..::Football II::..

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Sir Alex Ferguson concerned over Rio Ferdinand's England inclusion

The Manchester United manager admits he is "surprised" that the 34-year-old has been included in Roy Hodgson's squad and is worried about the defender's fitness.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits he is concerned over Rio Ferdinand's inclusion in Roy Hodgson's England squad.

The defender has been called up to the national side for the first time since June 2011 and is expected to play in the World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro. Ferguson admits he was as "surprised as anyone" when he heard the news and hopes England follows the specially designed treatment regime Ferdinand has undertaken this season.

"Obviously I was surprised as anyone when I heard that," Ferguson told reporters regarding Ferdinand's recall. "We need to speak to a doctor. We prepare Rio in certain ways, he has certain treatments he has to go through, the procedures have been the same all season which have given him a fantastic performance level when he's played for us.

"We have to consider that, and Rio has to consider that, and we'll see what the outcome is."

Ferdinand has been in impressive form for the league leaders this season and Ferguson is wary about how many games his center back plays over a certain amount of days.

"He has to make sure he's going to be OK in terms of the number of games he plays. And that's a fact of life, we have been doing that for two years with the lad and it's worked," Ferguson said. "The way we've detailed his training programs and giving him the treatments he needs for the various complaints he has in terms of his back and his groin and things like that, and so far it's worked very well, so we have to look at all these things before Rio decides."

 

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Kroos: Only Barcelona would have been tougher draw than Juventus

The Germany international is full of respect for the Serie A champion, while Manuel Neuer is also wary of the Bianconeri but believes Bayern Munich can progress.

Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos feels that the Bavarians were unfortunate to be paired with Juventus in Friday's draw for the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Kroos believes that only Barcelona would have been a more difficult opponent, and has stressed that Bayern need two great performances if it is to reach the final four.

"Juventus knocked last year's Champions League winners out of the competition at the group stage. It's the least good draw after Barcelona," Kroos told the official Bayern website. "We'll need two top performances to go through. It would be optimal if we won the first leg while keeping a clean sheet."

Meanwhile, Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is full of respect for the Serie A champion as well.

"Juventus are a big name and a great team. Italian teams are always well organised, but I still think we definitely have a chance of going through," Neuer said. "We're looking forward to both games and we're delighted to be starting at home."

The first leg will take place at the Allianz Arena on April 2 with the return leg slated for the following week in Turin.

 

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Lukaku will return to Chelsea at end of season, confirms West Brom boss Clarke

The 19-year-old Belgian has impressed during his loan spell at the Hawthorns, but the Baggies are resigned to losing him this summer when he returns to his parent club.

West Brom manager Steve Clarke has admitted that star loanee Romelu Lukaku will be returning to parent club Chelsea at the end of the season.The 19-year-old Belgium international has been a revelation during his time at the Hawthorns, scoring 13 goals in 13 Premier League appearances, many coming as a substitute.
Clarke had previously hoped that Chelsea would sanction another loan move for Lukaku after affording him just one Premier League start in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, but he has now seemingly conceded defeat in his attempts to keep the youngster.

“He is Chelsea’s player. He belongs to Chelsea and he will go back there in the summer," Clarke told the Daily Mirror.

In the meantime, Clarke thanked Chelsea for allowing Lukaku the chance to impress at another club and work on reaching his potential after finding first-team opportunities initially hard to come by in England.

“I have never thought it would be possible Chelsea would let him come back next season," Clarke said. "He came on a season-long loan and we’re grateful we got him."

 

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Barcelona to face PSG, Bayern Munich to take on Juve following Champions League quarterfinal draw

The Blaugrana are rewarded for their second-leg triumph against AC Milan with a last-eight tie against the French giants to highlight the quarterfinal pairings.
The draw for the last eight of the Champions League took place in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday, and some enticing ties await.

The 2011 winner Barcelona, which overturned a 2-0 deficit to dump out AC Milan, will face Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain, with the first leg taking place in the French capital.

Last season's finalist Bayern Munich faces a tough clash with Serie A leader Juventus in another huge fixture.

Primera Division champion Real Madrid is rewarded for its victory over Manchester United with a tie against Turkish giant Galatasaray, while Malaga, which knocked out Portugese giant Porto, takes on German champion Borussia Dortmund.

The four first legs will take place on April 2 and 3, with the second legs scheduled for April 9 and 10.

The draw for the semifinals will be held on April 12, and the tournament concludes at Wembley Stadium on May 25.

 

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Spurs draw Basel, Chelsea paired with Rubin Kazan in Europa League quarterfinals

Clint Dempsey and Brad Friedel will face the Swiss power, while the Champions League holders meet Russian opposition in the next round.

If Americans Clint Dempsey and Brad Friedel are to continue their quest to lift the UEFA Europa League trophy, they will have to get by Swiss side FC Basel.

Tottenham was paired with Basel in Friday's Europa League quarterfinal draw in Nyon, Switzerland, as the eight remaining teams learned their fate.

Champions League holders Chelsea battled back to eliminate Steaua Bucuresti and will have to deal with Russian outfit Rubin Kazan, who saw off Levante in the round of 16.

The other English side remaining, Newcastle, will have to contend with Portuguese power Benfica, and Lazio will play Fenerbahce to complete the round.

Tottenham, Chelsea, Benfica and Fenerbahce will host the first leg of each tie on April 4, with the return matches taking place one week later. The Europa League semifinal draw will be made on Friday April 12, with ties to be played on April 25 and May 2.

This year's final will be held at the Amsterdam ArenA on May 15.

 

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UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final Draw In Pictures

UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final Draw In Pictures


The House of European Football in Nyon ahead of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw

The stage is set for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon

The UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw pot and balls during the rehearsal in Nyon

Preparations are made backstage for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon

The balls are prepared behind the scenes for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon

The balls are prepared backstage for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon

Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA competitions director, at the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon

Gianni Infantino, UEFA General Secretary, final ambassador Steve McManaman and Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA competitions director, make the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon

Steve McManaman makes his selections during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon

Juventus are the final side pulled out during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon

The results of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw are displayed on the big screen in Nyon

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UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final Draw In Pictures

UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final Draw In Pictures


The UEFA Europa League trophy will be presented to the winning team in the Amsterdam final

Patrick Kluivert, UEFA Europa League ambassador, will help conduct the quarter-final draw

Gianni Infantino, UEFA General Secretary, final ambassador Patrick Kluivert and Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA competitions director make the UEFA Europa League quarter-final draw in Nyon

The results of the UEFA Europa League quarter-final draw are displayed on the big screen in Nyon

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Gallas ‘disappointed’ with racist chants endured in Milan

The Tottenham defender has voiced his displeasure at racial taunts suffered by Spurs players at San Siro on Thursday and understands why abused players walk off the pitch.

Tottenham defender William Gallas is “disappointed” with the racist abuse endured in the Europa League tie against Inter on Thursday.

A number of Spurs players were racially taunted by some Nerazzurri fans in Thursday night’s last-16 tie at San Siro and Gallas believes FIFA and UEFA need to react.

The French defender has suggested players subjected to racism from supporters during a game who walk off the pitch are showing their displeasure to soccer’s governing bodies.

Gallas told reporters: “Some players come out of the pitch to show they are disappointed. I understand it and that shows we are not happy about this.

“FIFA and UEFA have to take their decision. I’m disappointed. I don’t understand it, but sometimes the best thing is to punish the people who do this. It’s not the first time we’ve had these incidents.

“It’s been happening for a long time so the people have to react, UEFA and FIFA, because they have to understand what we can feel, when we are on the pitch. To hear that is not good.”

Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele also agreed with Gallas that football’s governing bodies need to do more to stop racism in football.

“It’s very disappointing,” the midfielder added. “They [UEFA] have to do something so that it stops.

“They always put some sanctions, or whatever, but it never helps. They have to find other things that help because I think it’s important.

“If they want to keep football very high then they need to take these kind of things out of football as well.”

 

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Cazorla: Arsenal can improve on Munich triumph

The Gunners came close to a memorable comeback victory over the runaway Bundesliga leader in midweek and the Spaniard is eying another win against Swansea on Saturday.

Santi Cazorla insists that Arsenal can push on from its midweek victory against Bayern Munich with all three points against Swansea on Saturday.

The Gunners almost overturned a 3-1 first-leg defeat at the Allianz Arena, only to eventually go out on the away goals rule.

The Swans won 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium earlier in the season thanks to two goals from Michu, but Cazorla is confident the Gunners can grab a win, despite being wary of his compatriot.

"The positive we take out of the game is that we gave a good account of ourselves against one of the favourites for the Champions League, winning at their stadium," he told Arsenal’s official website. "The team can gain momentum from this. We have to use this game as an example for the future and try to play as well as we did against Bayern.

"The Swansea squad in general is strong but, above all, Michu. I know him from when we were very young and he is a player that can make a difference. He's scored a lot of goals."

Swansea goes into the match on the back of a 2-1 defeat at the hands of West Brom, but Cazorla believes they will be a stern test at the Liberty Stadium.

“They are a team that will be difficult to play against," he added. "They play good football. Michael Laudrup has a philosophy that is great for the supporters to watch.

"We hope we can get the better of them because, for us, it's vital to get the points."

 

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Real Madrid will throw everything at Mallorca, says Karanka

The Blancos assistant is wary of Saturday's opponents, but promises the reigning Liga champions will be at their bet Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka says his side will "throw everything" at Mallorca on Saturday.

Los Blancos are seemingly out of the race to retain their domestic title but are well on course for success in both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.
However, Karanka has stated that this does not mean they are not taking La Liga seriously and insists Madrid will give 100 percent when they entertain the Balearic side on Saturday evening.

"We will throw everything we have at them, without taking risks with any player, to show our opponents the respect they deserve," he was quoted on the club's official website. “The team is in good form, playing really well. We are confident. We are reaching the end of the season playing well. We are working to keep it that way.
“Mallorca are coming into this off the back of two straight wins and they are moving closer to survival. We will be at the best we can, but we will have to be cautious. We will fall into a mistake if we think that by having eliminated Barcelona and Manchester United from cup competitions that we can win this game.
“The league is not going to be neglected by us, much like no competition is."

As for whether it will be Karim Benzema or Gonzalo Higuain to lead the Madrid attack this weekend, Karanka gave little away.

“They are both in line. We'll see tomorrow," he continued. "I said that the other day after the game. We are not saying that the opportunities which were missed are not important, but that the effort in attack was more important. We will decide on who is in the best shape, as we do for every game and for every position."

 

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Barcelona rocked by Puyol injury

The Blaugrana will be without their captain for up to a month after he suffered a recurrence of a knee problem Barcelona has been rocked after captain Carles Puyol underwent knee surgery on Friday.

It is estimated the veteran will be out of action for up to 45 days and it appears certain that he will miss both of the Catalans' Champions League quarterfinal clashes with Paris Saint-Germain.

Puyol came on as a substitute during his side's emphatic comeback victory against AC Milan on Tuesday evening, but after complaining of discomfort, Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque decided not to include him in his squad for the upcoming World Cup 2014 qualifiers with France and Finland.

It is not the first time the center back's right knee has caused him problems, with the 33-year-old also sidelined last May with a similar problem.

Puyol recently signed a new three-year deal at Camp Nou.

 

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Zabaleta wary of 'tough' away day against Everton

The Argentine defender has warned his teammates of a tricky trip to Goodison Park this weekend, claiming they will have to be “very organized and fight for every ball” Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta has warned his teammates to expect a "tough" trip to Everton on Saturday lunchtime.

The ever-present Argentine picked out key players Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini as the hosts’ major threats – and says Everton’s direct tactics will cause concern for City – which will have to be organised.

The 28-year-old told the club's official website: “Everton away is always very tough. It’s a game that they always want to win and it is going to be hard for us.

“They will be hungry too, after they lost to Wigan last weekend. Fellaini is very good and a very tall player, so he can be difficult to deal with.”

“They play a lot of long balls and they are very strong in set pieces.

“Their fullbacks overlap a lot, especially Leighton Baines on the left side and he can deliver the ball very well.

“So, defensively we have to be very organised and fight for every ball and with the quality we have we need to create and take our chances when they come along.”

 

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Pearce: You never know at Old Trafford

The 24-year-old admits that his team was disappointed at the defeat to Aston Villa, but says it could still earn something at Manchester United with a "proper team performance" Alex Pearce says "you never know what might happen" if Reading plays to the best of its abilities away to Manchester United on Saturday.

Only 26 days after their last visit to Old Trafford, the Royals face Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the Premier League without a permanent manager, but Pearce says their remaining games are all cup finals, and that an upset could happen only a week after losing to relegation rivals Aston Villa.

"It's nine games left now and nine cup finals," he told The Reading Chronicle. "We've got to take each game as it comes and give our all. Hopefully it will be enough [to avoid relegation]. We've got a couple of tough games coming up next and we need to do the best we can.

"They're not easy games but you never know in football. We can regroup this week and get ourselves together. If we go there and put on a proper team performance you never know what might happen.

"We're obviously very disappointed with the Villa result and the dressing room was very down, but we will never lose belief. We must pick ourselves up now, it's the only thing we can do. Everyone has written us off, they had done so before the season even started. We've got to stick together now, it's massively important."

Pearce bemoaned the treatment his side has gotten from referees this season, after seeing a penalty claim denied and a goal ruled offside against Villa, but says it has to make sure the referees are no longer the talking point.

"The offisde was a big decision but we have to eliminate talking about referees every week," he added. "It seems to be happening quite a lot this season so we need to eliminate that and try to do as well as we can during games.

"We put up a good fight and I thought we played well in the second half. But we will move on and look to Manchester United this Saturday."

 

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Benzema will stay at Real Madrid, says agent

The 25-year-old's representative insists that the player will not be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu during the summer Karim Benzema's agent says the striker will remain at Real Madrid for the foreseeable future, amid speculation surrounding his future.

The 25-year-old has struggled to find his top form on a consistent basis this season and has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

Many have predicted that if Jose Mourinho leaves Los Blancos at the end of the season, Benzema will exit too, but his agent Karim Djaziri has denied these rumours.

"Whether Mourinho quits or not, Benzema will remain at Madrid," he told AS.

"At no point has Karim wanted to join PSG and they have never contacted us. He is at the best football club in the world."

Former Madrid hero Fernando Morientes recently expressed his concern over the form and state of mind of Benzema and his teammate Gonzalo Higuain, with both not as lethal in front of goal as in previous seasons.

Benzema has scored 14 goals in 36 appearances this term, finding the net just seven times in the league, in comparison with a haul of 32 last season.

He has, however, been included in Didier Deschamps' France squad for the upcoming 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Spain.

 

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FA confirms suspicious betting activity in Conference South

The English football authorities have stated that they are aware of a number of matches in the lower division that are now under scrutiny following possible breaches of rules.

The FA has confirmed that it is investigating suspicious betting activity surrounding several matches in the Football Conference South.

A statement on Friday revealed that English football's governing body had been made aware of suspicions by the Gambling Commission, and that it would be "assessing the evidence" and contacting all clubs in the division to advise them.

"The FA and the Gambling Commission have become aware of suspicious betting activity on a number of matches played in the Football Conference South," the statement read. "Following recent communications with the Gambling Commission, the FA, in conjunction with the Football Conference, is contacting all clubs playing in the Football Conference South to advise them immediately of our concern about this suspicious activity."

Specific details regarding which games and teams involved were not disclosed.

"Clubs have also been asked to remind their players and officials of their responsibilities under the betting and integrity rules of the FA," the statement continued. "Anyone with any information regarding possible breaches of these rules has been advised to come forward to the FA or to the Gambling Commission.

"In the meantime, we are continuing to work together with the Gambling Commission's Sports Betting Intelligence Unit in further assessing the evidence regarding these suspicious betting patterns."

 

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Southampton handed hefty fine for referee protest in Norwich clash

Saints players remonstrated with referee Mark Clattenburg when he awarded the Canaries a penalty in injury time, only for Artur Boruc to save Grant Holt's spot kick.

Southampton has been fined 20,000 pounds for failing to control its players during Saturday's goalless draw with Norwich, the Football Association has confirmed.

Saints players surrounded referee Mark Clattenburg after he awarded a penalty for a foul by Luke Shaw on Grant Holt in injury time. Artur Boruc saved Holt's subsequent penalty, and the game ended level.

It is not the first incident that Clattenburg has been involved in this season, as he was at the center of a controversy earlier in the campaign involving claims from Chelsea players that he racially abused John Obi Mikel before being cleared of the allegations.

On Friday, the FA confirmed that Southampton admitted to a charge of failing to control its players and had issued the fine as a result. Southampton has won just one of the seven matches it has played under new boss Mauricio Pochettino and sits 16th in the Premier League table as it attempts to stave off relegation.

 

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Jol: Bale the best player in the Premier League

The Fulham manager says he convinced the Welsh winger to join Tottenham, and even tried to sign him on loan as boss at Hamburg, but says Spurs have done well to hold onto him Fulham manager Martin Jol says Tottenham has done well to keep star man Gareth Bale, after revealing he convinced the "best player in the Premier League" to sign for the north London club.

Jol revealed he has followed Bale since the age of 15 at Southampton, and admits Spurs have done well to hold onto him this long after such a good spell in his career.

"Tottenham have done well over the last three or four years, it's not only this season," Jol told the club's official website. "They are top-four material and at one stage under Harry Redknapp they were going for the title. I maybe started that foundation there and after that it just got better and better.

"I saw Bale at Southampton when he was 15. We followed him after that and I convinced him to come to Spurs. In hindsight, that was very satisfying as he's the best player in the Premier League.

"He shows that week in, week out. He's getting stronger and in the hole he's probably even better.

"I even tried to sign him on loan at Hamburg. He'd played 20 games without winning at Spurs but they knew he was an exciting player. They did well to keep him."

Jol also stated ahead of facing Bale and Spurs that he was annoyed at his side's lack of football recently, with the game at White Hart Lane their second and final match of the month.

"It was very annoying to only have two games this month," he admitted. "It's not what you want. It's better to keep your rhythm.

"We've got pretty much the same squad as before. We've had no more problems. Steve Sidwell is back after missing out at Sunderland and will be in the squad. Mahamadou Diarra is still out long term. The rest are all fit."

Despite Spurs playing a grueling 120 minutes in their eventual Europa League win over Inter on Thursday, Jol is not counting on tiredness being a problem for the hosts.

"They've got a bit squad and won't have any problems," he continued. "Aaron Lennon had been injured but came on for a few minutes so that will be positive for them."

 

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Barclays Premier League 2013.03.16 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2013.03.16 Fixtures

Everton Vs Manchester City

Swansea Vs Arsenal

Aston Villa Vs QPR

Southampton Vs Liverpool

Stroke City Vs WBA

Manchester United Vs Reading

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