Bangladesh Football Federation has undertaken an ambitious project of recruiting an Argentinian trio with a view to improving the standard of the game as well as running its various development programmes.
    At an executive committee meeting on Monday at the federation office the BFF decided to hire Vicente Cayetano Rodriguez, a former assistant to the legendary coach Cesare Luis Menotti, as the head coach who will also act as the chief of development.
   Diego Andres Cruciani, also from Argentina, will act as Rodriguez’s deputy and will be the in-charge of the Under 23 national team while another Argentinian, Deboli Hugo Antonio, will be coming to Bangladesh as the physical trainer.
   The total expenses to be incurred for recruiting these three overseas football coaches have been calculated at US $14,000 per month of which the Asian Football Confederation’s contribution would be only four thousand dollars. According to the BFF, Rodriguez will draw a monthly salary of $8,000 and Cruciani will receive a remuneration of $4,000 while the trainer, Hugo Antonio, will get $2,000 per month from the BFF.
   So, the BFF will not only have to pay a purse of US $10,000 per month from its resources but also provide the accommodation and transport facilities to the Argentine trio.
   The BFF has decided to take up the challenge as the National Team Management Committee assured the federation of finding a sponsor. In short, the BFF will need about Tk 8 lakh every month to implement its ambitious project.
   ‘We can call it a very ambitious project but there is no cheaper way for the development of the game. We are confident that we will be able to make the project come true,’ said Anwarul Huq Helal, the general secretary of the BFF.
   The BFF will be entrusting Rodriguez with the task of chalking out specific plans and programmes for the development of the game in the country. He will also coach the national football team throughout the year.
   After scrutinising eight bio-data the BFF finally selected Rodriguez whom they thought will be a perfect man for the job. The BFF hopes to bring him in the country within two months to finalise terms and conditions.
   The meeting also decided that the Independence Day Gold Cup football tournament will commence on March 18 instead of March 10 as it will take more time to prepare the ground for holding full-fledged tournament and the two participating teams, Brothers Union and Muktijoddha, have overseas fixtures of the AFC Cup on Match 16.

Gone are the days when a female athlete felt shy to compete. The number of women participants in the sports arena has increased significantly in the recent years. Their overall performance, however, remains far below the international standard, primarily because of the absence of a sustainable development policy.
   In a world of sponsorships and endorsements, sportswomen in Bangladesh have to bear their own expenses whenever they take part in a domestic competition. Patronage from the state is extremely limited.
   The Women’s Sports Complex at Dhanmondi in the capital remains the only exclusive sports facility for women. It has a medium-sized field, a swimming pool, a gymnasium and a 150-bed hostel.
   The Bangladesh Women’s Sports Association does have a countrywide network but has to rely on the district sports associations for funds. Development at the grassroots is almost non-existent, as very few schools encourage girls in sports, says the women’s sports association general secretary, Quamrunnahar Dana.
   ‘Not only that, the scope for practice and improvement is also very limited,’ adds Dana, a former national badminton champion.
   ‘Even at the national level, only a few government-run institutions such as the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation and the Bangladesh Ansars support women athletes. Overall, there is no special policy to help female athletes.’
   The association, which organises athletics, chess, swimming, badminton, volleyball, gymnastics, judo and karate competitions every year, gets an annual grant of Tk 10 lakh only from the National Sports Council.
   ‘The amount is not enough for us to take up any development programme,’ says Dana. ‘We hold the competitions with the help of sponsors. However, sponsors are difficult to find as very few companies come forward to patronise any women’s sport event.’
   She was also critical of the sports council for renting out the sports complex for different social events. ‘We have protested against allowing concerts and fairs on the complex premises because these destroy the sporting atmosphere but the government remains indifferent.’
   On the other hand, although the council earns a lot of money by renting out the complex, it refuses to increase the annual grant for the association, Dana says.
   The complex lacks proper maintenance and the boarders complain that the dilapidated washroom and toilet facilities need renovation.
   The hostel is widely used because it is the only one for sportswomen in the capital. When any national competition starts, there is no option except it.
   Apart from the association, the Bangladesh Krira Shiksha Pratisthan grooms a number of female players and now has about a hundred female students in different events.
   Football and cricket, the two most popular games in Bangladesh, are still beyond the reach of female players.
   In 2003 the association tried to introduce women’s football but had to call it off as the government refused to provide any financial support.
   The Bangladesh Football Federation has recently put emphasis on women’s football at the insistence of the Asian Football Confederation. It organised two three-month-long camps and hosted the first women’s football tournament in December 2004. The women footballers will participate in an international tournament in South Korea in April. The Bangladesh Cricket Board is yet to take any initiative to include women players in cricket.
   Besides financial constraints, there is strong resistance to development of women’s sports from the religious bigots.
   In 2004 The Bangladesh Wrestling Federation had to call off a women’s wrestling championship in the face of demonstration and intimidation by a few Islamist organisations. Also, women participants were kept out of a long-distance swimming competition in Chandpur because of strong resistance by the Islamists.
   Still, sportswomen have won honours for Bangladesh in the international arena. Sabrina Sultana won the Commonwealth Games sporting rifle gold in 1998 in Malaysia. Sharmin Akhtar also won a gold medal in the last South Asian Federation Games in Pakistan. Kazi Shahana Parvin won a number of gold medals in the SAF circuit. In chess Rani Hamid became the first and so far the only international women’s master.

Chittagong beat Khulna by nine wickets while two magnificent centuries by Ezaz Ahmed and Imtiaz Hossain enabled Sylhet to eke out a draw against Barisal on the final day of the fourth round four-day fixtures in the Ispahani Tea 6th National Cricket League on Monday
   At Chittagong Divisional Stadium, a struggling Khulna side accepted an easy defeat going down by nine wickets on the final day. In the second innings, the lower-orders guided Khulna to a healthy 327 runs. However, the score was not enough to challenge Chittagong, who amassed a huge 461 runs in the first innings.
   The hosts reached the winning target in seven overs scoring 52 runs losing one wicket. After losing opener Tamim Iqbal, the youngest brother of national opener Nafees Iqbal within two deliveries, Nazim Uddin and Masumuddoula did not allow any further damage. At the end Nazimuddin and Masum were not out on 39 and 13 runs respectively. Khulna had scored 182 runs in the first innings and were forced to follow on.
   Earlier, resuming on 148 for three Khulna progressed to a good total because of the brave batting by their lower-orders. Two bowlers Monjurul Islam and Dollar Mahmud scored 49 and 63 runs respectively batting at number nine and ten. However, their endeavours did nothing but delayed the victory of the hosts.
   At the Barisal Divisional Stadium, an aggressive batting display by Ezaz Ahmed, who cracked 120 off 115 balls, and a cautious 103 off 162 balls from Imtiaz Hossain denied the hosts an outright win.
   Ezaz smacked 16 boundaries and two huge sixes in his audacious innings while Imtiaz struck 12 boundaries and two sixes in his 203-minute patient knock. The duo added 199 runs for the seventh wicket as Sylhet finished at 437 runs in 134 overs losing eight wickets to save the match. Sylhet did not invite Barisal to bat for a second time.

She burst into the national scene as a mere eight-year-old in the early 1970s. Success did not elude her for long as she won a triple crown in the National Table Tennis Championships in 1977. It was just the start for Zobera Rahman Linu. She went on to win 16 consecutive national titles between 1979 and 2001. It would have been more had she played in 1981 and had the championship been held in 1988 and 1989. In 1996 she was about to retire for a niggling back pain but changed her mind after she had been told that she might create a world record if she played a few years more. And on she played and carved her name in the Guinness Book of World Record in 2002 for being the only table tennis player in the world to have won 17 national titles.
   Unfortunately, the sports authorities have been anything but supportive to the icon of the country’s table tennis arena. Linu, who did her master’s degree in psychology, is practically unemployed. She is affiliated with the Bangladesh Ansars table tennis team and gets a meagre remuneration as the team coordinator. She runs a business on her own but the venture has not quite taken off.
   Most of Linu’s titles came when she played for Bangladesh Biman. Biman has won a number of titles with her but did not offer her any job. The government has also not taken any initiative to give Linu, who has represented Bangladesh in the South Asian Federation Games and the Asian Games, a job. In 2004 she was the manager of the Abahani women’s table tennis team and led it to league title.
   ‘A number of good players have come into the game and more are on the way. However, what bothers me is the lack of commitment,’ says Linu. ‘In our teens, we tried hard to do the best but the determination is missing these days.’
   ‘Maybe, the girls do not see any future in the game. Professional table tennis has not yet taken its roots and the sports authorities have shown little interest in this regard. Also, the government has been indifferent to the need of setting up proper fitness infrastructure and other facilities.’
   Our society also plays a role in discouraging women from taking up table tennis or any other game, Linu says.
   ‘I had the complete support of my family. My father encouraged me to play but now not many parents do that.
   ‘In India, there are a lot of women table tennis players who work for different big companies and play nearly 35 to 40 tournaments a year. A national-level player earns a handsome salary.’
   Linu believes that there is no dearth of talent in Bangladesh. ‘Unfortunately, neither the table tennis federation nor the government has any specific development policy. The women players have come this far on their own initiative. There is no special training facility to groom their talents.’
   Schools are the best place to encourage sports, she says. ‘Sports should be a mandatory subject at the school level so that boys and girls concentrate more. If studies and sports run parallel, it will have a positive impact.’
   About recent demonstration and intimidation by some Islamist groups against women’s sports, Linu refused to comment. ‘I would not comment about the issue but only say that such things are unwanted.’

Fatima Bibi, 67, has come from Pakistan not to watch cricket in the high-profile series in India, but to cash in on the opportunity to revive old memories.
   ‘My kids will watch the match, not me,’ she said ahead of the first Test between India and Pakistan starting here on Tuesday.
   ‘I am here to see my family house in Patiala. I am lucky to get a visa (for the northern Indian city) and will go there after the Test and rekindle old memories,’ she said.
   Bibi, who migrated to Pakistan after partition from India in 1947, is one of the 2,000 Pakistani fans to have arrived here from the Wagah border in nearly 30 buses.
   Pakistan may be playing their first Test series in India in six years, but they will not be performing in front of a partisan crowd. Cricket authorities here are leaving no stone unturned to make Pakistani fans’ stay comfortable.
   ‘Cricket is a vehicle to improve relations between the two nations and we’ve opened our hearts just like Pakistan did last year when India toured there,’ said Inderjeet Singh Bindra, president of the host cricket association.
   ‘The next five-six days will be a cricket carnival with a sell-out crowd of 35,000, including Pakistani fans,’ he said.
   Indian fans still remember Pakistan’s hospitality when the Sourav Ganguly-led squad toured Pakistan in 2004, their first visit in nearly 15 years.
   ‘We want to reciprocate the love the Pakistanis gave us when we toured their country last year,’ said local businessman Rajinder Gupta, who has vacated half of his house for cricket guests.
   Banners proclaiming ‘Welcome to Pakistan fans’ greeted the visitors when they arrived in hotels and ‘India-Pakistan food and cultural festivals’ are being planned. The facilities include prayer mats in the rooms.
   But cricket is not the top priority for many Pakistani fans, as most have planned shopping and sightseeing, and in some cases a return to their roots.
   ‘I waited for this moment all my life as I would be able to see my family and my birthplace in the Indian city of Ambala,’ said Ruqqaya, 65, who migrated to Pakistan with her parents at the time of partition.
   ‘I am not much interested in cricket. My husband and children will go to the match while I plan to spend time with my relatives,’ added Ruqqaya, who was travelling from her home in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.
   ‘I’ve come here not only to watch cricket but also to see the warmth and affection of the Indians,’ said Pakistani fan Iftikhar Bhatti, who braved a not-so-comfortable bus ride from the border.
   Mohammad Rafique, 23, is already overwhelmed. ‘We have no friends or relatives here, but we feel that everyone is our relative or friend,’ he said.
   ‘The past is past. Both the countries have opened a new chapter.’
   Telephone company sales executive and father-of-two Yasir Hussain, 32 was going with five friends for the entertainment.
   ‘One day I’ll take my family along too to show them India as they all want to.
   But for now I am going with friends. Its our first visit and we want to relax and enjoy,’ said Yasir.
   Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said there was ‘love and affection’ in the air before the start of the three-Test series.
   ‘People of Pakistan and India are the same when it comes to love and affection,’ he said.
   ‘When the Indians thronged Lahore last year it was like a carnival and although the
   number of Pakistani fans here may be less, there is a
   feeling of love and brotherhood in the air.’
   Cricket lovers thronged the special offices in Lahore last week to get visas for Mohali after India announced it would give 10,000 visas to Pakistani fans.
   The Indian cricket board had sent 7,000 tickets of the first Test for Pakistani fans.
   ‘Cricket is one of the major confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan and naturally we relaxed all restrictions for the cricket visas,’ said Dr Ramesh Chandra, press consul at Indian embassy in Islamabad told AFP.
   ‘The atmosphere there in India is full of warmth for the Pakistani team and fans and the people of India are ready to welcome Pakistanis with open arms and hearts.’

Ivan Ljubicic vanquished Andy Roddick in five sets on Sunday to lift Croatia to a stunning Davis Cup victory over a powerful US lineup and into the World Group quarter-finals.
   Ljubicic - already with four ATP finals appearances to his credit this year - capped a superb weekend with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (13/11), 6-7 (7/9), 6-2 victory over the third-ranked player in the world.
   He had already beaten eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi in straight sets to open the tie, and teammed with Mario Ancic to beat the top-ranked doubles duo of Bob and Mike Bryan on Saturday.
   ‘I have no words, really. Today I felt really good - I could go forever, I had the feeling,’ said Ljubicic.
   The defeat marked the first time the United States have lost a first-round match at home in the history of the Davis Cup. Roddick, who beat Ancic on Friday, suffered his first home loss in 14 Davis Cup matches.
   Agassi, his return to Davis Cup after a five-year absence spoiled, didn’t play the dead match, leaving Bob Bryan to step in and post a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Croatian reserve Roko Karanusic, playing in place of Ancic.
   The United States, who have won a record 31 titles but haven’t lifted the trophy since 1995, will have to win a relegation match in September to stay in the World Group, while Croatia advance to a quarter-final clash with Romania, who edged Belarus 3-2.
   In Moscow, Australian Open champion Marat Safin was spared that feeling, but not before a characteristic emotional roller-coaster ride to a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 victory over Fernando Gonzalez.
   Safin’s victory, like Ljubicic’s in just under four hours, gave Russia an unassailable 3-1 lead over Chile, and Nikolay Davydenko rounded off the victory with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Paul Capdeville as Russia looked ahead to a July home quarter-final against France, who beat Sweden 3-2 in Strasbourg.
   The re-match with France pits Russia against the team they beat to win their only title three years ago. July’s quarter-final can’t come round soon enough for Paul-Henri Mathieu who led France to a 3-2 win over Sweden with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 win over Thomas Johansson.
   Mathieu’s form was in contrast to that of Sebastien Grosjean who suffered his second setback of the tie, losing 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 to Joachim Johansson.
   In Fribourg, world number one Federer’s decision to skip the Davis Cup to focus on upcoming Masters events in America came back to haunt Switzerland.
   Dutch veteran Sjeng Schalken gave his side an unassailable 3-1 lead and a place in the quarter-finals but at least Swiss teenager Stanislas Wawrinka can take credit from the way he played.
   Schalken’s greater experience told when he pulled off a 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 9-7 win to put his side into the last eight.
   Marco Chiudinelli clinched the dead rubber against Peter Wessels when the Dutchman retired injured despite winning the first set 6-4.
   In Brasov, Andre Pavel and Victor Hanescu both won Sunday’s reverse singles to hand Romania a 3-2 win over Belarus.
   Trailing 2-1 overnight, Pavel beat Max Mirnyi 6-1, 7-6 (7/0), 4-6, 6-3 to level the first round tie before Hanescu edged Vladimir Voltchkov 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 7-6 (8/6).

Tiger Woods shot a six-under 66 overcoming a two-stroke deficit on Sunday to capture the 5.5 million dollar PGA Miami tournament and reclaim the world No 1 ranking.
   Reigning Masters champion Mickelson began the final round with a two-shot cushion, but despite a steady three-under 69 he could not move clear of the charging Woods at the Doral Resort’s Blue Monster course
   Mickelson was clinging to a one-shot lead over Woods halfway through the final round but Woods eagled No 12 and then broke a their deadlock with a birdie on No 17.
   ‘It was fun,’ Woods said. ‘We were both playing well and going at each other with birdies all day.’
   This marks the first time the two have played together in the final group on Sunday since the 2003 Buick Invitational, where Woods once again outduelled Mickelson.
   There were 11 of the top 12 players in the world on hand in Miami but in the end it came down to a two-man race.
   Mickelson had been ahead all week, but Woods roared into second place Saturday with a sizzling 63.

Sri Lanka’s star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is set to miss the upcoming Test series in New Zealand due to slow recovery of his injured shoulder, team physiotherapist CJ Clarke said on Monday.
   ‘Murali’s shoulder is still stiff,’ the physiotherapist said. ‘He will start rehabilitation and bowling again around March 17 but the New Zealand tour is unrealistic.’
   The Sri Lankan, who is getting married to an Indian girl later this month, has also been contracted to play county cricket for Lancashire during the first half of the English summer.

Manchester United legends Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles are backing the Red Devils to overcome a 1-0 deficit against AC Milan today and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
   Sir Alex Ferguson’s side face a monumental task to qualify for the last eight having lost the first leg of their last 16 clash at Old Trafford.
   But Charlton and Stiles, who lifted the European Cup with United in 1968, are confident the reigning English champions can turn the tie around.
   ‘Milan are a strong side, but I don’t think there’s any team strong enough to withstand us if we play really well,’ Charlton told MUTV.
   ‘What a challenge to go to the San Siro for a place in the quarter-finals – it would be great if we can do it and I think they’re ready for it.’
   Stiles hopes the current team can draw inspiration from the 1968 semi-final when United produced one of their greatest ever comebacks against the mighty Real Madrid.
   Leading 1-0 from the first leg in Manchester, United were 3-1 down at half-time at the Bernabeu but they scored twice after the break to draw on the night and secure a 4-3 aggregate win.
   ‘There’s no reason why United can’t match what we did in Madrid, especially with the players we’ve got in our side like Roy Keane and Paul Scholes,’ Stiles said.
   United can also take encouragement from their semi-final victory over Juventus in 1999 when they fought back from two goals down to win 3-2 in Turin for a 4-3 aggregate score.
   Ferguson’s side went on to win the trophy by beating Bayern Munich in the final in Barcelona, where extra-time goals from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham secured a dramatic 2-1 victory.
   Milan defender Jaap Stam played for United that night and the giant Dutchman is only too aware of his former club’s never-say-die attitude.
   ‘We’re in a great position, but the tie isn’t over yet,’ said the Holland international, who was forced to pull out of the first leg after injuring himself in the warm-up.
   ‘United have to go for it with everything they have, and if we’re not ready for that they will get back into this match. They have the players to do it.’
   The Italians start as firm favourites to progress, but Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is taking nothing for granted.
   ‘I’ve already put the first leg to the back of my mind,’ he said. ‘We still have another 90 minutes to play and it won’t be easy.’
   European Footballer of the Year Andriy Shevchenko is unlikely to be involved for Milan after having surgery on a fractured cheekbone, so Danish striker Jon Dahl Tomasson is likely to partner Hernan Crespo – scorer of the only goal in Manchester – in attack.
   United will have to end Milan’s unbeaten home record against English clubs in Europe if they are to stay in the competition.
   In nine matches at home to English opponents, Milan have won five and drawn four. United have lost seven of their 10 trips to Italy in European competitions.
   Meanwhile, Striker Sidney Govou is set to return for goal-getting Lyon in their return leg against Werder Bremen today.
   The 25-year-old French international, a key player in Paul Le Guen’s squad, pulled his right thigh muscle last week to make him a doubt as they defend a 3-0 lead from the first leg.
   But Govou said he was fit enough for selection for the Gerland stadium clash against the German champions, who all but surrendered their domestic crown on Saturday going down 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
   Govou’s firepower is part of Lyon’s impressive striking squad also including Sylvain Wiltord and the new find this season Bryan Bergougnoux.
   Lyon have the best attack in both the Champions League and the French first division this season, with 20 goals from seven matches in Europe and 39 in 28 games at home.

Barcelona striker Ronaldinho claims all four English clubs will be eliminated from the Champions League this week.
   His sights are set on Chelsea, and the Brazilian, FIFA’s World Player of the Year for 2004, feels the Premiership best will not be good enough against continental European opposition.
   Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United all trail from the first legs of their last-16 ties although Liverpool lead Bayer Leverkusen 3-1.
   Arsenal have to recover from 3-1 down to Bayern Munich and United go to AC Milan a goal behind.
   Ronaldinho can see no way back for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge today.
   ‘I’m sure that Barcelona will reach the quarter-finals,’ he told the Daily Mirror.
   ‘My predictions would be Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, or AC Milan and maybe Inter to challenge. I don’t think any of the English sides will do it.’
   Barca will look to protect their 2-1 lead from the first leg at the Nou Camp, in which they trailed until the game turned after Didier Drogba’s dismissal.
   Maxi Lopez and Samuel Eto’o fired the Spaniards to their narrow lead, although Ronaldinho felt the margin of victory could easily have been greater.
   ‘Having seen Chelsea close up I am still 100 per cent confident that we will go through to the quarter-finals,’ he added.
   ‘We have a better team than Chelsea and I’m certain that we will score at Stamford Bridge to take us through.
   ‘Chelsea gave us a hard game in the Nou Camp but our performance deserved better than 2-1.’
   But the 23-year-old acknowledges Chelsea are a well-organised side.
   ‘Chelsea’s defence were extremely difficult to break down,’ he said. ‘Jose Mourinho knew how to keep it tight against us and against me in particular.’

Chelsea’s bid to overturn a 2-1 Champions League deficit against Barcelona could be bolstered by the return of Arjen Robben to their line-up.
   The Dutch winger has not played since suffering a double fracture of his left foot on February 2 and he was sorely missed as Chelsea slumped to a controversy-marred defeat in the Camp Nou two weeks ago.
   But he is close to completing his recovery and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that he is contemplating using his most influential creative force for at least part of today’s match at Stamford Bridge.
   ‘He has a chance to play, although not for 90 minutes and I don’t want to put any pressure on him,’ Mourinho said.
   ‘If Arjen says on Monday after training that he is ready, then that is great but it could be too early for him.’
   Since losing in Barcelona, Chelsea have responded emphatically to those who suggested that defeat, which came hot on the heels of an FA Cup exit at Newcastle, was perhaps symptomatic of a loss of nerve in Mourinho’s side.
   The manager’s bizarre allegations about referee Anders Frisk’s alleged cosy half-time chat with Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard, did nothing to dispel that impression.
   But having secured victory over Liverpool in the League Cup final, Mourinho appeared to have recovered his serenity in the wake of Saturday’s 3-1 defeat of Norwich, a victory that surely means the Premiership trophy will become the second piece of silverware to grace the Stamford Bridge boardroom this season.
   Whether there is to be a third could well hinge on the outcome of today’s encounter; if Ronaldinho and co can be dispatched, Chelsea are unlikely to tremble at the prospect of crossing swords with any other side left in the competition.
   Two goals in six minutes from substitute Maxi Lopez and Samuel Eto’o give Barcelona the edge but Chelsea’s goal in Spain, courtesy of Barcelona defender Belletti, means a 1-0 win – a scoreline with which Chelsea have a particular affinity - would be enough to put the London club into the last eight on the away goals rule.
   Didier Drogba complicated the task by getting himself sent-off, ensuring he is banned for the second leg. In the absence of the Ivory Coast international, Eidur Gudjohnsen is expected to lead the Chelsea forward line while William Gallas is expeced to return from injury to bolster the meanest defence in any of Europe’s top leagues.
   Barcelona will have French midfielder Ludovic Giuly at their disposal after his recovery from a back strain, although that good news was offset for Rijkaard by the loss of Mexican defender Rafael Marquez to a hamstring injury, incurred as Barca extended their lead at the top of the Spanish league by beating Osasuna on Saturday.
   Barca skipper Carles Puyol played down the significance of Marquez missing out.
   ‘It is a shame for him as he has been doing very well and playing at a high level, especially in the last few games, but we have full belief in whichever player comes into the side in his place,’ Puyol said.
   ‘At the moment we have the advantage but we will have to move the ball around well and also be careful of the counter-attack.’
   Barcelona know they have the option of simply sitting back and inviting Chelsea to hit them with their best shot, confident that the longer the match goes on the more cracks are likely to appear for Ronaldinho, Giuly and Samuel Eto’o to exploit.

Thierry Henry has told Bayern Munich to expect a confident Arsenal side when the teams meet in Wednesday’s second-leg, last 16 Champions League tie here at Highbury on Wednesday.
   English title holders Arsenal trail 3-1 after a first leg defeat at the German giants’ Olympic Stadium and France striker Henry admitted the odds were stacked against his team reaching the quarter-finals.
   But he said the Gunners would be drawing inspiration from last season’s remarkable Champions League fightback wins achieved by Monaco and Deportivo La Coruna who both made it through to the last four from seemingly hopeless situations.
   Monaco trailed 4-2 after their first leg at Real Madrid but still went through, while Deportivo won 4-0 at home after initially losing 4-1 at AC Milan.
   And Henry said, ‘When Monaco lost 4-2 at Madrid, everyone was saying that Real were already through and the same when Milan won 4-1 against La Coruna.
   ‘But things can happen. We need to put passion in the game to make it happen for us but I’m sure the fans will be up for it.
   ‘You just never know. Even if Bayern score early, the game is not finished. Milan have defenders like Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta but they still lost 4-0 after winning the first leg 4-1.
   ‘Normally you would say that could never happen to them as they have experience, but it happened.
   ‘Maybe we saw the wrong Arsenal in the first leg, but hopefully we can see the good Arsenal this time.
   ‘Everyone knows we can play well, pass the ball well and go forward well, but we need to be out there as a unit and make sure that we defend well first of all,’ added Henry, who scored all three goals in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat of Premiership strugglers Portsmouth.
   That result left Arsenal third in the table, 10 points behind leaders and London rivals Chelsea.
   But while no one questions the Gunners’ ability to score goals, doubts remain about their defence and if they concede just one goal on Wednesday even their attack may be hard-pressed to score the three that would then be required to level the tie.
   Arsenal will once again be without injured England centre-back Sol Campbell for Wednesday’s match and he is set to be joined on the sidelines by Pascal Cygan, the Frenchman suffering with a thigh problem.
   ‘You can’t have a bad night in the Champions League as you pay straight away,’ Henry admitted. ‘We did it once but we still have the opportunity to change it on Wednesday. I hope they can have a bad one this time.’
   Arsenal, who have never won European club football’s biggest prize or its predecessor the European Cup, go into the match clinging to the lifeline granted them by Kolo Toure’s late goal in Germany and Henry insisted the north London club would not be lacking in self-belief.
   ‘If we don’t believe, we might as well ring them up and tell them to stay at home as they’ve won, but you have to be confident. It will be difficult but we will try our best.
   ‘Then again, football is about winning. I will be happy if we can turn things around but I won’t be over the moon.
   ‘If we lose in the quarter-finals after beating Bayern Munich, that won’t do anything for me.’

Adriano scored his first goal in almost three months to give Inter Milan a 2-1 home win over Lecce on Sunday.
   The 23-year-old Brazilian striker, who last scored on December 12, ended his drought by stroking home a controversial 89th minute penalty for his 15th Serie A goal.
   The spot-kick was highly dubious as Brazilian defender Angelo barely touched Julio Cruz, who fell to the floor theatrically.
   Alex Pinardi gave Lecce the lead with a tap-in, before Ivan Cordoba equalised for the home side with a towering header.
   Inter remain in fourth place on 46 points, one behind Sampdoria who won 1-0 at home to Chievo.
   The winner in Genoa came eight minutes from time when Francesco Flachi’s free-kick deflected off the body of team-mate Andrea Gasbarroni, completely wrong-footing Chievo keeper Luca Marchegiani.
   The visitors missed a penalty 10 minutes after the break. Sergio Volpi tripped Franco Semioli in the area and Lorenzo D’Anna was forced to take his penalty twice for encroachment. The first time he was successful, but his second attempt was easily saved by Francesco Antonioli.
   Palermo climbed one place to fifth after drawing 2-2 at Livorno where Luca Toni scored twice for the Sicilian visitors to take his tally to 12 for the season.
   Brescia won 3-2 at fellow strugglers Siena, while Parma improved their chances of survival with a victory by the same score at home to Cagliari.
   Lazio’s three-match winning streak came to an end as they lost 1-0 at Messina, while Bologna won by the same score at Udinese.
   Fabrizio Miccoli’s 69th minute penalty gave Fiorentina a 2-1 home win over Reggina.

Diego Maradona is in good spirits at a clinic in Colombia, one day after undergoing gastric-bypass surgery that aims to trim his weight by 50 kilograms within a year, his doctors say.
   ‘He woke up stable, the readings are normal, he has a positive attitude ... and he’s having a great day,’ Dr Francisco Holguin told reporters.
   Holguin is one of four doctors who took part in the operation, also known as stomach stapling, at a clinic in Colombia’s coastal city of Cartagena.
   Since quitting professional soccer in 1997, the 44-year-old Maradona has become severely obese as he struggled to overcome cocaine addiction at a centre in Cuba.
   Holguin said the 1.68-metre Maradona weighed 121 kilograms when the surgery began on Saturday and that he could lose about 200 grams a day until he reaches a weight of 70-75 kilograms.
   ‘Diego in one year will reach his ideal weight. He’ll look like he’s ready to play in (next year’s) World Cup in Germany,’ Holguin said with a smile.
   But he said the former Argentine soccer hero must change his eating habits and exercise more, although weight loss is not assured.
   ‘Guarantees are for auto-repair shops. In medicine there are no such guarantees,’ Holguin said.
   Doctor Angelica Quintero, who also took part in the surgery, said Maradona will spend about two weeks recovering at the Medihelp Services clinic in Cartagena.

AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has flatly denied weekend reports that he is desperate to join Manchester United.
   The Italy international, who will play for the Rossoneri in today’s second leg of their Champions League tie against United at the San Siro, told Gazzetto dello Sport, ‘It’s true that I love English football and that I would like to play in England before I end my career.
   ‘I have never hidden that. But to say that I’m dreaming of Manchester and I want to go soon is a different thing, and I never said that.
   ‘I will not move away from Milan until they kick me out. Maybe certain journalists misunderstand but I hope I have now been clear.’

Everton missed the chance to ease further away from city rivals Liverpool in their quest for European football next season after slumping to a 1-0 home defeat against Blackburn Rovers.
   Victory for Rovers moved them further clear of relegation danger while in the day’s other match on Sunday, West Bromwich Albion beat midlands rivals Birmingham City 2-0 to climb off the foot of the Premier League table.
   Fourth-placed Everton, seeking to strengthen their hold on the fourth Champions League place, were sunk by a goal on 71 minutes from striker Jon Stead, his first of the season.
   Defender Neil Clement and striker Kevin Campbell scored second-half goals to lift West Brom to 21 points from 28 matches, one point above Norwich City.

Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane believes his side are in a much stronger position going into the second leg of their Champions League knockout round clash with Juventus than they were two years ago.
   In the 2003 semi-final Real beat the Italians 2-1 in the first leg only to lose 3-1 in the return in Turin.
   This time the nine-times European champions go into the second leg holding a 1-0 advantage after the first game at the Bernabeu. ‘We are in a better position this time round than two years ago, because Juve haven’t scored an away goal,’ the Frenchman told a news conference on Monday.
   ‘We will go there with the aim of scoring and that will make life difficult for them.
   ‘They have to come out and attack and that is much better for us because the game will be more open. The important thing for us will be to match their strong start and to do that we will have to be very alert.
   ‘But if half an hour goes by and they don’t score then I’m convinced we will go on to score and win.’ The 32-year-old former Juventus player stressed that success in this year’s competition was a top priority for his side.
   ‘For us and the fans the Champions (League) is very important. We won it three years ago and we want to win it again,’ said Zidane, who scored in the 2-1 final victory against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002.
   ‘We want to go through and we will do all we can to win it.’
   Zidane has missed Real’s last two league games because of a groin injury, but insisted that he was fully recovered and ready to face his old side.
   ‘I’m feeling fit. I’ve been out 10 days, but I’ve worked well over the last four and I’m heading to Turin with all the enthusiasm in the world,’ he said.
   Real captain Raul and England striker Michael Owen were both back in full training after recovering from illness and were included in the squad for the trip to Turin.
   The line-up in training suggested that Raul will partner Ronaldo in attack, while Owen will start on the bench.
   England captain David Beckham also trained normally despite complaining of back pain after Real’s 1-1 draw at Valencia on Saturday.