Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

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• Morrison joins QPR on 93-day loan
• Arsenal v Bayern Munich: Champions League player ratings
• Milan 0-1 Atlético Madrid
• Arsenal 0-2 Bayern Munich
• Arsenal's striker shortage laid bare by Yaya Sanogo curveball
• Bayern Munich below their best but still toy with depleted Arsenal
• Milan v Atlético Madrid – as it happened | Daniel Harris
• Arsenal v Bayern Munich – live! | Rob Smyth
• Garry Monk's Swansea take on Rafael Benítez's Napoli without Michu
• Goole's Colley banned till October for clash
• The Fiver | The harsh truth is that Manchester City fluffed their lines on and off the field
• Fábregas provides Manchester United with glimpse of an alternative present | Jamie Jackson
• No More Page 3 campaigners sponsor another women's football team
• Spurs told to 'beware Konoplyanka'
• Valencia game in Kiev moved to Cyprus following unrest in Ukraine
• Next Goal Wins: watch the trailer for a documentary about the 'worst football team in the world' – video
• Cesc Fábregas: José Mourinho should 'shut up' after blasting Barcelona
• Michael Laudrup: Swansea City sacked me via email – video
• Chievo: Serie A alternative club guide
• Why are Manchester United offering Wayne Rooney a £70m contract? | Paul Wilson
• Manuel Pellegrini's full press transcript after Manchester City v Barcelona
• Arsenal v Bayern Munich: live Champions League webchat
• Manchester City 0-2 Barcelona: what the Spanish papers said
• Celebrity disaster relief - what not to do
• Manchester City 0-2 Barcelona: Manuel Pellegrini furious at referee – video

Morrison joins QPR on 93-day loan Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:38 PM PST • Deal runs up to Championship play-off final • Midfielder refuses to write off World Cup dream Ravel Morrison will spend the rest of the season trying to help Queens Park Rangers get out of the Championship – a move he does not believe will put a late call-up to England's World Cup squad beyond him. Having seemingly overcome a troubled start to his professional career, the 21-year-old attacking midfield finally came to the fore for the right reasons this season. Morrison shone for West Ham after breaking into the first team, scoring a fine solo goal in the 3-0 win at Tottenham, and quickly became an important player for the England Under-21s. Such performances saw the Manchester United academy graduate's stock rise markedly, with the England manager, Roy Hodgson, saying just before the turn of the year that he had "great faith" in him and "enormous admiration" for his ability. However, less than two months on, Morrison's lack of playing time has seen him step down to the Championship to join QPR in a 93-day emergency loan and looks to have seen any World Cup chances go up in smoke. The forward is not giving up and when asked if he can still make the plane to Brazil, he said: "Hopefully. It is a bigger step than it was, but hopefully it can happen, yeah." To do that Morrison will need the game time denied to him at West Ham, with speculation rife as to why that dried up under the West Ham manager, Sam Allardyce, especially having rejected overtures for him from Fulham in January. " I just want to help QPR get to the Premier League – that's my only objective during my time here," he told QPR's website. "If we manage to do that, it would be great for everybody connected with the club. "All I want to do is play football. I just want to show everyone what I can do week in, week out. "The aim here is to get the club promoted and I want to contribute in helping QPR to get there." Morrison will wear the No 4 shirt for QPR and is likely to make his debut against Charlton on Saturday. His arrival may well prove a timely shot in the arm for Harry Redknapp's side, whose tilt at an immediate return to the Premier League has begun to stutter. QPR's 3-1 home defeat to Reading on Sunday leaves them four points off the automatic promotion spots, while their loan move from Morrison covers the possibility of the play-offs. West Ham do have the option to recall their player after 28 days, but Redknapp hopes to keep him for the entire loan period as he believes he can make a "big difference" to the team. "Ravel is fit and ready to play and I'm hoping he can come in and make an impact," the Rangers manager said. "He's got fantastic ability, there's no doubting that. He's got great pace, can dribble and score a goal. "If we can get the best out of him, he could make a big difference." Getting the best out of Morrison is not always easy – just ask Sir Alex Ferguson – but Redknapp is confident of doing just that. The QPR manager has spoken in length to his Birmingham counterpart, Lee Clark, about how to utilise the Morrison's talents, having spent the 2012/13 on loan at the second city club. "I spoke with Lee and he absolutely loves him," Redknapp said. "He said he'd take him back tomorrow if he could. "He's certainly a talented footballer – he's just got to step up now. He's got to come here and show what he can do consistently. He's got everything. We're pleased to have him here." QPR West Ham United Transfer window theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Arsenal v Bayern Munich: Champions League player ratings Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:36 PM PST Who shone and who failed to impress in the Champions League round-of-16 first leg at the Emirates Stadium Arsenal Wojcicech Szczesny 5 Did well to deny Toni Kroos and was strong when dealing with crosses. His red card was the game's pivotal moment Bacary Sagna 6 Most of Bayern's best attacks came down the opposite flank but his distribution was disappointing at times. Only won one tackle Per Mertesacker 6 Lucky to watch a couple of deflections fizz away from his own goal but also got in front of a couple of goalward attempts Laurent Koscielny 6 Fortunate not to concede a second Arsenal penalty when he clumsily tripped Müller but hard to fault him otherwise Kieran Gibbs 6 Evening was cut short by injury with half an hour played. Bayern focused on the right flank once he was replaced by Monreal Mathieu Flamini 7 Covered a lot of ground and was tidy. Frustrating evening was summed up by a heated exchange with Özil in last 10 minutes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 6 Surprisingly taken off with Özil looking far less threatening. Started strongly and was never afraid to run at the Bayern defence Mesut Özil 4 Earned the penalty but his attempt was as lazy as his defensive work-rate. He was also largely disappointing going forward Jack Wilshere 7 Started in impressive fashion and his driving runs worried Bayern but his impact was reduced once Szczesny was dismissed Santi Cazorla 6 Sacrificed following the red card but battled hard. Made Neuer work from distance early on Yaya Sanogo 6 A surprise inclusion with Olivier Giroud left on the substitutes' bench but justified his selection with a lively performance. Booked Bayern Munich Manuel Neuer 7 Lethargic as the penalty was, Neuer still had to save it. Showed all of his experience to call Özil's bluff after a stuttering approach Philipp Lahm 8 Given the freedom to roam forward at will, especially after Gibbs was injured. Provided the assists for both goals Jérôme Boateng 5 His lazy leg tripped Özil to concede the penalty. Picked up a yellow card for his troubles and was replaced by Rafinha at the interval Dante 6 Rarely tested from the moment Arsenal were reduced to 10. Had to work hard early on but will have busier nights to come David Alaba 6 Struck the left-side post with his penalty but that mistake aside looked comfortable – even if he looked quiet compared to Lahm Thiago Alcántara 7 Not a stand-out player but he still made more tackles (3) than any other Bayern player and spread the ball wide with ease Arjen Robben 8 Made the most of Szczesny's challenge, leading to pantomime boos for the rest of the evening. Excellent in the second period Javi Martínez 7 Perched in front of the back four during the first half but moved to centre-half when Boateng was hauled off. A steady presence Toni Kroos 9 Stunning technique to curl home the opening goal and was a constant menace to the Arsenal back four. Also struck a post Mario Götze 6 Not quite as prominent as Kroos or Robben but still showed some nice touches. Failed to hit the target from four attempts. Mario Mandzukic 6 Bayern's lone striker had a quiet night, with just 11 touches before being replaced by Müller with 25 to play. Also booked. Arsenal Bayern Munich Champions League Alan Smith theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Milan 0-1 Atlético Madrid Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:32 PM PST Atlético Madrid must have wondered how they escaped back to the Vicente Calderón with an unlikely victory after Milan dominated possession without making the vital breakthrough. Diego Costa grabbed the only goal seven minutes from time during a rare foray into enemy territory by the visitors but Milan will look back on a first half in which they could have been home and dry by the interval. Twice they hit the woodwork, first with Kaká. Adel Taarabt teed up the Brazilian who unleashed a shot that was heading for the far top corner until Thibaut Courtois flung himself across goal to tip the ball on to the bar. In the 18th minute it was the post's turn to intervene. Taarabt was involved again, sweeping in a cross which Andrea Poli met perfectly, glancing his header down to the far bottom corner only for Milan to be denied again by the fingertips of Courtois, who got just enough on the ball to deflect it on to the post. Atlético were doing their best to disrupt Milan's rhythm with a succession of petty fouls, Emiliano Insúa seeing yellow for hacking down Mattia De Sciglio, but on the half-hour Kaká was again testing their defence. Mario Balotelli wrongfooted the visitors with a sly backheel and Kaká saw his shot whistle just over the bar. If anything, Atlético stepped up their fouling in the second half, with Balotelli their principal target, but Milan resolutely wasted every free-kick they were given. Balotelli departed after 77 minutes clutching his shoulder after another hefty challenge and was replaced by Giampaolo Pazzini. The substitution coincided with a spell of increased ambition from Atlético, who at last began to get players into the opposition half with some regularity. They almost scored in the 79th minute when Raúl García blazed over from around the penalty spot. In the 83rd minute they did make what may be the tie's decisive breakthrough. Gabi's corner from the right skimmed off the top of Ignazio Abate and Diego Costa crashed his header past the helpless Christian Abbiati. Champions League Milan Atlético Madrid theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Arsenal 0-2 Bayern Munich Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:27 PM PST For Arsenal it was a night with heavy consequences. Bayern Munich are formidable opponents at the best of times but, with an extra man, nobody could be surprised that this game ran away from Arsène Wenger's side. They had given everything but there was an air of inevitability after Wojciech Szczesny was sent off and it will require something remarkable to prevent them from going out of the competition at this stage for the fourth year in succession. If there is a glimmer of hope, it is that Wenger's side won 2-0 in the Allianz Arena last season. Equally it is unlikely Bayern will be as demob happy as they were that night, already 3-1 up from the first leg. Pep Guardiola's side have control of this tie, via second-half goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller, on a night that will consume Wenger with regret. More than anything, he will look back on what happened seven minutes from the end of a chaotic first half when Szczesny left his goal-line and brought down Arjen Robben for the turning point. Yet that was not the only moment that will fill Wenger with anguish. Arsenal had a penalty of their own after only eight minutes only for Mesut Özil to get it horribly wrong. David Alaba was equally careless with Bayern's penalty but the extra man established Bayern in a position of strength and a team with this refinement were always likely to make their advantage count. The red card incensed Wenger so much he could be seen remonstrating with Robben, the fouled player, as he came to the touchline for treatment. Yet there was no doubt that Szczesny had chopped down Robben as he ran beyond Arsenal's line of defence and applied the first touch to Kroos's clever up-and-under. The issue was whether it was a clear opportunity to score. Robben did not seem to have the ball under control and, on that basis, the Italian referee, Nicola Rizzoli, should have deemed a yellow card was sufficient. What followed was extraordinary, bearing in mind Özil had already demonstrated how not to take a penalty on an occasion of this significance. Lukasz Fabianski, replacing the unfortunate Santi Cazorla, insisted on a touch of the ball before Alaba could take aim. With the substitution and all the recriminations, Alaba had been waiting a full two minutes before the penalty could be taken and perhaps that delay counted against the Bayern player. Usually so reliable, he aimed for Fabianski's right-hand corner and managed only to skim the outside of the post. The relief inside the Emirates was considerable but it was also accompanied by an overwhelming sense that this threatened to be the critical passage of the night. Arsenal had set off like a side that barely cared a jot for the fact their opponents are 16 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. They were quick to the ball, slick with their passing and, at times, they had pinned Bayern back in the opening half an hour. Yet nobody could have expected them to continue in that manner once they had gone a man down. Bayern are simply too accomplished. The unfortunate truth for Arsenal is that, at this level, a team cannot be as generous as Özil was in the eighth minute. Jack Wilshere had slipped the ball through Javi Martínez's legs before threading the pass that sent Özil running into the penalty area. A beautifully executed check enticed the foul from Jérôme Boateng but Özil's penalty was poor, to say the least. Manuel Neuer was wise to him and simply jutted out his right hand as Özil tried to play the ball through the middle. Arsenal could at least be encouraged by the vast improvement in what happened when these sides last met here a year ago. Bayern had begun ominously, with Kroos firing in a peach of a shot, arrowing towards the top corner until Szczesny managed to claw it away, one-handed, from beneath his crossbar. Yet Arsenal's response was illuminating. Yaya Sanogo looked raw on a night when Wenger left out Olivier Giroud in favour of a 21-year-old who had started only one other match this season. Yet he almost justified his selection after seven minutes, with Neuer demonstrating again what an outstanding goalkeeper he is. Robben was a constant menace and Bayern had more of the ball but Arsenal, with even numbers, were creating plenty of problems of their own. Szczesny's red card changed the entire emphasis of the night. At half-time Guardiola restored Philipp Lahm to midfield, with Rafinha going to right-back as a substitute for Boateng, and Martínez dropping into the centre of defence. Lahm immediately set about influencing the game and was prominently involved in the breakthrough. Kroos had been outstanding and, 20 yards from goal, applied just the right amount of bend to pick out the top corner. It was a wonderful finish and Bayern should also have had a second penalty, after Laurent Koscielny's trip on Müller, before the Bayern substitute doubled the German side's lead. Again the outstanding Lahm was the creator, this time with a perfectly weighted cross. Müller's header was placed into the corner and that, almost certainly, puts Arsenal on their way out of the competition. Champions League Arsenal Bayern Munich Daniel Taylor theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Arsenal's striker shortage laid bare by Yaya Sanogo curveball Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:22 PM PST Arsène Wenger's surprise demotion of the troubled Olivier Giroud highlighted his squad's biggest problem So, to recap. In the most difficult game of Arsenal's season, against the team that Arsène Wenger agreed were the best in the world, the manager decided to drop Olivier Giroud, his regular number nine, and enlist Yaya Sanogo as his replacement. This took the notion of the fiery baptism to new temperatures. Sanogo, the Bosman free transfer arrival from Auxerre last July, had 127 minutes of football behind him in an Arsenal shirt. He joined with the reputation for being injury-prone and he has been unavailable for almost all of the season so far because of a back problem. Until his full debut against Liverpool in the FA Cup win here last Sunday, the 21-year-old striker had virtually dropped off the radar. Sanogo is an under-20 world champion with France and it is perhaps worth remembering what Wenger said about him upon his arrival last summer when, for so long and at a time of those loud calls for A-list investment in the squad, he was the only new signing. "Sanogo will surprise you," Wenger said. "He has not made the headlines. Why? Because he is not 50-100 million pounds but I am quite confident he will make them soon on the pitch and, for me, that is the most important." Sanogo's very selection made waves, coming as it did against the backdrop of Giroud's marriage crisis, which was sparked by the Sun's story about him sneaking a girl into the Arsenal hotel on the night before the Crystal Palace game on 2 February. Sanogo will tell the grandchildren about the night that he led the line against the mighty Bayern Munich and, when Arsenal started at a blazing tempo, there was the moment when the fairytale almost played out. Following a seventh minute scramble, the ball broke to him inside the area and, almost in slow motion, he fired his shot at goal. Manuel Neuer saved. It was impossible not to smile and thousands of Arsenal supporters duly did. But Bayern are not the types to accommodate the plucky underdog and Sanogo was not to have his day. The game passed him by from about the 25th minute and, if his evening was summed up by the yellow card that he received for chasing down, but catching, Neuer in the 55th minute, Arsenal's fans were left to wonder how they could have entered a knock-out tie against the European champions with an untested rookie up front. They have relied upon the robustness of Giroud, almost exclusively, for the entire season but this felt like the night when their lack of depth in the position finally came back to bite them. Giroud's axing had hit with the force of a hammer. Nobody had seen it coming. There had been no word of any injury problem and Wenger said before kick-off, in a TV interview, that the decision was not a part of any disciplinary action against him; specifically, in relation to his pre-Palace hotel rule breach and his subsequent half-truths to the club about what had happened. "Olivier has played a lot of games recently, he is a bit tired," Wenger said in explanation. "We need him refreshed and to come back strong." That much was true. Giroud has shouldered an immense physical burden as, very often, the only recognised, fit centre-forward. The club's dependence upon him has been enforced, partly because of injuries to Lukas Podolski, Sanogo and Theo Walcott and, also, because of the failure to complete the signing of the big-name striker that they chased throughout last summer's transfer window. It seemed ridiculous to suggest that Giroud's demotion had nothing to do with his current state of mind, in terms of the strain that the cheating revelations have placed upon his relationship. He had said, via his Twitter account, earlier in the day that he did not commit adultery. To paraphrase a US politician, he did not have sexual relations with that pin-up girl. Which, by all accounts, is true. But the heavy petting has brought heavy consequences. Sanogo had been wholehearted and decent against Liverpool but it was not a performance that demanded his preference to Giroud in the most glamorous fixture of the season. The only thing that could be said with certainty was that Sanogo was fresher and, from the moment that he barrelled into Javi Martinez with two minutes gone, he gave everything. What he might lack in finesse, as he takes what are his baby steps at the highest level, he seems ready to make up for with brawn. On a night like this, it was never going to be enough. Arsenal Arsène Wenger Champions League Bayern Munich David Hytner theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Bayern Munich below their best but still toy with depleted Arsenal Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:16 PM PST The first leg of this Champions League tie went to the tall and powerful-looking champion footballers from Germany Bayern Munich may or may not succeed in their attempt to become the first team to retain the Champions League. But it is a possibility – and a strong one – that seems likely to remain alive beyond the second leg of this tie. Bayern for all their possession were only adequately irresistible at the Emirates, and should have gone a goal behind in the opening ten minutes had Mesut Ozil managed to score from the penalty spot. But it is simply a measure of their coherence, that sense of top-down strength in reserve that a 2-0 away victory that saw the entire second half played out as a neck-cramping assault on the home goal at the Clock End could be seen as a moderate result under the circumstances. As it was, a year on from the 3-1 victory here that announced the shrilling three-month surge by this champion-team-in-waiting this was a case of Bayern unplugged, a Bayern that were no more than adequately irresistible as they pushed back a depleted Arsenal. It was a shame that the match was ultimately dampened by a debatable refereeing decision that saw Woijchec Sczesny sent off in the first half, as this was an agreeably widescreen occasion from the start on a cold, still North London night that saw the Emirates away section crammed with the usual booming throng of roving Bayern-ites and the entire stadium crackling before kick off with a sense of rare event glamour. Here they came, the world's best football team in their austere deep grey-blue, as ever a surprisingly tall and powerful-looking bunch of beautifully composed world champion footballers. This Bayern team has a distinct, almost self-conscious air of unhurried all-star conviction about it, and they were on the attack immediately here, Toni Kroos, who doesn't so much run as trot like a cosseted pony, drawing a fine leaping one-handed save from Szczesny. After which, briefly, it was all Arsenal. In fact, Arsenal started like Bayern have tended to start in this competition, producing in the first 15 minutes their snappiest, most relentlessly mobile, football since entering ahead of time that familiar English state of stumbling, teeth-gritting game-to-game fatigue that generally sets in some time around Easter. Wilshere in particular was bright, twice picking out Santi Cazorla acutely before producing the nutmeg and nudged through pass that allowed Ozil to win so beautifully the penalty he would then miss so horrendously, sending Manuel Neuer the right way before effectively placing the ball on to his outstretched palm. Bayern weathered the storm with a little luck and a familiar sense of strength in reserve. The champions have played six and won six since their winter break and played five fewer matches than Arsenal since the start of December, lending them a freshness that is vital to that hard-running, high-pressing, physically relentless style. And this is really the key to this Bayern team, who can pass the ball like Barcelona, who can drop the pace and hide the ball as they did here in the first half after that early scare, Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara steadily conducting possession in the middle of the pitch and Lahm and David Alaba pushing fearlessly up the pitch from full-back. But who have above all the ability to surge, a collective stretching of the legs like a 10,000 metre runner destroying the field by producing from nowhere a leg cramping mid-race time. Slowly they pushed Arsenal back as half time approached, with a Guardiola-hallmarked fluidity in the constant exchange of flanks by Arjen Robben and Mario Gotze. It was the familiar Robben dart inside from the right that led to Szczesny's sending off, a straight red card for denying a clear-ish goalscoring opportunity The ball was running away from Robben. The goalkeeper had no choice but to challenge, A yellow card and a penalty would have been enough. Alaba's run up was loose and his side foot against the post always a little uncontrolled. And so half time arrived with Bayern a man up and what had seemed llikely to be a midfield-fetishists dream all but ruined by the sending off. This was always likely to be a collision of midfields, not least given that this Bayern have at times resembled little more than one giant midfield (you feel it is only with a sense of sighing resignation that Guardiola agrees every week to include the appalling anachronism that is a goalkeeper on his team sheet). For all that Bayern fielded a team here that was respectfully orthodox, with Philip Lahm at right back and Mario Mandzukic re-installed as a real nine, and with a robust rather than dreamily fluid central midfield in which the battle between Jack Wilshere and Thiago Alcantara provided a fascinating game within a game. Guardiola moved Lahm into the middle at the start of the second half, introducing a little extra drive and authority as the Bayern surge duly arrived. Nine minutes of relentless, smothering Bayern attack was enough, the goal beautifully struck by Kroos, taking a pass from Rafinha and very precisely persuading the ball into the top corner with his right foot. It is perhaps final proof of their riches that there could be a suggestion Bayern might think about letting this perfectly balanced, delightfully upright, multi-purpose attacking midfielder leave. Although, as the deep blue swarm continued to toy with Arsenal's defensive line and Mario Mandzukic gave way to Thomas Muller, currently the world's greatest substitute, it was tempting to conclude Bayern, right now, can pretty much do as they wish. They were, even in victory, a little disappointing here against depleted but game opponents, for whom Muller's second goal towards the end came as a hammer blow. Bayern Munich Arsenal Champions League Barney Ronay theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Milan v Atlético Madrid – as it happened | Daniel Harris Posted: 19 Feb 2014 01:52 PM PST Diego Costa headed a brilliant winner after Milan had the better of the first half Daniel Harris

Arsenal v Bayern Munich – live! | Rob Smyth Posted: 19 Feb 2014 01:42 PM PST Minute-by-minute report: Wojcech Szczesny was sent off and Mesut Ozil missed a penalty before Bayern showed their class with two second-half goals Rob Smyth

Garry Monk's Swansea take on Rafael Benítez's Napoli without Michu Posted: 19 Feb 2014 11:31 AM PST • Michu needs an injection and will not feature • Napoli dropped out of Champions League Garry Monk faces the biggest test of his fledgling coaching career on Thursday when Swansea face the Italian heavyweight club Napoli, and Rafael Benítez. While Monk's coaching reign has involved just three games since succeeding Michael Laudrup, Benítez's record is laced with success and trophies. "Of course I never expected to be in this position," Monk said. "I was a player going into training one moment, then taking charge of games we have had already like the [south Wales] derby, and now against Napoli, so it's a whirlwind. "But I am prepared. I am a level-headed lad, I know what I want to do. Napoli are one of the best teams in Europe. I have seen a lot of their games and studied them. They have good players all over the pitch. "At this moment in time they are one of the most powerful clubs in terms of what they can spend and the quality of players they have, so we are in for a tough time, but it is a game we are really looking forward to. We are under no illusions how tough it will be, but if players can concentrate on themselves and be at their best, that is all we can do." Swansea have beaten Cardiff and drawn at Stoke in the Premier League since Monk took charge, with their solitary defeat being last Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round loss against Everton. Monk will make a number of changes from Sunday's FA Cup loss at Everton and while it is likely he will revert to a more familiar line-up against Napoli, there will be no return for Michu following ankle surgery in December. "It's been difficult," Monk added. "He came back into training, but he is still feeling soreness. We had to pull him out of training and he has to have an injection. "It's nothing serious, but he needs two days' complete rest and we can build him up. He won't be available [on Thursday], which is disappointing for him and us. He was eager to get out there, but sometimes you can push yourself too much. "Whatever team is picked is one I think can win the game. When a new manager comes in it is a fresh slate, and I've said there are so many games everybody will play, and that's the truth. I can only pick a side which I think can win a game, and that will be the case on Thursday. "The priority is staying in the Premier League, that is fundamental for the club, but nights like this don't come around very often. "We want to put on a performance we can be proud of. That is the mentality I've had since I have come in, and we will take it into this game. "We are up against a very good side, but we believe in ourselves and we will let them know they are in for a game. "[Napoli] will be strong no matter who they put out, and I am sure sure they will go as strong as they can even if [Benitez] rotates international players throughout the squad. "It will be good to speak to him afterwards to pick his brain after being in the job for 10 days. It will be nice if we have the right result first, but someone of that experience and stature is someone to aspire to and I can take him as an inspiration." Swansea (probable): Vorm; Rangel, Williams Flores, Davies; Britton, Cañas; Dyer, Emnes, Routledge; Bony. Napoli (probable): Rafael; Maggio, Albiol, Britos, Ghoulam; Behrami, Dzemaili; Mertens, Hamsik, Insigne; Higuaín. Referee: I Bedek (Cro) Europa League Swansea City Napoli theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Goole's Colley banned till October for clash Posted: 19 Feb 2014 09:45 AM PST • Football Association ban Colley from football until 1 October • Player confronted fans and threw a punch after being sent off Karl Colley, the non-league footballer who went into the stands to attack a fan Eric Cantona-style, has been banned from the sport at any level until 1 October after admitting misconduct at a Football Association hearing. Colley's punishment is one of the longest bans the FA has ever handed out for an act of violence but falls short of the nine-month suspension Cantona received for his kung-fu attack on a Crystal Palace supporter at Selhurst Park exactly 19 years earlier. Video footage of Colley going into the stand after being sent off during a match against Coalville Town, then swinging a punch at one of the visiting fans, has gone around the world since the incident in January. The 30-year-old was sacked immediately after the match and the FA has also fined him £150. The FA Eric Cantona Daniel Taylor theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

The Fiver | The harsh truth is that Manchester City fluffed their lines on and off the field Posted: 19 Feb 2014 08:04 AM PST Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving A BITTER PELL TO SWALLOW Manuel Pellegrini is an unusual football manager, in that he doubles up as a decent human being. Pellegrini and Manchester City have been impossible to dislike this season, given his decency and their swaggering football, and that shouldn't change because of one night of petulance. But it's fascinating how easily the good-guy mask slips when the smoke stops being blown up your hole. Pellegrini has consciously or otherwise styled himself as everything José Mourinho is not. So it was disappointing, instructive and highly amusing to see him wear Mourinho's clothes – specifically his 2005 Matalan coat – by launching into an out-of-order rant about a Scandinavian referee after his side lost the first leg of a last-16 Big Cup tie to Barcelona. It's true that Pellegrini has reason to be radged-off about his treatment in Big Cup. His Málaga team were robbed in Dortmund last season, and Barcelona's first goal last night should not have been given for two reasons. And with Barça down to 11 men after Martín Demichelis's sending-off, maybe City would have taken advantage at 0-0. Yet the most important thing is that Barcelona are and were the better side. City are the best side in a poor domestic league, and the step up was too great. There's no shame in that. "From the beginning I felt the referee was not impartial to both teams," Pellegrini said. "The referee decided the game. He favoured Barcelona from the beginning to the end. I think it was not a good idea to put a referee from Sweden in charge and a referee who made a mistake against Barcelona in a previous match. I think there is more important football in Europe than Sweden," concluded the Chilean coach. Pellegrini is likely to face a Uefa Level One charge of acting the giddy goat. It was a bitter and hopelessly confused interview, although we should cut him a bit of slack given the obvious disappointment that comes with realising you will have to settle for a domestic treble. The usually articulate Vincent Kompany was the same, rambling incoherently before becoming the subject of Roy Keane's unique brand of hard-faced sympathy: "He's obviously really tired. I'm not sure he knows what he's talking about." The harsh truth is that City fluffed their lines on, and off, the field. LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT Join Rob Smyth from 7.30pm GMT for MBM coverage of Arsenal 1-3 Bayern Munich, and Daniel Harris for Milan 1-1 Atlético Madrid. QUOTE OF THE DAY "We have taken those facts into account, together with the fact Dennis pleaded guilty in an attempt to minimise the impact on Boston United. He is very upset by his actions and the potential impact on Boston United. He did offer his resignation, he will fully comply with the sentencing requirements and, very importantly, the false claims pre-dated his employment at Boston United. The board of Boston United does not condone Dennis's actions, but he has been punished already, therefore it was felt that further sanctions by the club would be unwarranted. Dennis has accepted the outcome of the disciplinary procedure and he will remain first-team manager" – Boston United chairman David Newton issues a statement after the Skrill North club's manager Dennis Greene was found guilty of falsely claiming benefits. FIVER LETTERS "Further to the story of Jens Lehmann's bag getting pinched (yesterday's Bits and Bobs), I can only add that what goes round comes round" – Ray Carroll. "Re: the Lee Carsley Effect™ (yesterday's Fiver). I remember watching Everton on TV once and being impressed with Lee Carsley's energy. He seemed to be everywhere on the pitch. It was only later pointed out to me that, three-quarters of the time, the player I was watching was Thomas Gravesen" – Paul Power. "Can I be the first of many herpetological pedants to point out that a bite from a very poisonous snake may or may not be harmful – it's eating them you need to avoid. A bite from a very venomous snake, on the other hand, is worse than the chalice Lord Ferg handed to David Moyes" – David Hopkins (and 1,056 other herpetological pedants). "May I be the first ophiological pedant to point out that what I think you meant to say is least venomous, extremely venomous snake, as a poisonous snake would only be dangerous were you to eat it. And, since the departure of Michael Johnson, I think the Barcelona players are safe from actually being chowed down upon" – Mat Owen (and 1,056 ophiological pedants). "Let me be the first of 1,057 serpentologists to point out that snakes aren't poisonous – they're venomous" – Sheridan Smith (and 1,056 apparent serpentologists). "Long-time reader, first time pedant, and two bites of the cherry in yesterday's Fiver, no less! Snakes are not poisonous, they are venomous (thanks QI), and Jens Lehmann can't ask for the return of a bag he had stolen – which sounds a lot like [Snip – Fiver Lawyers] – he could only ask for the return of a bag that was stolen from him. I've longed for this moment, so why do I feel less of a person?" – David Plant. "Re: Steve Bruce's funk about Hull's game being brought forward to avoid a clash with Big Cup ties (yesterday's Bits and Bobs). I think Uefa was spooked a few years back when Jermain Defoe and Neil Mellor (twice) netted for West Ham against Crystal Palace at a 90%-full Upton Park in the league, while on the same night Chelsea were playing Besiktas at a 75%-full Stamford Bridge in Big Cup – hence lots of empty seats on view (actual difference in attendance was a touch over 1,000 in favour of the Big Cup tie). What Uefa might not be taking into account, however, is that there may also have been a clash with a new Midsomer Murders which would have kept the Chelsea gate down that night, proving once again that TV is the death of football" – Ian Sargeant. • Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is: Ray Carroll. JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES We keep trying to point out the utter futility of advertising an online dating service "for interesting people" in the Fiver to the naive folk who run Guardian Soulmates, but they still aren't having any of it. So here you go – sign up here to view profiles of the kind of erudite, sociable and friendly romantics who would never dream of going out with you. BITS AND BOBS Bayer Leverkusen boss Sami Hyppia is clutching at straws after the 4-0 home defeat by PSG in Big Cup last night. "You can't say that it all went wrong," he faux-smiled. "It's a difficult phase. We must be mentally strong like a boxer who has suffered a knockout punch and gets up again." Ravel Morrison has completed a 93-day emergency loan to QPR from West Ham. "All I want to do is play football," he cooed. "I just want to show everyone what I can do week in, week out." Dynamo Kiev's Big Vase game against Valencia tomorrow has been moved to Nicosia in Cyprus because of unrest in the Ukrainian capital. Crawley Town could compensate Tranmere Rovers fans who travelled south to the League One game yesterday, only for it to be called off at 6.31pm. "The club would like to apologise to all supporters and sponsors for the late postponement of the fixture and the inconvenience caused," sniffed a Crawley statement. Darren Fletcher has returned to the Scotland squad for their friendly with Poland next month. Full squad: Gilks (Blackpool), Marshall (Cardiff City), McGregor (Hull City); Bardsley (Sunderland), Berra (Ipswich), Greer (Brighton), Hanley (Blackeye Rovers), Hutton (Aston Villa), Martin (Norwich), Robertson (Dundee United), Whittaker (Norwich); Adam (Stoke), Anya (Watford), McFiver (Fiver Towers), Bannan (Crystal Palace), Brown (Queen's Celtic), Burke (Birmingham), Fletcher (Manchester United), Forrest (Queen's Celtic), Morrison (West Brom), Mulgrew (Queen's Celtic), Snodgrass (Norwich); Fletcher (Sunderland), McCormack (Nasty Leeds), Naismith (Everton). And Chris Wood, the drummer out of 'popular beat-combo Bastille', will be on summariser duty for BBC Radio Devon's coverage of Dagenham & Redbridge v Plymouth on Saturday. "I have been fortunate enough to have managers and players alongside me, but it will be a first to have someone from the world of entertainment," cheered commentator Gordon Sparks. "Especially given the popularity of Bastille." STILL WANT MORE? Why on earth are Manchester United offering Wayne Rooney a contract that could see them still coughing up £300,000 a week to him in 2019? Paul Wilson struggles to see how they make the numbers work. Which day of the year could field the best team of players born on that date? Let the Knowledge take the strain. Scotland boss Wee Gordon Strachan has an exclusive chat with Ewan Murray. The very busy Raphael Honigstein explains how boss Thomas Tuchel is helping Mainz compete with Germany's big spenders. From the 1988 FAI Cup final to Schumacher v Battiston, 10 of the worst penalty decisions ever. Oh, and if it's your thing, you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. SIGN UP TO THE FIVER (AND O FIVERÃO) Want your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up. And you can also now receive our weekly World Cup email, O Fiverão; this is the latest edition, and you can sign up for it here. YOU AND US BOTH, SAMUEL L Rob Smyth theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Fábregas provides Manchester United with glimpse of an alternative present | Jamie Jackson Posted: 19 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST The playmaker's performance gave a vision of Barça's future – something that will not have gone unnoticed at Old Trafford Cesc Fábregas's midfield masterclass on Tuesday evening against Manchester City illustrated why Manchester United covet him and why Xavi Hernández's retirement – when it comes – should not concern Barcelona. It was a night when David Moyes was reminded of how differing the champions' fortunes might have been in the Scot's inaugural season as managerif he had prised Fábregas away to become the driving force of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson United. The display of high-energy playmaking had Fábregas gliding past blue shirts, zipping in and out of space, and finding angles for passes that ensured Manuel Pellegrini's men were continually pinned back. In a hypnotic opening to the Champions League tieat the Etihad Stadium, Barça annexed City territory, with Fábregas orchestrating attack after attack that threatened to win the game before 30 minutes were played. With this pivotal performance Fábregas continued a season of redemption after last year's disappointing campaign. A summer of soul-searching followed that prompted serious debate over whether to leave his boyhood club for United, who, reading the runes, believed they had a genuine chance of landing him. The build-up to the Champions last-16 opening leg between the Catalan giants and the world's richest club barely mentioned Fábregas. The pre-match debate centred on just how good Lionel Messi remained, if Barcelona were a shadow of the great Pep Guardiola team, and how Pellegrini might set his XI up.Fábregas, who left Arsenal for Barça in summer 2011 for £35m, arrived in Manchester with the glow of a man who felt loved, at last. Before the meeting with City, he talked of his renaissance at Camp Nou. "I'm playing every week and I feel very important to the team. I'm very happy right now," he said. "This season I have felt more like myself, with more freedom and more secure with the way I like to play. It's not easy when you know you have to convince many fans how good you are and how good you can be for the team. "The manager has trusted me and given me what I needed. I'm probably going through my best spell here." Against City, Fábregas completed 98 of 106 passes, a 92.5% success rate. The heat map of the 86 minutes during which he decorated the contest offers a telling view of how he ran proceedings, his passes sprayed all over the Etihad turf in kaleidoscopic fashion. Gerardo Martino, the Barcelona coach, opted to leave out a forward, with Pedro on the bench. After the victory the Argentinian explained why an extra midfielder had been desired: "Obviously it was different. When we play with three strikers we are much faster and with one more midfielder we have more possession." For this strategy to work the hope was that his gun midfielders,Xavi and Fábregas would utilise their passing game in incisive fashionto ensure this was not a mere ball-hogging exercise. Possession should be used to launch the killer move that would yield a goal. The attack that turned the game – and tie – came due to the relentless pressure City were put under throughout. This dominance was led by Fábregas, who continually dropped back to take the ball and start the next Barça wave. On 53 minutes Iniesta flicked a slick pass into Messi and the sluggish Martín Demichelis lunged at his compatriot. Jonas Eriksson, the referee, adjudged the challenge a penalty and a sending-off offence. After Demichelis departed, Messi slotted the spot-kick and that was 1-0 with City down to 10 men for the closing 35 minutes.Last summer Moyes identified Fábregas as his prime target. Despite the £27m arrivals of Marouane Fellaini on 31 August and Juan Mata for a club record £37.1m in January, the 26-year-old remains the ideal buy for United, who still hanker for a central midfielder who can bully elite opposition. With Fábregas having struggled to establish himself in Guardiola's last season – the 2011-12 campaign – and last term under his successor, Tito Vilanova, he was conscious that he had arrived at a career crossroad. The word went from the Fábregas camp to United that he would seriously contemplate a move. to Old Trafford This drove the champions' ploy to make their interest public, as their information was that if Barcelona came under pressure from a serious suitor they would show how much they really valued Fábregas. It provoked Martino into telling the club website: "I would prefer him to stay with us and I dare say he will, but it's his decision. He is one of the best players in the squad. I think he will stay. But there's a part that he has to decide. Cesc will decide the situation, but it has not occurred to me that I won't be able to count on him." United's strategic gamble worked in drawing Barça out. But it backfired as Fábregas, when it came to it, decided he could not countenance leaving unless the club told him he was unwanted. If Moyes had upped United's offer to £40m this would have caused a serious test of the executive's resolve to keep Fábregas. Instead, Moyes turned his attention to Fellaini and United supporters still wonder how a faltering title defence that has left the club 11 points from a Champions League berth might have differed. Arsenal's £35m valuation of Fábregas now appears a bargain. This year there have been eight goals in 20 La Liga starts. Mesut Özil, who cost the Gunners £42.5m, has managed four in 21 Premier League starts. Fábregas was off the field – his work done – when Dani Alves scored the Barça second that makes them firm favourites to reach the quarter-finals on 12 March. Martino added: "I am happy with the result after the first 90 minutes, I say that because the game lasts 180 minutes. The second part we will try and play as if it is 0-0." Then, Fábregas hopes to shine and show why he is Xavi's heirthe natural heir to Xavi as the heartbeat of the four-times European champions. Cesc Fábregas Barcelona Manchester United Jamie Jackson theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

No More Page 3 campaigners sponsor another women's football team Posted: 19 Feb 2014 07:09 AM PST A second women's football team have accepted sponsorship from the No More Page 3 (NMP3) campaign. The senior players of Nottingham Forest Ladies are hoping to play in their new kit in three weeks' time. Club chair PJ Andrews said the NMP3 campaign - which is aimed at persuading The Sun to stop publishing daily pictures of topless women - "is an initiative fully embraced by our club members." Pointing out that more than 135,000 people have signed the group's petition (see here), she said "a fair few of our members are amongst them". In December, Cheltenham Town Ladies FC also accepted NMP3 sponsorship and their two teams have since been wearing shirts that bear the "No More Page 3" logo. An NMP3 spokeswoman said: "We are so excited to be sponsoring Nottingham Forest Ladies and nobody is more excited than our own Lisa Clarke who was born and bred in Nottingham and is a huge Nottingham Forest fan." She continued: "At NMP3 we are dedicated to seeing a more equal representation of women in the media. A big move towards that would be more coverage of women's sport as this currently only makes up 5% of the total sports coverage. "Women are making news in sport every week and we don't get to see it. How fabulous would it be if we stopped the sexual images of women in our papers that make girls feel that their role is only to decorate and instead inspired the next generation of young women to action by showcasing sportswomen?" Sources: NMP3/Notts Forest Ladies/#KitOn Page 3 The Sun National newspapers Newspapers Women's football Women Nottingham Nottingham Forest Roy Greenslade theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Spurs told to 'beware Konoplyanka' Posted: 19 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST • Ramos: winger will be difference in Europa League tie • Coach planning revenge after Spurs sacking in 2008 Dnipro have been given the go-ahead to face Tottenham this evening despite the volatile political situation in Ukraine, with Uefa giving the thumbs-up to play the tie in Dnipropetrovsk, 220 miles SE of the capital Kiev. The home side's manager Juande Ramos, moreover, expects Yevhen Konoplyanka to be at his best for his old club's visit after the Ukraine international's proposed January move to Liverpool fell through. The 24-year-old winger looked set for a move to the Premier League in the final days of the transfer window . But despite the Liverpool managing director, Ian Ayre, spending three days in Dnipropetrovsk, negotiations failed to bring the desired result and Konoplyanka remains a Dnipro player. "He had a very successful training camp in Spain and he trains a lot, follows all of the directions, tries his best, and I'm sure he will do his best in this competition, and in this round, and will help us succeed" Ramos said. Konoplyanka is also keen for the match with Tottenham not to become an audition for a summer move to the Premier League as he looks for Europa League success with Dnipro. "Everything that happened is in the past," he said. "There is a good saying 'everything is for the best' – all we have to do is concentrate on the game, that is all. It doesn't influence my game and if the coach finds it possible to put me in the team I will do all I can – all I have to think about is that game. It is a good chance for any player to play against a team like that. It is a better motivation for us to do our best." Dnipro (probable): Boyko; Fedetskly, Mandzyuk, Cheberyacko, Vlad; Rotan, Kankava; Polytillo, Gama, Konoplyanka; Zozulya. Tottenham (probable): Friedel; Walker, Dawson, Kaboul, Naughton; Bentaleb, Capoue; Townsend, Eriksen, Chadli; Soldado. Referee AM Lahoz (Sp) Tottenham Hotspur Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Europa League theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Valencia game in Kiev moved to Cyprus following unrest in Ukraine Posted: 19 Feb 2014 06:36 AM PST • Dynamo Kiev's Europa League tie moved on safety grounds • Tottenham's game against Dnipro to go ahead Uefa has moved the Europa League last-32 clash between Dynamo Kiev and Valencia to a neutral stadium because of the ongoing trouble in Ukraine, the Valencia president, Amadeo Salvo, has confirmed. While the kick-off time remains the same (1900 local time), the tie will take place at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus, Salvo announced on his club's official website. Uefa had been monitoring the situation in Ukraine before Thursday's match after almost three months of anti-government protests that have paralysed parts of the country's capital in a struggle over the identity of a nation divided in loyalties between Russia and the west. The violence has recently escalated, with Ukrainian authorities saying 25 people have died and more than 240 have been injured during clashes between police and anti-government protesters since Tuesday. The Dynamo Kiev president, Igor Surkis, had attempted to allay fears for those travelling with the Spanish club and offered an assurance that the Olimpiyskiy stadium was ready to host Thursday's match before Uefa made its decision. The Valencia squad were due to board a flight for Kiev on Wednesday afternoon but abandoned the trip after receiving confirmation from Uefa that the game has been relocated to Cyprus. "It was very difficult to play in Kiev," Salvo said. "They guaranteed our security but the situation is very unpredictable and cannot be controlled and the best thing is to play at a neutral venue. We are satisfied. Common sense and the cordial relations between all involved have prevailed." Tottenham's game against Dnipro, 220 miles from Kiev, will still go ahead. Many fans are travelling via Kiev for the match, and the club have advised supporters to avoid any protests during their journey. Valencia Dynamo Kyiv Tottenham Hotspur Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Europa League theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Next Goal Wins: watch the trailer for a documentary about the 'worst football team in the world' – video Posted: 19 Feb 2014 06:26 AM PST Watch the trailer for a documentary about American Samoa's football team, who have been labelled 'the worst team in the world'

Cesc Fábregas: José Mourinho should 'shut up' after blasting Barcelona Posted: 19 Feb 2014 04:46 AM PST • Barça answered critics with victory over Manchester City • Mourinho said Spanish club were 'worst team in many years' Cesc Fábregas has told José Mourinho to mind his own business after the Portuguese's claim that the current Barcelona team is the poorest of recent memory. The midfielder, who was pivotal in Tuesday evening's 2-0 defeat of Manchester City, believes Mourinho should concentrate on his own club. "He should talk about Chelsea and their tie [with Galatasaray]. I don't think he should talk about anything else. It is not his business," said Fábregas, who denied Mourinho's comments had driven Barça on. "If we have to get motivated by Mourinho's comments we shouldn't play football." City have to score three and concede no more than one in the return leg at Camp Nou on 12 March. Can they do it? "They have a chance, of course," said the midfielder. "They have confidence. You always have a chance until the referee says otherwise. It is 180 minutes, not 90. We have to play the same and we will go through." Regarding what had been the key to Barça's win, which came through goals from Lionel Messi and Dani Alves, Fábregas said: "It was about controlling the game. We know they are good on the counter and when they play offensive football they play it very well. They know what they have to do, we controlled them very well and we did not let their fans get behind their team. We minimised all their efforts. It was a very complete game. "When you have players like Leo, Xavi, Andres [Iniesta] – you can beat them but not if you can't take the ball away from them. We did that very well - we did not let City have the ball. If you do not have the ball, you can't create chances. We have to be very proud. "We knew [City] have scored a lot. I watch the Premier League every week and they have been very superior to all these sides when they have played [at home] – so it is normal everyone gets excited [over this win]. Especially in a nice competition like the Champions League. We knew what we had to do and did it very well." José Mourinho Cesc Fábregas Barcelona Manchester City Chelsea theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Michael Laudrup: Swansea City sacked me via email – video Posted: 19 Feb 2014 04:27 AM PST Michael Laudrup says Swansea City told him his contract had been terminated in an email – just hours after chairman Huw Jenkin assured him his position was secure

Chievo: Serie A alternative club guide Posted: 19 Feb 2014 04:14 AM PST In his latest Italian football guide, the Gentleman Ultra profiles Chievo's ground, fans and classic player Sergio Pellissier Stadium: Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, 1963, capacity 38,402 The StadioMarc'Antonio Bentegodi is one of Italy's iconic stadiums. Built in 1963 the venue's only fault is that it may be too big for Chievo and Hellas Verona, the teams it houses. The ground was renovated for the World Cup in 1990 and became a superb arena for football, with an extra tier, a new roof, better visibility and fantastic transport connections to and from the city of Verona. In 2000, work began on the bottom tier as new improvements were needed, but unfortunately these were never finished. In Italia 90 the stadium hosted games in Group E which contained Spain, South Korea, Uruguay and Belgium. The venue also hosted Yugoslavia's enthralling 2-1 victory over Spain in the second round. Historically the stadium was home solely to Hellas Verona, but after Chievo's promotion in 1986 the two clubs started to share the ground. Chievo's Ultras hold the Curva Sud Inferior and, despite being small in number compared to their city rivals, they are no less proud. The Ultras Key Ultra Groups: North Side 94 Other fan groups: Ultras Chievo, Cani Sciolti (Wild Dogs or Bad Boys), Chievo 1929, Gate 7, Mussi Volanti (Flying Donkeys), Gioventù Clivense (Chievo Youth), Gruppo Milano (Milan Group), La Fossa dei Pandorini (The Pandora's Den), Brulè Boys (Grill Boys), The Friends. "Come si scrive Ciampion Lig" ("How do you write Ciampion Lig") … certainly not like that. Of course it was tongue-in-cheek, an ironic gesture emphasising the Chievo fans' own incredulity at their team's success, success that saw them on course for a Champions League spot during their first ever season in Italy's top flight. In the end, it wasn't to be, with the Flying Donkeys finishing fifth in the 2001-02 season and outside of the Champions League spots. Just five years later, with a little help from the Calciopoli scandal that led to Juventus, Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio all being banned from Europe, spelling "Ciampion Lig" was the least of Chievo's worries; they were in it – well, at least the preliminary stage. It was an astounding achievement for a club whose existence was for so long peripheral, even non-existent in the eyes of their powerful overweening neighbours Hellas Verona. This was Chievo's time and their fans were keen to remind their city bedfellows. In a game against Livorno the Clivensi (Chievo supporters) produced a banner that read: "Chievo frazione di Verona, provincia d'Europa" ("Chievo district of Verona, province of Europe"). A club from a tiny suburb of Verona that is home to 3,000 inhabitants were competing in Europe's premier football competition. Their success became known as the "Chievo phenomenon" and how the Veronesi loathed it. Writing in the Guardian back in October 2001, Tim Parks, the author of A Season with Verona, gave his own account of the Chievo area "I'd lived in Verona more than 10 years before I stumbled across it, a miserable case of working-class suburb overflowing into declining semi-industrialised fenland". Parks conveys the haughtiness that every Verona loyalist expresses towards Chievo, both the place and the team. Chievo's nickname in Veneto dialect is "Ceo" which means kid. Their story is certainly a child's fairytale: the ugly duckling that blossomed and became a swan, flaunting its feathers among Calcio's elite. It is fanciful but not far from the truth. Chievo fans may be maligned by their city rivals for their miniscule fanbase and they are not renowned across Italy, but they have still played their part in Chievo's romance. Some regard Chievo's North Side as the "the only real group of Ultras". Apparently a few boys formed the group over a beer in 1994, in a bid to start a movement of ardent fandom that would help their cause of claiming the Curva Nord as their own domain. Normally residing in the Curva Sud inferiore of the Stadio Bentegodi, they move to the Curva Nord on derby days to accomodate the greater number of visiting Verona fans. In the early years, the group's symbol became the Looney Tunes character Marvin the Martian, who, as a member describes, "encapsulates Chievo and above all the North Side who were aliens in the world of professional football". When Chievo faced Napoli in 2000 an overly offensive banner abusing the visitors (the content of which remains elusive) led to five members of the North Side being expelled, creating profound divisions. New leadership re-asserted the group's basic ideals, including a non-violent, apolitical stance and a rejection of official twinnings and rivalries. These are not the usual Ultras and this episode best captures their idiosyncrasies. Later that year Chievo's promotion to Serie A saw the North Side flourish and the Flying Donkeys were followed more feverishly than ever before. As a result various sub-groups formed. These include Ultras Chievo (1999), who have now dissolved but were allegedly '"ess good-natured" than North Side, Chievo 1929 and Gate 7, who were formed as recently as 2013. Although the North Side Ultras profess to have no rivals, Chievo's prominence has seen Verona develop a new-found hatred for their once "fictitious" neighbours. The return of the Mastini to Serie A in 2013 saw the first Derby della Scala in over a decade. There were murmurings of trouble and stories than the Clivensi had thrown objects and sticks at the Verona team bus. But as many of the Veronesi will tell you, historically this is not the Veneto derby they get worked up about. The Veronesi never believed this rivalry would materialise, as demonstrated by the banner they unfurled during their 1995 derby in Serie B: "When donkeys fly we will play this derby in Serie A". Needless to say Chievo's success and Verona's struggles in the last decade have allowed the Clivensi to revel in a touch of schadenfreude. Having written about Catania's Ultras last week, the contrast is striking. If you were to juxtapose Chievo with the Sicilians, you would have to say they are the saints of the Ultra world. The Chievo story is unique and in a small way their fans have left an indelible mark on the pages of the club's history. Whether you call them magnanimous Ultras or just fans, the Clivensi offer a passionate and loyal support that follow and fly with their donkeys wherever they can. Classic player: Sergio Pellissier Chievo's rise to power was born with the new millennium. Unlike the great teams of the past, such as Genoa or Torino, or the more constant Juventus and Milan, their history is not as prominent. One man who has embodied this mesmeric, intriguing and unlikely journey is Sergio Pellissier. Over the past decade and a half he has created Chievo's history and more remarkably has helped them hold on to (or regain) their Serie A status. Starting his career in Turin in 1996, the rugged forward was loaned out to Varese for two seasons before eventually being sold to Chievo from Torino in 2000. After two more years on loan at SPAL, a club in northern Italy, he was back in Verona, this time ready to prove that he was worthy of his place. Pellissier has some pace and skill, but his main strengths are his persistence, his movement and his opportunism. He has scored some truly outstanding goals, but his bread and butter usually have the same familiar patterns. Perhaps one could describe him as an archetypal "Grande Bomber", who only need a moment to sum up a situation before heading or rocketing the ball past a despairing goalkeeper from inside the box. If you ever find yourself in the bizarre act of trawling through the archives of Chievo's best goals, you will find a very similar trait when it comes to Pellissier. The reoccurring theme is that he managed to hit almost everything that comes to him first time. His instinct is truly superb and he certainly can lay claim to being one of those rare breeds of strikers that simply wants to find the net. His goalscoring average is impressive, havinging managed to score on average 10 goals a season in a team that has rarely given him the best supply. Would he have done better for a larger club? Who knows, but his value for Chievo has been second to none. The Chievo captain is now 34 years of age and his appearances are not as frequent as they were. When looking back over time there is no doubt that his goals and drive have kept the team in the division. He may not have the universal appeal of Paolo Maldini or Javier Zanetti, but to fans of the Flying Donkeys he is just as important. When Calcio ruled the world, Pellissier was just getting started at Chievo. • This blog first appeared on The Gentleman Ultra • Follow Richard Hall on Twitter • Follow Guardian Football on Facebook Serie A Chievo Richard Hall theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Why are Manchester United offering Wayne Rooney a £70m contract? | Paul Wilson Posted: 19 Feb 2014 03:56 AM PST Potential five-year deal for 28 year old is odd for a club that prides itself on discovering and developing young talent Roy Hodgson says he would like Wayne Rooney to explode in the World Cup in Brazil. Based on tournament form in the last decade and a less than incendiary goalscoring record for Manchester United this season that seems little more than wishful thinking, though if Rooney's wallet makes the trip it could easily set off suspicious package alarms at the airport. For the benefit of anyone who has not yet heard, or simply finds this sort of news too distressing and prefers to go straight to the match reports and Winter Olympic coverage, United are proposing to pay Rooney £300,000 a week for the next five years, effectively binding him to the club for the rest of his career. While there are thought to be some other perks as well, notably the captaincy at some point in the future and a degree of consultation over transfer policy, the money is the eye-catching element of the deal. Eye-watering, some might call it, for a player who has twice threatened to leave the club, and at the start of the season was clearly interested in Chelsea. Given that United are in the middle, or perhaps the muddle, of the mother of all transitional seasons at the moment, it seems legitimate to wonder why they are doing this. Can retaining Rooney guarantee a Champions League finish this season, or offer any more than a vague hope of a return to the elite next time? On current form, the answer has to be no. Are Rooney's next (and possibly last) five years going to eclipse everything that has gone before, so that come 2019 his £70m contract will look like a bargain? Anything is possible, but you wouldn't risk too much of your own money betting on that outcome. Does Rooney have United over a barrel, so to speak, backed into a corner? Again, the answer is no. One can see why the club did not fancy selling him to a direct rival, and it is also true that to part company at this stage would involve a replacement being hired at not dissimilar expense, but this is Manchester United, for goodness sake. The walls of the club corridors and training ground drip with testaments to youth. The club prides itself on finding exciting young players and giving them a chance. Rooney is a prime example, or was. He is not ready for the scrap heap yet, he is a tremendous player and will remain so despite the vagaries of team performance and personal form, but such a lucrative five-year deal for a 28 year old suggests United are happy with the way they are playing and would like to keep it going as long as possible. And that simply cannot be the case. United are struggling, and Rooney is struggling with them. He is not standing out like a beacon of hope or offering a one-man rescue service, and neither is he getting on the end of all these crosses that David Moyes keeps talking about. It is a pity in some ways that United refused to countenance a move to Chelsea, because it would have been interesting to see how José Mourinho used him and whether a tactical tweak or a change of position could restore a cutting edge. Maybe that is what Moyes is afraid of. Looking at Rooney's stats – just one league goal since Christmas, only three all season against teams from the top half of the table – it is not immediately obvious why United needed to worry about the impact he might make at Chelsea, a fee of £30m or more would have gone a long way to help find a replacement, and moving out the old brigade when the conditions are ripe is a necessary concomitant of a self-replenishing youth policy. Instead United are in effect taking a £100m hit to keep Rooney, when they now have Juan Mata as well as Shinji Kagawa (not to mention Adnan Januzaj) to play in the same position. It is as if they are determined to prove not only that that money is available but that Rooney, like Moyes, is there for the long-haul whatever the difficulties being encountered at present. Supporters are supposed to be reassured by this commitment to stability, though even the most loyal can see that at best it is over-conservative and at worst simply irrational. Just as Moyes might not be the best idea for the next five years, neither is Rooney a certainty to return a dividend over that time period. Unless results improve dramatically it will look less like loyalty and more like rewarding failure. Already a sort of creeping paralysis appears to be overtaking United's transfer business, with a club formerly famous for bold and imaginative captures merely fitting in with the plans of Everton (Marouane Fellaini), Chelsea (Mata) and now Rooney and his advisers. Rooney is scarcely deserving of loyalty in any case, but let that pass. United seem to think he is the key to future success, possibly because his presence will retain lustre and help attract other top players to the club, though most outsiders will continue to base their judgment on performances. United's biggest fear at the moment should not be ending up in the Europa League, it should be what some of their opponents in that competition might do to them, with or without the highest paid individual in English football. No player, Sir Alex Ferguson used to say, can ever be bigger than the club. No individual can be more important than the manager. The manager must be in total control. No surprise then that Ferguson fell out with Rooney. For better or worse, Moyes seems to be doing things differently to his predecessor. Fair play to him, everyone at the outset said he needed to be his own man. You never know, a relaxed Rooney without a contract situation to worry about might be able to explode at the World Cup after all. But if he doesn't, if his contribution is just another exercise in damp squibbery along the lines of South Africa 2010 or Manchester United's season to date, Hodgson will probably not be alone in wondering whether Mourinho and Chelsea could have provided the blue touchpaper to relight a fire that of late has smouldered rather than scorched. United fans, meanwhile, have the best part of five years to work out how they are going to feel about Rooney toppling Sir Bobby Charlton's scoring records. Wayne Rooney Manchester United England Paul Wilson theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Manuel Pellegrini's full press transcript after Manchester City v Barcelona Posted: 19 Feb 2014 03:53 AM PST The full transcript of Manchester City manager's press conference after the Champions League game v Barcelona Was it a penalty and red card? "The referee decided the game. Before the penalty, it was a foul on Navas when he was three metres from the play so he could see it. From the beginning I felt the ref was not impartial to both teams. So he decided the game. And after it was not a penalty, it was outside the box. Playing 40 minutes with one player less is difficult against Barcelona but we played well with one player less and in the last minute they scored the second goal." Did you speak to ref? "Just to tell him he decided the game. I was not happy because he decided the game." Did you agonise over your team selection? "No, I always set to play in the way we played because it is important when you have two legs against Barcelona not to concede a goal at home. That is why it was a very close game, a very balanced game, Barcelona did not have any chances until the penalty against Demichelis. After trying to score with one player less was very difficult but we had two or three options to do it. One was with Dzeko but the referee said it was a foul." Did the referee favour Barça? "He did not have any control of the game. He favoured Barcelona from the beginning to the end. I think it was not a good idea to put a referee from Sweden in charge and a referee who made a mistake against Barcelona in the group stages." Did you think the Demichelis foul should have been a free kick outside the box? "The contact was outside the box, that was the contact. You cannot continue the foul, the first foul was outside the box. But more important we were building up, the important mistake is the foul against Navas, the second mistake was the penalty. But it was from the beginning. Barcelona did not have chances before the goal. It was a pity because that important action decided the game." What did you think of having a Swedish ref? "There is more important football in Europe than in Sweden. A big game with two important teams, that kind of game needs a referee with more experience. This referee whistled the Barcelona-Milan game in the group and he made an important error against Barcelona. Today he remedied it." First half, did you do what you wanted? "Yes, Barça had a lot of the ball but they had it where we wanted. They were not near our area so they did create our area. The referee from the beginning did not give a good impression. There was a penalty, we had one player less but the team played with courage." Was the referee compensating for his mistake against Barça in the Milan match? "Yes" Manuel Pellegrini Manchester City Barcelona Champions League theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Arsenal v Bayern Munich: live Champions League webchat Posted: 19 Feb 2014 03:45 AM PST Raphael Honigstein was online to answer your questions about the Champions League last-16 tie Raphael Honigstein

Manchester City 0-2 Barcelona: what the Spanish papers said Posted: 19 Feb 2014 03:24 AM PST • 'This was a monologue, with Barça doing all the talking' • El Mundo advises Manuel Pellegrini to listen to Oasis lyrics The Spanish press heralded Barcelona's 2-0 victory away at Manchester City as a watershed moment for their manager, Gerardo Martino, describing the Argentine's win as a "smash hit" to "silence his critics". "This was a monologue, with Barcelona doing all the talking", wrote Santi Giménez from AS. "Martino needed a game on his Barcelona curriculum he could boast about, a game he could point to and silence his critics. Now he has one. Every coach has a game that defines his career. The Argentinian turned up in Manchester with a fine musical repertoire, but still hadn't produced a smash hit. On Tuesday night, he topped the charts." El Mundo were more colourful in their description of Barcelona's win, telling their readers that Man City had been "sent to the cemetery", while advising Pellegrini he might learn a thing or two from some Oasis lyrics: "Maybe we should ask City's most famous aficionado, Liam Gallagher, if Pellegrini is a worthy recipient of their very own Some Might Say lyrics: "Some might say they don't believe in heaven/go and tell it to the man who lives in hell." Marca praised Martín Demichelis's first-half performance as "a masterclass in defending at the centre-back position, evidenced by the relatively anonymous first-half from his countryman, [Lionel] Messi and the rest of the Barcelona strike force." Perhaps a little less surprising was their description of Demichelis's second-half red card and subsequent Messi penalty as the match's 'turning point', although they did question whether the initial foul by the City defender started outside the box. Marca analyst and former international referee Andujar Oliver cast his eye over a couple of the game's other contentious decisions, ruling that the officials should have allowed Barcelona's disallowed goal, scored by Piqué, but that the referee was right not to be penalise Gaël Clichy for handball inside City's penalty box in the first half. AS also ran with Neymar's quotes about how Manchester City were "still a long way behind Barcelona". The Brazilian forward came on as a substitute to set up Dani Alves's second goal and looked back to his best after returning from an ankle injury. "I have read the things about Manchester City beating Barcelona because of the amount of goals they are scoring in England. They do have very good players – but we have much more experience in the competition." Responding to Manuel Pellegrini's complaints that the referee, Jonas Eriksson, was 'not impartial', Alves said "people always talk about the referee when Barça win, it's their way of trying to take credit away from us." Champions League Manchester City Barcelona Michael Butler theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Celebrity disaster relief - what not to do Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:50 AM PST When Downton Abbey's Lady Cora went to Sierra Leone, it turned into a PR disaster. Here's some advice to charities

Manchester City 0-2 Barcelona: Manuel Pellegrini furious at referee – video Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:37 AM PST Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini accuses referee Jonas Eriksson of being biased towards Barcelona in his sending off of Martín Demichelis

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