The Detroit Lions Of NFL Championship

The Detroit Lions are preparing to face a powerful Green Bay Packers team on Thanksgiving.n 1962, Detroit was 8-2 entering its Thanksgiving Day game against Green Bay, which was 10-0. Green Bay won the NFL Championship a year prior in 1961. The Packers were led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr. Many did not give Detroit a chance of winning.

In recent years, when the Lions played on Thanksgiving Day, most people outside of Michigan were deciding if they should get a second drumstick or take a nap. Lions games were great times to go outside and toss around the football. If there ever was an opportunity to look through a newspaper for Black Friday ads, the Lions game was it.In the past, the Detroit Lions' annual Thanksgiving game has put fans asleep faster than their turkey.



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It’s Barcelona v Manchester United in the 2011 EUFA Champions League Final

Manchester United will play Barcelona in this year’s Champions League final at Wembley after an emphatic 4–1 win over FC Schalke 04 at Old Trafford. The 6–1 aggregate was probably a fair reflection of play over the two legs, though the German side actually made a better fist of it away from home than the score-line suggests.

Sir Alex Rings the Changes

With the crunch game against Chelsea coming up on the weekend, Sir Alex Ferguson made an astonishing nine changes to the team that won in Germany. Most of us expected a few alterations to the line-up but so many was a real surprise, considering the United manager had stressed prior to the game that United wouldn’t be “taking anything for granted”.

Schalke were able to recall Benedickt Howedes to bolster the centre of defense, and Sergio Escudero, who came on as a substitute in the first leg, was given a start at left back. Seventeen year-old Julian Draxler was also awarded a place in the starting line-up.

Notwithstanding all the changes, United started much as they finished in Germany and had forced two corners before the game was five minutes old. Schalke’s first corner did not arrive until 14 minutes had gone by. Even so, the team from the Bundesliga was looking in much better shape than last week.

However, just as it appeared that they might be on the verge of creating something the ball was given away in midfield at the 26 minute mark and a well-executed defense splitting pass from Darron Gibson put Antonio Valencia in the clear. The right winger, who has looked so impressive since returning from long-term injury, slotted the ball home cool as you like.

Before the celebrations had finished Schalke were down the other end trying to get something back but Raul’s header was easy for Edwin van der Sar. With the ball back in Schalke’s end, Rafael took a throw-in on the right, Anderson saw Darron Gibson in space on the edge of the box and the Irishman’s firm shot surprised Manuel Neuer, catching him off balance. United were two goals to the good and the tie looked virtually over with just over half an hour gone.
Schalke Back in Contention

It was at this point that the inexperience of United’s second string defenders showed.

As Schalke went forward, trying to salvage some pride if nothing else, United appeared casual in the extreme and several sloppy passes culminated in Smalling giving the ball away inside his own penalty area. The ball broke for Jose Manuel Jurado lurking on the edge of the box and the Spaniard fired an excellent shot past van der Sar.

The United response from Valencia required a goal line clearance with Neuer beaten, but it was Schalke who looked threatening in the ten minutes up to half-time, with a few nerves starting to manifest among the United players and some discernible tension among the supporters around the ground. In contrast to their poor showing on home turf, Ralf Rangnick’s men had enjoyed a 54-46 percent advantage in possession over the course of the first half.

United Wrap It Up

Manchester’s complacency following the second goal had no doubt resulted in a half-time tongue lashing from Sir Alex and they came out more focused. Neuer was called on to make a fingertip save from Anderson’s curling shot on 55 minutes, then Smalling had the ball in the net from a close-range tap in but was offside.

The match and the tie were finally wrapped up in the 72nd minute when Nani advanced into the Schalke area and pulled the ball back for Anderson on the penalty spot with his back to goal. The Brazilian was tackled but recovered to turn and score with aplomb.

United’s ticket to Wembley was well and truly booked only four minutes later. Dimitar Berbatov has not scored in the Champions League since October 2008 and would have been forgiven for trying his luck when in possession on the right of the box with only the goalkeeper to beat. However, to his credit the Bulgarian put self-interest aside and laid the ball on a platter for Anderson who was in a much more central position and able to simply tap the ball into an empty net.

Manchester United now has an opportunity to avenge their defeat at the hands of Barcelona in the 2009 final. The encounter on the 29th May is certainly a mouth-watering prospect for soccer fans everywhere.

Sir Alex Ferguson was full of confidence after the match acknowledging that Barcelona is “the team of the moment“, but showing great confidence in his own squad: “I think it's a team full of great desire and determination. These qualities, allied to their ability, will help them at Wembley."

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http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/sports/its-barcelona-v-manchester-united-in-the-2011-eufa-champions-league-final-55847.html

The hype, the controversy, the drama. Sound familiar?

IT took some time, but Lionel Messi eventually speared through the callousness of so much of the encounter between Real Madrid and Barcelona with two goals of beauty and ingenuity.

However, beyond the deft brilliance of the Argentine, the abiding images were of malice and aggression; the dark edges of a long-held rivalry.

Scotland fell victim to an angst-ridden bout of introspection when Celtic and Rangers engaged in similar hostility in a Scottish Cup replay at Celtic Park last month. The two games, shaped by cultural, political, football (and in the case of the Old Firm, religious) differences were comparable in nature: they represent a blatant opposition of identities.

Spain will be less inclined to hand-wringing, although the Barcelona directors called an emergency board meeting to discuss Jose Mourinho’s post-match comments accusing Uefa of fixing the team’s passage to the Champions League final. “I don’t know if it’s the friendship of [Spanish football federation president Angel Maria] Villar at Uefa, where he is vice-president,” the Real Madrid manager said. “[Pep] Guardiola is a fantastic coach, but he’s won one Champions League which I would be ashamed to win after the scandal at Stamford Bridge and, if he wins it again, it will be after the scandal at the Bernabeu. I hope that one day he will win a clean Champions League, with no incidents behind it.”

Mourinho, pictured, is a schemer, as comfortable manipulating with cruelty as much as praise, but comments like these in Glasgow would cause turmoil. If the constant haranguing of the referee, Wolfgang Stark, the bouts of play-acting and the altercations in the Bernabeu stands on Wednesday night are not common to Scottish football, the aggressive posturing, the reckless tackles, the brawl at half-time, and the showing of three red cards would not seem out of place in an Old Firm game.

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http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/english-football/the-hype-the-controversy-the-drama-sound-familiar-1.1098580

Wenger shoulders the blame

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted his players lacked "maturity, experience and calm" but he stepped into the firing line after his side's 2-1 loss to Bolton, saying it is he who should be blamed.

Arsenal's already-slim chances of pushing for the Premier League title were reduced to a mere mathematical possibilty after Tamir Cohen headed a late winner at Reebok Stadium on Sunday, leaving the Gunners nine points behind Manchester United and three behind Chelsea with four games to play.

Wenger conceded ground in the ongoing debate over his youthful squad's mentality but he still refused to criticse them publicly, defending them to the point of sacrificing his own reputation by claiming he is at fault for the side's poor run in recent months.

Wenger said: "I feel the players have had an outstanding attitude this season. They are not to blame. If somebody is to blame, it's me. I pick the team.

"It's very unsatisfactory because it's one of the easiest run-ins we've had for a long time and we didn't take our chances many times. That's frustrating because you feel the potential is there but you have to take your chances.

"We still lack maturity, experience and calm in important situations.''

Wenger said there was no point giving up hope in the final few games since Arsenal are in no other competitions but he admitted that the likelihood of reeling in United was approaching miracle territory.

"The chances are very minimal now, that is for sure, but we have to continue to fight,'' said Wenger. "We dropped too many points today. It is very frustrating because we should have come home with nine points this week and we came back with two. It's a bit the story of our season.''

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http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/911603/arsene-wenger:-i%27m-to-blame-for-arsenal-slump?cc=4716

Manchester Wins Battle of North London : Tottenham 3-3 Arsenal : A Review

It was a pulsating, enthralling, nail biting, entertaining football of the highest order. This could easily be the best game of EPL 2010-11 season, in terms of attacking football. There was only one tactics for both teams - Attack. Wave after wave both the teams attacked. If Arsenal had the upper hand in the first half, it was time for Spurs in second half.

Arsenal scored at 5th minute of the game, only to see Spurs equalising at 7th minute. Arsenal piled on more pressure by getting 2 more goals. But Spurs equalised with a superb goal a minute before half time. In second half, it was Spurs who piled on the pressure and finally they equalised at 70th minute. Chance after chance, both the teams failed to capitalise and the game ended in 3-3 draw.

End result : Fair result for both teams. But the draw meant a deadly blow to Arsenal's title chances and a boost for Manchester city for 4th position.


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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/672677-manchester-wins-battle-of-north-london-tottenham-3-3-arsenal-a-review

Real Madrid, Schalke complete routs to reach Champions League semifinals

LONDON — Real Madrid and Schalke easily avoided any miraculous comebacks in the Champions League quarter-finals Wednesday, following up their massive first-leg victories with more modest wins to advance to the last four.

Schalke beat defending champion Inter Milan 2-1 at home, advancing 7-3 on aggregate following its stunning victory last week in Italy.

Madrid never looked likely to give up its 4-0 advantage over Tottenham from the first leg, and a second-half howler from Spurs goalkeeper Huerelho Gomes allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to score the only goal in a 1-0 win for the Spanish club at White Hart Lane.

Madrid will face archrival Barcelona in the semifinals, while Schalke takes on Manchester United.

While United is heavily favoured against the German club, the matchup of the two Spanish powers is far more intriguing. It also sets up four "clasico" matches in 18 days, with Madrid and Barcelona also squaring off in the league and Copa del Rey final.

"Let's see what happens," Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said. "A semi is a semi and anything can happen."

While Inter may have held out faint hope of overturning its deficit, Raul Gonzalez all but snuffed it out when he gave Schalke the lead in the 44th minute, leaving the Italians needing five goals to advance. While Thiago Motta equalized for Inter in the 49th, Benedikt Hoewedes completed the surprising rout by netting the winner in the 81st as Schalke reached its first Champions League semifinal.

"What can you say, we really won it last week," Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick said. "We defended very well tonight, we allowed maybe two chances. We could have won (bigger) again if you count all the chances."

At White Hart Lane, Madrid soaked up early pressure from Tottenham, which had a goal disallowed for offside and a penalty appeal waved off in the first half.

Ronaldo then deflated the hosts when he sent a swerving shot from nearly 30 yards that went straight at Gomes, who fumbled a routine catch and watched the ball go over his shoulder before bouncing slowly over the line.

The mistake was so glaring that even Madrid goalkeeper Ikar Casillas just sadly shook his head in sympathy rather than celebrate the goal.

It was Ronaldo's 40th goal of the season, and left Tottenham playing only to salvage some pride.

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gp90CmeVKUe-Dc9bmgNsV6xImiaQ?docId=6556633

United favourites but Chelsea not dead yet

Fortress Old Trafford, Chelsea's flat form and a welter of statistics point to Manchester United advancing to the semi-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday -- yet one goal changes the whole tie.

United hold the whip hand following Wayne Rooney's goal in their 1-0 quarter-final first-leg win at Stamford Bridge and in most circumstances in the Champions League and for United, that would be that.

Alex Ferguson's team have lost one of their last 30 matches in the competition at Old Trafford and none in the last six years. They have progressed in all 16 European ties where they won the first leg away from home.

This season they have conceded only two goals in nine Champions League games while in the Premier League they have won 15 and drawn one of their home games.

Since the Champions league began only two sides have recovered from a first-leg home defeat to win a knockout tie -- Ajax Amsterdam against Panathinaikos in 1996 and Inter Milan, who recovered from a 1-0 defeat by Bayern Munich with a 3-2 win in Germany last month.

Yet the particular nature of this all-English tie means that such statistics are undermined in a game between two teams who know each other so well.

Although Chelsea have won only one of five away games in all-English Champions League ties, they won at Old Trafford in the Premier League a year ago and know that they need only one goal on Tuesday to swing the advantage their way.

Only two of the teams' last 12 competitive games have been decided by more than one goal so both sides know the Londoners are still very much in the tie.

"Of course Chelsea can do to us at Old Trafford what we've done there," said Ferguson. "We've only got a one-goal lead and we have to be very careful and give a top performance.

"It will be a tough game. The tie is not done."


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http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11042011/2/united-favourites-chelsea-dead.html

Farewell to Il Fenomeno: Ronaldo Retires

Ronaldo, the gap-toothed Brazilian striker who once dominated world soccer with an astonishing blend of strength, speed and skill, announced Monday that he was retiring from the game at age 34. Worn down by knee injuries, fitness problems and nearly two decades as a professional, he tearfully confirmed his plans at a news conference in Sao Paulo. “I wanted to continue,” he said.

“But I can’t do it the way I want to. The head wants to go on, but the body can’t take it anymore.” In doing so, he acknowledged what had become clear to the fans who have jeered him lately: he is a shell of the player he once was. But oh what a player he was. A rugby wing with dancer’s feet, Ronaldo played and produced for some of the biggest clubs in Europe — for Bobby Robson’s Barcelona and Real Madrid’s Galacticos, for Inter Milan and A.C. Milan. Everywhere he went, his play brought fans to their feet.

He won two World Cups with Brazil, as a reserve in 1994 and as the star in 2002, and leaves the game with more World Cup goals than any player. But in recent years, Ronaldo had been beset by injuries and personal scandal. Fans jeered him as he slogged through matches for the Brazilian club Corinthians, perpetually heavy and seemingly out of shape after more than a decade at the top of the game.

On Monday, he said that a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, a problem that slows down the metabolism, had made it hard for him to stay fit and keep his weight down in recent years. “To control it,” he said, “ I was told I would have to take some hormones that are not permitted in football because of antidoping.” So instead he has called it quits. “I thought about it at home and realized that it was time,” he said. “I had given everything that I had.”

Read More http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/farewell-to-il-phenomeno-ronaldo-retires/

Iran, Iraq 'War' Fails To Ignite in Qatar

Iran's Ehsan Haji Safi, left, fights for the ball with Iraq's Qusay Muneer.


After an eight-year war in the 1980s, the rivalry between Iran and Iraq is still fierce. Pitted in an opening-round game in the Asian Cup in Qatar, a screen was erected between Iraqi and Iranian supporters. But apart from a hair-pulling incident around the hour mark involving Iraq's captain Younis Mahmoud, the match was incident free. Iran snatched a late goal to win 2-1 after Iman Mobali's 84th-minute free kick.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703791904576076121904942768.html

Hope springs eternal for Chelsea

If you needed evidence of just how things can change over the course of a season then look no further than Chelsea and Aston Villa.

When the two clubs met in mid-October the goalless stalemate at Villa Park sent Chelsea five points clear at the top of the table while Villa remained eighth.

Now, following Sunday's 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture, the champions are fifth in the table, six points behind leaders Manchester United, while Gerard Houllier's side are still firmly in the bottom half.


To understand Chelsea's plight you need only look at the contrasting emotions in the final few minutes at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

The team celebrated John Terry's 89th-minute goal to put them 3-2 up by dashing over to celebrate with manager Carlo Ancelotti as though they had just won a trophy.

Moments later, as Ciaran Clark was allowed to saunter through a static line of blue training cones and head home his injury-time equaliser, heads dropped and Terry and Didier Drogba left the field at each other's throats.

Cheap goals conceded, late wins lost, players in-fighting - this is not the ruthless Chelsea machine of old, or even of earlier this season. The efficient unit which once inspired little love but plenty of respect feels like a distant memory, so much so that Ancelotti is already looking to a fixture which is two months away as the point when they can get their title chase back on track.

Chelsea are due to play United on March 1, by which time the Red Devils could be out of sight - but Ancelotti is targeting that match as one they must win.

He said: "First United have to win (their game in hand). Second I think the gap is not small but everything is open.

"Obviously we have to beat United here (in March) then we can say something about the title. It is not over because we are improving and we can save something this season."

It is hard to share in that optimism. Chelsea have only won one of their four matches against the other sides in the top five of the table this season, and they are still to play United twice. Even bringing up a match rearranged for spring at the start of the year shows just how far the destination of the title is out of their hands. Unlike United two seasons ago, Chelsea have already dropped far too many points to flat-track bully their way to retaining their crown.

The Italian coach admitted that his squad is in desperate need of replenishment now that the January transfer window is open, but even doing so in the big-spending manner which turned Chelsea into such a force over the past decade could now prove a tall order.

Not only are owner Roman Abramovich's purse strings so much tighter, but Manchester City have the power to outbid them for anyone they choose. Even with the big-money addition of Edin Dzeko set to be sealed as early as this week, City can comfortably match Chelsea in signing any of their targets, such as Benfica defender David Luiz. Besides, the £20 million shelled out for the infuriatingly inconsistent Ramires last summer will hardly encourage Abramovich to wield the chequebook too liberally again this month.

Injury to Alex and the suspension of Branislav Ivanovic forced him to field 19-year-old centre-back Jeffrey Bruma against Villa, with the ensuing result further proof that Chelsea's youth policy, led by the outgoing Frank Arnesen, is a long way off providing what Abramovich must have hoped for by this stage.

Still, as the sharp dip in Chelsea's own fortunes has shown, there is still plenty of time between now and the end of the season for the pendulum to swing back in their favour.

They are only one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who seemingly everyone (including, they hope, David Beckham) except Early Doors believes are in with a shout of claiming the title.

Their faltering defence has plenty of room for improvement, whereas Arsenal's is playing about as well as it can.

They have a squad full of players who have experienced several title-winning seasons in years gone by as well as claiming the double last term, a factor so often cited as the reason why United remain unbeaten despite so often playing below par and why this season is too soon for City.

They may be no one's favourites any more, and rightly so, but it would be foolhardy to completely write Chelsea off at this stage.

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http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/early-doors/article/304838/

What is Tevez thinking?

"Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast."

Ron Burgundy may have been talking about a bloody fight with a rival news crew in 'Anchorman', but it applies equally to Carlos Tevez's fall-out with Manchester City, which has blown up spectacularly in the last 36 hours.

He handed in a transfer request, City rejected it, then posted a chippy statement on their website, before Tevez hit back saying his relationship with the club's hierarchy was broken beyond repair. Yikes.

When Tevez crossed Manchester in 2009, we wondered what he would have to do to repair his relationship with the United fans. This ought to do it.

The Anchorman fight ended with a man getting stabbed in the heart with a trident. It's a long shot in the Tevez saga, but you can never say never in football.

Let's take a look at what is really going on.

WHAT IS TEVEZ'S MOTIVE?

1- The Lost Soul

This, to ED, is the most palatable solution. Despite the money, the adulation and the goals, Tevez is simply not happy in England.

He has never mastered the language, he misses his children in Argentina, and that snood tells you everything about his view of the weather here.

There's nothing wrong with wanting a bit of fulfilment in life beyond football stardom, even if it won't sit well with the City fans who pay (some of) his £200,000-a-week wages.

He has mooted a return to Boca Juniors and even retirement several times. If he were to return to Argentina, it would serve as a lesson that money isn't everything, and nobody would mind THAT much. Would they?

2- The Puppet

This is the image portrayed by City's statement on Sunday, which so infuriated Tevez. The striker said "I hugely resent" the club's suggestion he was being unduly influenced by his representative Kia Joorabchian - although he did say this in a statement released by a PR company in a standard of English far beyond Tevez's grasp.

The theory is that Joorabchian is deliberately unsettling Tevez, hoping to provoke another big-money move, thereby securing a tidy commission for himself. A slice of signing on fee would also do nicely, hence City's claim he was demanding a new contract for Tevez while the player himself wanted out of the club.

The problem with this is that, since Joorabchian no longer owns Tevez's playing rights, he is no more than a regular football agent - not a breed of angels, admittedly, but there is no reason why Tevez should be more of a puppet than any other player.

Mind you, if Tevez ends up being sold to the highest bidder, City may feel they had some justification for calling out Joorabchian.
3- 'Rooney ' mk II

There is a theory - one roundly rejected by Wayne Rooney and Manchester United - that Rooney's transfer request was merely a device to squeeze more money out of United in contract negotiations.

He said he wanted out, United 'miraculously' convinced him to stay and he got a fat new deal for his troubles. Or so goes the story.

Likewise, there is a school of thought that Team Tevez are attempting a similar trick on City, who (quite sensibly) refused to open contract talks during the season, especially when the player has three and a half years left on his current deal.

But nothing concentrates minds like a big public bust-up and the thought that your best player could be on his way to a rival club.

4- The megalomaniac

Tevez may have cited homesickness in the past, but his statement yesterday focused on "certain executives and individuals" at the club with whom his relationship broken down.

He was quick to point out that he had no problem with Roberto Mancini, Sheikh Mansour or the fans. Which, by process of elimination alone, leaves chief executive Garry Cook as the bookies' favourite as the target of Tevez's ire.

But hang on a second. Cook does have a habit of making crass statements (the best of which remains: "Richard Dunne doesn't roll off the tongue in Beijing"), but what on earth makes Tevez think he should have any sort of relationship with Cook or any of the club's executives?

He's a football player, for pity's sake, and he's got an agent to talk to the suits. If he is trying to influence club policy at boardroom level, it's no wonder he's getting short shrift. Do your job.

Verdict: ED hopes the right answer is 1. It suspects a combination of 1, 2 and 4 contributing to a general unhappiness with life at City.

WHERE WILL HE END UP?

Manchester City

The Rooney farrago shows how quickly these things can be resolved if everyone wants thm to be.

Strange that a club with unlimited resources would be so reliant on a single player, but they are. And Tevez's increasingly prima donna-ish behaviour isn't helping his transfer value any.

Chelsea

Roman Abramovich has kept his wallet close to his chest in recent years, but maintains that if the right player comes along, there will be money to spend.

Whatever Tevez's attitude off the field, he is a dervish on it, and Chelsea have not got enough credit for settling Nicolas Anelka down since his arrival in 2008.

Manchester United

How hilarious would that be? United still clearly need a player like Tevez, and he has shown at City he is worth the £25m Fergie declined to spend on him.

He would only have to put on a red shirt to win the fans back over, and although he has clashed with Gary Neville - who hasn't clashed with Gary Neville?

Real Madrid

They're loaded (in the Spanish sense that they are in debt but can get as much finance as they want - a bit like early-2000s Ireland, really) and they could do with an extra striker - Karim Benzema is clearly not a Jose Mourinho favourite and Gonzalo Higuain is handy but not in Tevez's class.

Mourinho has tamed a few egos in his time, plus Tevez would be in a country where he could speak his mother tongue. And wouldn't that Ronaldo reunion be lovely?

Internazionale

The Serie A champs are in freefall, with an ageing squad that lacks a spark. Plus they have scored a paltry 20 goals in 15 games.

Tevez solves all of the above problems, and Inter head honcho Massimo Moratti is a known admirer. Plus Rafa Benitez is a great man manager. No, really.

Boca Juniors

Tevez has said he wanted to return to Boca when he was 28. He will be 27 in February. If he has personal problems or is homesick, why not just return home and be happy?

Also, if he's interested in boardroom influence, Boca may well make him captain, manager and chief exec. Anything to secure his signature.

Verdict: We know that City are prepared to pay massive sums to secure players, so why wouldn't the reverse be true when selling?

Money isn't really an issue for them - the most important thing is that Tevez doesn't end up at a rival club.

Would they accept £50m from Chelsea or £10m from Boca? Selling him to Stamford Bridge could set City back seasons, so surely they would absorb the financial hit and send him home?

If an English club is out of the question, it looks like a toss-up between City, Real Madrid and Boca Juniors - where Tevez ends up depends entirely on his true motivation.

- - -

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Ian Holloway is the gift that keeps on giving. Here he is on how Blackpool have coped with their frozen training ground: "We have been in the casino, been in the gym and on the beach. We were there on Thursday. It was brilliant. You have got to adapt.

"We had a poker tournament and the lads were given £20 each to see who was the champion. We gave a lesson to the ones who don't play.

"The boys were looked after and our goalie fell asleep. I don't think he likes cards. Ian Evatt was the winner. He must have had a mis-spent youth."

Seriously, how could any footballer give less than 100 per cent for that man?

FOREIGN VIEW: Spanish fans will be spluttering into their café con leche this morning when they read Jose Mourinho's claim that Spanish officials are victimising Real Madrid.

"That's football and it happens to us a lot," said Mourinho.

"It's very easy to show yellow cards to Real Madrid players and not as many to others. It annoys me that there are players from other clubs who can protest and we can't.

"In the same way that you have coaches who can leave their technical area and others not."

Yes, that's right, Real have a long and illustrious history of getting harsh treatment from officials.


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http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/early-doors/article/302989/

Sir Alex expects a classic

Sir Alex Ferguson is expecting United’s clash against Arsenal to be befitting of the pride and history of both clubs.

The Reds go into Monday night’s game just a point behind the Gunners knowing a win will take them back to the Premier League summit.

And although Sir Alex concedes that the rivalry between the two sides hasn’t been quite as intense since the emergence of Chelsea as a major force back in the 2004/05 campaign, he still always anticipates a match full of drama whenever the pair go up against each other.

“The games, particularly four or five years ago, were so important because both of us were challenging for league titles,” said the Scot. “Chelsea have now come in and it’s been ourselves and Chelsea over the last five years.

“Nonetheless, it’s Manchester United against Arsenal and the history of both teams always guarantees a match of intensity and a lot of the time, controversy.

“I think Monday night’s game will be more or less the same because the pride and history of both clubs determine that.”

Arsene Wenger’s side have failed to secure any silverware since triumphing over United in the 2005 FA Cup final and in recent years have received much criticism for showing a lack of battling qualities needed to grind out results.

However, Sir Alex believes that’s no longer the case and considers Arsenal to be a much more mature

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http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2010/Dec/Sir-Alex-expects-a-classic.aspx

Cameron boosts 2018 World Cup bid

Prime Minister David Cameron met Fifa president Sepp Blatter ahead of the vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts

England's 2018 World Cup bid appeared to be gathering momentum ahead of Thursday's vote with Prime Minister David Cameron taking centre-stage in the lobbying of Fifa members.

Mr Cameron spent Tuesday afternoon and evening meeting some of the 22 Fifa executive committee members who will vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts.

The Prime Minister met Fifa president Sepp Blatter first and then vice-president Jack Warner, whose vote is so pivotal to England's hopes.

Mr Cameron also held meetings with four other Fifa members: two African members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma, Cyprus' Marios Lefkaritis, and Qatar's Mohammed bin Hammam, plus other talks with the Emir of Qatar.

The series of meetings contrasts with the absence of Vladimir Putin, prime minister of Russia, one of England's rivals for 2018 along with Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium.

After his meeting, Mr Warner gave England's bid a significant boost by praising English football's international development work. He said: "The British Prime Minister understands the importance and power of football. He reiterated his Government's commitment to the World Cup and spoke extensively about England's legacy programme.

"Over the last decade England has supported not only Concacaf but all federations in their development activities and I must commend the Prime Minister and the FA for that."

In another boost for England, Mr Hayatou, the Fifa vice-president accused by BBC Panorama of taking payments, insisted he was innocent - and that he would not take out his anger on England's bid. Mr Hayatou has threatened legal action against Panorama over their claim he accepted a £10,000 payment in 1995 - he said the money was given to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) towards their 40th anniversary celebrations.

Mr Hayatou told Press Association Sport: "There is a big difference between Panorama and my relationship with the England bid, there is no confusion in my mind."

David Beckham, who will take part in England's presentation with Mr Cameron and Prince William on Thursday, will give a news conference on Wednesday morning. Beckham was with Mr Cameron at the meeting with Mr Blatter where they attempted to smooth over any ill feeling caused by Panorama.

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