A spirited display by the young booters of Victoria forced traditional powerhouse Dhaka Mohammedan to remain content with one point as the group A match of the Protiti Pharma Victory Day Club Cup Football Tournament ended goalless at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Sunday. In the other group A match of the day, Arambagh KS registered their first victory when they scraped a 1-0 win against Youngmen’s Club of Fakirerpool.
   Both Mohammedan and Arambagh have four points from their two matches while Victoria have two and Fakirerpool none. Mohammedan play Arambagh and Victoria face Fakirerpool in the last group matches on Tuesday.
   The young booters of Victoria were unfortunate to miss a great chance of a win over their superior opponents who were outclassed in every department. The traditional black-and-white outfit lacked the necessary depth in the midfield and their two forwards, Farhad and Charles Figo, were unimaginative and lacked the required understanding. A good performance from custodian Zia and the inexperience of Victoria forwards saved Mohammedan from a possible defeat.
   The speedy and energetic forwards Mithun and Rashed Turjo, hard work by midfielder Arafat and superb goalkeeping by Golam Mostofa were at the heart of Victoria’s superb effort. Guided by experienced coach Abu Yusuf, Victoria opened the attack in the 28th minute when Rashed Turjo’s low shot went straight to Mohammedan custodian Zia.
   Figo, the tall Nigerian, threaded through the Victoria defence in the 39th minute but he failed to beat the onrushing Mostofa who palmed it to safety. Mostofa was at his brilliant best two minutes after the break as he stretched to his limit to grip a scorching grounder from Mohammedan midfielder Faisal Mahmood from 10 yards. Mostofa continued his heroics in the 67th minute when he snatched a ball from Figo’s feet in a one-on-one situation.
   With Mohammedan visibly frustrated and tired, Victoria started to advance to their opponents’ territory.
   Mithun tore apart the Mohammedan defence in the 76th minute but the striker was too late to tap the ball in. Substitute midfielder Alamgir saw Zia out of position on 81 minutes but his curved effort missed the post by a few inches.
   In the day’s other match, Ugandan forward Iddi Badambuze fired Arambagh to a 1-0 win over Fakirerpool slamming the winner in the 7th minute of the match. Arambagh wasted a penalty in the 73rd minute when Liton shot straight to Youngmen’s custodian Mamun Khan after Iddi was brought down by defender Akram.
   Abahani and Muktijoddha and Badda Jagoroni and Wanderers play the crucial group B matches today. If Badda win in the first match then losers in the Abahani-Muktijoddha match will be out of the tournament.

Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds has rejected criticism that he sparked the racism row with India’s Harbhajan Singh in the recent Test series in an article published Sunday.
   In overturning a suspension against Harbhajan for allegedly calling Symonds a ‘big monkey,’ International Cricket Council’s appeals commissioner John Hansen said there was not enough evidence to prove the off-spinner had made the remark.
   Hansen was also critical of the behaviour of Symonds, whom he said unnecessarily instigated the verbal exchange.
   ‘To have people questioning my integrity as a person and cricketer is pretty ordinary,’ Symonds wrote in Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph.
   ‘Anyone who knows me understands that I’m a very straight up and down bloke, what you see is what you get, so to have people saying I’m not playing cricket in the right spirit really makes my blood boil.’
   Harbhajan was suspended by match referee Mike Procter during the controversial second Test between Australia and India in Sydney for allegedly making the remark to Symonds, Australia’s only black player.
   But Hansen said Symonds had challenged Harbhajan with an ‘unnecessary invective-laden attack’ after the Indian patted Australian fast bowler Brett Lee on the behind in what he viewed as a sporting gesture.
   India had threatened to quit the triangular one-day series beginning Sunday over the dispute.
   Symonds wrote that the last month has been the most stressful of his career.
   ‘From the initial racism row to the threats about the whole series being called off, my head hasn’t stopped spinning,’ he said. ‘It’s been a rough ride and it’s taken a pretty big toll on me personally, but more importantly, on my family, my girlfriend and those close to me.’
   Hansen downgraded the racism charge against Harbhajan to one of using general obscene, offensive or insulting language, overturned the suspension and fined him 50 percent of his match fee.
   ‘I’m quite happy for the general public to make up their own minds about what did or didn’t happen, but I can assure you I wouldn’t take a stand against something unless I really believed in it,’ Symonds wrote.
   Australia beat India in a Twenty20 clash on Friday night. The two teams meet Sunday in a one-day international.

Persistent rain ruined an intriguing first match in the triangular one-day cricket series when the game between Australia and India at the Gabba was abandoned on Sunday.
   Australia were 51-3 after 7.2 overs, chasing 141 to win from 26 overs when a heavy shower forced players from the field for the third and final time.
   India had earlier posted 194 from 45 overs after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat.
   When a further rain delay during Australia’s innings reduced that target even further, the two arch-rivals were evenly matched, although Dhoni thought India had the upper hand.
   ‘The momentum was with us,’ he said. ‘I think in the second session (after the rain break) the bowlers really bowled well – they bowled in the right area and they were getting the ball to swing.’
   Australia had gotten away to a blistering start in their run chase, racing to 29 off the first three overs.
   Irfan Pathan’s second over went for 18 runs, with James Hopes smashing four boundaries as the left-arm seamer struggled to find a good length.
   India struck in the fourth over when Shanthakumaran Sreesanth had Adam Gilchrist caught down the leg side for 14, the Australian wicketkeeper walking after gloving the ball to opposite number Dhoni.
   With Gilchrist’s wicket came heavy rain, and play was again suspended.
   When the players returned the Australian target was lowered to 141 but the pitch also began to show signs of life and batting became extremely difficult.
   Ishant Sharma clean bowled Hopes (17) with a ball that jagged back from outside off stump. Then in Sreesanth’s next over, Ricky Ponting was caught by Virender Sehwag at second slip for a duck.
   Andrew Symonds (5 not out) and Michael Clarke (2 not out) were at the crease when the match was called off.
   ‘It was a disappointing finish to the match,’ Australian fast bowler Brett Lee said.
   ‘I thought it would have been a good game – it would have been a good fight from us to get home from there...with our batting line-up we would have a good chance.
   ‘It’s disappointing the rain came at the wrong time.’
   India had earlier recovered from 102-6 to post their score of 194.
   Lee took 5-27 to keep the Indian batsmen in check after Gautam Gambhir and 20-year-old Rohit Sharma had looked to be guiding the visitors to a 250-plus score.
   But a middle-order collapse which saw India lose four wickets for just 15 runs meant they struggled to reach a competitive total.
   After losing openers Sehwag (6) and Sachin Tendulkar (10), Gambhir and Sharma, who were controversially brought into the Indian one-day side in place of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, then added an entertaining 65 before Gambhir was trapped leg before for 39.
   That signalled the start of a collapse as Sharma (29) edged Lee to Gilchrist, Manoj Tiwari (2) was bowled by a Lee yorker and Robin Uthappa (5) was caught in the gully by Michael Clarke off the bowling of Australian debutant Ashley Noffke.
   Some late hitting from Dhoni (37), Pathan (21) and Harbhajan Singh (27) enabled India to reach a competitive target.
   India will face Sri Lanka here on Tuesday for the next match in the series.

Inadequate playing grounds and a proper stadium has hindered the progress of many budding talents in Narayanganj, which at times has provided many stars in the national football and cricket teams.
   The district, responsible for discovering local football great Ashrafuddin Chunnu and Monem Munna, has only one stadium to run so many competitions but that too is undersized.
   ‘We have run two football leagues — first division and second division — and three cricket leagues — premier, first division and second division — every year. We also run handball, volleyball and some other games perennially. But for every competition, we have only one stadium,’ lamented AZM Ismail, the general-secretary of Narayanganj District Sport Association.
   ‘This stadium, which we call Osmany Poura Stadium, is also undersized. It is so small that it has become tough to maintain a standard-sized football pitch,’ he said.
   ‘The National Sport Council, which owns and maintains the stadium, has not carried out any renovation here for the last eight years, leaving it in a terrible condition. The last time the stadium saw some work done was in 1999. The contractor, who was given the task of earth-filling, had embezzled most of the money, bribing the corrupt NSC officials,’ said Ismal.
   ‘We have written to the NSC officials on many occasions to develop the stadium, but they did not pay any heed to our words. They are more focused on the Fatullah Cricket Stadium,’ he said.
   ‘The Fatullah may be located in Narayanganj district, but it has not brought us any benefit. According to the initial plan of the government, it was supposed to be the Narayanganj District Stadium. But after completing construction in 1998, the NSC handed it exclusively to the Bangladesh Cricket Board,’ he said.
   ‘We tried to use the stadium for cricket on several occasions, but the BCB did not allow us. They offered us to use the stadium during the off-season, which is virtually impossible. During the rainy season the stadium goes under waist-deep water. It always takes several months for the stadium to get back to normal after the rains stop,’ he said.
   ‘In 2006, when Australia played a Test match at Fatullah, we had asked the BCB to make the outer side of Fatullah Stadium, which is a vast area, level, and build some pitches there for our use and they agreed. But no further progress was made,’ rued Ismail.
   ‘The shortage of sports facilities is so acute that we do not have any improvised swimming tank (pond with swimming facilities), let alone a swimming pool. To organise, volleyball and handball competitions, we often need to seek cooperation from local schools, which have some breathing space,’ he said.
   Despite the little or no facilities, Narayanganj has produced many stars, who are shining in many disciplines. Nazrul Islam, Mohammad Sujan, Wali Faisal, Abdullah Pervez, Jumratul Hossain Mithu and Azmul Hossain Biddut, have all played for the national football team in recent times and hailed from here. Narayanganj players Shahriar Hossain and Jahangir Alam have served the national cricket team for a long time while Shahadat Hossain and Mohammad Sharif are still playing. Rani Talukder and Nadimuddin Mintu, two promising stars of the Bangladesh Under-19 team, have also come from the district. But Ismail feared the supply of talent from Narayanganj will be depleted if the authorities fail to act and improve facilities in the district.

New Zealand cricket suffered a twin blow Sunday with injured captain Daniel Vettori ruled out of the Twenty20 series against England and Scott Styris retiring from Test cricket.
   Vettori, who rolled an ankle during training last week, said the injury was improving but he would not participate in the Twenty20 games in Auckland on Tuesday and Christchurch on Thursday.
   He was also in doubt for the opening one-day international against England next Sunday but would undergo a medical assessment later in the week.
   Experienced middle-order batsman Scott Styris announced his retirement from Test matches, saying he wanted to focus on the limited over versions of the game with the 2011 World Cup in India as his end goal.
   ‘The rigours of international cricket have become increasingly demanding and I would like to extend my career by focusing on shorter versions of the game,’ the 32-year-old said.
   ‘I have found the niggles and injuries associated with the longer form of the game were making it difficult for me to get on to the park.’
   In his 29-Test career, Styris scored 1,586 runs at an average of 36.04 and also proved a handy medium pacer taking 20 wickets at 51.15

Left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique showed signs of returning to form, but his 4-28 was not enough for Team C to stave off a crushing 83-run defeat to Team B in the third warm-up match of the national cricketers at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium at Mirpur on Sunday.
   Sent in to bat first, Team B, led by pacer Mashrafee bin Murtaza, scored 195-9 in 45 overs with all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad making the only half-century, 53 off 80 balls with a boundary and two sixes.
   Wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh scored 45 from 53 balls while, Johurul Islam chipped in with 21 runs. Sakib al Hasan, Enamul Haque, Kamrul Islam and Tushar Imran all claimed a wicket apiece besides Rafique’s four-wicket haul.
   In reply, Team C, captained by Sakib, were in dire straits after losing seven wickets for 46 runs before a late onslaught by Enamul Haque, who smashed 43 off 60 batting at number nine, gave their innings some respectability.
   They were finally all out for 112 runs in 43.1 overs with Mashrafee, Nazmul Hossain and Abdur Razzak taking two wickets each for Team B.
   The winners will take on Team A today at the same venue.

Holders Sunnydale made a flying start in the Sunnydale 5th Mini Handball Tournament (boys) beating BIS 12-5 in the opening match at the Dhanmondi Women’s Sports Complex on Sunday.
   Sunnydale dominated the first half 6-3.
   In the day’s other matches, Scholastica outplayed Marie Curie 16-2, South Point beat Marie Curie 8-3, SOS Shishu Palli trounced Canadian International School 6-2, South Breeze defeated East Khilgaon Primary 9-4, South Point beat Loreeto 7-4 and Banani Bidyaniketan blitzed SOS Shishu Palli 21-1.
   Vice-president of Bangladesh Handball Federation Principal Hamida Ali inaugurated the three-day meet. Principal Tazin Ahmed of meet’s sponsors Sunnydale and federation general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor were present.
   Fourteen school teams from Dhaka metropolis, split into four groups, are taking part in the tournament, sponsored by Sunnydale school.

Grand Master Abdullah Al Rakib and IM Enamul Hossain Rajib made a good start in the International Chess Festival of Moscow that began on Saturday.
   Rakib (Rating-2506) beat Stanislov Gankin (Rating-2308) of Russia and Rajib (Rating-2522) beat IM Alexey Alexeev (Rating-2316) of Ukraine
   Fide Master Sk Nasir Ahmed (Rating-2379), however, lost his first round match against GM Vladimir Burmakin (Rating-2611) of Russia.
   A total of 274 players, including 80 Grand Masters, are taking part in the tournament.

Ricky Ponting says the Australian players were ‘flabbergasted’ by Shaun Tait’s decision to walk away from cricket indefinitely. Tait said physical and emotional exhaustion were the reasons for his move and Ponting said his team-mates had not seen the signs of Tait’s struggles.
   ‘Obviously Taity has been run down for a long period of time,’ Ponting told the Sun-Herald. ‘We never saw it. He is just the happiest bloke to have around the change-room. It’s hit me like a ton of bricks. We’re all flabbergasted.’
   Tait was one of Australia’s leading players at the World Cup in the Caribbean but after having surgery on his right elbow during the off-season he had trouble getting back to his peak. He was given limited first-class outings before his ill-fated return to Test cricket at the WACA, where he took no wickets and rarely looked threatening.
   ‘A lot of people might think cricket is five-star hotels and living,’ Ponting said. ‘It is very hard work to maintain that for a long time. You could probably ask Phil Jaques about coming in and not understanding how demanding cricket at the highest level really is.
   ‘The fact people thought Jaques had the mumps after playing back-to-back Tests was significant. It’s no fluke. You get run down and tired. It’s having a body and mind that can deal with it, and it isn’t easy.’

Australian fast bowler Brett Lee said on Sunday that any decision on whether or not the world champions tour Pakistan next month was in the hands of Australian officials.
   Lee was responding to reports from Pakistan that Zimbabwe’s successful tour there showed that it would be safe for Australia to undertake their scheduled visit in March and April.
   Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said the Zimbabwe tour had been a test case for Australia.
   ‘Now I can say with authority and pride that we have successfully hosted matches and hope that the world champions will tour,’ Naghmi told AFP in Karachi.
   ‘We hosted Zimbabwe matches in smaller centres like Hyderabad and Sheikhupura and hosting of these matches without any problems prove that there are no threats for players.’
   Several Australian players have raised security concerns on touring Pakistan where the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto in December last year triggered widespread violence.
   But Lee said he couldn’t comment on whether the Zimbabwe tour would have any bearing on a future Australian tour.
   ‘We’ve got people on the ground over there and we’re just guided by Cricket Australia every single day as to what’s going to happen over there,’ Lee said.
   ‘It’s pretty much out of our hands—it’s up to them to work out what’s the best thing for us.’
   Zimbabwe continued their Pakistan tour despite a deadly bomb blast in Karachi last month.
   They played matches in Karachi, Hyderabad, Multan, Faisalabad and Sheikhupura during their three-week stay.

The Duckworth/Lewis system has been around for a while now, but there is still plenty of confusion about how the method works. When Australia’s target was increased by just one run, many blamed it on the fact that India lost three wickets in the last over and were bowled out. Had they been only seven down, went the analysis, Australia’s target would have been much higher.
   As it turns out, this was just another instance of tailenders being blamed for the incompetence of top-order batsmen. What spoilt India’s chances of making the D/L rule count in their favour wasn’t the fall of wickets at the end, but the fact that they had already lost so many at the time of the interruption.
   The D/L system is based on resources available to a team, and in an ODI, both overs and wickets in hand count as resources. A team exhausts all its resources either when it runs out of overs or wickets.
   During an interruption, the loss of overs translates into loss of resources for the team, the compensation for which is the extra runs added to the opposition’s target.
   An example makes this easier to understand: let’s say India had been 190 for 2 after 38, at which stage rain reduced the contest to 40 overs.
   The batsmen, who had been pacing their innings for 50 overs, suddenly have just two overs in hand, which is patently unfair to them, and offers the opposition a huge advantage. The increase in the target score is then obviously justified.
   However, the potential to utilise the lost overs depends on wickets in hand. At the Gabba, the Indians were already six down at the time of the interruption, which left them with little resources to capitalise on in the five overs which were lost during their innings.
   For instance, if India had been 128 for 2, instead of 128 for 6, after 36, and had eventually been bowled out for 194, Australia’s target would have been 211. If India had been 128 for 4 at the interruption and then gone on to score 194, Australia’s target would have been 205. To think of this intuitively, a team which is denied five overs when they’ve lost only two wickets has a much greater chance of making those overs count, than a team which is denied five overs when they’ve already lost eight wickets. The fact that India were bowled out counts for nothing, since their resources would anyway have been exhausted if they had used up all their overs with wickets in hand.
   As it turned out, none of this mattered as the rains returned to have the final say later in the evening.

Devon Smith put a frustrating tour behind him as he hammered 91 off 76 balls in the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium Sunday.
   The West Indies made 295 for seven after being sent in to bat.
   Opening batsman Smith had played a minimal role on tour, appearing in two warm-up matches, two Twenty20 internationals and the first one-day international, making just 50 runs in six innings with a highest score of 12.
   But the left-hander from Grenada, who played because Sewnarine Chattergoon was injured, took advantage of excellent batting conditions. He struck 10 fours and three sixes before being caught behind off Charl Langeveldt.
   Smith and fellow left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul (51) put on 137 off 134 balls for the second wicket to set the West Indies up for a potentially huge total.
   South African captain Graeme Smith was forced to delay the third powerplay after 98 runs were scored off the first 15 overs. When he did call for the powerplay, in the 27th over, Langeveldt dismissed Smith and followed up with the wicket of Chanderpaul in the next over.
   Despite an attacking 40 off 34 balls by captain Dwayne Bravo, the West Indian innings lost momentum before Patrick Browne (49 not out) and Rawl Lewis (28 not out) put on 53 off 34 balls in an unbeaten eighth wicket stand.
   South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock, playing in his last international match, took one for 33 and was given a standing ovation when he finished his final spell. Bowling with the new ball, Pollock had a first spell of 7-1-14-1 in dramatic contrast to his fellow pace bowlers, who were all punished by Smith.
   Pollock finished his career with 393 wickets at an average of 24.50 in 303 one-day internationals.

Maria Sharapova helped fire defending champions Russia into an unassailable 3-1 lead over Israel in their Fed Cup World Group quarter-final clash here on Sunday.
   With the nations tied 1-1 going into Sunday’s matches, Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova proved fearless in her battle with Shahar Peer as the number ones went head-to-head in the reverse singles.
   The Russian routed Peer, who had been undefeated in 11 Fed Cup singles matches, 6-1, 6-1.
   In the second singles rubber, world number seven Anna Chakvetadze sealed the winning point for the defending champions, having stepped in as a replacement for Dinara Safina.
   Chakvetadze defeated Tzipi Obziler 6-4, 6-2 to ensure her country gets another chance at winning the Fed Cup title.

Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton suffered racist abuse from Spanish fans during testing at the Montmelo circuit in Barcelona, Spanish media reported on Sunday.
   Reports in a number of papers said the McLaren driver was booed and insulted whenever he made his way from the team motorhome and into the pits on Saturday.
   The correspondent from sports daily Marca said that shouts of ‘puto negro’ (bloody/f****** black) and ‘negro de mierda’ (black s***) were clearly heard and he said that large sections of the crowd were involved.
   ‘It is not right the way he is being treated,’ McLaren test team manager Indy Lull was quoted as saying. Marca said that the circuit director asked for fences to be put up around the McLaren paddock and ordered the removal of banners that had been put up opposite the team’s base.
   Daily La Vanguardia also said the circuit director had reminded fans of their obligations at the venue.
   ‘We would like to make a plea to the fans to behave correctly, no type of offensive behaviour can be tolerated,’ circuit director Ramon Pradera was quoted as saying in the newspaper.
   Hamilton, who finished runner-up in last year’s championship, has become a hate figure in Spain because of his rivalry with former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso who now drives for Renault.
   Incidents of racism have plagued Spanish sport, in particular football, in recent years.

Minhazuddin Ahmed Sagar, Shamima Akter Liza and Abdullah Al Saif led the table with full 5 points after the fifth round of the 29th National Junior Chess Championship on Sunday.
   AM Sharon is in second position with 4.5 points.
   In this round, Sagar beat Saimon Siddiqur Rahman, Liza beat Masum Hossain, Saif beat Shamsuddoha Shakin and Sharon beat Nazmul Hossain.

Jatrabari KC maintained their solo lead in the Metropolis Senior Division Football League defeating Mohakhali Eleven by a solitary goal at the Kamalapur Stadium on Sunday.
   Sohel scored the all-important goal for Jatrabari in the 86th minute. It was their sixth victory.
   Jatrabari top the league table securing 18 points from seven matches while Mohakhali Eleven suffered their fourth defeat to remain on three points, also from seven outings.

Cameroon superstar Samuel Eto’o will hope the past does not return to haunt him in an African Nations Cup quarter-final against Tunisia today.
   Two years ago in Egypt the Barcelona striker scored five goals in the group phase before the Indomitable Lions’ lost a marathon penalty shootout against Ivory Coast.
   It was the second consecutive quarter-finals exit for Cameroon, who have won the biennial tournament four times.
   Fast forward to this year and Eto’o once again completed the three-match mini-league phase with five goals, lifting his overall tally to 16 and making him the leading all-time Nations Cup scorer.
   A couple of the goals this year came from well struck penalties which will surely calm his nerves should the clash with Tunisia be deadlocked after extra time and go to spot kicks.
   The quarter-final at the 20,000-seat Tamale Stadium in this northern town may prove the tightest of the four as Cameroon pit stars like Eto’o against the well organised Tunisians.
   Although he has moved two goals above Ivorian Laurent Pokou on the all-time list there is no lack of incentives for Eto’o, who scored twice against Egypt, once against Zambia and twice more against Sudan.
   He needs another five from a possible three matches to overtake Mulamba Ndaye of the Democratic Republic of Congo, scorer of nine when his country lifted the 1974 Nations Cup in Cairo.
   And the supreme African football predator is also closing on the all-time Cameroon record of 33-goal Patrick Mboma, needing four to draw level with a star of the 2000 Nations Cup-winning team.
   ‘Samuel is the best striker in the world on his day and always among the top three,’ boasts coach Otto Pfister who was put in charge of the ‘Lions’ just before the tournament on a 40,000-dollar-a-month contract.
   But the coach appointed by the sports minister against the wishes of the national football federation says Cameroon are far from a one-man show as they seek to match Egypt and claim a fifth title.
   ‘Defender Rigobert Song is a true leader of men with loads of character and let us not forget midfielder Geremi Njitap, who has played for a number of top European clubs,’ said the German.
   ‘And there is goalkeeper Carlos Kameni, who is playing exceptionally well in Spain.
   ‘One of the most important criteria when selecting a player is whether he is with a club in one of the major European leagues and our squad includes footballers from all the leading countries.’
   After Cameroon lifted the Nations Cup in 2000 and 2002, on both occasions via shootouts, hosts Tunisia emerged as 2004 champions and five survivors could feature at a Tamale stadium built for the tournament with Chinese aid.
   They are defenders Radhi Jaidi and Karim Hagui, midfielders Jaouher Mnari and Mehdi Nafti and Brazil-born striker Francileudo dos Santos, whose brace set up a crucial pool triumph over South Africa last weekend.
   Captain Jaidi from English Premiership outfit Birmingham City did a u-turn having retired when the ‘Carthage Eagles’ made a tame first round exit from the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
   ‘Being among the most experienced players in the squad I would like to use the knowledge that I have to help the national team. I get respect from my team-mates which makes the role of skipper much easier.
   ‘Tunisian footballers perform as a unit and are mentally strong. We always think positively and concentrate on doing the basics well,’ said the man who could be tasked with foiling Eto’o.

Manchester United captain Gary Neville is battling to be fit for what he describes as one of the most special days in the club’s history.
   He is recovering from a long-term ankle injury and is desperate to lead out United against Manchester City at Old Trafford next Sunday in their first appearance after the 50th anniversary on Wednesday of the Munich disaster.
   ‘It means the world to me every time I go out on the football pitch,’ he says. ‘But on a day like this it would be an incredibly proud moment.
   ‘It was an awfully tragic event, but the sense of feeling runs through the club — we owe them so much. The way they played the game, the way the team play now, comes from that era.’
   Neville is keen, he admits, to get one of the special retro
   shirts United will wear on the day.
   ‘They will be numbered 1 to 16, no names, no sponsors,’ he says. ‘To wear one of those shirts would be so special. Everyone is desperate to play every single week but on that particular day they will be absolutely desperate to play.’
   Unlike many who fear local rivalry could spoil the day, Neville believes it to be a fitting fixture.
   ‘There is a bit of fortune that it’s happened but I think the city was affected greatly. It wasn’t just Manchester United. It touched everyone in the country.
   ‘I think it is good that it’s a Manchester occasion. You couldn’t have a bigger match and it’s important that we do ourselves justice on the day and play in a way those lads would have been proud of.’
   Now Neville hopes that the club can follow the winning of their first European Cup 10 years after Munich and the second on the birthday of Sir
   Matt Busby nine years ago
   with another anniversary celebration.
   ‘It’s the pinnacle to win the European Cup,’ he says. ‘This year would be incredibly special. That would be the cherry on the icing on the cake.’

Chelsea manager Avram Grant is refusing to rule his side out of the Premier League title race despite witnessing them slip to six points behind leaders Arsenal after a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth.
   Jermain Defoe scored a debut goal for his fourth successive club to cancel out Nicolas Anelka’s first Premier League goal for Chelsea and deny Grant’s quadruple-chasing team a club record tenth win in a row. Chelsea now know they can ill-afford anything less than a win when Liverpool visit Stamford Bridge next Sunday but Grant, who expects to welcome Frank Lampard back from injury for that match, was defiant about his side’s title prospects.
   ‘When we aren’t winning we are not so happy, especially after leading one nil and conceding a goal, which looked offside,’ he said. ‘It was disappointing.
   ‘But of course the title is not lost. There is still a long way to go until the end of the season. There are a lot of points to be won and anything can happen.
   ‘Last season we were nine points behind Manchester United and people said we had a chance and now it is only six so we still have a chance.
   ‘We are in four trophies and had won nine games in a row before today. We have been playing attractive football and hopefully that will continue.’
   Germany midfielder Michael Ballack had already had a header cleared off the line when Anelka opened the scoring ten minutes into the second half.
   Portsmouth felt they should have had a penalty when Claude Makelele appeared to handle Milan Baros’s cross.
   Referee Howard Webb angered home supporters and players alike by waving away their appeals and Florent Malouda launched a swift counter- attack.
   Malouda’s left wing cross was headed across goal by Joe Cole for Anelka to finish neatly from six yards.
   Portsmouth put their feelings of injustice behind them when Defoe took advantage of some unusually poor Chelsea defending to mark his seven-million-pound transfer deadline day arrival from Tottenham with a goal.
   Goalkeeper David James played a hopeful long ball up field and Baros attracted Alex and Tal Ben Haim to the ball before heading for Defoe to find the bottom right corner of Petr Cech’s goal from 12 yards.
   Chelsea could even have fallen to only the third defeat of Grant’s Stamford Bridge reign had Defoe not chipped wide of the goal when one-on-one with Cech 11 minutes from the end.
   Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp agrees with Grant that the 2006 champions are still in contention to reclaim their crown, once Lampard and John Terry return from injury and Michael Essien, Didier Drogba and Saloman Kalou from the African Nations Cup.
   Redknapp, celebrating a first point against Chelsea in ten Premier League games, said: ‘Chelsea have got five world class players out and still won nine on the spin.
   ‘When all those players come back they can go on a run again. The Championship is nowhere near over.
   ‘It was a great game and both teams were going for it. It could have gone either way.
   ‘Jermain took his goal well and it was good for him. He had another couple of opportunities and given a few more games he may have tucked them away.’
   In a further boost for Chelsea, Grant revealed England midfielder Lampard should be back in contention for the Liverpool match and forthcoming Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup games after six weeks out with a knee problem.
   Grant said: ‘Frank is better and might play against Liverpool.’

Sir Alex Ferguson’s ability to put a positive spin on any setback was underlined once again as he insisted that Manchester United had salvaged a point with their dramatic late equaliser against Tottenham rather than dropped two.
   United appeared to be spinning to their fourth defeat of the season with seconds remaining at White Hart Lane but, not for the first time under Ferguson, there was a sting in the tail.
   A right-sided corner was swung over by Nani and, after Carlos Tevez and Michael Dawson both scrambled to connect at the near post, the ball zipped past Radek Cerny for the most unlikely of equalisers.
   The Argentine striker’s jubilant celebrations suggested he applied the final touch and, while Ferguson admitted the strike had been ‘fortuitous’, the Scot believes his side’s tenacity will provide a firm foundation for their title tilt, despite slipping to two points adrift of Arsenal.
   ‘We never stopped going which is great credit to the players so I believe that we deserved the point,’ he said. ‘Some people are saying we have dropped two points but that could be a massive point for us. We had a lot of opportunities and we dominated in the final period of the match. We gambled because we knew we had to get a result so all the players went up and it paid off eventually.
   ‘There are always some clubs who are on an upward curve and Tottenham are one of those, there’s no question about that. Juande Ramos has done a fantastic job and his side worked their socks off. They’ve had six games in 18 days and that’s to their great credit.
   ‘From now until the end of the season it will be nip and tuck. Arsenal are two points ahead of us at the moment but there are a lot of big games to come. You can’t say who is going to win the league at this stage because it’s just too early. It’s a hard league.’
   Ferguson may have been satisfied with his afternoon’s work in north London but he was less content with the performance of referee Mark Clattenburg.
   United face an automatic fine from the Football Association after the Tyne and Wear official booked seven of their players – including Edwin van der Sar and Cristiano Ronaldo for dissent and Wayne Rooney for diving – and Ferguson was predictably furious.
   ‘For Manchester United, it’s not right,’ he said. ‘There is something wrong when we get seven bookings. Up until half-time, I thought the whole game looked like it was going to go to pieces as a football spectacle.
   ‘Something has to be wrong when we get that number of bookings. Has he been fair to both teams? No, because in the second half he booked Rooney for diving and then moments later Huddlestone dived for them. He had already been booked, but he did nothing.’
   In truth, it was Tottenham who had more cause for annoyance.
   Until United began turning the screw in the final 20 minutes, they were firmly in control and only wasteful finishing prevented them extending their lead, established in the 20th minute when Dimitar Berbatov bundled in from close range. Nevertheless, the very fact the home faithful departed muttering in frustration highlights the transformation achieved by Ramos since his appointment as manager in October.
   ‘To play against United, who are certainly at the top of their game in Europe and in England, is very difficult,’ Ramos said. ‘We are satisfied with the progress we have made but we are going to continue to try and improve.
   ‘The team still has a lot of possibilities this season with the cups coming up and games like this are good for us because it shows that we can compete against the best sides in the league.’

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard insisted the club can look ahead to this weekend’s showdown with Chelsea and the rest of the season with confidence after a 3-0 win over Sunderland.
   The win ended a run of five Premiership matches without a win for Rafa Benitez’s side, a sequence dating back to December 26, and was just the fifth home league success of a frustrating campaign.
   Second-half goals from Peter Crouch, Fernando Torres and a Gerrard penalty sealed the three points after it appeared that Liverpool might be destined for another frustrating afternoon.
   But Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, who set up the important opening goal for Crouch, were in no doubt that the emphatic final scoreline can carry their team through to a successful remainder of the season.
   Gerrard said, ‘It was important to get a win and a clean sheet but we can still play better than that. Win breeds confidence and we have been lacking confidence lately.
   ‘If individuals don’t have confidence, then they don’t perform but we have a big game with Chelsea when we get back from international duty and we can go into it with new confidence.’
   Carragher added, ‘We hadn’t won for five games, which isn’t a great run, but results have gone for us today. That is a tough game with Chelsea coming up but although we’re not in the title race any more we have to make sure we claim the fourth place for the Champions League.’
   Benitez also paid tribute to the clean-sheet kept by Jose Reina who, on his 92nd appearance for the club, became the quickest Liverpool keeper to 50 clean-sheets—beating the previous mark of 95 held by the legendary Ray Clemence.
   ‘This was an important win for us,’ said Benitez.
   ‘Confidence was low, now this result can be good for everybody. Scoring three goals, keeping a clean sheet and a record in the history of the club, there were a lot of positive things.
   ‘I have to thank the supporters for being behind the team. We needed to be patient and they were with us. As soon as we scored the first goal you could see the celebrations and everyone pushing on together.
   ‘In the first half, Sunderland had more energy and were defending well. We were controlling the game and attacking but, after Crouch scored the first goal, everybody was playing better. He had another chance, you could see Torres and the rest of the players playing better, with more options.’
   Sunderland manager Roy Keane, a veteran of so many great Anfield encounters in his days as a Manchester United player, was angered by a strong penalty appeal that was rejected by referee Rob Styles after an apparent handball by Carragher.
   Earlier this season at Anfield, Styles was demoted from the Premiership list after he was proved to have made a crucial mistake by awarding Chelsea a penalty decision. Keane said, ‘Of course we should have had a penalty but I don’t think we were ever going to get a penalty here today.
   ‘Rob refereed the Chelsea game here a few months ago and was demoted for a penalty he gave against Liverpool, so even though Carragher held his hands up in the area we were never going to get it.

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Manchester United are still on track to retain their Premier League title despite being forced to produce a stoppage time equaliser to earn a point against revitalised Tottenahm.
   The setback allowed Arsenal, 3-1 winners at Manchester City, to open up a two point lead at the top of the table.
   But Ferguson insisted that gap will be closed if his side continue to display the spirit they demonstrated at White Hart Lane.
   ‘Some people are saying we have dropped two points but that could be a massive point for us,’ the Scot said.
   Dimitar Berbatov’s first-half strike had looked set to give Spurs victory but United’s late pressure paid off when, after a corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Carlos Tevez wrapped his leg round Spurs defender Michael Dawson to prod home an equaliser.
   It was though a good day for Arsenal, who had ended Manchester City’s unbeaten home record and also saw third-placed Chelsea held to a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth.
   Berbatov put Tottenham ahead against United with a close-range finish in the 20th minute after Edwin van der Sar failed to hold Aaron Lennon’s cross.
   The United goalkeeper was then booked for angrily protesting to the officials over what he felt was a handball by Jermaine Jenas in the build-up, but television replays suggested the Dutchman was simply venting his frustration at what
   could prove to be a very costly error.
   Ferguson said Tottenham deserved credit for a display that suggests Juande Ramos is beginning to have a major impact on the club.
   ‘You’re seeing an upswing with Tottenham, there’s no question about that, Juande Ramos has done a fantastic job,’ said the Scot.
   ‘But we’ve never stopped going and that’s a great credit to the players. I think we deserved a point, but just.’
   Arsenal’s win came courtesy of two goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and a fine finish from Eduardo da Silva, with Gelson Fernandes netting for City.
   Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger acknowledged the outcome had been in the balance for long periods.
   ‘It is hard here because they hadn’t lost at home,’ he said. ‘It’s their first defeat. It is always difficult when they have that belief they won’t lose.’
   Jermain Defoe marked his debut for Portsmouth with a well-taken equaliser as Chelsea’s nine-match winning streak came to an end with a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park, where Nicolas Anelka had given them the lead.
   ‘Defoe’s goal was offside, but that’s history now,’ said disgruntled Chelsea boss Avram Grant. ‘We had enough chances to win the game.’
   Everton’s bid to claim a place in next season’s Champions League suffered a setback when they were held to a goalless draw at Blackburn.
   But David Moyes’s side remain in fourth place, a
   point ahead of Liverpool,
   who beat Sunderland 3-0 at Anfield.
   A Peter Crouch header, Fernando Torres’s 18th goal of the season and a late penalty from Steven Gerrard gave Rafael Benitez’s side their first league win since December 26.
   ‘When your confidence is low it is important to win,’ acknowledged the Spaniard after what was a far from convincing display despite the scoreline.
   At the bottom, Bolton took a significant step towards securing their Premiership status with an impressive 2-0 win away to fellow strugglers Reading, courtesy of goals either side of half-time from Kevin Nolan and Heidar Helguson.
   Wigan also enjoyed their day. Kevin Kilbane headed Ryan Taylor’s free-kick beyond Robert Green to give them a 1-0 win over West Ham which lifts them out of the relegation zone.
   That move came at Birmingham’s expense.
   Alex McLeish’s side slipped to third from bottom after a 1-1 draw at home to Derby.
   Sebastian Larsson had given Blues the lead with just over 20 minutes left but Argentinian striker Emmanuel Villa came off the bench to rescue a point for the bottom side.

Fabio Capello stuck with England’s old-guard as he trimmed his squad for Wednesday’s friendly against Switzerland.
   The Italian on Saturday finalised a 23-man squad for his first match as England coach after dropping fringe players Curtis Davies, Nicky Shorey, Michael Carrick, Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson from his provisional 30-man group.
   Wigan striker Emile Heskey was ruled out after suffering an injury during his team’s win over West Ham on Saturday, while Tottenham defender Ledley King is also sidelined through injury.
   Those changes left a familiar looking group, with the only fresh face Aston Villa’s young striker Gabriel Agbonlahor.
   Capello insisted the players who didn’t make the cut would still be considered in future, giving David Beckham, who didn’t even make the provisional squad, hope that he could still win his 100th cap.
   ‘I want to be clear that the players who have not made the squad this time are still part of my plans,’ Capello told the FA’s website. ‘We will be monitoring the form of everyone very closely as we work towards the competitive matches which start in September.
   ‘It is of course a blow to lose Ledley King from the squad. He is a very good player who has impressed me a lot when I have seen him play.
   ‘I am fully aware of his injury status after speaking with Juande Ramos on Friday.
   ‘Emile Heskey’s injury is disappointing too, but we have to concentrate on the players who are in the squad.’
   Capello is still to confirm his first England captain and admitted he didn’t want to announce his decision until Tuesday, giving him time to work with the players first.
   John Terry, the captain during Steve McClaren’s reign, is out through injury, so Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard looks favourite to get the honour.
   ‘I plan to name a captain for the Switzerland game on Tuesday, but I don’t expect to appoint a permanent captain until we start the (World Cup) qualifying games. I want to work closely with the players before deciding on this,’ Capello said.
   Capello won’t take charge of a competitive match until September when England’s 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign begins against Andorra. But the Italian is keen to start the build-up immediately. ‘We have seven months to prepare for our first competitive match, but the work really starts now,’ he said.
   ‘I’m looking forward to working with them on the training ground. There is a lot of work to do but I am ready for the challenge.’
   Squad
   Goalkeepers: Scott Carson, David James, Chris Kirkland; Defenders: Wayne Bridge, Wes Brown, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, Matthew Upson, Jonathan Woodgate; Midfielders: Gareth Barry, David Bentley, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Owen Hargreaves, Jermaine Jenas, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Young; Forwards: Gabriel Agbonlahor, Peter Crouch, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney.

Arsene Wenger could be facing a desperate battle to keep star striker Emmanuel Adebayor at Arsenal after the Togo international enhanced his growing reputation by helping the Gunners pull clear at the top of the Premier League.
   Adebayor helped himself to a brace of goals as Arsenal ended Manchester City’s unbeaten home record with a 3-1 win on Saturday.
   It was a particularly significant win as Manchester United were held by Tottenham later in the day and Adebayor deserved the headlines after a polished display that underlined why he is rapidly becoming one of the most talked about and sought-after forwards in European football.
   Wenger heaped praise on Adebayor, but didn’t help himself when suggesting the 23-year-old has filled the void left by Thierry Henry’s departure to Barcelona last year.
   Several of the continent’s leading clubs, including Real Madrid, Juventus and AC Milan are known to be keeping close tabs on the progress of the lanky forward with a view to making a bid for him in the summer.
   It remains to be seen whether or Adebayor wishes to pledge his long term future to the London club, but it is a safe assumption that Wenger will be encouraging his board of directors to tie his leading goal-scorer down to a new and improved long-term contract.
   Should a European rival table a multi-million pound bid come the end of the season, Arsenal might find themselves in a difficult position.
   As Wenger proved with Henry when selling him to Barcelona for 16 million pounds, every player has their price irrespective of how important they are to the club.
   Wenger paid seven million to sign Adebayor from Monaco two years ago and the price was questioned at the time.
   Adebayor has flourished this season, however, scoring 21 goals, including eleven in his last eight games, to suggest Wenger landed himself a bargain.
   Adebayor is the only player capable of keeping pace with United’s Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring charts this season and Wenger admits he is maturing into a class act.
   Wenger said, ‘At the moment I’m grateful for every game that he plays in and the fact he’s still at home and not away with the African Nations Cup (because Togo did not qualify).
   ‘I have a lot of respect for Ronaldo, but I’m happy with the players I’ve got. Ronaldo is more of a winger while Adebayor is a real centre-forward.
   ‘He’s made a big, big improvement this year and he is remarkably consistent. He made a big impact on two very good centre-backs and had a big influence on us winning the game.
   ‘He’s more composed in front of goal now. He wasn’t like that when he first came to the club. The changes in his game have been tremendous.
   ‘It’s not important that he finishes top scorer (in the Premiership). It’s more important that the team wins.
   ‘He’s a generous type of guy. He has big stamina, strength and power and just loves to play. Thierry Henry is a world class player and we don’t forget him, but to fill the void left by him is fantastic.’
   City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted his side had no answer to Adebayor’s talents and he added, ‘He suits Arsenal’s style of play well and he is difficult to deal with. You can see he is a very talented player who has a massive future in the game. He took his goals well but there is more to his game than just that.’

Almeria caused the biggest upset of the Spanish season with a sensational 2-0 win over reigning champions Real Madrid on Saturday to inject some much-needed spice into the title race.
   Real could have gone 12 points clear of Barcelona at the summit with victory at Almeria but the La Liga newcomers, only founded in 1989, enjoyed the biggest result in their history.
   Barcelona, who reached the semi-finals of the Kings Cup in midweek, can now cut Real’s lead to six points with a home win over Osasuna on Sunday.
   Madrid coach Bernd Schuster warned his team not to get complacent after opening up a nine-point cushion but his words fell on deaf ears as goals from Juanito and Alvaro Negredo condemned Real to their third defeat of the season.
   ‘Almeria showed how good they are and if you don’t score it is always difficult,’ explained Schuster.
   ‘The other day I heard someone smart saying how the league was poor because of our points advantage over the rest but this shows the strength of the Spanish league and why it is the most competitive in the world.’
   The shock loss ended Real’s sequence of eight successive league wins and was their first defeat since their 2-0 reverse against Sevilla in November last year. For Almeria it was a fourth straight win and they climb to seventh just one point off the UEFA Cup spots.
   Mahamadou Diarra, back in Spain following Mali’s exit from the African Nations Cup, returned to the Real starting line-up with Gago suspended.
   Dutch forward Ruud van Nistelrooy shrugged off a bout of gastroenteritis to lead the front-line and his strike partner Raul almost put Real ahead after five minutes when he went close with a delicate chip.
   However, it was Almeria who took a shock lead after 15 minutes with Real failing to defend a set-piece properly and Juanito pounced to open the scoring.
   Ten minutes later Almeria were fortunate not to have goalkeeper Diego Alves sent off for a blatant body check on Sergio Ramos metres outside of the penalty area.
   Real’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas was furious that Ramos only received a yellow card and his protests led to him receiving the same punishment.
   Things got worse for Real two minutes after the restart when Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro was adjudged to have fouled Negredo in the penalty area.
   The in-form striker picked himself up to convert the penalty sending Casillas the wrong way for his seventh goal of the season.
   Real had a glorious chance to get back into the match but Almeria held on for a historic win.
   In Saturday’s late match Deportivo La Coruna moved out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win at fellow strugglers Real Betis.
   Pablo Amo scored the only goal as Deportivo climbed out of the relegation zone at Real Murcia’s expense.

Manchester United’s new recruit Manucho and surprise-package Angola face five-time defending champions Egypt in an intriguing African Nations Cup quarter-final here today.
   Angola have never progressed so far in the biennial competition, the Black Antelopes defying the odds to make it past the opening round at the fifth attempt.
   A 1-1 draw against Group D joint leaders Tunisia in Tamale last Thursday was enough to see them through as runners-up after an identical scoreline in their tie with South Africa and an emphatic 3-1 win over Senegal.
   With a fine showing by three-goal hero Manucho, the striker who has been lent out by United to Panathinaikos until the end of the season, Angola are proving they fully deserved their place at the 2006 World Cup.
   The 24-year-old Angolan star has signed a three-year deal with United. He said, ‘After the Nations Cup I will return to Luanda and then head to Athens.
   ‘I am looking forward to playing in Greece before hopefully being a success at Old Trafford.’
   The man who has masterminded this rise through the footballing ranks is coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves and he’s not ready to let a small matter like the multiple titleholders Egypt force him home.
   He said, ‘We intend to extend our run. We have new challenges and we want to go as far as we can in this test. We are ready for the fourth game but we are also thinking about the fifth. We don’t want to stop here, we want to get to the semi-finals.’
   Egypt kept the wheels on their title defence bid with a 1-1 draw with Zambia last Wednesday following their opening round 4-2 success over Cameroon and 2-0 defeat of Sudan.
   That left them as Group C leaders after Amr Zaky’s goal saving their blushes against the Zambians.
   Egypt turned up in Ghana curiously given their status as champions playing the role of outsiders to a certain extent after making heavy weather of qualifying.
   They only scraped in on the final day in an accessible group comprising Mauritania, Burundi and Botswana.
   But they have shown their class here and are still in with a shout of adding to their collection of trophies won in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998 and 2006.
   Ahmed Fathi, the Al Ahly defender, said, ‘We’re confident we can play well in the next game and progress to the semi-finals.’
   And coach Hassan Shehata insisted, ‘We came here to win. Our responsibility is greater than the other teams here in Ghana because we are the defending champions. We’re here to retain our title.’

Germany coach Joachim Low said Jens Lehmann’s return to the Arsenal first-team was a case of perfect timing with Germany facing Euro 2008 hosts Austria in a friendly on Wednesday.
   The Gunners’ first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has picked up a thumb injury to give Lehmann his first league appearance since August, while German captain Michael Ballack received stitches in a head wound for Chelsea.
   Both will report for duty when the team meet in Frankfurt on Sunday, but Borussia Moenchengladbach striker Oliver Neuville has succombed to a foot injury and has been ruled out.
   ‘Jens return to the Arsenal goal is good news,’ said Low. ‘Perhaps he will get more game time after the match against Austria. It can be assumed Jens will play in Vienna.
   ‘But I do not think that Arsene Wenger has changed his opinion about his preferred goalkeeper.’
   Low is also anxious for news on Bayern Munich striker’s Lukas Podolski’s slipped disc injury and Ballack’s head gash he picked up for Chelsea at Portsmouth.
   After ten months out of international football with an ankle injury, Ballack’s injury is unlikely to stop him winning his 78th cap, his first since March 2007. ‘I don’t think Michael’s injury is a big problem,’ said Low.
   Meanwhile Low has gone on the offensive after Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath’s criticism of Jurgen Klinsmann, who Low helped coach Germany at the 2006 World Cup.
   Magath had said Germany’s third place in 2006 was more down to the players and Germany domestic coaches rather than Klinsmann and Low’s influence, a statement Low took exception to.
   ‘If someone thinks that 20 players just turned up and won, with no influence from the coaches, are mistaken,’ said Low. ‘We developed a range of tactics and improved the fitness considerably, from which the Bundesliga clubs profited.’

Cristiano Ronaldo will become the highest paid player in Premier League history with Manchester United ready to offer him a £44-million contract. The News of the World says the Portuguese star will be presented with a deal worth £140,000 a week that would tie him to Old Trafford until 2014.
   That would see him leapfrog Chelsea skipper John Terry, who has a contract worth £130,000 a week. Ronaldo, who has scored 27 goals already this season, would earn an incredible £7 million a year with his new deal. And that would send Ronaldo soaring to the top of the Old Trafford pay stakes ahead of Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand.
   Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has only just been given the go-ahead by the Glazer family to break United’s wage structure but Old Trafford sources are confident Ronaldo will put pen to paper in the summer. The winger only signed a five-year deal last season which takes him through to 2012 but Ferguson is keen to reward him for his scintillating form and stunning strike rate that have taken him within reach of George Best’s record for a winger of 33 goals in a season.
   And United also want to ‘ring fence’ the player to keep him out of reach of Real Madrid. Fergie is convinced Real are trying to unsettle his player through ‘leaked’ stories in a Spanish sports paper but insists Ronaldo is happy to stay put.
   United have also been alerted to the risk that they might lose Ronaldo in two years after a landmark ruling this week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
   The decision means that Ronaldo could break his contract with two years remaining by handing over the remaining value of his wages. That would see him become available in 2010 for a mere £10m as he is currently on £100,000 a week. The ruling means all top clubs will be forced to review the contracts of their stars long before they expire.

Milan superstar Kaka has revealed that he is concerned about the future of team-mate Alexandre Pato due to the unbearable pressure being heaped on the youngster. Pato was hailed as one of the most promising talents to come out of Brazil in years in the build-up to his long-awaited debut for the Rossoneri against Napoli a few weeks ago.
   Despite all the hype Pato has not disappointed, scoring on his debut, and also adding a double against Genoa last weekend. So far the 18-year-old has appeared to show that he can handle the pressure and expectation, however Kaka is still concerned about his compatriot.
   ‘If I am honest I am a little worried for him,’ said the European and World Footballer of the Year.
   ‘He is burdened by high expectations, and he may end up being crushed by the many pressures. When I arrived at Milan, my situation was very different. I was 21-years-old, I was not so popular, and I did not cost so much.’ Some have compared Pato to Ronaldo’s explosion onto the European scene in the mid-1990s, but Kaka warns that the new kid on the block still needs to improve his technique.
   ‘Not only that, but now they write in Brazil that the “new Ronaldo” has been born,’ Kaka continued. ‘Take it slowly Brazilian friends, take it slowly. Pato, with the ball at his feet, is impregnable in speed but he must improve his technique and quality.’