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Football Arena Blog

Ferdinand tells Vieira to 'let it go' following referee comments

Rio Ferdinand has hit back at Patrick Vieira after the Manchester City football development executive suggested that Manchester United get preferential treatment from referees when playing at home.

The Frenchman made the claims during an interview published on Wednesday but later issued a statement on the City website claiming that his views had been misrepresented and taken out of context.

The club also moved to ban BBC reporter Dan Roan, who conducted the interview, from media activity at the club.

Ferdinand, however, was unimpressed with the comments, which came a short time after Vieira had claimed that the return of Paul Scholes from retirement showed "a little bit of weakness in United".

"Why is Viera so concerned with Man Utd," Ferdinand tweeted on Wednesday.

"2 comments in a week or so....c'mon maaaaaan let it go!"

Vieira's comments came two days after Fulham had been denied a late penalty in their 1-0 loss to United at Old Trafford, although the Frenchman claimed not to have watched the match.

United sit three points ahead of City at the top of the table with eight matches left to play. The two sides will meet at Etihad Stadium for a potentially decisive fixture at the end of April.

Inter chief Moratti puts Villas-Boas pursuit on hold following advice from Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has advised Inter president Massimo Moratti against hiring Andre Villas-Boas as coach in the summer, with Andrea Stramaccioni now in with a chance of keeping the top job beyond the end of the season, Goal.com understands.

The Nerazzurri have appointed Stramaccioni as interim boss until the end of the current campaign, but Villas-Boas, sacked by Chelsea at the start of the month, is still being heavily linked with the underperforming Serie A outfit. Indeed, Moratti made an approach to the Portuguese before he left Porto for Stamford Bridge last June and had, up until recently, considered the 34-year-old the leading candidate to drag the club out of their current malaise.

However, the Inter supremo’s interest in Villas-Boas has now cooled - for two reasons.

Firstly, Real Madrid coach Mourinho, who remains a close confidante of Moratti’s following his trophy-laden two-year spell at Appiano Gentile, has warned the oil tycoon against appointing his former protege.

Villas-Boas served under Mourinho at both Porto and Inter but the pair’s relationship broke down after the former left the Nerazzurri in 2009 to take charge of Academica. However, it is not yet known exactly why Mourinho does not believe Villas-Boas is the man to revive the ailing Nerazzurri.

"Moratti calls Mourinho regularly to discuss everything about Inter with him, and he has been warned off Villas-Boas by his former coach," a source at Inter has explained to Goal.com. "Mourinho believes AVB is not the right man for Inter."

On top of the Mourinho warning, Moratti is concerned by the way in which Villas-Boas’ stint with Chelsea came to an end, with the English club’s senior players allegedly having played a key role in his dismissal.

As revealed earlier this month by Goal.com, the Inter chief met with representatives of Villas-Boas after he left Chelsea, but the president now has his doubts over whether the Portuguese would be able to control a dressing room populated by seasoned campaigners who played a prominent role in the treble success of 2010. As a result, Moratti has been moved to contact Chelsea to determine the veracity of reports that he was forced out by 'player power'.

"Inter have contacted someone in the Chelsea staff because they are worried how AVB might manage the players, especially the ones with experience," added our source. "They want to be clear that he is not going to have problems with senior players such as Javier Zanetti and Diego Milito."

With all of this in mind, Moratti is now very much open to the idea of retaining the services of Stramaccioni on a permanent basis should the 36-year-old, who impressed by leading Inter Primavera to victory in the inaugural NextGen tournament, bring about an upturn in the club’s fortunes for the remaining nine Serie A matches this season.

With Villas-Boas’ agent having stated earlier this week that his client has no intention of even thinking about football until the summer, let alone pondering his next move, an under-pressure Moratti is now set to adopt a wait-and-see approach in relation to a decision that he simply has to get right to appease Nerazzurri fans.

Bayern count the cost of cards after win in Marseille

Bayern Munich put one foot in the last four of the Champions League with a clinical victory in Marseille on Wednesday but five yellow cards and a suspension for Bastian Schweinsteiger left coach Jupp Heynckes fuming.

Dutch winger Arjen Robben shone on a bright night for Bayern at the Stade Velodrome and a 2-0 victory put them firmly on course for a semi-final meeting with Real Madrid, who won 3-0 at APOEL Nicosia in their quarter-final, first leg on Tuesday.

Heynckes naturally refused to accept that his team were as good as through but his concern that seven of his players were a booking away from suspension indicated that he had half an eye on a meeting with the nine-times European champions.

Philipp Lahm, Toni Kroos, David Alaba and Anatolyi Tymoshuk joined Jerome Boateng and Thomas Mueller on a list of players who would miss a game if they receive another yellow, while Schweinsteiger will be suspended for the return leg.

"I'm happy with the game but I'm not with the five yellow cards we received. That's too many," Heynckes told reporters.

"I'm particularly unhappy with the one Schweinsteiger was shown. Bastian is back from injury and he needs to play," he added.

"He could have spent time on the pitch in the return leg as he needs to play. I talked to him, he knows there was no use being booked like that."

There were few other grounds for complaint for the Germans, particularly with Robben's oustanding performance in setting up the first goal and scoring the second.

His fellow forward Franck Ribery was not at his best, however, and was possibly affected by the boos which rained down on him from the terraces all night.

"I am very happy we won here, away," Ribery, who left Marseille for Munich in 2007, said. "It's never easy to come back but I can understand."

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps said he did not think the France international had been too distracted by the hostile reception.

"He does everything wholeheartedly," he said. "I think he's used to this after all he has been through both personally and on the pitch. I don't think he was disturbed too much."

Ribery was not the only one to attract the ire of the crowd, however, with the normally passionate Marseille fans staging a silent protest against the club's recent form.

Marseille, who have not win a game in more than a month, barely threatened the Bayern goal and the absence of goalkeeper Steve Mandanda proved costly as his replacement Elinton Andrade should have done better on Mario Gomez's opening goal.

The club may have bid farewell to the Champions League for a while as they are ninth in Ligue 1, 13 points adrift of a qualifying place for next year's competition with nine games to play.

"We still have a chance, even if it's a very slight one," Deschamps said.

"We have a week to rest and recover. Despite what happened (tonight), we still have a Champions League quarter-final to play in a great stadium. We'll do our best."

Midfielder Stephane Mbia was the only Marseille player to sound any sort of note of defiance in his promise of "a surprise" for the return leg.

His coach already sounded like he was focused on domestic business.

Marseille, who suffered a shock exit to third-tier Quevilly in the French Cup and have lost seven straight in Ligue 1, will have a chance to lift a trophy next month when they face Olympique Lyon in the League Cup.

"It could be worse. There is no reason to resign," Deschamps said.

Mascherano voices frustration with AC Milan draw

Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has expressed his frustration with Wednesday's scoreless draw against AC Milan.

The Catalans were unable to break down the Rossoneri defence in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at San Siro, and Mascherano admitted that the final result was hard to take for Barcelona.

"We played very well but when you have six or seven chances to score and you don't take them it's difficult to take. But that's football, and we have to look forward now," Mascherano was quoted as saying on the official Uefa website.

"We know how experienced they are. They have a lot of clever players so I think the next game will be the same because they defend so well.

"But we have a lot of players in attack that can put on a good show, score goals and win us the match. Obviously with all the Barcelona supporters behind us we will try everything to get through to the next round."

Robben: Bayern have made a big step towards the semi-finals

Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has expressed his delight with the Bavarians' 2-0 Champions League win over Olympique de Marseille, and feels they have made a big step towards the semi-finals.

Goals from Mario Gomez before the break and Robben after the interval helped FCB to an important away win in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, and Robben was very pleased with the final scoreline.

"This is a very good result. It's excellent if you win a quarter-final away from home 2-0. We have made a big step towards the semi-finals," Robben said to NOS.

"We were always focused, because we know Marseille have a strong squad. They might be going through a tough spell, but it's still the Champions League. They knocked out Inter, so we knew what they are capable of.

"Everbody was talking about the match between Real Madrid and APOEL, but we need to eliminate Marseille first before thinking about our next opponent. We have to be alert next week."

Seedorf: We were not clinical enough against Barcelona

AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf has expressed his satisfaction with his side's scoreless Champions League draw at home against Barcelona on Wednesday evening, but felt they should have done better in front of goal.

The Serie A champions put in a strong defensive display to shut out the Catalans, but were also unable to find the net themselves.

"We’re satisfied with the result even if we have to be more clinical in front of goal. We had three big chances and that could make the difference," Seedorf stated to the official Milan website.

"It’s a good result that leaves qualification open. We’ll need courage, quality and tactical awareness in the return.

"You can’t press for 90 minutes, but we did well and Barcelona respect us. The pitch at San Siro is the way it is. We have Catania next and then we’ll think about the second leg. Now we need to rest."

Rafa Benitez: Inter's sacking of Ranieri is not surprising

Former Inter coach Rafa Benitez has admitted that he was not surprised when he learned that Claudio Ranieri had been shown the exit door at San Siro.

The Nerazzurri parted company with the 60-year-old earlier in the week as a result of a poor run of form which has left the club in eighth place in Serie A, 10 points behind Lazio, who currently occupy the last Champions League qualifying spot.

Benitez, who was given his marching orders by Inter in December 2010 under similar circumstances, said it did not come as a shock to him to see the San Siro outfit appoint their third coach of the season.

"It was not an unexpected decision," Benitez told Radio Mana Mana. "What [Massimo] Moratti does now does not surprise me at all.

"He decided to sack Ranieri, that was his decision and that is all there is to say."

The Spanish coach went on to praise the efforts of Napoli, who reached the knockout stages in the Champions League and currently sit fourth in the Serie A table.

"Napoli have had a great season, while always using the same players," Benitez added.

"If you have quality players and the squad can tactically support it, the squad rotation can always be done. Otherwise, at this level it is not possible."

Messi: We deserved to beat Milan

Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi has expressed his disappointment with his side’s scoreless draw against AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday evening.

The Catalans created a number of chances to open the scoring, but failed to find the net at San Siro, and Messi feels that the poor condition of the pitch made things difficult for Barca.

"It was a tough match that we should have won. We played our game but it was difficult because of the pitch, and because they are very strong," Messi was quoted as saying on the club's official website.

The Argentine then admitted that the Blaugrana face a perilous scenario in the return leg at home as the tie remains delicately poised.

"It’s a dangerous situation. Either team could go through, we hope we can score in the return so it will be us. We deserved to win.

Xavi: We deserved to win against AC Milan

Barcelona playmaker Xavi believes that his side were worthy of a victory against AC Milan in Wednesday's goalless Champions League draw at San Siro.

The Camp Nou outfit had several chances to score and had two penalty appeals turned down, but will return home with a result that leaves the quarter-final tie wide open for the return leg at Camp Nou next Tuesday.

"In the first few minutes we had some problems, but after that we did well," Xavi told reporters after the match.

"We had a great match and we dominated. We had several chances to score. We were unable to score, but we deserved to win.

"There was also a penalty in our favour. Christian Abbiati's foul on Alexis Sanchez was clear."

Meanwhile, Javier Mascherano refused to comment on Milan's approach to the game, but criticised the poor turf at San Siro.

"A defensive Milan? Everyone does what is best for them," the Argentine midfielder said.

"The pitch? It was bad, but I do not think that Milan wanted to play on a pitch like that either. It is just that they are not able to find a solution to this problem."

Benitez: There was no Chelsea offer

Rafa Benitez has revealed that he never received an offer from Chelsea to take over the reins at Stamford Bridge following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas earlier this month.

The former Liverpool boss, who has also been linked with a return to Anfield, was touted as the 34-year-old’s replacement but since his departure, Roberto di Matteo has stepped up from the position of assistant manager to take over as interim boss.

While the 51-year-old admits he is keen to make a return to the Premier League, he is prepared to wait for the right opportunity to present itself, with the chance to move to Chelsea never materialising.

"I'm waiting for a good offer in England, my family is settled here and I didn't have the right offer so far," Benitez said at the Soccerex conference.

"I'm not worried about it, I need to find the right club and the right project.

"I heard a lot of rumours about Chelsea but I didn't have a proper offer on the table."

The Spaniard also advised Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini not to respond to the mind games of United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as the city rivals gear up for the title run-in.

"As a manager you need to worry about your job and your team, not the mind games," he said.

"People are talking about mind games with Man U and City. Both teams are very good teams and if City win their next match 5-0 people will say Mancini is not affected by the mind games. If they lose it's 'oh, the mind games'.

"When you have a lot of foreign players normally they don't read the newspapers so the mind games for them are nothing.

"I don't think that it's important or makes a big difference. The main thing is if you have a good team you can win all the mind games, if you don't have a good team you can't.

"I think it the title race will be tough until the end. City have enough quality and United have the confidence now and the experience."

Puyol: The referee did not want to signal a penalty against AC Milan

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol was very critical of the work of referee Joan Eriksson in their goalless Champions League draw against AC Milan at San Siro.

The Spanish defender was pulled by Djamel Mesbah inside the Milan penalty box during the second half of their quarter-final first-leg encounter, but the referee waved play on.

Barca had another penalty claim unattended as Alexis Sanchez appeared to have been brought down by Christian Abbiati, and Puyol admitted to being frustrated with the officials' work.

"Everyone saw what happened," Puyol told AS after the game. "As I was trying to head the ball, I had my shirt pulled.

"The referee did not want to award us a penalty. I saw it on the screens.

"But we do not have to look for excuses. We have to play. Refereeing is very hard.

"We had a good match and the goal was the only thing we lacked."

Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes also expressed his disappointment with the standard of refereeing, saying: "This has happened a lot of times, we get tired of this.

"I will have to see the replay, from where I was standing I could not see if it was a penalty."

Valdes then called on Barcelona to turn in an improved display in the return leg at Camp Nou and stressed that his side will go out on attack against the Rossoneri next week.

"It is always important to score away from home," the Spanish goalkeeper noted. "We could not do it and now we will have to work very hard in the second leg, especially in defence.

"As coach Pep Guardiola said, if we have to deploy nine strikers, we will. We have to win."

Manchester City ban BBC reporter over Vieira interview

Manchester City have banned BBC reporter Dan Roan following claims from Patrick Vieira that he distorted the club’s Football Development Executive words in a recent interview.

While representing Football Against Hunger, a campaign to tackle starvation in Africa, at the GMEX Convention Centre on Wednesday afternoon, the former midfielder was questioned regarding City’s title run-in and the threat of rivals Manchester United.

The resulting article quotes Vieira as claiming United get favourable attention from referees, but the ex-Arsenal player has posted an immediate rebuttal, insisting that his words had been taken out of context.

The reporter has now been banned from all “media activity” involving City.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Vieira said: “I am very angry with Dan Roan. I feel he has misrepresented me. I made it clear in the interview twice that I wanted to avoid criticising United and even stated that I didn’t watch the United game against Fulham and had not seen the incident to which the reporter referred.

“That part of the interview was ignored and my comments were taken completely out of context. I called the reporter twice to ask for a retraction and an apology which has not come. I feel Dan Roan and the BBC have shown a complete lack of respect for me, the ‘Football Against Hunger’ charity and Manchester City Football Club.”

Chief Communications Officer, Vicky Kloss, added: “Despite the Charity arranging the interview with Dan Roan for the purposes of promoting the Football Against Hunger campaign, the reporter pursued a leading and aggressive line of questioning, through which Patrick was very careful to tread a diplomatic path.

“A misrepresentative article by Dan Roan appeared on the BBC’s website a short time later which omitted significant comments of clarification and took the interview completely out of context.

"Manchester City promotes a positive and welcoming approach to media outlets, however it is felt, in the absence of any correction or apology that there is no option but to issue an immediate ban to Dan Roan from future media activity.”

The BBC have as yet refused to remove the interview from their website.

AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic pleased with draw against Barcelona

AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was satisfied with his team’s goalless draw against Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash at San Siro on Wednesday.

The Swede missed a great chance to score against his former club, but with Milan able to shut out the Catalan giants and prevent an away goal, Ibrahimovic remains in good spirits for the second leg at Camp Nou next week.

“We had some opportunities but, unfortunately, we unable to score,” said Ibrahimovic to Sky Sport 24 after the match.

“However, the result is very good for us. I am optimistic for the second leg.”

Fellow forward Urby Emanuelson is also looking to move on quickly to the return leg, after spurning a great opportunity within seconds of his arrival as a substitute during the second half.

“My appearance was a bit unlucky," Emanuelson told NOS. "In my first action I could have scored but forgot the ball. That can happen.

"I know that was a very important moment, but what can I do about it right now after the match? Let's try better next time.

“I think we will get chances next week. Barcelona always play their own game, so we will have opportunities,”

The Dutchman was also relieved that his side were able to keep Lionel Messi at bay during the game, with the Argentine forward unable to add to his 12 Champions League goals in the current campaign.

“Messi played like Messi. He's always dangerous and never plays a bad match. We're glad he did not score tonight.”

Ribery hails 'perfect result' against Marseille

Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery was overjoyed with his side's 2-0 triumph over Olympique de Marseille in the first leg of their Champions League last-eight tie on Wednesday.

The Germans have one foot in the semi-finals after Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben gave Bayern a comfortable advantage from their trip to the Stade Velodrome.

"This is a very good situation for us," Ribery told Sky Sport Germany. "The result is perfect, it is better than a goalless draw or a 1-0 victory.

"We played with a lot of discipline and we deserved to win."

Ribery then expressed sympathy for Marseille goalkeeper Elinton Andrade, who was unable to stop Gomez's shot as the ball squirmed under his body and into the net.

"I think it was a hard blow for him and Marseille," he added. "He had not played this season."

The France international also reiterated that he is happy with life at Bayern and admitted he does not feel comfortable playing in his homeland.

"It is always difficult for me to play in France," the 28-year-old said. "But now I play for Bayern, who are a great family.

"I have been here for five years. I feel just fine, everything is perfect for me."

'The return leg will be very complicated' - Marseille's Deschamps after Champions League defeat to Bayern

Olympique de Marseille boss Didier Deschamps stated his frustration at his side's 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat to Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening.

Mario Gomez put the Bavarians ahead a minute before half-time with a well-taken finish, capitalising on third choice goalkeeper Elinton Andrade's mistake. The visitors doubled their advantage through Arjen Robben midway into the second half.

The hosts had their chances, most notably within the first 10 minutes when Loic Remy, who shrugged off a hamstring problem to feature, fired inches wide from a rebound.

Nevertheless, the Ligue 1 side face a major task in the return at the Allianz Arena next Tuesday, leaving Deschamps to ponder his side's chances.

"Obviously [the return leg] will be very complicated after a defeat of 2-0. I knew this before, but there are many qualities in this Bayern team." the 43-year-old was quoted as saying on the club's official website after the contest.

"They do many things very well and they have this strength in attack which is impressive. Even if we did good things, the goal just before half-time hurt us because they had not had many opportunities.

"That's also what the great teams have, even with little ammunition."

Marseille's game at the weekend against Ligue 1 leaders Montpellier has been postponed until April 11, allowing Deschamps' men to focus on the return leg at the Allianz Arena on April 4th. Bayern Munich travel to Nurnberg as they resume their Bundesliga title challenge at the Weekend.

Petit - Sacking Wenger would have been the biggest mistake Arsenal could have made

Emmanuel Petit has stated that sacking manager Arsene Wenger would have been “the biggest mistake” Arsenal could have made.

Until the club’s recent upturn in form, the French boss had been under increasing pressure at the Emirates with fans growing frustrated after a number of trophyless seasons and the Gunners’ woeful start to the current campaign.

Petit, who played under Wenger at Monaco before being signed by the north London club in 1997, has suggested that Arsenal would have regretted axing the 62-year-old.

"Sacking Wenger would have been the biggest mistake Arsenal could have made," said Petit at the Soccerex conference.

"He is the solution for Arsenal. He just needed to change a few things, then it would come back again.

"Arsene Wenger's contribution to the Premier League is huge. Football has changed so much in England, Arsene has been part of that.

"He is like the stone of Arsenal, if you kick him out you don't know where they will go.

"But I do hope Robin will stay. I would understand it if he left because players like him need titles on their CV.

"Arsenal have to pay the loans back but if you want to fight for titles, you need to find the right mix.

"That is why the criticism of Arsenal this season has been justified and they need to try everything they can to keep him."

However, despite his praise for his former boss, Petit has been left frustrated by the latest Arsenal resurgence, suggesting if they had found their form earlier in the season they could have been celebrating a much more successful year.

"Arsenal received huge criticism after the AC Milan disappointment," he continued.

"This affected the belief and ego of the players, which is why they came back with such a big hunger to show to everyone they were wrong.

"The performances since then have been magnificent.

"But I am disappointed as well. Why did they have to wait for the criticism to show people what they can do? I am quite frustrated because it proved they can do more."

The ex-Chelsea and Barcelona man has noted that despite Arsenal’s improved showings of late, there must be further investment at the Emirates during this summer’s transfer window.

"It always seems to be the same news. You believe Arsenal will sell their best players every year.

"I understand they don't want to be paying the same transfer fees as some clubs, it is nonsense to pay £40million for a player.

"But betting all your money on a young team? You need experienced players at some point in the season.

"Maybe this team have discovered themselves mentally now but you can't wait for outside help, you have to take your pen and write your own history."

Van Buyten: Hazard has asked me about Bayern Munich

Daniel van Buyten says he has discussed with Lille star Eden Hazard the possibility of the 21-year-old signing for Bayern Munich.

Hazard has made no secret that he plans to leave the Ligue 1 champions at the end of the season, with the Belgian starlet keen on a move to the Premier League, according to team-mate Rio Mavuba.

However, it is believed that Hazard is being courted by clubs from other European countries, and Van Buyten has now hinted at Bayern's interest in his compatriot.

"He is a young player with a large large margin for improvement," he told RMC. "I have talked to him about Bayern, and that is why he is coming [laughs].

"He is an attractive player for many clubs. We discussed a transfer to Bayern a little bit and he asked me some questions.

"But I think he has plenty of options."

It is believed that Lille have set an asking price of €40 million for Hazard, who has a contract with the French club until 2015.

Marseille 0-2 Bayern Munich: Gomez and Robben strike to leave German giants on brink of semi-finals

Bayern Munich took a big step towards progression in the Champions League as they earned a 2-0 win away to Marseille in Wednesday's quarter-final first-leg clash.

Franck Ribery's return to the Stade Velodrome was not exactly a comfortable one, but the visitors overcame stiff resistance as they secured a two-goal advantage ahead of the return leg in Munich.

One minute before half-time, Mario Gomez found the net under controversial circumstances after a suspected hand-ball at the other end. The goal counted nonetheless, and OM were forced to try to overturn the deficit. However, Arjen Robben scored a crucial second goal on 69 minutes, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb.

Chances were few and far between in what was a physical opening half. Though cautious in their approach, the hosts were first to pose a threat on goal and were unfortunate not to take the lead on seven minutes. Following a corner-kick, Rod Fanni's header was tipped wide by Manuel Neuer. Loic Remy was first to the rebound, but blasted into the side-netting.

After a tough start, Bayern gathered some fluency in midfield and carved out a couple openings inside the Marseille penalty area. However, Robben slipped before seeing his window to shoot close, and Thomas Muller's low cross found no team-mate in the centre before rolling out of play.

Marseille recovered, and shortly before half-time, a botched clearance from Jerome Boateng saw the ball fall to Remy. The striker was quick to shoot from the edge of the penalty area, but Neuer pounced to make a save.

Bayern as well would benefit from a mistake shortly thereafter, but the Germans took their chance as Gomez fired in off Elinton Andrade's hands. Seconds before, Mathieu Valbuena had kicked the ball off Philipp Lahm's hand, but play continued as Robben slipped in Gomez, whose finish appeared to be covered by the goalkeeper before it deflected into the net.

After the break, Marseille had an encouraging start, with Valbuena nodding over the bar from Remy's cross. Andre Ayew headed on goal in the 56th minute, but Neuer had little trouble in making a stop. Shortly before the hour mark, Remy muscled Boateng off the ball, but Neuer was quick off his line and blocked the forward's attempt.

The balance swung in the visitors' favour around the hour mark, however. Andrade did very well to deny Gomez, but with 21 minutes left, Robben made it 2-0, handing the visitors a big advantage heading into the second leg. The Dutchman played a one-two with Muller, and curled his finish inside the left post.

The most significant action late in the game was a booking for Bayern substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger, who will miss the second leg through suspension. In addition, OM's Alou Diarra will sit out, having been booked earlier in Wednesday's match.

The result sees Bayern take a commanding lead into the second leg, which will be played on April 3. The winner of the two-legged tie will face either APOEL or Real Madrid in the semi-finals.

AC Milan 0-0 Barcelona: Robinho guilty of glaring miss while Alexis is denied penalty as first leg ends in entertaining stalemate

AC Milan were able to hold Barcelona to a 0-0 stalemate in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg encounter at San Siro.

The visitors had their chances, among them a no-call on a penalty claim on Alexis Sanchez, but a sterling defensive display by Massimiliano Allegri’s men saw the Spanish outfit frustrated and sets up an enthralling second leg at Camp Nou in six days time.

An exciting start to the match saw Milan nearly storm into the lead after only three minutes. A scramble inside the penalty area saw the ball spill to Robinho in space, but with the goal at his mercy, he could not find the target as his volley flew over the bar.

The early shock did not faze Barca though, who slowly began to cause problems at the other end of the pitch. With 10 minutes gone, Lionel Messi’s low drive was fumbled by Christian Abbiati, who was fortunate to see Dani Alves scoop the rebound the wrong side of the post.

Abbiati was at the thick of things again within minutes, after he charged off his line to bring down Sanchez in the area. There did not appear to be much contact with the ball from the Milan keeper, but no penalty was forthcoming, leaving the visitors to remonstrate furiously with referee Jonas Errikson.

Not long after, the Catalans were able to find the back of the net, but the goal was correctly disallowed as Messi was in a clearly offside position when he turned home Alves’ cross.

Milan survived the scare, and saw another golden chance go begging with 20 minutes gone.

Clarence Seedorf put Zlatan Ibrahimovic through on goal, but his finish was weak and easily smothered by Victor Valdes.

Barca were unsurprisingly able to control nearly two-thirds of possession, but some dogged defending from the hosts and the questionable state of the San Siro pitch prevented them from getting fully into their stride.

The Milan back line was caught out 10 minutes before half-time though, as Sanchez was put clean through, but Luca Antonini matched him stride for stride and got back to make a fantastic block just as the Chilean was about to pull the trigger.

Andres Iniesta sent another warning Milan’s way coming out of the interval, with a quick dart into space ending with a snap shot from the edge of the area that flew just wide.

However, Barcelona were finding it increasingly difficult to get a clear sight on goal as the second-half wore on, with Allegri’s men keeping their discipline and organisation at the back.

With 67 minutes gone, substitute Urby Emanuelson nearly made an immediate impact seconds after his arrival when he raced onto a through pass deep in the area, but his first touch was woeful and halted the move in its tracks.

Barcelona hit back soon after through a substitute of their own, with Tello finding space on the right side of the box and letting fly with an effort that rippled the side netting.

Tello caused more Milan hearts to flutter when his dangerous cutback saw Messi’s volley deflected just over the bar, and the resulting corner was headed just wide by Carles Puyol.

Minutes before the end, Abbiati was on hand to deny Messi, beating away the Argentine’s low drive, with Tello also thwarted from the rebound by another brilliant tackle from Antonini as Milan preserved the 0-0 scoreline.

Both sides will lock horns once more for the return leg at Camp Nou in six days time.

AC Milan's Van Bommel open to PSV return

Mark van Bommel has hinted that he will return to PSV if he leaves AC Milan at the end of the season.

The 34-year-old is one of Milan's players who are entering the final months of their contracts, with the Rossoneri having stressed that they will not handle renewals before the end of the season.

A move back to PSV, where Van Bommel played between 1999 and 2005, has been mooted as the likeliest scenario if the Dutchman does not sign a new contract with Milan.

"I have got several options, but for me there are just two serious options: AC Milan and PSV," he told NOS.

"How big the chance is that I return to PSV? There is a chance, yes."

Earlier in the week, Van Bommel's agent admitted that the midfielder was willing to take a paycut in order to return to the Philips Stadion.

The Netherlands international signed for Milan in January 2011 on a free transfer after terminating his contract with Bayern Munich.

Chicharito keen for role in Manchester United title push

Javier Hernandez as outlined his desire to make an impact on the final stages of the season as Manchester United make the push to secure their 20th Premier League title.

The Mexican striker has scored 12 times in a season filled with injuries that have made it hard for him to maintain a place in the Red Devils side.

Dispite his misfortune with spells on the sidelines this year, the attacker is keen to make the difference in the last eight games of the season to ensure that rivals Manchester City do not beat them to the title.

Hernandez told ESPN: "It’s a part of the season that all the players want to be involved in.

"It’s a long season so these final few games are more emotional for everyone, but we have a big chance to win the Premier League again.

"We’re in a great position because it depends on us – if we win all our games, we’ll win the league. We’re not in Europe, so we’ll probably be a little bit fitter because we’re only playing each weekend and have long weeks to rest and prepare for each game."

The 23-year-old also spoke of how he has adapted to the physicality of the Premier League in order to fulfil ambitions of becoming one of the best in the world.

"I want to be a world-class player, so I need to work on every aspect of my game: my movement, goals and body strength, because I’m not the tallest or the strongest," the Mexican explained.

"I need to be ready to compete in this tough league because it’s very physical, quick and technical. With the help of the coaches and my team-mates, I’m improving day by day.

"I do my best and if the manager wants me to play one minute or 90 minutes, I need to be ready to help the team."

Arbeloa: Real Madrid would have settled for a six-point lead in La Liga at the start of the season

Alvaro Arbeloa is unconcerned by the fact that Real Madrid have seen their 10-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga reduced to six points during the past fortnight, arguing that they would have gladly accepted such an advantage at this point of the season before the campaign began.

The same pundits who said the title race had already been run are now saying that it is very much back on again, after Los Blancos drew two games in the space of four days, against Malaga and Villarreal.

However, with Madrid having got back to winning ways against Real Sociedad at the weekend, and followed up that domestic success with a 3-0 victory over Champions League quarter-final opponents APOEL on Tuesday night, Arbeloa is in a positive frame of mind going into the business end of the campaign.

"In La Liga we are at a distance from Barcelona that I think we all would have signed up for earlier this season," he told reporters after the victory in Cyprus.

"This was no breeze [against APOEL] but it is a very important step forward, though we still have another step to take before we reach the semi-finals.

"Indeed, nothing is ever final in football and we need to play many more games, very important games."

Arbeloa was speaking to the press after Madrid decided to end the media blackout they had imposed after their controversial 1-1 draw at Villarreal in La Liga.

It had been claimed that coach Jose Mourinho was behind the move to stop speaking to the press but the Spain international insisted this had not been the case.

"After the match in Villarreal a consensus decision was made among all the players and staff in the dressing room," the full-back explained.

"We thought it was best for us to remain quiet as we did not want our comments to be misinterpreted and we had a few days of peace.

"But we knew that sooner or later things would return to normal.

"I can confirm, though, that the decision was taken from inside the dressing room. It was between everyone."

Madrid return to La Liga action against Osasuna in Pamplona this weekend

Andre Ayew: Bayern Munich are a dream club for all Marseille players

Andre Ayew has revealed that he dreams of joining a major European power like Bayern Munich - but not before he wins a title with Marseille.

The Bavarians are due at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Didier Deschamps' men and the Ghanaian freely admits that he is in awe of the Bundesliga giants.

"Bayern are a dream for all Marseille players," the forward is quoted as saying by Le Parisien. "A great club with exciting champions who collect trophies every year.

"They are in the same bracket as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea: the ultimate aspiration [for a player].

"But it is necessary to proceed in little steps and I'm not yet focusing on that."

The 22-year-old then insisted that he has no intention of seeking a move to the Allianz Arena just yet.

"I dreamed of playing first team football at Marseille and it has been incredible," he explained.

"But I want to be captain, to be the champions of France and this will not happen this year.

"I have a good relationship with the club. So, we'll see what happens."

Ayew, who has been capped 40 times by Ghana, has netted seven goals in 22 appearances for his club in Ligue 1 this season.

Adriano: A Barcelona-Bayern Champions League final would be one of the best of all time

Adriano believes that a Champions League final pitting Barcelona against Bayern Munich would be a great spectacle.

The Brazilian has been linked with a move to the Allianz Arena in the summer and admitted that he has nothing but respect and admiration for the Bavarians.

"I know that this is not the first time that there is talk of Bayern being interested in me, and I feel very honoured and proud," Adriano told Sport-Bild.

"Bayern are a top club. But I do not know any details, questions should be directed to my agent, Paulo Affonso.

"However, there is an incentive to be connected to such a team. There are few teams with the same calibre and prestige as Bayern Munich.

"If we [Barcelona & Bayern] meet on May 19, it would certainly be one of the most spectacular [Champions League] finals of all time."

Adriano, who still has two years left on his contract with the Blaugrana, also revealed that he is a big fan of German players.

"I think highly of them," he explained. "They have quality and are tactically the benchmark for any coach.

"There is a new generation of players who are incredibly talented. German players are respected all over the world."

The 27-year-old arrived at Camp Nou from Sevilla in 2010 but has failed to nail down a regular starting berth in Pep Guardiola's side and has been linked with a summer move to both Bayern and Juventus.

Barcelona meet AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at San Siro on Wednesday, with Bayern tackling Marseille at the Stade Velodrome on the same day.

Benitez plays down Liverpool return but wants another Premier League chance

Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has expressed his desire to find a new managerial role in the Premier League but has distanced himself from a return to Anfield.

The Spanish manager, who is currently without a club, claimed that he would be pleased to make a Reds comeback one day, but is not currently pushing the move out of respect for the club and current boss Kenny Dalglish.

Benitez left Anfield after his contract was ended by mutual consent in 2010 and went on to spend less than a season at Italian club Inter, but has claimed that his heart pines for a new job in England.

Speaking at the Soccerex conference in Manchester, the 51-year-old said: "Every time that I talk about Liverpool. I try to be respectful because of my relationship with the fans and the city.

"I'm a professional and I'm looking for a new job. At this time Kenny is the manager and I have a lot of respect for him.

"No rush. If Kenny retires in 10 years and I'm available, I would be pleased.

"I want to manage in the Premier League because I know, with my team, we can win trophies."

Dalglish has come under criticism of late as he has failed to carry the Reds' fine cup form into their Premier League campaign this season, with Liverpool currently sitting in a disappointing 7th in the table despite having won the League Cup and setting up an FA Cup semi-final clash with local rivals Everton.

Buffon credits Conte for Juventus revival

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that coach Antonio Conte deserves all of the credit for the club's resurgence this season.

Little was expected of the Bianconeri after successive seventh-placed finishes in Serie A but they are currently battling it out with AC Milan for the Scudetto and have already secured their place in May's Coppa Italia final.

And Buffon believes that Conte's arrival from Siena last summer served as the catalyst for the club's rapid transformation from also-rans to title contenders.

"The secret of our success is the ambition our coach has," the Italy captain explained to the Il Corriere dello Sport.

"He has shown that ambition since day one and has combined that with hard work.

"Conte has brought a new mentality to the club. He has pushed us to sweat, to find strength and to undergo hard work in order to cancel out the last two disappointing campaigns.

"He brings that winning mindset to the club every day based on his own hard-working, committed character."

However, Buffon admitted that he did not envisage Conte turning things around in such a short period of time.

"I certainly didn't expect us to have the campaign we have had so far, although I did hope we could do well," the former Parma man revealed.

"Now we have a Coppa Italia final to look forward to and we will not give up in the Scudetto race."

Juve currently trail league leaders Milan by four points ahead of this weekend's meeting with Napoli in Turin.

Robben: Bayern spurred on by prospect of home advantage in Champions League final

Arjen Robben has admitted that the prospect of home advantage in the Champions League final has been an extra 'special' incentive for Bayern Munich during this season's campaign.

The competition is still only at the quarter-final stage, with the Bavarians set to take on Marseille in the first leg of their last-eight tie at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday.

However, Robben has confessed that the fact that this year's tournament decider will be held at Bayern's Allianz Arena on May 19 has been on the players' minds.

"We shouldn't talk about the final yet, but of course it's something extra special when it's in your own stadium," Robben told Uefa.com.

"I think it's something special, the final in your stadium. For the club, it would be something incredibly big. First, we have to do everything to get a round further."

Vieira: Referee intimidation at Old Trafford gives Manchester United unfair advantage

Patrick Vieira has claimed that Manchester City's rivals Manchester United are given an advantage because referees are often intimidated by the Old Trafford crowd.

The former Arsenal man expressed his belief that City have been the best side in the Premier League this season, but that this hard work has been undone by poor decisions from officials in United's favour.

In the Red Devils' last home match against Fulham, the visitors were denied a last-minute penalty when Michael Carrick appeared to fell Danny Murphy in the box, with defender Jonny Evans conceding after the 1-0 win that the hosts were lucky that it wasn't given.

"When United play at home they get some advantage that other teams don't get," Vieira told BBC Sport.

"I think when you go to United, Madrid, Barcelona, or Milan, when the referees referee these kind of games, it's always difficult to go against these kind of teams. This is the way it is.

"It's something the teams who are used to winning get all the time, so we need to win games so we have this advantage in the future.

"This is our moment. Since the start of the season we've been the best team and played the best football. I believe the club deserves it.

Despite feeling that Roberto Mancini's side deserve the title, Vieira admits that, because of the champions' three-point lead, they have to be considered favourites at this point.

"When you are first, you have the advantage, they are favourites," the former midfielder explained.

The Frenchman also hailed the return of Carlos Tevez, playing down the dispute between the Argentine and the club which has blighted much of their season.

"We're glad Carlos is back. The quality of these kind of players will be really important at this stage of the season," the 35-year-old added.

"The issue was between him and the club. The players were really pleased to see him back.

"It's important not to lose focus, so many things can happen.

"People try to build this fire between the clubs. The heat is going to get more and more."

Green light for Japan-Brazil friendly in Poland

A friendly between Japan and Brazil in Poland is to go ahead in October, the Polish football association has decided, after initial objections due to a clash with the Poles' World Cup qualifier against England.

"We are pleased to announce that the football association is taking action to ensure we can hold the Japan-Brazil match as planned," said Pawel Czuma, city hall spokesman in the southwestern city of Wroclaw.

He underlined that the goal of holding the October 16 match was to tap the full potential of Wroclaw's Municipal Stadium, opened last year and one of Poland's four venues for the looming European championships.

Wroclaw's high-profile mayor, Rafal Dutkiewicz, had two weeks ago announced plans for the friendly.

But he was shot down within days by Grzegorz Lato, a former Poland international who now heads the football association.

Lato argued that it would be wrong to hold the Japan-Brazil game on the same day that Poland met England in the capital Warsaw.

The football association has the final say in the organisation of friendlies on its turf, but it was not immediately clear why it had changed tack.

The England game will be Poland's third fixture in their drive to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil, and a history of crunch encounters always gives the two nations' meetings an extra edge.

Van der Vaart reveals relief at Tottenham's opening goal against Bolton

Rafael van der Vaart has expressed his relief at seeing Ryan Nelsen get the opening goal in Tottenham's FA Cup tie against Bolton, claiming he has never been as happy to see his side score.

Spurs came out comfortable 3-1 but it was tense for much of the tie as the scoreline stayed at 0-0 until midway through the second half.

After his corner was met by Nelsen, Van der Vaart suggested that he had never before been so happy to see somebody else notch an opening goal.

“I spoke to the other guys and I can’t remember being so happy to score a first goal, and it wasn’t even me that scored," the midfielder told Spurs' official website.

“At certain points you are thinking ‘please, go in’, but after the first goal you saw the relief and that we were going to win the game.

“It was a great victory and we played some fantastic football, how a Tottenham team is supposed to play."

The Dutch midfielder also spoke of his delight to have reached the semi-finals, giving Spurs the opportunity to play at Wembley, taking on Chelsea for the chance to advance to the final.

“It’s always been a dream to play at Wembley and now we are there," said the Dutchman.

“It’s a great semi-final against Chelsea, plus Liverpool against Everton, so for Spurs fans and football fans everywhere it will be a fantastic day.”

Liverpool to play Roma at Fenway Park

Liverpool will play Roma in a pre-season match in July at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, it was announced Wednesday.

Fenway Sports Group is the sales arm of the ownership group for English Premier League club Liverpool, Major League Baseball team the Red Sox and a US stock car racing team, all now effectively under the control of US businessman John W. Henry.

Boston will serve as Liverpool's base for a 12-day tour that is set to feature what a Liverpool statement said was "two competitive games".

Fenway Park is one of baseball's most iconic venues and Henry hopes that staging a football match there between Liverpool and Roma on July 25 will be a fitting way of helping the ground mark its centenary.

"During its 100-year history, Fenway Park has hosted some of the best in athletic competition, and a match between Liverpool and AS Roma -- two of the world's most well-known and respected clubs -- is an appropriate way to help celebrate Fenway's 100th anniversary and showcase our ballpark to an international audience," he said.

Liverpool have already won the English League Cup this season and are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

But the Merseyside club, who dominated the old English First Division in the 1970s and 1980s, are a huge 31 points behind Premier League leaders and arch-rivals Manchester United, the reigning champions, with just eight league games of the season left.

"We had a great time playing in front of our supporters in Asia last year and it will be good to give our fans in North America the chance to watch us live this summer", said Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish.

"My son Paul worked and played in America and he's told me about just how much interest there is in Liverpool, and English football, right now.

"We've had some amazing matches against Roma in the past, particularly the 1984 European Cup final (which Liverpool won after a penalty shoot-out at Rome's Olympic Stadium), so it should be fantastic."

Liverpool's pre-season trip will be the first time they have travelled to North America since 1994, when they played games in Connecticut, New Jersey and Toronto in Canada.

Ferreira happy to play part in Chelsea's win at Benfica

Chelsea defender Paulo Ferreira says he is happy to have returned to action against Benfica in his side's Champions League win in Portugal, but insists the job isn't complete yet.

The Portuguese full-back hasn't featured for the blues since the 3-1 home defeat against Aston Villa in December, but was pleased with his own display as well as the result.

"We are really happy because we got a good result against a good team, and I am also happy because I was not playing for a long time and I played 80 minutes and helped the team." Ferreira told the club's official website.

"Every day I do my work and try to be in the best condition if the manager wants me, and this game he chose me and I tried to give my best.

"Another day I could do even better but in physical terms I knew that I couldn't make crazy runs so I needed to play with more intelligence.

"Doing 80 minutes I think is really good for the fact I have not been playing."

Ferreira admitted it was good to get back to his home country, and hailed Salomon Kalou's decisive winner which ensure Roberto Di Matteo's side hold a slender 1-0 advantage going into their second leg at Stamford Bridge.

He said: "It is always good to be in my country and play in this beautiful stadium as well, but we thought that we could score because we have wonderful players who can decide games."

"It was a wonderful counter attack and Ramires did very well on that side and made space. It was a good ball as well from Torres for Kalou, so it was a good goal and good for him, he deserves it.

The game saw David Luiz and Ramires return to their former club, and 33-year-old Ferreira knows only too well about the threat Benfica pose.

The defender spent two years of his career playing for rivals Porto, and says Chelsea need to be cautious if they are to progress to the semi-finals.

"But we had to defend also because Benfica are a good side and it was hard work," he added.

"Everyone played for the team but it is not over yet. We know Benfica has the capacity to score goals away and we need to be careful as well, but playing at home with our supporters in our stadium we will do everything to pass this stage."

Nesta: I was not given time to collect my things when I left Lazio for AC Milan

Alessandro Nesta has admitted that he remains bitter over the way in which he was portrayed as a traitor after leaving Lazio for AC Milan.

The former Italy international was a hero to the Biancocelesti faithful but the fans turned against him after he joined the Rossoneri in 2002.

The Lazio supporters felt betrayed by one of their own but Nesta maintains that he agreed to a transfer for the good of the club, who were experiencing serious financial problems at the time.

"I would never have wanted to leave but the club had to raise cash and it all happened in such a hurry that I could not make a decision," the centre-back told Sky Sport Italia. "I deserved more respect.

"Passing me off as a traitor hurt because the truth came out that Lazio was in debt and had to sell.

"I remember that day like it was yesterday. We were training in Formello and Massimo Cragnotti called us in because someone had to be sold.

"He handed me the phone and told me that I should agree because Lazio needed money.

"He gave me no time to get my things and I ran to catch the plane to Milan.

"There was sort of presentation at San Siro before a friendly, and at one point I turned around to see Crespo: they had also sold him, to Inter!"

Nesta, who was capped 78 times by his country before retiring from international football after the 2006 World Cup triumph, has won two Champions League crowns and two Serie A titles during his time with Milan.

Luuk de Jong injury less serious than first feared

Luuk de Jong's ankle injury is not as serious as initially believed and the Twente striker could return to action in the next couple of weeks.

The 21-year-old sustained the knock against De Graafschap last Wednesday, but the severity of the injury remained unclear, and there were fears that the forward may have broken his ankle.

But a second MRI scan has confirmed that the Netherlands international had only suffered a sprain and could return to action in time for the clash against Eredivisie leaders AZ on April 11.

"Luuk de Jong had a new MRI scan on his ankle on Tuesday," a statement on Twente's official website read.

"The procedure revealed that the forward's ankle is sprained. De Jong will now follow an individual training programme."

Steve McClaren's side host Roda JC on Saturday as they look to close the gap on second-placed Ajax, who are three points ahead in the Eredivisie standings.

Galliani warns Barcelona: Thiago Silva is not for sale

AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has informed Barcelona president Sandro Rosell that he will only be wasting his time if he continues his pursuit of Thiago Silva.

The defender is already on the record saying that the Blaugrana approached him about moving to Camp Nou last summer but, the Rossoneri intend to make the Brazilian their new club captain in order to persuade him to remain at San Siro.

However, Galliani claims that the Italian champions are unwilling to listen to offers for the 27-year-old centre-back anyway.

"If Sandro Rosell asks me about Thiago Silva, my answer will be courteous but firm: he is not for sale," the Rossoneri chief is quoted as saying by Tuttosport.

Galliani has the utmost respect for Barca but is still hopeful that Milan can upset the Catalans in the first leg of their eagerly-awaited Champions League quarter-final tie at San Siro on Wednesday.

"I always follow the games of Barcelona as they are a fantastic team," he enthused. "I really like the way they play, they are a great advertisement for football.

"Tonight they are the favourites, but there are many champions in football and sometimes the favourites lose."

Gervinho hails potential of young Arsenal squad

Gervinho has expressed his belief that Arsenal have a bright future as their young squad are starting to gel and show their quality.

The 24-year-old hailed the calibre of youthful talents such as Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and, with these players starting to show their potential, the Ivorian feels that it is only a matter of time until the north London side end their trophy drought of nearly seven years.

“I think that we can cope with everything, really,” he told the club's official website. “We have had and have been through a lot of difficult times this season.

"Lots of people have waivered in their belief in us, have said this and that, but we have returned to form.

“We are a group of young lads, we get on really well, but we have got stronger during the tough times and showed the real Arsenal. We are going to try and finish the season well and we are happy with that.

“We are all still young, have got some good players and a good group. We can still win lots of trophies and do great things in the future because we are a good club.”

The Gunners have turned around a season which started poorly, winning their last seven Premier League games to put them in third place as things stand, and Gervinho has claimed that the 5-2 victory over rivals Tottenham on February 26 was pivotal in their revival.

“The derby game was great and everything came together and clicked,” he explained.

“You saw how we played as a team, the result, how the team worked together and hit some form. That is how we should be and we can use that as a yardstick.”

Gotze to earn €4.6m per year while Dortmund close in on Kagawa extension

Borussia Dortmund are seriously committed to retaining their stars, and according to Bild, have made Mario Gotze their highest-paid player.

On Tuesday, Gotze signed a two-year contract extension that will see him remain with the Ruhr side until 2016, and now it is alleged that the Germany international will receive wages in the amount of €4.6 million per year.

The value exceeds any of his team-mates, and is a substantial increase over his previous deal, which amounted to approximately €1m per annum.

Having tied down Gotze, Dortmund are now determined to reach a new deal with Shinji Kagawa. The Japan international's contract is set to expire in 2013, and the player will reportedly extend his stay in the next few days.

Dortmund have been keen to tie down their stars, with Gotze, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels, Lukasz Piszczek and Sven Bender under contract until 2014 or later.

Marco Reus, who will be a BVB player on July 1, has also committed his long-term future to the club, having penned a deal to 2017.

Oxlade-Chamberlain could double his wages at Arsenal

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could see his weekly wages at Arsenal doubled to £50,000 this summer, with Arsene Wenger keen to offload some players and offer key figures better deals according to reports in The Daily Telegraph.

The Gunners are said to be close to breaking even on their turnover, which in turn means that earners such as the likes of Andrey Arshavin, Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh could be forced to move on to make sure that the club is financially healthy.

Despite Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott being due for contract talks after the season, the rapid emergence of 18-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlain means that he, too, can expect an improved deal.

Although the winger spent last season plying his trade in League One with Southampton, Wenger is said to be very impressed with his midfielder's progress and believes that he merits a bigger contract.

It is thought this will mean doubling his current £25,000-per-week wages. However, the new deal hinges on whether or not Arsenal can offload their bit-part players in the summer.

It is also rumoured that the Gunners will announce the signing of German international Lukas Poldolski in the coming weeks for around £11 million.

Aguero: Manchester City will fight to the end in title race

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero has stressed that the team will battle until the end in a bid to win their first Premier League title in the club's history.

The Argentine believes that the club can round off a brilliant season by winning the league and has promised supporters that they will not stop fighting in their pursuit of glory

.

"Why wait until next season if we can win it now?” he said to the club's official website.

“I can promise you that we’ll be fighting until the very end. We all want to make it, and though it won’t be easy, we believe we can win the Premier League this season.

"Winning titles is about never giving up and we will never give up. I want to win it this season and then many more with City after that.”

The former Atletico Madrid forward has netted an incredible 24 times during his first year in England.

"I was able to adapt quickly to the team and to the Premier League. That was all due to my team-mates, the club and especially the fans," he explained.

“We have had a great season but there is so much more to come from this team. I’ve been told we’ve broken historic records and that’s already an achievement. I’ve also learnt it’s important to respect our progress as an on-going process.

“As for moving to England, my family and I feel we’ve adapted really well to living in Manchester and we haven’t been here for too long, either.

“The staff of the club and my team-mates have been very supportive, especially Pablo Zabaleta, who has been here for quite a while. Everyone has made us feel like home. We still would like to know the city better and maybe visit the outskirts more, but we don’t have too much free time on our hands."

Stuttgart fans do not like the Europa League, says Bobic

Stuttgart sporting director Fredi Bobic has expressed surprise at the lack of enthusiasm shown by the club's fans for the Europa League.

Bruno Labbadia's side boosted their European hopes with a 1-0 win over Nurnberg on Sunday, which took them up to seventh in the Bundesliga table.

But Bobic, 40, claimed there was not much excitement among the VfB faithful for Europe's second-tier tournament.

"The Europa League is widely renowned. But the question is how it is seen here," he said to Bild.

"Most recently, the tournament was not accepted in Stuttgart and the stadiums were not full.

"It's kind of hard to grasp," he admitted.

Stuttgart reached the round of 32 in the Europa League last season, where they were eliminated by Portuguese giants Benfica.

Labbadia's men resume their quest for European football with a trip to league leaders Borussia Dortmund on Friday.

Beckenbauer concerned by Schweinsteiger injury

Franz Beckenbauer has expressed his fear that Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger might not be fit in time for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

The Germany international has been beset by an ankle injury and has made only two substitute appearances for the Bavarians since February 8.

"I do not know what the issue is with Schweinsteiger," Beckenbauer said in an interview with Sky.

"There are players who return immediately after an injury and then break down.

"Only Schweinsteiger knows how badly he has been injured, so I do not know what the problem is."

While Bayern's honorary president expressed hope that Schweinsteiger will be fit in time for Euro 2012, he urged Germany coach Joachim Low to only select the midfielder if he returns to full fitness.

"If Schweinsteiger is one [whose recovery] takes time, it will be tight for the European Championship," he warned.

"I do not believe that it is sufficient if he is only there."

Schweinsteiger is doubtful to feature for Bayern in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final clash with Marseille at the Stade Velodrome, even though he has been included in the squad travelling to France.

Drogba hails significance of Chelsea away goal

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has pointed to his side's away goal against Benfica as the key to progressing through to the Champions League semi-finals.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were 1-0 winners on the night courtesy of Salomon Kalou's late effort, meaning they head into the second-leg with a considerable advantage.

Drogba had been criticised in the build up to the tie after a video on Chelsea TV emerged of him appearing to mock the Portuguese side when he and team-mates were filmed watching the Champions League quarter-final draw, a suggestion which was later denied by David Luiz.

Although the Ivorian was an unused substitute during the first leg at the Estadio da Luz with Roberto Di Matteo selecting Fernando Torres, the veteran still realises the importance of both the result and the away goal to the blues chances of booking a place in the semi-finals.

"It is a great result," the 34-year-old told L'Equipe. "The most important thing is that we have scored that goal away from home.

"But we have a lot of respect for Benfica. We will take the return leg very seriously."

If Chelsea progess to the next stage of the competition they will face either holders Barcelona or Italian giants AC Milan for a place in this year's final at the Allianz Arena.

Kalou: There is no reason why Chelsea could not win Champions League

Salomon Kalou has expressed his belief that Chelsea can win the Champions League this season.

Owner Roman Abramovich has made no secret of his desire for Europe’s top club honour since taking over the club in 2003.

Kalou’s late goal against Benfica on Tuesday moved them a step closer to the prize, and the Ivory Coast international believes the club can go all the way this year.

“I believe there is no reason why we could not win the Champions League,” Kalou told reporters.

"Anything is possible. We have the team for it, we have the players for it."

Kalou did not enjoy his happiest period at the club under the management of Andre Villas-Boas, making just 14 appearances in all competitions.

However, since interim manager Robert Di Matteo took charge, the 26-year-old has been brought back into the fold, and he says he is delighted to be back helping the team.

He continued: "It means a lot to me to score. I am happy to be in the team, playing games and to score.

"I still think I can improve and if I can help teams to win games, I'd be delighted to do that.

Ozil: I turned down an offer from Inter in favour of Madrid

Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has revealed that he had the chance to join Inter after the 2010 World Cup, but opted to move to the Santiago Bernabeu instead.

Sport Bild reports that then Inter coach Jose Mourinho first attempted to lure Ozil to Serie A in 2009, but a transfer never materialised. The Nerazzurri again made a move for the former Werder Bremen star one year later and were willing to pay €25 million for the attacking midfielder.

However, Ozil had set his sights on a switch to Madrid and he completed the transfer for a fee in the region of €15m to join up with Mourinho in the Spanish capital.

"It is true that in 2010 I had offers from some top European clubs. This included Inter. But the decision to go to Real was absolutely right. It's the best club in the world, and I would like to end my career here," Ozil said to Sport Bild.

"I am only 23 years old, I will not reach my peak for a long time. I'll become even better. I am concentrating fully on Madrid and the national team, because we can make history this year.

"We can win La Liga and the Champions League, and in the summer the European Championship with Germany."

The Madrid star then went on to discuss the performances of Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, and had nothing but praise for the Argentine.

"It was impressive to see how Messi played against Leverkusen. Of course he is top class, as are many other players from Barcelona.

"But we have grown together as a team, which can be seen in La Liga. We are leading the table."

Madrid currently hold a six-point lead over Barcelona in the Liga table.

Dalglish refuses to rule Adam out for the rest of the season

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is refusing to rule Charlie Adam out for the rest of the season.

Reports had suggested the former Blackpool man would miss the rest of the campaign after picking up a knee injury in the Reds’ 3-2 defeat at QPR.

However, Dalglish says the Scotland midfielder is resting before the club’s medical staff reassess the injury.

"We know Charlie has strained knee ligaments but we still don't know how long he will be out," Dalglish told reporters.

"He hasn't had an operation and as it stands he's not having one.

"It's only been a week since he did it. He needs to rest it for another 10 days or so and then he will be reassessed.

"We'll see how he is then and we'll be in a better position to know when he will be back playing.

"We haven't ruled him out for the rest of the season. We're just waiting to see how he progresses."

The Merseyside outfit have had to contend with a number of injury worries of late, with Craig Bellamy, Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger and Martin Kelly all suffering knocks.

Dalglish is remaining optimistic about those receiving treatment though, and is hopeful they will be ready for a return this Sunday for the trip to Newcastle.

He continued: "They are all making progress.

"They are all training to various degrees and we will monitor them throughout the week.