Legendary footballer Kazi Salahuddin joined the chorus of disenchanted organisers and former players who reiterated their calls for immediate holding of the Bangladesh Football Federation elections.
   In a rare appearance at a crowded press conference at the National Sports Council auditorium on Wednesday, he slammed BFF for dilly-dallying over the election process.
   ‘I am shocked to see the delaying tactics employed by inefficient officials who have for years have failed to run the game, but are not ashamed to leave the chair. It goes to show they don’t care about our football,’ said Salahuddin, a former vice-president of the federation.
   ‘What is really irritating is how they can even imagine of never intending to hold the election. FIFA has given them an April deadline, but it does not mean that you have to hold the election in the last week of April.
   ‘I demand the BFF elections be held without delay as well as ten months of uninterrupted football on the field. The federation has miserably failed to perform its duties, so only a change through election can ensure the smooth transition of football in the country,’ said the one-time deadly striker.
   ‘The BFF is now a ship without a rudder and the president and the general secretary are doing as they please. There is no accountability. In the past the federation was a one man show now there is nobody,’ he remarked.
   Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu, the former deputy general secretary of BFF, slammed the federation for their attitude.
   ‘I think the election can take place within a few days and already 52 DFAs have been formed. Is it their intention of dragging the process to the very end so that they can request FIFA and AFC for a further extension? If that is the case, then we will resist it at any cost,’ said Chunnu.
   Chunnu, who was elected the president of Narayanganj DFA, said there is no bar to include the DC or other government officials in the DFAs. ‘The first thing is to hold the elections. Also FIFA and AFC are not uncompromising and we can make them understand if any changes are required,’ he argued.
   Zakaria Pintu, captain of Swadhin Bangla Football Team, warned the federation that they would be responsible if football is thrown into further crisis. ‘The reluctance of BFF not to deal with the awkward situation is unacceptable. Being part of the game either as organisers or ex-players, we cannot sit idle and allow the game we follow with such zeal to be destroyed in this way,’ lamented Pintu.
   Former stars Pratap Shankar, Sabbir, Kaiser Hamid, Ayaz, Nakib, Atiq, and a host of footballers were present.

Australia’s Adam Gilchrist went in to bat for the umpires on Wednesday, despite being at the wrong end of a dodgy decision at the weekend.
   The big-hitting left-hander, playing his final one-day tournament for his country before bowing out of international cricket, was at the heart of the latest umpiring controversies during Sunday’s one-day clash with India in Melbourne.
   Gilchrist was wrongly given out LBW by South African umpire Rudi Koertzen for a duck after he got a thick inside edge onto his pads.
   Then, in the Indian innings, the Australians were certain star batsman Sachin Tendulkar had got an outside edge, but Koertzen turned down the appeal.
   Koertzen was also involved in a glaring error earlier in the season, when he incorrectly gave Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara caught behind for 192 at a crucial stage of the second Test against Australia in Hobart in November.
   Koertzen’s dramas follow the rapid fall from grace of veteran West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor, who was removed from the Test series between India and Australia at the request of the Indians after making bad mistakes in the contentious second Test in Sydney in early January.
   Earlier this week, respected Australian umpire Simon Taufel backed the increased use of technology to help with decisions, saying such a move was inevitable.
   But Gilchrist said he had put the Melbourne decision behind him and backed the umpires.
   He said it was time people moved on from highlighting incorrect decisions, saying the scrutiny under which umpires operated was ‘unbelievable.’
   ‘Things like that have been happening as long as the game has been played,’ the wicketkeeper-batsman said.
   ‘I’ve been more than happy to stand by whatever happens, happens, and you have to deal with it.
   ‘Of course you are disappointed, but you just get on with it.
   ‘I am not going to hold a grudge against any umpire, particularly that bloke. I respect him.... I have the utmost respect for all those umpires.’

Australian cricket officials have told their Pakistani counterparts that they have received security advice against touring Pakistan because of political unrest and violence, an official said Wednesday.
   Australia are due to tour Pakistan for three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match next month but the fate of the series hangs in the balance after several Australian players raised security fears.
   ‘We have received a letter from Cricket Australia and though they reiterated their commitment to supporting Pakistan cricket, they said that security briefings they have received are advising them against touring,’ Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf told AFP.
   Ashraf met CA chairman Creagh O’Connor in Dubai earlier this month, a meeting which failed to produce a breakthrough as Australia continue to monitor the situation in Pakistan.
   Ashraf said the PCB had advised CA to send their security delegation to Pakistan a week after national elections on February 18.
   ‘They have asked us whether we still want a security delegation sent here and if so when. In response to this, we have told CA that we still firmly believe that the environment for cricket and cricketers is still safe here and they must send their team on February 25,’ said Ashraf.
   Ashraf said terrorism happened in other countries without affecting cricket.
   ‘We stress that incidents could happen anywhere in the world. They happened in Sri Lanka, they happened in Glasgow last year when we were there for a one-day and bombs went off in England in 2005 when Australia were there,’ Ashraf.
   ‘We have to make decisions not just on perceptions, but on ground realities. We are making every effort to ensure the tour goes ahead. It would be a big loss to Pakistan cricket if they didn’t tour.’
   Ashraf said there would be further talks on the tour between the officials of the two boards on the sidelines of an International Cricket Council meeting in Malaysia next week.
   ‘Our officials Shafqat Naghmi and Zakir Khan will meet CA chief executive James Sutherland in Kuala Lumpur during the Under-19 World Cup and discuss arrangements for the security delegation with him.’
   Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998. They forced Pakistan to play on neutral venues of Sri Lanka and Sharjah in 2002, a year after the 9/11 attacks on the United States sparked security fears in South Asia.
   Pakistan have ruled out playing the latest series on neutral venues or relocating it to Australia.
   PCB have also promised personal bodyguards and sniffer dogs to protect Australian players as part of planned stringent security usually reserved for visiting heads of state.
   Every Australian player will be provided bodyguards, while roads will be closed to all traffic when the tourists travel to and from the grounds, officials said.

Brad Haddin is using his last weeks touring with Adam Gilchrist wisely as he prepares to take over the gloves full-time in March. While Gilchrist waves goodbye during the CB Series, Haddin has the opportunity to pick up more useful tips from Australia’s world-record holder.
   ‘It is good to have another wicketkeeper to talk shop with along the way, and to have Adam at the other end of the phone line - he has always been willing to give me advice,’ Haddin told AAP. ‘With a bit of luck, that won’t change when he retires. I am hoping he will always be on the other end of the phone.’
   Haddin has played two games in the CB Series as a batsman, pushing his career tally to 28 appearances, and he is currently waiting to discover the venue of what will almost certainly be his first Test series. Next month’s Pakistan tour is in doubt and if it is cancelled he will have to wait until the West Indies trip in May.
   Despite the promotion being so close, Haddin said the situation had not altered his focus. ‘My position hasn’t changed ... there’s a position [in the team] at the end of the tour,’ he said. ‘You have to make sure you’re consistent and your performance warrants the selectors having a look at you when the opportunity comes when Adam goes.
   ‘I’ve been in this situation now for a long time. It’s not something now I’m going to think too much about or it could detract from my performance.’
   Haddin, 30, first replaced Gilchrist in 2001 and has become his regular understudy since 2004. However, he is likely to spend his remaining playing time in the CB Series as a batsman and is in contention for a spot against Sri Lanka at the WACA on Friday.
   ‘It is obviously something I am not used to ... and I would be lying if I said it is not uncomfortable,’ he said of his glove-free role. ‘But it has been enjoyable as well because I don’t think many keepers have the opportunity to field in front of crowds like we had at the MCG.
   ‘I have always been a wicketkeeper because I was a bit too short to be a fast bowler or anything else. I have enjoyed the time in the field but I tell you what, I can’t wait to get the gloves back on. I will always be a wicketkeeper first.’

The Afro-Asian Cup, the second staging of which took place in Bangalore in June last year, looks likely to undergo a radical overhaul of its format.
   The event has raised valuable funds for the African Cricket Association and the Asian Cricket Council, but it has been less than a hit with audiences and has been roundly condemned as an unnecessary burden in an already packed international calendar. The third Afro-Asian Cup was initially scheduled to be held in Kenya in June 2008 but Cricinfo was told several weeks ago it was unlikely to go ahead.
   But while there had been speculation the event would be ditched completely, it is now reported that the organisers are to propose a new format which would involve matches being on a country basis rather than continent v continent, as is the case now.
   There is already an Asia Cup - the itinerary for the 2008 event in June was revealed earlier this week - and to run alongside that there would be a new Africa Cup. That would be likely to feature South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, as well as other countries such as Namibia and Uganda. The winners from the two continents, and possibly the runners-up as well, would then progress to the finals.
   A source close to the event told Cricinfo that the appeal of the revised format was that it would include more countries and appealed far more to local sponsors and broadcasters. What’s more, the emerging African countries have been after more meaningful international cricket, and for them this will be a godsend.
   It seems that the choice for the organisers was change or bust. The emergence of the IPL - and to a lesser degree the ICL and Stanford 20/20 - on top of the burgeoning Test and ODI merry-go-round means that the international calendar no longer has time for the Afro-Asia Cup as it was. More regional tournaments with a quick in-and-out best-of-three final anytime during the year seems to appease both organisers and sponsors, and it can be scheduled to fit in one of the increasingly rare gaps in the international schedule.
   The proposal is due to be put to the next meeting of the Afro-Asia Cup Council early in March.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board failed to get any sponsor until Wednesday for the Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League, which begins today with six matches in three different grounds.
   The BCB was in talks with a number of companies to sponsor the event, but could not come up with any decision, according to the officials. ‘The commercial committee has been in touch with several companies and hopefully we will get someone shortly,’ said Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the chairman of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis.
   Mohammedan will take on BKSP in the opening match at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium at 9:30am. All 12 teams will play a match on the opening day.
   At the DCS, Old DOHS take on Surjo Tarun at 1:30pm. Abahani face Kalabagan KC at the BKSP-2 ground, which will also host the Victoria-Sonargaon match in the afternoon. Biman and City Club will face off in the first match at BKSP-1 before Partex meet Young Pegasus at the same ground.

The rebel Indian Cricket has signed 10 more Pakistan players for its next tournament.
   Official sources confirmed the ICL had reached an agreement with 10 Pakistani players, taking the number to 16 since last year. Former Test player Humayun Farhat said he was one of the players who had signed up.
   ‘Yes, I have signed up to play for the ICL,’ Farhat told Reuters on Wednesday. ‘Despite being the best wicketkeeper in domestic cricket I have not got a chance to play for Pakistan.’
   Imran Nazir, Hasan Raza, Naved Latif, Rana Naved ul Hasan, Mohammad Sami, Arshad Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq are also reported to have signed up.
   Arshad said he had received an attractive offer from the ICL and had resigned from his post as a member of the national junior selection committee.
   ‘At my age I have got some limited options, which I have taken up,’ he added.
   Pakistan’s cricket board has banned six players – Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat, Shabbir Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Taufiq Umar and Azhar Mahmood – who took part in the inaugural Twenty20 edition of the tournament last December.
   The ICL is not recognised by International Cricket Council member boards.
   Pakistan’s board said its policy on players joining the ICL would remain unchanged.
   ‘We are doing everything to increase financial benefits for our national and domestic players. But if anyone wants to join the ICL we wish him good luck,’ said Zakir Khan, director cricket operations.
   The ICL’s representative in Pakistan, Moin Khan, would not comment on the new signings and added that any announcement would be made from headquarters in India.

The Bangladesh Under-19 team tasted a five-wicket defeat against defending champions Pakistan in their final warm-up game ahead of the ICC Under-19 World Cup at the Club Aman ground in Malaysia on Wednesday.
   Batting first, Bangladesh scored a modest 203 before being all out in 48.5 overs with Mohammad Mithun scoring highest 75. Mahmudul Hasan and Ashiqul Islam chipped in with 27 and 23 respectively, but their efforts were not enough to save a defeat.
   Ahmed Shahzad (79 not out) anchored the innings as Pakistan successfully chased down Bangladesh’s total. Shahzad shared an impressive opening partnership of 89 with Umer Akmal, the younger brother of Pakistan senior wicketkeeper Kamran.
   Umar scored 63 and in reality, their victory was never in doubt as Pakistan were always ahead of the run rate. Bangladesh skipper Sohrawardi Shuvo returned with 2-37. Bangladesh will begin their campaign with a match against Bermuda on February 18.

Retired cricket great Kapil Dev has taken the powerful Indian board to court for alleged victimisation after he headed the rebel Indian Cricket League, reports said on Wednesday.
   Dev applied to the Delhi High Court on Tuesday after the Board of Control for Cricket in India stopped his pension as a former international player and also sacked him as head of the National Cricket Academy.
   ‘The only way of earning a livelihood for us retired cricketers is through the game and the board cannot, by illegally changing its rules and regulations, deprive us of the benefits,’ media reports quoted Dev’s court affidavit as saying.

Ranjan Ram of Bangladesh reached the second round of boy’s singles in the Dhaka Bank 22nd International Junior Tennis defeating Osintsev Ilya of Russia 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 at the Ramna National Tennis Complex on Wednesday.
   Another Bangladesh player Delwar Hossain also moved into the second round beating compatriot Mazharul Islam 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
   Other players to book second round berths are Jayaprakash Mohit of India, Wen Yao of Taipei, Egor Kovalep of Russia, Priyank Gangadharan of India, Loic Ducorau of France, Yen Hsiang Lo of Taipei, Lertchai Kongpop of Thailand, Ahuja Sagar of India, Sergi Sikharulidze of Georgia, Kim Ki-hoon of Korea, Paul Brown of Britain, Kwom Yong-jae of Korea and Regan Krijanto of India.
   In the girl’s singles, Poojashree of India, Vivian Vlaar of Netherlands and Jorova Petra of Slovakia won their respective matches.

Fixtures of all the nine disciplines of sports of the 2nd Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games, involving hosts Bangladesh and West Bengal team of India, have been finalised.
   Some 465 athletes and officials - 231 from Bangladesh and 234 from West Bengal - are expected to participate in the five-day meet from Feb 22-26 in athletics, swimming, shooting, basketball, volleyball, kabaddi, kho kho, football and cricket.
   Men’s football matches will be held in Dhaka and Narsingdi, women’s football in Narsinghi, Narayanganj and Dhaka, volleyball in Dhaka and Gazipur, kabaddi in Dhaka, shooting in BKSP, swimming at Mirpur national swimming pool, basketball in Mirpur Indoor Stadium and kho kho in Dhaka, all on February 23-25, while athletics will be held at the Banani Army Stadium on February 23-24.

Maple Leaf International School defeated European Standard School by 23 runs in the Standard Chartered Young Tigers National School Cricket Tournament at the Dhanmondi Club ground on Wednesday.
   Batting first, Maple Leaf scored 199 all out in 42.3 overs with Rizvi contributing 60 runs. Tahmid grabbed five wickets for 21 runs.
   In reply, ESS were bowled out for 176 in 41 overs. Faiyaz bin Sajjad scored 47 and Asif Mehedi added 29. Fazlul Kabir of Maple Leaf captured two for 22.

The Twenty20 Indian Premier League would not cause players to retire from international cricket early to take advantage of the money on offer, Australian star Adam Gilchrist said Wednesday.
   The Board of Control for Cricket in India has an agreement with other international boards not to choose players until they have been retired for two years. But several international boards fear leading stars will retire prematurely to cash in on the IPL’s riches.
   Wicketkeeper-batsman Gilchrist, who is seen as one of the biggest drawcards in the inaugural IPL tournament after he retires from international cricket next month, dismissed those concerns, adding that it could help the sport.
   Gilchrist, who is waiting for an exemption from the two-year rule by Cricket Australia (CA), said he viewed Twenty20 cricket as an entertainment option for players rather than a genuine career move.
   ‘What motivates players to take on the journey that you have to take to play for your country comes from more than just the financial side of it,’ he said.
   ‘It is a genuine passion and if you don’t have it, you are going to get found out. Guys who have done that and had a taste of that, will they be tempted?
   ‘I don’t think so, I think they will have genuine desires to fulfil their careers and make sure they get every bit out of their international careers, rather than suddenly cut it short, have a couple of years of fun and then be in the wilderness.’
   Gilchrist, 36, said it could even make it easier for senior players to step aside for younger stars. ‘Players at my age, there might be a natural transition from international cricket if these Twenty20 tournaments get up and running,’ he said.
   ‘Since the real professional age kicked in, maybe there has been a bit of tendency for guys to hang on a little bit too long.
   ‘We don’t see younger guys getting chances like we used to. It might be an evening out process, as now there is something for the older guys to move into.’
   The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Wednesday that contracted Australian players had been told they had to sign with the IPL by Sunday or risk three-year bans from the competition.
   The 44-day IPL season from April to May clashes with Australia’s tour of Pakistan and CA appears reluctant to allow its players to participate because of potential commercial conflicts with its own sponsors.
   CA spokesman Peter Young said Wednesday he still had major concerns with the IPL.
   Gilchrist added: ‘It is changing every day and we are all trying to keep up with it,’ he said. ‘Over time we will get a better idea of where it fits in.’
   He said he would eventually like to see room for Twenty20 events like the IPL in the international schedule, but warned against rushing into changes until its success could be evaluated.
   Meanwhile, Gilchrist said he hopes his final match at his home ground—when Australia play Sri Lanka at the WACA in a one-day game on Friday—is more enjoyable that his first.
   The star was playing for New South Wales against Western Australia in 1993 when his team were beaten in two days, were docked 0.2 of a point for slow play and were without their best player, who was beaten up in a nightclub.
   Gilchrist, whose career took off playing for Western Australia, said: ‘It was an all-round bad trip. What it did give me was two extra days off, so I got to look around and fell in love with Perth.’

The owner of a ticket for any of Germany’s three Euro 2008 pool games will feel like a lottery winner as more than 2.6 million tickets were ordered by the time the booking website closed.
   A staggering 502,024 fans here have ordered 1,503,061 tickets for Germany’s three pool games alone with only 14,400 available to supporters.
   The deadline for German fans to request their Euro 2008 tickets closed at midnight on Tuesday with a total of 872,650 eager fans requesting 2.6 million tickets for the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland this June.
   And more than 630,000 tickets were requested in the last 24 hours alone.
   ‘Those are overwhelming numbers,’ German Football Federation secretary general Wolfgang Niersbach told Germany agency SID.
   ‘It is obvious German football fans want to continue their enthusiasm for the 2006 World Cup by getting behind Euro 2008.
   ‘So it is unfortunate that we can only supply such a small number of tickets to supporters of the German team.
   ‘The basic problem for us is that the stadiums in Switzerland and Austria are so small.’
   Altogether 21,765 tickets had been assigned to the DFB for the three group games against Poland on June 8 and Croatia on June 12 in Klagenfurt and against Austria in Vienna on June 16, only 14,400 will be available to fans.
   For these three pool games, 502,024 fans have ordered 1,503,061 tickets.
   An extra one million requests have come for tickets for games in the knock-out stages, but the odds of getting a ticket are just as bad for fans with the ballot set to take place later this month.
   If Germany reach the quarter-finals in Vienna on June 20 as winners of Group B, the DFB will receive 7,020 tickets.
   But if they finish second and have to play their quarter-final in Basle on June 19, they will get 5,980 tickets.
   There will be the same number of tickets on offer if Germany reach the semi-finals on June 25 in Basle, while there will be 9,800 tickets on offer should the Germans reach the final.
   Niersbach says he is pleased there will be free public viewings of games at sites in each of the host cities, to cope with the demand for fans wanting to experience the Euro 2008 atmosphere.
   ‘It is good the Euro 2008 cities will have the same public viewings as the 2006 World Cup, because we know ten of thousands of Germans will travel to Austria and Switzerland to watch the tournament without tickets.’

Australia’s cricketers have been issued an ultimatum by the Indian Premier League – sign up by the Sunday deadline or stay out for three years. And in a move that might undermine Cricket Australia’s authority, Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman and commissioner, has indicated Australian players can take part in the tournament without ‘no objection certificates’ from Cricket Australia, contrary to an earlier guideline that players needed permission from their respective national boards.
   ‘They [the players] are running out of time,’ Modi told the Sydney Morning Herald. ‘I am not the type that won’t follow through with what I say: if the contracts are not signed and returned by Sunday the Australian players will not be allowed to take part in the IPL for three years.
   ‘We are taking a list to owners on Monday.
   ‘Each franchise has a $5-million cap for its team, and the contracts are for three years, so when they bid for players at the auction they will use up all of their cap - there will be no money to buy other players later.
   ‘We will gladly take the Australian players without no objection certificates, we don’t want to go down that path but if we have to, we will.’
   The move comes on the heels of a tussle between the Indian board-run IPL and Cricket Australia over corporate issues. Cricket Australia is reluctant to let its contracted players appear for teams having competing sponsors to its own.
   Modi has stated continually that Cricket Australia’s demands over sponsor protection can’t be met, and this latest statement could increase the rift. A few Australian players such as Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds have also voiced their disappointment over Cricket Australia’s interference.
   With big money at stake, the tournament is too tempting for players to ignore, and many believe it could lead to an exodus. ‘The cricket world is going to have to respond to the IPL given its magnitude,’ the IPL’s Australian-based agent Neil Maxwell told the Daily Telegraph.
   ‘I know [Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive] Paul Marsh made the logical suggestion that ultimately there needs to be a six-week window carved out of the playing itinerary, the Future Tours Program.
   ‘Otherwise players will be leaving. Players will be retiring. Unfortunately at the moment we have a conflict. If that is taken out, there won’t be conflict.’
   Australia’s international schedule clashes with the IPL, but the players might be free if the tour to Pakistan doesn’t happen.

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said he will not respond to a notice sent to him by the Pakistan cricket board over his recent statements criticizing its policies.
   The PCB has asked Akhtar to respond within a week or face disciplinary action for recent statements in which he accused the board of double standards and adopting a dual policy while awarding new central contracts.
   Akhtar, one of the most senior players in the Pakistan team, has been dropped from the contracts list with the board saying it was not satisfied with his match fitness.
   ‘I am not under contract to the board so they can’t ask me about my statements. I am not going to respond to any of their notices,’ Akhtar told reporters on Wednesday.
   ‘They can send me as much paper as they like but I am not bound to respond to them,’ he added.

Shamima Akter Liza took solo lead in the preliminary phase of the Aromatic Gold 29th Women’s National Chess Championship with full six points after the sixth round preliminary matches at the chess federation hall-room on Wednesday.
   Rokshana Titli is in second position securing five points while Zakia Sultana, Nazrana Khan Eva, Shamiha Sharmin Shimmi and Jahanara Haque Runu are jointly in third position with 4.5 points.
   In the day’s sixth round matches, Liza beat Masuda Begum, Titli beat Nushrat Jahan, Eva beat Mimi Arjuman, Shimmi beat Aheli Sarkar, Zakia drew with Moni, and Runu beat Saleka.
   The seventh and last round matches will be held today at 3:30pm at the same venue.

Sunrise SC thumped Agrani Bank 3-0 in the senior division football league at the Kamalapur stadium on Wednesday. Jewel Rana, Atik and Amin scored the goals for Sunrise, who are in fourth position with 15 points from eight matches. Agrani Bank are seventh with 10 points from nine matches.
   The day’s other match between Wari Club and Purbachal ended in a goalless stalemate. Wari have eight points from nine matches while Purbachal have seven from eight games.

The 14th Bangladesh Inter-varsity Athletics Competition began at the Rajshahi University on Wednesday. Vice-Chancellor of the university Professor M Altaf Hossain inaugurated the competition.
   A total of 119 athletes from eight universities — Dhaka University, National University, Islamic University, KUET, CUET, BUET and Rajshahi University — took part in 30 events including long-jump, hurdles, sprint, relay race, triple -jump, discus-throw, high-jump, shotput.

Gustavo Kuerten played and lost his last competitive game in his native Brazil on Tuesday going down 7-5, 6-1 to Carlos Berlocq of Argentina in the first round of the Costa de Sauipe Open.
   The 31-year-old three-times French Open winner has been sidelined with hip injuries over the last three years and he has already said that he is planning to retire this summer after one final appearance in Paris.
   ‘This has been just as difficult for me as winning at Roland Garros,’ he said of playing for the last time in Brazil. ‘I tried to play as well as I could, but it just wasn’t good enough.’ Kuerten is planning to play in several tournaments prior to the French Open in late May including the Miami and Monte Carlo Masters Series events, but he will need to be granted wildcard invitations from organisers. His French Open wins were in 1997, 2000 and 2001. He also won the Masters Series final in 2000, the year he was briefly ranked No. 1 in the world.

T&T Board XI became champions in the annual cricket competition of the Bangladesh Telegraph & Telephone Board beating the Central Sports Committee XI by six runs in the final at the Mahakhali T&T ground on Saturday.
   T&T Board batted first and scored 133 runs in the stipulated 20 overs. In reply, Central Sports side could collect 127 runs. M Mujibur Rahman of the runners-up team, also the general manger of Transmission zone, was adjudged as the man of the final for hitting highest 22 runs in the match.
   M Monwar Hossain, the president of the BTTB central sports committee, handed over the trophy to the winners.

Seven-times Serie A winner and former Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni will take charge of Ireland’s bid to reach the 2010 World Cup finals after confirming he had agreed to succeed Steve Staunton as manager of the Republic’s national team.
   Trapattoni’s appointment ends a 113-day search for a successor to Staunton, who left the post in October after Ireland failed to qualify for the finals of Euro 2008.
   Trapattoni, currently in charge of Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg, confirmed he would leave the club at the end of the season and take over as Ireland boss at the start of June.
   ‘Leaving the title as a farewell present to my Bulls is now my number one aim,’ the 68-year-old said.
   Salzburg confirmed Trapattoni’s departure in a statement on its web site.
   It said: ‘Giovanni Trapattoni has made a decision on his future just before the 2007/2008 Bundesliga resumes after the winter break: The ‘Mister’ is to take on the job of Irish national team manager after the end of the season - for a two-year contract.’
   Details of Trapattoni’s financial package were agreed at a meeting between the Italian and a Football Association of Ireland delegation led by chief executive John Delaney in Milan on Tuesday evening.
   The 10-member board of the FAI was due to meet later Wednesday when the appointment was to be officially ratified.
   The former Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan coach, who has won league titles in four countries (Austria, Germany and Portugal as well as his native Italy) is expected to bring his backroom staff of Claudio Gentile and Fausto Rossi with him into the post.
   Ireland legend Liam Brady, who won two Serie A titles under Trapattoni at Juventus and is now in charge of Arsenal’s youth development, is also expected to have a role though its precise nature is unclear.
   Brady’s understanding of the Irish sports mentality, the respect he commands in the Irish game, and being able to speak Italian are considered important given Trapattoni’s limited English.
   After a search led by Ireland caretaker manager Don Givens which took in at least 10 candidates including Gerard Houllier and Graeme Souness, Trapattoni emerged as a late challenger to the former England and Australia coach Terry Venables.
   The Londoner had been the on-off bookmakers’ favourite for the position since Staunton was sacked and at the weekend broke his silence to insist he wanted the job.
   He has however lost out to Trappattoni - who will now seek to lead Ireland to their first major finals since the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
   Trapattoni has one of the finest resumes in world football having every major European trophy but his four-year reign as Italy manager was unsuccessful and he was often criticised for his defensive tactics.
   He was not expected to be present at the rubber-stamping of his appointment in Dublin on Wednesday afternoon.
   Staunton, Ireland’s most capped player, stepped down as manager in October after Ireland failed to qualify for Euro 2008.
   The former Liverpool and Aston Villa defender had been appointed in January 2006 without any previous managerial experience.

Tanned and relaxed in the cosy surroundings of his team’s hotel on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, Russia manager Guus Hiddink allows himself the luxury of day-dreaming as he looks ahead to the Euro 2008 finals.
   In June, the Dutchman hopes to repeat with his new team the magic he created with South Korea six years ago.
    Then, as the icing on the cake, he wants to be invited by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin.
   ‘Russia is a big country, a superpower, and of course to meet such a powerful leader as Putin is a big honour for any person, especially a foreigner like myself,’ Hiddink told Reuters in an interview at the end of his team’s training camp at this resort last week.
   ‘It would be a great honour for me,’ he added.
   ‘So if he invites our team to the Kremlin it would be great. But we don’t want to come empty-handed, we want to bring some (silverware) with us as if to say ‘Hey, look we did well. We made your country proud’.’
   After being told that none of his predecessors in the Russian national soccer team had had the honour of meeting Putin, Hiddink smiled: ‘Well, it means our team has a chance to be the first.’
   Putin did meet Italian Giovanni Caprara, coach of the Russian women’s national volleyball team, in November 2006 after he led them to their first world title in 16 years.
   Kremlin insiders say Putin, who has a black belt in judo and also enjoys Alpine skiing and horse riding, has little interest in Russia’s most popular sport and has never attended a soccer game in public in his eight years in office.
   Putin will step down in May because the Russian constitution prevents him from seeking a third consecutive term but he is widely expected to retain an influential role in government.
   Only two clubs, Terek Grozny from the troubled region of Chechnya and CSKA Moscow, have been invited to the Kremlin in recent years.
   CSKA received an invitation after winning the UEFA Cup in 2005 when they became the first Russian club to claim the trophy.
   The choice of Terek was highly political, after they lifted the 2004 Russian Cup, to show the world that Chechnya was firmly a part of Russia after two wars with separatists since the mid-1990s that cost thousands of lives and levelled major towns.
   Hiddink masterminded South Korea’s dream run to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup they co-hosted with Japan.
   They shocked some of the favourites, such as Italy and Spain, to finish fourth—the best showing by an Asian team in World Cup history.
   South Korean President Kim Dae-jung presented Hiddink with the country’s top sports medal and honorary citizenship.
   ‘The whole four weeks was like a dream,’ said Hiddink, who has also had spells coaching his native Netherlands and Australia.
   ‘No one expected it. I’m very grateful to the people of South Korea not only for the way they treated me but how they supported the team for the entire tournament.
   ‘Of course, it would be very difficult to repeat such a performance now with Russia, but nothing is impossible. You just have to believe in yourselves and not fear anybody.’
   Hiddink has never failed to guide his teams past the first round at any major tournament in which he has taken part, starting with Euro ‘96 in England when he led the Dutch to the last eight before losing to France in a penalty shoot-out.
   Two years later, he steered the Netherlands to the World Cup semi-finals only to suffer the same fate at the hands of Brazil.
   He repeated his magic with South Korea in 2002 then, four years later, led rank outsiders Australia to the World Cup second round where they bowed out to eventual champions Italy after a hotly disputed last-minute penalty.
   If he achieves a similar feat this year it would break a two-decade frustrating spell for the Russians, who have not advanced past the group stage since 1988 when, as the Soviet Union, they reached the European Championship final.
   ‘Of course, no one treats us as favourites but that’s even better,’ said the 61-year-old Dutchman as his eyes lit up.
   ‘It suits me just fine. Actually, I prefer it that way. Then we can surprise a few people.’
   Just like he did in 2002.

Barcelona prodigy Lionel Messi has told Milan superstar Kaka to come and join him at Camp Nou.
   Kaka has been quoted in the press as saying that he would like to play with Messi, and the Argentine has responded to this in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport.
   ‘Kakà is a great champion and it is good to know that he would like to play with me, as I heard,’ said Messi.
   ‘It is clear - he should come to Barcelona.’
   Messi has been linked with a move to Inter in the past and Massimo Moratti is known to be a huge admirer.
   However the 20-year-old has made it clear that he wants to stay at Barcelona and become a club symbol.
   ‘To be admired by Moratti, a president of importance can only make me happy,’ Messi explained.
   ‘I am flattered because it is a prestigious team.
   ‘But I want to become a symbol of Barcelona.
   ‘I have always said that I have no reason to really think about a future away from here.
   ‘Here the people love me and this club has done a lot for me. Let me lead Barça to many triumphs.’
   Finally Messi was asked for his opinion on Ronaldinho, who has been very poor this season, and who many people say is past his best.
   ‘No, I believe it is just a moment of dimming down due to poor physical condition. When he is good, there is no one else like him.
   ‘He is always one of the greatest players in the world and we need him,’ concluded the star.

Iran on Wednesday warned its choice as new national football coach, Javier Clemente, it would look for other candidates if the Spaniard insisted on only spending a minimal amount of time in the country.
   Clemente, who has already signed his contract with the Iranian football authorities, has reportedly said he only wants to come to Iran ahead of games and will not live in the Islamic republic.
   ‘We do not accept a coach who just flies in-and-out. If he does, then the contract will be anulled,’ said Iranian vice-president and Physical Education Organisation head Mohammad Ali Abadi, according to the ISNA news agency.
   ‘It is not acceptable for us. A coach who is only here four or five days before a match will not reach his goals,’ he added.
   The new wrangle – when it appeared Clemente’s contract was finally agreed – signals that the months-long process to find a new coach for the embattled Team Melli is not over.
   The national side, one of the heavyweights of Asian football, suffered a major embarrassment last week when it could only draw with minnows Syria in a performance that betrayed the effects of the lack of a coach.
   ‘Though Clemente has signed a contract, we have not signed it yet,’ the head of the Iranian Football Federation Ali Kafashian was quoted as saying by ISNA.
   ‘We do not accept that our coach sits in Spain and only watches video recordings of Iranian league games.’
   ‘We have added an article in his contract which stipulates that he can go back to Spain twice a year. If wants to go more then he has to ask for permission,’ he said.
   ‘If Clemente does not accept the terms we will study other choices,’ he added.
   Iran’s lively sports papers ridiculed Clemente for comments he reportedly made to the Spanish press that he could coach Iran by watching videos from his home in Spain.
   The sports paper 90 headlined: ‘Clemente: I will take Iran to the World Cup from my private villa in Spain.’
   The Goal daily’s headline read: ‘I will only go to Tehran for matches and I will live in Bilbao not there.’
   Conflicting statements from Iranian officials also indicated disagreements at the top of the Iranian Football Federation, which itself was without a chief for months amid a row about government interference in the game.
   Iranian Football Federation official Mehdi Taj was quoted as saying a day earlier that Clemente had signed a contract until the end of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
   Clemente coached the Spanish national side in two World Cups but was available for the Iran job after Serbia sacked him for failing to lead the team to the Euro 2008 finals.
   Despite boasting stars like Bolton Wanderers midfielder Andranik Teymourian and Eintracht Frankfurt winger Mehdi Mahdavikia, the national side has underperformed after being dumped out of the 2006 World Cup in the first round.

Football Federation Australia on Wednesday joined the Asian Football Confederation in rejecting a controversial proposal to play English Premier League matches abroad, with Australia mooted as a possible destination.
   The EPL has suggested adding one more round of fixtures to their schedule, with 10 games to be played at five different venues outside England from 2011.
   But the plans have met with stiff resistance within England and throughout the world and Australia’s FFA has now joined the growing list of countries opposed to the expansion.
   ‘We said when this issue first arose last week that FFA’s overwhelming priority is to promote the A-League and to continue to invest in, and grow, the game in Australia. That remains our view,’ FFA Chairman Frank Lowy said in a statement here Wednesday.
   AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam on Tuesday called for the proposals to take Premier League matches overseas to be rejected. Bin Hammam said he feared the popularity of English football was already acting as a barrier to the development of Asia’s own leagues and national sides and said he would recommend his executive committee throw out the plans.
   Australian cities Melbourne and Sydney were mooted as possible venues for EPL matches.
   ‘The bottom line is, FFA rejects the notion of another country playing a round of their domestic competition in Australia and intruding on the development of the A-League and the game in Australia,’ Lowy said.
   FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said despite his organisation’s opposition to the proposals, it does not rule out exhibition games involving an A-League club with overseas club sides in the future.
   ‘However, our overriding objective is to build equity in the A-League and everything we do is assessed against that objective,’ Buckley said.
   The EPL would require the agreement of FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and FFA to stage a match in Australia.

African Nations Cup hosts Ghana climbed 29 places to joint 14th in FIFA’s world rankings following their third place finish at the tournament.
   Ghana are now the highest ranked African nation in the standings, which are published monthly by world soccer’s governing body.
   Cameroon, who lost 1-0 to Egypt in the final, are up eight places to 17th. Egypt are ranked behind Ghana, Cameroon and Ivory Coast at 29th.
   The top 10 remains largely unchanged due to few competitive internationals in South America and Europe over the last month.
   FIFA rankings (previous position in brackets)
   1 (1) Argentina
   2 (2) Brazil
   3 (3) Italy
   4 (4) Spain
   5 (5) Germany
   6 (6) Czech Republic
   7 (7) France
   8 (8) Portugal
   9 (9) Netherlands
   10 (11) Greece
   11 (12) England
   12 (10) Croatia
   13 (13) Romania
   14 (43) Ghana
   14 (14) Scotland
   16 (17) Mexico
   17 (25) Cameroon
   18 (16) Turkey
   19 (18) Bulgaria
   20 (23) Poland

Michael Essien believes Chelsea can still win the quadruple this season.
   Avram Grant’s side are currently eight points adrift of Arsenal in the title race, but have a Carling Cup final to look forward to along with competing for the Champions League and FA Cup.
   Then-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho targeted the quadruple last season and ended up with the FA Cup and Carling Cup, before surprisingly exiting Stamford Bridge earlier this season.
   And Essien, who is back at Chelsea following the African Cup of Nations, believes the current squad has the character to go for glory on every front.
   ‘We’ve got the character to win the quadruple,’ he told The Sun.
   ‘This could still be a really big season for us. We’re still in all four competitions and we will do everything to win as many of them as we can.
   ‘Winning all four trophies is a possibility.’

Barcelona have reportedly made Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger their top target to replace Frank Rijkaard.
   Reports emanating from Spain suggest Barca chiefs have targeted Wenger as the man to take charge at Camp Nou, should Rijkaard leave the club this summer.
   Rijkaard’s future at Barca has been the subject of intense speculation over the last few months after an indifferent season to date.
   Barca currently trail Real Madrid by eight points in La Liga and if they fail to win the title, Rijkaard is expected to be axed.
   The likes of Jose Mourinho and Marco van Basten have been mentioned as possible candidates for the job, but Catalan daily El Mundo Deportivo claims Wenger is the preferred choice of the Barcelona board.
   Barca president Joan Laporta and vice president Ferran Soriano are known to be big admirers of Wenger and believe the Frenchman is the right man to replace Rijkaard.

Real Madrid remain top of football’s money league but Manchester United are closing the gap and could reclaim the number one spot by winning this season’s Champions League.
   Real and United were the only two clubs on the planet to generate revenues in excess of 300 million euros (437 million dollars) over the course of the 2006/07 season, according to figures compiled by business advisory firm Deloitte and published on Thursday.
   The survey reflects the growing financial muscle of the English Premier League’s leading clubs with Chelsea and Arsenal joining United as one of the top five clubs in terms of revenues generated.
   But it also highlights a renaissance in the financial fortunes of German clubs, whose representation in the top 20 by revenue has risen to four for the first time on the back of the 2006 World Cup, which bequeathed a legacy of bigger and better stadiums as well as raising interest in the Bundesliga.
   Arsenal were the biggest climber in the table, rising four places to fifth spot with the help of increased match-day revenue following their August 2006 move from Highbury to the 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium.
   Chelsea rose two places to fourth while Barcelona slipped from second to third.
   Juventus, previously third in the list, dropped to 12th after being relegated from Serie A for their role in the Italian match-fixing scandal.
   Dan Jones, a partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, predicted that English clubs’ dominance of the upper reaches of the money league would grow as increased revenues from the Premier League’s 2007-10 television deals kick in.
   ‘This is the first time that any country has had three clubs in the top five of the Money League,’ said Jones. ‘Arsenal’s move to the Emirates Stadium has transformed their revenues whilst Chelsea’s revenue increase sees them return to the top five.
   ‘With the new Premier League television deals now online for the 2007/08 season, Manchester United have the opportunity to significantly close the gap on Real and a successful Champions League run may even see them challenge again for the number one position.’
   Real’s total revenue rose 20 per cent from the previous year to reach 351 million euros, compared to 315 million for United.
   Deloitte’s survey also underlines why so many international investors have come to see top clubs as attractive propositions.
   At the highest level of the sport, revenues continue to grow strong with the top 20 clubs’ combined revenues up 11 per cent to 3.7 billion euros in 2006/07, the highest rate of growth since 2002/03.
   In just over a decade since the first money league was compiled for 1996/97, total revenues for the top 20 clubs have trebled.
   Deloitte’s top 20 is entirely populated by European clubs—six from England, four from Germany and Italy, three from Spain, two from France and only Celtic making the grade in Scotland.
   Although the number of English clubs in the top 20 dropped form eight to six, Deloitte expect the likes of Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester City and West Ham to return once the new television income is reflected in their figures.
   
Deloitte Football Money league 2008
   (Clubs ranked by 2006/07 revenues, excluding player sales, in euros. Previous year’s position in brackets)
   1 (1) Real Madrid 351 million euros
   2 (4) Manchester United 315.2
   3 (2) Barcelona 290.1
   4 (6) Chelsea 283
   5 (9) Arsenal 263.9
   6 (5) AC Milan 227.2
   7 (8) Bayern Munich 223.3
   8 (10) Liverpool 198.9
   9 (7) Inter Milan 195
   10 (12) AS Roma 157.6
   11 (15) Tottenham Hotspur 153.1
   12 (3) Juventus 145.2
   13 (11) Lyon 140.6
   14 (13) Newcastle United 129.4
   15 (16) Hamburg SV 120.4
   16 (14) Schalke 04 114.3
   17 (n/a) Celtic 111.8
   18 (n/a) Valencia 107.6
   19 (n/a) Marseille 99
   20 (n/a) Werder Bremen 97.3

Thierry Henry may have left Arsenal in the summer but he is still helping their title challenge with his messages of advice and support straight to Emmanuel Adebayor.
   Adebayor has stepped into the shoes of Henry by scoring 19 Barclays Premier League goals this season, with Arsenal’s record scorer providing motivation for the Togo striker with texts and phone calls.
   Straight after sealing victory over Blackburn on Monday evening, Adebayor had a message from his mentor waiting on his phone, congratulating him on sending Arsene Wenger’s men five points clear at the top of the table.
   ‘Thierry to me is like a big brother,’ said Adebayor.
   ‘He talked to me a lot during the summer when he was leaving, he calls me and we have a lot of chats.
   ‘He believes in my strength and believes in my quality so I just want to thank him a lot because he helped me out a lot.
   ‘A lot of times he sends me messages saying that I may have scored 15 or 16 but he knows I can score more if I keep concentrating in every game.
   ‘That is what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to listen to the advice and at the moment it’s working so I’m very happy.’
   Henry is thought to have kept in touch with others at Arsenal since leaving for Barcelona.
   His number 14 shirt is not worn by any player in the squad, although his influence is still being felt, particularly by Adebayor.
   It was four years this week that Arsenal won 2-0 to establish a five-point lead at the top of the table, with Henry’s late strike taking his tally to 19 league goals.
   Adebayor matched that tally with his goal at the death against Blackburn, with the game also finishing 2-0 and Arsenal going five points clear. Adebayor, 23, believes the only important statistic is for the current team to carry on as ‘The Invincibles’ did in 2004 and win the title.
   ‘If I win the Golden Boot and the team does not win anything, I cannot see me enjoying myself,’ he said.
   ‘It’s all about the fans, the family, the team. It’s about the people who like us. The most important thing is to win the title.’
   Adebayor’s run has put him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the Golden Boot, though he would be happy to cede that particular award to a player he believes belongs on a computer game. ‘If I win the Golden Boot, I have not really won anything,’ he said. ‘It is all about winning the title. That is the most important thing. I love to watch Ronaldo and watching him play is something else — it is like watching a player on PlayStation. He has a lot of quality and I show him a lot of respect for what he has done.’
   Other reasons for optimism include the squad being bolstered by players returning to action.
   Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue and Alexandre Song are coming back from African Nations Cup duty, while Tomas Rosicky could play at the weekend against Manchester United in the FA Cup.
   Robin van Persie is a few weeks away from returning and Manuel Almunia has been out with a stomach bug.
   ‘Of course when we have all our players on the ground we can focus on the title race,’ Adebayor said.
   ‘Anyway, we have done with them not here. Now they are back we need to push so we can do what we want to achieve.’
   Adebayor feels belief in the Arsenal ranks but, like his boss Wenger, insists the race for the title is far from over.
   ‘Of course, as a team, no matter what happens, as long as you keep winning games, the dressing room is a little bit better and now keep enjoying yourself,’ Adebayor said.
   ‘Then you are like a family. The team is very young. Of course the belief that we have in the dressing room is very big and we just want to keep that.
   ‘The most important thing now is to keep our head on our shoulders and our feet on the ground and we hope to win the title.
   ‘It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be very tough because we have a lot of games coming.
   ‘We go to Manchester United, we go to Chelsea and we are playing Liverpool at home. It’s going to be an exciting league until the end of the season.’

New teeange AC Milan star Alberto Paloschi is homing in on his first start for the European champions against Livorno on Wednesday, despite coach Carlo Ancelotti claiming the striker still needs to grow up.
   The 18-year-old made a sensational debut when he scored with his first touch of the ball, 18 seconds after replacing Serginho in the second-half of Milan’s game against Siena at the San Siro on Sunday. What made that moment even more special for the locally-born teenager is that his goal also turned out to be a crucial winner.
   Now Paloschi could even find himself in the starting line-up on Wednesday.
   ‘If (Filippo) Inzaghi struggles to recover Paloschi will play from the start alongside (Alberto) Gilardino, otherwise he will be on the bench,’ said Ancelotti.
   With Pato and Kaka out injured and Ronaldo demonstrating in 45 insipid minutes against Siena that he is far from match-fit, that leaves three players in contention for two attacking berths against Livorno.
   Inzaghi is struggling with a knock while Gilardino, who scored vital winning goals against Udinese and Reggina in 1-0 successes, is certain to start in Ancelotti’s 4-4-2 formation.
   Paloschi could get the nod alongside him, however Ancelotti revealed he is unlikely to be displacing Gilardino from the starting line-up, as Pato, also 18, did in January after he burst onto the scene in sensational fashion by scoring four goals in his first six matches.
   ‘Paloschi is very young, like Pato, but unlike the Brazilian he can still grow and fill out. Pato is physically already developped.
   ‘Kata at 20 and Pato at 18 quickly became first choice regulars. To play at Milan you have to be a very good player.
   ‘For Paloschi it’s different, he needs to grow, he needs to gain experience and character, it’s better to stay cautious with him.’
   Paloschi’s chances have been helped by Ronaldo’s failure to recover any sort of match-fitness, despite impressing in three appearances in January, including against Napoli where he scored twice.
   But his latest injury setback, his third this season, seems to have put him back several months.
   ‘On Sunday he wasn’t match-fit, if I’d have had other options he wouldn’t have played,’ added Ancelotti.
   ‘I thought it would have been too much to play Paloschi from the first minute, I didn’t want to heap too much responsibility on him.
   ‘Ronaldo’s problem is not physical but it’s his condition.’
   Ronaldo has only made five appearances this season after scoring seven goals in 14 league matches last season following his January transfer window signing.
   His contract runs out at the end of this season and the talk is that he may return to Brazil at the end of it.
   Ancelotti refused to be drawn on whether or not a new contract would be on offer for the injury-prone and overweight former three-time world player of the year.
   ‘If Ronie rediscovers his top form in May and scores three goals in the Champions League final, I think he’ll renew his contract,’ said the coach.

Sir Alex Ferguson insists there is plenty of life left in the Barclays Premier League title race despite Manchester United slipping five points behind leaders Arsenal.
   Reigning champions United’s defeat to local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday and Arsenal’s subsequent victory over Blackburn have left Arsene Wenger’s team in pole position with a dozen games remaining.
   Chelsea are one place and three points in arrears of United, who face both London challengers within a fortnight in April.
   ‘It was an important weekend for Arsenal in that ourselves and Chelsea dropped points,’ United manager Ferguson told Sky Sports.
   ‘But points will be dropped by the top teams. There is a long way to go and it makes it interesting now. It’s going to be a really good, tight finish.
   ‘It’s something the neutrals will all be enthralled by. We know the job we’ve got to do. Arsenal still have to come to Old Trafford and they have got to go to Chelsea.
   ‘It’s like I said at the start of the season - I think it will go to the wire.’
   Ferguson was speaking at the launch of the Vodacom Challenge, a summer tournament held in South Africa which United will take part in this summer.
   The three-team tournament will also feature top South African club sides Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates between July 19-26. The Red Devils last participated in the event in 2006, when they lost in the final to the Chiefs on a penalty shoot-out.
   United will face each side, before a Soweto derby between the Chiefs and the Pirates for the right to face the Barclays Premier League champions again in the final.
   ‘The 2008 Vodacom Challenge will mark Manchester United’s third visit to South Africa and will create a platform for many a rising star to elevate their level of play in order to strive to become a regular member of the Manchester United starting line-up for the new English Premiership season,’ Ferguson said.
   Meanwhile, new signing Manucho pipped household names Samuel Eto’o, of Barcelona, and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba to make the all-star representative team of the African Nations Cup.
   Manucho, 24, scored four times for Angola at the tournament and now switches to Panathinaikos, where he will remain on loan for the rest of the current season.

Frequently bracketed with Diego Maradona, Pele, and Johan Cruyff as one the greatest exponents of the game, Alfredo Di Stefano is considered by many connoisseurs to be the most complete footballer of all time.
   The 81-year-old Argentine will be honoured by his former club Real Madrid, football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA and a host of illustrious fellow players on Sunday in a ceremony at the Bernabeu.
   A statue of Di Stefano will also be unveiled at Real’s training ground Valdebebas in the presence of FIFA and UEFA presidents Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, with invited guests including former players Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Charlton and Eusebio.
   Those who were privileged enough to see him play say that Di Stefano could be seen covering in defence, charging forward through the midfield, laying on goals for the forwards and smashing shots into the net all in the same game.
   The fact that Real Madrid are one of the leading clubs in world football is due almost exclusively to Di Stefano.
   He transformed the Spanish side from an insignificant bunch of underachievers into the kings of the continent when he guided them to victory in five successive European Cups between 1956 and 1960, scoring in each of the finals.
   ‘La Saeta Rubia’ (the blond arrow), as he was known, was the progenitor of ‘total football’ and years ahead of his time in terms of his approach to his professional career. In modern parlance he was the first ‘Galactico’.
   Prepared to play for the highest bidder, he mixed with the rich and famous, was the star of a film about himself and the victim of a dramatic kidnapping in Venezuela.
   Gruff, egocentric, impatient and with a wry sense of humour, Di Stefano did not suffer fools gladly but above all he was a brilliant footballer and fierce competitor who has left an indelible mark on the game.
   Twice European Footballer of the Year in 1957 and 1959, Di Stefano scored 418 goals in 510 official games for Real Madrid.
   Until a few years ago he was the all-time top scorer in the European Cup with 49 goals. His successor Raul took almost twice as many games to beat his mark.
   Di Stefano scored an estimated 893 goals throughout his career, making him one of the highest goal scorers in the history of football.
   The eldest of three brothers, he was born of Italian parents and brought up in the suburbs of Buenos Aires where he had to shoulder the main burden of work on the family farm, something which may go some way to explaining his legendary stamina.
   He signed for River Plate at the age of 15, making his debut for the first team two years later. He won two league titles while at River.
   Di Stefano joined the exodus of talented Argentines who were attracted to the high wages paid in the Colombian pirate league when he moved to Millonarios of Bogota in 1949.
   In less than four years he became the highest goal scorer in the history of the club, helping them to four league titles.
   He caught the eye in Spain when he played in an exhibition match as part of Real’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 1952 and became the object of one of the most controversial transfer sagas in the history of Spanish football as Real and Barcelona conducted a tug-of-war to secure his services.
   He actually played three friendly matches for the Catalans while the dispute was going on.
   Depending on which side of the fence you stand, Real got their man in the end either because they were sharper operators or because of official connivance from the government.
   Di Stefano transformed Real from a club that had won only two league titles in the previous 50 years, the last in 1936, into the dominant force in Spanish and European football.
   The club went on to win five consecutive European Cups, eight league titles and the first World Club Cup in 1960 with Di Stefano leading the way alongside other greats Ferenc Puskas, Raymond Kopa, Paco Gento and Hector Rial.
   He was also involved in what is widely regarded as the greatest ever game of club football when Real defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 at Hampden Park in the 1960 final of the European Cup. Di Stefano scored a hat-trick, although he was out-scored by Hungarian Puskas who grabbed the other four.
   He eventually left Real after 11 seasons when he fell out with the Bernabeu and returned to Barcelona to play for Espanyol, retiring two seasons later at the age of 40, 22 years after making his debut for River Plate.
   His international career was less brilliant but he still managed to fire Argentina to victory in the 1947 Copa America, made a handful of unofficial appearances for a Colombia selection while at Millonarios and
   scored 23 goals in 31 games for Spain.
   Di Stefano also had a distinguished career as a coach, managing Boca Juniors, River Plate, Valencia and Real Madrid.

Juventus and Roma meet at Turin’s Olympic stadium on Saturday in a vital clash for each side’s fortunes with both teams harbouring hopes of moving upwards in the Serie A standings.
   Roma are second, eight points behind leaders Inter Milan, while Juventus are four points behind the capital based club in third. Juve’s Vincenzo Iaquinta said the team’s aim is to finish at least second come the end of the season.
   And the Italy striker is banking on Roma’s Champions League participation this season helping his team overhaul them.
   ‘Everything will be more interesting because Roma have the Champions League which could distract them at the end of the season,’ he told Sky Sport.
   ‘It will be a great end to the season and for us second place is a fundamental aim.’
   Rather than looking over their shoulders at Juve, Roma still hope to catch Inter Milan, despite the champions’ imperious form that has seen them win 17 and draw five of their 22 league matches this season.
   ‘Roma can still win the title, we still believe it’s possible,’ Brazilian defender Juan told Sport TV in Brazil. ‘Eight points is a lot but we can catch them, as we saw at the beginning of the second half of the season.
   ‘There’s still a lot of matches to go and we’re not giving up.’
   Roma began the year seven points behind Inter and briefly closed that gap to five points after the champions were held to a draw at Udinese. But the very next week Roma slipped up at Siena, losing 3-0, and the gap opened out even further than it was before.
   But if they are to maintain any hopes of catching Inter, a win in Turin is vital because anything more than the eight points would start to look insurmountable.

England are top of UEFA’s fair play rankings and could benefit from an additional UEFA Cup spot next season, European soccer’s governing body said on Tuesday.
   England lead Norway and Germany at the top of the table and will secure an extra place in the UEFA Cup’s first qualifying round if they remain first when the final standings are calculated at the end of April. The fair play rankings are based on the performances of national teams and clubs competing in European competition and involve criteria such as crowd behaviour, positive play and an avoidance of yellow and red cards.
   UEFA said two other qualifying spots would be allocated on a lottery basis between all the associations who finish with an average fair play ranking of at least eight points. Sweden, France, Denmark, Spain, Estonia and Finland are the other countries to have reached that benchmark.