Premier League wages hit record levels

English Premier League clubs have been warned to bring their spending under control, after a new review into football finances showed that players' wages were at record levels, outstripping growth in club revenues.

Wages went up by £201 million (251 million euros, $312 million dollars) in the 2010-11 season to almost £1.6 billion -- a 14 percent rise -- while overall revenues at clubs rose by 12 percent to £2.27 billion, according to analysts Deloitte.

With the top 20 clubs splashing out on big salaries in an increasingly desperate bid for success, wages now account for a record 70 percent of the revenue generated by Premier League clubs.

Alan Switzer, director in the sports business group at Deloitte, warned big-spending Premier League owners that wage control was now essential, especially with UEFA's financial fair play (FFP) rules coming into force soon.

"If the wages to revenue ratio is 70 percent or higher it's very difficult to make an operating profit," he said.
"In our view it is too high as a league and the clubs need to be edging back to the low 60s. Every one percent that it drops should increase operating profits by £20 million to £25 million."

The wage rises at some of the league's bigger clubs have been offset by significant rises in commercial income at some sides, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City.

The figures are for the 2010-11 season and will be the last before UEFA start taking them into account for their FFP calculations, where clubs in European competition have to break even or risk fines and even suspension from competitions.

Switzer said league champions Manchester City and Champions League winners Chelsea, owned by Abu Dhabi-based Sheikh Mansour and Russian Roman Abramovich respectively, faced the greatest challenges in conforming to the FFP rules.

"Chelsea and Manchester City are the clubs which have recorded the biggest losses so they are the two which have the most to do, and to be fair to them they have been pretty public about needing to take action," he added.

"A significant number of clubs around Europe have some distance to travel on the road towards compliance."
The Deloitte report does not cover the most recent season but it does show the effect of Britain's 50 percent tax band coming into play -- the 92 league clubs paid nearly £1.2 billion in tax, up 20 percent.

Brazil beats sloppy US 4-1 as Neymar stars

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Neymar converted a penalty kick and assisted on goals by defenders Thiago Silva and Marcelo as Brazil took advantage of a sloppy American backline to beat the United States 4-1 in an exhibition game Wednesday night.

Neymar, the 20-year-old Santos sensation, put Brazil ahead in the 12th minute after a hand ball on Oguchi Onyewu, then took a corner kick that Thiago Silva headed in for his first international goal in the 26th.

Herculez Gomez, making his first start for the U.S. since the 2010 World Cup, scored in the 45th following a fine run by Michael Bradley and cross by Fabian Johnson.

But before an enthusiastic crowd of 67,619 at FedEx Field, Marcelo restored the two-goal lead in the 52nd as Onyewu and American captain Carlos Bocanegra left him unmarked in front of the net. Second-half sub Alexandre Pato added a goal in the 87th.

The 29th-ranked Americans, coming off a 5-1 win over Scotland last weekend, had difficulty coping with the pace of the five-time World Cup champions.

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann continued to tinker with his front line because Jozy Altidore didn't arrive until Monday, and Clint Dempsey is recovering from a groin strain. Dempsey entered in the 57th minute, marking the first time he played with Landon Donovan since Klinsmann replaced Bob Bradley as coach last July.

Following a 1-4-1 start under Klinsmann, the Americans had won five in a row, including an impressive 1-0 victory at Italy. But the time for experimenting under the former German national team star and coach is nearing an end. The U.S. plays at Canada on Sunday, then opens qualifying for the 2014 World Cup on June 8 against Antigua and Barbuda.

That opponent, of course, doesn't resemble sixth-ranked Brazil in any way.

Brazil, which receives an automatic berth as the 2014 World Cup host, improved to 16-1 against the U.S. with a 35-11 goal difference. The Selecao used a young roster as they prepare for the Olympics, which is limited to players under 23 plus three older players.

Neymar scored against the U.S. in his national team debut two years ago. He took the penalty kick after the hand ball call on Leandro Damiao's shot went off Onyewu, the tall defender who was benched after two games at the 2010 World Cup, but regained his form this season with Sporting Lisbon. American goalkeeper Tim Howard dived to his right but Neymar sent the ball the other way for his ninth international goal.

Thiago Silva doubled the lead when he got away from Onyewu on Neymar's corner kick, then surged between U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra and Jermaine Jones for an open header.

Gomez, making his first start since the Algeria match in the 2010 World Cup, scored after Bradley made a spurt toward the top of the box. He slotted to a streaking Johnson, who got behind the defense and sent a cross that bounced off the leg of a sliding defender. The ball bounced up to Gomez, who got behind goalkeeper Rafael Cabral and nodded it in from close range for his third international goal.

Marcelo made it 3-1 in the 52nd with just his fourth international goal. Hulk brought the ball down the left side and passed to Neymar. Onyewu and Bocanegra dropped back too far and Neymar pulled the ball back to the top of the 6-yard box, where Marcelo slid and put the ball in with his left foot.

Gomez almost got another goal in the 64th, but his header off Johnson's cross was cleared off the goal line by Romula. Three minutes later, Neymar found a streaking Alexandre Pato in front of the goal, but his shot bounced off Howard's near post.

Donovan then watched a deflected shot go a few yards wide in the 71st.

Brazil goalkeeper Cabral, making his national team debut, had a fine double save in the 76th, stopping Gomez with his left hand, then kicking away Jones' effort. Cabral leaped to palm Bradley's header over the crossbar in the 85th, and Onyewu headed the ball off the crossbar on Donovan's free kick.

Pato entered in the 65th and appeared to be offside when he scored off a pass from Marcelo, Pato's first goal for Brazil since July.

Prandelli trims Italy Euro 2012 squad

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli on Monday trimmed his squad to 25 players ahead of Tuesday's UEFA deadline for submitting Euro 2012 lists.

The current list of players have been selected for Tuesday's friendly against Luxembourg in Parma. The two who don't make the final cut will be kept on as reserves.

Earlier in the day Italian Federation vice-president Demetrio Albertini revealed that Zenit St Petersburg left-back Domenico Criscito would not be part of the squad.

The 25-year-old was implicated in a match-fixing investigation launched by the Cremona public prosecutor and had his hotel room at Italy's Coverciano base just outside Florence searched at dawn by police.

Uncapped youngsters Ezequiel Schelotto and Marco Verratti were two of those dropped alongside Criscito from the original 32-man list.

The others were Palermo goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano, Rubin Kazan defender Salvatore Bocchetti, Cagliari defender Davide Astori and Atalanta midfielder Luca Cigarini.

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli and AC Milan forward Antonio Cassano were predictably amongst those selected, as were veterans Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo.

Uncapped forward pair Mattia Destra of Siena and Juventus's Emanuele Giaccherini both made the cut, as did Torino's Angelo Ogbonna. The 24-year-old of Nigerian descent is the only player in the squad not playing top flight football.

Apart from Balotelli, goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and Brazilian-born midfielder Thiago Motta, who both play for Paris Saint-Germain, are the only other players not plying their trade in Italy.
Italy are in Group C with holders Spain, Republic of Ireland and Croatia.
Italy squad

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli).

Defenders: Cristian Maggio (Napoli), Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Federico Balzaretti (Palermo), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter Milan), Angelo Ogbonna (Torino).

Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Emanuele Giaccherini (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Antonio Nocerino (AC Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Alessandro Diamanti (Bologna).

Strikers: Antonio Cassano (AC Milan), Mario Balotelli (Manchester City/ENG), Sebastian Giovinco (Parma), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Mattia Destro (Siena), Fabio Borini (Roma).

Ivory Coast fire coach, appoint Lamouchi

(Reuters) - The Ivory Coast made a surprise coaching switch on Monday, naming former France international Sabri Lamouchi as their new boss after sacking Francois Zahoui five days before their opening 2014 World Cup qualifier.

The move by Africa's top-ranked team came less than 24 hours after Zahoui took charge of a 2-1 win over Mali in a warm-up and ahead of the visit of Tanzania on Saturday when the Ivorians begin their bid to qualify for a third straight World Cup.

The Ivory Coast also play Morocco away in Marrakech in Group C of the African qualifiers on June 9.

Adding to the surprise is the fact that the 40-year-old Lamouchi has no previous experience as a coach.

The former Inter Milan midfielder, who is of Tunisian descent but won 12 caps for France, has been a television pundit since ending his playing career three years ago.

A brief statement from the Ivorian Football Federation announced the change and thanked Zahoui for his work but gave no the other details of the swift and unexpected change.

Zahoui took the Ivorians to the final of the African Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon earlier this year where they went through the tournament without conceding a goal but lost on penalties to Zambia in the final.

Zahoui, the first African international to play in Italy's Serie A in the early 1980s, was criticised for their defensive approach by pundits who felt their much-vaunted lineup should have been more adventurous.

Zahoui took over from Sven-Goran Eriksson after the last World Cup and won against Italy in his first game in charge in London in August 2010.

His lost just once - a friendly in Poland - in 20 matches in charge with 16 wins and three draws.

Lamouchi played for AJ Auxerre before wearing the colours of Monaco, Parma, Inter, Genoa and Olympique Marseille, ending his playing days in the Middle East.

Cameroon set match bonus rates after strike

YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Cameroon's government has set match bonuses for the national soccer team to avoid the ruckus over money that led to a strike last year and the subsequent suspension of captain Samuel Eto'o.

They will each be paid 5 million CFA Francs (S$9,550) for any win in the World Cup qualifiers, which start this weekend, and will receive 500,000 FCFA for every call-up to a competitive match among other bonuses, sports ministry officials told Reuters on Monday.

All the money comes from state coffers and should the team qualify for the World Cup or African Nations Cup finals, they will be entitled to a special bonus to be decided by the government.

Eto'o was given an eight-month ban for leading a strike last November when Cameroon refused to play a friendly in Algeria because they had not been paid promised bonuses.

Serbian player kicked out over anthem dispute

Serbian national team coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has kicked Adem Ljajic off the team for refusing to sing the national anthem, the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) said Monday.

"Having been informed by Ljajic that he had not sung the Serbian anthem (at a friendly match against Spain on the weekend) for personal reasons and that it will not change, Sinisa Mihajlovic told the player to go back home," the FSS said in a statement.

Fiorentina's Ljajic, a member of Serbia's Muslim minority, can return to the national team "once he informs Mihajlovic that he has changed his attitude", the statement said.

Mihajlovic, sacked as Fiorentina's coach last year, was appointed a week ago as coach of Serbia's national team on a two-year contract. He made players sign a code of conduct which included them having to sing the national anthem at games.

Euro co-hosts Ukraine thrash Estonia 4-0

Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine thrashed Estonia 4-0 in a pre-tournament friendly here on Monday.

Dynamo Kiev midfielders Andrei Yarmolenko and Oleg Gusev scored one each, while forwards Andriy Voronin and Artem Milevsky were also on target.

Ukraine started without veteran star striker Andriy Shevchenko but nevertheless dominated from the outset and in the ninth minute Yarmolenko fired home the first from 13 metres out following a Sergei Nazarenko pass.

Gusev made it 2-0 after 34 minutes when he converted a penalty after Estonia skipper Ragnar Klavan fouled Yarmolenko in the area.

Voronin grabbed the third four minutes before the break sending the ball into the net with a close-range header from Marko Devic's right-handed cross.

After the interval Ukraine manager Oleg Blokhin substituted Yarmolenko for Shevchenko, who outplayed two Estonian defenders and fed another halftime substitute Milevsky, who rounded off the scoring in the 50th minute.

Hazard opts to sign for Chelsea

Lille's Belgian international playmaker Eden Hazard announced on Monday he had signed for Champions League winners Chelsea in preference to Premier League champions Manchester City and runners-up Manchester United.

The fee is reported to be 40million euros with Hazard signing a five year contract and breaks the record for a Belgian footballer's transfer with Marouane Fellaini's to Everton of 20million in 2008 being the previous mark.

He will also earn a reported 550,000 euros a month.

The 21-year-old - who was voted Ligue 1 Players' Player of the Year for the second successive year recently - had previously said he would definitely sign for one of the Manchester clubs without specifying which one.

However, Chelsea's penalty shootout win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League had he admitted at the time made him hesitate as to his choice - speculation he ended on Monday even though the transfer window doesn't officially open till June 13.

"I'm signing for the Champion's League winner," he tweeted.

Hazard, capped 27 times and scorer of two goals, was inspirational when Lille won the domestic double in 2011 and though they failed to defend their titles this season he nonetheless enjoyed a successful season, scoring 17 goals and providing 15 assists.

Hazard is due to play against several of his new team-mates in Saturday's friendly with England at Wembley.

New Belgian national coach Marc Wilmots said that no-one should expect too much else to be said on his reasons for choosing Chelsea for the moment.

"When he has revealed via his tweet, his destination, he will remain silent until his new employer asks him to explain his choice. Don't hope for much more in the next dozen days or so," Wilmots said at a press conference.

Spain's Fabregas ruled out up to 10 days

MADRID (Reuters) - Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas is set to miss a big chunk of Spain's preparations for Euro 2012 after being ruled out for seven to 10 days with a hamstring strain, the Spanish club said on Saturday.

Fabregas picked up the injury when he came on for the last 10 minutes of Barca's 3-0 King's Cup final win over Athletic Bilbao on Friday.

The former Arsenal player is likely to be named on Sunday in Spain's final 23-man squad to defend their title in Poland and Ukraine next month.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has so far been unable to call up players from Barca and Bilbao because of the Cup final, and has two warm-up matches left against South Korea and China before they open their Group C campaign against Italy on June 10

Swiss crush makeshift Germany 5-3 with Derdiyok hat-trick

BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - Switzerland stunned Euro 2012 contenders Germany 5-3 in an entertaining friendly on Saturday with Eren Derdiyok grabbing a hat-trick against a makeshift German defence.

The visitors, missing more than half their usual starting line-up with eight Bayern Munich players set to join the squad later on Saturday, looked a long way from being ready to challenge for their first major trophy since 1996.

Germany coach Joachim Loew will announce his final squad next week.

The Germans, taking on Portugal, Netherlands and Denmark in the tournament starting in Poland and Ukraine on June 8, fell behind after 21 minutes with new Hoffenheim signing Derdiyok taking full advantage of a gaping hole in the opposing defence to slot in a cross by Tranquillo Barnettas.

He struck again two minutes later, heading in another pin-point Barnetta cross as central defenders Mats Hummels and Per Mertesacker, making his comeback from an injury that kept him out since February, struggled to gel.

Derdiyok could have added another a minute later but was foiled by keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, making his international debut in the absence of first choice Manuel Neuer.

The Germans upped the pressure and were rewarded just before the break when Hummels headed in a Mesut Ozil free kick and Andre Schuerrle pulled another back for the Germans after Derdiyok headed his third goal in the 50th minute.

Both sides added another with Switzerland, who failed to qualify for Euro 2012, scoring through Andre Lichtsteiner and Germany's Marco Reus hitting back.

Admir Mehmedi completed a frantic spell of four goals in 12 minutes when he slotted in following another feeble defensive effort by the Germans and the Swiss also hit the bar in the dying minutes.

Lopez scores on debut as Spain beat Serbia

ST GALLEN, Switzerland (Reuters) - Adrian Lopez boosted his chances of a place in Spain's Euro 2012 team by scoring on his debut and winning a penalty in the world champions' 2-0 win over Serbia in a friendly on Saturday.

For much of the game, Spain's performance was as disjointed as their tournament preparations but a 10-minute spell of inspiration midway through the second half handed Serbia coach Sinisa Mihajlovic a defeat in his first match in charge.

With Spain forward David Villa out of the tournament after failing to recover from a broken leg, Roberto Soldado, Alvaro Negredo and Lopez were all given a chance to show what they could produce.

Lopez, who came on at halftime and was one of five players to make his debut for Spain, made by far the best of his opportunity, scoring within 18 minutes when he headed in a cross by Jesus Navas.

Serbia barely mustered a shot on goal and for the last half hour their large contingent of fans amused themselves by letting off firecrackers, cheering each bang and ignoring orders from the stadium announcer to stop.

One firecracker also landed on the field at the Swiss second division ground and another before the match drowned out the Spanish national anthem.

Spain have spent the last week at Schruns, a mountain resort in Austria, but preparations for their European Championship defence have been somewhat unusual.

Coach Vicente del Bosque named a provisional 21-man squad on May 15, but was forced to go without any players from Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao who were involved in the King's Cup final on Friday.

The Spanish federation had blamed fixture congestion for the late date, extending the domestic season for an extra two weeks.

Del Bosque will name his final 23-man on squad on Sunday when a number of players in action against Serbia will be on their way home to make way for the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes and Sergio Busquets.

"It's always good to have new players, it gives us more depth to our squad," Del Bosque told reporters. "Adrian did very well, as did the rest of the players.

"We've more or less decided on the 23. We'll try to be fair when we make the decision."

LITTLE IMPRESSION

Spain started with Negredo and Soldado in attack but neither made much of an impression.

Negredo had a 25-metre shot well saved by Damir Kahriman in the first minute, but it was all down hill from there.

Despite plenty of running, Cazorla and Navas in midfield failed to create any real openings for the front pair and Soldado, in particular, failed to provide any real movement and was marked out of the game.

Serbia's ultra-cautious tactics did not help but on the one occasion that Navas was given a free run at the defence, he let the ball slip under his foot.

Defensive midfielder Xabi Alonso had two of Spain's best efforts, the first a speculative 60-metre effort which flew just

over the bar with Kahirman stranded and the second a 30-metre free kick that also curled just over.

Dejan Lekic had the ball in the net for Serbia but was ruled offside.

Spain made four halftime substitutions and the entrance of Benat, David Silva and Lopez appeared to galvanise them.

Silva slipped the ball through the Serbian defence and Lopez was centimetres too high with a delicate chip over Kahriman.

Shortly afterwards, Benat sent Navas free down the right with a majestic 50-metre pass and his cross into the middle was headed in by Lopez.

Ten minutes later, Lopez went down under a challenge from Dusko Tosic and Santi Cazorla converted the penalty, taken after Serbian fans behind the goal threw a device on to the pitch which left a huge plume of purple smoke in the area

Question marks for Portugal after bore draw with Macedonia

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal faced a barrage of whistles from their fans after a disappointing 0-0 home draw against Macedonia on Saturday left question marks over the team's form ahead of Euro 2012.

Their unimpressive display was livened only by a couple of threatening free kicks from captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Coach Paulo Bento said he understood the fans' reaction. "I can't criticise fans who paid their ticket and came to watch a better match and a better result," he told reporters.

"The result was not good and the exhibition was not good but we shoud not be overly concerned."

Portugal, finalists at Euro 2004, will need to be stronger to progress from arguably the toughest group at Euro 2012, where they face Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Macedonia, number 98 in the world ranking and coached by former Liverpool striker John Toshack, were well organised but reliant largely on counter-attacks.

Bento's side play Turkey in a friendly next Saturday, their final test before leaving for Poland.

De Nigris powers Mexico over Wales 2-0

Aldo de Nigris scored two goals and Mexico, preparing to open 2014 World Cup qualifying next month, blanked Wales 2-0 on Sunday in an international football friendly.

De Nigris scored on a header off a centering pass from Pablo Barrera in the 42nd minute and netted the clincher in the 89th minute off a chest deflection of a cross into the penalty area by Edgar Andrade.

Wales manager Chris Coleman remained without a victory since taking over the national side following the death of former Wales manager Gary Speed last November.

Liverpool's 32-year-old forward Craig Bellamy played the full match for Wales. He had been considering retirement in the wake of Speed's death.

Wales will host Bosnia-Herzegovina in August before beginning their World Cup qualifying campaign against Belgium in September.

The Mexicans will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in Chicago on Thursday and Brazil next Sunday in Arlington, Texas, before starting World Cup qualifying at Mexico City against Guyana on June 8.

France struggle to beat Iceland in Euro warm-up

France battled back from two goals down at half-time to beat Iceland 3-2 and avoid a humiliating defeat in the first of three warm-ups for Euro 2012 here on Sunday.

Iceland, ranked a lowly 131 in FIFA's world table, stunned their hosts when Birkir Bjarnason put them into a 28th minute lead, with Ajax striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson doubling up five minutes later.

Whatever words of wisdom coach Laurent Blanc came up with at the interval evidently sank home as the second half was only seven minutes old when Lille defender Mathieu Debuchy reduced the deficit.

But France had then to wait until the 85th minute before Franck Ribery put them back on level terms with a lob for the Bayern Munich star's first goal for his country since April, 2009.

Valencia back Adil Rami bagged the winner three minutes from time, volleying home Olivier Giroud'd knockdown to extend France's unbeaten run to 19 matches.

France's next prep outing is against Serbia on Thursday in Reims, with their third and final warm-up scheduled for June 5 in Le Mans against Estonia.

Blanc's men are drawn in Group D at the European Championships and they begin their campaign in Donetsk against England on June 11 followed by co-hosts Ukraine and Sweden.

A lacklustre display by most of the French side, the one notable exception being Karim Benzema who had a good match, will give Blanc plenty to think about with only two weeks to go before battle commences in Ukraine-Poland.

He said: "We defended very badly in the first half. I changed lots of players in the second half who brought in a different style and with Iceland getting tired it enabled us to win in the end.

"We can be satisfied with certain aspects and less satisfied with others."
Blanc conceded a defeat would have dented his team's confidence.
"Confidence comes when you win so in that respect the result was a good thing. I've seen a lot of teams lose their first warm-up. We're not yet ready for June 11, physically we're not ready which explains our problems in defence."

Despite the scare Sochaux midfielder Marvin Martin put a positive spin on the performance.

He reflected: "It was difficult but it's fine, we saw a team that didn't let go. We continue our positive set of results. Friendly games are played at international level and defensively they (Iceland) weren't bad."

Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri added: "After eight days of training we all had heavy legs. That, with the heat, weighed against us. But after, we felt better and better. It was very important to win. We showed character and showed that we were ready physically because we made the difference at the end of the match."

"We're still in the preparation stage," said Benzema.

"We'll be ready as expected for June 11."

Friendly win

French defender Adil Rami is congratulated by teammates Philippe Mexes (R) and forward Franck Ribery (L) during the friendly football match France vs Iceland, at the Hainaut Stadium in the French northern city of Valenciennes. France won 3-2.

Saudi duo Al Hilal, Ittihad, into quarter-finals

South Korean striker Yoo Byung-Soo scored a four-timer as Saudi Arabia side Al Hilal crushed Baniyas of the United Arab Emirates 7-1 in the Asian Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday.

The rout in Riyadh at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd stadium came 12 months after Baniyas coach Gabriel Calderon had guided Al Hilal to the same stage of the competition.

This time the Argentinian was on the receiving end of a drubbing that was orchestrated by Yoo who opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, the 24-year-old international hot shot following up with goals in the 38th, 52nd and 61st minutes.

Former Bolton midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson contributed with a goal in either half with Mohammad Salem also getting in on the act near the death.

Baniyas, who played the last minute a man down after Saleh Al Menhali was sent off, avoided a whitewash when they were awarded a 57th minute penalty converted by Francisco Yeste.

In Wednesday's other game another Saudi side, Al Ittihad, progressed with a 3-0 defeat of Iranian outfit Piroozi Athletic.

Naif Hazazi put the hosts into a 35th minute lead from the spot with Abdelghani Faouzi doubling up on the stroke of half-time and Abdoh Autef completing the lopsided scoreline two minutes from time.

On Tuesday former Australia skipper Lucas Neill missed a penalty in a dramatic penalty shoot-out that saw his Emirati Al-Jazira club crash out to Al-Ahli also of Saudi Arabia.

The game had finished 3-3 after extra-time with Al-Ahli prevailing 4-2 on penalties over the side owned by billionaire Sheikh Mansour, who also owns newly crowned English champions Manchester City.

In Tuesday's other action, Iranian champions Foolad Sepahan beat close domestic rivals Esteghlal 2-0.

Next week's highlight comes when 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi leads out his new club, Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande, against FC Tokyo on Wednesday.

The Italian, who also won the 1996 European Champions League with Juventus, was a shock replacement last week for South Korea's Lee Jang-Soo, who departed with Guangzhou top of the league and qualified for the Asian knock-out round.

Australia's Adelaide United will bid to extend their dream run from the play-offs as they host Japan's Nagoya Grampus next Tuesday, while 2010 winners Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma play Uzbek champions Bunyodkor.

Next week's other match is between South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai and Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol on Wednesday.

FA don't hold back on Barton ban

QPR's volatile captain Joey Barton received a 12 match ban from the Football Association on Wednesday after being found guilty by an Independent Commission of two counts of violent conduct.

The 29-year-old - who has been in trouble on several occasions throughout his career both on and off the pitch - had eight matches added to the four game suspension he had picked up already for being sent off in the final game of the season against champions Manchester City.

He was also fined £75,000.

The FA's regulatory panel had discretionary powers to further increase the length of the suspension if charges were found to be proven.

Barton's admission on Twitter that his violent actions were a cynical ploy to provoke a City player to be sent off saw those discretionary powers employed.
Barton insisted via Twitter on the day of his sending-off that he had not lost his head, but that a team-mate "suggested I should try to take 1 of theirs with me".

Barton, who now faces an internal enquiry by QPR into his behaviour, was shown a red card for elbowing Carlos Tevez and then kicked Sergio Aguero before appearing to attempt to headbutt opposing captain Vincent Kompany.

"There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behaviour tarnishes the image of football in this country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe," said the Commission chairman Maurice Armstrong.

The FA relased a statement saying that while Barton - who appeared personally with a barrister - had pleaded not guilty to the second charge the Commission had not found in his favour.

"This eight-match suspension is to run consecutively to the four-game suspension Barton was already given for his dismissal in the fixture, making a total of 12 matches," read the statement.

"Barton was charged by The FA with two counts of violent conduct in relation to the Queens Park Rangers game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 13 May 2012.

"Following Barton's dismissal in the 54th minute of the match, there followed two incidents involving Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany.

"As Barton had already been dismissed, both of these incidents fell outside the jurisdiction of the referee.

"Barton accepted the charge of violent conduct against Aguero but denied the second breach of violent conduct against Kompany. The independent Regulatory Commission, however, found this second charge proved."

QPR said they will now begin their own internal investigation.

Club spokesman Ian Taylor said on Twitter: "QPR will be making no comment in regard to the Joey Barton case. Internal investigation will begin in due course."

40% of Brazil World Cup projects yet to start

A little over two years before the kickoff of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, nearly 40 percent of projects are yet to start, the government said Wednesday, insisting there was no cause for alarm.

Brazil plans to spend $13 billion on 101 projects to build or modernize stadiums, airports, roads and public transport ahead of the World Cup, but work has begun on only 60 of them, the government said.

Football's governing body FIFA has for months complained about delays, but Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo insisted preparations for the first World Cup in the soccer-mad country since 1950 remain on track.

"We are not working on the possibility or the assumption of a delay. We have an eye on the current state of the projects and another on their completion," said Rebelo, flanked by Planning Minister Miriam Belchior and Cities Minister Aguinaldo Ribero.

Six of the 12 stadiums that are to host World Cup matches will be ready in time for the 2013 Confederations Cup, the government said.

"The projects are on schedule," said Rebelo. "We expect the Confederations Cup will take place in the six planned arenas."

The Confederations Cup, seen as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, will be held from June 15 to 30 next year in four confirmed cities: Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza. Recife and Salvador could be added at a later stage depending on how work progresses.

The expansion and renovation of stadiums in the southern cities of Curitiba and Porto Alegre is less advanced than in other host cities.

Of particular concern is the mass transit system, particularly access to the host arenas for the millions of tourists who plan to attend the event, as well as the 2016 Summer Olympics.

As of April, only 28 of the 51 planned transport projects had begun. Bidding for seven others is under way and concessions for nine are in the process of being awarded.

Work has begun on only 13 of the 31 planned projects to upgrade airports.

"The government is optimistic and confident about overcoming all the challenges," Rebelo said.

Neill misses in penalty-kick drama as Al-Ahli advance

Former Australia skipper Lucas Neill missed a penalty in a dramatic Asian Champions League quarter-final shoot-out that saw his Emirati Al-Jazira club crash out to Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia.

The game had finished 2-2 after regulation time after Brazilian Ricardo Oliveira and Matias Emilio Delgado's brace had been cancelled out by Marcelo Camacho and Amad al-Hosani.

The game went into overtime and was equally as dramatic, former Brazil and AC Milan marksman Oliveira's second goal in the 114th minute nullified by compatriot Victor Simoes four minutes later.

And so came the penalty shoot-out, Camacho, Abdullah al-Muaiouf and Esmaeel Khamis Zayed all scoring for Al-Ahli, while Oliveira's opening attempt was saved while team-mate Sultan Jarallah al-Menhali netted his effort.

Jairo Palomino added some extra drama in missing his penalty for Al-Ahli, with Neill next up to haul Al-Jazira back into the game.

But the Australian missed and it was left to Brazilian journeyman Simoes to seal a 4-2 victory on penalties for Al-Ahli over the Asian team of billionaire Sheikh Mansour, who also owns newly crowned English champions Manchester City.

In Tuesday's other action, Iranian champions Foolad Sepahan beat close domestic rivals Esteghlal 2-0.

Bruno Cesar and Mohsen Bengar both notched up first-half goals to ensure Sepahan advanced at Esteghlal's expense.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal entertain Iran's Piroozi Athletic in Jeddah and the UAE's Baniyas in Riyadh respectively.

Next week's highlight comes when 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi leads out his new club, Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande, against FC Tokyo on Wednesday.

The Italian, who also won the 1996 European Champions League with Juventus, was a shock replacement last week for South Korea's Lee Jang-Soo, who departed with Guangzhou top of the league and qualified for the Asian knock-out round.

Australia's Adelaide United will bid to extend their dream run from the play-offs as they host Japan's Nagoya Grampus next Tuesday, while 2010 winners Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma play Uzbek champions Bunyodkor.

Next week's other match is between South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai and Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol on Wednesday.

Mourinho extends contract with Real until 2016

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has extended his contract until June 2016 after taking the Spanish giants to victory in La Liga, the team said Tuesday.

The 49-year-old, who joined Real in May 2010 on a four-year deal, said early in May he had no ambition to coach in new countries.
But media reports had continued to speculate on his returning to England, with some linking him to a move back to his former side Chelsea.

"Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho have reached an agreement to extend the latter's contract with the club until June 30, 2016," the club said in a statement published online.

The self-appointed "Special One" took Real Madrid to their 32nd league title last month, ending a run of three successive league crowns for bitter rivals Barcelona.

That made him only the fourth coach to have won four different league titles after taking the English, Italian and Portuguese crowns, along with Austria's Ernst Happel, the late Croat Tomislav Ivic and Italian veteran Giovanni Trapattoni.

"At this mature level of my career, I need big challenges which force me to still try to be the best," said Mourinho.

To remain with Real "seems to me to be the perfect challenge for the coming four years".

"We must improve as a team and also as individuals, and we must play a football that aims not only at winning matches but also winning over lovers of the game."
Mourinho added in typically brash style: "We have played the best football in the world even if we didn't win the Champions League.
"But we did win La Liga, which is more difficult, by playing a fantastic style of football, something which I think is the most important."
Mourinho hinted at a couple of off-season transfers for a squad he deemed remained "young".

"It's not a team on the way to extinction," he stressed. "It's not a team that's playing its last high-level footballing years, quite the opposite. It's a team that has everything to go for.

"With a couple of transfers to improve the squad we have, the team of 100 points (in the league), which I think will remain in the history of Real Madrid, deserves all our trust for next season."
During his first season at the club, critics said the Portuguese coach's approach was too aggressive both on the field and in comments at press conferences about rivals and referees.

In one infamous incident in August last year when Barcelona won the domestic Super Cup against Real, a brawl broke out after Marcelo was red carded for a reckless challenge on Cesc Fabregas.

During the melee, Mourinho was shown on public television poking his finger into the eye of Barca assistant coach Tito Vilanova -- who has since been promoted to the top to replace departing Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola, 41, announced last month that he was leaving at the end of the season after a four-year reign at Barcelona, saying he felt "drained".

Asked about the incident at the time, which earned him a two-match ban, Mourinho famously asked journalists at a post-match news conference: "Pito Vilanova? I don't know who this Pito is."

Mourinho has been supported through thick and thin by Real president Florentino Perez.

Former Real director general Jorge Valdano had unsuccessfully argued against Mourinho's appointment, but then found himself out of a job.

In May 2011 Perez terminated the position of director general occupied by Valdano to give Mourinho more autonomy, in what was seen as a victory for the Portuguese coach.

Spanish media reported at the time that Mourinho had demanded that Valdano, a former Argentine international, be dismissed as a condition for his staying on at the club.

Real striker Cristiano Ronaldo praised Mourinho in an interview published Tuesday in Spanish sports daily AS, calling him "the best coach in the world".

"It's great to work with him because, right now, he is the number one manager," Ronaldo said.

Villa loses race for Euro

All-time Spanish record goalscorer David Villa has lost his race to be fit for next month's Euro 2012 it was announced on the Spanish Football Federation's website on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old - scorer of 51 goals in 82 internationals - had been a major doubt since breaking his tibia at last December's World Club Championship.

However, the Barcelona star was given time by national coach Vicente del Bosque to prove his fitness but time finally ran out on Tuesday as the defending European champions arrived at their training camp in Austria.

"David Villa cannot definitely be on the list for Euro 2012," read a statement on the RFEF website..

"Villa spoke with the national team doctor this afternoon after the arrival of the team in the Austrian town of Schruns.

"After not getting in the final practice and development desired, David Villa spoke with Del Bosque, who relayed that although it was Villa`s wish to be with the team in Poland and Ukraine, that his physical state was `not as good` as would be desirable."

PSG to play stateside Chelsea, Juve friendlies

Paris Saint-Germain will play Chelsea in New York and Juventus in Montreal in friendlies as part of their July summer tour, the club announced on Monday.

After a two-week training camp in Burgenland, Austria, PSG will travel to the United States and Canada from July 19-31.

The Qatari-backed Parisian club will play newly-crowned Champions League winners Chelsea on July 22 at the Yankee Stadium in New York, the first time a football match will be played in the baseball arena.

PSG will then go on to play Italian champions Juventus on July 31 in Montreal's Olympic Stadium.

Balotelli must create right headlines: Prandelli

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said on Monday he wanted to see headlines only about what volatile Italian striker Mario Balotelli did on the pitch and not off it during next month's European Championship.

The 21-year-old Manchester City star has been included in Prandelli's squad despite several moments of injudicious behaviour on and off the pitch last season.

However, Prandelli, who is desperately light of striking options, made it clear that Balotelli was on probation.

"In my opinion, he has to see it as an extraordinary occasion for him as it is for the national side," said Prandelli.

"It is a time for him to be written about for what he does on the pitch and not what he has done off it."

Prandelli added that in the bigger picture he did not see Italy winning the tournament - they last reached the final in 2000 - but certainly restoring some of the lustre lost when they became the first defending champions to go out in the World Cup finals group stages in 2010.

"We are not going to win Euro, but I like to say that the Italians know how to surprise," said the 54-year-old, who replaced Marcello Lippi after the 2010 World Cup debacle.

"I would like to show that the team has at least worked well and which is arriving at this Euro knowing it is experiencing a unique moment with a smile on its lips."

Italy have been drawn in Group C alongside defending champions Spain, 2008 quarter-finalists Croatia and the Republic of Ireland and get their campaign off on June 10 against the Spaniards.

Shenhua seeking new football coach as Anelka simmers

Shanghai Shenhua say they plan to name a new head coach, just weeks after the big-spending Chinese football club appointed mercurial French striker Nicolas Anelka as player-coach.

There was no immediate comment from Shenhua about British reports that Anelka's former team-mate Didier Drogba, fresh from his Champion's League triumph with Chelsea, is set to join them.

Former Argentina manager Sergio Daniel Batista has been tipped for the coach's job, and Shenhua's star player Anelka is said to be threatening to quit the club in response, according to reports.

"The club has actively sought a head coach candidate, and is looking for him to take up the post and assume command soon," the Chinese club said in a statement posted on its microblog late Monday.

The coming of a new head coach has sparked a public outburst by the striker, who told local media that he was considering leaving.

Anelka is serving dual roles for Shenhua, although the club also named former DR Congo national manager Jean-Florent Ikwange Ibenge as acting head coach after sacking Frenchman Jean Tigana last month.

The Shenhua statement added the club "hopes he (Anelka) will help the new coaching group to quickly become acquainted with the state of the team without delay".

The Shanghai Daily newspaper said Shenhua were close to signing Batista, who led Argentina to the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Speaking in an interview with the Xinmin Evening News published on Monday, Anelka criticised a lack of support from the club and said he would find it difficult to accept someone taking over his coaching duties.

"If there is still no one to support me and (they) continue to play little tricks behind my back... then I will quickly decide whether or not to retire," he said, in comments published by the newspaper in Chinese.

Anelka, the most high-profile foreign footballer to sign for the Chinese league, joined Shenhua in January on a two-year contract for a reported salary of 234,000 euros ($307,000) a week.

Shenhua could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Drogba has been widely rumoured to be quitting Chelsea for Shenhua to join Anelka, his former team-mate at the London club.

Drogba has told his Chelsea colleagues that he is leaving the new Champions League victors, France Football said Monday, despite his key role in last Saturday's triumph over Bayern Munich.

Drogba to leave Chelsea: report

PARIS (Reuters) - Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is leaving Chelsea after playing a leading role in their Champions League triumph, according to a report to be published in French magazine France Football on Tuesday.

Drogba, who scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Bayern Munich on Saturday after cancelling out Thomas Mueller's opener, has reportedly told his team mates "we will not be together next season."
"I am getting ready for a great leap into the unknown," he added without hinting at a possible destination.
Drogba, 34, joined Chelsea from Olympique Marseille in 2004 and has won three Premier League titles with the London club as well as four FA Cups.

Vitesse beat Waalwijk 3-1 to close in on Europa League

ROTTERDAM (Reuters) - Ivorian Wilfried Bony hit a second-half double to put Vitesse Arnhem on track for a Europa League berth with a 3-1 win at RKC Waalwijk in the first leg of the Dutch playoff final on Thursday.

Tomas Kalas opened the scoring for Vitesse with a fierce, 25-metre drive midway through the first half but 10 minutes after the break Krisztian Nemeth collected a cross from Furkan Alakmak to equalise.

Sloppy defensive work from Waalwijk, who eliminated Twente Enschede in the semi-finals, allowed Bony to restore the lead after 69 minutes with a fine chip before he scored again nine minutes before time.

The return leg is scheduled for Sunday and the winners will go into the second qualifying round of the Europa League.

Hertha Berlin appoint Luhukay as new coach

Hertha Berlin have appointed Holland's Jos Luhukay as their new coach after the 48-year-old ex-Augsburg boss signed a two-year deal on Thursday as they prepare for life in the second division.

"We are very pleased that we could take Jos Luhukay for the next two years," said Hertha manager Michael Preetz.

Luhukay replaces ex-Greece coach Otto Rehhagel who took over in February but was unable to prevent Berlin going down as they lost the German league relegation play-off against Fortuna Duesseldorf 4-3 on aggregate.

Hertha have appealed to the German Football Federation (DFB) after chaotic scenes in Tuesday's return-leg in Duesseldorf blighted the 2-2 draw as two separate pitch invasions caused lengthy delays.

The result confirmed Hertha's relegation after Fortuna won the first-leg 2-1 in the capital, but Berlin's appeal will be heard by the DFB on Friday.

Excluding caretaker coaches, Luhukay, whose resume includes Cologne and Moenchengladbach, will be Hertha's fifth coach in five years.

Robben ready for Chelsea despite missing training

Bayern Munich's Dutch winger Arjen Robben says he is ready to face Chelsea in Saturday's Champions League final despite sitting out training earlier in the week with a cold.

With Bayern to host Chelsea at Munich's Allianz Arena on Saturday, the 28-year-old was back in training on Thursday after missing two days earlier in the week.

"I just had a bit of a cold, but I just wanted to make sure I didn't waste my energy," he said.

On Thursday, Robben took part in a 45-minute training session and said he would have to be bed-bound to miss the final against his former club.

"Only a fever of over 40 degrees would keep me away from the pitch," said the injury-prone Dutchman.
"I feel good. It's the biggest game of the season for all of us.
"We're ready and we're mentally well-prepared, because there's only one more prize up for grabs this season."

After Bayern were hammered 5-2 by Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund in last Saturday's German Cup final, Robben issued a rallying cry to his team-mates.

"We need to exude optimism and our body language has to confirm that," said the Dutchman. "It's an honour to be part of this. There's no other topic of conversation in the town.

"There are posters everywhere, and there's news of nothing else on radio and TV. It's a fantastic feeling."

Having played for the Blues from 2004 to 2007, Robben said he was looking forward to facing his former club.

"I had a fantastic time there. I'm always delighted when they do well," he said.

"They've made it as far as the semi-finals in six of the last nine seasons.

"This is the last chance for many of the older players. They'll be really fired up. I'm expecting them to come here and defend."

Bayern have a strong home record in this season's Champions League with seven wins from seven.

"We've shown we're one of the best teams in Europe, hopefully, by Saturday night, we can say we're the best," added Robben.

Liverpool in approach for Wigan coach Martinez

Liverpool were given permission by Wigan Athletic on Thursday to talk to coach Roberto Martinez about becoming the next manager at Anfield, a day after Kenny Dalglish was sacked.

"He's going there with an open mind," Wigan chairman Dave Whelan told Sky Sports News.

"We would love to keep Roberto, he's a great manager. But there are two or three clubs looking for a new manager and Roberto is on the list for all of them. If Liverpool are serious, then we may lose him."

The 38-year-old Martinez left Swansea City to take over at Wigan in 2009 and has been widely praised for keeping the modest Lancashire club in the Premier League.

Wigan stayed in the top flight this season after wins over Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United in their final eight games helped them to a respectable 15th in the league -- seven points clear of relegation.

"When Liverpool phoned me I was actually with Roberto having a meeting on what we are doing next season," added Whelan.

"I did promise Roberto and I have always said when a big club comes he would have permission to talk to them and they don't come any bigger than Liverpool.

"I gave him permission and he will be talking to them soon - I don't know when, but quite soon. When Liverpool sacked Kenny I have to say I thought Liverpool would be knocking on the door and sure enough they are."

Dalglish, who had returned for a second stint as manager at Anfield in January last year, paid the price for a dismal season that saw Liverpool finish 37 points behind champions Manchester City.

The Merseyside club's American owners the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had given Dalglish more than £100 million ($159m) to spend in the transfer market since he took over from the sacked Roy Hodgson in 2011.

But expensive signings such as Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson largely flopped and Liverpool's eighth-place finish was their worst season-ending position for nearly two decades, with their lowest points tally since 1954.
They defeated second-tier Cardiff City on penalties in the League Cup final but lost 2-1 to Chelsea in the FA Cup final earlier this month.
Dalglish voiced his gratitude to fans for their show of support following his dismissal.

In a message on Twitter, he wrote: "Overwhelmed by the support of the fans. Always been special but even more so now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. YNWA (You'll Never Walk Alone) and I never have."

Earlier on Thursday, the 61-year-old told the Liverpool Echo that fans needed to show support to the club's American owners.

"I would hope nobody would prejudge things now," Dalglish told the Echo. "The owners have their own reasons for doing what they have done.

"They came in to help the club at a time when it wasn't in a great condition. They have improved it, taken it forward and are doing the best they can.

"Liverpool is still a great football club, still a club that should believe in whoever is going to come in after myself.

"The supporters, not just for myself but for everyone else, have always been fantastically supportive of the team and that should not change."

Lampard ready for Chelsea's final fling vs Bayern

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is determined to end a tumultuous year in style on Saturday after a rollercoaster season which has veered from exile to the brink of Champions League glory.

Three months ago, Lampard's Chelsea career appeared to be drawing inexorably to a close, with the 33-year-old left on the bench as the Blues crashed to a 3-1 first leg defeat against Napoli in the last 16.

It followed months of tension with Andre Villas-Boas, the young Portuguese manager who had been saddled with the task of breaking up the Chelsea side that had won three league titles since 2005.

Villas-Boas's abrupt dismissal in early March however proved to be the catalyst for change in both Lampard and Chelsea's fortunes.

With Roberto Di Matteo appointed as interim manager, he returned to the starting line-up and scored a nerveless penalty as Chelsea overturned their 3-1 deficit against Napoli with a stunning 4-1 victory.

Although he did not start in the 1-0 first leg quarter-final win over Benfica, he has played in every match since, producing superb displays in both semi-final matches against Barcelona.
In both games against Barca, Lampard's vision from midfield helped create crucial goals for Didier Drogba and Ramires.
In the absence of the suspended John Terry, Lampard will now captain Chelsea on Saturday for a challenge that the long-serving playmaker is relishing.
"I think we were pretty unfancied to get this far at different stages -- we looked on the way out against Napoli, then we were drawn against Barcelona," Lampard reflected this week.

"Not that we have surprised ourselves, but when you don't see it coming the fact that you're there in the final is even more enjoyable in a way.

"We've obviously still got to go and win it but it's been a nice thought for the past couple of weeks."
Lampard himself admits that Chelsea's prospects looked bleak in late February as Napoli threatened to cut loose in the last 16 on their way to a 3-1 win.
"We were struggling. It's not just because I was sitting watching it from the outside but you could see that," Lampard said.

"You wouldn't have looked too far ahead of yourself and seen where we are now. We're experienced enough to know things can change very quickly.

"But on that night we were very despondent in the dressing room afterwards and it took a big effort in the weeks in between the two games to turn things around. The home game was obviously a massive turning point -- was the major turning point -- in our season.

"With experience you know that football changes in two seconds. You go from the worst to the best in a second and the other way around pretty quickly as well. That's the nature of the game.

"We always knew and I always knew that we had the quality. Losing the Napoli game, we knew we were better than that and it took a big effort from everyone at the club -- staff, players included -- we all had to improve."

While satisfied that his season has been transformed since the departure of Villas-Boas, Lampard is determined to finish on a high in what might be his last opportunity to lift European club football's greatest honour.

He agrees with the suggestion that a season of extremes could swing between his lowest ebb as a Chelsea player to its zenith with victory on Saturday.

"Possibly. It was tough for me at times. I wasn't in the team. It was frustrating individually. I sat back and got the hump indoors," Lampard said.
"I carried on working hard and in the end it has turned around for me personally. But not quite to the full extent yet. I need to win the final and then I could probably answer that better."

Lampard is adamant that a Chelsea victory on Saturday would represent the club's greatest ever achievement, given the fact that four players are suspended for the final.

"For Chelsea it would be the greatest achievement for sure," Lampard said. "We've got four players out, some of our best performers of the season.

"I think every step has been a huge achievement -- the Barcelona games, the turnaround against Napoli. But it would be Chelsea's best ever achievement if we were to win it."

Barcelona's Alves to have surgery on fractured collarbone

MADRID (Reuters) - Barcelona defender Dani Alves fractured his right collarbone during training on Wednesday and is due to have surgery later in the afternoon, the Spanish club said in statement.

A news conference will be held at 1800 GMT when the club doctors will give further details.

The Brazil international is set to miss Barcelona's last game of the season, the King's Cup final against Athletic Bilbao at the Calderon on May 25.

Barca, who finished second in La Liga last weekend, will aim to give coach Pep Guardiola a winning send off with a 14th trophy as he brings his four-year stint at the helm to an end.

Barton pleads guilty to one charge, denies another

Controversial QPR midfielder Joey Barton accepted a charge of violent conduct on Wednesday but denied another one arising out of last Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester City.

The 29-year-old -- who is also the subject of an internal investigation by his club over his behaviour in the match -- accepted the charge over his kicking of Sergio Aguero after he had been already red carded for elbowing Carlos Tevez.

However, the hot-tempered Englishman, who has been involved in several unsavoury incidents throughout his career, denies trying to headbutt City captain Vincent Kompany.

"Joey Barton has accepted an FA charge against him for violent conduct against Manchester City's Sergio Aguero," the FA statement read.

"The Queens Park Rangers player has denied a second charge of alleged violent conduct against Manchester City's Vincent Kompany.

"The player has requested a personal hearing, the date of which has yet to be set.

"Both charges against Barton are in relation to Sunday's match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

"Following the player's dismissal in the 54th minute of the fixture, there followed two incidents involving Aguero and Kompany.

"As Barton had already been dismissed, both of these incidents fell outside of the jurisdiction of the referee."

Barton's dismissal could have been extremely costly to QPR as they went into the game battling to avoid relegation and ended up losing the game 3-2 only to be saved from the drop when Stoke held Bolton to send the latter side down instead.

He will receive an automatic four-match ban for what was his second dismissal of the season, and could receive three-match suspensions for each of the violent conduct charges.

Furthermore, the FA's regulatory panel can employ discretionary powers to increase the length of the suspension if charges are found to be proven.

Barton may also have created more trouble for himself because, as an inveterate user of Twitter, he went on to claim his violent actions were a cynical ploy to provoke a City player to be sent off.

Barton -- who has three years remaining on his contract -- later apologised for his behaviour, but QPR announced earlier Wednesday they had launched their own inquiry.

"Queens Park Rangers Football Club can confirm that a full investigation in relation to Joey Barton's dismissal and subsequent events against Manchester City on Sunday will be carried out following the conclusion of his FA hearing.

"The club will be making no further comment at this stage."