..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Nordsjaelland 2-5 Shakhtar Donetsk: Unsportsmanlike Ukrainian side seals spot in knockout round

Shakhtar Donetsk booked its place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, as the Ukranian side twice came from behind to beat Danish side Nordsjaelland.

Luiz Adriano struck for a hat-trick while Willian added two goals for Shakhtar, though the former caused controversy after his first goal was very much against the spirit of the game, scoring off a drop ball.

Morten Nordstrand and Kasper Lorentzen scored for Nordsjaelland, but the defeat sees the Danes exit their debut Champions League campaign at the group stage.

Nordstrand gave the hosts the lead after a volley from close range, but the Danes were not ahead for long as the visitors equalized in highly controversial circumstances. Willian punted a drop ball toward Nordsjaelland's goalkeeper, but Adriano latched onto the ball anyway and rounded the confused Jesper Hansen to score.

Both sides then became embroiled in an argument on the pitch, but the Ukrainian champions failed to allow their hosts to score straight from the restart despite some apparent instructions from the dugout. This didn't deter Kasper Hjulmand's team, and the Danes regained the lead just moments later as Patrick Mtiliga got forward and fed Lorentzen, who turned and fired past Andriy Pyatov into the roof of the net.

Shakhtar got its second equalizer on the brink of halftime, as Willian slotted home a rebound to level the affair. The hosts couldn't hold the Ukrainians off for long after that, as a corner wasn't cleared properly and Willian took advantage as he curled in a stunning effort from the edge of the area for his second tally.

That goal seemed to take the wind out the sails of the Danish champions, and Adriano doubled his tally for the evening as he turned in Alex Teixera's low cross. Nordsjaelland refused to go down without a fight and almost dragged themselves back into it as Lorentzen finished woefully as he tried to turn American right back Michael Parkhurst's cross goalwards.

Lorentzen then had a much easier opportunity as the home side broke forward, but the forward miscued his shot and saw it fly over the crossbar after Norstrand's cross took the goalkeeper out of the game.

The match was then put beyond all doubt as Adriano completed his hat trick as he tapped in after Douglas Costa's knockdown at the back post inside the final 10 minutes. Shakhtar sits atop Group E and is guaranteed advancement, meaning one of favorites Juventus or Chelsea will be relegated to the UEFA Europa League after the final group matchday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benfica 2-1 Celtic: Garay winner sends qualification race down to the wire

Celtic must wait until its final Champions League group game to try and secure qualification to the knockout stage after a 2-1 defeat away to Benfica.

The home side went ahead early in the first half thanks to Ola John but the Bhoys found an equalizer despite having little of the play thanks to a header from Georgios Samaras.

The second period saw Benfica exert even more pressure on the away side, with Ezequiel Garay scoring the crucial goal in the 70th minute.

Benfica welcomed back Luisao into the center of defense after his 11-game ban, while the highly-rated Oscar Cardozo made his first Champions League start of the season.

Meanwhile, Celtic made three changes from the side that beat Aberdeen, with Joe Ledley, Scott Brown and Gary Hooper all overcoming injuries to start.

The home side began the game confidently and took the lead in just the sixth minute as John pounced and drove the ball home after Celtic was unable to clear its lines.

Having gone behind, the Bhoys began to look somewhat nervous on the ball, struggling to keep possession and unable to create any clear openings of their own.

The home side was playing an attacking brand of football and came forward regularly but it struggled to break down a solid Celtic defense.

It took until the 29th minute for Benfica to create another chance, as Cardozo latched on to a through-ball and sent it wide with his left foot from six yards out.

Moments later, the away side was level, as a Charlie Mulgrew corner was headed home superbly at the back post by Samaras to give Celtic an equalizer.

However, despite some sustained pressure from the home side as it laid siege to Celtic’s goal, the halftime whistle sounded with the scores level.

The second half began with some unfortunate news for Celtic, as Mulgrew was forced to be substituted at halftime due to illness and was replaced by Beram Kayal.

The Bhoys were immediately on the back foot and had Adam Matthews to thank for keeping the scores level in the 52nd minute as he cleared Lima’s shot off the line.

The away side was placed under a great deal of pressure by Benfica’s attacking players, with Luisao shooting just over after a corner caused havoc in Celtic’s penalty area.

The Bhoys were enjoying their best moments from set pieces, with substitute Kris Commons showcasing some superb deliveries that were just about dealt with.

Benfica’s pressure told in the 70th minute as a knock-down from Luisao was powered home by Garay on the volley as they took the lead again.

Just three minutes later, the home side could have been out of sight but Salvio’s superb dipping shot from outside the area struck the crossbar with Forster beaten.

However, with Victor Wanyama picking up a late booking meaning he is suspended for the game away to Spartak Moscow, Celtic could not find an equalizer and was defeated.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Galatasaray 1-0 Manchester United: Burak header defeats youthful United

Manchester United’s 100 percent record in the Champions League this season came to an end with a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray.

Burak Yilmaz scored the only goal of the game as he headed powerfully beyond Anders Lindegaard, who made several good saves to deny the Turkish side.

Nick Powell hit the bar on his first competitive start for United, but the home side was in control for the majority of the game and kept its hopes of progression to the knockout stages alive.

With qualification for the knockout stages already wrapped up, Sir Alex Ferguson rested a number of big names and welcomed back Phil Jones for his first game of the season after injury.

The visiting side had a chance in the second minute as Welbeck latched onto a poor Nordin Amrabat pass and fed Tom Cleverley, but the England international’s shot deflected into Fernando Muslera’s arms.

Burak was quick to respond for the home side with a long-range effort which Lindegaard fumbled and Jones cleared to safety.

The Turkey international could have opened the scoring two more times inside the first 25 minutes, but first failed to connect with a corner after some poor defending, before heading a free kick over the bar.

Galatasaray kept the pressure on and tested Lindegaard once more, but the 28-year-old firmly pushed away a stinging drive from Hamit Altintop.

The home side felt it should have had a penalty shortly after, when a Selcuk Inan cross struck Alexander Buttner’s arm, but appeals were turned down by referee Carlos Velasco.

Despite the home team's dominance the Old Trafford club had the best chance of the half from a Tom Cleverley corner which was met at the back post by Powell and beat Muslera but rattled the bar and bounced clear.

Galatasaray remained on top at the start of the second half and Lindegaard was again called into action, this time diving to his right and holding onto a sweetly-struck Albert Riera volley.

Lindegaard made another save from close range to keep out a Felipe Melo header from an Emmanuel Eboue cross, but there was little the Dane could do about the opening goal as Burak rose to meet a Selcuk corner and power it into the net.

United stirred after falling behind and nearly equalized on the counterattack, but Javier Hernandez dallied over his shot and saw it deflected safely into Muslera’s grasp.

With 15 minutes of normal time to play Sir Alex Ferguson made a double substitution, replacing Powell and Anderson with Ashley Young and Federico Macheda.

Yet, it was Galatasaray which would go close again through Altintop, whose thunderous strike from 20 yards was only kept out by the bar after a fingertip save from Lindegaard.

Sir Alex Ferguson made one final change, handing a Champions League debut to Josh King, who replaced Danny Welbeck.

A weak Hernandez strike which was comfortably saved by Muslera would be the last chance of the game for the group leader, which suffered its first defeat in the competition this season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Valencia 1-1 Bayern: Muller's late leveler sees Bavarians through

Valencia narrowly missed out on moving to the top of Champions League Group F with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with 2012 runner-up Bayern Munich at the Mestalla.

The Bundesliga outfit was on top during the early exchanges but failed to make the most of its dominance. Los Che were reduced to 10 men in the first half but they showed immense determination to score late on through Sofiane Feghouli.

Mauricio Pellegrino's men already had their place in the next round assured before the game but Bayern also booked its place in the draw for the Round of 16 with a late equalizer from Thomas Muller.

Die Roten showed their hand early as they put the Valencia defence under pressure with a high pressing game. The home side was struggling to get the ball out and was fortunate that Guaita was on hand to keep out Dante's header in the 18th minute.

However, Jupp Heynckes' side was struggling to get Claudio Pizarro involved and the lack of focus in attack almost cost the club just after the half hour mark, but Manuel Neuer saved brilliantly from Feghouli.

It appeared as though that positive momentum instantly evaporated as Antonio Barragan was dismissed for a terribly late tackle on David Alaba, but it actually induced Los Che's best spell of the game.

With nine second-half minutes played a cross into the box found Soldado but the Spain international's header flew straight into the arms of the keeper.

Bayern remained unable to make the man advantage count and was let off the hook when Soldado sprung the offside trap but blazed well over the bar on the hour mark.

Spurred on by the scare, die Roten finally forged a chance of their own as Ribery cut the ball back for Muller. However, the 23-year-old failed to make a decent connection with the ball and Guaita saved with ease.

As Bayern pressed, Valencia's legs began to tire and thus substitute Mario Mandzukic was offered a free header in the area with 20 minutes remaining. The keeper was idle as the ball cut through the air but the effort crashed off the outside of the post and went behind.

Come the 77th minute it looked to be a disastrous miss. Feghouli won the ball in the opposing half and dribbled his way to the top of the box. From there he unleased a shot which took a deflection off of Dante and bounced into the net, out of the reach of Neuer.

With nothing to lose, Bayern threw men forward and Mario Gomez made his first contribution on his return to the side by taking the sting out of a cross for Muller to send into the corner, with a slight deflection from Feghouli.

The draw means that both the Bavarian side and the Liga outfit will be in the hat for the next round, though the group winner will be decided on the final match day.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

BATE Borisov 0-2 Lille: Les Dogues dent Belarusians' qualification hopes

Lille put a huge dent in BATE Borisov's hopes of progression to the knock-out phase as it eased to a 2-0 win in Minsk on Tuesday evening.

Two first-half strikes from Djibril Sidibe and Champions League debutant Gianni Bruno were enough to earn Rudi Garcia's charges a comfortable victory over their Belarusian hosts, who offered little to nothing by way of attack throughout the match despite having beaten Bayern Munich earlier in the tournament with an impressive display.

The result gave les Dogues their first points of their European campaign this season, and almost certainly consigned the Belarusian champion to the Europa League for the remainder of the season before Bayern and Valencia had even kicked off their match.

The hosts enjoyed the lion's share of the possession early on, but it was the Ligue 1 side which struck the first blow in the first quarter of an hour. Some clever link-up play between Bruno and Salomon Kalou eventually saw the ball break for Djibril Sidibe, who curled a delightful effort beyond the fingertips of Andrey Gorbunov and into the far corner.

BATE was stunned after conrolling the opening, and had a chance to hit back straight away when Vitali Rodionov latched on to a loose ball on the Lille area, but he could only fire over the bar from close range.

The play began to stretch as both sides looked to score the important second of the night. Bruno had a chance to open his account amongst Europe's elite when Gorbunov's clearance fell straight to him, but he failed to keep his effort down. At the other end, Renan Bressan slipped in behind the Lille line and clipped the ball back across but failed to find any waiting teammates, before the number 10 shot wide when set up by Aliaksandr Hleb moments later.

BATE was struggling to keep a rhythm to its attacking play and, shortly before the break, Lille doubled its advantage with a well-worked counter attack. Lucas Digne strode down the left flank and skipped effortlessly past the static Polyakov before cutting back for Bruno, who tapped home from point blank range to notch a debut Champions League goal.

Lille was playing with a confidence which belied its pointless campaign so far this season, and the lively Kalou almost set up a third after tricking his way past Artem Radkov before setting up Bruno, who this time could only fire over the bar from close range.

Artyom Kontsevoi came on at the break to add life to the hosts' lackluster attack, and he set up a chance for Bressan when he robbed Digne and crossed into the middle, but Elana was off his line smartly to smother the danger.

Lille came close to a third shortly before the hour mark when Polyakov cleared Marvin Martin's effort off the line after Gorbunov had raced off his line to deny Kalou a clear run at goal, before Martin again threatened the fragile BATE back line with a teasing cross which just eluded his attackers.

BATE knew it was in with a strong shout of progressing to the knockout phase before the game, but its lackluster attacking display was in stark contrast to the side's earlier impressive performances. Bressan flighted in a number of set-pieces to little avail, with Rozehnal's frantic clearance following a goalmouth scramble the only real time les Dogues were troubled by his delivery.

However, they were handed a lifeline when Sidibe was dismissed for a late trip on Maksim Bordachov, with the referee strangely issuing a straight red even though the defender had already been booked and perhaps deserved to pick up nothing more than a second yellow.

BATE packed the attack in response and forced Elana into a save following a scramble in the penalty area, but it failed to pick up the tempo sufficiently and Lille looked no more troubled with 10 men than it had with nine, leaving the hosts to rue a missed opportunity and prepare for a campaign in the Europa League after the winter break.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Parker nears Tottenham comeback after returning to training

Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker has returned to light training as he steps up his comeback from an Achilles injury.

The England international has not played since the quarterfinal defeat to Italy on penalties at Euro 2012 and his return will boost a Spurs side who have slipped to eighth in the table.
The news will come as welcome to Andre Villas-Boas, who remains without Mousa Dembele as the central midfielder continues to struggle with a hip injury.

“Scott’s having his first training sessions and we’re now looking to buildup his fitness levels,” Villas-Boas told the club’s official website.

He added, “Not only that, it’s important for a player who has been out to get a feel for his teammates again, to stop training individually and get together with the group."

“We’ll build-up his fitness and then we can look at the options for him.”

The 32-year-old enjoyed an outstanding debut season at White Hart Lane last term, quickly becoming an integral part of Harry Redknapp’s first-team plans as Tottenham finished fourth.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cech: Chelsea defeat to Juventus a huge disappointment


The Blues' convincing defeat leaves the Old Lady requiring just one point against already-qualified Shahktar Donetsk in their final Group F game to prevent the holders from reaching the knockout stages.

"We said before the game we had our destiny in our own hands but not anymore," Cech told reporters after the match. "Now we have to do our bit to win our last game and hope destiny will be kind to us.

"Being realistic, Juventus played really well and they need a point. Shakhtar have already qualified so they don't need to take a chance on the result.

"It is a very sad moment because last season the Champions League was like a dream. I wouldn't say it's a nightmare but it's a huge disappointment."

The 30 year-old praised the Bianconeri's performance but argued that his team contributed to its own downfall by not being clinical in front of goal.

"I think we showed much better spirit than in the last few games," he continued. "We did well and created some chances but, in such an important game, if you create chances you have to take them and that was the difference.

"They went ahead with a lucky deflection and the second goal was a deflection as well but they put on a very good performance and they did really well."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ribery: Bayern's failure to beat Valencia not a catastrophe

Franck Ribery has claimed that Bayern Munich's 1-1 draw at Valencia should not be classed as a failure, but conceded that he would much rather have come away with all three points.


The Spaniards were forced to play with 10 men for almost an hour following Antonio Barragan's red card, but Thomas Muller had to be called upon to cancel out Sofiane Feghouli's opener with just eight minutes remaining.

"I think we put ourselves in difficulty," he told beIN Sport. "It started well for us but Valencia played very well, even with 10 men.

"But its not a catastrophe. We earned a good point and that was our goal. Now we will try to finish first. But at Bayern, it is natural that when you don't win, you're left a little saddened."

The 29-year-old made way for Mario Gomez in the latter stages of the contest, and admitted that was not feeling good physically.

"For me, it was hard tonight," he added. "I had a lot of trouble. I spoke a little with the physios, but I'd rather not play through such pain again."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi's cousin racially abused by Olimpia president

Maxi Biancucchi, the cousin of Lionel Messi, has reported Olimpia president Marcelo Recanate to FIFA for use of racist language.

The winger has been linked with a move to Qatar in the new year, which has reportedly angered his club's supremo, leading him to make some scathing remarks.

"We've sent the letter and all documents. FIFA will receive them on Thursday," Biancucchi's lawyer Ricardo Scarane told Radio 970 AM. "Maxi is aware of all that was said. He has been made to feel very hurt by Marcelo's remarks and is fulfilling his contract for the love the fans."

The course of action taken by the 28-year-old comes after Recanante said: "Maximiliano Biancucchi is a disrespectful, irreverent Argentine.

"He's a black Argentine, a disrespectful midget. He earns $25,000 (19,500 euros) per month and he is an employee of Olimpia. I'm telling Mr. Biancucchi he won't play for Olimpia until December."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Buffon: Juventus has proved doubters wrong

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that his side has proved that it belongs in the Champions League, having recorded a 3-0 win over Chelsea.

Goals from Fabio Quagliarella, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco were enough to seal a vital three points for the Serie A leaders, who are now poised to progress to the knock-out stages of the competition.

"It's wonderful," he told reporters. "Some had doubts about us, but I think we cast those aside by playing like this. We have our certainties and know that we still have to quality. I hope we can do that.

"When you give such a convincing performance - in tactical, physical, psychological terms - it's a great sign for Juve and for Italy. If we should go out, at least we achieved nine points, which means we fought on level terms with everyone and got back to being competitive. That was imperative.

"We won in every area tonight. We were hungrier, sharper, more attacking, more creative and with a little more precision, we could have scored even more."

Juventus needs a mere point from its trip to Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donetsk to confirm a place in the next phase of the competition.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Beckham: Timing of announcement to leave Galaxy felt right

CARSON, Calif. -- On Monday, Nov. 19, a day after advancing past the Seattle Sounders to the MLS Cup final, the LA Galaxy sent out a press release shortly after 4 p.m. PT. It announced that the final will be David Beckham's last competitive game with the Galaxy.

The timing meant that speculation about the English midfielder's future will roar to a climax in the two weeks heading into the final against the Houston Dynamo.

"I've been thinking about it for a few months," David Beckham said. "I came to my final decision a few weeks back. It was just before we were going into the playoffs, so I felt it wasn't the right time to announce it. But now, reaching the MLS Cup final – an MLS Cup final that's going to be in our stadium again, in front of our own fans – I just felt it was the right time to announce that."

Landon Donovan said he learned of Beckham's decision shortly before the second leg in Seattle. Bruce Arena officially told the team on Tuesday morning.

"They gave me a bit of an applause this morning, and they gave me a bit of abuse as well," Beckham said, smiling.

Arena would only reveal that he knew "before yesterday." Donovan brushed aside worries that the hubbub would distract from the Galaxy's preparation for the MLS Cup final.

"Obviously they're very aware of their timing and how they're announcing it and when," Donovan said. "For us it doesn't change anything. This team is very used to having a lot of attention on it. It's all part of it. I actually think it's probably a good thing."

Arena agreed.

"It's great that it brings closure to David's tenure with the Galaxy and in MLS," Arena said. "I think it'll contribute to a great day. I think it will make for a fabulous event."

After the final, Beckham said he'll sit down and sort through a handful of “interesting” options throughout December. "Everyone will know by probably the New Year," Beckham said.

Before then, of course, there's the small matter of trying to repeat as MLS Cup champions.

"I was actually quite emotional after the game in Seattle because obviously it was the last game in a different stadium in my career here with the Galaxy," Beckham said. "So it was quite emotional the other night. I've got a feeling that it's going to be even more so next Saturday."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ancelotti denies PSG move for Beckham

PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti has denied speculation the club is poised to complete a move to bring David Beckham to the club.

The ex-England international revealed he will seek a fresh challenge after playing his final game for LA Galaxy on Dec. 1 in the MLS Cup final against the Houston Dynamo, and he had been strongly linked with a move to the mega-rich Ligue 1 outfit. He turned down PSG after last MLS season to return to the Galaxy despite him being out of contract and PSG being interested in his services.

Former AC Milan and Chelsea coach Ancelotti told reporters he has no plans to sign the 37-year-old Beckham, though, stating, "We did not offer, good luck to him."

Bekham started his career at Manchester United, where he enjoyed a rich spell of success before moving to Spanish giant Real Madrid. He later moved to the Galaxy and spent time with Serie A giant AC Milan on loan.

PSG has slumped to two recent domestic defeats but the 53-year-old Ancelotti is hoping the club can bounce back by reaching the last 16 in the UEFA Champions League.

"We're going through a difficult period after two home losses. The players know that I'm not happy," Ancelotti said. "The important thing is to get our heads up as soon as possible, and tomorrow we have the opportunity to qualify for the last 16, which would be a very good thing. A point would be enough for us to get to the last 16, but we're going to play to win."

Ancelotti also revealed he is set to tinker with the side’s tactics and is expecting his players to put in an improved performance when they face Dynamo Kiev.

"Certain things will change, particularly in the tactics department. The players have to take their responsibility and I have confidence in them," Ancelotti said. "We have done good things not that long ago, and there's no reason why that won't continue. I speak to my players regularly, and I'm expecting a reaction against Kiev. I think that we will have a good match. Everyone has to take their responsibilities. I will take mine and the players have to do the same."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea fires Di Matteo after Juventus defeat

Chelsea has sacked Roberto Di Matteo following its 3-0 defeat to Juventus on Tuesday evening, which has put the club's prospects of qualifying for the Champions league knockout stage in doubt.

The Blues needed a positive result in Turin to maintain strong hopes of defending their European crown, but Antonio Conte's side destroyed the Premier League club to leave their chances in ruins. And with their Premier League form slipping after a bright start, owner Roman Abramovich has decided to sack the manager, with the club revealing: "Results have not been good enough."

A statement on Chelsea's official website read: "Chelsea Football Club has parted company this morning with Manager Roberto Di Matteo.

"The team's recent performances and results have not been good enough and the owner and the Board felt that a change was necessary now to keep the club moving in the right direction as we head into a vitally important part of the season."

The club faces a season-defining period over the coming weeks, with a clash against Premier League champion Manchester City on Nov. 25, followed by the must-win game against Nordsjaelland on Dec. 5.

"The club faces a difficult task ahead in qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as well as maintaining a strong challenge for the top of the Premier League while competing in three other cup competitions," the statement read. "Our aim is to remain as competitive as possible and challenge strongly on all fronts."

Despite winning the Champions League and FA Cup after taking over from Andre Villas-Boas in March of the 2011-12 season, Di Matteo is the latest in a long list of managers who have failed to appease owner Abramovich. Di Matteo lasted 262 days in charge, six days longer than the man he replaced, Andre Villas-Boas.

After winning seven of his eight opening Premier League games this season, two points from the last four league matches and seven points from a possible 15 in the Champions League sealed the Italian's fate.

The statement continued: "The owner and the board would like to thank Roberto for all he has done for the club since taking over in March. Roberto helped guide us to an historic Champions League victory and a seventh FA Cup. We will never forget the huge contribution he has made to this club's history and he will always be welcome at Stamford Bridge.

"The club will be making an announcement shortly regarding a new first team manager."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League 2012.11.21 Group Stage Fixtures

UEFA Champions League 2012.11.21 Group Stage Fixtures

Group A

Dynamo Kiev Vs PSG

Porto Vs Dinamo Zagreb

Group B

Arsenal Vs Montpellier

Schalke Vs Olympiacos

Group C

Zenit Vs Malaga

Anderlecht Vs AC Milan

Group D

Ajax Vs Borussia Dortmund

Manchester City Vs Real Madrid

​

 

[meknick29]

oba nam sahenna mahansi wela thiyanwa ela ane ithin mama nam oya football gana mona magulakwath danne naha ban bt good wrk machoo keep it up
added....

 

[meknick29]

ahhh add karanna baha kiyanne thwa kata hari add karanalu

 

[Wolverine GTR]

ahhh add karanna baha kiyanne thwa kata hari add karanalu

It's ok bro!

 

[panchaz]

oba nam sahenna mahansi wela thiyanwa ela ane ithin mama nam oya football gana mona magulakwath danne naha ban bt good wrk machoo keep it up
added....

aniva Wolverine GTR patta wedak karanne
kochhara football news balanan site thibbata edineda tiyena match wala news mehemata piliwelata daana eka nam maru

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benitez set for Chelsea job

Rafa Benitez is in advanced negotiations to succeed Roberto Di Matteo as Chelsea manager, ESPN understands. It is believed that talks have progressed far enough for Benitez to be confirmed as Chelsea's new boss on Wednesday night - just 24 hours after the Blues were on their way to the 3-0 defeat at Juventus that ultimately cost Di Matteo his job.Benitez has been out of work for two years since being axed by Inter Milan after only six months at the San Siro; an appointment by Chelsea would be the second successive time he has taken charge of reigning European champions.

Before Inter, the Spanish boss spent six years in charge of Liverpool, where he had the upper hand on Chelsea in a number of high-profile encounters - including Champions League semi-finals in 2005 and 2007. Coincidentally he will take Chelsea to the Club World Cup in December - a competition that he won as Inter boss before being sacked just days after lifting the trophy.

In March, ESPN broke the story that Benitez was first under consideration for the Chelsea job before Andre Villa-Boas was sacked, with talks breaking down because the Spaniard wanted an 18-month contract and the deal on offer was only until the end of the season.

But with a similarly short-term deal on the table this time around, Benitez appears to have changed his mind and is prepared to try to prove himself between now and next May, with a clause thought to be included that would see him granted a full season in 2013-14 should he turn results around.

Benitez is in Abu Dhabi for a scheduled appearance at a coaching conference, but is now making plans to fly into Manchester on Thursday morning. He told Sport360° on Wednesday: "I have just found out [about Di Matteo]. Obviously Chelsea is a top side and they can compete for trophies so it goes in this category."

Asked if Chelsea had already made an approach, he replied: "You ask directly, I cannot answer directly. In football a lot of people are talking so we will see what happens in the next few days. I am looking for a club that can challenge for trophies and Chelsea is one of these clubs."Despite the impending appointment of Benitez, Blues owner Roman Abramovich is still thought to want to bring former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola to Stamford Bridge as a long-term managerial option next summer.

Guardiola remains on a year's sabbatical in New York but will start planning his future early in the New Year, indicating that Benitez has an even shorter period to impress.Abramvoich opted to inform Di Matteo of his dismissal at 4am GMT on Wednesday morning, when he arrived back at the club's Cobham training ground from Turin.

ESPN sources have explained that conversations between Abramovich's close aides, and board members, had taken place immediately after the damaging defeat at Juventus, which could see Chelsea become the first Champions League holders to be eliminated in the group stage.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mamanam hithuwe Pep Guardiola wa try karai kiyala