Pro Eleven Headline News
Milan prioritise UEFA Cup despite disinterest elsewhere
UEFA Cup favourites AC Milan will hope to put off-field distractions to one side when they face Werder Bremen in the competition's round of 32 on Thursday.
The Rossoneri conceded a late goal by Brazilian playmaker Diego to draw 1-1 in the first leg in Germany last week, while speculation continues to mount over the future of on-loan midfielder David Beckham, who is desperate to prolong his loan from LA Galaxy beyond its current March 9 finish date.
The seven-time European champions have also been forced to quash rumours claiming the Abu Dhabi United Group, owners of Manchester City, are poised to buy a 40 per cent stake in the club.
Brazilian forwards Kaka and Alexandre Pato both missed Milan's 1-0 win over Cagliari on Sunday through injury and Andrea Pirlo says he is hopeful they will regain fitness for the visit of Thomas Schaap's side.
"Werder are a physical team, but they're a bit slow at the back and players like Kaka and Pato could really help us," the Italian midfielder said.
Aston Villa coach Martin O'Neill has made it plain that the UEFA Cup does not feature highly on his list of priorities by omitting eight first-team players from his squad for the trip to CSKA Moscow.
Villa are embroiled in a domestic tussle for Champions League qualification and a 1-0 defeat at home to Chelsea at the weekend saw them slip from third to fourth in the Premier League table.
O'Neill's side drew 1-1 against CSKA in the first leg of the tie in Birmingham, and the Northern Irishman felt that match was the reason for his players' sluggishness against Chelsea.
"We don't really have the size of squad that Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal can call on. That's not being defeatist - that's just being realistic," he said.
"None of the players mentioned the first leg against CSKA Moscow as an excuse for the Chelsea defeat at the weekend - but I will."
Fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham are another club struggling to compete on multiple fronts, with manager Harry Redknapp fielding a line-up containing several unfamiliar faces in their 2-0 first-leg defeat at Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk.
Despite having to win the second leg by at least two goals to stand any chance of progressing, Redknapp - whose side face Manchester United in the final of the League Cup on Sunday - has vowed to rotate his squad again.
"If someone can tell me how to find a team the Thursday before a cup final then I'd like to know. It's a crazy schedule, six games in 17 days and all big games," he said.
Mega-bucks Manchester City welcome Danish underdogs FC Copenhagen to the City of Manchester stadium after being held to a 2-2 draw in the first leg, and upsets are on the cards right across the draw on Thursday night.
Udinese host Polish league leaders Lech Poznan with the aggregate score 2-2 after the first leg, while fellow Italians Sampdoria take a 1-0 deficit to Ukrainians Metalist Kharkiv.
Dutch giants Ajax put a miserable domestic campaign behind them to win 1-0 in the first leg of their tie at Champions League-chasing Fiorentina, while FC Twente also lead 1-0 going into the home leg of their tie with French title hopefuls Marseille.
Elsewhere, Spanish high-fliers Valencia host Dynamo Kiev after being held to a 1-1 draw in Ukraine in the first leg, while defending champions Zenit St Petersburg have a 2-1 advantage to protect when they travel to Germany to face Stuttgart. Hindustan Times
Inter Fans Want Atletico Madrid Star Sergio Aguero
FcInterNews.it asked Inter supporters to choose between five different striking options plus the possibility of not overhauling their front line at all next summer.
Atletico Madrid and Argentina ace Sergio Aguero crushed his rivals and won the majority of the votes (44.71 per cent).
Meanwhile, a trio of names were separated by very little. Genoa goal machine Diego Milito came in second (15.55 per cent), just ahead of Barcelona hitman Samuel Eto’o (14.69 per cent) and Cagliari centre forward Robert Acquafresca (14.47 per cent), who is already owned by the Beneamata.
There have been rumours that Jose Mourinho has set his heart on a summer move for Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, however, the Ivory Coast international seems to hold little appeal for the supporters (5.40 per cent).
The remainder are content with their current crop of forwards and believe that president Massimo Moratti’s funds should be invested in other areas of the pitch. Goal
Schumi helps to buy Poldi back from Bayern
Seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher has paid 875 euros towards the 10 million euros (12.7 million US dollars) transfer deal to bring Germany striker Lukas Podolski from Bayern Munich back to Cologne.
Podolski, 23, will return to Cologne from defending Bundesliga champions Bayern this summer and football-fan Schumacher was just one of the hundreds of fans who have dipped into their own pocket to help the club finance the deal.
Schumacher, who retired from Formula One in 2006, paid nearly 900 euros to help his friend fulfill his dream of returning to Bundesliga side Cologne after three unhappy years in Munich.
On the club's internet site, www.pixel.fc-koeln.de, fans can pay 25 euros for a pixel of a picture of Podolski and if all 40,000 pixels are sold, the club will make a million euros.
So far the website has raised 96,000 euros towards the transfer, including the money from Schumacher.
"Well, boy, you have followed your heart and that is always good," wrote Schumacher to Podolski on the website.
"Genuine team spirit can be replaced by nothing and I am speaking from experience.
"My team has always been the most important to me.
"Now you can show all the fans what the club means to you.
"I keep my fingers crossed for you."
The club's marketing manager Lars Nierfeld told German tabloid Bild Schumacher had wanted to help the cause earlier, but his recent motorcycle accident in Spain meant he has only acted now. AFP
