Manchester United are considering offers to play a friendly game in India, with the English Premier League and European champions keen to tap into the growing demand for football on the sub-continent.

Sir Alex Ferguson and his United squad are currently preparing for the upcoming English season with a four-game tour of South Africa and Nigeria.

But with plans to return to Asia in July 2009, after a hugely successful four-stop tour of Tokyo, Seoul, Macau and Guangzhou 12 months ago, United chief executive David Gill has admitted that India could be the next destination for the club's globetrotting stars.

Gill said: “India is interesting. We have been approached to go there and we are looking at some soccer school opportunities there.

“I know Chelsea have done something and I think Barcelona have. We would not rule out going there.”

Although India has no great history as an international football nation, the size of its population and the associated commercial potential has long seen it regarded as one of the great untapped markets for the sport.

In cricket, India has, for several years now, been the global financial powerhouse of the game - a position strengthened by the recent advent of the Indian Premier League (IPL), whose impact has also been noticed well beyond the sport's traditional confines.

“They (India) do have ambitions and they have a key goal to make it to the World Cup,” said Gill. “Whether they can make it or not, I do not know, but it's a huge, huge country.

“Just look at the IPL. That has shown that it is a very wealthy country and it is definitely worth looking at. Other clubs will look at it and so will we.”

Some commentators have suggested that interest in football in its established nations, such as England may have reached saturation point, and that the room left for further global expansion is limited.

United may be one of world football's best-known 'brands', with a huge worldwide following, but Gill was adamant there were still fresh markets waiting to be conquered by the Old Trafford club.

“The interest in football around the world is increasing,” he said. “It is not saturated.

“We have worked on our global position for many years, but it would be wrong to think that we are impregnable. If we did that, then we would get knocked off our perch.”

David Gill, Manchester United's chief executive, has admitted the club will seek the opinion of Sir Alex Ferguson before naming his successor when the Old Trafford manager finally retires.

Ferguson, 66, continues to leave observers guessing as to his likely departure date from Old Trafford.

Having been at the helm since November 1986, when he succeeded Ron Atkinson, Ferguson recently confessed that he did not anticipate being in the job beyond his 70th birthday.

Several high-profile managers, including Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz and Manchester City boss Mark Hughes — both with strong United connections — have been touted as possible candidates to succeed Ferguson at Old Trafford.

But Gill admits that, when the time comes to name a new boss, reigning English and European champions United will ensure that Ferguson, currently with his squad on a pre-season tour of South Africa, has an input into selecting his replacement in the hot seat.

“We will address that (Ferguson's successor) when it comes around, but the club's owners (the Glazer family), myself and the people involved will obviously get Sir Alex's views on the subject,” Gill said.

“Somebody who has managed the club for so many years, who knows the club inside out and knows what is required would be invaluable.

“It would be remiss of us not to have a discussion with him, involve him and get his views, so he will be a key part of the process.”

He added: “The owners will expect me to do the work and then they would get involved in the process of choosing the right man, but the board will ultimately make the decision on the new manager.

“It will be a big change and, without putting a deadline on it, that time is getting closer.

“It would be naive to think it won't be a big change, but we are trying to put things in place that will make it as easy as we can. Alex is aware of that.

“You don't work here for 20 years without falling in love with the club and he would like to make sure that he does what he can to make sure it is successful after he has gone.”

Barcelona reaffirmed Thursday that it is not obligated to release Lionel Messi so that the Argentine striker can represent his national team at the Olympics next month as demanded by world football governing body FIFA.

In a statement posted on its website, the Spanish club said “current FIFA regulations do not oblige clubs to release their players.”

“Moreover, the club has reiterated its proposal to come to a consensus, which was rejected at the time by the Argentinian Football Association,” it added.

Spanish media have reported that the proposed compromise would see the 21-year-old playmaker take part in one of Barcelona's early Champions League matches and before joining the Argentine squad in Beijing.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Wednesday that clubs must release their eligible Under-23 players for the Olympic football tournament.

Messi was the star of Barcelona's 6-0 exhibition win over Scottish side Hibernian on Thursday night in Edinburgh.

He scored in the 11th minute after cutting to the front and shooting past keeper Andrew McNeil and sent the ball into the back of the net again in the 38th minute but the referee ruled he was offside.

Before the match Barcelona captain Carles Puyol said he hoped Messi will be playing for the team in its Champions League qualifying round next month and not travel with Argentina to the Beijing Olympics.

“He is a very important player for us, one of the best in the world,” Puyol was quoted as saying on the club's website. “I hope that this will be sorted out and that he will remain with us.”

New coach Pep Guardiola led Barcelona to a 6-0 friendly win over Scottish side Hibs here Thursday in his first match since taking over the Spanish side in June.

Former Chelsea forward Eidur Gudjohnsen opened the scoring after just five minutes with a well-placed shot from the edge of the area following a failed attempt by Hibs defender Chris Hogg to clear the zone.

Argentina's Lionel Messi added a second 11 minutes later after cutting to the front and shooting past keeper Andrew McNeil.

Gudjohnsen scored his second goal of the evening two minutes later and Pedro scored the fourth goal of the first half in the 28th minute after being set up by Messi.

The Argentine, who Barcelona are refusing to allow to represent his country at the Olympics so he can take part in early Champions League matches, slotted the ball home again in the 38th minute but the referee ruled he was offside.

The visitors continued to press during the second half with a goal by Bojan from close range just four minutes after the restart of the match.

Yaya Toure completed an easy victory for Barcelona in the 67th minute shortly after Samuel Eto'o and new recruits Alekandr Hleb and Seydou Keita came on as substitutes.

Everton’s Nigerian striker Ayegbeni Yakubu expects to terrorise Premier League defenders again this season after setting his sights on another 20-goal haul.

Yakubu, 25, became the first Everton player to score 20 goals in a single season since Bob Latchford in 1978 as he netted 21 times in all competitions last term.

The Super Eagles star, who signed from Middlesbrough for a club record 11.25 million pounds last year, believes he can do even better in 2008-09 because he is playing with such talented team-mates.

“I’m confident about scoring more than 20 goals again in this season,” Yakubu said. “It’s not easy to score 20 goals in a season and it has been a long time since an Everton player managed it, so you can imagine how pleased I was.

“But with the quality of players we have and the work we put in, I believe I can score even more this time.

“David Moyes has made us believe in ourselves. He can’t bear losing. I’ve had to work harder since joining Everton, but I’m not complaining - I’m enjoying the best spell of my career.”

It has been reported that Arsenal are ready to make a ₤12 million bid for England Under 21 and Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson.

Even though Everton and Tottenham Hotspur are also reported to be interested in the midfielder it could be that he may choose Arsenal seeing that Arsenal are short on midfielders and given the fact that he is very unhappy at the City of Manchester.

The twenty year old Johnson has made forty appearances for City and one for the England Under 21 team.

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol said Thursday Lionel Messi was “very important” for the club, and expressed the hope the Argentine striker will not join his national team at the Beijing Olympics.

Messi has repeatedly voiced his desire to help Argentina defend its Olympic title but the Catalan club has opposed the move as he is needed for early Champions League matches.

The Olympic tournament begins on August 6 with the final on August 23, but the first leg of the third Champions League preliminary round is scheduled for August 12-13.

FIFA said on Wednesday that clubs must release players aged under 23 for the Olympic tournament, a statement rejected by Barcelona, which said it plans to retain the 21-year-old Messi next month.

“He is a very important player for us, one of the best in the world,” Puyol was quoted as saying on the club’s website. “I hope that this will be sorted out and that he will remain with us.”

Messi “is well, and he is training well, at a fast pace. He is physically at a high level,” said the club’s assistant trainer, Tito Vilanova.

The winger is currently with the Barcelona squad at its pre-season training camp in Scotland, which lasts until Saturday.

The team face Scottish Premier League side Hibernian in a friendly later Thursday and Dundee United on Saturday.

Gilberto Silva has spoken out about his former Arsenal club.

The Brazilian midfielder has just left Arsenal after six years for Greek side Panathinaikos for a fee of ₤11 million.

He saw this season as a pressure one for the club as they would need a trophy or two to ease that pressure.

Speaking on Arsenal TV he said that he thought that both Chelsea and Manchester United would still be the clubs to beat as they grow stronger by the year.

He praised Arsene Wenger for strengthening the squad after the departure of himself Hleb and Flamini by signing French International Samir Nasri from Olympique Marseilles.

He concluded by saying that it was a young squad that should improve with hard work.

Gambian teenager Omar Krumah is set to sign for FA Cup winners Portsmouth after impressing manager Harry Redknapp during a trial.

Krumah, nicknamed 'OJ', has spent the last two weeks training with the Premier League club and a series of dazzling displays in pre-season friendlies convinced Redknapp to offer the striker a permanent deal.

“OJ has done well, he's only 18 and I think he's a real prospect,” Redknapp said. “We're hoping to now get something done and keep him here permanently because I like him.

“He was at Southampton last year, they wanted him but could not get a work permit but he's married now so that's no longer a problem.

“The lad was recommended to me so we had him over for the last couple of weeks and he's been tremendous.

“He's quick and has got a lot of everything. The kid wants to do well, he's willing to learn and hopefully he can do well here.”

Krumah is likely to be loaned out to a English Championship team this season as Redknapp wants the 18-year-old to get more first-team experience.

“I have already had half a dozen clubs wanting to play him this season, most of them are from the Championship,” Redknapp said.

“He's not ready for the Premier League but he's still young so his time can come.”

UEFA on Thursday fined Russian club FC Zenit St. Petersburg 60,000 Swiss francs (36,880 euros) after its Control and Disciplinary Body ruled some of the club's fans had racially abused players from French side Marseille in last season's UEFA Cup clash.

The pair met in the last-16 and in the second-leg match in Russia on March 12 some home fans racially abused the visitors.

Marseille's Ronald Zubar told French radio after the game that “they threw a banana at us and made monkey noises” while he and black squadmates Charles Kabore and Andre Ayew were warming up.

“The spectators looked at us, openly making monkey noises.”

Zenit, who went on to win the competition, rejected wrongdoing and insisted it was “opposed to all forms of racism.”

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has revealed he plans to spend just two more seasons at Old Trafford.

Scholes, 33, helped United win the Premier League and Champions League last season but Sir Alex Ferguson is gradually grooming younger players like Brazil’s Anderson to replace him.

The former England midfielder knows he is approaching the end of his glorious career with Ferguson’s side and has already ear-marked a likely departure date.

“How long will I go on? I’d think two years at the most. I have one year left on my contract and hopefully I’ll get another one but I suppose it all depends on how you’re feeling and how you’re playing,” Scholes said on Thursday.

“At the moment I just think two years would be about right.”

Scholes has never been fond of the spotlight that shines so brightly on United’s superstars and he can’t wait to step into the shadows.

“I can’t say that I can’t wait to finish but I am looking forward to finishing with everything that goes with it,” he said.

“I suppose people are just very invasive and are always wanting to know what you’re going to do.

“The only thing I will definitely miss is the football, not the general life of a footballer.”

Chelsea new boy Jose Bosingwa may be forced out of their pre-season tour after picking up an injury in his debut match, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said on Thursday.

The Portugal defender is being assessed after walking off with a thigh problem just 20 minutes into the 4-0 win over Guangzhou Pharmaceutical on Wednesday.

“We discussed whether he can stay with us until we get back to London or if it’s better if leaves tomorrow,” Scolari said. “The doctor said he’s still trying to see what’s best.”

Bosingwa, 25, is one of Scolari’s first signings along with Deco, whom he also coached for Portugal.

Newly married midfielder Michael Ballack, given extra leave after Euro 2008, was set to join the tour on Friday but was “one million percent” certain to miss the friendly here.

“After one week or 10 days, maybe he will play a game,” Scolari said, refusing to risk the German after his lay-off.

Chelsea face Chengdu Blades here on Saturday before heading to Malaysia and then Russia for the Railways Cup.

Italian press reports claimed that Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari will sign for Inter Milan on Thursday.

With Chelsea refusing to let Frank Lampard leave for the Italian champions, Inter coach Jose Mourinho is said to have turned his attentions to Muntari with a 14 million euro deal on the table.

Gazzetta dello Sport claimed a deal for the 23-year-old Ghanaian, who previously played for Udinese in Serie A, will be completed on Thursday.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp had previously stated, though, that he has no intention of selling the combative midfielder.

Liverpool signed highly-rated French striker David Ngog from Paris St Germain for an undisclosed fee on Thursday.

Ngog, 19, agreed a four-year contract with the Premier League club and becomes Rafa Benitez's fourth close-season buy after Andrea Dossena, Diego Cavalieri and Philipp Degen.

Although he only netted once in 18 appearances for PSG last season, Ngog, the cousin of former Newcastle defender Jean-Alain Boumsong, is regarded as one of his country's brightest young talents after scoring at every youth level for France.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has warned Gareth Barry that he won't protect the unsettled England midfielder from the hate-mob in Saturday's Intertoto Cup clash with Odense.

Barry was subjected to vicious abuse during Tuesday's friendly at Walsall as Villa fans showed their displeasure at his attempts to engineer a move to Liverpool.

It could get even worse for Barry if O'Neill feels the 27-year-old is in the right frame of mind to play in this weekend's European tie at Villa Park.

O'Neill said: “I think that in terms of fitness the game on Tuesday will have brought Gareth on so, if he's mentally tuned in and he wants to go and play, why not?

“Why shouldn't he be in contention for the game? He's a quality player and that's what we're looking for.”

O'Neill's decision to put an 18 million pounds (22.6 million euros) price tag on Barry has slowed transfer talks with Liverpool, but the Villa boss admits he is keen to resolve the situation one way or the other.

“We haven't heard back from Liverpool for some time and we're not exactly sure where we all stand,” he said.

“When people say people are in limbo, I don't think that applies to anybody more than ourselves. We don't know whether to move forward or not with it.

“It's a long-running saga and I wouldn't mind it ending one way or another.

“My preference - and hopefully I'm speaking for a lot of Villa fans, if not all of them - is that we would like Gareth to stay at the football club.

“That would be great because it will be hard to replace him.

“But we're not sure where Liverpool stand now. It was never mentioned before about them needing to sell some players before they bought - that was never in the system at all. But seemingly it must be part of it.”

According to the Corriere dello Sport, Barcelona are set to launch a fresh transfer bid in the region of €20m to €25m for Juventus hitman David Trezeguet.

Trezeguet has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona over the past couple of months, and new manager Pep Guardiola is said to be desperate to sign the prolific marksman.

Juve have always stated that the prolific marksman, who arrived in Turin from Monaco in 2000, would be staying but their resolve will surely be put to the test should they receive such an offer.

With Trezeguet set to turn 31 later this year, and with a host of top class strikers already at the club, such as top scorer Del Piero, Iaquinta and recent recruits Amauri and Giovinco, Juve may decide that the money is too good to turn down.

A move to Barca would see Trezeguet link up with long-standing friend Thierry Henry.

[Source: Corriere dello Sport]

According to a report carried on the BBC Sport, Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari is expected to complete a £12.7 million move to Inter Milan this week.

The 23-year old Ghanaian international has agreed a four-year contract with the Italian champions.

The signing suggests that Inter boss Jose Mourinho has given up hope of signing Frank Lampard this summer. Mourinho had been desperate to land an attacking central midfielder with Chelsea’s Lampard being his first choice and Muntari regarded as the best alternative.

Pompey signed Muntari from Udinese for £7 million in May 2007 and he was highly instrumental in their FA Cup success last season.

Last week Pompey boss Harry Redknapp said he was very reluctant to allow the Ghana international to leave Fratton Park.

“He’s a top player. We don’t have to let anyone leave and we definitely don’t want to. (He is) going nowhere, nowhere at all.”

But the lure of playing for the Italian champions in the Champions League, under the guidance of Mourinho, was too much for Muntari to resist.

[Source: BBC Sport]

SkySport reports that former Arsenal player Jose Antonio Reyes is bound for Monaco after turning down a move to Newcastle.

The Atletico Madrid player has only spent a season at the club after signing from Arsenal last Summer. Before that he spent one season on loan in Real Madrid, where he helped his team to clinch the title in their final game of the season by scoring twice.

SkySports further reports that the 24-year old has rejected personal terms with Newcastle and is claimed to be in advanced talks with Ligue 1 club Monaco after Atletico accepted a bid worth €7million (£5.5million).

[Source: SkySports]

Sebastian Coe’s drive to have Alex Ferguson lead a British football team at the London 2012 Games garnered support on Thursday from British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan.

“Seb Coe has strong views about who should be managing the men’s team and I completely agree with him,” he said.

“It is an excellent idea that should be pursued and I am endorsing Sir Alex Ferguson, although I should also say that should the FA find anyone with a comparable name, I should be equally delighted.”

Lord Coe, London 2012 Organising Committee chairman, revealed last Sunday that he had held talks with the Manchester United manager about leading the team in four years time.

The 66-year-old Scot is expected to stand down from the Old Trafford hotseat in the next three years leaving him available for the job.

But one major stumbling block remains - namely the fear from football associations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that a Great Britain side could compromise their independent status within FIFA, football’s governing body.

For that reason, there will be no Great Britain team, either in the men’s or women’s competition, competing in this year’s Beijing Games.

Moynihan made it clear he was disappointed young athletes would miss out on the experience of competing in China but insisted Britain would be represented on home turf in 2012.

He said: “Of course I am disappointed. We at the BOA would like to see every young athlete who has the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games at the Games. It would be a great opportunity for women’s football to have a strong team in 2012. I’m sorry they are not in Beijing.

“However, I’m not annoyed. I understand the politics of this subject and appreciate that it is a very sensitive subject on which people have very differing views.

“But we will be sending a team in 2012 and we hope everyone in Great Britain will consider themselves eligible for selection. We would be very disappointed if any governing body didn’t provide the opportunity for the youngsters to play their sport.

“Through discussion and engagement we hope there will be full commitment from the four football associations to deliver on that objective. I also think we will do very well and it will be a big event. It will be something that will catch the public mood and support.

“And I do believe that nobody within a governing body of sport wants to see a young talent within their sport denied an opportunity on the ultimate stage.”

Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann shrugged off his first defeat in charge of the German giants when his team were beaten 2-1 in a pre-season game by Borussia Dortmund.

A crowd of 50,000 came to Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday night to see Borussia claim revenge for last season's German Cup defeat at the hands of Bayern as they raced into a 2-0 half-time lead.

Goals by Jakub Blaszczykowski and Tamas Hajnal gave Borussia victory as they won their own T-Home SuperCup.

But Klinsmann, who succeeded Ottmar Hitzfeld as Bayern coach on July 1, was unconcerned even though it was a near-full strength Bayern side which was beaten and only injured Frenchman Franck Ribery was missing.

“It was mostly a decent performance and an entertaining game,” said former Germany boss Klinsmann.

“We had our chances in the first half of scoring one or two goals.

“Dortmund took the lead and that made things hard for us.

“We trained hard on the morning of the match, but the team held back during the game.

“It is much too early in the season to read too much into the result.

“The national players only returned six days ago and we are still in the building period which will last three to four weeks.

“This is part of a completely normal process.”

His opposite number Jurgen Klopp, also in charge for the first time after succeeding Thomas Doll, was delighted to have beaten the defending German champions.

“The team played well,” said Klopp, who is predicting a different result when the sides meet on the second weekend of the new Bundesliga season on August 23.

“We got what we wanted, but people shouldn't draw the wrong conclusion from this game.

“We know most of the Bayern team have only been back in training for the last few days.

“In four and a half weeks, we will play against each other again, things will be very different then.”

Middlesbrough will renew their attempts to capture James Harper from Reading after agreeing to sell Lee Cattermole to Wigan Athletic for £3.5 million.

Cattermole, the England Under-21 midfield player, has been given permission to discuss personal terms with Steve Bruce’s team and his departure would free up money for Gareth Southgate who has admitted that Boro need to sell players before they can buy.

Reading have been demanding £5 million for 27 year old Harper. His contract runs till the end of the 2009-10 season but the lure of playing in the Premier League seems to hard to resist for the midfielder

[Source: The Times]

According to a report on Skysports.com, Dundee United striker Noel Hunt has joined his older brother Stephen at Reading. The 25 year old Ireland B international has scored 23 times in 64 appearances for Dundee United

Hunt has signed a three-year contract at the Madejski Stadium and has arrived for an undisclosed fee.

He revealed interest from the Royals last month and Reading’s director of football Nicky Hammond believes Hunt can aid the club’s quest for promotion to the Premier League.

“From my conversations with Noel, it is clear that he possesses the qualities of hunger and determination that Steve Coppell wants at this club as we attempt to regain a place in the Premier League.”

United boss Craig Levein feels the SPL club have received a fair price saying, “This transfer represents an excellent deal for Dundee United and helps bring further financial stability to the club.”

[Source: Skysports.com]

Manchester City expect to hold talks with Tal Ben-Haim over the next 48 hours after offering Chelsea a package worth £4 million for the Israel defender.

Chelsea are likely to accept the offer for the 26-year-old Israeli international, who has been left behind while his teammates are on their tour to Asia.

Ben Haim had been used quite sparingly after a disastrous start to his season and knows his opportunities will be limited this season with the likes of Terry, Alex, Carvalho and Acimovic also vying for playing time.

Mark Hughes, the City manager, believes that Ben-Haim can strengthen his defensive options, although his main priorities are to add a top-class right winger and a centre forward.

[Source: The Times]

Peter Shilton has told David Beckham he will never beat his England appearance record and believes Fabio Capello’s side are doomed to failure in their bid to win the 2010 World Cup if the midfielder is in the side.

Goalkeeper Shilton won 125 caps during a 20-year international career, 23 more than Beckham’s current total.

It appeared that former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Beckham’s Three Lions career was all but over after Steve McClaren dropped him having succeeded Sven Goran-Eriksson after the 2006 World Cup.

But Beckham has fought his way back into contention, both under McClaren and now Capello, and is currently the man in possession of the No7 shirt.

It was widely expected that young pretenders such as David Bentley of Blackburn Rovers, and Aston Villa’s Ashley Young would step into the right-wing role Beckham has filled over the past decade.

But neither has impressed sufficiently to emerge as a permanent replacement - and Shilton believes England will suffer if the LA Galaxy midfielder is asked to play as many as seven games in the month-long World Cup in South Africa at the age of 35.

“I don’t think David will break my record but if he did I would certainly be the first to congratulate him,” said Shilton, who was speaking at an event organised by England team sponsors.

“For an outfield player to break it in the modern game would be fantastic, and I believe he has a role to play with England in the near future.

“But I have to say if we haven’t got anyone to take David’s place we will struggle to do anything at the next World Cup.

“We are going to play so many games in a few weeks and that gets tough when you are in your mid-thirties.

“David will have a role to play, but if people like Bentley can’t come through and push him then I think we have got a problem.”

But Shilton, who appeared in three World Cups and was a member of the Nottingham Forest side that won the League title and two European Cups under Brian Clough, is adamant Beckham must be in the squad - both to act as an ambassador and a mentor.

“We won’t be able to rely on David in the next World Cup but there is definitely a place for him as he is a great ambassador and is also such a great player technically, for example with his wonderful free-kicks.

“But you would hope to have players who say: ‘I want that position’, and we need those players to come through.

“They have to pressurise the likes of David and (goalkeeper) David James, especially as Beckham is now 32 and he has done very well for an outfield player.

“Like I say, it’s not a problem if he beats my record for international appearances. Good luck to him if he does it - but I really think it will be difficult for him.”

And Shilton has thrown his weight behind Chelsea skipper John Terry in his bid to become Capello’s first permanent captain.

The Italian has experimented during his first seven months in charge, allowing Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Beckham and Gareth Barry to wear the armband during the four friendlies he has presided over to date.

But Shilton is adamant Terry - McClaren’s choice as captain - can reprise the roles played by the likes of Terry Butcher and Bryan Robson during his own playing days.

Shilton said: “I really like John Terry as a leader. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and if ever you need the ball cleared off the line or a goal scored when you need it then he’s your man.

“He is just a natural leader on the pitch and would definitely be my choice.”

A smile has returned to the face of superstar Ronaldinho following his transfer to AC Milan, Brazilian coach Dunga said Thursday as he prepares his young team for the Olympics.

Ronaldinho scored 70 goals in 145 appearances for Barcelona, helping them win the Spanish championship in 2005 and 2006 as well as the 2006 Champions League.

But after a dip in form last season, attributed by some to his penchant for late-night partying, he was deemed surplus to requirements and AC Milan signed him last week for an estimated 30 million dollars.

Olympic coach Dunga, who is also coach of the national team, said the two-time World Player of the Year finally seemed happy.

“Ronaldinho is a very important member of our squad and he is recovering from his problems,” he said here, where Brazil are training ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

“The most important thing is that he is happy and is smiling again. That’s made things easier for us.

“Of course the squad cannot put all the responsibility on his shoulders even though he is so important. What the team will do is support him. Hopefully he will play well.”

The 28-year-old is one of Dunga’s over-age players for the Olympics. Barcelona had initially refused to release him but AC Milan gave the go-ahead and the Games will provide a global platform for him to once again shine.

At international level he has yet to recover from his anti-climactic performance at the World Cup in Germany in 2006, and since then he has seen new Milan teammate Kaka usurp his position as Brazil’s main threat.

But 26-year-old Kaka, linked with a move to Chelsea this week, will not be in Beijing after the Italian club refused to release him.

Another player missing is Real Madrid striker Robinho, with his club announcing on Monday that he was injured.

Brazilian football authorities were reportedly furious at Madrid for leaving their decision so late, but Dunga was marginally more diplomatic.

“Real Madrid are exercising their right, they can do that,” he said.

“Robinho is a good player and we will miss him but we have a good team.”

But in a dig at the club, he added: “There is a word called ’sensibility’.

“Last year when Real Madrid needed Robinho and the Brazilian squad needed Robinho, the Brazilian squad released him to Real Madrid.”

Clubs releasing players for the Olympics has been a bone of contention as the tournament clashes with the first leg of the third Champions League preliminary round.

It prompted FIFA president Sepp Blatter to send a letter to member associations on Wednesday reminding them they must release players aged under 23.

Two Brazilians, Rafinha and Diego, snubbed their German teams’ pre-season plans and instead travelled to Singapore.

Rafinha’s Bundesliga club Schalke 04 and Diego’s Werder Bremen were reportedly considering taking their cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

Dunga though welcomed the pair for opting to play for their country.

“I am happy because they have shown they really want to join the squad, that tells me a lot,” he said.

Brazil captured the Olympic silver medal in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics and the bronze medal in the 1996 Games, but have yet to strike gold.

Dunga knows expectations in football-obsessed Brazil are high.

“For other teams a silver or bronze medal might be okay but for Brazil it must be gold. That is what is expected,” he said.

The Olympic tournament begins on August 6 with the final on August 23.

Samuel Eto’o has been targeted by Real Madrid recently, but the Cameroonian’s work at Camp Nou is not done yet. According to a report in The Sun, the Barcelona forward could hold the key to the future of Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov.

The Bulgarian is targeted by Manchester United, but following Levy’s public spat with Ferguson last week, Tottenham are thought to be unwilling to let Berbatov go to Old Trafford. Instead they are willing to take a £5 million loss and stand by their principles; Barcelona and AC Milan are also interested.

AC Milan are trying to sign Eto’o, but should they fail to land him, they will turn to Berbatov, according to the same report. Barcelona, meanwhile, will only move for Berbatov if Eto’o will leave the club.

Both AC Milan and Barcelona could sign the player for £25 million; the asking price set for Manchester United is thought to be much higher - around £30 million.

[Source: The Sun]

Blackburn Rovers have accepted a £2 million offer from an undisclosed club for want-away goalkeeper Brad Fridel, according to The Telegraph. The same report states that the club who had the offer accepted is Aston Villa.

Martin O’Neill has lost both first-team goalkeepers this summer after Thomas Soerensen was allowed to leave and Scott Carson’s loan contract ended. Now he looks set to recuperate by signing the 37 year-old American goalkeeper.

O’Neill has already agreed a deal to bring in a younger American goalkeeper, Brad Guzan, this summer. However, the former Chivas USA goalkeeper is awaiting a work permit before finalizing a move, according to The Telegraph.

[Source: The Telegraph]

It is all change at Milan as Zambrotta, Flamini and Ronaldinho join the slightly aging stars at the San Siro.

The question on everyone’s lips in Milan and in West London is, “Will Kaka be with the new men or will Chelsea’s world record pursuit of him be successful?”

Ronaldinho says that he hopes Kaka stays for a long while as they would, “Have fun together.”

With Ronaldinho’s love of the playboy lifestyle and Kaka’s well known strict religious beliefs, one can only assume that the new boy from Barcelona is talking about having fun on the pitch!

Certainly, if both players could recapture their form of the past then they would provide a pretty formidable double act. The fact is that neither player has shown anything like their best in the past twelve months.

Milan coach Carlos Ancellotti is certain that he can get the best out of these players, describing Ronaldinho as a phenomenon and Kaka as being very happy and relaxed where he is.

Do Chelsea need Kaka? Well, the player at his best would enhance and improve any side, but the player of last season would probably struggle to dislodge Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Deco and Frank Lampard from the Chelsea starting line-up.

I think Kaka should stay where he is and see if he and Ronaldinho can bring th best out of each other. If they can, it’ll be worth watching.

Do you think they can recapture the glories of the past with each other’s help?

I love it! The season is still a couple of weeks away but Sir Alex Ferguson has fired the first shots in the ‘manager wars’ series ahead of the coming nine months.

The Manchester United manager has said that he believes Chelsea’s aging squad may struggle to challenge his side for major honours next season and that they may have peaked last year.

The mischievous Scot says that Liverpool and Arsenal are as much of a threat to United’s hopes of retaining the Premier League title as Chelsea are. This is obviously an attempt to engage Felipe Scolari in conversation because he has been reasonably nice about Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez. That is certainly not something he is noted for.

“Chelsea are an experienced side and I don’t see outstanding progress coming from a team in their 30s,” he said. “I wouldn’t write off Liverpool or Arsenal. It has been understated what Arsenal achieved last season.”

Sir Alex said in South Africa following their 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates, whose squad are currently on tour in South Africa, added: “Arsenal suffered injuries at a bad time. In February they lost most of their midfield. Who is to say that it would not have been closer if Arsene Wenger had kept his players fit?”

Things have been looking good at Chelsea with the arrival of Jose Bosingwa and Deco and the increasing possibility of keeping Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. The news that Petr Cech and Michael Essien have both committed their long term futures to the club has also raised the level of expectancy around Stamford Bridge. They have high hopes of regaining the title after bringing in new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Despite all the above Ferguson has been quick to try to quell the growing tide of optimism in West London. He says it will be difficult for Scolari to improve on what they have done in the past, with essentially the same group of players.

“I’m not concerned about Chelsea; I just don’t know how far that team has got to go. They have lots of experience and big-game temperament and in a sense Scolari is fortunate, joining a big club with a team of internationals. But it’s hard to see where there is going to be an improvement. Maybe they have reached a plateau - although perhaps that’s not the right word.”

Sir Alex Ferguson has also talked about the role of Wayne Rooney within the United team.

The England striker who has maybe not quite yet fulfilled the enormous potential he showed in his teenage years was not at his best for much of last season, despite United winning the Premier League and Champions League. Whilst Fergie didn’t go as far as to agree that he didn’t have the best of seasons, he did admit that he needs to look at Rooney’s role within the team.

He said, “We need to define his role a bit better and I have to take some responsibility for that. I think he has sacrificed himself for the team, which says a lot about the lad because he never complained. We have played him wide and in other positions - he would play at centre-half if we asked him to. He may have benefited from having someone with more experience alongside him, which always happens with young strikers as he was never going to be the finished article at 22. We signed him for his potential, which is why we paid £26m for him. In a few years we’ll be saying that is really brilliant business.”

Is this a hint that an experienced striker might be on his way to Old Trafford to play alongside Rooney? Did someone mention Dimitar Berbatov?

It will be interesting to see now if Felipe Scolari is drawn into replying to Sir Alex’s comments. I suspect he won’t be, but it would be much more fun is he was.

Is there any basis to what Fergie has said about Chelsea? Well, in the likely starting line-up at Stamford Bridge only, Michael Ballack and Deco are over thirty, with Frank Lampard and Ricardo Carvalho both being exactly thirty.

For United? Garry Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are all well over thirty. They may not feature too regularly in the starting line-up but then again, Deco, Ballack and Lampard are unlikely to start too many games together.

As for Fergie’s comments about Chelsea having the same group of players, they have actually signed two established internationals whereas United have so far signed nobody.

He really is the king of the ‘wind up’ but I would hope that Scolari is too street wise to bother getting involved.

The next few months are going to be fun!

Argentinean and Manchester United forward has offered his advice on the Cristiano Ronaldo Saga, which for the time being, appears to be on the wane.

Tevez has come out and said that he can understand his team mate’s desire to leave the club as the same happened to him prior to his move to West Ham United.

He added that it was every player’s wish to play for either Manchester United or Real Madrid and Ronaldo’s wishes should be respected.

Tevez went on to say that he hadn’t spoken to Ronaldo on the issue, but it going to be interesting to wait for his manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s reaction.