A tie is considered an honourable way to end a cricket match and we all know that. But for reasons best known to the wise men at the ICC, they had to change things by introducing a football-style shoot-out and low
   and behold we had our first
   taste of ‘bowl-out’ after a thrilling finish to the India-Pakistan World Twenty20 match on Friday.
   Maybe in football it is acceptable to have a game go into a tie-breaker because it has been found that other methods like silver and golden goal are downright unfair or cruel to settle a game that has gone on for two hours. However, why should cricket go down that path? Spectators around the world were getting used to the latest innovation of a 20-over-per-side match played inside three hours. Now they have to contend with this gimmick.
   Now if tied games are settled by means of a bowl-out then it is simply an aberration.
   Imagine after the first set of bowl-outs result in identical scores then we have a sudden death or worse still a toss of a coin. It would have been better had the coach and captain of the opposing teams selected a batsman and a bowler to face off in a single over and vice versa to determine the outright winner.
   Throwing down the stumps by two sets of five players for all intensive purposes is a good training exercise to sharpen one’s bowling skills and nothing more.
   Cricket was doing just fine but this latest trick, which is perhaps the brainchild of television, is taking things too far. There is no other way to look at it. Purists had their reservations about the birth of one-day cricket but over the time it was embraced by the mainstream.
   The power of television in sport is known to all and sundry and thanks to the electronic media it prides itself for introducing ground-breaking technology in order to make our viewing experience as pleasant and wonderful as possible. However, even with all the fancy tricks it will be very difficult to sell this concept to the masses this time round.
   Let us not forget the combatants in the game had already ensured their qualification to the later stages, so why was it necessary to have a brilliant game ultimately turned into a farce?
   The only plausible excuse for having such a tie-breaker in cricket was if both India and Pakistan were inseparable after all other calculations had been done and there was no other way-out available.
   Sorry ICC, you need to go back to the drawing board.

England captain Paul Collingwood turned his attentions to South Africa after admitting they were roundly outplayed by Australia in Cape Town on Friday.
   England were thrashed by eight wickets in the World Twenty20 but have still qualified for the Super Eight phase.
   ‘Come Sunday the boys will be pumped up and raring to go,’ said Collingwood.
   ‘We hold our hands up and say we were outplayed by Australia. We know we have to improve but we can do that, we have players who can win games for England.’
   After being bowled out for 135 - their lowest Twenty20 score - in their 20 overs, England were helpless to prevent Australia winning with more than five overs to spare.
   Collingwood added: ‘The better side won. It was a disappointing performance but we are through so it gives us a chance to.
   ‘We can play better than that, we realise that, but we’re still learning.
   ‘We didn’t get enough runs on the board and if we’re going to progress in this I think we’re going to have to be a little bit braver in our strokeplay.
   ‘Quite a lot of batsmen got in and didn’t go on to make that big total.
   ‘It was always going to be hard to defend a total like that on a pitch like that against a side like Australia who played fantastically well.’
   England, having beaten Zimbabwe on Thursday, qualified from their group in second place and now move into the Super Eight phase with a pool comprising South Africa, New Zealand and one other.
   Counterpart Ricky Ponting was pleased to quickly cast aside the embarrassment of defeat against Zimbabwe.
   ‘We’re a fair bit happier than we were a couple of days ago,’ he said.
   ‘We knew that we had some better cricket in us than we had the other day and it was a pretty comprehensive win.
   ‘We bowled pretty well and did the job with the bat so it was pretty satisfying.
   ‘The bowling group was where the game was won, we fielded well and took our chances and took our chances with the bat as well.
   ‘Gilly and Matty were very good.’
   Ponting added that Kevin Pietersen’s comments on Thursday acted as extra motivation for his side. Pietersen initially said it would be ‘nice to send Australia home early,’ before attempting to play down the severity of his remarks.
   ‘A lot of the guys in this side have been playing cricket a long time and unless you can back up comments they don’t mean anything,’ Ponting said.
   ‘They had their chance to do what he [Pietersen] said they wanted to do, which was to try to humiliate us, and if anything they were the ones who walked off humiliated.’
   Collingwood was a paragon of diplomacy and said: ‘Kevin’s obviously Kevin. We just wanted to go and win the game.’

The Bangladesh national women’s cricket team started their preparations for the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup at the Shafipur Ansar Academy on Saturday.
   Tajkia Akhter, under whose captaincy Bangladesh won the ACC Women’s Cricket Trophy, has not joined the camp as she is going abroad. She has not informed the BCB about her future plans till date.
   The other 17 cricketers joined the camp and coach Zafrul Ehsan and assistant coach Parvin Putul conducted the opening sessions.
   Monowara Anis Khan, the chairman of BCB’s women’s wing, disclosed the reasons for starting the camp about six months before the Asia Cup kicks off in April next year in Pakistan.
   ‘We want to keep the girls in touch with the game, they have not practised since their triumphant return from Malaysia. Originally the tournament was scheduled to take place in January and our preparation plan was made on that basis, but we decided to continue the camp as the girls will have long vacations during the two Eid festivals, said Monowara.

Thombare Prarthana of India lifted the girls’ singles crown of the Prime Bank U-14 Series Tennis defeating compatriot Hegde Riddhi 6-2, 6-0 at the National Tennis Complex on Saturday.
   Mayur Mohit and Bishit Ronit moved into the boys’ singles final after winning their respective semi-final matches. In the first semi-final, Mayur Mohit defeated Bisht Romit 6-3, 6-0 while Bishit Ronit outplayed Thakkar Rakhshay 6-2, 7-5 in the other semi-final. The final will take place at 3:30pm today.
   The president of the Bangladesh Tennis Federation, AMM Nasiruddin, will distribute the prizes as the chief guest. M Shahjahan Bhuyian, the managing director of Prime Bank, will be the special guest on the occasion.

Groups and schedule for the Super Eights round of the inaugural Twenty20 world championships starting today:
   Groups
   Group E: South Africa (A1), England (B2), New Zealand (C1), India (D2)
   Group F: Bangladesh (A2), Australia (B1), Sri Lanka (C2), Pakistan (D1)
   (The seeded teams in the preliminary round retained their first or second places, irrespective of whether they finished first or second in their group, unless they were knocked out by the third team. For example, Bangladesh took the second spot from the West Indies in group A. India, who topped group D, retained their second place because Pakistan were the top seeded team in the group.)

Pakistan on Saturday assured a South African delegation it would provide full security during their cricket team’s tour of the country starting later this month.
   South Africa are due to play two Tests and five one-day internationals in a month-long stay in the violence-hit country. They will open the tour with a warm-up three-day match in Karachi from September 27.
   Security fears have surged in Pakistan after a spate of militant violence, including more than two dozen suicide attacks in the past two months. Around 270 people, most of them security officials, have been killed in these attacks.
   The country’s military ruler Pervez Musharraf is also struggling to keep his hold on power amid a deepening political crisis.
   The home secretary of Sindh province Saturday briefed a two-member delegation from the Cricket South Africa on the security situation in provincial capital Karachi, officials said.
   ‘I have no doubts that Pakistan will provide us with the needed security and, God willing, everything will be alright,’ head of the delegation Goolam Raja told reporters.
   Raja and CSA member Sean Gallaher are touring Pakistan to assess security arrangements

McLaren may be willing to take a $100 million (49.8 million pounds) hit in the interests of Formula One, team boss Ron Dennis said on Saturday.
   The record fine and loss of all McLaren’s 2007 constructors’ points were imposed by the International Automobile Federation on Thursday at a hearing into a spying controversy.
   The team have been under a cloud since a 780 page dossier of Ferrari technical information was found at the home of their now-suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan in July.
   ‘If we do not appeal this, it will be because we want closure,’ Dennis told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix.
   ‘The other teams I hope will understand the financial penalty we will swallow in the interests of the sport.’
   McLaren say they did not gain any competitive advantage from the Ferrari data. However, the hearing in Paris heard how double world champion Fernando Alonso and test driver Pedro de la Rosa were aware Coughlan was getting information from inside Ferrari.
   Dennis has six days in which to appeal and he said he
   would make a recommendation to the McLaren shareholders, who would then have the final say.
   Dennis was wary of the prospect of months, if not years, of legal argument ahead and the accompanying distraction to the team management. He said any decision against an appeal must not be interpreted as an admission of guilt.
   ‘I don’t want to drag this thing on if I can get closure,’ said Dennis.
   ‘And closure is for Formula One. It has to be complete closure,’ he added, asked about the prospect of legal action by Ferrari rumbling on in the Italian courts for years to come.
   The Italian team have taken action against former employee Nigel Stepney, who is accused of leaking the dossier to Coughlan earlier this year.
   Italian police notified Dennis and other McLaren managers at Monza last weekend that they were under investigation, while Coughlan faces legal action in England.
   The $100 million fine will be minus any prize money that would have come to the team, and that alone could effectively halve the size of any cheque payable.
   McLaren, 40 percent owned by DaimlerChrysler’s Mercedes and one of the wealthiest teams in the paddock, are debt-free despite having spent in the region of $600 million on their state-of-the-art Woking factory.
   Annual turnover is roughly $450-500 million.
   ‘There is not more than one other team in the pit lane ... who can take a $100 million hit,’ said Dennis. ‘At the end of the day, we can swallow it.’

Sven-Goran Eriksson’s impact at Manchester City was confirmed when he was named Premier League manager of the month this week, but his side must return to winning ways against Aston Villa to restore gloss to their impressive start to the campaign.
   Successive defeats to Arsenal and Blackburn were not enough to prevent Eriksson marking his first few weeks back in English football with the prestigious individual award following his side’s return of three wins in their previous three games.
   But the former England coach admits the manner of his side’s defeat to Blackburn raised concerns for the first time since he took charge and dampened the euphoria that has quickly grown up around Eriksson’s hastily constructed side.
   City now face a resurgent Villa side who will arrive at the City of Manchester Stadium bolstered by the eye-catching victory over Chelsea immediately before the two-week international break and with skipper Richard Dunne suspended following his dismissal at Blackburn, the Swede will ask teenager Micah Richards to captain the side.
   Richards, 19, confirmed his growing promise with two more outstanding performances for England last week and matched his manager’s achievement by being named the Premier League player of the month, an award Eriksson claims is more fully deserved.
   ‘I’m honoured to collect the award of course,’ the coach said. ‘We had a good start and when you get an award like this, it is down to the staff and people around you.
   ‘Micah deserves his award more than me because he has been absolutely fantastic and I don’t think anyone can argue with that. He has played very well and at the age of 19, how he played for England has been outstanding.
   ‘Now we have to get back to winning games. We lost against Arsenal and while I wasn’t happy with that, I was okay because of the performance. But the Blackburn game was disappointing because we had so much possession but only created to chances. We have to hurt teams more.’
   Villa manager Martin O’Neill was one of the men tipped to succeed Eriksson when he quit the England job after the 2006 World Cup finals and the midlands club have steadily improved in the 14 months O’Neill has been at the club.
   Key to that turnaround has been the form of Gareth Barry who, like Richards, emerged with his reputation enhanced following England’s back to back victories over Russia and Israel following solid displays in a central midfield role.
   ‘He always knew he could play at that level,’ O’Neill said. ‘He’s one of a number of fantastically talented England midfield players. He’s in there and he’s given the manager something to think about. A fortnight ago he wasn’t in that position and now he is.
   ‘Just over a year ago he stayed at the football club. I think he was a bit disillusioned about the football club and maybe didn’t see his future here after a length of time. I was delighted he stayed to give it a chance.

Rafa Benitez insisted he was right to leave out Liverpool’s big guns after his side were held to a goalless draw at Portsmouth on Saturday.
   Benitez left Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel on the bench until the second half at Fratton Park and Liverpool struggled to find their rhythm as a result.
   It took Jose Reina’s penalty save from Nwankwo Kanu to save a point for Liverpool,
   but Benitez was adamant he
   was right to make changes
   with a Champions League
   trip to Porto coming up on Tuesday.
   ‘I think in the first half we were better than them. That means the players were doing a good job,’ Benitez said.
   ‘Torres, Gerrard and Babel were creating chances when they came on. That was my idea.
   ‘We made chances with some good counter attacks. In the first half we were controlling the game and passing the ball well.
   ‘They had one or two clear chances from some mistakes but not in open play.
   ‘I don’t know if that is a penalty in England. Maybe it is, I can’t complain.’
   Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp thought his side did enough to win, but was happy to settle for a point against the league leaders.
   ‘It was an even game but we had couple of great chances,’ he said. ‘There was one in the second half for John Utaka as well as the penalty. We’ve got to take that against Liverpool.
   ‘Before these games you would take a point against Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, so we’re happy enough.’
   Redknapp was impressed by Senegal midfielder Papa Bouba Diop’s debut display.
   ‘Papa had a great debut. He covered every blade of grass, passed it well and got his tackles in. I’ve always been a fan of his and I tried to sign him a couple of years ago.
   ‘He’s big and has got a presence about him. He’ll do well for us.’

Liverpool striker Andrei Voronin has labelled Rafa Benitez as ‘one of the best coaches in Europe’.
   Benitez has led his side to the top of the Premier League, and are unbeaten in all competitions so far this season.
   Voronin praised the Spaniard’s eye for detail, explaining that every facet of training is geared towards improving the team’s tactical prowess.
   ‘I am certain Benitez is one of the best coaches in Europe,’ he told Sport Express.
   ‘He is an extraordinarily shrewd strategist and tactician. A lot of exercises in training have a tactical direction.
   ‘Everything is worked out down to the tiniest detail.’
   Benitez is famous for his squad rotation policy, and the Ukraine international has hailed the manager’s astuteness.
   ‘Benitez may be the only coach on the continent who can change three, four or five players after the team has won by a distance,’ Voronin added.
   ‘I don’t think you will see that at Chelsea, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Our manager doesn’t get stuck on 11 players.’
   Meanwhile, Voronin may have played his last game under Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin after their midweek spat.
   Blokhin made Voronin a scapegoat for the 2-1 defeat by Italy in Wednesday’s Euro 2008 Group B qualifier, blaming the striker for the winning goal by the world champions in the 77th minute.
   ‘As Ukraine coach I will not tolerate a player speaking to me like Voronin did,’ Blokhin told local media. ‘Such behaviour he may leave for (Liverpool manager Rafael) Benitez, not me.’
   But Voronin hit back at the coach.
   ‘Blokhin spoke to me in a very offensive way, using many offensive words, but I’m not someone who can be intimidated,’ Voronin told reporters. ‘I replied the same way.
   ‘Our relationship has been strained since he became coach. It seems he respects only himself and (captain Andriy) Shevchenko. I don’t think he will call me up for the national team any more, at least not during this campaign.’
   The defeat by Italy left the Euro 2012 co-hosts with virtually no chance of reaching next year’s finals.

Inter are furious with France boss Raymond Domenech after Patrick Vieira returned with an injury and could lose Adriano as well.
   The midfielder had played only 68 minutes of competitive football for his club this season when he was called up for international duty.
   Although the Nerazzurri publicly declared they hoped he would not play both Euro 2008 qualifiers, Vieira insisted he was fine and was on the field against both Italy and Scotland.
   Now it is reported that the latest tests on the thigh injury that had already caused problems over the summer have found a new strain, so he is advised to rest.
   The former Arsenal and Juventus star is out of today’s clash with Catania and probably the Champions League opener against Fenerbahce as well.
   There are even suggestions in the ‘Gazzetta dello Sport’ that the strain is so serious he could be sidelined for another three weeks.
   Inter are already dealing with an injury and suspension crisis for their European debut in Istanbul, so this latest avoidable incident has further infuriated Coach Roberto Mancini and the club.
   Walter Samuel is also a risk for Wednesday’s game, while they are definitely without Marco Materazzi, Cristian Chivu and the suspended Ivan Cordoba, Nicolas Burdisso, Douglas Maicon and Julio Cruz.
   Adriano is not on the Champions League list of players, so cannot play in this competition until at least January, but he too is struggling with an injury.
   The Brazilian was expected to start against Catania this weekend, but picked up a knock to his back towards the end of Friday’s training session and may miss his first opportunity to play for Inter this term.
   Adriano’s mother and little brother Thiago have flown in to Milan to be with the troubled player, who has struggled with alcohol and the death of his father, badly affecting his form.
   ‘I can only thank Inter for still believing in my son,’ said his mother. ‘Now he needs me, to stay at home and to talk. I want to know what is really happening to him.’

Pakistan will launch its edition of an international Twenty20 competition in October 2008 featuring foreign players and six franchised teams.
   Dr Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, told a news conference on Saturday the six teams would be franchised to corporate groups who had shown interest in the event.
   ‘The Pakistan Premier League is part of the International Champions League which is approved by the International Cricket Council and will be run by five boards,’ Ashraf said.
   The Indian Cricket Board announced in New Delhi on Thursday the launch of the Champions League which will feature the top two Premier League teams from India, Pakistan, Australia, England and South Africa.
   Ashraf said the new event would be different from the domestic Twenty20 competition held in Pakistan over the last two years.
   ‘In the Premier League each team will have four foreign players, four regional players and the rest retired and under-21 players,’ he said.
   Ashraf added that it would eventually resemble English soccer’s Premier League, with players allowed to move for transfer fees.
   But he dismissed suggestions the league was being launched to counter the threat posed by the rebel Indian Cricket League which has signed up Pakistani players Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Imran Farhat and Abdul Razzaq.

Rahul Dravid’s out-of-the-blue decision to relinquish the captaincy of the Indian cricket team found a supporter in Ian Chappell, who believes India should ask VVS Laxman to lead the Test squad, while the ODI reins should be in MS Dhoni’s hands.
   ‘Because there is no obvious successor, the selectors may think about splitting the captaincy as a short-term solution.
   ‘On that basis VVS Laxman would make a good Test captain; it may just be the confidence boost his batting needs, and it would give the selectors time to find a long-term, full-time captain.
   ‘Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been earmarked for future leadership and the one-day captaincy would be a good way to test his mettle,’ Chappell wrote in his column for Cricinfo.

The Foamex Foam First College Rugby Tournament starts today at the Paltan maidan under the auspices of the Bangladesh Rugby Association with nine college teams participating in the tournament.
   The BRA trained about 50 players and 12 game teachers of different colleges for thee months and all of them are participating in the tournament. According to the organisers, in the inaugural tournament the players can exhibit about 30 per cent of the total game as it is very new for them.
   Titumir College, Mirpur Bangla College, Dhaka Imperial College, Dhaka Teachers’ Training College, Dr Shahidullah College, Dhaka State College, Dhaka College,
   Notre Dame College and RK Chowdhury Degree College are the participants in the competition.
   The budget of the tournament was set at Tk 1.16 lakh and the sponsors Tajin Group will provide Tk 70,000.
   At a press conference held at the NSC auditorium the BRA general secretary Mousum Ali, Nazmul Hasan Chowdhury Pintu, the MD of Tajin Group, and tournament director Sirajul Islam disclosed details of the tournament.

There are reports that Inter, Juventus, Milan, Roma and Napoli staged a secret meeting to propose a new Super League.
   The newspapers in Italy suggest that the clubs came together on Thursday after the Lega Calcio – the union of all Serie A and B sides – voted for Parma’s Tommaso Ghirardi as a representative rather than Juve candidate Giovanni Cobolli Gigli.
   This left the giants with no voting representative in the Lega Calcio, so they walked out on the session and Milan general manager Adriano Galliani pledged: ‘We will not stand by impotently.’
   It is now claimed that they are planning to set up a new Super League that will split off from the Lega Calcio.
   ‘These five clubs represent 84 per cent of the sport’s fans in Italy, so they cannot be given the same political weight as the other 15,’ added Galliani.
   However, the same reports note that it is probably a scare tactic to force the other sides into giving them some leeway within the Lega Calcio.
   Above all, there is a battle over pay-per-view television contracts, which from next year will be sold collectively, as they are in the Premier League.
   At the moment, each club negotiates its own television deal with the companies, which has led to some contracts massively outweighing the others.
   The issue has particularly hit Serie B, as none of the games from 2007-08 are on Italian television due to the failure to secure the rights.
   The Serie B sides have threatened to go on strike and halt the campaign if a new deal is not negotiated.
   ‘We are working together to find a solution,’ assured
   FIGC President Giancarlo Abete. ‘However, we cannot think this will be sorted out overnight.’

Sven Goran Eriksson insists he never doubted England coach Steve McClaren would prove he was the right man for the job.
   McClaren endured a difficult first year after succeeding Eriksson in 2006, but he is finally showing signs of winning over his critics.
   Back to back wins over Israel and Russia have put England on course for the Euro 2008 finals just four matches after fans were calling for McClaren to resign.
   Eriksson knows exactly how harsh the spotlight can be for the England coach after his six-year reign, but he always had confidence in his former assistant.
   ‘I know what life is like in that job. If you win you are up in the sky, if you lose, you are not worth anything,’ Eriksson said. ‘But I think the truth is always in the middle. Steve McClaren is a good manager, a good coach. I have known him for many years.
   ‘I do not think he lost his ability to be a manager or a coach just because he lost a game or whatever.’

Jose Reina ensured Liverpool maintained their unbeaten start to the season as he saved Nwankwo Kanu’s first half penalty to earn Rafa Benitez’s side a 0-0 draw at Portsmouth on Saturday.
   Kanu stepped up on 32 minutes after Alvaro Arbeloa had tugged back Benjani forcing Mike Riley to point to the spot.
   Fortunately for Benitez, Reina is a penalty expert and the Spaniard dived to his right hand side to deny the Nigerian striker.
   Pompey also missed a host of chances with John Utaka and Sulley Muntari the main culprits as Liverpool, despite introducing Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard late on, found themselves holding on at the end.
   There were wholesale changes for a Liverpool side with one eye on Tuesday night’s encounter against Porto in the Champions League.
   Benitez was afforded the luxury of welcoming back a fit-again Jamie Carragher after a three-week absence with a rib injury but Torres, Gerrard and Ryan Babel were benched ahead of the trip to Oporto.
   Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp handed a debut to gargantuan Senegalese midfielder Papa Bouba Diop following his three million pounds arrival on transfer deadline day.
   It was Liverpool who in a largely mundane opening 29 minutes looked the most willing to break the deadlock.
   Yossi Benayoun had an early effort palmed away by England goalkeeper David James, while Andriy Voronin wasted a good opportunity to set Jermaine Pennant clear but horribly overhit his pass.
   The game was kick-started into life just before the half-hour mark when Arbeloa elected to combat the threat of Benjani by blatantly pulling on the Zimbabwean striker’s shirt. Mike Riley’s decision to point to the spot prompted a wave of Liverpool protests and in their remonstrations Xabi Alonso earned himself a needless booking for dissent.
   It need not have mattered as Kanu stepped up only to see his somewhat lazy spot-kick directed away by eina who merely reaffirmed his status as a penalty saving specialist.
   The play though failed to sparkle once more as Liverpool’s attacking options were limited to a series of niggly fouls on the edge of the area followed by Alonso’s continuing will to fire the ball straight at the Portsmouth wall.
   Sean Davis had a curling effort well saved by Reina once more just before the break but in truth, the penalty decision aside, it was half of little to get excited about.
   The second half began in much more vibrant fashion as Voronin stretched to poke a half-volley over James but the ball clipped the top of the crossbar.
   Pompey then enjoyed large periods of dominance with first Utaka and then Muntari guilty of bad misses.
   Nigerian Utaka found himself with the goal at his mercy but horribly draged his shot wide while Muntari was teed up by Kanu only to use his unfamiliar right-foot and scuff over.
   Torres’ inevitable introduction nearly forced an opener on 69 minutes but the Spaniard skewed wide after being released by Gerrard.
   Liverpool held on as Pompey surged forward and the game really opened up in the final ten minutes but it was an encounter largely dominated by defences with Sol Campbell and Carragher shining.

Martin Jol faces an increasingly uncertain future at Tottenham after Arsenal inflicted a hugely damaging 3-1 defeat on their north London rivals on Saturday.
   The Spurs head coach is under intense pressure to deliver a top-four finish at White Hart Lane this season but, after seeing his side take an early lead through Gareth Bale, he had to watch helplessly as they were buried by Arsenal’s devastating second-half performance.
   Emmanuel Adebayor’s brace and Cesc Fabregas’ superb solo goal extended Arsenal’s eight-year unbeaten record against their near-neighbours and sent the Gunners top of the Premier League.
   The implications for Jol could be serious. The Dutchman has continually sought to downplay the signficance of the crisis which has engulfed him since photographs of a delegation of Spurs officials visiting Juande Ramos, the Seville head coach, were published in the Spanish press.
   In his programme notes, he referred to the “unnecessary speculation” which has surrounded his position in the intervening weeks, but he was fooling nobody.
   One of the most serious charges levelled against the Dutchman by the chairman Daniel Levy is his poor record against the Premier League’s elite four clubs and, for all that Jol retains the backing of many supporters, another defeat could prove fatal.
   The pressure was on Spurs and, early on at least, it showed. It took less than 60 seconds for Gael Clichy to cause panic in the home defence, the French full-back shredding Steed Malbranque and Pascal Chimbonda, only for his cross to flash untouched across the face of goal.
   Moments later a dipping 20-yard volley from Adebayor forced Robinson into an athletic save.
   A breakthrough seemed inevitable yet, to everyone’s surprise, it was Spurs who struck first. There seemed little danger in the 14th minute when Gilberto brought down Dimitar Berbatov just outside the penalty area, but well to the left of goal.
   That proved no deterrent to Bale, who curled a left-footed shot around Arsenal’s wall and into the bottom corner.
   But going ahead did little to steady Tottenham’s nerves. Arsenal continued to probe dangerously: Adebayor saw another agile volley well blocked by Robinson, and the England goalkeeper impressed again in the 24th minute when parrying Alexander Hleb’s low drive.
   Even when Arsenal did by-pass Robinson, they were neutered by their own profligacy. Shortly before half-time, Hleb burst forward and teed up Abou Diaby six yards out. The Frenchman connected sweetly - too sweetly - and the ball cannoned off the crossbar.
   Not that Arsenal were alone in their wastefulness. Spurs were given a golden chance to extend their lead five minutes after half-time when Tom Huddlestone’s through-ball set clear Berbatov, but the Bulgarian dallied after rounding Manuel Almunia and Kolo Toure’s tackle whisked the ball off his toes.
   The disease was spreading. Adebayor then produced his own blunder, blazing high over the bar after fine work from Bacary Sagna, but the Togoese soon made amends. In the 65th minute, he climbed high to nod in Fabregas’s free-kick.
   That might have been the cue for Spurs to crumble but they responded spikily.
   Robbie Keane should have restored his team’s advantage when put through by Huddlestone, only for Almunia to save bravely, and Berbatov saw a thunderous header cleared off the line by Clichy.
   Tottenham’s punishment was swift and brutal. With ten minutes remaining, the tireless Fabregas tore forward and, given time and space to pick his spot by Tottenham’s backpedalling defenders, propelled a 20-yard shot into the top corner.
   Spurs still found time for one more extraordinary miss - the substitute Darren Bent dragging horribly wide after being picked out by Huddlestone - before Adebayor supplied the coup de grace, volleying in spectacularly after Denilson’s shot had been saved.

Ryan Giggs believes Manchester United are better equipped than ever to mount a triumphant Champions League campaign.
   After three barren years by their own high standards, the Red Devils emerged as a European force again last term with a charge to the semi-finals.
   Although a mountain of injuries eventually caught up with them in the second leg of their last-four clash with AC Milan, United did enough to secure a place among the favourites for this year’s competition.
   United open their campaign with a trip to Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday, offering Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani an opportunity to shine against their former club.
   And, with Carlos Tevez, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves joining Nani as new-boys in a far stronger United squad, Giggs feels the Old Trafford outfit have every reason to approach the tournament with confidence.
   ‘We are better equipped for Europe than we were last year,’ said Giggs.
   ‘We have brought in players who have experience in Europe and hopefully, the younger lads can learn from their experience in Europe last year.
   ‘I remember when I was a young lad, I learned something new from every game I played in Europe, especially away from home. Each game you play you get better and have more confidence. Hopefully that will be the case for the team this year.’
   Dynamo Kiev and AS Roma complete a group which United should emerge from with something to spare, although the same thing was said 12 months ago and it eventually required a comeback win in the final game against Benfica to confirm a place in the last 16.
   Roma in particular will provide a formidable threat, eager to atone for their seven-goal hammering in an amazing quarter-final at Old Trafford last term.
   But Giggs is confident about the chances of progression providing United can avoid defeat on Wednesday.
   ‘If we play to our best ability, we should get out of the group quite comfortably,’ he said.
   ‘It is a tough group because they are all good teams and the away games will all be particularly hard. Hopefully we will get off to a good start. If we do that, we will be confident about going through.’
   Sir Alex Ferguson already knows he will be without Darren Fletcher and John O’Shea, who have both been ruled out for a number of weeks with knee injuries picked up on international duty with Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
   Gary Neville will be missing as well but Owen Hargreaves should be available to bolster United’s midfield, while it would be a major surprise if Wayne Rooney was not involved in some capacity despite not even making the bench for Saturday’s trip to Everton.
   ‘It is a good time to have a fully fit squad,’ said Giggs. ‘You want a situation where, when the important games and the European games come along, the gaffer has plenty of options. He has definitely got that.’
   One of the options is Nani, who has already shown glimpses of the talent which persuaded Ferguson to spend £17million on the teenager. A combination of injuries to Rooney and Saha, plus Cristiano Ronaldo’s suspension means Nani has probably been exposed more than Ferguson would have anticipated.
   An element of inconsistency has to be expected given Nani’s age. But Giggs has been pretty impressed with what he has seen so far.
   ‘Nani has probably had to play more often than he would have expected but he has adapted really well,’ he said.
   ‘He gets on with everyone and, on the field he has fitted in from day one. Hopefully he can carry on that good form.’

Mikael Silvestre is facing several weeks on the sidelines after the French defender suffered suspected knee ligament damage during Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
   Silvestre was hurt towards the end of the first half when he attempted to cut out a pass by Mikel Arteta. He was taken off the pitch on a stretcher in agony, and Sir Alex Ferguson admitted afterwards he was concerned about the extent of the injury.
   ‘Our medical people are looking at it now,’ said the Manchester United manager. ‘It looks like it’s his knee that is hurt.’
   At least Ferguson could celebrate a win after Nemanja Vidic’s late header gave United their third 1-0 victory in a row against a stubborn Everton side.
   After a slow start to the season, United are now starting to look like the side which won the title last campaign.
   Ferguson revealed more good news after the game when he said England striker Wayne Rooney, who has been out since breaking his metatarsal on the opening day of the season, would feature in Wednesday’s Champions Leaguue game with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.
   ‘We took medical advice and they said that the Everton game was a little bit too early,’ added Ferguson. ‘But he will be fit for Wednesday.
   ‘We are delighted with the win because people will see a very improved Everton this season. Teams will find it very hard coming here. But we stood up to Yakubu and Andrew Johnson, who will be handful for anyone, and our defenders showed great determination.
   ‘Nemanja Vidic is a marvellous defender but he can get a goal as well. It’s a bit of a concern that we are not scoring as many goals as we want, but until we get everyone back we will play like this.
   ‘We are determined, we have a good team ethic, we have got a good shape and we had good passing. We will work away and this is a very good result.’
   Everton are hoping to have first-choice keeper Tim Howard back for next Thursday’s UEFA Cup first round first leg game with Metallist Kharkov of the Ukraine. He missed Saturday’s game with a serious finger injury paving the way for German Stefan Wessels to make his debut.
   The 28-year-old did not have a serious save to make before Vidic’s winner.
   ‘We didn’t deserve to lose three points. It’s very hard to take,’ said Everton boss David Moyes.
   ‘A lapse of concentration has cost us. I’m always disappointed when we concede from set pieces.
   ‘We had a go at them but our keeper hasn’t had too many saves to make. The performance was good enough and we are improving.
   ‘If we play like that then we’ll win more than we lose.’

Brazil thrashed China 4-0 on Saturday to dent the home team’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup quarter-finals as Australia snatched a late draw against former champions Norway. The South Americans were in a different class to the Chinese, whose confidence was sky high after an opening victory over Denmark on Wednesday.
   But it all went horribly wrong for them in Wuhan, with a three goal burst in six minutes leaving China reeling.
   Masterful Marta began the bombardment in the 42nd minute when she hustled down a loose ball to ankle-tap it past charging goalkeeper Han Wenxia.
   Cristiane scored the second and third in the 47th and 48th minutes respectively before Marta made it four with 20 minutes to go, silencing a near-capacity crowd at the 52,000-seat Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium.
   ‘The difference (between the two teams) was we made chances and scored,’ Brazilian head coach Jorge Barcelos said.
   His Chinese counterpart Marika Domanski-Lyfors, a Swede, conceded Brazil was the better team. ‘In the first half we could match Brazil, but in the second they showed they are better,’ she said.
   ‘Brazil is is a very good team, one of the world’s best, they showed it today.’
   Brazil now have six points to top Group C with just Denmark to play on Wednesday. The Danes beat New Zealand 2-0 earlier Saturday and have three points alongside China.
   China must now beat New Zealand in Tianjin on Wednesday and hope Denmark get nothing out of the Brazil match.
   Norway, who won the World Cup in 1995, looked to have the measure of Australia, confidently defending a fifth minute goal by Ragnhild Gulbrandsen before Lisa De Vanna pulled it level with just seven minutes left.
   In the other Group C match, Canada hammered Ghana 4-0, eliminating the Africans from the tournament. A resurgent Australia, who won their first World Cup match after 12 years of trying in their opener against Ghana, top the group with four points, ahead of Norway on goal difference.
   ‘Considering the 90 minutes, we have to be pleased and we think we are in a very good situation before the last group game,’ said Norweigan coach Bjarne Berntsen.
   Canada’s Christine Sinclair scored twice as they ended Ghana’s dream.
   The first goal came with a superb header from Sinclair in the 16th minute.
   After the break Canada tightened control and midfielder Sophie Schmidt widened their lead after 55 minutes.
   Sinclair blasted home her second in the 62nd minute to become Canada’s top World Cup scorer with five goals while Martina Franko got the fourth.
   Even Pellerud, who was Norway’s coach when they won the World Cup, said it looked like his team had beaten their big weakness—running out of steam in the second half.
   ‘It was a good fitness test and I think we did well today,’ he said, adding that he expected no favours from Australia on Wednesday in Chengdu. ‘We have played several games against Australia before. They are always very even,’ he said.
   Denmark beat a determined but outclassed New Zealand 2-0 to keep alive their slim hopes of advancing to the knockout stage.
   Captain Katrine Pedersen found the back of the net first on a well struck free kick in the 61st minute and they rammed home their advantage five minutes when Cathrine Paaske Sorensen snapped a header home.

Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Ireland has revealed the real reason why he
   asked to quit his country’s squad before their Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic.
   Ireland told Republic boss Steve Staunton that he wanted to be released ahead of Wednesday’s match in
   Prague because his maternal grandmother had died, but the truth was completely different.
   The Manchester City star’s girlfriend Jessica had suffered a miscarriage and told Ireland his grandmother was dead in the hope it would persuade Staunton to let him return home.
   The bizarre situation took another twist when the Irish Football Association discovered that Ireland’s maternal grandmother was alive, so the player then said it was actually his paternal grandmother who died.
   When that lie was also exposed he was finally forced to come clean on Friday.
   ‘Steve Staunton told me that they had taken a call from my girlfriend, Jessica and she said my grandmother had died,’ Ireland said.
   ‘I was deeply shocked because I believed it was my maternal grandmother who had brought me up from when I was five.
   ‘I immediately rang my girlfriend to get more details. She was distraught and explained that she had just suffered a miscarriage.
   ‘Jessica said she was very lonely and wanted me to come home. She said she thought they might let me home quicker if they thought my grandmother had died.
   ‘When I finished the call I told the manager and doctor that my grandmother had died and because we were very close I wanted to go home immediately.
   ‘The manager said that was no problem and he would get the FAI to sort it out.
   ‘Early on Monday morning I got a phone call from Stephen Staunton telling me that the FAI had discovered my grandmother in Cork was not dead.
   ‘He wanted to know what was going on and I told him that there had been a mistake and it had been my father’s mother.
   ‘On Thursday, I got a phone call from Manchester City stating that the FAI had discovered that my paternal grandmother was also alive.
   ‘I decided at that stage that I must tell truth and admit I had told lies.’

National team manager Hugo Sanchez will replace Mexico’s traditional green home jerseys with white ones, because - he claims - green blends in with the turf too easily, affecting the visibility of players on the field.
   In a country where ‘put on the green’ has became a catch-phrase for soccer fans, the decision is likely to be controversial.
   ‘The impression it gives from the outside is that there are fewer players in green jerseys, than would be if they had jerseys that contrasted’ with the field,’ Sanchez told the local radio program Pasion W.
   ‘Given that the colors of the flag are green, white and red, I told them (officials) that I would to love play the majority of matches in white, with the second (away) uniform being red, all red.’
   Mexico’s national team currently wears white jerseys in away matches.
   But on Wednesday, in a 3-1 loss in a friendly match with Brazil, Mexican players wore white uniforms. Some have speculated that Sanchez favors the change because white is the uniform color of Real Madrid, where he played from 1985 to 1992.
   Sanchez said he already has discussed the change with Mexican federation officials said he hoped the change will become official for tournament matches by earlier next year, and said he expected the change to have a ‘tremendous’ impact.

Nemanja Vidic netted a late winner for Manchester United as Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions maintained their fine form with a 1-0 win over Everton on Saturday.
   United were heading for a frustrating goalless draw at Goodison Park when Vidic rose high above the home defece to power Nani’s header into the back of the net with seven minutes remaining.
   But United’s victory came at a cost as Mikael Silvestre was stretchered off with suspected knee ligament damage which is expected to rule him out for a lengthy spell.
   In addition Cristiano Ronaldo was booked for diving in the Everton penalty area on his return from a three-match ban.
   In a game of few clear-cut chances, Vidic wasted a great chance for United before the break before Everton striker Andy Johnson had a header cleared off the line.
   But just as Everton looked to have earned a creditable draw, Serbian defender Vidic made up for his earlier glaring miss with a typically powerfully finish.
   Ferguson opted against risking England striker Wayne Rooney, who is itching to return to action after recovering from the broken metatarsal he suffered on the opening day of the season.
   It proved a wise choice after a bruising contest which saw Silvestre stretchered off in agony towards the end of the first half.
   Everton were without first-choice keeper Tim Howard after the former United man failed to recover from a serious finger injury he sustained while playing for the USA.
   That paved the way for Stefan Wessels to make his first start yet the 28-year-old German did not have a serious save to make before the interval.
   The hosts had their moments but lacked a killer touch in front of goal.
   Nigerian striker Ayegbeni Yakubu, making his home debut following an 11.25 million pounds (22.5 million dollars) move from Middlesbrough, proved a handful and went close to making a third minute breakthrough when he cleverly turned Rio Ferdinand on the edge of the United box before firing narrowly wide.
   The half ended on a worrying note for United as Silvestre was taken off after he tried to cut out a pass by Mikel Arteta on the edge of his own penalty area.
   In a dramatic end to the half, United were fortunate not to have midfielder Paul Scholes dismissed.
   Moments after the former England international had been booked for dissent, he hauled down Arteta with a clumsy challenge yet referee Alan Wiley chose to give Scholes a lecture rather than show him the red card.
   Although there was no Rooney, United did have Ronaldo back and the Portuguese winger found himself back in hot water when he dived after Leon Osman’s 71st minute challenge in an attempt to win a penalty.
   It earned him a yellow card from Wiley but Ronaldo had the last laugh as Vidic gave United all three points with a well placed header after Scholes had volleyed a great chance over the bar.

Fernando Torres begged boss Rafa Benitez to give him Liverpool’s legendary No 9 shirt.
   The Spanish striker is desperate to make as big a name for himself at Anfield as heroes like Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush.
   And he told The Sun, ‘I asked for the No 9 shirt.
   ‘I knew it was free, as Robbie Fowler was not staying.
   ‘Rafa asked me if I knew how important it was. I said “Yes” and he gave it to me.’
   Baby-faced Torres, nicknamed El Nino (The Kid) already admits that working with the likes of Kop kingpins Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher has been an education.
   Despite skippering former side Atletico Madrid, he says the seniors at Anfield are teaching him a new kind of leadership.
   Torres, 23, added, ‘At Liverpool the captains are a lot older than me and that is good.
   ‘I was Atletico captain at a very young age and did not know an awful lot.
   ‘Now I look at what captains do and try to learn.
   ‘They know how to win everybody’s respect. They have great personalities.
   ‘Gerrard is the best player I’ve trained with in my life.’
   Yet it could all have been so different for the £21.5-million star, who is expected to lead the Merseysiders’ attack at Portsmouth today with three goals from four league games.
   He admitted his parents went through hell to help him realise his dream of playing for a team like Liverpool.
   Torres, who began life on the backstreets of Fuenlabrada, said, ‘None of my family ever imagined I would get to where I am today.
   ‘For my parents, it was hell. The sacrifices they made and what they gave up. They put in so much effort so I could become a footballer.
   ‘That’s why I will do my best to score goals and help Liverpool win the title this season – as a thank-you to my parents.
   ‘I remember my dad had to leave work in the afternoons to take me to training in Orcasitas and then go back to work by train to Fuenlabrada, miles away.
   ‘At other times, my mother took me on the bus and on the train – whether in thunderstorms or baking hot. Then she would stand around for hours. They are special people.’
   Torres even turned down the chance to play for Arsenal five years ago, after helping Spain win the European Under-19 Championship.
   He said, ‘That’s when the offers started to come in.
   ‘There was one from Arsenal but I wanted to stay loyal to my then-club Atletico Madrid.
   ‘I am glad to be in England now, though. And it is my plan to become a legend, one of those players the fans will remember for a long time.
   ‘My main characteristic is willpower. So far I’ve achieved everything I’ve wanted and I won’t stop.’
   Boss Benitez has warned Torres to be ready for the downs as well as the ups in the Premier League.
   He said, ‘Yes, Fernando should be pleased so far. But we have to tell him to keep working hard. It is not always going to be as easy as he thinks it is at the moment and we need to wait and see what happens in a month or two.’

Arsene Wenger has revealed his desire to avoid the bitter taste of defeat is driving him to restore Arsenal to the peak of English football.
   Arsenal have gone two years without a trophy but Wenger signed a new three-year contract with the Premier League club last week because he believes his young side is close to fulfilling their potential.
   The Gunners’ barren spell has been especially hard for the French coach to stomach because his calm exterior hides a burning passion for success.
   ‘Somebody said ‘every victory slides over you, and every defeat stays overnight with you’,’ Wenger said. ‘You find it is easy to live with what you have won, but much more difficult to live with what you have lost and not won.
   ‘I read somewhere that I take defeat in a difficult way, but how else can you take it?
   ‘I am never in good health after losing a game. Your emotions are linked with your health, of course.
   ‘You should not be in this job unless it really hurts you to lose a match. If it does not hurt you then you will not survive in this job - and the players are the same.’
   Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season has ensured the long-lasting ache that accompanies each defeat for Wenger has been subdued for now.
   In contrast, Tottenham manager Martin Jol has suffered a miserable campaign and Saturday’s visit to White Hart Lane offers Arsenal a chance to inflict more misery on their struggling local rivals.
   Victory at Spurs would add further strength to Wenger’s belief that Arsenal will be serious contenders for the title.
   He is convinced the Premier League is so competitive that no team will run away with it, giving Arsenal the chance to make their move.
   ‘We were not in the race for the last two years so it is already more interesting now,’ Wenger said.
   ‘When teams like Aston Villa can beat Chelsea or Reading can go and draw at Man United, that shows how exciting it can be.
   ‘It does look to me that Liverpool will be there and I think Arsenal will also be there, but Chelsea and Manchester United will come back and it will be an interesting race.’

Milan’s Braziian ace Kaka thinks the Rossoneri can become the first team to retain the Champions League trophy, despite a challenging group.
   In its current format as the Champions League, which started in 1992-93, no side has ever won the prestigious trophy two years running.
   Milan were crowned as champions of Europe in Athens after a 3-1 victory over Liverpool last term and will look to continue their excellent track record in the competition.
   ‘I think one reason for that is because a team relaxes a little bit the year after they win it,’ Kaka told Uefa.com.
   ‘That’s not going to happen with Milan because we are ready and willing to win the competition again and to make history doing it.’
   Kaka was the top scorer in the 2006-07 tournament and will want to repeat his winning goal over Celtic in the last 16 when they face the Scottish giants in the Group stage.
   ‘It will be very hard again,’ the Selecao star stated. ‘I think we have met Celtic three or four times in the five Champions League campaigns I have had here and every game has been hard against them.
   ‘In Europe even if you are not facing a great team, they are always the best from their respective countries. When you play the best teams from Norway, Czech Republic or Scotland they always try and win.’
   Milan’s first fixture sees Benfica travel to the San Siro next Tuesday before games against Cristiano Lucarelli’s Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic.
   Meanwhile, it is rumoured Milan have agreed to give Kaka a new contract worth £5.5m per season to stave off Real Madrid’s advances.
   The Brazilian rejected an offer to almost triple his wages – currently at £3.7m – if he went to the Bernabeu this summer and will be rewarded for his loyalty.
   The ‘Corriere dello Sport’ claims that a new agreement has been drawn up to give ‘Ricky’ £5.5m per season until 2011, although an extension to 2012 is on the cards.
   ‘Kaka deserves a pay rise, so we will happily give that to him,’ commented President Silvio Berlusconi after the European Super Cup victory.
   ‘We have to be careful, though, as there has to be a balance within the club and locker room for all the players.’
   Kaka has earned himself the right to be an exception after his exploits over the past 12 months for the Rossoneri.
   Top scorer in the Champions League, UEFA’s Player of the Tournament and front-runner for the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, he is widely considered to be the greatest player in circulation right now.
   He has had a splendid start to the new campaign as well, scoring five goals in six official games between Milan and Brazil.

Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix after dominating qualifying in a Ferrari here on Saturday.
   Sunday’s race is the 14th leg of the 17-race world championship, and should provide plenty of drama with Ferrari placing both their drivers on the front row of the grid ahead of the McLarens.
   After the courtroom controversy of Thursday’s spygate’ hearing all eyes were back to the track on Saturday to watch a relatively uneventful qualifying session.
   Raikkonen, 18 points behind drivers’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton, showed complete mastery of the track where he won in 2005, clocking a lap time of 1:45.994, just a hundredth of a second faster than Felipe Massa, who completes an all-Ferrari front row.
   Behind the Ferrrari’s will be the two drivers from the McLaren team still reeling from their 100 million dollar fine and exclusion from the constructors’ championship.
   Fernando Alonso will start just in front of Hamilton on the second row.
   BMW’s Robert Kubica set the next fastest time but an engine penalty means he will be penalised ten grid places and start from 15th on the grid.
   The third row will comprise of German Nico Rosberg in a Williams and Kubica’s BMW teammate Germany’s Nick Heidfeld.
   Red Bull’s Australian Mark Webber, Jarno Trulli of Toyota and Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen of Renault completed the top ten.
   Alonso clocked the fastest lap in the first 15-minute mini-session of qualifying which is used to eliminate the slowest six cars.
   Spyker’s Japanese driver Sakon Yamamoto and Super Aguri’s Briton Anthony Davidson were the first to be eliminated and will start from the 11th, and final, row of the grid.
   The next men to go were Yamamoto’s German teammate Adrian Sutil and Davidson’s Super Aguri partner Takuma Sato of Japan.
   The final cars to fall at the first hurdle were Honda’s Rubens Barrichello and Torro Rosso’s German youngster Sebastian Vettel.
   Barrichello in particular will be disappointed to start from 18th. Last time the Brazilian raced at Spa, in 2005, he finished fifth, but a repeat performance on Sunday now seems highly unlikely.
   Raikkonen was fastest in the second mini-session as once again the slowest six drivers were eliminated from the proceedings.
   Austria’s Alex Wurz will start from 16th alongside Kubica while just behind while the row in front of them will be filled by Vitantonio Liuzzi of Torro Rosso and Jenson Button of Honda.
   Scotland’s David Coulthard will start in front of Button for Red Bull Racing and Toyata’s Ralf Schumacher will be 11th on the grid.
   Italian Renault driver Giancarlo Fisichella was 11th fastest but will start from tenth due to Kubica’s penalty.
   Going into today’s race championship-leading British rookie Hamilton, on 92 points,
   holds a three-point lead over Alonso, with Raikkonen in third on 74 and Massa in fourth on 69.

Veteran striker Christian Vieri is on the comeback trail, but he is taking comparisons to Viola legend Gabriel Batistuta with a pinch of salt.
   Vieri was the peninsula’s most sought-after striker between 1999 and 2005 when he hit 103 goals in 144 games for Inter and earned 49 Azzurri caps.
   However, the wheels came off when he transferred to city rivals Milan and struggled to juggle a lively social schedule with training.
   The problem was compounded by a string of injuries that saw him play just 15 games in two years during a period including moves to Monaco and Sampdoria. Last season a desperate Bobo agreed to join Atalanta despite earning just minumum wage and he showed glimpses of his true self during seven appearances from the bench.
   After a period in the doldrums, the 34-year-old is back to full fitness and fully committed to reinventing himself at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
   ‘In Bergamo I won my battle as a man and now I’m in Florence to win as a footballer,’ he explained.
   ‘I’m not scared of hard work, in fact I’m looking for it, and Cesare Prandelli is the right man in that respect.’
   Vieri’s return was initially greeted with cynicism, but now he is being cheered by the Gigliati fans and even winning comparisons to Batistuta who is one of the club’s all-time greats.
   The Argentine star has a statue dedicated to him in Florence after a 10-year spell that saw him score 168 goals and remain with the side when they were relegated to Serie B.
   ‘I’m honoured to be compared to Batistuta, even if I don’t think that it’s true,’ Vieri grinned. ‘He was the best striker in the world for several years and we played together at Inter.’
   The Bologna-born hitman finished by analysing the state of the Italian game after the departure of several high-profile strikers this summer.
   ‘Calciopoli has really damaged Italian football and ours is not the best in the world now,’ the Marconi Stallions youth product admitted.
   ‘Spain and England are better and that was confirmed by the departure of Rolando Bianchi, Luca Toni and Cristiano Lucarelli. The fact that they left was a defeat for the game in Italy.’

Barcelona’s Argentina forward Lionel Messi is a doubt for today’s Primera Liga match away to Osasuna after returning from international duty with an injury, the club said on Friday.
   Messi did not train with the rest of the squad due to a ‘significant strain to a thigh muscle in the right leg’, Barca said in a statement on their Web site (www.fcbarcelona.com).
   The 20-year-old inspired Argentina to a 1-0 friendly win over Australia in Melbourne on Tuesday. To avoid aggravating the injury he has been declared a doubt for the trip to Pamplona, adding fuel to president Joan Laporta’s demands that national teams should compensate clubs for the use of their players.
   ‘The clubs pay the players’ salaries and they should receive compensation, from either FIFA or from the national federation who call up the player,’ Laporta was quoted as saying on the club’s Web site.
   ‘The clubs should receive a proportion of the players’ wages...and part of the income generated from the games which they dispute, especially in friendlies.

Cristiano Ronaldo has vowed not to react to provocation as he returns to Premier League action with Manchester United.
   The 22-year-old has served a three-match ban following his dismissal at Portsmouth, where Sir Alex Ferguson criticised the Portugal international for being provoked. And Ronaldo has insisted he will no longer retaliate on the pitch. He told the Daily Mail: ‘I’ve learned a lot from this punishment.
   ‘Now I am mentally prepared to tolerate anything my rivals throw at me. They cannot provoke me any more.
   ‘This is a promise I’ve made to the manager. It will never happen. I wouldn’t wish the experience of the past few weeks on anybody and I know I’m of no use to the club if I’m not on the field.
   ‘I live for football and during the last few weeks I’ve suffered more than at any time in the past three years. It has been an incredible feeling not to be able to help the team.’

The Portuguese Football Federation Friday ruled out breaking its contract with national coach, Brazilian coach Felipe Scolari, after he allegedly assaulted a Serbian player during a Euro 2008 qualifying match.
   ‘We rule out any action to end the contract of Luiz Felipe Scolari,’ said federation president Gilberto Madail while adding he ‘deeply regret this incident.’
   The federation’s decision follows ‘the first examination of the video footage and the statements made since the incident, and also reports sent by UEFA’ Europe’s football governing body, Madail said after a federation meeting.
   UEFA has opened a disciplinary inquiry into the incident which will meet on Wednesday.
   According to television footage shown on Portuguese television Scolari appears to punch the Serbian defender Ivica Dragutinovic towards the end of Wednesday night’s 1-1 Group draw that saw Dragutinovic dismissed.
   After initially denying the assault Scolari later apologised to his players, the country and the football authorities but not to Dragutinovic.