Kroenke edges closer to Arsenal takeover mark

United States businessman Stan Kroenke moved closer towards the threshold that would oblige him to launch a takeover bid for Arsenal after purchasing 10 more shares in the English Premier League club.

It was announced on Tuesday that the Denver-based Kroenke, already Arsenal's largest individual shareholder, had increased his stake to 28.9 percent after buying 10 additional shares at a cost of some 85,000 pounds (138,712 dollars).

That followed his 765,000 pounds (1.249 million dollars) share purchase earlier this month and left Kroenke one percent short of the 29.9 percent mark which, under British company rules, would require him to launch a takeover of Arsenal.

At the London club's Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week, Kroenke remained silent when asked about his plans.

Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood intervened, pointing out that any public statements regarding future bid intentions must be unambiguous, otherwise the individual or group would, under the rules, be prevented from making a formal move for six months.

Newcastle no longer for sale as Hughton handed full-time job

Fallen giants Newcastle are no longer for sale after owner Mike Ashley took the club off the market on Tuesday and then confirmed Chris Hughton will be the Championship leaders' permanent manager.

Hughton, who had been working as caretaker boss, has been given a contract until the end of the 2010-11 season after taking Newcastle to the top of English football's second tier as the Magpies bid for a quick return to the Premier League.

Ashley has also pledged to put another 20 million pounds into Newcastle this week to keep them financially stable following his unsuccessful attempt to sell the club.

He had spoken to various prospective buyers in recent months without being able to close a deal and Newcastle confirmed that a bid fronted by local businessman Barry Moat had fallen through after he failed to come up with the asking price of 80 million pounds.

Holders United cruise into League Cup quarter-finals

Manchester United got back on track after their defeat against Liverpool as the League Cup holders moved into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Barnsley on Tuesday.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side suffered only their second loss of the season at Anfield on Sunday, but there was no hangover at Oakwell as goals from Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen saw off the Championship outfit.

United played the last 27 minutes with 10 men after United captain Gary Neville was shown a red card by referee Chris Foy for his lunge on Adam Hammill.

The Tykes are managed by Mark Robins, the former United striker whose winning goal in an FA Cup third round tie against Nottingham Forest in 1990 is widely held to have saved Ferguson from the sack.

Babbel on the brink after Stuttgart's cup defeat

VfB Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel's position is on thin ice after the Bundesliga club suffered a 1-0 shock defeat on Tuesday in the third round of the German Cup at second division Greuther Fuerth.

Babbel was given a vote of confidence by Stuttgart's bosses only last week, but with his side now suffering their fifth consecutive defeat and hovering above the relegation zone in the league, Babbel's position is precarious.

"We wanted to win here and reach the next round, which we haven't done and the situation is not easy now," said Stuttgart's grim-faced director of sport Horst Heldt when asked about Babbel's position.

And Babbel is realistic about his situation.

"I do not know where I stand with the club now," he admitted.

"If I hate one thing, it is to lose, but now we have five consecutive defeats - this is a bitter and difficult situation.

Manchester return to Moscow with knockout in sight

Manchester United return to the scene of their 2008 Champions League final victory over Chelsea looking for a win over CSKA Moscow that will virtually ensure their passage to the knockout stages of this season's competition.

Despite some mixed displays in the Premier League this season, the English champions have looked assured on the European stage so far, recording wins over Besiktas, in Turkey, and German champions Wolfsburg at Old Trafford.

Another three points at the Luzhniki Stadium -- where John Terry's slip and penalty miss in the decisive shootout effectively gifted United the third European Cup triumph in the club's history -- would put Sir Alex Ferguson's side firmly in control of group B.

History, however, suggests that will not be a straightforward affair. United have never won in Russia while CSKA, now managed by the former Sevilla, Tottenham and Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos, have won their last six European ties at home.

Emotional Milan reunion for Real new boy Kaka

Real Madrid's Brazilian superstar Kaka faces old club AC Milan for the first time on Wednesday when the two sides do battle at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League Group C match.

Kaka was an icon at Milan after six successful years helping the club win the 2007 Champions League crown but left for Real this summer in a 65 million-euro move which he insisted was to help Milan with their financial problems.

The Spanish capital hosts a match-up between the two most successful clubs in European history with Real boasting a record nine European Cups to Milan's seven.

Both sides can point to illustrious histories but at present they are looking to restore their reputations as European superpowers with Real failing to get past the quarter-finals of the competition since 2004 which was the year Milan last won their domestic title.

Milan are under pressure in the group after a shock 1-0 home loss to unfancied FC Zurich while Real are perched comfortably at the top with a maximum six points.

Five to miss Man Utd match in Moscow

Manchester United will be without five senior players for their Champions League group match away to CSKA Moscow on Wednesday.

England striker Wayne Rooney, veteran winger Ryan Giggs, South Korea star Park Ji-Sung, Darren Fletcher and Patrice Evra all remained in Manchester as the rest of the squad flew out to Russia on Monday, United's official website said.

Rooney sustained a calf injury playing for England in their recent World Cup qualifier in Ukraine recently and is still not fit.

Giggs featured for the whole of the English champions win over Bolton on Saturday but suffered a knock towards the end of the 2-1 victory.

Evra was also injured against Bolton while Fletcher and Park missed the match at Old Trafford.

United top Group B with full points from two games, while CSKA have won one and lost one.

France handed tough Irish draw for playoffs

Former champions France have been handed a potentially tough test in their bid to qualify for the World Cup finals after drawing the Republic of Ireland in the play-offs Monday.

Giovanni Trapattoni's Irish side were one of the most impressive teams in their qualifying group eight, which was dominated by Italy.

And they were one of two teams, the other being Ukraine, the French wanted to avoid for the two-leg playoff in which Ireland play at home on November 14 before travelling to France four days later.

On the plus side for France is the fact they will travel to Dublin's Croke Park, where the capacity is around 82,000, first. A second leg there could have been a handicap.

"It's good to have the return match at home in France," said former World Cup winner and the team's captain in 1998, Didier Deschamps.

Fulham enjoy birthday celebration at Hull's expense

Fulham celebrated the club's 130th anniversary by pulling clear of the Premier League's relegation zone with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Hull at Craven Cottage on Monday.

Bobby Zamora's first-half header and a Diomansy Kamara strike just after the hour mark settled a contest which lifted Fulham up to 12th place in the table and left the visitors mired in the drop zone.

Zamora said Fulham had earned the three points.

"In previous games we've worked hard and not got the result we deserved but we deserve the points tonight," he said.

Zamora's opener came two minutes before the interval, the striker heading home following a fierce shot from Ireland winger Damien Duff, which Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill was unable to hold.

Duff also had a hand in Fulham's second, releasing Zamora down the right to provide the pass from which Kamara put the outcome beyond doubt, possibly from a fractionally offside position at the back post.

Ronaldinho double lifts Milan as Sampdoria lose ground

Ronaldinho inspired 10-man AC Milan to only their third win of the season with a come-from-behind 2-1 success against AS Roma at the San Siro on Sunday.

While the first half in Milan belonged to Roma's French winger Jeremy Menez, it was Ronaldinho who starred after the break, scoring one and creating the other -- and quite possibly saving countryman Leonardo's job as coach -- before captain Massimo Ambrosini was sent off late on.

"The most important thing was the incredible spirit we should," said Leonardo. "The three points are all well and good but the main thing is the desire we've shown in all our performances."

Uruguay 0-1 Argentina

Diego Maradona's Argentina booked their place at next summer's World Cup finals as substitute Mario Bolatti hit a later winner.

Huracan midfielder Bolatti, winning just his third cap, fired home with six minutes remaining after the home defence failed to deal with Juan Sebastian Veron's drilled effort from a free-kick.

The hosts ended the night with 10 men after Martin Caceres picked up a second yellow card in the build up to Argentina's winner.

Maradona has come in for fierce criticism for his disjointed handling of Argentina's qualification campaign, which as seen him field over 70 players, but victory in Montevideo tonight should silence his critics - until next summer at least.

Capello tells Becks to start packing for SAfrica

Fabio Capello has dropped the strongest hint yet that David Beckham will be on the plane to South Africa for next year's World Cup finals.

Beckham was only on the pitch for the last half hour of England's final qualifier, a 3-0 win over Belarus at Wembley which made it nine wins out of ten for Capello's squad in Group Six.

But he made enough of an impression to collect the man-of-the-match award, prompting Capello to compare him to Barack Obama, who picked up the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month after just over nine months in office.

Capello was being light-hearted with that remark but he was serious in his endorsement of Beckham's ability to come off the bench and influence matches.

The 34-year-old is expected to shortly agree another loan move to AC Milan for the second half of this season which will ensure he is operating at the kind of level England's Italian coach regards as essential if he is to be involved in what will be his fourth World Cup.

Argentina scrape into World Cup finals

Argentina scraped into the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Uruguay as Diego Maradona finally celebrated mission accomplished after a stumbling, lacklustre qualifying campaign.

The two-time champions needed a goal by substitute Mario Bolatti on Wednesday six minutes from time to earn the three points and secure the fourth and final qualifying spot from South America.

Brazil, Chile and Paraguay had already made sure of their places in the finals.

Uruguay finished in fifth and face a play-off against either Costa Rica or Honduras from the CONCACAF region to decide their World Cup fate.

In a poor match with few opportunities, the crucial moment here came when Uruguay were reduced to 10 men when Jose Martin Caceras was red-carded for a foul on Jonas Gutierrez.

Uruguay vs Argentina Preview

Lionel Messi is convinced Argentina will beat Uruguay and book the final automatic South American berth in the World Cup finals.

The Charruas and the Albicelestes will go head to head to decide who clinches qualification and who will progress to a play-off against a CONCACAF nation - or worse, miss out altogether.

Diego Maradona's Argentina will play in South Africa if they win or draw, barring an extraordinary performance by Ecuador at already-qualified Chile, while defeat could eliminate them should Ecuador win.

Uruguay Must win to overhaul Argentina.

Messi said: "We'll play at the World Cup. We are risking everything in the last qualifier. I trust in my national team.

Capello plan to fill Rooney gap

England boss Fabio Capello will turn to Gabriel Agbonlahor and Peter Crouch for his first World Cup qualifier without Wayne Rooney.

Rooney has played all nine of Capello's competitive matches but has a calf strain for the 10th match against Belarus and is joined on the sidelines by Steven Gerrard, whose groin complaint has given the Italian another reason to experiment with systems and fringe players in the dead rubber.

With a place in South Africa secured, Capello wants to look at "plan A, B, C", which on this occasion means being without Rooney, just like Sven-Goran Eriksson was for an hour against Portugal during the quarter-finals of the last World Cup.

Against the same opponents at the same stage of the European Championships two years earlier, Rooney limped off after 26 minutes and England were defeated on penalties - so Capello is aware there needs to be an alternative way to success.

Argentina to go all out for glory - Palermo

Diego Maradona's two-time world champions Argentina will go all out for glory and seek to stun their hosts Uruguay on the counter attack to ensure a berth in next summer's World Cup finals, striker Martin Palermo said Tuesday.

Under Diego Maradona's stewardship Argentina have endured a wobbly campaign in the extreme, suffering six defeats in 17 games.

Failure to win in Montevideo will mean either a playoff against an opponent from Central America - or potentially total elimination.

Uruguay are a point behind them while Ecuador, two points adrift, could also still bag the final automatic qualifying place, which Argentina currently occupy, with a win in Chile.

Gerrard out of final qualifier

Steven Gerrard has been ruled out of England's final World Cup qualifier, against Belarus on Wednesday, with a groin injury.

The Liverpool captain suffered the the injury during Saturday's 1-0 defeat in Ukraine and was unable to complete a training session with the rest of the squad on the eve of the match.

England boss Fabio Capello said: "He didn't finish training because the pain was the same as yesterday (Monday). He's going back to Liverpool."

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James is also a doubt for the Wembley match after missing training with a knee problem. Capello said he would decide on whether James could play on Wednesday.

West Ham's Robert Green started in goal in the Ukraine but is suspended after being sent off in what was England's first competitive defeat under Capello, meaning Joe Hart or Ben Foster would start if James is sidelined.

Chelsea hand Alex new four-year deal

The spate of new contracts for Chelsea's current squad continued Wednesday with Brazilian centreback Alex signing a new four-year deal at the English Premier League leaders.

The 27-year-old has been sidelined recently following surgery on his groin but resumed full training this week.

"I am very happy to start again to train and feel no pain, and to sign for four more years," Alex said.

The defender is also targetting a return to the Brazil side in the run-up to next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

"To go back into the national team is important to me," he added. "Also the Chelsea team started very well this season, is at the top, and this season to win the Premier League is important to me. Now I want to play."

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said he was delighted to tie Alex down to a long term deal.

Queiroz 'respects' Real stance on injured Ronaldo

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz says he "respects" Real Madrid's decision to prevent injured star Cristiano Ronaldo from travelling to watch his country's final World Cup qualifier against Malta.

"If that is their decision it will be based on medical advice and we must respect that," Queiroz said on Tuesday.

"It's probably because Real Madrid want to guarantee continuity in his treatment."

Queiroz added that he had not been officially told by the Spanish club that Ronaldo had been banned from attending the match, which Portugal must win to secure a place in the play-offs for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Ronaldo, the reigning European and World Player of the Year, sprained his ankle during Real's Champions League group stage win at home to Marseille last month.

Ferdinand will make up for Ukraine blunder says Terry

John Terry insists Rio Ferdinand is determined to make up for his Ukraine blunder in England's final World Cup qualifier against Belarus.

England coach Fabio Capello has told Ferdinand he will start at Wembley on Wednesday despite the Manchester United centre-back's latest mistake of an error-prone campaign.

Ferdinand's misjudgement against Ukraine on Saturday led to goalkeeper Robert Green conceding a penalty and being sent off.

Capello's team never recovered and slumped to a 1-0 defeat - ending their run of eight successive victories in the Group Six qualifying campaign.

Cannavaro fuming despite dope test reprieve

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro said Monday he was still enraged by the question marks placed against him after he failed a dope test in August, for which he has now been exonerated.

Cannavaro hit out at the press for their coverage of his failed test but later on Monday the Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) announced it was dismissing the case against him, as had been requested by Coni's anti-doping prosecutor.

Details of the failed test emerged last week ahead of Italy's 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw in Ireland that secured the world champions' passage to South Africa next year.

Cannavaro was suspended for that game but has rejoined his international team-mates for Wednesday's now meaningless qualifier at home to Cyprus.

Although he failed a dope test, due to having the banned substance cortisone in his system, his club Juventus explained that he had been given an emergency injection after his arm swelled up due to an insect sting.

Juve said they submitted a request for a medical exemption but it was missing a document and in the meantime Cannavaro failed the test on August 29.

Spending spree has made City hated says Barry

Gareth Barry fears Manchester City are becoming the Premier League's most despised club after using their vast wealth to muscle into the top four.

Barry, currently on England duty for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Belarus at Wembley, was one of several big-money arrivals at City during the close-season as boss Mark Hughes - backed by the club's Arab owners - splashed out over 120 million pounds on new players.

Hughes's spending spree has paid immediate dividends as Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Carlos Tevez have helped City to fourth in the Premier League.

But Barry knows that the downside of buying success is the inevitable jealousy from rivals clubs and fans who don't have City's financial power.

AC Milan likely to take Beckham in January

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani admitted on Monday that former England captain David Beckham would probably return to the Italian giants in January's transfer window.

Beckham spent the second half of last season on loan at Milan before returning to his American club Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of the Serie A season.

He is known to be looking for another loan deal in January to allow him to play at the top European level so as to not scupper his chances of being a part of England coach Fabio Capello's World Cup plans in South Africa next year.

And speaking from an Italian Football League stand at a sports convention in Monte Carlo, Galliani said: "It's very probable that Beckham will come to Milan on loan until June 30 but I won't give any details while nothing has been signed."

Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Tunisia target WC

Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Tunisia could qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa this weekend.

Ivory Coast need one point at bottom-of-the-table Malawi Saturday in Group E to clinch a second successive appearance at the quadrennial international football showpiece.

But the other three potential qualifiers need help if they are to realise the ultimate dream of every footballer and feature at the first World Cup hosted by Africa.

Algeria, who last played at the finals 23 years ago, can clinch top spot in Group C by securing a better result at home to Rwanda Sunday than African Nations Cup holders Egypt away to Zambia Saturday.

Cameroon, revitalised since the recent arrival of French coach Paul le Guen, will take an unassailable lead in Group A if they defeat Togo at home Saturday and Morocco triumph at second-placed Gabon the same day.

Haunted Swiss see South Africa beckoning

Switzerland head into the final two World Cup qualifying matches with a three-point lead in Group two this weekend, anxious to wipe out memories of a disastrous Euro 2008 in front of their home crowd.

Since then they have gradually pulled into the reckoning for South Africa after a shaky start in arguably the weakest European qualifying group, thanks to one of Europe's most successful coaches, Ottmar Hitzfeld.

But they are also haunted by memories of a shock 2-1 home defeat last year to Saturday's opponents, lowly Luxembourg, that almost dashed their World Cup hopes.

Hitzfeld was trying to keep his side focused ahead of the away tie and a finale against Israel in Basel next Wednesday, following a rollercoaster ride since he took over the side 14 months ago.

"We haven't reached anything and must first take care of our homework," he insisted Friday.

The former Bundesliga-winning coach with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich has restored Swiss hopes since he took the helm shortly after they ended bottom of their group in the Euro 2008 finals.

Lippi unconcerned by Cannavaro's positive test

Italy coach Marcello Lippi played down Fabio Cannavaro's positive dope test for banned cortisone and insisted his captain was still part of his immediate plans.

On Thursday Italian media revealed that Juventus centre-back Cannavaro had failed a dope test but his club explained that it was due to an anti-allergy medication taken as a matter of urgency following a wasp sting.

His club had submitted documention to the Italian Football Federation to ask for a medical exemption but it was not complete and in the mean time, Cannavaro took a test which he failed.

Italian Olympic Committe anti-doping prosecutors are investigating but Lippi played down the whole incident ahead of Saturday's trip to Dublin to tackle Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland in a crucial World Cup qualifier, for which Cannavaro is banned.

Cannavaro is not currently with the Italy squad but was due to link up with them on Sunday as he will be available for Wednesday's match against Cyprus in Parma.

"I haven't spoken to Fabio but there was no need, this was all blown over in a couple of hours. Will he be with us here on Sunday? Of course he will," said Lippi.

France to honour slain fan at Faroes match

Raymond Domenech revealed on Friday that there will be a minute's silence in memory of Toulouse fan Brice Taton ahead of France's World Cup qualifying match with the Faroe Islands.

Taton died at the end of September after being attacked by thugs prior to Toulouse's Europa League match at Serbian side Partizan Belgrade.

"We'll do a minute's silence in his memory and in the memory of everyone who's been the victim of this kind of thing," said France coach Domenech, whose team face the Faroe Islands in Guingamp on Saturday.

"We find it unbelievably stupid that someone should die like that for a football match."

World football governing body FIFA have threatened to dock World Cup qualifying points from Serbia if their supporters are found to have engaged in further hooligan activity.

"Sometimes warnings are useless," Domenech said.

Roonaldo thanks Ronaldo

Wayne Rooney thanked Cristiano Ronaldo for ensuring he did not shoulder the blame for England's World Cup exit.

Rooney's red card in the quarter-final defeat to Portugal was overshadowed by Ronaldo's infamous wink, which was roundly condemned within the England camp considering the pair were Manchester United team-mates at the time.

Yet, looking back, the Red Devils forward actually believes it did him a favour because his own stamp on Ricardo Carvalho got overlooked, unlike the misdemeanours of David Beckham and Phil Neville that had been highlighted at previous tournaments.

"I didn't really get any stick," said Rooney.

"Ronaldo took a lot of it and I was pleased about that.

Rooney vs Ronaldo: Unforgiven!

Wayne Rooney regards Cristiano Ronaldo as the number one player on the planet but does not want to see him in South Africa.

Although the pair have long since kissed and made up, Ronaldo's infamous wink as Rooney saw red in Gelsenkirchen remains one of the abiding memories of Germany 2006.

Rooney insists he did not mean to stamp on Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho. But the incident left England to complete the quarter-final with only 10 men, the effort to reach the final whistle counting for nothing as Sven-Goran Eriksson's men lost on penalties.

Three years on, a much less abrasive 23-year-old will take on the Ukraine on Saturday knowing England's place in South Africa is secure.

Cannavaro fails dope test, Juve say it's medication

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro failed a dope test after taking a medicine that contained the banned substance cortisone, it was revealed on Thursday.

The former World Player of the Year was allegedly stung by a wasp and took a medicine that contained cortisone on August 29.

He requested an exemption on the grounds that it was emergency medication but his request was missing a document and while awaiting a decision he was subjected to an anti-doping test, which returned a positive result.

His club Juventus claimed he took nothing more than an anti-allergy medicine and that it was necessary to prevent a potentially fatal outcome.

"In response to the news relating to an inquest opened by the anti-doping prosecutor into Fabio Cannavaro, Juventus's medical team underlines that it acted within sanitary prescriptions and moral rules to intervene in a case of emergency following the worsening of the clinical situation as a consequence of an insect sting," said a statement on Juventus's website.

Russia launches bid to host 2018 World Cup

Russia on Friday launched its bid for the right to host either the 2018 or the 2022 football World Cup.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who also presides the Russian Football Union (RFU), said that the bid was based on developing the football infrastructure in 14 candidate cities.

"If and when FIFA approve our bid we will choose 12 host cities where the new stadiums will be built," Mutko said.

"I believe Russia is capable of hosting the football World Cup at the best possible level."

The minister however refused to disclose the budget of the Russian plans of hosting the event saying that RFU should work out and present a convincing bid to the world's ruling football body FIFA ahead of calculating the expenses.

He said that Russia and FIFA should sign the bid agreement on December 11, 2009 at the latest, adding that the successful bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups would be announced in December 2010.

"We are bidding to host both events but the 2018 World Cup is our top priority," Mutko said.

"And I believe that the country, which is bidding to host the World Cup for the first time, should have a certain advantage over their rivals."

United cleared to sign Pogba, Le Havre protest

Manchester United have been given the green light to sign French teenager Paul Pogba after FIFA on Thursday ruled that the English champions had not induced him to break a contract with Le Havre.

But his former club have hit back by arguing that FIFA's ruling is only provisional and therefore not an end to the saga surrounding the 16-year-old midfielder.

United issued a statement declaring: "Manchester United is pleased to confirm that the Football Association has been authorised by FIFA to register Paul Pogba as a Manchester United player with immediate effect."

The French second division team responded by issuing a statement of their own.

"FIFA have not validated the transfer of Paul Pogba but have, as they systematically do in cases like this, issued a provisional international certificate," the club said.

Beckham set to return to AC Milan

LA Galaxy are close to agreeing a loan deal for England midfielder David Beckham to return to AC Milan in the January transfer window.

Tim Leiweke, the chief executive of AEG, which owns Galaxy, said they were aware that a move would help Beckham improve his chances of featuring in next summer's World Cup.

Leiweke said that the 34-year-old needs a year of solid football to boost his bid to reach the World Cup.

"We have a deep appreciation of what he is doing over here with his national team," Leiweke said at the Leaders In Football summit at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

"I wanted him to know that we will support him so we are going to lend him out."

Galaxy want Beckham's loan deal sorted out soon so he can concentrate on a title challenge with his club.

"We want to get it done, for him and for us, because we have work to do over the next few weeks and I don't want any confusion," Leiweke said.

Socceroos launch appeal for quake/tsunami victims

Australia's national football team, led by English Premier League star Tim Cahill, on Friday launched an appeal for the earthquake and tsunami victims of Samoa and Indonesia.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) said it will donate one dollar for every fan who attends the Socceroos' matches against the Netherlands in Sydney on Saturday and against Oman in Melbourne next week.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said the money raised will help rebuild or re-equip sporting facilities in Samoa and Indonesia.

Everton midfielder Cahill, whose mother is Samoan, said he hopes the fundraising will encourage more people to come to the matches.

"As an Australian with strong ties to Samoa, I am so proud that football and (team sponsor) Qantas are making this gesture to help young people in Samoa and Indonesia," Cahill said.

ESPN-Star secures EPL rights across 18 Asian nations

ESPN-Star Sports announced Wednesday that it has won exclusive rights to broadcast English Premier League matches in 18 markets across Asia until 2013.

The broadcaster, Asia's biggest sports content provider, said for the first time it would show all 380 matches each season live across multiple platforms including television, Internet and mobile.

It has the rights in India, Indonesia, East Timor, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, North and South Korea, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

In Malaysia and Brunei, it works in a partnership with Astro.

"We have worked with ESPN-Star Sports in a number of overseas territories for many years and we are very pleased to extend that partnership for seasons 2010/11 and 2012/13," said Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.

Maradona talks of quitting as Argentina coach

Under-pressure Argentina coach Diego Maradona has announced that he might quit after must-win World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay.

"After the qualifiers, I will talk to (Argentine football federation chariman) Julio (Grondona)," Maradona told reporters Tuesday.

"I'll see if I carry on, and it will be on my conditions," he said.

"When Julio offered me this job, I was the happiest man in the world, but since there have been things that I have not liked," Maradona said, without further explanation.

Relations between Maradona and general manager Carlos Bilardo, his coach for the 1986 World Cup triumph in Mexico, have become increasingly fraught ahead of Saturday's match against lowly Peru, hence the hint he might walk away once the programme of matches is over.

UEFA concern at lack of hotels in Ukraine for Euro 2012

European football's governing body UEFA expressed their concern Wednesday at the shortage of hotel rooms in four Ukrainian cities due to host Euro 2012 matches.

UEFA delegation chief Martin Kallen said they were otherwise satisfied with progress being made by Ukraine in their preparations for the tournament they will co-host with Poland.

"At present we're happy with the progress made," Kallen said.

But he added: "Each town still has a lot of work to do. In each town we don't have enough hotel rooms."

The championship will be hosted in Kiev, Lviv, Donetsk and Kharkiv.

As well as the lack of hotels, Kallen said that the capital Kiev had to resolve problems of transport links between the airport and the city centre.

Grant returns to Portsmouth

Portsmouth on Wednesday announced the return of Avram Grant to his former job as the club's director of football.

The 54-year-old Israeli returns to Fratton Park having occupied the same role from 2006 to 2007 before succeeding Jose Mourinho as manager of Chelsea.

It is the first major change since Saudi Arabian businessman Ali Al Faraj completed his 90 percent buy-out of the club from Sulaiman Al Fahim on Monday.

Grant, who took Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final, will work alongside manager Paul Hart as the club aim to climb off the bottom of the Premier League with just one win from eight games so far.

Grant has also worked as coach of the Israel national team.

He was one penalty kick away from leading Chelsea to Champions League glory as the Blues lost to Manchester United in Moscow and he was replaced soon afterwards by Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Yeung completes Birmingham takeover

Carson Yeung's takeover of Birmingham was completed on Tuesday when the Hong Kong businessman's Grandtop Holdings announced the acquisition of 94 percent of the shares in the club.

By passing the 90 percent threshold, Grandtop are now in a position to oblige the remaining independent shareholders to sell their stake, clearing the way for the club to be de-listed from the Alternative Investment Market and run as a private business.

Yeung is expected in England next week for talks with Birmingham boss Alex McLeish, who has said he is looking forward to working with the new owners.

"We are looking forward to a new era," McLeish said earlier this week. "There is a buzz about the place and the fans and they are anticipating another step forward.

"I am looking forward to working with the new owners. I am ambitious and they are ambitious and, of course, if there is money to spend, we would welcome it.

Queiroz counting on fit Ronaldo for World Cup qualifiers

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz expressed his confidence on Tuesday that Real Madrid striker Cristinao Ronaldo would be fit for key World Cup qualifiers against Hungary and Malta on October 10 and 14 respectively.

Ronaldo missed Real Madrid's first Liga loss of the season at Seville last weekend with an ankle injury.

But Queiroz believes he will be fit and included him along with Rangers midfielder Pedro Mendes and Malaga striker Edinho among his 24-man squad.

Queiroz put his side through their paces at Obidos on Tuesdsay with six players missing because of fitness worries.

Portugal, who are third in Group One with 13 points, need to win both matches and for second-placed Sweden to slip up in Denmark, to book their ticket to South Africa.

Abgonlahor determined to grab World Cup chance

Gabriel Agbonlahor could be about to find out if he got the biggest call of his career right.

As a teenager, the Aston Villa striker had the option of playing international football for either Nigeria, the land of his doctor father, or Scotland, from where his mother hails.

Instead, he backed himself to make the grade with England and now he finds himself vowing to grab his chance to force his way into Fabio Capello's World Cup plans.

Agbonlahor has been in superb form this season after undergoing an upper-body strengthening regime and, after five goals in as many games, has been rewarded with a call up to Capello's squad for the upcoming qualifiers in the Ukraine and at home to Belarus.

The matches are effectively irrevelant for England, who have already booked their place in South Africa after eight straight wins in their group. But, for fringe players like Agbonlahor, the stakes are extremely high with Capello facing tough decisions on who to include as back-up strikers for his first-choice forward combination of Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey.

England-Ukraine clash to be screened live.. online

England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Saturday is to make history by being the team's first international to be shown live in cinemas and on the Internet but not on TV, media group Perform said.

With England already qualified for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa, major television stations such as the BBC and Sky have opted against buying the rights to screen live coverage of the match being played in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.

Irish satellite broadcaster Setanta had been due to cover the match live but the group's British arm went bust in June.

Fans not travelling to the Ukraine can still see the game live at Odeon cinemas across England and over the Internet for a fee of between 5.0 and 12 pounds.

English FA ask Ferguson to explain Wiley rant

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been asked by the English FA to explain his controversial comments about referee Alan Wiley.

Ferguson questioned Wiley's fitness after Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Saturday and claimed the 49-year-old was struggling to keep up with the pace of the match at Old Trafford.

Having looked at the remarks, the FA have now requested that Ferguson explain the reasons behind his outburst.

"I was disappointed with the referee," Ferguson said at the weekend. "He was not fit enough for a game of that standard.

"The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit. It is an indictment of our game.

"You see referees abroad who are as fit as butcher's dogs. We have some who are fit. He wasn't fit.

Al Faraj company lands majority Portsmouth stake

Saudi Arabian businessman Ali Al-Faraj has completed his takeover of English Premier League club Portsmouth, the club said late Monday.

The club confirmed on their website former owner Sulaiman Al-Fahim had sold 90 percent of the shares to Falcondrone Limited, a company owned by Al-Faraj, in a move freeing up funds to pay players and executives.

A statement on the Portsmouth website said: "The takeover will ensure Portsmouth Football Club's future is safe and will bring financial stability.

"Once the takeover is complete the club will undergo refinancing in order to grow and develop every part of the business.

"Mr Al-Faraj is very supportive of the club's plans for a new training ground and the development of Fratton Park."

Al-Fahim retains a 10 percent share in the club and will remain as non-executive chairman until at least the end of next season, while Peter Storrie will continue in his role as chief executive.

Owen set to resume training on Tuesday

Manchester United striker Michael Owen will return to full training on Tuesday after missing his side's draw with Sunderland on Saturday.

Owen was forced off during last week's Champions League victory over Wolfsburg after suffering a groin injury and didn't recover in time for the Sunderland clash.

But, although it was initially feared the former Liverpool star would be out for three weeks, he is now ready to return to action.

"I'm back in full training from tomorrow (Tuesday)," Owen told At The Races on Monday. "The older you get the more you get to learn your body.

"Probably a few years ago I would have carried on playing and pulled something and been out for a couple of months or a few weeks at least.

"I felt something coming. If I'd continued or done another sprint then I think I would have pulled my groin.

"So I came off just before it happened and instead of three or four weeks it's three or four days. So that's something you get with experience."

Ronaldo says will be ready for Portuguese call

Cristiano Ronaldo said Monday he was ready to answer the call for Portugal in Saturday's crucial World Cup qualifier at home to Hungary after missing Real Madrid's first Liga loss of the season at Seville with an ankle injury.

"I have recovered well. We'll see how things go but I think I'll be fine come Saturday," Ronaldo said on arriving at Obidos, where the squad are preparing for a match which will go some way to deciding if they can snatch a playoff place after a poor showing in Group One.

The Portuguese currently stand third - five points behind leaders Denmark and two adrift of Sweden, while Hungary are level on points with Carlos Queiroz's side, rendering a win imperative ahead of an expected three easy points in their final game against Malta.

The Swedes have a tough encounter away to the Danes on Saturday.

"These are decisive matches which we must win," observed Ronaldo, who said that team spirit was "fantastic" despite his country's irregular showing to date.

Hughes hails red hot Bellamy

Mark Hughes believes Craig Bellamy can provide the firepower to shoot Manchester City into the Champions League after the striker's goal earned a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.

Bellamy hit his fourth goal of the season after half-time at Villa Park on Monday to cancel out former City defender Richard Dunne's opener for the hosts.

Hughes's side are now fourth in the table heading into the international break and the City boss is convinced they can stay there if Bellamy maintains his scintilating start to the campaign.

"He is playing out of his skin at the moment," Hughes said. "It doesn't matter what position I use him in, he is still having a positive impact on the game and it was the same tonight.

"He is playing with great confidence. He always thinks he is the best player and most of the time he has been."

Hughes had every reason to sing Bellamy's praises after he ensured Dunne wouldn't return to haunt his former club.

Arsenal hit Rovers for six

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal are capable of mounting a sustained challenge for the Premier League title this season after his side routed Blackburn 6-2 at the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger became Arsenal's longest serving manager on Thursday with 13 years service and Sunday's eye-catching display was the ideal way to mark the anniversary of his arrival in north London.

The Gunners, without a trophy since 2005, were widely written off as title also-rans in pre-season following Wenger's decision not to spend big to replace Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure after their exits to Manchester City.

But his faith in his young squad is being rewarded and Arsenal are now in fourth place - six points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.

Wenger said: "There is a real togetherness about the team. They are enjoying themselves and playing some wonderful football. I think we are strong.

Wenger eyes title challenge after Arsenal hit Rovers for six

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal are capable of mounting a sustained challenge for the Premier League title this season after his side routed Blackburn 6-2 at the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger became Arsenal's longest serving manager on Thursday with 13 years service and Sunday's eye-catching display was the ideal way to mark the anniversary of his arrival in north London.

The Gunners, without a trophy since 2005, were widely written off as title also-rans in pre-season following Wenger's decision not to spend big to replace Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure after their exits to Manchester City.

But his faith in his young squad is being rewarded and Arsenal are now in fourth place - six points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.