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Mourinho warns Arsenal, Wenger

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Jose Mourinho has warned Arsene Wenger that Chelsea are back in the groove ahead of their clash at Stamford Bridge.

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Jose Mourinho has warned Arsene Wenger that Chelsea are back in the groove as the Premier League champions look to extend their revival in Saturday's showdown with London rivals Arsenal.

Mourinho's side are languishing just above the relegation zone following a miserable run of one win from their first five matches, but the Blues boss is confident his players are beginning to rediscover their swagger after a 4-0 demolition of Maccabi Tel Aviv in midweek.

That vibrant opening to their Champions League campaign was a stark contrast to the doom and gloom that surrounded the club after their worst start to a season since 1988.

Already trailing leaders Manchester City by 11 points and fourth placed Arsenal by six, a third successive league defeat this weekend could leave Chelsea's title defence in tatters.

Yet Mourinho expects the challenge of taking on a title rival will draw a powerful performance from his team against an Arsenal side reeling from their surprise Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb.

“We come with a different feeling. We can wake up with a different state of mind,” Mourinho told Chelsea TV.

“Saturday is a big match, it's a great rival. This result can put us in a better situation.

“We had too many bad results. We couldn't have this one on top of it.”

Mourinho has been quick to dismiss claims of a rift with captain John Terry, one of several players dropped for the Maccabi clash.

But Mourinho looks an agitated figure at present and locking horns with old rival Wenger is likely to keep him in a waspish mood, especially since he is still smarting from losing to the Arsenal chief for the first time in 14 meetings in the Community Shield last month.

Facing Chelsea on the back of a European setback is hardly ideal preparation for Arsenal, who haven't scored in their last four league meetings with the Blues.

However, Gunners forward Theo Walcott is adamant his team will shrug off that setback in time to add to the Mourinho's problems at Stamford Bridge.

The Gunners have been solid if unspectacular in the league so far and Walcott, who came off the bench to score against Zagreb, said: “Everyone will be very disappointed but we need to move on now.

“We have had setbacks before and have managed to bounce back from them. We have got a big, important game at the weekend.

“The manager will make sure that it's put to bed in the changing room and that it will stay there. We need to reflect on this game and move on quickly.”

City's flying start to the season ground to a halt with a 2-1 home defeat against Juventus that continued their lacklustre Champions League record.

And Manuel Pellegrini's team would be wise not to underestimate West Ham, who visit Eastlands on Saturday looking to claim a third famous away win of the season after triumphs at Arsenal and Liverpool.

“On one hand it would be a surprise of course if we won because before Juventus, Man City scored 11 goals and didn't concede, they are cruising,” West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said.

“But to be fair it would not be a shock considering we have done it two out of two (in away games) already.”

Manchester United, five points behind City in third place, will bid for an uplifting end to a traumatic week when they travel to Southampton on Sunday.

Louis van Gaal's team slumped to a 2-1 Champions League defeat at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday and to make matters worse England left-back Luke Shaw broke his right leg in two places following a challenge by Hector Moreno.

Newcastle, Sunderland and Stoke -- the three top tier sides still waiting for a first league win this term -- aim to end their barren runs against Watford, Bournemouth and Leicester respectively.

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, whose team are surprisingly unbeaten in second place, has offered his players an appetising incentive to keep Stoke at bay.

“I told them, if you keep a clean sheet, I'll buy pizza for everybody. I think they're waiting for me to offer a hot dog too!” he said.

Fixtures:

Saturday

Aston Villa v West Brom, Bournemouth v Sunderland, Chelsea v Arsenal, Manchester City v West Ham, Newcastle v Watford, Stoke v Leicester, Swansea v Everton

Sunday

Liverpool v Norwich, Southampton v Manchester United, Tottenham v Crystal Palace – AFP

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City banking on Aguero lift

Manchester City will hope Sergio Aguero's early return from injury can spark an immediate response after their latest Champions League meltdown.

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Premier League leaders Manchester City hope Sergio Aguero's early return from injury can spark an immediate response after their latest Champions League meltdown.

Manuel Pellegrini's side were buoyant after winning their opening five Premier League matches, and so it was all the more surprising that on Tuesday they lost 2-1 at home to a Juventus side who have started the Serie A season poorly.

The task now for City is to pick up their domestic momentum again, by claiming a 12th successive Premier League victory.

However, standing in their way are a West Ham side who have collected away wins over Arsenal and Liverpool already this season.

With that kind of record on their travels, Slaven Bilic's side are not to be taken lightly.

Amid their midweek European gloom, one piece of good news for City has been the quick recovery of Sergio Aguero from a knee injury.

The Argentina striker, forced off during the first half of last Saturday's 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, was initially ruled out of the Juventus game, only to appear for the last seven minutes as a substitute.

“It was a risk to use him,” Pellegrini said. “I tried not to because if he got a kick in the same place, it could take him more days to recover.

“Fortunately he did not have any problems and I hope he will be fit for Saturday.”

In defence, City will check on the fitness of captain Vincent Kompany, who has been instrumental in the clean sheets they have kept in each of their five league games so far.

Kompany came off with a calf injury 15 minutes from the end of the defeat against Juventus, although he suggested that was nothing to worry about.

“It's not serious,” he said. “I know my body.”

That suggests Kompany will retain his ever-present record alongside Eliaquim Mangala in the centre of defence, leaving recent signing Nicolas Otamendi to wait for his first City start.

Pellegrini's side are four points clear at the top of the table, but as far as midfielder Fernandinho is concerned, the true tests are another three months away yet.

“I always say the Premier League is complicated, especially in December,” Fernandinho said.

“It can sometimes be decided by who fights for the title most in December as there are a lot of games and sometimes teams have to change players.

“If you don't have the players to change then it can become complicated.

“In December, we will see who is winning the title race as I believe this will give a strong indication to what will happen at the end.”

West Ham's victory over Newcastle moved Bilic's side up to fifth after they finally registered their first home league win of the season.

The Hammers have demonstrated a frustrating inconsistency so far, with their impressive away wins balanced by unexpected home defeats against Bournemouth and Leicester.

Bilic insists his side's form away from Upton Park means it will not be a shock if they take something from this game.

“City are cruising in the early stages and already have a gap which is hard to get after five games,” Bilic said.

“But it wouldn't be a shock as we already have two out of two away wins. We know what we need to do to have a chance.

“They are the favourites of course but I am expecting us to have a good game and if that is the case we will have chances.”

Bilic has more options available to him now with striker Andy Carroll making his first appearance in seven months as a late substitute against Newcastle and deadline-day arrivals Nikica Jelavic and Michail Antonio yet to make their debuts.

Midfielder Pedro Obiang should be in contention after an ankle injury but centre-back Angelo Ogbonna is out with a hamstring problem. – AFP

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Napoli off to a flyer in Europa League

Napoli began their Europa League group stage campaign thrashing Club Bruges 5-0 to match their biggest European win.

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London - Napoli began their Europa League group stage campaign in scintillating fashion as two goals apiece from Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens helped them thrash Club Bruges 5-0 on Thursday to match their biggest European win.

Borussia Dortmund's Park Joo-ho scored three minutes into stoppage time on his debut to secure a 2-1 win over FK Krasnodar while Ajax Amsterdam also left it late to snatch a 2-2 home draw with Celtic in a battle between two former European champions.

Five times continental champions Liverpool's stuttering start to the season continued as they were pegged back to draw 1-1 at French side Bordeaux.

There were also wins for Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Azerbaijan champions Qarabag 3-1, and Basel, who downed Fiorentina 2-1 away, as 48 teams in 12 groups began their bids for Europa League success amid a flurry of goals.

Napoli have failed to win in their opening three Serie A games but crushed Belgian side Bruges with a scoring spree that began after five minutes when Callejon's cross caught out keeper Sinan Bolat and curled inside the far post.

The Italians were 3-0 up by halftime in their Group D opener after Mertens showed his scoring instincts with two sharp finishes in a six-minute spell while Marek Hamsik added another and Callejon rounded off the rout with a low finish.

Dortmund had trailed Kuban Krasnodar, who appointed Sergei Tashuev as manager earlier on Thursday, to Pavel Mamaev's 12th-minute opener in Group C, but Matthias Ginter headed home to level a minute into first-half stoppage time.

After another 45 minutes of dogged resistance by Krasnodar, the Russians' rearguard was pierced at the death when Park dived to head home, extending Dortmund's winning start to the season under new coach Thomas Tuchel to 10 games in all competitions.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers could only dream of such a consistent start to the campaign as his struggling side again showed their vulnerability by conceding a late goal to draw with Girondins Bordeaux in Group B.

The English team, who have lost their last two Premier League games, conceding three goals in each, went ahead when Adam Lallana nutmegged a defender to cut inside the penalty area and place a delicate sidefoot finish into the far corner after 65 minutes.

With a number of inexperienced players in the side, however, Liverpool were pegged back when Brazilian Jussie slammed the ball into the net with nine minutes to play.

Celtic twice took the lead against Ajax in Group A with goals from Nir Bitton and Mikael Lustig either side of an equaliser from Viktor Fischer.

The second half turned sour for the Scottish side, however, as Emilio Izaguirre was sent off for a second booking with 16 minutes left and Lasse Schoene levelled after 84 with a whipped cross that eluded everyone and found the corner of the net.

Fiorentina's Paulo Sousa guided Basel to the Swiss title last term and his old team gave the Portuguese coach a reminder of the talent he left behind as they won 2-1 in Italy with goals late in the game after the hosts were reduced to 10 men.

Nikola Kalinic put the Italians ahead after four minutes but Gonzalo Rodriguez saw red midway through the second half and Basel claimed a Group I victory with goals from Birkir Bjarnason (71st minute) and Mohamed Elneny (79).

Tottenham also fell a goal behind early in Group J against Qarabag but Richard Almeida's seventh-minute penalty was cancelled out by two goals from close-season signing Son Heung-min, his first for the club, and a late effort from Erik Lamela.

Austria's Rapid Vienna beat La Liga side Villarreal 2-1 at home in Group E, Olympique de Marseille won 3-0 at Groningen in Group F, and Norwegian side Molde made a good start in Group A by winning 3-1 against Fenerbahce in Turkey.

Sporting Lisbon lost 3-1 to visitors Lokomotiv Moscow in Group H, their second home defeat in 22 European games, while last season's runners-up Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk were held 1-1 at home by Lazio in Group G and Anderlecht drew 1-1 with Monaco in Group J. – Reuters

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Fifa suspends Valcke amid ticket claims

Jerome Valcke has been placed on leave amid allegations he was involved in a plan to re-sell World Cup tickets.

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Zurich/New York - World soccer body Fifa put Jerome Valcke, its second-ranking official, on leave on Thursday just hours after an ex-footballer raised allegations he was involved in a plan to re-sell 2014 World Cup tickets for a lucrative profit.

Fifa, which has been rocked by Swiss and US corruption investigations, said in a statement it was made aware of allegations involving Valcke and had requested a formal investigation by the Fifa ethics committee.

The swift action against his second-in-command is another major blow for Fifa President Sepp Blatter as questions about corruption during his 17-year reign build.

The allegations against Valcke come on top of probes by the US Department of Justice and the Swiss Attorney General's Office into corruption at Fifa after the indictment of 14 senior soccer officials and sports marketing executives in May.

Blatter announced in June only days after the unveiling of the US indictment that he would be stepping down as president following an election in February.

Earlier on Thursday, former Israeli soccer player Benny Alon said at a news conference in Zurich that he agreed in 2013 to pay cash to Valcke to secure plum World Cup tickets in Brazil. He said the plan was to then sell the tickets to fans at a markup and split the proceeds with Valcke.

Alon said the deal fell through and he never paid the soccer official. Reuters could not independently confirm Alon's claims.

Valcke “unequivocally” denied the allegations as “fabricated and outrageous” in a statement from his US lawyer Barry Berke.

“Mr Valcke never received or agreed to accept any money or anything else of value from Mr Alon,” the statement said.

Fifa controls the rights to sell all the World Cup tickets and has sanctioned officials in the past for re-selling the coveted World Cup spots at a higher price.

Earlier this week US and Swiss authorities said they were expanding their corruption investigations and more arrests were expected.

Neither Blatter nor Valcke face charges in either the US or Swiss investigations of Fifa. A spokesman from the Brooklyn prosecutor's office handling the US case declined to comment on the news of Valcke's departure.

Fifa's statement did not specify what allegations against Valcke needed to be investigated by the Ethics Committee.

But two sources familiar with the matter said Alon's claims were the immediate cause of Valcke being placed on leave. The sources added, though, that questions over Valcke had been mounting since May and could have contributed to the decision.

US prosecutors believe Valcke was involved in 2007 in bank transactions worth $10 million in which the South African government approved money to support the African diaspora in Caribbean countries, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters in June. Prosecutors say the payments were aimed at winning votes for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup.

Valcke confirmed he signed off on the payments but denied any wrongdoing. The transactions are central to a US bribery investigation into soccer's governing bodies.

Alleged ticket deal

Alon got into the ticket marketing and hospitality business after retiring from the game as a player. He said he was working at ticketing firm JB Sports Marketing AG in 2013 when he discussed with Valcke the allocation of tickets with better views of the field for the Brazil World Cup.

Alon says he informally agreed to split revenues from the re-sale of the tickets with Valcke 50-50 in a deal that could have netted the soccer official more than $2 million. While Alon provided emails to the media he said backed up his claims, the documents were incomplete and could not be independently verified by Reuters.

Berke, Valcke's lawyer, said in his statement that “Fifa entered into an agreement with Mr Alon's company, JB Sports Marketing. That agreement and FIFA's subsequent business dealings with Mr Alon were vetted and approved by Fifa and its legal counsel.” Fifa did not respond to a request for comment on Valcke's statement.

Valcke, who had already indicated he was likely planning on stepping down in February like Blatter, has had a checkered career at Fifa. He originally joined in 2003 as marketing director but was fired in December 2006 for his part in botched sponsorship negotiations with credit card firms MasterCard and Visa.

He was dismissed when a New York court ruled that Fifa had “lied repeatedly” during World Cup sponsorship negotiations with MasterCard, but eight months later he was re-hired as secretary general.

Markus Kattner, Fifa's Deputy General Secretary, will temporarily take over Valcke's duties, according to a Fifa spokesman.

REUTERS

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Perfect time for Chelsea to host Arsenal

There will be no love lost between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger when Chelsea host Arsenal this weekend.

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London - There may not be many handshakes, offered or accepted, but Jose Mourinho has reason to welcome Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger back to Chelsea in Saturday's big Premier League lunchtime clash.

The champions are languishing on the brink of the bottom three after their worst start to a Premier League season, while Arsenal are fourth, but Wednesday's 4-0 Champions League thrashing of Maccabi Tel Aviv has lifted some of the gloom.

The side with the worst defensive record in the Premier League, with 12 goals against in five games, can now turn their attentions to Arsenal and the manager Mourinho most likes to beat.

Former goalkeeper Petr Cech, back at Chelsea for the first time since he moved to North London, will be standing in their way but Chelsea go into the match with a sense that the tide may have turned.

“Obviously it will be new to play against Chelsea but when you start playing the game the only concern you have is 'can I play my best game and can we win?'“ Cech said.

Even if Maccabi were not the toughest of opponents, Chelsea now have their first home win, first clean sheet and face Arsenal as the only English winners in the Champions League group stage.

Not only that, but the 'Special One' has showed he is back in business.

“I'm a fantastic manager when I'm not winning matches and I'm a fantastic manager when I am,” he declared after fans chanted his name long and loud on Wednesday night.

“I forgot the feeling. It's so long since we won, it's good, good, good,” added the Portuguese.

“I could not imagine waking up tomorrow after a defeat to go to Cobham to train just two days before a derby against Arsenal. How difficult would that have been?”

If Chelsea think Arsenal are arriving at just the right time, then so does Wenger who has had a spring in his step since he finally beat a Mourinho side for the first time in the pre-season Community Shield.

The Frenchman, who declined to shake Mourinho's hand after that match at Wembley and who is still smarting from losing 6-0 to Chelsea in his 1,000th match as Arsenal manager, has yet to beat the Portuguese in the league but he can see a chance to shake off another hoodoo.

A chastening 2-1 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday was hardly the best preparation, even if Wenger clearly had one eye on Chelsea with six changes to the team that beat Stoke City 2-0 last weekend and Cech on the bench.

“I try to give Petr Cech some rest mentally,” he explained of that decision.

Chelsea will be without Brazil midfielder Willian, who picked up a hamstring injury on Wednesday, and Spain forward Pedro.

In other matches, West Ham United travel to Manchester City with the hope of becoming the first team to put a goal past the leaders in the league this season.

High-flying Leicester City, second in the table, are at Stoke City while bottom club Newcastle United are at home to Watford.

Southampton host Manchester United on Sunday, with midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin making his return to St Mary's for the first time since moving north, while Liverpool play Norwich City at Anfield.

United will have to tweak their back four, after eight successive matches together, for the match at St Mary's as a result of former Southampton defender Luke Shaw's broken leg. – Reuters

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Graham - leading from the front

Travis Graham is hoping to lead Ajax Cape Town to glory in Saturday's MTN8 final against Kaizer Chiefs in Port Elizabeth.

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Johannesburg - Travis Graham is hoping to lead Ajax Cape Town to glory in Saturday's MTN8 final against Kaizer Chiefs in Port Elizabeth.

Having joined the club as a 10-year-old, Graham hopes he can write his name into the Urban Warriors' history books by helping inspire his team to the trophy.

After making his debut as a 19-year-old in 2012/ 2013, Graham went on to play 14 matches that season, but was unable to kick on in the following campaign as injuries curtailed his game time to only 200 minutes for the entire 2013/ 2014 season.

Last season, he was named club captain by Roger De Sa in August 2014, going on to play in 34 matches. In the process, he helped the club achieve its first top eight finish in five years while also reaching the final of the Nedbank Cup.

A model professional, his winning mentality, tenacity and drive from the middle of the park, has made the Ottery-born player a perfect fit for the captain's armband.

The club's youngest ever captain an exemplary example of Ajax's proud youth academy system.

“Captaincy is for certain players, because you have to lead the team, motivate them and lead from the front - it can put a lot of pressure on one's own game,” Graham was quoted as saying a few months into his reign as skipper.

“I think I'm more of a natural leader, I've worked on it through the years in the development and I was made for it.”

For De Sa, it was an obvious choice: “I could see his qualities, his character and his temperament, and I think he could be captain of the club for many years to come. He's got that kind of attitude. He carries himself well, he does all the work,” he said.

The combination of coach De Sa and captain Graham has been a major factor in the Cape side's renewal of fortunes over the last 12 months, and going into the final Ajax find themselves top of the Absa Premiership standings having continued the momentum they begun to pick up last season.

Graham still sees Urban Warriors as underdogs against a Chiefs side which has won the top eight competition 15 times, but is determined to put to rest the memories of earlier this year, when Ajax went down to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup final.

“It's going to be a difficult one,” he told PSL.co.za. “Chiefs are one of the greatest sides in South African history. It's going to challenging for us. We're obviously the underdogs and have got a lot to prove.

“Losing in the last final [the 2015 Nedbank Cup] and feeling what it was like to lose, it wasn't a good feeling. So this time around we want to be on the other side. Hopefully we can win it for the fans, for the club, and for our own careers. It would be just wonderful for us as individuals.”

Rather than looking at the team's previous final as a failure, Graham is hoping that the experience gained by a largely young Ajax team could help to overcome Steve Komphela's in-form Chiefs side.

“We are going to have to put aside last year's final. Its done and dusted, we can't do anything about it. We can just focus on the next game, take each game at a time as usual. The last final we didn't know what to expect, so everyone was a bit nervous.

“We need to try and capitilise and take our chances as early as possible. You don't get many chances against Chiefs, its important for us to try and take the first chances that come our way.” - African News Agency (ANA).

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United projecting record revenue

Manchester United's revenues fell by 8.8 percent last season, but the club predicted record revenues of £500 million.

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Manchester United's revenues fell by 8.8 percent last season, but the club on Thursday predicted record revenues of £500 million (about R10,3 bllion) to £510 million for 2015-16.

United's failure to qualify for the Champions League saw revenues for the period 2014-15 fall by £38 million to £395.2 million, as revealed in their annual report, largely due to losses in gate receipts and broadcasting income.

But with a new £750 million kit deal with Adidas having recently taken effect, United expect to become the first English club to break through the £500 million barrier over the current campaign.

“As we look to the new season, we are enthusiastic about our strong position, both on and off the pitch,” United's executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said in a statement sent to investors.

“In recent weeks we have further strengthened our squad with an exciting mix of experience and youth, qualified for the group stage of the Uefa Champions League, and seen an impressive launch of our partnership with Adidas.

“Our record revenue and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) guidance for 2016 reflects the underlying strength of our business and our confidence in its continued growth.”

United failed to qualify for the Champions League in 2013-14, for the first time since 1995, after finishing seventh in the Premier League in the first season after the departure of legendary manager Alex Ferguson.

But new manager Louis van Gaal led them to a fourth-place finish last season and they qualified for this season's tournament after beating Belgian side Club Brugge in a two-legged play-off in August.

Van Gaal has overseen an investment of over £250 million in new players since being appointed as the permanent successor to David Moyes, Ferguson's unsuccessful replacement, in July 2014. – AFP

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Key players to MTN8 glory

Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs will tackle Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 final, with the winner pocketing a cool R8 million.

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Johannesburg - Cup finals are traditionally tight and tense affairs and can potentially be decided by a moment of a brilliance, or a mistake, by an individual player, and it should be no different in Saturday's 2015 MTN8 final in Port Elizabeth between Ajax Cape Town and Kaizer Chiefs.

For Ajax the two key players could be Prince Nxumalo and Abbubaker Mobara.

The 25-year-old Nxumalo has produced goals for Ajax - three in three league games, since signing for the club in August. A lively front-man with good strength, Nxumalo would love to cap his rise back to the PSL after several years in the NFD with a goal against one of the PSL's giants.

Mobara has sometimes overlooked in favour of his central defensive partner Rivaldo Coetzee but he is a top quality footballer with electric pace and a fantastic silky touch, especially for a defender. His ability to keep a cool head in defence before setting the Cape side going forward could play an important role.

Still only 21, Mobara already has considerable experience and has netted two goals this season.

In the Kaizer Chiefs camp, George Lebese will shoulder the brunt as they go forward. Lebese is one of the form players in South Africa this season, picking up from where he left off last season.

The skilfull left-footer has shown great composure in front of goal and already has six goals (three in the league, three in the MTN8) this season from seven matches.

The 26-year-old is buzzing at the moment and will surely be a marked man on Saturday, potentially creating space for team-mates as well.

Another game-breaker for Chiefs is Siphiwe Tshabalala. Tshabalala has been having a fine season, rising to the challenge admirably since being given the captain's armband, while chipping in with two goals already.

His vast experience of cup final football, his ability to dictate play and unlock defences from open or set play should be an asset to Chiefs on Saturday. - African News Agency (ANA).

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Why Diouf was hated at Liverpool

Take your pick of the stories which El Hadji Diouf's team-mates will tell you bear out Steven Gerrard's assessment of the player's brief career at Liverpool.

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Take your pick of the stories which El Hadji Diouf's team-mates will tell you bear out Steven Gerrard's eviscerating assessment of the player's brief career at Liverpool.

There was the Sunday morning at Bolton Wanderers when Diouf was still proclaiming himself the victim of an unjust sending-off in a heavy defeat the day before, though TV replays had revealed otherwise. An infuriated senior player - who must remain nameless - chased Diouf around the canteen.

And then there was the time at Liverpool when a 20-year-old Neil Mellor, on his debut and told by manager Gérard Houllier that he would take a penalty if one was awarded, had the ball wrenched from his hands by Diouf.

It is the stories from behind the scenes, rather than the more notorious examples of Diouf's behaviour - the spitting at Celtic fans during Liverpool's Uefa Cup quarter-final or taunting of QPR's Jamie Mackie as he lay on the pitch with his leg broken - which are the ones that make you wonder why Diouf seemed so surprised that Gerrard let him have it in his new autobiography.

Jamie Carragher's own autobiographical analysis of the Senegalese, seven years ago, was even more unsparing. Carragher adored Houllier, his first Liverpool manager, but he, like many at Anfield, has always felt that the Frenchman was rushed into signing Diouf on the basis of a scintillating World Cup for Senegal in 2002, when he excelled in the opening day defeat of champions France.

Many at Liverpool feel Houllier returned too early after heart surgery and did not investigate the big claims about the player being made by Patrice Bergues, his former assistant, who was managing the striker at Lens.

“I arrived for pre-season training anticipating my first view of the players who'd turn us into title winners,” Carragher writes in Carra. “I returned home the same evening in a state of depression. Do you remember being at school and picking sides for a game of football? We do this at Liverpool for the five-a-sides. Diouf was 'last pick' within a few weeks.”

Carragher, who knew a few players at Liverpool, reflected that he had never met one “who seemed to care less about winning or losing”. He relates the story of the FA Cup defeat at Portsmouth in 2004, which effectively sealed Houllier's fate. Michael Owen, who had missed a penalty, was in a state of desolation at Melwood the following day. Diouf drove in with rave music blaring out of his car and “danced across the car park” into the building. “You'd think we'd won the Cup, the way he carried on. His attitude disgusted me,” Carragher wrote.

If Houllier had only inquired, he would have found that Diouf was already a liability at Lens. There had been spitting incidents there before he left for Merseyside. There was hope when Sam Allardyce took him to Bolton that the smaller club might suit him better, feeding his own need for the celebrity status he still enjoys in west Africa. One of the player-liaison staff at Bolton effectively became his full-time PA and eventually went with him to Blackburn. But while Allardyce knew he could play - “he could be brilliant in the final third, winning free-kicks, holding on to the ball,” says one of the manager's staff - there was nearly always trouble. From week to week, no one knew whether he would be interested.

And it seems there was never any telling him. His default position when one of them called him out was evidently the same as when he was stopped by a police officer late at night. “That person was always a 'rah-cist',” says one source, remembering the player's enunciation. No one seems at all surprised that Diouf has levelled the same accusation at Gerrard, in light of the autobiography.

Allardyce tried dropping him periodically. He felt there was enough of a mutual understanding to take him to Blackburn, where Gerrard's distaste for Diouf can only have deepened when the player taunted Liverpool fans at Ewood in January 2011 during the 3-1 defeat that led to Roy Hodgson being sacked as manager. This time, it was Gerrard who missed a penalty.

When Allardyce was dismissed, Diouf went on loan to Rangers, returning to the Ewood dressing room wearing his Rangers title medal around his neck. Manager Steve Kean ordered him out. When Kean instructed him to train at irregular hours, he refused. The Professional Footballers' Association was called in to mediate.

There was another side. The Bolton staff will tell you that he was always the last player to leave charity appearances. The Blackburn players loved his cars. He had his Cadillac Escalade “wrapped”, allowing him to change the colour every few months. Gold and silver were favourites. But it is hard to find a player to argue with Gerrard and Carragher's assessment that buying him was a big mistake.

Towards the end, Neil Warnock found his experience useful at Leeds on the big occasions which Diouf loved - most notably a League Cup upset against Everton at Elland Road in 2012. “He loved the spotlight,” says one source acquainted with that period. “He liked the bigger occasions. But he didn't generally do away games.” – The Independent

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There’s a Jose, Terry rift - Gerrard

Steven Gerrard believes Jose Mourinho’s relationship with John Terry has deteriorated after the Chelsea captain.

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Steven Gerrard believes Jose Mourinho’s relationship with John Terry has deteriorated after the Chelsea captain was left on the bench for last night’s Champions League clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Terry has struggled at the start of the season having been sent off against West Bromwich Albion and substituted at half-time against Manchester City.

And former Liverpool captain Gerrard suspects there is a rift between the Chelsea skipper and his manager.

Speaking during BT Sport’s live coverage of the match, Gerrard said: ‘There’s certainly a bit of friction behind the scenes because for me, you play John Terry week in, week out — he’s your captain.

‘He’s such an important figure in the dressing room and if Chelsea want to be successful this season, they need him in there.

‘Chelsea were champions three months ago, they were the best team in the Premier League, they had the PFA player of the year in Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas was on fire.

‘Something’s clearly happening behind the scenes that we’re not clued up on.

‘You can’t have that many problems in a team so quickly.’

Gerrard’s fellow pundit Rio Ferdinand added: ‘I would have thought John Terry would have started today, he’s their leader, he’s their captain and you need to get off to a good start.’

Branislav Ivanovic, Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic were also dropped for the Blues’ first Champions League tie of the season following the 3-1 defeat by Everton at Goodison Park last Saturday. - Daily Mail

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It’s all about the team for Tshabalala

Siphiwe Tshabalala will be leading Kaizer Chiefs in a Cup final for the first time when Amakhosi clash with Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 final.

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Siphiwe Tshabalala will be leading Kaizer Chiefs in a Cup final for the first time when Amakhosi clash with Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 final at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.

But for the winger it’s not about him.

“For me it is about the team,” Tshabalala said ahead of the team’s training session in Naturena yesterday. “I want to play well for the team. And we want to play well as a collective and win this trophy. Yes, it will mean a lot to me leading the team to victory as the skipper. But to me, it is about the team.”

So far this season Chiefs have shown great fight to come back and win games they seemed to be on the verge of losing.

One of them was their quarter-final clash with Maritzburg United when they were 2-0 down at the break but came back to win 5-3 in extra-time.

And the skipper gives all the credit to coach Steve Komphela, saying he never puts them down and is a great motivator.

“I think the mindset is strong, we have a strong character. Twice or three times we have come from behind to win games and that is down to Komphela.

He is someone who is very approachable, very easy, but a disciplinarian as well. Most of the time he is very calm and positive, he knows how to raise his voice and how to motivate his players. We are enjoying being around him and we want to win this trop-hy for him.

“We play good, exciting football and we are a hard-working team. We fight for what we want and we are always ready to dig deep to achieve certain things.

“We want to continue with that, we are not there yet, we are still a work in progress. But we’ll get there, one step at time, the only focus now is the Cup final,” Tshabalala added.

Tshabalala also credited Ajax for reaching the final, but says they are not really concerned about the Cape side, as they are focussed on their own game.

“As much as we are preparing for the game, so are they. They also want to win the Cup final. We will give them the respect they deserve, they are a good team. But we are more focused on ourselves, what we are going to do and how we going to achieve our goal. They are a strong team, but we won’t dwell too much on that,” said Tshabalala.

The Chiefs skipper also added that everyone at the club is in high spirits ahead of the match, with the main objective being keeping the trophy at Naturena.

“So far so good, the mood is good in the team. We are looking forward to our next game.

“This is the final hurdle to reaching our goal, which is retaining the trophy.” - The Star

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Giroud red card ‘very harsh’ - Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has termed forward Olivier Giroud's send-off their Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb “very harsh”.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has termed forward Olivier Giroud's send-off in Wednesday's Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb “very harsh” after his 10-man team lost the Group F contest at Zagreb's Maksimir stadium.

Criticised for not being clinical enough in front of goal, Giroud's frustration got the better of him when he was first booked for dissent after his reaction to the referee giving a foul against him.

He was eventually sent off after a tackle on Dinamo Zagreb's Ivo Pinto in the 40th minute saw him pick up his second yellow card as Arsenal went on to lose 2-1.

Wenger insisted Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan was harsh in flashing the second yellow card.

“The first yellow card was Giroud's fault because he protested, even if there was no foul against him. After that he should have not protested to the referee,” the 65-year-old Wenger told reporters.

“His second yellow card was completely unlucky to touch the guy. I do not understand the referee.

“It was completely accidental. It happened and I think at that moment it was not a second yellow. It has to be a foul on purpose and it was not on purpose. The referee should have given several yellows tonight based on that.

“We were a bit unlucky. We had a lot of the ball and, as well, we had early chances. I believe the first goal is offside and after that, the sending-off is very harsh,” he added.

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott was confident the team can put the setback behind them and advance from the group stage.

“We've still got a long Champions League run. We've had setbacks before and we've managed to bounce back from them,” the England international said.

“We should be able to come back stronger. The manager will make sure that it's put to bed in the changing room and that it will stay there,” he added. – Reuters

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We’ve lost our way - Rodgers

Liverpool have lost their way and are trying to rediscover their identity, manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted.

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Liverpool have lost their way and are trying to rediscover their identity, manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted, while denying that he is under greater pressure after an underwhelming start to the season.

The Merseyside club have slumped to back-to-back Premier League losses against West Ham United and Manchester United and the Northern Irishman, who has been criticised by sections of the fans and media, is troubled by the manner of the defeats.

“You can lose games but it is how you lose them and the last couple of games are not how you want to lose,” the 42-year-old told reporters ahead of his club's Europa League clash against Ligue 1 side Bordeaux.

“I think it is good I have an identity as a coach and a way of working that is clear.

“I am confident we can get back to playing that way and ... I along with the staff are working very hard to reinforce the principles of how we have worked here,” he added.

The criticism of Rodgers intensified after Liverpool's limp 3-1 defeat by Manchester United at the weekend, a game in which the Merseyside club sat back and allowed their archrivals to dominate possession, and the manager said the result was an eye-opener and one he would learn from.

“When you look at the opening five games ... we haven't been at that level of intensity.

“That's something that I've really taken away from the performance at the weekend. We created some chances in the second half but this is a team that is very much about being on the front foot,” he told the club website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

Rodgers has rung the changes for the Bordeaux game, leaving Christian Benteke, Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren, James Milner, Lucas Leiva and Nathaniel Clyne at home and defended his team selection.

“My approach is what I did in this competition when I first came in. We played players that needed games and it's my chance to look at some young players as well.

“Back then we finished top of the group and qualified, and that's the objective,” he said, while denying that he was under increased pressure.

“It (the pressure) is the same as it ever has been.

“It's part and parcel of being the manager at such a great club,” he said. – Reuters

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Ronaldo closing in on Raul’s record

Cristiano Ronaldo can overtake Raul as Real Madrid's all-time top scorer when Granada visit the Bernabeu in La Liga.

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Madrid - Cristiano Ronaldo can overtake Raul as Real Madrid's all-time top scorer when Granada visit the Bernabeu in La Liga on Saturday and the Portugal captain will have needed fewer than half as many matches to do it.

Former Spain striker Raul, now with New York Cosmos, netted 323 goals in 741 appearances for the world's richest club, while Ronaldo's hat-trick in Tuesday's 4-0 Champions League victory at home to Shakhtar Donetsk took his tally to a jaw-dropping 321 in just 304 matches.

The 30-year-old Fifa Ballon d'Or holder's treble at the Bernabeu came hot on the heels of his five-goal haul at Espanyol last weekend and Real have rattled in 15 goals without reply in their last three outings.

“I know Cristiano Ronaldo's value and performance level,” Real coach Rafa Benitez told a news conference after the Shakhtar game. “He is the best in the world and is showing that in games and every training session.”

Ronaldo hit five goals in a match for the first time when Real hammered Granada 9-1 at the Bernabeu last season and Granada midfielder Ruben Rochina is expecting another rough ride despite Benitez missing several regulars due to injury.

James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos are all unavailable but Rochina said the depth of Real's squad means the trio will not be missed too much.

“We know they are one of the best teams in the world and if one player is not there then there will be another who will also perform well,” he told Spanish radio on Wednesday.

Champions Barcelona, who host Levante on Sunday, are waiting to find out how serious Rafinha's suspected knee injury is after the Brazil midfielder was hurt in Wednesday's 1-1 Champions League draw at AS Roma.

“We will wait for the test results tomorrow (Thursday) but it looks bad and that is very ugly news for us,” Barca coach Luis Enrique told a news conference.

Atletico Madrid visit Eibar and Valencia host promoted Real Betis on Saturday and Sevilla host Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Atletico and Sevilla enjoyed convincing wins in Champions League action on Tuesday, while Valencia's return to Europe's elite club competition after a two-year absence was spoiled when they lost 3-2 at home to Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday. – Reuters

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United’s fury at Moreno’s award

Manchester United are upset with Uefa for naming PSV Eindhoven’s Hector Moreno as man of the match following his leg-breaking tackle on Luke Shaw.

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Manchester United are upset with Uefa for naming Hector Moreno as man of the match in their defeat by PSV Eindhoven following his leg-breaking tackle on Luke Shaw.

It emerged last night that the England defender is unlikely to play again this season.

United believe it was insensitive in the extreme for Moreno to be honoured in such a way by European football’s governing body after his challenge left Shaw with a sickening double fracture of the right leg.

The 20-year-old defender had surgery in Eindhoven in the early hours of yesterday morning and remained in hospital while the rest of the squad flew home in sombre mood.

It is understood that Shaw will be out of action for a minimum of six months, with his hopes of appearing in Euro 2016 next summer now in serious jeopardy.

A Manchester United club source said: ‘We find it strange and disappointing that Uefa made Moreno their man of the match after what happened to Luke.’

A Uefa spokesman explained that the award is decided by their team of reporters at the game. A story that appeared on the governing body’s official website yesterday quoting Moreno made no mention of Shaw’s injury.

Uefa have no plans to review the incident after the Mexico defender went unpunished by Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli for his lunging tackle in the 15th minute.

He added insult to injury by scoring PSV’s equaliser in their 2-1 Champions League win.

Moreno, who broke his leg against Louis van Gaal’s Holland in the World Cup last summer, apologised to Shaw but insisted the injury was an accident.

He said: ‘I feel really sorry but I don’t think it was a foul. I think I played the ball. It wasn’t my intention to injure him.

‘But in this kind of situation I don’t care if it was a foul, I feel bad for him and for his family.

‘I had a situation like that myself during the World Cup. Now I just hope he will be back as soon as possible.’

Shaw was rushed to St Anna Ziekenhuis hospital on the outskirts of Eindhoven where he was joined by his parents, who were in the crowd at the Philips Stadion.

United chief executive Ed Woodward was one of the first people to visit him yesterday morning.

It is understood that the former Southampton defender suffered a clean break and the fractured bones did not pierce the skin of his right leg. However, he faces a lengthy layoff followed by extensive rehabilitation that could keep him out of action until next season.

Some of Shaw’s United teammates could not even bear to look as he received treatment on the pitch.

Club insiders have revealed that the players ate an after-match meal in almost complete silence at their hotel.

Daley Blind, who replaced Shaw at left back after he was carried off on a stretcher, admitted that the United players were psychologically affected by the incident.

‘It’s a massive blow if someone suffers an injury like that,’ said Blind. ‘We are a strong team unit so it cuts into you. Maybe it gets into your heads but you have to let it pass.

‘It’s something that may not actually influence you at that time. But you can be unaware, and perhaps in your head you unconsciously sympathise with him. But it’s a defeat and saying this should not pass the buck.’

Sportsmail refereeing expert Graham Poll insisted that Moreno should have been shown a straight red card and United awarded a penalty for the tackle in question.

But Howard Webb, another former Premier League referee, defended Rizzoli by claiming that the injury was caused by Shaw’s studs being caught in the turf.

He said: ‘Luke Shaw’s injury was awful and I wish him a speedy recovery, but I have got to say that the referee made the right decision on the night.

‘Moreno stretches with his right leg, which plays the ball cleanly. His left leg makes some contact on the follow through, but it is always tucked away under him and not aimed towards Luke Shaw.

‘Luke is unlucky in that he gets his studs caught and twists, which causes the injury, but I think the referee has made the right decision.’ – Daily Mail

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