Naughton keen on left-back spot

Kyle Naughton has declared himself the man to fill the void left by Benoit Assou-Ekotto ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's UEFA Europa League opener against Lazio.

Tottenham is still waiting to discover how long left-back Assou-Ekotto will face on the sidelines amid fears he could be ruled out for up to a month.

The 28-year-old missed Andre Villas-Boas' first win in charge at Reading last weekend with a knee problem that may require a 'washout' procedure, ruling him out for around four weeks.

Losing Assou-Ekotto, who has barely missed a match in the last four seasons, would be seen as a blow to Tottenham's hopes of building on its opening Premier League victory this term.

Jan Vertonghen has filled in at left-back numerous times for Belgium but Villas-Boas decided to hand Naughton his full league debut for Tottenham at Reading.

Despite playing out of position, the 23-year-old proved up to the challenge at the Madejski Stadium and was hoping to have done enough to keep his place for Thursday's Europa League glamour clash against Lazio.

"It was great to get the three points and that the gaffer gave me a chance to show what I can do," he told his club's official website, www.tottenhamhotspur.com

"I played at left-back a few times for Norwich [on loan] last season and hopefully now I can carry on playing.

"Towards the end, I was tiring a little and they got in behind us a little but the more games I play, hopefully the stronger I'll get.

"Everyone's been brilliant and I just hope I can carry on now and play in the Europa League."

The Group J match is Tottenham's first ever competitive meeting with Lazio, to which it famously sold Paul Gascoigne20 years ago.

The draw last month prompted the Italian giant to offer to invite the former England midfielder to the reverse fixture inRome on 22 November.

Press Association Sport understands the 45-year-old was also invited to attend this week's match but he was unable to accept for personal reasons.

Gascoigne has struggled to deal with alcohol problems since retirement but his agent said this northern summer that he had embarked on a health drive.

It remains to be seen whether he will attend the game between the sides at the Stadio Olimpico.

Meanwhile, Villas-Boas vowed to take the Europa League seriously ahead of his first match in the competition since winning it with Porto last year.

Harry Redknapp fielded a shadow side last term but Villas-Boas declared he would pick a 'strong team'.

"We want to do something special in this competition," he said.

"This competition is very important.

"It's a tough competition. You have to play 15 games before you reach the final, so it's hard and strenuous and the best teams out of the Champions League are playing.

"It gives access to the European Super Cup and, for me, I always thought it was a prestigious competition and it should be promoted like that because after the Cup Winners' Cup disappeared, it is not only about the Champions League.

"If we can win a trophy, that represents a lot for Tottenham Hotspur's history as well and would be something really special."

Lazio has begun Serie A with a hat-trick of wins and Tottenham's northern summer signing Gylfi Sigurdsson said: "They are a good team.

"It's great to play in Europe and we're looking forward to that game, trying to get off to a good start.

"It will be important to get three points at home."

article source:  http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/english-premier-league/news/1121013/Naughton-keen-on-left-back-spot

Málaga look for calm as Zenit call

"Euphoria does not win matches," said Manuel Pellegrini as he looked for cool heads from his Málaga CF side in their tough Group C opener against Luciano Spalletti's FC Zenit St Petersburg.

 Manuel Pellegrini is looking to maintain calm at Málaga

Having famously led Villarreal CF to the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League semi-finals, Manuel Pellegrini is embarking on a new adventure with Málaga CF in Group C but warned that only with hard work will they prolong their flying start to the season. As for visitors FC Zenit St Petersburg, their coach Luciano Spalletti is in no doubt that they are in for a tough test in Spain.

Málaga 
Coach Manuel PellegriniZenit are the most dangerous rivals because they are our next opponents. They are here as champions of Russia and nobody has given them anything on a plate. They are here with the same objectives as us. We will look to go out and win the game and if we manage that then we will look to win our second game in the group and edge closer to qualification. It is OK for our fans to be excited right now but my squad knows well that euphoria does not win matches. We have to work hard if we want this good run we are on to continue.

We have to be very careful against our opponents in this group because all of them are difficult. It would be a mistake to think one of them will be an easier game than another. Every match is different. The most important thing is to keep doing what we have done up to now. If we want to be successful then we have to fight and play in the same way that we have been playing. When I was at Villarreal nobody expected us to reach the semi-finals of Champions League.

Weekend result
Saturday: Málaga 3-1 Levante UD (Saviola 27, Joaquín 59, Portillo 90; Míchel 46)Caballero; Sergio Sánchez, Demichelis, Weligton, Monreal; Camacho, Eliseu (Dudu 82), Portillo, Isco, Joaquín (Recio 74); Saviola (Santa Cruz 69)

• Despite being reduced to ten men following Sergio Sánchez's late dismissal, Málaga continued their best-ever start to a Liga campaign and moved up to second. Javier Saviola and Francisco Portillo scored their first goals for the club either side of Joaquín's second-half strike.

Team news
Jérémy Toulalan has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Pellegrini said: "Toulalan will be a big miss for us but we hope he is back for Sunday's league game."

Zenit 
Coach Luciano Spalletti
I like what Manuel Pellegrini is doing, he is doing a great job. Last season was fantastic and he has started this season very well. We will only be able to discover Málaga's weaknesses if we play our best for the entire game. They have good, experienced players like Isco, [Martín] Demichelis, [Nacho] Monreal, [Ignacio] Camacho, Toulalan and Saviola. This team always tries to control the game. Málaga have a great squad but we don't envy them – we are strong too. A coach has to instil a winning mentality, but the team has to win once the game starts.

I think AC Milan are the favourites to win this group, even though they have lost two important players. Zenit, Málaga and Anderlecht are teams that can cause problems for Milan. I know how I will motivate my players to reach the next stage.

Weekend result
Friday: Zenit 0-2 FC Terek Grozny (Aílton 85, Lebedenko 90)
Malafeev, Yanbaev, Bruno Alves, Lombaerts, Anyukov, Fayzulin (Hulk 46), Zyryanov (Witsel 69), Denisov, Shirokov (Semak 78), Bystrov, Kerzhakov

• Zenit suffered their second consecutive home league defeat.

• Three newcomers (Renat Yanbaev, Hulk and Axel Witsel) made their competitive debuts against Terek.

Team news
Witsel (hamstring) did not travel to Spain and nor did defender Domenico Criscito and midfielder Sergei Semak. Spalletti explained that the trio "were not in the best condition, so they stayed at home".

Match fact
This is only Málaga's second season of European football but they already have an impressive unbeaten home record. In 2002/03, they played eight fixtures from the third round of the UEFA Intertoto Cup through to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, recording five wins and three draws. Add this season's 2-0 play-off success against Panathinaikos FC and they have conceded only three goals in nine home outings.

article source: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2013/matches/round=2000347/match=2009500/prematch/preview/index.html

The UEFA Champions League: A World of Heartbreak.

What we take solace in sometimes breaks our hearts beyond repair. The very competition which ingrained Real Madrid’s status in the history of football caused exactly that kind of hurt following Zinedine Zidane’s volley against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002. Prior to 2011, Real Madrid had been shown the exit door at the Round of 16 for six straight seasons in the Champions League until Jose Mourinho (aided by the luck of the draw) took them through to two semi-finals.

Maribor seek home help for Dinamo mission

History may not be on their side but with the aid of a packed home stadium, NK Maribor coach Darko Milanič thinks his team can overturn a 2-1 deficit against GNK Dinamo Zagreb.

History may not be on their side but with a packed home stadium behind them, NK Maribor coach Darko Milanič believes his team can overturn a 2-1 deficit against GNK Dinamo Zagreb in their UEFA Champions League play-off.

Maribor's 12,400-capacity Stadion Ljudski vrt has been sold out for a week and Milanič is hopeful that level of support will make a difference to a club who last mounted a successful second-leg fightback in Europe 17 years ago – when beating Skonto FC in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup preliminary round. "We are delighted about the full stadium and our noisy supporters can help us on our way to the Champions League," said Milanič.

Goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovič was equally upbeat about Maribor's prospects at their home ground, where they are unbeaten in 2012 with 11 wins and two draws – including 4-1 victories over FK Željezničar and F91 Dudelange in the earlier qualifying rounds. "It is much easier to prepare for this kind of match if you know that the whole city, everyone around us and practically the whole country is giving you such strong support," he said.

Since succumbing 2-1 in Zagreb last Wednesday, Maribor have had the twin boosts of a 2-0 away success at NK Celje in the Slovene First League and the news that Brazilian striker Tavares has signed a new five-year contract. Milanič said Tavares and his fellow forwards would have to be at their best on Tuesday. "We know that tomorrow we have to score at least one goal and we have to win so we will start out much more focused on attack and our forward play."

Milanič is confident that "Dinamo cannot surprise us with anything" but knowing the visitors' threat – he singled out first-leg match winner Milan Badelj and playmaker Sammir – is one thing, stopping it quite another. Dinamo will be buoyant after Saturday's 6-0 rout of city rivals NK Zagreb, their ninth straight victory, which featured another two goals for the in-form Sammir.

The Brazilian warned Maribor there is more to come. "I believe I will be even better in Maribor. I think we showed in the first game that we are a better team and I expect us to repeat that in Maribor. We are looking for another victory, that's our goal."

Visiting coach Ante Čačić was also full of self-belief as he pointed out that Maribor owed their away goal in Croatia to Badelj finding his own net. "We have every right to be optimistic – after all we scored all three goals in the first match. Maribor didn't score." History says that Dinamo have never lost a knockout tie to Slovenian opposition and Maribor have work to do to change that statistic.

article source: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2013/matches/round=2000346/match=2009482/prematch/preview/

UEFA Champions League revenue distribution

UEFA has presented the revenue distribution system for the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League, allocating the estimated income from that competition and the UEFA Super Cup.

 UEFA has issued its UEFA Champions League revenue distribution system for the forthcoming campaign. The estimated gross commercial revenue from the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup is €1.34bn.

Of that estimated gross commercial revenue, €55m will be allocated exclusively to the play-off rounds, as was the case in the 2009–12 cycle: each of the 20 clubs participating in the play-offs will collect a fixed amount of €2.1m.

Furthermore, as decided by the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting of 30 June 2012 on the recommendation of the Club Competitions Committee, a contribution of €40m will be made from the UEFA Champions League club share to the UEFA Europa League club share. In addition, €3m from the club share will be designated to subsidise the solidarity amounts for sides eliminated in the qualifying phase of the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

Some 75% of the total revenue from media rights and commercial contracts concluded by UEFA, up to a maximum of €530m, will go to the clubs, while the remaining 25% will be reserved for European football and remain with UEFA to cover organisational and administrative costs and solidarity payments to associations, clubs and leagues.

A total of 82% of any revenue received from the same stream in excess of €530m will be allocated to the clubs, with the other 18% allotted to European football and remaining with UEFA for the purposes listed above.

The net amount available to the participating clubs will be split – €500.7m in fixed payments and €409.6m in variable amounts (market pool). This will be distributed according to the proportional value of each television market represented by the clubs taking part in the UEFA Champions League (group stage onwards), and will be split among those sides competing from a given association.

The 32 clubs featuring in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League group stage can anticipate a minimum €8.6m – and the team that goes on to win the trophy next spring could collect €37.4m, not counting the market pool share.

Each of the 32 sides involved in the group stage will collect a base fee of €8.6m. Performance bonuses will also see €1m paid for a win and €500,000 for a draw in the group phase.

The teams competing in the round of 16 can also expect to pick up €3.5m each, the quarter-finalists €3.9m and the semi-finalists €4.9m. The UEFA Champions League winners will receive €10.5m and the runners-up €6.5m.

Meanwhile, the winners of the 2012 UEFA Super Cup will earn €3m and the runners-up €2.2m.

Under the solidarity distribution system, every domestic champion club that fails to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage will be entitled to €200,000. In addition, each club that plays in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League will receive €140,000 provided they do not qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Likewise, every team performing in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League will earn €140,000 provided they do not qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage, while each side eliminated in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League will get €140,000.

No easing off now we are champions, pledges Cesc Fabregas

CESC Fabregas insists there is no chance of Spain easing off now they are record breakers.

The former Arsenal star was most pointed in the rejection of Spain being a boring side immediately after their four-goal UEFA League 2012 hammering of Italy in Kiev on Sunday night.

It certainly seems harsh to pick holes in a team that has just become the first to win three major international tournaments on the trot, including the World Cup.

And the manner of their performance in the Olympic Stadium, and the players responsible for it, does not offer much hope of any change.

Midfielder Xavi is the elder statesman of the outfield contingent. And, at 32, he still has plenty of miles in the tank.

Skipper Iker Casillas is 31 but in an era when goalkeepers often play at the highest level until they are approaching 40, that is hardly a problem either.

So, if a weakness is to be exploited by the teams eager to nick the World Cup from Spain's grasp at Brazil 2014, it may be mental, as players who have won everything try to keep themselves motivated.

But Fabregas has got some bad news for Spain's rivals. La Roja are not finished yet.

"Everyone thought we would be finished after we won the Euros and the World Cup," said Fabregas.

"They thought we might ease off a bit but here we are again.

"No-one has done the triple before and we are very proud of it.

"We are lucky to have had a lot of good experiences at a young age.

"Hopefully that and the success we are having now mean we will be stronger for those experiences when we're older."

Fabregas made a significant contribution to Spain's success, just not in the way he would have imagined.

An orthodox midfield player at Arsenal, in Poland and Ukraine coach Vicente Del Bosque discovered a new role for the 25-year-old.

In a team without a striker, Fabregas was the one asked to become a 'false nine'.

"It's the first tournament in my life that I have played as a striker," the Barcelona man said.

"It was difficult at the beginning but I got used to it very well and I am really proud of this."

- Simon Stone

Article source: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/euro-2012/other-news/no-easing-off-now-we-are-champions-pledges-cesc-fabregas-3155723.html

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LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS: MEN FOOTBALL SPORT

LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES: MEN FOOTBALL SPORT
26th of July, 2012 was the first day of the 2012 London Olympics Football for men, while it was the second day for the 2012 London Olympics football sport for women who had their first matches played on the 25th July 2012.

In 2012 London Summer Olympics, 16 nations are fielding men football teams mostly of players under the age of 23 with each team allowed to field 3 players over the age of 23 years. The 16 men teams participating in London 2012 are drawn from the following 6 confederation: Asia Football Confederation AFC, Africa Football Confederation CAF, Europe’s UEFA, North America Football Confederation CONCACAF, Latin America’s CONMEBOL and OFC which represents Australia and New Zealand.

Each of the six confederations has fielded the following men teams in the 2012 London Olympics, with UEFA and CAF each fielding 4 teams each, AFC and CONMEBOL has three teams each, while CONCACAF and OFC has a team each.

UEFA has fielded, host Great Britain, Belarus, Spain and Switzerland

Africa’s CAF has Egypt, Gabon, Morocco and Senegal

Asia’s AFC has Japan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Korea.

CONMEBOL has 3 teams in the 2012 London Olympics, namely Brazil, Honduras and Uruguay.

CONCACAF and OFC have only one representative each; Mexico for CONCACAF and New Zealand for OFC.

The teams were selected following confederations qualifying competitions of the U-23 players for the 15 teams in 2012 London Olympics with host needing no qualifications.

The 2012 London Olympics football sport will be held in 5 different venues. The venues for the 2012 Olympics football sports are, London’s Wembley Stadium, Old Trafford in the City of Manchester, Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium, St James’ Park in New Castle and City of Coventry Stadium in Coventry

source: http://ndasika.hubpages.com/hub/LONDON-2012-OLYMPICS-MEN-FOOTBALL-SPORT

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll can still make the England Euro 2012 squad - report

The misfiring £35m forward is still in with a chance of flying to the Ukraine and Poland in the summer, but he has to start scoring regularly for his club side

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll still has a chance of making the England squad for Euro 2012, according to a report in The Daily Express.


The newspaper has revealed that a week ago Carroll was told by "a senior international figure" that he was "still on England's radar for the summer tournament". However, it is understood that the forward needs to score a few more goals for his club to prove he deserves a place on the plane.

Carroll and the rest of his team-mates travel to Newcastle on Sunday as they prepare for a showdown that could decide who takes a Europa League place.

The £35 million man still has question marks hanging over his Anfield career. He left Newcastle in January 2011 but has so far netted only eight goals in 47 games for the Reds. However, with Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two games of Euro 2012, Darren Bent injured and Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck both lacking experience at full international level, England are somewhat short of striking options, so 23-year-old Carroll still has an outside chance of making the Three Lions squad - if he can get a run of games and improve his goalscoring form.

Marseille Vs Bayern Munchen football liga match preview

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 12BET odds Marseille Vs Bayern Munchen 3/29 2:45AM GMT+8

Olympique de Marseille have lost nine of their last 19 games at Stade Velodrome in the Champions League, drawing on three occasions. Midfielder Alou Diarra played for Bayern Munich's reserve side between 2000 and 2002, amassing 41 games. Olympique de Marseille have won their last two knockout ties against German opposition.

Bayern Munich have never played against Les Phoceens in an official game. The Bavarians have won three of their last four two-legged ties with French opposition. Daniel Van Buyten and Franck Ribery played for Olympique de Marseille in the past. In addition, Bayern Munich honorary president Franz Beckenbauer had a coaching stint with the French side in 1990/91.

Benfica Vs Chelsea football liga match preview

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 12BET odds Benfica Vs Chelsea 3/28 2:45AM GMT+8

Benfica had not suffered defeat in the league until they lost to Guimaraes in February. That match was the first of a run of three games without victory, including a 3-2 loss to Porto, who now top the table. Striker Rodrigo has bagged eight goals in the league for Benfica this season but scored just once in 17 matches while on loan with Bolton Wanderers from Real Madrid during the 2010-11 campaign. The Eagles overturned a 3-2 first leg deficit to progress past Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg in the previous round.

The Blues do have two former Eagles players in their ranks to help them out on the night. David Luiz and Ramires were teammates in Lisbon before joining Chelsea. Chelsea have not won away from home in the Champions League this season. They lost games against Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen and drew with Genk and Valencia.

Chelsea vs Napoli match preview

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 12BET odds Chelsea vs Napoli 3/15 3:45AM GMT+8

Roberto Di Matteo takes charge of just his third match as Chelsea manager after Andre Villas-Boas' dismissal. The Italian won his first two matches in charge with 2-0 victory against Birmingham in the FA Cup and a 1-0 win over Stoke last weekend. Chelsea are in the last 16 for the ninth season in succession but have won just three of their seven Champions League matches this season, despite taking the lead in all seven games.

Napoli went through their Champions League group stage group along with Bayern Munich ahead of Manchester City who they defeated 2-1 at home and drew with 1-1 away. The club previously won the Uefa Cup in 1989, inspired by Argentine legend Diego Maradona. The side have cultivated a fearsome reputation for counterattacking football, and top scorer Cavani has registered six goals in his last seven games for club and country, with 16 in Serie A and 5 in the Champions League so far this season.

 

 

Bayern Munchen Vs Basel match preview

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 12BET odds Bayern Munchen Vs Basel 3/14 3:45AM GMT+8

Bayern Munich have won four out of five ties in European competitions after losing 1-0 away in the first leg. Bayern are 9/1 with William Hill to secure a 3-1 victory in this match. The Bavarians have picked up 11 victories from their last 12 Champions League home outings. Bayern Munich are appearing at this stage of the competition for the fourth consecutive campaign.

Basel did not lose a single game on their travels in the group stage, holding Manchester United and Benfica and beating Otelul Galati. Markus Steinhofer began his career in Bayern Munich's youth ranks and played for their reserves from 2003 to 2006.  On three out of four occasions Basel have progressed to the next stage of a Uefa competition when they have prevailed 1-0 at home in the first leg.

 

 

FC Barcelona Vs Bayer Leverkusen

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 12BET FC Barcelona Vs Bayer Leverkusen 3/8 1:30AM GMT+8

Barcelona have won their last nine home matches against German opponents since losing 2-1 to Bayern Munich in the 1998-99 Champions League group stage. The Catalans have won more corners (48) and had more shots wide (62) than any other team left in the competition. Barca are on a 49-match unbeaten streak at Camp Nou in all competitions - a run that stretches back to September 2010.

Bayer Leverkusen have not won away from home in the Champions League in their last 12 attempts. The German side have conceded 11 goals; more than any other club in the round of 16. B04 are currently on a three-game winning streak in the Bundesliga.

Napoli Vs Chelsea 2/22 3:45AM GMT+8

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 12BET odds SSC Napoli Vs Chelsea 2/22 3:45AM GMT+8

The Partenopei side have been extremely impressive in their debut Champions League campaign, and finished runners-up to Bayern Munich in the Group A. They have not lost a home game in their last 11 matches, but they have not been in the best of forms since the turn of year. The primary reason behind Napoli’s success in Europe has been their defending in the group stages of the competition. Walter Mazzarri’s men conceded only six goals in as many matches during the group stages.

The Blues have a horrendous record while playing in Italy, having won only one of their last seven matches on their travels to the peninsula. Chelsea have won only two of the ten Premier League games since last December. The London side is misfiring in all departments of their game, as they have been vulnerable in defence, slow in the midfield, and Fernando Torres is not providing Daniel Sturridge with the support in attack.

UEFA news 12bet update 1/09

Harry backed for England

Tottenham manager receives praise from former colleague



Harry Redknapp has been described as a 'world-class coach' who would be an ideal replacement for Fabio Capello by former Southampton colleague Sir Clive Woodward.

Sportsbook 12BET news... Woodward, who guided England to the Rugby World Cup title in 2003, was employed by the Saints as their technical support director in 2005 when Redknapp was manager.

The current Tottenham boss has long been linked with succeeding Capello as England manager when the Italian vacates his role after Euro 2012, and Woodward believes Redknapp would be the perfect candidate.

He told the Independent on Sunday: "He's an Englishman who's proved himself and from what I saw of him, he's ideally suited.

"I learned so much. The players respect him hugely. He has this incredible talent for spotting and grooming talent."I hope England do well in Euro 2012 with (Fabio) Capello but after that I'd like to see Harry in charge because he is a world-class coach." - http://www1.skysports.com

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UEFA news 12bet update 1/1

Blackburn stun United to poop Sir Alex's party

Manchester United FC missed out on the chance to begin the new year at the Premier League summit after a shock 3-2 defeat by Blackburn Rovers FC, while Chelsea FC also lost at home.

Manchester United FC missed out on the chance to begin the new year on top of the Premier League after suffering a shock 3-2 defeat at home against lowly Blackburn Rovers FC.

Sir Alex Ferguson turned 70 today but it was a birthday the United manager will want to forget after witnessing his side rally from 2-0 down only to lose to Grant Hanley's late winner. Ayegbeni Yakubu converted a 16th-minute penalty before bustling his way into the area to fire through David De Gea's legs early in the second half. Dimitar Berbatov (52, 62) brought the hosts level only but Hanley took advantage of De Gea's flap at a corner (80) to stun the English champions.

United remain level on points with Manchester City FC, who are hoping to move clear after facing Sunderland AFC on Sunday. It was also a disappointing day for Chelsea FC, who lost 3-1 against Aston Villa FC despite taking the lead through Didier Drogba's penalty (23). Second-half goals by Stephen Ireland, Stilyan Petrov and Darren Bent condemned André Villas-Boas's side to their fifth league defeat of the campaign.

Arsenal FC moved two points clear of the Blues into fourth place as Robin van Persie's 35th league goal of 2011 secured a 1-0 win against Queens Park Rangers FC and lifted the Gunners to within three points of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur FC, held 1-1 at Swansea City AFC. Norwich City FC and Bolton Wanderers FC shared the same scoreline against Fulham FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC respectively, while Stoke City FC and Wigan Athletic FC drew 2-2. - http://www.uefa.com

UEFA news 12bet update 12/28

Liverpool's Jose Enrique insists he 'deserves a chance' to prove his worth for Spain ahead of Euro 2012

The fullback has never featured for his national side above under-21 level, but believes his Anfield exploits should gain the attention of boss Vicente del Bosque

Liverpool's Jose Enrique insists he should be given a chance to prove his worth in the Spanish national team ahead of next summer’s European Championship.

The left-back has impressed at Anfield since joining from Newcastle United in the summer, but as of yet has failed to feature for his country above under-21 level.

The 25-year-old is eager to receive the recognition of Spain coach Vicente del Bosque, and believes that playing for an established club such as Liverpool should aid his goal of gaining a Euro 2012 call-up.

"I think I deserve a chance," he told Marca. "I think that just for the fact that I've managed to play for a team like Liverpool, they should be thinking of me.”

Valencia fullback Jordi Alba is currently first choice for the position, and Enrique was quick to note that the 22-year-old '"is doing a very good job" for the national side. - http://www.goal.com/

UEFA news 12bet update 12/27

Simeone returns to take Atlético reins

Diego Simeone has returned to UEFA Europa League contenders Club Atlético de Madrid as coach, replacing Gregorio Manzano at the club he twice represented as a midfielder. 

UEFA Europa League challengers Club Atlético de Madrid have named Diego Simeone as their new coach following the dismissal of Gregorio Manzano.

The former Argentina midfielder, 41, scored 23 goals in 134 appearances during two spells at Atlético, winning a domestic double in 1995/96. Simeone moved to Europe to join AC Pisa and then Sevilla FC, signing for Atlético from 1994-97. He then won the 1997/98 UEFA Cup with FC Internazionale Milano and an Italian double with S.S. Lazio, returning to the Vicente Calderón again from 2003-05.

Capped 106 times, Simeone coached Racing Club de Avellaneda, Club Estudiantes de La Plata, CA River Plate and CA San Lorenzo in Argentina, and helped Calcio Catania avoid relegation in Italy earlier this year.

Atlético lie in mid-table in Spain, with five wins in 16 Liga games, but face the mouthwatering prospect of a UEFA Europa League round of 32 tie against Simeone's old club, Lazio, in February. - http://www.uefa.com