₦airaland Forum

Hi friend.there is a place in the bible where sport like athletic is mentioned.first Corinthians 9:24-27(although Paul was using it as an example on how christians should run their heavenly race, but if it was sin he wouldn't have mentioned it) . Check also First Timothy 4:7-8( Paul told timothy to do exercise which is like sport, that it profits little). from these two verses it shows that Sport in it entity is not a sin unless used to worship a particular god that is not Our real GOD. thanks

The tension in the build-up to the final matches of the Premier League season is starting to show, with champions Manchester United at the helm.

On Sunday, United host Blackpool at Old Trafford while Wolves entertain Blackburn at Molineux.

The Midlands club's owner Steve Morgan fired an early salvo in the showdown relegation battle on Thursday, claiming it would be "hypocritical" of the Premier League if they did not fine United for fielding a weakened side against Blackpool.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has taken that step in the past for matches with West Ham and Hull on the last day of league campaigns.

The Blackpool match is less than a week before the Champions League final, with speculation mounting that Ferguson will rest several key players.

Wolves were handed a suspended 25,000 pounds fine for making 10 changes for a match against United last season and Blackpool were fined during this campaign for adopting the same approach at Aston Villa.

"We can only do what we have to do," Morgan said.

"I think United put out a second string against Schalke and it didn't do them much good."

"I don't know what they will do. United are a very professional club and will not want to lose on the final day, on the day they get presented with the Premier League trophy."

"They are not going to want to lose going into the Champions League final."

But, when asked if he expected United to be fined by the Premier League if they field a weakened side, Morgan said: "It would be pretty hypocritical if they weren't (fined)."

Meanwhile, Blackpool defender Ian Evatt believes Sir Alex Ferguson will ignore the pleas of other managers and pick whatever team he pleases.

Evatt is convinced Ferguson will not care what anyone says and will do what he likes.

"Sir Alex Ferguson has won the Premier League 19 times," Evatt said.

"He will do his own thing and what he thinks is best for his own club."

"No matter which manager pipes up and says Sir Alex should be doing this, or even if the Premier League say he shouldn’t do something, he will do what he thinks is best for Manchester United."

"If that means playing the reserves, he’ll play them. If he wants to play the first team, he’ll do that."

"We could worry about that all day long but we won’t because it is important we concentrate on ourselves and play like we have been playing."

"For us it is like a play-off final or a cup final but it’s the same for the other teams down there."

"As long as we get three points we will have a great chance of staying in this division."

"If we get a victory and are unlucky enough to go down with 42 points, then I don’t think we could have done much more."

"We would certainly be able to all hold our heads up high."

Tottenham want to pull off a stunning summer swoop for Chelsea's Didier Drogba, according to the Express, though the Ivorian's £130,000-a-week wages may well scare off the White Hart Lane outfit. Just in case they're also interested in a veritable busload of alternative attacking targets, with a £14m offer for Espanyol's former Atalanta, Lecce, Fiorentina and Bologna striker Pablo Osvaldo very much on the cards in an effort to trump Atlético Madrid's £11m rival bid, and tabs being pretty firmly kept on Hertha Berlin's Pierre-Michel Lasogga, dubbed the new Lukas Podolski. Harry Redknapp is also monitoring £8m-rated Birmingham player of the season Ben Foster, for whom White Hart Lane holds some unhappy memories.

Manchester City are to make Craig Bellamy available to anyone willing to pay his wages, after stumping up £70,000 of his £90,000-a-week pay packet all season for the pleasure of watching the mouthy hitman play for Cardiff City. Manchester United, meanwhile, are set for a "slightly busier than normal" summer, according to their chief executive, David Gill, with the 6ft 3in 18-year-old Lens centre-back Raphaël Varane apparently on the list. He's available for £9m. "I am looking at maybe three signings," says Sir Alex Ferguson. That's one more than Manchester City, whose chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, insists: "We don't need quantity, as today we have quality. We just need a couple of players."

Brazilian star Neymar hopes that his mooted move to Chelsea can be resurrected. "To play in Europe is my dream. I was very proud of Chelsea's interest and I hope to keep playing well so that this proposal can happen again," he pleaded. "I know about these teams; Chelsea, Manchester – to play for them are the dreams of all players. I know about players in England – Drogba, Lampard, Gerrard – these are very good players. I have spoken to Ramires and David Luiz and they say England is a very good country and London is a beautiful place to live."

Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp has been ordered to throw out his vast collection of hats.

Charles N'Zogbia is set to be the subject of a stunning six-way summer tug of love as a bevy of top teams battle for his southpaw services. Kenny Dalglish would prefer to sign Stewart Downing to occupy Liverpool's left wing but will turn to N'Zogbia if he fails, while Aston Villa will turn to N'Zogbia if he succeeds. Also in the running are Tottenham, Sunderland, Juventus and Newcastle, whose transfer policy according to the Mirror can be summarised as "scouring the French league for bargains". Joining N'Zogbia on his way through the DW Stadium exit is Mohamed Diamé, an £8m target for Sevilla.

The Star has won the competition to see which national newspaper could provide the least comprehensive coverage of the Europa League final, despite the strenuous efforts of their Fleet Street rivals, with six little sentences tucked on to the bottom corner of page 61.

Wayne Rooney's Twitter row with a Liverpool fan, which included him being called "a fat ugly lil nonse" [sic], and the England ace offering to "put u asleep within 10 seconds", has been branded "a bit of harmless banter" by a Manchester United source. Eidur Gudjohnsen's late-career tour of England looks set to continue with a stint at QPR, who also want former new-Diego-Maradona Javier Saviola, currently at Benfica. Wolves will spend £2.5m on Doncaster's Billy Sharp even if they get relegated, while West Ham want Cardiff's free-agent England ace Jay Bothroyd.

Arsenal, with their bumper transfer kitty soon to be boosted by Andrey Arshavin's exit, probably to Fenerbahce, have reignited their interest in the towering Blackburn defensive dominator Christopher Samba, currently topping a want-list that also includes Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill and Paris St-Germain's Mamadou Sakho. Meanwhile Arsène Wenger is to offer Robin van Persie a £20,000 pay rise if he'll sign a five-year contract that will keep him in north London until he's 32. He currently earns 22% less than Craig Bellamy, and that's got to hurt.

Liverpool have won the race to sign 15-year-old Alex O'Hanlon, regarded as Ireland's most promising teen and also coveted by Real Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. On their way out of the city are Paul Konchesky, the Leicester-bound full-back flop, and Everton's Joseph Yobo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and James Vaughan, at least one of whom is also likely to join Konchesky and Sven-Göran Eriksson at the Foxes.

Hi pals, i hav 100,000(one hundred thousand naira) and i am thinking of a business to do with it that will make me return the capital in five moths.i dont knw what do do so i made it a suggestion.Pls, help me.ur replies will be my guide.Thanks.

Real Madrid are preparing a £35million summer move for Manchester City captain Carlos Tevez.

Manager Jose Mourinho wanted to sign Tevez in January and the Argentina international remains his top target.

Tevez signed a five-year deal at Eastlands in 2009 but handed in a transfer request earlier this season.

The striker admitted he was unhappy spending long periods of time away from his daughters in Argentina and his relationship with boss Roberto Mancini has never been a smooth one.

According to the Daily Mirror, Real general manager Jorge Valdano has approached Kia Joorabchian, who represents the player, about a deal.

Madrid are desperate to land a big name as they look to close the gap on Spanish champions elect Barcelona and Mourinho has always been an admirer of Tevez, who has also been linked with Inter Milan.

Tevez, 27, has 19 Premier League goals for City this season, with former Manchester United team-mate Dimitar Berbatov the only player ahead of him in the table.

City play Tottenham tonight (Tuesday) and Stoke in the FA Cup final on Saturday but Tevez is facing a race to be fit as he recovers from a hamstring problem.

Beleaguered Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes his team have done well this season, and says he now knows what must be done to turn the Gunners into champions next season.
The London club have not won the league title since Patrick Vieira's Invincibles lifted the Premier League trophy seven years ago and any hopes of them doing so this season were smashed when they lost 3-1 at Stoke on Sunday.

Arsenal's weaknesses in defence came to the fore at the Britannia Stadium when Kenwyne Jones bundled home Stoke's opener unmarked in the penalty area and again after an awful clearance from Johan Djourou fell straight to Jon Walters, who scored Stoke's third goal.

Dutch striker Robin van Persie managed a consolation goal for the Gunners when he belted in his 20th goal of the season.

Fans are now calling for Wenger to bring in some experienced players during the summer, with key roles expected in defence, where Bolton's Gary Cahill and Blackburn's Chris Samba are reported targets.

Wenger insists he will not talk about the difficulties Arsenal are experiencing in defence as his team prepare for next weekend's clash with Aston Villa.

The Gunners will want to stay ahead of Manchester City if they want automatic qualification for the Champions League next season.

Wenger said: "We have our plans and we know what we will do.

"It is not the best moment to analyse after a disappointing game, but if you analyse all competitions and how we have done, the number of games we have played, then we have done well.

"We have to take a little bit of distance and make the right analysis of the season."

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid's Portuguese manager, has been handed a five-game European ban, one of which is suspended, for his conduct during and comments after the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, Uefa have confirmed.
The ban, meted out by the governing body for European football, comes following comments made by Mourinho in the immediate aftermath of his side's 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on April 27.

Mourinho will now miss the next three games he manages in Europe having already served a one-match ban in Real's 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp on Tuesday, while the fifth match is suspended for a probationary period of three years.

The controversial Portuguese has also been fined €50,000 by Uefa's control and disciplinary body, while the club itself have been fined €20,000 for the "the improper conduct of their supporters".

The club, in a statement, said: "Real Madrid CF considers this resolution still suffers from the same defects found at the start of the disciplinary case, which made it impossible for our coach to use his right to defend himself, since the exact statements for which the disciplinary case was opened are still unknown.

"Real Madrid CF will appeal this decision before the Uefa appeals body
Mourinho had claimed that Barcelona enjoyed a form of "power" over opponents.

“Each semi-final always brings the same,’’ said Mourinho of Barcelona. “We're talking about a fantastic football team. So why? As a match strategy we were not going to lose.

“I don't know if it’s the advertising for Unicef. I don't know if it's Uefa. Congratulations for a wonderful football team. It must be difficult to get this power. They have managed to get this power. No-one else has any chance really. Arsène Wenger. Today myself. I don't understand why. I hope one day I will find the answer.”

Mourinho's comments not only angered Barcelona, but also former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon.

"I think what he did in terms of talking about Uefa and referees is not acceptable at all. It doesn't match with Real Madrid's history," said Calderon.

"I assume that he's a very, very good manager, but talking like that has been harmful for Real Madrid."

Barcelona reserve goalkeeper Jose Pinto, who was red-carded following an altercation at half-time at the Bernabéu, has been given a three-game ban.

Mourinho and Real have three days to lodge an appeal with Uefa.

Nani claims Manchester United hold the fear factor over Chelsea heading into Sunday's potential Premier League title decider, and labelled the Old Trafford encounter more important than Barcelona.
United could complete a marvellous Double by claiming the Premier League and Champions League titles over the next three weeks, with victory over Chelsea almost certain to wrap up the domestic scene before the Red Devils head to Wembley to take on Barca for European glory.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side have already overcome Chelsea over two legs en route to the Champions League final, and Nani believes that gives his team the edge on Sunday. Defeat for United would put the title in Chelsea's hands by virtue of goal difference, but the Portugal international is adamant the pressure is all on the Blues.

"The results against them in the Champions League were very good. I think that gives us the psychological advantage," Nani said.

"We just have to concentrate on our football and winning the game. If we do that then everything will be fine. If we win this one then it is a great advantage for us. It is nearly over then. We have a great chance."

United are expected to welcome back all their first-team stars for the weekend showdown, including the hamstrung Wayne Rooney. Ferguson has rested his prized assets in recent weeks, but Nani says there is no chance that anybody is already thinking about Barcelona.

"The most important game is Chelsea not Barcelona," said Nani, before adding about the Wembley final, "It is very important to be all together. It would another fantastic story for this club if we win at Wembley."

John Obi Mikel is a shock target for Arsenal Football Club.

Roman Abramovich is being heavily tipped to shake up the Chelsea squad when the window reopens, despite the Blues pushing Manchester United all the way for the title.

This means a number of current first team players are sweating over their futures, and Mikel is one of many who has been linked with a possible exit.

The 24-year-old has started 26 times in the Premier League this season, and Fans FC understand Arsene Wenger is monitoring his situation.

Whether the Blues would sell the midfielder to a rival club remains to be seen, and as he is under contract until 2014, they would demand a fee of around £15million.
This would be something of a surprise for a number of different reasons. Firstly it is plausible that Nigerian interantional John Obi Mikel would be considering his Chelsea future having seen his first team opportunities limited by the arrival of Ramires from Benfica but would Carlo Ancelotti or Roman Abramovich allow the 24 year old to join an arch rival? Seems unlikely.

The former Lyn Oslo midfielder did of course something of a stir when he turned his back on Man United after having seemingly already signed for the Old Trafford club, however the determined tackler has since become a crucial player at the club but some sources seem to believe Ancelotti is willing to hand his role to Brazilian international Ramires next term leading to speculation about Mikel’s future.

That said, Mikel has been in excellent form of late and his resurgence has correlated with the Blues recent good run of results that has made the West London side genuine title contenders again.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could do with some added steel in his midfield but Alex Song has done a solid job when called upon but back-up Denilson has been poor this term.

The Gunners manager is reportedly considering a big shake-up at the club with the likes of Emmanuel Eboue, Manuel Almunia, Gael Clichy, Nicklas Bendtner and Andrei Arshavin linked with exits.

Chelsea are bracing themselves for a £25million bid from AC Milan for midfield general Michael Essien.

The Blues are currently gearing up for a must-win clash against Manchester United on Sunday, while Milan, who are all but assured of being crowned Italian league champions, are already beginning preparations for next season.

Both sides are looking to ship out ageing stars in the summer to make way for fresh faces, with Milan in particular keen to find replacements for Gennaro Gattuso (33), Clarence Seedorf (35), Andrea Pirlo, and Massimo Ambrosini (32 and 34 this month respectively).

And while Chelsea are expected to make a similar level of cuts, Essien’s name will not be one that Carlo Ancelotti was planning on parting with, despite the Ghanaian’s under-par season.

But Italian reports claim Rossoneri coach Massimiliano Allegri has identified the 28-year-old as the man required to add the necessary steel to his side, and is prepared to test Chelsea’s resolve to hang on to their midfield dynamo.

Essien’s Ghana team-mate Kevin Prince Boateng, who is currently playing at the San Siro, is said to have already been in touch with his countryman to try and persuade him to make the switch to Italy.

Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has slammed referee Frank De Bleeckere for giving Barcelona ‘preferential treatment’ in their clash.

De Bleeckere ruled out a Gonzalo Higuain goal early in the second-half of the Champions League semi-final second leg, which ended 1-1 for a 3-1 aggregate win to Barcelona.

Ronaldo was deemed to have fouled Javier Mascherano in the build up to Higuain’s strike, with video replays showing Barca defender Gerard Pique making contact with the Portuguese star moments before he crashed into Mascherano’s legs.

De Bleeckere penalised Ronaldo for bringing down Mascherano, and Higuain’s goal was disallowed.

“The team is sad, but we knew it was an uphill battle,” Ronaldo said on Real’s official website.

“The name of the match is ‘Mission Impossible IV’. Once again, it was the referee that didn’t allow us to dictate the outcome. We knew we could beat Barca, but the referee didn’t let us.”

“Higuain’s goal was good. Pique pushed me and I landed on Mascherano. He didn’t used to fall to the ground in England, but he’s picked up the bad habit of doing it here like everyone else.”

Ronaldo echoed team-mate Xabi Alonso’s criticism of the red card handed to Pepe in the first leg of their semi-final at the Bernabeu, using the decision as proof UEFA referees guided Barcelona into the Wembley final.

“The referee in the first match took away our chances of playing the final. Whoever knows anything about football knows that Barcelona get preferential treatment. We knew something would happen. We knew that if we scored a goal that everything would be done to keep us from going through,” Ronaldo said.

“This isn’t good for football. We should just stay home and allow Barcelona to play alone if things don’t change. Barcelona have a lot of power off the pitch. We would have drawn 0-0 without the Alves incident (Pepe’s red card) and tonight’s draw would have seen us through.”

“There are no differences between the teams as was seen throughout the four matches. We won the Copa del Rey (against Barca) by playing fairly. I don’t feel that Barcelona were better than us, but rather that they have a lot of help from the referees.”

Rafa Benitez has been told to forget the idea he might be the man to replace Carlo Ancelotti should the Italian leave Chelsea.

The former Liverpool boss has made it clear through his representatives that he would be open to a move to Stamford Bridge if Ancelotti moves on.

But Roman Abramovich has no interest in recruiting Benitez, who has been out of work since he was sacked by Inter Milan in December, six months after losing his job at Anfield.
The 51-year-old Spaniard won the Champions League with Liverpool six years ago and was in charge of the Merseysiders during an epic sequence of European duels with Chelsea when he became locked in a bitter feud with Jose Mourinho.

These memories, together with his reputation for cautious football and boardroom power struggles, count against him in the eyes of Abramovich, who has been considering his options since Chelsea lost at Manchester United in the Champions League.
Ancelotti still has a year left on his contract and has revived Chelsea's form since last month's Europe exit but his best chance of keeping his job seems to hinge on Abramovich failing to find a successor to his liking.

The Russian's top choice is Guus Hiddink but there are complications because the Dutchman is working for Turkey and reluctant to return to full-time management at the age of 64.

Jose Mourinho, who was sent to the stands during Real Madrid’s 2-0 defeat on Wednesday night, risked an extended Uefa ban by claiming a refereeing conspiracy helps Barcelona to progress in the Champions League.

Mourinho made mention of four officials: Anders Frisk, who he claimed received a half-time visit from Frank Rijkaard, the then Barcelona coach, in 2005; Tom Henning Ovrebo, who dismissed Chelsea’s Didier Drogba against Barcelona in 2009; Massimo Busacca, who sent off Arsenal’s Robin van Persie at Camp Nou this season, and Wolfgang Stark, who showed a red card to Real’s Pepe on Wednesday. Mourinho was also expelled.

“I didn't say anything to the referee,’’ said Mourinho of his dismissal. “I simply laughed and showed my thumbs up. That was it. If I say to him and UEFA what I think my career ends today. I can't say what I feel. I only leave one question. Why? Why? Ovrebo, Busacca, Frisk, Stark? Why to all these people?”

Mourinho alleged Barcelona enjoyed some form of “power”, a claim that Uefa must take issue with. “Each semi-final always brings the same,’’ said Mourinho of Barcelona. “We're talking about a fantastic football team. So why? As a match strategy we were not going to lose.

“I don't know if it’s the advertising for Unicef. I don't know if it's UEFA. Congratulations for a wonderful football team. It must be difficult to get this power. They have managed to get this power. No-one else has any chance really. Arsène Wenger. Today myself. I don't understand why. I hope one day I will find the answer.”

He felt the tie over. "It's mission impossible. They have to reach the final and they will. That’s it. Perhaps they could win on merit. This match was bound for a nil-nil result. Why did he do this? He won't answer because now he is going home. Last year was a miracle but this year absolutely nothing. Why don't they let other teams play against them?

"Yes we are out. We will go there with all the pride and respect for our world. Sometimes I feel disgusted living in this world and earning my living in this world. We have to do it with pride.

"Without Pepe. Without Sergio Ramos (suspended). Without the coach. The result is practically impossible to revert. If we score in Barcelona they will kill us again. There is no chance for us.

"I know many Catalan friends and they will be happy and they're going to Wembley but to win this way cannot feel the same.

He had another dig at Pep Guardiola, Barcelona’s coach, who led his team to victory in the 2009 final over Manchester United.

"I won two European titles and I won them on the pitch,’’ continued the former Porto and Inter Milan coach. "I would’ve been embarrassed to win that title because it was won with the scandal of Stamford Bridge. This will be won with the scandal of the Bernabeu.

“I hope one day he wins a Champions League title as it should be, perfect, spotless, without any scandal. I respect him as a person and as a manager. I didn't disrespect him before the game.’’

Guardiola refused to be drawn on Mourinho’s allegations, constantly saying: “Nothing, nothing.”

Guardiola also refused to comment on the performance of Stark, who also booked Alvaro Arbeloa, Emmanuel Adebayor, Dani Alves and Javier Mascherano as well as sending off the Barcelona reserve keeper Jose Pinto for pushing Arbeloa in the tunnel.

“We tried to play the best as possible,’’ said Guardiola. “There is a referee to take the decisions.”

And Uefa to clear up the mess afterwards.

Patrice Evra has warned Manchester United to beware the wounded animal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

With a place in next month's Champions League final at Wembley virtually assured following their win over Schalke, United's main focus is now on regaining the Premier League title. They lead the table by six points ahead with four games to go and still have to play their closest challengers, Chelsea, so much now rests on this weekend's match.

Arsenal have all but blown their own title hopes having taken just two points from their past three games, but Evra said: "You have to fear the wounded animal. It is all or nothing for Arsenal so that is a danger. They will want to show they can still win the title."

Arsenal's sudden collapse appears to bear out Evra's controversial statement earlier this season that manager Arsène Wenger needs to decide whether he is managing a football club or a finishing school for young players. However the 29-year-old has warned against United believing Sunday will be easy.

"We have a good record at Arsenal but statistics can change so quickly. Everyone used to say how Arsenal kept losing to Chelsea and then they beat them. We kept losing at Stamford Bridge but won there in the Champions League.

"Our record at the Emirates will hurt them and they will want to do something about it."

He added: "Sunday is a massive game for us. It is a great opportunity. There is still a lot of pressure on us. If we lose and Chelsea have beaten Tottenham on Saturday, they will only be three points behind and they have to come to Manchester. That is what we have to think about now."

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola refused to be drawn into a war of words with opposite number Jose Mourinho after his side put one foot in the Champions League final with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid.

Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho shake hands before kick-off.
GettyImages / LluisGenePep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho shake hands before kick-off.

Guardiola was asked if he had a reaction to Mourinho's post-match rant about the referees and Barcelona, but simply said: ''I have nothing to say''.

The manager instead preferred to talk up the value of his side, as they overcame a hostile crowd to beat the ten-men of Real on home turf.

"We came here with 12 players coming from our youth academy, we're proud of that fact," Guardiola said. "We corrected some things we did bad in the Cup [Copa del rey] final."

''We played a very good game, team was very aggressive, we won a lot of duels, [Seydou] Keita helped us a lot. We're now 90 minutes away from Champions League final and we're trying to get there.''

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique claimed that his side were better and were spurred on by the fact that Madrid did now want to attack.

''We fought well and had a good result. Now it is up to the second game,'' he said. "It's always the same, they [Real Madrid] didn't want to play at football, at their own stadium. They play at the limit of violence. If you play with fire, you can end up burning.''

Xavi maintained that Barcelona deserved to win and that Pepe deserved his red card for his tackle on Javier Mascherano.

"I just want to talk about football. There will always be decision from referees that will be talked about. Sometimes they go against you and sometimes they go in your favour. It was clear to see for everybody that Pepe's dismissal was a correct decision," Xavi told Marca.

"We got the result that we deserved. We were again superior. We're a team that wants to play attacking football and have fun on the pitch. They [Real Madrid] are just hoping that we'll make mistakes. That worked in the Copa del Rey final, but not this time.

"I don't want to talk about [Jose] Mourinho. I only want to discuss Barcelona. We put in a good performance and it's a fair result. This is a victory for football."

Arsene Wenger emerged from the latest setback in Arsenal's faltering title assault to declare his support for Cesc Fabregas, despite the Gunners captain appearing to undermine his boss in an interview with a Spanish magazine.

Wednesday night's 3-3 draw against Tottenham saw the Gunners drop to third in the table. The run up to the match was overshadowed by an interview with Spanish publication Don Balon in which Fabregas reportedly questioned Wenger's policy of putting faith in his young players, rather than bringing in established imports to help end the Londoners' six-year wait for a trophy.

The Gunners skipper said that his words had been twisted and a furious Wenger said: "The article bothers me. This was an article organised by the club with a check viewing of the article. That is not what he (Fabregas) said. He said completely the opposite."

He added: "Not only did the author not respect the agreement, but also he did twist completely the article and we are really upset about it.

"It was not an attack on my philosophy."

Arsenal had looked on course to close the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United when they raced into a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes of Wednesday night's derby.

Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie netted for the visitors while Rafael van der Vaart claimed a seventh-minute strike for Spurs.

Tom Huddlestone's 20-yard rocket put Harry Redknapp's men within one goal of their bitter rivals before Van der Vaart made it 3-3 from the penalty spot after Aaron Lennon had been brought down by Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Harry Redknapp has blasted the Arsenal fans who have grown disillusioned with life under Arsene Wenger, insisting that the Frenchman has been put under pressure by the 'sad' and 'idiotic' supporters who call radio phone-ins to air their grievances about their team every week.

Wenger's men looked set to challenge for three trophies as the season drew into the home straight but a poor run of form has seen them fall behind Manchester United in the title race and miss out again in the Carling Cup and the Champions League.

The Carling Cup final defeat against Birmingham at Wembley in February was particularly hard to stomach for the Arsenal faithful, who were sure that their hunt for a first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup would come to an end against Alex McLeish's strugglers.

The influential Arsenal Supporters' Trust released a statement last week expressing their 'considerable disappointment' with the club's continued struggle to land major honours, and warned that they would be putting Wenger's policy of trusting young players rather than buying experienced ones under the spotlight at the end of the season.

Redknapp, who will lock horns with Wenger in the north London derby tonight (Wednesday), insists all the pressure on the 61-year-old is unjust despite his failure to land a trophy in so long.

'I don't understand how they can criticise him. They have had fantastic success and play great football,' Redknapp said.

'He managed a team that went a whole season unbeaten. What an achievement that was. That was amazing to do that.

'He has won enough trophies at Arsenal already. He doesn't need another to have vindication, surely. His record stands up anyway.'

Redknapp mused last year that the man who was viewed as a calm professor when he arrived in England in 1996 from Grampus Eight had turned into a 'big nutter' thanks to the pressure of playing in the Barclays Premier League.

The Spurs boss believes all managers are now subject to unfair abuse and scrutiny from fans calling in to radio phone-ins after every match, with Wenger one of the many victims.

'I don't understand the criticism (of Wenger) at all but that's what you expect in football, you get that in this game now,' Redknapp said.

'If he was angry about it then I don't blame him. I would have been too. If you lose a few games some people call these silly phone-ins and say: "They were rubbish today. They were absolutely useless" when they weren't even at the game, they were listening to it on the radio or shopping with the wife.

'I don't listen to them. I'll turn the radio on and put Magic FM on instead. I want to listen to some music. I don't want to listen to a bunch of idiots. They must have sad lives.'

Redknapp points to Wenger's touchline spat with Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish as evidence that the former Monaco coach is under greater pressure than ever to deliver a trophy to the Emirates Stadium.

He does acknowledge though that the skirmish with the Liverpool boss following Sunday's 1-1 draw shows he is determined to bring home that elusive trophy.

'Suddenly when Arsenal started to lose he became one of the biggest nutters of all,' Redknapp added.

'He is jumping around more than anyone now. That's how (the pressure) gets to you. We all do it. It's wanting to win.'

The Spurs boss will pile further pressure on Wenger if he manages to guide his team to their first league double over their bitter rivals in 18 years.

Redknapp believes the Gunners must win all their remaining games to have any chance of winning their 14th league title, but admits that he and his side face an equally tough task in claiming fourth spot off Manchester City.

'We need a win desperately,' he said. 'Arsenal have to win all of their games now and we will need most of our games to make the top four.'

Redknapp has urged the Premier League to move Stoke's game at Manchester City next month in order to remove any suspicion about whether the game could be thrown to aid the Potters' bid for Europe.

There is no suggestion that Tony Pulis' side could deliberately lose the game to help their quest for Europa League football, but Redknapp would like the fixture moved anyway, although the Premier League are understood to be against the idea.

'I think the authorities should look at it. I spoke to the chairman about it last night and we feel it should be changed,' Redknapp said.

FIFA.com: Peter, with a few games left to go, how would you assess your first season in English football?
Peter Odemwingie: I’m really happy with how it’s gone. Personally it’s been a big success and I feel very comfortable and at home here. English football suits me perfectly really. The team had a tough spell but we have been climbing the table again recently and I feel good about the future.

Roy Hodgson’s arrival as manager seems to have crucial to that turnaround. What has he brought to the club?
His mentality is probably the main thing. He’s a very strong person with real character, and he makes sure the team is always extremely well organised and focused. I must say too that I still admire Roberto Di Matteo (Hodgson’s predecessor) because we played some great football under him earlier in the season. But I do think we started relaxing after starting so well and began to think the job was done. Maybe the previous manager lost a bit of control when that started happening.

It’s been an amazing season in the Premier League, with so many teams potentially involved in the relegation battle and so few points separating everyone from the top five down. What have you made of it?
Obviously this is only my first season in England but everyone is saying that it’s a special one and I can see why. Everyone seems very close together - there’s no-one who’s way off at the bottom and no-one way better than the rest. For me, that’s a good thing for the league because you know that nothing’s certain in any match. Every team has quality players. The main thing is that we stay up and I think we're going to do that now.
It was a decision I made many years ago and I’ve never regretted it. Playing for Nigeria puts a smile on my face and I feel very happy and proud every time I pull on that shirt.
Peter Odemwingie on opting to represent Nigeria ahead of Russia and Uzbekistan

You are now within three goals of making this the highest-scoring season of your career. How confident are you of breaking your own record?
That would be fantastic. It’s a target of mine anyway, so let’s see how it goes. I’ve never scored more than 14 in any season, so I have five games left to make it happen now. I’ll fight until the last minute of the last game to get there. Whatever happens though, it’s been a great season for me. I feel good here and I like the country and the Premier League a lot.

You’ve been linked with the likes of Juventus recently and Roy Hodgson has admitted that he fears he won’t be able to keep hold of you in the summer. Do you see yourself moving on?
You never know what’s round the corner in football but all I can say right now is that I’m very happy here at West Brom. I’m not anxious to move again. Transfers can always happen but this club gave me a chance in England and, as long as I’m happy and I’m scoring goals, I’ve no problem staying here.

West Brom have traditionally been known as something of a yo-yo club over, coming up to the Premier League one season and then going straight down the next. But do you see potential for something better?
I do, and the important thing for me is that the people at the club want something better. They made it clear to me that they want to stay in this league and become a team that competes to a good level every season. My hope is that, if we stay up, we can start raising our objectives and look at reaching the top half and qualifying for Europe.

Turning to Nigeria, results seem to be improving after that CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying defeat in Guinea last October. Are you still confident of qualifying?
Very much so. We’ve not been 100 per cent so far but although Guinea are top of the group at the moment, we still have to play them at home. I think that’s a big factor in our favour and I’m sure we’ll get the results we need.

There was talk of a bust-up between you and your coach, Samson Siasia, recently after you posted some critical comments on your Twitter page. Has that been resolved?
Everything is fine now. I poured out my frustration a bit but it wasn’t meant as an attack on the coach and I have apologised if it was taken that way. I was upset at the time because I felt that people didn’t understand why I had pulled out of a friendly match when I was struggling with an injury. But everything’s resolved now and we’ve both moved on.

Given that you were born in Uzbekistan to a Russian mother and a Nigerian father, you were obviously eligible to play for all three nations. What made you choose the Super Eagles?
My dad. For him, it wasn’t even a question! My mum was open to me playing for any country, and I would probably have been fine with playing for Uzbekistan or Russia. But it was a decision I made many years ago and I’ve never regretted it. Playing for Nigeria puts a smile on my face and I feel very happy and proud every time I pull on that shirt. Because I love football so much, I also think the passion Nigeria has for football and their style of play really suits me very well. I’ve had some great memories with the Super Eagles.

Was reaching the final of the Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing the best of those memories?
One of the best for sure. We really sparked at that tournament and the Olympics is special for anyone in sport. To come away with a silver medal was amazing and the whole experience is something I’ll always remember.

You were the squad’s only overage player in Beijing. Given that you enjoyed it so much, would you consider competing again on that basis in London next year?
Of course. I don’t know whether I will be called and we obviously still need to qualify, but it’s going to be another beautiful tournament and the fact it’s in England will make it extra special. I’d be honoured to play.

What about last year’s FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa? How do you reflect on that?
I have mixed emotions about it because it’s a dream to play in a World Cup and the experience was something I’ll never forget. But it didn’t go well for us as a team and, frankly, I feel that I should have played more. I’d played 11 or 12 times during qualifying, yet when the tournament came I was out of the starting line-up. It was still an amazing experience though. I still have my accreditation card actually and it’s a nice thing to look at from time to time.

You’ll be 33 by the time Brazil 2014 comes around. Do you still have ambitions of competing in that one?
I would love to. You see players staying at the top level until they’re 35, 36 these days and I have always tried to be careful about looking after myself, eating the right things and resting properly. I still feel I have a few good years ahead so maybe I could end my international career in Brazil. That would be wonderful.

Barcelona have revealed that they will launch an appeal to Uefa over a proposed one-match ban for Andres Iniesta.

The midfielder was shown a yellow card in the Spanish champions’ 5-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. Iniesta served a suspension for the return leg in Ukraine as a result of him having picked up three yellow cards in the competition.

However, Uefa are apparently ready to suspend Iniesta for a further game because it is thought that the 26-year-old deliberately earned himself the yellow card so that his disciplinary slate would be wiped clean ahead of their semi-final encounter with Real Madrid.

Barcelona, though, have now stated that they will appeal against this proposal and stated on their official website: “The proposed sanction comes as a result of a report from Uefa match officials at the game, who have alleged that the yellow card was deliberately incurred so that the player would be suspended for the return leg. The Uefa disciplinary committee will make a decision on the case on Wednesday.

“FC Barcelona believe that the arguments outlined in their appeal, based on the good faith of the player and the disproportionate nature of the proposed sanction will be sufficient to rebut these allegations.”

The first-leg of the last four tie between Madrid and Barca is at the Bernabeu on April 27.

Black Satellites of Ghana coach Orlando Wellington says Nigeria is the biggest threat to their title ambitions but will not give up their title without a fight.

“They (Nigeria) do not fear us, neither do we fear them. But we respect them, we respect their pedigree at this level and we respect what they have achieved at this level,” Wellington said.

Meanwhile the Black Satellites, who are also the reigning Under-20 world champions will be without four of their key players including Marseille midfielder Jordan Ayew, who was not released by the French club.

With Italy-based striker Richmond Boakye Yiadom, midfielder Enoch Ebo Andoh as well as the Hearts of Oak duo of Karim Alhassan and Mahatma Otoo in the Black Satellites squad, they will be a tough side to beat.

Nigeria on the other hand have nine of the players who reached the Under-17 World Cup final two years ago in their squad which should make them a formidable side.

Ramon Azeez Stanley Okoro and key player Ahmed Musa of Dutch side Venlo should be able to help the Flying Eagles finish among the four semi-finalists to represent Africa at the Under-20 World Cup.

Newcastle United have joined the queue of clubs waiting to snatch Super Eagles enterprising forward,Osaze Odemwingie from the grip of West Brom come the end of the on-going season.

One of England's most respected daily newspapers,The People reported at the weekend that the former club of Obafemi Martins are making strong move for the Nigerian after they were convinced the fair-skinned,Uzbekistan-born striker is the man they need to spearhead their attack next season.

Toon chiefs are looking into ways to fill the void left by Andy Carroll, who signed for Liverpool at the end of January.

Newcastle made an enquiry in the last transfer window about Odemwingie’s availability, but were knocked back as the Baggies prepared for their relegation battle.

Considering he only moved to Albion for £1m in August from Lokomotiv Moscow,Newcastle boss,Alan Pardew is more likely to go in with an initial £3m offer for the striker.

Roberto Mancini has urged his Manchester City side to force Manchester United fans to tear down the banner they use to taunt their neighbours by winning the FA Cup next month.City are on the brink of lifting their first trophy since 1976 after beating United in Saturday's semi-final at Wembley to set up a May 14 showdown with Stoke.Supporters at Old Trafford never tire of reminding their city rivals of the length of their silverware drought, annually updating a banner that hangs at the Stretford End.It recently ticked around to 35 years and City boss Mancini said: "They can take off this banner. We hope we can take it off this year."City cleared a huge psychological hurdle on Saturday by reaching their first cup final since 1981 and doing so with a victory over their fiercest rivals.Mancini said: "Our mentality will be more strong because we beat United."

Carlo Ancelotti believes Fernando Torres can follow the example of Wayne Rooney as he seeks to rediscover his form.

Fernando Torres
GettyImagesFernando Torres was heavily criticised for his performance against Manchester United

Torres has failed to open his Chelsea account since his £50 million move from Liverpool and he was widely criticised for his performance during the Champions League defeat to Manchester United this week.

Rooney, though, put in a fine performance at Old Trafford on Tuesday to continue his recent resurgence, and Ancelotti believes Torres can follow his example.

"Obviously he's not happy, and he is disappointed, but it's not easy for him to manage at this moment," he said. "He has to show character.

"Rooney lived the same situation: he was not playing well and not scoring, but everyone at the club maintained good confidence with him.

"Everyone believed that he could move on, and he moved very well. Now Rooney has come back to playing fantastic football.

"Torres is the same. One goal will give him the opportunity to move on quickly. Torres is a fantastic transfer, not just for the present but also the future.

"To judge him now is not right. We have to wait. He will be a fantastic player for the future of Chelsea."

Former Livepool boss Rafael Benitez, meanwhile, feels Torres is struggling at Chelsea because Ancelotti cannot communicate with the striker in Spanish.

"He has a good mentality, he has good quality and his relationship with me was good also because we could talk in Spanish," he told Metro. "When we needed to say something in Spanish, we could say it clearly and we were not hiding anything."

Carlo Ancelotti insists he would have no problem if Chelsea sacked him at the end of the season. Ancelotti is widely considered a dead man walking at Stamford Bridge, with the club on the brink of their worst season since Roman Abramovich bought the club almost eight years ago. The Italian insisted he had yet to learn his fate and was focusing on helping Chelsea finish as high as possible in the Barclays Premier League. Testing times: Ancelotti watched Chelsea crash out of the Champions League to Manchester United this week 'I don't know what my future is,' he said. 'At the end of the season, I think the club can decide if they want me to continue or if they want to change. 'If they are not happy, they can change without problem. This is not a problem for me.' Chelsea have only finished a season without silverware twice during Abramovich's reign, with the Russian sacking the manager on both occasions. Ancelotti, who confirmed he spoke with the owner after Tuesday's Champions League defeat at Manchester United, won the double in his first campaign in charge. But he admitted this would mean nothing considering this season's collapse. 'Last year is the past,' he said. 'Everyone was happy to win the double last year but this is the past. 'Obviously, this season was not a good season for us but now we have seven games.

Paul Scholes has cranked up the rivalry ahead of Saturday's white-hot all-Manchester FA Cup semi-final by thanking City’s billionaire Abu Dhabi owners for driving United’s latest Treble charge.

The Reds midfielder believes the mega-bucks spent by the Blues has made Sir Alex Ferguson more determined than ever to ensure United’s supremacy.

“With them getting the money, it has probably helped us,” he said. “It spurred us on a bit more when we played them. They have definitely gone up a level from where they had been before and it probably made us concentrate a little bit more than we normally would.”

United have won six out of eight derbies despite City spending £300m on players since being taken over in 2008.

Their only victory came in the first leg of last season’s Carling Cup semi-final, which United went on to win on aggregate.

“Because they haven’t been as big a club as us, there has never been much pressure on them going into derby games,” said Scholes. “We were going into derbies expecting to win them. But since they have come into the money, it does give you a little bit more of an edge to make sure you do win.”

As well as local bragging rights, Saturday's Wembley clash takes on added importance with United in search of the Treble and City looking for a first major trophy since 1976.

Scholes says City must win something before they can truly consider themselves a genuine threat to United’s dominance.

“When they are fourth or fifth in the league, I don’t think they can be classed as a main rival,” he said. “Our main rivals are obviously Arsenal and Chelsea. I think City are just a rival because of where they are geographically. We won’t hear the end of it if they win, especially if they go on to win the Cup. It’s an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, it’s massive.

“There will be 30,000 fans from each side, so it’s the biggest game we’ve had against City for a while, so whoever loses will be devastated.

“We have a belief that we can beat anybody, but if City have that, I’m not too sure.”

i think the guy is not given chance to express it goal scoring skill .it is not actually his fault.it is ancelotti's

Chelsea will turn to Guus Hiddink if, as is expected, Carlo Ancelotti is sacked at the end of this season.

However, whether Roman Abramovich can persuade Hiddink to rejoin Chelsea remains to be seen. The 64-year-old Dutchman, who is in charge of Turkey, is reluctant to become a full-time club manager again. Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is understood to be pushing for consideration, should a change be made.

There is also a lobby for Abramovich to approach the highly rated Andre Villas-Boas, who was part of Jose Mourinho's staff at Chelsea and is forging an outstanding reputation at Porto.

Yet it would appear that Abramovich is determined first to attempt to bring back Hiddink. If Chelsea were to appoint the former Russian coach, it would allow them to groom a younger man to work alongside Hiddink.

Abramovich has yet to inform those around him whether he intends to remove Ancelotti, but sources at the club, and also those close to the manager, fear the Italian will be unable to see out the final year of his contract.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says striker Carlos Tevez will be out of action for about four weeks because of a hamstring injury, ruling him out of Saturday's FA Cup semifinal match against Manchester United.

The former United striker was substituted because of the injury in the 16th minute of Monday's 3-0 Premier League loss at Liverpool.

Mancini says the injury "is a big problem but we can't take any risks."

Tevez has scored 42 Premier League goals in 63 appearances for City, with another nine in 12 matches in domestic cup competitions.

United and City meet in the first of two semifinals at Wembley. Bolton and Stoke meet in the second match on Sunday.

Carlo Ancelotti admitted his future at Chelsea is out of his hands and that starting misfiring £50 million striker Fernando Torres against Manchester United may have been a mistake.
United marched on to the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 aggregate win after goals from Javier Hernandez and Park Ji-sung at Old Trafford made Didier Drogba's goal redundant.

Ancelotti gambled by starting Torres and leaving Drogba on the bench, even though Torres had not scored in 817 minutes and 13 matches for club and country. Torres suffered a torrid first 45 minutes and was replaced at half-time by Drogba, who scored late in the second half.

When asked if it had been a mistake to start with Torres, Ancelotti said: "Maybe. Could be. I told you a lot of times this season I wanted to start with Fernando for this kind of game, these type of tactics.

"Didier played well in the second half. I wanted to put more pressure up front because we needed to score. Didier was fresh and he could use his power up front. This was the reason I took out Fernando.''

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, however, was in no doubt that it was the huge fee Chelsea splashed out for Torres in January which forced Ancelotti's hand.

Ferguson said: "A lot of people thought Drogba would play. I thought having signed Torres for the money they did they had to play him. I wasn't 100% sure but I couldn't see how they could leave Torres out.''

Ferguson, however, insisted he was not criticising Chelsea for signing Torres.

i think ancelotti was so dull to av started torres instead of drogba wen he knw chelsea needed the win badly. i think the owner of chelsea shld do something about ancelotti before the guy ruin records with his mis-management of the team.

Arsenal have been linked with a £15million summer move for Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila.

The highly rated 20-year-old, who has eight caps for France, has been linked with a number of clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool and Juventus.

But it appears Arsenal have stolen a march on their rivals by sending scouts to France to watch the star, with the aim of making a £15million bid in the close season.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is set for a summer spending spree after being promised significant funds by American Stan Kroenke, who increased his stake in the London club this week and is set to launch a full takeover bid.