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Sky: Beckham - No England issue

David Beckham is confident his decision to put club before country will not hamper his future in Fabio Capello's plans.

Sky: Nani reveals Fergie fury

Manchester United winger Nani has revealed just how tough life can be under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Telegraph: Nani hands in his cards at Manchester United by talking trash about Sir Alex Ferguson

Taxi for Nani after he says Alex Ferguson is to blame for his form.

Independent: Five ways Ireland can beat France

It is the question that Giovanni Trapattoni, Marco Tardelli, Shay Given and pretty much every member of the Irish camp has been asked and is related to an outcome which analysts in Paris cannot even bring themselves to contemplate. How can Ireland beat France?

Independent: Judge banned for motorway drink-driving

A former judge caught on the motorway nearly three times the drink-drive limit was banned from driving for two years today.

Telegraph: England can win the World Cup thanks to Fabio Capello says Kaka

Brazil striker Kaka believes England can be considered realistic contenders to lift the World Cup next summer thanks to Fabio Capello.

Mail: EXCLUSIVE: It's Saint Drogba! Chelsea striker in 3m pledge to build a hospital

In a remarkable show of charity, ferocious Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has pledged a £3million donation to build a hospital. Drogba is handing over the fee he will receive for becoming the new face of Pepsi.

Mail: Fergie to reignite row over 'unfit' refs as United boss attends Wiley hearing

Sir Alex Ferguson will claim that Barclays Premier League referees need more stringent fitness tests when he appears before the FA today on an improper conduct charge.

Mirror: Phelps gets a 'wake-up' after failures

Michael Phelps will leave the World Cup short course event in Stockholm without a win in five events.

Mirror: Pacquiao hoping to make boxing history

Manny Pacquiao is hoping to make boxing history when he faces Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title on Saturday.

BBC: Ashes set for free-to-air return

England's home Ashes Test matches are set to return to free-to-air television following recommendations for revised "listed events".

BBC: 2018 bid team hold crisis meeting

England's 2018 World Cup bid will hold a meeting on Thursday to get the campaign back on track.

Mirror: Ancelotti may have to spend

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti may now delve into the transfer market in January after Jose Bosingwa was ruled out for three months.

Mirror: Posh begin search for new manager

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony insists the squad at London Road are good enough for a top-half finish in the Coca-Cola Championship this season - and he will appoint the manager to lead them to it within the next few days.

Times: Mike Tyson arrested after airport scuffle with photographer

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was arrested yesterday after brawling with a celebrity photographer at Los Angeles International Airport and allegedly injuring the man's head.

Guardian: Banned Briatore to demand 1m payout from FIA in court

• World Council 'blinded by desire for revenge' alleges Briatore
• Pat Symonds to join Italian's appeal to overturn lifetime ban

Flavio Briatore, the former Renault principal banished from Formula One for his part in the Crashgate scandal, will allege that the World Motor Sport Council of the FIA, chaired by Max Mosley, was "clearly blinded by an excessive desire for personal revenge" when he appeals against his life ban from motor sport in a Paris court later this month.

Documents seen by the Guardian reveal that Briatore is asking for a total annulment of the FIA's instruction to its members – race organisers, teams or drivers – not to have any dealings with him. He is also demanding a minimum of €1m (£900,000) in compensation for the damage to his reputation. The case will be heard by France's high court, the Tribunal de Grande Instance, on 24 November.

The Guardian also learnt yesterday that Pat Symonds, Renault's former executive director of engineering, will join Briatore's appeal, attempting to have his own five-year ban overturned on the grounds that the FIA, the international motor sport federation, and its World Council conducted the original hearings in an improper fashion.

Briatore and Symonds were accused by their former driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, of instructing him to crash during the 2008 Singapore grand prix to secure a victory for the team's No1 driver, Fernando Alonso. Whereas Briatore denied all knowledge of a conspiracy, Symonds alleged that the idea had been thought up by the driver himself. The affair came to light as a result of Piquet's allegations after he had been sacked by the team in August.

At an FIA hearing in September, following the resignations of Briatore and Symonds, Renault were also handed an indefinite ban from motor sport – but in their case it was suspended for two years. Shortly afterwards the French team announced their decision to remain in Formula One.

Briatore claims that many of the procedures adopted during the original investigation and hearing were contrary to both the FIA's International Sporting Code and the laws of France, where the federation has its headquarters. The 58-year-old Italian's statement of claim refers to "the excessive and abusive power clearly exercised by both the World Council, in particular, and the FIA, in general" and "the breach by the World Council of the most basic rules of procedure and the rights to a fair trial".

The "obligation to boycott" Briatore, the statement says, is not among the sanctions authorised by the Sporting Code. According to Professor Didier Poracchia, a specialist in sporting law at the University of Aix-Marseille, "the most serious sanction available to the World Council is disqualification" – entailing the withdrawal of the licence of the offending party. As a general manager and driver's agent, however, Briatore has never been required to hold a licence.

In failing to separate the prosecuting, investigating and judging roles, Briatore claims, the FIA breached the rules concerning fair trials established by the European Convention on Human Rights. "The decisions to carry out an investigation and to submit it to the World Council were taken by the same person, Max Mosley, the FIA president," the statement says. Mosley "assumed the roles of complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge".

During 2009, the statement alleges, there had been "some extremely violent disputes" between Briatore, representing the Formula One Teams Association, and Mosley. "Mr Briatore had, in the constructors' names, in fact threatened the FIA and the FOM (Formula One Management) group ... to instigate a parallel competition, organised without the FIA and without the FOM as rights manager."

The disputes over the threat of a breakaway series, it continues, led Mosley to abandon his plan to stand for a fifth term as president in last month's election and forced Bernie Ecclestone, the chief executive of the FOM, to grant the constructors more favourable financial terms for their participation.

Ecclestone, it adds, "took part and was able to vote in the deliberations of the World Council, and was a directly interested party in Renault not suffering a sanction that might discourage it from continuing its participation in the Formula One world championship and could, moreover, be hostile to Mr Briatore as a result of stances taken by him during the previous year on behalf of the constructors involved in Formula One."

The outcome of Briatore's appeal is likely to determine his ability to continue in his role as the chairman and majority shareholder of Queens Park Rangers. The Football League has said that it will wait for the result of the action before discussing the question of whether he has breached their fit-and-proper-persons rule.

Richard Williams

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Guardian: England can win World Cup, says Kak

• Brazil playmaker says England are sharper under Capello
• Full interview: Kaká talks to Fernando Duarte

The England team to play Brazil in Saturday's high-profile friendly may be missing several first-choice players through injury, but Kaká says the five-times World Cup winners face a difficult and significant challenge against a side he believes can win next summer's tournament in South Africa. In an interview with the Guardian, Brazil's playmaker reveals his admiration for the way in which Fabio Capello has turned a group of talented individuals into a formidable team.

"They have cruised through the European qualifiers in a group that was not easy at all," he said. "I don't think anybody expected them to go through so strongly, especially with the two emphatic defeats of Croatia. It's not to say England weren't a dangerous team before, but there is something different now. They look much sharper collectively, like Mr Capello's sides are known to be.

"What seems to have changed is the arrival of a better collective awareness. The players look much more aware with regards to movements and positioning. The attitude is also stronger. They are definitely one of the teams to consider for the trophy in South Africa. As much as the Doha game will award no points, it can work as a massive confidence boost when you beat an opponent also tipped to prevail next year."

The player he respects most in the England side is one of those who has not flown to Qatar, Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool midfielder having struggled with a groin injury in recent weeks. "England have always had individually strong players and I am a huge fan of Stevie Gerrard, who has the heart of a lion and is the icon of the modern footballer with his ability to attack and defend so well."

Kaká, who won the World Cup with Brazil in South Korea and Japan in 2002, also offered a warning to another of his favourite players, Wayne Rooney. Capello has worked hard to rein in the Manchester United forward's temper and Kaká advised that a moment of indiscretion, such as when Rooney was sent off in the 2006 quarter-final for stamping on Portugal's Ricardo Carvalho, could cost England their chance of glory next year.

"The World Cup is a competition in which everything needs to work for your advantage. Players need to be fit, decisions have to go in your favour and details such as a red card can cost a team dearly. I have no doubts that England can do it."

Fernando Duarte

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Times: Rafael Benitez sees Liverpools woes intensify

Liverpool’s injury crisis has deepened with the confirmation that Albert Riera and Yossi Benayoun are likely to be out of action for up to a month.

Sun: Why not ask: Did you cheat?

HARRY REDKNAPP says refs should trust a player's word - but clobber them if they lie

Sun: You're screwing up my career

NANI faces the wrath of Fergie after accusing the Man United boss of mis-managing him