Contenders register their intent

Monday, 5 February 2007
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Real Madrid CF were the focus of much attention during the January transfer window, but at FC Bayern München the big moves were behind the scenes.

Madrid movement
Madrid announced the imminent arrivals of Fluminense FC full-back Marcelo, CA River Plate forward Gonzalo Higuaín and CA Boca Juniors midfielder Fernando Gago - January's most expensive signing at €20.5m - before the transfer window even opened. The wind of change blowing through Fabio Capello's side also saw David Beckham announce that he would join Los Angeles Galaxy in the summer. While the former England captain remains in Madrid's squad, striker Ronaldo does not after joining AC Milan for €7.5m - a move which will end his involvement in this season's UEFA Champions League.

Bayern change
Madrid's first knockout round opponents Bayern were the only side among the last 16 to change coach over the winter break with two-time UEFA Champions League winner Ottmar Hitzfeld coming in to replace Felix Magath. Hitzfeld was not the only big name making a return to the competition as Manchester United FC signed striker Henrik Larsson - a 2005/06 winner with FC Barcelona - on loan from Helsingborgs BK. AS Roma moved for another Swede by taking Christian Wilhelmsson on loan from FC Nantes Atlantique.

Mascherano in
Of the other three English sides involved in the first knockout round, Liverpool FC were the main movers, signing youngsters Francis Durán and Jordy Brouwer as well as the more experienced Álvaro Arbeloa and Javier Mascherano. The latter has been registered with UEFA under article 15.05 of the UEFA Champions League regulations which notes that: "Players must be duly registered with the national association concerned in accordance with the national association's own rules." The Argentinian's move to Anfield from West Ham United FC is awaiting ratification from the Premier League.

Proven scorer
Aside from signing the ineligible Ronaldo, Milan reinforced by bringing Italian international defender Massimo Oddo in from S.S. Lazio, while Olympique Lyonnais have recruited a proven goalscorer in Czech Milan Baroš - the leading marksman at UEFA EURO 2004™ - with John Carew leaving the club.
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Regime changes leave their mark

Monday, 5 February 2007
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Two clubs with new coaches, Rangers FC and Paris Saint-Germain FC, were among the busier sides during the transfer window as uefa.com rounds up the deals involving the UEFA Cup contenders.

Changing policy
Paul Le Guen's French revolution at Rangers may have taken the Glasgow club through the UEFA Cup group stage, but failures at home led to the coach's dismissal with Scotland manager Walter Smith returning to take charge at Ibrox. Smith brought swift changes with the signings of veteran defenders Ugo Ehiogu and David Weir, and the €3m arrival of Hibernian FC midfielder Kevin Thomson symbolising the latest change of regime. Should Smith's changes prove successful, Rangers would face a remarkably short trip to the final at Glasgow's Hampden Park.

PSG remodelled
Le Guen was not to remain unemployed for long, taking up the post at PSG left vacant by Guy Lacombe's departure. Jérémy Clément, one of the players he took to Rangers, was among his first signings, with his former Olympique Lyonnais charge Péguy Luyindula adding to the attacking armoury on transfer deadline day. In big moves elsewhere Derlei returned from FC Dinamo Moskva to join SL Benfica and UEFA Cup holders Sevilla FC snared Aleksandr Kerzhakov from FC Zenit St. Petersburg in a €5m deal.

Sad tales
Finally, spare a thought for two players whose careers with their new clubs got off to a bad start. Freshly arrived from Figuerense FC, goalkeeper Andrey Nazário Afonso was ruled out of FC Steaua Bucuresti's Round of 32 match against Sevilla after damaging his left knee during his first training session in Romania. In Israel, meanwhile, Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC's Chilean striker Manuel Alejandro Neira was ruled out for the season just three minutes into his first appearance in a friendly game for the club after sustaining a double fracture of his ankle. "Poor Neira is crying his eyes out," said team captain Josef Abukasis. "He only landed here four or five days ago and now his season is over."

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EURO hopefuls seek friendly fillips

Monday, 5 February 2007
by Andrew Haslam
from London

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Although UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying does not resume in earnest until next month, the 2007 international calendar gets off to a hectic start this week with a busy programme of friendlies in which England, Spain and Portugal are among teams looking for morale-boosting victories.

Scolari reunion
The action starts on Tuesday evening when, in the pick of the seven games, Luiz Felipe Scolari's Portugal side take on his native Brazil, whom he guided to glory in the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals, at the Arsenal Stadium in north London. The last of the sides' four meetings came in March 2003 when another Brazilian-born talent, Deco, marked his debut for Portugal with the winning goal. Scolari's side certainly need the confidence a victory would bring having collected just seven points from their first four Group A games.

Greece in form
Reigning European champions Greece, on the other hand, have made an impressive start to their trophy defence with three wins from three Group C games. Otto Rehhagel will be hoping his players carry that form into their fixture with the Korean Republic, also in London, which is the venue for Denmark's meeting with Australia. The Danes are unbeaten after three Group F games while Bulgaria, second in Group G, are also yet to lose in the qualifying campaign and return to action against Latvia in the Cyprus International Tournament.

England expects
There are 17 more matches involving European teams on Wednesday, when England and Spain meet at Old Trafford with both in need of a win. Steve McClaren's England side took just a point from their last two qualifying fixtures to concede the Group E initiative, while Spain are fifth in Group F having won only one of their opening three games – against Liechtenstein. There is another high-profile fixture in Paris where FIFA World Cup finalists France take on Argentina at the Stade de France, surprisingly the first time the countries have met since 1986.

Co-hosts in action
In Dusseldorf Group D leaders Germany tackle UEFA EURO 2008™ co-hosts Switzerland, who have lost their last two matches, while their co-hosts in two summers' time, Austria, look to extend a three-game winning streak in Malta. Croatia, unbeaten in Slaven Bilić's five games in charge and out in front in Group E, welcome to Rijeka a Norway side who have not won in three and slipped to third in Group C. The leaders of that pool, Turkey, have won all three games so far and will be full of confidence for their trip to Georgia. Elsewhere Group G leaders the Netherlands play Russia, the Czech Republic visit Belgium and Israel meet Ukraine.

UEFA EURO 2008™ friendlies
6 February
Australia v Denmark Brazil v Portugal
Bulgaria v Latvia Cyprus v Hungary
Greece v Korean Rep. Mali v Lithuania
Nort.Ireland v Wales


UEFA EURO 2008™ friendlies
7 February
Albania v F.Y.R. Macedonia Belgium v Czech Republic
Andorra v Armenia China v Kazakhstan
Croatia v Norway Egypt v Sweden
England v Spain France v Argentina
Georgia v Turkey Germany v Switzerland
Netherlands v Russia Iran v Belarus
Israel v Ukraine Malta v Austria
Romania v Moldova Slovakia v Poland
Slovenia v Estonia


©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

Boro close to keeping Woodgate

Monday, 5 February 2007
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Middlesbrough FC have reached agreement with Real Madrid CF for the permanent transfer of defender Jonathan Woodgate.

Season-long loan
The 27-year-old centre-back has been on loan at the Riverside Stadium since August having joined Madrid for a €19.8m fee in summer 2004. Woodgate, who on Friday returned to the England squad for Wednesday's friendly international with Spain, agreed an initial one-year loan with his hometown club, but has now agreed a permanent four-year contract, though the club stressed on Monday evening that the deal had not yet been completed.

Injury problems
Prior to moving to Madrid, Woodgate played for Middlesbrough's north-east rivals Newcastle United FC and was part of the Leeds United AFC side that reached the 2000/01 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. The defender's career has been disrupted by a succession of thigh problems that kept him sidelined throughout his first term in Spain and restricted him to nine Primera División appearances in 2005/06, although he has missed only two Premiership matches since returning to England.

'Agreement'
"Middlesbrough Football Club have this evening confirmed that an agreement has been reached with Real Madrid for the permanent transfer of Jonathan Woodgate, but stress that no deal has yet been completed," a statement on the Premiership club's website read.

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

Final tickets on uefa.com

Monday, 5 February 2007
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Tickets have gone on sale today for the 2007 UEFA Champions League final, to be played at the Olympic Stadium in Athens on 23 May.

Ballot needed
With 9,000 seats available exclusively to the general public via uefa.com, applicants will be able to apply for up to two tickets until the 12.00CET deadline on 19 February. The allocation of tickets will be decided by lottery and every valid application will enter the ballot, regardless of the time of submission.

Finalists favoured
The Olympic Stadium's capacity will be 63,800 for the showpiece. More than 50 per cent of the seats will be reserved for the supporters of the two finalists; with each club able to take up to 17,000 tickets and distribute these directly to its supporters. The remaining tickets will be allocated to the European football family, comprising UEFA, the local organising committee, national associations, commercial partners and broadcasters.

There are three price categories for the general public:
Category 1 - €200
Category 2 - €140
Category 3 - €80

The following administration charges (including postal charges) will apply per ticket order:
€10 – per ticket order within Greece
€20 – per ticket order within Europe
€40 – per ticket order outside Europe

Payment is by credit card only, and applicants will be informed by email from 10 March if they have been successful in the lottery. Tickets will be dispatched from the beginning of May by secure express courier.

Any requests for information should be addressed to the local organising committee:
• by email: uefachampionsleaguefinal@tickethour.com
• by phone: +30 210 81 08 007
• by fax: +30 210 96 70 642

All applicants are bound by the ticketing terms and conditions. Action will be taken in cases of infringement. Online applications will be checked to ensure that anyone banned from attending football matches is unsuccessful in any attempt to purchase tickets. UEFA underlines that no tickets are being distributed via agencies or brokers. UEFA also encourages fans not to be lured into deals with touts who not only demand exorbitant prices but are often not in possession of the tickets they purport to have for sale. Terms and Conditions are available on uefa.com.

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Flamini earns first France call

Monday, 5 February 2007
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Versatile Arsenal FC midfielder Mathieu Flamini, 22, and Olympique de Marseille centre-back Julien Rodriguez have been called into the France squad for Wednesday's friendly game against Argentina in Paris. It is the first time former Under-21 player Flamini has been selected for the full France squad. Philippe Mexes has a foot injury and there are concerns over William Gallas, Lilian Thuram, Jean-Alain Boumsong and Eric Abidal. Rodriguez, 28, said: "It's a surprise to me to have been called up but certainly an honour." Both players are uncapped.

The Everton FC forward Andy Johnson has an ankle injury and will play no part in England's friendly against Spain, leaving manager Steve McClaren with just three fit forwards. One of them, Wayne Rooney, is also doubtful after sustaining what appeared to be a back strain during Manchester United FC's 4-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday. Goalkeeper Chris Kirkland and defender Wayne Bridge have also been forced to withdraw through injury. Steven Gerrard will captain England in the absence of regular skipper John Terry. Looking ahead to Group E games against Israel and Andorra, the Liverpool FC talisman said: "If we can get a good win and a decent performance on Wednesday night it will be good for confidence going into our next qualifiers. They are must-win games."

Brazil will be without PSV Eindhoven defender Alex Rodrigo for Tuesday's game against Portugal because of a thigh injury while Newcastle United FC's Emre Belözoglu (calf) and fellow midfielder Yildiray Bastürk (knee) of Hertha BSC have withdrawn from the Turkey squad to face Georgia on Wednesday. Coach Fatih Terim has not named any replacements for a match that will mark the end of Tugay Kerimoglu's international career.

AFC Ajax defenders Urby Emanuelson and John Heitinga have both withdrawn from the Netherlands squad for Wednesday's friendly game against Russia in Amsterdam after picking up injuries in Sunday's 4-1 win against Feyenoord. A knee problem for Emanuelson and a thigh injury for Heitinga have reduced Marco van Basten's squad to 18. No replacements have been called up.

Kazakhstan coach Arno Pijpers has named a 19-man squad for two friendly games against China to be played on 7 and 9 February. Injured FC Tobol Kostanay defender Aleksandr Familtsev has been replaced by FC Astana's Denis Volodin, while Yuriy Novikov and Ruslan Baltiev have been included, even though both are currently without clubs.

Cyprus have brought in Apollon Limassol FC defender Christis Theophilou and AEL Limassol FC midfielder Asimakis Krassas to replace the injured George Theodoutou and Stelios Okkarides as they prepare to face Hungary and then either Bulgaria or Latvia in the Cyprus international tournament. AEL youngster Elias Vattis and AEK Larnaca FC’s Parasevkas Christou both receive first call-ups.

Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez has called up two players from Scottish sides, Ross County FC defender Sean Webb and Hibernian FC attacker Dean Shiels, for Tuesday night's international friendly against Wales in Belfast. Both were involved on last year's USA tour, which included friendlies against Uruguay and Romania. Striker Peter Thompson, from Irish League champions Linfield FC, is also included. The home squad is down to only 16 men after Birmingham City FC midfielder Damien Johnson became the latest to withdraw, following Chris Baird, Roy Carroll, Stuart Elliott, Jonny Evans, David Healy, and Steve Jones.

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PSG's Yepes out for season

Monday, 5 February 2007

Paris Saint-Germain FC defender Mario Yepes has suffered an ankle injury that will rule him out of action until the end of the season. The Colombian centre-back was injured during Sunday's 1-1 draw against rivals Olympique Marseille.

'Huge setback'
"It is a huge setback for the club," PSG chairman Alain Cayzac told reporters. Yepes will undergo further tests on Tuesday to assess whether he needs surgery. PSG, who are one point above the relegation zone in 17th position in Ligue 1, resume their UEFA Cup campaign away to AEK Athens FC in the Round of 32 next Wednesday.

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

Anticipation rises for Athens final

Monday, 5 February 2007
by Graham Wood
from Athens

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Hellenic Football Federation president Vassilis Gagatsis said Athens is looking forward to having the eyes of the sporting world on the Greek capital once more for the 2007 UEFA Champions League final after ticket sales were launched.

Eyes of the world
Gagatsis was one of several distinguished guests present for a special ceremony at Maroussi Town Hall - the municipality where the Olympic Stadium is located - for the unveiling of the ticketing programme today and the commencement of sales via uefa.com. "In August 2004 the planet turned its eyes to Greece for the Olympic Games and the whole world will once again focus on our country and capital for the UEFA Champions League final," said Gagatsis.

'Terrific occasion'
He also revealed that 9,000 of the 63,800 seats tickets have been made available to the Greek and international public. "We have reserved 15 per cent of the total number of tickets for Greek [and neutral] supporters to apply for - this is the first time that such a high proportion has been made available. We are anticipating an exciting match, a terrific occasion and, when the lights are switched off, we hope to be satisfied with the way we have organised the final."

Olympian heights
To mark the start of ticket sales, Greek UEFA Executive Committee member Marios N Lefkaritis presented Maroussi mayor Giorgios Patoulis with the first one - albeit a symbolic giant-sized version. "On 23 May the eyes of the world will be focusing on our same Olympic Stadium for the 2007 UEFA Champions League final which hosted the 2004 Olympic Games so wonderfully well," said Patoulis. "It is a fantastic venue fit for such a great event and we hope to put an even broader smile on the faces of people who witnessed the Olympics here three years ago."

Milan memories
The match will be the first European final in the city since the venue was rebuilt for Olympics, although the old stadium provided the backdrop to the UEFA Champions League final of 1993/94, when AC Milan beat FC Barcelona 4-0. If you want a chance of being there, then click here to apply for the ballot, which will take place after general sales end on 19 February.

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

'First step' for new referees

Monday, 5 February 2007
by Simon Hart
from Rome

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UEFA's new international referees were promised the full support of European football's governing body as they began their three-day course in Rome today.

'UEFA is behind you'
Addressing the 37 match officials gathered for the 16th UEFA Introductory Course for International Referees, UEFA vice-president Angel María Villar Llona said: "UEFA is behind you to support you in all your work." Villar Llona, speaking on behalf of the Executive Committee, underlined UEFA's commitment to "promoting the best refereeing in Europe" and told the newcomers: "We know you're doing a great job and we know how important refereeing is for football."

Fitness test
"The first step at international level" was how UEFA Referees Committee chairman Volker Roth described this 16th Introductory Course. The referees, whose ages range from 26 to 39, were all added to the FIFA list of international referees on 1 January this year, having been recommended by their own national associations. The key activity today was the fitness test, which took place at the Stadio Olimpico. The referees became the first to take the new FIFA fitness test on a UEFA course as until this year the European governing body had used the Cooper test to assess the physical condition of its referees.

Two parts
According to Professor Werner Helsen, a member of the UEFA Referee Instructor Panel, it is designed to examine the capacity for both "changes in speed of activity" and also "high-intensity runs". The two-part test began with sprints, with the referees asked to run six 40m sprints under 6.20 seconds. Next was the interval test, comprising 20 150m tempo runs, each within a 30-second limit. Between the runs, which combined to make ten full laps of the stadium, was a 35-second recovery walk of 50m.

Helsen 'happy'
Of the 35 referees who did the test, all were successful in the sprints while 32 passed the interval test. Prof Helsen said he would offer each referee training advice based on his results here. "We should be happy because it was the first time the new FIFA fitness tests were implemented in a UEFA course," he added. "These were 35 new international referees and in terms of the sprints all the results were great and also with the interval test we should be quite happy overall."

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

Koroman back at Crvena Zvezda

Monday, 5 February 2007
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Serbia international Ognjen Koroman has joined FK Crvena Zvezda on a seven-month loan. The 28-year-old signs from Russian second division side FC Terek after spending the first half of the season on loan at Portsmouth FC.

'Happy'
"I'm happy because I'll have a chance to play," he said. "I was on the bench all the time at Portsmouth which was disappointing. Everybody in Serbia knows I'm a Crvena Zvezda supporter and I shall make the most of this second chance."

Experienced international
Koroman has scored once in 33 appearances for the national side and featured twice at the FIFA World Cup last summer. He started his career in the Crvena Zvezda youth set up but never played for the first team.

Fourth signing
Should Crvena Zvezda win the title and qualify for the UEFA Champions League, Koroman will stay with the Serbian side, otherwise he will speak with Terek about other possibilities. Koroman is Crvena Zvezda's third signing this week, following the arrivals of defenders Vladimir Djordjevic and Miloš Bajalica and striker Igor Burzanović.

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

Zaragoza move early to get Gabi

Monday, 5 February 2007
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Real Zaragoza have begun preparations for next season by signing Gabi from Club Atlético de Madrid in a deal thought to be worth €9m.

Academy player
The 23-year-old midfielder has signed a four-year contract with Víctor Fernández's team. He has made 47 appearances for Atlético since breaking through to the first team at the start of last season. A former academy player in the Spanish capital, Gabi's contract was due to expire in June 2008 but Zaragoza are thought to have triggered a €9m buy-out clause, and he will join them on 1 July.

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

Espanyol's Jônatas faces fitness race

Monday, 5 February 2007
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RCD Espanyol midfielder Jônatas faces an uphill battle if he is to line up against AS Livorno Calcio in the first leg of their UEFA Cup Round of 32 tie after tearing his calf at the weekend.

Difficult period
The 24-year-old Brazilian sustained the injury during the 2-1 defeat to Real Zaragoza on Saturday night, and the initial prognosis is that he will be out for the next fortnight. That means he is unlikely to recover in time to face Livorno at the Stadio Armando Picchi on 14 February, completing a miserable spell for Jônatas, whose father was kidnapped in December. He has since been released.

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

'One of the best in the world'

Monday, 5 February 2007
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It will be interesting to see the reception Cristiano Ronaldo receives when he runs out at the Arsenal Stadium on Tuesday evening. As a Manchester United FC player he would never expect the warmest of welcomes in north London; in the maroon of Portugal it could be decidedly frosty.

World Cup scapegoat
Not that anything is likely to knock the winger - who celebrates his 22nd birthday today - off his stride. The English fans on hand to watch Portugal's friendly international with Brazil might cast their minds back to his run-in with Wayne Rooney in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, but Ronaldo has long since silenced those wanting to make him a scapegoat for England's failure in Germany.

'Enormous talent'
In fact according to his national-team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, the pressure heaped on Ronaldo following the events of last summer may have spurred him on to new heights. "Anyone who knows him knows he is able to deal with the pressure and sometimes that pressure motivates him even more," Scolari told uefa.com. "What he has been doing is simply the consequence of his enormous talent and commitment to the game in his training sessions. He has a unique skill and creativity but he also knows that talent on its own is not enough so he works and works a lot."

Hard work
That hard work has paid off for United. His fine form was underlined yesterday with a goal, his 15th in the Premiership this season, in the 4-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur FC. The victory maintained Sir Alex Ferguson's side's six-point advantage at the top of the Premiership table and left them on course for their first title since 2003. Ronaldo has also been on target for Portugal, with three goals in four qualifiers as they vie for a place at UEFA EURO 2008™. His influence on the side has grown since Luís Figo and Pauleta retired from international football, and his international coach is convinced he is still improving.

Future captain
"He's one of the best players in the world and still has room to progress," Scolari said. "If he keeps raising the quality of his game as he's been consistently doing, he can go to the very top. Of course a football career depends on a lot of factors but I anticipate the best for him. I've said it before, and I'll repeat this. If Cristiano keeps this attitude and leadership on and off the field he could be a future captain of the national team."

Familiar faces
Scolari will need Ronaldo to reproduce the form he has been showing for United if Portugal are to reach UEFA EURO 2008™. Scolari's side, finalists on home soil in 2004, have started slowly in Group A and the Brazilian coach will have qualifiers on his mind when he leads Portugal out against his old team in a friendly on Tuesday. Not that he will allow the opportunity to catch up with some familiar faces to pass him by.

'Very special'
"I have to admit facing my country of birth is always very special, especially after having coached them to the World Cup success in 2002, so I'm really looking forward to this match. Nevertheless the main objective is to prepare for the very important EURO 2008™ qualifying games we have ahead of us. Belgium and Serbia are very difficult opponents and we want to use this match as a preparation for those March fixtures."

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

Malta mark 50 years in style

It is 50 years this month since Malta made their debut on the international stage against Austria and to mark the occasion the Maltese Football Association has invited the same opposition back to the island.

Austria visit
The visit of the UEFA EURO 2008™ co-hosts to Ta' Qali on Wednesday is just one of a number of events organised to celebrate Malta's footballing past. However, the main event features the current team and Dusan Fitzel's men head into the game at the National Stadium in confident mood having beaten Hungary in their last qualifier in October, and they are confident of at least avoiding a repeat of Austria's 3-2 victory on 24 February 1957.

Family ties
This week's friendly, which will be attended by many who played in the original game, has extra special significance for the Schembri family, the most famous dynasty in Maltese football. Striker Andre Schembri scored both goals against Hungary and will be cheering on his team-mates this week, with an ankle injury having ended his own hopes of playing. The 20-year-old is very much the man of the moment in Malta and he sees plenty to be cheerful about. "I do believe Maltese football is progressing, despite Malta being a small football nation," he told uefa.com. "I am very positive about Malta's football future."

First match
Andre's 83-year-old grandfather Salvinu captained Malta in that historic first game against Austria, and shared his memories of the occasion with uefa.com. "I can still remember that match," he said. "We were already down 1-0 by half-time and as team captain I decided to go against our coach's decision to defend for the rest of the match. I told him there was nothing to lose and we would go out with an attacking plan. The final result, was that we scored two goals despite finishing 3-2 losers."

'Positive outlook'
Completing the trio is Andre's father Eric, who made his international debut in a defeat by Libya in 1974, and he also believes football on the island is in good health. "I do see a positive outlook for Maltese football. Facilities are more available when compared to my playing days, and of course there is a lot of pride at seeing our family tradition very much involved in Maltese football, especially with this special milestone."

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