Muktijoddha take on Chittagong Mohammedan Sporting Club in the opening match of the B league second phase at the Bangabanhdu National Stadium on May 31. With the match starts the gruelling 7 weeks of B league second phase which is scheduled to end on July 23.
   Surprise package Dhaka Mohammedan lead the 11-team first round with 20 points from 10 matches. Sheikh Russell and Abahani both have earned 19 points from their 10 first phase matches but Sheikh Russell took the second position on goal difference nudging Abahani down to third. Muktijoddha Sangsad are fourth on 18 points and Chittagong Mohammedan, the fighting outfit, are fifth with 17 points.
   Dhaka giants Brothers Union, who produced a mediocre performance, lie sixth with 15 points and Arambagh KS are seventh with 13. Farashganj SC and Khulna Abahani both are level on 10 points but Farashganj became eighth and Khulna Abahani are in the ninth position.
   Chittagong Abahani with nine points are tenth and Rahmatganj are lingering at the botton with 2 points.
   Though the second transfer window opened about a week ago, no team have shown interest in inserting new players into their squads. Any club can change all their players meeting their requirements and after a mutual understanding between the sides.
   A club can also recruit a maximum of three players on loan from the other clubs providing they have not played any B league matches for their teams.
   The three Argentine players of Abahani – Caporale, Sanchez and Parodi – all have left the club and gone back to their country and the Dhanmondi outfit are desperately looking for top booters to fill the void. They have contacted their former Ghanaian defender Endem Marshall and are also looking for a scorer.
   Shiekh Russell have brought in two more Moroccan footballers to bolster their arsenal. They now have six Moroccans in Burdif, Yighir, Abdel Fettah and Touati Youness along with the latest recruits – attacking midfielder Nouriddine Zain and central midfielder Rida Sadan. Midfielder Khoubachche Mohammed of Sheikh Russell has flown back to his homeland.
   Brothers Union are eager to play striker Enoch Bentil of Ghana alongside their Nigerian forward Elijah Junior and Moroccan Hicham Inani. Enoch missed the whole first phase due to injury.
   Muktjoddha, who are struggling to find a man under the bar, have set their eyes on Nizam Mazumder, the Brothers Union keeper, and also Hicham Inani. They also want Camara Saifo Ulaye, the Ugandan forward of Chittagong Mohammedan.
   Dhaka Mohammedan are happy with their Nigerian quartet of Paul Mawchukwu, Emeka Christina, Peter Odafe and Divine Ikehcukwu.
   They also have Nche Francis, another Nigerian, and custodian James Paul of Liberia.

If Indian captain Rahul Dravid was asked to pick which Bangladesh player would easily walk into their Test side, he probably would have taken none other than Mashrafee bin Murtaza.
   The reason is obvious since the rapidly emerging all-rounder won the man of the match award over stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who both scored centuries in the first innings.
   Mashrafee picked up five wickets in the match and more importantly played a match-saving 79 in the first innings to enable Bangladesh to avoid a potential follow on in the first Test here that ended as draw on Tuesday.
   ‘He is a terrific player. He has all the attributes to develop into a genuine all-rounder. Today in Test cricket there are not many fast bowling all-rounders. So, Bangladesh is lucky to have him,’ said Dravid.
   ‘A player like him is very important for the composition of a team. Just look at England. When Andrew Flintoff plays they can have an extra batsman in the side. When he doesn’t play, they need to take an additional bowler,’ he said.
   ‘India would definitely love to have a player like him (Mashrafee). This is one of our major weaknesses that we don’t have a pace bowling all-rounder.’
   Mashrafee, who won the award for the first time in his career, also earned praise from the outgoing Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore. ‘He is just realising his potential and what he is capable of doing,’ said Whatmore, who is tipped to become India’s next coach sometime next month.

Pakistan (134/3 after 25 overs) against Sri Lanka
   Rao Iftikhar Anjum hauled back a rapid Upul Tharanga-fuelled start, but Mahela Jayawardene remained to ensure Sri Lanka reached a healthy 134 for three after 25 overs in the final ODI at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
   Jayawardene had earlier won the toss and elected to bat, his side strengthened by the return of Sanath Jayasuriya and Lasith Malinga. As befits the dead rubber game of a low-key series, Pakistan made five changes, giving debuts to Najaf Shah and Fawad Alam.
   When Rao came on in the ninth over of the innings, Sri Lanka’s openers had already bolted. Jayasuriya and Tharanga are as successful an opening pair as you can hope to find in international cricket today and it wasn’t long before they stamped their left-handedness on Pakistan.
   Tharanga targeted a jaded Mohammad Asif; in the second ODI he had taken three fours in an over off Asif and he produced an encore in the third over of the innings. First came an easy loft over mid-on, then a streaky edge and for the finish, an authentic cover drive. Jayasuriya, after a nervy start, caught the bug.
   Najaf Shah, in an energetic debut, troubled him briefly before he was coolly lifted over long-on. Out came, a few overs later, the famed short-arm jab, hit with such timing that it sailed over square leg altogether.
   But Rao’s entry also brought out another Jayasuriya trademark. In Rao’s second over, a consistent denial of width induced from Jayasuriya a lazy inside edge onto his stumps. Tharanga, who had peppered third man and point with boundaries through the start, edged behind in Rao’s next over.

Controversial Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar will miss next month’s Afro-Asia Cup one-day series in India after selectors decided he was not fit enough to play.
   The Asian Cricket Council selector from Pakistan, Mohsin Khan, said Shoaib had not made a complete recovery from the knee injury that had restricted him to just one test and four one-day international appearances in the last 14 months.
   A Pakistan Cricket Board official said that Mohsin told the PCB that Shoaib would be replaced in the Asia squad.
   ‘After a lot of consideration we felt Shoaib still needs time to regain full match fitness. So we didn’t want to take a risk with him at this stage,’ former Test player Mohsin told Reuters on Tuesday.
   The three series between representative sides from the two continents is being played in Bangalore and Chennai starting from June 6.
   The Asian side has been picked by the ACC selection committee made up of nominees from all four Asian Test-playing nations – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
   The selectors originally named Shoaib in a 14-member squad to be captained by Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka, and includes Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Asif.
   ‘We have some very important test series coming up and we want Shoaib to be fit in time for them. That is why the consensus is he should not be risked,’ the PCB official, Dr Ehsan Malik said.
   Shoaib had earlier opted out of the Afro-Asia Cup citing family commitments but then made himself available saying he had made a satisfactory recovery from injury.

A Pakistani journalist is seeking 50 million rupees (833,333 dollars) in damages from the BBC, claiming it inferred he was connected with the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer.
   Ehsan Qureshi, a correspondent with the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan, said footage of him talking to Woolmer was used by the British broadcaster in a defamatory manner.
   The segment, part of a Panaroma programme called ‘Death at the World Cup,’ showed Qureshi in conversation with Woolmer at a social event during the two days before the coach died.
   In a legal notice served to the BBC, his lawyers said the programme ‘gave an impression as if me and the other gentleman accompanying him were the suspects or had anything to do with the death of Bob Woolmer.’
   Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room in Jamaica the morning after Pakistan crashed out of the tournament. Police believe he was murdered.
   Qureshi’s lawyer claimed the programme ‘was an attempt to malign my client to connect him with an offence to which he had no concern at all,’ according to the writ seen by AFP on Tuesday.
   He said the programme was screened on the international BBC World channel, and clips were re-broadcast on Pakistani and Indian networks. Qureshi said the footage caused him and his family distress.
   No suspects have been arrested over Woolmer’s death, which recent reports suggest may have been from natural causes.

England have given left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom, 29, a shock call-up for the second Test against West Indies.
   Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff both return, but Flintoff faces more fitness tests to see if his ankle can stand the pressure of a five-day match.
   Matthew Hoggard is unfit after damaging his thigh in the drawn Lord’s Test.
   After naming a squad of 13 for the match starting on Friday, chairman of selectors David Graveney said Notts man Sidebottom added variety to the attack.
   He has taken 13 wickets in four Championship matches this season, with a best of 3-49 in the opening match against Leicestershire.
   Graveney said: ‘We are naturally disappointed to lose a bowler of Matthew Hoggard’s calibre for this Test but remain optimistic that he will be available for the 3rd npower Test.
   ‘The inclusion of James Anderson and Ryan Side- bottom in the squad is designed to provide us with different options within our pace bowling unit.
   ‘With Jon Lewis and Stuart Broad unavailable through injury, we were keen to identify a bowler who could add variety to the attack.
   ‘Ryan has been a consistent performer for Nottinghamshire over the last two seasons, is familiar with the Heading- ley pitch through his time with Yorkshire and deserves a further opportunity at this level.
   ‘Michael Vaughan came through his net session today without any adverse reaction while Andrew Flintoff practiced earlier today but did not bowl as a precaution.
   ‘We will need to reassess Andrew’s fitness over the next 48 hours and our plan is for him to bowl in practice on consecutive days to see if there is any further reaction to his ankle injury.’
   Vaughan, who resumes the captaincy, will play his first Test since December 2005.
   England squad for the second Test starting from Friday:
   Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire, captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Alastair Cook (Essex), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Steve Harmison (Durham), Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire), Matt Prior (Sussex), Monty Panesar (Northants), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex).

The joint forces raided former national football captain Badal Roy’s Wari residence in search of illegal arms but could not find anything.
   Roy, an Awami League activist after his playing days, however, has a clean image from his playing career. The joint forces came to Badal’s house at 11:30pm and asked the people inside to open the door. When Badal asked whether they had any official order with them they replied in the affirmative.
   The forces searched the entire house but did not find anything. ‘I was surprised to see the joint forces at my door, but complied with their order. However, there was no misbehaviour and they left when the search was completed,’ said Badal.

Table-toppers Abahani on Tuesday submitted a letter to the president of Bangladesh Cricket Board requesting him to release middle-order batsman Tushar Imran from the national squad if he is not included in the playing eleven for the second Test against India so that they can play him in the Kai-Altech Premier Cricket Super League.
   Abahani cricket official and former national captain Gazi Ashraf Hossain was hopeful of a positive feedback. ‘I don’t see there’s any chance of Tushar’s inclusion in the playing eleven for the second Test. If he is not in the Test line-up, then we urge the Board to release him for his club service. I think BCB will understand the situation we are in,’ said Lipu.
   Abahani are struggling with a shortage of players as Khaled Mashud and Mashrafee bin Murtaza are also in the Test squad. The club earlier refused to play on that pretext but changed their decision. Abahani are scheduled to meet Victoria today.

BKSP sealed a last four place in the Western Union National Youth Football by thrashing Jhenaidah 7-1 in their group game of the final round at the Satkhira stadium on Tuesday.
   Touhidul Alam, the ace striker of BKSP, slammed a hat-trick, Rana netted twice while Rabiul and Masud scored one goal apiece.
   In the other match of the day, Rajshahi edged past Noakhali 1-0. Raju scored the match-winner in the 82nd minute.

Rain and bad light ruined the final day of the first Test between England and West Indies at Lord’s on Monday with the players taking the field for only 79 minutes.
   West Indies, set 401 to win, were 89 without loss when the teams departed for the second and final time in the afternoon session.
   Steady drizzle ended the morning’s play after 34 minutes and bad light brought a premature close after 45 minutes in the afternoon. Play was finally called off at 5.50pm (1650GMT).
   Chris Gayle was unbeaten on 47 and his opening partner Daren Ganga, who brought up his 2,000th Test run by slashing a Steve Harmison no-ball over the slips for four, had scored 31.
   The teams meet again at Headingley in Leeds on Friday in the second of the four-Test series.
   West Indies, resuming at seven for no wicket, made a confident start with Gayle striking four boundaries.
   The disappointing Harmison, who conceded 117 runs in the first innings for the sole wicket of number 10 Jerome Taylor, was removed from the attack, and acting captain Andrew Strauss called up Monty Panesar.
   The left-arm spinner, who returned his best Test figures of six for 129 in West Indies’ first innings, paced out his run but did not bowl a ball as light drizzle began to fall and the players left the field.
   They returned in the afternoon, giving the chance for Ganga to play two elegant cover-drives to the boundary off Panesar, before the light deteriorated.
   West Indies, who went into the Test after only one
   rain-shortened practice match, will be the happier of the two teams.
   Their pace bowlers failed to make an impact and their fielding was slipshod but they showed plenty of fighting spirit in their first innings, reaching 437 after they had been reduced to 187 for five.
   A draw gives the tourists breathing space before Headingley and ensures there will be no repetition of the 4-0 whitewash four years ago.

England’s new coach Peter Moores tried to play down the prospect of South Africa pace great Allan Donald joining his backroom staff after seeing the home side’s fast bowlers struggle during the drawn first Test against West Indies here at Lord’s.
   England’s quicks, notably Stephen Harmison who had mediocre match figures of one for 138, struggled to make much of an impression against a West Indies side ranked a lowly eighth in the world Test rankings.
   While five England batsmen scored centuries in the match, it needed left-arm spinner Monty Panesar’s six for 129 to help build a first innings lead of 116 after Moores’s men had piled up 553 for five declared.
   England’s pacemen failed to fire for much of their recent 5-0 Ashes drubbing, their drop in form coinciding with the return of highly-regarded bowling coach Troy Cooley to his native Australia.
   Cooley, who now holds a similar position with Australia, was replaced by Kevin Shine, whose role has been called into question amidst suggestions he will soon be concentrating solely on developing up and coming England bowlers.
   Donald, who knows English cricket well from his time as an overseas player with Warwickshire, has made no secret of his desire to work with England’s quicks, having previously acted as a mentor to Matthew Hoggard when the two were in the same Orange Free State side in South Africa.
   ‘Allan is very keen to come and work with us,’ Moores told reporters after rain ensured his first Test in charge petered out into a draw.
   ‘It’s a big positive that someone of Allan’s stature wants to come along,’ the former Sussex coach added.
   ‘There have been no decisions made because we’ve had a Test match going on, but now that’s over we can get into some discussions.
   ‘I want to make sure that whoever we bring in fits our set-up and it’s the right person and we don’t just think that because it’s a great name we should just pull them in.’
   And he insisted Harmison didn’t have a problem taking his form from county cricket into the Test arena, recalling his 2005 performances in England’s victorious Ashes campaign.
   ‘If you look at the honours board in the (Lord’s) dressing room he’s got five for 43 against Australia in probably one of the biggest pressure games he’s played. He can play, there’s no doubt about that.’
   Both Harmison and fellow Durham quick Liam Plunkett struggled for accuracy at Lord’s and West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan said, ‘We got quite a few bad balls. Our guys played really well and we made use of what we had.’
   West Indies haven’t won a Test outside the Caribbean against major opposition since defeating England at Edgbaston seven years ago but Sarwan said they would take heart from their battling performance at Lord’s.
   ‘This is going to give us a lot of confidence going into the next Test, having been playing not that well at Test level. Hopefully, we can drive on from here.’

Paolo Maldini insists he will play on for one more season – even if he wins another Champions League title with Milan today.
   Some whispers in the peninsula have suggested that the 38-year-old could retire in style should he hold aloft the European Cup in Athens, but Maldini has clear ideas about the future.
   ‘I hope to play in yet another Final after this one in Athens, because next season will be my last,’ Maldini told uefa.com.
   ‘Milan are football for me, I have played for this club for my entire career, I was born in Milan, and my father had a great career with this team. For me, the word football means Milan.’
   Maldini will play in his eighth European Cup Final today which will see him equal the record of Real Madrid legend Paco Gento.
   ‘Honestly, I have never really cared about records. I only think about winning as many trophies as possible and Milan have given me the chance to play so many Finals in this competition.’
   The former Italian international looks likely to put his knee problems to one side this week in order to face Liverpool, two years after that Istanbul tragedy.
   ‘Facing Liverpool is an opportunity to take revenge, but we have nothing against them,’ he continued.
   ‘During my career I have won most of the games I deserved to win, but that night was not like that, we deserved to win and we didn’t.
   ‘They are a very dangerous side, especially with [Steven] Gerrard and [Peter] Crouch, but we don’t have to think about our opponents too much.
   ‘We have to play our own game and accept the result on the pitch.’
   Meanwhile, French newspaper L’Equipe dedicated Tuesday’s front page to Maldini by insisting that he deserves to win this year’s Golden Ball.
   ‘Monsieur Maldini lives football like a youngster, with a love that will never end,’ an article read.
   ‘Just as his father, in 23 years he has never betrayed his sense of morality, duty and loyalty which have made him one of the icons of Italian football.
   ‘Tomorrow, if the physical trainers are good at their job and the gods listen to us, Milan will offer to Maldini one of the biggest joys in his career, one year before his retirement, a fifth Champions League, a new Intercontinental Final and, why not, the opportunity to dream of the Golden Ball once again.’
   France Coach Raymond Domenech also praised Maldini and would like him to win the prestigious award.
   ‘I saw him play against Manchester United and he was impressive,’ he said. ‘If it were for me, he would win the Golden Ball.’

Arsene Wenger has told Arsenal fans they must put their ‘trust’ in him to bring success back to the club next season.
   Wenger saw his young team finish empty-handed for the second successive campaign and even the most diehard supporters are questioning whether they can challenge Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool next year.
   But the Gunners boss has delivered a strong message to the fans and insisted that his outstanding young players like Cesc Fabregas, Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue will come of age next season.
   And he also did his best to dispel doubts about his own future by making it clear that he is planning for next season.
   ‘I believe that at the moment our fans think we have fantastic potential, but that they also have the anxiety of whether or not they will deliver,’ admitted Wenger in an interview in the new official Arsenal magazine.
   ‘And I tell our fans that they will deliver. They will. They have to continue to believe in the team.
   ‘At the moment that is the only question mark. Nobody questions the quality in our team, the potential we have. But everybody is asking: Will they deliver? Well they have to trust us.
   ‘There is a mixture here of mental strengths, of potential, but there is also a naivety, and sometimes we have not been ruthless enough. It is these two ingredients that have to be improved.
   ‘This side can be absolutely outstanding. But to win trophies, you have to be a killer. You have to have everything together.’
   Wenger also made it clear that, despite regular accusations from supporters that they over-elaborate and should be more direct, he will stick with his footballing beliefs to try and put Arsenal back on top of the Premiership.
   ‘I believe that we have to be faithful to the way we see the game,’ he said.
   ‘Our fans will not accept it if tomorrow they start seeing direct, kicking football from us. I feel as well that our style suits the players we have, and their characteristics.
   ‘We have players with a high technical level. What people under-estimate is what this team have done, with the age of our players, is absolutely amazing.
   ‘That potential will come out, I’m 100 per cent convinced of that, and come out quickly. You have to accept that it takes some time for a team to transform into efficiency.’
   Wenger believes Arsenal are still adjusting to their new surroundings in the Emirates after so many years of success at Highbury.
   But he pointed to the fact that his young players did a league double over Manchester United, drew with Chelsea twice and beat Liverpool to prove they are moving in the right direction.
   He added, ‘Every day I am thinking about next season. Ever since we qualified for the top four my mind has been on next season.
   ‘The game against Chelsea was a bit of an illustration of our season – going 1-0 up, not killing the game off, and then finishing with a 1-1 draw.
   ‘So my thinking is stability, improve the balance of the team, and then get tuned in so we can all start the new season in a strong way.
   ‘The key is stability, and then the possible addition of one or two players who I think can add to what we are trying to do. But the key is to be strong, with a consistent belief in this team.
   ‘My target is to keep the quality of our game at the level it is, try to improve it, but also give a little bit of a better balance to the team in the areas where we can be stronger.’

Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said on Monday that had the Football Association looked into the story that cost him his job then he might still be in the post.
   The Swede was sacked after it was revealed in the News of the World that he had held talks in Dubai about his future after the England post – in fact he had fallen for one of their investigative reporters who specialise in ensnaring high-profile characters into embarrassing situations.
   ‘The real reason I was sacked was because of a newspaper story about Dubai,’ said Eriksson, who guided England to two World Cup quarter-finals and the Euro 2004 last eight.
   ‘And of course what was written in those stories was not true – or a lot of it. It’s very easy for a newspaper if they want to hurt you to do it.
   ‘The FA knew why I went to Dubai and I didn’t go there to listen for a new job. I went to listen about football in Dubai. They tried to set me up and they were lucky.
   ‘I was sacked because this time the FA had had enough and they didn’t check if it was true or not.’
   While Eriksson admits his name appeared in the papers too often for the wrong reasons – usually about his private life – he also confessed to holding talks with prospective employers about life after England, though he added he would never have broken his contract.
   The Swede, who enjoyed a stellar career as a club manager with Lazio, Sampdoria and Benfica among others, denied he had been greedy in continuing to be paid a salary after he left the England post following the penalty shootout defeat to Portugal in last year’s World Cup quarter-finals.
   ‘I had a contract until 2008. I was sacked,’ said Eriksson who had a condition in his contract that he would continue to be paid till it ended unless he found a job in the meantime.
   ‘If I had been greedy I would have asked for money until 2008 – it would have been fair. I agreed to have six months fully paid and six months half paid. So I think I was good value for the FA.’
   Eriksson, who said he would take the England job again but realised he would not be offered it, revealed his main regret about his time as England coach was not taking a ‘mental coach’ to prepare the players for a penalty shoot-out in the World Cup.
   ‘England in this moment, last year and in the future, have a squad of players who can win the World Cup. We didn’t do it, and I’m extremely sorry about that, but we could have done it.’
   As for his future Eriksson said he hoped to be back in club football for next season.
   ‘I could easily work in England – I probably will not do that, but football-wise, I could.’

Francesco Totti has insisted he doesn’t need to prove his affection for the Italian national side. ‘I think what happened last year was enough,’ said the Roma ace.
   The Giallorossi captain has been repeatedly criticised for bringing a temporary halt to his Azzurri career given that he currently leads the Serie A Capocannoniere chart.
   Totti has refused to appear for the national side since the World Cup Finals by insisting he won’t star for his country until the screws in his ankle, which were put in after his fracture last February, are taken out in September.
   ‘I think that I proved how much the Nazionale means for me on February 19 last year,’ said Totti to Sky Italia. ‘I would have never recovered in two and a half months if I hadn’t really wanted to.
   ‘I could have stayed at home and rested with my family. Instead, I worked hard and did all I could to be at the Coach’s disposal because he wanted me there as well,’ continued the No 10.
   ‘My team-mates were also important in encouraging me, it is a wonderful group and there was no way I could miss such an important event.’
   Totti hit the 200-goal mark on Sunday in the 3-2 defeat against Cagliari and is now closing in on the European Golden Boot award having scored 24 times this season.
   ‘When you reach this target during your career I think the numbers don’t need any additional comment,’ explained Er Pupone.
   ‘This gratifies me and that is why I try not to listen to the many critics surrounding me. I want the field to speak for me.
   ‘My best goal ever? It isn’t easy to choose one, but I might say the ‘spoon shot’ against Inter at the San Siro.
   ‘No one expects it, so when you score a goal like that you feel that you are smarter than your opponents.’

Percy Sonn, the president of the ICC, is critically ill in an intensive care unit in Cape Town, according to Cricket South Africa.
   His PA, George Hector, told Cricinfo that Sonn had suffered complications after being admitted to the Durbanville clinic in Cape Town on Monday to undergo a minor colon operation. The appointment, Hector added, had been scheduled several months prior to the recent World Cup in the Caribbean.
   Sonn, 57, the former president of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, succeeded Ehsan Mani at the helm of the ICC in June 2006, and immediately announced his intentions to be a ‘hands-off’ president.
   This declaration was borne out by his low profile during the World Cup; after delivering his speech at the opening ceremony in Jamaica, he returned to South Africa for several weeks of the 47-day tournament, although that decision may have been attributable to his ill-health.
   ‘This news is extremely upsetting for everyone who knows Percy,’ Brian Murgatroyd, the ICC’s spokesman, told Cricinfo.
   ‘Everyone was with him at the World Cup, where he was his usual jolly self, and so to hear this less than a month later is very troubling.
   ‘Percy has given virtually his whole life to cricket,’ added Murgatroyd. ‘He started out in administration at his local club in Belville [in Cape Town] because he was virtually the only person at the club who could read and write.

Mido’s future at Tottenham looks increasingly uncertain after the Egypt striker admitted he is unsettled at White Hart Lane.
   The 24-year-old only made seven Premiership starts this season and was on the verge of signing for Manchester City at the end of the January transfer window only to agree to stay with Spurs and assess his options this summer.
   His first season since making his loan from Roma a permanent deal has been hampered by injuries which have limited his availability and resulted in just five goals.
   He said, ‘I would be lying if I said that I am happy at Spurs. Any player who doesn’t play will not feel happy.’
   Mido was linked with a move back to Celta Vigo as well as City last season before boss Martin Jol persuaded him to stay.
   Jol’s three other strikers – Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe – also scored more than 60 goals between them during the campaign, which has limited opportunities for a fourth attacker.
   Mido believes he made a mistake to sign on a permanent basis a year ago after turning down the chance to stay at Roma or join other teams.
   In an interview with Al-Mehwar, an Egyptian television channel, he added, ‘The hard times started with me making the wrong decision.
   ‘I made a big mistake when I signed permanently for Spurs. I know that this could result in problems but it is the truth.’

Two of English football’s top powerbrokers arrive in Malaysia this week to resolve a drawn-out row over Manchester United’s planned Asian tour.
   Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards and Manchester United chief executive David Gill will meet Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam on Wednesday, AFC officials said.
   Bin Hammam, backed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, has demanded United postpone a planned match against a Malaysian XI on July 27 and the rest of their tour as it clashes with the Asian Cup finals from July 7-29.
   He reiterated Tuesday his position that United, or any other club, cannot play in countries hosting Asian Cup matches while the tournament is on.
   ‘We are still looking to resolve the issue and the AFC’s position remains the same,’ he said.
   ‘We are seeking an amicable solution with all parties concerned. I’m optimistic we can solve the problem.’
   Earlier this month, Gill said Malaysia was a ‘second home’ for the club and he was ‘extremely sad and disappointed to hear that we are not welcome.’
   Despite uncertainty surrounding the match in Kuala Lumpur, United continue to offer travel packages on their website for the entire Asian tour, including the Malaysia game.
   The Football Association of Malaysia initially backed bin Hamman but reversed its position after Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi threw his support behind the United match.
   Bin Hammam has asked to meet Badawi but he has had no official response so far, AFC officials told AFP.
   Malaysian sports minister Seri Azalina Othman Said said on Tuesday the government’s backing of Manchester United should not be misconstrued as a snub to the Asian Cup.
   She said she wanted to see the United game go ahead because it was part of the nation’s 50th anniversary celebrations of its independence from Britain.
   ‘The sports ministry is as committed to the Asian Cup as ever. We will do our best to ensure that the stadium is filled during the Asian Cup,’ she was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
   ‘Even the prime minister wants Manchester United to be here as part of our Merdeka (independence) celebrations, and we are merely supporting the prime minister’s call.’

Former Australia Test batsman Darren Lehmann has been
   diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and will undergo blood-thinning therapy, his South Australia state side said Tuesday.
   The South Australian Cricket Association said Lehmann’s condition was picked up during a routine check-up following surgery on a damaged achilles tendon.
   ‘It has been identified early and Darren will undergo blood-thinning treatment for the next three months,’ SACA physiotherapist John Porter said.
   Porter said Lehmann, 37, who played 27 Tests and 117 one-day internationals for Australia, was expected to be fit for South Australia when the domestic season begins in October.
   The left-handed batsman, who has a Test average of 44.95, played his last Test against Pakistan in December 2004.

John Wright, the former New Zealand opener and India coach, is strongly tipped to become Tim Nielsen’s replacement as the head coach at the Centre of Excellence. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Wright was a late entrant in the race for the Brisbane-based role.
   The paper said that two weeks ago, Cricket Australia had trimmed their list down to Trevor Bayliss, the New South Wales mentor, and Tim Coyle, who guided Tasmania to the Pura Cup this year.
   However, Bayliss has reportedly dropped out of the race so he can stay with the Blues, while Coyle was crossed off the list last week.
   Wright was spotted in Brisbane speaking to CA officials around the time Coyle was eliminated.
   If he is given the nod, he will also take over as the coach of Australia A.
   Wright coached Kent from 1997 to 2000 and India from 2000 to 2005.
   He was considered a candidate for the vacant Pakistan and Sri Lanka positions but has apparently ruled himself out of the race to replace Tom Moody at Sri Lanka.

Kushtia DSA emerged champions in the NCC Bank inter-district volleyball competition beating Dhaka DSA 3-0 in the final on Monday.
   Khulna DSA finished third overcoming Dinajpur by DSA 3-0 sets in the place-deciding match.
   Deputy managing director of NCC Bank Limited, SM Shamsul Alam, distributed prizes among the winners.

Rafa Benitez has already started planning for next season and the early indications are that an overhaul of his playing staff could be made in the aftermath of today’s UEFA Champions League final against Milan.
   Despite having reached the European Cup final for the second time in only three years, Liverpool have failed to mount a serious bid for the Premiership during Benitez’s tenure and it is a lack of domestic success the Spanish tactician is keen to remedy.
   Following their Champions League victory over Milan in 2005, Benitez was ruthless in deeming a number of his squad surplus to requirements and again he has intimated changes could be forthcoming in the summer.
   Armed with a handsome transfer chest courtesy of backing from American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, Benitez has already earmarked several new faces as he bids to create a side capable of pushing for the Premiership.
   ‘We know we can improve and we will do by bringing in new players with character, quality and experience. We must keep going forward,’ said Benitez.
   ‘I feel we are going in the right direction but this final is just a stopping point on the way to where we want to be.
   ‘A second Champions League final in three seasons shows what can be done but we want to achieve even more. This is going to be an important summer because we want to maintain our progress and keep going forward next season.
   ‘Another European Cup would be very welcome but the aim is not just to win this trophy, it is to be stronger all round, so we can make a better challenge for the Premiership next season.’
   Liverpool finished the domestic season 21 points behind Manchester United but confident everything is geared for success at Anfield, Benitez is predicting a bright future for all those involved on Merseyside.
   The former Valencia chief is well aware he will have absolute financial backing in the pre-season and it will likely be a busy summer of arrivals and departures at Anfield.
   ‘I am happy with my players but we need to improve to challenge in the Premiership,’ he added.
   ‘We want to achieve even more. It is important not to think that by getting to the final we have done everything, because we have the potential to be one of the biggest clubs in Europe in every way.
   ‘We are already one of the most famous names in football, but we have the chance to take advantage of our position – it will be an important summer.
   ‘The new owners have already seen what is possible here. Every time we have spoken, it has been positive, and we will talk again after the final.’

They are a resourceful lot, Liverpool fans. They have come in planes, trains and automobiles to arrive in Athens in their thousands. Four of the more intrepid even hired a taxi all the way from Anfield.
   Yet none has had a journey quite as incredible as Javier Mascherano, the Argentine midfielder who admits his route to the Champions League final is nothing short of ‘surreal’.
   Even now, as he prepares for the unenviable task of trying to tame AC Milan’s influential Brazilian Kaka, the 22-year-old can hardly believe what has happened to him on the way to Europe’s glittering showcase final.
   ‘I was at West Ham, going nowhere, doing nothing. I was depressed, at my lowest ebb, and wondering what had happened to me. And now here I am about to play in the biggest club game in the world. It is surreal,’ said Mascherano.
   ‘That is the only way I can describe it – weird. I was part of a struggling team, I didn’t even get a game, and I couldn’t have envisaged how it could end in this way.
   ‘It was so tough. I was down about not playing and not getting opportunities.
   And then out of the blue, Liverpool came in for me and here I am.
   ‘Every player would love to be involved in a momentous occasion like this. To live this after what has happened, to be only a few hours away from the biggest game I could be involved in, it’s something you dream about.
   ‘The game is going to be watched by hundreds of millions of people across the world and after what I have been through this season, I find it unbelievable to be involved.’
   No one could have written the script of Mascherano’s journey.
   He arrived at West Ham, along with countryman Carlos Tevez, amid tumultuous fanfare and expectation.
   He was one of the stars of Argentina’s exciting World Cup campaign and widely recognised as one of the most exciting young players in the world.
   But he was handed just three starts by the Hammers in six months and was banished to the twilight world of the unwanted fringe player.
   Worse, his presence around Upton Park was held up as some sort of haunting spectre, the man whose arrival sparked a
   collapse in the team spirit
   hat had taken the club so far the previous season. He and
   Tevez, in many eyes, were responsible for the downfall of West Ham.
   ‘It was awful really. Very difficult,’ he said.
   ‘But I don’t have bad feelings towards West Ham. I was at my lowest ebb because I wasn’t playing, not because I was treated badly there.
   ‘The staff, the players and the fans were brilliant and got me through the most difficult time of my career. Before that, I had only known success. ‘I played for my country as a teenager, went to the World Cup, won the Olympic gold medal in 2004, won five or six trophies.
   Then I wasn’t playing and I didn’t know what would happen. It was a terrible time.
   ‘But I wouldn’t say I came to Liverpool to get away from West Ham – I left because I had no opportunities there. I still have a lot to thank them for. They opened the door for me to play in Europe.
   They opened the door to this final.’
   If it was West Ham who opened the door, then it was Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez who invited him to the party.
   Benitez spotted the fire that still burned within.
   He coaxed the midfielder back to fitness and then encouraged the sort of displays that have seen the Argentine relegate Xabi Alonso – for so long the heartbeat of the Reds – to the bench.
   And for that, Mascherano will be eternally grateful.
   ‘The manager has been crucial,’ he said. ‘To show the faith he did, when no one believed in me, means so much. He has given me back my belief. I had lost confidence, was questioning myself, but he gave me opportunities.
   ‘I have a lot more belief in myself now because I am part of a team that is on the cusp of winning the European Cup.’
   Mascherano knows the best way he can repay his debt to Benitez is to help bring the European Cup back to Anfield for a second time in three years and sixth in total.
   ‘I want the responsibility,’ he said. ‘The fans live and breathe this competition and I want to do it for them.
   ‘We know Milan are serious opponents and in Kaka they have one of the best players in the world.
   ‘If my job is to stop Kaka then I would be very glad because I want that cup for my team.’

Determined Peter Crouch on Monday warned AC Milan that Liverpool are ready to make them pay for their derisory dismissal of Rafa Benitez’s side.
   Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti accused the Merseysiders of being negative and lacking any of the spirit of the English game.
   It has been a charge echoed by the San Siro players, still sick at the memory of the Istanbul turnaround that saw the Champions League snatched from their grasp by the Steven Gerrard-inspired Reds.
   But while Crouch admits that Benitez’s first priority is ensuring a defensive blanket protects Pepe Reina’s goal in the Olympic Stadium, the England striker promised that Liverpool can once more show they are a far better attacking unit than Milan are trying to pretend.
   Crouch told the Daily Mirror, ‘We will go into the game to win, just like we did against Barcelona, PSV and Chelsea.
   ‘Yes, we are cautious, that’s the way we play.
   ‘The starting point of our success is our resilience and we are difficult to beat.
   ‘We have a fantastic defence and all work hard for each other to keep clean sheets, and that will always be the main objective.
   ‘But when we attack, we do attack. We scored three goals in Istanbul, and then three more to win the FA Cup last season, so we’ve proved we’ve got that in us.
   ‘When we go forward we can score. Even this season, we got three at PSV Eindhoven and two in the Nou Camp.
   We’ve scored goals in this competition and we can do it when we need to.
   ‘Maybe we don’t get as much credit as we deserve attacking-wise because our defence is so solid. Of course we try to keep a tight shape and work to keep a clean sheet, but we don’t go for 0-0.
   ‘We try to score goals and win games and that’s been the case throughout the European campaign.’
   Liverpool have scored 18 to get the Athens, only conceding eight, with Crouch having scored exactly one third of those goals.
   And as the England man insists, Benitez’s teams know all about finding the target when it really matters.
   Crouch added, ‘The 2005 final was one of the best games ever. What Liverpool did was magnificent and may never be repeated. I know we’d take a scrappy 1-0 this time but we don’t do straightforward finals. The FA Cup final against West Ham last year was spookily similar – but it helps when you’ve got a player like Stevie Gerrard to pull you round when you are down.
   ‘This time I think it will be a tactical game. Milan will be well-prepared for us and we’ve got a manager who leaves no details out. But in 2005 I would’ve predicted a very tactical game as well, a very tight 1-0 with the small details making all the difference.’
   If there is a nagging fear in the back of Crouch’s mind, it is that Benitez and his mastery of the small details could spell the silent treatment and heartbreak for him. Despite that goals record – he is the club’s top-scorer with 18 in all competitions even though he has made fewer starts than both Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt – Crouch was left out for the two games against Barcelona.
   With Liverpool goal legend Robbie Fowler also hoping for an emotional finale to his Anfield career, Crouch will spend the next 36 hours fearing the silent treatment from Benitez.
   Crouch added, ‘My form has been good in Europe and I feel I’ve got something to offer against Milan. I’m a different type of player to anything they face in the Italian league. I’m sure I can cause a few problems.
   ‘But it’s the manager’s choice. We work on a certain system in training all week and have a clear indication of how we’re going to play and the formation.
   ‘But the precise personnel you won’t know until 90 minutes before kick-off. That’s how he does it.’

AC Milan are way off the lead in the Italian league and haven’t won the Serie A title in three years. Liverpool are far behind Manchester United in the Premier League and haven’t won the English championship since 1990.
   Yet, Milan and Liverpool are playing for European soccer’s biggest prize today, giving the Champions League a bad name.
   It’s not really the fault of Milan or Liverpool. The competition simply should be renamed. It’s certainly not a league, and it’s far from guaranteed a champion will win it.
   ‘The Champions and Nearly Champions Preliminary Round, Group Stage and Knockout Cup’ might be a more accurate description of a competition that has changed format repeatedly over the years.
   When Europe’s premier club competition started in 1955, it was called the European Cup and involved the champions of the major European domestic leagues. Simple.
   As it grew in stature and TV began to take a far bigger interest, European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, tinkered with the format…so teams that made it to the last-16 would play each other in four groups and then revert to elimination play.
   But the format allowed for the possibility of big clubs getting knocked out during early rounds, and that was of no real interest to TV.
   UEFA faced a major problem in the 1990s when the top clubs – mainly from Italy, Spain, England and Germany – were unhappy they didn’t make more money from TV revenues and commercial spin-offs. They began to make noises that they wanted to form their own breakaway competition on a league basis.
   If they all pulled out, then the European Champions Cup would not be much of a prize for those who were left. So UEFA came up with an alternative to stop the big clubs from leaving.
   The competition would be reconstructed so the champions would be seeded directly into the group phase and play at least six lucrative games before the knockout round. But UEFA didn’t stop there.
   Not only did the domestic champions in the big leagues make it into the Champions League but so did the runners-up.
   Then the third- and fourth-placed teams also got the chance to make it through the qualifying round and into the group stage.
   The champions of the likes of Denmark, Sweden, Poland and the Czech Republic were overlooked by the seeding process and usually met a powerhouse team early in the competition. The clubs from the Premier League, Serie A and the Spanish league would bulldoze their way to the final stages.
   Three Spanish teams made it to the semi-finals in 2000, with Real Madrid beating Valencia in the final. Serie A clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus reached the same stage in 2003, resulting in an all-Italian final. Three Premier League teams – Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United – made it to this season’s semi-finals.
   Look at the las-16 of this season’s Champions League, when the competition reverted to the knockout format. England had four teams still going strong – Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal. Italy had Milan, Inter and AS Roma. Spain had Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia.
   Rival coaches have different thoughts on the merits of winning their domestic leagues compared with the Champions League.
   ‘The Champions League is the most important for us,’ Milan’s Carlo Ancelotti said.
   Yet Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson, Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger and Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho say they favour the Premier League because it is harder to win. Maybe they would change their minds if they won the Champions League more often.
   So why not make the Champions League a true league?
   Clubs that reach the final under the current format have to play at least 13 games – 15 if they have to play in the qualifying rounds. So why not scrap the preliminary rounds and take the top 16 champions in Europe and let them play each other on a round-robin basis? It would fit into the same time format.
   While it would justify the name of the competition, it probably would not meet with approval from the powerhouse teams favoring the current format. But UEFA’s new president, Michel Platini, might go along with it.
   He already has decided that the big leagues should have three, rather than four, teams in the competition. That would give the champions of the smaller domestic leagues a better chance of reaching the knockout phase.
   Milan and Liverpool wouldn’t be in Wednesday’s final if it were a champions-only competition, even though the Italian club has won the European title six times and the English team five.
   One of them, however, will still become champion of Europe.

Steven Gerrard has been accused of talking ‘b******s’ by claiming AC Milan celebrated victory at half-time in Istanbul.
   Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti was stunned by Liverpool’s amazing Champions League final win in 2005 after going 3-0 down.
   But Ancelotti blasted, ‘There’s only one word to describe what Gerrard says about our so-called celebrations – b******s!
   ‘We lost our heads in those six minutes when we let Liverpool come back from 3-0 down. But what we actually did at half-time was to tell ourselves there were 45 minutes to go and we needed to carry on playing as we were.’
   Liverpool won their fifth European Cup on penalties after their incredible comeback.
   Gerrard’s accusations have also been denied by midfielder Rino Gattuso, who was branded ‘a kitten’ in the Liverpool captain’s autobiography.
   World Cup winner Gattuso snarled, ‘If Gerrard says I am a kitten then I must be an ugly, bearded kitten.
   ‘But I will not respond to these provocations. Gerrard’s a great player and my only answer to him will be on the pitch.
   ‘The memory of Istanbul is a motivation for all of us. Many lies were said after the game.
   ‘The Liverpool players said we partied after 45 minutes and that hurts me. It gives me the rage and the energy to play them again. What they said just didn’t happen.’
   Ancelotti insisted his biggest mistake in football was not blowing that 3-0 lead.
   He reckons his failure to realise Thierry Henry could play as a central striker while at Juventus haunts him more.
   He added, ‘That was the best Milan side I have had since I started coaching here. But my biggest mistake was not realising Thierry Henry could become a great central striker while we were at Juventus.’

Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina has told Alex Ferguson to cork it.
   The Manchester United chief taunted Liverpool ahead of today’s Champions League clash by claiming he will toast a Milan win with a bottle of wine given to him by AC boss Carlo Ancelotti.
   But Spanish ace Reina told The Sun, ‘We’d like him to make a mistake and keep that bottle of wine for a lot longer before opening it.
   ‘Apparently Sir Alex Ferguson has said he’s convinced Milan will beat Liverpool and, if that happens, he will toast it by drinking the wine given to him by Ancelotti.
   ‘I respect all kinds of opinions and if Sir Alex believes Milan are the favourites we will try and prove him wrong.
   ‘These statements are good motivation for us.
   ‘If Ferguson feels Milan are favourites, then people might underestimate us again. That suits us because we will feel motivated to win that way.’
   He added, ‘Milan have a brilliant team and they showed it against Manchester United.
   ‘When they play like that I think they are a very difficult side to stop and to beat.
   ‘With the experience they have, it gives them an advantage. But Liverpool can never be written off. We have achieved many great things in the Champions League.’

The former Leeds and Manchester City striker was forced to watch from the stands as the Reds stunned Milan in Istanbul back in 2005.
   Fowler is gutted to have missed out after being sold by Gerrard Houllier to the Whites and is pleased he has an unexpected shot to win Europe’s elite club trophy.
   While the former England international acknowledges he may not play in Wednesday’s showpiece event, just being part of the squad is reward enough for the club legend.
   ‘Two years ago I sat in the stands at the Ataturk Stadium watching with increasing disbelief as Liverpool produced a miracle against Milan,’ Fowler told the Daily Mirror.
   ‘But I have to confess that among all the elation was more than a touch of regret. In my career, I’ve tried never to get caught in that trap of wondering what might have been.
   ‘But, as I watched my team parade the Cup around the stadium, I couldn’t help it. I saw a few of the lads later, and they said the same thing to me, “You should have been there”.
   ‘People know by now that I didn’t want to leave Liverpool when I was sold, and that night I felt that I had been robbed of my chance of ever playing in a Champions League final.
   ‘To even be part of this, to have played in the semi-final and to have experienced the build-up to the biggest final in club football, to be in a Liverpool squad that reached the European Cup final, well I’m proud again.
   ‘When I was sold, I never got the chance to say goodbye to the fans. I’ve always had a special relationship with them, and going back gave me the opportunity to end my Liverpool career properly.
   ‘There’s no sentiment in football, and I know he might not pick me for the Athens squad, especially because I’ll be at another club next season.
   ‘But my Liverpool career isn’t over yet...and I can dream a little.’

Arsenal striker Thierry Henry believes David Beckham’s form for Real Madrid this season warrants an England recall.
   Beckham has not played international football since Steve McClaren became head coach after last year’s World Cup.
   But, with England due to play Brazil on June 1 ahead of a Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia, Henry told the BBC, ‘He has never dropped his quality.
   ‘He has been the most consistent player at Real Madrid. Maybe his quality was not appreciated with England before.’
   England have failed to impress in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign under McClaren, drawing against Macedonia and Israel and losing to Croatia to leave them fourth in Group E.
   And Henry said, ‘What Beckham has done at Real Madrid has been unbelievable.
   ‘I don’t want to say anything controversial, because to be the England manager is probably the hardest job in the country and you have to respect Steve McClaren’s choice.
   ‘But maybe when David was playing for England, people took him for granted. As soon as he’s not playing people call for him to be recalled and that speaks volumes. ‘The guy has been magnificent for English football.’
   Beckham added to the BBC, ‘Whether the chance will come up to play for England again, who knows.
   ‘I’ve been so honoured to play and captain my country as many times as I have and everyone knows how I feel about playing for my country. ‘If that chance comes, I’ve always said I’d be ready but let’s wait and see.’

Deposed German champions Bayern Munich congratulated newly-crowned Bundesliga kings VfB Stuttgart in newspaper adverts on Tuesday – but promised to fight to regain their title next season.
   ‘Congratulations. But we promise you a real battle to get the shield back,’ said the advert placed by Bayern in the Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspapers.

On Merseyside they like to remember it as the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’. In Milan they would just like to forget it.
   If the 2005 Champions League final is ever recalled in the red and black heartlands of Lombardy, it is with the kind of shivery discomfort usually associated with the aftermath of a particularly unpleasant dream.
   But it is inevitable that the legacy of two years ago, when Liverpool overturned a 3-0 half-time deficit to AC Milan before clinching their fifth European Cup on penalties, will loom large here today when the two sides cross swords once more with club football’s biggest prize at stake.
   Having gracefully swatted Manchester United to one side with majestic performances in both legs of their semi-final, Milan should, in theory, walk out into the Olympic Stadium gleefully contemplating the near inevitability of revenge against opponents who – they will hardly need reminding – finished the Premiership campaign 21 points adrift of the new English champions.
   Football is rarely that simple however and the doubts planted in Milan’s psyche by that Steven Gerrard-fuelled fightback two years ago will ensure form counts for little on Wednesday evening.
   ‘The two teams are balanced,’ acknowledged Carlo Ancelotti, the Milan coach, before stressing how different the backdrop to this year’s final has been for his club compared with two years ago.
   Having been docked eight points at the start of the season for their involvement in Italy’s match-fixing scandal, Milan were never in with a shout in their domestic title race and have consequently been able to concentrate most of their energy on their European campaign.
   ‘Two years ago we were a bit tired but we are in better shape coming into this year’s final,’ Ancelotti said. ‘In 2005 we expected to reach the final, or at least come close to it. This year, getting to the final is an extraordinary achievement given all the problems we have had.’
   Although there were some last-minute doubts about whether Paolo Maldini’s left knee would be able to withstand 90 minutes or more, Ancelotti is confident that the wealth of experience in his side will ensure flashbacks to 2005 should not prove too disabling.
   ‘In a game like this, experience counts,’ he said. ‘The way in which players handle the pressure, especially on the eve of the match is very important. But we have plenty of players who are used to this kind of pressure, players who have won in Europe and who have won the World Cup.’
   While Ancelotti has been seeking to minimise the significance of the past, his counterpart Rafael Benitez has sought to harness the folk memory of that night in Istanbul to inspire his side to another night of glory.
   ‘If we win, people might still be talking about it in a hundred years,’ the Spaniard claimed this week. ‘Six weeks ago it might have been us who were the favourites but now AC Milan have beaten Manchester United and maybe people think they are favourites.
   ‘We still approach the game in the same way. They have a good team, we have a good team – but I still have my notes from Istanbul – not as a souvenir but because I will use them again for sure.’
   Benitez added, ‘If they are harder to beat it will be because their players have more experience of winning European competitions and experience of winning the World Cup.
   ‘They will use their experience in this game but it is also the same situation for us. We have more experience now than two years ago too. From my point of view, the two teams are in a similar situation.’
   If everyone is fit, Milan’s first XI virtually picks itself with Ancelotti’s only real selection issue being whether he opts for the finishing prowess of Filippo Inzaghi or the greater youthful vigour of Alberto Gilardino in a forward partnership with Kaka, the Brazilian who has been the tournament’s outstanding performer this season with 10 goals.
   Benitez’s fondness for constantly adapting his formations to suit their opponents make Liverpool’s starting line-up less easy to predict. But he seems certain to deploy two holding midfielders as insurance against Kaka’s ability to wreak havoc in the spaces between the back-four and midfield.
   Javier Mascherano will take one of those with the second slot a straight choice between the drive of Momo Sissoko and the superior passing ability of Xabi Alonso.
   Up front, Dirk Kuyt has established himself as an automatic choice but the Dutchman could be paired with either Peter Crouch or Craig Bellamy, or deployed as a lone striker with Steven Gerrard given licence to roam in the spaces behind him.
   But with an injury to Bolo Zenden meaning the injury-prone Harry Kewell – who went off early in the match two years ago – is likely to start on the left flank, it would seem likely that Gerrard will be restricted to a right-sided role while Bellamy is asked to use his pace to stretch the Milan back four.
   It was a tactic that worked superbly well when Liverpool won in Barcelona earlier in the campaign.

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has decided who will partner Kaka in attack for today’s Champions League final here against Liverpool, but refused to say whether the experience of Fillipo Inzaghi has been preferred to the youth of Alberto Gilardino.
   ‘I’ve decided who’s going to play, but I haven’t told the players yet,’ Ancelotti said ahead of the two sides’ first meeting since the 2005 final, which Liverpool won on penalties.
   ‘Everyone deserves to play, not only the eleven who start the match. ‘I can say that the squad is in good shape. We have worked well, and we are ready for Wednesday.’
   Kaka has been Milan’s driving force in Europe this season with 10 goals in the competition so far, and Liverpool will try to shackle the creative Brazilian whose three strikes in the semi-finals helped put Manchester United out.
   Therefore, the choice of Milan’s second striker is an important one, with Italian media reports suggesting Inzaghi has been given the nod.
   Inzaghi is 33, nine years older than Gilardino, but his predatory goal instincts have proved invaluable to Milan in the past, especially in European competition.
   But while Inzaghi is an out-and-out goal-scorer who just concerns himself with being in the right place at the right time, Gilardino is quick and links up well with Milan’s midfield.
   Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister who is never afraid to voice his views about team selection, believes Gilardino, scorer of 16 goals this season, should start.
   ‘I would play Gilardino from the start and put on Inzaghi when the opposition are tiring,’ said Berlusconi.
   Milan captain Paolo Maldini said last week that he expected to be fit to face Liverpool, but doubts linger as to whether his troublesome left knee will stand up to such a challenge.
   Assuming he has proved his fitness, Maldini, who has appeared in seven European Cup finals, will partner Alessandro Nesta at the heart of Milan’s defence, flanked by Marek Jankulovski – rated by former Czech Republic team-mate Pavel Nedved as the best Czech player playing at the moment – on the left and Massimo Oddo on the right.
   The midfield quartet will comprise Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Massimo Ambrosini.
   Seedorf will be given licence to get forward as often as he can, while Ambrosini may be asked to mark Liverpool’s inspirational captain, Steven Gerrard.
   Ancelotti admitted there were nerves in the Milan camp.
   ‘There is some tension, but that’s not a bad thing,’ he said.
   ‘There are two days before the big match and the tension is slowly rising. ‘But that’s perfectly normal and we have prepared well. We will give it our best.
   AC Milan are desperate to atone for their nightmare in Istanbul two years ago.
   Having looked certain to beat Liverpool after taking a 3-0 lead at half-time, Milan inexplicably imploded in a bizarre six-minute spell in the second half in which they allowed Liverpool to score three times and level the tie.
   Extra-time failed to separate the two sides, but Liverpool held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out to lift the trophy.

Kaka v Jamie Carragher
   With ten goals already in this season’s competition, including three in the two legs of Milan’s semi-final victory over Manchester United, Kaka has made a convincing case to be regarded as the world’s finest player on current form.
   Stopping the Brazilian playmaker is usually a matter of cutting off his supply—by the time he has the ball at his feet, as United discovered, it is frequently too late. His preference for the inside left channel means it will be Carragher who assumes primary responsibility for policing his movements in and around the penalty area. Like the Brazilian, Liverpool’s homegrown centreback has had his finest season to date and will be determined to repeat his successful shackling of the likes of Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba in earlier rounds.
   
   Massimo Ambrosini v Steven Gerrard
   Injuries have dogged Ambrosini for the past few years, but Milan’s defensive midfielder has stayed free of knocks this season and together with Gennaro Gattuso works tirelessly to win possession.
   Less ferocious in the tackle than Gattuso, Ambrosini is better at distributing the ball and his strength in the air makes him a danger to Liverpool at set-pieces.
   But his main priority on Wednesday will be to stifle the threat posed by Liverpool’s inspirational captain, the heartbeat of the Merseysiders’ team, who likes to get forward at any given opportunity.
   Milan are only too aware of his importance to the Premiership team as it was Gerrard who inspired Liverpool’s fight-back in Istanbul two years ago.
   But Gerrard will not be an easy player to mark. Liverpool midfielder Rafa Benitez gives his skipper license to roam and he tends to drift from the right-hand side into the centre.
   Milan dare not give Gerrard too much space anywhere around the box as he has a lethal shot and is very accurate. Milan believe if they can keep Gerrard quiet, they have an excellent chance of getting their revenge on Liverpool for the 2005 final defeat.
   
   Andrea Pirlo v Javier Mascherano
   In the five months since he swapped the West Ham reserves for Liverpool, Mascherano has established himself as Rafael Benitez’s holding midfielder of choice to the extent that Xabi Alonso’s future at the club is now in doubt. The Argentinian is adept at destroying the offensive momentum of opposing sides and was outstanding and inexhaustible as Liverpool overturned a one goal deficit in the second leg of the semi-final win over Chelsea. His primary task here will be to deny Pirlo, the World Cup winning playmaker who operates at the head of Milan’s midfield, the space to unpick Liverpool’s back four. But if the English side find themselves requiring a goal in the latter stages, expect to see Mascherano’s extraordinary stamina force Pirlo into the kind of tracking back that has never come naturally to him.
   
   Alessandro Nesta v Dirk Kuyt
   Once a popular choice for the title of ‘world’s best defender’, Alessandro Nesta’s prowess has appeared to be on the wane at times during what has been an injury-blighted season. But he remains well-equipped to cope with the threat of Liverpool’s main centre forward. The Dutchman combines considerable physical presence with a ferocious work ethic and has been a hit with both the fans and Benitez in his first season at Anfield. There is however a question mark over whether he has the technique or the creative flair to really unsettle defenders of the calibre of Nesta and Paolo Maldini. Both Kuyt, whose cancer-stricken father will be unable to attend the final, and Nesta, who was forced to sit out most of Italy’s successful World Cup campaign, have their own individual incentives to finish the season with a winner’s medal. — AFP

Rino Gattuso has put the boot into English football – and accused Liverpool of buying their way to glory.
   The AC Milan hardman sneers at suggestions that the Premier League is now the best in the world.
   And he believes Italian style will overcome Merseyside passion in today’s Champions League final.
   No-nonsense midfielder Gattuso told The Sun, ‘The key factor in the rise of English club football is they have more money than any other country in Europe.
   ‘That means their clubs are able to attract the kind of star players who would never have considered a move to England only a few years ago.
   ‘Premiership clubs own their own stadiums, have foreign owners and get incredible money from TV which is unequalled anywhere in the world.
   ‘Add the fact that the commercial men at their top clubs do a really good job and I’m afraid that money will finance a long period of English domination in Europe.’
   Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all made the Champions League semi-finals.
   And after seeing off United, Milan now want revenge for the 2005 final where they lost an epic clash to Liverpool on penalties after leading 3-0 at half-time.
   Gattuso admitted he has still never watched the video of that unforgettable evening in Istanbul.
   He said, ‘You need strength and courage to watch the 2005 final again and I refuse to see it in full.
   ‘The European Cup was within Milan’s grasp that year but at the end of the final it was Liverpool who held the trophy.
   ‘I will never forget what happened in Istanbul. Even if I win many more trophies, I will always remember that night.
   ‘I was battered mentally and spiritually after Istanbul.
   ‘I even decided to ask Milan for a transfer simply so I could turn the page mentally and forget the pain of that experience.
   ‘However, I reflected on what happened and decided Liverpool had taught me the value of psychology in football.
   ‘When you get to this level and when you get to a massive final at the end of a long season it’s not about talent any more but about attitude and fighting spirit.’
    Gattuso, 29, added, ‘I’ve worked really hard on my game to make sure I’m not regarded as just another football thug. I’ve learned to use my brain but the inner fire has never gone out. If I’m not protesting and shouting and waving my fist, then the real Gennaro Gattuso will be dead.
   ‘And if I look around and I see one of my team-mates not trying as hard as I am or not giving everything, then I’ll probably lean over and throttle him.’
   Gattuso knows he is in for another battle with England powerhouse Steven Gerrard tomorrow after Milan strolled to a 5-3 aggregate victory over Manchester United in their semi-final.
   He said, ‘Liverpool are harder than Manchester United and more aggressive. They run a lot and stay very compact.
   ‘Basically, their greatest strength is making the other team play badly.’
   Gattuso, born in the tough south of Italy, is fiercely proud of his Calabrian roots. And Mrs Gattuso is equally proud of her Scottish ones!
   Italian international Gattuso met Monica in a Glasgow restaurant nine years ago while playing for Rangers.
   And it is safe to say Monica will not be waving the Union Jack tomorrow night. Gattuso declared, ‘How can someone from Scotland ever support an English team? That would be impossible.
   ‘My wife knows she would risk being kicked out of the house if she supported Liverpool. But she would never do that anyway.’

Milan talisman Kaka has paid a glowing tribute to Steven Gerrard, ahead of today’s UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool.
   Key to the clash in Athens will likely be who comes out on top of the midfield sparring,
   and at the fulcrum of both
   sides’ play will be the promptings of Kaka and Gerrard respectively.
   Throughout this season’s competition Kaka has been the heartbeat of Milan’s rise to the final, and likewise at Anfield, Gerrard has been equally productive for Liverpool.
   Kaka believes Gerrard is the epitome of the ‘modern player’ and the graceful Brazilian accepts he could cause Milan problems, if his forays are not stilted.
   ‘An excellent player,’ said Kaka.
   ‘In my opinion, he is a modern player because he is a player who runs, marks, knows how to pass, cross, score goals, and he is a leader in the field for Liverpool.
   ‘So he is a player that I’d like to have in my team.’
   It is anticipated that Milan’s midfield warrior Gennaro Gattuso could be charged with the task of shackling Gerrard but while Kaka is eager to pay homage to his team-mate, he is unsure as to whether there will be specific plans to curb Liverpool’s captain.
   ‘Gattuso is a fundamental player for Milan because of the amount he runs, and the motivation which he transmits to the team,’ he added.
   ‘I can’t see Gattuso run the way he runs and not do anything. So for me, in the field, he is a great motivator.
   ‘Now who he should mark or not mark is up to (Milan coach, Carlo) Ancelotti to decide.’
   Milan’s semi-final demolition job on Manchester United saw Kaka steal the headlines with a virtuoso display over the two legs and he admits it was a dream come true, to play such a pivotal role against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
   ‘I like to do a general balance of the semi-final,’ concluded Kaka.
   ‘I think that three goals against Manchester is something really special. To be able to score three goals against a team like Manchester, two at Old Trafford and one at San Siro was a privilege.
   ‘But it’s like I always say, it’s about the pleasure of taking my team forward, helping my team, and my team-mates being able to count on me.’

AC Milan talisman Kaka is considered by many to be the world’s best player, but the Brazil international believes Liverpool striker Peter Crouch could be the dangerman in today’s Champions League final in Athens.
   The 6ft-7in Crouch was not yet a Liverpool player when the Anfield side pulled off their stunning win over Milan in Istanbul two years ago, making the move from Southampton that summer.
   However, 25-year-old Kaka believes 26-year-old Crouch’s addition to the squad since that epic win gives Liverpool an extra dimension.
   ‘He’s a dangerous player in the air, when the ball is in the area he’s always an opportunist. We have to pay attention to him if he plays,’ Kaka told AC Milan’s in-house television station Milan Channel.
   Not that Kaka is anticipating an easy ride if Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez should decide to keep the England striker out of his starting line-up . ‘If a different one plays there will be other things we have to worry about,’ said Kaka.
   The Brazilian said the dramatic defeat of 2005, when Milan lost on penalties having led 3-0 at halftime, had no bearing on his thinking ahead of the two teams’ rematch in Athens, Greece.
   ‘For me the motivation is to get to a final and have the possibility of winning the Champions League,’ he added. ‘Everyone’s talking about revenge for what happened in 2005. I think what happened is a thing of the past.
   ‘It happened. We lost that final, Liverpool were the champions and it’ll always be remembered that way.’
   Kaka also revealed a begrudging respect for the Anfield side’s often-criticised style.
   ‘I think Liverpool, differently from Manchester United, play a game that’s very characteristic of English football,’ he said.
   ‘They’re a very well-trained team by Benitez and a very tactical team, they mark tight and have all the traits of an English team. Steven Gerrard is an excellent, modern player because he’s a player who runs, marks, knows how to pass, cross, score goals, and is a leader in the field for Liverpool. He’s a player I’d like to have in my team.’
   Kaka is confident the mood in the Rossoneri camp is positive with Carlo Ancelotti’s side looking to avenge the Istanbul setback which denied Milan what would have been a seventh European Cup/Champions League win.
   ‘Training went well, we talked about certain things that will be important in the game,’ Kaka said. ‘We are tranquil and relaxed. We know our own strength and what we can do.’
   Kaka admitted it took Milan a long time to recover from a difficult start to the season with the club handed an eight-point deduction for their role in the match-fixing scandal that rocked Italian football last summer.
   ‘Bit by bit we managed to gain the confidence that we would reach another final, and that desire to win has grown,’ said the Latin American.
   ‘We are in the final so we have a chance of winning it…that would be wonderful.’
   Kaka may be the brightest current star in the Milan firmament but he also praised Ancelotti for managing to keep the team focused on the job in hand.
   ‘Carlo is special, he knows how to manage the group, manage people, this is all very important in football,’ Kaka said. ‘Milan is full of stars, many great players and they need a coach as good as this.’

Milan star Kaka can’t wait to take on Liverpool in the Champions League final. ‘I want to get my hands on that trophy,’ he underlined.
   The Rossoneri will play in their 11th European Cup decider today, in a repeat of the 2005 Istanbul final, and hope to win their seventh title at the Olympic Stadium in Athens.
   ‘We are optimistic about the game, even if we will play against a team who is also in a very good moment in the tournament,’ said Kaka to uefa.com.
   ‘There will be no space for mistakes and I hope this is finally the time in which I can put my hands on that Cup.’
   Kaka is the competition’s top-scorer this term with 10 goals, but he has only one target to achieve tomorrow night.
   ‘Winning is more important than finishing as the top-scorer, although it would make things even more special in the event that Milan have the last laugh.
   ‘Winning trophies is always my biggest motivation.’
   Much of the pre-match talk has revolved around the word ‘revenge’ because of the dramatic final defeat two years ago, but the former Sao Paulo ace is concentrating on what might happen next.
   ‘It would be impossible for people not to mention Istanbul, but if there is anybody who is not crying over spilled milk then it’s me,’ explained the Brazilian.
   ‘As much as there are some bad memories from that game in 2005, I am always living the present, not the past.
   ‘That is why I don’t think our celebrations after the second game of the semi-final against Manchester United had much to do with some kind of revenge wish,’ continued the 25-year-old.
   ‘The players were just excited with the great achievement of reaching the final. It’s a different moment from 2005.
   ‘We have changed some players, what hasn’t changed is our wish to lift the trophy. For me it would be a magic moment and I am really looking forward to the game in Athens.’

The winner of today’s Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool could earn as much as 100 million euros in rising sponsorship and TV deals, increased players’ values and higher ticket sales, an international survey showed on Tuesday.
   The survey, commissioned by MasterCard, one of the sponsors of the Champions League, also showed the victorious club’s home city could expect a significant cash injection.
   The city of Liverpool made an estimated 70 million euros following the club’s 2005 win against AC Milan, while Portugal’s Porto enjoyed an estimated 12 million boost after the team’s 2004 victory.
   ‘The experts found that the winning club is likely to enjoy increased sponsorship, TV revenue, gate receipts and player value - although the estimated reward of up to 100 million (euros) is less than many of Europe’s top clubs have spent on transfers and wages in the past few seasons,’ the company said in a statement.
   The study conducted by KRC Research polled 12 leading European football and business experts including economists, academics and football commentators.