Sri Lanka (221) beat Australia (208) by 13 runs
   Australia’s Adam Gilchrist smashed a blistering 83 in his farewell appearance at the MCG but his team-mates collapsed to hand Sri Lanka an unlikely 13-run win here on Friday.
   The tourists, in their final match of the tri-series, made 221, and Australia looked well set when Gilchrist launched an extraordinary attack at the top of the order.
   However, in a disappointing performance just two days away from their first tri-series final against India, the home side were dismissed for 208 from 48.1 overs to end a seven-match winning streak against the Sri Lankans.
   Gilchrist smashed the Sri Lankan bowlers to all parts of the ground and Australia had already raced to 107 when opening partner James Hopes was controversially bowled for 28 by Muttiah Muralitharan (2-42) in the 15th over.
   Although there was confusion over how Hopes was dismissed, it seemed a minor hiccup for his side.
   However, the match turned when Gilchrist holed out to a fine catch by Lasith Malinga from the bowling of Nuwan Kulasekara (2-36) at long off for 83 just six runs later.
   The veteran left-hander, set to retire at the end of this tournament, faced just 50 balls, belting 11 fours and two sixes and was on target to score Australia’s fastest one-day international hundred.
   Sri Lankan veteran Sanath Jayasuriya, who claimed the last Australian wicket, said the dismissal of the Australian wicketkeeper-batsman was the turning point.
   ‘Gilly batted really well, that was the crucial wicket for us,’ he said.
   ‘After that, I thought the bowlers bowled really well.’
   Gilchrist was named man of the match, but took little delight from the award after the loss, blaming himself for the defeat.
   ‘I feel a bit silly to be honest,’ he said. ‘I had that game by the throat, so I feel a bit silly. I got a bit carried away.’
   With Gilchrist gone, the match turned suddenly as Sri Lanka claimed four more wickets in quick succession, the home side losing 6-16 to slump to 123 for six.
   Captain Ricky Ponting was trapped LBW by Kulasekara for one, while Michael Clarke and the struggling Andrew Symonds both fell for ducks, all three batsmen falling with the score on 115.
   When Brad Haddin, playing as a batsman with opener Matthew Hayden rested, was trapped LBW by a superb Malinga yorker for seven, Australia were in deep trouble.
   Mike Hussey and Brad Hogg steadied the ship briefly, before Chamara Kapugedera curved one through Hussey’s defences to remove him for five, leaving Australia 142 for seven.
   Brett Lee tried to revive the chase, but any hope of an Australian fightback seemed over when Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene claimed a superb diving catch to remove Mitchell Johnson and give Ishara Amerasinghe (3-44) his third wicket.
   Number 11 Nathan Bracken joined Lee and the pair cut the target from 49 to just 14 before Jayawardene sprung a surprise by bringing Jayasuriya on for the 49th over. With his first ball he clean bowled Lee for 37 to hand Sri Lanka the win. Earlier, half-centuries from Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan steered Sri Lanka to 221 after winning the toss.
   Jayawardene cracked 50 off 66 balls and Dilshan 62 from 70 balls after they had slumped to 42 for three with the loss of star batsman Kumar Sangakkara for 11.
   Left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken finished with 4-29 off 10 overs and Brett Lee claimed two wickets.

With the war of words between the sides, the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the last triangular one-day series when the finals get underway with a clash between arch rivals Australia and India here on Sunday.
   It has been a bitter campaign between the sides, especially since the second Test in Sydney in early January, but the Indians can gain revenge for their 2-1 loss in the Test series by upsetting the home side in the best-of-three finals.
   The tri-series concept will be scrapped at the end of this tournament and victory would give Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men evidence to back their claims that they are the challenger to Australia’s dominance of world cricket.
   There will be no shortage of motivation for the two sides, after all the ill feeling between the sides over the last two months.
   The bad blood first surfaced during the second Test, when Harbhajan Singh copped a three-match suspension for allegedly racially abusing Andrew Symonds, a suspension overturned at an International Cricket Council appeal hearing.
   This week tensions exploded again, with Ishant Sharma fined for a verbal exchange with Symonds and the Indians countering with a complaint about provocative behaviour by the Australians.
   Matthew Hayden then called Harbhajan an ‘obnoxious weed’ on radio and the Indian spinner responded by saying the big opener was one of the least liked players in world cricket.
   While plenty of words have been exchanged, the Indians notched just one win over the home side in their four qualifying matches and have just one victory from their last 10 one-day games against the Australians.
   However, they have taken confidence out of their narrow loss to Australia at their last meeting, also in Sydney, on Sunday.
   Set a mammoth 318 to win, India lost by just 18 runs despite a top order collapse.
   Encouragingly for India, several of their most important batsmen appear to be hitting their straps at the right time.
   Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar produced his first meaningful innings of the tournament in India’s final qualifying game against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, belting 63 from just 54 balls in an ominous sign ahead of the finals.
   After a terrible summer with the bat, the enigmatic Yuvraj Singh has finally shown signs of his best form with brisk knocks of 76 and 36 in India’s last two matches against Sri Lanka.
   Gautam Gambhir has been in superb form, with 113 and an unbeaten 63 in his last two innings, while Robin Uthappa showed his potential with a half-century against Australia last Sunday.
   With Dhoni in top form with the bat throughout the series, the Indian batting has the potential to make the finals very interesting.
   Speaking after his team’s win over Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Dhoni said he believed his side was peaking for the finals.
   However, Australia will also fancy their chances as they attempt to send retiring duo Adam Gilchrist and Brad Hogg off in winning style.
   Dhoni noted that Australian captain Ricky Ponting was ready to make a big impact, having finally burst out of a form slump with a commanding century at the SCG last Sunday.
   Throughout the series, Australia’s seam bowlers have shown they were capable of defending just about any total, with Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark and all-rounder James Hopes all performing with distinction.
   But India has its own trump cards with the new ball in teenage rising star Sharma and swing bowler Irfan Pathan.
   Although the fiery Shanth Sreesanth has been out of form, Praveen Kumar stepped up with four wickets in the win over Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

Cricket Australia officials are to hold a summit with the country’s top players to address growing dissatisfaction with the ruling body.
   The Australian newspaper reported Friday that a ‘summit’ would be held at the conclusion of the current tri-series with India and Sri Lanka following an international season packed with controversy.
   CA spokesman Peter Young confirmed a meeting would take place, although he said the exact timing was yet to be confirmed.
   He played down its significance, saying it was simply an appropriate time for players and officials to come together and discuss the many issues that have dogged them this summer.
   ‘Calling it a summit is perhaps overstating it all,’ he told AFP. ‘We and the players are proposing to catch up soon after this series is finished. We think it is an appropriate time to reflect on where we are going.’
   Outspoken Australian batsman Matthew Hayden has voiced his displeasure with CA for being reprimanded under its code of conduct for calling Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh an ‘obnoxious little weed.’
   ‘It saddens me that my employer has to discipline me for my behaviour,’ he told the Daily Telegraph newspaper in comments published Friday.
   ‘I can see that my comments were insensitive but they were not intended to be denigrating and especially not contrary to the spirit of cricket.
   ‘The cricket environment I have grown up with is probably a little bit different from today.’
   The Australian Cricketers’ Association backed Hayden, chief executive Paul Marsh saying he was disappointed the batsman was punished for expressing his personal opinion.
   Several Australian players had previously voiced unhappiness with CA after they believed a deal was brokered to allow Harbhajan’s three-match suspension for alleged racial abuse to be overturned during their Test series.
   The Australian newspaper reported that Australian captain Ricky Ponting was concerned players from the warring sides were not being treated equally.
   ‘Matty says that and they (Indian players) have got all sorts of comments again through the newspapers, a lot of which have no fact or truth in them whatsoever, but that’s what we’ve had to deal with right the way through the summer,’ Ponting said.
   He said that the Hayden hearing had affected the opener’s preparation for Friday’s clash with Sri Lanka at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
   With bad blood with India, the uncertainty over a tour of Pakistan and the controversy over the Indian Premier League, Ponting said it had been the most difficult season he could remember.
   Young, speaking to The Australian, played down any rift.
   ‘It’s fair to say that from time to time, even in the best of families, there are disagreements on issues,’ he said.
   ‘But I think the nine other Test-playing nations would give their right arm to have the relationship we have with our playing group. ‘Part of the strength of the relationship is that we do have the ability to argue about things. We have in the past and we will in the future.’

Former Australian fast-bowler Jason Gillespie announced his retirement from first-class cricket Friday.
   The 32-year-old paceman announced his decision during South Australia’s Pura Cup match against Queensland.
   Gillespie, Australia’s sixth-highest Test wicket taker, has turned his back on the
   domestic game to concentrate on his family and the rebel Twenty20 Indian Cricket League, for which he has signed for three years.
   He said it was a tough decision, but one he was comfortable with.
   ‘I’m very excited—it certainly is a change, but it’s something I’m very much looking forward to,’ he said.
   ‘The opportunity came up and I had to weigh things up, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do—whether I was going to play on another season with SA.
   ‘I was umming and aahing at that point.
   ‘The body is feeling good so we’ll see how we go; obviously I can’t do the things I could do six or seven years ago, but I still feel I’m contributing.’
   Gillespie had a lot of problems with injuries early in his career, but recovered to become one of the country’s finest quick bowlers.
   ‘I am grateful to Cricket Australia for sticking by me early in my career when I was plagued by injuries,’ he said.
   ‘And I am grateful to the selectors who continued to have faith and select me to play in more than 175 first-class matches.’
   Gillespie took 259 wickets in 71 Tests at 26.13, with best figures of 9-80.
   In his last Test, against Bangladesh, he made and unbeaten 201 as a night watchman.
   He also played 97 one-day internationals, for 142 wickets at 25.42.

The Premier Division Cricket League begins today with Abahani taking on Surjo Tarun in one of the three opening day matches at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
   Former cricketer Shakil Kasem will formally inaugurate the league as chief guest at 9:30am. In the day’s other two matches, Mohammedan meet BKSP at the Narayanganj Osmani Stadium while Sonargaon Cricketers face City Club at the BKSP-2 in Savar.
   Twelve teams – Abahani, Mohammedan, Sonargaon Cricketers, Biman Bangladesh, Victoria SC, Old DOHS, Youngmen’s Club, Kalabagan KC, Partex SC, City Club, BKSP and Surjo Tarun – are taking part in the league.
   On Friday, chairman of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis Gazi Ashraf Hossain, acting member-secretary MA Kabir and member Torikul Islam Tito held a meeting with the captains, managers and coaches of the clubs at the CCDM’s Bangabandhu National Stadium office to explain the by-laws and playing conditions for the league.
   The participants suggested some minor corrections and changes to the by-laws which were accepted and would be incorporated in due process.

Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity beat Orient SC by 60 runs in the Metropolis First Division Cricket League at the Narayanganj Osmani Stadium on Friday.
   Batting first, Khelaghar scored 182-9 in 50 overs with Ishtiaq contributing 43 not out. Arif and Moin claimed two wickets each for 19 and 26 runs respectively.
   In reply, Orient were all out for 122 in 39 overs with Abu Newaz scoring 54. Neaz Morshed grabbed three for 20.
   In the day’s other matches, Rupali Bank CC (158/10) outplayed Dhanmondi Club (115/10) by 43 runs at the BKSP-1, Indira Road (228/6) defeated Kathalbagan (200/10) by 28 runs at the BKSP-2 and Young Pegasus-B (181/9) beat Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club (176/10) by five runs at the Jahangirnagar University ground.

Pakistan is to host the troubled Asia Cup one-day tournament from June 25 to July 6, a Pakistan Cricket Board official said on Friday.
   The participating teams are leaving it to Pakistan to organise security arrangements.
   ‘None of the teams have asked for a security check before the tournament,’ Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB’s chief operating officer of the board, told Reuters.
   ‘India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have confirmed that they will take part in the tournament and they will depend on our security assessment before the event.’
   Associate members Hong Kong and United Arab
   Emirates will also play in the first Asia Cup since 2004 in Sri Lanka.
   Launched in 1984 in Sharjah as a biannual event, the Asia Cup has only been held eight times mainly due to the strained relations between Pakistan and India.

Cox’s Bazar moved into the zonal final of the 4th JFA Cup Under-15 Football Championship defeating Noakhali 2-1 in the semi-final at the Cox’s Bazar Stadium on Friday.
   Ariful Islam struck twice in the 51st and 52nd minutes for the winners while Sohan scored for the losers in the 7th minute.
   In the day’s other match, Kushtia emerged zonal
   champions to reach the final round beating Bogra 6-5 in the tie-breaker in the zonal final at the Pabna Stadium.

The Jabbar Memorial tennis competition, organised by the Engineers Recreation Centre, Dhaka, began on Friday at the Ramna National Tennis Complex.
   Chief adviser’s special assistant for Post & Telecommunication Brig Gen (retd) Engineer MA Malek opened the week-long meet as chief guest.
   The competition has eight events – men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles, boys’ singles (U-16), boys’ singles (U-14), mini-tennis, team event (above 35 years) and engineers’ doubles.
   Nineteen teams are taking part in the competition.

Heavy rain brought play to an early end in the under-19 World Cup semi-final day-night clash between Pakistan and South Africa here on Friday.
   The teams will return to the Kinrara Oval on Saturday to finish the match with Pakistan, chasing a revised target of 252 from 47 overs, on 86-2 after 18.5 overs.
   The defending champions will resume today needing a further 166 runs in 28.1 overs with opener Ahmad Shehzad on 40 and Umar Amin on 22.
   Earlier, South Africa made 260-8 after being sent in to bat in overcast conditions.
   The winner will play India in Sunday’s final.
   South African captain Wayne Parnell grabbed the wickets of Umar Akmal and Shan Masood with his left-arm seam bowling to reduce Pakistan to 17-2 in the third over.
   Shehzad and Amin launched Pakistan’s fightback by adding 44 for the third wicket before rain halted play for almost an hour, leading to the revised target of 252.
   Pakistan, who were 61-2 in 12 overs at that stage, took the total to 85 without further loss by the 19th when another spell of heavy rain drove the players back to the pavilion.
   The players spent the forced rest learning the nuances of the Duckworth-Lewis system for calculating scores in rain-affected matches.
   If seven more deliveries had been bowled on Friday to complete a minimum of 20 overs that constitute a match, Pakistan would have needed only five runs to surpass the required score of 91.
   Instead, as the rain continued, the defending champions were left to chase their entire revised target of 252 when play resumes on Saturday.
   Shehzad and Amin, who have already put on 69 runs for the unbroken third wicket, must take a fresh guard on Saturday to continue Pakistan’s victory bid.
   South Africa’s innings revolved around half-centuries from Jon Smuts (58), Rilee Rossouw (53) and Jonathan Vandiar (50).
   Smuts and Rossouw put on 91 for the second wicket after opener Pieter Malan had fallen for 15 in the eighth over, caught behind off seamer Ali Asad.
   Off-spinner Shehzad removed both Rossouw and Smuts, but Vandiar hit a run-a-ball 50 to boost the total.
   South Africa, who were comfortably placed at 219-4 in the 45th over, lost three wickets for seven runs before Reeza Hendricks smashed an unbeaten 27 off 17 balls to lift his team past the 250-run mark.
   Pakistan captain Imad Wasim was the most successful bowler, claiming 3-44 with his accurate left-arm spin. Seamer Mohammad Rameez and Shahzad picked up two wickets each.

Ricky Ponting is frustrated by the repeated escalation of issues involving Australia and India over the past couple of months. Matthew Hayden’s reprimand for calling Harbhajan Singh an ‘obnoxious weed’ further strained the relationship between the teams entering the first CB Series final in Sydney on Sunday.
   The home players are also reportedly upset by their treatment from Cricket Australia. Hayden’s reprimand followed the downgrading of Harbhajan’s race charge from the Sydney Test, which was achieved through negotiations between the Australian and Indian boards. A meeting between the Australians and their administrators is being planned and Peter Young, the Cricket Australia spokesman, said it had been a ‘long and difficult summer’.
   ‘It’s fair to say that from time to time, even in the best of families, there are disagreements on issues,’ he told the Australian. ‘But I think the nine other Test-playing nations would give their right arm to have the relationship we have with our playing group. Part of the strength of the relationship is that we do have the ability to argue about things. We have in the past and we will in the future.’
   Ponting told the paper Hayden’s comments on Harbhajan were an example of how issues have been blown out of proportion. ‘There have been so many things, with a lot of scrutiny and attention, that have been turned into a lot bigger things than they should have,’ Ponting said. ‘It was a pretty flippant remark but you have to understand what you can and can’t do. I know that Haydos, when he said that, wouldn’t have thought in his wildest dreams that it could have escalated into what it has.’
   He said Hayden was at Cricket Australia’s headquarters in Melbourne until 1.30am on Wednesday night, two days before Friday’s match against Sri Lanka. ‘It’s probably punishment within itself because he pays so much attention to his preparation,’ Ponting said. ‘It’s unfortunate.’ In the end Hayden was rested from the game.
   Hayden said he was ‘sad’ that his employer had to discipline him. ‘I can see that my comments were insensitive but they were not intended to be denigrating and especially not contrary to the spirit of cricket,’ Hayden told the Daily Telegraph. ‘The cricket environment I have grown up with is probably a little bit different from today.’
   India will fly home over the next week, but the issues will not disappear as the players are waiting to be involved in the Indian Premier League. Australia will also travel to India in October for a return Test series.
   ‘It has been a pretty frustrating last couple of months and not just for us,’ Ponting said. ‘The Indians are probably saying the same thing.’

England batsman Kevin Pietersen has revealed that he was offered the chance to play in the Indian Premier League but insisted that he would never ‘turn my back on England,’ in return for a bumper pay-day.
   The IPL, a new Twenty20 competition, has attracted a host of the world’s top players with the likes of Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds set to pocket 1.35 million dollars per year for the next three years.
   Top English players are effectively prevented from cashing in however because the April 18-June 1 schedule for the first season of IPL clashes with the opening of the English county campaign and England’s first one-day matches against New Zealand.
   Pietersen insisted there was ‘no way in this world’ he would give up playing for England in order to join the IPL.
   ‘I know there is interest and, yes, there have been offers, etc etc, but it’s not something I’m particularly interested in,’ Pietersen told the BBC from New Zealand, where England are currently on tour.
   The South African-born batsman had to play county cricket for four years to qualify for England after deciding that his opportunities in his native country would be limited.
   He said he would always be grateful for the chance England had given him to realise his potential to be one of the world’s best. ‘Money’s not really too important, it’s not as if I need money right now,’ he said. ‘I’m really enjoying doing what I’m doing.
   ‘I love playing for England, I love playing for the spectators. England has given me a fantastic opportunity to a fantastic life at the moment. So I’m fully committed 100 percent to playing for England, to winning games for England, to scoring thousands more runs for England.
   ‘I love playing for England and there will be nothing that will lure me away from England just yet.
   ‘I’m really enjoying what I’m doing. It’s a great challenge, challenging myself against the best players in the world in Test and one-day cricket.’
   The head of the IPL, Lalit Modi, said this week that the dates of future competitions could possibly be moved to accommodate the likes of Pietersen.

Arsene Wenger insists he should not have to take responsibility for the death threats sent to Martin Taylor after the Birmingham defender’s tackle on Eduardo.
   Wenger called for Taylor to be banned from football in the immediate aftermath of the challenge that broke Eduardo’s leg and left the Arsenal striker facing at least a year out of action.
   The Gunners manager later softened his stance after speaking to Taylor at Birmingham’s St Andrews stadium, but that didn’t stop the player receiving death threats and hate mail this week.
   Taylor, who was sent off for the challenge, has made it clear he feels Wenger’s initial reaction contributed to the volume and viciousness of the public reaction to him.
   But Wenger is adamant he should not be blamed for the actions of a mindless minority.
   ‘I am responsible for what I say but I came out and retracted what I said. I didn’t want to go overboard. I take that responsibility,’ Wenger said. ‘But people who make death threats have to feel responsible for what they do. It is idiotic and not accepted but I do not want to be responsible for that.’
   While Wenger is willing to accept Taylor’s claim that he didn’t mean to hurt Eduardo, he feels the foul was the inevitable result of a long-held belief in the game that Arsenal can only be beaten if they are roughed up first.
   ‘If it is a pure accident you cannot change anything but all the numbers are available,’ Wenger said. ‘I do not want to single one incident out but I believe there are some teams that commit more fouls than others.
   ‘There is a consistency there. On our side we just try to be fair and after that we just want the right protection from the referees. If a team commits three times more fouls as the other team, there is three times the chance that an accident like that will happen.
   ‘I would just say one thing. In the last three years we have been the team who has been fouled the most in the league, we have been the team who have made the least fouls and we have been the team punished more than any team in the league.
   ‘I do not want to go into what is right or wrong. We try to play in a fair way.
   ‘I do not ask for any special treatment at all. We don’t have to find an answer, it is the referees who need to find an answer.’
   Eduardo is now recovering at home after surgery, but the fall-out from the incident is still being felt at the Emirates Stadium as Wenger tries to rebuild the Premier League leaders’ morale ahead of Saturday’s clash against Aston Villa.
   ‘The response from our team will be positive. We have been deeply disturbed but I also feel something has been deeply touched within the team and I am confident that will come out in the game,’ Wenger said.
   ‘We are not in a club where hate is part of the culture. We want to get the good things out of the game. We are focused on the magnificent sides of our club. Bascially I don’t know what Taylor’s intent was and he has to deal with that now. I cannot be involved in that now.
   ‘We need to support Eduardo and focus on what we need to achieve until the end of the season. The rest is not our problem.’
   Wenger welcomes back French midfielder Abou Diaby for the Villa match, but Robin van Persie won’t be risked despite returning to full training on Friday.
   Tomas Rosicky is still sidelined, while Emmanuel Eboue is suspended.

Defending champion IWM Rani Hamid, WFM Shamima Akter Liza and Nazrana Khan Eva retained their joint lead in the 29th Aromatic Gold National Women’s Chess Championship with six points after the seventh round on Friday.
   In the seventh round, Rani Hamid beat WFM Tanima Parveen, Liza beat Jahanara Haque Runu and Eva beat Shamiha Sharmin Shimmi, Sharmin Sultana Shirin beat Masuda Begum, WFM Syeda Shabana Parveen Nipa drew with WFM Zakia Sultana and Rokshana Titli drew with Arifa Khatun Moni.
   Points after 7th round: 6- Rani Hamid, Liza and Eva, 4.5- Shirin, 4- Tanima, Nipa, 3- Zakia, 2.5- Shimmi, Masuda, 2-Titli, 1.5- Moni, and 0- Runu.

The Indian Premier League will look to reschedule its calendar in future to accommodate England players in the multi-million dollar Twenty20 tournament.
   English players do not feature in the 44-day inaugural event which gets underway on April 18.
   The dates clash with New Zealand’s tour and the start of the English county championship season.
   ‘We are working towards that in the coming years,’ IPL chairman Lalit Modi told Reuters on Friday. ‘It cannot happen overnight.
   ‘They (English players) were interested (this year), but we could not accommodate them because of their commitments,’ he added.
   Seventy-five leading international names were snapped up by the eight IPL franchises at a players’ auction earlier this month with annual pay cheques starting at six-figures.
   Three New Zealand players who have been signed up by IPL teams—captain Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram and Brendon McCullum—are in talks with their board about arriving in England just 10 days before the first test on May 15 to allow them to play six IPL matches.
   The international cricket community is already asking the game’s governing body to set aside a clear slot for the league to avoid a clash of interest for players on national duty.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed claims that he has attempted to unsettle the Lyon striker Karim Benzema.
   United face the Ligue 1 side in the second leg of their Champions League clash at Old Trafford next week, with the tie finely-poised at 1-1.
   Ferguson has been linked with Benzema for several months and spoke highly of the young forward in the build-up to last week’s game in France, comments which Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas interpreted as an attempt to ‘destabilise’ the 20-year-old.
   Speculation about the issue will continue to mount ahead of next week’s game.
   But Ferguson has insisted he has done nothing wrong and the Scot said: ‘When you’re asked the question, you give your honest opinion and I said that Juninho is a good player, Jeremy Toulalan is a good player and Hatem Ben Arfa is a good player. It’s a bit of mischief I think.’

Inter captain Javier Zanetti claims he is ‘sick of talking about referees’ and stresses that the Nerazzurri’s dominance in unquestionable.
   Zanetti was the unlikely hero for Inter as his last-gasp equaliser foiled Roma’s attempts to reopen the title race at San Siro on Wednesday evening.
   However, the Beneamata’s jubilation has been overshadowed by the Giallorossi’s anger at referee Roberto Rosetti for dismissing Philippe Mexes.
   ‘This whole thing is starting to annoy me,’ Zanetti told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
   ‘Unlike the past, at least now you can safely bet on the good faith of the referees.
   ‘Let’s not joke about this. People claim that we are only winning thanks to the officials, but I’ve had enough because for two years we have dominated on the field.’
   After such a close shave at San Siro, Zanetti took time to praise Roma, but admits that the title race could be over.
   ‘Roma have proved themselves to be dangerous opponents, as they are practical and competitive,’ he said.
   ‘However, it is undeniable that a nine-point lead in the race is a very significant margin.’
   The Argentine international also commented on the
   way he is performing at the age of 34 and the secret to his success.
   ‘My family are the key as that is where I find harmony, peace and happiness,’ he explained. ‘I just want to work hard and sweat during the week.
   ‘And since Roberto Mancini started playing me in midfield it is as if I have begun a second career. It’s a role that suits me and I feel younger and more motivated.’

Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club play Churchill Brothers of Goa in their second of the IFA Shield at the Barasat Stadium today.
   The B league runners-up were held to a goalless draw against their Kolkata namesake on Thursday.
   On the other hand Churchill lost to Mohun Bagan in the opening match of the tournament on Wednesday.

Howlie Krira Chakra registered a five-wicket win over Surja Sainik Club in the Keraniganj Cricket League at the Kalindi cricket ground on Friday.
   Surja Sainik batted first and were bundled out for 145 runs in 28.2 overs. In reply, Howlie KC reached the target in 25.1 overs making 146 for the loss of five wickets.

India’s chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has asked young fast bowler Ishant Sharma to remain focused on cricket and not let his new-found popularity affect his concentration.
   Sharma has become the latest poster boy of Indian cricket following his inspired bowling in Australia, which has also drawn praise from home captain Ricky Ponting.
   The 19-year-old, who has played five Tests and nine one-dayers, was snapped up by the Kolkata franchise in the lucrative Indian Premier League for a whopping $950,000 (£478,000) per season three-year contract for the Twenty20 tournament.
   ‘A lot of talented players have lost focus after falling to the temptations that come with fame during their careers,’ Vengsarkar, a former India captain, told the Hindustan Times newspaper on Friday.
   ‘I only hope that does not happen to Ishant,’ he added.
   Sharma formed an impressive partnership with Rudra Pratap Singh in the Test series defeat to Australia after being handed a primary role following an injury to Zaheer Khan.
   The long-haired paceman from New Delhi has developed into the side’s strike bowler in the subsequent triangular one-day series Down Under, where India play the hosts in a three-match final series starting on Sunday.
   ‘We all knew that he had a huge potential but the way he performed in each outing, it was simply incredible,’ Vengsarkar said.

Steve Waugh has said that England and New Zealand stand to lose the most from the rise of India’s official and unofficial Twenty20 leagues, as well as voicing his concern over the power of India’s administrators.
   Waugh was speaking shortly after Lou Vincent became the latest player to turn his back on New Zealand and sign for the ICL. ‘They have lost five or six players to the rebel Twenty20 and they can’t afford to lose their players,’ Waugh said. ‘They haven’t got the depth. England are up and down, I’m not sure where they are going. Again, if they lose players to that rebel league it’s going to affect them.
   ‘You can’t have one or two sides dominating...no-one’s going to turn up and watch. If the rebel league continues, you are going to lose a lot of players from Test cricket and probably from county cricket as well because they are going to get offers, and that is going to affect English cricket.’

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani re-iterated on Friday calls for players such as Kaka to be given more protection from referees.
   Earlier in the week the European champions issued a statement claiming the world player of the year’s career was in danger from constant fouls and calling on referees to look after him.
   They claimed he could have his career ended early, like the great Dutch forward Marco van Basten, if he was not given more protection. Ahead of a crucial period of the season as AC Milan look to progress in the Champions League and climb up the Serie A table, Galliani has again called on authorities to act.
   ‘Unfortunately they tolerate too many fouls, not only on Kaka but on many players,’ he said of the referees. I think they need to start sending people off if they hurt another player.’
   Kaka has spent a little time on the sidelines during the second half of the season but that was more due to a long-standing knee problem than rough treatment from opponents.
   Milan’s busy fixture schedule hasn’t helped either and that’s a concern for Galliani.
   ‘We are quite worried because we’re tired, we’ve played more than anyone else,’ he said.
   ‘We knew the Club World Cup in Japan would cost us a lot of hard work, I think since January we’ve played 13 matches in 40 days (actually 45), that’s borderline impossible.
   ‘Now we have to gather all our mental strength for an important match on Tuesday.’

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has been cautioned by police for common assault in connection with a roadside bust-up with a man earlier this week.
   Carragher, 30, was on his way to Liverpool’s Melwood ground at the time of the confrontation on Tuesday morning.
   Following a complaint by the man involved, Carragher accepted a caution from police, which amounts to an admission of guilt in English law. Common assault is the lowest form of assault and can include anything from spitting to shoving.

With Inter Milan snatching a late equaliser against Roma on Wednesday to maintain their nine-point lead at the top of the table, it is Champions League qualification that takes the focus at the weekend.
   Third-place Juventus entertain fourth-placed Fiorentina at Turin’s Olympic stadium on Sunday with a four-point gap between the pair.
   Juve have faltered recently, losing 2-1 at Reggina and being held to a 0-0 home draw by city rivals Torino in their last two matches.
   That has allowed Fiorentina, who have recently been trying to fend off AC Milan for fourth place, to start thinking of bigger and better things, such as catching the Old Lady of Turin.
   Midfielder Marco Donadel knows that the chase for Champions League spots – awarded to the top four at the end of the season – could quickly become more complicated than a straight fight for fourth place between his team and European champions Milan.
   Particularly as Juve will have Czech veteran Pavel Nedved, midfielder Cristiano Zanetti and centre-back Giorgio Chiellini suspended for the crunch clash.
   ‘Juventus are on the horizon. It’s a challenge we’re all looking forward to, like the whole city,’ Donadel told the club’s website.
   ‘Winning these matches against direct rivals are like taking a double advantage over them.
   ‘We need to try to be more clinical. Against the big teams we’ve always played well but have lost the matches on certain little things.
   ‘Now it’s important that when we get to the final four or five games of the season we’re still in the race (for Champions League places).’
   One worry for Fiorentina is their ongoing UEFA Cup participation which keeps them playing twice a week most of the time while Juve can rest up having not qualified for Europe last season.
   ‘They’ve played less than us, as they’re not in Europe, so maybe they’ll be fresher than us,’ added Donadel.
   It’s not just about those two, though, as Milan are only two points behind Fiorentina and have been closing in on the top places since the turn of the year.
   But they showed signs of fatigue in their 1-1 draw at Catania on Wednesday and now that the Champions League has resumed again, they too will be suffering from playing many matches in a short period of time.
   To make matters worse, their participation in the Club World Cup in December meant they had to catch up on three games in hand during January and February.
   Brazilian midfielder Emerson admitted to the club’s TV channel that tiredness could play a factor for the team.
   ‘Unfortunately (Wednesday) we didn’t manage to win. We were a little tired but we know we have a great responsibility,’ he said.
   ‘We’re aware that we have to claw back ground (on the teams above) to achieve our aims.
   ‘Also the fact that we played in the Club World Cup and had three league games to catch up on has meant that we have had less time to recover after playing than the other teams.
   ‘We have to be stronger during this tough time but we can still achieve our aim, which is fourth place.’
   Milan entertain Lazio at the San Siro today although they have a fitness doubt over crucial playmaker Kaka, who has a knee problem and may be rested ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Arsenal in the Champions League second round second leg.
   ‘On Saturday we await Lazio at the San Siro. In every match the teams that play Milan want to show something extra and so for us, in front of our own fans, we have even more responsibility,’ added Emerson.
   ‘Then on Sunday there is Juventus-Fiorentina, hence for Milan it’s even more important to come away with three points.’
   In other matches leaders Inter travel to Napoli while second-placed Roma host Parma.

Winning the Golden Ball may not be the pinnacle of a career but, as James Horncastle explains, the ending of it…
   On winning the Ballon d’Or in December Ricky Kaka told his peers that he would love to imitate Milan legend Marco Van Basten and pick up another two World Player of the Year awards before the end of his career.
   The Dutchman collected the accolade three times while with the Rossoneri, inspiring the club to an incredible 16 major titles in eight years throughout which he scored 90 goals in 147 games. He, like Kaka, was a match-winner but tragically had to retire at the age of 30 after being hacked to pieces by opposing defenders. The man they called the ‘Swan’ was given as much respect as the ‘Ugly Duckling’ by hard-men keen to make a name for themselves.
   One would think that the similarity between Kaka and Van Basten ends here, but the Brazilian is now being treated to the same overzealous, malicious and downright dangerous tackles that robbed the game and Milan of one of its most outstanding proponents.
   The Rossoneri’s outspoken vice-president Adriano Galliani, who compared the club’s loss of Van Basten to the passing of Leonardo Da Vinci, said, ‘I am fed up of going into the dressing room and seeing Kaka with ice on his knee. This boy is made to play football not to go into battle. Every game, three or four players take it in turns to hit him. We cannot go on like this.’
   So how do we protect the embattled fantasista who, after taking a considerable whack on his left knee against Palermo, will be out of action for at least two games? While Kaka shouldn’t be wrapped in cotton wool and given any special treatment by referees, officials should be made to punish those who systematically target the 25-year-old.
   Opposition coaches should be responsible enough to tone down their war cries. We’ve all heard, ‘Don’t give them too much respect, let them know you’re about and hit them hard.’ Ronaldo and Eduardo have been recent victims of those. But do we want to see football become a non-contact sport like netball? Apparently not! Referee Frank De Bleeckere was chastised by the media for sending off Marco Materazzi for two ‘soft’ offences against Fernando Torres in Inter’s Champions League tie with Liverpool.
   If you ask me, the problem lies with the cursed Ballon d’Or itself which hangs like an albatross around the neck of its recipients. Ronaldinho hasn’t been the same player since winning it, Roberto Baggio and Andriy Shevchenko missed crucial penalties after collecting it. Oh, and the dazzling prize brought unwanted and ultimately fatal attention to Ronaldo and Van Basten. So, here’s a little piece of advice for our Ricky. Follow the example of team-mate Paolo Maldini – never win the blasted thing again and eternal youth will be yours.

Chelsea captain John Terry has reiterated his commitment to the club in the wake of the Carling Cup final defeat by Tottenham last Sunday.
   Terry, who was involved in a training-ground row with first-team coach Henk ten Cate the day before the Wembley showdown with Spurs, was unsure of his place in the starting line-up after he was omitted from the Champions League side that drew with Olympiacos the previous Tuesday.
   But he has been quick to make it clear that he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge for life and is looking forward to the rest of the season after two months spent on the sidelines with a fractured foot.
   ‘I really can’t see myself leaving and I signed a new contract earlier in the season. I love the club, and I’m so passionate about Chelsea,’ Terry said.
   ‘I just want Chelsea to succeed. I like to think I know what the fans go through on a weekly basis. I don’t just come in, train and go home and forget about things, I take it home with me.
   ‘I am fortunate to be in the position I am at an amazing club like Chelsea, and to enjoy the things that come with being a professional footballer.
   ‘I have been here on £45 per week and worked my way through to being where I am today. I appreciate everything and work hard every day.’
   Terry also admitted that Avram Grant’s squad must use the defeat at Wembley to spur them on to glory in the remainder of the season.
   ‘It’s hard to take any defeat, let alone a final,’ he said.
   ‘The boys worked their socks off to get to the final, and it’s the worst time to lose, but we have to pick ourselves up, and we’re still fortunate enough to be in all three competitions, and we’re still very much in contention.
   ‘The Premier League is still close, and we have a great chance in the Champions League and FA Cup, which is our trophy so we need to stay positive.
   ‘Over the last three or four years we’ve got into a mode where we’ve been dominating things and we’ve been in the final stages and had a taste of success.
   ‘There have been a couple of occasions where we’ve lost out and that is not a nice feeling, and I think no-one likes to lose, we didn’t want to, but we have to use it as a positive and be more hungry in the future.
   ‘Having that taste of defeat is not a nice feeling to have, and there are things out there we can win, like the Champions League that we still haven’t won.’
   Terry also said that he is under no illusions that, even as captain, he has to fight for his place like everyone else.
   He added, ‘There are so many world class players, and seeing how well Ricardo Carvalho, Tal Ben-Haim and Alex are doing, makes me want to get back and train, and prove myself again.
   ‘It’s horrible because you read things where people think they can walk back in the team, and I certainly haven’t thought that.
   ‘I’ve watched games and seen two players playing so well together so I had to work my socks off.
   ‘It’s not down to me or anybody else to pick the team, it’s down to the manager and thankfully he’s seen enough to put me in.’

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson believes owner Thaksin Shinawatra, who has returned to his native Thailand to face corruption charges, will continue to support the Premier League club.
   The 58-year-old former Thai prime minister, who became City’s owner before the start of the season, was taken into custody on Thursday by police after his arrival in Bangkok from Hong Kong.
   Thaksin was ordered to post bail of 281,000 dollars and ordered not to leave the country without permission before his trial on corruption charges, due to start on March 12.
   On the flight to Thailand, Thaksin told reporters of his ambitions for City, saying, ‘It is my investment’, adding he hoped the club could become a global brand like cross-town rivals Manchester United.
   Club spokesman Paul Tyrrell said Thaksin wanted City to qualify for Europe this season and move into the lucrative Champions League within three years.
   City are lying eighth in the table, six points behind Everton in the fourth spot which guarantees Champions League qualification.
   Eriksson is keen to fulfil the owner’s dreams although the club could do with a win against Wigan on Saturday after taking a mere seven points from a possible 21.
   ‘Thaksin has already given us what he promised in (transfer funds) in July, August and January,’ said Eriksson.
   ‘His support and his involvement with Thailand, I do not think has anything to do with the club,’ the former England manager added.
   ‘Every time I meet him and the people working for him, it is the same. They want City to be bigger and better. He wants to create one of the biggest clubs in the world – and I hope that happens, of course.
   ‘To do that we need many things. But one thing which is very important is to play in Europe next season, either in the Champions League or UEFA Cup.
   ‘We have a new team and need to give them experience at that level. It would be good for our future.’
   But in the short-term City must do without Micah Richards for six weeks after the England defender had a knee operation.
   ‘It is really bad news and big blow,’ said Eriksson. ‘Everyone knows how important he is to us.
   ‘He had an operation yesterday (Wednesday), and our medical people tell me he is quick healer – so maybe he might be back before then, but we will have to wait and see.’
   Martin Petrov will also miss the Wigan match as he will be starting a three-match ban for being sent off in Monday’s defeat against Everton.

A tent in a car park is an unlikely place to find European football’s top trophy but the organisers of the Euro 2008 championships hope this is just the start of a triumphant journey.
   With 100 days to go before the opening match between Switzerland and the Czech Republic in Basel on June 7, the Swiss and Austrian organisers showed off their ‘Euro Experience Tour’ to journalists on Thursday at an exhibition centre in this Bern suburb.
   The ‘biggest inflatable tour tent in the world’ will take the silver Henri Delaunay trophy around 13 different destinations in the two countries before the tournament kicks off.
   The tour also boasts a hot air balloon and interactive video games offering fans the chance to win match tickets.
   Euro 2008 SA, the company charged with organising the tournament, has been criticised in some quarters for failing to generate the same fervour and passion that greeted the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
   ‘There is a huge amount of work still to be done,’ Euro 2008 SA head Martin Kallen told journalists.
   He nevertheless voiced confidence that the competition will be a success.
   The mayor of Bern, Alexander Tschaeppaet, was also at the event and said preparations were well under way to host the thousands of fans expected from the Netherlands, France and Italy, who will all play their matches in the city.
   Neither Switzerland nor Austria boasts a very strong footballing culture in contrast to their larger European neighbours, with winter sports such as skiing and ice hockey enjoying greater popularity.
   It is perhaps no coincidence that national traits and traditions are noticeably absent from the glitzy Euro 2008 publicity campaign presented here.
   The two official mascots are ‘Trix’ and ‘Flix’, two animated figures who call to mind more the Japanese video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, than Heidi or the Sound of Music.
   Similarly, the mascots’ official song features no alpenhorns or yodellers, but instead is a dance number by Jamaican reggae star Shaggy, better known for his novelty hits ‘Oh Carolina’ and ‘Boombastic’.
   Shaggy was on hand at the press event and insisted that ‘football is a big part of Jamaican culture’– but added that he will miss most of this summer’s matches because they clash with his own European tour.
   The Swiss team will also have its own song, ‘Bring en hei’ (‘Bring it home’), by Basel singer Baschi who shot to fame on a reality TV show.
   Switzerland last hosted a major football tournament more than half a century ago with the 1954 World Cup.
   That event became known as the ‘Miracle of Bern’ after West Germany defied all odds to triumph in the final, setting the stage for that country’s postwar football renaissance. The organisers of Euro 2008 must be hoping that some of that old magic rubs off a second time around.

Brazilian club Vasco da Gama have accused Real Madrid of making an offer to 15-year-old player Philippe Coutinho and say they are reporting the matter to world soccer’s governing body FIFA.
   ‘Real Madrid went to the player’s family and made very tempting but illegal offers,’ Vasco president Eurico Miranda told reporters. We have reported Real Madrid to FIFA and the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) for their approach to Philippe Coutinho.’
   ‘Coutinho is only 15 and the FIFA rules are clear, transfers abroad are only allowed for 18-year-olds.’
   Miranda said Real had offered a job to the player’s father and the chance to live abroad.
   ‘They try to get around the law by taking those responsible for the player to live and work abroad. They offer a job to the father and take the player. But they’re not doing that here at Vasco,’ he said.
   Real were not immediately available for comment on Miranda’s statements.

World football’s governing body FIFA has agreed to sign the World Anti-Doping Agency’s revised code, FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced on Friday.
   Following a meeting with new WADA president John Fahey at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters, Blatter said the alterations in the new code would be accepted into FIFA’s regulations at the body’s annual Congress at the end of May.
   ‘I am happy that we can announce this on such an historic day, because there are not too many February 29s,’ Blatter said after signing a letter of intent along with Fahey.
   ‘FIFA and WADA share the common objective of fighting doping and we will continue to do so through all possible means.’
   The code, which comes into force on Jan 1 2009, will allow greater flexibility in the sanctions imposed on athletes who can prove they failed doping tests through oversight rather than an intention to cheat.
   It will also define new standards relating to the ‘whereabouts’ rules, in which athletes have to inform anti-doping authorities of their location for potential testing.
   Fahey said WADA was still working on the precise wording of those standards and would hold further talks with FIFA and other team sport federations over the next two days.
   FIFA was one of the last Olympic sport federations to accept the WADA code, finally doing so at its 2004 Congress in Paris.
   Even then there were differences between the two bodies, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport telling FIFA in 2006 that its anti-doping regulations did not fully comply with those of WADA.
   FIFA has been particularly keen to maintain flexibility in the case of sanctions imposed on first time doping offenders, preferring to treat each offence on a case-by-case basis rather than implementing the mandatory two-year ban previously favoured by WADA.
   The new WADA code will in fact allow for such flexibility – enabling federations to hand down lesser punishments and even exonerations where there are mitigating circumstances.
   It will also allow for longer bans for cases involving ‘aggravating circumstances’ such as evidence of systematic or multiple doping infringements.

Rafa Benitez issued a rallying cry to his Liverpool players on Thursday, after agreeing with Steven Gerrard’s assessment of a season that is ‘not nearly good enough’. Gerrard’s outburst prompted fears on the Kop of some deep-rooted concerns about the club’s direction.
   But Benitez attempted to take the heat out of the situation when he moved swiftly to back-up his captain’s hard-hitting criticism.
   ‘Everyone at Liverpool shares Steven’s sentiments,’ said Benitez. ‘There is no question about that. We wanted to be further up the table and the fact we are not is a disappointment to everyone.’
   Now Benitez wants his side to come together and fight for the last trophy available to them.
   He is determined to bury the frustration of another desperate domestic campaign by plotting Champions League glory to add to the European title he won in 2005.
   ‘The important thing now is to concentrate on what we can still do. We are still in the Champions League and our record in that competition is one that most other clubs would envy,’ he added. ‘And we are still confident of finishing in the top four, which would obviously mean we would qualify for next season’s Champions League again.’

Newcastle skipper Michael Owen has admitted that the club’s confidence is low as the Magpies look to secure a first win under Kevin Keegan at home to Blackburn on Saturday.
   Keegan’s return to the club has not sparked a resurgence after a mediocre first half of the season under predecessor Sam Allardyce and the Geordies are now just six points above the relegation zone.
   ‘Confidence isn’t at its best,’ striker Owen, 28, told BBC Radio 5 Live. ‘There is nervousness throughout the side.
   ‘We need a win and the sooner the better. As soon as we get that I think confidence will come flooding back.’
   But Owen insists the club is not panicking in the run-in to the end of the campaign.
   ‘We’ve got an awful lot of games left and we aren’t in the relegation zone at the moment,’ said the England forward.
   ‘We’re not at panic stations but we are obviously well aware we need to get a result – and fast.’

Obafemi Martins has admitted when Newcastle United turned to fans’ favourite Kevin Keegan he did not know anything about the ‘Geordie messiah’.
   The Magpies were on the look-out for a new man at the helm in early January after Sam Allardyce was given his marching orders.
   Newcastle sensationally turned to former boss Keegan, who had the team challenging for the Premier League title last time around, but Martins did not know what the fanfare was all about.
   It was only after speaking with Toon team-mate Geremi that the former Internazionale forward was filled in on Keegan’s past exploits.
   ‘I honestly didn’t know anything about him,’ he told The Sun. ‘But I quickly learned things and realised what an important person he was.
   ‘It was Geremi who told me all about Kevin Keegan. He rang while we were both out in Ghana – Geremi was with Cameroon - to say that Keegan had been this great player and what a good manager he was for Newcastle.
   ‘When I got back we had to introduce ourselves to each other. I had an ankle injury but Keegan told me he wanted me back and fit to help the team. I told him I wanted that, too.’
   Meanwhile, Martins has vowed to sign a fresh five-year Newcastle contract within the next fortnight.
   ‘It should be sorted out in the next two weeks. I want to stay here because I love the fans and they love me,’ he added.
   ‘I can imagine playing for Newcastle for many, many years. I have settled in well, the area is cool and I’m happy.’

Martin Taylor said that Arsene Wenger’s comments in the aftermath of the Birmingham City defender’s leg-breaking challenge on Arsenal’s Eduardo da Silva coloured people’s views of the incident.
   Eduardo suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle when he was caught by Taylor minutes into last weekend’s Premier League game, with Taylor sent off.
   The Arsenal players were visibly shocked by the extent of the injury and Wenger said Taylor should be banned from football for life – a comment he later retracted.
   ‘Personally, it (Wenger’s comment) hasn’t changed my view because I know it was an accident. But it has affected the way people react to it,’ Taylor told Wednesday’s Independent newspaper.
   ‘Arsene Wenger is one of the most highly regarded managers in the game and people listen to what he says.
   They look at it in a different light because someone who is so learned has said something like that.
   ‘At the time it didn’t register too much what he said. Because I knew I had gone for the ball I knew it was an accident. That Arsene Wenger later retracted his comments demonstrates that he now accepts it was an accident.’
   Taylor visited Eduardo in
   hospital and said he would
   be delighted to see him
   back in action for club and country.
   ‘I thought maybe he wouldn’t want to see me, which would have been fair enough because of the trauma.
   ‘But he was really kind to see me,’ Taylor said.
   ‘Although there was a language barrier, I just said that I didn’t mean him any harm at all and that I hoped he made a quick recovery.
   ‘He took it on board and nodded.
   ‘I was just really glad we could communicate.
   ‘He is obviously a really strong man.
   ‘When he gets back to fitness and he puts the ball in the net for Arsenal for the first time we will all feel much better.
   ‘People will be able to see that accidents like these are the nature of football and you can recover from it.’
   Taylor has received a series of internet threats since the incident but said he has also had support from fans all over the country.
   ‘It has been difficult, the whole incident shook me and my family, but I have had a lot of support that has helped
   me through a difficult time,’ he said.
   ‘I have had support publicly and privately. I have had
   great support from my manager, Alex McLeish, my team-
   mates and Birmingham fans as well as supporters across the country, including those from Arsenal.
   ‘I also want to thank ex-managers and also friends coming round to my house or talking to me. It has been exceptionally helpful.’

Martin O’Neill does not hide his admiration for Arsenal but that will not stop the Ulsterman from celebrating if his Aston Villa side derail the Gunners’ Premier League title bid today.
   An injury-time equaliser by Birmingham last weekend reduced Arsenal’s advantage over Manchester United to three points and on-form Villa’s visit to the Emirates will provide a stern test of their title credentials.
   O’Neill may have to do without key Swedish defender Olof Mellberg but he is confident that his side has the offensive weapons necessary to unsettle Arsenal.
   ‘We have got players here capable of frightening other defences and that is a major plus for us,’ he said. ‘We have the capability of upsetting other teams and I don’t care where they are placed in the league.’
   Manchester United will be confident of collecting three points from their visit to relegation-threatened Fulham, and O’Neill is expecting no favours from Villa’s hosts, even if they do have half an eye on next week’s Champions League trip to AC Milan.
   ‘Arsenal have been shifting their focus from the Premier League to Champions League games…often it is becoming almost second nature to them,’ he said. ‘I would love to say that they would take their eye off the ball against us but it won’t happen.
   ‘They have been first or second in the Premier League all season and I don’t see them taking it easy against us. That and the Champions League are two competitions that they prize greatly.’
   Fulham defender Brede Hangeland, who played in FC Copenhagen’s Champions League win over Manchester United last season, sees no reason why he cannot repeat the experience.
   ‘That was one of the biggest games I’ve played and if we could do it again it would be equally as big,’ said the 26-year-old Norwegian.
   ‘We played above our level and I think you have to do that to beat Man Utd. We’ll have to do that on Saturday if we want to win.
   ‘They’re a fantastic side with world class players all over the field and we should look forward to the occasion. I’ll do the job the manager tells me to do, if it’s marking Wayne Rooney or whoever, I’ll do my best.’
   Third-placed Chelsea, meanwhile, travel across London to West Ham knowing that a defeat could effectively end their lingering hopes of forcing their way back into the title race and increase the speculation over manager Avram Grant’s future.
   The former Israel boss is under siege after Chelsea were out-thought and out-fought by Tottenham in the League Cup final last weekend.
   But Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel believes that setback has been forgotten as Chelsea turn their attentions to the trophies still up for grabs.
   ‘We just have to put what has happened behind us and make sure we move forward, and everything from here goes well,’ he said.
   ‘We had a talk among ourselves as players and we know we could have done better in the cup final. It was obviously disappointing, so we have to make sure we come back victorious.’
   Tottenham will be seeking to build on their first trophy under new boss Juande Ramos by continuing their climb up the table at the expense of relegation-threatened Brimingham, their hosts on Saturday.
   Manchester City, who have lost England defender Micah Richards for six weeks to a knee injury, entertain Wigan, but the main focus of the battle for fourth place will be on Sunday, when Liverpool are away to Bolton while Everton host Portsmouth.

Ronaldinho has revealed he is keen to stay at Barcelona and is unwilling to spend time worrying about the possibility of another season on the bench.
   The Brazilian forward was speaking at his first press conference in nearly six months, during which time he has fallen out of favour at Barca and has drawn heavy criticism over his disappointing form.
   Ronaldinho has started just 11 games for his club this season, leading to widespread speculation it could be his last in Catalonia with reported interest from both AC Milan and Chelsea.
   But the 27-year-old said that although he does not know what will happen in the future, he wants to remain at the Nou Camp.
   ‘The future belongs to God,’ Ronaldinho said. ‘I have a few years left on my contract and I see myself here.
   ‘I don’t want to think about what will happen if I have to put up with another season relegated to the bench.
   ‘That’s not something that enters into my head as I’m very positive and I always imagine myself playing at my best.’
   Despite not wanting to start from the bench, Ronaldinho was quick to point out he accepts Barca coach Frank Rijkaard’s rotation policy and will work hard to get back into the coach’s plans.
   The Brazilian continued, ‘Rotations are normal in a group of players with so much quality. The coach makes changes so we’re all in good shape physically and happy.
   ‘I feel good, I’m working to get back to my best and my intention now is to play 90 minutes to get there as soon as possible.
   ‘I’m ready to play 90 minutes if the coach feels he can count on me.’
   Asked whether his absence from press conferences was due to the criticism he has received in the media, Ronaldinho claimed it was not his job to talk to reporters.
   ‘I’m not a singer who spends all day in front of microphones. It was time for me to do what I know how to do, which is my job,’ he said.
   ‘Nobody likes being criticised. Everyone with a mouth talks, and it’s not nice hearing certain things, but this just gives me more motivation to get back to my best.’

After having the unfamiliar sensation of losing three games in a row, Spanish league leaders Real Madrid will be hoping to get back on track at lowly Recreativo Huelva today.
   Real’s nine-point lead at the start of February has dwindled to just two points and the reigning Spanish champions will have to win at Spain’s oldest club to ensure that they are not toppled from pole position by rivals Barcelona.
   ‘Three weeks ago we had an advantage that we don’t have now, that’s a disappointment,’ admitted Real club captain Raul Gonzalez on Wednesday.
   ‘However, I’ve always thought that the league would really be decided in May, in the last five games,’ added Raul, trying to gloss over Real’s recent decline.
   Real have 56 points from 25 games, with 13 fixtures still left, while Barcelona now have 54 points.
   The problem for Real coach Bernd Schuster is that there is a danger Raul and his colleagues could be looking beyond Recreativo, who lie fourth from bottom just one place above the relegation zone, and thinking about the visit of Roma.
   The nine-time kings
   of Europe have to claw back from a 2-1 loss at the Italian club last week when they host the second leg of their Champions League last-16 match next Wednesday.
   ‘We haven’t thrown in the towel in any competition. There are a lot of dreams invested in what we can do this season. Now is the time to bounce back, added the Real captain.
   Two men who could aid Real’s recovery from their doldrums are Brazilian winger Robinho and Portuguese defender Pepe, who have been passed fit to face Recreativo after being out of action for three and five weeks respectively.
   Pepe is expected to slot straight back into the middle of the back-four while Robinho might be switched to the right flank to fill the gap left by Ruud van Nistelrooy, with Raul becoming the main target man.
   Van Nistelrooy has been struggling with a sore right ankle for three weeks and Real medical officials insisted on Wednesday that last season’s top-scorer in the Spanish first division finally give his troublesome joint a rest.
   Barcelona are unbeaten this year in any competition and can boast of a 15-game unbeaten streak, which they will look to extend when they visit fourth-placed Atletico Madrid today.
   They romped to a 6-0 win there last season and all five men who scored – with Lionel Messi getting a brace in addition to goals from Gianluca Zambrotta, Samuel Eto’o, Ronaldinho and Andres Iniesta – should start again.
   In addition to that unnerving prospect, Atletico also have only one win in their last six league outings to their name.
   ‘We need to go into Saturday’s match concentrating, and without desperation, because we’ll need to be a solid unit ready to fight in what will be a difficult match,’ said Atletico striker Maxi Rodriguez on Thursday.
   ‘We need to be calm and not leave ourselves exposed because with one chance they can break the game. We learned that last season,’ added the Argentine international midfielder.
   Rodriguez was honest enough to admit that the Atletico players are well aware they are in a slump.
   ‘Crisis? No, but there is a negative streak. We’ve started to surrender the confidence we had earlier on. We’ve lost key matches, and that hurts, but on Saturday we have to change that dynamic and get three points,’ he added.
   One bit of good news for Atletico coach Javier Aguirre is that his teenage Argentine striker Kun Aguero may be fit to face Barca.
   Aguero broke down in training on Wednesday with what initially looked like a torn muscle in his left hamstring but Atletico doctors said on Thursday it was only a slight strain and he could recover by Saturday.

AC Milan have extended Brazilian playmaker Kaka’s contract by two years until June 2013, the European champions announced on Thursday.
   The 25-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder is reportedly going to be paid more than the 6-million-euros-a-year he earns with his current contract, that was due to expire in 2011.
   Milan refused to comment on the financial details of his new deal.
   Last week Kaka had told Britain’s Daily Mail that he wanted to finish his career at Milan.
   ‘I think I will stay at Milan until the end of my career,’ he said. ‘I’ve got used to the life here and I’m settled in the city.
   ‘I can’t see myself going anywhere else, even if we never know what will happen in life.’
   Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani hopes Kaka will remain with the Rossoneri for the remainder of his career following the Brazil playmaker’s decision to sign a new two-year deal.
    ‘Kaka has repeatedly stated that he wants to become a symbol of this team,’ said Galliani on the club’s official website.
   ‘He’s the best footballer in the world and he’s decided to tie himself definitively to Milan.
   ‘This is a life contract. I hope that in 2013 I will make him a new contract but now we already know Kaka will delight Milan’s fans until the end of his career. It’s great news for all us Milan fans.’
   Kaka has repeatedly been linked with a move to Real Madrid over the past 12 months but Galliani insists the player’s intention was always to remain at the San Siro. He added, ‘Kaka has made this decision.
   ‘He always had the conviction, but never as strong as in the last few months. Kaka is a symbol of the football expressed by Silvio Berlusconi’s Milan.
   ‘At the moment he is the best footballer in the world, and he’s surrounded by great players, like (Andrea) Pirlo and (Clarence) Seedorf, who give this team a lot of quality. With these players Milan are the defending European Champions and World Champions.’

Real Madrid are interested in snapping up Lyon’s French international striker Karim Benzema, even if the Spanish champions know the young talent will be difficult to prise away, Marca sports daily reported Friday.
   Marca reported back in October that the Spaniards had already expressed an interest for the 20-year-old, league top-scorer in France and who last week scored a fine goal for Lyon in their Champions League draw with Manchester United.
   According to the journal, Real see the youngster as the long-term successor to Dutch forward Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
   But Real ‘are going to come up against a serious problem. Lyon want to extend his contract to 2014 and underpin it with an “anti-Madrid” clause (which would prevent him going for less than) around 100 million euros,’ according to Marca.
   A further complication will likely be interest from several other top European sides, including Van Nistelrooy’s former side United, whose coach Sir Alex Ferguson has already admiringly noted Benzema’s progress.

Hong Kong’s football authorities confirmed Friday that they had given the go-ahead for David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy to play in the city.
   LA Galaxy announced Monday they would play an exhibition match March 9 at Hong Kong Stadium, but the city’s football authority said it had not approved the plan and the stadium was fully booked for that date.
   However, that has now changed.
   ‘The application was approved,’ Hong Kong Football Association Sunny Leung told AFP Friday. ‘We have all been making every last-minute effort to have them come, we were very keen to have them here.’
   Leung said LA Galaxy would arrive on March 6 and hold a football clinic for youngsters before playing a South China invitation team on March 9, tickets for which go on sale from next Thursday. The game is part of a Galaxy exhibition tour of Asia aimed at tapping into Beckham’s huge popularity in the region.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Chelsea could still muscle their way back into the Premier League title race and gatecrash Manchester United and Arsenal’s personal duel.
   Chelsea are nine points behind leaders Arsenal and six behind United, with a game in hand. And with Avram Grant’s side still to host Arsenal and United, Fergie said they may still have a say in the title.
   ‘The number of points Chelsea are behind Arsenal is not insurmountable because in this Premier League points can be dropped,’ said Fergie. ‘The fact their home record is so good, you would have to think they have still got a big chance in the Premier League.
   ‘The Champions League, which I think is what they are really after given Roman Abramovich’s contribution to Chelsea’s rise in the last few years, is within their grasp too.
   ‘I think they’ve got the easiest draw of the English teams and have got the best chance of going into the last eight.’
   United travel to Fulham today, where they hope victory will keep up the pressure on Arsenal, who have not won since Fergie’s side demolished them 4-0 in the FA Cup a fortnight ago.
   Fergie’s men are chasing a repeat of United’s 1999 Treble triumph and he claimed his players have the hunger and desire to rewrite history once again this season by winning three trophies.
   ‘The players have that joy of being at a club with a lot of ambition at Manchester United,’ said Fergie. ‘There’s a lot about the modern-day game that sometimes restricts people’s abilities and maybe the pressure from the manager or the club makes it difficult for players to express themselves. ‘But we work hard at making sure our players are relaxed enough to use their talents all the time.’

Jose Mourinho turned down an offer to coach Lyon after leaving Chelsea, according to Bernard Lacombe, the adviser to the French club’s president.
   Speaking in Friday’s France Football magazine, former Lyon player Lacombe said club president Jean-Michel Aulas approached Mourinho after the Portuguese coach left Stamford Bridge, and after Alain Perrin had already taken charge of the French champions.
   ‘I know that the president approached him (Mourinho),’ said Lacombe. ‘But the talks didn’t go very far. Mourinho was in need of some rest.’
   Reports in the French magazine also suggest Mourinho rejected the move as a deal has already been done to take him to Barcelona next season.
   In a three-page report under the headline ‘No to Lyon, Yes to Barca’ the magazine suggests Mourinho has held meetings with officials at the Catalan club, during which he received ‘dossiers’ containing lists of players the club hopes to sign.
   The respected journal, which was the first to break the story that Thierry Henry had agreed to join Barcelona last summer, has claimed that Mourinho was offered the job at the Nou Camp after meeting club officials, including sporting director Txiki Beguiristain, on January 10.
   Ever since then, Mourinho has been working on his plans for the club. He has made DVDs of each player in the current squad which assesses their strengths and weaknesses and has already handed Barcelona a wish-list of players he wants the club to sign in the summer.
   These include Bayern Munich left-back Philipp Lahm, Inter defender Maicon, Chelsea target Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb, and one from Sidi Keita of Lens or his former player at Chelsea, Frank Lampard.
   Barcelona vice-president Marc Ingla, who has football development under his remit, was last week quoted on Spanish radio as saying that Mourinho is an attractive coach but that ‘we have Frank Rijkaard and are happy with him’.
   France Football’s report comes one day after it emerged that Rijkaard is open to the idea of coaching Chelsea next season. ‘Frank is leaving Barcelona at the end of the season,’ a source close to Rijkaard was quoted as saying. ‘In the past he has said that Chelsea is a big club so, of course, he would be interested if the job became available.’
   Mourinho was expected to try and sign Didier Drogba at his next club but that will only happen if Samuel Eto’o leaves, which looks unlikely. A list of likely departures from the club has been drawn up, with Ronaldinho, Gianluca Zambrotta, Eidur Gudhonsen, Oleguer Presas and Gio dos Santos all on it.
   Lyon sports director Bernard Lacombe, meanwhile, admitted that club president Jean-Michel Aulas had sounded out Mourinho after he left Chelsea back in September. ‘The chairman approached him at some point, but it didn’t go very far. Mourinho needed time off and he didn’t really have interest in joining a club like Lyon.’