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Premier League: Season Review 2011/2012. (Video)

2012-06-01T16:55:00.000+03:00

Premier League season 2011/ 2012 Review

The 2011/2012 Premier League season has been full of twists and turns, and will go down as one of the best campaigns in the recent memory. From the heart-warming story of Swansea and Norwich, to the season-long scramble to climb out of the relegation spots, to Liverpool’s woodwork woe and the topsy-turvy seasons of the top six teams, it has been a thrilling campaign.

With all to play for on the final day, the best was saved for last. Two last-gasp stoppage time Manchester City goals sealed the Etihad Stadium club’s first top-flight success since 1968, and broke Manchester United fans’ hearts, as their team lost out on goal difference. United threw away an eight-point lead to relinquish their title, whilst City have played some fantastic football this term.

Arsenal sealed third place with victory at West Brom, Spurs took fourth with a 2-0 win over Fulham, whilst Newcastle came unstuck against the Toffees and ended up in fifth. Harry Redknapp and his men must now watch on as Chelsea do battle with Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, knowing that a Blues victory would rob them of participation in next season’s competition.

With Roberto Di Matteo rejuvenating the Stamford Bridge club, most will not chance their free bets in writing off Chelsea, but the final against Bayern at the Allianz Arena will be a fitting end to the club season before Euro 2012 gets under way.

At the bottom, Wolves and Blackburn’s fates were confirmed before the last day of the season, and Bolton joined the pair in being relegated to the Championship. QPR survived by the skin of their teeth despite throwing away a win at City, whilst Wigan’s unexpected heroics see them stay up to fight another day.

Here’s our snapshot, team-by-team preview of the 2011/2012 season, looking briefly at what each team has achieved this season and their plans for the summer transfer window. Feel free to leave your own review of your team (or of the season) in the comments section at the end.

Arsenal

Arsenal fans feared the worst after the sale of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy last summer, and a shaky start to the campaign hit rock bottom with an unthinkable 8-2 humbling at Old Trafford. However, Arsene Wenger’s transitional side have fought back to capture third place and Champions League football once more for next term.

The highlight for the Gunners faithful was the turnaround 5-2 victory over Tottenham at the Emirates in February, with the respective sides heading in different directions after the result. PFA Player of the Year Robin van Persie has inspired the march up the league with 30 goals in the campaign, whilst the continued progression of Alex Song and rise of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stand out in a good campaign. A new attacker in the shape of Lukas Podolski will reinforce Arsenal, who will look to push on and challenge for the title next term.

Aston Villa

Villa fans were dubious at best when former Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish was hired in the summer, and the Scot has done little to inspire confidence at the Midlands club. A lowly seven wins this term is the second worst in the league, and Villa have lacked potency in attack, whilst looking short of concentration in defence. McLeish’s men avoided relegation by two points, and the manager’s position will come under jeopardy in the summer.

The final blow of a disappointing campaign was the news of captain Stiliyan Petrov being diagnosed with leukaemia, which has knocked the side for six. Villa must keep Darren Bent in the summer, and spend some money to avoid a frustrating 2012/13.

Blackburn

Steve Kean has had to deal with a barrage of criticism from both the media and a section of his own fans, as Blackburn spent the majority of the season in the bottom three and were relegated before the last day. The sales of defenders Christopher Samba and Phil Jones have blighted the Ewood Park side’s backline, and Rovers fans have had to watch the ball hit the back of their net 78 times this term.

The positives for the Lancashire club are the emergence of young stars such as Junior Hoilett and Grant Hanley, and the return to form of seasoned attacker Yakubu. Hoilett is out of contract and sure to move to bigger and better things in the summer, whilst the future of Hanley, Kean and owners Venkys is still undetermined.

Bolton

Bolton have suffered a downturn in confidence and form over the last 12 months, with Owen Coyle’s men going from a tough team to beat last term to a soft touch this season and suffering relegation. Wanderers have been another side that have looked odds on for the drop throughout the campaign, and their traditional stubbornness, especially at the Reebok Stadium, has been lacking.

The club has been rocked by the health issues of Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest back in March. Mark Davies has impressed in an under-performing team this year and is likely to leave the Reebok Stadium in the summer. The Trotters should back Coyle in trying to get them back to the top flight, but may have to sell a sizeable chunk of their playing squad.

Chelsea

The promise offered by talented coach Andre Villas Boas failed to come to fruition for Chelsea this term, but a rejuvenation under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo could result in a memorable season for the Blues. Unexpectedly through to the final of the Champions League after heroics against Barcelona, they must beat Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena to qualify for next season’s competition and seal a memorable turnaround. An FA Cup triumph against Liverpool at Wembley was the domestic highlight for the west London club after a sixth place finish in the Premier League.

Di Matteo has reinvigorated the at-times failing old guard, who have proved that they are not ready for the scrapheap just yet. The ability of attackers Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge has stood out, but one feels that Roman Abramovich must get his selection of manager right for the club to consistently challenge.

Everton

A season of two contrasting halves, Everton has recovered from a below-par start to the campaign to rediscover form and beat some of the leading teams in the league in the process. David Moyes has celebrated ten years in charge at Goodison Park with another top-half finish and the Scot has excelled given limited resources. Finishing in seventh, ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool, gives the club’s supporters local bragging rights, even if they were beaten three times by the Reds this term.

The January signing of Nikica Jelavic has been an inspired one, and the Croat marksman looks to have given the Merseysiders a cutting edge up front. The permanent resigning of Steven Pienaar would be a good move, but Moyes needs to ensure the likes of Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini do not leave this summer.

Fulham

Martin Jol took a while to get back into the swing of English football, but the Dutch maestro has ensured that Fulham have been competitive at worst and impressive when they hit their straps. A ninth place is no mean achievement, and they ended up joint on points with Liverpool; the Craven Cottage outfit will look at a top half finish as a strong season.

Clint Dempsey has been the standout player for the Cottagers, who will face a battle to hold onto the United States international this summer. Bryan Ruiz has improved after a slow start to life in England, whilst an attempt to make Pavel Pogrebnyak’s move permanent is expected.

Liverpool

Despite Carling Cup success and the progression to the FA Cup final, this term has not been one Liverpool will look back on fondly. Inconsistent form in the league, especially disappointing results at Anfield, saw the Reds finish in eighth place, with a woeful second half of the campaign threatening the Merseysiders with even dropping out of the top half.

Luis Suarez has shown his best and worst sides this term, with stellar individual performances being counteracted by his racism scandal. The Fenway Sports Group need to further invest in the playing squad if the Reds are rediscover former glories, it needs to select a worthy successor to Dalglish.

Manchester City

Last-day drama brought Manchester City their first title since 1968, with two goals in stoppage time against QPR proving the small margins between success and failure. The new champions have been the most consistent and impressive team this term, and despite winning the league on goal difference are worthy victors. Roberto Mancini’s men have been scintillating at times this term, and the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure are some of the country’s best.

More big names are expected to join the revolution this summer, with Eden Hazard reportedly the club’s number one transfer target. The future of talented troublemakers Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez is still up in the air, but Mancini’s men will look to retain their title and make an assault on the Champions League next term.

Manchester United

The defending champions had the Premier League title in their hands, but surrendered an eight-point lead to be beaten into second place on the last day. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have not shown the panache and ruthlessness of previous sides, and the Scottish coach will be livid at the nature of relinquishing their crown.

United have undoubtedly missed injured senior campaigners Nemanja Vidic and Darren Fletcher, and have relied on Wayne Rooney for goals. Antonio Valencia has impressed and Paul Scholes coming out of retirement has provided a short-term fix in the centre of the park. The summer should see a couple of players leave, with a full-back and attacking midfielder on the transfer wishlist and needed if United are to wrestle the title back from their noisy neighbours.

Newcastle

The surprise package of the season, Newcastle should be praised for their considerable efforts this term in exceeding expectations and challenging for a top four spot. Although they ended up in fifth place after a last-day defeat to Everton, Alan Pardew and his team should be saluted for an excellent campaign.

Although the Tyneside club will look to strengthen in the transfer window, the real battle will be to hold onto their stars, with Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Cheik Tiote in particular not short of suitors. The January signing of Papiss Cisse has been inspired, and the Senegal international has been one of the stars of this year’s campaign.

Norwich

Newly-promoted Norwich have abided fears that they could be instantly demoted back to The Championship with a no-fear approach and some excellent football along the way. Paul Lambert has his team believing in their abilities; the Carrow Road club finished in 12th place and were never in danger of the drop.

Grant Holt has been the club’s talisman by leading from the front, whilst Anthony Pilkington has looked accomplished and by no means out of his depth. The Canaries will look to be sensible and astute in this summer’s transfer market to ensure another competitive season in 2012-13.

QPR

QPR have had a tough season back in the top flight, and although they got markedly better since Tony Fernandes’ takeover and under Mark Hughes’ tutelage, they needed to wait to the last day of the season to guarantee Premier League football for next term. Excellent home form has been the reason for survival, with victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham sticking out in the memory.

QPR have added some real quality since the turn of the year, with the likes of Djibril Cisse, Bobby Zamora and Taye Taiwo contributing to better performances. If the Londoners can sort out their form on the road, Fernandes’ money could power Rangers into a comfortable Premier League club next term.

Stoke

Stoke have flown under the radar slightly this season in the Premier League, with Tony Pulis’ men continuing to prove tricky customers without threatening the top half or risking relegation. The Potters had their first adventure in Europe, beating some established sides before they were eliminated from the Europa League by Spanish giants Valencia.

Peter Crouch has been a fans’ favourite since moving to the Britannia, and alongside Jonathan Walters has proved a handful for most defences this term, but not scored enough goals. However, for Stoke to really progress you feel added creativity in the centre of the park is needed this summer.

Sunderland

Again a tale of two halves of the season, Sunderland have avoided a relegation-threatened campaign with the replacement of Steve Bruce with Martin O’Neill. The Northern Irishman has added a steel to the Black Cats that was previously missing, but the honeymoon period started to rub off towards the end of the campaign. Despite this, a 13th placed finish will be satisfactory after a poor start to the campaign.

James McClean and Stephane Sessegnon have been the club’s standout performers this term, and O’Neill will look to add his own feel to the club this summer in the transfer market. A commanding central defender is needed to banish lapses in concentration at the back, whilst Nicklas Bendtner’s return to Arsenal will leave a gap in attack.

Swansea

First-time Premier League team Swansea have been arguably the team of the season, playing excellent football and surprising the footballing community with an assured debut campaign in the top flight. Brendan Rodgers employs an attacking brand of football that has to be admired, and the Liberty Stadium outfit will take pride in their wins over Arsenal and Manchester City in particular this term.

A gifted midfield of Leon Britton, Joe Allen and loan star Gylfi Sigurdsson has been the side’s heartbeat, and the Swans will look to make the latter’s move to Wales permanent and add a few more experienced heads to excel next term. An 11th placed finish is an outstanding achievement, in what has been a dream season for the Liberty Stadium club’s fans.

Tottenham

From title contenders to potentially missing out on European qualification altogether, Tottenham fans have been delighted and frustrated in equal measures this season. An at-times scintillating attacking style has seen Spurs within a couple of points of the top this term, but a loss of form since February threatened to destroy a promising campaign.

Spurs finished in fourth but are not assured Champions League football next term, as they must wait to see whether Chelsea will snatch their place by winning this term’s competition. Holding onto stars Luka Modric and Gareth Bale is crucial, whilst a new striker, central defender and in the long-term goalkeeper is needed to continue the White Hart Lane club’s charge for recognition.

West Brom

Roy Hodgson has turned West Brom’s season round since the new year, with a run of positive results moving the Baggies away from the relegation dogfight and comfortably into mid-table; they finished 10th. Such has been the progression of the Hawthorns club, that Hodgson has left the club to assume the England manager’s position.

Peter Odemwingie is arguably the most talented of an enthusiastic group, but has been linked with a move away from the club in the summer. West Brom have missed injured captain Chris Brunt, and need to solidify at the back to finish in the top half next year. Their search for a new manager will begin in earnest now that the campaign has finished.

Wigan

Perennial basement boys Wigan have again had an arduous journey in 2011-12, with the Latics seemingly leaving any resistance to the second half of the season when in danger of the drop. Roberto Martinez’s men have shown that they have what it takes to play in the top flight however by beating Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal this term and ended up in 15th place, seven points above the bottom three.

Victor Moses has been a revelation his season and captured the imagination with progressive displays. The DW Stadium club have done well given limited resources, and will look to add a few more lesser-known stars to the squad this summer.

Wolves

Wolves will play in The Championship next term, after a poor decision by the club’s board effectively ended their season. The sacking of Mick McCarthy, despite a bad run of form, has deflated the squad and Terry Connor has not been backed by the players, resulting in a woeful five wins in total this season.

The club will most likely lose their star players such as Steven Fletcher, Wayne Hennessy, Matt Jarvis and Kevin Doyle, and will look to regroup and bounce straight back after demotion to English football’s second tier. Stale Solbakken is set to be announced as the club’s new manager, and the Molineux outfit fans will look to put this season’s disappointments behind them.

Latest Transfer News from Today's various newspapers. (01.06.2012)

2012-06-01T14:03:00.002+03:00

Latest Transfer News - From Today newspapers.
Friday June 01, 2012

Brendan Rodgers has been given until 2015 to mastermind Liverpool's return to the Champions League. But he faces a battle to win over the dressing room after Pepe Reina claimed "many" players wanted Rafa Benitez back.
Roy Hodgson admits he has been dealt a "huge blow" after Frank Lampard was ruled out of Euro 2012.
Harry Redknapp is seeking assurances over his future in a showdown at Tottenham.
Graeme Jones has emerged as the shock favourite to replace Brendan Rodgers at Swansea.
Chelsea last night agreed a staggering £38million deal for Porto striker Hulk.
Aston Villa chairman Randy Lerner is ready to pay £1million compensation for Paul Lambert - and then hand him a £25million budget for this transfer window.
Jose Mourinho is putting together an amazing offer to lure Didier Drogba to Real Madrid.
Robert Huth is poised for crunch talks with Stoke over a new deal.
Kyle Walker is set for a dramatic Olympic call-up after his Euros heartbreak.
Dutch ace Luuk de Jong will become Newcastle's No 1 summer target if Demba Ba is lured away by Tottenham.
Bayern Munich are ready to test Manchester City's nerve over Edin Dzeko.
Tottenham scouts are on the trail of Widzew Lodz's Polish Under-17 striker Mariusz Stepinski.
Blackburn boss Steve Kean could add club legend Colin Hendry to his coaching team in a bid to appease angry fans.
Hull will make a new bid to talk Steve Bruce back into management.
Roy Hodgson's Euro 2012 plans are in tatters with Frank Lampard ruled out and concerns mounting over Scott Parker.
Jose Mourinho believes Brendan Rodgers can bring back the glory days to Liverpool.
Norwich are ready to target Celtic manager Neil Lennon to replace Aston Villa-bound Paul Lambert, who will be handed a £20million war chest at Villa Park.
Wigan have given Graeme Jones permission to hold talks with Swansea about replacing Brendan Rodgers.
Manchester City are in a £15million fight with Juventus and Wolfsburg for Bologna ace Gaston Ramirez.
Robert Huth is poised for crunch contract talks with Stoke next week.
Mali midfielder Seydou Keita is still hoping to join Liverpool despite Kenny Dalglish's sacking.
Striker Pavel Pogrebnyak will decide his Fulham future next week.
West Ham reject Julien Faubert is wanted by Lazio.
Roy Hodgson is facing a midfield crisis ahead of Euro 2012 with Frank Lampard now ruled out of the tournament along with Gareth Barry while concerns persist over Scott Parker.
Liverpool expect to unveil Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers as their manager today and he is believed to be considering a bid for the Welsh club's young midfielder Joe Allen.
Paul Lambert has quit Norwich and is expected to be confirmed as Aston Villa's new manager in the next 24 hours.
Andre Villas-Boas has been paid a staggering £12million in compensation for being fired by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Blackburn striker Yakubu is ready to quit England for China and a £5million-a-year contract - and could be followed by Gael Givet.
Roma are keen on Newcastle defender Davide Santon.
QPR are ready to step up interest in Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster by making a £5million offer.
Sunderland are considering a move for Manchester City striker John Guidetti on loan.
West Ham are keen on Senegal defender Abdoulaye Ba.
Tony Pulis insists Stoke will not be cashing in on central defender Robert Huth, even if he cannot persuade him to sign a new deal.
Steve Kean has moved to protect his Blackburn future by approaching Colin Hendry about a coaching role.
Romelu Lukaku would rather go on loan than spend another season on the Chelsea bench.
Paul Lambert is set to be named Aston Villa boss in the next 24 hours - after the club won their tug-of-war with Norwich.
England are facing a midfield crisis after Frank Lampard became the latest start to be ruled out of Euro 2012.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has added Uruguay star Gaston Ramirez to his summer shopping list.
Liverpool will unveil Brendan Rodgers as their new manager today after paying Swansea more than £5million in compensation.
Manchester United will complete the signing of Japanese star Shinji Kagawa next week.
Robert Huth is poised for crunch talks with Stoke next week in a bid to thrash out a new deal.
Under-fire Blackburn boss Steve Kean wants to use club legend Colin Hendry as a human shield.
Stuttgart striker Pavel Pogrebnyak will decide in the next week whether to make his loan move to Fulham permanent.
Defender Carlos Cuellar is in talks with Sunderland.
Bristol City and Cardiff have been told to stump up £1million for Coventry defender Richard Keogh.
Winger Gary Roberts is set to join Sheffield Wednesday for free from Huddersfield.
England are worried about Scott Parker's fitness and form going into Euro 2012 with only one fully-fit first-choice central midfielder following Frank Lampard's withdrawal from the squad.
Brendan Rodgers has agreed to work within a new management structure at Anfield as he prepares to be officially unveiled as the new Liverpool manager.
Graeme Jones, the Wigan No 2, is the surprise choice to replace Brendan Rodgers at Swansea.
Paul Lambert will become Aston Villa manager today, backed with £20million to revive the club.
Bayer Leverkusen will take Old Trafford outcast Dimitar Berbatov - if Manchester United let him go for a cut-price fee.
Robert Huth is poised for crunch talks at Stoke next week over a new deal. Everton and Sunderland are keeping tabs on him.
The sense of crisis surrounding England's midfield deepened last night amid growing concerns about Scott Parker after Frank Lampard followed Gareth Barry in being ruled out of Euro 2012.
John Terry is considering an appeal after UEFA imposed a three-match ban for his dismissal during Chelsea's Champions League triumph in Barcelona in April.
England are still harbouring doubts about Scott Parker's fitness for the European Championship and face entering the tournament with only one fully-fit first-choice midfielder, after Frank Lampard's withdrawal from the squad last night.
Paul Lambert is on the brink of becoming the manager of Aston Villa after offering his resignation at Norwich City.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
England's central-midfield options weakened considerably yesterday when Frank Lampard was ruled out of Euro 2012 amid continued concerns within the England camp about Scott Parker's sharpness.
Chelsea have agreed a fee of £38million for the Porto striker Hulk and the deal is ready to be closed.
Liverpool, having decided on Brendan Rodgers as their manager, are expect to announce within weeks they intend to stay at Anfield, not build their long-planned new stadium on Stanley Park.
With Scottish football's rage about Rangers at boiling point, the SFA last night moved closer to booting the beleaguered club out of the game.
Jorge Claros is determined to stay at Hibs to see out his 12-month loan despite failing to impress.
St Johnstone have beaten off interest from Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and several clubs down south to sign former St Mirren striker Nigel Hasselbaink.
David Silva is poised to return to his homeland with Portuguese outfit Beira Mar set to sign the freed Kilmarnock winger.
Jim Jefferies admits he faces a battle to hold onto Dunfermline midfielder Mark Kerr.
Dundee are set to sign St Johnstone striker Carl Finnigan.

International Friendly Match: Review show and Highlights of All Goals . (31.05.2012)

2012-06-01T13:59:00.001+03:00

International Friendly Match
31.05.2012

Netherlands – Slovakia
Spain – Republic Korea
Armenia – Greece
France – Serbia

International Friendly Match: Spain 4 - 1 Korea Republic Full Match . (30.05.2012)

2012-05-31T19:43:00.002+03:00

Spain 4 - 1 Korea Republic
Goal:
Torres 12’
Alonso 52’ (pen.)
Cazorla 56’
Negredo 79’
Kim 44’

Wednesday May 30, 2012

Full Match

1st half

2nd half

Fernando Torres opened the scoring in the 12th minute, but the world and European champions were pegged back just before half-time by a superb strike from South Korea midfielder Kim Do-Heon.

However, Xavi Alonso (penalty), Santi Cazorla and Alvaro Negredo all netted in the second half to give Spain an easy win.

Spain boss Vicente Del Bosque selected Chelsea striker Torres to start the game alongside his club-mate Juan Mata, with Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina starting in goal.

Betis midfielder Benat and Malaga full-back Nacho Monreal played despite being left out of Spain's final squad for Euro 2012.

Barcelona played in the Copa del Rey on Friday so their players were rested, though they are likely to play in the friendly against China on Sunday.

Torres had a great chance in the fifth minute when he attempted to divert Cazorla's shot into the bottom left-hand corner, but his instinctive volley whistled just wide.

The Chelsea striker was not to be denied for long and he opened the scoring with a lovely finish six minutes later. Mata crossed from the left, and the 28-year-old backheaded the ball over South Korea’s debutant goalkeeper Kim Jin-Hyun.

Just before the midway point of the first half, Ji Dong-Won found himself well-placed, but the Sunderland striker was unable to get his shot on target.

But Spain kept up the pressure, with Mata exchanging passes with Torres on the edge of the box, then the 24-year-old midfielder tried to find Silva with a threaded pass, but Kim Jin-Hyun was alert to the danger and quick to come out of his goal to grab the ball.

Spain really should have had a second on 41 minutes, when Silva found Torres with a lovely threaded pass, but the Chelsea striker then passed to an offside Mata rather than take the chance himself.

And Choi Kang-hee’s men took advantage of Spain’s profligacy a minute later, when the ball dropped to Kim Do-Heon on the edge of the box, and the 29-year-old slammed the ball right-footed into the top corner past Reina.

But South Korea gave away two goals in a matter of minutes after the break from a couple of handballs.

In the 51st minute, Cho Yong-Hyung turned his back from a Raul Albiol shot on the edge of the area, but left his hand dangling, and the referee awarded a penalty and a yellow card.

Xavi Alonso made no mistake from the penalty spot for his 13th goal in his 95th appearance, with a penalty low to the keeper's right.

Four minutes later, it was 3-1 after Albiol’s snapshot was this time handled by South Korea goalscorer Kim Do-Heon, and Cazorla’s low free-kick right on the edge of the area went though the wall and into the bottom corner of the goal.

South Korea had a great chance to get back into the game on 69 minutes when Kim Do-Heon slipped the ball through to Kim Bo-Kyung along the line of the penalty area, but the 22-year-old flicked the ball wide of Reina’s goal.

Negredo made it 4-1 in the 80th minute with a low finish underneath the goalkeeper Kim Jin-Hyun for his sixth goal in nine appearances.

The Sevilla forward’s goal was made by Valencia striker Roberto Soldado, who was left out of the 23-man selection for the Euros despite his fine league form and his hat-trick against Venezuela in the friendly in March.

It was a good outing for Spain, who open their Euro 2012 campaign against Italy on June 10, before facing Ireland four days later and then Croatia on June 18.

International Friendly Match: USA 1 - 4 Brazil Full Match . (31.05.2012)

2012-05-31T19:37:00.001+03:00

USA 1 - 4 Brazil
Goal:
Gomez 45’
Neymar 12’ (pen.)
Thiago Silva 26’
Marcelo 51’
Pato 87’

Thursday May 31, 2012

Full Match

1st Half

2nd

Premier league- Latest Transfer News from Today's various newspapers. (31.05.2012)

2012-05-31T15:50:00.001+03:00

Latest Transfer News - From Today newspapers.
Thursday May 31, 2012

Liverpool's search for a manager is over as Brendan Rodgers agreed a three-year deal at Anfield.
Frank Lampard has suffered an injury in training that looks set to rule him out of Euro 2012.
Blackburn's Martin Olsson is flattered by talk that he is considered a Chelsea target.
Paul Scholes has signed a one-year contract extension at Manchester United.
Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio has signed an extension which will keep him at the club until 2015.
Ipswich and Watford want a loan deal for Manchester United 'keeper Ben Amos.
Coventry have rejected a bid from Cardiff for defender Richard Keogh.
QPR are ready to launch a bid to bring Christopher Samba back to England.
Jussi Jaaskelainen has turned down a new deal with Bolton and is set to join West Ham.
Arsenal are to hold talks over a possible deal for CSKA Moscow striker Seydou Doumbia.
Lokomotiv Moscow and CSKA have joined Dynamo Kiev in trying to sign Tottenham's Niko Kranjcar.
Blackpool will hold talks with Nottingham Forest winger Paul Anderson.
Brendan Rodgers is set to be named Liverpool manager today.
Aston Villa will make an official approach to Norwich for their manager Paul Lambert.
Manchester City will not stand in the way if they receive the right off from Bayern Munich for Edin Dzeko.
West Brom are deciding whether to fight a compensation battle for Birmingham's Chris Hughton or appoint Ralf Rangnick as manager.
Paul Scholes has put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension.
Brendan Rodgers last night agreed a three-year deal to become Liverpool's new manager.
Frank Lampard could be facing Euro 2012 heartbreak as he faces a scan on a calf muscle injury he suffered in training.
Aston Villa are poised to make an official approach to Norwich for Paul Lambert while Swansea will move for Brighton boss Gus Poyet.
Chelsea are ready to pay £30m for striker Hulk but Porto are demanding more.
Paul Scholes has signed a one-year contract extension at Manchester United.
Thomas Vermaelen has given Arsenal a huge boost by saying he is ready to spend the rest of his career at the Emirates.
Manchester City are prepared to sell Edin Dezko to fund a move for Robin van Persie.
Sunderland are ready to snap up Wigan's Momo Diame after he missed out on Liverpool.
Lazio are ready to offer ex-West Ham defender Julien Faubert a two-year deal.
Roberto Martinez has snubbed Aston Villa for the second time in 12 months after opting to stay at Wigan.
Demba Ba's £7m release clause can be activated from today for just two months.
Paul Lambert quit as Norwich boss last night.
Brendan Rodgers will be named as the new Liverpool boss today.
Andy Carroll will be fighting for his Liverpool future at Euro 2012.
Roberto Martinez is staying at Wigan, according to Dave Whelan.
Shanghai Shenhua are still hopeful of signing Didier Drogba.
Businessman Fawaz Al-Hasawi is believed to be close to taking over Nottingham Forest.
Dirk Kuyt has revealed a host of clubs from top European leagues are keen to sign him from Liverpool.
Manchester City are ready to listen to offers for Edin Dzeko.
Ralf Rangnick has his nose in front again in the race to be named new West Brom manager.
Chelsea are ready to make a £10m move for Fulham's Moussa Dembele.
West Ham have targeted David Stockdale to replace Robert Green.
Arsenal target Olivier Giroud will not decide his future until after Euro 2012.
Sheffield United wrote off £3m last night after sacking jailed Ched Evans.
Tal Ben Haim is seeking a £2m pay-off to tear up his Portsmouth contract.
Leicester have launched a £1m raid for Hull right-back Liam Rosenior.
Harry Redknapp will kick off talks today over his Spurs future.
Frank Lampard will need a miracle to make it to Euro 2012 after he injured his thigh in training.
Brendan Rodgers is set to be appointed as Liverpool manager today.
QPR striker Angelo Balanta has signed a new two-year contract.
Roberto Martinez has opted to stay with Wigan and snubbed Aston Villa again.
Sir Alex Ferguson is to renew his interest in Luka Modric in the hope to lure him to Old Trafford.
West Brom have held talks with Ralf Rangnick as they step up their search for a new manager.
A Chicago-based group of investors are in talks to take control of Leeds.
English League bosses warned they won't be treated like an asylum if Rangers are booted out of the Scottish game.
Ray Houghton reckons Celtic would be recruiting a winner if they can persuade Keith Andrews to sign.
St Johnstone's Steve Lomas is focusing his spending spree on strikers after bolstering his backline.
Paulo Sergio has called for a quick resolution to his Hearts contract.
Craig Brown is sweating on top target Jonny Hayes to boost his re-building plans at Aberdeen.

International Friendly Match: Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 Bosnia-Herzegovina Full Match . (26.05.2012)

2012-05-31T15:46:00.001+03:00

Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Goal:
Long 78'

Saturday May 26, 2012

Full match:

1st half

2nd Half

BBC The Football League Show. (27.05.2012)

2012-05-30T01:21:00.001+03:00

BBC The Football League Show
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Manish Bhasin presents highlights of the League One play-off final between Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium, as the Yorkshire rivals contested a place in the Championship. Plus, action from the League Two play-off final, which also took place at the national stadium

Premier league- Latest Transfer News from Today's various newspapers. (29.05.2012)

2012-05-29T19:02:00.001+03:00

Latest Transfer News - From Today newspapers.
Tuesday May 29, 2012

Chelsea have won the race to sign Eden Hazard in a £32million deal.
Dave Whelan will today announce Roberto Martinez is staying as Wigan manager.
Robin van Persie has been advised to stay at Arsenal - by his mum.
Chris Hughton looks to have won the race to be West Brom's new boss.
Papiss Cisse has left Newcastle with a headache by insisting he wants to play at the Olympics.
Blackburn face losing top scorer Yakubu for just £1million.
Louis Saha has been released by Spurs after just five months at White Hart Lane. West Ham may make a move for the striker.
Reading have bid £2million for Nottingham Forest defender Chris Gunter.
Paddy Kenny is keen to discuss his future with QPR.
Sheffield Wednesday must fork out £700,000 for Reading winger Michail Antonio.
Stoke have offered Jonathan Woodgate a new deal.
Eden Hazard has delivered a crushing blow to Manchester City and United by announcing he is joining Chelsea.
Dave Whelan claims Liverpool are clueless in their search for a new manager.
Chelsea reject Salomon Kalou is ready to snub the Premier League and sign for Schalke.
Southampton are in talks with Burnley over a record-breaking £6.5million deal for England Under-21 striker Jay Rodriguez.
Reading have tabled a £2million bid for Nottingham Forest defender Chris Gunter.
Tony Pulis has offered Jonathan Woodgate a new deal at Stoke.
Eden Hazard has agreed to join Chelsea in a £36million deal after snubbing Manchester rivals City and United.
Manchester United are poised to make a £3million move for Crewe teenager Nick Powell.
Eden Hazard last night revealed he would be joining Chelsea in a £32million deal - a massive statement of intent by the European champions.
Didier Drogba is considering a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.
Barcelona have made an enquiry for Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.
Yakubu has signalled his intention to leave Blackburn and is available for £1million.
Newcastle are interested in Coventry's Gael Bigirimana.
Reading have made a £2million offer for Nottingham Forest's Chris Gunter.
Arsenal are monitoring developments with Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente.
Swansea are showing interest in Tottenham's Giovani Dos Santos.
Chelsea last night agreed the £32million signing of Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard.
Theo Walcott has been told Arsenal will not discuss a new deal with him until after Euro 2012.
Spurs have told Jermaine Jenas he can join QPR as they begin a massive summer clear-out.
Aston Villa are aiming to name their successor to Alex McLeish this week.
Wolves are set to fight it out with Everton for Iceland striker Bjorn Bergmann.
Charles Green has put himself in line for a potential £4million windfall from his plan to keep the padlock off the front doors of Ibrox.
Celtic will try to snap up Matt Mills on a 12-month loan deal after Leicester knocked back a swap for Hoops defender Kelvin Wilson.
Huddersfield chairman Dean Hoyle claims in-demand Jordan Rhodes could stay at the club.

Arsenal Goals of Season 2011-12. (ArsenalTV)

2012-05-28T23:03:00.000+03:00

Arsenal Goals of Season 2011-12. (ArsenalTV)

International Friendly Match: Denmark 1 - 3 Brazil Full Match . (26.05.2012)

2012-05-27T15:32:00.001+03:00

Denmark 1 - 3 Brazil
Goal:
Bendtner 71’
Hulk 8’, 40’
Zimling 13’ (o.g.)

Saturday May 26, 2012

Full Match:

1st Half

2nd Half

With their first Group B match just two weeks away on June 9 against Netherlands, Denmark coach Morten Olsen will be no doubt reviewing their defensive operation after his players conceded by gifted the ball to Brazil three times in the first half.

The touring South Americans will also play three friendlies in the United States in the coming weeks as coach Mano Menezes prepares their assault on the Olympic gold medal - the only trophy missing from their vast collection.

It took his young and quick team eight minutes to take the lead with Porto's Hulk winning possession and releasing a sizzling strike from 28 metres with the ball bouncing awkwardly in front of keeper Thomas Sorensen and into the net.

They doubled their lead five minutes later when Christian Poulsen lost possession in his own half, Hulk stormed into the box and used an unlucky deflection from Niki Zimling to see the ball roll into goal.

The introduction of Thomas Kahlenberg briefly added some pace to the Danish side and much-needed support for lone forward Nicklas Bendtner but another blunder, this time from Daniel Agger, allowed Hulk to wrongfoot Sorensen for his second goal of the game.

With Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho in the stands for a glimpse at the string of talented young Brazilians, Agger failed to make amends two minutes after the restart when he managed to misfire from a metre out.

But Zimling did make up for his own goal, driving past three Brazilians into the box and setting up Bendtner for a simple tap in after 71 minutes with Brazil having taken their foot off the gas.

Denmark have been drawn in Group B in Ukraine and Poland alongside Netherlands, Portugal and Germany.

Copa del Rey (Final): Athletic Bilbao 0 - 3 FC Barcelona Full Match (Skysports), Post Match interview and Celebrations (Video).

2012-05-27T12:24:00.001+03:00

Athletic Bilbao 0 - 3 FC Barcelona
Goal:
Pedro 3’, 25’
Messi 20’
the Copa del Rey (Final)
Friday May 25, 2012

Full match (Skysports)

1st Half

2nd half

The champions celebrate the Cup

Post match interview:
Guardiola: "I'm convinced we leave behind good memories"

The Barca coach celebrated his 14th trophy courtesy of an astonishing opening 25 minutes in which his side netted three times with Athletic all over the place.

He won his first trophy as Barca coach with a 4-1 win over Athletic in the Copa del Rey final three years ago, and the club's 26th victory in this final was every bit as convincing.

Guardiola embraced his assistant Tino Villanueva at the full-time whistle. Villanueva will replace Guardiola during the close season.

It did not take long for his team to get into their stride here as Pedro slipped the ball into the net from 12 yards out on three minutes after Marcelo Bielsa's side failed to clear Xavi's corner kick.

They added a second goal on 20 minutes when Lionel Messi drove the ball high into the net from an acute angle after he was picked out expertly by Andres Iniesta. It was his 73rd goal of the season.

It was more or less game over on 25 minutes when Pedro picked up a loose ball outside of the Athletic box to send a shot spinning beyond the bamboozled goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz.

Athletic had a claim for a penalty on 27 minutes when Fernando Llorente went to ground under pressure from Gerard Pique, but the referee said no.

Messi should have added a fourth when he dashed unmarked into the Athletic box, but failed to lob the ball over Iraizoz with the goal at his mercy.

Jose Pinto made saves from Markel Susaeta and Iker Muniain in the first period, but most of the action was centred around the Athletic goal in the first half.

Athletic failed to score in their final six games of the season and their profligacy was evident in the second half with Ibai Gomez knocking an effort wide on 51 minutes and Jon Aurtenetxe missing from five yards out as a header flew wide.

Athletic's bid for a first trophy in 28 years ends in disappointment after a 3-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final was followed by this going over.

Barca lost the Spanish League title to Real Madrid and suffered a shock reverse to Chelsea in the Champions League last four, but this should comfort those blows.

International Friendly Match: Review show and Highlights of All Goals . (26.05.2012)

2012-05-27T12:13:00.000+03:00

International Friendly Match
Saturday May 26, 2012

Brazil 3 Denmark 1
Rep of Ireland 1 Bosnia 0
Poland 1 Slovakia 0
Switzerland 5 Germany 3
Portugal 0 Macedonia 0
Spain 2 Serbia 0
Holland 1 Bulgaria 2
Czech Republic 2 Israel 1
Greece 1 Slovenia 1
Norway 0 England 1

There were mixed results for Euro 2012 hopefuls as Spain won but Germany conceded five in Switzerland and Holland lost to Bulgaria.

Germany were without their Bayern Munich stars, who were rested, but will still be concerned after losing 5-3 in Basel.

Switzerland, who are coached by former Bayern boss Ottmar Hitzfeld, owed much to hat-trick hero Eren Derdiyok.

The 23-year-old, who has just switched Bundesliga clubs, moving from Bayer Leverkusen to Hoffenheim, scored Switzerland's first three goals as they stunned Joachim Low's jaded side.

There was also disappointment for Holland, another team backed to topple Spain as champions of Europe, as they crumbled to a 2-1 defeat at home to Bulgaria in Amsterdam.

Robin van Persie had given the Dutch the lead just before half-time only for Ivelin Popov to equalise from the penalty spot just after the interval.

Iliyan Mitsanski completed a woeful result for Bert van Marwijk's men when he scored the winner to silence the home crowd in the last minute.

There were also poor results for the other two teams in the so-called Euro 2012 group of death, Group B.

Denmark went down 3-1 to Brazil, with Porto forward Hulk capitalising on errors by Thomas Sorensen and Daniel Agger to score twice in Hamburg.

The fourth competitor in the group, Portugal, played out a miserable goalless draw with Macedonia in Leiria.

Elsewhere, Spain did not have so many problems as they completed a routine 2-0 win over Serbia thanks to a second-half goal from debutant Adrian Lopez and a Santi Cazorla penalty.

There was a typically gritty win for the Republic of Ireland as they overcame Bosnia. Shane Long's second-half header was enough to give Giovanni Trapattoni's side the win in Dublin.

Co-hosts Poland also won 1-0 thanks to a Damien Perquis header against Slovakia.

Greece appeared to have secured a one-goal victory of their own against Slovenia thanks to an early Vassilis Torosidis effort but had to settle for a draw after a late equaliser from Jasmin Kurtic.

The Czech Republic looked to be heading for a draw too despite Milan Baros' early penalty but, after conceding to Israel before the break, David Lafata found a morale-boosting last-gasp winner.

So, with a series of less than impressive results for the big guns around the continent, Roy Hodgson will be happy his England side emerged with a 1-0 win against Norway in Oslo thanks to Ashley Young's goal.

International Friendly Match: Norway 0 - 1 England Full Match (ITV) . (26.05.2012)

2012-05-27T12:05:00.001+03:00

Norway 0 - 1 England
Goal:
Young 9’

Line-up:
England: Green, Jones, Baines, Gerrard, Jagielka, Lescott, Milner, Parker, Carroll, Young, Downing..subs: Kelly, Hart, Henderson, Barry, Oxlade Chamberlain, Walcott, Defoe, Adam Johnson
Norway: Jarstein, Hogli, Demidov, Hangeland, Riise; Tettey; Elyounoussi, Henriksen, Gamst Pedersen, Braaten; Moa.

Full Match (ITV)

1st Half

2nd Half

Captain Steven Gerrard believes England will get better once they become more accustomed to life under new head coach Roy Hodgson after beating Norway 1-0 in Oslo.

Ashley Young's first half goal was sufficient to earn England victory in the first game of the Hodgson era. But Gerrard, handed the captaincy by Hodgson, is confident of improvement with the Euro 2012 opener against France in Donetsk now just 16 days away.

Gerard said: "It was a satisfying night overall, if you look at the result and the clean sheet, for my first game as official captain and Roy's first game. We know that we can play better than that. Hopefully once we get used to the manager a bit more, and have more of his training sessions, and the message hits home a bit more, we will improve."

He added: "The more we get used to the manager, then better performances will come. When every manager comes in, there is a bit of pressure on and it is always important to start well.

"There were quite a few positives to take from tonight."

Young settled the issue with a fierce low drive after linking up well with Andy Carroll.

The Manchester United player said: "Getting on the scoresheet is always nice and it's a good habit to get into.

"But we are preparing for the Euros now and it is important that good things come out of the games.

"I think it was pleasing the way we kept our shape. We defend as a team and there were combinations throughout the team which worked well throughout."

Premier league- Latest Transfer News from Today's various newspapers. (25.05.2012)

2012-05-25T17:31:00.000+03:00

Latest Transfer News - From Today newspapers.
Thursday May 24, 2012

Liverpool will have to pay Wigan £3m if they want Roberto Martinez as their new manager.
England's Euro 2012 glory charge will rest on the shoulders of Andy Carroll.
It will cost QPR £11m if they want to boot out bad-boy Joey Barton.
West Brom have held secret interviews and want Birmingham manager Chris Hughton as their new boss.
Meanwhile, Albion striker Peter Odemwingie wants to leave The Hawthorns and join a "bigger club".
Steve Bruce is being lined up as Championship side Hull City's new manager.
England boss Roy Hodgson fears he could lose Glen Johnson, Scott Parker and Danny Welbeck for Euro 2012.
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has urged Roberto boss Martinez to think carefully about joining Liverpool to work under a football director.
Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has admitted he lost faith in himself last season.
Steve Bruce is wanted by Hull City - but he will not make any decision yet as he eyes a third return to Wigan, should Martinez leave .
Arsenal are set to make a £6.5m bid for Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud.
Everton want to sign £6m-rated FC Copenhagen striker Dame N'Doye, 27, but will have to sell in order to bid.
Winger Scott Sinclair is stalling over a new deal at Swansea.
Southampton and Cardiff are set to battle it out for the services of Burnley's England U21 striker Jay Rodriguez who is rated at £8m by the Clarets.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's family will not travel to Euro 2012 due to racism fears.
Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Porto striker Hulk, 25, but will only offer £30m with the Portugal side wanting £40m.
QPR are lining up £4m Jermaine Jenas to replace shamed skipper Joey Barton.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis wants to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.
Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen has warned Spurs to hurry up and sign him - or he will join Arsenal instead.
Fabio Capello is the latest high-profile manager to snub the chance to succeed Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool boss.
Manchester United are set to make an improved offer of £13m for Shinji Kagawa, 23, from Borussia Dortmund.
Everton, Sunderland, Reading, Fulham and Ipswich are all tracking 21-year-old Lillestrom striker Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson.
QPR are planning a £6m move for Birmingham City's England U21 goalkeeper Jack Butland that could lead to current No 1 Paddy Kenny joining Leeds.
Tottenham are close to signing central defender Jan Vertonghen, 25, from Ajax for a fee of £9.6m.
Racist abuse will become a sackable offence for professional footballers next season, as part of significant changes being made to every Premier League and Football League player's contract.
Owners John Henry and Tom Werner will travel to Merseyside next week as they look to conclude Liverpool's search for a manager after holding talks with Roberto Martinez about succeeding Kenny Dalglish.
Andy Carroll is the leading candidate to spearhead England's attack at Euro 2012 after Danny Welbeck limped out of training at the Etihad Stadium.
Claudio Ranieri is emerging as a serious contender to take over at West Bromwich Albion after a second round of talks yesterday.
Fulham's £3.5 bid for striker Jordan Rhodes has been laughed off by League One side Huddersfield Town.
Lille's £32m-rated star Eden Hazard has warned Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs that the decision on who he decides to join could be based on how much game time and what position they can guarantee him.
Defender Carlos Bocanegra will return to crisis-hit Rangers next season - but will not take another pay cut.
Celtic are in the race to sign 21-year-old Lillestrom striker Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson, along with a host of English clubs.
Manager Paulo Sergio will meet Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov next week in a bid to thrash out his future.

Didier Drogba – The Chelsea Years and Full Final interview. (Chelsea TV)

2012-05-25T10:42:00.001+03:00

Didier Drogba maintains that next season will see the best of Fernando Torres at Chelsea as the Ivory Coast striker prepares for life after Stamford Bridge.

The 34-year-old announced he was leaving the club whom he helped win the Champions League in Munich to bring the curtain down on a trophy-laden spell in west London.

Spain striker Torres may feel he has had to play second fiddle to Drogba since his £50m move from Liverpool 18 months ago, but the veteran is in no doubt who will be the new goal king of Stamford Bridge.

Didier Drogba – The Chelsea Years

Final interview. (Full)

"It has been difficult for him, but he has showed he is the man. Next season is going to be his season and I will try to speak to him," said Drogba.

"We have a good relationship. We don't understand why we didn't play together more, but that's the past. Torres is the future."

Drogba - signed from Marseille for £24million in 2004 - is now expected to join up with former Blues team-mate Nicolas Anelka at Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in a lucrative free transfer.

It remains to be seen who will take over team affairs, with Chelsea set to wait until Roberto Di Matteo's contract expires at the end of June before deciding on the Italian's future after the interim manager delivered an FA Cup and European Cup double.

Drogba admitted had Chelsea not won the Champions League, delivered with his decisive penalty in the shoot-out, then he might have been tempted to stay for one more crack at Roman Abramovich's 'Holy Grail'.

Speaking to Radio Five Live, he said: "I think winning the game was the key. Not me scoring the penalty. Winning the game was the turning point, that's why I have decided to say goodbye.

"We made the story together and I want people to remember that. This is the best time to move on. Yes, there's a chance that if the result was different, maybe I would be here.

"We were talking for many weeks, but the turning point was based on the fact I won everything I could and scored in most of the finals we have played, trying to make a difference.

"I hope everyone will understand. Everything I did was for the fans and I hope they understand."

Drogba added: "Leaving Chelsea in any case would be difficult, but now even more. It is impossible, Chelsea is in my heart. My blood is blue and my heart even more so."

Premier league- Latest Transfer News from Today's various newspapers. (24.05.2012)

2012-05-24T15:15:00.000+03:00

Latest Transfer News - From Today newspapers.
Thursday May 24, 2012

Roberto Di Matteo will quit Chelsea unless he gets the manager's job on a long-term contract.
Chelsea will not get into a bidding war with Manchester City over Eden Hazard - despite their £50million Champions League jackpot.
Louis van Gaal last night told Liverpool he is desperate to get back into football management.
Gareth Bale has been offered a new £70,000-a-week deal to keep him at Tottenham.
Didier Drogba was last night offered a two-year £80,000-a-week deal by Juventus.
West Ham have agreed to sign Stephen Henderson.
West Brom will move for free agent Craig Gordon if they can't get Birmingham's Ben Foster.
QPR's Joey Barton was facing the sack last night after being walloped with a 12-match ban.
Chelsea are set to announce they have not retained defender Jose Bosingwa or striker Salomon Kalou.
Paul Lambert is the new favourite for Aston Villa, but has yet to be approached by the Midlands club.
Demba Ba has left his long-term future at Newcastle in doubt by not renegotiating his contract.
Andre Villas-Boas is only interested in coming to Liverpool if they promise to give him time.
Fernando Torres was last night given the guarantees he demanded as he was told by Chelsea: "You are our main man."
Spurs are poised to make a £3million bid for West Brom defender Jonas Olsson.
Chelsea have joined the growing chase for Birmingham starlet Foday Nabay.
Kieran Richardson has emerged as an Everton target - if the Toffees lose £12million-rated Leighton Baines to Manchester United.
Salomon Kalou and Jose Bosingwa will be shown the door by Chelsea today.
Arsenal last night emerged as contenders to sign Belgian star Eden Hazard.
Mario Balotelli insists he has no intention of leaving Manchester City this summer.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is set to resurrect his interest in Switzerland star Tranquillo Barnetta.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is moving in for West Brom's Jonas Olsson.
Chelsea last night gave Fernando Torres the guarantees he demanded to be the club's number one striker.
Sergio Aguero has dismissed suggestions he could be lured away from Manchester City.
West Ham and West Brom are ready for a £2million battle for Joseph Akpala.
Niko Kranjcar wants to quit Tottenham for a big pay day in Russia or Ukraine.
John Guidetti could be heading for a loan move to Swansea.
QPR are set to leave Joey Barton out of their squad for next season after the midfielder was banned for 12 matches.
Manchester City believe they will capture Spain defender Javi Martinez for around £25million.
Chelsea have added CSKA Moscow striker Seydou Doumbia to their list of targets.
Celtic have made an approach to sign West Brom striker Simon Cox.
Lomana LuaLua is in talks to join Karabukspor.
Sheffield United last night confirmed they're keen on signing Hearts' skipper Marius Zaliukas.
Rangers scout last night confirmed ex-Hearts star Ian Black is on Ally McCoist's list of Ibrox targets if the club succeed in having their signing ban lifted.
Craig Levein last night insisted he won't walk away from Scotland during the World Cup qualifying campaign even if he receives lucrative offers to return to club football.
Aberdeen fans have threatened a mass boycott of Pittodrie season tickets if chairman Stewart Milne votes to allow a newco Rangers into the SPL.

Euro Legends – Germany. (Eurosports - May 2012)

2012-05-23T14:20:00.002+03:00

Euro Legends – Germany (Documentary)
Documentary about the Uefa European Championships
May 2012 - Eurosports

Premier league- Latest Transfer News from Today's various newspapers. (23.05.2012)

2012-05-23T11:26:00.000+03:00

Latest Transfer News - From Today newspapers.
Wednesday May 23, 2012

Liverpool have made former Holland boss Louis van Gaal as their number one choice to replace Kenny Dalglish as the club's new manager.
Cristiano Ronaldo believes Roy Hodgson has made a mistake by not picking his former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand for Euro 2012
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has revealed he would have stayed with the Blues had they failed to win the Champions League final last weekend.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has denied trying to offload strikers Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli to AC Milan.
Sao Paulo claim Chelsea have made a £23m bid for 19-year-old Brazil midfielder Lucas Moura.
Defender Carlos Cuellar is set to join Sunderland after being released by Aston Villa.
Manchester United are ready to offer Everton £12m for left-back Leighton Baines.
Marseille striker Loic Remy, rated at £22m, still wants to join Spurs despite them not being in the Champions League next season.
Arsenal will offload seven stars including Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson, Sebastien Squillaci and Johan Djourou to free up cash to bid for Blackburn's 21-year-old winger Junior Hoilett.
Wolves winger Matt Jarvis, 25, is a shock £5m target for Italian Serie A side Udinese.
QPR boss Mark Hughes is set to make a move for Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Long.
Roy Keane has questioned whether new England coach and former Old Trafford team-mate Gary Neville has the right credentials for the job.
Striker Edin Dzeko wants to quit Manchester City after falling down the pecking order.
It's a similar story at Spurs where Jermain Defoe will also look for a move away unless he gets regular starts.
Louis van Gaal is in the running to become Liverpool's new sporting director.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will use Dimitar Berbatov as a makeweight in his attempt to land Robert Lewandowski from Borussia Dortmund.
Everton and West Ham are set to battle it out to sign Kieran Richardson from Sunderland.
Stuart Pearce is refusing to give up on taking Jack Wilshere to the Olympics.
Departing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has backed Fernando Torres to fill his boots next season.
Borussia Dortmund are set to make a bid for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner.
QPR and West Ham both want to sign Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
Stoke striker Cameron Jerome has snubbed an offer from Wolves to step down to the Championship and help their promotion battle.
West Ham co-chairman David Gold has played down hopes Joe Cole could make a "romantic" return to Upton Park this summer.
Manchester United are hoping to take advantage of Rayo Vallecano's financial problems by signing midfielder Michu, 26, for £3m.
Dynamo Kiev are ready with a £10m bid for Spurs duo Niko Kranjcar and Vedran Corluka.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has been warned off a double swoop for AC Milan pair Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva.
West Ham's Ricardo Vaz Te has warned he could quit the club if he receives a good opportunity elsewhere.
Chelsea's Champions League triumph has delivered a multi-million pound hit to their Premier League rivals.
Eden Hazard will announce his club future following Belgium's friendly against England at Wembley on Saturday week after claims by the player's agent that he has agreed terms with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.
Newcastle United took the latest step in their successful French revolution yesterday when Romain Amalfitano arrived in the North-east to finalise a three-year contract.
Arsenal have switched their attention to Toulouse captain Etienne Capoue, 23, as a cheaper alternative to Rennes' 21-year-old midfielder Yann M'Vila
Rangers will make a move for midfielder Ian Black, released by Hearts after their Scottish Cup win, if they can overturn a 12-month transfer embargo.
Celtic want to sign Rosenborg midfielder Markus Henriksen, 19, with West Ham and Anderlecht among rivals clubs who are also interested.
Dundee United midfielder Danny Swanson, out of contract in the summer, is to hold talks with Peterborough.

Euro 2012: Euro Countdown Group B. (Eurosports)

2012-05-22T21:36:00.001+03:00

Euro Countdown Group B - Eurosports
In depth view at the upcoming Euro 2012

Euro 2012
Group B
Netherlands
Denmark
Germany
Portugal

Saturday June 9
9 Jun, 17:00 Netherlands v Denmark Metalist, Kharkiv
9 Jun, 19:45 Germany v Portugal New Stadium Lviv, Lviv
Wednesday June 13
13 Jun, 17:00 Denmark v Portugal New Stadium Lviv, Lviv
13 Jun, 19:45 Netherlands v Germany Metalist, Kharkiv
Sunday June 17
17 Jun, 19:45 Denmark v Germany New Stadium Lviv, Lviv
17 Jun, 19:45 Portugal v Netherlands Metalist, Kharkiv

Premier league- Latest Transfer News from Today's various newspapers. (22.05.2012)

2012-05-22T18:26:00.001+03:00

Latest Transfer News - From Today newspapers.
Tuesday May 22, 2012

Roberto Martinez will fly to Boston on Thursday for face-to-face talks with John W Henry about the Liverpool job.
Didier Drogba has told team-mates he has played his last game for Chelsea.
Roman Abramovich is planning a big summer spending spree to build a new empire at Chelsea.
Romelu Lukaku has joined Fernando Torres with another damning insight into life behind the scenes at Chelsea.
Emmanuel Adebayor is desperate to stay at Tottenham.
Luis Suarez has pledged his future to Liverpool.
Randy Lerner will fly back to Birmingham tomorrow to decide who will replace Alex McLeish.
Robin van Persie is in danger of pricing himself out of a summer move to Italy.
Real Madrid will offer Lassana Diarra in part exchange for Spurs star Luka Modric.
Jan Vertonghen is still keen to join Tottenham despite their Champions League heartbreak.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is plotting a triple swoop on Sunderland for Kieran Richardson, Craig Gordon and George McCartney.
QPR will make a £5million bid for Wigan star Victor Moses.
Barcelona are lining up a shock move for Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta but may be unable to afford Spurs' Gareth Bale.
Didier Drogba broke down in tears as he told stunned team-mates: "I'm off."
Chelsea insist they will not be rushed into naming Roberto Di Matteo as manager by a tidal wave of Champions League emotion.
Romelu Lukaku has launched a bitter attack on former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas.
Frank De Boer is the latest manager to snub Liverpool.
Louis Saha wants to stay at Tottenham even though they missed out on the Champions League.
Joe Cole still has hopes of making it at Liverpool after his loan spell with Lille.
West Ham fear Robert Green has played his last game for the club.
Fulham aim to pip Liverpool and Spurs to the signing of £5million Anderlecht striker Dieumerci Mbokani.
Barcelona are set to make a £10million bid for Manchester City right-back Pablo Zabaleta.
Roberto Di Matteo's luck has run out at Chelsea with owner Roman Abramovich set to axe him this week.
Didier Drogba will quit Chelsea having won the Champions League.
Roberto Martinez is favourite for the Liverpool job after agreeing to fly to Boston for talks.
David Silva is being lined up for a return to Spain by Real Madrid.
Emmanuel Adebayor is desperate to stay at Tottenham even though they missed out on Champions League football.
Luka Modric is prepared to hand in another transfer request to get a move away from Spurs.
Swansea are lining up a £2million move for Burnley skipper Chris McCann.
Sunderland midfielder Kieran Richardson is set to leave the Stadium of Light this summer.
Eden Hazard admits Chelsea's Champions League victory has made a difference to his plans.
Ryan Giggs has put himself forward for the Olympic football team - and hopes for a reunion with David Beckham.
Joe Cole will shun a return to Lille or West Ham as he aims to revive his career at Liverpool.
Didier Drogba's agents have backtracked over the striker's decision to leave Chelsea.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was in Holland yesterday trying to clinch a deal for Ajax centre-back Jan Vertonghen.
Andriy Shevchenko is being lined up for a coaching role at Chelsea.
Barcelona are considering a move for Manchester City full-back Pablo Zabaleta.
Real Madrid are looking to add creativity to their midfield with David Silva and Luka Modric possible targets.
Wolfsburg have revived their interest in QPR's Adel Taarabt.
Swansea are considering a £2million move for Burnley's Chris McCann.
Luis Suarez has given Liverpool a lift after Frank De Boer became the latest manager to rule himself out of the Anfield vacancy.
Roman Abramovich believes Roberto Di Matteo was "lucky" to win the Champions League.
Former England coach Fabio Capello is becoming a strong candidate for the vacant Liverpool manager's job. Liverpool, who sacked Kenny Dalglish last week, are working through a list of candidates but the possibility of Capello joining is being discussed with increasing seriousness.
Luka Modric is considering handing in a transfer request after Tottenham's failure to qualify for the Champions League. European champions Chelsea, who bid for Modric last summer, Real Madrid and both Manchester clubs are all interested in signing the Croatian star.
Roman Abramovich is reluctant to offer Roberto Di Matteo anything more than a one-year contract at Chelsea because he is not convinced the Italian is a world-class manager.
Didier Drogba has confirmed he will leave Chelsea this summer but Fernando Torres will not be following his fellow striker out of the club despite the Champions League hierarchy having been left distinctly unimpressed by the timing of the Spaniard's publicly expressed frustration at life as a bit-part player at Stamford Bridge.
Fabio Capello would be interested in the manager's position at Liverpool, though he is waiting to see if the club's American owners want to give him the opportunity to stake his claim for the position vacated by Kenny Dalglish.
Chelsea and Didier Drogba will announce the striker's departure in the next few days, with both sides reconciled to the fact that a parting of the ways after Saturday's victorious Champions League final is now inevitable.
Manchester businessman Mike McDonald is to pull out of Charles Green's Rangers takeover.
Celtic are hot on the trail of Leeds United youngster Aidan White.
Craig Brown has revealed he failed with a second ambitious bid to lure James McFadden to Aberdeen.

UEFA Champions league (Final): Bayern Munich 1 - 1 (3 - 4) Chelsea Full match. (ITV)

2012-05-20T22:30:00.000+03:00

Bayern Munich 1 - 1 (3 - 4) Chelsea
Goal:
Müller 83’
Drogba 88’

UEFA Champions league
Final
Saturday May 19, 2012

Full Match (ITV)

Championship (play-off Final): Blackpool v West Ham United Full Match and Trophy Celebrations. (19.05.2012)

2012-05-20T21:20:00.001+03:00

Blackpool 1 - 2 West Ham United
Goal:
Ince 48’
Cole 35’
Vaz Te 87’

Saturday May 19, 2012
Championship play-off final.

Full Match

1st Half

2nd Half and Trophy celebrations

Chelsea's Champions league and FA Cup victory parade. (Video)

2012-05-20T20:13:00.005+03:00

Tens of thousands of Chelsea fans have lined the streets of West London to celebrate the club's historic Champions League and FA Cup double.

Hoards of jubilant supporters are saluting their heroes during an open-top bus parade less than 24 hours after the Blues' dramatic Champions League penalty shoot-out triumph in Munich.

Click here to watch: Chelsea victory parade (Video)

Click here to watch: Video 2

The rolling procession kicked off from Stamford Bridge, with manager Roberto Di Matteo, captain John Terry and the rest of the double-winning Chelsea team displaying their newly-won silverware.

The Blues were crowned European club champions for the first time in their history after a dramatic final in Germany on Saturday night. They overcame Bayern Munich in their home stadium after the match went to extra time.

Around 25,000 Chelsea fans packed behind one of the goals in the Allianz Arena, while many more crammed into bars in London and around the UK to follow the action live on TV.

Even Prime Minister David Cameron managed to catch the nail-biting shoot-out, watching the drama unfold alongside German chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders at the G8 summit at Camp David in the US.

Didier Drogba was Chelsea's hero, scoring the equalising goal in the dying minutes of normal time and netting the spot-kick to win the shoot-out 4-3.

The team's last victory parade saw around 70,000 excited fans flock to the streets to celebrate the club's 2010 Premier League and FA Cup double.

Today's bus celebration follows the same route, travelling along streets including Fulham Road and King's Road before ending in Parsons Green.

UEFA Champions league (Final): Bayern Munich 1 - 1 (3 - 4) Chelsea Full match, Extended Highlights, Post match interview and Trophy Celebrations. (Video)

2012-05-20T13:14:00.006+03:00

Bayern Munich 1 - 1 (3 - 4) Chelsea
Goal:
Müller 83’
Drogba 88’

UEFA Champions league
Final
Saturday May 19, 2012

Click here to watch: Full Match (ITV)

Full Match (Skysports)

1st Half

2nd Half

Extra time

Penalty

UCL Trophy celebrations

Post Match interview and celebration: Roberto di Matteo and Chelsea Players

Click here to watch: Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes post match interview

Extended Highlights

Didier Drogba, who had equalised for Chelsea two minutes from time, struck the winning kick past Manuel Neuer as the visitors edged the shoot-out 4-3 after Bastian Schweinsteiger's last kick for Bayern had hit the post.

Bayern, playing in their home stadium, laid siege to Chelsea's goal for most of the game and appeared to have won it when Thomas Mueller finally made the breakthrough with an 83rd minute header past Petr Cech.

Within touching distance of lifting the famous trophy for the first time since 2001, Bayern conceded with two minutes remaining when Drogba met a corner with a thumping header to give Neuer no chance.

Bayern, four-times winners, were stunned and extra time could not separate the sides despite Bayern earning a penalty which Arjen Robben saw saved by Cech.

Chelsea lost to Manchester United in the 2008 final on penalties but erased that painful memory as they held their nerve to become London's first European champions.

The match itself was marked by drama rather than excellence.

Both sides were decimated by suspensions and injuries: Chelsea were without John Terry, banned for his semi-final sending off, but they were hit hardest in midfield, lacking the dynamism of Ramires and Raul Meireles and forced to play young left-back Ryan Betrand in place of Florent Malouda, who had not trained after picking up an injury but made an impact from the bench late on.

Bayern dominated for large swathes of normal time as Chelsea adopted a similar strategy to that which ousted Barcelona in the semi-finals, although they were even less effective on the counter against the Germans.

But, for all their possession and long-range efforts, Cech’s only major save came from a Franck Ribery shot that he tipped on to the post.

Still, Bayern’s late opener – when Mueller escaped the otherwise excellent Ashley Cole convert a downward header that bounced in off the bar on 82 minutes – was fully deserved. The English side had only mustered one shot on target, when Salomon Kalou forced a routine stop from Neuer, while Bayern had peppered the Blues’ goal with Mario Gomez again falling short in a pressure situation with two poor finishes.

That sparked a late Chelsea rally, one which paid off in style as Drogba met Juan Mata’s corner with a towering, spinning header that powered into the top right corner off Neuer’s hand.

Bayern had already taken off Mueller, attempting to shore things up with returning defender Daniel van Buyten, so for extra-time they introduced Ivica Olic who is leaving the club this summer.

Normal time had been dominated by the hosts, but extra-time was fairly even – however the best chances fell to Bayern, none more so than when Drogba needlessly tripped Ribery in an almost identical incident to that which saw the Ivorian concede a penalty in the previous round.

And, just as Lionel Messi fluffed his lines for Barca, so did Robben as Cech’s huge frame kept out his low shot as he dived to the corner.

There was also time for another glaring miss, Olic this time putting wide after Jose Bosingwa went walkabout – not for the first time in an uneasy performance by the right-back, filling in for the banned Branislav Ivanovic.

It all came down to spot-kicks and things started inauspiciously for Chelsea as Neuer dived to his left to repel Mata's effort.

The excellent Philipp Lahm had already netted, as did team-mate Gomez, while Neuer himself stepped up to fire past Cech.

That display of confidence could have knocked the stuffing out of Chelsea but after David Luiz and Frank Lampard had dispatched their penalties with aplomb, Olic was denied by a wonderful one-handed stop by Cech.

Cole had no trouble with his effort, leaving Schweinsteiger and Drogba to take the final kicks. The German beat Cech, but not the post, while Drogba fired home to send the visitors into delirium.

It was quite possibly Drogba’s last act in a Chelsea shirt as his contract is up in the summer and the 33-year-old is expected to take up semi-retirement in a money-spinning foreign league.

Drogba was unable to take a penalty when Chelsea lost the 2008 final after being sent-off and his joy will be heightened by the feeling that the West London side won the trophy against the odds, giving owner Roman Abramovich a dilemma on whether to give interim coach Roberto Di Matteo the job full-time.

For Bayern it is a third second-best finish of the season, having alo lost out in the Bundesliga and German Cup to Borussia Dortmund. It is also the third time they have lost a Champions League final, the last occasion against Manchester United in 1999 when the German side had also led with just minutes of normal time remaining.

That was also the only other occasion when an English side had won both the FA Cup and the European title, a further boost for English football whose last Champions League win was in Moscow four years ago.