Marseille close in on football title glory

Marseille moved a step closer to their first league title in 17 years on Wednesday after goals from Mamadou Niang and Brandao brought a 2-0 win at local rivals Nice to send the southerners three points clear of the pack.

Niang bagged the opener after 26 minutes before Brazilian Brandao, who has averaged a goal every other game since his arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk mid-season, made the points safe on the hour.

Marseille moved onto 71 points from 35 games after their 20th league win of the campaign, but Bordeaux were out to draw level on points with a win in the late match at Valenciennes.

As the pair chase the automatic Champions League slots reigning champions Lyon may have to make do with a shot at the qualifiers as an eighth straight league title still looking beyond them despite Tuesday's 3-0 home stroll over relegation-threatened Nantes at the Gerland stadium.

Lyon have 64 points with three games remaining - but the seven-point gap with Marseille now looks too great to close even if the former can win their outstanding tussle with the former European champions.

Jean II Makoun bagged two of Lyon's goals, following an early header with a neat strike on 35 minutes as Claude Puel's team rallied following a three-match goalless spell and four-game run without a win.

Anthony Mounier's header 11 minutes from time completed the one-way traffic.

Paris Saint Germain moved to within a point of Lyon after Mateja Kezman scored Wednesday's only goal at Le Mans.

Eight-times champions Nantes' loss at Lyon suggests they will now struggle to beat the dreaded drop with just 33 points from their 35 games - especially as fellow former giants Saint Etienne won 4-2 at relegated Le Havre to move three points clear of the Canaries Read More..

INTERSPORT on board for U21 finals

INTERSPORT Sweden has been appointed the Official Sports Shop of the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship which will take place between 15 and 29 June in Sweden.

Market leader
INTERSPORT, the worldwide leader in the sporting goods retail market, is also market leader in Sweden. In its role as the Official Sports Shop, INTERSPORT Sweden will distribute 2009 UEFA European U21 Championship branded merchandise throughout their Swedish retail outlets as well as creating a web shop which will be launched specifically for this event.

'Great collaboration'
INTERSPORT Sweden will also act as the official on-site retailer, selling a broad range of products at all of the fo

ur stadia at the tournament in Gothenburg, Malmo, Halmstad and Helsingborg. "Based on the great collaboration we experienced with INTERSPORT during UEFA EURO 2008™, we are convinced that UEFA has chosen the right partner to make sure that high quality products are offered to football fans in Sweden," UEFA commercial director Philippe Margraff said.

'Experience'
Commenting on the agreement, INTERSPORT International CEO Franz Julen said: "With the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2009 in Sweden we will continue our good co-operation with UEFA in football, one of our major sport categories. We are proud to be a National Supporter and our retail experience together with INTERSPORT Sweden's strong football market position will further contribute to a successful event."

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Disabled fans to benefit from UEFA award

The annual UEFA Monaco Charity Award, amounting to CHF 1 million, will be presented to the UK National Association of Disabled Supporters (NADS) for a four-year development programme for its Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) project.

2009 award
The 2009 award was approved by the UEFA Executive Committee at its most recent meeting in Bucharest, Romania, and will be presented at UEFA's Monaco events in August which herald the start of the new European club competition season.

Raising awareness
The objective of the CAFE programme is to offer further access for disabled fans to football games and improve

stadium infrastructures for disabled supporters across Europe. The aim is also to raise disability awareness and improve the lives of disabled people using the special influence of football within Europe, as well as building up a network of disabled supporter groups across Europe.

Support and guidance
UEFA's grant will help the National Association of Disabled Supporters to develop the CAFE initiative across the continent, by making football more accessible for disabled fans, but also contributing to the inclusion of disabled people within social life as a whole. Through the CAFE project, the UK body will be able to share its expertise and give support and guidance to all stakeholders – including UEFA, national football associations, leagues, clubs and fans, as well as disabled supporter groups.

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Top Ten: Best Buys Of The Season

10 - Amr Zaki
Oh he's been toilet since November, is only on loan (yeah, we're breaking our own rules - what's it to you?) and has a rather relaxed attitude to timekeeping, but boy he was good before that. Eight goals in his first 11 league games had everyone - including the scouts of the European big boys - rubbing their eyes and wondering where the hell Steve Bruce had found this one. How we all laughed when Bruce pointed to the FIFA rankings (based on international goals-to-games ratio) that said Zaki was the best striker in the world, then how we stopped laughing when he started banging them in. Anonymous for months now, but deserves a mention for that electric early-season form.



9 - Peter Crouch
Weird season down on the south coast. After starting the campaign with arguably the best strikeforce outside the top four, hopes were high of a European charge, but since the departure of Redknapp, Diarra and Defoe it's been a relegation fight. And how much worse would it have been without Crouch? Perhaps £10million for 12 goals is a little disappointing, but using crude, flawed and inexact logic, Crouch's goals have gained 11 points for Pompey, without which they would now be stone bottom.



8 - Andriy Arshavin
Last summer, as Arshavin's agent Dennis Lachter managed the impressive achievement of standing out as one of the more despicable members of his profession by hawking his man across the continent, all the talk was of a man who went missing when it mattered. 'Would he be able to stand the physical rigours of Blighty?' we mused. Well, based on the evidence since January, it's an emphatic 'Yes'.


It's worth noting that Arsenal haven't lost a game that Arshavin has started, and without his clinical intervention would have been embarrassed at Anfield last month. Would be higher on this list if his contribution had actually led to any tangible success this campaign, but he may prove to be one of the most astute buys Wenger has ever made.



7 - Robinho
Rubbish away from home, apparently shoddy attitude, in the papers for, shall we say, the wrong reasons, but the Premier League would have been a duller place this season without him. For all the stretches of anonymity, there have

been some dazzling moments of skill - skill that few others in the division, let alone in the Manchester City side, are capable of.


His was also an important signing for ADUG's hopes of world domination. While it's true that Robinho was simply desperate to leave Real Madrid last summer and would have gone anywhere for the right coin, it proves that City have the muscle to buy players of world renown. Kaka may have turned his nose up, but if they are serious about challenging the top four cartel, then more signings like Mr De Souza are required.



6 - Marouane Fellaini
'Who the f**k is he?' was this correspondent's reaction upon hearing that Everton had splashed £15million on a 20-year-old Belgian who looked like Screech from Saved By The Bell. Wrong we were proved, with Fellaini contributing an impressive nine goals from midfield, and perhaps most importantly taking some of the burden from Tim Cahill. In a season when Everton have been so short of strikers - often having to operate without one - Fellaini's contributions have been invaluable.



5 - Sebastien Bassong
If there is a small, tiny, pinprick of shining light at Newcastle this season, it is this young Frenchman. Signed ostensibly as 'one for the future' last summer, Bassong was quickly pressed into action, initially at left-back, but has since established himself as United's most consistent performer in the middle of defence. While that may sound like a back-handed compliment, it really isn't, and if Newcastle do go down then Bassong will be one of the only men who can leave with some degree of pride.



4 - Luka Modric
Apparently rejected by Arsene Wenger on the basis that he was too lightweight, Modric's early-season form looked to have confirmed those fears. First Juande Ramos, then Harry Redknapp didn't seem to know what to do with him - centre midfielder? Support striker? Free role? Then, 'Huzzah' said 'Arry. 'Why not play him in a nominal left-sided position joining attacks from the flank?' As it turns out, not a bad idea at all, and Modric has been the creative fulcrum of Tottenham's post-October success.



3 - James Beattie
A match made in heaven, this. It took Tony Pulis two stabs at it, but after the failure of Dave Kitson, he cracked the perfectly simple plan of procuring a battering ram up front to convert the chances that Stoke's somewhat robust style of play created. Whether both Beattie and Stoke will be found out next season remains to be seen, but for this campaign this was an absolutely spiffing bit of business, what what.



2 - Mark Schwarzer
Ask a Middlesbrough fan what exactly has gone wrong this season and you could be there for a while, but surely a massive factor in their demise has been their failure to replace one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.


While much of Fulham's success this season has been based on the rock solid, intimidating and Easter Island statue-esque presence of Brede Hangeland, their exemplary defensive record can be largely attributed to the air of calm assuredness that Schwarzer exudes. Fulham have conceded the fewest goals of anyone outside the top three (Arsenal's spanking on Sunday pushed their 'GA' column above the Cottagers'), and with Schwarzer an ever-present and keeping clean sheets in over half of those games, it doesn't take a genius to work out where they have gone right.



1 - Wilson Palacios
Given the appalling events of the weekend, this may look like a sympathy vote, but it really isn't. In fact, that Palacios has been living with the knowledge that his brother was in captivity for 18 months makes his performances all the more remarkable.


Palacios has been the sort of player that Spurs have needed ever since Edgar Davids left - someone with some toughness to allow the rest of the midfield to play. And boy has it worked. You could argue that Palacios is perhaps the sole reason for Tottenham's latter-season form, given that his industry allows the likes of Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric ahead of him to create and attack in the safe knowledge that they have some protection behind them.


Spurs have spent ridiculous amounts on duff players over the last few years, but £14million for Palacios could turn out to be a bargain.

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Win a Print Signed by Fernando Torres

Revista De La Liga have teamed up with Shop.Icons.com - the home of signed football memorabilia - to give one lucky person the chance to win the prize of a lifetime - a print signed by Liverpool and Spain striker Fernando Torres!

Shop.Icons.com have provided fans of the beautiful game with exclusive official signed football memorabilia for ove

r eight years, meeting up with the world's greatest players on a regular basis to bring you the widest range of exclusive signed football memorabilia, including:

• Ryan Giggs
• Fernando Torres
• Cesc Fabregas
• Kaka
• Eric Cantona
• Lionel Messi
• Diego Maradona
• Pele
• Fabio Cannavaro

All memorabilia is from official, closed signing sessions that Icons have held with the players, and comes in presentation packaging with a Certificate of Authenticity featuring an image of the player signing the shirt.

Keep watching Revista De La Liga on Sky Sports to be the first to hear about these great prizes.

CLOSING DATE: Monday 18th May 2009

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bobby charlton says...

How the campaign works

The "There is Moore to know" campaign features four key themes:

Saving lives – goal keeper – David James
The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK raises vital funds for research into bowel cancer and increases public awareness of the disease.

Defend your body – de

fenders – Rio Ferdinand and Micah Richards
Around two-thirds of bowel cancer cases could be prevented by changes to lifestyle. You can reduce the risk of the disease by being physically active, maintaining a healthy body weight, cutting down on alcohol and eating a healthy, balanced diet.

Pass the message on – midfielders – Michael Carrick and Shaun Wright-Phillips
Encourage family or friends to take part in screening when they are invited and tell them about bowel cancer and the symptoms.

Attack the disease – striker – Theo Walcott
In the 15 years since Bobby Moore died, the Fund has raised over £12 million pounds through a variety of fundraising events and initiatives.
Supporting the campaign

Rio Ferdinand said:
"My England team-mates and I were shocked to find out that 44 people die from bowel cancer every day in the UK and yet over eight out ten cases can be successfully treated if detected early enough."

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drogba is entertainer

Like two great heavyweights, Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba have been going at it toe-to-toe for a what seems like an age, but their titanic battle to be crowned the Premier League's most amusing hate figure shows no sign of a let-up. Last week, Ronaldo got in a tremendous body shot with his brilliant 'Baby Bird: Enraged' performance against Arse

nal and many seasoned observers were declaring that, surely, English football has never seen such a total wazzock.


But Didier is a hell of a competitor, and he has come right back at the popular Portuguese with a superb combo of repeated diving, feigning injury to confuse his own manager and then shouting "f***ing disgrace" at the TV viewers during last night's almost indecently enjoyable defeat to Barcelona.


Michael Ballack, an absolute weapon in his own right but nevertheless outclassed by the Big Two, attempted to steal the show with his impressive 'running along trying to stroke the referee on the face' manoeuvre after Chelsea were denied their 83rd penalty claim of the match, but the night belonged to Didier.


The combination of hulking physicality and tottering, toddler-like vulnerability that has become his trademark was displayed to full effect. Men half his size were either barged out of the way like rival women at the Christmas sales or allowed to throw Didier flat on his back like a common-or-garden wannabe WAG. An especially brilliant moment came when he had his shirt tugged by Eric Abidal while through, and went to the mat when a lesser entertainer would have tried to stay on his feet and score.


As team-mates tracked back in a brave bid to stifle Barcelona's superior passers, Didier limped about aloof. When Nicolas Anelka is teaching you a thing or two about team-work and collective effort, that's really something. The fact that Didier spurned a brilliant chance to put the game beyond doubt, and beyond the meddling of the most unwavering Norwegian since Mags from A-ha was in his motionless keyboard pomp, was immaterial to him. When he picked up one of his many deeply serious, but only for a moment, injuries he hobbled to the touchline. Was he fit to carry on, Hiddink wondered? But Didier was keeping his cards close: he eventually decided he was fit enough to be on the pitch, but not really well enough to run around too much. It must make management very difficult.


The brilliant performance after the final whistle, charging around shouting, waving his hands, berating the referee, was a classic of its kind. Didier, who has the legend 'magnanimous in victory, gracious in defeat' tattooed on his bicep and buttocks (but in French) then chose to address his public directly, looming into extreme close up for the coup de grace. It was absolutely brilliant television, and amusingly offset by Andy Gray intoning "Apologies to anyone who can lip-read" - as Didier shouted "F***ING DISGRACE" at ear-splitting volume.


There is no doubt that Didier is a complete twit, but he certainly is an entertaining one. I personally hope that the FA/FIFA/UEFA/RADA/whoever it is that he answers to will show some leniency, because there are very few finer sight in football than Didier in full flow, either with the ball or with the titty-fits. We should all celebrate this rare talent while we still can and remember that football is, after all, a branch of the entertainment business. Nobody, bar one man, can match Didier. Mr Ronaldo is already workshopping his next routine.

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issues real madrid

Real Madrid had a top-secret meeting with Wigan on Thursday in a bid to seal a £16million deal for winger Luis Antonio Valencia...Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez aims to beat Barcelona to

teen sensation Jesus Fernandez of Cadiz...Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has snapped up French starlet Paul Pogba of Le Havre from under the nose of Arsene Wenger...West Brom have been told to cough up £4million to keep Argentinean Juan Carlos Menseguez...Tottenham are in talks with Nottingham Forest over a deal for Wales defender Chris Gunter.

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DROGBA TO MAN CITY. WHICH MEANS...

Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about The Sun. Their transfer tittle-tattle this morning includes the claim that 'Manchester City aready to make a £15million swoop for Chelsea bad-boy Didier Drogba'.

To quote a little bit

more: 'Boss Mark Hughes made a firm inquiry about the Ivory Coast hitman in January and, although he was knocked back, the Londoners admitted a summer move was a possibility.

'Now City want to push through a three-year deal, worth around £150,000 a week, as soon as the window reopens.'

From the sounds of it, City's interest in Roque Santa Cruz has gone the way of the Dodo. With Arsene Wenger seemingly prepared to sell Emmanuel Adebayor to Chelsea as Drogba's replacement, what price Cruz going to Arsenal? He is injured, after all, so he should fit in perfectly.

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WENGER READY TO SELL ADEBAYOR TO CHELSEA?

Arsene Wenger has paved the way for Chelsea to bid for Emmanuel Adebayor by publicly admitting that he would have no objections to selling an Arsenal player directly to one of their 'Big Four' rivals.

Speaking at a

' forum on the day it was reported that Chelsea were preparing to sell Didier Drogba and had identified Adebayor as their preferred replacement, Wenger blamed the abuse the Togo striker has endured from the Emirates crowd for his slump in form but offered Chelsea significant encouragement that he would be prepared to sell.

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TEVEZ DEAL IN THE SMALL PRINT

In an indication of his determination to stay in England, The Daily Mail claims that Carlos Tevez has rejected a £40m offer from Real Madrid.

However, it still seems probable that he will leave Manchester United at the end of the season.

The small print in the Mail's report is that 'It is understood that United have broached the idea of lowering the fee but that has been rejected by the Tevez camp

and Joorabchian refuses to enter talks on the price. United signed former West Ham striker Tevez, 25, in a £9m loan deal. The contract included clauses which stated his final transfer price would rise by £25m, a combined fee.'

That reputed haggling may be significant because The Independent reports that 'Tevez and his advisors are understood to be adamant that he will leave Manchester United in the summer if the club continue to try to renegotiate the fee for his permanent registration that they agreed two years ago'.

The small print in their report is that 'Tevez's advisors believe that United are delaying until the end of the season when they know exactly what the future will be for Cristiano Ronaldo and also where they stand with Franck Ribéry of Bayern Munich and Karim Benzema of Lyon, both of whom are considered prime transfer targets by Ferguson'.

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Ferguson targets home coronation

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants his side to clinch the title on home turf by taking at least a point from their match against Arsenal.

Premier League officials have made arrangements to present the trophy at Old Trafford after the final whistle.

"We have another o

pportunity to win it in front of our own fans - it would be nice to do it," said Ferguson.

Only one of United's 10 Premier League titles has been won at home - in 1999, with a 2-1 victory against Tottenham.

"I have always said I don't care where we win it," added Ferguson.
"But it is strange that we have won it once out of 10 at Old Trafford."

His club also won seven pre-Premier League titles, but Ferguson denied that the prospect of equalling Liverpool's historic record of 18 league titles was on his mind.

The Scot said that his famous vow upon arriving at the club to "knock Liverpool off their perch" was achieved with his first title 16 years ago.

"I never even thought about moving level with Liverpool," said Ferguson.
"My first intention was to win one and break the stranglehold Liverpool had on the title. The big challenge was that first one."

Arsenal helped break Liverpool's near-monopoly on the old Division One with wins in 1989 and 1991, but Ferguson believes they will be keen to do the Merseysiders a favour by extending the title race into the final day of the season.

"They have had a bit of criticism recently and they will want to register their abilities on a day when everyone expects Manchester United to win the title," he said.

If Arsenal are to send United to Hull still needing a result they will need to win without keeper Manuel Almunia, who is out with an ankle problem.
Long-term absentee Tomas Rosicky is back in training but has been ruled out for competitive action until next season, while Gael Clichy (back), William Gallas (knee) and Eduardo (groin) will all remain on the sidelines.

England defender Rio Ferdinand misses out again for United with a calf injury but could return for the final match of the season against Hull next weekend.

Ferdinand will be joined in the stands at Old Trafford by Olympic 100m and 200m champion and United fan Usain Bolt, who spent Friday at the club's training ground.

Bolt, who is in Manchester to race at the Great CityGames, gave some tips to the players - including Cristiano Ronaldo - on how to keep their feet when running at full speed.

Darren Fletcher, suspended for the Champions League final, could start.

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Santa Cruz labelled 'underhand'

Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have all been linked with the 27-year-old, who reiterated his desire to leave the club on Paraguayan radio this week.

"He has become a little bit underhand. These remarks sneak out where we cannot control the situation," said Allardyce.

"It has happened too many times for it not to be him and it's disappointing."

After joining from Bundesliga side Bayern Munich for £3.8m in 2007, Santa Cruz has gone on to make 70 appear

ances for Rovers, scoring 29 goals.

But he has scored just six goals this season in a disjointed campaign, with a knee injury keeping him on the sidelines for the last two months and Allardyce feels his player should be focused only on his recovery.

"Roque should concentrate on getting himself fit and playing his football for Blackburn Rovers," Allardyce told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"It shouldn't be about where his future lies because without his fitness and without his capabilities of producing more than he did last season then he will struggle to get the sort of move he's looking for."

Allardyce also believes Santa Cruz's relationship with the supporters will sour if he continues to ask for a move.

"I've always got on with him extremely well, but fans will always take a dim view on players who openly say that they want to leave. I understand that, but we'll just have to wait and see," he added.

"The time here has been unfortunate for him and for me that he hasn't been fitter because he is a terrific player."

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Lawro's predictions

Lawro's predictions
Blackburn 2-1 Portsmouth
Bolton 1-1 Sunderland
Everton 2-1 Tottenham
Fulham 1-2 Aston Villa
Hull 0-0 Stoke
West Brom 2-2 Wigan

West Ham 1-2 Liverpool
Man Utd 2-0 Man City
Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea
Newcastle 1-1 Middlesbrough Actual results
Blackburn 2-0 Portsmouth
Bolton 0-0 Sunderland
Everton 0-0 Tottenham
Fulham 3-1 Aston Villa
Hull 1-2 Stoke
West Brom 3-1 Wigan
West Ham 0-3 Liverpool
Man Utd 2-0 Man City
Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea
Newcastle 3-1 Middlesbrough



Lawro got FOUR results right, with ONE perfect score.

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King to be punished by Tottenham

The 28-year-old defender was also arrested and questioned on suspicion of assaulting a man in Soho, London.

King has been bailed by police until mid-July while inquiries continue into the incident.

The England player has since apol

ogised and said the evening was "a night out with friends which went too far".

Redknapp did not reveal what the punishment would be but he did state that King would be in the team for the home match against Manchester City on Saturday.


"Ledley will play tomorrow - he has apologised," said the Spurs manager, who is set to ban his players from drinking alcohol.

"He knows he was wrong. He made a mistake and he has to learn from that and make sure it doesn't happen again. I've had a good chat with him.

"There is no problem with people having the occasional drink, but if you have to get drunk you shouldn't be drinking.

"I don't want players going to nightclubs and misbehaving. The problems nearly always come when players get drunk."

Redknapp believes that it is up to footballers to be role models for the youth of Britain. You've only got to go abroad in the summer to certain parts of the world, you see drunken kids laying around, acting like maniacs, causing problems and it's a problem we've had in this country for years now
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp


"You've only got to go abroad in the summer to certain parts of the world, you see drunken kids laying around, acting like maniacs, causing problems and it's a problem we've had in this country for years now," added Redknapp.

"There's too much of it and I think footballers should set an example.

"I don't understand why they get drunk. You can't even get a slice of white bread in the canteen here. Everything here is geared up to healthy eating.

"What's the point if then they are going to drink 10 pints of lager. I don't see why they have to get on the booze, especially footballers."

Apart from the ban on alcohol, Redknapp is also considering barring them from entering nightclubs.

"Of course, why not? I don't want them going out to nightclubs, " he said.

"I can ban them, we can do what we want. We're paying them massive money. They have a fantastic job coming here every day to train to be super-fit, to be top of their profession for a few years.

"They have the opportunity to earn money so they don't have to work again for the rest of their lives. So why can't they dedicate themselves to it?"

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REDKNAPP BAFFLED BY BOOZERS

Harry Redknapp has launched a passionate attack on the drinking culture among English footballers.

The Tottenham manager revealed the club would be taking disciplinary action against defender and club captain Ledley King who was arrested outside a nightclub after an alleged assault last weekend.

He also said Tottenham wer

e considering banning their players from nightclubs as he declared war on the boozers.

Redknapp would not specify what punishment King would face but it is thought he will be fined two weeks' wages.

And he believes footballers such as King should set an example to ordinary people with drink problems.

Redknapp said: "Ledley made a mistake and we all make mistakes in life and he has to make sure he learns from it and makes sure it doesn't happen again.

"I've had a good chat with him and he's sorry for the way he behaved. He will be disciplined by the club.

"I have no problem with people having an occasional drink but if you have to get drunk you shouldn't be drinking.

"I don't want players going out to night clubs, getting drunk and misbehaving.

"If you look at the problems they nearly all come when people get drunk. I don't understand it; they're so well paid, so well looked after. We've got fitness coaches, we've got sport scientists. These players are role models, they've got kids looking up to them. There is a big drink culture in this country.

"You've only got to go abroad in the summer to certain parts of the world, you see drunken kids laying around, acting like maniacs, causing problems and it's a problem we've had in this country for years now. There's too much of it and I think footballers should set an example.

"I don't understand why they get drunk. You can't even get a slice of white bread in the canteen here. Everything here is geared up to healthy eating. What's the point if then they are going to drink 10 pints of lager. I don't see why they have to get on the booze, especially footballers."

King trained this morning for the first time since the nightclub incident and will face Manchester City at White Hart Lane on Saturday in what could be a crucial encounter if either side is to qualify for the Europa league next season.

Redknapp revealed earlier this week that he would institute an alcohol ban for his players. He is now prepared to take that a step further and ban them from nightclubs.

Asked whether he could do that he said: "Of course, why not? I don't want them going out to nightclubs. I can ban them, we can do what we want. We're paying them massive money. They have a fantastic job coming here every day to train to be super-fit, to be top of their profession for a few years.

"They have the opportunity to earn money so they don't have to work again for the rest of their lives. So why can't they dedicate themselves to it?

"Lots of other top sportsmen in other fields do it. Most of the foreign players don't come and drink.

"We haven't got a big drink problem here, we've just had one or two instances this year, like every club in England. We're not the only club with problems over the years. I just think it's time we put a stop to it.

"They can let their hair down in the summer. When they're here they should be in tip top, fantastic condition."

Tottenham have Assou-Ekotto Benoit and Didier Zokora fit for Saturday's match but Aaron Lennon has failed to recover from a groin injury while midfielder Wilson Palacios remains in Honduras after the murder of his brother.

Redknapp, who earlier in the season had viewed playing in Europe as an unwelcome distraction, is now eager to qualify.

He said: "It's important, both for ourselves and Manchester City. Fulham are in the driving seat, with a two-point advantage and a better goal difference.

"But we've got it all to play for. To take it to the last game would be terrific for us."

Meanwhile, Redknapp insisted that Wales defender Chris Gunter was not for sale despite reports that Nottingham Forest were keen to make his loan deal permanent.

He said: "He's a young player and loan experience is good, but we wouldn't sell him."

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OWEN NOT QUITTING

Michael Owen has no intention of retiring from football at the end of the season, according to his management company. 

A report in the early edition of the Daily Express on Friday morning claimed the Newcastle and England

striker will become a full-time racehorse trainer and owner after quitting the game in the summer. 

However, amid reports Owen has become increasingly disillusioned with life on Tyneside and his own diminishing returns after years of injury problems, his representatives insist he is determined to get back to the levels that saw him crowned European Footballer of the Year in 2001. 

"Any suggestion or unfounded speculation that Michael Owen has any intention of quitting football is totally untrue and wrong," read a statement from Wasserman Media Group. 

"Michael remains as committed to his football career as he ever has been and is deeply and professionally offended that anyone should suggest otherwise." 

It continued: "Michael Owen has instructed lawyers this evening (Thursday) and will take action against any publication which he feels inaccurately or unfairly suggested he is quitting football and is damaging to his professional reputation." 

The 29-year-old joined Newcastle from Real Madrid in 2005 for a club-record fee of £17million. 

However, in the very nearly four seasons since then he has made only 58 Barclays Premier League starts due to a succession of fitness problems. 

Owen, who began his career with a hugely successful spell at Liverpool, has also been left in the international wilderness under England coach Fabio Capello. 

In total, Owen has 40 goals from 89 England caps but has not played for the national team since the friendly defeat in France in March 2008.

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SPURS TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST KING

Ledley King will be disciplined by Tottenham after being arrested outside a nightclub last weekend.

The Tottenham defender has apologised to manager Harry Redknapp but he will be in the team which faces

Manchester City at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Redknapp would not detail what punishment King would receive but he did launch an attack on the drink culture which pervades football.

Redknapp said: "Ledley will play tomorrow. He has apologised. He knows he was wrong. He made a mistake and he has to learn from that and make sure it doesn't happen again. I've had a good chat with him."

Redknapp added: "There is no problem with people having the occasional drink but if you have to get drunk you shouldn't be drinking.

"I don't want player going to nightclubs and misbehaving. The problems nearly all come when players get drunk. These players are role models. They've got kids looking up to them."

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HIDDINK QUIET ON ANCELOTTI

Guus Hiddink insists he does not know whether Carlo Ancelotti will be the man to replace him as Chelsea manager but will look back on his own time at Stamford Bridge with pride.

The AC Milan coach is

tipped to replace the Dutchman amid suggestions that a statement is expected from Ancelotti over the weekend.

Chelsea however, say there are no plans at present to make any kind of weekend announcement, and it is difficult to see Ancelotti being allowed to do so without permission from the Blues if, indeed, any agreement has been reached.

Hiddink has transformed Chelsea since he took over from sacked Luiz Felipe Scolari in February and he will take charge of a Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge for the final time on Sunday.

Chelsea entertain Blackburn in their last home game of the season and the sense of occasion has not been lost on Hiddink.

"When I started in February, I was fully committed to do my job. But, having had the response of everyone - the players, the staff, the public - it gives me a lot of satisfaction.

"It's not easy to say goodbye. But let's not be too dramatic. Unofficially, I will keep my connection with the club. By supporting them, by coming to visit every now and then.

"Sadness is not the right word. I'm not going to cry. I don't know my emotions. I have enjoyed very much working at this club, with these players.

"To be honest, when I started, I thought I'd have to fight a lot with the status of players. I though there was a pre-set mind that they would be untouchable, but we touched each other.

"I'm proud of that. Now we split, so there's a feeling of respect. Not regret, but respect."

But while Hiddink prepares to say farewell to the fans at the Bridge, much of the talk ahead of the game continues to surround his successor.

The interim coach insists that while he knows "in general" what is going on, he remains adamant the choice of his successor is Chelsea's business alone.

"There are names, but we haven't spoken about names," revealed Hiddink. "It's up to them. It's none of my business.

"They have to go forward and there's no responsibility whatsoever on their side to inform me.

"They are doing so but I don't need to be informed every day. Generally, I know a bit what is going on. I can tell you, but I won't."

Hiddink will say a final goodbye to the club after the FA Cup final against Everton at Wembley on May 30.

But with United on the brink of retaining the title and Chelsea assured of third place at least, Hiddink insists that motivating his players will not be an issue against Blackburn or in their final league game away at Sunderland.

"We have to do the serious approach which we do with every game," said Hiddink. "The lads like to play football and they must play good games against Blackburn and Sunderland.

"We stay on our toes regarding our concentration until the end of May. We have to play the game the way we like to play the game.

"That's another motivation. If players see the stadium and the people there, every player who is not motivated in those circumstances is not worthy to start in the first XI."

Steven Gerrard was named Player of the Year by the Football Writers this week despite another exceptional season from Frank Lampard at Chelsea. However, Hiddink says Gerrard's success was justified.

"Gerrard deserved it fully, what he was nominated for," said Hiddink. "He had a tremendous season, not just in his efficiency on the pitch, but also in his appearance as a professional player.

"He is very warm-hearted towards his club. You could say the same for Frank Lampard. He is well respected all over England."

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ANFIELD TO BE CARLSBERG ANFIELD?

Carlsberg have enjoyed sponsorship of Liverpool for a record 18 years but appear ready to suggest a new agreement which would see their name emblazoned across the stadium. 


"That will be part of the discussion, I'm sure, but there have been no decisions yet," Gareth Roberts, Carlsb

erg UK's director of sponsorship, told The Independent. 


Arsenal sold the naming rights to their stadium to Emirates for £100m over 13 years - including an eight-year shirt sponsorship deal - and those kind of figures are likely to persuade Tom Hicks and George Gillett to risk a fan backlash. 


The pair are currently trying to negotiate the rescheduling of £350m of loans they took to buy Liverpool, and Carlsberg will be watching closely before deciding whether to increase their sponsorship deal. 


"We would be very interested in what happens. I'm sure that the conversations that go on between the two parties will reflect that," Roberts said.

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