Sunday, May 27, 2012
Is Facebook going to buy Opera, make its own browser?
Motorsport: Webber wins Monaco GP
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Motorsport: Changes for Indy 500
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At Eurovision, A Dance Around Human Rights
Spain's Del Bosque opts for Negredo ahead of Soldado
Fit-again Afellay makes final Dutch cut
Levein laments Scotland's lack of focus
Spain's Iraola 'set to miss Euro 2012'
Bulgaria send Dutch crashing to another defeat
Trapattoni stresses ability to adapt
Czech coach Bilek extends contract to 2014
Clarke focused only on celebrating
Beefed-up Poles edge Slovakia in Euro warm-up
Hodgson happy with England progress
Young: England on right track
Barry to have scan on Monday
Hodgson off to winning start
Hulk stars as Brazil down Danes
Keane urges calm ahead of Euros
SuperSport outplay 10-man Sundowns to win Cup
Green claims deal with HMRC
Military Children Act Out: Performing 'Deployment'
Reporting The American Dream
Is Latest Attack In Syria A Game Changer?
Under Summer Sun, Presidential Race Heats Up
N.C.'s New Gay Marriage Ban Leaves Some In Limbo
Women Push Their Limits In Pro Cycling Race
The State Of The Church
A Moment That Forever Changed A Soldier's Outlook
Musings On The NBA Draft Lottery
Euro 2012: Fernando Torres and Pedro in Spain's 23-man squad
• Torres one of three English-based players selected
• Barça pair Pedro and Fábregas also in squad
Fernando Torres is one of three English-based players to have been included in Spain's 23-man squad for the European Championships.
The Chelsea striker takes his place alongside Liverpool's Pepe Reina and Manchester City's David Silva in Vicente del Bosque's squad.
There was also a place for Pedro, the Barcelona forward who scored twice in his side's Copa del Rey win over Athletic Bilbao on Friday.
Sevilla's Alvaro Negredo was also selected among coach Del Bosque's strikers, meaning there was no place for Roberto Soldado or Adrian López, despite the latter's goalscoring debut against Serbia on Saturday.
Atlético Madrid's Juanfran is included thanks in part to an injury suffered by Andoni Iraola in the cup final.
Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fábregas also made the final squad it despite being ruled out for up to 10 days with a hamstring strain.
Squad: Casillas (Real Madrid), Valdes (Barcelona), Reina (Liverpool); Alba (Valencia), Albiol, Arbeloa, Ramos (all Real Madrid), Juanfran (Atlético Madrid), Pique (Barcelona), Marténez (Athletic Bilbao); Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Busquets, Fábregas (all Barcelona), Alonso (Real Madrid), Silva (Manchester City), Cazorla (Villarreal), Navas (Sevilla), Mata (Chelsea); Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Torres (Chelsea), Negredo (Sevilla), Pedro (Barcelona). Read More [category Sport][tags Spain, Fernando Torres, Euro 2012, Euro 2012 Group C, European football, Football]
MartÃnez set to announce future
• Wigan Athletic manager has held talks with Liverpool
• Steven Gerrard pledges support to 38-year-old
Liverpool's hunt for a new manager could be over after it emerged that Roberto Martínez was set to announce his future plans on Tuesday.
Wigan will hold a press conference this week in which Martínez is expected to announce whether or not he will stay at the club.
The 38-year-old met Liverpool's owners in Miami on Thursday to discuss the managerial vacancy and was not put off by the huge challenge that would face any new manager.
However, it is understood Martínez has not made up his mind completely whether to accept that challenge and has given himself until Tuesday to do so.
The Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan claimed on Friday the Spaniard had received an offer from Liverpool's principal owner John Henry after their meeting in Miami on Thursday.
Doubts emerged over Whelan's interpretation of the situation, with Liverpool refusing to comment amid the general belief no formal offer had been made.
Martínez's appointment would doubtless divide opinion among Liverpool supporters, some of whom may have been expecting a bigger name to be recruited to replace the sacked Kenny Dalglish.
But the captain Steven Gerrard, on England duty, has already pledged his full support to Martínez should he get the job.
"We'll have to wait and see," said the midfielder. "I'm aware Roberto Martínez has been talking to the club but all I've heard about him is positive. If he is going to be the manager, he's got my full support."
Throughout the process, Whelan has insisted it was not a foregone conclusion he would lose his manager to the club's north west rivals, claiming there were still some issues – mainly surrounding working under a technical director – to be overcome before Martínez would even be in a position to accept.
"He went to Miami and had a very constructive meeting with the owner of Liverpool," the Wigan chairman told Sky Sports News.
"They're going to talk again on Tuesday. They've made Roberto an offer and he has agreed to consider it.
"He's said, 'What are my responsibilities?' These are American owners and the rules and regulations are a bit different from what we English set down.
"Roberto is a seven-days-a-week, 12-hours-a-day worker and I don't know whether they realise how hard he works.
"He has rules and regulations to be fully in charge of football and I know he won't move anywhere unless he is fully in charge of the football.
"I think he'll give it fair consideration. Hopefully, he stays with us but, wherever he goes, he's 100% dedicated to that football club." Read More [category Sport][tags Roberto Martínez, Football, Wigan Athletic, Liverpool, Sport]
Europe debt crisis and jobs numbers to drive stocks
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No Blues news for Di Matteo - Newton
After A Year In Afghanistan, Memories That Stick
Hard Lessons Follow Rocky Start For Chicago Teacher
75 Years Later: Building The Golden Gate Bridge
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Takes Combative Turn
Help Wanted. But Not For Mid-Level Jobs
Long hopes Ireland can get on a roll
We will get better - Gerrard
Room for more, says Ramsey
Manager hunt could be over for Liverpool
Scotland thrashed by United States
Grayson 'could not watch' penalties
NATO Airstrike Reportedly Kills Afghan Family
Lady Gaga cancels Indonesia concert
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Rebel Syrian army calls for retaliation
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Saturday, May 26, 2012
Japan: Americans held in Irish student's death
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China: Official confesses to raping 10 girls
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'Brutal' And 'Appalling': Attack On Syrian City Of Houla Kills 32 Children
Euro rehearsal for Carroll
Gerrard happy to lead at last
Last chance to impress for Euro 2012 hopefuls
Barca give Guardiola perfect Cup send off
Administrators face battle over Rangers
Barton future to be decided in weeks
Friday, May 25, 2012
DNA solves Argentina mystery
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China hits back on U.S. human rights
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HP's core webOS Enyo team is going to Google
ZTE Launches Android Smartphones Featuring 3D Homescreen by Rightware Kanzi UI Solution
Google's Astonishing Android About-Face
Stagecoach trials contactless bus ticketing with Orange
PayPal Taps ShopKeep POS for In-Store Payments
Google 7-inch tablet PC to ship in June with initial volume of 600,000 units
Nokia launching Lumia 610 in June
Samsung launches pop-up events to promote Galaxy S III
Western Europe market bounces back to growth with Samsung on top
VIDEO: Ratings aim 'to improve NHS care'
VIDEO: ECB scoops prize for work on helmet safety
VIDEO: On board London's air ambulance
'I get weird, painful swellings'
Euro 2012: Blow for France as injured Loïc Rémy ruled out of finals
• Thigh problem fails to heal in time for Marseille striker
• Laurent Blanc to name final 23-man squad on Tuesday
France have been dealt a blow a little over two weeks before facing England in their opening game of Euro 2012 with the news that the striker Loïc Rémy has been ruled out of the tournament.
The French Soccer Federation (FSF) confirmed on Friday that the Marseille striker, who had been included in Laurent Blanc's provisional 26-man squad for the finals in Poland and Ukraine, has not responded to treatment for a thigh problem.
Rémy had been a doubt after picking up an adductor muscle injury in Marseille's 3-0 win at Auxerre earlier this month and the federation confirmed on their website: "Loïc Rémy is out of Euro 2012. He hasn't fully recovered from his injury."
Rémy, who has won 17 caps and scored four goals for his country, took part in seven of France's 10 qualifying matches.
The 25-year-old has attracted attention from several Premier League clubs in recent transfer windows, with Tottenham Hotspur among those interested if they cannot complete a permanent deal for the on-loan Emmanuel Adebayor.
France play the first of three pre-tournament friendlies against Iceland in Valenciennes on Saturday, with Blanc set to announce his final 23-man squad on Tuesday. Read More [category Sport][tags France, Euro 2012 Group D, Euro 2012, European football, Football, Sport]
Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao – as it happened | Jacob Steinberg
Barcelona won the Copa del Rey in brilliant fashion in Pep Guardiola's final game in charge
Evening. Geoff Shreeves might already have been round to let you know, but unfortunately all good things, even this minute-by-minute, must come to and end at some point. Take that life-affirming television series which you've become thrillingly addicted to, thereby allowing you to ignore, y'know, life and people. Ah, what a rush when you hear that thud on the floor that heralds the arrival of the first series of One Tree Hill on DVD. Yet even as you lock yourself away for the final six months of your degree in order to watch The Sopranos in its entirety, there's that nagging feeling. It'll be finished soon. And then what? Then it's back to a life of crippling loneliness, quiet despair and #hashtags. Sure, something else will come along soon enough, and maybe 90210 really is the new Wire. But the moment those credits roll for the last time, there's nothing. Unless you count Two and a Half Men.
So the moral of the story is to make the very most of a good thing while it lasts. Tonight is the last time we will see Pep Guardiola in the Barcelona dug-out before he hands over the torch to Tito Vilanova, assuming he doesn't make a return in the future, and tomorrow is a world I don't want to live in. His departure has been on the cards for a long time, the pressure of managing at the Nou Camp proving so asphyxiating that he felt he could no longer continue in the job. Even so, even though it may be for the best, the reality of it remains inescapably sad. It's the end of an era. The Pep Era. For the last four years, Guardiola's Barcelona have arguably been the greatest side in the history of the sport, a side whose dazzling football lifts the spirits and puts a spring in your step. Now it's over. Too gushing? Too melodramatic? Unashamedly so. It's just that they've been so bloody brilliant. Not that it has to signal the end of this side. Barcelona aren't about to fold as a club just because Guardiola's off, and even Jose Mourinho won't be too smug when he looks through the squad and sees the names of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and the rest.
For Guardiola, this can be a bittersweet ending, a chance to end his reign in the manner that has defined it: with a trophy. If Barcelona win the Copa del Rey tonight, it won't just mean they have won four trophies out of six this season, it will mean they have won 14 trophies in four years under Guardiola. There's a pleasing symmetry to tonight's final as well, for Athletic Bilbao were the opposition in Guardiola's final in 2009, again in the Copa del Rey. Barcelona fell behind, but eventually came back to win 4-1. This has been far from their finest season and mistakes have been made – the lack of defensive cover, the short squad, the tinkering, the fatal dalliance with 3-4-3 – but four trophies out of six wouldn't be that bad.
To reach that target though, they'll have to be at their best against Marcelo Bielsa's Athletic Bilbao. Guardiola's mentor has created a whirling dervish of a team that has captured Europe's imagination this season, and while they were disappointing in the Europa League final against Atletico Madrid, there's still every chance their crazy season can end on a high. There is so much to admire about this team; take your pick from the classy Javier Martinez, the marauding Andoni Iraola, the waspish Iker Muniain and the deadly Fernando Llorente. Let's hope this is a side that stays together and isn't ripped apart in the summer, because they could yet turn out to be something rather special.
This promises to be a cracker tonight. The 2-2 draw between these two sides in November was one of the games of the season. Classic please!
Kick-off is at: 9pm.
I'm not saying I'm a shambles, but I just tried to walk down the up escalator. I am a shambles. Rest assured, this MBM will run entirely smoothly however xl;dsfmfrwfm wrefvgrwdelgvrdwxzk:GVRGBVf,sdmbv "RWFMb:"TEFMnbgletv.c x.vefas'"GP:rw4eP{Gl/,rf bv/,.dfm,b;'etfm,pbh\rwf;g,fD>?Vv, >?DFVc, bg;\ref,gb;,, ,!!!!
Team news. It's tiki v taka.
Barcelona: Pinto; Montoya, Pique, Mascherano, Adriano; Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Alexis. Subs: Valdes, Bartra, Thiago, Keita, Afellay, Fabregas, Tello.
Athletic Bilbao: Iraizoz; Iraola, Ekiza, Amorebieta, Aurtenetxe; Martinez, De Marcos; Muniain, Susaeta, Ibai; Llorente. Subs: Raul, Toquero, San Jose, Gabilondo, Inigo Perez, Gurpegi, Ander Herrera.
Rafa Benitez is in the Sky studio. #talktorafa, Scott Minto. Talk. To. Rafa.
Before the match starts, you could do worse than having a read of Sid Lowe's preview.
An email! "Have barca given an explanation for Pinto starting ahead of Valdes in the cup final?" asks Vaughan Forsyth. "Seems like a great way to farewell your manager by shipping lots of goals." Pinto always plays in the cup. Nothing untoward here.
Here come the teams, led out by the officials. The two sides walk past the trophy; the music they're walking out to makes it sound like they're about to compete in a jousting tournament.
The King of Spain is not here tonight. He's ill. Prince Felipe will have to do. WHERE'S PIPPA?
Peep! Still no sign of Pippa, so off we go, Barcelona getting us underway and kicking from left to right. The atmosphere is quite something, but this would have taken the roof off. Messi finds a ludicrous amount of time and space on the right flank, cuts inside and then shapes one towards the bottom-left corner with his left foot from the edge of the area. His trademark shot. Iraizoz is beaten, but the ball drops this far wide. What a start! More please! "Here's hoping tonights match provides us with a fitting ending to Guardiola's reign at Barca," says Simon McMahon. "It's at times like these that I'm reminded of Danny Zuko's words at the end of Grease - "maybe this isn't the end, just the beginning?". A wop bop a lula, a wop bam boo!"
GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Athletic Bilbao (Pedro, 3 min): This has been one-way traffic from the off, and Barcelona have a deserved opener. Bilbao can't live with them at all. They won a corner on the right when Pedro's shot from eight yards out was desperately deflected wide, with Bilbao all over the place again, Adriano romping clear down the left and setting up the chance. Xavi took the corner from the right and more hapless defending saw the ball fall to Pedro's feet 12 yards from goal, and this time he hammered it low past the helpless Iraizoz. Wake up Athletic, there's a final going on around you.
4 min: This could be brilliant. Alternatively, if it continues in this manner, Barcelona could absolutely stuff Athletic Bilbao.
5 min: Athletic never turned up in the Europa League final. It would be a terrible shame if they freeze in another final again. They've barely had a sniff of the ball yet and already trail.
6 min: Athletic faff around with the thing on the edge of their own area. That spells trouble. Immediately three Barcelona players swarm all over Martinez, but when the ball squirts to Pedro he can't get enough purchase on his shot and it rolls harmlessly through to Iraizoz.
8 min: The first real threat from Athletic, and it came from a moment of route one. Who do they think they are, West Ham? Llorente took a long pass down on his chest and turned away from Mascherano expertly. He could have played a simple pass to Muniain on the right, but instead tried a more difficult pass inside Adriano. Muniain hadn't read his intentions and the move came to nothing.
10 min: I know it's a Friday night, but emails please! You can't all be watching Piers Morgan's Life Stories.
12 min: Messi charges at the Athletic defence again, engaging two defenders in the process. He drops a shoulder and shifts the ball to the left, but Ekiza denies him.
15 min: From the left, Iniesta dinks a delightful pass over the top of the Athletic defence for Alexis Sanchez, who can't quite control it with his chest.
16 min: This is as one-sided a match as you could wish to see. They can't contain Messi at all. Again he cuts in from the right and looks to bend one into the top corner, only for Iraizoz to claw it away for a corner. That was a superlative effort, but an equally superlative save. Barcelona could already be three or four up.
17 min: "What does Guardiola's departure mean for Pedro?" says Achuth Vasudevan. "Does he have a future? Never convinced me, the bloke. Would he cut it on a wet, rainy Tuesday night in ..... You know the rest. Or any other club really?" Really? Pedro? He's a wonderfully player and very underrated.
18 min: Xavi has a dig from 30 yards out, but it's a few yards over the bar. "Well, it IS towel day you know," says Mister Justin, of my email request. "Which team is exhibiting/using/waving the most towels? They're the true winners..." You'll have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel.
19 min: So far, this has been a perfect exhibition of what happens when tiki-taka impersonators meet the real thing.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Bilbao (Messi, 20 min): Barcelona are giving Pep Guardiola the perfect send-off. This is simply gorgeous. Athletic Bilbao lose the ball in their own half, and it proves to be predictably fatal. Suddenly Iniesta finds himself with space in between the midfield and defence. With options left and right, he slides a precise pass through to Messi on the right side of the area. His first touch takes him slightly wide, but no matter, he just crunches an unstoppable finish high into the near post with his 'wrong' foot from the corner of the six-yard box. That's his 73rd goal of an absurd season. Barcelona might not have won the league or the Champions League, but they remain a stunning side.
23 min: Athletic are shellshocked.
GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 Athletic Bilbao (Pedro, 25 min): Poor Athletic Bilbao. They have no answer when Barcelona in this sort of form. Another clever pass finds Xavi all alone on the edge of the area, the Barcelona midfielder having strolled through completely unnoticed. Why would you mark him anyway? He just flicks it back to Pedro and from 20 yards out, he just passed it into the bottom-left corner. Effortless. He barely looked like he was trying, but you know he was. Breathtaking stuff.
26 min: Athletic nearly get one back, but Pinto does well to beat Susaeta's fierce drive from 15 yards out away. Having escaped that scare, Barca storm up the other end, cutting the rabble masquerading as Athletic's defence to ribbons again. Through on goal, Messi doesn't get enough on his delicate lob and Iraizoz saves.
27 min: Barcelona survive an almighty scare as Llorente outmuscles Pique in the area, before being manhandled to the floor after bundling his way past the defender. A clear penalty, but astonishingly the referee says no. I blame Unicef.
30 min: "I didn't expect to see an MBM today, thanks for taking the time do it," says Michael Dein. "Agree with you on Pedro, it was a real shame he was left out for important matches this season. I find that rather odd because although Fabregas wasn't exactly setting the world alight, Guardiola continued to play him. Well, he is the teacher's pet, after all. Has someone asked Dave Whelan which club Pep is planning to join next? He seems to know everything about everyone these days." Dave Whelan's just given a press conference to announce what I had for my dinner.
31 min: Athletic aren't pressing Barcelona at all. They can't get near them. Tactically they are a mess. "I just walked from the Atletico de Madrid stadium down to Principe Pio where they have a big screen for the Athletic Bilbao supporters," says Brian MacDonald. "I think half of the Basque country is in Madrid today. What fantastic support! 1000's and 1000's of people, drinking, chanting...in a 3km walk, i didnt see any problems, not even drunkeness. People just have a really good time. Win or lose, Athletic Bilbao have shown their class today."
32 min: The Barcelona anthem rings around the stadium. Athletic's fans might as well just enjoy the occasion. "It is Jimmy Tarbuck with Piers, Jacob," says Simon McMahon. "A hard call. But it looks like Barca are determined to give Guardiola the send off he deserves, so on to more pressing matters. Are you doing the Euros, and who do you fancy? For the Euros that is, not in a romantic way." England Germany.
34 min: Messi picks out the run of Adriano down the left. It looks like there's nothing on, but he manages to hoick a cross to the edge of the area, but Xavi's volley is straight at Iraizoz. "Pep Guardiola is a devilishly handsome man who was an insanely good player and an even better coach," says Niall Mullen. "What next for the man who has everything? Coach a good performance out of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson?" I'd love to see him false Stewart Downing's nine.
37 min: "Supposedly Pep is moving to New York for a year as opposed to London," says Mario Antoni Benitez. Pep's having a gap yah. When he comes backl he'll only want to talk about all those African children he totes saved they were, like, totes amazeballs yah.
40 min: Athletic, increasingly frustrated, are starting to commit quite a few fouls. The latest, by Susaeta on Mascherano, leads to the first yellow card.
41 min: Alexis Sanchez zig-zags in between Iraola and Ekiza, before he makes the most of the slightest contact – a hand on the shoulder – to go down in the area. You're 3-0 up. A bit of dignity please.
43 min: Again Sanchez goes down, but this time he's justified in doing so. He'd got the better of Iraola, who panicked and pulled him back. He's booked.
44 min: A dreadful clearance from Pinto gifts an opening to Athletic. Muniain streaks past Adriano on the right and then almost catches out Pinto with his low cross-shot to the near post. Pinto's positioning was questionable at best, but he managed to adjust his body and push it behind for a corner.
Half time: Barcelona 3-0 Athletic Bilbao. Well that was easy.
46 min: Off we go again. Ander Herrera and Inigo Perez are on for Susaeta and De Marcos for Athletic. That may not do it. "What is your reaction to FIFA's plan to drug-test referees to make sure they don't use any performance enhancers?" says Paul Szabo. "Me, I'm still thinking this one through." Drugs are bad, m'kay.
47 min: The tireless Muniain has a pop from 20 yards out. Pique heads away. It's a bright start from Athletic here. Problem is they start three goals down. "Pinto's apparent inability to use his feet in a recognisably football way - let alone a Barça way - must cause the entire team conniptions every time he tries to pass along the ground," says Charles Antaki. "Hence the occasional hoofing. But since he almost gifted a goal, hoofing's better, un-Barça or not." He's really not very good.
50 min: Marcelo Bielsa strikes a troubled pose on the touchline. But then he'd probably look like that if Athletic were 3-0 up.
51 min: Barcelona are keeping it low-key. This could get quite dull. "A shame to see such a wonderful footballing side as Athletis struggle," says David Parry. "However it just proves the point of the majority of teams who have beaten Barca, don't try to outplay them, come up with a tactical plan that gives you a chance of winning.Bus parking, clogging call it what you will. Lord Ferg was naive to believe that ,in either of their 2 finals , United could cope without a very specific plan. In his defense whatever your plan you still need a shedload of luck."
52 min: Ibai wastes a great chance to get Athletic back into the match. He was played in behind Adriano by a superb piercing pass from Ander Herrera but when a ruthless finish was required, he went for the needlessly showy option, trying to chip the exposed Pinto with a first-time effort. He gets it all wrong, his wonky effort skewed wide of the left post. Very poor.
55 min: Fantastic support from the Athletic Bilbao fans, who are noisily roaring their side on, despite knowing this is a lost cause. Barring the Miracle of Madrid.
57 min: Barcelona wake up and go close. The impressive Montoya sends in a fine cross from the right, but Sanchez can't get on the end of it despite his best Keith Houchen impression.
59 min: This would have been gorgeous. The peerless Iniesta suddenly turns on the style, skipping through assorted Athletic challenges in midfield, before releasing Montoya down the right with a cute pass. He scampers inside and tries to play Pedro through on goal, but Iraizoz is out quickly to smother.
62 min: A deafening chant of "Athletic!" rings around the stadium. Their side has been disappointing in two finals, but they most definitely have brought their A game. Muniain is lucky not to be booked for booting the ball into the crowd after being penalised for a foul.
65 min: The disappointing Llorente Mario Gomez's his best chance of the match. Ibai drops a cross on to his head and he should just power it past Pinto, but instead heads it against Pique, which sends the ball away from goal.
66 min: Xavi is booked for hauling back Ander Herrera.
67 min: Athletic would have been furious if this move had ended in a goal for Barcelona. First they appealed for handball against Sanchez on the left touchline. When that wasn't given, he drove inside and slipped a pass into the area for Pedro, who looked offside. The flag stayed down but Pedro, on a hat-trick, messed up his first touch.
68 min: Muniain, refusing to give up, brings a regulation save out of Pinto from 25 yards out. "If I could chip in on the drug-testing for refs debate Jacob…surely the consumption of any performance enhancing drugs by officials should be encouraged," says Justin Kavanagh. "God knows we complain about their performances often enough." Imagine Howard Webb on steroids though.
71 min: Despite attempts to bring him down, Messi beats four Athletic defenders, before bringing a smart stop out of Iraizoz. The balance and change of pace is quite remarkable. It looked like he was going to go down and that he'd lost the ball, but instead he recovered, regained his footing and just left his assailant in his wake, before beating three men, hurtling into the area and firing in a low drive with his left foot that Iraizoz saved with his legs. Iniesta is then booked for handball, before Seydou Keita comes on for Alexis Sanchez.
73 min: Toquero comes on for Fernando Llorente. That's a surprising move, even if Llorente hasn't been at his best.
74 min: Sergio Busquets is down clutching his fizzog after taking an elbow from Ander Herrera. Genuinely. He wasn't faking. I can't imagine there was too much sympathy for him though.
75 min: "Alexis has been busy but poor today, as in many of the games I've seen this season," says Mat Evans. "Seems to be slightly out of step with his team mates. He didn't score a shed load of goals in Italy, so perhaps a 25 odd goal haul was never going to happen. Next year though, Sanchez, Cesc and tiki-taka phase 2 might just click." Yeah, I'm not entirely sure about Sanchez in this side.
77 min: For all Barcelona's dominance, Athletic have had two excellent chances in the second half. They've taken neither. Ibai sends another dangerous cross into the area from the right and Aurtenetxe arrives unmarked at the far post, only to head down into the ground and past the near post. That's a bad miss.
79 min: Some of the Athletic challenges have been verging on the wild. The latest, from Inigo Perez, leaves Xavi in a heap on the turf. Tactics like that are a bit late now though, but equally not what you want to see.
81 min: Xavi, who's about to win the 20th trophy of his Barcelona career, 14 of them in the last four years, is replaced by Cesc Fabregas.
81 min: This is the 247th match of Pep Guardiola's reign at Barcelona. In how many of those games do you reckon they've had the most possession? Clue: it's a number in between 246 and 248.
85 min: Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass ... pass.
87 min: Pedro off, Thiago on. No hat-trick for Pedro then.
88 min: Messi plays Fabregas through. The pass is just overhit and goes out for a goal-kick, which is good news for Iraizoz, who had taken the sensible step of chasing Fabregas out of the area.
90 min+2: Fabregas tees up Messi on the edge of the area; his low shot is saved down to his left by Iraizoz. Not that it matters now. We're just waiting for the final whistle now. In truth, it was all over inside three minutes.
Full time: Barcelona 3-0 Athletic Bilbao. That's it! Barcelona have won the Copa del Rey! Pep Guardiola ends the match sharing a hug and a content smile with Tito Vilanova. This was Barcelona at their best tonight and it's brought them a fourth trophy of the season, and the 14th of Pep Guardiola's at the club. How fitting that Guardiola's last game, though, should be a masterful attacking performance in a final. A whirlwind opening 30 minutes accounted for Bilbao, who had no answer to two goals from Pedro and one, inevitably, from Lionel Messi. Spare a thought for Athletic Bilbao, who have been so entertaining this season but have fallen disappointingly short in two finals now. They'll be back. Barcelona too. Over to you, Tito. Read More [category Sport][tags La Liga, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Football, Sport]
Roy Hodgson admits a lack of fine-tuning as England take on Norway
England's manager fields a patched-up team for a friendly in Oslo but has high hopes of avoiding a hell of a beating
It does not take long inside the Ullevaal Stadion to realise how much a win against England is prized. On one corridor alone, there are four framed photographs of the 2-1 victory in 1981 that led to Bjorge Lillelien's famous commentary ("Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me?") and the only moment in sport when Lady Diana, Lord Beaverbook and Henry Cooper have all been mentioned in the space of a few seconds. Around the corner, there is a picture of another victory, this time in 1993. Graham Taylor woke the following morning to headlines of "Norse Manure."
Roy Hodgson will be hoping for something far more mundane from his first match but, by his own admission, there is a slightly dishevelled look about the England team he will put out in Oslo and their opponents cannot be underestimated just because they have not qualified for a major tournament since 2000.
Egil Olsen's side have not lost a home match for two years, with France, Portugal and the Czech Republic among the teams, to use Lillelien's terminology, to take one hell of beating. Norway finished level on points with Portugal behind Sweden in their Euro 2012 qualifying group and better goal difference would have meant Cristiano Ronaldo not reaching the tournament.
Add the problems that have surrounded Hodgson's preparations, not least the fact he has had the grand total of three working days with an experimental, patched-up team, and it would be unrealistic to rule out the possibility of him becoming only the second England manager in history to lose his first match in charge. Not that Alf Ramsey did too badly, of course, after that 5-2 defeat against France in February 1963.
These are certainly strange times when the other Euro 2012 nations are fine-tuning their arrangements while Hodgson is effectively starting from scratch. When he took Switzerland to the World Cup in 1994 it was on the back of 24 matches in charge. For England, Hodgson is 26 days into the job.
"We don't have a lot of time to fine-tune things," the manager conceded here. "We just have to be even more determined to make certain we don't waste any time. Because we don't have that time to waste."
Hodgson is not to blame for any of this and any judgment of his performance must first acknowledge the considerable disadvantages he has had to face. All the same, it is mildly alarming that he should keep referring to the Denmark side who won the 1992 tournament after the late expulsion of Yugoslavia. "They had five days' preparation before their first game and their best player didn't go because he didn't want to interrupt his holiday," he said.
A nice story, except the reason people remember that tournament of 20 years ago so clearly is because it was freakishly unusual, the exception rather than the norm and almost certainly never repeated again.
Hodgson's job is to muddle through, learning on the hoof, and it is an unorthodox position when half the team he would ideally play in England's first match of the tournament are not even in Oslo or, in the case of Glen Johnson and Daniel Welbeck, unable to train properly because of injuries.
The squad are so short of centre-backs Hodgson barely has any alternative but to start against Norway with one of his standby players, Everton's Phil Jagielka, in his back four. After that, the entire defence will be ripped up by the time we get to the real business of facing France in Donetsk in little more than two weeks' time. Or at least it will be if Johnson's infected toe has cleared up.
There can be no guarantees and Hodgson may come to regret leaving it to Stuart Pearce to inform Micah Richards he had not made the squad when the manager had contacted all the other disappointed players himself. That snub contributed to the Manchester City right-back asking not to be included on the standby list and the call-up of Martin Kelly. Peter Crouch's withdrawal from contention will also be felt if Welbeck has to be unfortunately ruled out.
First things first, however, and Hodgson seemed relaxed, enjoying the moment. "I'll certainly feel proud," he said. "I shouldn't feel surprised. I've had a lot of good offers of top jobs in my time. Nervous? Less so tomorrow or against Belgium [at Wembley next Saturday]. More curious about what I'm going to see and find out. If I should get nervous, it will be before we play France at the European Championship. For now, it's about learning."
The new manager will want to see how Steven Gerrard does as captain, playing in the central midfield position he craves. There is good sense in giving Gerrard and Tottenham Hotspur's Scott Parker only 45 minutes each here.
Likewise, the goalkeeper Robert Green should benefit from his first England appearance since the error against the USA that had threatened to end his international career at the last World Cup in South Africa. More than anything, though, Hodgson will be keen to see if Andy Carroll can continue where he left off with Liverpool at the end of the domestic season and if a partnership can develop with Ashley Young, of Manchester United, tucking in just behind.
In his first training session with the squad in Manchester on Thursday, Hodgson could be heard shouting at his players to stop playing short passes "if you want to use your big man up front".
It was the sort of demand that might be held against him at another point of his tenure. Hodgson, though, unashamedly favours this tactic.
"I once heard Renus Michels, at one of the [Uefa] technical study group meetings, talking about his philosophy," he said. "People were very respectful of him, regarding him as the top man, and someone said: 'When you played, Renus, you had Total Football.' He said: 'No! We always had a big striker and when we were losing, with 15 minutes to go, I'd stick him on and ask the team to kick it up to him quickly and rush after him. Why did I do that? I always wanted to win.' So if he can say that …" Read More [category Sport][tags England, Roy Hodgson, Football, Euro 2012 Group D, European football, Euro 2012, Norway]
Robbie Keane makes rocky road to Poland seem less daunting for Irish
Republic of Ireland striker's injury scare subsides but green fever over Euro 2012 is growing to epidemic proportions
Robbie Keane remembers the moment when his Euro 2012 dream flashed before his eyes. Few players had done more than the Republic of Ireland's captain to drive the nation to their first major finals since 2002 but it felt as though he might be on the outside looking in as his body ached after 90 minutes for Los Angeles Galaxy.
Montreal Impact's Olympic Stadium is not a venue well known to European fans but its quirk is that its turf is artificial. Keane could have cursed it on the Saturday before last. "I'm not used to playing on that surface and my body reacts differently," he said. "I tightened up after the game and I couldn't go for a jog. I couldn't even sprint at three-quarter pace."
Keane went for a scan. He would also be withdrawn from the Galaxy's next match at Chivas USA. Keane is one of the few survivors from Ireland's World Cup adventure in Japan and South Korea and, at 32, he is running out of chances. So was he worried? "Of course I was," he said. "Even if I knew it wasn't too bad, I knew there was something there. The physio said it was a little nerve in the hamstring but it seems to have settled down quite well. I've trained the last few days and, thankfully, it's OK."
Injury scares have been the theme of the week in the Ireland camp, ahead of Saturday's friendly at the Aviva Stadium against Bosnia, opponents who have been selected for their similarity in style to Croatia – Ireland's opening Group C opponents. Giovanni Trapattoni's team then face Spain and Italy.
At one stage, it was possible to count 10 of Trapattoni's 23-man squad who were carrying problems of varying severity. The manager has called in Paul McShane from his standby pool and he will start at right-back against Bosnia. If Kevin Foley cannot shake his hamstring strain, McShane will replace him in the squad for the finals.
The most worrying injuries are those to Shay Given and John O'Shea, neither of whom will play against Bosnia. Given, who hurt his knee in training on Monday, has sought the second opinion of a specialist that he particularly trusts in London, which is not the action of an unconcerned player. O'Shea, to paraphrase Trapattoni, could not risk a knock to his ankle at the moment.
Trapattoni, though, insisted that both players would most likely be available for the friendly against Hungary in Budapest on Monday week and there was positive news over and above Keane's recovery. Richard Dunne and Sean St Ledger, Trapattoni's favoured central defensive pairing, proved their fitness in the morning training session after injuries.
They will start against Bosnia in a team who will feature a full debut for James McClean on the left wing and a rare start for Darron Gibson in midfield. Trapattoni said that he would "surely" use all seven of his substitutions as he highlighted the need to evaluate the fitness of his players.
In the Dublin sunshine, sweetness and light prevailed and, in contrast to England, Euro fever has gripped. The flags and shirts are out; the green bunting is up. The single that the squad have recorded with Damien Dempsey, The Rocky Road to Poland, sits at No1, beating off competition from Jedward's Put The Green Cape On (which is not a sentence that can be expected to appear in the sports section) and 20,000 Ireland fans are set to travel to Poland.
Trapattoni and Keane addressed the media from a Ford car showroom on the north side of Dublin, where corporate guests outnumbered the journalists and looked down from a balcony. In the kerfuffle when Trapattoni entered, a photographer kicked over and smashed a glass. "Ah, it is good luck," said Trapattoni, one of the game's most superstitious characters.
Confidence is high. Ireland are unbeaten in 12 games, and have conceded only three times during the sequence. The team are settled, with each player knowing his job. Never mind Trapattoni naming his starting XI for Bosnia, he confirmed that he would pick his usual side against Croatia, injuries permitting, with Given, O'Shea, Keith Andrews and Aiden McGeady coming back in. The difference to the buildup in 2002, when tension dominated, is marked.
"I can't remember the atmosphere being like this … [there being] the kind of feeling around the country as there is now," Keane said. "Ask me one song from 2002 and I don't think I could name one. Now there must be a hundred."
No one could have predicted the drama of the English club season, with the final twist being Chelsea's outlandish Champions League triumph.
Ireland can take heart from the manner in which a spirited and defensively resilient group brought the very best to their knees. They intend to show that the underdog has one last bite.
Republic of Ireland v Bosnia (4-4-2): Westwood; McShane, Dunne, St Ledger, Ward; Duff, Gibson, Whelan, McClean; Keane, Doyle Read More [category Sport][tags Republic of Ireland, Euro 2012, European football, Euro 2012 Group C, Friendlies, Football, Sport]
Brede Hangeland says players must buy into Roy Hodgson's philosophy
• Challenge of hard work to make England team coherent unit
• Manager's drills and techniques have brought rewards
The Norway captain, Brede Hangeland, believes Roy Hodgson's greatest challenge will be to mould England's high-profile players into a coherent team, with the Fulham defender insistent the national side can flourish if they buy into the new manager's philosophy.
Hangeland enjoyed spells under Hodgson at Viking Stavanger and Craven Cottage, where he was a key member of the side who reached the Europa League final in 2010, and will know the 64-year-old's techniques better than England's players as they take on Norway at the Ullevaal stadium on Saturday evening. The centre-half admitted Hodgson's lengthy training drills had been considered "boring" by some of his Fulham team-mates but stressed the team had ended up reaping rewards for the monotonous sessions out on the pitch.
"Roy's attitude is that individual players should always sacrifice themselves for the good of the team, and that will be his main challenge as England manager," Hangeland said. "He has some great players to choose from but the job is about moulding them into a team. I'd say that's much harder to do with the England team than it is for a club like Fulham. England have some top players but they don't always play well as a team. If he can achieve that, they will have an outside chance [at Euro 2012].
"He has a very clear idea of how to do things but, and I'm speculating, maybe he will have to try to change it slightly with big-name players. He'll be pragmatic and try to get the most he can out of them. It could take some time before they reach their maximum level under Roy but they don't really have time: they have to crack on and see how it goes. That's where he's probably happy to have really good players. It's his job to make them gel.
"His main strength is the way he organises a team. The way he plays is all about the shape of the team, you have to be compact, and he demands that everyone knows his job. At both Viking and Fulham he made a team much stronger than the sum of its parts. He is very clear in what he wants to do and the key is whether the players accept those ideas. He keeps going on and on and on at you until you can't help but understand exactly what he wants. Some of the lads at Fulham used to say his training sessions were boring because they were so repetitive but after a while we all understood. When the hard work starts showing with positive results then you become happy to do whatever the manager wants."
The defender believes Hodgson's team will adopt a slightly more "direct approach" than his predecessor, Fabio Capello, and drew comparisons with the style promoted by his own national head coach, Egil Olsen. "He speaks my language," said the former Wimbledon manager of his opposite number. "In my opinion, they should go more direct. I am a more direct manager but, even here, people don't agree with me. I guess in Norway I belong to a little group [of one], and in England people don't like the direct approach and such strict defensive organisation."
Olsen is unbeaten in four meetings with England – drawing three and beating Graham Taylor's side in 1993 – and hopes to maintain that record on Saturday. "I've never lost to them or Brazil," he said. "I hope Roy does well with them, but loses this game. It is much, much tougher to be England manager than coach of the Norway team, but his salary is better." Read More [category Sport][tags Roy Hodgson, England, Football, Norway, Sport]
Rangers' soap opera rages on amid further hostility | Ewan Murray
Duff and Phelps will be under the spotlight again when a BBC documentary is aired but another name has come forward
Duff and Phelps would presumably welcome the quick sale of Rangers, notwithstanding what fees the alternative would allow to be bestowed on the administrators.
On their first appearance at Ibrox Duff and Phelps sought to differentiate between the work undertaken by a partner in their firm, David Grier, when advising Craig Whyte on his takeover and that which would follow during their administration. The inference was clear – the administrators knew the link between Grier and Whyte had aroused concern.
Paul Murray, the former Rangers director who has called for an investigation into the club's administration, said: "I have spoken with senior people within Ibrox who told me the only time they saw Craig Whyte panic was when Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs looked like they could appoint their own administrators at Rangers [rather than Whyte's preferred firm, Duff and Phelps]."
Grier is again under the spotlight after a BBC Scotland documentary, aired on Wednesday evening, claimed email evidence showed he knew about the controversial Ticketus financial deal which Whyte used to finance his Rangers buyout. Grier vehemently denies he knew the details of the scheme, with Duff and Phelps taking legal advice against the claims made by the broadcaster.
That matter will play itself out like every other chapter of this Rangers saga. What cannot be denied, though, is that as the soap opera rages on, Rangers continue in a desperate race against time – led by Duff and Phelps – to find fresh hope, ownership and income.
The stark reality, as portrayed by the administrators, is thus: Rangers have funding only until the end of this month with, at that point, the raft of players who accepted significant wage cuts due to return to full-salary status. The curious, initial aspect of Rangers' administration is that Duff and Phelps avoided the many redundancies which occurred in similar situations elsewhere.
The administrators can also be accused of contradictory messages about the significance of Whyte in any buyout process and of wasting presumably vital time by appointing a preferred bidder – the American Bill Miller – who lasted only a matter of days before backing out.
Now the former Sheffield United chief executive Charles Green is the front-runner to take Rangers from administration into a bright new dawn. But will it be? Green's motivations, and funding sources, are unclear enough for Rangers supporters to remain concerned. Green had promised transparency, which as yet does not extend even to the full identities of those working alongside him.
The offer letter to creditors which will trigger the meeting to determine whether administrators can form a creditors voluntary arrangement, is imminent but later than had initially been planned.
Duff and Phelps cited problems with deferred tax as crucial to them rejecting a plan for the Rangers squad to defer rather than cut wages for the closing months of the season. That explanation is reasonable enough although, had a deferral scheme been accepted, then Green would not be on the verge of inheriting a double-edged problem.
That is, one where his club cannot sign players – due to a transfer embargo which the administrators are challenging in court – and the best ones already in position can leave for knockdown transfer fees. Such clauses were inserted in contracts when the squad agreed to cuts.
Green can take one meaningful step towards proving Rangers' ban on signing players is not a blessing for him, due to the clear implication it has for what he requires to spend on the club. Such a move would be made by asking players to remove their low release-clauses in return for them being reimbursed for lost wages.
Brian Kennedy, previously in the frame to buy Rangers, had made such overtures. It goes without saying that not all players would accept but an offer from Green would highlight that he wants Rangers to compete at the best possible level in a football sense. It would also hint at a long-term commitment and unwillingness to sell assets rapidly to run the club, given Rangers cannot initially generate revenue from European competition.
The BBC's allegations removed focus on Green for now. Yet he, and the bigger picture, are intrinsically linked to Duff and Phelps. If the latest takeover proposal for the stricken Ibrox club were to unravel or prove ill-fated, Rangers' administrators can expect further, hostile scrutiny. Read More [category Sport][tags Rangers, Football, Sport]
Simon Grayson wants promotion for Huddersfield Town, not himself
Manager is keeping his ego well hidden for the League One play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley
When it comes to pre-match speeches Simon Grayson is a creature of habit. "Have no regrets," are the words the Huddersfield Town manager invariably uses to conclude his team talks and that message will almost certainly resonate around a Wembley dressing room on Saturday .
If Huddersfield win the League One play-off final against Sheffield United and end an 11-year absence from English football's second tier many will interpret it as a vindication of Grayson's managerial qualities in the wake of his controversial sacking by Leeds in February. The former Leicester, Aston Villa and Blackburn right-back or midfielder sees things slightly differently. "What happened at Leeds doesn't really motivate me, there'll be no extra satisfaction if we get promoted," he says. "I've never been the sort to be motivated by personal glory."
Outside the Galpharm Stadium the temperature is, unusually for a west Yorkshire town on the edge of the Pennines, approaching 30C. Inside a windowless ground-floor media room it feels even warmer, but Grayson retains his cool, body-swerving invitations to discuss the news that bookmakers have made him the third favourite for the Villa vacancy before further emphasising that he is in possession of one of the best disguised egos in football.
Listening to him talk fluent commonsense, it is easy to understand why, as a youngster at Leeds and, later, a senior professional at Leicester, he swiftly established himself as a firm favourite of those clubs' managers at the time, Howard Wilkinson and Martin O'Neill.
"It's nice to have a promotion on your CV as it suggests you're doing your job properly, but this isn't about me, it's about Huddersfield Town," says the straight-batting 42-year-old, who grew up in Bedale, north Yorkshire with Leeds posters adorning his bedroom walls and a love of sport fostered by his PE teacher father. "This club has been in League One far too long; it needs to get into the Championship. My remit is to get them there."
Fortunately for Huddersfield's chairman, Dean Hoyle, a greetings card magnate, Grayson specialises in this particular promotion. After extricating Blackpool from League One via the play-offs in 2007, he took Leeds up automatically before achieving – or as he concedes, "overachieving" – a seventh-place Championship finish last season.
At the time of his dismissal, they were 10th, three points off a play-off place. "I don't look back with regret or negativity," he says. "I loved every minute."
Two weeks later, the brother of Paul, the former Yorkshire and Essex cricketer who played two one-day internationals for England, was back in employment, benefiting from Hoyle's contentious dismissal of Lee Clark, who had led Huddersfield to a 3-0 play-off final defeat against Peterborough last spring.
By a peculiar quirk of fate Grayson was at that match as a pundit for Sky. "Did the players turn up?" queries a manager dubbed "Larry" by friends. "Did the best players play? Or was it simply that Peterborough played better?
"I was in the studio so I don't know what went on in the dressing room or what the players' reaction was. But I do feel the experience will benefit them. They've maybe learned things about responsibility.
"Maybe some went in thinking, 'We'll win it and just have to turn up.' Or maybe some thought, 'They're only Peterborough.' Maybe some lost focus, that's why we've been making sure they know they'll only be remembered if they win at Wembley."
The Peterborough defeat marked the start of the painful unravelling of Clark's once-close relationship with Hoyle. "No one deserves promotion more than the chairman," says Grayson. "I want to reward him for the way he's backed this club."
Hoyle has reconnected Huddersfield to its local community. Last Wednesday he embarked on a charity bike ride to Wembley, raising £50,000 that will transport 1,000 underprivileged children to the final. They will be hoping to see Jordan Rhodes add to the 40 goals he has scored this season in what promises to be the striker's final game for Huddersfield. Fulham are reportedly poised to offer £3.5m. It will not be enough. "That's what you pay for a 10-15 goal a season striker," says Grayson. "Not someone who has scored 40."
Not that a man who left O'Neill distraught when he swapped Leicester for Villa intends keeping Rhodes against his will. "You've sometimes got to think about what the player wants," he says. "But it's a two-way thing, offers have got to be suitable."
A winning goal at Wembley would further boost the price tag: "Hopefully Jordan's got a couple more goals left in the locker. He's up there with the best strikers I've worked with, he's very composed, he'll get something out of nothing."
The 22-year-old is also refreshingly low maintenance. "Strikers are a strange breed, sometimes you can't work them out," says Grayson. "But, character-wise, Jordan is close to not being a striker. I can work him out.
"He wants to learn. People say he's no different as a person to this time last year; 40 goals haven't changed him. If he gets into the Premier League he won't think he's made it, he'll keep working and working."
Much the same could be said of Huddersfield's manager. Read More [category Sport][tags Huddersfield, Sheffield United, Football, Sport, League One, League Two 2011-12]
Louis Saha: My family values
The Tottenham and France footballer talks about his family
My father comes from a strict Caribbean culture and he replicated that in the way that he brought up his own children. He tried to balance my football with the rest of my education. He knew that there were a lot of talented players out there and not everyone could make it so he wanted me to realise how important the rest of my education was. So he made the right choices to push me and make sure I got enough education away from football. But when I started to progress as a footballer, he was behind me all the way in helping me mature as a footballer and as a man.
My dad is really competitive. He hates losing, he loves challenges and he's a sports addict. He used to run for fun and football was his passion, so he wanted me to be as successful as possible and he was the one that gave me that virus of being obsessed with football and of wanting to win. And my mum – she's very generous and she's been working in a hospital so she's very caring, very loving. I'm very much a product of both of my parents.
I've got one brother and one sister. My brother is 21 and my sister is 25. I left home quite early when they were very young, so I didn't have the time to build a closer relationship with them. I try to see them as much as possible but they are in France and I am in Britain so it's a bit difficult, but I speak to them on the phone regularly.
Without my Caribbean ancestry I wouldn't be where I am today. My parents were born in a little town called Sainte-Protais, Sainte-Anne on Guadeloupe and I love going back there to visit my grandparents. I think it's very important to connect with your roots, and I have total respect for my grandfather and his ancestors for the sacrifices they made for future generations. Without their fighting spirit I strongly believe my talent would not exist. Their history has given me that competitiveness and that desire to play football as hard as I can. We love and respect what our people have done for us, even as far back as times of slavery. For me to be allowed to enjoy my football; I owe it to them.
Being a father has changed everything for me. I would advise young players to find the right girl as quickly as possible because it gets harder and harder to find the right one when you're older. I've got three children now and players with families are way more likely to be responsible and not go out partying until the early hours. I love being at Tottenham and I love London but it's been hard being separated from my family for four or five months, as they're still up in Manchester. It's really tough for me but I have to balance my career choices and keeping a sense of continuity for my children. That's the sacrifice you have to make.
The birth of my son Enzo, three days after I was suspended from playing for France in the 2006 World Cup final, put my life in sharp perspective. For 72 hours after the final I was depressed, speechless, destroyed – but I snapped out of it when Enzo arrived, and I was crying tears of joy not pain. That sort of thing keeps your feet on the ground and makes you realise life is good. And if Enzo decides he wants to be a footballer when he grows up, I will encourage him in whatever he decides to do. I will try to give him the right advice and I will try my best for him. That's what a dad is supposed to do.
• Louis Saha's autobiography Thinking Inside the Box is out now, published by Vision Sports Publishing Read More [category Sport][tags Tottenham Hotspur, Football, France, Family, Life and style]
Manchester United's bid for Kagawa rejected
• €16m bid for Japanese midfielder rejected by Germans
• Deal for Kagawa may go through next week for €17-18m
Manchester United have had a bid of around €16m (£12.8m) for Borussia Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa rejected, according to a highly-placed source at the German club.
The offer for the 23-year-old midfielder was not accepted as Dortmund value Kagawa closer to €20m. But as he cost just €350,000 when the German champions bought him from the Japanese club Cerezo Osaka two years ago, it is thought that the deal may go through next week for around €17-18m.
Sir Alex Ferguson watched Kagawa a fortnight ago when he scored in Dortmund's 5-2 win over Bayern Munich in the German Cup final. He scored 13 goals in 31 league games as Dortmund won the Bundesliga from Bayern by eight points and would fit the profile currently adhered to by United of a young player who could improve and not cost a premium price. Read More [category Sport][tags Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Transfer window, Football, Sport]
Barton will not appeal against 12-match ban and fine
• Queens Park Rangers conducting internal investigation
• Barton and his team are co-operating with QPR
Queens Park Rangers have announced that the midfielder Joey Barton will not appeal against his 12-match ban for being sent off and reacting violently at Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season.
Barton was banned and fined £75,000 on Wednesday by a Football Association-appointed independent regulatory commission after he elbowed Carlos Tevez in the face and then kicked out at Sergio Agüero as he left the pitch.
QPR are now carrying out their own investigation into the incident. The club said in a statement: "Queens Park Rangers Football Club can confirm it has now started a full internal investigation in relation to Joey Barton's dismissal and subsequent events against Manchester City on the final day of the 2012-13 Premier League season.
"The QPR midfielder will not appeal against the independent regulatory commission's decision made on Wednesday and he and his team are now working in full co-operation with the club to assist in the internal investigation.
"The club expects the investigation to last at least two weeks. During this period, no one from the club or Joey Barton himself will make any further comment." Read More [category Sport][tags QPR, Joey Barton, Football, Sport]
Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Barcelona
• Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Barcelona
And so the circle is completed. The first trophy Pep Guardiola won as the coach of Barcelona was the Copa del Rey with victory against Athletic Bilbao in 2009. On Friday night he took charge of his final match as Barça coach and defeated Athletic Bilbao to claim the Copa del Rey for a second time. Three years later this was his 14th trophy. He bows out as the most successful coach Barcelona have had.
Two first-half goals from Pedro Rodríguez and one from Lionel Messi made this a remarkably comfortable final. The difficult bit starts now, as the post-Guardiola era begins.
Barcelona had taken the lead after two minutes. Xavi Hernández's corner was headed on by Gerard Piqué and Javi Martínez was unable to control the dropping ball. It came off his thigh and into the path of Pedro, whose shot, though far from perfectly struck, found its way past Gorka Iraizoz. It had not even been Barcelona's first chance – Messi had already curled a shot fractionally beyond the post 27 seconds in – and it would not be the last.
Iraizoz made a sharp save from another Messi curler, again receiving on the right and coming inside on his left foot. And then Andrés Iniesta slotted Messi through in the inside-right channel. The Argentinian took a touch with his left foot and hit it high into the roof of the net at the near post. It was his 73rd goal of another astounding season. This was Messi's 14th final; it was the 13th in which he has scored.
Four minutes later Barcelona were 3-0 up. Xavi, Piqué and Pedro were again involved but the genesis of this could hardly have been more different from the first, Piqué striding out from the back, Xavi turning sharply and laying the ball off, Pedro curling his shot into the far corner.
There was a sudden flurry from Athletic and, with space opening up, from Barcelona too – a Pinto save, Messi's failed lob and Fernando Llorente's appeal for a penalty. It was a strong appeal too: turning Piqué, he appeared to have his shirt pulled and went to ground. The referee said no. Athletic's fans, easily a majority here, fell silent. It was happening again: two finals, two defeats. All that hope, all that illusion. Football, said Javier Mascherano before this game, has been unjust with the Athletic manager, Marcelo Bielsa. They had not deserved much more here but their season had.
The Argentinian coach has revolutionised Athletic Bilbao this season, changing their style and philosophy and leading them to two finals. Along the way they destroyed Manchester United; rarely had their supporters been so enthused – neutrals, too.
But they lost the Europa League final to Atlético Madrid and, looking both emotionally and physically burnt out, they collapsed in the final weeks of the league season, missing out on a Champions League place. Coming into this game they had not even scored for five matches. In Bucharest it finished 3-0. Here it was 3-0 before half time.
The second half simply drifted away, the end drawing slowly closer – both for Athletic and for Guardiola. Bielsa made two changes and the introduction of Ander Herrera especially gave bite and incision. He created the best chance for Ibai Gómez to chip over. There was a header, too, from Llorente but little else. In fact, the best moment was a Messi run from inside his half, past four players, which drew a sharp save from Iraizoz.
Eventually, the final whistle went – on this match and the Guardiola era. After the game, he said: "I am going to rest, then – I don't know when – if there is another challenge I will take it. I am tired. If I was on another bench I would [still] be tired."
Athletic: Iraizoz; Iraola, Amorebieta, Ekiza, Aurtenetxe; De Marcos (Herrera, h-t), Martínez, Muniain; Ibai, Llorente (Toquero, 73), Susaeta (Pérez, h-t).
Subs not used: Raul, San José, Gabilondo, Gómez, Iturraspe,
Barcelona: Pinto; Montoya, Piqué, Mascherano, Adriano; Xavi (Fábregas, 80), Busquets, Iniesta; Pedro (Thiago, 86), Messi, Alexis (Keita, 73).
Subs not used: Valdes, Bartra, Affelay, Cuenca. Read More [category Sport][tags Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, La Liga, Football, European football, Sport]
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