start him or anything like that.
"The national team doctor was the one who gave him his last operation so he knows exactly what the situation is. And we would expect them to handle him in exactly the right way."
With Saha and Carlos Tevez back to full fitness and Wayne Rooney scoring his first goal of the season in the 1-0 win over Roma, Ferguson has an embarrassment of riches up front.
But the manager admits the loss of Michael Carrick for six weeks with a broken elbow together with Owen Hargreaves's continuing absence with tendonitis has presented him with a major problem in the heart of his midfield.
"It was a bad blow the Michael Carrick one," Ferguson said. "He fell in a challenge with one of their players near the end and I went to shake his hand at the end and he couldn't because he was in pain.
"So I thought it was a hand injury but to break an elbow is an unusual one and is a blow to us because his form has come back really well and the last few games he has been first class.
"So with him and Hargreaves out we have a job to do in terms of picking another central midfield player because Darren Fletcher is also out of course. But I think Anderson or Giggs will supply the answer to that."
Raul snubbed as Albiol and Riera get Spain nod
Defender Raul Albiol and mifielder Albert Riera got their first call-ups on Friday as Spain coach Luis Aragones named his 20-man squad for a Euro 2008 Group F qualifier against Denmark on October 13 at Aarhus and a friendly against Finland four days later in Helsinki.
Defender Carles Puyol has also been included but Real Madrid striker Raul has once again been overlooked by Aragones.
Raul, 30, has not played for Spain for a year, but the Real Madrid captain had been expected to feature given his strong club form.
Aragones insisted however that the door was not closed on Raul, but said: "It's a match which we're playing to qualify and we can't try out Raul now."
Riera, 25, owes his first call-up to his form with Espanyol, while Albiol, 22, also gets his first nod, as he joins six teammates from Valencia.
Sevilla's Danish international midfielder Christian Poulsen warned that his country "were hungry to beat Spain", although he conceded he expected a "very difficult" tie.
Spain lead Group F, three points ahead of Northern Ireland and Sweden. Denmark are fourth, five points back but with two games in hand on the Spaniards.
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Jose Manuel Reina (Liverpool/ENG)
Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Raul Albiol, Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Pablo, Mariano Pernia (Atletico Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carles Puyol (Barcelona)
Midfielders: Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal/ENG), Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), David Silva, David Albelda, Joaquin Sanchez (Valencia), Albert Riera (Espanyol).
Strikers: David Villa, Miguel Angel Angulo (Valencia), Fernando Torres (Liverpool/ENG), Luis Garcia (Espanyol).
Real still chasing Drogba, press
Real Madrid are more keen than ever to sign Chelsea's talismanic striker Didier Drogba and will swoop for the Ivory Coast international in the summer, El Mundo said on Friday.
Real bosses have offered a four-year deal to Drogba's agent, said the newspaper.
The 29-year-old openly admitted to being distraught at the departure of charismatic coach Jose Mourinho last month although he also said he was not looking to quit the Londoners, where he is under contract until 2010.
Real's German coach Bernd Schuster told English newspaper the Daily Mirror that he is interested in signing the 'Drog'.
"He's a very interesting player, a priority for us. We've been chasing him for a long time," said Schuster.
According to El Mundo, Drogba will play alongside Dutch forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, who Real hope to tie down until 2010.
Blatter calls for football labour exceptions
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called on the European Union (EU) to recognise the autonomy of sport when it comes to matters regarding labour laws.
Blatter wants football to be exempt from freedom of movement laws, which would allow sports authorities to limit the number of foreign players allowed to play at clubs.
"Workers in Europe can circulate freely but footballers are not workers," he said. "You cannot consider a footballer like any normal worker because you need 11 to play a match - and they are more artists than workers."
Blatter said he supports the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge, who wrote a letter to state heads of all the EU countries on the subject of sporting exemptions.
The EU recently stated it wanted to impose more regulations on football, something that has angered Blatter.
"Football has never had the courage to go against this practice," he said. "When you have 11 foreigners in a team, this is not good for the development of football, for the education of young players, and there is a financial aspect, too."
Blatter said that he wants to restore "national identity" to clubs and impose a minimum quota of at least six homegrown players per team.
"The idea is to find a way of protecting the national identity of clubs," he said.
"That's why we want to push for the '6+5' principle which has many advantages: players trained at clubs will have the opportunity to play in the first team, the financial interest is obvious as clubs wouldn't have to spend astronomical sums to buy a player and the effect for the national teams is obvious.
"Ideally we would like to put the '6+5' system in place for the 2010-2011 season," said Blatter.
Keane dreams of one last Arsenal scrap
SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) - Roy Keane would love to pull on his boots one last time on Sunday as the Sunderland manager renews his rivalry with Arsenal.
The former Manchester United midfielder will be on the touchline at the Emirates Stadium this weekend as he tries to inflict a first defeat of the season on Arsene Wenger's side.
It will be Keane's first clash with the Gunners as a manager but he has plenty of past experience of scrapping with them as a player. He locked horns with Arsenal throughout his time at United as the clubs battled it out for supremacy in the English game.
Keane was famously caught by television cameras having a furious row with Patrick Vieira as United and Arsenal waited in the tunnel before a match at Highbury.
But Keane looks back on his duels with the likes of Vieira and Emmanuel Petit as some of the most memorable moments of his career.
"It was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Usually my preparation for a game on a Saturday if we were playing Arsenal would start on the previous Sunday," Keane said.
"Your body just knew you were going to play Arsenal, just psychologically, your body would get ready for it.
"It was the same for all the players, and I am sure it was the same for the Arsenal players.
"Those games were brilliant, absolutely fantastic, the best. United against Arsenal - if you could go back for one game, then that would be the game.
"Both teams were usually fighting it out for the title - it was fantastic. You would give anything to play in one of those games again."
The prospect of knocking Arsenal off the top of the Premier League was exactly the kind of challenge that would have brought out the ferocicous competitor in Keane when he was at United.
But he believes there is less passion between rival clubs now because football is so much more of a business.
"It was a brilliant rivalry, the rivalry between the fans, the players, the managers," he said.
"But stuff like that has gone - those rivalries have gone. They still want to beat each other, but there is not that real intensity that there was then.
"The game is changing. It is probably a lot colder. Football is not the game I knew maybe 10 years ago, and that goes for every club."
Bayern's Hitzfeld praises ruthless Toni
Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld praised the ruthlessness of Luca Toni as the Italian goal-scorer struck again as the German giants booked their place in the UEFA Cup's group phase.
Thursday's 2-0 win over Portuguese side Belenenses at the Estadio do Restelo gave Bayern a 3-0 aggregate lead to put them in the cup's group stages which starts later this month.
After a lacklustre first-half, Italian World Cup winner Toni put Bayern ahead with an impressive finish on 59 minutes, his eighth goal of the season, until midfielder Hamit Altintop made the result safe on 76 minutes.
"Luca Toni is unbelievably ruthless," said Hitzfeld on Friday.
"The opening goal relieved the tension, and we played to our potential after that.
"We've done what we had to do, and we're through to the group phase.
"My team had a lot to lose, and that'll always be in the back of the players' minds.
"Apart from Ze Roberto in midfield, none of my players can be proud of the first half."
Toni has been an instant hit since his 11 million euros (15 million dollars) switch from Italian side Fiorentina last summer and has forged an elite partnership with Miroslav Klose and the pair have 14 Bundesliga goals between them.
"Belenenses were a very well organised team, and we had trouble breaking them down," said the 30-year-old Italian.
"We needed to be more patient, bide our time and wait for the breakthrough."
Bayern are back in league action this weekend looking to cement their place at the top of the Bundesliga when they host struggling German Cup holders Nuremberg on Sunday.
Bremen sweat on Almeida, welcome back Sanogo
Werder Bremen are sweating on the fitness of their Portuguese goal-scorer Hugo Almeida as they prepare to face Duisburg on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Portugal international has scored six goals already this season, five in the Bundesliga, but missed training on Friday after picking up a foot injury in his side's 3-1 Champions League defeat to Olympiakos in midweek.
"He took a heavy knock to the foot against Olympiakos, but we are hoping he will be fit to face Duisburg, we will have to wait and see," said Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf on Friday.
Almeida travelled with the squad to Duisburg, but Bremen have top-scorer Boubacar Sanogo - who has netted seven times this season with five of them in the Bundesliga - back from a hip injury.
Fan admits breach of peace after Dida clash
The Celtic fan who slapped AC Milan goalkeeper Dida during his team's Champions League match at Parkhead admitted a breach of the peace on Friday.
Robert McHendry, 27, ran onto the pitch to celebrate Scott McDonald's last minute winner on Wednesday and taunted Dida before making contact with the Brazilian's face.
The goalkeeper started to chase after the supporter but then theatrically fell to the ground as if in pain and had to be stretchered off.
McHendry handed himself in to police the morning after the incident, which could lead to Celtic being hit with severe penalties after UEFA announced it had launched a disciplinary investigation.
He told Glasgow Sheriff Court that he had got "carried away" by the late goal.
"I was running over to celebrate with the team. As I was running by I tapped the keeper of AC Milan on the shoulder," McHendry said.
"I said 'Unlucky, Dida' and continued running towards the team."
McHendry, of Cambuslang, near Glasgow, will be sentenced next month after reports.
