WC2010 - Eto'o named in Cameroon's final 23

Cameroon manager Paul Le Guen has named star man Samuel Eto'o in his 23-man World Cup squad despite the striker's claims he might walk away from the tournament.

Eto'o is unhappy with comments made by legendary former striker Roger Milla and though he missed the 1-1 draw with Slovakia, Le Guen has named him in his 23.

While striker Jacques Zoua was already out through injury, Le Guen cut another six names from his squad. Jean Patrick Abouna Ndzana, Amour Patrick Tignyemb, Makadji Boukar, Marcel Ndjeng, Patrick Mevoungou and Dorge Kouemaha are the names dropped.

Arsenal's Alex Song - and veteran uncle Rigobert - will be on the plane, as will Tottenham pair Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong.

Squad:

Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayserispor), Carlos Kameni (Espanyol), Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Valenciennes); Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham), Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham), Gaetan Bong (Valenciennes), Aurelien Chedjou (Lille), Geremi (Ankaragucu), Stephane Mbia (Marseille), Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco), Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor); Eyong Enoh (Ajax), Jean II Makoun (Lyon), Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern), Joel Matip (Schalke), , Landry Nguemo (Celtic), Alexandre Song (Arsenal); Vincent Aboubakar (Coton Sport), Eric Choupo-Moting (Nuremberg), Achille Emana (Betis), Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan), Mohamadou Idrissou (Freiburg), Achille Webo (Mallorca)

WC2010 - Kevin-Prince Boateng in Ghana squad

Kevin-Prince Boateng has been included in Ghana's 23-man squad for the World Cup finals.

Berlin-born Boateng played for Germany at every level up to and including under-21, but he recently opted to switch his allegiance to Ghana after becoming frustrated with a lack of opportunities under Joachim Low.

And he survived the cull which saw coach Milovan Rajevac reduce his squad from 30 players to the required 23.

Stephen Adams, Eric Addo, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Laryea Kingston, Haminu Draman and Bernard Kumordzi were the men to miss out.

The Portsmouth midfielder recently came in for criticism for a heavy challenge on Germany captain Michael Ballack in the FA Cup final which led to the Chelsea star being ruled out of the tournament with an ankle injury.

The match against Germany could also see Boateng come up against his half-brother Jerome, who plays for Hamburg.

Ghana and Germany are joined in Group D by Serbia and Australia.

Squad:

Richard Kingson, Daniel Agyei, Stephen Aholu; John Paintsil, John Mensah, Samuel Inkoom, Hans Adu Sarpei, Rahim Ayew, Lee Addy, Isaac Vorsah, John Mensah; Kwadwo Asamoah, Anthony Annan, Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Stephen Appiah, Andre Ayew, Derek Boateng; Asamoah Gyan, Prince Tagoe, Dominic Adiyiah, Matthew Amoah.

Int'l - Prandelli to take Italy job

Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli will replace Marcello Lippi as Italy boss after the World Cup after it was revealed that he will sign a four-year contract.

Prandelli will be officially presented after the World Cup and there are details which have yet to be decided, like the make-up of the backroom staff.

The coach has spent five years at Fiorentina, twice taking them into the Champions League and has now reached an agreement with Federation President Giancarlo Abete.

Euro 2016 - France confirmed as host nation for Euro 2016

France has been chosen as the host nation for Euro 2016, beating rivals Italy and Turkey to the honour at a ceremony in Geneva on Friday afternoon.

UEFA president Michel Platini, who was not allowed to have an input in the bidding process, announced that his home country had won the right to host the tournament which will be the first to include 24 teams.

UEFA's executive committee favoured France over rival bids from Turkey and Italy, meaning the country will host its first major finals since the 1998 World Cup, which les Bleus won when beating Brazil in the final. France also hosted the 1938 World Cup and the 1984 European Championship.

Italy, which had its bid championed by former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini, hosted the European Championship in 1968 and the World Cup in 1934 and 1990. Turkey has never hosted a major championship.

EPL - Modric signs new six-year deal

Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric has signed a new six-year contract with the club to quash reports of a possible move to Manchester United this summer.

Modric arrived at White Hart Lane from Dinamo Zagreb in July, 2008 and established himself as a vital player for the club in their successful push for the top four.

Serie A - Giovinco eyes summer exit

Juventus midfielder Sebastian Giovinco claims he will leave the club if they continue to leave him on the bench.

Giovinco is viewed as one of the hottest young prospects in Serie A, but has struggled to make an impact in Turin after returning from his loan spell at Empoli in the summer of 2008.

Having spent another season on the sidelines as Juve struggled in the league - failing to even qualify for the Europa League - Giovinco now has his eyes on a move.

Serie A - Promotion joy for Lecce and Cesena

Lecce and Cesena were promoted to Serie A on the final day of fixtures in Italian football's second tier.

Lecce, having wasted opportunities to make sure of promotion in their last two matches, are celebrating their eighth elevation to the top flight in the last 25 years after a goalless home draw with Sassuolo clinched the Serie B title.

Cesena accompany the Salentini into Serie A, with on-loan Chievo midfielder Marco Parolo giving them a 1-0 win at Piacenza which sealed the runners-up spot and ended a 19-year exile from the top division.

Brescia, who started the day in second place, slipped up with a 2-1 defeat at Padova - and will join Sassuolo, Cittadella and Torino in the play-offs.

Primera - Real clinch Mourinho deal

Inter Milan have confirmed they have reached an agreement over compensation for Jose Mourinho and he will now be presented as the new head coach of Real Madrid on Monday.

Madrid sacked Manuel Pellegrini on Wednesday and outlined their intention to replace him with Mourinho once both they and the Portuguese had negotiated his release from Inter.

The two clubs had been struggling to reach a compromise as Inter were insisting they must be paid the full €16 million due to them under the terms of Mourinho's contract.

However, an agreement, reported to be worth €8 million, has been reached after a meeting between Real president Florentino Perez and his Inter counterpart Massimo Moratti in Milan.

WC2010 - Lahm named Germany captain

Philipp Lahm has been confirmed as Germany's new captain, although he will not be leading the team out for their friendly international against Hungary on Saturday.

Lahm will wear the captain's armband in South Africa due to the injury-enforced withdrawal of Michael Ballack while Bastian Schweinsteiger has been named as vice-captain.

EPL - Grant named as new manager of West Ham

Avram Grant is the new manager of West Ham United - subject to the formalities of a work permit.

Grant was wanted by half a dozen clubs in Europe, but has chosen West Ham and an instant return to the Premier League after relegation with FA Cup finalists Portsmouth.

Grant quickly rose to take the position despite candidates such as Mark Hughes, Slaven Bilic and Steve McClaren being in the frame.

McClaren opted to switch from Dutch to German football with Wolfsburg, while Hughes believed he would attract a much bigger job and priced himself out of the market. Bilic considered a return to Upton Park where he was a popular player but wanted a £40 million transfer budget - out of proportion with the Hammers' financial predicament.

David Sullivan and David Gold were attracted to Grant by his heroics at Fratton Park with penniless Pompey. West Ham, too, are working on a tight financial restraints, and Sullivan revealed recently that the club were days away from administration before they took over with a £50 million, 50% takeover at the turn of the year.

This week Sullivan and Gold bought a further stake for £8 million, £4 million going into the club to meet pressing liabilities and for down payments on new signings. Grant's first task is to sort through a list of nearly 30 players who are available for transfer and who would welcome a move to Upton Park.

EPL - Wolves confirm £40m Molineux expansion

Wolves have unveiled exciting plans for a £40 million redevelopment of Molineux which would take its capacity to 36,000 in time for the start of the 2014-15 season.

The project, which will be submitted for local authority approval in late July, and was made public to local residents for the first time on Thursday as part of a consultation meeting. The club's vision comprises of four phases, although planning permission will only initially be sought for the first three phases.

Phase one is scheduled to start with the demolition of the Stan Cullis Stand at the end of the forthcoming season, with a state-of-the art two-tier structure constructed that extends into the open corner of the Steve Bull Stand - starting a stadium bowl design.

Phase two will then see a new two-tier Steve Bull Stand built over the course of the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons in time for the start of 2014/15 - taking Molineux's capacity from 29,303 to 36,000.

Phases three and four respectively, which are subject to supporter demand and not included in the £40m figure, would see the Jack Harris Stand regenerated to match the first two stands and take capacity to around 38,000. With early plans also drafted to possibly redevelop the Billy Wright Stand to take the figure up to 50,000.

WC2010 - Holland name final squad

Orlando Engelaar was one of four players to miss out as Holland boss Bert van Marwijk made the final cut to his 23-man World Cup squad.

The Dutch football association released a statement revealing Engelaar, Vurnon Anita, Ron Vlaar and Jeremain Lens will not travel to South Africa before Van Marwijk's official announcement.

PSV Eindhoven midfielder Engelaar was the only player of that quartet to have played for Holland at a major tournament, having started all four matches of their run to the quarter-finals at Euro 2008.

Holland have been drawn in Group E at the World Cup alongside Denmark, Cameroon and Japan.

Squad:

Sander Boschker (FC Twente), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht); Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart), Edson Braafheid (Celtic), John Heitinga (Everton), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax); Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax), Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid); Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Eljero Elia (Hamburg), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Robin van Persie (Arsenal)

WC2010 - Essien ruled out of World Cup

Ghana's World Cup preparations have suffered a huge setback with the news that a knee injury will prevent Chelsea star Michael Essien from playing in the finals in South Africa.

Essien sustained the injury during Ghana's African Nations Cup campaign in January and missed the remainder of the Premier League season as a result.

Ghana manager Milovan Rajevac said only on Wednesday he was "confident" Essien would play some part in the World Cup, but the nation's FA has confirmed the midfielder will not recover in time for the tournament.

Essien has started only 23 Premier League games for Chelsea in the past two seasons as he has been dogged by injury.

WC2010 - Few surprises as Bradley names squad

USA head coach Bob Bradley sprang few surprises when he named his 23-man squad for next month's World Cup in South Africa, with Brian Ching the most notable absentee.

The US, who lost 4-2 to the Czech Republic on Tuesday in a friendly, open their campaign against England on June 12 in Rustenburg before facing Slovenia on June 18 in Johannesburg and Algeria on June 23 in Tshwane/Pretoria.

Bradley revealed that he cut his training squad from 30 to 23 ahead of the June 1 deadline in order to begin team-building. The most surprising omission was striker Brian Ching, who won his 45th cap as a second-half substitute against the Czechs in East Hartford.

Instead, Bradley went for the pacier Real Salt Lake frontman Robbie Findley in a forwards unit that also includes Jozy Altidore, Mexico-based Herculez Gomez and Major League Soccer leading scorer Edson Buddle, the latter two winning their third and second caps respectively on Tuesday.

Squad:

Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves), Tim Howard (Everton), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Jonathan Spector (West Ham), DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Pachuca).

WC2010 - Lee Dong-Gook set to miss opener

Lee Dong-Gook is set to miss South Korea's World Cup opener against Greece on June 12 due to a hamstring injury.

Lee, who now plays for Jeonbuk Motors after a spell with Middlesbrough, was left out of the 2002 World Cup by coach Guus Hiddink and missed the 2006 tournament through injury, and now looks likely to miss the Group B clash.

Coach Huh Jung-moo will name his final 23-man squad on May 31, the day after Korea face Belarus before rounding off their pre-tournament campaign against Spain on June 3.

Serie A - Sampdoria appoint Domenico Di Carlo as coach

Sampdoria have appointed former Chievo coach Domenico Di Carlo as their new manager on a two-year contract, after Luigi Del Neri left to join Juventus.

Di Carlo, 46, kept unfancied Chievo in Serie A for two successive campaigns, but has just three years coaching experience in the top flight.

Samp finished fourth in the league last season and will play in the Champions League qualifying round.

Reports in Italy suggest that one of Di Carlo's first transfer targets at his new club will be French striker David Trezeguet.

Trezeguet has one year left on his Juventus contract and has not ruled out staying at the Old Lady, but his family reside in Monaco which is why he could be tempted by a move to nearby Samp.

Serie A - Prandelli free to leave Viola

Fiorentina will not stand in Cesare Prandelli's way if he decides to accept an offer to coach Italy.

Prandelli is under contract with Fiorentina for a further year but has an offer from the Italian football federation to replace Marcello Lippi as national team coach after the World Cup.

Giving Prandelli the choice of whether to stay or depart was not an easy decision for Fiorentina executives, considering the impact the coach has made since arriving from Roma in summer 2005.

He transformed the 'Viola' from relegation strugglers into a team worthy of a Champions League spot in his first season in charge. Despite the 15-point deduction handed to Fiorentina for the match-fixing scandal, Prandelli was able to guide the team to a sixth-place finish in Serie A in 2007.

The following year, Prandelli steered Fiorentina to a fourth-place finish and qualification for the Champions League group stages. After the departure of Carlo Ancelotti from AC Milan to Chelsea last summer, Prandelli became the longest serving manager in Serie A.

Abete confirmed this week that he will announce Lippi's successor before Italy travel to South Africa on June 6. Fiorentina are expected to confirm Serbian coach Sinisa Mihajlovic as Prandelli's replacement. Mihajlovic parted company with Catania earlier this week.

Serie A - Ranieri confirms Adriano swoop

Serie A side AS Roma are hoping to sign former Inter Milan striker Adriano from Flamengo, coach Claudio Ranieri has confirmed.

The Brazil international signed for Inter in 2001 and proved to be something of a goal-scoring sensation in Italy before a battle with alcohol addiction curtailed his career.

Adriano returned home to Brazil on unpaid leave to rebuild his reputation with São Paulo in 2008 and in 2009 re-joined hometown club Flamengo where he recovered some of his previous form to win the league title.

Roma chief Daniele Prade flew to Rio to thrash out cut-price deal with Adriano, who failed to make Brazil's World Cup squad despite featuring in a number of games under Dunga.

EPL - Birmingham secure deal for Zigic

Birmingham City announced on Wednesday afternoon that the club have completed the signing of Valencia striker Nikola Zigic.

Zigic, 29, joins the club on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee and Blues fans will be able to view their new signing at the World Cup finals where he will represent Serbia.

It is reported that Birmingham have paid in the region of £6 million for Zigic, who has scored only five goals in 28 league games for Valencia. However, he claimed 25 in 51 games in two spells with Racing Santander.

Zigic also has 16 goals in 42 games for his country and was named Serbia's Player of the Year in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

The capture of the 6ft 8in striker represents Birmingham's second major signing of the summer following the arrival of goalkeeper Ben Foster from Manchester United.

EPL - United win permit for Javier Hernandez

Mexico striker Javier Hernandez has been granted a work permit for his move to Manchester United and will now join Sir Alex Ferguson's side on July 1.

United announced they had secured a deal for Hernandez, 21, in April, with reports putting the likely transfer fee for the Chivas Guadalajara striker somewhere in the region of £8 million.

But though he scored in a 2-1 defeat to Netherlands on Wednesday and appeared in the second half against England at Wembley, Hernandez has not played in 75% of Mexico's games over the past two years.

That forced United to make the case that he is an 'exceptional talent' and one that could not be recruited from inside the European Union for a similar transfer fee.

EPL - Franco confirms West Ham departure

Striker Guillermo Franco has confirmed that he will be leaving West Ham United this summer after not being offered a new contract by the club.

Franco, 33, joined the Hammers on a free transfer from Villarreal last summer and made 23 appearances for the club, scoring five goals.

But after scoring in Mexico's friendly defeat to England on Monday night, Franco has confirmed he will be leaving Upton Park.

EPL - West Brom snap up Reid from Blackburn

Blackburn midfielder Steven Reid has joined West Brom on a permanent basis after signing a two-year contract at the Hawthorns.

The Republic of Ireland international, who had also been linked with Celtic, spent the final two months of the season on loan with the Baggies and has now agreed to join them for their return to the Premier League next season.

Reid, 29, will officially join on July 1 after he passed a medical and has the option of a further 12-month extension on his contract.

WC2010 - Trasch ruled out of Germany's squad

Germany have suffered another World Cup injury blow after it was confirmed midfielder Christian Trasch will miss the tournament after spraining an ankle in a warm-up game on Monday night.

Trasch lasted just eight minutes of the 4-0 friendly win over FC Sudtirol before being helped from the field. And assistant boss Hans-Dieter Flick confirmed the Stuttgart man has now been ruled out of the finals in South Africa after being ordered to rest the joint for four weeks.

Germany boss Joachim Low has to trim his party to 23 by June 1 with central midfield the biggest area of concern as captain Michael Ballack and Bayer Leverkusen's Simon Rolfes have already been ruled out.

WC2010 - Knee injury rules Meghni out

Algeria midfielder Mourad Meghni has been ruled out of the World Cup with a knee injury.

Meghni is now set to undergo surgery to fix the problem with the news coming after a meeting with the medical team, including doctor Hakim Chalabi, coach Rabah Saadane and Mohamed Raouraoua, the president of the Algeria Football Federation (FAF).

Meghni said he still felt part of the team and wished the players all the best for the tournament. He added: "The manner in which I was informed about it and the sadness on the face of the FAF president somehow comforts me a bit because it showed me that I'm in a family.

Serie A - AC Milan start talks with Allegri

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has confirmed the club have entered negotiations with Cagliari to recruit coach Massimiliano Allegri.

Milan are looking for a new coach after Leonardo left the club after just one season in charge and Allegri has been strongly linked with the Rossoneri hotseat in the last two months.

Cagliari surprisingly removed Allegri from his managerial duties back in April despite the club sitting comfortably in 12th place. The Sicilian club promoted Giorgio Melis as his replacement although the 42-year-old Allegri is still contracted to Cagliari for a further year.

Allegri was voted the best coach of the 2008-09 season ahead of Inter Milan's Jose Mourinho.

Serie A - Mihajlovic leaves job

Sinisa Mihajlovic has parted company with Catania after just six months in charge of the Sicilian club.

Mihajlovic succeeded Gianluca Atzori back in December and kept underdogs Catania in Italy's top flight. Mihajlovic has been strongly linked with a move to either Inter Milan, where Jose Mourinho is on his way out, or Fiorentina, with Cesare Prandelli expected to be appointed coach of Italy after the World Cup.

EPL - Gold and Sullivan increase stake in Hammers

West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have increased their stake in the Premier League club to 60%.

Sullivan and Gold bought the Hammers from Icelandic group CB Holdings in January. They have both increased their share of the club from 25% to 30% at a cost of £8 million, with £4 million going to CB Holdings and the other half to the club.

Sullivan and Gold made public the scale of West Ham's financial problems following their takeover, putting a £110 million figure on the club's debts.

CB Holdings still owns 40% of the club but Sullivan and Gold have a three-year option to buy those shares while they have also been seeking external investment.

The club also revealed the £4 million received in today's deal will "bridge the gap" in the Hammers' finances.

EPL - Rodwell spurns interest to sign new deal

Jack Rodwell has ended speculation of a possible move away from Everton by signing a new five-year contract at Goodison Park.

Rodwell, 19, enjoyed a productive season with Everton as he made 17 Premier League starts and scored two goals, including a composed finish in a 3-1 defeat of Manchester United in February.

United were believed to be one of the clubs interested in the England youth international, along with Arsenal and Chelsea, but Rodwell has shunned outside interest to remain with Everton.

Rodwell, who can play in defence or midfield, only signed a new contract in March 2009 but has been rewarded with a pay rise by David Moyes following his promising season on Merseyside.

It is reported that Rodwell will be paid £30,000 a week up until 2015, and he joins Tim Cahill and young defender Seamus Coleman in signing new contracts in recent days.

EPL - Nigerian tycoon to enter Arsenal shares race

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote is reportedly planning to enter the race to snap up the 16% stake of Arsenal's fourth largest shareholder Lady Nina Bracwell-Smith.

The move could spark a takeover battle for the Gunners, with other contenders including its two biggest current investors - Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov - who would be forced to launch a full takeover bid for the club if they secured the stake.

Mr Dangote is reportedly a passionate football fan and has the wealth to go head-to-head with sports entrepreneur Kroenke and Russian oligarch Usmanov.

The Nigerian industrialist has stood for the role of president of the Nigerian football association and is believed to have donated cash to the Nigerian national football team.

Mr Dangote founded manufacturing empire Dangote Group and was formerly head of the Nigerian stock exchange. He was named as the 261st richest person in the world on the 2009 Forbes rich list, with an estimated fortune of $2.5 billion.

ECL - Milito's double lights up Madrid

Inter Milan have won the Champions League, and with it a first ever treble of trophies, with a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in Madrid thanks to two goals from Diego Milito. After scoring in the first half, Milito sealed the victoty with a superb goal 20 minutes from time.

EPL - Arsenal complete Chamakh signing

Arsenal have completed the signing of long-term target Marouane Chamakh as Arsene Wenger began what could be a busy summer of transfer activity for the club.

Chamakh played a key role in Bordeaux winning the French league title in 2009 and leaves the club after 293 appearances, during which he has scored 79 times. He first appeared for Bordeaux as a teenager and has gradually built a reputation as one of the finest strikers in Ligue 1, helping his club reach this season's Champions League quarter-finals where they lost to French rivals Lyon.

Chamakh has scored 27 goals in 53 appearances for Morocco and now believes he can be a hit in the Premier League.

The Moroccan, who will wear the number 29 shirt for Arsenal, will join up with his new team-mates for pre-season training in July.

WC2010 - Diarra left sick by World Cup blow

The French Football Federation revealed on Saturday that Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra will miss the World Cup finals due to a stomach complaint.

Diarra was named in Raymond Domenech's squad for the finals in South Africa after making 23 appearances in the Primera Liga this season as Real finished second to Barcelona.

But Diarra was unable to train with his international team-mates on Thursday, Friday or Saturday and has now been withdrawn from consideration.

A replacement player has not yet been called up to join France in the Alpine resort of Tignes where they are preparing for the finals in South Africa.

Les Bleus face Mexico, South Africa and Uruguay in Group A.

EPL - Blackpool won final Premier League place

Brett Ormerod's first-half winner ensured a fairytale victory for Blackpool as they beat Cardiff 3-2 in the Championship play-off final to secure the most lucrative promotion in the history of English football.

The Lancashire outfit have been out of the top flight since 1971 but they showed remarkable character to twice come from behind to lead 3-2 at the break and clinch a place in the Premier League estimated to be worth £90 million.

Ormerod's 13th goal of the season - undoubtedly the most important strike of the 33-year-old's long career - gave the Seasiders an advantage they did not surrender.

And it ensured the Blackpool supporters - who made one half of Wembley a sea of brilliant orange - were in ecstasy at the final whistle while Cardiff boss Dave Jones and his players were left devastated.

WC2010 - Uncapped Barca duo make Spain squad

After playing prominent roles in Barcelona's record-breaking Primera Liga campaign, both Victor Valdes and Pedro have secured a place in Spain's 23-man squad for the World Cup finals.

Vicente del Bosque confirmed his final selection on Thursday afternoon and both Barca players were included despite having never won a cap for Spain, along with Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez.

Valdes joins the squad as third-choice goalkeeper, behind Iker Casillas and Pepe Reina, having edged in front of Diego Lopez and David De Gea in Del Bosque's plans.

Pedro, 22, is also included after scoring 22 goals in all competitions for Barcelona this season and the forward joins Jesus Navas, Juan Manuel Mata, Fernando Llorente, Fernando Torres and David Villa in Del Bosque's attacking ranks.

Torres and Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas have both been named in the squad despite nursing injuries that prevented them from featuring at the conclusion of the Premier League season.

Spain, who have never won the World Cup, will face Chile, Honduras and Switzerland in Group H.

Squad:

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Jose Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), David Silva (Valencia), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Juan Manuel Mata (Valencia), Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa (Barcelona).

WC2010 - Chelsea pair axed by Serbia

Serbia coach Radomir Antic cut his World Cup squad to 24 players with Chelsea duo Slobodan Rajkovic and Nemanja Matic two of the six players to be omitted.

Ajax attacker Miralem Sulejmani, PSV Eindhoven defender Jagos Vukovic, Partizan Belgrade midfielder Nemanja Tomic and Red Star Belgrade striker Dejan Lekic also miss out.

Serbia were drawn in Group D alongside Germany, Ghana and Australia.

Squad:

Vladimir Stojkovic (Wigan), Zeljko Brkic (Vojvodina), Bojan Isailovic (Zaglebie Lubin), Andjelko Djuricic (Leiria); Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Antonio Rukavina (1860 Munich), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Lukovic (Udinese), Ivan Obradovic (Real Zaragoza), Aleksandar Kolarov (Lazio); Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan), Gojko Kacar (Hertha Berlin), Nenad Milijas (Wolves), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (Stuttgart), Radosav Petrovic (Partizan Belgrade), Milos Krasic (CSKA Moscow), Zoran Tosic (Manchester United), Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev), Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liege); Nikola Zigic (Valencia), Marko Pantelic (Ajax), Danko Lazovic (Zenit St Petersburg), Dragan Mrdja (Vojvodina).

WC2010 - Argentina squad announced

Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi and Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini have both failed to make Argentina's 23-man World Cup squad, but Colon defender Ariel Garce will be travelling to South Africa.

Coach Diego Maradona cut seven players from his provisional squad with Coloccini and Lavezzi joining Juan Manuel Insaurralde, Jose Sosa, Jesus Datolo, Sebastian Blanco and Juan Mercier in suffering disappointment.

The inclusion of defender Garce is something of a surprise as the 30-year-old has won only one cap under Maradona, and that came in a recent 4-0 friendly win over Haiti. However, the coach displayed an unconventional streak in his selections throughout the qualifying campaign.

Argentina, winners of the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, will face Nigeria, Greece and South Korea in Group B.

Squad: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Diego Pozo (Colon); Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Gabriel Heinze (Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield), Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes), Ariel Garca (Colon); Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina), Angel Di Maria (Benfica), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle), Javier Pastore (Palermo); Sergio Aguero (Atlético Madrid), Diego Milito (Internazionale), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona).

WC2010 - Babel injured in training

Netherlands winger Ryan Babel left training on Friday with an apparent injury to his right hamstring.

There was no immediate word on the severity of the Liverpool forward's injury, which was reported by Dutch media attending the training session in Austria.

Babel missed the 2008 European Championship after tearing ankle ligaments on the eve of that tournament.

EPL - Grant agrees West Ham deal

Avram Grant has agreed a deal in principle to become West Ham United manager and sources inside the club insist it is "95% certain" he will take control at Upton Park.

Grant resigned as manager of relegated Premier League side Portsmouth on Thursday and if he comes through the final interview he will be offered a three-year contract, worth £1 million per year.

Six clubs from around Europe - including two from the Premier League - were competing to secure the services of Grant, while it has been widely reported that the second mystery English club that approached the former Chelsea manager was Liverpool.

It will send shockwaves through the game if it is correct that Liverpool might have sounded Grant out last week when there were fears that Rafa Benitez might still be wanted by Juventus, who have since appointed Luigi Del Neri.

Grant took over at Portsmouth from Paul Hart in November as the club moved from one disaster to another. After entering administration Pompey were doomed to relegation, but Grant did not walk away and led the club to the FA Cup final where they lost 1-0 to Chelsea.

After resigning his post at Fratton Park, Grant issued a statement to say it "was one of the most difficult decisions" of his football career.

EPL - Birmingham fined £10k over derby penalty fury

Birmingham have been fined £10,000 by the Football Association after being found guilty of failing to control their players in last month's 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa.

The fine will be like salt in the wound of a harsh Midlands derby loss which came about through a contentious late penalty call against Roger Johnson by referee Martin Atkinson. Johnson and a number of Birmingham players reacted furiously to the decision, prompting the FA charge.

The FA have warned Birmingham about their future conduct in addition to the fine, while Johnson was hit last week with a £7,500 fine for media comments made about Atkinson's performance.

Primera - La Liga in debt to the tune of €3.53bn

Despite the news that Barcelona have signed David Villa for £34.2 million and are closing on the signature of Cesc Fabregas for a similar sum, a report by the University of Barcelona has revealed that La Liga's debts are at an all-time high.

he study, carried out by professor Jose Maria Gay, suggests that debt has risen in accounts for the 2008-09 season and now stands at €3.53 billion (£3.03 billion).

Giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, along with relegated Numancia, were the only clubs to make an operating profit, and the study also revealed that 85% of clubs' debt comes from player wages.

The financial situation in Spain was highlighted further on Wednesday as Real Mallorca - who finished 5th in the league - filed for voluntary administration having failed to find a buyer to take on their €85 million debt.

Primera - Real closing in on Silva

After selling David Villa to Barcelona on Wednesday, reports in Spain claim Valencia are also poised to lose David Silva to Real Madrid in the coming days.

Villa and Silva stayed at the club last summer despite Valencia's financial difficulties but Los Che will be deprived of their two finest players if Real, as reported, do sign Silva in the next week.

Silva has also attracted interest from Manchester United but Marca reports that he could become a Real Madrid player before flying out to South Africa to represent Spain at the World Cup finals.

Valencia look to be busily preparing for next season and announced on Thursday that they have reached an agreement to sign Grenoble star Sofiane Feghouli.

The 20-year-old, who plays as an attacking midfielder, has agreed a four-year contract and joins Turkey midfielder Mehmet Topal and Portugal defender Ricardo Costa is signing for the club this week.

EPL - Villa reject £20m City bid

Aston Villa have rejected a £20 million bid from Manchester City for talented England midfielder James Milner.

City made the offer on Wednesday but Villa have rebuffed the approach, insisting that PFA Young Player of the Year Milner is not for sale.

Manchester United and Chelsea have also been linked with the player who first burst to prominence as a 16-year-old with Leeds, but City made the first move, aiming to make Milner the second Villa player in as many summer's to leave the Midands for Manchester.

However, Villa have revealed that they have turned down the offer and are hoping to convince Milner to sign a new contract with the club.

Milner helped Villa reach the final of the Carling Cup, the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the top six of the Premier League and owner Randy Lerner stated only last week that he was hopeful of the player remaining at Villa.

Primera - Barcelona sign David Villa for £34.2m

Barcelona have signed Valencia's David Villa in the first major transfer of the summer. The Spain striker has cost the Catalan club £34.2 million and will move to the Nou Camp after months of speculation over his future.

Villa, Valencia's top scorer in La Liga with 21 goals, will sign for four years and will be paid €7 million-a-season.

He had been coveted last year by both Barca and Real Madrid, but Barcelona picked up the services of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Inter Milan in a £40 million deal which saw Samuel Eto'o move the other way. Real opted to sign Karim Benzema instead.

Once the medical is completed he will join up with fellow Spain internationals Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Pedro and Sergio Busquets, all of whom are in the World Cup squad.

The move brings to an end a successful five-year stint with Los Che which has seen Villa develop into one of the most feared forwards in Europe and become a regular in the Spain team.

Serie A - Mourinho reiterates desire to manage Real

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has again stated that he wants to manage Real Madrid - just three days before his side faces Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

Inter have already won the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia, and Mourinho is going for the treble against Bayern at the Bernabeu on Saturday. And he would like to return to the famous stadium as manager of Real.

Serie A - Del Neri excited by Juve challenge

Gigi Del Neri has admitted he can't contain his excitement after leaving Sampdoria to become the new manager of Juventus.

Del Neri is set to be unveiled as Bianconeri boss this week following a fantastic season with Sampdoria, in which he guided the Genoa outfit to fourth place in Serie A and Champions League football next season.

But European football is something that Del Neri will not be enjoying in 2010-11, as Juventus finished seventh in the league, ending a dreadful season by missing out on Europa League football by four points, with Napoli pipping them to the post.

Del Neri's biggest challenge will be keeping hold of Juventus' biggest names, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon likely to be top of the list of stars he needs to convince to stay in Turin.

EPL - West Ham reject £8m Birmingham bid for Cole

West Ham United have rejected an £8 million bid for Carlton Cole from Birmingham as they hold out to get much closer to their £15 million valuation of the English striker.

Fulham and Stoke City have also entered the bidding for the striker but with the Hammers putting a £15 million price tag on their prized asset, he won't be leaving on the cheap.

A foreign club has offered in excess of £10 million for the 26-year-old, but he wants to stay in the Premier League and will hope that the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa come forward with bids.

West Ham will conduct a clear-out of players this summer, but only if clubs meet their valuation. Co-owner David Sullivan suggested that all bar Scott Parker were for sale, but that is not the case; however, if players want to go that is another matter.

Matthew Upson will ask for a move when he returns from World Cup duty having rejected a new three-year contract, and England goalkeeper Robert Green reportedly wants to play abroad, although as yet the Hammers have not received an acceptable offer.

EPL - Birmingham seal signing of Foster

Birmingham City have announced the signing of goalkeeper Ben Foster after he was allowed to leave Manchester United having failed to secure a regular place at Old Trafford.

Foster joins Birmingham on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee and replaces Joe Hart, who has returned to Manchester City having spent a very successful loan spell at St Andrews last season.

An injury to Edwin van der Sar handed Foster a chance to impress for United at the start of the 2009-10 campaign but he committed a series of mistakes, eventually falling behind Tomasz Kuszczak in SirAlex Ferguson's plans.

Ferguson always maintained that Foster would be a future England No. 1, and although he has four international caps, his slump in stature at United saw him miss out on a place inFabio Capello's World Cup squad.

Foster joined United in a £1 million deal from Stoke in July 2005 and made 29 league appearances under Ferguson. It is reported that Birmingham have paid £6 million for the 27-year-old.

Primera - Troubled Mallorca heading for administration

Real Mallorca have applied to go into voluntary administration, which is set to be confirmed in the next few days.

Mallorca were the surprises package of the La Liga season, with Gregorio Manzano guiding his team to a fifth-place finish and a Europa League berth. They almost made it into the Champions League.

Their achievement was all the more remarkable given their financial problems, which have now prompted the club to seek voluntary administration.

WC2010 - Lippi cuts squad

Juventus defender Fabio Grosso and Udinese midfielder Antonio Candreva have been cut from the Italy squad for the World Cup as coach Marcello Lippi reduced his 30-man provisional group to 28.

Grosso was a pivotal player for Italy four years ago, scoring the decisive first goal against Germany in the semi-final and then the winning spot-kick in the penalty shootout against France in the final.

The 32-year-old returned to Italy last summer after two years with French club Lyon, where he struggled to make an impression.

Candreva made his debut with the Azzurri last November in a friendly against Holland, but he also misses out after failing to shine in a poor Juventus side.

Lippi will further reduce his squad to the final 23 by June 1, with Italy training in Sestriere from Sunday onwards.

Italy 28-man squad:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari), Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo)

Defenders: Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa)

Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo (Milan), Gennaro Gattuso (Milan), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Cossu (Cagliari), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese)

Forwards: Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Marco Borriello (Milan), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria).

Primera - Barca hopeful of signing Fabregas and Villa

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that the club have opened talks with Valencia over striker David Villa, while he also admitted that the Spanish champions will move for Cesc Fabregas if he wants to return to Camp Nou.

Both players have been heavily linked with a move this summer, though Arsenal have strenuously denied on several occasions that they are ready to let Fabregas leave the club.

The arrival of Villa would seemingly indicate that Zlatan Ibrahimovic's days at Camp Nou are numbered.

The claims were also backed up by Barca club director Joan Oliver, who also mentioned Fabregas and Villa by name, though he was a little more coy about the progress of the potential transfers.

EPL - Cahill signs new four-year contract

Tim Cahill has signed a new four-year deal with Everton and he could now see out the remainder of his career with the club.

Cahill, 30, joined Everton from Millwall in 2004 and has become one of the most popular players at Goodison Park, often scoring vital goals from midfield. He has played a total of 209 games for the Toffees, netting 56 goals.

The new deal will tie Cahill to Everton until the end of the 2013-14 season.

EPL - Cudicini signs new one-year Spurs deal

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini has signed a one-year contract extension at the club that will keep him at White Hart Lane until the summer of 2011.

Cudicini was signed in January 2009 from Chelsea, where he had been displaced as No.1 by Petr Cech, and made four appearances for Harry Redknapp's side in his first season.

He was expected to challenge first-choice stopper Heurelho Gomes for a starting berth in 2009-10 but, after making seven appearances, his season was curtailed by a horrific motorcycle accident in November of last year.

WC2010 - France cut squad by six

France coach Raymond Domenech has all but confirmed his final 23 for the World Cup finals, cutting his initial 30-man squad down by six with the only remaining question mark over the fitness of William Gallas.

Gallas has only played once for Arsenal since February, and he again broke down in the first half of the Champions League clash with Barcelona as he attempted a comeback. Marc Planus of Bordeaux is retained in case Gallas fails to make it to South Africa.

Mickael Landreau (Lille), Rod Fanni (Rennes), Adil Rami (Lille), Yann M'Vila (Rennes), Hatem Ben Arfa (Marseille) and Jimmy Briand (Rennes) have not received invites from Domenech to link up with the training camp, which begins in Tignes on Tuesday.

France are drawn in Group A alongside hosts South Africa, Mexico and Uruguay, their opponents in their first game in Cape Town on June 11.

Squad: Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille); Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), William Gallas (Arsenal), Marc Planus (Bordeaux), Anthony Reveillere (Lyon), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla); Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon); Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Djibril Cisse (Panathinaikos), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille).

WC2010 - Ballack out of finals

Germany captain Michael Ballack has been ruled out of the World Cup with an ankle injury suffered in Saturday's FA Cup final victory over Portsmouth.

Ballack's injury was caused by a reckless tackle from Kevin-Prince Boateng. Boateng is in Ghana's squad for the summer showpiece in South Africa, with Germany drawn in the same group.

The Chelsea midfielder underwent an MRI scan in Munich on Monday which revealed ligament damage to his right ankle, ruling him out of action for two months.

Both Ballack and Germany coach Joachim Low feared the worst after the midfielder hobbled off at Wembley. He was due to have a scan on Sunday but there was too much swelling for an accurate diagnosis.

Meanwhile, Low has urged fans and the media to avoid a vendetta against Kevin-Prince's brother, Jerome Boateng.

Hamburg defender Jerome was named in the provisional squad last week and is almost certain to feature in the final 23-man party.

Int'l - Advocaat confirmed as new coach of Russia

Dick Advocaat is set to be unveiled as the new coach of Russia.

Advocaat, who last month unexpectedly resigned as coach of Belgium barely six months after taking the role, confirmed four weeks ago that he had been approached by the Russian FA with a view to succeeding Guus Hiddink.

Advocaat's international coaching CV also includes spells in charge of Holland (twice), the United Arab Emirates and South Korea, while he has also guided Rangers and PSV Eindhoven and spent three successful years in Russia with Zenit St Petersburg.

Hiddink led Russia to the semi-finals of Euro 2008 but his team failed to qualify for this summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.

EPL - Zenden earns another year

Boudewijn Zenden has signed a new contract with Sunderland for the 2010-11 season.

Zenden joined Sunderland as a free agent in October after struggling to find a club following his release by Marseille.

Although the 33-year-old started only one Premier League game for Sunderland last season, he made 19 appearances from the bench, and manager Steve Bruce believes his experience will be important for the squad as a whole.

Zenden has also played for Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Chelsea in England.

Primera - Barca reclaim crown

Barcelona retained their Primera Division crown as they thrashed Real Valladolid 4-0 at home amid a carnival atmosphere at the Nou Camp.

After an uncharacteristically rocky start from Barca, nerves were settled when Luis Prieto inexplicably turned the ball into his own net under no pressure in the 27th minute.

Pedro then doubled the Barca lead four minutes later, and a brace from Lionel Messi in the second capped the win and saw the brilliant Argentinian match Ronaldo's record of scoring 47 goals in all competitions, 34 of them coming in the league.

Champions League: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia
Champions League qualifying: Sevilla FC
Europa League: Mallorca, Getafe
Relegation: Valladolid, Tenerife, Xerez

TEAM	P	W	D	L	GS	GA	GD	Pts
Barcelona	38	31	6	1	98	24	74	99
Real Madrid	38	31	3	4	102	35	67	96
Valencia	38	21	8	9	59	40	19	71
Sevilla FC	38	19	6	13	65	49	16	63
Mallorca	38	18	8	12	59	44	15	62
Getafe	38	17	7	14	58	48	10	58
Villarreal	38	16	8	14	58	57	1	56
Athletic Bilbao	38	15	9	14	50	53	-3	54
Atlético Madrid	38	13	8	17	57	61	-4	47
Deportivo La Coruña	38	13	8	17	35	49	-14	47
Espanyol	38	11	11	16	29	46	-17	44
Osasuna	38	11	10	17	37	46	-9	43
Almeria	38	10	12	16	43	55	-12	42
Real Zaragoza	38	10	11	17	46	64	-18	41
Sporting Gijon	38	9	13	16	36	51	-15	40
Racing Santander	38	9	12	17	42	59	-17	39
Málaga	38	7	16	15	42	48	-6	37
Valladolid	38	7	15	16	37	62	-25	36
Tenerife	38	9	9	20	40	74	-34	36
Xerez	38	8	10	20	38	66	-28	34

Serie A - Five in a row for Inter Milan

Inter Milan were crowned Italian champions for the fifth consecutive season on Sunday, but Jose Mourinho's side had their nerves tested as Claudio Ranieri's Roma pushed them all the way.

With Inter still being held away at relegated Siena, Roma took a 2-0 lead against Chievo thanks to two emphatic finishes from Mirko Vucinic and Daniele de Rossi and, as things stood, were leading Inter on the clubs' head-to-head record.

But Diego Milito scored his 28th goal of the season in all competitions when finishing expertly past Gianluca Curci after 57 minutes to give Inter the win and with it the Scudetto.

Champions League: Inter Milan, AS Roma, AC Milan
Champions League qualifying: Sampdoria
Europa League: Palermo, Napoli
Relegated Atalanta, Siena, Livorno

Final standings

TEAM	P	W	D	L	GS	GA	GD	Pts
Internazionale	38	24	10	4	75	34	41	82
AS Roma	38	24	8	6	68	41	27	80
AC Milan	38	20	10	8	60	39	21	70
Sampdoria	38	19	10	9	49	41	8	67
Palermo	38	18	11	9	59	47	12	65
Napoli	38	15	14	9	50	43	7	59
Juventus	38	16	7	15	55	56	-1	55
Parma	38	14	10	14	46	51	-5	52
Genoa	38	14	9	15	57	61	-4	51
Bari	38	13	11	14	49	49	0	50
Fiorentina	38	13	8	17	48	47	1	47
Lazio	38	11	13	14	39	43	-4	46
Catania	38	10	15	13	44	45	-1	45
Chievo Verona	38	12	8	18	37	42	-5	44
Udinese	38	11	11	16	54	59	-5	44
Cagliari	38	11	11	16	56	58	-2	44
Bologna	38	10	12	16	42	55	-13	42
Atalanta	38	9	8	21	37	53	-16	35
Siena	38	7	10	21	40	67	-27	31
Livorno	38	7	8	23	27	61	-34	29

EPL - Mascherano admits he desired Barcelona move

Javier Mascherano has described his failure to secure a move to Barcelona last summer as "a shame" and cast further doubt on his long-term future at Liverpool by revealing his difficulties with life in England.

Mascherano was a transfer target for the Spanish champions but a deal was not agreed between the two clubs. Speaking candidly about the transfer talks, the Argentina captain admits he was keen to leave Anfield.

Mascherano also admits his family have struggled to settle in England and has painted a lonely picture of his day-to-day life on Merseyside.

It was reported on Saturday that Mascherano has postponed talks over a new contract with Liverpool as he waits to see whether Rafael Benitez will remain at the club.

EPL - King sign two-year deal

Ledley King has capped a superb season at Tottenham Hotspur by signing a new two-year contract with the Premier League club.

Despite his chronic injury problems, King made 20 appearances for the club this season as they secured qualification for the Champions League by beating Manchester City into fourth place.

Alongside Michael Dawson, King played a prominent role during the conclusion of the campaign and was rewarded with a call-up to England's preliminary 30-man squad for the World Cup finals.

English FA Cup - Drogba delivers Chelsea's first Double

Didier Drogba won the double for Chelsea with the only goal in a quite remarkable FA Cup final.

Drogba's 37th goal of the season was a free-kick just before the hour that found the net with tracer-bullet precision from 20 yards.

It maintained Drogba's impressive record of scoring in all six competitive games he has played at the new Wembley and confirmed Chelsea as only the seventh club to complete the league and FA Cup double, a pretty significant achievement in Carlo Ancelotti's first season in charge.

Primera - Benzema set for Real stay

Karim Benzema insists he is happy at Real Madrid despite missing out on France's World Cup squad due to his unconvincing form.

Benzema joined Real Madrid in a £30 million move from Lyon last summer but has scored just eight goals in 26 appearances in La Liga this season.

His failure to impose himself as a regular starter at the Bernabeu has cost him his World Cup place, with Raymond Domenech instead naming Nicolas Anelka, Jimmy Briand, Djibril Cisse, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Sidney Govou and Thierry Henry as the strikers in his 30-man preliminary squad.

But Benzema is content to remain at Real, despite suggestions that Manchester United could be interested in a player who has attracted Sir Alex Ferguson in the past.

EPL - United top TV money list

Deposed champions Manchester United topped the television money list for the 2009-10 Premier League season.

United's income of £52.996 million from broadcast rights was £167,000 more than title-winners Chelsea and was achieved by virtue of having the most matches broadcast live.

United had 24 games screened, two more than Chelsea and one more than Arsenal, who finished third in the money table with £51.712 million.

The league's richest club Manchester City finished fourth, one above their actual placing in the table, to secure £49.627 million with Champions League qualifiers Tottenham £167,000 behind having had two fewer (20) televised matches.

Liverpool (£48 million) and Aston Villa (£45.9 million) made up the top seven, although the latter suffered from having just 16 live matches.

The three relegated clubs Burnley, Hull and Portsmouth received £33.8 million, £32.6 million and £31.8 million respectively. However, Pompey, currently in administration with debts around £135 million, are unlikely to see much of that.

EPL - Wigan sign Alcaraz

Wigan have confirmed the signing of Paraguay defender Antolin Alcaraz from Belgian side Club Brugge for an undisclosed fee.

Alcaraz has been a virtual ever-present for the Belgian club, making almost 70 league and 16 European appearances since joining from Italian side SC Beira Mar in 2007.

Alcaraz, who has been selected for Paraguay's initial World Cup squad, started his career in South America with Racing Club in Argentina before joining Fiorentina. He moved on to Beira Mar and then Brugge, who came second in the Belgian League behind Anderlecht this season.

Serie A - AC Milan confirm Leonardo exit

Leonardo has confirmed that he will quit as AC Milan coach by mutual consent after the Serie A side's last game of the season.

The Brazilian has been under pressure for several months and despite guiding Milan to a third place finish, securing qualification for next season's Champions League, he announced on Friday he would be leaving the San Siro.

Leonardo succeeded Carlo Ancelotti, who moved to Chelsea in 2009, and had a further year to run on his contract with the Rossoneri.

But AC Milan were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Udinese earlier this year and suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the Champions League round of 16.

The Rossoneri had opportunities earlier this month to leapfrog Inter Milan into first place in the Scudetto race but failed to take advantage of them.

With Leonardo gone, AC Milan will be looking for a new coach for the second successive summer, much to the disappointment of club vice-president Adriano Galliani.

Former Cagliari manager Massimiliano Allegri and Leonardo's assistant coach Mauro Tassotti have both been linked to replace the South American.

Serie A - Inter Milan refute Benitez talk

Inter Milan have rubbished reports in the Italian media that they have sounded out Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez about succeeding Jose Mourinho, should he leave in the summer.

Former Chelsea boss Mourinho has been linked with a return to the Premier League, as well the Real Madrid job, and it was reported on Tuesday that Inter had joined Juventus in the race to lure Benitez to the Serie A.

However, Inter moved quickly to quash the rumours and issued a statement that insisted the club had not made a move for Benitez, or any other coach.

EPL - Sunderland seal Riveros deal

Sunderland have completed the signing of Paraguay international Cristian Riveros on a three-year deal from Mexican club Cruz Azul.

Riveros, who was selected in Gerardo Martino's provisional World Cup squad on Tuesday, had been in manager Steve Bruce's sights for some time.

The 27-year-old, who was a free agent after his contract with Crul Azul expired, will link up with compatriot Paulo Da Silva at the Stadium of Light.

The versatile midfielder, who can play on the left or in a central role, has won 45 international caps for Paraguay.

WC2010 - Capello name provisional squad

Fabio Capello has confirmed his provisional 30-man England squad for the World Cup, with six Tottenham players making the list, including uncapped centre-back Michael Dawson.

Dawson has been rewarded for an exceptional season with Spurs, in which he has helped the club qualify for next season's Champions League, and he will be joined in the squad by central defensive partner Ledley King.

Jamie Carragher is selected for the first time under Fabio Capello, after the England coach convinced him to come out of international retirement, and the Liverpool defender will provide cover at right-back for club team-mate Glen Johnson.

Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone is included along with team-mate Aaron Lennon, who will compete with Shaun Wright-Philips, Theo Walcott, James Milner, Joe Cole and talented Manchester City youngster Adam Johnson for the wide midfield positions.

Cole, who had been tipped to be overlooked, returns to the England squad for the first time since 2008, joining Chelsea team-mates and Three Lions stalwarts John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole.

The squad

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham)

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Michael Dawson (Tottenham), Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Man City), Michael Carrick (Man Utd), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Adam Johnson (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Scott Parker (West Ham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Man City)

Forwards: Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd)

Primera - Spain explores La Liga breakaway

Spain's Primera Division could follow the example of rival European leagues and split from its second tier division.

Following a meeting at the Spanish football league (LFP) headquarters in Madrid on Monday, it was announced that a decision had been taken to start talks this summer about a possible separation between the top two divisions.

The LFP announced that a series of meetings would begin after June 21 and the intention to reach an agreement before the start of the 2010-11 season.

EPL - Zola sacked

Gianfrance Zola is said to have been left "shocked" after being sacked by West Ham despite guiding the club to Premier League survival.

Zola's contract was terminated following a meeting with Hammers managing director Karren Brady on Tuesday morning, and the club will now be looking to make a quick appointment, according to co-owner David Sullivan.

Mark Hughes, Avram Grant and Slaven Bilic are the favourites to replace him in the Upton Park hotseat, while highly-rated Real Mallorca manager Gregorio Manzano is also in contention after guiding the unfancied club to the brink of Champions League qualification,and Martin Jol is also being considered.

WC2010 - Verbeek turn to youth

Australia coach Pim Verbeek has turned to youth with some surprise inclusions as he announced his preliminary 30-man World Cup squad in Sydney.

Youngsters James Holland, Nikita Rukavytsya, Shane Lowry, Tommy Oar and Dario Vidosic will join a near-full strength complement of established Socceroos stars at a Melbourne training base ahead of Australia's first pre-World Cup friendly against New Zealand on May 24.

There was no room for Mile Sterjovski, who played under Guus Hiddink in Germany and featured in many of Australia's qualifiers, and Sterjovski's Perth Glory team-mates Chris Coyne and Jacob Burns also missed out. Another A-League star expected to at least participate in the preliminary squad was Simon Colosimo, but his World Cup dream is over.

Brad Jones pipped Eugune Galekovic to the third goalkeeper slot behind Mark Schwarzer and Adam Federici, although Galekovic has been called into the training camp as a 31st player in case of injury to any of the other three 'keepers. Australia's most fiercely debated selection battle, that over the claims of attacking midfielders Nick Carle and Brett Holman, will rage on as both players were selected. They will compete for what will likely be one spot available on the plane to South Africa.

Aside from injured Leeds defender Patrick Kisnorbo and some potential fringe players, Verbeek's selection wasn't hampered by injury as first XI stars Harry Kewell and Mark Bresciano were included despite clouds over their ongoing fitness. The squad will be trimmed to 23 on June 1, but Verbeek said he would take three or four back up players to South Africa in case of injuries.

The squad

Michael Beauchamp, Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill, Nick Carle, David Carney, Scott Chipperfield, Jason Culina, Brett Emerton, Adam Federici, Richard Garcia, Vince Grella, James Holland, Brett Holman, Mile Jedinak, Brad Jones, Josh Kennedy, Harry Kewell, Shane Lowry, Scott McDonald, Mark Milligan, Craig Moore, Lucas Neill, Jade North, Tommy Oar, Nikita Rukavytsya, Mark Schwarzer, Carl Valeri, Dario Vidosic, Luke Wilkshire, Rhys Williams

EPL - Chelsea win title

Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea won the Premier League title in style on the final day of the season, beating Wigan Athletic 8-0 at Stamford Bridge to set a new record of 103 goals scored in a single league campaign.

Man Utd, Arsenal in 2nd and 3rd place took the Champions League spot while 4th place Tottenham get the Champions League qualifying spot.

Man City, Aston Villa and Liverpool will take part in next season Europa League.

Relegated are Burnley, Hull and Portsmouth.

Final standings

TEAM	P	W	D	L	GS	GA	GD	Pts
Chelsea	38	27	5	6	103	32	71	86
Manchester United	38	27	4	7	86	28	58	85
Arsenal	38	23	6	9	83	41	42	75
Tottenham Hotspur	38	21	7	10	67	41	26	70
Manchester City	38	18	13	7	73	45	28	67
Aston Villa	38	17	13	8	52	39	13	64
Liverpool	38	18	9	11	61	35	26	63
Everton	38	16	13	9	60	49	11	61
Birmingham	38	13	11	14	38	47	-9	50
Blackburn Rovers	38	13	11	14	41	55	-14	50
Stoke City	38	11	14	13	34	48	-14	47
Fulham	38	12	10	16	39	46	-7	46
Sunderland	38	11	11	16	48	56	-8	44
Bolton Wanderers	38	10	9	19	42	67	-25	39
Wolverhampton Wanderers	38	9	11	18	32	56	-24	38
Wigan Athletic	38	9	9	20	37	79	-42	36
West Ham United	38	8	11	19	47	66	-19	35
Burnley	38	8	6	24	42	82	-40	30
Hull City	38	6	12	20	34	75	-41	30
Portsmouth	38	7	7	24	34	66	-32	19

Primera - Pellegrini in dark over future

Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini says he has not yet heard whether he will remain at the club next season.

Pellegrini has come under pressure after the surprise Copa del Rey and Champions League exits to Alcorcon and Lyon respectively, while Barcelona will retain the league title on Sunday if they beat Real Valladolid at Camp Nou.

Yet while Jose Mourinho heads a lengthy list of names linked with the position, Pellegrini believes he has every chance of keeping his job for another year.

EPL - Vidic is staying put

Nemanja Vidic has pledged his immediate future to Manchester United, insisting he'll resist the overtures of Europe's biggest clubs if they come calling over the summer.

Constant rumours hinting at the commanding defender's departure from Old Trafford have circulated this season, citing reasons from Vidic's wife being unhappy in England to an alleged falling out between the Serb and Sir Alex Ferguson.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan are among those linked to a swoop for Vidic, but he said he is sick of answering questions about his future and insists the commitment he shows on the pitch should be proof enough of his happiness at the Premier League champions.

EPL - Liverpool report pre-tax losses of £16 million

The extent of Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's difficulties in terms of rebuilding his squad next season were laid bare by the publication of the club's financial accounts.

Although the figures are only dated to July 31 last year, they showed Liverpool as a club made an operating loss before tax of £16 million, down from a £10.2 million profit the previous year.

Kop Holdings, the company set up by co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to buy Liverpool in 2007, continued to run up more debt as annual interest repayments on loans taken out to finance the purchase rose by £3.6 million to £40.1 million.

That resulted in the group making a loss before tax of £54.9 million, an increase of £14 million from 2008, which in turn contributed to Kop Holdings' debt rising from £299.8 million in 2008 to £351.4 million last year.

With the finances in such dire straits, Europe's richest clubs may sense an opportunity to cherry-pick Liverpool's top stars.

Primera - Silva open to United move

Valencia star David Silva has revealed he would be interested in joining Manchester United this summer.

Silva, 24, has long been linked with a move away from the Mestalla due to the club's financial problems, and United are rumoured to be interested.

The Spain star insists he would be happy to stay at Valencia but, should they cash in during the summer, he would welcome a move to Old Trafford.

EPL - Chamakh ready for Arsenal switch

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has confirmed he will join Arsenal at the end of the season and revealed he rejected offers from Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

Chamakh, 26, is out of contract this summer and it has long been assumed he will move to Emirates Stadium, with Arsene Wenger saying last month that there was a "good chance" he would arrive.

Chamakh, who has been with Bordeaux since the age of ten, feels he is now ready to deliver in the Premier League.

Serie A - Buffon open to Premier League switch

Gianluigi Buffon has revealed he would be open to a move to the Premier League as he admits there is a possibility he could leave Juventus this summer.

Buffon, 32, opted to stay with Juve following their relegation to Serie B in 2006 but, with Juve now out of the race for Champions League qualification, there has been heightened speculation that he could move on.

The Italy goalkeeper recently dismissed talk he could join Manchester City, saying there was "no way" he would consider a move to the club as they are not among the European elite, but Manchester United are also believed to be interested.

Buffon accepts that the players are to blame for the club's disappointing season, but he suggested there need to be changes at the club if he is to remain next season.

Juventus recently appointed a new club president and are understood to be in the process of bringing in Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.

EPL - Coyle wants Wilshere back for six months

Bolton manager Owen Coyle is eager to retain on-loan Arsenal starlet Jack Wilshere for the first half of next season.

Wilshere, 18, was mentioned as a potential surprise call-up for the World Cup last summer as he impressed during the pre-season Emirates Cup tournament, but he struggled for first-team opportunities at Arsenal and went to Bolton on loan in January.

Wilshere has been a vital part of Bolton's upturn in form under Coyle and, although the manager admits the player is eager to make an impression at Emirates Stadium, he believes it may be in his interest to remain at Bolton for the start of next season.

EPL - Evans set to sign new United deal

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Jonny Evans is on the verge of signing a new long-term contract with Manchester United.

After spending a couple of spells on loan at Sunderland, Evans has made huge progress in the last two seasons.

The Northern Ireland international has now made 64 first-team appearances for United, the latest coming in Sunday's victory at the Stadium of Light, and has proved himself good enough to stand in for Rio Ferdinand during the defender's increasingly frequent injury absences.

Although there has been no formal announcement from Old Trafford, Ferguson said Evans has agreed a new deal, which is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.

EPL - Ferguson set to axe players

Sir Alex Ferguson has announced plans to allow "one or two" players to leave Manchester United at the end of the season to freshen up the squad.

United look set to miss out on a fourth consecutive Premier League title as they go into the final weekend a point behind Chelsea, and their Champions League hopes ended with a quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich.

Many believe United need to add new options in attack, with Dimitar Berbatov in particular coming under fire. Ferguson has repeatedly defended the £30.75 million signing from Tottenham, but he was unhappy with his team's "careless" finishing at Sunderland this weekend.

Ferguson has not named any of the players he expects to move on this summer but Berbatov and goalkeeper Ben Foster appear to be among the candidates as the manager attempts to freshen up his team.

Ferguson's comments come after United chief executive David Gill's confirmation that they are already in the process of planning further arrivals.

EPL - Burnley captain Caldwell expects to move on

Burnley captain Steven Caldwell admits he is likely to be leaving the relegated Premier League club this summer.

Caldwell, who led the Clarets to promotion to the top flight last year, is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

The 29-year-old has played just twice since December due to injury and has had no discussions with manager Brian Laws over a new deal.

Caldwell joined Burnley, then managed by Steve Cotterill, from Sunderland in a £200,000 deal in January 2007.

EPL - Scharner leaving Wigan

Paul Scharner has announced that he plans to leave Wigan Athletic this summer.

Scharner, 30, joined Wigan from SK Brann in 2006 but had been strongly linked with a move away last summer.

He sparked fresh speculation that he could move on during Monday's 2-2 draw at home to Hull as he had the word 'THANX' dyed into his hair, and he has now confirmed that he will be moving on.

Scharner, who is out of contract at the end of the season, recently claimed that Fulham, Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland would all be interested in signing him this summer.

Meanwhile, Wigan have confirmed that chief executive Brenda Spencer will be retiring at the end of July after 24 years with the club.

Primera - Barca closing in on Villa

Barcelona are believed to have verbally agreed to sign Valencia striker David Villa this summer in a deal that could be worth up to €40 million plus a player exchange.

Villa has been one of the hottest properties in La Liga over the past few years, and has scored at least 15 goals in each of the past 7 campaigns, including 21 so far this season.

And after the failure of club record signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to impress since his move from Inter Milan last summer, Barca coach Pep Guardiola is thought to be looking for a new attacking impetus to add to his side.

Villa has reportedly had previous discussions with representatives of both Manchester United and Liverpool about a possible move to the Premier League, but would prefer to remain in Spain.

EPL - Double award for Rooney

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been voted the 2010 Footballer of the Year by the English Football Writers' Association (FWA), adding to the PFA award he picked up last Sunday.

Rooney was picked as the best player in England this season by his fellow professionals and now the FWA gong joins his growing collection of individual accolades, after the England star topped the poll of journalists with 81% of a record number of votes cast.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez were behind Rooney in the poll, which has been running since 1948.

Rooney - who has led United's challenge for silverware this season with 34 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions - will receive his award at the FWA's gala dinner at The Lancaster London Hotel on May 13.

Rooney becomes the 13th player to win the double of PFA and FWA Player of the Year awards, with both former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry scooping the double on two separate occasions.

Serie A - Leonardo to leave AC Milan

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has confirmed coach Leonardo will leave the club at the end of the season.

Leonardo refused to discuss his future this week after a defeat to Palermo left Milan unable to clinch the title, but Berlusconi has now announced that the search for a replacement is underway.

Brazilian club Flamengo revealed earlier this week that Leonardo could join the club in a non-managerial role.

EPL - Modric and Bale will not be sold

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has dismissed reports that star duo Luka Modric and Gareth Bale will be leaving White Hart Lane in the close season, and revealed that Bale will be offered a new contract after a string of impressive displays.

Bale is reportedly a top transfer target for Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson but Redknapp insists he has no intention of selling any of Totenham's best players - and that includes Luka Modric who has also been linked with a move to Old Trafford this week.

Redknapp maintains that while Spurs have been tempted by big-money sales in the past, including flogging Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov to United, he is going to buck the trend.

Reports have suggested that United would be willing to pay up to £25 million for Modric and £20 million for Bale, but Redknapp said: "Modric is world class, I wouldn't be interested in selling him. Bale is just fantastic young player with such a great future, you would be mad to want to think about selling him.

EPL - Neville signs new United deal

Manchester United captain Gary Neville has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2010-11 season.

Neville, who has made 27 appearances for United this season, has been at Old Trafford his entire career - making his debut for Sir Alex Ferguson's side in 1994 and soon displacing Paul Parker as first-choice right-back.

After suffering a serious ankle injury in a match against Bolton in 2007, Neville's career appeared in danger of being curtailed but after a series of failed rehabilitation attempts, he returned to the first-team fold last season, though John O'Shea was more regularly preferred.

Impressive performances have led many to speculate that Neville could be set to receive a shock call-up to England's World Cup squad, with Fabio Capello thought to be ready to select him as deputy to Glen Johnson.

Neville joins fellow Old Trafford stalwarts Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs in pledging their future to the club and United boss Ferguson admitted he was delighted with his captain's decision to sign up for another year.

EPL - Mancini tells Tevez to leave if unhappy

Roberto Mancini has told Carlos Tevez he should leave Manchester City for the sake of the club if he still isn't happy with the Italian's training regime.

Tevez spoke out earlier this month against Mancini's decision to run double training sessions on Tuesdays on weeks the club doesn't have a midweek match.

Mancini held his tongue at the time, but the Italian has now told Tevez he would rather see his top scorer move on than have an unhappy player disrupting his reign at the club. The British press reported Mancini held a one on one meeting with Tevez in which he made his position clear, and now he has made his views public for all his players to see.

Tevez joined City from local rivals Manchester United last summer and has scored 28 goals for the Blues so far this season.