Valencia came back twice to earn a 2-2 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk to seal their passage into the knockout stages of the Champions League. . . . more . . .
PSV Eindhoven shot into the Champions League knockout stages after earning a 2-0 victory over 10-man Galatasaray. . . . more . . .
Francesco Totti made up for missing a first-half penalty by scoring a 66th minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Olympiakos, which moved the Serie A club to the brink of the Champions League's knockout stages. . . . more . . .
Chelsea took another step towards the last 16 of the Champions League as Didier Drogba rescued a 2-2 draw away to holders Barcelona with a last-gap equaliser which left the defending champions facing the danger of being eliminated. . . . more . . .
Luis Garcia further enhanced his reputation as Liverpool's European saviour as Rafa Benitez's side secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Bordeaux at Anfield. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League with two games to spare despite firing blanks in a 0-0 group B draw with Sporting Lisbon. . . . more . . .
Italian giants Inter Milan kept their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League alive as a Julio Cruz goal gave them a 1-0 win over Spartak Moscow in their Group B clash. . . . more . . .
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan says his side will be looking for more European glory when they face Benfica Wednesday in the Champions League in Lisbon, the city where in 1967 the team became the first British side to win the European Cup. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United's exhilarating current form can carry them all the way to Champions League glory next May. . . . more . . .
The German Football Federation (DFB) and German Football League (DFL) revealed they have decided to assemble a task force to combat violence, racism and xenophobia. . . . more . . .
Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has dismissed reports that the former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson could be on his way to the English Premiership club. . . . more . . .
Scottish Premier League club Hibernians have named former international John Collins as its new manager following the departure of Tony Mowbray for West Brom. . . . more . . .
Manchester United trio Ryan Giggs, Louis Saha and captain Gary Neville will miss Wednesday's Champions League match against FC Copenhagen through injury. . . . more . . .
Chelsea will travel to Barcelona for today's Champions League fixture knowing that a draw would leave them firmly in the driving seat in Group A. . . . more . . .
Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce shrugged off suggestions his players had secured him some valuable breathing space with Monday night's 1-0 win over Middlesbrough, insisting he had never felt his job was on the line. . . . more . . .
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, whose side face Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday, said Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura was becoming more and more vital as the season went on. . . . more . . .
Any hopes Mark Proctor had of heading off a late challenge by John Collins for the Hibernian managerial post probably disappeared as his side were beaten 2-1 at Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership. . . . more . . .
A true captain's performance from Richard Dunne helped Manchester City to a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough that earns the club's under-fire manager Stuart Pearce some badly-needed breathing space. . . . more . . .
Barcelona's Argentine star Lionel Messi and the European champions' coach Frank Rijkaard shrugged off any idea they will resort to gamesmanship if the chips are down in their Champions League match with Chelsea. . . . more . . .
FIFA boss Sepp Blatter has denied making comments to the Australian media disparaging World Cup winners Italy for their tactics in the last 16 round game against Australia. . . . more . . .
Work has started to transform the site of the former Maze prison for paramilitaries into a 42,000-capacity national stadium for Northern Ireland and an international centre for conflict transformation. . . . more . . .
Injury-hit Dynamo Kiev are bracing themselves for a tough Champions League Group E encounter away against an on-fire Lyon. . . . more . . .
Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has said his side would target three points in their Champions League Group A trip to Barcelona to vault into the last 16, insisting his men were "more mature" than last season when they exited to the same rivals. . . . more . . .
David Beckham, discarded by England, insisted he was going nowhere and intended to stay with Real Madrid despite spending much of this season on the bench. . . . more . . .
Coach Manuel Jose will beg Egyptian soccer chiefs for help this week as Al-Ahly battle to keep the African Champions League trophy. . . . more . . .
Midfielder Youri Djorkaeff has retired from football after a glittering career that saw him play in the French international teams that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. . . . more . . .
Former Italian international Gianfranco Zola has been linked with a guest stint at several clubs in Australia's A-League, reports have said. . . . more . . .
Alan Pardew breathed a huge sigh of relief as his West Ham team snatched their first win since August in overcoming Blackburn 2-1 at Upton Park. . . . more . . .
Lyon appear in a hurry to wrap up a sixth consecutive French title before Christmas as they extended their unbeaten run to 15 games in all competitions this season with a 1-0 win over Nancy at the Stade Gerland. . . . more . . .
Club Sportif Sfaxien of Tunisia came from behind to surprisingly hold title holders Al-Ahly of Egypt 1-1 in the first leg of the African Champions League final. . . . more . . .
FC Porto's Brazilian midfielder Anderson will miss Wednesday's Champions League Group G match against Hamburg after he broke his right leg in a weekend Portuguese league match, the club said. . . . more . . .
A last minute goal from Brazilian striker Amauri took Palermo back level with Inter Milan at the top of the Italian table. . . . more . . .
Sevilla came back from a goal down to win 2-1 at Celta Vigo and move up to second place in the Spanish first division. . . . more . . .
West Ham hauled themselves out of the relegation zone with a passionate 2-1 win over Blackburn at Upton Park. . . . more . . .
Celtic opened up a 10-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League but manager Gordon Strachan found himself laughing off reports that David Beckham was heading to Parkhead. . . . more . . .
France captain Patrick Vieira is out of Inter Milan's crucial Champions League trip to Spartak Moscow, the team said Vieira was injured during the Milan derby on Saturday, in which Inter consolidated top spot in the Italian league following a thrilling 4-3 victory at the San Siro. . . . more . . .
Liverpool have no intention of allowing skipper Steven Gerrard to leave the club, manager Rafael Benitez has said. . . . more . . .
David Beckham's frustrations at his lack of first-team appearances at Real Madrid have renewed speculation about his future with both Tottenham and Celtic being touted as possible buyers. . . . more . . .
Brazilian duo Sidiclei and Magno Alves has helped defending champions Gamba Osaka beat Shimizu S-Pulse 3-0 and close the gap to front-runners Urawa Red Diamonds in the J-League. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger berated Everton's "negative" tactics after Arsenal's Premiership title ambitions were dented by a 1-1 draw with the Merseysiders. . . . more . . .
Rafael Benitez claimed his players had responded to the criticism over his tactics with a comprehensive 3-1 win against Aston Villa here at Anfield. . . . more . . .
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has admitted he is facing a striker crisis ahead of his side's Champions League group game against title-holders Barcelona in Spain next week. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he was relieved after Wayne Rooney ended his two-month goal-drought with a hat-trick against Bolton that ensured Manchester United remain on top of the Premiership. . . . more . . .
Nantes finally lifted themselves off the bottom of the table with a narrow 1-0 victory in the basement battle against Monaco. . . . more . . .
World Player of the Year Ronaldinho scored twice to help reigning champions Barcelona extend their lead at the top of the Spanish first division with a 3-0 win over Recreativo Huelva. . . . more . . .
Charlton secured their first away point of the season but still remained rooted to the foot of the Premiership after a goalless draw against Newcastle at St James' Park. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini said the dismissal of Marco Materazzi almost cost his side victory in the pulsating 4-3 derby win over AC Milan. . . . more . . .
Hearts were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Dunfermline as their Scottish Premier League challenge faltered after a traumatic week at the Edinburgh club. . . . more . . .
Watford remain the only Premiership team without a win after being held to a 0-0 draw by Tottenham. . . . more . . .
Wayne Rooney ended his 10-game goal-drought in spectacular style with a hat-trick in Manchester United's comfortable 4-0 victory against Bolton Wanderers which kept Sir Alex Ferguson's side top of the Premiership Cristiano Ronaldo added United's other goal but this display was all about Rooney's return to form against a Bolton side that hadn't conceded a league goal at their Reebok Stadium home this term prior to Saturday's rout. . . . more . . .
Nigeria striker Nwankwo Kanu inspired Portsmouth to a 3-1 home win against Reading. . . . more . . .
Robin van Persie preserved Arsenal's unblemished home record with a spectacular strike but the Londoners were still frustrated by a 1-1 draw with Everton. . . . more . . .
Liverpool have eased the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez by ending Aston Villa's unbeaten start to the season with a 3-1 victory here at Anfield. . . . more . . .
Alessandro Del Piero scored his 200th goal for Juventus to secure a 1-0 home win over Frosinone as the scandal-hit Turin club chalked up their seventh consecutive Serie B victory. . . . more . . .
Senegal international striker Henri Camara gave Wigan their second successive Premiership win here as they beat Fulham 1-0. . . . more . . .
Double winners Bayern Munich kept pace with league leaders Werder Bremen with a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. . . . more . . .
Chelsea warmed up for next week's Champions League showdown against Barcelona with a fifth straight win after defeating struggling Sheffield United 2-0 at Bramall Lane here. . . . more . . .
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has insisted it is the Scottish Premier League and not the prospect of European glory which is the Hoops' chief concern. . . . more . . .
Sportswear company Nike have signed a new sponsorship agreement with Spanish giants Barcelona which will see them invest a minimum of 150 million euros over a five year period ending in 2013. . . . more . . .
Werder Bremen trounced strugglers Mainz 05 6-1 to pull three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. . . . more . . .
Juventus, Lazio and Fiorentina had their match-fixing penalties cut by the Arbitration Court of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI). . . . more . . .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted he wanted to sign Everton's Andrew Johnson. . . . more . . .
German international forward Lukas Podolski is out for three weeks, his club Bayern Munich said, after suffering an injury in training. . . . more . . .
Sheffield United have insisted that the training ground confrontation between striker Ade Akinbiyi and Claude Davis has been resolved. . . . more . . .
Hearts captain Steven Pressley has said there is "significant unrest" among the players at the Scottish Premier League side as a result of the latest round of changes to the Edinburgh club's coaching staff. . . . more . . .
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has added his voice to calls for clubs to show more patience with their managers, on a weekend when the job security of some of his Premiership colleagues will again come under close scrutiny. . . . more . . .
Abou Diaby can't wait to play a part in Arsenal's push for the Premiership title after spending several frustrating months on the sidelines with injury. . . . more . . .
Chelsea goalkeper Petr Cech has admitted he has no memory of the frightening challenge with Reading's Stephen Hunt that left the Czech international with a fractured skull. . . . more . . .
Former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann is reportedly in preliminary discussions with the American football federation (USSF) on the possibility of him becoming the coach of their national team. . . . more . . .
Real Sociedad's Jose Mari Bakero has become the first coach in the Spanish first division to be sacked this season. . . . more . . .
Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe has vowed never to bite another opponent following the controversy surrounding his "nibble" of West Ham's Javier Mascherano last weekend. . . . more . . .
British Prime Minister Tony Blair paid handsome tribute to Alan Shearer as the former England and Newcastle striker handed over the proceeds of his testimonial fund to charity. . . . more . . .
Belgian side FC Genk have reported Scottish Premier League highflyers Hearts to FIFA for failing to pay part of the reported 1.2 million euro (1.5m dollars) transfer fee for Bosnia player Mirsad Beslija. . . . more . . .
New Leeds United manager Dennis Wise has told the struggling Championship club to show a nasty streak in a bid to reverse their ailing form. . . . more . . .
Serbian defender Nikola Mijailovic was handed a five-match ban from all UEFA matches after European football's governing body found him guilty of racist abuse against Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy. . . . more . . .
Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled a scheduled visit to the Premiership football club Arsenal's new stadium due to a strained muscle in her back, her office said. . . . more . . .
A Turkish prosecutor has sought up to 11 years and three months in prison for the president of the Turkish Football Association and three former aides for misusing official funds of at least one million dollars (800,000 euros), the Anatolia news agency reported. . . . more . . .
FIFA's suspension of Kenya from international football will not help end woes plaguing the sport in the east African nation, the chief of Kenya's soccer governing board said. . . . more . . .
The agent of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has denied he is set to become the new boss of West Ham following the news he met with two people involved with Kia Joorabchian's potential takeover of the club. . . . more . . .
West Ham chairman Terence Brown said he firmly backed manager Alan Pardew although they were beaten by Chesterfield for their eighth successive defeat to continue their worst run in 74 years. . . . more . . .
Former England captain Terry Butcher says the turmoil over his coaching future at Sydney FC is one of the most difficult periods of his professional life. . . . more . . .
Injury-hit Liverpool midfielder Harry Kewell says his playing comeback is months away after recent groin and foot surgery in Sydney. . . . more . . .
England international Joe Cole, who scored in his first start of the season in Chelsea's midweek League Cup action, should be hitting top form by next month. . . . more . . .
Gareth Barry has criticised former Aston Villa manager David O'Leary for selling striker Peter Crouch. . . . more . . .
League Cup holders Manchester United were just two minutes away from a penalty shoot-out before seeing off minnows Crewe 2-1 in a dramatic third round tie at Gresty Road. . . . more . . .
Joint leaders Inter Milan and Palermo both recorded home victories to stretch their lead at the top of Serie A to four points. . . . more . . .
Spanish giants Real Madrid were held 1-1 by third division Ecija in their Spanish Cup round of last 32 first leg match. . . . more . . .
Holders Bayern Munich stayed on course to lift the German cup for the third successive year with a 1-0 second round win over Kaiserslautern. . . . more . . .
Sylvain Wiltord scored a late brace to preserve Lyon's aura of invincibility as the five-time champions came back from the dead to beat Paris St Germain 2-1 in the League Cup. . . . more . . .
Struggling English Premiership giants Newcastle United have said they are having ongoing discussions with financial group Belgravia but denied that meant an offer would be imminent. . . . more . . .
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has insisted his team can still win this season's Premiership title despite currently being 11 points behind leaders Manchester United. . . . more . . .
Former France captain Marcel Desailly has said that Kenya had only itself to blame for football woes that led FIFA this week to ban it indefinitely from international play. . . . more . . .
FIFA has confirmed that Kenya has been thrown out of international football until a 28-point plan agreed earlier this year to tackle alleged government interference and other problems is fully implemented. . . . more . . .
European football's ruling body UEFA have charged England's Football Association over the "improper behaviour" of England supporters in Croatia. . . . more . . .
Middlesbrough's Australia international striker Mark Viduka has been ruled out for six weeks after X-rays revealed he'd broken a toe in last weekend's derby win against Newcastle. . . . more . . .
Crisis-ridden 2004 Champions League finalists Monaco didn't get the usual boost of a victory on taking on a new coach as they crashed out of the League Cup losing to Second Division Reims on penalties. . . . more . . .
North German giants Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund were both left licking their wounds as they were dumped out of the second round of the German Cup. . . . more . . .
English Premiership strugglers West Ham suffered an eighth straight defeat as they went down 2-1 in the League Cup away to giantkillers Chesterfield. . . . more . . .
Alan Smith is set to start his first game since being seriously injured at Liverpool last season when League Cup holders Manchester United begin the defence of their trophy at Crewe on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Kenya have been handed an indefinite ban from all international competitions by football's world governing body FIFA, according to reports. . . . more . . .
Fallen English football giants Leeds United confirmed former England midfielder Dennis Wise as their new manager. . . . more . . .
South Africa will confound international sceptics by meeting all its deadlines and staging a well-organized football World Cup in 2010, President Thabo Mbeki vowed. . . . more . . .
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has left hospital, ten days after fracturing his skull in a collision with Reading's Stephen Hunt. . . . more . . .
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has insisted he is getting the best out of club captain Steven Gerrard despite criticism that the England midfielder is being played out of position. . . . more . . .
Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has won backing from predecessor Sir John Hall after being targeted by fans during last weekend's derby defeat against Middlesbrough. . . . more . . .
David Beckham would find himself at the centre of a bidding frenzy were he to return to English football according to Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder. . . . more . . .
Marcello Lippi, who resigned as Italy coach shortly after their triumphant World Cup campaign this year, says he will look for another job in 2007. . . . more . . .
The mystery surrounding Hearts manager Valdas Ivanauskas has deepened wth the news that he is to take two weeks off to deal with an urgent "health issue." . . . more . . .
Chelsea have taken French goalkeeper Stephane Porato on trial as coach Jose Mourinho looks at how to resolve his goalkeeping crisis. . . . more . . .
Four of the five Italian football clubs found guilty of match-fixing should find out next Monday whether their punishments will be reduced further. . . . more . . .
Lyon look to be seamlessly racing away to their sixth straight French title and cruising through the Champions League qualifying group stages which begs the question - are Gerard Houllier's side the best in Europe? . . . more . . .
A double from Chris Killen inspired Hibernian to a 4-0 victory away at Dunfermline to record their first victory in the Scottish Premiership since previous manager Tony Mowbray left to take over at English Championship side West Brom. . . . more . . .
Portuguese side Boavista named Jaime Pacheco, who led the club to their only league title in 2001, as their new coach, replacing Zeljko Petrovic who resigned a day earlier. . . . more . . .
Lyon's Brazilian striker Fred will be sidelined for at least two months with a leg injury he picked up in the 4-1 defeat of Marseille here Sunday. . . . more . . .
Struggling English football giants Leeds United were finally given permission by League Two highflyers Swindon Town to talk to their head coach Denis Wise and his assistant Gustavo Poyet. . . . more . . .
Former England international midfielder Paul Ince became a manager for the first time as he was appointed player-manager of the English league's bottom club Macclesfield Town on a 14 month contract. . . . more . . .
The Football Association has confirmed they had received Chelsea's letter addressing concerns over the treatment of fractured skull-victim Petr Cech. . . . more . . .
Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has brushed off suggestions his recent dip in form is down to post-World Cup trauma, and believes a red card he received in Amsterdam is more to blame. . . . more . . .
French international defender Willy Sagnol believes Bayern Munich's indifferent start to the season can be traced back to the departure of several key players in the summer, notably Michael Ballack. . . . more . . .
Tottenham's England striker Jermain Defoe has sought to play down an incident in Sunday's game against West Ham when he bit Javier Mascherano's arm. . . . more . . .
Leeds United appear to have been thwarted in their bid to lure Swindon head coach Dennis Wise and his assistant Gustavo Poyet to Elland Road to fill their vacant managerial position. . . . more . . .
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson insists Liverpool can still win the Premiership even though their deadly rivals are 11 points adrift of the top of the table. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger watched Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas combine to destroy Reading 4-0 and then warned Arsenal's Premiership title rivals: We are getting better and better. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid gained revenge for their humiliation 12 months ago when they beat bitter rivals Barcelona 2-0 in a match played in torrential rain. . . . more . . .
Leaders Lyon's 4-1 victory at 10-man Marseille gave the clearest indication yet they have no credible rival in the chase for a sixth consecutive French league title. . . . more . . .
Valencia's prolific Spanish international striker David Villa got the only goal in a 1-0 win over Osasuna, to keep up the pressure on league leaders Barcelona. . . . more . . .
SV Hamburg finally got their season up and running with Peruvian international Paolo Guerrero scoring twice to secure a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. . . . more . . .
Thierry Henry scored his first Premiership away goals of the season as Arsenal produced a vintage performance to sweep Reading aside 4-0 at the Madejski Stadium. . . . more . . .
Tottenham have taken revenge over West Ham for denying them a Champions League place last season and pushed Alan Pardew a step closer to the sack as Mido's goal clinched a 1-0 win against their London rivals. . . . more . . .
Middlesbrough striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu grabbed a late goal to earn his side a 1-0 win against Newcastle at the Riverside Stadium. . . . more . . .
Ivan Campo scored the decisive goal but goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was the hero as 10-man Bolton staged a smash and grab raid to win 1-0 at Blackburn. . . . more . . .
Australian international Mark Bresciano scored one of the goals which gave Palermo a 2-0 victory at AC Milan and a share of the lead in Italy. . . . more . . .
Manchester United have gone back to the top of the Premiership with a 2-0 win against arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford. . . . more . . .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes video technology must be introduced into football to help referees get controversial decisions right. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham has admitted he is sad and frustrated at being left on the sidelines by both club and country. . . . more . . .
Celtic are still going through a learning process as they try to cope with the demands of playing in the Champions League while also retaining their league title, says manager Gordon Strachan. . . . more . . .
Neil Warnock saw Sheffield United's away troubles continue in a 2-0 defeat at Everton and, not for the first time this season, the outspoken manager has laid the blame at the feet of a referee. . . . more . . .
Jose Mourinho lavished praise on Andriy Shevchenko after the Ukrainian striker finally scored for Chelsea for the first time in two months in their 2-1 win over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge. . . . more . . .
Monaco coach Laszlo Boloni insisted his side will rescue their dying season despite the former Champions League runners-up sinking to second from bottom of the French league. . . . more . . .
Deportivo La Coruna moved up to second place in the Spanish first division after a hard-fought 1-0 over Atletico Madrid. . . . more . . .
Fulham midfielder Moritz Volz climbed off his sick bed to score his first ever Premiership goal and earn his side a 1-1 draw at high-flying Aston Villa. . . . more . . .
Wigan took advantage of a defensive horror-show to crush Manchester City 4-0 at the JJB Stadium. . . . more . . .
Mikel Arteta's header and James Beattie's penalty saw Everton's recent problems in front of goal come to an end at the expense of relegation favourites Sheffield United. . . . more . . .
Andriy Shevchenko ended his goal-drought as Chelsea went back to the top of the Premiership with a 2-1 win over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge. . . . more . . .
Charlton remained anchored to the bottom of the English Premiership after being held to a goalless draw by fellow strugglers Watford at The Valley. . . . more . . .
Celtic moved eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League after struggling to a 2-1 victory at home to Motherwell. . . . more . . .
A sixth consecutive victory for demoted Juventus in the Italian second division has finally wiped out their 17-point deficit imposed at the start of the season for match-fixing. . . . more . . .
Werder Bremen showed they are genuine contenders to end Bayern Munich's dominance of the domestic league after defeating the reigning champions 3-1 to stay top of the Bundesliga. . . . more . . .
Andriy Shevchenko's goal drought has finally came to an end as Chelsea overpowered Portsmouth to move to the top of the Premiership. . . . more . . .
Serbian veteran Ratomir Dujkovic, who guided Ghana to the second round of the World Cup, has been unveiled as the new coach of China's Olympic football team. . . . more . . .
France legend Michel Platini would aim to reduce each country's Champions League allocations if he is voted in as the next president of UEFA. . . . more . . .
Everton director Paul Gregg has ended his power struggle with chairman Bill Kenwright by selling his 23 percent stake in the club to BCR Sports, it was announced on the club's website. . . . more . . .
Arsenal captain Thierry Henry belives England manager Steve McClaren should give midfielder David Beckham another chance in the England set-up. . . . more . . .
The playing career of former Australian international goalkeeper Jason Petkovic may be over after he broke his leg in Perth Glory's 2-1 loss to Central Coast in the A-League. . . . more . . .
The fast-flowing, hard-tackling sport of Australian rules football ought to take a giant punt at establishing itself in the booming Asian sports market, insists the coach of top AFL side Geelong. . . . more . . .
Tottenham captain Ledley King believes his side are ready to wipe out the painful memories of West Ham destroying their dream of qualifying for the Champions League last season. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager famed for his foreign recruitment policy, claims the club will be regularly producing their own home grown talent within the next five years. . . . more . . .
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard makes his 350th appearance for the Merseysiders in Sunday's clash at Manchester United. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson admits that Manchester United may be forced to break the 90-point barrier if they are to beat Chelsea to this season's Premiership title. . . . more . . .
Djibril Cisse is back in light training for the first time since surgery on a broken right knee suffered in a World Cup warm-up match for France in June. . . . more . . .
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has described the Red Devils' meetings with northwest rivals Liverpool as the most intense derby in world football. . . . more . . .
Paul Scholes is set to become only the eighth player to make 500 appearances for Manchester United when he runs out against Liverpool on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Benni McCarthy has asked European football's governing body UEFA to investigate racist abuse he allegedy suffered at the hands of Polish side Wisla Krakow and their Serbian defender Nikola Mijailovic. . . . more . . .
English champions Chelsea are set to make an audacious bid to bring Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon to Stamford Bridge. . . . more . . .
Manchester United striker Alan Smith will express his thanks to Liverpool fans on Sunday for their compassion following the horrific broken leg he suffered at Anfield last season. . . . more . . .
Scottish-based striker Scott McDonald believes Sydney FC manager Terry Butcher can help him win more international caps with the Socceroos. . . . more . . .
Newcastle, Tottenham, Blackburn and Glasgow Rangers made it a British night to remember when all four sides triumphed in their opening UEFA Cup group matches. . . . more . . .
Antoine Sibierski got the only goal of the game after 79 minutes as Newcastle United began the UEFA Cup group phase with a 1-0 victory over Fenerbahce. . . . more . . .
Blackburn came from a goal down to beat Wisla Krakow 2-1 in their UEFA Cup Group E match but the win was overshadowed by allegations of racial abuse suffered by Rovers' black striker Benni McCarthy. . . . more . . .
Former Paris Saint Germain president Laurent Perpere was placed under judicial review as a probe continues into transfer dealings at the club. . . . more . . .
Up to 600 fans of Bosnia's national team protested demanding the resignation of the country's football chiefs, including coach Blaz Sliskovic, over alleged fraud. . . . more . . .
Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Cech has been moved from the neurosurgery unit where he underwent surgery for a depressed fracture of the skull to a hospital nearer his home, his club has announced. . . . more . . .
Lennart Johansson, president of European football's governing body UEFA, has pledged to crack down on regulations on footballers' agents if re-elected in January. . . . more . . .
Footballing giants Newcastle, Spurs and Rangers have had difficult starts to the season but on Thursday will be looking to gain a timely boost as the UEFA Cup group stage gets under way. . . . more . . .
Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas, the inspiration of Arsenal's run to the Champions League final last season, has committed himself to the north London club for the next eight years. . . . more . . .
Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt will not face any disciplinary action over the challenge which left Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech with a fractured skull, the Football Association has confirmed. . . . more . . .
Former Portugal international Abel Xavier has moved a step closer to resurrecting his career at Middlesbrough after serving a one-year ban for doping. . . . more . . .
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted his squad are missing the energy that injured Korean star Park Ji-Sung can bring to the Red Devils midfield. . . . more . . .
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is offering a trial to the tallest player in world football in the hope that giant Chinese striker Yang Changpeng becomes the new Peter Crouch. . . . more . . .
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has said recently retired French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez is not a signing priority as they look to plug the hole left by recent injuries. . . . more . . .
French football legend Zinedine Zidane said he had been saddened to see Italy international Marco Materazzi profit from the headbutt he received from Zidane in this summer's World Cup final. . . . more . . .
Simone Perrotta got the only goal of the game 14 minutes from time to give Roma a 1-0 win at Olympiakos in the Champions League group D. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan revived their hopes of reaching the Champions League's knockout stages with an unconvincing 2-1 victory over Spartak Moscow. . . . more . . .
Two first half goals from David Villa gave Valencia a 2-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk and maintained the Spanish side's perfect record in Champions League group D. . . . more . . .
Peter Crouch sealed victory for Liverpool with a second-half header that clinched a 1-0 Champions League Group C win against Bordeaux. . . . more . . .
A moment of brilliance from Didier Drogba just after half-time was enough to give Chelsea victory over Barcelona, leaving them firmly in control of Champions League Group A. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich's dismissed midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger turned from hero to villain following his spectacular winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon at the Jose Alvalade stadium in their Champions League clash. . . . more . . .
German league leaders Werder Bremen kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Champions League at the expense of holders Barcelona with a 2-0 Group A win over Levski Sofia. . . . more . . .
FIFA President Sepp Blatter criticised government interference in football, just a day after he agreed to set up a commission with Polish authorities to tackle a dispute over government powers to sack footballing bosses. . . . more . . .
Northern Ireland's recent impressive bid to qualify for the Euro 2008 tournament may have left some more established international sides stunned. . . . more . . .
SV Hamburg has received another bad piece of news with Swiss midfielder Raphael Wicky ruled out for up to a month with a calf injury. . . . more . . .
Liverpool are facing a potential goalkeeping crisis after the Football Association levelled a charge against Jerzy Dudek which could see the Polish keeper suspended for five matches. . . . more . . .
Chile international midfielder Matias Fernandez will join up with Villarreal in January from Colo Colo, the Spanish first division side has said. . . . more . . .
Al-Ahly's Portuguese coach Manuel Jose is confident his Egyptian side can overcome CS Sfaxien of Tunisia in the African Champions League final which gets under way at the end of the month. . . . more . . .
Ambulance staff have backed Reading's and not Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's timeline of the evacuation of the London club's injured goalkeeper Petr Cech from the Madejski Stadium over the weekend. . . . more . . .
European giants Barcelona and Inter Milan go into battle looking to boost what has been a disappointing start to their Champions League campaigns. . . . more . . .
English Premiership club West Ham is to hold takeover talks with two rival consortiums this week, a newspaper has reported. . . . more . . .
European football's governing body UEFA has said that the yellow card Thierry Henry received for alleged handball in Arsenal's 1-0 Champions League loss to CSKA Moscow will stand. . . . more . . .
Former Brazilian international striker Giovane Elber, currently playing with Cruzeiro de Belo Horizonte, will retire at the end of December because of chronic pain in his right ankle. . . . more . . .
BRUSSELS (AFP/AFP) - AC Milan survived the dismissal of defender Daniele Bonera at the start of the second half to sneak a precious 1-0 win over Anderlecht in the Champions League. . . . more . . .
Lyon took a huge step towards qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Champions League with a 3-0 mauling of Dynamo Kiev. . . . more . . .
Celtic crushed Benfica 3-0 in Glasgow to take a huge step towards qualifying from the Champions League group stages for the first time. . . . more . . .
FC Porto reignited their hopes of making the knockout stage of the Champions League with a convincing 4-1 group G win over struggling German side SV Hamburg. . . . more . . .
Wayne Rooney failed to produce the goal he craves but Manchester United's passage to the knockout stages of the Champions League is virtually assured after a comfortable 3-0 win over Danish champions FC Copenhagen. . . . more . . .
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has admitted he was relieved not to have to endure another war of words with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho ahead of the latest Champions League clash between the bitter rivals. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger's winless record in Moscow continued as CSKA Moscow beat Arsenal 1-0 in their Champions League Group G clash. . . . more . . .
German side SV Hamburg have been hit with a 20,000-euro fine by the German Football Federation (DFB) after a fan threw a glass bottle at Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese. . . . more . . .
Former England manager Bobby Robson has been given a clean bill of health by doctors to continue his job with the Republic of Ireland. . . . more . . .
Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson has stepped up his bid to take over West Ham by submitting an improved offer to the club's directors. . . . more . . .
Republic of Ireland midfielder Steven Reid has hurt his back and will be out of action for four months. . . . more . . .
Nigel Pearson has resigned as stand-in manager at Championship club West Brom. . . . more . . .
AC Milan and Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has dismissed reports that he wants to end his career with Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers. . . . more . . .
Italian Benito Carbone's tenure at Sydney FC is over after three games when the Australian A-League champions failed to reach an agreement to extend his four-match guest contract. . . . more . . .
Two Manchester United directors, finance director Nick Humby and commercial director Andy Anson, have resigned from their posts. . . . more . . .
Jose Mourinho has demanded to know why it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to reach Petr Cech after the goalkeeper's horrific head injury at Reading. . . . more . . .
Liverpool's England midfielder Steven Gerrard has injured his hamstring and will miss their Champions League match at Bordeaux on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Thailand have sought to reassure the Asian Football Confederation it is ready to co-host next year's Asian Cup football tournament despite the recent coup. . . . more . . .
Manchester United and Arsenal will try to rescue English football from its post-Zagreb depression when they resume their Champions League campaigns. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson believes Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo can become even better players if they follow the example set by long-serving Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. . . . more . . .
Fulham ensured Charlton stayed bottom of the Premiership as they beat their fellow Londoners 2-1 to record their first win in four league matches. . . . more . . .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was hoping to clinch his first ever win in Moscow in his side's Champions League showdown with the Russian champions CSKA Moscow. . . . more . . .
Roma will be missing four key players for Wednesday's Champions League clash away to Greek side Olympiakos. . . . more . . .
Under-fire Spain coach Luis Aragones has got the dreaded vote of confidence from the national football federation despite his team having lost two of their opening three Group F Euro qualifiers. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson has set Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a 20-goal target this season after saluting the Norwegian striker for his remarkable comeback from career-threatening knee injuries. . . . more . . .
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has put his team's run of four draws down to their slow play. . . . more . . .
Etoile Sahel of Tunisia booked a place in the African Confederation Cup final at the weekend and Olympic Khouribga of Morocco are one victory away from joining them. . . . more . . .
Reading defender Ibrahima Sonko is poised to give up his dream of playing for France at the 2008 European Championships by pledging his international allegiances to Senegal. . . . more . . .
Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese has lit the blue torch paper ahead of Saturday's title duel with Bayern Munich telling the reigning champions they could be on the wrong end of a heavy scoreline at the Weserstadion. . . . more . . .
SV Hamburg must do without midfielder David Jarolim for up to a month after the Czech international injured his shoulder in Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Schalke 04. . . . more . . .
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has been told he must take an extended break from football after surgery on a depressed fracture of his skull and warned that a premature return could be fatal. . . . more . . .
Marseille drew 1-1 at 10-man Lens in a match of two penalties which meant champions Lyon, who beat St Etienne 2-1, forged a five-point lead at the top of the French League. . . . more . . .
Barcelona, Spanish champions for the last two years, opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Spanish first division after their nearest rivals all faltered. . . . more . . .
Al-Ahly of Egypt reached a second consecutive African Champions League final despite losing 2-1 to ASEC Abidjan of Ivory Coast. . . . more . . .
El-Hadji Diouf scored both Bolton's goals as they maintained their impressive start to the season with a 2-1 victory at Newcastle. . . . more . . .
Ten-man Hearts fought back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 at Hibernian in an eventful Edinburgh derby. . . . more . . .
Alan Pardew, who saw his West Ham side lose 2-0 at Portsmouth to fall into the Premiership relegation zone, said he was feeling less secure in his job. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid's Spanish international goalkeeper Iker Casillas said that their 1-0 defeat at Getafe was the worst performance he can remember in his seven seasons in the Real first team. . . . more . . .
Dejan Stankovic admitted his Inter Milan side were pushed all the way by Catania in their hard-fought 2-1 victory which lifted them to the top of Serie A. . . . more . . .
Chelsea's Czech international goalkeeper Petr Cech underwent head surgery after being knocked out during the weekend's 1-0 victory over Reading, the Premiership club said. . . . more . . .
Arsenal have Marseille's France international Franck Ribery firmly in their sights for next season, the pacy young midfielder's agent has revealed. . . . more . . .
Under-pressure Steve McClaren insisted he won't quit as England coach despite the barrage of criticism which followed the 2-0 defeat to Croatia in midweek. . . . more . . .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Theo Walcott can make a major impact on his star-studded side after handing the teenage striker his first full-start for the Gunners. . . . more . . .
Chelsea's narrow victory over Reading kept the heat on Premiership leaders Manchester United, but the only concern Jose Mourinho felt was for his two hospitalized goalkeepers, Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini. . . . more . . .
Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes paid tribute to Australian stars Brett Emerton and Lucas Neill who helped secure a 1-1 draw at Liverpool, less than 24 hours after returning from their homeland. . . . more . . .
Sir Alex Ferguson insisted Wayne Rooney is over his form slump after the England striker played a key role in Manchester United's 3-1 win at Wigan. . . . more . . .
Brazilian striker Ronaldo's miserable season slumped to a new low when he was sent-off in the last minute of Real Madrid's 1-0 defeat at Getafe. . . . more . . .
Mental strength helped Lyon overcome the absence of a host of key players and a penalty miss to overhaul combative 10-man Saint Etienne 2-1, the champions' manager Gerard Houllier said. . . . more . . .
Iver Ingimarsson's own goal gave Chelsea a 1-0 win at Reading but the win was tainted by injuries to goalkeepers Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini who were left hospitalized at either end of the match. . . . more . . .
A controversial late goal from Kakha Kaladze salvaged a point for AC Milan in a 1-1 draw at Sampdoria. . . . more . . .
Sheffield United claimed their first away point of the season by holding Manchester City to a goalless draw at Eastlands. . . . more . . .
Louis Saha hit his sixth goal of the season as Manchester United fought back from a goal down to claim a 3-1 Premiership victory at Wigan. . . . more . . .
Former England striker Andy Cole has celebrated his 35th birthday a day early, with a goal in Portsmouth's 2-0 victory over ailing West Ham. . . . more . . .
Werder Berlin have climbed to the top of the Bundesliga with a 6-0 demolition of bottom club Vfl Bochum. . . . more . . .
Inverness Caledonian Thistle rocked Rangers with a sensational 1-0 win with the Glasgow giant's French goalkeeper Lionel Letizi gifting the visitors their first ever win at Ibrox. . . . more . . .
Australia striker Mark Viduka scored the decisive goal as Middlesbrough beat Everton 2-1 at the Riverside Stadium. . . . more . . .
Craig Bellamy scored a second half equaliser to earn Liverpool a 1-1 draw against his former club Blackburn at Anfield. . . . more . . .
Gareth Barry's late equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw for Aston Villa after team-mate Juan Pablo Angel had gifted Tottenham the lead with an own-goal just three minutes after missing a penalty. . . . more . . .
Arsenal have extended their impressive recent run with a 3-0 win against Watford at the Emirates Stadium. . . . more . . .
Raymond Domenech has taken his fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger to task, berating the Arsenal manager for never bothering to return his calls. . . . more . . .
Alex Ferguson believes Wayne Rooney is back to his best after the striker helped inspire Manchester United's 3-1 win at Wigan. . . . more . . .
Louis Saha produced a lethal strike to help Manchester United clinch a 3-1 win at Wigan and extend his side's lead at the top of the English Premiership. . . . more . . .
Teenage striker Theo Walcott has been selected to make his first start for Arsenal in his side's Premiership clash against Watford at the Emirates Stadium. . . . more . . .
Israeli millionaire Eli Papoushado has moved a step closer to launching a takeover of West Ham when he was reported to have apppointed merchant bank NM Rothschild to advise him over the deal. . . . more . . .
South Africa striker Benni McCarthy is determined to repay Blackburn boss Mark Hughes for saving his career by leading his side's challenge for trophies this season. . . . more . . .
Bosnian prosecutors have started investigating the country's football federation (NSBiH) for fraud of up to 500,000 euros. . . . more . . .
Allan McGregor may at some point become the Rangers number one goalkeeper, manager Paul Le Guen has said. . . . more . . .
Max Clifford has decided to end his partnership with England manager Steve McLaren, who hired the publicist to help promote and protect him in the media. . . . more . . .
Another Socceroo player has come out against former national coach Guus Hiddink, saying the Dutch maestro tried to destroy him. . . . more . . .
Everton manager David Moyes has hit out at Australia's football authorities after influential midfielder Tim Cahill only returned from international duty on Friday. . . . more . . .
Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder insists the Premiership visit by Bolton Wanderers this Sunday should not be billed as a grudge match with his opposite number Sam Allardyce. . . . more . . .
Newly-promoted Aachen took provisional top spot in Germany's Bundesliga for the first time with a 3-1 away defeat of Mainz. . . . more . . .
Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton, who was fined 2,000 pounds for baring his backside at a Premiership match, believes players should be protected from the abuse they face from fans. . . . more . . .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed Theo Walcott to hit the big time but warned against billing the teenage star as the saviour of England's bruised and battered football reputation. . . . more . . .
Everton manager David Moyes hit out at Australia's football authorities after influential midfielder Tim Cahill only returned from international duty. . . . more . . .
International football faces a bleak future if a landmark court case seeking compensation for player injuries suffered on national team duty is successful. . . . more . . .
Former Norwich midfielder Peter Grant will take over as manager of the Championship side, the club announced. . . . more . . .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will celebrate 10 years in charge on Saturday and his most welcome gift will be victory over Watford at the Emirates Stadium. . . . more . . .
English Championship side West Brom have named Tony Mowbray as their new manager. . . . more . . .
Injury-plagued Newcastle striker Michael Owen has told the Premiership club he will stay for as long as they want him. . . . more . . .
Alex Ferguson is standing firmly behind his England centre-forward Wayne Rooney despite the youngster enduring the worst period and biggest crisis of his astonishing career. . . . more . . .
Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has backed under-fire Steve McClaren to turn around the fortunes of the England national team. . . . more . . .
West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand, the younger brother of England international Rio Ferdinand, has been arrested after an alleged assault outside a nightclub. . . . more . . .
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce, at the centre of the BBC allegations of illegal payments made during transfer deals, has insisted he has never been offered a 'bung'. . . . more . . .
Italian police have issued a warrant for the arrest of former Lazio president Giorgio Chinaglia for the attempted extortion of current club chief Claudio Lotito. . . . more . . .
Under-fire England boss Steve McClaren said he will not be afraid to make widespread changes to his side in an effort to cure the ills exposed in the 2-0 defeat to Croatia. . . . more . . .
After hosting a successful World Cup in the summer Germany presented itself as a unified nation free of the xenophobia associated with the country due to its controversial past but a series of racist incidents are threatening to undo all the good work. . . . more . . .
Norberto Solano hopes to return to the Newcastle side against Bolton on Sunday, putting an end to a two-month injury lay-off with a hamstring problem. . . . more . . .
Arsenal were hit with a triple injury-blow when Freddie Ljungberg, Emmanuel Eboue and Julio Baptista were all ruled out for the next two games. . . . more . . .
David Beckham should not rule out being recalled by Steve McClaren, according to one of the England coach's advisors. . . . more . . .
England striker Wayne Rooney was involved in a row with a supporter after his side's Euro 2008 qualifying defeat in Croatia, it was revealed. . . . more . . .
The English Football Association have complained to UEFA after Croatian police baton-charged England fans before the Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Fiorentina, who started the season with a 19-point penalty for match-fixing, have called for the punishment to be annulled, a lawyer of the Italian first division club said. . . . more . . .
Croatian police said they had detained 210 fans, among them 183 Croatians and 27 Brits, ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifier here. . . . more . . .
European football's governing body UEFA admit they need hard evidence from the English Football Association (FA) to follow up accusations that Germany players made racist remarks during Tuesday's under-21 European championship qualifying match against England. . . . more . . .
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt could recover from an ankle injury in time to face Blackburn on Saturday, according to manager Rafael Benitez. . . . more . . .
German international forward Miroslav Klose has been voted German Player of the Year by his fellow professionals. . . . more . . .
Iceland football federation chief Eggert Magnusson confirmed that he had started discussions with West Ham over a possible takeover. . . . more . . .
Four fans were injured and several others were arrested when Pakistani and Jordanian fans clashed at an Asian Cup football qualifier, officials said. . . . more . . .
Bulgarian captain Stilian Petrov announced he was walking out on the national team after its lacklustre 1-0 win over Luxembourg in a Euro 2008 qualifier. . . . more . . .
The German Football Federation (DFB) has apologised for the conduct of their fans during the 4-1 Euro 2008 qualifying win over Slovakia in Bratislava after close to 200 German hooligans tussled with stadium police. . . . more . . .
While other top nations are struggling to find their feet in the Euro 2008 qualifiers Germany have raced out of the traps and Wednesday's 4-1 hammering of Slovakia in Bratislava has the country oozing with confidence. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren may have said he was prepared for the media backlash over a tactical gamble that backfired in England's defeat to Croatia, but it was goalkeeper Paul Robinson who bore the brunt of the British press's ire. . . . more . . .
A hard fought 1-1 draw with Syria was enough to earn South Korea a place in the Asian Cup finals while Iran ensured a record 11th consecutive appearance at the showpiece event. . . . more . . .
David Healy was Northern Ireland's hero again as his goal earned a 1-0 Euro 2008 qualifying win against Latvia in Belfast. . . . more . . .
Wales produced the perfect response to their worst home defeat for nearly a century as they beat Cyprus 3-1 in a Euro 2008 qualifier in Cardiff. . . . more . . .
Two goals in two second-half minutes restored the Republic of Ireland's pride and gave them their first point in Group D after a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic. . . . more . . .
France rebounded from their deserved 1-0 defeat by Scotland last Saturday with a dominant 5-0 win over Scandinavian minnows the Faroe Islands. . . . more . . .
Lukas Podolski redeemed himself in ideal fashion after being sent-off in a friendly last weekend by scoring a brace as Germany continued their perfect start to the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with a resounding 4-1 Group D win over Slovakia. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren admitted his first experiment with England's tactics had backfired and acknowledged that he would have to carry the can for a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Croatia. . . . more . . .
Italy's qualification campaign for the 2008 European championships gathered momentum after a far from comfortable 3-1 win over Georgia. . . . more . . .
One of the all-time great goalkeeping blunders by Paul Robinson helped condemn England to a 2-0 defeat by Croatia in a Euro 2008 qualifier. . . . more . . .
Ukraine sank Scotland with a 2-0 victory in Kiev to keep their 2008 European Championship hopes alive in Group B. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said he will offer David Beckham an extension of at least another two years on his current contract. . . . more . . .
Former France international midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo has been sacked by his club Paris Saint Germain, his lawyer said in a statement on Wednesday a day after his 33rd birthday. . . . more . . .
Germany under-21 striker Aaron Hunt has insisted that he did not direct any racist remarks towards England players during Tuesday's under-21 European championship qualifying match - which England won 2-0. . . . more . . .
Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has been branded a disgrace for his attitude towards the Nigerian national team. . . . more . . .
Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has warned his team-mates they must not suffer an international hangover against Wigan this weekend. . . . more . . .
A hard fought 1-1 draw with Syria was enough to earn South Korea a place in the Asian Cup finals while Iran ensured a record 11th consecutive appearance at the showpiece event. . . . more . . .
Werder Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings has urged his German international team-mate Miroslav Klose to stay at Bremen rather than try his luck abroad. . . . more . . .
Several Scottish supporters were injured by Ukrainian football hooligans in Kiev on the eve of a Euro 2008 qualifying match, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) has announced. . . . more . . .
Claims by two England players they were called monkeys during an under-21 match against Germany will be investigated by European football's governing body, UEFA president Lennart Johansson has said. . . . more . . .
Mark Bresciano crashed home a spectacular volley as Australia beat under-strength Bahrain 2-0 to finish top of Group B and claim a seeding at next year's Asian Cup football finals. . . . more . . .
Former world footballer of the year Romario has had his first training session for his new Brazilian club Tupi though his move from American club Miami FC has not officially gone through. . . . more . . .
Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli said he was confident his club would be given a lighter sentence for their part in the Serie A match-fixing scandal as they made their final appeal. . . . more . . .
Croatian police have said they have detained overnight 16 Croatian fans and five English supporters following incidents here ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifier. . . . more . . .
Icelandic Football Federation chief Eggert Magnusson has confirmed that he is interested in buying English Premiership club West Ham. . . . more . . .
Australia led the race to be named Asian Football Confederation (AFC) national team of the year as shortlists were released. . . . more . . .
It's make-up time for two of Europe's big guns as the latest round of Euro 2008 qualifiers gets underway. . . . more . . .
Brazil came from behind to beat Ecuador 2-1 in an international friendly at Raasunda stadium in Stockholm. . . . more . . .
Former Paris Saint Germain coach Vahid Halilhodzic was left stunned after an appeals court overturned a decision for him to be paid 3.5million euros by the club and instead demanded he pay them 80,000 euros in damages and interest accrued on it. . . . more . . .
France manager Raymond Domenech hopes the shock treatment meted out by Scotland at the weekend will serve as a wake-up call to his World Cup finalists. . . . more . . .
England will be sent into battle against Croatia here on Wednesday with the blood and thunder oratory of captain John Terry ringing in their ears. . . . more . . .
Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton has been fined 2,000 pounds (3,000 euros) by the Football Association (FA) for dropping his shorts at the end of a match against Everton. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan and Italy defender Fabio Grosso has appealed a two-match ban after he was sent off during a Champions League match against Bayern Munich. . . . more . . .
England manager Steve McClaren is giving no tactical secrets ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifier with Croatia, but did promise a typically "English" performance in the group A clash. . . . more . . .
European football's ruling body UEFA has warned Croatia and its fans they could face heavy sanctions if they rain racist abuse down on England when the sides meet in Zagreb on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Nigerian club Enyimba of Aba have sacked head coach Alphonsus Dike after their troubled season recently ended without any silverware. . . . more . . .
Al-Saadi Kadhafi, son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, wants to buy a bigger stake in scandal-hit Italian club Juventus. . . . more . . .
India's football coach Bob Houghton has admitted that his side faces an uphill task in their Asian Cup qualifier against Japan. . . . more . . .
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt will miss his club's next two games with an ankle injury sustained playing for the Netherlands at the weekend. . . . more . . .
Tottenham defender Ledley King has pulled out of the England squad for Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier in Croatia with a knee injury. . . . more . . .
Under-fire Ireland manager Steve Staunton's position is not under threat, his FAI employers said ahead of Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic. . . . more . . .
Glenn Myernick, Bruce Arena's chief assistant with the US team at the past two World Cup finals, died, five days after suffering a heart attack, US Soccer announced. . . . more . . .
Greek footballing giants Panathinaikos announced that Spanish coach Victor Munoz had signed an eight-month contract for a reputed 600,000 euros. . . . more . . .
Irish President Mary McAleese praised lowly Cyprus's historic five-goal thumping of Ireland during an official visit aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries. . . . more . . .
China has reportedly appointed Serbian veteran Ratomir Dujkovic as coach of the country's Olympic football team. . . . more . . .
Brazil coach Dunga praised Ecuador and said Tuesday's friendly against them in the Swedish capital would be a "very tough" match for his team. . . . more . . .
A documentary following host nation Germany's team at this year's World Cup is topping the German box office charts after almost one million people saw it in the first few days, figures showed. . . . more . . .
Spanish international striker Fernando Torres has claimed that the players are as culpable as coach Luis Aragones for their country's dismal start to Euro 2008 qualifying. . . . more . . .
Former Mexico and Real Madrid striker Hugo Sanchez is the perfect candidate to take the helm of the Mexico team, Benfica's Mexican international striker Francisco "Kikin" Fonseca has said. . . . more . . .
Croatian police will step up security for this week's Euro 2008 "high risk" qualifier against England. . . . more . . .
Portugal will be going out to make it two Euro 2008 qualifying wins out of two against Poland on Wednesday, said Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo. . . . more . . .
Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton has requested a personal hearing in front of the Football Association's disciplinary commission after admitting a charge of improper conduct. . . . more . . .
Sweden skipper Fredrik Ljungberg is injured and will miss Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Iceland. . . . more . . .
Uli Stielike got the better of Alain Giresse again at the weekend 24 years after they crossed swords in the World Cup. . . . more . . .
Striker Garry O'Connor has been left out of Walter Smith's Scotland squad for Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier in Ukraine. . . . more . . .
Lithuania's central bank chief has said that Lithuania can realistically hope to join the eurozone "starting from 2010", but warned that inflation would remain a key obstacle to its euro ambitions. . . . more . . .
Four Serie A clubs found guilty of match-fixing will begin their final appeals against their punishments this week. . . . more . . .
Gary Neville, who has never scored in 83 international appearances for England, accepted the blame for wasting a glorious opportuntity to break his duck. . . . more . . .
Nigeria edged lowly Lesotho 1-0 in Maseru to maintain a perfect record in the 2008 African Nations Cup qualifiers. . . . more . . .
After the French hit song, the jokes, videos games and adverts, there is now a new face to the most infamous headbutt of all time. . . . more . . .
Swiss national coach Kobi Kuhn has announced he would end his term in office after Euro 2008 which Switzerland and Austria are co-hosting. . . . more . . .
Reports of Leo Beenhakker's disaffection with the Poland national team has alerted Australia who are looking for a big-name replacement for Guus Hiddink. . . . more . . .
Artim Sakiri believes Macedonia have ended the honeymoon period of new England coach Steve McClaren and exposed a side that will find it difficult to qualify for Euro 2008 from Group E. . . . more . . .
Sweden maintained their perfect Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Spain which will heap further pressure on their under-fire coach Luis Aragones. . . . more . . .
Italy boosted their chances of qualifying for the 2008 European championships with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Ukraine. . . . more . . .
Germany warmed up for Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Slovakia with a 2-0 friendly win over Georgia, although the win was marred by the sending-off of Lukas Podolski for violent conduct. . . . more . . .
Northern Ireland produced a tenacious display to frustrate Denmark and earn a 0-0 draw in their Euro 2008 qualifying clash in Copenhagen. . . . more . . .
Cyprus humbled Ireland's Premiership stars with a deserved shock 5-2 victory against their more illustrious opponents in this Group D Euro 2008 qualifier. . . . more . . .
Scotland stunned France with a 1-0 victory over the World Cup finalists at Hampden to go clear at the top of Euro 2008 qualifying group B. . . . more . . .
Defending champions Egypt were held 0-0 away to Botswana as the second round of 2008 African Nations Cup qualifiers kicked off. . . . more . . .
Steve McClaren suffered his first setback as England coach as his under-performing team were held to a 0-0 draw by Macedonia in Manchester. . . . more . . .
West Ham striker Bobby Zamora has signed a new contract that will keep him at the English Premiership club until 2011. . . . more . . .
Slovakia condemned Wales to their heaviest home defeat since 1908 with a 5-1 Euro 2008 qualifying win in Cardiff. . . . more . . .
A rumoured move by former England captain David Beckham from Real Madrid to a club in the United States would be a "marriage made in heaven", according to a US Major League Soccer official. . . . more . . .
Claude Simonet, a former president of the French football federation (FFF), strongly denied charges that he had deliberately covered up a 14 million euro loss in the federation's accounts. . . . more . . .
Under-fire Dutch coach Marco van Basten insisted that his team's Euro 2008 campaign will not be derailed by a player boycott which has seen Mark van Bommel and Ruud van Nistelrooy refuse to play. . . . more . . .
Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano has vowed to ignore calls from his national coach Alfio Basile to quit West Ham. . . . more . . .
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari on Friday wished a rapid recovery for Uruguay striker Dario Silva, who had his right leg amputated following a car accident. . . . more . . .
English Premiership champions Chelsea denied suggestions they had deliberately damaged their pitch ahead of a Champions League clash with Barcelona. . . . more . . .
Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton has been given extra time to answer an English Football Association charge of improper conduct. . . . more . . .
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said that his players are in better shape since their 1-1 draw against Finland in their opening Euro 2008 qualifying match last month. . . . more . . .
The president of the Basque regional government, moderate nationalist Juan Jose Ibarretxe, has said he dreamed of a future footballing World Cup rivalry between his region and the northeastern region of Catalonia. . . . more . . .
Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher has warned France not to expect an easy ride in theiSmith's side face the World Cup finalists at Hampden Park on Saturday with both tr Euro 2008 qualifying clash. . . . more . . .
Greek police have been ordered to pay damages to a football fan who lost the sight in one eye after he was injured by a flare during a top flight football match. . . . more . . .
The Slovak football team have flown out for their Euro-2008 qualification match against Wales without injured defender Marek Cech. . . . more . . .
England manager Steve McClaren has slammed suggestions of a player revolt ahead of his country's European Championship qualifier with Macedonia at Old Trafford on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Blackburn Rovers defender Lucas Neill will captain Australia in this weekend's football friendly against Paraguay here and next Wednesday's Asian Cup qualifier against Bahrain in Sydney. . . . more . . .
Bulgaria's coach Hristo Stoichkov has said his team is primed for the crunch Euro 2008 Group G clash Saturday against the Netherlands and their boycott-hit coach Marco van Basten. . . . more . . .
A Chinese football international with first division club Dalian Shide was badly wounded in a knife attack by two unidentified assailants. . . . more . . .
England defender Rio Ferdinand claims an over-cautious and rigid approach to this summer's World Cup cost them the chance of winning football's most coveted trophy. . . . more . . .
England's Football Association is facing a multi-pronged attack in the wake of their announcement of possible sanctions against Manchester City's Joey Barton. . . . more . . .
Argentina coach Alfio Basile said that international stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano should quit struggling English side West Ham to save their careers. . . . more . . .
Veteran France international goalkeeper Fabien Barthez announced his retirement, the 35-year-old, who is out of contract at Marseille, breaking the news on French television. . . . more . . .
Three footballers were among a group of eight men placed under judicial investigation for corruption by a court. . . . more . . .
Two football agents, Richard Bettoni and Ranko Stojic, have been placed under judicial investigation for suspect transfers from top-flight club PSG between 1998 and 2003, a legal source has said. . . . more . . .
The Football Association has charged Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton with improper conduct after he dropped his shorts at Everton fans. . . . more . . .
Paul Robinson has defended his record as England goalkeeper and insists he is on course to becoming one of the world's best. . . . more . . .
Rio Ferdinand claims midfielder Michael Carrick is the perfect man to replace the injured Owen Hargreaves for England's Euro 2008 qualifier against Macedonia in Manchester on Saturday. . . . more . . .
The sister of AC Milan's Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira has been kidnapped in Sao Paulo, her husband has revealed. . . . more . . .
Newcastle midfielder Kieron Dyer says he is relishing a return to Premiership action after battling back from a career-threatening injury. . . . more . . .
G14 chairman David Dein has confirmed that the grouping of elite European clubs will support Newcastle's bid for compensation for Michael Owen's knee injury suffered in the World Cup. . . . more . . .
Socceroos defender Craig Moore will miss Saturday's friendly against Paraguay after receiving a one-match ban for failing to report for training. . . . more . . .
Chelsea have hit back at claims by Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon that the Blues spending power was over-inflating the transfer market for other European clubs. . . . more . . .
Benfica presidential candidate Carlos Alberto Quaresma has promised that if elected he will try and lure former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson back to the Portuguese giants for a third time. . . . more . . .
Prosecutors have rejected a police investigation into match-fixing in Vietnam's professional football league, saying more evidence is needed to bring the allegations to court. . . . more . . .
Former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha will not join Nigeria's Super Eagles who are training in South Africa ahead of Sunday's African Nations Cup Group three tie against Lesotho. . . . more . . .
Controversial striker Nicolas Anelka has been welcomed back to the France squad by his teammates. . . . more . . .
The Italian football federation's Federal Court have lifted the eight-month ban placed on referee Gianluca Paparesta for his suspected involvement in the country's match-fixing scandal. . . . more . . .
ROME (AFP/AFP) - Italy defender Marco Materazzi says he is getting tired of trying to make up with Zinedine Zidane following their clash at the World Cup final in July. . . . more . . .
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney admits he is still fuming over the three-match ban which be believes has contributed to his poor form so far this season. . . . more . . .
Peter Crouch can look back on 2006 having scored more goals in a calendar year than any England striker before him, but the Liverpool forward admits that he still has his doubters ahead of Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Macedonia in Manchester. . . . more . . .
Former Uruguayan international footballer Dario Silva has vowed to struggle on despite having part of his right leg amputated following a car accident. . . . more . . .
Faced with imminent suspension from FIFA, rival Kenyan football bodies announced one body to run the country's national first division that was split into two camps, officials said. . . . more . . .
Italy's Simone Perrotta is doubtful for their crucial 2008 European championship qualifying matches against Ukraine and Georgia after suffering a double injury in training. . . . more . . .
A French lawyer is to contest Zinedine Zidane's World Cup final red card in the French civil courts, a court source said. . . . more . . .
Stewart Downing believes he will soon be joined in the England set-up by Middlesbrough team-mate Jonathan Woodgate. . . . more . . .
A menu card believed to be the last item signed by Manchester United's "Busby Babes" before the 1958 Munich air disaster was sold at auction for 12,000 pounds (17,800 euros, 22,600 dollars). . . . more . . .
Stewart Downing believes his recent performances for England have finally silenced suggestions of favouritism. . . . more . . .
England winger Stewart Downing and striker Peter Crouch have welcomed the return of Wayne Rooney after a three-match ban for their home Euro 2008 qualifier against Macedonia at Old Trafford on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is confident striker Luke Moore could be back in action as early as January after undergoing shoulder surgery. . . . more . . .
World Cup revelations Ghana have whipped hosts and Asian champions Japan 1-0 in a debut international friendly match for Frenchman Claude Le Roy as the Africans' coach. . . . more . . .
Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton has escaped a police charge after dropping his shorts in the direction of Everton supporters following their 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Werder Bremen's German international striker Miroslav Klose has said that he is not interested in joining German champions Bayern Munich and if he leaves Werder it will be for a top club abroad. . . . more . . .
Scotland midfielder Nigel Quashie has been ruled out of the European Championship qualifiers against France and Ukraine because of an ankle injury. . . . more . . .
Stephen Carr has added to Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton's injury woes after the Newcastle defender was forced to withdraw injured ahead of Euro 2008 qualifiers against Cyprus and the Czech Republic. . . . more . . .
Goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, midfielder Stan Lazaridis and defenders Tony Vidmar and Tony Popovic are set to hang up their international boots after Australia's friendly against Paraguay on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Luton manager Mike Newell has insisted that the 39 transfers being scrutinised amid claims of illegal transfer payments are just the tip of the iceberg. . . . more . . .
Former England striker Stan Collymore has revealed that he is targetting a comeback. . . . more . . .
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has insisted that he is determined to prove himself to new England boss Steve McClaren. . . . more . . .
David Beckham's spokesman has dismissed a claim made by Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon that the former England captain will quit in two years. . . . more . . .
New England Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey, the only American to score a goal at this year's World Cup, was named US Soccer's national team Player of the Year. . . . more . . .
France manager Raymond Domenech went on the defence after being accused of lacking courtesy by Gerard Houllier. . . . more . . .
Veteran striker Chris Sutton has been reunited with Martin O'Neill, his former boss at Celtic, after signing a short-term deal to play for Aston Villa. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan owner Massimo Moratti was questioned for two hours here as the Italian football federation (FIGC) investigated claims that the Serie A club spied on a referee. . . . more . . .
Benfica have denied allegations that the club's fans directed racist abuse and monkey chants at four Manchester United players during their 1-0 Champions League loss last week in Lisbon. . . . more . . .
Agent Charles Collymore has been charged by the Football Association (FA) for breaking their regulations on touting players as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in the sport. . . . more . . .
Fabio Grosso has been ruled out of Italy's crunch 2008 European championship qualifiers against Ukraine and Georgia after failing to recover from a right thigh strain. . . . more . . .
Craig Bellamy has been named as stand-in Wales captain for their upcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers, despite having to appear in court on assault charges between the matches against Slovakia and Cyprus. . . . more . . .
Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres is set for a summer move to Manchester United, according to a report here. . . . more . . .
Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has criticised Guus Hiddink's man-management skills in the Australian team set-up at this year's World Cup in Germany. . . . more . . .
Tottenham and Newcastle were handed no favours when they were drawn in potentially tough groups for the UEFA Cup's next round. . . . more . . .
Football agents could be forced to reveal details of their bank accounts by the Premier League's inquiry into allegations of corruption in football. . . . more . . .
Premiership newboys Watford saw their hopes of taking their first win of the season slip away as having led 2-0 they ended up drawing 3-3 with Fulham. . . . more . . .
An inquiry into alleged irregular transfer payments in English football has been extended by two months, the former top policeman leading it said as he revealed he was now focusing on 39 deals at eight clubs. . . . more . . .
Italy coach Roberto Donadoni insisted he did not leave Antonio Cassano out of his squad for the crunch Euro 2008 qualifiers against Ukraine and Georgia because he feared the temperamental striker would receive a bad reception on his return to the capital. . . . more . . .
Germany international striker Gerald Asamoah, born in Ghana, admits he was deeply hurt by the racist monkey chants directed at him in a recent cup match and warned that Germany's image abroad could be harmed if there are any more incidents. . . . more . . .
Germany coach Joachim Low has hinted he could rest key players in Saturday's friendly against Georgia in Rostock as he looks ahead to their Euro 2008 qualifier in Slovakia on October 11. . . . more . . .
Andrew Johnson has pulled out of the England squad for the forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Macedonia and Croatia because of a hamstring injury. . . . more . . .
Mohamed Aboutraika sparkled as Al-Ahly of Egypt beat ASEC of Ivory Coast 2-0 in the first leg of an African Champions League semi-final at the weekend. . . . more . . .
A lawyer acting for former Telecom Italia security chief Giuliano Tavaroli claims his client was asked by Serie A club Inter Milan to spy on disgraced Italian referee Massimo De Santis. . . . more . . .
Bayern Munich midfielder Mark van Bommel has said he no longer wants to play for the Dutch national team while Marco van Basten is in charge. . . . more . . .
Wales coach John Toshack has been handed a selection dilemma ahead of crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Slovakia on Saturday with Ryan Giggs in a race against time to be fit. . . . more . . .
England manager Steve McClaren has promised Jonathan Woodgate he is on the brink of a recall to the national squad. . . . more . . .
Scotland's bid to boost their Euro 2008 qualifying chances in the double-header against France and Ukraine has been hit by fresh injury woes. . . . more . . .
Marseille notched up a 3-0 home victory over Toulouse to keep on the heels of high-flying Lyon in the French championship. . . . more . . .
The cheers in the Santiago Bernabeu that greeted Real Madrid's 5-1 Champions League win over Dynamo Kiev in midweek turned to jeers as they were held to a 1-1 draw by local rivals Atletico Madrid. . . . more . . .
Filip Sebo was the hero for Rangers as his late winner gave the Ibrox side a 1-0 victory at home to Aberdeen in the Scottish Premier League. . . . more . . .
South Africa striker Benni McCarthy hit a late winner as Blackburn fought back to beat Wigan 2-1. . . . more . . .
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer scored twice to put Manchester United back on top of the Premiership with a 2-0 home win against Newcastle but it was yet another inspired display by Cristiano Ronaldo that stole the show. . . . more . . .
Roma and Palermo claimed hard-fought 1-0 wins to share top spot in Italy's Serie A. . . . more . . .
South Korea winger Seol Ki-Hyeon scored after just 80 seconds to earn Reading a 1-0 win at West Ham. . . . more . . .
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has revealed that he would consider working for West Ham if Kia Joorabchian completes his takeover of the English Premiership club. . . . more . . .
English Premiership club Newcastle have reportedly rejected a takeover bid from the Belgravia Group. . . . more . . .
Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has turned down two approaches from England manager Steve McClaren to come out of international retirement. . . . more . . .
England manager Steve McClaren said that misfiring Wayne Rooney will always be his number one choice even though the striker's goals have dried up. . . . more . . .
Jose Mourinho jokingly predicted a heart attack for the animated Martin O'Neill after the Aston Villa manager led his side to a 1-1 draw at Chelsea. . . . more . . .
Sam Allardyce has rubbed salt into the wounds Bolton inflicted on Liverpool's Premiership title dream by claiming that Rafa Benitez's pre-match jibes had provided the perfect motivational tool for his players. . . . more . . .
Arsene Wenger has hailed the Robin van Persie strike that allowed him to celebrate 10 years in charge of Arsenal with a 2-1 win at Charlton as a "goal of a lifetime." . . . more . . .