Pro Eleven Headline News
Hiddink takes charge at Chelsea
English Premier League side Chelsea confirmed Thursday that Guus Hiddink will take charge until the end of the season following the shock dismissal of Luis Felipe Scolari.
The veteran Dutchman currently coaches the Russian national team, which he led to the semifinals of last year's European Championship.
Chelsea said it thanked the Russian Football Union for its "understanding and cooperation."
Russia have two World Cup qualifiers between now and the end of the Premier League season -- Azerbaijan at home at the end of March and Liechtenstein away on April 1 -- and Hiddink will be at the helm.
Hiddink has previous experience of managing a club and country at the same time, successfully combining roles at PSV Eindhoven and Australia.
He is expected to arrive in London on Thursday and adopt a watching brief at Chelsea's FA Cup fifth round tie at Watford on Saturday when stand-in Ray Wilkins would take charge.
The west London club's next Premier League outing is on February 21 against Aston Villa who are currently third in the table, one place above Chelsea.
Chelsea then face a last-16 Champions League clash against Juventus who are coached by former Stamford Bridge supremo Claudio Ranieri.
Hiddink is currently in Turkey at a training camp with the Russian national side and says he accepted the dual role out of respect for billionaire Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
"Abramovich does so much for Russian football that I wanted to do something back," Hiddink told Dutch radio.
There is already speculation a successful climax to the season could see Chelsea try to tempt him to take a permanent appointment although Hiddink appears committed to leading Russia to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
International captain Sergey Semak is confident that will still be the case, telling TV station Russia Today: "He's taking extra responsibility on himself, but I don't think it will affect the Russian team."
Scolari went on Monday after a string of indifferent results which have left Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League, but in the last 16 of the Champions League and fifth round of the FA Cup.
"Unfortunately the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season," said a statement on the club's official Web site.
"In order to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for we felt the only option was to make the change now." CNN International
Santander Bank Ready To Help Real Madrid Buy Cristiano Ronaldo
It does sound like a movie but it is anything but fantasy as the rumours surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Real Madrid takes another new twist.
It has been reported that Banco Santander, the largest bank in the Euro region who are also the main corporate sponsors for the McLaren-Mercedes F1 team and the Copa Libertadores, have approved of Madrid’s application for a massive loan.
According to an informer, Jose Ramon de la Morena, who spoke to Cadena SER radio programme, ‘El Larguero’, the Santander-based group have already granted Los Blancos a whopping €70 million credit to assist them in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United this coming June.
It does not mean, however, that that amount is the set price-tag for the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, but it is the maximum credit limit for Madrid, as the club cannot exceed 20 per cent of their budget expenses.
The ‘White House’ are expected to have enough in their own pockets to cover the rest of the transfer fee, which will more likely than hit close to the €100 million mark.
And according to Spanish sports daily, AS, United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, will have to release the Portuguese this time around if a fee can be reached between the two clubs and if the player himself decides to leave.
Ronaldo had made Ferguson sign a written agreement during their meeting in Lisbon last August and it stipulates that the winger will be allowed to leave in June 2009 should the opportunity arise.
But the Madrid-based paper also believes that the Red Devils have included a confidentiality clause in the pact, whereby the agreement can be unilaterally broken if the details are leaked to the press and it harms the Old Trafford club.
Los Blancos’ current interim chief, Vicente Boluda, will hand all relevant information, from the credit concession from Santander to the written agreement with Ronaldo, to the candidate to be elected as Madrid’s next president. Goal
Messi steals show as Argentina beat France
Diego Maradona milked the adulation of the home fans beforehand but it was Lionel Messi who stole the show, capping a virtuoso performance with a goal as Argentina beat France 2-0 at Marseille's Stade Velodrome on Wednesday.
Having reminisced earlier in the week about how he almost joined Marseille from Napoli in 1989, Maradona was given a rapturous reception from the French fans, who were far less cordial towards their own handler Raymond Domenech, architect of their first-round exit at Euro 2008.
And the majority of the sellout 60,000 crowd will have recognised that the French were deservedly beaten as the 'albiceleste' won with an opener four minutes before half-time from Jonas Gutierrez and then a Messi special eight minutes before the end.
"My lads played really well," Maradona told French television as he commiserated with Domenech.
"I am really happy with their performance.
"The record is now very positive," he beamed, having seen off Scotland in his debut as coach in November.
"I think this group are (playing) at a very high level. After 20 minutes they found their feet, getting a good grip on possession which enabled us to develop our game."
Domenech, told TF1 television that the French would learn from their experience.
"It was a good match. The players will have picked up some experience and that's what counts for us along with qualification for the World Cup.
"We lacked a little conviction and effectiveness up front but I think this team has a fine future ahead of it," Domenech insisted, while noting the need to "iron out a few imperfections."
Despite the presence of Messi, who Maradona rates as the best player in the world, it was France who began brightly, his Barcelona colleague Thierry Henry firing high over the bar after Nicolas Anelka had failed to connect properly with a teasing Franck Ribery cross in the tenth minute.
At the other end Messi showed his dribbling abilities with a mazy burst into the box - but William Gallas got back in the nick of time to block his low effort.
Les Bleus were still in the early ascendancy as Argentine shot-stopper Juan Pablo Carrizo rushed out smartly to close down the advancing Anelka before parrying a Henry snapshot on the half-hour. He then smothered a half-hit shot on the turn from the industrious Ribery.
Messi tried to lift the South Americans with another probing run which ended with Gallas dragging him down to earn a caution.
The French had had the lion's share of the chances but Gutierrez broke the deadlock four minutes before the interval, sweeping in right-footed through the hands of Steve Mandanda for his eighth international goal in 25 appearances.
Marseille keeper Mandanda was more alert moments later when he held a Javier Zanetti drive to keep the deficit at just one goal.
The pace of the match dropped markedly after the break but Philippe Mexes might easily have levelled as he headed over Ribery's corner six minutes after the restart.
Messi and attacking partner Sergio Aguero were still giving cause for occasional palpitations in the French backline while Ribery was still harrying the visiting defence - Maxi Rodriguez earning a yellow card for trying to curb the Bayern Munich star's enthusiasm with a crunching tackle.
Defender Bacary Sagna did his best to galvanise a French revival with a fine run midway through the second period but neither Anelka nor Henry were able to get on the end of his cross from the right as the Arsenal ppast-and-present move fizzled out.
Domenech withdrew the disappointing Anelka at that point, sending on Lyon starlet Karim Benzema while Maradona also switched things around, sending on debutant Marcos Alberto Angeleri for Rodriguez and Carlos Tevez for Aguero, the 1986 world champion embracing both of the men he had taken off.
The move immediately paid dividends as Messi latched onto a Tevez flick, then stepped on the accelerator to smash a meaty drive past the despairing Mandanda. AFP
Villa helps in 2-0 win over England
Goals from David Villa and Fernando Llorente gave Spain a 2-0 win over England in a friendly on Wednesday as substitute David Beckham equalled Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an England outfield player.
The match against the European Champions in Seville was a chance for England coach Fabio Capello to assess how far his side has advanced and the midfield did a good job of closing down Xavi and Andres Iniesta in the opening half hour.
However, a careless pass by defender Phil Jagielka let Spain in to score the opener on 36 minutes.
Xabi Alonso picked up the loose ball and fired it to Villa who jinked his way past several England defenders and sent a low shot past David James, the sixth match in a row the Valencia striker has been on target for his country.
Beckham equalled the record of 1966 World Cup winning captain Moore when he came on at halftime at the Sanchez Pizjuan, one of five changes made by Fabio Capello at the break.
The home side continued to dominate a toothless England and substitute Llorente doubled their lead when he outjumped the English defenders to nod past Robert Green with just under 10 minutes remaining.
Spain, ranked number one in the world by FIFA, are now unbeaten in 29 matches stretching back to a 1-0 defeat against Romania in Cadiz in November 2006 and Capello was full of praise for their performance.
"This is a team that knows how to play the ball around and at the right moment, when you make a mistake, they kill you," the former Real Madrid coach said at a news conference.
"They still have the same players and are playing in the same style as when they won the European Championships and they are obviously feeling in great shape on the pitch."
England were without several regulars, including injured midfielders Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and they hardly threatened the Spain goal.
A long-range effort from Shaun Wright-Phillips and a Carlton Cole shot cleared off the line were the only real chances in the second period.
Gabriel Agbonlahor had a decent opening early in the first half but sent his volley just wide while Emile Heskey laboured up front to little effect before being replaced at the break by Peter Crouch.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said he was happy with the team's long unbeaten run but his priority was the World Cup qualifier against Turkey on March 28 in Madrid.
Spain and England both top their qualifying groups for the tournament in South Africa with four wins out of four and England's next match is against Ukraine at Wembley on April 1.
"For the first few minutes we were a little bit lost but we gradually became better and better," Del Bosque said of his side's showing on Wednesday.
"It's not only the quality of the way we play that's the key but it's also the spirit in the squad." Reuters
