Football News | Football Gossips | Football Transfers | Football Saga | Football Rumours: 05/01/2010

Own Goals rescue England

England needed two late own goals from Japan defenders Marcus Tanaka and Yuji Nakazawa to gain a 2-1 victory in their final World Cup warm-up match in Graz.

Tanaka had stunned England by giving Japan a seventh-minute lead and Fabio Capello's side looked uncertain at the back.

But Tanaka levelled matters when deflecting in a cross from Joe Cole and then Nakazawa suffered the same fate from a centre by Ashley Cole.

Frank Lampard missed a 55th-minute penalty but hopes to retain spot-kick duties in South Africa.

"It's down to the manager," the Chelsea player told ITV1. "I'll always want to take it. It wasn't a great penalty. It's disappointing because I've practised loads this week.

"I'm always confident in taking them and that will make me go away and work harder. If the manager wants me to take it I'll always step up."

The miss did not prove costly, with own goals by Marcus Tanaka and Yuji Nakazawa overturning Tanaka's opener.

Overall, Lampard was pleased with the final work-out before heading out to South Africa.

"It was not an easy game," he said. "It was not a vintage performance by far but it's about players and the team trying to find their way a bit."

Reflecting on this result and Monday's 3-1 win over Mexico at Wembley, he added: "We've played two and won two. We have to take positives from that.

"It's down to the players. We've stepped up our game. In the first half we were slightly sluggish, and in the second half we got more of the ball and got the ball into their box more quickly."

Fabio Capello is down to his final three in England's World Cup X Factor.

On Tuesday morning, Capello will make seven fateful telephone calls that will end the dreams of those who answer.

The Italian already knows in his own mind 20 of the men he will call upon in South Africa next month.

The remaining 10 will face Japan in Graz on Sunday knowing they must scrap for their lives to claim one of that coveted trio of remaining tickets.

"I more or less know," he admitted. "Not 23 but maybe 20.

"It will be disappointing when I have to tell some of the players that they must go home because all the players here have trained really well.

"I am really happy with their focus and the job they have done. But I have to choose."

Likely candidates for the axe include Michael Dawson, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Scott Parker.

Tom Huddlestone and Darren Bent both start on Sunday knowing a failure will probably end their hopes too.

A straight fight between Leighton Baines and Stephen Warnock to act as deputy to Ashley Cole at left-back will end in heartbreak for the loser, whilst Joe Cole and Adam Johnson would appear to be scrapping over the remaining berth.

Capello will assess the performances of his players in Sunday's final friendly, then receive any injury updates on Monday and, in Gareth Barry's case, Tuesday morning before reaching a conclusion that will be all his own work.

"No. I won't talk to the senior players," he said.

"If I lose I want to know it has been because of my decisions."

So much would appear to hinge on Barry.

Although there were some dire early predictions for the Manchester City midfielder's fate, his recovery appears to be progressing roughly in line with official estimates when he first suffered ankle ligament damage against Tottenham on May 5.

Capello has provided an optimistic medical bulletin. However, even he cannot wait forever.

And when he makes his call on Tuesday morning, he must discover Barry will be fit to play a full part in training the day after England tackle the United States in their Group C opener in Rustenburg on June 12.

"Barry has improved a lot. The last news was good," said Capello.

"But we have to wait and see what the doctor says. After that, we will know if he will be fit in a short time and ready to train with us, or whether he won't be ready.

"He has to be able to train normally the day after the first game.

"He is doing a lot of physiotherapy to get the movement going and is following what the doctor says.

"But I don't know if he is running yet."

With Barry back home in Manchester, Huddlestone has been handed a start in midfield on Sunday, whilst Bent will partner Wayne Rooney in attack, as he did with limited success against Brazil in Qatar last November.

Aaron Lennon and David James have also been assured of their spots, the latter man making his first appearance in an England starting XI since April last year.

Although Capello talked up the Japanese team, they appear to be one of the weaker sides heading for South Africa and victory should be achieved with the minimum of fuss.

There should certainly be no need of an extensive debrief, as proved to be the case after Monday's patchy performance against Mexico at Wembley.

"We watched it again. We saw everything. We analysed the good moments and spoke about the mistakes," said Capello.

"I like to involve the players in everything because they have to know what I am asking of them on the pitch at every moment.

"Also, I have to convince the players what we really need to do.

"There were too many mistakes against Mexico but I was happy because I learned a lot of things and it is better to see the mistakes now and not against the USA or in the other games later on."

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has warned he will not pay an 'exorbitant' fee for Cesc Fabregas.

The Catalan giants have made securing the midfielder's signature their top priority this summer, with the Arsenal skipper having been strongly linked with a return to his roots for some time.

The Spain international is reported to have told Gunners boss Arsene Wenger that he wants to move on, despite being contracted to the club until 2015.

The issue at present is that Arsenal are reluctant to part with their prized asset, well aware that losing their captain would represent a sizeable step backwards.

An outrageous offer could force their hand, as they could pump the funds back into the team, but they are prepared to hold firm until they get what they want.

Barca, though, have made it clear that they are not prepared to pay over the odds and will look elsewhere should the Gunners refuse to play ball.

A tentative enquiry has already been made in an effort to determine Arsenal's stance, but Laporta admits his club will not be held to ransom in their pursuit of Fabregas.

"We will not sign any players for above market value," he said.

"We are interested in signing Cesc and Arsenal know that but we will not pay an exorbitant price for any player.

"When it comes to market prices, we'll strengthen where we can but will not pay an unrealistic price"

Adriano is looking to repair his battered image in Italy with a move to Roma this summer.

The Brazil international was once considered one of the best players in the world while on the books of Inter Milan but his love of the nightlife combined with personal problems and injuries saw him return home to Brazil, where he played for Flamengo.

The 28-year-old striker is now expected to return to Europe, with Roma close to landing the player, who is a free agent.

"There is no place like Italy where I can truly prove that I have recovered," Adriano told Corriere dello Sport.

"I thought about it long and hard and I'm happy to return to Italy.

I want to cancel out what I did in Italy.

I don't want to repeat the same things that happened before (at Inter). I owe it to Italy.

"More than money, my reasons for going to Roma is pride. I return to pay the debt I have with that country, that has always treated me very well and that I left on bad terms."

Adriano terminated his contract with Inter Milan in April 2009 following a turbulent time at the club.

During his very difficult last year in Italy, Inter stood by the player and granted him his wish to return home. Adriano rediscovered his goalscoring touch at Flamengo this season and is eager to show his talent back in Serie A.

"I leave Flamengo on amicable terms," he said.

"I have been impressed by Roma's project, a club that for six months have been keen on acquiring my services."

The South American star has confirmed negotiations with Roma are very advanced.

"I am a Roma player 90%," he said.

"I will talk to (Roma president) Rosella Sensi on June 6 to complete my transfer.

"I will come to Italy with my family and my son. I know I will have more responsibility and I am ready.

"I believe I can contribute to making Roma a great team which it has always been. "

AC Milan sporting director Ariedo Braida insists Holland striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar will not be leaving the Serie A club this summer despite reported interest from Benfica.

The 26-year-old arrived in Milan from Real Madrid last summer and is under contract for a further three years with the Rossoneri.

Braida said: "Huntelaar to Benfica? I don't think that will be possible.

"He is a player that is not for sale and that represents the future of Milan.

"Huntelaar has a contract for a further three seasons with us."

The former Ajax forward scored seven goals in 21 appearances for Milan during the 2009/10 campaign.

Arjen Robben claims Rafael van der Vaart is desperate to join him at Bayern Munich.

Van der Vaart has failed to hold down a regular first-team place at Real Madrid and his Holland team-mate Robben believes he is keen on a return to the Bundesliga where he starred previously for Hamburg.

"Rafael told me that FC Bayern is a great club when we were playing together at Real Madrid," Robben told Kicker magazine.

"Rafa was also the one who advised me to come to Munich.

"He has told me that, if Bayern were to ask him to come, he would cycle to Munich just to get a contract here.

"He wanted to move to Munich (when he went to Real) so maybe it could still happen."

Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain has been linked with a big-money move to Manchester City, but Real Madrid say he's going nowhere.

Reports on Thursday night suggested City were in talks with the Spanish giants over Higuain and his Bernabeu team-mate, midfielder Fernando Gago.

But the club's sporting director Jorge Valdano appeared to shoot down that speculation by insisting that Higuain is not for sale.

He's quoted in Marca as saying: "He is under contract for three more years and has been a key man this season, he is not transferable."

With the arrival of Jose Mourinho apparently imminent following the sacking of Manuel Pellegrini, attention is already turning to who the 'Special One' might want to sign this summer. Valdano says it's unlikely to be a striker.

He said: "We do not need more forwards, we scored 102 goals this season and Benzema didn't play much. Next season Karim is like a new signing."

President Florentino Perez believes Jose Mourinho is the perfect man to give Real Madrid the "fresh impulse" he feels the Spanish giants needs in the wake of yet another disappointing campaign.

Perez confirmed at a press conference at the Bernabeu on Wednesday evening that the club had parted company with coach Manuel Pellegrini and that Mourinho was their chosen replacement for the Chilean.

Madrid will have to wait until Mourinho resolves his contract negotiations with Inter Milan, with whom he has a deal until June 2012, to confirm the Portuguese as their new coach.

However, it seems only a matter of time before Mourinho becomes Madrid's 11th manager in seven years, and Perez is adamant the hugely successful 47-year-old is the right person for the job.

"The change of coach is always difficult, but we are convinced that after this first year and this first phase, now is the moment to give a fresh impulse to our project," he said.

"I am absolutely convinced that the incorporation of Mourinho, who is one of the best coaches in the world - if not the best - is an opportunity that, in this Madrid, which fights permanently for excellence, we couldn't let pass us by."

Perez sanctioned a 250million-euro spending spree on new players last summer after returning to the Madrid presidency for the second time.

But Madrid finished the season empty-handed for the second successive campaign, leading to the departure of Pellegrini midway through a two-year contract.

Madrid have now won just two major trophies in the last seven years, whilst being knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage in each of the last six editions.

"A year ago there was a huge and unprecedented effort to configure and put together a squad capable of aspiring to the maximum," said Perez.

"We have advanced a lot, but we still have a lot of ground to cover.

"This club demands the maximum and is always in search of excellence.

"We have reflected a lot on this season. It's not just not winning a title. We consider that we are in a suitable moment to bet on one of the best coaches in the world, and the opportunity to bring him to the club is there."

Mourinho, who led Inter to an unprecedented treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League titles this season, is under contract with the Nerazzurri for another two years but has a get-out clause in his deal which will be exercised should Madrid meet the fee of 16million euros.

Mourinho is confident he will be coaching in Spain next season and has no doubt Madrid will pay whatever is required to secure his services.

The former Chelsea and Porto manager met with Inter's finance director Rinaldo Ghelfi in Milan earlier yesterday and afterwards told reporters: "Now I am on holiday, then I will go and work in Spain."

Perez added: "There is nobody on the board who has given an opinion against the signing of Jose Mourinho, on the contrary, they are enthusiastic at being able to recruit one of the best coaches in the world."

JOSE MOURINHO FACTFILE

1963: Born on January 26. Father Felix Mourinho was a former Portugal goalkeeper.

1992: Takes first high-profile role in football when being appointed to work under Bobby Robson at Sporting Lisbon after middle-ranking jobs at Estrela

Amadora and Vitoria Setubal. Begins as Robson's translator before becoming involved in team affairs.

1993: Moves on with Robson when the veteran coach goes to Porto.

1996: Joins Barcelona in the summer of 1996 as assistant coach to Robson.

1997: Stays on at the Nou Camp after Robson departs, taking up a role under new coach Louis van Gaal.

2000: Takes his first head coaching job at Benfica but lasts just nine games before resigning due to problems in the boardroom.

2001: Appointed coach of Uniao de Leiria.

2002: Joins Porto.

2003: In Mourinho's first full season in charge, Porto win the treble of domestic league and cup, and UEFA Cup.

2004: Having already successfully defended their Portuguese league title, Porto win the Champions League title in Monaco on May 26 with a 3-0 victory over Monaco.

June 2 - Appointed manager of Chelsea.

2005: February 23 - Following a 2-1 defeat at Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League first knock-out round, Mourinho claims Barca manager Frank Rijkaard went into referee Anders Frisk's dressing room at half-time.

February 27 - Wins first trophy with Chelsea, who beat Liverpool 3-2 in Carling Cup final.

March 21 - UEFA charge Mourinho, assistant boss Steve Clarke and security official Les Miles with making "wrong and unfounded" statements about the alleged meeting between Frisk and Rijkaard.

March 31 - Handed two-match touchline ban and 20,000 Swiss francs fine by UEFA's control and disciplinary body. Club fined 75,000 Swiss francs.

April - Chelsea seal Barclays Premiership title with 2-0 win at Bolton.

June - Found to be in breach of Premier League rules over Chelsea's illegal approach to Arsenal full-back Ashley Cole. Fined £200,000 by the Premier League, later reduced to £75,000 on appeal.

2006: April - Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 to win their second consecutive Premiership title and Mourinho's fourth domestic title in a row.

2007: February - Wins a second Carling Cup, beating Arsenal 2-1.

May - Loses Champions League semi-final to Rafael Benitez's Liverpool on penalties after United win the league. Wins FA Cup with extra-time defeat of United.

August - Chelsea set a new record of 64 unbeaten home matches in the English top flight with a win over Birmingham.

September - Leaves Chelsea by "mutual consent".

2008: June - Appointed Inter Milan boss on a three-year contract.

August - Wins his first trophy with Inter, beating Roma to the Italian Supercup.

2009: March 11 - Inter go out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage after a 2-0 aggregate defeat by Manchester United.

May 16 - Celebrates winning the Scudetto at the first attempt after rivals AC Milan suffer a 2-1 defeat against Udinese.

May 25 - Responds to speculation linking him to Real Madrid by saying there is "a 0.01%" chance he will leave the club. Inter issue a statement later in the day announcing a contract extension until 2012.

December 26 - Reiterates his intention to see out his contract with Inter.

2010: March 16 - Sees his Inter side knock former club Chelsea out of the Champions League with a 3-1 aggregate victory in their last 16 tie.

April 28 - A magnificent defensive effort sees Inter reach the Champions League final thanks to a 3-2 aggregate win over Barcelona.

May 5 - Inter beat Roma 1-0 to lift the Coppa Italia.

May 16 - Mourinho wins his second Scudetto title as Inter beat Siena 1-0 to secure the title, but admits he is unsure if he will be at the San Siro next season.

May 22 - Guides Inter to an historic treble as they win the Champions League for the first time in 45 years with a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich.

June 26 - Madrid part company with coach Manuel Pellegrini and confirm they intend to appoint Mourinho as new coach once he has resolved his contract with Inter.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has confirmed the club have entered negotiations with Cagliari to recruit coach Massimiliano Allegri.

However, Galliani has insisted the deal to bring Allegri to the San Siro is far from done.

"It's premature," said Galliani to Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I cannot add anything more as coaches arrive at the beginning of July.

"We are nevertheless negotiating."

The Rossoneri have been looking for a new coach since Leonardo parted company with the club after just one season in charge of Milan's first team.

Allegri has been strongly linked with the Rossoneri hotseat in the last two months.

Cagliari surprisingly removed Allegri from his managerial duties back in April despite the club sitting comfortably in 12th place.

The Sicilian club promoted Giorgio Melis as his replacement although the 42-year-old Allegri is still contracted to Cagliari for a further year.

"At this time Allegri is the Cagliari coach, hence, we shall see," said Galliani.

"Our relationship with (Cagliari president Massimo) Cellino is great and will remain great regardless of how the negotiations go.

"Does (AC Milan owner Silvio) Berlusconi like him (Allegri)? He should answer that question but I believe he does."

Galliani denied reports that Italy coach Marcello Lippi is another candidate for the Rossonero hotseat.

Lippi is expected to leave the Azzurri squad after the World Cup in South Africa.

"There is no truth in those rumours," he said.

Allegri was voted the best coach of the 2008-09 season ahead of Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho.

Atletico Madrid have confirmed the capture of young midfielder Fran Merida on a four-year contract.

Merida has been at Arsenal since 2006, having previously been part of the youth set-up at home-town club Barcelona, but his deal with the Gunners expires on June 30.

The 20-year-old will be presented by the Europa League champions at 1230 local time on Friday at the Vicente Calderon stadium.

Towering Serbia striker Nikola Zigic looks all set to sign for Birmingham after undergoing a medical on Tuesday night.

The 6ft 8ins Valencia forward has been on Blues boss Alex McLeish's radar for some time and it's understood he flew in for tests on Tuesday evening ahead of a deal worth in the region of £6million between the clubs.

McLeish had been linked with several strikers in recent weeks including West Ham's Carlton Cole and Fulham's Bobby Zamora.

The Scot is maintaining his policy of not commenting on potential signings until any deal has been completed, although he confirmed bids have been put in for players.

Sources closes to Blues indicated earlier claimed the midlands club are "further down the line than anybody" in the race to sign the giant 29-year-old, who has been linked at various times with a host of Barclays Premier League clubs including Chelsea, Liverpool, Stoke, Blackburn, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Fulham, Everton and Tottenham.

McLeish would only say: "There are irons in the fire. We've been linked with one or two players, we have put in bids for players.

"It would be unfair of me to talk about names at the moment. It would be unfair to the clubs and also to the fans if things don't happen.

"But I think they will be excited about one or two of the names we are pursuing and what we are trying to add to the squad is players of quality."

Zigic has been tipped by Serbian coach Raddy Antic to be one of the stars of the forthcoming World Cup and he has netted 16 times in 42 internationals.

He initially made his name at Red Star Belgrade with 71 goals in 110 games before moving to Racing Santander.

A £15million switch to Valencia three years ago has not been successful as Zigic would have hoped and he even returned to Santander for a loan spell at one stage.

Last season he scored nine goals in 28 games for Valencia but David Villa was often preferred as the lone striker before his move to Barcelona.

McLeish continues to be linked with Zamora, while he is understood to have had an £8million bid for Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia rejected.

Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has questioned Jose Mourinho's football philosophy ahead of Saturday's Champions League final.

Robben worked under Inter Milan boss Mourinho during his time at Chelsea and believes the Portuguese is happy to sacrifice attractive football for results.

The Holland winger told BBC Sport: "He puts out a winning team, it doesn't matter if it's done with nice football or not.

"The philosophy at Bayern is the coach [Louis van Gaal] wants to win games by playing nice football."

The 26-year-old added: "As a player you want to play and enjoy the game, that's also an important part."

A change in tactics ultimately led to Robben's departure from Stamford Bridge for Real Madrid.

"I was working with him three years at Chelsea. It was a successful time, he's a big personality and as a coach of a top team you need to be," stated Robben.

"He knew how to work with big players and put them together and let them work together.

"He certainly knew what he was talking about and had the respect of every single player.

"But we started to play more in this diamond without wingers, which is not good for me. The system changed a bit so I made my decision and left."

Manchester City have launched their expected major spending spree this summer by tabling a £20million bid with Aston Villa for England midfielder James Milner - but it has been instantly rejected by the midlands club.

City launched their initial bid on Wednesday night for Milner who is currently in Austria with his country preparing for the forthcoming World Cup finals in South Africa.

Twelve months ago City were successful in prising Gareth Barry away from Villa in a £12million deal and now their attention has turned to Milner.

But Villa boss Martin O'Neill would be reluctant to lose the services of Milner, who is due to hold talks regarding a new contract during the summer, and the former Celtic boss wasted no time in turning down City's offer.

A Villa spokesman said: "We have received an offer from Manchester City for James Milner and this has been firmly rejected.

"We plan to sit down with James and his representative after the World Cup to agree a new long-term deal and this remains our position."

The 24-year-old has just enjoyed a successful season in a central midfield role and was recently crowned the PFA Young Player of the Year.

Milner is currently halfway through the four-year contract he signed when joining Villa for a club record £12million from Newcastle in the summer of 2008.

England coach Fabio Capello recently said Milner was "the future" of English football and he has made massive strides under O'Neill and is a near certainty to be part of the final 23 man squad for the World Cup.

Manchester United and Chelsea have also been linked with the player who first burst to prominence as a 16-year-old with Leeds.

Milner's big upturn in fortunes coincided with O'Neill deciding to switch him from a wide right role into the centre of the park midway through last season.

It was an inspired move with Milner helping Villa reach the final of the Carling Cup, the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the top six of the Barclays Premier League.

Villa would be keen to hold on to Milner as they look to push for a Champions League spot next season after a third successive top-six finish.

Club owner Randy Lerner stated only last week in his annual media briefing at Villa Park he was hopeful of the player remaining at Villa.

But there is no doubt Milner has become one of the hottest young properties in English football and his value could soar even higher if he has a successful World Cup.

Inter Milan have dismissed reports that an approach has been made to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez about replacing Jose Mourinho.

Current Inter coach Mourinho is being tipped to join Real Madrid in the summer with the Serie A champions' president Massimo Moratti conceding earlier this week that he would be surprised if the Portuguese is still in charge after the Champions League final.

Benitez has been put forward as a possible successor for Mourinho at the San Siro as speculation persists regarding the Spaniard's future at Liverpool.

He was heavily linked with the Juventus post in recent weeks before Luigi Del Neri was handed the job and there have subsequently been claims he has held talks with Inter.

However, Inter's technical director Marco Branca insists the club are still focusing on having Mourinho as their coach and have not been in touch with Benitez.

"No, we absolutely have not had contact with Benitez," Branca told Sky Italia. "Our coach is Jose Mourinho."

Pep Guardiola has also been mooted as a potential replacement for Mourinho, but the Barcelona coach's agent Jose Maria Orobitg has dismissed reports he could head to Italy.

Orobitg told calciomercato.it: "Him at Inter Milan? It's impossible, impossible, impossible. I categorically refute this idea.

"I don't know if Inter is interested in Guardiola, but a move to Inter is totally impossible.

"Pep is happy at Barcelona and has already said he will soon renew his contract."

David Villa will be unveiled as a Barcelona player on Friday afternoon after completing a 40million euro transfer from Valencia.

The Spain international has long been linked with a move from Los Che after five seasons at the Mestalla and has signed a four-year deal.

Villa, who will undergo a medical on Friday, is the first summer capture for the Catalan club, with Cesc Fabregas also rumoured to be angling for a move back to Barcelona.

A statement on Barcelona's official website, www.fcbarcelona.cat, read: "FC Barcelona and Valencia CF closed a 40 million euro deal for Spanish striker David Villa on Wednesday morning.

"The Spanish international is due in Barcelona on Thursday evening and will have a medical on Friday morning.

"Villa will be officially unveiled as a Barca player at 1330 in the Paris Room of the Camp Nou.

"He'll then make an appearance on the Camp Nou pitch. The stadium doors will be opened to the public."

The 28-year-old scored 107 goals in 166 league matches for Valencia after establishing himself with Real Zaragoza.

He is a regular in Spain's first-team and was a member of the Euro 2008-winning squad.

Villa's arrival is likely to lead to increased speculation over the futures of Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Outgoing president Joan Laporta yesterday claimed the club were "satisfied" with the 21-goal contribution of Ibrahimovic in his first season since arriving from Inter Milan last summer.

Henry appears on the verge of a move to Major League Soccer, with Laporta also revealing there was "a lot of interest" in the France forward from the United States.

Villa, top scorer at Euro 2008 despite missing the final through injury, was heavily linked with a move away from the Mestalla last summer to ease Valencia's financial troubles.

He reportedly attracted interest from clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea as well as Barca, but ultimately stayed put and insisted he was happy to do so.

"There is no train missed because all I have achieved is because of Valencia and the Spain national team so I do not think any train has passed," he said last July.

"I had the desire to remain here and I want to spend all my sporting career here.

"I also never wanted to be a problem for the club. The fans have always treated me well because of my performance, because I have sweated in this shirt and that is what I will continue to try to do."

Ben Foster is expected to complete a £6million move from Manchester United to Birmingham later today.

A fee was agreed between the two clubs last week and Foster is expected this morning for a medical that will seal his Old Trafford exit.

Although he began last term with high hopes of ousting Edwin van der Sar from his status as United's first-choice keeper, Foster's chance disappeared with high-profile mistakes against Manchester City and Sunderland during a two-month period at the start of the campaign when the veteran Dutchman was missing through injury.

Despite these blunders, Foster was handed successive England starts, against Belarus and Brazil, leading to an expectation he would claim a place in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad.

Instead, Ferguson kept him on the sidelines for almost the entire remainder of the season, meaning the 27-year-old was not one of the men in Capello's provisional squad when he named it last week.

After five years at United, two of which were spent on loan at Watford, Foster had accepted there was no future for him at the club, especially as Sir Alex Ferguson persuaded Van der Sar to sign another year's contract extension.

As Birmingham needed a keeper once Joe Hart returned to Manchester City following his season-long loan, Blues boss Alex McLeish wasted no time in stepping in to make Foster his first signing of the summer.

Jose Mourinho celebrated a second straight Serie A title with Inter Milan but admitted he is unsure about where he will coach next season.

Real Madrid are linked with Mourinho and the Portuguese tactician will not make up his mind about his future until he has coached Inter in Saturday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich in Madrid.

Mourinho said on Inter's TV channel: "At this point, I am not thinking of myself, my only thoughts are Inter and my players.

"After the final in Madrid, there will be time for me to be a little bit selfish for one, two or three days and I will think what makes me happier from a professional standpoint.

"But right now, I can say with 100% certainty that it's not true that I have one foot and a half at Real or that I am already the Real coach. In fact, I am very far away from being Real coach."

Mourinho, who is under contract with Inter until June 2012, admitted he has not felt comfortable in Serie A.

"Several times this season, I have thought that this was not my natural habitat," he said. "That this was not the country to work in and be happy."

Mourinho was a satisfied man on Sunday as his side held on for a 1-0 Serie A title triumph at Siena. The outcome allowed Inter to finish two points clear of Roma, who won 2-0 at Parma.

"It has been the most difficult scudetto," Mourinho said.

"I was missing this, to win the league title in the last game in the last minute.

"In the past, I have won at home, in a hotel, watching TV, with four or five games to go until the end, but this experience is new and I do not want to repeat it."

Inter have won 24 times while conceding just four defeats in 38 games en route to claim their 18th scudetto.

The Nerazzurri finished as the best attack (75) and defence (34) in Italy's top flight.

"The best team has won the title," said Mourinho. "The tournament is made up of so many games and always the team that deserves it, wins.

"Although maybe it could have been easier."

Having won the Italian double - Coppa Italia and scudetto - Mourinho is now determined to bring the Champions League trophy back to Milan next weekend.

"A historic week for Inter begins," said Mourinho.

"The season is over and to have won the scudetto and the Coppa Italia is always fantastic, even Bayern Munich has done that.

"But only one team can win the Champions League.

"Right now I don't have the energy to go and watch a Bayern DVD but from tomorrow onwards it will be back to work."

Carlo Ancelotti has declared his intention to remain at Chelsea for the next 10 years.

Although there was an element of tongue-in-cheek about how easy his first season at Stamford Bridge had been, it seems the Italian has had a ball.

After overcoming the not inconsiderable setback of the Champions League exit to Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan, Chelsea scorched to the Premier League title, cushioned by a goal deluge and then survived the concession of a second-half penalty in the FA Cup final at Wembley to beat Portsmouth and record the first domestic double in their history.

Little wonder Ancelotti was able to wear a satisfied smile as he assessed the progress that has been made.

It should not be forgotten that during the eight years he spent at former club AC Milan, Chelsea went through a staggering six managers, with only Mourinho laying down any kind of marker.

Ancelotti does not feel such a scenario is healthy - and he certainly has no intention of vacating the Stamford Bridge hotseat any time soon.

"If every season is like this one I would like to stay here for maybe 10 years," he said.

"I am ready to sign a new contract. It is better to have stability for the club and also for the manager.

"It is not easy to change every year."

A meeting will be held between Ancelotti, football director Frank Arnesen and the Chelsea hierarchy, presumably including Abramovich, to determine plans for next season.

Already it appears there will be no substantial changes. And while Ancelotti has no wish to fall-out with Mourinho, the Italian squashed flat any suggestion that he might be willing to sell Frank Lampard to Inter Milan.

"I have a very good relationship with Mourinho. Don't break it," he pleaded.

"But this story is a joke. Lampard will stay here.

"When I started last season there was a problem with John Terry and Manchester City.

"Every time I said no, John Terry will stay here because he is important. I don't want to do the same with Frank Lampard. He will stay here."

Portugal duo Deco and Ricardo Carvalho seem less likely to survive, whilst the issue of a new contract for Joe Cole remains a vexed question.

There will be new arrivals, although perhaps the most notable addition will come from the treatment room, where Michael Essien, such a driving force in midfield, has spent most of his season.

"I don't know what areas I need to strengthen," he said.

"We have a lot of players injured who will be ready for next season, including Jose Bosingwa and Michael Essien.

"We don't need a lot of changes but maybe one or two players could arrive."

It seemed a bit harsh on Ancelotti that the champagne corks had not stopped popping in the Chelsea dressing room before thoughts turned to the one that got away.

Whether the hunger of Abramovich for his team to win the Champions League is being overstated is difficult to assess.

After all, the mega-rich Russian has never spoken of Europe being a Holy Grail himself and his jubilation as Chelsea collected their second major honour of the campaign was a throw-back to his first couple of seasons in charge at Stamford Bridge, when everything was new.

Yet a tilt at Europe is now expected of Chelsea next season, a task Ancelotti does not believe is beyond his team, even in its present form.

Inter Milan - and Jose Mourinho - might have got the better of Chelsea this term, but don'ttry telling the Italian they are too old.

"These players are not old," he countered.

"When you have a lot of players under 30 they are not old. They are in the middle of their careers.

"Maybe we can change some things for next season but we don't need to change a lot of players because of their age.

"I am sure about this."

Lyon clinched a place in next season's Champions League proper on Saturday after Lille slipped up on the final day of the Ligue 1 season.

Les Gones went into the last day in the Champions League qualifying spots and needed to beat Le Mans and hope Lille lost at Lorient to sneak second position.

And that is exactly what happened.

Goals from Bafetimbi Gomis and Miralem Pjanic were enough for Claude Puel's men to see off already-relegated Le Mans while Lille squandered a one-goal lead on their way to a costly defeat at Lorient.

Ricardo Costa gave the away side the edge after 32 minutes only for Kevin Gameiro to level matters five minutes later.

Yohan Cabaye missed a penalty for Lille just after half-time and Lorient then won it through substitute Yann Jouffre after 66 minutes.

To rub salt in the Lille wounds, Auxerre's last-gasp win at Sochaux meant they finished third, relegating Lille to fourth spot and a place in the Europa League.

Cedric Hengbart scored twice for Auxerre, the winner coming in the final minute, after Ideye Brown had cancelled out his early opener.

Sochaux's challenge faded with the 61st-minute dismissal of Damien Perquis.

Champions Marseille finished with a 2-0 win over Grenoble at the Stade Velodrome.

Mamadou Niang and Charles Kabore scored for the hosts in front of a crowd in celebratory mood.

Deposed champions Bordeaux will not play in European competition next season after finishing sixth.

Les Girondins lost 4-3 at Lens with Montpellier securing fifth - and a place in the Europa League - with a 3-1 victory at Paris St Germain.

Geoffrey Dernis scored twice for Montpellier to add to a strike from Lilian Compan. Mevlut Erdinc grabbed PSG's sole reply.

That win meant Bordeaux's result was irrelevant.

Nevertheless, they would have wanted to win for coach Laurent Blanc who is widely expected to leave the club this summer.

They got off to an awful start when Michael Ciani was sent off after six minutes and they soon found themselves 2-0 down after goals from Toifilou Maoulida and Samba Sow.

The 10 men responded with a Wendell penalty and an Henri Bedimo own goal dragging them level.

A Issam Jemaa spot-kick restored Lens' advantage and Maoulida made it 4-2.

Another Wendell penalty completed the scoring.

Youssouf Hadji scored and was later sent off as Nancy drew 1-1 with Valenciennes, already-relegated Boulogne overcame Rennes thanks to Gregory Thil's 19th-minute penalty, while Toulouse and Monaco drew 0-0.

Nice and St Etienne finished 1-1. Loic Remy scored early for Nice but Emmanuel Riviere equalised with 21 minutes to go.

Barcelona retained their Primera Division crown as they thrashed Real Valladolid 4-0 at home amid a carnival atmosphere at the Nou Camp.

After an uncharacteristically rocky start from Barca, nerves were settled when Luis Prieto inexplicably turned the ball into his own net under no pressure in the 27th minute.

Pedro then doubled the Barca lead four minutes later, and a brace from Lionel Messi in the second capped the win and saw the brilliant Argentinian match Ronaldo's record of scoring 47 goals in all competitions, 34 of them coming in the league.

Real Madrid, who began the day only one point behind Barcelona, fell behind against Malaga as Sergio Duda scored in the ninth minute.

Rafael van der Vaart equalised early in the second half, but Real could not find a winner as they fell three points behind their arch-rivals.

The surprise draw saved Malaga from the drop as they finished 17th, one point above both Valladolid and Tenerife, 1-0 losers to Valencia as Alexis Ruano grabbed an 89th-minute winner for Los Che, who deserved the victory despite making hard work of scoring.

Xerez will join those two in the Segunda Division as they took only a point from a 1-1 draw at Osasuna.

The hosts grabbed the lead through Dady in the 55th minute. Xerez refused to die, equalising through Antonito Perez six minutes later, but even a winner would not have saved them in the end.

Racing Santander wrapped up their season with a 2-0 win over Sporting Gijon as Mohamed Tchite scored a goal in each half.

Substitute Rodri scored a late, late winner for 10-man Sevilla in a 3-2 victory at Almeria on Saturday, sending his side into the Champions League and breaking Real Mallorca's hearts.

With Mallorca beating Espanyol and Sevilla level after 90 minutes, it seemed the islanders were heading into Europe's elite after a fine season.

But 19-year-old Rodri, a product of Sevilla's youth system, came off the bench to finish acrobatically four minutes into stoppage time.

Almeria had twice levelled to keep Mallorca on the brink, through Fernando Soriano and Juanma Ortiz, after Frederic Kanoute and a Chico own goal has given Sevilla leads.

Sevilla also played the last 25 minutes with 10 men after Alvaro Negredo saw red.

Mallorca thought they had done enough with goals from Victor Casadesus in the first half and substitute Mario Suarez in the second as they beat Espanyol 2-0, but they then stood shocked on the pitch as news of Sevilla's late winner came through.

Getafe made sure of a place in next season's Europa League with a convincing 3-0 win at an Atletico Madrid side with one eye on the Copa del Rey final.

With the Copa final against Sevilla looming on Wednesday and celebrations having barely come to an end following their Europa League final win against Fulham in Hamburg in midweek, home coach Quique Sanchez Flores named a much-changed Atletico line-up.

And Getafe took full advantage with Roberto Soldado scoring twice and substitute Daniel Parejo adding a late third to ensure Michel's men will finish in sixth position.

Villarreal fought back from 3-0 down to earn a point in a 3-3 draw at Real Zaragoza but still missed out on a place in Europe.

The Yellow Submarine found themselves three goals down within 35 minutes, as Eliseu Pereira, Adrian Colunga and Ruben Pulido gave Zaragoza what appeared an unassailable lead.

Santi Cazorla gave the visitors hope, though, and the Spain winger stuck a second early in the second half to make things interesting.

Giuseppe Rossi completed a memorable comeback with the equaliser eight minutes from time, but Villarreal were unable to find a winning goal.

Athletic Bilbao finished the season on a high with a 2-0 win at home to Deportivo La Coruna as Joseba Etxeberria played his last ever competitive match for the Basque outfit following more than 500 appearances for the club since 2002.

Goals from Iker Muniain and Javier Martinez sealed the points.

Inter Milan clinched a fifth consecutive Serie A crown after a nervy 1-0 final-day victory at Siena.

Diego Milito scored the only goal in the second half of the match at Stadio Artemio Franchi as Inter finished the season two points clear of second-placed Roma, who were 2-0 winners at Chievo.

The win secures Inter's second title under coach Jose Mourinho, and guarantees the Nerazzurri a place in the record books as the first team to win five back-to-back league titles since Juventus achieved the feat in the 1930s.

Leonardo signed off as AC Milan coach in some style as his side demolished slumping Juventus 3-0.

Ronaldinho scored a double after Luca Antonini had opened the scoring in the 13th minute.

Milan were already virtually assured of third place, while Juventus will have to settle for seventh - outside the European places.

Lazio beat 10-man Udinese 3-1 in Saturday night's other match.

Thomas Hitzlsperger put Lazio ahead with a deflected shot in the 15th minute only for Antonio Di Natale to equalise on the half-hour mark.

But things turned against Udinese when Mauricio Isla talked his way into a second yellow card and an early shower seven minutes later, and Lazio made use of their man advantage as Sergio Floccari put them ahead on the stroke of half-time before Cristian Brocchi made sure early in the second half.

Barcelona star Xavi has revealed he would 'love' to see Cesc Fabregas move to the Spanish club.

Arsenal captain Fabregas admitted on Thursday he was considering making a return to his boyhood club Barca, opening the way for a £40million transfer.

The midfielder joined the Gunners in 2003 after coming through the youth ranks at Barcelona, and has frequently been linked with a move back to the Primera Liga leaders.

And Spain ace Xavi insists he would be more than happy to see his fellow midfielder return to Camp Nou.

"Yes, I'd love for him to join us," Xavi told The Sun. "He's a very close friend of mine and a footballer with Barcelona's DNA."

Midfielder Dejan Stankovic has called on his Inter Milan team-mates to make history by claiming a Coppa Italia, Serie A and Champions League treble.

Inter head to Siena on the final day of the league season knowing a win will give them their fifth consecutive domestic title.

Of even greater significance, though, would be becoming European champions for the first time since 1965 - a feat they could achieve by beating Bayern Munich in Madrid next Wednesday.

Stankovic, whose side edged Roma 1-0 in the Coppa Italia final to claim their first silverware of the season earlier this month, admits there are nerves ahead of such a big week.

"There is some tension, but I like to have this feeling before big matches," the Serbian told Italy's Radio 1.

"There are still 180 minutes. We can make history. It can be a dream come true."

It has been something of a rollercoaster year for Jose Mourinho's side, who at one stage appeared to be cruising to yet another Scudetto.

Indeed, they were fully 14 points ahead of Roma at one stage.

But the big prize, which has eluded the Nerazzurri for so long, is the Champions League, and perhaps their focus on that goal allowed their league form to slip.

Mourinho, whose relationship with the Italian press is practically non-existent, gained his biggest moment of triumph at the Nou Camp last month when his side completed an aggregate win over mighty Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final.

And, with two matches of their season to go and Mourinho being strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, he now has the opportunity to seal a double which could prove to be an eloquent parting shot at his critics.

The first half of Inter's challenge would appear to be the easier.

With a two-point lead over second-placed Roma, who visit Verona to face Chievo, a trip to relegated Siena is not the most difficult final match they could have been handed.

Preparation has not been ideal, however, with a number of key players - including Wesley Sneijder, Thiago Motta and Marco Materazzi - reportedly struggling to shake off injuries.

Inter also know they cannot afford to slip up.

Even a draw would potentially let Roma in because of the capital club's superior head-to-head record.

For that reason, the Nerazzurri players are taking nothing for granted.

"The race for the Scudetto is open," said midfielder Esteban Cambiasso.

"We will go to Siena with the determination and willingness to win this game and thus, clinch the Scudetto."

Siena president Massimo Mezzaroma has warned Inter Milan to expect a battle.

Mezzaroma would like nothing more than for his side to beat Inter in order to help his hometown club Roma clinch the title.

"The world is watching us," said Mezzaroma.

"We must show we are serious professionals and put our efforts in - simple as that.

"I am from Rome and there is some pride in seeing my hometown team challenge for the title."

Wigan have agreed terms to sign Paraguay defender Antolin Alcaraz from Bruges, the club have confirmed on their website.

The 27-year-old central defender has been a virtual ever-present for the Belgian club, making almost 70 league and 16 European appearances since joining from Italian side SC Beira Mar in 2007.

Alcaraz, who has been selected for Paraguay's initial World Cup squad, started his career in South America with Racing Club in Argentina before joining Fiorentina. He moved on to Beira Mar and then Bruges, who came second in the Belgian League behind Anderlecht this season.

The fee is undisclosed and Wigan boss Robert Martinez told the club's official website, www.wiganlatics.co.uk: "We are thrilled to have been able to capture a player of calibre of Antolin.

"I think everyone will realise what a quality player he is when we see him at the World Cup for Paraguay.

"He is a highly versatile defender with great awareness and distribution and has great pride in keeping clean sheets.

"He is entering the best period of his career and is looking forward to adding to his international and European experience, as well as playing for his country in the World Cup."

Leonardo's coaching experiment lasted just one season at AC Milan as the Brazilian parted on amicable terms with his long-time club.

The Brazilian played for many years at the San Siro before becoming a club executive and last summer he was put in charge of the first team following coach Carlo Ancelotti's departure to Chelsea.

The 40-year-old had moderate success by leading the team into next season's Champions League with a third-place finish in Serie A but the side did not win any trophies.

They were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Udinese earlier this year and suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the Champions League.

There was speculation with two months left in the campaign Leonardo wanted to leave this summer and return to Brazil but Milan refuted those rumours back then with the coach under contract for a further year.

"We have decided together that the time has come to end our relationship, in the way we have always done, by talking," said Leonardo in today's press conference.

"I never thought I would sit on the bench.

"I tried and for me this has infinitely enriched me with emotions.

"It has been an extraordinary experience.

"My life has been a journey and I can only thank Milan for it.

"There are few people that could say to have had such a journey like I have had here.

"I don't know what my future will be, I have not made any decisions.

"I have no offers and I don't know what I will do."

For a second successive summer, AC Milan will be looking for a new coach, much to the disappointment of club vice-president Adriano Galliani.

"I am evidently very saddened," he said.

"I must say that I had to work hard last year to convince Leonardo to become the coach.

"Now we arrive to this decision and naturally, it has been a joint one.

"It's not that one is leaving the other, this was done through mutual consent.

"Leonardo is 40 years old, he has been a player, an executive and a coach of Milan.

"With Milan, Leonardo has completed a journey.

"Leo began his adventure with us in 1997 and there is a 13-year rapport there."

Just last week, former AC Milan legend Marco van Basten ruled himself out of contention to guide the Rossoneri next season.

Former Cagliari manager Massimiliano Allegri and Leonardo's assistant coach Mauro Tassotti have both been linked to replace the South American.

Milan face Juventus at the San Siro in their final game of the campaign.

Diego Forlan shattered Fulham's Europa League dream with an extra-time winner to floor Roy Hodgson's brave battlers 2-1 in Hamburg.

After rallying from the hammer blow of Forlan's first-half opener, levelling through Simon Davies, the Cottagers' hopes of marking the biggest night in their history with the biggest trophy they have ever won lingered long into the Hamburg night, almost to the point of penalties.

But just as he did at Liverpool in the semi-final three weeks ago, Forlan was to have the final word, proving yet again what an aberration in his career those years at Manchester United were.

Single-handedly, the Uruguayan has wrecked the Premier League in this competition.

It was a horrible way for Fulham to end such a momentous journey, and with seven players out of contract at the end of the season and Roy Hodgson being linked with Liverpool, their loud and loyal supporters can only hope defeat does not mark the end in a far more long lasting way.

Sir Alex Ferguson knows a thing or two about management, so when he anointed Hodgson as his manager of the year, ahead of Carlo Ancelotti, whose Chelsea side could do the Double in his first season in English football, it was worth taking note.

What Hodgson has achieved in three seasons at Craven Cottage has been little short of miraculous.

Three games from the end of that 2008 campaign, they were technically relegated, only to drag themselves out of a hole at Manchester City, the platform from which their current success has been achieved.

The momentum has not just built confidence, it has grown immense belief. If you can come back from three goals down on aggregate against Juventus, there is not much left to be fazed by.

So it was when Forlan tapped Atletico ahead.

The Spanish outfit had been marginally the better side, with Sergio Aguero the greatest danger, yet Fulham seemed to have their measure once Forlan had thudded a shot against the post when Danny Murphy needlessly gave the ball away in midfield.

That illusion was shattered when Forlan capitalised on the good fortune that accompanied Aguero drilling a shot into the ground, instinctively prodding the ball past Mark Schwarzer, who could do little other than turn and watch it go in.

Not for a second did Fulham fret or panic. Not on the pitch or in the stands.

Even with Bobby Zamora at far less than full pelt, there was an incisiveness about Fulham's attacks which suggested they would get an opportunity of their own fairly soon.

So it came to pass as Zamora, using strength rather than speed, unsettled the Atletico defence, leaving them ragged as Zoltan Gera tossed over a cross from the right.

Paulo Assuncao stretched to reach it but succeeded merely in nudging the ball on to Davies, who lashed a fierce volley past David de Gea.

The crispness of the finish was nearly matched by Forlan just before the break.

Fortunately for Fulham, Schwarzer reacted to the Uruguayan's goal-bound snap-shot just in time and managed to push it away from his near post.

Both sides, Atletico because of the chance to briefly leap out of the shadow cast by Real Madrid that they are condemned to live under, and Fulham because of the sheer joy of being asked to perform on an occasion such as this, spared nothing in their search for victory.

Another smart effort from Davies brought an equally fine save from De Gea after an hour, by which time Zamora had made way for Clint Dempsey.

After all he has achieved this season, it was sad that Zamora was not able to give his best on an occasion such as this, coming after his rejection of a World Cup call because of the Achilles operation he must have to be fit for next season, they are opportunities that may never come round again.

That knowledge gave Fulham the grit to take the biggest game in their history to extra-time.

Not that they could relieve the pressure around their goal and when Forlan burst to the by-line and Raul Garcia bobbled his cut-back into the path of Aguero, Fulham hearts were in their mouths as the net rippled. Thankfully, it was the wrong side.

In the time that was left, Fulham looked to be the better side.

But forcing the pace brought them no reward, and Forlan sent them to their knees.

Ruud van Nistelrooy's international career appears to be over after the veteran striker missed out on Bert van Marwijk's 30-man preliminary World Cup squad today.

Van Nistelrooy, 33, hoped he had done enough to prove his fitness during a loan spell with Hamburg this season after an injury-plagued period at parent club Real Madrid.

But Van Marwijk said he did not believe Van Nistelrooy will, at this stage of his career, recover to be able to find the sort of level that saw him score 33 goals in 64 international appearances.

"I told him that we have followed him closely and admire his commitment and dedication to get to the World Cup", Van Marwijk was quoted as saying by AD Sportwereld.

"I believe that Ruud is fit, but after his lengthy knee injury he does not have time to get back to his old level."

Also missing from the squad is young Vitesse Arnhem goalkeeper Piet Velthuizen with the more experienced Sander Boschker of Eredivisie champions FC Twente preferred.

Squad: Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Sander Boschker, Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht); Vurnon Anita (Ajax), Khalid Boulahrouz (VfB Stuttgart), Edson Braafheid (Celtic), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), John Heitinga (Everton), Joris Mathijsen (HSV), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax) en Andr Ooijer (PSV); Otman Bakkal (PSV), Mark van Bommel (Bayern Mnchen), Wout Brama, Orlando Engelaar (PSV), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), David Mendes da Silva (AZ), Stijn Schaars (AZ), Wesley Sneijder (Inter), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax) en Ibrahim Afellay (PSV); Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Jeremain Lens (AZ), Eljero Elia (HSV), Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Bayern Mnchen).

Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema have been omitted from France's 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup in South Africa.

Vieira returned to the Barclays Premier League from Inter Milan in January and recovered some of his form, but not enough to impress Les Bleus coach Raymond Domenech.

Benzema, who has had a less than fruitful season with Madrid, has also missed out on selection for the squad, as has midfielder Samir Nasri, whose Arsenal team-mates Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Abou Diaby and Bacary Sagna are included.

Franck Ribery, who is sweating over his participation in Bayern Munich's Champions League final with Inter on May 22 with the Bundesliga champions appealing his ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is included.

Three members of Marseille's Ligue 1-winning squad - goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and forwards Hatem Ben Arfa and Mathieu Valbuena - are named, as are two Chelsea players, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda.

France were drawn in Group A alongside hosts South Africa, Mexico and Uruguay, their opponents in their first game in Cape Town on June 11.

Squad:

Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux), Mickael Landreau (Lille), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille); Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Rod Fanni (Rennes), William Gallas (Arsenal), Marc Planus (Bordeaux), Adil Rami (Lille), Anthony Reveillere (Lyon), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla); Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Yann M'Vila (Rennes), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon); Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Hatem Ben Arfa (Marseille), Jimmy Briand (Rennes), Djibril Cisse (Panathinaikos), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille).

Germany international defender Arne Friedrich is set to leave Hertha Berlin following their relegation to the second division after his contract was not extended.

The 30-year-old's deal will be terminated automatically due to the club's relegation to the second division, although his departure was not certain until he learned that the club was not going to make him an offer to stay.

"My agent has spoken with (Berlin's director of sport) Michael Preetz and it was not the case that Hertha would have even made me an offer," he told local television station RBB.

"Therefore, it looks like I will be leaving the club in one way or another."

Friedrich appeared disappointed that the Old Lady had not even tried to tempt him to stay with the club and try and help them bounce back to the Bundesliga at the first attempt.

"I don't want to comment on that," he said. "I have been here for eight years and, for those eight years, I have always given my best."

Italy coach Marcello Lippi remained true to his word by rewarding the players who helped the Azzurri to the World Cup finals with a place in his provisional squad for South Africa.

There is no place for Francesco Totti, despite his form for Scudetto challengers Roma and widespread speculation he would be given the chance to revive his international career after being absent since the World Cup triumph in 2006.

Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi was included as a seventh striker at the expense of Juventus defender Nicola Legrottaglie and is the only foreign-based player in the squad, but there is no place for Roma forward Luca Toni or Juventus veteran Alessandro Del Piero.

Toni had hoped that his loan move from Bayern Munich to Roma would help him secure a place in Lippi's squad.

Del Piero, meanwhile, had an indifferent season in Serie A and will not travel to the finals, bringing an end to his run of appearances at major finals for his country.

Squad: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari), Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo); Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Fabio Grosso (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa); Andrea Pirlo (Milan), Gennaro Gattuso (Milan), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Antonio Candreva (Juventus), Andrea Cossu (Cagliari), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese); Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Marco Borriello (Milan), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria).

Jamie Carragher and Ledley King are the shock call-ups to England's provisional 30-man World Cup squad - but there is no place for Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves.

Neither Carragher nor King has played a game for the Three Lions under Capello, although the Tottenham man was called into the squad for a double header against Slovakia and the Ukraine last year, only to be ditched a couple of days later on fitness grounds.

However, with doubts over Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, and Wes Brown and Joleon Lescott ruled out through injury, Capello has talked Carragher out of retirement and will have a look at the Liverpool man, plus King, who has just played four games in 15 days, before finalising his 23-man squad for South Africa.

Capello has refused to guarantee Jamie Carragher a place in his final squad.

He said: "He is one of the 30 players. During the training camp I will evaluate the performance of each player, after that I will decide."

Detailing how Carragher's return to the international fold came about, Capello added: "We started two months ago, we spoke with him, (Capello's assistant) Franco Baldini met him two weeks ago and he was happy to stay with us and we decided to select him.

"I selected him because he is a really, really good player."

Carragher provided a positive reaction when he was first approached two months ago, and then confirmed his intentions over the past fortnight when it became clear Liverpool were not going to qualify for the Champions League.

"The World Cup and the Champions League are the highest levels of football," said Carragher.

"I am not getting any younger, we have no Champions League next season and I am keen to work under Fabio Capello."

King has also made it into the squad after his form helped Spurs secure a place in next season's Champions League qualifiers.

Capello is convinced that he is worth considering for his final squad despite his long history of injury problems.

"We were monitoring him for a long time," said the Italian.

"He is one of the best defenders in England. In the last 15 days he has played four games, I spoke with him about the knee problems and he said this season the knee was really good.

"The reason I selected him is that he's good, a really good defender."

With Gareth Barry selected, despite ongoing concerns over the ankle injury he suffered during Manchester City's defeat to Tottenham last week, Capello has decided not to call on Hargreaves, as had been predicted even though the midfielder has played only one minute of senior football since October 2008.

Instead, West Ham's Scott Parker is included in a midfield also containing Joe Cole, who has not been involved since the sensational win over Croatia in September 2008.

Manchester City's Adam Johnson is one of two uncapped players in Capello's squad, the other being Tottenham defender Michael Dawson.

Only three goalkeepers - David James, Robert Green and Joe Hart - have been named, whilst attempts to talk Wayne Bridge out of making himself unavailable have been less successful than Capello's efforts with Carragher.

Amongst the players who were mentioned as candidates but did not receive a call were Gary Neville, who was an outside bet anyway, Stewart Downing and Carlton Cole.

In addition, Bobby Zamora has failed to secure a place amongst the final 30 despite his outstanding contribution to Fulham's excellent season.

Instead, Darren Bent has been handed a place despite his ineffective performance against Brazil last November.

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will be disappointed there are no spots for Downing, Gabriel Agbonlahor or Ashley Young, even if Stephen Warnock will travel along with James Milner.

Missing out on this squad does not necessarily end all hope of reaching the World Cup.

Once his final 23-man party is named after the second of two forthcoming friendlies, against Japan in Graz on May 30, Capello can still make changes due to injury and those replacements do not have to come out of the original 30.

Capello has several possible injury headaches with question marks over the fitness of King, Gareth Barry and Wayne Rooney while Owen Hargreaves missed out due to a long-term problem.

He added: "I spoke to Owen twice in Manchester and he's not fit, not ready to play. He didn't play for 18 months and for that reason, I can't select him. He's a really important player when he is fit."

Capello insists there are no injury doubts surrounding captain Rio Ferdinand and confirmed Barry is the only current doubt.

"I am not concerned about these players," he said. "Yesterday I spoke for a long time to Sir Alex Ferguson and he told me Rio is fit, he can play, no problems.

"King is really good, I'm not concerned. We have to wait about the Barry situation but it is only this player."

The Italian coach revealed Bobby Zamora was unlucky to miss out.

"It was one of the last decisions that I took," he revealed.

"I spoke to him and it was up to him because he can't train every day, he plays always with injections and probably he needs an operation (on his Achilles)."

One of Capello's 'wild cards' will be Manchester City winger Adam Johnson.

"He is a really interesting player," said the England chief.

"He played very well in the second part of the season with Manchester City. He's one of the younger players most interesting in the Premier League and I want to check him out during the training camp."

FULL SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

League Managers' Association chief executive Richard Bevan has backed Gianfranco Zola to bounce back from his sacking by West Ham and criticised the Barclays Premier League club for not providing the Italian with the right support at the top level.

Zola was dismissed by the club's co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan as he paid the price for a dismal season that saw them narrowly avoid relegation.

But as Zola attempted to steer the team out of danger at the foot of the table, his position was undermined by Sullivan, who took control of the club in January along with Gold.

Sullivan apologised to supporters via the club's official website, for a "shambolic" and "pathetic" performance against Wolves in March as Zola became increasingly isolated.

There were also suggestions the 43-year-old was unaware of moves to make the entire first-team squad, except for Scott Parker, available for transfer and that he was kept in the dark over a bid for West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans.

Hinting at the lack of support from the club's owners, Bevan said: "Clear communication and a supportive framework at the top of a football club are essential for stability and delivering results.

"Gianfranco has had to manage his team through a period of significant uncertainty at the club and has shown dedication, resilience and commitment to his players, staff and the fans.

"Without a doubt Gianfranco is a talented young manager and I am sure that in the fullness of time he will be back working in the game."

Zola made a veiled reference to Sullivan's actions in a statement issued through the LMA.

"I am extremely disappointed to be leaving West Ham United," said Zola.

"Over recent weeks, I have been the subject of various adverse comments, from within the club, which have been widely reported in the media.

"Despite what has been a very difficult period for me, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at West Ham.

"I would like to sincerely thank the players and my staff for their continued support, hard work and commitment. I am extremely proud of their efforts, over a long and difficult season, in retaining West Ham's place in the Barclays Premier League."

Zola was appointed as successor to Alan Curbishley in September 2008 and guided the club to ninth place in the Premier League in his first season as a manager. He was rewarded with a new four-year contract but it was never an easy ride for the amicable Italian who many critics claimed was too nice to cope with managing at the top level.

The success he enjoyed during that first season was always overshadowed by financial problems off the pitch under the club's former Icelandic owners.

This season, while the Italian clearly had the solidarity of his squad, he had garnered little support where it mattered.

Former West Ham defender Slaven Bilic, coach of Croatia, is among the favourites to succeed Zola, along with former Manchester City boss Mark Hughes and Portsmouth manager Avram Grant.

"It's been a hard three years, not winning the Premier League, but we've done it today and we deserved it.

"It's been inside of me for three years, seeing Man United lift it season after season and every single one of us has sat there and watched it. And now it's their turn to sit there and watch us today."

Boss Carlo Ancelotti told Sky Sports 1: "It's fantastic, we did our best and I did my best for this club. There's a fantastic atmosphere at this club, with these supporters, and I think we deserved to win the championship after this season. We are very happy.

"There are a lot of things we're happy about. We're happy for this record, for Didier being the top scorer, but the most important thing is that we showed some good play."

Full-back Cole, who controversially left Arsenal to join the Blues in 2006, said: "It's been a long time since I won a league, it's my first title at Chelsea and I'm very happy.

"Hopefully now everybody will get off my back and realise why I came here."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "It was always going to be hard for Wigan to get something.

"When we heard they were down to 10 men all our hopes evaporated. I am not going to agonise about where it went wrong.

"You could talk about a lot of things and the decision at Stamford Bridge was a bad one that turned the whole thing round.

"But you can't agonise over these things. Sometimes you get the breaks, on other occasions you don't.

"The European Cup was the biggest disappointment. We should be in the final.

"But we applaud Chelsea winning the title and I applaud Carlo Ancelotti. We know how hard it is to win the league."

He added: "We can be proud. We have challenged very strongly for a fourth title in a row and we have taken it to the wire.

"But next season we will go again and hopefully we will bring back the title to the best place in the world."

Barcelona survived a dramatic Sevilla fightback to win 3-2 and keep their Primera Division title defence in their own hands.

With Real Madrid 5-1 victors at home to Athletic Bilbao with one round of matches to go next weekend, Barca could not win La Liga in Seville on Saturday but did maintain their one-point lead and kept their destiny in their own hands with the visit of Real Valladolid to come while Madrid go to Malaga.

Lionel Messi gave Barca the lead after five minutes and Bojan Krkic doubled the Catalans' lead just short of the half hour.

Sevilla then went down to 10 men following Abdoulay Konko's dismissal 10 minutes into the second period and Barca looked to be out of sight after Pedro struck a third shortly afterwards.

But Pep Guardiola's side were forced to endure a nervous finale as Sevilla fought back with goals from Frederic Kanoute and Luis Fabiano midway through the second half.

Barca held on, though, and after Real won 5-1 at home to Bilbao, the title goes down to the wire.

At the Bernabeu, Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute in an incident that also saw Athletic defender Fernando Amorebieta sent off.

Athletic captain Fran Yeste threatened to ruin Madrid's night when he scored a brilliant equaliser just before half-time, but four goals in the final 17 minutes from Higuain, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Marcelo earned the home side their 18th win in their last 19 league games.

The Madrid faithful were glued to their radios hoping for a Sevilla equaliser but it did not come, leaving Barca in the driving seat next week.

It will be even tighter at the bottom with Malaga, Racing Santander, Real Valladolid and Tenerife all on 36 points with bottom-placed Xerez on 33.

Malaga lost 2-1 with barely a whimper at Getafe on Saturday night.

The Andalucians barely put up a fight as the Madrid clubs strolled to victory with goals by Roberto Soldado and Pedro Leon rendering Fernando's late header a mere consolation.

Valladolid live to fight another day after goals from Javier Baraja and Viera Nauzet Aleman saw them come from behind to beat Santander 2-1 and move level on points with their opponents.

Racing had taken a first-half lead through Fernandez Christian's header before the hosts levelled 12 minutes into the second half through Baraja and Aleman kept his nerve to convert a penalty 13 minutes from time.

Francisco Nino netted a stoppage-time equaliser as Tenerife kept their slim survival hopes alive with a 2-2 draw at home to Almeria.

Marc Bertran fired Tenerife in front after 15 minutes, but the visitors equalised within three minutes through Pablo Piatti.

Albert Crusat appeared to have won it for Almeria with the visitors' second after 82 minutes, but Nino popped up with the leveller in the third minute of stoppage time.

Xerez kept alive their brave bid to avoid relegation after edging out Real Zaragoza, who are now safe from the drop despite this loss.

The home side held a half-time lead thanks to Francis Perez's 23rd-minute goal, and although Zaragoza equalised in the 67th minute through Ander Herrera, Xerez restored their advantage almost immediately when Michel netted.

Carlos Calvo made it 3-1 five minutes later, and even though Zaragoza quickly reduced the deficit when Gabi netted it was not enough to save the visitors, who finished the game with 10 men when Matteo Contini was sent off for a second booking late on.

Sporting Gijon secured their top flight status with a 1-1 draw earned against a second-string Atletico Madrid side.

The home side went ahead through Miguel De Las Cuevas but Atletico were able to salvage a point from the match when they equalised after 75 minutes through Ibrahima Balde.

In the Champions League fight, Mallorca missed the chance to capitalise on Sevilla's defeat as they lost 1-0 at out-of-form Deportivo La Coruna.

Riki hit the only goal of the game after 69 minutes to leave Gregorio Manzano's side still fifth, a point off fourth-placed Sevilla.

Villarreal kept alive their European ambitions with a comfortable 2-0 derby win against Valencia.

The Yellow Submarine, who had striker Joseba Llorente sent off in the second half, were already coasting after he had added a second to Giuseppe Rossi's opener.

Espanyol beat Osasuna 2-1 in a match featuring two sides enjoying mid-table comfort. Juan Forlin and Pablo Osvaldo secured the win after Krisztian Vadocz's sixth-minute opener for the Navarrans.

Bayern Munich wrapped up the Bundesliga title with a 3-1 victory over already-relegated Hertha Berlin at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Louis van Gaal's men had been all but home and dry, leading Schalke by three points and 17 goals going into the final day of the season, and duly completed the job thanks to Arjen Robben's second-half double.

Ivica Olic opened the scoring for Bayern - who have a DFB Pokal and Champions League final still to come - in the 20th minute before Gustavo Ramos levelled on the hour mark.

But Robben, who has been superb in his first season at the Allianz Arena, struck in the 74th and 87th minutes as Bayern won the title for the first time since 2008 and Hertha bowed out of the top flight with a defeat.

Schalke, already safe in second and guaranteed Champions League qualification, were held to a goalless draw at Mainz, for whom Miroslav Karhan missed a second-half penalty.

Werder Bremen stayed third and secured a place in the Champions League preliminary rounds despite being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Hamburg, with Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart finishing fourth, fifth and sixth to fill the Europa League spots.

At the other end of the table Bochum were relegated after a 3-0 home defeat to Hannover, leaving Nurnberg to go into the relegation play-off with the third-placed team in the second division, set to be FC Augsburg.

Bremen went in front through Claudio Pizarro in the 58th minute, but Ruud van Nistelrooy levelled with eight minutes to go for Hamburg, who finished a disappointing campaign in seventh.

Leverkusen finished two points behind Bremen after ending with a 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach.

Patrick Helmes put the visitors ahead before Roel Brouwers equalised.

Dortmund had to settle for fifth after a 3-1 defeat at Freiburg.

Mohammadou Idrissou and a Papis Demba Cisse brace turned the game in the hosts' favour following Lucas Barrios' opener.

Stuttgart, who got off to a terrible start to the season which led to Markus Babbel's replacement as coach by Christian Gross, also clinched European qualification with a 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim.

Cacau scored for Stuttgart in the 19th minute, but Boris Vukcevic levelled a minute before the break.

Hannover secured their top-flight status in style with a comfortable win at Bochum.

Arnold Bruggink (nine), Mike Hanke (23) and Sergio Pinto (45) netted to settle the game in the first half.

Nurnberg are not yet safe, though, as their 1-0 win over Cologne saw them finish in the relegation play-off place.

Andreas Ottl scored in the 88th minute for Nurnberg, who were promoted through the play-off last season.

Wolfsburg, last term's champions, finished the season in eighth after closing with a 3-1 success over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Zvjezdan Misimovic, Sascha Riether and Edin Dzeko scored in the first 34 minutes to put the Wolves firmly in control before Halil Altintop scored a consolation for Eintracht in the 86th minute.

Own Goals rescue England

Fabio Capello knows 20 of his squad

Fabregas keen on Barca switch

Adriano poised for return to Europe

Huntelaar - linked with Benfica

Van der Vaart struggling to get into Madrid team

Gonzalo Higuain - linked with Manchester City

Jose Mourinho - right man for Madrid says Perez

Massimiliano Allegri - AC Milan new coach

Merida contract with Arsenal expiring

Nikola Zigic set for Birmingham move

Robben in dig at Mourinho

James Milner - Manchester City target

Benitez linked with move away from Liverpool

David Villa heading for the Camp Nou

Ben Foster set for Birmingham switch

Future imperfect for J.Mourinho

Ancelotti wants long Chelsea stay

Lyon snatch Champions League place

Barcelona win Spanish Title

Diego Milito scored Inter's title winner

Xavi would welcome Fabregas

Stankovic hopes Inter can win the treble

Antolin Alcaraz joining Wigan from Bruges

Leonardo steps down

Atletico Madrid win Europa League

Van Nistelrooy left out of Holland squad

Benzema and Vieira fail to make in France Squad

Arne Friedrich moving on

Francesco Totti not in the squad

Fabio Capello has named his squad.

Zola sacked by West Ham

Chelsea win EPL Title in style

Barca beat Sevilla to stay at the top

Bayern Munich - Bundesliga champions

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