Di Matteo is named coach of the year in Switzerland

On the same day Rafael Benitez's Chelsea were beaten in the Club World Cup final his predecessor Roberto Di Matteo was seen smiling again after being named coach of the year in Switzerland.

Italian tactician Di Matteo was sacked last month by Blues owner Roman Abramovich despite winning both the Champions League and the FA Cup in his short spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.

While Di Matteo's exploits were clearly not appreciated by the Russian oligarch, football experts in the country of his birth stood to applaud the 42-year-old as he was honoured at the Credit Suisse Sports Awards in Zurich on Sunday night.

Benitez finds himself under enormous pressure at Stamford Bridge already just eight games into his seemingly doomed reign as interim manager. The Spaniard is hugely unpopular with club's fans having replaced club legend Di Matteo and he has won just three of his eight games in charge.

Chelsea, off the pace in the Premier League, have lost three of the six games Benitez has taken charge of so far and blew their best chance of silverware with a 1-0 defeat to Corinthians in Yokohama, Japan on Sunday.

Although an Italian international Di Matteo was born and brought up in Schaffhausen in the north of Switzerland.

source:dailymail

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Corinthians 1-0 Chelsea: Corinthians Beat Chelsea to Clinch the CWC title

Chelsea added global humiliation to their European embarrassment as they became the first Champions League holders to fail to win the Club World Cup for six years.

A week and a half after making the wrong sort of history by crashing out of the competition that means the most to them, the Blues were at it again in Japan as they surrendered a trophy for the fourth time already this season.

Despite being firm favourites to beat Corinthians in Yokohama, they were outplayed and - more worryingly - outfought by the South American champions, who sealed victory through Paolo Guerrero in front of a partisan crowd of die-hard supporters.

Fernando Torres had a golden chance to take the game to extra-time - as Didier Drogba managed so famously in the Champions League final - but the Spaniard missed an absolute sitter and saw a stoppage-time header ruled out for offside after Gary Cahill was sent off.

It all added to the feeling that Chelsea's £80million summer overhaul had left them with a team of also-rans, interim manager Rafael Benitez unable to instil a winning mentality.

Defender Branislav Ivanovic claimed the match could be the defining game for the current generation but it was their opponents who were the history boys, their tens of thousands of fans took their seats in the Nissan Stadium as early as the third-placed play-off.

They gradually cranked up the volume and unfurled a succession of supportive banners in similar scenes to those the Blues faced before the Champions League final in Munich.

That resulted in the fewest jeers and protest placards of Benitez's short reign but the defeat will surely only strengthen the ill-feeling towards him.

Corinthians outworked Chelsea from the first whistle but there was encouragement for Benitez's men when a goalmouth scramble from a corner saw Cahill narrowly fail to stab the ball past Cassio in what came close to being arguably the first high-profile test of goalline technology.

David Luiz, restored to centre-half, did well to outfox Emerson after Juan Mata uncharacteristically passed straight to the forward, Corinthians being given too much space in midfield.

And Luiz came to the rescue again after wasting a free-kick from which the Brazilians broke, while Guerrero appealed in vain for a penalty, having brilliantly nutmegging Cahill.

Cahill then got away with a major error just before the half-hour mark as Emerson panicked after the defender's slip and blazed over.

Corinthians continued to call the tune and Emerson just failed to squeeze home Guerrero's cross-shot.

Torres had offered little threat but that almost changed spectacularly eight minutes from the break when he superbly brought down Frank Lampard's ball over the top only to stab straight at Cassio.

But the goalkeeper then excelled himself as a lightning Chelsea breakaway saw Hazard feed Victor Moses - the pair having switched wings - and the latter's superb curling finish forcing a wonderful fingertip save.

Cassio also held Mata's volley as Benitez's side ended the first half on top, and they continued to probe after the restart.

Lampard saw a shot charged down, Hazard was denied by the legs of Cassio after bursting on to an inch-perfect Mata pass, and Moses's knockdown was just behind Torres.

Jorge Henrique picked up the game's first yellow card for tripping Mata but, roared on by an increasingly fervent crowd, Corinthians began to apply serious pressure of their own, Paulinho firing just wide.

In a game this tight, Torres' inability to hold up the ball was threatening to prove costly and so it proved as Corinthians took the lead in the 69th minute.

Chelsea's defence simply stood off as Henrique and Danilo danced across the box, Cahill's block simply teeing up Guerrero to head home.

Corinthians celebrated jubilantly and it was too much for Luiz, who soon got himself booked for a foul on Emerson before Moses was hauled off for Oscar.

Benitez's lack of attacking options became apparent when he withdrew Ivanovic for Cesar Azpilicueta.
And Torres's Drogba moment finally arrived five minutes from time when the ball broke perfectly for him to beat Cassio from six yards but he could only send his shot straight at the keeper.

Oscar's control also let him down after he got in behind and Chelsea's misery was complete when Cahill was sent off for an off-the-ball clash with Emerson, Torres' header was rightly ruled out, and Mata failed to poke home from a narrow angle.


source:soccernet

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Lionel Messi is set to be rewarded for his sizzling form at Barcelona

It would be foolish for any club to try and land Lionel Messi from Barcelona, but the Spanish giants are taking no chances with the Argentine reportedly undergoing contract negotiations that will see him remain at the Catalan club until he is at least 31. According to the Daily Mail, Messi's base salary could rise to as much as £12.5 million - that's before goalscoring and match bonuses, which will set Barcelona back a long way if his form in front of goal continues. Under the terms, Messi's annual pay packet, including bonuses, would automatically be matched the following year. While his base salary won't rival the £16 million Samuel Eto'o earns at Anzhi Makachkala, the 25-year-old will go streets ahead as the highest earning footballer in the world. Expect Cristiano Ronaldo to chime in for a similar deal at Real Madrid.

From a money maker to a money shaker, now. Mario Balotelli is set to contest a whopping fine of £340,000 handed to him by Manchester City, according to the Mirror. Although the Italian earns that money in a fortnight, he believes the fine for a number of "disciplinary breaches" is unfair and he will now face an independent panel in a bid to get it overturned. If unsuccessful, though, Balotelli will bear the brunt of significant court costs in addition to the fine. The 22-year-old was omitted from City's trip to Newcastle on Saturday with Roberto Mancini simply acknowledging that "his form is not good enough to play". Taking on the City board is not an ideal way to work his way back into favour.

Burak Yilmaz could return to haunt Manchester United with the Galatasaray striker in consideration for a move to Anfield. Yilmaz scored the only goal as the Turkish side claimed a vital 1-0 win over United in the Champions League last month and the Sun says the Reds are on a mission to bring him to the Premier League. With six Champions League goals and a further 11 in the Turkish league already this season, it's understandable that Liverpool spies will be watching Yilmaz in action for Sunday's derby against Fenerbahce.


source:soccernet

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Clinical Blues Cruise into Club World Cup Final

Chelsea shook off their Japanese jet lag as an early second-half blitz brushed aside Monterrey to set up a Club World Cup final against Corinthians.

The European champions did not get out of second gear in the opening 45 minutes of their semi-final at a half-empty Nissan Stadium, Juan Mata's 11th goal of the season giving them the edge.

They came out flying for three minutes after the break, Fernando Torres scoring his fifth goal in eight days inside 20 seconds, with Darvin Chavez putting through his own net soon after.

Aldo de Negris did grab a stoppage-time consolation for Mexico's CONCACAF champions but Rafael Benitez's men barely broke sweat otherwise against in match that proved as one-sided as predicted and did not trouble the goalline technology being used in Yokohama either.

The attempts before the game to talk up the importance of the Club World Cup - the bits of it that take place before Sunday's final anyway - were made to look rather silly by the sparse crowd that turned up to witness today's affair.

The small band of travelling Chelsea fans tried to cheer on their team but the biggest noise was coming from the pitch, with the players' shouts clearly audible.

Interim Blues boss Benitez lived up to his promise to field a strong team, although he sprung one major surprise by starting David Luiz in midfield for the first time.

It proved a comfortable baptism for the Brazilian, who shot just over from 25 yards inside four minutes and produced a superb sliderule pass for Eden Hazard two minutes later.

Hazard's first touch was exquisite, making his poor finish from just outside the six-yard box even more wasteful.

Oscar's chest control then let him down from a good Hazard cross and Branislav Ivanovic really should have scored when he volleyed Mata's corner wide.

And if Benitez thought being so far from home would spare him the ire of Chelsea's fans, he was mistaken when they reacted with typical bile to his face being shown on the big screen.

But just as the inevitable 16th-minute chants of ``One Di Matteo'' were in full swing, Mata came to his fellow Spaniard's rescue by opening the scoring.

Monterrey gave away possession and Ashley Cole, who spent Tuesday serving dinner to his team-mates as a forfeit for losing to them at ten-pin bowling, put the ball on a plate for Mata to sidefoot home.

Mata's celebration paid tribute to stricken team-mate Oriol Romeu and he almost added an assist when Ivanovic nodded over another corner.

Injury had also robbed Monterrey of their best player and they posed almost no threat before almost equalising out of nothing in the 28th minute when De Nigris got in front of Petr Cech to head narrowly over.

Chelsea were allowing the Mexicans back into it as the game drifted towards half-time but their biggest concern looked to be a return to the doldrums for Torres, who was struggling even to control the ball despite the confidence boost of four goals in two games.

It took less than 20 seconds of the second half for all that to change, the excellent Hazard getting round the back before squaring for Torres to score via a huge deflection, the first time he had netted in three successive games since his £50million move from Liverpool.

Barely two minutes later and it was game over, Torres's brilliant low cross finding Mata, whose ball back across goal hit the unfortunate Chavez and trickled in.

Chelsea were rampant and Hazard weaved his way through but shot too close to Jonathan Orozco.
Chelsea's fans continued to sporadically abuse Benitez before Monterrey sent on Ricardo Osorio for Sergio Perez.

Loud cheers then greeted Frank Lampard's introduction for Luiz and more changes followed with one eye on Sunday's final, Mata and Torres both withdrawn.

Di Nigris saw a shot deflected wide as Monterrey pushed for a consolation, which the striker got in stoppage time when he beat Cech from a narrow angle.


source:soccernet

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Messi Breaks Müller’s 40-Yr-Old Record Of 85 Goals In A Calendar Year

Lionel Messi has set a new record of 86 goals in a calendar year after surpassing Gerd Muller's record of 85 strikes in Seville on Sunday night.

The Barcelona man achieved the feat with two fine strikes in the first half an hour against Betis, meaning he has notched up the tally of 86 in 66 games.

It took Muller just 60 appearances to set the previous record in 1972.

The Argentine started 2012 with two goals against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey, and regularly notched up doubles and trebles throughout the year for both club and country.

He scored exactly two goals on 21 occasions, and at least three strikes nine times, including a five-goal haul against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Muller hit 42 Bundesliga goals in 34 outings to fire Bayern Munich to the German title in 1971-72 and eventually 1972-73, and he also played an integral role in West Germany's European Championship victory. He scored five goals in the four finals games it took die Mannschaft to lift the trophy under the old format.

Muller was also boosted by Bayern's run of 21 matches in 37 days during the traditional pre-season period. Due to the summer Olympics that year, the German domestic football season was pushed back until September 16, so a new competition - the DFB-Ligapokal (League Cup) - was hastily introduced to ward off rustiness.

Muller scored 12 goals in five games in that maiden campaign, while he scored 10 goals against Galatasaray and Omonia Nicosia in the opening stages of the old European Cup.


source:goal.com

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Van Persie Fire Red Devil to Victory

Robin van Persie scored an injury-time winner to give Manchester United victory amid ugly scenes at the end of the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.

Two goals down to a first-half Wayne Rooney double, Manchester City thought they had snatched a point when Pablo Zabaleta followed up Yaya Toure's strike by driving home five minutes from time.

But after Rafael had been fouled on the edge of the area, Van Persie's free-kick flicked off Samir Nasri before cannoning in off the far post.

As United celebrated, Rio Ferdinand was struck by an object which drew blood from a cut close to his eye.

A supporter then ran onto the pitch and had to be restrained by Joe Hart before being carted away by stewards.

Sir Alex Ferguson then seemed to exchange words with former United striker Carlos Tevez before referee Martin Atkinson brought an end to a breathless afternoon.

Rooney's brace saw him jump to the top of United's scoring charts in Manchester derbies, his 10 goals taking him one clear of Sir Bobby Charlton.

United's defensive frailties have been obvious to everyone this term, so it came as something of a shock that City's rearguard was the topic of conversation at half-time.

Dominant during the opening 15 minutes, the Blues were caught cold by the visitors' first attack, started deep in their own half by Patrice Evra.

Van Persie cushioned a delightful return pass from Ashley Young's flicked header, allowing the winger to drive over halfway and drill a low cross to the edge of the area for Rooney.

Surrounded by three City defenders, Rooney took the ball to his left before cutting a shot back to the near post that Hart had no chance of keeping out.

City's concerns grew when Vincent Kompany was replaced by Kolo Toure, bringing additional uncertainty to a defence which conceded a second a short time later.

This time the surge came from the right wing as Antonio Valencia found an overlapping Rafael with a perfectly-weighted pass which the Brazilian crossed into the danger zone.

Rooney, who had been allowed to gallop unopposed from his initial pass, could not believe the space on offer which allowed him to tuck his first-time shot beyond Hart, allowing him to become the sixth player - and the youngest - to score 150 Premier League goals.

There was a conviction about United's play that was missing from City's.

Mario Balotelli, preferred up front to Carlos Tevez, was the subject of his manager's ire, yet Sergio Aguero was the one who had failed to control the Italian's through-ball when the scores were still level.

Aguero was also the player who took on the entire Red Devils defence single handedly and squeezed a shot towards the corner which David de Gea did well to keep out.

After wasting possession once too often, Balotelli was replaced by Tevez, the Italian heading straight down the tunnel, although not before fixing Mancini with an icy stare.

Ashley Young then had a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside when he tucked home the rebound from a Van Persie shot that had cannoned back off a post, and United were still digesting their disappointment as City countered to pull a goal back.

De Gea produced brilliant saves to deny Tevez and David Silva, but he was unable to keep out a third strike on goal from Yaya Toure, who calmly rolled Tevez's cut-back into the bottom corner.

It was the goal that lit the touchpaper for a thrilling finale, with tackles flying in from both sides as referee Atkinson desperately tried to keep control.

Van Persie headed Cleverley's cross over before De Gea somehow kept Silva's shot out at the other end when it flicked off his shoulder and onto the crossbar.

City had the momentum though and when Tevez's corner was half-cleared into Zabaleta's path, the Argentinian thrashed home a ferocious shot through a crowded penalty area.

There was one final twist to come, though, as Van Persie stepped up to end City's 37-match unbeaten run on home soil to send United six points clear at the top.



source:soccernet

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chelsea break bank for Pep

Roman Abramovich wants to offer former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola a £20 million-a-season contract to take over at Chelsea in the summer.

It is being suggested the Chelsea owner's 'trigger happy' attitude to managers - eight sacked in nine-and-a-half years - is putting off Guardiola, who is currently taking a year out of the game in New York after leaving the Nou Camp.

Indeed, reports suggest that technical director Michael Emenalo is drawing up a backup list which includes Jurgen Klopp, however, ESPN has learned that Abramovich is determined to win the race for Guardiola, despite intense interest from PSG, AC Milan and Bayern Munich.

With Europe's elite all keen to lure Guardiola, Abramovich plans to blow them all out of the water with a massive offer of a £20m-a-year, four year contract, plus bonuses that would easily ensure the Spaniard earns nearly £100m for his troubles and becomes the world's highest paid manager.

But Guardiola's agent, Josep Maria Orobitg, recently revealed that his client would not be making up his mind before the New Year.

"Pep Guardiola will not decide anything before January. I was with him in New York, 15 days ago, and he told me that he will not decide before January or February which team he will coach or if he will sit on any bench next season," he told Brazilian website Lancenet.

"It doesn't matter what happens, before that period he will not take any decision with any club nor with any national team. Only he will decide his future, he has the personality to do that. Now he is with his family, resting, reading, enjoying his hobbies, watching football... in January he will start to think about which team he will lead next season."

Abramovich has already tried to lure Guardiola to Stamford Bridge twice, but the next bid cannot come quickly enough for disgruntled Chelsea fans who voiced their protests at Roberto Di Matteo's sacking and also the interim appointment of Rafael Benitez before their exit from the Champions League last week.

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Manchester United move to land Sterling

 Sir Alex Ferguson has joined the marquee clubs keen to take advantage of the youngster's contract stand-off with Liverpool and sees him as a possible replacement for Nani

Manchester United have made an enquiry for Liverpool contract rebel Raheem Sterling, Goal.com has learned.

Sir Alex Ferguson wants to take advantage of the teenager’s contract stand-off with the Merseysiders despite the delicate relationship between the two clubs. United have put out informal feelers to make clear their interest in capturing the newly-capped England international.


Sterling, who turns 18 on Saturday, has stalled on signing his first major contract after breaking into the Liverpool team this season.

The youngster’s advisers are in negotiations with Anfield officials but Goal.com understands they have refused the offer that has been put on the table by the club.

Sterling’s camp have been irritated by manager Brendan Rodgers’ comment that the winger would be “very foolish” not to agree fresh terms with a club he joined from QPR at 14 and where he has been fast-tracked into the first team.

United are one of a number of leading clubs who are closely monitoring Sterling’s situation and could consider launching a bid in January if the stand-off is not resolved by then.

The winger is regarded by the Premier League leaders as a potential replacement for Nani, who has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and is expected to be sold at the end of the season.

The Portuguese winger has entered the penultimate year of his contract and talks over a new deal have yet to be resolved.

Ferguson is also tracking Blackpool’s £5million-rated Tom Ince, the former Liverpool winger who is also being targeted for an Anfield return.

Ince left Anfield in the summer of 2011 on a two-year contract which expires at the end of the season, though the Seasiders have the option of activating a one-year extension on his current deal.

source:goal.com

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Winning isn't everything--Gunners Chief

The club's chief commercial officer, Tom Fox, believes that the recent renewal of Arsenal's sponsorship deal with Emirates - worth £150 million - is proof the club's brand remains strong despite their failure to challenge for top honours in recent years.

Arsenal, who last claimed major silverware in the 2005 FA Cup final, are currently 10th in the Premier League table having lost four and won just five of their 15 games in the competition so far this season. The Gunners were booed off at the weekend after losing 2-0 at home to Swansea City.

Fox, however, claimed that being competitive on the pitch was not the only measure of success. "Arsenal Football Club is not only about winning," he said. "We have a large and engaged fan-base around the world who want to feel as if they belong to the club, and want to feel proud to belong to the club. That's my primary business."

Arsenal have seen a succession of top players leave the club in order to win trophies elsewhere, with Robin van Persie's summer move to Manchester United the most recent example, but Fox said that the club's track record of producing young talent and their world-class Emirates Stadium should be sources of pride for the fans.

"Obviously nothing instills pride in our fan-base more than winning, but there's many things we do that make our fans feel proud," he was quoted as saying by UAE-based website Sport 360. "Developing young talent and finding those players in the marketplace make our fans feel proud.

"Whether it's Serge Gnabry, who is a 17-year-old player in our reserve squad, whether it's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whether it's Theo Walcott, we look at these young players and have faith in our manager to develop them as the players for the future.

"And the fans come to a stadium that the club built really at a time 10 years ago when the board decided to build that stadium.

"Everything was going our way, it was Manchester United and Arsenal.

"But we made a very bold decision and we built that stadium on time and on budget - that makes our fans very proud.

"When they see that we can attract - even though we haven't won a trophy in seven years - one of the top global brands in the world for the type of money and financial commitment they're making, that makes our fans feel proud.

"So our brand is defined by more than winning."

Fox's comments come after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the club's Annual General Meeting in October that finishing fourth in the league - and thereby qualifying for the Champions League - was in itself the equivalent of winning a trophy.


source:soccernet

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Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel handed three-match ban after Machester United race row

John Obi Mikel was on Thursday suspended for three matches and fined £60,000 (74,320 euros) for clashing with match officials following the controversial 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.

The match had been overshadowed by accusations that referee Mark Clattenburg had racially abused the Chelsea midfielder.

But Clattenburg was later cleared of all charges.

Mikel had admitted using threatening and/or abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour in the official’s changing room at the end of the game at Stamford Bridge on October 28, said the Football Association.

“Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel has been given a three-match suspension to begin with immediate effect and fined £60,000 following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today,” said an FA statement.

“The Regulatory Commission’s independent chairman Christopher Quinlan QC emphasised that the
 Independent Regulatory Commission accepted, as did The FA, that at the time he threatened the referee the player genuinely believed that the referee had racially abused him.

“But for that factor the suspension would have been significantly longer. Subsequently The FA investigated the allegation that the referee racially abused the player and found that there was not a case for him to answer.”



source: vanguardnews

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Arsenal to Land £7m Demba Ba

Gunners are prepared to test the resolve of Newcastle United by launching a January bid for Demba Ba.
The forward, who is stalling over a new contract with the Magpie, took his goal tally in the Barclays Premier

League to 10 last night with a double during his side’s comfortable home win against Wigan.

And with Gunners manager Arsene Wenger keen to provide some more cutting edge up front, Ba could be the perfect option.

The Toon goal machine could leave for as little as £7m under a release clause in his contract, which would be a real bargain, but Arsenal face tough competition from Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, who is known to be a fan of the Senegalese international.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was candid about Demba Ba’s future, telling Sky Sports after the Wigan game: “We’ve tried to do a deal with him and take the clause out and that’s probably where the speculation is.

“The clause is always hanging over us and it makes it difficult for us, the club and him. We accept that and that’s the way football is.”

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Clinical Blues Crash Out Of Champions League

Benitez’s team were relatively impressive in annihilating Group E minnows Nordsjaelland 6-1 but a points haul of 10 was not enough to prevent the European champions becoming the first holders to fail to qualify for the last 16.


With Juventus simultaneously defeating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 to join the Ukraine club in February’s knockout stages, Benitez will lead his team into the far less glamorous environs of the Europa League.
That is, if the Spaniard is still screaming out instructions from the home dugout at the Bridge by then.

Nothing can be taken for granted where Roman Abramovich is concerned, even if Benitez might have bought himself a smidgen of room to manoeuvre with this comfortable win, albeit against weak Danish opponents.
The manager could at least take solace in a less poisonous welcome from the home fans and a brace of goals from his underperforming No9 Fernando Torres, which were supplemented by a David Luiz penalty, a Gary Cahill header and  Juan Mata and Oscar strikes.

Joshua John scored what turned out to be a consolation for the visitors but there could have been even more goals had Nicolai Stokholm and Eden Hazard not traded penalty misses in a crazy few minutes before Luiz showed them how it was done.

Benitez might not be able to pit his wits against Europe’s finest coaching minds in the new year but he can at least take solace in a more efficient display from his team.

Unsurprisingly, given the inexperience of the opposition, Chelsea controlled the opening exchanges but their finishing initially lacked punch, as if they were unconvinced whether it would make any difference to the evening’s equation.

An uninspiring game became an eventful one around the half-hour mark, with three penalties awarded in a madcap six minutes, each for handballs of varying degrees of culpability.

Petr Cech dived low to his right to save Nicolai Stokholm’s spot-kick after 32 minutes but Jesper Hansen then matched the Chelsea No1 by flinging himself to his left to keep out Hazard’s rather feeble penalty.

The third spot-kick was perhaps the most contentious of the lot, awarded when a close-range shot hit defender Patrick Mtiliga’s arm that was resting by his side. Luiz paced out a fast bowler’s run-up and emphatically rammed the ball home.

Torres doubled Chelsea’s advantage on the brink of half-time, in a manner that will provide encouragement to Benitez and his coaching staff.

After out-pacing defender Michael Parkhurst in the quest to latch on to Victor Moses’ smart through-ball, the Spaniard’s first attempt was beaten away by Hansen but the striker kept his composure to steer the rebound over the goalkeeper and inside the far post.

It prompted a thousand Twitter jokes about Torres ending his drought but it was in fact the Spaniard’s eighth Chelsea goal of the season.

Nineteen seconds after the break, Nordsjaelland got a foothold in the match when the brilliantly named Joshua John steered in from a tight angle.

Cahill got on the scoresheet after 51 minutes with his sixth goal of the season and, from then on, it was about how many Chelsea would win by as their part-time opposition tired.

Torres got his ninth of the campaign soon afterwards, while Mata and Oscar also scored late on as the final group game developed into a training match.

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Thierry Henry Returns To Arsenal for The Third Time

Thierry Henry has agreed in principle to make a sensational return to the club where he made his most prominent mark for a third spell in January.

The club are aiming for their all-time leading goalscorer to begin his second loan in consecutive seasons on January 1.

Henry has told Arsenal that he wants to return to the Emirates Stadium and the Londoners are now thrashing out an agreement with his club, New York Red Bulls, on the terms of the deal. The key sticking point is the length of the loan, with Arsene Wenger keen to have the 35-year-old for as long as possible.

Though the MLS club are reluctant for the Frenchman to be allowed an extension to his stay much beyond mid-February, they have given their blessings for him to join for a similar six-week period to last season.
Henry will train with Arsenal in December when he returns from holiday and should be back in the first-team squad and available for selection for the New Year.

The north London side will be without Ivoirian, Gervinho, who will be on duty for his country at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in January for up to six weeks and dark clouds surround the future of Theo Walcott, as a final deal on contract extension for the prolific forward hasn’t been reached yet.

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Mikel Signs New 5yrs Chelsea contract

John Obi Mikel has signed a new contract that will keep him at Stamford Bridge for five more years.

Mikel, 25, said he was delighted to have put pen to paper and hoped the Blues could build on last season's Champions League success by continuing to pick up trophies.

The Nigeria international has established himself as an integral part of the Chelsea set-up since joining from Norwegian side Lyn Olso, via Manchester United, in 2006.

When he arrived at Stamford Bridge as a 19-year-old, Mikel was an attacking midfielder, but former Blues boss Jose Mourinho switched him to the defensive midfield role in which he has made the majority of his 261 Chelsea appearances.

He told the club's official website: "Chelsea seems like my home now, because I have been here for over six years and I enjoy it here. I am happy and want to keep going and win trophies for this club.

"I have basically won everything with Chelsea, and these years have been really special for me. Last season, to win the Champions League was even more special, and I hope these next five years will bring even more success."

He said he believed he was reaching the peak of his powers, adding: "You want to improve every day, and there is still room for that. I want to learn from the players and the manager, and I just want to keep going."

A statement from the club said: "Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce that John Mikel Obi has signed a new five-year contract which will keep him at the club until 2017."



Source:soccernet

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“Torres is scoring a lot of goals in training"– Benitez

Chelsea’s interim manager, Rafa Benoitez, believes it is just a matter of time before troubled striker, Fernando Torres, begins to score regularly. The Spanish coach revealed that Torres was now scoring a lot in training and his defensive side has improved recently.

“Fernando is doing a great job,” he said. “Yesterday we have a training session with finishing and Fernando scored a lot of goals. I think he has more confidence and, the team-mates, they know he is trying very hard and that is the main thing.”

Benitez also dismissed Gary Neville’s opinion, that the former Atletico Madrid man’s movement was poor and he did not contribute enough to the team.

“I think Fernando is a great player and the team know he is a great player. If he is in the right positions they will play with him; if he is in the wrong positions, maybe not. I can make a lot of analyses here, watching television, one way or another and I will be right.

“I think the main thing is what you can see as a manager, on the pitch and in training sessions. It’s not just scoring goals. I will say something, we change his position for corners, for example. If you analyse, I don’t know if Gary Neville has this opportunity but, if you analyse the corners in the game, he was amazing.

“He was two or three times clearing the goal. And, after, he was just doing man-to-man. He is a big lad. But he’s a striker so we put him in front and he was really good, so he’s helping the team.

“As a striker you want him to score goals but I would like to see Fernando scoring goals and the team winning, scoring a lot of goals from different parts of the pitch so the main thing is to win. Fernando is going to be an important player for us but the others have to score as well.”

A lot of pundits have pointed out that the misfiring frontman, is missing the type of passes that Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso supplied at Liverpool, but Benitez said that is not the case.

“At the beginning, Gerrard and Alonso could pass the ball very quickly and Fernando could pass defenders with his pace. Now, it’s different style. The teams know his game, he has space, Chelsea has to be an attacking team so it’s not the same situation. But still I think we have to create better chances for him, he will score goals and his confidence will come.”


source: DailyPost

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Mikel, Moses Make Chelsea List For Japan

The two Nigerians in the Chelsea team have been named by interim manager, Rafael Benitez in the 24-man squad to Japan Mikel Obi and Victor Moses were on Thursday named as part of the 24-man Chelsea team that will take part in the FIFA Club World Cup, that kicks off in Japan on December 6.

The two Nigerians will have the chance to make history and become the first Nigerian winners of the tournament, though Nwankwo Kanu and Finidi George won with Ajax in 1995, when it was called the
Intercontinental Cup.

Chelsea are already through to the semi-final where they will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Auckland City FC or Al Ahly of Egypt on December 13 in Yokohama.

Obi has played 21 times for the Blues this season in all competitions with no goals while Moses has made 12 appearances with three goals.

The duo was left out of Chelsea’s last match against Fulham on Wednesday but could come back into the side in Saturday’s derby away to West Ham.

Chelsea squad to Japan Goalkeepers: Petr Cech, Ross Turnbull and Hilario

Defenders: John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, David Luiz, Paulo Ferreira, Cesar Azpilicueta and Ryan Bertrand

Midfielders: Mikel Obi, Eden Hazard, Oriol Romeu, Ramires, Lucas Piazon Frank Lampard, Oscar and Marko Marin,

Strikers: Victor Moses, Daniel Sturridge, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata

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Jose Mourinho to 'leave Real Madrid at end of season'

Jose Mourinho could return to the Premier League next season with speculation the Real Madrid coach will leave the club at the end of the season. 

 

The Portuguese has come under fire from supporters this season following Madrid's slow start to the domestic season which has enabled arch-rivals Barcelona to establish an 11-point lead over Mourinho's men.

Real are five points behind second-placed Atletico Madrid despite Saturday night's 2-0 defeat of their near-neighbours and Spanish newspaper Marca believes the former Chelsea manager's future at the club could soon be up.

Mourinho was jeered by sections of the crowd in last Tuesday's Copa del Rey defeat of Alcoyano, prompting the former Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan boss to offer supporters the chance to vent their frustration by arranging to come to the side of the pitch 40 minutes before the Atletico game.

The reaction was mixed but with less than 5,000 fans inside the Bernabeu at the time, it offered little indication as to how the majority were feeling.

Nevertheless, it is now being speculated that Mourinho and Madrid president Florentino Perez have agreed his tenure at the club will come to an end next summer.

The Marca story claims that both Mourinho and Perez's relationship at the Bernabeu is "exhausted" and that "the current situation cannot continue beyond June 30".

Marca, who are known to have strong links with Real, add that Perez has become concerned by a number of incidents this season which have not cast the club in a good light.
Firstly, there was an incident with Sergio Ramos which saw the Spain defender put on Mesut Ozil's shirt underneath his own after the German was substituted at half-time of a game against Deportivo La Coruna.
Ramos later claimed he was merely showing support for his team-mate but the move was perceived as an attempt to undermine Mourinho's authority. Ramos was later dropped.
There was also the public spat with Alberto Toril, boss of the reserve side Real Madrid Castilla, who play in the Segunda Division.
Mourinho accused Toril of focusing too much on results rather than trying to produce young players for the first team.
And it would seem the publicity stunt prior to the Atletico game may have been the final straw. Marca's report added: "Florentino believes Mourinho is 'committing suicide' with his decisions and statements this season - the Ramos case, the war with Toril and checking the pulse of the Bernabeu. "They will try to get to the end of the season in a friendly manner as Florentino does not want a crisis in the middle of the season.
"But what is certain is that the decision is taken: this will be the last season of the Mou tenure in Madrid."

The speculation is sure to alert a number of clubs around Europe and, in particular, England where Mourinho is still highly regarded following his spell at Stamford Bridge where he won two Premier League crowns and one FA Cup.

He has been linked with a return to Chelsea, currently under the interim stewardship of Rafael Benitez, and Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson finally retires. Ferguson is a fan of Mourinho and asked if he could replace him in the Old Trafford hot-seat, he told ITV4: "He can manage anywhere, absolutely. I'm not going to put any forecasts on what is going to happen at this club.

"I won't last forever, but Jose can manage anywhere, there is no question about that."
Mourinho joined Chelsea after leading Porto to a surprise Champions League triumph in 2004 and remained for three years. He then joined Inter Milan and guided the Nerazzurri to back-to-back Serie A titles.

In addition to the Scudetto, Inter also landed the Coppa Italia and the Champions League in 2010 and in doing so became the first Italian side to win the treble.

A move to Madrid ensued and after winning the Copa del Rey in his first season in charge he ended Barca's stranglehold on the Primera Division crown last season.

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Arsenal: A club in crisis

Embarrassing defeats, criticism from fans and former players, a major health scare for its long-serving chairman -- Arsenal's season is not getting any easier.

The English Premier League club's stalwart figurehead Peter Hill-Wood is recovering in hospital after suffering a heart attack the day before Arsenal's 2-0 defeat at home to Swansea.

It left the 13-time English champions 10th in the 20-team EPL after 15 games, continuing Arsenal's worst start to a season since 1994.

Hill-Wood had been suffering pneumonia and was taken ill at home on Friday, the London side's website reported on Sunday.

"He is making a good recovery. The club wishes Peter a full and speedy return to health and our thoughts are with him and his family at this time," read a statement on Arsenal.com.

The 76-year-old has been Arsenal's chairman since 1982, following in the footsteps of his father Denis and his grandfather Samuel, who twice held the role in spells between 1929 and 1949.

"Even if u are not a fan of #Peter Hill-Wood ... wishing him full recovery. He & his family gave so much to #Arsenal in the past!" one Arsenal supporter wrote on Twitter.

Manager Arsene Wenger and the club's board are coming under increasing criticism from fans, who are unhappy that top players such as Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas have been allowed to leave in recent years.

Emmanuel Eboue, who was sold to Turkish side Galatasaray last season, also made his feelings known on Twitter after the Swansea defeat

"Why have we destroyed the club we love so much. The set of players we have now are like chicken fillet. #Arsenal board have abused the fans," the Ivory Coast international said.

"Some of the players need to be stoned off the pitch. No brain, no passion, no soul. The Arsenal glory days are fading fast. We need help.

"The only way to put pressure on the board is by fans not coming to the stadium. Low revenue would worry the board and put pressure on boss."

One of the club's celebrity fans, CNN's Piers Morgan, also had harsh words for Wenger -- the club's longest serving manager, with 11 trophies since he joined in 1996 but none since 2005.

"That was the single worst performance of Wenger's reign. It's over -- he must go before he wrecks his great legacy," Morgan wrote on Twitter, where he has set up the hashtag #WengerOut.

"Wenger must go, for his sake and for the club's."

Wenger's team have already qualified for the last 16 of the European Champions League, but the Frenchman is looking for a morale-boosting result in Tuesday's final Group B game away to Greek side Olympiakos.

"It's important for us. Away from home, I'm not too concerned," the 63-year-old said.

"We look like we play a little bit with the handbrake at home. It's not fluent. There might be a psychological component in there as well.

"At home we have not produced the performances since the beginning of the season that you would expect from us, and that is where we have to find the solution."

Arsenal announced last month that major sponsor Emirates had agreed a new $240 million deal until 2019 for shirt rights and 2028 for stadium naming, but that money will not be available for Wenger to bolster his squad until midway through next year.

When asked if he had plans to make major signings in the January transfer window, Wenger kept his cards close to his chest.

"I believe the support from the board is there to spend the money if we find the players," he said.

Another manager under pressure is Martin O'Neill, whose Sunderland team remained just a point above the relegation zone after losing 2-1 to Norwich in Sunday's only Premier League fixture.

The former Aston Villa, Celtic and Leicester boss, who was a European Cup winner with Nottingham Forest as a player, was frustrated after the result left his side with just two wins from 14 games.

"We started off very tentatively -- the first goal we conceded was poor and the second was even worse," the Northern Irishman said.

"We should have taken something from the game. It's very frustrating to come away with nothing."


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