A mysterious illness of Bangladesh Football Federation president SA Sultan forced the federation to postpone Saturday’s executive committee meeting for an indefinite period. Sultan had convened the emergency meeting to explain his latest stance regarding the BFF election. It was assumed that Sultan would resign on Saturday.
   The BFF president and the officials went to the office of General Moeen U Ahmed, the chief of army staff and also the chairman of the National Sports Council, on Saturday morning to hand over a cheque for Tk 9,01,636 collected from the Mohammedan-Abahani best-of-three charity football series for the cyclone-affected people. The total earning was Tk 11,31,845 with Tk 3 lakh received from the sponsors Teletalk and Tk 8,31,845 from ticket sales. After deducting the expenses incurred for printing of posters, leaflets and other incidental expenses the BFF donated the rest of the money for the cyclone victims.
   After submission of the cheque the BFF president and Moeen held a closed-door meeting for twenty minutes. Sultan left the NSC chairman’s office along with the federation officials and hours later he informed the BFF that due to illness he was unable to attend the meeting and asked to cancel it.
   It was rumored that Sultan was admitted to the CMH for a check-up and other speculations were rife at the BFF House.
   It was not clear whether Sultan had resigned or not. He was out of contact and his cell-phone was off. His intentions were to send his resignation letter to the FIFA headquarters and the NSC chief simultaneously. The acting general secretary of the BFF, Monzur Hossain Malu, also kept his mouth shut. ‘How could I know if the president has resigned or not? He did not disclose anything to me, he just said he would not be able to attend the meeting as he was feeling unwell,’ said Malu.
   The federation members from Dhaka got the information about the cancellation of the meeting but the members from outside Dhaka only knew it after coming to the BFF House.
   Malu also failed to inform when the meeting will be held place again. ‘I depends on the president, he will inform us when the meeting will take place, we will act accordingly,’ said Malu.

Chittagong took a 193-run lead over Rajshahi on the second day of the eighth round matches of the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea National Cricket League on Saturday. Khulna made a solid start by scoring 193 for one in reply to Sylhet’s first innings total of 300 runs. Dhaka after racking up 262 in the first innings restricted Barisal to152 for seven when the bails were drawn for the day.
   Chittagong v Rajshahi
   Chittagong bowlers hit back to halt Rajshahi’s first innings at 118 with Yunus leading the charge with a haul of 4-22 while Tarek helped the team taking three wickets for 53 runs. Rajshahi were bowled out in 57.3 overs. Khaled Mashud was the highest scorer with 25 runs and Shakil contributed 21 runs.
   Chittagong started their second innings on a solid note scoring 113 for three wickets. Salahuddin hit 49, Masumuddowla added 28, Nazimuddin and Faisal were at the crease with 19 and 13 respectively at the end of the day.
   Sylhet v Khulna
   Sylhet resumed at 228 for six and finished their first innings on 300 runs with Golam Rahman hitting highest 85. His brother Golam Mabud added 53 and late order contributions from Nabil Samad (25 not out) and Rashedur Rahman (23 not out) enabled Sylhet to reach the 300-run mark. Murad Khan captured four wickets for 79 runs and Aslam Khan took three for 57.
   Khulna scored 193 for one with Imrul Kayes batting on 87 and Mostafizur Rahman on 38. Earlier, Nazmus Sadat gave his team a solid start scoring 47.
   Dhaka v Barisal
   Dhaka began the day with 215 for six and added another 47 runs to end their first innings on 262. Paceman Md Sharif was the hero for Dhaka as he clobbered 57 runs in the late order. Mosharraf Hossain’s 40 helped Dhaka put a respectable total on the scoreboard. Tariqul Islam took three wickets for 85 runs while Talha Jubair, Sajidul Islam and Yasir Arafat got two wickets apiece.
   Shahriar Nafees and Nasiruddin Faruq scored 48 and 61 runs in the top order but a middle-order collapse saw Barisal finish the day on 152 for seven. Md Rafique claimed three wickets for 45 runs.

Fabio Capello’s appointment as the new England manager was finalised on Friday with the Italian taking charge on a four and a half year contract reportedly worth 6.5 million pounds a year.
   The Italian, 61, succeeds Steve McClaren, who was sacked last month after a Wembley defeat by Croatia ensured that England would not qualify for the finals of Euro 2008.
   Capello’s appointment had been approved by the FA’s board of management on Thursday, subject to the successful conclusion of contract negotiations which were finally concluded on Friday afternoon.
   The former AC Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus manager will bring an all-Italian four-man support team with him: assistants Franco Baldini and Italo Galbiati, goalkeeping coach Franco Tancredi and fitness coach Massimo Neri.
   An English coach is to be added to the backroom staff but the identity of that individual has not yet been decided, with under-21 coach Stuart Pearce among the possibilities.
   Capello will carry out his first duties in his new job on Monday when he is presented to the media in London, although he will not formally begin work until January 7.
   His first match in charge will be a friendly against Switzerland in February with his first competitive fixture not coming until the autumn of next year, when England begin their bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
   ‘I am delighted that Fabio Capello has agreed to become England manager,’ said FA chief executive Brian Barwick.
   ‘When we set out to recruit the new manager, we said we were committed to appointing a world-class candidate. In Fabio Capello we have that man.
   ‘Fabio is a winner. His record over the last two decades speaks for itself.
   ‘At every club he has managed Fabio has won the league title and (FA director of football development) Sir Trevor Brooking and I were left in no doubt of his passion and commitment to bring that success to the England team.’
   Capello had expressed his interest in taking on the challenge of reviving England’s fortunes almost as soon as McClaren was sacked and his path to the best-paid job in football management was cleared when Jose Mourinho pulled out of the running earlier this week.
   ‘Fabio Capello is widely recognised as one of the world’s finest coaches,’ added Brooking. ‘He has achieved huge success wherever he has worked and has the respect of everyone in football.
   ‘Fabio will have the full support of the FA and its coaching set-up. We are excited about working with him over the coming years as we focus on qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.’
   A tough midfielder who won 32 caps for Italy as a player, Capello initially worked as a business manager in Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest empire before returning to football as successor to Arrigo Sacchi at Milan.
   Meanwhile, Fabio Capello has said the job will be his last in football and acknowledged he has a tough task ahead of him.
    ‘This is the final crowning of my career. It would be very nice to finish in the best way,’ Capello told Rai television on Saturday.
   Capello, who won a title with all four of the clubs he managed, has been working as a commentator for Rai since being sacked by Real Madrid in June despite winning the Spanish title.
   ‘This is another challenge which is part of (a manager’s) job but this challenge will be slower and more complicated because I must study more than if I was a league manager,’ he said.
   ‘We want to do very well and there is a big expectation around and I think that with my team (of assistants) we will achieve great objectives.’
   He hinted the Football Association wanted a European coach having held talks with Portugal’s former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
   ‘Mourinho is Mediterranean like me, a Mediterranean in England,’ he added as he acknowledged former Italy coach Marcello Lippi and ex-Germany boss Jurgen Klinsmann had been in the frame.
   ‘It was just an honour to be in this group,’ he said.
   Asked if world champions Italy should now be scared of England, he said: ‘Yes we will be competitors because we will try to do our best.’

A quintet of India’s golden generation of cricketers have a final tilt at glory in Australia when the team embark on a difficult tour next week.
   The four-match series could be the last Test tour of Australia for batting greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Vangipurappu Laxman, as well as leg spinner Anil Kumble, and they are intent on clinching their country’s first series win on the game’s toughest terrain.
   India have come close to winning a series on the testing pitches of Australia twice —- in 1986, when the series ended 0-0, and a remarkable one-all draw in 2003-04 when they went 1-0 up in Adelaide.
   ‘The last time out we won a Test match but were not able to win the series...the last match (Sydney) was a draw,’ Laxman told Reuters.
   ‘This time we all are keen to go out there with the single-minded ambition of winning the series.
   ‘Doing well in Australia is the most satisfying moment for any cricketer...the ultimate one.
   ‘It’ll be satisfying for all of us if we can contribute in the series win. I’m sure all of us are looking to achieve that,’ said the stylish middle-order batsman.
   Skipper Kumble, who took 24 wickets on the previous tour, is 37 while Dravid, who scored 619 runs on that tour, will turn 35 in January.
   Ganguly, captain then, is 35 and Tendulkar is 34 while Laxman is the youngest among the ‘fab five’ at 33. The next tour in 2011 is surely too far away for them.
   This tour begins with a three-day match against Victoria from Thursday, with the first Test starting on December 26.
   India clinched their first Test series victory in England for 21 years in August, a year after they had won their first Test series victory in the Caribbean in 35 years.
   This month India recorded their first Test series victory against Pakistan at home since 1979-80, which saw almost all of their batsmen strike form.
   ‘It’s extremely important for anyone going to Australia to be confident about himself. So it’s good when you are among runs. It helps,’ said Laxman.
   ‘It’s good that we won the series against Pakistan after these years. The confidence of the boys is amazing at the moment,’ added Laxman, whose greaTest moment came in 2001 when he produced an epic 281 at Kolkata to spark a comeback 2-1 home-series win over Australia.
   The defeat snapped the Steve Waugh-led Australians’ winning streak of 16 Tests, a record Ricky Ponting’s side will look to upstage in the upcoming series after their recent victories over Sri Lanka took their tally to 14.
   ‘They’ve got match-winning bowlers,’ Laxman said of the new-look Australian attack following the retirement of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, both of whom had missed the 2003-04 series.
   ‘(Shaun) Tait or (Mitchell Johnson), the way (Brett) Lee’s bowling, or for that matter Stuart Clark... It’ll be a huge challenge facing these guys.’
   India, on the other hand, are taking two inexperienced bowlers in Ishant Sharma and the uncapped Pankaj Singh in a five-man pace attack that has been hit by injuries.
   ‘They are potentially very good...if they can bowl to their potential it will be an interesting sight,’ said Laxman.

The Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team registered a 44-run win in the third one-dayer against the visiting Sri Lanka Under-19 side to go 2-1 up in the five-match limited-overs series at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra on Saturday.
   Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Bangladesh U-19 team scored 203 all out in 49.3 overs and then bowled out the tourists for 159 in 45.3 overs.
   One-down Nadimuddin top-scored for Bangladesh with 66 runs off 106 balls featuring six fours while Nasir Hossain made 41 from 67 balls with two fours.
   Opener Ashraful Hossain’s 26, middle order Marshal Ayub’s 24 and Rony Talukder’s 18 helped the hosts post a fighting total. S Pathirana claimed four wickets for 43 runs while D Fernando, Peiris and Udayanga all took two wickets apiece.
   K Janith of Sri Lanka scored 47 runs off 69 balls with four boundaries, tail-ender Peiris scored 29 runs and Pathirana made 28.
   Pacer Dollar Mahmud grabbed three wickets for 24 runs in his seven overs while Nasir Hossain and KM Shakil took two wickets each. Nasir Hossain was adjudged the man of the match.
   The two sides will play the fourth one-day match on December 18 at the Fatullah stadium.

Mahela Jayawardene’s Sri Lanka will leapfrog from world number five to second behind Australia if they win the third and final Test against England starting here on Tuesday.
   A win would give the hosts a 2-0 series success and lift Jayawardene’s men past India, South Africa and England in the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings.
   England would take the reverse route, going down to five from the current number two, if they lost the Test.
   A win or a draw, however, would help Michael Vaughan’s team retain their second spot, according to an ICC release.
   England coach Peter Moores said his team had no option but to fight for a series-levelling win at the Galle International Stadium.
   ‘We desperately want to stay up those rankings,’ said Moores.
   ‘But the immediate thing is to win Test matches in the series you are playing in. That affects your ranking. It is an indicator of where you are at any given time.’
   Jayawardene said his team deserved to go up the rankings if they won the match and took the series 2-0.
   ‘We have played consistently well over some time now,’ he said. ‘The important thing is to continue the same form in every match. The rankings will take care of themselves.’
   Sri Lanka won the first Test in Kandy by 88 runs. The second Test in Colombo was drawn on Thursday.

Rangamati emerged as the champions in the 2nd Inter-District Women’s Football tournament defeating Dhaka 2-0 in the final at the Dhanmondi Women’s Sports Complex on Saturday.
   Rokhsana Parvin scored the first goal in the 11th minute while Suinu Pru Marma doubled the margin in the 58th minute.
   Suinu Pru Marma was adjudged as the player of the tournament and her team-mate Mina was named the player of the final. Sukhi of Narayanganj DSA, who scored nine goals, bagged the highest scorer’s award.
   LGRD adviser Anwarul Iqbal was present at the closing ceremony as chief guest and distributed the prizes.
   Women and children affairs secretary Rokeya Sultana and Bangladesh Olympic Association vice-president Rafia Akhter Dolly were present as special guests.

Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and former Indian captain Nari Contractor will be felicitated in Mumbai on Sunday at the Indian board’s annual awards function.
   Contractor, 73, whose career was cut short by a nasty bouncer from Charlie Griffith, will receive the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, carrying a cheque for Rs 1,500,000 (US$ 38,000 approx), the C K Nayudu Trophy and a citation.
   Tendulkar is to receive two awards while Dravid and Kumble one each, a BCCI release said today. Tendulkar will get the Polly Umrigar Award for outstanding performance in international matches in the 2006-07 season, carrying Rs 500,000 prize (US$ 12,700 approx) and a trophy, as well as a special trophy for reaching personal milestones of 11,000 and 15,000 runs in Tests and ODIs respectively.
   Dravid will receive a special trophy for completing 10,000 runs in ODIs while Kumble will be felicitated and awarded a trophy for being appointed as the captain of the Indian Test team, as well as completing 550 wickets in Tests.
   Young Karnataka batsman Robin Uthappa and lanky Bengal pacer Ranadeb Bose would each get Rs 100,000 (US$ 2500) and the Madhavrao Scindia Award for scoring the highest number of runs and taking the most number of wickets respectively in the 2006-07 domestic season.
   Mumbai Cricket Association will receive a trophy for the best performance in the 2006-07 domestic season while Jhulan Goswami will receive a cheque for Rs 100,000 and a trophy for becoming the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2007.

The newly reconstructed stadium at Galle is facing a race against time to be fit for the third Test between Sri Lanka and England on Tuesday, after heavy unseasonal rain hindered the attempts of groundstaff and construction workers to put the finishing touches to their preparations.
   With just three days to go until the final Test of the series, much of the playing area was underwater, while workmen were still laying paving and building ticket-booths on the concourse in front of the new pavilion. By Saturday afternoon there was no electricity or running water inside the ground’s buildings, and most of the grassy banks where England’s spectators sat during the ground’s last international fixture in 2003 are currently deep pools of mud.
   And yet, there is no question in anyone’s minds that the show must go on regardless. Of all the symbols of the terrible tsunami that devastated Sri Lanka in December 2004, perhaps none was more poignant than the obliteration of Galle’s stadium. International sport is, after all, meant to be escapism on a vast scale, but the rubble and ruins of one of the most glorious venues in the world meant that no sports fan could fail to appreciate the stark realities of the disaster.
   The message is that, if international cricket can return to Galle, then so too can a normal life for the thousands who were dispossessed that day. ‘It will be ready come what may,’ said the stadium’s head groundsman, Jayananda Warnaweera, who has been working round the clock with an army of labourers, in a bid to overcome the atrocious working conditions. ‘It has been a long haul but for the people of Galle this is a celebration and we will make it happen.’
   For England’s cricketers, the desire to fight back from their 1-0 series deficit has been subsumed by an appreciation of the bigger picture. ‘We’re pretty much going to have to take the stance that whatever we have to play on, we’ll go out there and play on it,’ said Paul Collingwood, who made his Test debut at Galle in 2003. ‘It’s as simple as that.
   ‘It’s obviously not finished at the moment but they are working very hard and progressing day by day, so hopefully it’ll be playable,’ said Collingwood. ‘Driving down in the bus from Colombo, the further we got down, there was a real sickening feeling, seeing the destruction that was caused. That’s why it’s vital to put the smiles back on people’s faces and get on with it.’

Veteran South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock sent the West Indians crashing to a narrow defeat against a Makhaya Ntini Invitation XI in a rain-affected opening match of their tour at Buffalo Park Friday.
   Pollock top-scored 54 off 40 balls and took one for five in three overs as the Ntini XI won by five runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method. He also contributed a direct-hit run-out.
   The invitation team scored 176 for nine in the 25-overs-a-side match to mark the benefit season of South African fast bowler Ntini. The West Indians were 110 for five after 16.2 overs when rain brought the match to an early end.
   Pollock will lead South Africa in a Twenty20 international in Port Elizabeth Sunday, with regular captain Graeme Smith ruled out because of a virus.
   The Ntini XI were struggling at 106 for seven before Pollock and Ntini shared a 52-run stand for the eighth wicket. Pollock hit two fours and three sixes before he was caught in the deep.
   Jacques Kallis looked in good form, hitting two sixes in an over off left-arm opening bowler Pedro Collins before being caught behind off stand-in captain Dwayne Bravo for 27 off 20 balls.
   Jonty Rhodes, who retired from top-level cricket after being injured during the 2003 World Cup but has remained involved as fielding coach of the South African team, made 25 off 23 balls. His innings included a trademark pulled six off Darren Sammy.
   Pollock plunged the tourists into early trouble when Brenton Parchment was leg before and Devon Smith was run out after a smart piece of fielding by Pollock off his own bowling.
   Shivnarine Chanderpaul struck a confident 44 off 27 balls for the West Indians but he was caught and bowled off a leading edge by former South African left-arm spinner Paul Adams in a crucial blow shortly before the rain came down.
   Bravo said he was disappointed that rain had stopped the match but was pleased that his players had shown an aggressive attitude, even though it was a benefit match. “We tried to be as competitive as possible and to build on our series win in Zimbabwe with some big games coming up,” he said.

Fresh from a glorious 169 in the Bangalore Test against Pakistan, Yuvraj Singh is looking ahead to what he hopes will be an equally successful tour of Australia. The pitches will be bouncier, and the quality of the opposition bowlers will be a lot better, but Yuvaj is confident he, and the rest of the Indian team, will cope well.
   ‘Right now, I am practising with hard plastic and synthetic balls in order to get used to the pace and bounce of the Australian tracks,’ Yuvraj told the Times of India. ‘I’m generally happy with the way I’m striking the ball. In fact, the time has come for me to concentrate harder in order to emerge a better Test batsman.’
   Since making his Test debut more than four years back, Yuraj has only played 20 Tests, thanks mainly to India’s experienced and star-studded middle order, which has ensured few vacancies. He has generally done well when given the opportunities - scoring hundreds on two previous tours to Pakistan - and his century in Bangalore means he has an excellent chance of being part of the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
   The team has only once practice game before that match, but Yuvraj was not unduly bothered by that. ‘If you are playing international cricket, you have to be prepared to play in any condition. Yes, we played the series against Pakistan on wickets that were low and slow but we are ready for the faster tracks in Australia.’
   Australia’s recent one-day series was marred by plenty of verbal confrontations, suggesting that India’s tour could also be a heated one. Yuvraj said India did not want a verbal warfare with Australia but warned they would respond if pushed. ‘We want a quiet series and our focus is on playing good cricket. But if we are pushed around too much, there will be something from our side too. We are not going to take anything lying down.’
   Yuvraj felt if the batsmen can post big scores, the bowlers could be effective in Australia. ‘Injuries have bothered some of our key bowlers recently. Right now, most of them are fit and raring to go. If we can put some good scores on the board, bowlers like Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and Irfan Pathan are quite capable of taking the wickets.’
   He picked Sourav Ganguly, along with Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, as a key figure in the upcoming series. ‘He [Ganguly] is very positive and is showing the desire to stay at the wicket. He has changed his mindset.’

Shoaib Malik is to retain the Pakistan captaincy until the end of next year despite the series defeat against India, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf said on Thursday.
   ‘We will stick to our decision to name him as captain for the year (2008). We will give him our full backing and we feel he can mature into a good captain in time,’ Ashraf told reporters.
   The 25-year-old Malik’s captaincy and own form have come under the microscope after Pakistan’s one-day and Test series defeats at home to South Africa and then the disappointing showing in India.
   Malik led Pakistan in the one-day series in India, which
   the hosts won 3-2, and the first Test in New Delhi which India won by six wickets before going on to complete a 1-0 series triumph.
   Vice-captain Younis Khan was the captain for the last two Tests as Malik was ruled out with an ankle injury.
   Ashraf said the board had made Malik the captain this year keeping in mind the future of Pakistan cricket.
   ‘He is young and he will learn from his mistakes. Overall the team’s performance in India lacked focus,’ he said.
   Ashraf said Pakistan’s Australian coach, Geoff Lawson, had been asked to give a detailed report on Pakistan’s first Test series loss in India since the 1979-80 rubber.
   ‘The team appeared to lack in mental toughness at times and professionalism. The coach is responsible for this and we will talk to him,’ Ashraf said.

Shane Warne will be the Indian Premier League’s most expensive signing, at a cost of $400,000 for the first season, set to kick off in April 2008. The finance committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India met in Mumbai on Friday and approved several decisions taken by the IPL’s governing council regarding payment of its players.
   The fee quoted for Warne is the signing amount for him to be part of the player pool from which franchises will bid for the rights to employ players within their ranks. With Brian Lara reportedly being paid $1 million to appear in the Indian Cricket League, and the market heating up over the two rival leagues, Warne and similar big-ticket signings could rope in well in excess of $1 million, sources revealed.
   The second-highest signing-on fee has, not surprisingly, been paid to Glenn McGrath, whose nifty line-and-length bowling see him join up for $350,000. Stephen Fleming, whose agents flirted with the ICL but in the end held back - to the extent that Fleming
   was one of those present at the IPL’s launch - also nets $350,000.
   Mohammad Yousuf, who had reportedly signed with the ICL before being lured away by the Pakistan board - which made no effort to stop Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq or Imran Farhat from joining the unrecognised league - has signed up with the IPL for $330,000. A surprise entrant in the top five - and at the moment the list does not include current Australian or Indian cricketers - is Shoaib Malik, who is guaranteed US$300,000.
   The ICL, which is nearing the end of its inaugural edition, will hand out approximately Rs 18 crore [approx. $4.5 million] in total prize-money for its 16-day tournament.
   The fees have been decided for only 34 of the 49 cricketers signed up by the IPL, sources said, and, of these, only 11 have received [partial] advance payments.
   The only player to receive payment in full is Yousuf, not surprising given that he was once a dead certainty to join the ICL. It is understood that McGrath is among those who have been given a sizeable advance.
   The 29 others who have received contracts:
   [All amounts in US$]
   n Australia Justin Langer 175,000
   n Sri Lanka Farveez Maharoof: 150,000, Kumar Sangakkara: 250,000, Mahela Jaywardene: 250,000, Muttiah Muralitharan: 250,000, Sanath Jayasuriya: 250,000, Nuwan Zoysa: 100,000, Dilhara Fernando: 150,000, Chaminda Vaas: 175,000, Lasith Malinga: 200,000
   n Pakistan Mohammad Asif 225,000, Shahid Afridi: 225,000, Shoaib Akhtar: 225,000, Younus Khan: 225,000
   n West Indies Shivnarine Chanderpaul 175,000
   n New Zealand Daniel Vettori 225,000, Jacob Oram 200,000, Scott Styris 150,000, Brendon McCullum 175,000
   n South Africa Loots Bosman 150,000, AB de Villiers 175,000, Albie Morkel 200,000, Graeme Smith 225,000, Herschelle Gibbs 225,000, Shaun Pollock 200,000, Ashwell Prince 150,000, Makhaya Ntini 175,000, Mark Boucher 175,000, Jacques Kallis
   200,000.

Irfan Pathan has said he can be good allrounder but he sees himself as a bowler who can bat. ‘I’m happy to be able to contribute with the bat,’ Pathan told the Times of India. At the end of the day, if you have scored runs for your team, it helps your bowling to a great extent. I’m grateful to God for giving me the chance to score that hundred against Pakistan. I really cherished the moment.’
   ‘An allrounder takes wickets and scores runs regularly, so it is important to be consistent with the bat. As of now, I have to work harder on my batting to be called an all-rounder.’
   Pathan was happy with his bowling form and was confident that the wickets will come soon. ‘I’m a very confident bowler now. The results might not show that, but I know for sure that I’m bowling well. If I’m able to continue the good work, the wickets will come. It is important to know your strengths and weaknesses. Once you know your limitations, you are in a good position to analyse your action. My one-day form has helped my cause.’
   Pathan said he is looking forward to play in Australia, where he made his Test debut in 2003 in Adelaide. ‘You can say that I grew up in international cricket in Australia ... that series helped me understand the nuances of bowling at the highest level. I know how the Australian wickets will behave. In Australia, I just need to pitch the ball in the right areas. When it is new, the Kookaburra ball swings more than the SG ball. But you need the right grip and technique to move the ball effectively.’
   He lauded the contribution of the bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad. ‘He is of great help, not just to me, but to everyone in the team. He boosts our confidence every time we take the field. Most importantly, he has played a lot of cricket for India and his knowledge is very useful. He analyses everyone and discusses nitty-gritty with the bowlers. We are glad to have someone like him with the team.’
   Pathan was hopeful of India’s chances in the upcoming series. ‘We have a balanced team. Our batting is strong and our bowlers are capable of taking 20 wickets. All the Australian batsmen are aggressive. I enjoy playing against them and there is no particular batsman I see as a threat.’

Former England manager Terry Venables is on a seven-man shortlist for the job of Bulgaria coach.
   There are five foreigners and two locals including former Bulgaria coach Plamen Markov among the candidates to replace Dimitar Penev, the Bulgarian Football Union said on Friday.
   But the BFU also said Penev, 62, who took over for the last five games of their unsuccessful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign when Hristo Stoichkov quit in April, could keep his job.
   ‘I don’t want to reveal the names of the foreign coaches we’ve talked to because we’re still negotiating with them,’ BFU president Borislav Mihaylov told reporters.
   ‘But I can tell you we’ve held talks with Macedonia coach Srecko Katanec and we’re waiting for Terry Venables’s answer as well.’

Paul Scholes could be back in action by the end of January.
   The influential Manchester United midfielder has been out since he suffered cartilage damage in his knee prior to the Champions League win over Dynamo Kiev in the Ukraine two months ago.
   Although Anderson’s excellent form in central midfield has compensated for Scholes’ absence, the 33-year-old is still a major figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans for the remainder of the campaign.
   And, after visiting a
   specialist last week, Ferguson is now able to plot a more
   definitive comeback path
   for the former England international.
   ‘The report from the specialist is very good,’ said the United manager.
   ‘Paul will be starting straightforward running next week and they think he will be training with us, football-wise, in six weeks’ time.’
   Providing Scholes sticks to his schedule, he could be back in action in time to face Tottenham at White Hart Lane on February 2.
   More importantly, he will be around when United
   resume their Champions League quest, with next Friday’s draw set to pit them against either Celtic, Fenerbahce, Olympiakos, Schalke or Lyon in the last 16.

Football’s governing body FIFA on Saturday banned all matches it sanctions at an altitude of more than 2,750 metres (9,022 feet) ‘without acclimatisation’, relaxing its earlier limit.
   It also set up a 40-million-dollar referee training project and increased from 10 to 15 percent the share of FIFA’s subsidies that must be spent by each national association to promote the women’s game.
   The decisions were made by the body’s executive committee, which met on the sidelines of the Club World Cup, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.
   The committee also raised objections to proposals for matches to kick off at noon during next year’s Beijing Olympics, citing the summertime temperature of up to 40 degrees (104 degrees F) in the Chinese capital, he added.
   In May, FIFA originally slapped an unconditional ban on matches at 2,500 metres or higher after its medical committee advised that playing at such a height was neither healthy nor fair.
   It also cited home-field advantage of high-altitude teams over visiting teams from lower altitudes.
   After provoking objections from Latin American countries, the limit was relaxed to
   3,000 metres in June but still affected some venues in the middle of World Cup qualifying matches.
   Blatter said the next World Cup qualifying round in South America won’t be held until June next year.
   ‘Until then, we will have time to work out the exact application of this decision,’ he told a news conference.
   However, he added: ‘Concerning FIFA international competitions, in the international calendar there is not so much time to acclimatise (before matches).’
   High-altitude cities include Bogota in Colombia at 2,640 metres, Quito in Ecuador at 2,800 metres and La Paz in Bolivia at 3,577 metres.
   Of the financial aid to referees, 35 million dollars will be ‘directly invested in the grass-roots programme’ to educate referees at the level of national football associations, Blatter said.
   The rest will be used to train referees for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa and promote professional refereeing ‘at the highest level’, he said.
   ‘The future of our game is intrinsically linked with the quality of refereeing,’ Blatter added.
   FIFA allocates 250,000 dollars to each national association and 2.5 million dollars to continental confederations every year.
   Now each national association must spend 15 percent of the subsidies on promoting the women’s game.
   ‘Our sport has been, and still is, sport for men and boys. I’d say it’s a macho sport,’ Blatter said. ‘But in the past 15 years, women’s sport has remarkably developed in all continents. Even in Iran and Saudi Arabia, women’s football is in.’
   Blatter said FIFA has been helping women’s football have more access to sponsorships since this year when the women’s World Cup was held in China.
   Noting that the first women’s international tournament was held only in 1989 and the first World Cup two years later, he said: ‘Now (women’s) football is all around us. So we try to go faster than men’s football but it’s not easy.’

Wayne Rooney will call on his boxing training to deliver a knockout blow today.
   Not that he is looking for a red card when he comes up against Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool. Instead, Manchester United’s own hitman aims to draw on the strength and determination that he learned in the ring when he was a kid.
   Something he thinks has always stood him in good stead for trials like today’s Anfield showdown. Rooney told The Sun: ‘I think my boxing training was beneficial in my development as a footballer, especially breaking through to the Premier League at such a young age.
   ‘I needed that extra bit of strength that the boxing training had given me.
   ‘It made it easier to play than it might have been and it’s helped me with the way my game is now.’
   Rooney has been a boxing fan since he started primary school, always watching the big fights on TV.
   He trained with the dream that he might one day make it as a professional if he did not break through in football.
   Rooney added: ‘All through my life — from the ages of six, seven and eight — when big fights were on television, I used to stay up with my dad to watch them.
   ‘I’ve always loved watching boxing and I went boxing training for about three or four years when I was younger. It’s a sport I’ve always been involved in. I was doing both boxing and football training at one stage when I was about 15.
   ‘But Everton, who I was with at the time, said I had to concentrate on one of them and I opted for football.’ United will go nine points clear of Liverpool if they win, so Kop boss Rafa Benitez will have his troops firing.
   Rooney added: ‘We want the Champions League and the Premier League and hopefully we can do that this year. Of course Sunday is a massive game for us and of course it has been on my mind.
   ‘It is the biggest game of the season for us. Liverpool had a great win this week in Europe so they will be ready for it — but so will we.’

Manager Avram Grant has rejected speculation over John Terry’s future as England captain by claiming his conduct at Chelsea is impeccable.
   Terry’s suitability for the role has been called into question amid criticism over his hounding of referees and behaviour off the pitch.
   The 27-year-old could be the first high-profile victim of Fabio Capello when the Italian begins his tenure as England boss.
   But Grant has been impressed by Terry’s leadership, especially during the upheaval that ensued in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s exit in September.
   ‘If you ask the coaches and managers all over the world if they want a captain like John Terry, they will say yes,’ said the Blues manager.
   ‘Just one of John’s strengths is on the pitch. His other strengths are the way he connects with other players and what he does for children.
   ‘I see him day by day and what he does off the pitch is an example to others.
   ‘People are often judged on what is written about them, but sometimes there is a writer who doesn’t like John Terry or me.
   ‘Judge John through his actions - not what is being written about him.
   ‘He’s a professional and he’s doing what he needs to do. I don’t know where this talk has come from.
   ‘John is a great captain on the pitch, off the pitch, 24 hours a day.
   ‘Everything looks good at Chelsea now but back in September we had problems and he did a great job for the team.
   ‘Everyone sees he’s a good player, but off the pitch he pulled everyone together during what was a difficult time.
   ‘His actions showed he cared about Chelsea and not other things.
   ‘He’s doing the same for England - he got injured for six weeks because he wanted to play for England against Russia.
   ‘I don’t think there is a better captain in England.’
   Terry will wear the Chelsea armband for today’s Barclays Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal at the Emirates.
   The Blues lie only three points behind their title rivals and once hostilities are over Grant will renew a friendship with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger that has spanned a decade.
   Grant - who signed a new four-year contract on Thursday - is an unashamed admirer of Wenger, but refuses to copy the Frenchman as he seeks to forge his own path.
   ‘Arsene is a great coach and great person. He has a great vision about football - he thinks about it in the right way,’ he said.
   ‘He doesn’t just think in the short term but builds from the base. I like him.
   ‘I like to take good things from any coach I respect and he’s one of them. But I like to do things my way.
   ‘Arsene has built his team over many years and what I will try to do is build a style that is good for Chelsea over the long and short term.
   ‘Our clubs play different football, but we both play positive football.’

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger knows the value of Didier Drogba to Chelsea, but believes having the likes of Andriy Shevchenko in reserve is ‘no misery’ for manager Avram Grant.
   The Ivory Coast striker is currently recovering from knee surgery, and is also set to be unavailable to the Blues when he travels to the African Cup of Nations at the start of next year.
   The loss of their 33-goal target man is clearly significant as Chelsea prepare for the hectic festive schedule.
   However, Ukraine forward Shevchenko - who scored in the recent win over Sunderland - believes he can help spearhead the attack.
   Wenger has long been an admirer of Drogba from his time in French football, and appreciates what a difference the powerful player can make.
   Ahead of today’s Barclays Premier League showdown at Emirates Stadium, the Arsenal boss reflected: ‘I personally rate Drogba because he gave us always a hard time and most of the time he was very influential, but, when you can replace him with Shevchenko you are not too much in misery.
   ‘Drogba is a fighter and until the last second in every game he fights. I admired him especially in the FA Cup final last year, where he had not the best of games but in the end he never gave up and made the difference.’
   Wenger feels the race for the Premier League title this season is the ‘most exciting’ he has even known.
   All four of the top clubs meet each other in what has been dubbed ‘Grand Slam Sunday’, when champions Manchester United also travel to Liverpool.
   The Gunners hold a slender one-point lead over United following their shock first defeat of the domestic season at Middlesbrough last weekend, but could find themselves pegged back to level with the Blues come full-time at Emirates Stadium on Sunday night.
   The current situation is in stark contrast to that of recent campaigns, when United and Chelsea have pulled away into a clear two-horse race.
   Wenger knows his side could strike a major psychological blow with victory to take into the Christmas period.
   ‘We have a good opportunity to strengthen our lead again because at least one of Liverpool and Man United will drop points, maybe both,’ he said.
   ‘For us victory would put us in a very strong position again.’
   Arsenal players, directors and staff are set to take part in the ‘Be a Gooner. Be a Giver’ campaign ahead of the Chelsea match by donating a day’s pay to the club’s charity of the season, TreeHouse - which deals with autism education.
   Wenger said: ‘The work of TreeHouse is absolutely amazing. I have seen first-hand the dedication these people show in helping kids with autism improve their lives and the lives of their families.
   ‘The Arsenal family is a large one and if everyone just pledges something, I am confident that we will reach our £250,000 target needed to provide them with a permanent sports facility.’

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp believes the Football Association has taken ‘unnecessary’ steps in appointing the respected Italian coach Fabio Capello as England manager.
   Capello will take charge of England on a four and a half year contract reportedly worth 6.5 million pounds (13 million dollars) a year. The no-nonsense Italian’s CV is rich with nine league titles in 15 seasons with four different clubs in Italy and Spain, and a Champions League victory with AC Milan in 1994.
   With such a record, the FA have achieved their aim of appointing a ‘world class’ coach who, they hope, will lead England to success at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
   But Redknapp feels that England, who failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships under former manager Steve McClaren, don’t need a coach with such a pedigree to succeed.
   He told the Daily Mail: ‘Do you have to be a super-coach to manage England? Does Steven Gerrard need coaching? Of course not. Or Ashley Cole, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney?
   ‘You get them for three days before a game, what will you coach them? Would I get Gerrard and coach him on passing a football or Lampard on running on to the ball and hitting it in the top corner from 30 yards?
   ‘It’s not about coaching! It’s about picking the players, getting them organised, giving them belief, giving them a platform to play without fear and getting the best out of them.
   ‘It doesn’t need Jurgen Klinsmann or Fabio Capello. Top coaches? It’s a fallacy. I’ve seen one, maybe two in my lifetime, no more.
   ‘Football is about the management of players. To be manager of England, you don’t have to be a great coach - they don’t exist - you have to be a manager.’
   He added of Capello: ‘I’m not unhappy with his appointment. I just think the manager of England should be English.’

Gabriel Heinze will watch his old Manchester United team-mates on TV tomorrow, still furious that his former club denied him a move to Liverpool.
   Heinze is at Real Madrid now after United refused to let him go to Anfield in the summer.
   He told the Daily Mail he is still bitter, saying: ‘I still do not understand the real motives of United and think the whole thing set a bad example for football.
   ‘It is incredible that in the modern age — in the 21st century — there exists a situation where United will not sell to Liverpool.
   ‘I only have good memories of the supporters and my team-mates but I would rather not give my opinion about the directors.’ Although there was nothing in Heinze’s contract that prohibited him from moving to Liverpool, when he appealed to the Premier League in August they ruled that United did not have to sell him to the Anfield club.
   The 29-year-old Argentina left back insists that he is happy at Madrid but admits that he would love to knock United out of the Champions League. He added: ‘I really wanted to play for Liverpool but it is forgotten.
   ‘During the summer I dreamed of playing in Anfield but the reality was different.
   ‘I don’t think often about revenge but it is certain that I want to play against Manchester United in the Champions League.
   ‘That would be a big match and one without a clear favourite. But I would fancy Real.
   ‘Manchester United never believed a big-name club would ever want me but I have proved them wrong and now I can’t ask for anything more.
   ‘This has just begun and there’s a lot more to lay on the line.’

The head of football’s world governing body Sepp Blatter said Saturday that Italian Fabio Capello needs good English to make his new coaching job as England manager a success.
   ‘Whatever nationality he has, he should be able to converse and to speak directly to the players and not through an interpreter,’ FIFA President Blatter replied when asked about some objections in England to hiring a foreigner as national coach.
   ‘This is my principle as a footballer and sportsman,’ Blatter, a Swiss, told reporters after the FIFA executive committee met here on the sidelines of the Club World Cup.
   ‘As the president of FIFA, I don’t mind when the national associations are taking some coaches from abroad,’ he said, noting that England have already had Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson as coach from 2001 until their exit from the 2006 World Cup.
   Arsene Wenger, a Frenchman who manages Arsenal in England, has also said Capello would have to learn English quickly to deal with the demands of a voracious media.
   ‘The only problem I think he could have is with the language. I do not know how good his English is because a big part of the job is to deal with the media,’ Wenger said.
   Blatter said it was the personality of a coach that mattered more.

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti promised to restore Europe’s honour by beating Boca Juniors in today’s Club World Cup final.
   Ancelotti admitted that the tournament had been seen as a distraction to European clubs in the past but insisted his side would not fall into the same trap in
   Yokohama.
   ‘I think it’s true this was not the most important of competitions for European teams,’ he told reporters on Saturday.
   ‘For Milan it is a big deal.’
   Ancelotti added: ‘We have a clear idea how to beat Boca but of course I can’t tell you what it is. We are very confident and highly motivated.’
   Victory over Boca could also help salvage Ancelotti’s job with Milan struggling in Italy’s Serie A and Jose Mourinho tipped to take over at the end of the season.
   A repeat of the mess Liverpool and Barcelona made in the finals of the first two versions of the revamped tournament in 2005 and 2006 could cost Ancelotti dearly.
   ‘Those defeats for Liverpool and Barcelona were a good lesson,’ he said. ‘South American teams have taken the tournament more seriously but our aim is to take the trophy home.’
   European champions Milan arrived in Japan on December 6, giving them far more time to acclimatise than either Liverpool or Barca before them.
   ‘We’ve had enough time to prepare,’ said Ancelotti, whose side beat Japan’s Urawa Reds 1-0 in the semi-finals. We’ve also overcome the jet-lag.
   ‘The players will approach the game in good physical condition so extra time or penalties will be no problem for us.’
   Milan lost to the Argentine side in a penalty shootout
   in 2003 in the tournament’s
   previous incarnation—a one-off game between the champions of Europe and South America.
   Ancelotti is expecting an even tougher game on Sunday from a Boca side who failed to impress in beating Tunisia’s Etoile Sahel 1-0 in the tournament’s first semi-final on Wednesday.
   ‘Boca’s team has a nice blend of young players and experience,’ he said.
   ‘They’re an even better team than they were four years ago. They’re very attacking and physically strong. The key will be whose midfield quality shines through tomorrow.’

Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas has suggested the lack of English players trying to improve themselves abroad may be just as harmful to the English game as the steady influx of foreigners in the Premier League.
   The Spanish midfielder is one of many foreigners plying their trade in the world’s richest league - a situation which some believe has stifled local talent and therefore played a role in England’s failings.
   England’s failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championships has led to plenty of soul-searching in recent weeks.
   And amidst the search for a new England manager, following the sacking of Englishman Steve McClaren, it was highlighted that much English talent has been overlooked in favour of foreign imports.
   But Fabregas, who could be set for a return to the Arsenal side for Sunday’s showdown with Chelsea having appeared to shake off a hamstring injury, believes English players would improve their game if they were to try their hand abroad.
   ‘I don’t see a lot of players taking the risk to go out of the country and to try to fight for their chance,’ Fabregas, who famously left his homeland at the age of 16 to join Arsenal, told The Times on Saturday.
   ‘It looks like they are comfortable where they are and that is it. For me, I had to leave my country to fight for my life and my chance and my dream.
   ‘Sometimes that is what you have to do, but I don’t see a lot of English players going to Spain or Italy.’
   While players from Spain, France and Italy are generally considered more technically astute than their English counterparts, Fabregas, 20, believes the English could step up and make it in foreign leagues.
   ‘Sometimes you have to take a step back to go one forward
   and sometimes they are just comfortable with what they have,’ added the Spaniard, who has emerged as one of the Gunners most potent goalscorers this season.
   ‘... there are amazing players in England. If they had the chance to go to another country and they could do it; there would be more English players who are great.’
   On Friday the search for McClaren’s successor
   ended when the Football Association appointed Italian Fabio Capello as the new England manager.

Rafael Benitez has spent the week playing down the significance of Manchester United’s visit to Anfield today.
   But the Liverpool boss knows only too well that his side’s performance against the champions will be regarded as a benchmark of the progress he believes they have made this season.
   Benitez’s sides have always been characterised by defensive resilience and there is no doubt that the summer addition of Fernando Torres – a player Sir Alex Ferguson admits he would have loved to sign for United – has undeniably given them an additional edge going forward.
   With 12 goals already in his debut season on Merseyside, Torres has taken the first steps towards establishing himself as an Anfield legend.
   The young Spaniard will accelerate considerably along that particular path if he can add to his tally today and help end United’s recent run of success at the famous old ground.
   In their last five visits to Anfield, United have won four and drawn one and memories of last season, when John O’Shea’s injury-time winner ensured all three points for the ten-man visitors, are particularly painful for the Liverpool faithful.
   Little wonder then that Benitez acknowledges that today’s match is as much about psychology as about points.
   ‘Maybe this game against United will be more important for confidence than anything else,’ said the Spaniard.
   ‘In terms of points we are in December and we all know Christmas is a vital time with all the matches. It is so close the line between the two teams. Our statistics in these matches might not be the best but in every game it has been really tight.’
   Benitez’s men go into the match with confidence running high after an impressive 4-0 win over Marseille in the Champions League in midweek and the tensions between the manager and the club’s American owners apparently receding.
   United’s recent form has been equally impressive and Ferguson knows he will not have to work overtime to get his players motivated for what he regards as the biggest match in English football.
   ‘No matter what position the two clubs are in, this game is separate from anything else,’ said the Scot. ‘You have the geography, the history of the clubs, the ability of the players, the competition, the passion and fervour of the fans.
   ‘We both look upon the other as our main rival. Liverpool’s support is a big component of that club, particularly against United.
   ‘You have to be a man to handle that atmosphere. If you are a lamb, you are dead.’
   With the big match players on both sides currently firing on all cylinders, both managers have the luxury of almost full-strength squads to pick from.
   Liverpool’s Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso is available to Benitez after two-month absence with a metatarsal injury while Owen Hargreaves is back for United.
   Of the two, Hargreaves is the more likely starter with Benitez expected to continue with the combative Javier Mascherano in the midfield holding role behind club captain Steven Gerrard.
   Liverpool are sweating on the availability of first-choice right-back Steve Finnan, who is struggling with a calf injury and last season’s match-winner O’Shea is doubtful for United because of a groin strain.

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal’s showdown with Chelsea today will go a long way towards deciding the destiny of the Premier League title.
   Wenger is convinced the Gunners can win the league for the first time since 2004 if they come out on top in their clashes with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.
   A victory for Wenger’s side at the Emirates Stadium would open up a six point gap on their London rivals. And with Liverpool playing second-placed United earlier today, Arsenal could have a healthy advantage at the top by the end of the weekend.
   After two years consigned to the sidelines while Chelsea and United battled it out for English supremacy, Wenger is relishing the chance to play a major role in what is shaping up to be the best title race for years.
   ‘It’s down to consistency in the big games. I believe without a doubt that this season will be the most exciting year in the Premier League,’ Wenger said. ‘Since I have been here you have never had four teams as tight as that after 15 or 16 games. It is super healthy.
   ‘But you want it to be fair and remain fair during the season because it could get a little bit out of hand sometimes when it’s very tight.’
   ‘All three (teams) are at the same level for different reasons,’ he told reporters at Arsenal’s training ground.
   ‘Chelsea because they have the quality and the experience, Liverpool because they have invested a lot and they are keen to win it and Manchester United because they have the individual potential to score goals at any moment.’
   Arsenal’s win over Steaua Bucharest in midweek wasn’t enough to earn top spot in their Champions League group but it could still prove to be a turning point.
   Robin van Persie’s return in that 2-1 victory was perfectly timed to lift a side feeling down on their luck after defeat at Middlesbrough.
   Van Persie had been out for two months with a knee injury but looked like he’d never been away as he produced an influential display.
   Wenger is set to start the Dutch striker against Chelsea and his midfield could be bolstered as well with Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb back in training on Friday.
   The main sub-plot of today’s meeting between London’s pre-eminent forces is Ashley Cole’s first return to Arsenal since his controversial move across the capital in 2006.
   The England left-back made it clear he wanted to leave Arsenal after falling out with the board over his wage demands and ended up at Chelsea, who had already been fined by trying to tap him up.
   Cole’s exit left a sour taste for Gunners fans, even though they got William Gallas as part of the deal, and they are certain to give their former hero a torrid reception, despite Wenger’s pleas for calm.
   ‘I want our fans to be behind our team and not to especially have resentment with Ashley Cole because he has done well for the club as long as he has been here,’ he said. Ideally, you want everybody who has played for you to be respected.’
   While Arsenal have been earning all the plaudits, Avram Grant has quietly steadied the ship at Chelsea with an impressive 16-match unbeaten run.
   The Israeli was given no respect when he took over from Jose Mourinho in September but he has the Blues within a win of drawing level with Arsenal.
   Grant, who spent some time studying Wenger’s training methods before moving to England, was rewarded with a new four-year contract this week and his French counterpart insists it was well deserved.
   ‘At the moment they have been discreet, but efficient,’ Wenger said. ‘Avram Grant has got a completely different profile, he is not very noisy, but his team is efficient and that is important. His results speak for him.’
   Grant rarely lets his emotions show in public so he was never going to emulate Mourinho’s volatile approach to these fixtures. But even he acknowledged the match carries an extra significance for both teams.
   ‘This is an important game because it’s a big game between these two clubs,’ he said. ‘Secondly, we are three points behind Arsenal. It was seven points two games ago and now it’s only three.
   ‘I don’t think this is the game that will affect the championship immediately but it’s a good game to win.’

New England coach Fabio Capello has an iron philosophy for success - never be a player’s friend.
   The tough, uncompromising Italian, who was handed a four and half year contract on Friday with the task of making England a serious international force rather than a laughing stock, is determined to ensure that players know their place.
   ‘A coach needs to speak to his players but not become their friend,’ said the 61-year-old.
   ‘If you become a player’s friend, the others are immediately jealous and then start to think someone is playing just because he is a friend of yours.
   ‘A coach needs to be humble, with a strong personality and be respected by the players.’
   Capello will start work in January and attempt to restore the confidence of a team whose failure to make the finals of Euro 2008 cost his predecessor Steve McClaren his job.
   ‘In order to improve you have first to find your player’s weak points, but you can only improve a person or a player if he understands that everything you do is with the purpose of improving him and not just to expose his weaknesses,’ Capello told www.uefa.com.
   ‘The best thing that happened to me, I think it’s worth telling, is when I was coaching Clarence Seedorf at Real Madrid. After two months with him, I asked him: ‘Do you think you can shoot?’ He said: ‘Yes, very well’.
   ‘I told him he could shoot only one way. In football you shoot several ways, with the outside of your foot, with the inside, and I gave him a small lesson. He is a lad with great character and determination and he started to work hard and improved a lot.’

Imitation Barcelona shirts sold in Saudi Arabia have a club emblem doctored to exclude the St George’s Cross, the municipal flag of the Spanish city, La Vanguardia newspaper reported Saturday.
   The Barcelona-based daily, citing Spanish residents in the Saudi capital Riyadh, said the horizontal bar to the red ross on white background had been omitted from the shirts’ badges.
   Club officials in Barcelona were not immediately available for comment. La Vanguardia said that the club had been informed of the sale of fake shirts in Muslim countries, notably with the altered cross of Sant Jordi, but thought they were not sold in shops.
   The paper said the alteration was down to a fear of offending Muslims by the cross’ connotation to the Crusades during the 12th and 13th centuries when English soldiers adopted the St George’s Cross as they attempted to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule.
   Earlier this week the Turkish media were up in arms over Inter Milan’s choice of jersey, a huge St George’s cross on a white background, while playing against Istanbul side Fenerbahce. Inter said they had worn the strip to celebrate the club’s 100th birthday.

Before the Club World Cup Final against Boca Juniors, Milan hero Kaka warns the result will be anyone’s guess.
   ‘It is a Final, so it’s difficult to say who is the favourite. Both clubs have a good chance of victory,’ he told Argentine newspaper ‘Ole.’
   ‘It is a shame for the fans that Juan Roman Riquelme is not eligible to play, but better for Milan this way, as he is a fantastic player who knows when to be decisive.’
   The midfielder completed his transfer from Villarreal after the deadline to provide their squad list to FIFA, so Riquelme cannot take part in this tournament.
   Both sides successfully negotiated the semi-finals, Boca beating Etoile 3-1 and the Rossoneri seeing off Urawa Red Diamonds with a Clarence Seedorf strike.
   ‘This is the only trophy that I have not yet won in my career, so it has a very special meaning for me,’ continued Kaka.
   The Brazilian sustained a painful toenail injury during the semi-final and has not been taking part in full training sessions, although he is expected to recover in time for today’s decider.
   Kaka has been crowned with the Ballon d’Or, voted World Soccer’s player of the year with over 50 per cent of the total votes and is the hot favourite for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
   ‘We hope to take control of the tempo and therefore the match.’

AC Milan’s Brazilian playmaker Kaka will sign a contract extension that will tie him to the Serie A side until 2013, club vice president Adriano Galliani has said.
   ‘No one will get Kaka. On June 30 next year he is going to sign a new contract with Milan until 2013,’ Galliani told Spanish sports daily Marca.
   ‘Kaka has sworn an oath that he will stay with Milan his whole life. He has given his word. He is our symbol and flag-bearer.’ The 2007 Ballon d’Or winner’s current deal is until 2011.
   Meanwhile, Galliani has played down media reports that Jose Mourinho will be the European champions’ next coach.
   ‘Mourinho never offered himself to us,’ Galliani told La Gazzetta dello Sport. ‘Apart from exceptional cases, Milan go for coaches who grew up with us and there are lots around.’
   He added that Carlo Ancelotti’s job was not on the line, despite Milan’s poor form in Serie A this season.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson wants to overhaul Liverpool’s record total of league titles before he retires. Liverpool’s 18 championships put them two ahead of United, who visit Anfield today.
   ‘We have won the FA Cup more times than anyone (11) so you get a certain pride in that and it’s the same for Liverpool,’ the 65-year-old Ferguson told reporters.
   ‘They have won the title more times than anyone and they’ll be proud of that.
   ‘The chase will always be on to be number one in your country. For us there is an expectation and for Liverpool there is an expectation and I hope before I leave we can get to that position.’
   Premier League champions United have won the title nine times in the last 15 seasons.
   Liverpool have not won the league since 1990 and even though they became European champions for a fifth time in 2005, Ferguson believes domestic honours best represent a team’s success.
   ‘Winning the league is without question the barometer of our game,’ he said.