AS Roma and Manchester United could be handicapped by important injuries when the pair meet in the Champions League quarter-final, first leg at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico today.
   Roma’s captain and talisman Francesco Totti is almost certainly out of the match after he picked up a thigh injury in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Cagliari.
   But United could have five players on the sidelines after suffering several problems in their 4-0 drubbing of Aston Villa at the weekend.
   United boss Sir Alex Ferguson substituted Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra in the second half and afterwards revealed that Ryan Giggs had also suffered an injury.
   ‘They all had injuries and then Ryan Giggs got injured towards the end and that was a bit of a problem,’ Ferguson said.
   ‘The pitch, with the rain coming down all night, was starting to prove very heavy. It was a problem with hamstrings. Hopefully they are going to be alright.’
   Ferguson also admitted he was unsure if his first-choice goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, who missed Saturday’s match, would be fit enough to play in Rome.
   ‘Edwin may be a doubt,’ the Scot added. ‘He has a problem with his groin again. We didn’t risk him in this match which is a good thing so that gives us a better chance.’
   The two sides met twice last season at the same stage, with Roma winning 2-1 in Italy before suffering a humiliating 7-1 thrashing in Manchester, and have already played twice in this season’s group stage, United winning 1-0 at home before the teams drew 1-1 in Rome.
   ‘Roma have improved this season but we have played them twice already and we know exactly what to expect,’ added Ferguson. ‘It won’t be easy but the form we are in now, we are looking forward to it.’
   United have hit stunning form at just the right time, beating Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford a week before their Villa display.
   That is ominous news for Roma who have not forgotten their Old Trafford lesson from a year ago.
   ‘These are special games which bring something extra out of the players,’ said Roma coach Luciano Spalletti.
   ‘Unfortunately we will not be able to see Francesco Totti. The captain has a muscle pull in his left thigh and will be watching the match from the stands.
   ‘We just hope he’ll be fit for the return leg.’
   That means that in-form Macedonia striker Mirko Vucinic will lead the attack in Totti’s absence.
   ‘We are, as always, well prepared with the right sort of calmness to go out and express the right characteristics and the right quality,’ added Spalletti who is looking forward to locking horns once again with Ferguson.
   The Italian tactician has a lot of respect and affection for the fiery Scot.
   ‘We’re friends, we know each other, we will also share a bottle of wine afterwards,’ said Spalletti.
   ‘He’s a well balanced man who has given a lot to football.’
   The two teams will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the scenes that have marred the last two fixtures between the teams in Rome, where United fans have been stabbed by Roma ultras and baton-charged by police.
   Manchester police have warned United fans not to try to get into the game with forged tickets, a problem last season when the teams met at the same stage.
   The force’s match commander for the fixture Supt John Graves has urged fans to take organised transport to get to the match rather than making their own way.
   ‘Anyone choosing to make their own way could potentially run the risk of coming into harm’s way,’ he warned.

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes insists the Spanish giants will brush off their recent poor results in La Liga with a positive performance against Schalke in today’s Champions League quarter-final.
   Barcelona threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Real Betis on Saturday – which frustrated coach Frank Rijkaard and Valdes says the Spaniards need a morale-boosting win over their Bundesliga opponents in the first leg clash.
   ‘Against Schalke 04 we will be positive from every point of view,’ said Valdes.
   ‘The Champions League is a very attractive competition for everyone and we can go into the game feeling confident and knowing that a good result will boost our morale.’
   Both Barcelona and Schalke are third in their respective leagues but have struggled for form of late.
   Barcelona have lost four of their seven games in March, while Schalke have been just as erratic in the German league although a 0-0 draw with Karlsruhe on Saturday moved them up to third.
   Schalke 04 coach Mirko Slomka has warned his side they must raise their game if they are to have any chance of stopping Barcelona in Tuesday’s first leg.
   The German side knocked out 2004 champions FC Porto in the last round, but Slomka knows that today’s game is the biggest of the season. ‘The intensive preparations for Tuesday’s game began at 5:20pm on Saturday, we have to improve and we know the targets we have to achieve against Barcelona,’ said Slomka.
   The coach is all too aware that double European Cup champions Barcelona will be ruthless with his side at the Veltins Arena.
   ‘We have to be better and stick tightly together, they will punish any mistakes we make immediately,’ he said. This is virtually new territory for Schalke.
   They haven’t travelled this far in Europe’s elite club competition for almost five decades, but for Slomka the experience of playing Barcelona should leave his side wanting more.
   ‘With the fans behind us anything is possible. We’re playing Barcelona, that should be motivation enough for the players to qualify for the Champions League again through the Bundesliga.’
   If they prove victorious over the two legs, Schalke will face the winners of the tie between AS Roma and Manchester United, but no one in Gelsenkirchen is thinking beyond the quarter-finals.
   Schalke will be without midfielder Ivan Rakitic who has an ankle injury, while Brazilian captain Marcelo Bordon proved his fitness in the draw with Karlsruhe.
   Barcelona central defenders Rafael Marquez and Gabriel Milito have been included in Rijkaard’s travelling party for the trip, although Samuel Eto’o faces a fitness test on an injured calf.
   Mexican Marquez has not played since injuring his right foot in February, while Milito has been nursing a groin injury since the Copa del Rey defeat at Valencia in March.
   Deco and Ronaldinho will not travel to Germany either but captain Carles Puyol is fit. The second-leg will be played at Barcelona’s Camp Nou on April 9.

Table toppers Mohammedan face title contenders and arch-rivals Abahani in a high voltage last round match of the Premier Division Cricket League at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium today.
   Mohammedan perched at the summit of the table with 18 points from 10 matches will be looking to continue their impressive form that has helped them win nine matches thus far. Abahani however has no option rather than go for a win to keep their hopes alive. They have earned 15 points with two losses and one tied match from their ten matches.
   Mohammedan will be relying on their powerful batting line up led by national skipper Mohammad Ashraful who is yet to make an impact in the league. So, the Mohammedan supporters will be hoping he comes good today. The occasion will also be a memorable moment for Ashraful himself as he has never experienced playing in a match involving the traditional crowd-pullers of Dhaka cricket.
   Apart from Ashraful, Mohammedan have hard-hitter Aftab Ahmed and Junaed Siddique, the rising opener Raqibul Hassan and Sohrawardi Shuvo won the last match against Biman with a 110-run partnership.
   Abahani also possess plenty of firepower with opener Jahurul Islam and Mahbubul Karim who showed have impressive form throughout the league. Their three national stars are Tushar Imran, Shahriar Nafees and Mohammad Rafique. Young Nazimuddin and Nadif Chowdhury are expected to play a key role.

China launched the Olympic torch relay here on Monday but tight security highlighted concerns that protests over Tibet, human rights and other issues may tarnish its journey around the world.
   President Hu Jintao officially sent the flame off on its globe-trotting trip at a nationally televised ceremony from Tiananmen Square, Beijing’s political heart, after it arrived from Greece earlier Monday.
   The 130-day relay, hailed as the most ambitious ever, will cross 19 countries before returning to China for a three-month tour that includes an ascent of Mount Everest.
   ‘I declare the start of the torch relay of the Beijing Olympic Games,’ said Hu, holding aloft the torch before passing it to Liu Xiang, a Chinese sporting icon who is the reigning Olympic and world champion in the 110m hurdles.
   China’s newly appointed Vice President Xi Jingping, widely tipped to eventually succeed Hu, used the ceremony to welcome the world to the Chinese capital for the August 8-24 Summer Games.
   ‘The modern Olympic Games are a great event of peace and friendship for people around the world,’ said Xi.
   ‘The Chinese government and people warmly welcome athletes and friends from all countries and regions to come to Beijing for the grand Olympic event.’
   But thick security showed that China’s communist rulers were worried about the kind of trouble that dogged the torch on its journey around Greece last week and threatens to take the shine off Beijing’s Olympic showpiece.
   Activist groups have warned they will use the relay to highlight concerns over China, including the crisis in Tibet, Beijing’s ties with Sudan, and domestic human rights issues.
   Media rights group Reporters Without Borders disrupted the torch-lighting in Greece last week in protest at China’s restrictions on the press.
   Tibetan and other activists also tried to disrupt a ceremony in Athens on Sunday when Greece passed the torch to Beijing organisers.
   Against this backdrop, Chinese authorities sealed off Tiananmen Square—the scene of 1989 democracy protests that were crushed by the military—on Sunday night ahead of the torch ceremony.
   Security personnel were seen on surrounding buildings and in the crowd on Monday, while nearby subway stations were closed off. The square was open only for about 5,000 people, selected guests and performers.
   In Tibet and nearby areas of western China with Tibetan populations, three weeks of protests against Chinese rule of the Himalayan region has left 18 civilians and two police officers dead, according to China’s count.
   Exiled Tibetan leaders have put the death toll from the Chinese crackdown at 135-140 people, with another 1,000 injured and many detained, prompting international concern.
   Chinese police have so far caught 414 people associated with the deadly unrest in and near Lhasa, while another 289 people have turned themselves in, the state-controlled Tibet Daily said Monday.
   ‘Lhasa police has made important progress in its efforts to deal with the serious criminal case of March 14, which involved smashing, burning and looting,’ the city’s deputy police chief Jiang Zaiping was quoted as saying.
   The torch will pass through Tibet for the Everest leg in May, and then again when it goes through Lhasa in June. Chinese officials have already pledged tight security for the Tibetan portions of the relay.
   Pro-Tibet activists and other groups have said they are planning protests at relay locations including London on April 6, Paris on April 7 and San Francisco on April 9.
   Another potential flashpoint is New Delhi on April 17. India is home to the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and many other exiled Tibetans.
   Coinciding with Monday’s ceremony, hundreds of exiles burned Chinese flags in New Delhi, while about 150 people staged a pro-Tibet rally in Sydney. In Nepal, 100 Tibetan protesters were detained in Kathmandu.
   After the protest at the lighting of the flame in Greece last week, Chinese state-run television broadcast Monday’s ceremony—and the flame’s arrival at Beijing airport—with a delayed telecast.
   This was apparently to ensure the broadcast could be censored if there was a protest. The torch heads to Almaty, Kazakhstan, today, for the first relay leg on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has assured Malinda Warnapura and Thilan Thusara that they can expect an extended run in the national team.
   Warnapura starred with scores of 120 and 62 in Sri Lanka’s opening Test win by 121 runs against West Indies last week at Providence, and Thushara offered steady support to the elite bowling duo of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan with match figures of five wickets for 129 runs from 37.5overs.
   ‘These two guys have played good first-class cricket back home and play a little bit of league cricket in England so know their way around the park,’ Jayawardene said.
   ‘We can always call them up and say this is your opportunity.
   ‘They have waited a long time for this opportunity, and now they will get an extended run – whether they make runs or not, or whether they take wickets or not.
   ‘So we have not put them under any pressure on this tour, and told them that if they fail that they will lose their place. They will get an extended run, and this is probably why they have responded to the challenge in this way.’
   The retirements of former captains, Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu, have left vacancies at the top of the Sri Lanka batting line-up that have yet to be convincingly filled.
   As a result, the selectors promoted the 28-year-old Warnapura from the middle-order to an opening slot on the basis of his consistency at domestic level.
   He has been a regular member of the Sri Lanka A team, and visited the Caribbean two years ago, when illness restricted him to three innings of two, eight and 11.
   But almost a decade after making his first-class debut, he had to wait to make his Test debut against Bangladesh at home last June.
   His entry into Test cricket was hardly auspicious, as he was dismissed off his first ball, and scored 82 in the second Test.
   With seamer Vaas admitting he is nearing the end of his career, the national selectors have eyed Thushara
   as a possible left-arm replacement.
   He made his Test debut on Sri Lanka’s previous trip to the Caribbean five years ago, but he subsequently faded, and others have overtaken him in the pecking order.
   This trip provides him with a second crack at international cricket, following strong performances in domestic competitions.
   Sri Lanka, eyeing a Test series victory for the first time in the Caribbean, lead the two-Test series 1-0, after the victory handed them their first Test win on Caribbean soil in five matches.
   The second Test from April 3 at Queen’s Park Oval here
   will be followed by a
   three-match ODI series with two matches also at the Oval, and a day/night affair on April 15 at St. Lucia’s Beausejour Stadium.

India’s star batsman Sachin Tendulkar will miss the second Test against South Africa after aggravating a groin injury, officials said on Sunday.
   Tendulkar, who needs 172 runs to overtake West Indian Brian Lara as Test cricket’s leading run-getter, did not field for most part of the final day’s play in the first Test which was drawn earlier in the day.
   ‘Sachin will not be playing the next Test,’ Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah said.
   Tendulkar will need a week to recover and the selectors replaced him with Mohammad Kaif for the second Test starting in Ahmedabad on Thursday, Shah added.
   Kaif, 27, played the last of his 13 Tests against the West Indies in Jamaica in June, 2006 and had scored 624 runs at an average of 32.84.
   Kaif, a middle-order batsman, enjoyed a successful domestic season, scoring 993 runs in 13 first-class matches at an average of 58.41.
   Tendulkar is expected to be fit for the third and final Test in Kanpur from April 11.
   Indian captain Anil Kumble had earlier told reporters that Tendulkar had aggravated the groin injury he suffered on the recent Australian tour, but was hopeful he would play in Ahmedabad.
   Kumble himself missed part of the last day’s play with a groin strain and Shah said the captain’s progress will be monitored ahead of the Ahmedabad Test. Former Indian physiotherapist John Gloster had recommended a three-week rest for Tendulkar after the Australian tour ended on March 4. The batsman, who turns 35 next month, however, declared himself fit for the South African series.

Old Dhaka Hockey Association came from behind to win the Dhaka Bank Independence Day Hockey Tournament beating Sipahi Para of Rajshahi 4-1 in the final at the Maulana Bhasani National Stadium on Monday.
   Rashed Hasan Rony, Maksud Alam Habul, Faisal and Russell Mahmud Jimmy scored one goal each for the winners while Rimon for the losers. The winners trailed the first half 1-0.
   Bangladesh Hockey Federation president and Air Force Chief Air Marshal, SM Ziaur Rahman, was the chief guest in the final and distributed the prizes.
   Mahbul Ehasan Rana of Old Dhaka was adjudged man-of-the-match while his team-mate Habul received the joint highest scorer award with Rimon of Sipahi Para.

The South Africa Academy team arrives in Dhaka today to play in the triangular Grameenphone Academy Cup that also involves the Pakistan and GP-BCB Academy teams.
   The South Africans will begin their tour with the first four-day match against GP-BCB Academy from April 4-7 at the Jessore Divisional Stadium while the second four-day match between the two sides will be held from April 9-12 in Khulna.
   The Pakistan Academy team will arrive on April 14. The BCB on Monday revealed the squads of South Africa and Pakistan for the competition.
   SA Academy squad: Matthew Arnold, Sammy-Joe Avontuur, Bradley Barnes, Richard Das Neves, CJ de Villiers, Reeza Hendricks, Rushdi Jappie, Mondli Mahlombe, Mafinki Serame, Mthokozisi Shezi, Abdul Aziz Temoor, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Dane Vilas, Neil Wagner.
   Pakistan Academy squad: Khalid Latif (captain), Khurram Manzoor (vice-captain), Raheel Majeed, Asad Shafiq, Ali Asad, Ahmad Shahzad, Azhar Ali, Anwar Ali, Adil Raza, Mohammad Aamir, Azhar Ullah, Imad Waseem, Yasir Shah, Azhar Ali. Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz, Sarfaraz Ahmad and Fawad Alam, will join the squad prior to the four-day matches.

Bangladesh Rifles and Bangladesh Ansar clinched the men’s and women’s titles of the first-ever Beach Kabaddi tournament that concluded on Monday at Laboni Point in Cox’s Bazar.
   Rifles emerged unbeaten champions with eight points beating Bangladesh Police 39-26 in the last league match. Earlier, the Rifles team beat Bangladesh Navy 51-41.
   Bangladesh Police finished runners-up with six points from four matches.
   Ansar became unbeaten champions outplaying Jatrabari KC 48-24 in the final. Earlier, in the semi-finals, the winners eliminated Jurain Janata Club 41-15 while Jatrabari KC beat Matuail Milan Smriti Sangsad 45-38.
   Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, Sajjadul Hasan, distributed prizes as the chief guest. Managing director of tournament sponsors NAF Corporation, Shahnewaz Chowdhury Swapon, and Police Super of Cox’s Bazar, Banaj Kumar Majumder, were also present.

THE Bangladesh Football Federation will see its voter list trimmed from 133 to 117 for the upcoming elections scheduled to be held on April 28.
   The drop-off in the voter list has been due to the infringement of voting rights by the BFF of the Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and the National Sports Council representatives as well as the two votes of the pioneer league. Among the 64 districts 56 have formed their football associations and four of the six divisions have formed their regional football associations.
   Apart from these districts and divisions, 11 B league teams, 13 senior division football league clubs, 10 second division teams, 8 third division teams, 7 universities, five education boards and one representative each from women’s association, the coaches association and the referees’ association will be eligible to vote in the election.
   The BFF is scheduled to declare the election schedule on Sunday next.

All of a sudden the election of the Bangladesh Olympic Association took a new turn as the Election Commission declared there will be elections for three more posts and not the only one of secretary general.
   The Chief Election Commissioner Brigadier General Shawkat Hossain said apart from the post of secretary general four persons will be competing for the three posts earmarked for the divisional associations.
   The former acting secretary general Kutubuddin Ahmed leads a 36-member and he himself is contesting with Golam Quddus Chowdhury for the post of secretary general. Four divisional association representatives – Mahmud Jamal of Rajshahi Division, Asduzzaman Khasru of Barisal Division, Kutubuddin Aksir of Dhaka Division and Lily Aziz of Chittagong Division – submitted nomination papers against a quota of three posts for the divisional bodies.
   Only Kutubuddin Ahmed and former secretary general Golam Quddus Chowdhury are vying for the post of secretary general while all the other candidates have been elected unopposed.

The two-day Rajshahi University Central Students Union (RUCSU) athletics competition concluded at the university stadium on Monday.
   A total of 110 students representing 15 residential halls took part in 29 events. Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall emerged men’s champions with 51 points while Munnujan Hall clinched the women’s title with 44 points.
   Sadikur Rahman of Nawab Abdul Latif Hall earned the best athlete-of-the-year trophy while Nazmun Nahar Lovely of Munnujan Hall was adjudged best among the female competitors.
   RU Vice-Chancellor Prof M Altaf Hossain gave away prizes as the chief guest.

The International Cricket Council announced on Monday that South African businessman Imtiaz Patel has ruled himself out of becoming the organisation’s next chief.
   Patel indicated his decision in a telephone conversation with ICC president-elect David Morgan on Sunday, cricket’s governing body said in a statement.
   The ICC’s Recruitment Committee will now reconvene, identify a preferred candidate, and make a recommendation to the ICC Board ‘with a view to confirming the appointment at the earliest opportunity.’
   Current ICC chief executive officer Malcolm Speed steps down from the role after the ICC annual conference, which takes place between June 29 and July 4.
   Speed has held the position since July 2001, when he took over from the ICC’s first chief, David Richards.
   Commenting on Patel’s decision, Morgan said, ‘We are obviously disappointed that Imtiaz has chosen to withdraw his interest, having regarded him highly.
   ‘However, the fact that Imtiaz has withdrawn does not mean that, by default, we will be left with a candidate who is, in any way, inferior to him.
   ‘In fact, we have been fortunate to have several high-calibre candidates on the shortlist, all of whom bring something slightly different to the table.
   ‘We remain committed to securing the services of the right candidate and we anticipate being able to complete that task in the very near future,’ he added.
   The ICC statement quoted Patel as saying, ‘My family and I have reflected deeply on the wonderful opportunity which the ICC presented to me to fulfil such an important role in a sport which is in my blood.
   ‘After considering my position carefully, I have, however, resolved to remain in my beloved country, South Africa, and continue in my challenging and fulfilling role as chief executive officer of SuperSport International.’

Former world number one Lindsay Davenport defeated Serbian second seed Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the WTA and ATP Masters Series hardcourt tournament here Sunday.
   World number one Justine Henin of Belgium, third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and defending champion Serena Williams also advanced to the round of 16 at the 7.54 million-dollar event with straight-set triumphs.
   On the men’s side, world number two Rafael Nadal moved a step closer to his first title of the season, defeating Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round.
   While not as efficient as his second-round victory over German qualifier Benjamin Becker, in which he committed just four unforced errors, Nadal shrugged off a rain delay to complete his second straight match without facing a break point.
   ‘Well, it was not the best day because I was playing unbelievable in the beginning, playing very well, hitting very well the ball, and playing almost perfect match,’ he said.
   ‘When I come back to the court the ball was a little bigger and slower, and it was a little bit more difficult for me,’ he said.
   Next up for Nadal is France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu, who ousted Carlos Moya of Spain 7-6 (7/1), 7-5.
   Nadal is playing in his 12th tournament since his last title at Stuttgart in July.
   Ninth-seeded American James Blake stayed on course for a possible quarter-final clash with Nadal with a 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 victory over Frenchman Fabrice Santoro. Davenport, 31, denied Ivanovic, 20, a chance at back-to-back triumphs after her victory a week ago in the Indian Wells final.
   Instead Ivanovic followed Indian Wells men’s finalists Novak Djokovic and Mardy Fish out of the tournament.
   ‘I was playing really well. I felt really confident out there,’ Davenport said. ‘Obviously she’s had a great year so far. But it’s very tough to play Indian Wells and Miami back to back, doing well in Indian Wells,’ Davenport added. ‘You can see on the men’s side with Fish and Djokovic. I was trying to take advantage of that.
   ‘You never know what your opponent will bring, but I could tell she was maybe a little fatigued, and I tried to take advantage of that.’
   Henin advanced to the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Italy’s Sara Errani.
   Henin, who has won two titles in four tournaments this year, will next face Russian Elena Vesnina, who outlasted American Ashley Harkleroad 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 after three hours and seven minutes.
   This is Henin’s return after nearly one month off since losing a Dubai quarter-final to Italy’s Francesca Schianove. Henin has already taken titles this year in Sydney and Belgium and is 14-2 on the season.
   Also advancing to the round of 16 was Kuznetsova, who rallied to defeat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 1-6, 7-5, 6-0. Kuznetsova, the 2006 winner here and runner-up at Indian Wells, saved a match point down 5-3 in the second set.
   Defending champion Serena Williams, the eighth seed, shrugged off a slow start to defeat Italian Flavia Pennetta 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-2 in a rain-disrupted match.
   Williams needed 2 hours, 12 minutes to polish off Pennetta, largely because of a stream of unforced errors.
   ‘I just think I had a bad day today,’ she said. ‘Every time I went to connect it was like I didn’t have my contact point.’
   Serena’s elder sister Venus, the sixth seed, also reached the fourth round, beating
   New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-2, 6-1.

The death of a Parma fan on Sunday was not the result of violence between rival supporters, the club’s president said on Monday.
   Matteo Bagnaresi was accidentally knocked down and killed by a bus, forcing Parma’s match at Juventus to be postponed.
   Police said Parma and Juve fans were trading insults at a service station on the way to Turin where the accident happened. Coach driver Siro Spolti, who was transporting Juve fans, did not see Bagnaresi when he set off again to avoid trouble.
   Police sources said there was no fighting and Parma President Tommaso Ghirardi was adamant his supporters were not violent.
   ‘There are not fragments of bottles, there is nothing on the ground.
   ‘I know the Parma lads well, our supporters are correct,’ he told Gazzetta Dello Sport. ‘It is not because of fights. I passed the area 20 minutes before and I saw nothing.’

Rome’s Stadio Olimpico could lose the right to host the 2009 Champions League final if
   there were further violent incidents at Tuesday’s quarter-final between AS Roma and Manchester United, UEFA said on Monday.
   Stabbings by roving gangs armed with flick-knives happen often around the stadium, with violence flaring during United’s last two visits to Rome.
   There were also incidents at Roma’s knockout round game with Real Madrid last month.
   ‘If tomorrow at Roma-Manchester United, incidents are proved to have happened outside the stadium which are like those at the match with Real - with people stabbed - we would have to reconsider the decision to assign the 2009 Champions League final to Rome,’ UEFA spokesman William Gaillard told Italian radio, according to ANSA news service.

Manager Alex Ferguson said he was confident Manchester United had AS Roma sized up ahead of today’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Stadio Olimpico.
   ‘I think, because of playing them so many times, we are aware of exactly what Roma is about,’ the English champions’ boss told a news conference on Monday.
   ‘The first time we came here we found the first 20 minutes very difficult, the way they pressed the game, and it took us a long time to adjust. Now we are playing them for the sixth time and hopefully we have overcome those difficulties.’
   United knocked Roma out at this stage of the competition last year with a 7-1 drubbing at Old Trafford after losing the first leg 2-1.
   Ferguson said he was optimistic goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and defender Patrice Evra would be fit but that midfielder Michael Carrick remained a major injury doubt. He added that Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarkable form would be an extra weapon against a Roma side without injured top-scorer and captain Francesco Totti.
    ‘We are absolutely delighted we are bringing a player a year later to Rome with an incredible improvement and goal-scoring performances. That’s a big advantage to us,’ he said.
   He added that the Portugal international would soon answer those who question his ability to repeat his domestic form in European competition.
   ‘He’s only just turned 23. With two or three years of maturity, that is a question that will not be asked,’ he said.
   ‘We are seeing development in every department of his game in domestic football. The more he plays in Europe, the more he’ll get used to it and the more we’ll see his qualities.’
   Midfielder Paul Scholes also paid tribute to Ronaldo: ‘I’ve been lucky to have played with a lot of top, top players and I think Cristiano has to be the top now, for what he’s done this season,’ he said.
   Scholes said he was not expecting a repeat of the 7-1 romp. ‘I think that’s forgotten,’ he said. ‘That was a special night. We know that’s not going to happen very often.’
   Ferguson agreed that Roma were now a much tougher prospect, even without Totti.
   ‘They are second in the (Italian) league and they have a fantastic chance of winning the title,’ he said. ‘That’s a measure of their improvement.
   ‘Obviously, Totti is a very influential figure in the Roma team. I’m sure (coach Luciano) Spalletti and the rest of the players will overcome his absence. They have to.’

India’s Davis Cup captain Leander Paes is to be featured as a superhero in a cartoon
   television series aimed at promoting an active lifestyle in children.
   Paes, a Cup stalwart who also won a singles bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, is to play a miracle man who helps school kids in each of the 26 half-hour episodes being planned, The Indian Express reported on Monday.
   Called ‘The Magic Racquet’, the project will be a collaboration between Paes’s
   company, Leander Sport
   Private Limited, and Mumbai-based Maya Entertainment Limited.
   ‘It pains me when I see kids today spending a lot of time in from of TV sets and on unhealthy diets,’ Paes said.
   ‘As a father and a national sports figure, I feel it is my duty to impart love for sports and an active lifestyle so the next generation can develop the mindset of champions, both on and off the field,’ he added.
   Paes, a multiple Grand Slam winner in doubles, is his country’s best known tennis player and a medal hope at the Beijing Olympics in August. A date has not been set for the launch of the series.

England coach Fabio Capello is being probed by an Italian state prosecutor for allegedly withholding information to a court, a judicial source said on Monday.
   The prosecutor intends to bring a case against Capello and former Juventus director Antonio Giraudo after they gave evidence in a trial of six men accused of fostering unfair competition through the use of threats or violence as part of Italy’s Gea World sports agency, the source said.
   Capello earlier told the Rome court as a witness that he had never dealt with player contracts while in Italy and had never heard of players being put under pressure to sign specific agreements.
   Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi, also at the centre of Italy’s 2006 match-fixing affair, and Davide Lippi, son of former Italy coach Marcello, are among the defendants.

GM Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh Biman lost to GM Sandipan Chanda of India in the eighth round of 3rd Kolkata Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament at the Gorky Sadan in Kolkata.
   Zia playing with black pieces took Modern defence but lost in 39 moves. Zia and his team-mate GM Abdullah Al Rakib earned 5.5 points each after the eighth round and share the third position with eight other players.
   Four players – GM Krishnan Sasikiran, GM Koneru Humpy, GM Sandipan Chanda of India and GM Viktor Laznicka of Chez Republic – share the lead in the points table with 6.5 points.

BKSP made a good start in the Independence Day Basketball Competition beating Bangladesh Air Force Team 61-41 in the opening match at the Dhanmondi Basketball Gymnasium on Monday.
   BKSP led the first half 29-23. Setu caged 16 points and Mithun 14 for BKSP, while Siraj 16 points and Sharif 13 for the Air Force.
   Earlier, Bangladesh Basketball Federation president and secretary to the Chief Adviser’s Office, Kazi M Aminul Islam, inaugurated the competition as the chief guest.

South Africa were fined on Monday for maintaining a slow over-rate in the drawn first test against India.
   Captain Graeme Smith was ordered to forfeit 20 per cent
   of his match fee and each
   of his players received 10 per cent fines, the International Cricket Council said in a statement.
   Match referee Roshan Mahanama imposed the
   fine after Smith’s side were
   ruled to be two overs short of their time allotted bowling
   target in the Test which
   concluded in Chennai on Sunday.
   The second match of the three-test series begins in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Having earned a Test recall after nearly two years, Mohammad Kaif said he was expecting to be picked based on his domestic performance.
   He was named as replacement in the squad for the second Test against South Africa after Sachin Tendulkar was ruled out with a groin injury.
   ‘I had scored some 1000 to 1200 runs,’ Kaif told the tabloid Mumbai Mirror.
   ‘A bulk of them were scored on tough wickets so the call was kind of expected.’
   He scored 687 runs at 59.73 from eight Ranji Trophy games for Uttar Pradesh and 266 at 52.46 from two Duleep Trophy matches for Central Zone this season.
   Kaif was dropped from the Test side after India’s tour of West Indies in June 2006 despite scoring an unbeaten 148 in the second Test in St Lucia.
   ‘I had learned a lot during this period. I think whatever happens, happens for some good only.
   ‘So I think there must
   have been some good reason of my being away from the Indian side.
   ‘I must thank my supporters and those who stood by me in my bad period.
   ‘I hope that the bad phase has ended and this selection will bring more good news for me in the future.’
   Though excited about being included in the squad, Kaif said India would no doubt miss Tendulkar.
   ‘Captain Anil Kumble will never have wanted him [Tendulkar] to be out of the side,’ Kaif said.
   ‘But now I have got a chance and if I play, I will try and make the best out of it.’

Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is set to face charges of violating a code of conduct at a disciplinary committee hearing on Tuesday, which may result in a life ban.
   The controversial paceman was charged after he criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board for double standards in awarding the central contracts in January this year.
   The 32-year-old Akhtar is already on two years probation.
   ‘I can confirm that the hearing will be conducted in Rawaplindi on April 1,’ head of the five-man committee, retired Lieutenant General Muneer Hafeez, told AFP, without elaborating.
   Akhtar also confirmed he would appear before the committee. Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, demoted from contract category ‘B’ to ‘C,’ will also go before the disciplinary committee to face charges of violating the code of conduct.
   Local media have speculated that Akhtar will receive a fine or reprimand. In October last year, Akhtar was fined 3.4 million rupees (52,000 dollars) and banned for 13 matches for hitting fellow paceman Mohammad Asif with a bat just days before the start of the Twenty20 World Championships.

Italian football suffered another tragic blow on Sunday as a Parma fan died after being run over by a bus on a weekend that saw AC Milan’s Champions League hopes take another costly dent.
   Matteo Bagnaresi was run over at a service station by a bus carrying Juventus fans after skirmishes broke out between rival sets of supporters.
   It was the second time this season that a fan died at a service station, with Rome DJ Gabriele Sandri accidentally shot by a policeman back in November after clashes broke out between Juve and Lazio fans at a motorway rest stop.
   That incident sparked violent protests around several grounds with two matches being subsequently postponed.
   Authorities decided to postpone the Juventus-Parma clash on Sunday in a bid to help avoid a repeat of November’s ugly scenes.
   On the pitch Milan crashed dismally 2-1 at home to Atalanta, leaving their hopes of snatching fourth place from Fiorentina, who lost 3-1 at Udinese, looking decidedly shaky.
   ‘We have to move on this week and get ready for the next match. Hopefully Kaka will be back. We’re got to keep working in training but we need to defend better,’ said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.
   ‘We have to be careful. We lost to Sampdoria at home, and now this makes two (home) losses in a row. It makes things very complicated for us.’
   The result was no less than the visitors to Milan’s San Siro stadium deserved as they completed a league double over the reigning European champions.
   Sergio Floccari opened the scoring at the second attempt after Ferreira Pinto skipped down the right and crossed to the near post.
   Floccari shook off his marker, veteran Paolo Maldini, and saw his first effort saved by Australian goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac but he was alert enough to flick home the rebound from a tight angle on 32 minutes.
   Ten minutes later and Atalanta doubled their lead as a brilliant piece of control from Floccari, who then fed Antonio Langella.
   He kept his cool to flick the ball over the onrushing Massimo Oddo’s lunging challenge and then calmly side-footed home.
   Milan had the ball in the net early in the second half but veteran Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf’s effort was rightly ruled out for offside.
   Atalanta should have made the game safe midway through the half but after a fine break from Ferreira Pinto, Cristian Doni woefully skied his shot with the goal at his mercy.
   Massimo Ambrosini then had another Milan strike harshly ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Ferdinando Coppola.
   Maldini scored with a header five minutes from time and Andrea Pirlo had the chance to snatch a point for the hosts in the last minute after Ambrosini was felled in the box but he saw his penalty saved by Coppola.
   Milan remain four points behind Fiorentina in the race for the crucial last Champions League qualifying position but they have lost their last two home matches and only the Viola’s own stuttering form is keeping them in with a faint hope.
   Udinese’s victory actually moved them up to fifth, a point ahead of Milan while Sampdoria, seventh after a 2-0 win at Empoli, are behind Milan only on goal difference – making it a four-way battle for the last Champions League spot.
   ‘It’s a very, very delicate situation.’ said Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli. ‘It’s a very difficult position to be in but all our work is going towards finishing fourth.’

With just seven matches left in the Serie A season, AC Milan are starting to panic.
   They sit sixth in the table, have lost their last two home matches and trail Fiorentina in the crucial race for fourth place by four points.
   The only saving grace for Milan is that Fiorentina’s current form is no better, having lost their last two away matches.
   Last season Milan claimed the Champions League title and in December they added the
   Club World Cup to their honours list.
   Back then they had already given up hope of winning the title having got off to a dreadful start in Serie A, failing to win in their first seven home matches while city rivals Inter were storming away.
   They reassessed their goals, set their sights on fourth place, and a ticket to the Champions League, and by the end of February, following six wins in seven matches, they looked all set to achieve that aim.
   But it has all gone wrong since then.
   Arsenal won 2-0 at the San Siro to knock them out of the Champions League in the second round and they have won only two of their last seven
   league encounters, losing three times.
   Coach Carlo Ancelotti spent more than an hour in the dressing room following the 2-1 defeat to Atalanta on Sunday before coming out to face the press.
   ‘We’re being incapacitated by the number of mistakes we’re making at home,’ he said. ‘We’re starting slowly and in the end we’re paying for it.
   ‘We’re not concentrating in several situations like against Sampdoria (their previous home defeat). Matches become very difficult when you do this.’
   Ancelotti joined his team’s vice-president Adriano Galliani in criticising the referee, who disallowed two goals.
   The first by Clarence Seedorf was offside but the second from Massimo Ambrosini was chalked off for a foul on the goalkeeper, which looked a harsh decision.
   ‘The referee played like us. He had a bad first half and a bad second half,’ added Ancelotti. ‘Ambrosini’s goal should have stood. Having said that it’s not his fault we lost.’
   Milan have not been helped by injuries among their forwards.
   Ronaldo is out for the season, Filippo Inzaghi is out injured and world player of the year Kaka is also on the sidelines.
   Alberto Gilardino is desperately short of form, meaning Milan are often relying on two 18-year-olds, Brazilian Pato and Alberto Paloschi, to fire them to victory.
   It’s not been working well.
   ‘Now we need to change something,’ admitted Ancelotti. ‘We can’t continue like this. We hope to have Kaka back for the next match.
   ‘Right now we’re not defending well and we’re not attacking well. We need to defend better and attack better.
   ‘Changing something does not mean I’m talking about players, I’m talking about attitude.’
   The problem is Milan have to turn things around quickly or they will miss out on the Champions League next season. They could even miss out on Europe altogether.
   Fiorentina are fourth, four points ahead; Udinese are fifth, one point ahead, and Sampdoria are seventh, behind only on goal difference.
   Milan need to finish above all three to qualify for the Champions League.
   ‘We’re not making the most of Fiorentina stuttering. The same thing could be said of them not profitting from our problems,’ said Ancelotti.
   ‘Only Udinese and Sampdoria are taking advantage. I know my players and I know what they can do from now until the end of the season.
   ‘We’ve still got a chance, we don’t need to make appeals. We’re not looking for excuses. We’re aware of the situation we’re in and we’re looking for a way out. Missing out on the Champions League would be a disaster.’

Arsene Wenger will be driven by the heartbreak of Arsenal’s last tango in Paris when he sends the Gunners into their Champions League battle with Liverpool.
   Le Professeur cannot forget the misery of losing the final against Barcelona two years ago, when Thierry Henry missed a glorious chance to seal a famous win for Wenger’s 10 men.
   Arsenal were clinging to Sol Campbell’s goal, and making light of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann’s first-half dismissal, when Henry spurned a yawning opportunity to make it 2-0 at the Stade de France.
   The miss proved even costlier when goals from Juliano Belletti and Samuel Eto’o in the last 15 minutes killed Wenger’s Euro dream in a Paris monsoon.
   Straight after the final whistle, both Wenger and Henry made heat-of-the-moment remarks they would choose to forget - but the Arsenal boss is now quietly obsessed with wearing the crown cruelly snatched from his grasp by the Catalan giants.
   With the Gunners six points adrift of the pace in the Premier League, the Champions League is again Wenger’s best chance of a pot this season.
   After a sublime display in the San Siro to knock out defending champs AC Milan, the Gunners certainly have the pedigree.
   And with a repeat of the 2006 final against Barca still possible, Wenger remains haunted by Henry’s pivotal miss.
   He told the Daily Mirror: ‘When I look back, I think of the opportunity we had to score the second goal that would have killed off Barcelona. In fact we had two chances - the game was there to be taken.’
   On Wednesday the first of three meetings with Liverpool inside a week - Wenger’s priority will be a clean sheet because he believes it will make Liverpool edgy in front of the Kop at next week’s second leg.
   He also conceded, however, that the phenomenal din generated at Anfield on big European nights could be a factor in deciding who meets Chelsea or Fenerbahce in the semi-finals.
   Wenger said: ‘Of course we would like to win the home game on Wednesday, but 0-0 is never a disappointing result in the first leg.
   ‘We have seen many times that it puts the other team under huge pressure in the second game because they are in two minds.
   They don’t really know whether to go for it or to sit back and wait - it gives you every chance.
   Penetrate ‘But it is true that Liverpool have 12 men at Anfield.
   Their crowd have played a big part in their European success, they have turned so many games because the rules are different in Europe.
   ‘They will be a completely different proposition from Milan - more rough, more edgy, more difficult to penetrate - and against Liverpool we will have to win the physical battle as well.
   ‘In this sort of game between two English teams, I feel mental strength will be the deciding factor. This will be a test of character, who wants it more.’
   Wenger was relieved by Arsenal’s return to winning ways at Bolton, even if they took the scenic route from 2-0 down with 10 men.
   He added: ‘We needed the win because when you don’t win for a while, it plays on your mind. It was a good way to prepare for Liverpool on Wednesday.’

Kevin Keegan insists Premier League safety hasn’t yet been secured despite watching rampant Newcastle United dismantle Tottenham Hotspur 4-1.
   Keegan’s free-flowing side moved back into mid-table and nine points clear of trouble as they capitalised on a shambolic defensive display from the League Cup holders to run out emphatic winners courtesy of their first away victory in more than three months.
   Keegan urged caution, however, adamant that his rapidly improving side, who’ve taken seven points from the last nine, are still not quite out of relegation danger with six games remaining.
   One more victory should see Newcastle safe, and the former England national coach admits his side are now looking up, rather than over their shoulders.
   ‘We’re not safe yet,’ said Keegan, who is in his second spell as manager of the club.
   ‘But this means we can start looking up the table now. We could even catch Spurs up. Three weeks ago people would have said that was ridiculous but not now.
   ‘We’ve got a good squad here, and we shouldn’t be where we are in the table but the players are doing something about it.’
   Newcastle were a joy to watch, and in reference to their celebrated reputation as ‘the entertainers’ in his first spell in charge at the club, Keegan joked: ‘We had three up front today and I might even put a couple more forwards in next time.
   ‘This is the right way for us to play for the minute. Just trying to defend and hang onto things puts more pressure on us as a team.
   ‘If anything, our defenders know they can perhaps concede a goal in the knowledge that we’ve still got enough goals in us to win a match.’
   Nicky Butt swept Newcastle level in first-half stoppage-time, before Geremi’s free-kick and predatory finishes from Michael Owen – his third in as many games – and Obafemi Martins put the seal on a stunning away win, the club’s first since they took all three points at Fulham before Christmas.
   As defender Jonathan Woodgate endured a miserable game against his former club, rampant Newcastle also hit the woodwork in each half through Habib Beye and Joey Barton while Tottenham’s England international Paul Robinson made several fine saves to keep the score respectable.
   Keegan, who is well advanced with plans to strengthen his squad in the close season added, ‘We could have had seven or eight goals, and you don’t get many games where you’re 4-1 up at Spurs with five minutes to go so you’ve got to make sure you enjoy it.
   ‘If we can add to the squad in the summer things could get quite exciting. We don’t need an awful lot to set us alight. The players would welcome two or three new signings in the summer but they’ll have to be very good players to fit in here.’
   Darren Bent headed Spurs ahead midway through the first-half with his eighth goal of the season, the in-form England striker’s second in as many games.
   But that was as good as it got for Spurs, who suffered their first home defeat in nine games and who look in serious danger of their season ending with a whimper in stark contrast to the high of February’s League Cup final victory over Chelsea.
   ‘It was strange, we had a good first-half and then for no apparent reason things changed,’ said manager Juande Ramos.
   ‘It was down to a lack of attention and the fact that the points were more important to Newcastle than us.
   ‘We’re in a phase of the season that’s not quite so important so it’s a time to use the squad and have a look at the players to help us make a decision for next season.’

Bert Van Marwijk was officially presented by the Dutch football association as the new Holland coach on Monday.
   The current Feyenoord coach does not begin his tenure with the national team until after the European Championships this summer, when Marco van Basten will step down from the role.
   And despite revealing his pride at being handed the national team reins, the 55-year-old coach admitted he was more concerned with Feyenoord’s faltering campaign at present.
   The Rotterdammers crashed to a 3-1 defeat at NAC Breda on Sunday to fall to sixth place, and out of the Champions League play-off positions, in the Eredivisie table.
   ‘I am busy with Feyenoord until July 1, so it hard to speak about being the Oranje manager just yet,’ said Van Marwijk who has signed a two-year contract with the KNVB until the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
   ‘I don’t find it appropriate to answer questions when the current national team coach is still busy with the team. ‘Although I wouldn’t have chosen to be presented today, I am of course very content with this new job. It’s an enormous challenge to represent this country and work with the best players of Holland towards the World Cup of 2010.’
   He added, ‘I know that it’s not the easiest job to be head coach of Holland, the whole country looks over my shoulders.’
   Van Marwijk also confirmed his current assistant at Feyenoord, Dick Voorn, would work alongside him for the Oranje in addition to former national team players Philip Cocu and Frank De Boer.
   ‘I am happy with the composition of my assistant staff, it is what I had in mind,’ Van Marwijk said.
   ‘Dick Voorn has, for a few years, been my best adviser, and communicates well with players.
   ‘Frank and Philip have much experience. Together they have played 220 international games and they were part of many big tournaments. They also both played in the axis of the team and they always thought with the coach when they were players.’
   Van Marwijk dismissed speculation the decision to appoint three assistant managers was politically motivated, with each holding ties to one of Holland’s big three clubs. He said, ‘Is it is a coincidence that I come from Feyenoord, Philip from PSV and Frank from Ajax? Yes, totally. I don’t think in such terms. I am not a politician.’

Ronaldinho’s five-year romance with Barcelona may be over. Soccer’s two-time world player of the year, who helped the Spanish squad win Europe’s 2006 Champions League, lost his spot on the first team in November and the affection of some fans after skipping the past five games with a sore leg.
   ‘Ronaldinho isn’t in love any more,’ Juanjo Castillo, a former personal assistant to the Brazilian at Barcelona, said in an interview. ‘His heart is broken.’
   The playmaker’s malaise is deflecting attention from the team’s struggle to avoid a second straight campaign without a trophy, Barcelona President Joan Laporta said. It starts a two- game Champions League quarter-final at Germany’s Schalke today.
   ‘The team is more important than any individual,’ Laporta told reporters last week. ‘We’ve got the Champions and the league to play for.’
   Barcelona has eight games left to try to close a seven-point gap to Spanish league leader Real Madrid.
   Ronaldinho, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain for a 25 million-euro ($39 million) fee in 2003, is likely to leave the club after the season ends, possibly for AC Milan or Chelsea, according to Cristina Cubero, a soccer analyst for Barcelona- based television channel 8tv.
   The 2002 World Cup winner told Spain’s Efe news wire on January 29 he expected to stay ‘many years’ at Barcelona, where he’s under contract until 2010. Ronaldinho’s sister, Deisi, who organizes his press interviews, didn’t return e-mails seeking comment.
   Laporta said on March 25 there was no ‘divorce’ with the 28-year-old, who helped revive a team that had lurched into debt because of a series of unsuccessful player acquisitions as it tried to end a four-year run without a trophy.
   Described as ‘God’s gift to football’ by former team-mate Henrik Larsson, Ronaldinho has baffled defenses and wowed crowds, driving Barcelona’s membership to 130,000. Members pay 150 euros a year to get first refusal on match tickets. A week before winning FIFA’s World Player of the Year award in 2004, he described his life as a ‘party.’ He retained the accolade in 2005, when Barcelona won the Spanish league for the first time in six years, and the fun continued the following year as the club again took the domestic title and won the Champions League, Europe’s elite club competition, for the first time in 14 years.
   To crown those achievements, in 2006 Ronaldinho passed David Beckham to become soccer’s richest player, according to France Football magazine. His endorsement portfolio includes PepsiCo Inc, Nike Inc and Group Danone.
   ‘It was the perfect story,’ Castillo said. ‘We were in ruins and he made us European champions.’
   Ronaldinho’s form has deserted him, and he has started only 13 of 30 league games this season.
   In some matches, coach Frank Rijkaard has preferred 17-year- old Bojan Krkic in the starting lineup.
   Ronaldinho missed the last four league games and a March 20 Spanish Cup semifinal against Valencia because of muscle ‘discomforts’ in his right leg, according to Rijkaard.
   A March 17 report from the team’s medical staff, published on Barcelona’s Web site, said scans found that he had ‘neither a tendon nor muscular injury.’
   Two days after Barcelona was eliminated from the Spanish Cup, Ronaldinho’s inactivity drew a veiled rebuke from Johan Cruyff. As a player, the Dutchman helped Barcelona end a 14-year wait to win the league, while as team coach he guided Barca to four league titles and its first European Cup win in 1992. ‘When there are important games and prizes on the line, no one can be injured,’ Cruijff told Barcelona’s in-house television station. ‘Sometimes they’re mental things.’
   Barcelona’s average attendance at its 98,000-seat Nou Camp stadium has slumped 18 percent to about 62,000 since the turn of the year as it lags Real Madrid in the league. ‘The crowd is divided,’ Cubero said in an interview. ‘Some fans will never forget what he did for the club. Others feel it’s best he goes.’

Real Madrid came out of their recent slump to defeat Sevilla 3-1 on Sunday and stretch their lead at the top of the Spanish first division to six points.
   Villarreal, 3-0 conquerors of Atletico Madrid, are in second place while Barcelona are a point further back in third.
   Barca’s 3-2 slip against Real Betis on Saturday presented Real with a perfect opportunity to take a giant step towards retaining their title and the champions grasped it with both hands.
   ‘It was a complete game from my team from defence right through to the attack,’ said Real coach Bernd Schuster.
   ‘Everyone played to their top level tonight and for that reason I don’t want to single out individuals for praise.
   ‘After the bad luck against Valencia we have won an important game and we just have to continue what we are doing to win the title and not look back.’
   ‘It isn’t a definitive result. We are in control as we have been for some time and we have to maintain this momentum to win the title,’ he added.
   ‘I don’t care who our nearest rivals are. We are first and we don’t need to look back.’
   Gabriel Heinze’s first league goal for Real put the hosts ahead as early as the seventh minute only for Frederic Kanoute to level the scores on 37 minutes.
   However, captain Raul Gonzalez scored minutes later for his 290th Real goal to make him the club’s joint second all-time top scorer along with Carlos Alonso Santillana and he is hunting Alfredo di Stefano’s mark of 307.
   Gonzalo Higuain added a third as Real ended a sequence of two successive league defeats.
   Sevilla lost ground in their Champions League race and are five points behind Atletico and Racing Santander who are fourth and fifth respectively.
   ‘It was an open game with both teams going for it,’ said Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez. ‘Real had more chances than us, although we had opportunities ourselves, and I think the second goal was the key.’
   Unfashionable Racing continue to dream of Champions League football after Sunday’s 3-0 win at rivals Espanyol moved them level on points with fourth-placed Atletico.
   ‘We are delighted with the win and above all how we won,’ said Racing coach Marcelinho Garcia. ‘We have taken an important step but not a decisive one. We just have to concentrate on trying to win next Sunday’s match.’
   After losing 3-2 at home to Valencia, Real were keen to put on a good show at the Santiago Bernabeu - recently confirmed as the venue for the 2010 Champions League final.
   Pepe was injured on international duty with Portugal so Heinze moved into central defence.
   Sevilla had a full-strength team with Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano, who has openly admitted that he would relish a summer move to Real, particularly keen to impress.
   Real took a seventh minute lead with Wesley Sneijder’s terrific set-piece bumbled in by Heinze.
   Raul was twice denied by Andres Palop but Kanoute volleyed home an equaliser on 37 minutes. But Sevilla then switched off and a minute later Raul showed neat control before smashing the ball home to put the hosts back in front. Higuain then put the game to bed allowing Real to relax.
   After beating Barcelona in the cup and Real in the league last weekend Valencia came back down to earth with a demoralising 3-0 home defeat to Real Mallorca. Spanish international Daniel Guiza scored a double to inflict an eighth home defeat on Valencia who have the Kings Cup final against Getafe to salvage a poor season that started with hopes of challenging for the title.
   Real Zaragoza, who qualified for the UEFA Cup last season, are also having a torrid season and are fourth from bottom following a 2-1 defeat by fellow strugglers Valladolid. Deportivo La Coruna moved four points clear of the relegation zone with a 3-1 win over fellow strugglers Real Murcia.
   Levante have propped up the 20-strong table virtually the entire season and and fell to their 21st defeat of the campaign with a 2-1 loss at Almeria. They are now 14 points from safety with just 24 points left to play for.

Real Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez now stands joint second, along with Carlos Alonso Santillana, in the club’s all-time scorer list after scoring his 290th goal for the club in their 3-1 win over Sevilla on Sunday.
   It was Raul’s 16th goal of a fantastic season and he is now just 17 goals from equalling legendary Alfredo di Stefano’s record mark of 307.
   Raul, 30, is also hunting di Stefano’s league record of 216 league goals which he netted between 1953 and 1964, needing 13 more to equal the great Argentine.
   Raul’s goal helped Real open a six-point lead over Villarreal, with Barcelona a point further back, at the top of the Spanish first division with Gonzalo Higuain and Gabriel Heinze also on target.
   ‘Raul is a symbol of the club and an extraordinary player,’ said Real president Ramon Calderon. ‘I am thrilled for him and he deserves all the credit that comes his way.’
   Sporting director Pedrag Mijatovic used to play alongside Raul in attack and saluted the club captain for his achievements.
   ‘Raul is having a great season,’ said Mijatovic. ‘He is a great captain and a real leader on and off the pitch.
   ‘I know him from the time we played together at Real and he deserves everything for his attitude and hard work.’
   Since making his Real debut back in October 1994 as a raw 17-year-old Raul has become a symbol of the club which in turn has handed him a bumper contract until 2011 that will be extended for a year each as long as he plays at least 30 official games.
   The striker has every club medal to his name with three Champions League crowns (1998, 2000 and 2002) and
   five Spanish championships (1995, 1997, 2001, 2003
   and 2007).
   He was the league’s top scorer in 1998/1999 with 25 goals and repeated that feat in 2000/01 with 24. Raul’s worst season was in 2005/06 with just five league goals.
   The clamour for Raul to return to the Spain squad continues but hardline national coach Luis Aragones has insisted on leaving the veteran out in the cold.
   Raul won the last of his 102 caps in September 2006 when Spain suffered an embarrassing 3-2 loss in Northern Ireland.
   The striker has said he would love to go to Euro 2008 this summer but has already admitted his chances are slim.
   ‘I know that it is really very complicated and difficult for me (to take part), but I still have hope,’ Raul said.

Fernando Torres put Liverpool in pole position to claim fourth spot in the Premiership and a place in next season’s Champions League by scoring the only goal in the 207th Merseyside derby against Everton to seal a 1-0 win at Anfield on Sunday.
   Liverpool, who face Arsenal in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Emirates on Wednesday, rarely looked in danger of conceding the points after Torres had put Rafa Benitez’s team ahead on seven minutes.
   Having slumped so miserably to defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Sunday, Liverpool were in danger of being labelled a team that buckles under the pressure against the big boys in the Premiership.
   But the crunch encounters come thick and fast for Benitez’s team this month. United last week, Everton on Sunday and three huge games against Arsenal to come over the next ten days that will make or break Liverpool’s season, so this was the perfect opportunity to prove their mettle when the going gets tough.
   The home side were certainly helped by David Moyes’s team selection. The Everton manager was without broken foot victim Tim Cahill and with strikers Andy Johnson, Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan all ruled out, his attacking options were limited to Nigerian forward Yakubu.
   So Everton’s ambitions were hampered by their lack of depth and Liverpool, with Steven Gerrard and Torres once again in tandem, proved too strong for their neighbours virtually from the first kick.
   The game was only seven minutes old when Torres made the breakthrough for Liverpool following a piece of suicidal defending from Yakubu.
   The 11.25million pounds forward failed to clear the ball on the edge of his own penalty area and he was dispossessed by Xabi Alonso, with Dirk Kuyt picking up the loose ball 20 yards out.
   Kuyt cleverly picked out Torres lurking on the edge of the box and the Spanish forward was never going to waste his opportunity and he beat
   goalkeeper Tim Howard with a right-foot strike into the far corner to claim his 28th goal of the season.
   With so few options up-front, Everton now had an even bigger mountain to climb and Liverpool were in no mood to make life easy for Moyes’s team and the red tide continued to flow forward.
   Gerrard sent a free-kick narrowly wide from 20 yards and defender Tony Hibbert was forced into a brave block to deny Kuyt from close range. Ryan Babel then wasted a golden opportunity from six yards before Gerrard sent a 30-yard volley crashing against the post.
   Having been so poor in the first-half, Everton attempted to claw themselves level after the break and Leon Osman was given an advanced role to support Yakubu.
   And the midfielder almost netted an equaliser on 59 minutes when his near post header from Mikel Arteta’s free-kick flashed narrowly wide of the near post. But while Moyes’s players struggled to carve out clear goalscoring chances, their share of possession in the second-half gave them hope of salvaging something from the game.
   Yet despite a late surge, Everton could not find the breakthrough and Liverpool held on for a victory that puts them well-clear in the race for fourth spot.

Paul Scholes has told boss Sir Alex Ferguson he does not want his sympathy vote if Manchester United reach the Champions League Final.
   Fergie has already said he will let his heart rule his head and play Scholes if United go all the way to Moscow, after the midfielder missed out on the 1999 Treble-clinching European Cup victory.
   Scholes and former United skipper Roy Keane were both suspended for the dramatic 2-1 victory over Germany’s Bayern Munich in the Nou Camp.
   Although Scholes can no longer be guaranteed a firstteam place at United, Fergie said he would hand the 32-year-old a starting role to make up for missing out nine years ago.
   But Scholes insists that he does not want any special treatment from his gaffer.
   And he has told Fergie he would only want to be selected on merit, not out of sympathy having missed the biggest game of his career.
   And Scholes told the Daily Mirror: ‘If we get there, I want to be there on my merit. I don’t want a sympathy vote.
   ‘If I’m not playing well, the manager’s not going to say, ‘You missed the final 10 years ago, go and play for 10 minutes’.
   I wouldn’t read too much into that one.
   ‘I think whether you’ve missed a chance or not, it’s a massive tournament for everybody involved, even players like AC Milan’s Paolo Maldini who’ve won it five times.’
   United play the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Roma tomorrow, whom they have already played four times in the past year.
   The two sides met at the same stage of the competition last year, where United famously trounced the Italians 7-1 in a remarkable second leg triumph at Old Trafford.
   This season’s group stage meetings between the two were a lot closer, United winning 1-0 at Old Trafford, followed by a meaningless 1-1 draw in Rome after both teams had qualified.
   But Scholes believes United still have the edge over their Italian opponents ahead of the first leg in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. He said: ‘You’d like to think you’d score seven again. To beat a top Italian team by that score was amazing, but it’s probably not going to happen.
   ‘If we can get something out there and have something to come back here to, it’ll be great.’
   However Scholes does not have fond memories of his last game at Roma.
   He was sent off inside the first 30 minutes for two yellow cards, meaning he then missed the historic 7-1 win. But he claims he has learned his lesson this season and improved his famously poor tackling which used to land the Red Devils veteran with so many unnecessary cautions.
   Scholes added: ‘I’m trying to remember the last time I got booked.
   ‘I noticed in the programme I’ve only been booked twice this season. I wouldn’t call it a problem.
   I’ve never particularly worked on it. Sometimes you mis-time them, and sometimes you don’t.’

Avram Grant fears the Premier League’s decision to allow Chelsea’s crucial clash against Everton to be brought forward to meet television demands could wreck his side’s title challenge.
   Grant is furious that Chelsea’s visit to Goodison Park has been moved from Saturday April 19 to Thursday April 17, because it means the Blues face two games in four days at a pivotal stage of the season.
   Chelsea, who are already scheduled to play Wigan on April 14, are hot on the heels of Premier League leaders Manchester United after edging past Middlesbrough 1-0 on Sunday, but Grant is convinced the fixture switch will give
   a significant advantage to United.
   The Israeli wants to fight the decision but there is little chance of the Premier League intervening.
   ‘I don’t understand why we need to play on a Thursday. It’s unfair. When we come to the end of the season, it should be equal for all the teams,’ Grant said.
   ‘It’s unfair what’s happening. We need to fight in any way that we can to make it a fair decision.’
   The Everton game comes in the middle of a busy period which will determine whether Grant’s team can overhaul United’s five point lead and stay on course in the Champions League as well.
   United are still firmly in pole positon and Chelsea need to keep winning until Sir Alex Ferguson’s leaders visit Stamford Bridge on April 26. There is no margin for error, so it is little surprise Grant is unhappy at the disruption.
   At least he got a stroke of luck on Sunday as Chelsea survived a nervous finale in which Middlesbrough hit the
   woodwork three times and
   had a penalty appeal turned down.
   ‘At this stage of the season, it’s about winning. We’re five points from Manchester United again. With them and Arsenal winning, we had to win,’ Grant said.
   ‘I don’t think that each of the three teams will take all the points. Since I’ve been here, we’ve been chasing after other teams.
   ‘First it was five teams, then four. We’ve gone past Liverpool and now Arsenal. We have to keep winning and hoping that, when United come here, it’ll be important.’

Rafa Benitez claimed Liverpool secured the perfect confidence-booster ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Arsenal by sending Merseyside neighbours Everton to a 1-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday.
   Fernando Torres’s seventh-minute goal, his 28th in all competitions this season, moved Liverpool five points clear of Everton in the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot.
   But with the first-leg of the all-English quarter-final against Arsenal next up, Liverpool boss Benitez admitted that the victory over Everton could not have been better timed.
   He said, ‘After the defeat against Manchester United last week, to beat our local rivals allows us to be more confident going into the Arsenal game on Wednesday.
   ‘We have some knocks from this game, though, and it is difficult to say about certain players. Lucas Leiva, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard and Ryan Babel are all tired, so in three days’ time, we will have to see how they are.’
   Torres, who equalled a club record by scoring in his sixth successive league home game, has been a huge success at Anfield since arriving from Atletico Madrid at the end of last season.
   And Benitez admits that the Spanish striker’s impressive goals return this season has been a real bonus.
   ‘Torres has been a surprise for everyone. Twenty-eight goals in his first season, with twenty-one in the league, is a fantastic achievement,’ said the Liverpool coach.
   ‘I wouldn’t like to say that he is the best striker in Europe, but he is scoring goals and he is playing very well.
   ‘The understanding between Torres and Gerrard is key for us, but Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel are also doing well and giving us a good balance.
   ‘With Arsenal away in the Premiership next Sunday, we need to keep working hard because Everton play Derby at home. Beating Everton means three points, but it also means that we are now five points ahead of them which is a good gap. It’s a really important win for us.’
   Everton’s hopes of Europe are now likely to rest with securing fifth place and claiming the UEFA Cup spot that goes with it.
   But despite the setback of this defeat, which was sparked by a mistake by Nigerian forward Yakubu who was dispossessed 20 yards from his own goal, Moyes insists that Everton remain in the hunt for a Champions League place.
   He said, ‘The fight for fourth place definitely goes on and I have just told my players that it is great that Everton are still going for the chance to play in the Champions League.
   ‘They could have gone under in this game, but they didn’t. In the first-half, Liverpool created a lot of chances, but we hung in there and the boys did well to get to half-time without conceding again.
   ‘Yakubu was caught on the ball when he should have cleared it and I suppose he was a touch naive. It left Torres to score the goal which gave Liverpool the impetus, but I think it may have affected Yak for the rest of the game.’

AS Roma talisman Francesco Totti is hoping to be fit for his team’s Champions League quarter-final, second leg against Manchester United at Old Trafford, his personal trainer said Monday.
   Totti injured a thigh muscle in Saturday’s 1-1 Serie A draw at Cagliari and is due to miss today’s first leg at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. It’s a big blow to Roma, who were dismantled 8-3 on aggregate by United at the same stage last season, but Vito Scala says Totti is already working towards his return to action.
   And he defended the Roma captain for not coming off when he was hurt against Cagliari.
   ‘These things happen. Francesco hurt himself in the match against Cagliari. He didn’t leave the field because it was a managable pain but it wouldn’t have changed anything if he had come off,’ Scala told Italian radio.
   ‘He’s disappointed not to be playing (Tuesday) but he is determined to try to be ready for the return leg.
   ‘It’s difficult to take Francesco off. Many times he says he feels pain before a match, then he plays, shoots, scores two goals.
   ‘He has a much higher pain threshold than the others, many times he amazes us when he manages to play.’