Archive soccer news from around the world
Euro 2004 warm-ups hit by rash of injuries (Mar 31, 2004)
The latest batch of Euro 2004 dress rehearsals will be staged with a host of players tipped to take starring roles in Portugal noticeable by their absence. . . . more . . .
Australia debut delights Cahill ahead of FA Cup semi (Mar 31, 2004)
Millwall midfielder Tim Cahill had a memorable warm-up for this weekend's FA Cup semi-final when he made his long-awaited Australia debut in the 1-0 win over South Africa here at Loftus Road. . . . more . . .
Gloves off as Lehmann eyes German jersey (Mar 31, 2004)
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will be determined to prove he should be first choice for the approaching 2004 European championships when Germany host neighbours Belgium in Wednesday's friendly match in Cologne. . . . more . . .
Saudi Arabia beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in World Cup qualifier (Mar 31, 2004)
A 53rd-minute strike by forward Ibrahim Al-Shahrani enabled Saudi Arabia to beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in a World Cup Asian Zone qualifying match. . . . more . . .
Ibrahimovic ruins Eriksson's homecoming (Mar 31, 2004)
One exquisitely executed finish from Zlatan Ibrahimovic was enough to dampen, if not quite ruin, England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's homecoming. . . . more . . .
Everton striker Ferguson escapes racist charge (Mar 31, 2004)
Everton striker Duncan Ferguson has escaped a Football Association charge over alleged racial abuse towards Fulham's Luis Boa-Morte. . . . more . . .
Miccoli off the mark as Italy humble Portugal (Mar 31, 2004)
Fabrizio Miccoli's first international goal gave Italy a 2-1 win over Euro 2004 hosts Portugal in an entertaining friendly between two of the tournament favourites. . . . more . . .
Kennedy called up for Scotland (Mar 31, 2004)
Celtic defender John Kennedy's stirring performances against Barcelona and Rangers last week have been rewarded with his first cap for Scotland in the friendly against Romania. . . . more . . .
Ireland stun Czechs (Mar 31, 2004)
Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane hit an injury-time winner to bring a crashing end to the Czech Republic 20-match unbeaten run. . . . more . . .
Holland and France serve up a dud (Mar 31, 2004)
Holland ended France's 14-match winning streak but neither of the favourites for the Euro 2004 title managed to score a goal in a pedestrian friendly. . . . more . . .
Romania ease past Scotland (Mar 31, 2004)
Romania added to the pressure on under-fire Scotland boss Berti Vogts with a 2-1 friendly victory at Hampden Park. . . . more . . .
Ballack caps easy German win over naive Belgium (Mar 31, 2004)
Germany warmed up for the 2004 European championships with a 3-0 win over Belgium in the first ever international match at the RheinEnergie Stadium. . . . more . . .
Injuries forces Santini to juggle options (Mar 31, 2004)
France coach Jacques Santini has had to contend wth a string of high level defections for the reigning champions Euro 2004 warm-up against Holland. . . . more . . .
Greece stretch unbeaten run with Swiss victory (Mar 31, 2004)
Midfielder Vasilis Tsiartas missed a penalty but made amends when he went on to hit the winner to give Greece a 1-0 victory over Switzerland in a Euro 2004 warm-up match. . . . more . . .
Eriksson pleads to be judged on results (Mar 31, 2004)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has pleaded with England's fans to judge him on results -- not what they read in the newspapers. . . . more . . .
FIFA to reject joint 2010 World Cup bid by Libya and Tunisia (Mar 31, 2004)
A joint bid by Libya and Tunisia to host the World Cup in 2010 will be rejected by world football's governing body, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said. . . . more . . .
South Korea draw, Japan and Saudis stumble through World Cup clashes (Mar 31, 2004)
South Korea were held to a shock draw while fellow heavyweights Japan and Saudi Arabia were given the fright of their lives as Asia's underdogs bared their teeth in the latest round of qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup. . . . more . . .
Two late goals steer Lebanon to victory over Vietnam (Mar 31, 2004)
Lebanon scored two late goals to beat Vietnam 2-0 here in the second match of their 2006 World Cup Asian qualifying campaign. . . . more . . .
Zico kickstarts Thailand's World Cup dream (Mar 31, 2004)
Thailand's veteran star Kiatisuk 'Zico' Senamuang kick-started his country's 2006 World Cup campaign when he scored one goal and created the other two in a 3-0 away win over Yemen. . . . more . . .
Japan struggles through heat for 2-1 away victory against Singapore (Mar 31, 2004)
Asian champions Japan struggled through hot and humid conditions to secure a 2-1 away victory against Singapore in their World Cup qualifier here. . . . more . . .
Scolari settles on Portugal's Euro 2004 line-up (Mar 31, 2004)
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said he already knew which players he will select for the Euro 2004 finals which Portugal is hosting from June. . . . more . . .
Northern Ireland clinch first win in 16 outings (Mar 31, 2004)
David Healy's goal in first-half injury time was good enough to give Northern Ireland their first win in 16 games as they defeated Estonia 1-0 in an international friendly. . . . more . . .
Maldives stun South Korea with battling draw in World Cup qualifiers (Mar 31, 2004)
The Maldives pulled off one of the most remarkable upsets in Asian football history here by holding mighty South Korea to a goalless draw in qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup. . . . more . . .
Hyypia happy to stay on at Liverpool (Mar 31, 2004)
Liverpool's Finnish international defender Sami Hyypia said he would like to prolong his five-year stay with the English Premiership club. . . . more . . .
Eriksson looks for a substitute in the spotlight (Mar 31, 2004)
Sven-Goran Eriksson could be forgiven if it is not just England's long-term interests he has in mind when he hands Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jermain Defoe the chance to launch their international careers. . . . more . . .
Roma future hangs in balance (Mar 30, 2004)
Trading in Italian side AS Roma's shares was suspended on the Milan stock exchange for two days. . . . more . . .
India beat Pakistan 1-0 in South Asian games football (Mar 30, 2004)
Indian footballers defeated hosts Pakistan 1-0 at the ninth South Asian Federation (SAF) games. . . . more . . .
Italy would welcome Maldini return says Nesta (Mar 30, 2004)
AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta said the Italian national team would warmly welcome the return of club team-mate Paolo Maldini to international football. . . . more . . .
Judge me on results, Eriksson pleads (Mar 30, 2004)
Sven- Goran Eriksson pleaded to be judged on his results as England manager, not condemned out of hand for his controversial flirtation with Chelsea. . . . more . . .
Man United posts jump in interim profits as Glazer rules out bid (Mar 30, 2004)
American billionaire Malcolm Glazer said he did not intend to bid for Manchester United as the English Premiership soccer champions unveiled a 32-percent rise in half-year profits to 26.8 million pounds (40 million euros, 48.8 million dollars). . . . more . . .
Dortmund want to offload Amoroso (Mar 30, 2004)
Borussia Dortmund want to sever ties with Brazilian striker Marcio Amoroso after accusing him of showing a lack of respect for the 1997 European champions. . . . more . . .
Glazer not ready to make Man United takeover bid (Mar 30, 2004)
American billionaire Malcolm Glazer said he had no intention of making a takeover bid for Manchester United as the English Premiership soccer champions unveiled a 32-percent rise in half-year profits to 26.8 million pounds (40 million euros, 48.8 million dollars). . . . more . . .
Socceroos down South Africa with Bresciano strike (Mar 30, 2004)
Australia midfielder Marco Bresciano's first-half goal gave the Socceroos a 1-0 victory over South Africa in their international friendly at Loftus Road. . . . more . . .
Gerrard to captain England against Sweden (Mar 30, 2004)
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard will captain England in Wednesday's friendly international against Sweden in Gothenburg after David Beckham withdrew because of injury. . . . more . . .
Hearts chief assaulted as Murrayfield row escalates (Mar 30, 2004)
Hearts chief executive Chris Robinson was attacked outside the Edinburgh club's Tynecastle ground. . . . more . . .
Portuguese border police in Euro 2004 strike threat (Mar 30, 2004)
Portuguese border police have threatened to go on strike during Euro 2004 over overtime pay demands. . . . more . . .
Zico worries over late arrival of European stars for Singapore clash (Mar 30, 2004)
Japan will go into Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Singapore slightly under-prepared because of the late arrival of the team's European-based stars, national coach Zico warned. . . . more . . .
Vieira rates United a bigger threat than Chelsea (Mar 30, 2004)
Patrick Vieira says Manchester United and not Chelsea represent the biggest threat to Arsenal's title hopes. . . . more . . .
Dutch to test Van Nistelrooy-Makaay front line (Mar 30, 2004)
Holland coach Dick Advocaat said he would be testing a forward line of Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Roy Makaay in Wednesday's pre-Euro 2004 international friendly against France. . . . more . . .
Van Buyten keen to stay at Man City (Mar 30, 2004)
Belgium international defender Daniel van Buyten would be happy to make his move to Manchester City permanent. . . . more . . .
United pay off Barthez (Mar 30, 2004)
Manchester United have paid off France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez - on loan at Marseille - at a cost of five million pounds (7.5 million euros/9 million dollars). . . . more . . .
Litmanen leaving Ajax (Mar 30, 2004)
Ajax Amsterdam said they would not renew Finnish forward Jari Litmanen's contract which runs out at the end of the season. . . . more . . .
Juventus keeper Buffon concedes defeat (Mar 30, 2004)
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has conceded defeat to AC Milan in the race for the Italian league title. . . . more . . .
Lazio-Roma to be replayed (Mar 30, 2004)
The Rome derby abandoned earlier this month due to fears for crowd safety after a riot broke out outside the stadium, will be replayed, the Italian sports judiciary said. . . . more . . .
UEFA drop Keane appeal (Mar 29, 2004)
UEFA have withdrawn their appeal against their own disciplinary sanction against Manchester United captain Roy Keane leaving him free to play in Europe from the start of next season. . . . more . . .
James relieved by Eriksson commitment (Mar 29, 2004)
England goalkeeper David James said that both he and the team had been relived when Sven-Goran Eriksson finally committed to the national team. . . . more . . .
Arsenal set to rest Henry for United Cup tie (Mar 29, 2004)
Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal can beat Manchester United in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park without star striker Thierry Henry. . . . more . . .
IACA mulls Portugal flight boycott during Euro 2004 over security measures (Mar 29, 2004)
European airline body IACA said Monday it may ask its members not to fly to Portugal during the three-week European football finals in June because it disagrees with airline security measures planned for the event. . . . more . . .
Zambrotta extends Juventus contract (Mar 29, 2004)
Juventus wing-back Gianluca Zambrotta has signed an extension to his contract that will keep him with the Turin outfit until 2008, the Serie A club said. . . . more . . .
Voller sweats on German marksman Klose (Mar 29, 2004)
Germany coach Rudi Voller is sweating on the fitness of star striker Miroslav Klose ahead of the warm-up match with Belgium in Cologne. . . . more . . .
Dortmund losing patience with troublesome Amoroso (Mar 29, 2004)
Borussia Dortmund's eccentric Brazilian attacker Marcio Amoroso continues to test the thinning patience of the club, ignoring their latest ultimatum that he return from Brazil. . . . more . . .
Zidane joins Vieira and Pires on France sidelines (Mar 29, 2004)
Real Madrid play-maker Zinedine Zidane has pulled out of France's friendly international with Holland here because of a groin strain. . . . more . . .
Leeds boss Gray pins blame on defence (Mar 29, 2004)
Leeds United manager Eddie Gray has blamed his defence and cleared Mark Vikuka for the 4-1 defeat at Birmingham City which prevented United from escaping from the relegation zone. . . . more . . .
Liverpool's Houllier rues wasted chances (Mar 29, 2004)
Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has admitted his side wasted a golden chance in Sunday's goalless draw at Leicester City. . . . more . . .
Tale of two managers tells its own story (Mar 29, 2004)
For once, the true story of an Arsenal enounter with Manchester United emerged in the post-match interview room. . . . more . . .
Police called to Rooney party (Mar 29, 2004)
An 18th birthday party thrown by England and Everton star Wayne Rooney for his girlfriend Colleen McLoughlin ended with the police being called in when a fight broke out. . . . more . . .
IATA mulls Portugal flight boycott during Euro 2004 over security measures (Mar 29, 2004)
World airline body IATA said it may ask its members, which include most of the world's largest airlines, not to fly to Portugal during the three-week European football finals this June because it disagrees with airline security measures planned for the event. . . . more . . .
Germany's Klose misses Belgium friendly (Mar 29, 2004)
German national coach Rudi Voller confirmed that Kaiserslautern striker Miroslav Klose will sit out Wednesday's friendly match against Belgium in Cologne. . . . more . . .
Lehmann wants to hang up gloves in England (Mar 29, 2004)
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann wants to end his career in the Premiership if his body can endure the strains of the English top-flight. . . . more . . .
Beckham adds to Sven's injury woes (Mar 29, 2004)
David Beckham was ruled out of England's friendly against Sweden, compounding manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's injury problems. . . . more . . .
Former German international Brulls dies (Mar 29, 2004)
Former German international Albert Brulls, capped 25 times for his country between 1959 and 1966, died of cancer in Neuss at the age of 67. . . . more . . .
Zanetti and Castellini ruled out of Portugal friendly (Mar 29, 2004)
Inter Milan midfielder Cristiano Zanetti and Parma defender Marcello Castellini have been forced to pull out of Italy's 22-man squad for Wednesday's friendly away to Euro 2004 hosts Portugal because of injury. . . . more . . .
Beckham bruises Sevilla as Madrid stay top (Mar 28, 2004)
England skipper David Beckham shrugged off his injury fears to help inspire Real Madrid to a 5-1 victory over Sevilla. . . . more . . .
Mali topple Olympic champions Cameroon (Mar 28, 2004)
Mali eliminated defending champions Cameroon from the 2004 Olympic Games football competition with a 1-0 qualifying victory in Bamako. . . . more . . .
Celtic show their dominance over Rangers (Mar 28, 2004)
Celtic piled the misery on to their bitter Glasgow rivals Rangers as they won the Old Firm game 2-1 and extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League to 19 points. . . . more . . .
Bolton hand Newcastle Champions League setback (Mar 28, 2004)
Newcastle's hopes of clinching the fourth and final Champions League place suffered a setback when they crashed to a 1-0 defeat at Bolton. . . . more . . .
Vicente and Valencia put the pressure on Madrid (Mar 28, 2004)
Valencia, helped by two goals from Spanish international midfielder Vicente Rodriguez, turned up the pressure on Real Madrid with a 3-0 win at Racing Santander. . . . more . . .
Arsenal set new record after United deadlock (Mar 28, 2004)
Arsenal's eclipse of Manchester United as the dominant force in English football was underlined here as Arsene Wenger's side extended their unbeaten start to the season to a record 30 matches. . . . more . . .
Vogts unhappy USA trip not going ahead (Mar 28, 2004)
Scotland manager Berti Vogts has expressed his disappointment after the Scottish Football Association failed to set up a summer tour of America. . . . more . . .
Eriksson signs up with England until 2008 (Mar 28, 2004)
England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson ended the uncertainty over his future by announcing that he had agreed to sign a new contract which will keep him in the job up until 2008. . . . more . . .
PSG come unstuck against Lens (Mar 28, 2004)
Paris Saint Germain's record of 17 league games without defeat ended with defeat to Lens, a result that left them six points off the top of the table. . . . more . . .
Saha spares United's blushes (Mar 28, 2004)
Arsenal's eclipse of Manchester United as the dominant force in English football was underlined here as Arsene Wenger's side extended their unbeaten start to the season to a record 30 matches. . . . more . . .
Supersub Shevchenko saves Milan's blushes (Mar 28, 2004)
Andrei Shevchenko's header in the seventh minute of stoppage time gave league leaders AC Milan a last-gasp 2-2 draw against Chievo as the European champions recovered from being two goals down at half-time to earn a precious point at the San Siro. . . . more . . .
Liverpool tighten grip on Champions League spot (Mar 28, 2004)
Liverpool moved one point ahead of Newcastle in the race for the fourth Champions League spot after a goalless draw with Leicester. . . . more . . .
Eriksson signs new England deal (Mar 28, 2004)
England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson ended the uncertainty over his future by announcing that he had signed a new contract which will keep him in the job up until 2008. . . . more . . .
Eriksson in secret meeting with Chelsea chief executive: report (Mar 27, 2004)
England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has had a secret meeting with Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon over a 40-million-pound (73-million-dollar) deal to coach the club, according to a UK daily. . . . more . . .
Serbia-Montenegro football chief dies after shooting (Mar 27, 2004)
The head of the Serbia-Montenegro Football Federation, Branko Bulatovic, has died after being shot in the neck by an unknown gunman, Beta news agency reported. . . . more . . .
Viduka miss deepens the gloom for Leeds (Mar 27, 2004)
Mark Viduka was guilty of one of the worst misses of his career as Leeds squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to escape from the relegation zone for the first time in five months. . . . more . . .
Beckham may miss Sweden match: reports (Mar 27, 2004)
England captain David Beckham could be out of next week's friendly international with Sweden after taking a blow to the leg during Real Madrid's Champions League match against Monaco in midweek. . . . more . . .
United won't field a weakened team says Wenger (Mar 27, 2004)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said he does not believe Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will field a weakened team in Sunday's crunch Premiership clash at Highbury. . . . more . . .
Ranieri dismisses reports of Spurs link (Mar 27, 2004)
Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri issued a statement denying he had begun talking to any other clubs. . . . more . . .
Hearts set to bring European football to home of Scottish rugby (Mar 27, 2004)
Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby, looks set to be playing host to European football next season after Hearts strengthened their grip on third place in the SPL. . . . more . . .
Hasselbaink's hat-trick of happy returns sees Chelsea home (Mar 27, 2004)
Birthday boy Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink celebrated in style with a 13-minute hat-trick that powered Chelsea to a 5-2 victory over Wolves and closed the gap on Premiership leaders Arsenal to six points. . . . more . . .
Deportivo leap over Barcelona (Mar 27, 2004)
Deportivo La Coruna put their Champions League exit behind them as they beat Real Sociedad 2-1 to move above Barcelona into third place in the Spanish first division. . . . more . . .
Under-fire Sven hands Defoe Euro 2004 chance (Mar 27, 2004)
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson handed Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe a golden opportunity to stake a claim for a Euro 2004 place when he was named in the 26-man squad for Wednesday's friendly against Sweden in Gothenburg. . . . more . . .
Five-goal Bayern keep hopes alive (Mar 27, 2004)
Bayern Munich thrashed Borussia Monchengladbach 5-2 to keep alive their slim hopes of retaining their Bundesliga title. . . . more . . .
Elber helps Lyon retain slim lead over Monaco (Mar 27, 2004)
Defending champions Lyon held on to their wafer-thin lead at the top of the French league after Brazilian Giovane Elber ensured they came away from a visit to Nice with maximum points. . . . more . . .
Rangers hit by triple whammy ahead of Old Firm clash (Mar 26, 2004)
Rangers have been handed a hat-trick of setbacks ahead of Sunday's Old Firm clash with Celtic at Ibrox. . . . more . . .
High-flyers Lyon in late surge (Mar 26, 2004)
Lyon will be hoping their astonishing late-season run, for the third year in succession, maintains its momentum at Nice on Saturday as the reigning champions play their first match of the season as leaders. . . . more . . .
Merciless Milan determined to keep foot on the pedal (Mar 26, 2004)
League leaders AC Milan will not be taking the challenge of Chievo lightly on Sunday as the European champions look to take another step closer to their first Serie A title since 1999. . . . more . . .
Houllier facing nine-match survival fight after UEFA Cup exit (Mar 26, 2004)
Gerard Houllier insisted that Liverpool could win their nine-match battle to save their season and his job, despite seeing Michael Owen succumb to yet another injury as the Reds crashed out of the UEFA Cup. . . . more . . .
Belgium squad for Euro 2004 warm-up against Germany (Mar 26, 2004)
Jonathan Blondel and Gregory Dufer have been called up by Belgium coach Aime Anthuenis for a Euro 2004 warm-up friendly international against Germany in Cologne on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Serbia-Montenegro football chief shot (Mar 26, 2004)
Serbia-Montenegro Football Federation secretary general Branko Bulatovic was shot and seriously injured Friday in an attack at a federation office in central Belgrade. . . . more . . .
Petit confirms Ranieri going (Mar 26, 2004)
Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit has confirmed manager Claudio Ranieri will be leaving in June. . . . more . . .
Celtic own hero Marshall rewarded with four-year deal (Mar 26, 2004)
David Marshall, the 19-year-old goalkeeper who performed heroics for Celtic in Barcelona, has been rewarded with a new four-year contract at the Glasgow giants. . . . more . . .
Barca out but not down after UEFA Cup exit (Mar 26, 2004)
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard insisted the confidence of his club would not be damaged seriously by going out of the UEFA Cup to Celtic. . . . more . . .
Turkish striker Ilhan to undergo minor knee surgery (Mar 26, 2004)
Turkish international striker Ilhan Mansiz, who joined J-League club Vissel Kobe last month, will undergo minor knee surgery next week in the Italian city of Bologna, a team official revealed. . . . more . . .
Belgium's Van Buyten out for rest of season (Mar 26, 2004)
Manchester City defender Daniel Van Buyten has been ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing a muscle in his groin in training. . . . more . . .
Dutch link van Nistelrooy, Makaay and Robben (Mar 26, 2004)
Holland coach Dick Advocaat named a near full-strength squad for next Wednesday's friendly international against France. . . . more . . .
Hunted Bremen look to fend off predators Stuttgart (Mar 26, 2004)
The bookmakers have already started paying out on Werder Bremen becoming the new German champions for 2004 but holders Bayern Munich and third-placed VfB Stuttgart are not waving the white flag just yet. . . . more . . .
Scholes aims to spike Gunners (Mar 26, 2004)
Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has warned that Arsenal's Treble hopes could be blown apart if the Reds end Arsenal's record-equalling run on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Madrid now need to show they are the Real deal (Mar 26, 2004)
Real Madrid got a respite from their critics with a 4-2 win over Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday but they still need a convincing performance against Sevilla on Sunday to quieten them completely. . . . more . . .
Postiga given Portugal recall for friendly with Italy (Mar 26, 2004)
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari recalled Tottenham striker Helder Postiga for a friendly against Italy on March 31 at the new Braga Municipal Stadium in northern Portugal. . . . more . . .
Pride on the line as United seek to deny Gunners record (Mar 26, 2004)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson did not look a happy man as he sat watching Chelsea slug it out with Arsenal on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Portugal seeks NATO help for Euro 2004 (Mar 25, 2004)
Portugal will ask NATO to help beef up security during the European football finals this summer, Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso revealed. . . . more . . .
Marseille won't be singing: Houllier (Mar 25, 2004)
Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has motivated his players for their UEFA Cup fourth round match by reminding them of Marseille's celebrations after the 1-1 draw in the first leg. . . . more . . .
Teenage keeper the hero as Celtic survive Barca onslaught (Mar 25, 2004)
Celtic survived a 90-minute onslaught by Barcelona to draw 0-0 in their fourth round second leg match tie here to progress to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 aggregate victory. . . . more . . .
Nigeria's Martins the hero as Inter claim quarter-final place (Mar 25, 2004)
Inter Milan edged a seven-goal thriller against Benfica at the San Siro to squeeze into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. . . . more . . .
Portugal seek NATO help for Euro 2004 (Mar 25, 2004)
Portugal will ask NATO to help beef up security during the European football finals this summer, Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso revealed. . . . more . . .
Marseille make Liverpool pay for first half folly (Mar 25, 2004)
Former European champions Marseille qualified for the UEFA Cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory over ten-man Liverpool. . . . more . . .
Ranieri warns Gunners: Chelsea will take some shooting (Mar 25, 2004)
Claudio Ranieri has warned Arsenal they will need all of their killer instinct to end Chelsea's Champions League dream in a fortnight's time. . . . more . . .
Morientes and Salva recalled for Spain (Mar 25, 2004)
Centre forwards Fernando Morientes of Monaco and Salva Ballesta of Malaga were called up by Spain for their Euro 2004 warm-up match against Denmark at Gijon on March 31. . . . more . . .
Eriksson urges fans to behave against Sweden (Mar 25, 2004)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has written to all 3,000 England ticket-holders for the friendly with his native Sweden to stress the importance of good behaviour. . . . more . . .
Anelka snubbed but Santini insists door is still open (Mar 25, 2004)
France coach Jacques Santini ignored Nicolas Anelka's plea to be forgiven when he named his squad for a friendly international against Holland next week. . . . more . . .
Younger Vieri gets call-up for Australia-South Africa friendly (Mar 25, 2004)
Australia named Massimiliano Vieri, the younger brother of Italian superstar Christian Vieri, in its squad to play a friendly match against South Africa in London next week. . . . more . . .
Barca's Puyol and Ronaldinho fit to face Celtic (Mar 25, 2004)
Carles Puyol and Brazil World Cup star Ronaldinho have been passed fit to face Celtic in Barcelona's UEFA Cup fourth round second leg match. . . . more . . .
Villa turn down takeover bid (Mar 25, 2004)
English Premiership side Aston Villa have rejected a reported 30 million pound bid from former Manchester City defender Ray Ranson. . . . more . . .
Berlusconi puts football's bail-out plan on ice (Mar 25, 2004)
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said a proposal to help Italy's debt-ridden clubs by giving them tax breaks had been put on ice because it had split the country's coalition government. . . . more . . .
Figo the phenomenon as Real roll on (Mar 25, 2004)
Ronaldo's return grabbed most of the headlines but the man who took the plaudits for Real Madrid's 4-2 win over Monaco was Luis Figo. . . . more . . .
Hertha's Hoeness ridicules Daum link (Mar 25, 2004)
Hertha Berlin general manager Dieter Hoeness has reacted angrily to suggestions that Christoph Daum is being lined up to coach the team next season. . . . more . . .
France snub for Anelka (Mar 25, 2004)
France coach Jacques Santini ignored Nicolas Anelka's plea to be forgiven when he named his squad for a friendly international against Holland next week. . . . more . . .
English offer on table for Bremen's Micoud (Mar 25, 2004)
Werder Bremen's French playmaker Johan Micoud wants to leave the Bundesliga leaders, with a top English Premiership side registering their interest. . . . more . . .
Voller puts Lehmann and Hildebrand under the microscope (Mar 25, 2004)
Germany coach Rudi Voller has handed a first call-up to VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand for the warm-up match with Belgium in Cologne next wednesday as he looks at different options between the posts. . . . more . . .
Desailly hails Gunners class (Mar 25, 2004)
Marcel Desailly rates Arsenal, along with his old club AC Milan, as joint favourites to lift this season's Champions League crown. . . . more . . .
Rooney not charged over spitting claim (Mar 25, 2004)
England star Wayne Rooney will not face charges over claims he spat in a young woman's face during a night out in Manchester last month, prosecutors said. . . . more . . .
Builder embroiled in legal battle with Owen found dead (Mar 25, 2004)
A builder caught up in a legal battle with Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen about allegations of over-charging has been found dead after apparently killing himself. . . . more . . .
Tardelli signed as Egypt coach (Mar 25, 2004)
Egypt have appointed former Juventus and Inter Milan player Marco Tardelli as coach ahead of their bid to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals. . . . more . . .
Maldini confirms international retirement (Mar 25, 2004)
AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini confirmed his retirement from international football - following an announcement he made the day after the final of the 2002 World Cup. . . . more . . .
Dutch star Van Bommel invites Schalke bid (Mar 25, 2004)
Ambitious Schalke 04 are trying to make Dutch international midfielder Marc van Bommel their latest recruit and the PSV Eindhoven star admits a move to the Arena Auf Schalke is appealing. . . . more . . .
Never write off Real: Beckham (Mar 25, 2004)
David Beckham hit back at Real Madrid's critics after the Spanish side beat Monaco 4-2 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg clash and insisted they have put their bad patch behind them. . . . more . . .
Vermant extends Schalke stay until 2006 (Mar 25, 2004)
Belgian international Sven Vermant has extended his contract with Schalke 04 by a further two years until June 2006. . . . more . . .
Anderson ends Roma fightback to send Villarreal through (Mar 25, 2004)
Roma crashed out of the UEFA Cup despite beating Villarreal 2-1 in the second leg of their fourth round match here at the Olympic stadium. . . . more . . .
Mallorca lose captain on eve of Newcastle visit (Mar 25, 2004)
Real Mallorca have lost their captain Javier Olaizola ahead of their UEFA Cup fourth round second leg match against Newcastle United. . . . more . . .
Bates contemplating Wednesday move (Mar 25, 2004)
Former Chelsea chairman Ken Bates is thinking about investing upwards of 10 million pounds (18 million dollars) in ailing Second Division side Sheffield Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Celtic survive Barca onslaught to reach quarter-finals (Mar 25, 2004)
Celtic survived a 90-minute onslaught by Barcelona to draw 0-0 in their fourth round second leg match tie here to progress to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 aggregate victory. . . . more . . .
Robson signs new Newcastle contract (Mar 25, 2004)
Bobby Robson has signed a new contract with Newcastle United that will see him stay as manager until the end of the 2004/05 season, the English Premiership side revealed. . . . more . . .
Bologna dent Lazio's hopes of Champions League place (Mar 25, 2004)
Lazio's hopes of clinching a place in the Champions League next season were dealt a blow when they lost 2-1 at Bologna. . . . more . . .
Ferguson charged by FA over Freund incident (Mar 24, 2004)
Everton's Duncan Ferguson is facing Football Association disciplinary charges after clashing with Leicester's Steffen Freund last weekend. . . . more . . .
Statistics on Arsenal's side in Chelsea Euro clash (Mar 24, 2004)
It is the match Chelsea cannot win and Arsenal cannot lose - at least that's what the statistics say ahead of the London rivals' Champions League quarter-final first leg match at Stamford Bridge. . . . more . . .
Real will bounce back says Zidane (Mar 24, 2004)
Real Madrid go into their Champions League quarter-final with Monaco on the back of two defeats which have rocked the reigning Spanish champions. . . . more . . .
It is not finished yet: Ranieri (Mar 24, 2004)
Claudio Ranieri said Chelsea would travel to Arsenal for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final in high spirits, despite being held to a 1-1 draw at home. . . . more . . .
Chelsea face massive Ranieri pay-off (Mar 24, 2004)
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich could be forced to pay Claudio Ranieri 8 million pounds (14.7 million dollars) compensation - the biggest ever pay-off in British football - if he sacks the Italian manager in July as expected. . . . more . . .
Celebratory shooting breaks out as Iraq beats Kuwait at football (Mar 24, 2004)
Celebratory shots rang out in Baghdad after the Iraqi national football team beat Kuwait 2-1 in a qualifying match for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. . . . more . . .
South Korea close in on Olympics (Mar 24, 2004)
South Korea edged closer to the Olympic Games football tournament on Wednesday with a 1-0 win over Malaysia to give them a six point lead at the top of Asian Group A. . . . more . . .
Bail-out plan for Italian clubs opposed by Northern League (Mar 24, 2004)
Italy's right-wing Northern League opposed a plan to allow cash-strapped Italian football clubs the opportunity to spread payment of back taxes over five years. . . . more . . .
Bellamy in airport incident (Mar 24, 2004)
Newcastle United striker Craig Bellamy and club coach John Carver had to be pulled apart in an incident at Newcastle airport, according to a report. . . . more . . .
Racing Santander claim player was match-fixing target (Mar 24, 2004)
Spanish first division side Racing Santander lodged an official complaint with the league authorities that one of their players was asked to fix last weekend's match against Celta Vigo. . . . more . . .
Madrid move a step closer to tenth title (Mar 24, 2004)
Real Madrid turned on the style in the second half to earn a deserved 4-2 win over Monaco in their Champions League quarter-final first leg. . . . more . . .
Pires gives Gunners the edge (Mar 24, 2004)
Robert Pires denied Chelsea a first win over Arsenal in 17 attempts as the Gunners emerged from their trip across London with a 1-1 draw and a crucial edge to take into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final. . . . more . . .
Milan masterclass deflates Deportivo (Mar 23, 2004)
AC Milan showed their determination to keep hold of the Champions League trophy with an emphatic 4-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna in a gripping quarter-final first leg tie. . . . more . . .
Porto take a double bite out of French champions Lyon (Mar 23, 2004)
FC Porto lived up to their billing as potential Champions League winners with a convincing 2-0 win over French champions Lyon in the first leg of their quarter final. . . . more . . .
Monaco's Morientes worrying return to Real (Mar 23, 2004)
Monaco's Fernando Morientes hardly got a hero's welcome on his return to the Spanish capital. . . . more . . .
Inanmoto faces return to Japan (Mar 23, 2004)
Japanese international midfielder Junichi Inamoto looks likely to return home at the end of the English Premiership season because Fulham are unwilling to pay the fee wanted by his Japanese club. . . . more . . .
We will survive, says Leeds boss Gray (Mar 23, 2004)
Defiant Leeds boss Eddie Gray believes his team's battling 2-1 win over Manchester City will be the springboard for a successful fight to stay in the Premiership. . . . more . . .
Celtic hit by Douglas ban blow (Mar 23, 2004)
Celtic's planning for Thursday's UEFA Cup fourth round clash against Barcelona suffered a setback when goalkeeper Rob Douglas lost his appeal against his sending-off in the first leg in Glasgow 11 days ago. . . . more . . .
Ranieri tells Chelsea players goodbye (Mar 23, 2004)
Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri has told his players he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, newspapers reported. . . . more . . .
Lyon can reach the last four says Juninho (Mar 23, 2004)
Lyon's Brazilian midfielder Juninho believes the French side can handle FC Porto here and go on to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time. . . . more . . .
Confident Milan ready for Spanish inquisition (Mar 23, 2004)
AC Milan are in buoyant mood ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg here against Deportivo La Coruna after taking another step closer to the Italian league title. . . . more . . .
Henry looks no further than Stamford Bridge (Mar 23, 2004)
Arsenal might be touted as potential European champions but Thierry Henry is looking no further ahead than Stamford Bridge when the Premiership leaders clash with Chelsea in Wednesday's quarter-finals. . . . more . . .
