Ahead of the Game: Fergie Unconcerned By Ronaldo Rumours
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Tuesday, May 20. 1600 BST
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The news in 60 seconds
FERGIE UNCONCERNED BY RONALDO RUMOURS
The Manchester United manager said he would place a "big bet" on tomorrow night's Champions League final not being Cristiano Ronaldo's last game for Manchester United. He also laughed off gentle probes from a Spanish journalist suggesting the Portuguese winger was off to Real Madrid this summer, despite United's estimated debt of £764million. That's a lot of bottles of fine wine.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3970838.ece
DROGBA: I COULD STAY AT CHELSEA
Chelsea may have expected the Champions League final to be the big Ivorian's last match for the club, but he says he could stay at Stamford Bridge rather than leave for a top European side or to run a diving school. "I'm a footballer, not a swimmer," he said.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article3969337.ece
MOURINHO EXPECTS CLOSE FINAL
The former Chelsea manager refused to be drawn on who would win the Moscow showdown. "It will be a very close call and I think it's really a 50-50 match," said the famously tight-lipped special one pulling the splinters out of his trousers.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3970120.ece
BARTON SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS
The Newcastle United midfielder has been sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to assault and affray in what a judge described as a "violent and cowardly act".
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article3968859.ece
COPPELL STICKING WITH READING
The Royals manager decides that the Championship isn't quite as dangerous as the "s***** waters" (his words) of the Premier League and will honour the remaining year of his contract to stay at the Madejski.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/reading/article3968056.ece
LIVERPOOL COMPLETE DEGEN DEAL
Rafa Benitez has given Alvaro Arbeloa and Steve Finnan something to worry about over the summer by capturing Swiss international defender Philipp Degen from Borussia Dortmund. The attacking full-back has 26 Swiss caps and comes with a "winning mentality".
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3967580.ece
KEWELL OUT TO PROVE BENITEZ WRONG
Meanwhile, Harry Kewell has vowed to show Benitez exactly what he never saw during the Australian's five year stay in the Anfield treatment room. "I've never shied away from playing anywhere," says the man who cost £157,554 for each of his 139 appearances with the club.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3969000.ece
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If you've got another couple of minutes
Chelsea fans will be rocked by the news that Frank Lampard has been tipped to depart Stamford Bridge for a lucrative four year deal at Inter Milan. Can the club cope without him and who can replace him?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/who-could-repla.html
Rip-off Russia
Our intrepid reporter Oliver Kay travels to Moscow and discovers the flipside to the glamour of the Champions League final - rotten roads, terrifying taxi rides, astronomic prices and fleabag hotels
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3967918.ece
Chelsea or Manchester United?
It's down to the wire now. Can Chelsea gain revenge for their Premier League disappointment and save Avram Grant's job in the process. Or will Sir Alex get his hands on what he regards as the key prize in football. And who will be the key personnel involved? Vote in our poll and have your say.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/whos-your-money.html
Meanwhile, Carlos Tevez has laid the first blow in the pre-match phoney war by claiming that Chelsea are an inferior team and that Manchester United are strong favourites. Chelsea fans, let us know what you think.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/debate-are-chel.html
Manchester United, the best supported club in the world apparently, are in danger of not selling their 20,000 allocation for the final. Have you bought a ticket for Moscow but were then put off by the ridiculous travel costs? Give us your views.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/have-you-given.html
Our roving Moscow reporter Tony Halpin describes the sights and sounds as the Russian capital prepares for the British invasion.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3969503.ece
Did you miss our incisive and entertaining Champions League supplement? Don't worry it's all here.
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/pdfs/cl.pdf
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>>>>>THE TABLOID TALE<<<<<
Pete's troph-wee - The Sun
Fading rock icon Pete Doherty is thrown out of Millwall football ground for weeing in a trophy after playing in a Celebrity Soccer Sixes tournament. This might not be news to those of us who think the junkie rocker has been peeing away his career for years.
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A quickie before you go, sir?
Our master statistician Bill Edgar has unlocked from his vault the ten greatest English moments in European Cup/Champions League finals, including Bobby Charlton's tears after Manchester United's win over Benfica in 1968 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y39cuqE18jE) and Bruce Grobbelaar's rubber legs against Roma in 1984 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH71Cy4_kvc&feature=related)
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/the-ten-greates.html
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16
The number of Englishmen used by Manchester United and Chelsea in the Champions League this season as compared to 35 foreign players.
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In TheGame
Martin Tyler , a doyen of football broadcasting, offers his lowdown on what to expect at the Luzhniki Stadium and gives some insights into the perils of the commentator abroad.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/qa-martin-tyler.html
Tony Cascarino picks five things to watch out for on Wednesday evening, including Edwin Van der Sar's suspect kicking and Wayne Rooney's even more questionable temperament.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/tony-cascarin-4.html
Is Michel Platini, the Uefa president, just playing the horrid little politician by telling the FA that he will support a European bid for the 2018 World Cup only if the nomination is not split. Martin Samuel isn't impressed and thinks he is likely to do nothing to help England's cause. Has one of Europe's finest footballers been a let-down in one of the most critical roles in world football? Join the debate.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/will-platini-pl.html
Bill Edgar , our very own master of the brain mangling trivia question, gives you more to chew on in his daily quiz. Today's question is: Which team were the leading league goalscorers among the 92 league clubs in the season just finished as well as being the leading FA Cup goalscorers from the third round onwards?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/bill-edgars-t-4.html
On TheGame Podcast , Mark Hughes lets slip that he was a boyhood Chelsea fan whilst previewing the intriguing Moscow showdown between two of his old clubs with our regular hosts Guillem Balague and Gabriele Marcotti .
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/audio_video/podcasts/thegame
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>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<
Tev - We've won it - The Sun
Inter - We've signed Lamps - Daily Mirror
Moscow pitch is like a 'badly fitting carpet' - The Daily Telegraph
Inter aim to turn Moscow into Lampard's Chelsea swansong - The Independent
Chelsea and United owe record £1.5bn - The Guardian
Harry to save Bourne identity - Daily Express
The English are coming - Daily Mail
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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox
I have a blind cat at home. I'll happily lend him to Chelsea should Lampard leave. Even with 95 per cent blindness he could still pick a better pass than Lampard.
Matt Nicolson thinks that Chelsea might just be able to cope without the pinpoint accuracy of the England midfielder.
Cardiff's defeat in the FA Cup was a lucky escape for the SPL! Uefa had already made noises that should Cardiff win, they would be allowed to participate in the Uefa Cup despite previous statements that clubs who don't play in competitions in their home country would be barred from such participation. This would have set a precedent that the Old Firm would have cited should they have joined the Premiership, which is the main thing keeping them in the SPL.
Richard Stacey suggests there's more to Cardiff's FA Cup defeat than meets the eye.
In the words of Nobby Stiles, "It was a goal, so just shut it."
David Lea doesn't need Derek Acorah to solve the mystery of Luis Garcia's 'ghost' goal.
I'm sorry but I must object to it being put forward that Harry Redknapp should be knighted because he won the FA Cup. People should now be knighted for winning one trophy?! I don't think so. When Alex Ferguson was knighted, it was because he had just won a treble - the most acclaimed treble that a manager of an English team can achieve. This is in a different league to Harry's achievements.
Paul Hemmings most definitely doesn't side with the 'Arry is God brigade. Either that or he's a Southampton fan.
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Tomorrow's news today
- Why would anyone leave the best league in the world?
- Champions League preview - how they line up/the key clashes.
And expect...
Harry Kewell to sign a five year deal with the St. John's Ambulance XI.
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