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Croatia coach Slaven Bilić has named his squad for UEFA EURO 2008™, with youngsters Manuel Pamić and Anas Sharbini also selected as back-up. The 23-man party contains no major surprises, although AS Monaco FC midfielder Nikola Pokrivač has earned a call-up for the first time. At 22, he is enjoying a good run of form and has been identified as a real prospect in a holding role.

Bilić has likewise opted to bring emerging talents Pamić and Sharbini on board in back-up roles. “We chose 23 players and we are also taking two youngsters,” explained the coach. “Not because we want to give them a chance to fit in or to thank them, but because they are young, talented and playing in the positions we need.”

The former national-team defender also put the finishing touches on his two-year contract extension earlier today. “The final decision came after the [3-2 qualifying] victory [over England] at Wembley [last November], so the signing of the contract could have happened six or three months ago,” said Croatian Football Federation president Vlatko Marković. “Instead, it happened today. We are very happy to have Slaven Bilić and his assistants.”

The Croats face Austria, Germany and Poland in Group B at this summer’s tournament and Bilić is hoping his squad will make a major impact. “We have a goal to continue with our good work,” said the 39-year-old. “We have a difficult task ahead, but if we get a little luck we can end up being proud.”

Croatia squad

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (FC Spartak Moskva), Vedran Runje (RC Lens), Mario Galinović (Panathinaikos FC).

Defenders: Dario Šimić (AC Milan), Robert Kovač (BV Borussia Dortmund), Josip Šimunić (Hertha BSC Berlin), Vedran Ćorluka (Manchester City FC), Dario Knežević (AS Livorno Calcio), Hrvoje Vejić (FC Tom Tomsk).

Midfielders: Niko Kovač (FC Salzburg), Jerko Leko (AS Monaco FC), Darijo Srna (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Niko Kranjčar (Portsmouth FC), Luka Modrić (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Danijel Pranjić (SC Heerenveen), Ivan Rakitić (FC Schalke 04), Ognjen Vukojević (NK Dinamo Zagreb), Nikola Pokrivač (AS Monaco FC).

Forwards: Mladen Petrić (BV Borussia Dortmund), Ivica Olić (Hamburger SV), Ivan Klasnić (Werder Bremen), Igor Budan (Parma FC), Nikola Kalinić (HNK Hajduk Split).

Reserves: Manuel Pamić (FC Salzburg), Anas Sharbini (HNK Rijeka).

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Liverpool’s star striker Fernando Torres was proud of having equaled Roger Hunt’s club record of having scored in eight successive home league games in the 1-0 win over Manchester City. The 24-year-old Spain international has netted 32 goals in all competitions in his first season with the Reds and has scored in his last eight outings in the league at Anfield, equalling Hunt’s record from the 1961-62 campaign.

Torres told the club’s official website: “I’m very proud. I knew about the record before the game and I am pleased to have scored again. Now I will try to do even better next season. The first season is normally always difficult but it has been made easy for me by my team-mates. It’s thanks to them that I can keep scoring and keep improving.”

Reds manager Rafael Benitez added his own tribute, commenting: “It was another good game from us and another fine goal from Fernando. I believe he will score more, which will be a great benefit for the club, for him and for the fans.”

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger paid tribute to veteran goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who said goodbye to the Gunners faithful in the 1-0 victory over Everton. The 38-year-old Germany international will leave north London in the summer after five seasons with the club and was handed a late appearance as a substitute against the Toffees by boss Wenger.

The Frenchman said after the game: “It was a farewell and I wanted him to have a chance to say goodbye to the fans, that we respect him for what he has done for us. Jens was 100 per cent professional, if not always an easy character. In all his time here, I have not known Jens to not be fully committed for a single minute. That deserves a lot of respect.

“He was the best keeper in the Premier League. He reads the game well, he is brave and had all the assets to come into the Premier League, because he is not frightened of anybody. Jens has become better and better, because at the start he was a bit upset easily sometimes, when people walked on his toes at corners. But he got more controlled through his career. Jens was 38 this year, and at some stage in a club like ours you have to make a decision to change.”

Lehmann has made 199 appearances for the Gunners since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2003.

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AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has claimed that Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini is on the verge of signing for the Italian club. “Flamini will arrive tonight in Milan and will sign a four-year contract,” he said after Sunday’s 2-1 win over Inter. The French midfielder’s contract with the Gunners expires at the end of this season - and manager Arsene Wenger has admitted he is wary Flamini will leave.

The 24-year-old is expected to undergo a medical at the San Siro on Monday. Despite the offer of a new five-year deal from Arsenal, Flamini’s future remains unresolved and both AC Milan and Juventus are reported to have been tracking the France international.

Following Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Everton on Sunday, the Gunners’ last home game of the season, Wenger conceded that he was not “super-confident” Flamini would still be with the club next season.

“Frankly, I don’t know [if he is staying],” said Wenger. “But if you ask me was I overall super-confident, I would say no. He has an offer on the table which is valid until tomorrow [Monday], then we will see. We have done what we had to do, it is now down to him to make a decision. My ideal solution is that he stays, so I am not happy if he goes - but we’ve done everything we can. We can’t wait until July. You could lose players if they come on the market.”

Meanwhile, Milan club owner Silvio Berlusconi has cast fresh doubt over the potential signing of Barcelona star Ronaldinho.

“I have always been doubtful over whether Ronaldinho is needed, at this point I really think we don’t need him,” he said.

The Italian club has agreed terms with the 28-year-old Brazilian playmaker but failed to settle on a mutually satisfactory transfer fee with Barcelona during preliminary talks.

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Manchester United FC’s win against FC Barcelona has ensured that a tenth major UEFA club competition will be settled by a final between domestic rivals.

United will meet either Liverpool FC or Chelsea FC in this season’s UEFA Champions League final at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on 21 May in what will be only the second final contested by two English teams in the history of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup and UEFA Cup. The first was when Tottenham Hotspur FC defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers FC over two legs in the inaugural UEFA Cup final in 1971/72.

Two previous UEFA Champions League finals have been played between sides from the same nation. Spain set the ball rolling in 1999/00 as Real Madrid CF defeated Valencia CF 3-0 at the Stade de France, with goals from Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raúl González, while the 2002/03 final saw AC Milan meet Italian rivals Juventus, with the former prevailing 3-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.

That game in Manchester was the most recent of five all-Serie A continental finals including four UEFA Cup showpieces. Juventus beat AC Fiorentina 3-1 over two legs in the 1989/90 final, while FC Internazionale Milano prevailed 2-1 on aggregate against AS Roma the following year. In 1994/95, Parma AC beat Juventus 2-1, also after home and away matches, while Inter beat S.S. Lazio 3-0 in the one-legged 1997/98 final at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

There has been one all-German final to date, in 1979/80 when Eintracht Frankfurt beat VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach on away goals, losing 3-2 away but winning 1-0 at home. The semi-finals of that competition also featured four sides from the former West Germany. More recently, the 2006/07 UEFA Cup final was contested by two Spanish sides, with Sevilla FC beating RCD Espanyol 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Glasgow.

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Midfielder Cesc Fabregas still believes Arsenal could snatch the Barclays Premier League title. The Gunners beat Derby County 6-2 on Monday night which left them to within four points of Chelsea and Manchester United with two matches remaining.

“Nothing is impossible,” said Fabregas. “We have to win the last two games and then we’ll see. We are not the favourites, but you never know.”

Derby were well in contention in the first period but Arsenal ran away with it after half-time, with substitute Emmanuel Adebayor grabbing a hat-trick.

“They started very strong and put us under a lot of pressure,” said Fabregas. “After we made it 3-1 we relaxed a bit but they made it 3-2 and we knew we had to push. But fortunately we responded straight away and Theo (Walcott) scored a great goal.”

The midfielder also paid tribute to Adebayor, adding: “He makes a difference every time he plays, he’s a striker who can do everything. We should feel fortunate to have him.”

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Deco’s Interview with Julio Gomes Filho:

Now our chance of winning the Primera División is gone, our one and only priority is to reach the Champions League final. The good game we had against Manchester United last week showed everyone we are capable of beating them and booking our ticket to Moscow. We played a very complete game. The only thing missing was obviously a goal on the score sheet. Even so, a goalless draw is not a bad result because another draw in Manchester will put us in the final or at least take us to penalties.

Lots of people criticized Manchester United for playing defensively at Camp Nou, but if you look at their line-up, it was more attacking than in many of their other games. I guess they weren’t actually able to attack us, because we pressed them very well and controlled possession. Their only option was to counterattack, which they tried with Cristiano Ronaldo, but our defence was very alert and marked him well. It was surprising that he missed the penalty, but these things happen in football. It doesn’t overshadow the magnificent season he’s had.

I think I played a good game. It was an enormous relief to play after a long absence and not feel anything wrong. The injury is healed and I am ready for Tuesday’s match. Frank Rijkaard has shown his confidence in me many times before. If he decides to include me in the Old Trafford lineup I will do my best to get to my third Champions League final.

The second leg will be a completely different game because they will try to win the ball and put pressure on us. They need to score, so they will go for it. We need to hang tight during the first 15 minutes and avoid giving it away easily. We must be 100 per cent focused, especially at the start, when their supporters will lift them a lot.

I don’t think the weekend’s league results will have the slightest influence in the semi-final. It is true Manchester United lost an important high-stakes game against Chelsea, but we lost to Deportivo La Coruña as well. Most of United’s starters were benched because of the Barcelona game, so they will be fresh and fit. When a semi-final like this comes around, everybody forgets what has been and focuses only on the match.

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Every football fan loves Brazil for the way they play football, the fact that their fans all seem to be samba-dancing ladies in bikini tops and for all the incredibly talented superstars who have come from that country over the years. However, while the national team lives up to all of those positive stereotypes more often than not, the fact is that the state of domestic football in Brazil is very rarely so romantic or pleasant.

Kidnapping, corrupt referees, mass brawls, rampaging fans and clubs who sack their managers on a weekly basis; all of these are more commonly found in Brazilian domestic football than samba superstars delighting hordes of attractive beach babes with their silky skills. It may not be pretty, but it’s certainly always interesting, and Sunday’s Paulista championship semi-final second leg clash between Sao Paulo and Palmeiras was another memorable match for all the wrong reasons.

It was played at Parque Antartica, the home ground of Palmeiras, who were trailing 2-1 from the first leg, and they took the lead in the 23rd minute through Leo Lima. The trouble started at half-time, when the visitors returned to their changing-room and quicked exited it, complaining that it had been filled by an unknown gas that was making their players come close to vomiting. They had to hold their team-talk on the pitch instead. “It was impossible to breath, it was extremly irritating for the nostrils and eyes,” team doctor Jose Sanchez told reporters.

Nevertheless, they were able to continue and the match went on, with Jorge Valdivia tapping in Palmeiras’ second goal with six minutes to go after a swift breakaway attack. However, his flamboyant and rather cocky celebrations rubbed the opposition players up the wrong way, and they started to aggressively remonstrate with him. And then the lights went out. There was a scuffle on the pitch during the 15 minute blackout, with the home side’s Martinez sent off after the restart. Andres Dias had already been dismissed in the 80th minute for the visitors.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed reports linking him with a summer transfer window move for David Villa. The Valencia striker recently revealed that he admires the way Arsenal play, but Wenger says there is no truth to talk that he has already decided to swoop for the player.

“It is a nice compliment,” he said. “But, for the moment, there is nothing. Who are we going to sign? It has not been decided yet. I have a list where there is a number one, a number two, a number three and a number four for each position we want to strengthen. We have money, just not as much as the papers say because that is not true.”

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Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger admitted that the title race is over for the Gunner, but he promises they’re attacking style of football will bring them silverware in the future. Arsenal FC are set to be without any trophies for 3 consecutive seasons and Wenger’s comments remain crystal clear.

“We will continue to play the way we do but better, the trophies will come,” he said. “The main target is to keep the team together. They are absolutely amazing.”

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor is behind his Manager as he says that the Gunners will come out fighting next season. Adebayor, who has now scored 20 goals for Arsenal, said “Arsene is a great man and a great manager. He has achieved a lot of things with this club. For sure he is going to be here. He has a vision to bring a lot of good players to this club like Alex Hleb, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Cesc Fabregas and William Gallas. They are his players. So, for sure, we will win something, no doubt about that.”

Arsenal are now nine points behind leaders Manchester United and three points behind Chelsea, having played a game more than Chelsea, and with just four fixtures remaining. A disappointed Wenger hinted that certain decisions which went against Arsenal at Old Trafford highlighted a recent trend, but was keen to stress the pride he felt in a team which were controversially knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool in midweek.

Overall, I am very proud of my team’s performance,” he said. “We had to be exceptionally strong after the Liverpool game - and we were. I feel the difference between success and failure is very little. We do not feel there is much between ourselves, United and Chelsea when it comes to technical ability and quality. So it is difficult to accept we will not win the title. I want to win trophies and it is sad we cannot win a trophy this season. On the other hand, I feel we have done a lot for the Premier League this season by the way we have promoted it.”

Arsenal needed to win at Old Trafford to start clawing back the Premier League leader’s six-point advantage but a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty cancelled out Adebayor’s opener before Owen Hargreaves grabbed the winner to effectively end Arsenal’s hopes. Hargreaves’ free-kick came after Gilberto had been punished for a challenge on Patrice Evra while Ronaldo’s penalty was awarded following a handball by William Gallas.

“Those two decisions made it difficult for us but overall we have to take it,” Wenger said. “With the penalty you can give it or not give it. As for the free-kick I do not think Gilberto touched Evra.”

Photo: Getty Images