Report: Man U to break British record to sign Tevez
Manchester United is reportedly set to sign Carlos Tevez on a permanent transfer for a British record $63.6 million.

Inter still interested in Lampard
Inter Milan chief executive Ernesto Paolillo says the club are still interested in signing Chelsea's Frank Lampard.

Preview: Dallas vs. Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Galaxy travel to a struggling FC Dallas as they look to regain first place in the Western Conference.

Capello denies reports of quitting England early
England manager Fabio Capello has denied reports he will quit his post after the 2010 World Cup.

Rooney: United full of confidence
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney believes the team are full of confidence following their Double last season.

Man Utd beats Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 to win tournament
Manchester United scored three second-half goals Saturday to beat South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 in the final of the Vodacom Challenge preseason tournament.

Torres targeting silverware
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres says he hopes to help his team to silverware this season.

Blues score seven goals in friendly
Joe Cole's brace helped Chelsea to a 7-0 victory over the Chengdu Blades in their pre-season friendly in Macau.

Ballack shrugs off Fergie comments
Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has shrugged off Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's comments about his side's average age.

Barcelona 5-0 Dundee United: No half measures from Messi
Dundee United 1 Buaben 26 Barcelona 5 Henry 27; Messi 54, 76, 79; Eto'o 61

Kilmarnock 0-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Toothless Killie uncomfortable in company of Wolves
Kilmarnock 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 Iwelumo 24, 56; Vokes 32

Raith Rovers 1-2 Rangers: Cuellar blow as Gers limp to tepid win
Raith Rovers 1 Smith 29 Rangers 2 Novo 70, Cousin 78

Saints get their marching orders
ROSS County prised St Johnstone's grip from the Challenge Cup with a 2-1 win at Victoria Park. David Winters fired County ahead at the start of the second half when he rea

Pat Nevin: Lay off the work permits committee – it works for the good of the game
IT IS getting close to the time when the transfer window begins to hang heavy on the minds of football clubs and their fans. The biannual battle of brinkmanship is played out

Dan Brennan: Velicka comes full circle on Romanov's merry-go-round
THANKS TO Vladimir Romanov's ongoing crusade against the Old Firm, a clash between his Lithuanian club Kaunas and Rangers already comes laden with subtext. The presence i

Steven Tweed: League reconstruction would help avoid another Gretna and reward the part-timers
WITH A new season on the horizon the rigours of pre-season training are thankfully coming to an end. All footballers, whether full-time professionals or part-timers, need t

"A lot of these players are lazy. Romanov must decide which ones deserves the money"
IT WAS deep into a conversation about his troubled upbringing under the repressive regime of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu when Csaba Laszlo began to become animat

The game that Rangers can't afford to lose
IT IS ALL of eight years since Rangers last played FBK Kaunas. Yet over-familiarity could prove to be an enemy of the Ibrox side when they play host the Lithuanians on Wednes

McClelland joins movers and shakers to give Scots voice at Europe's top table
Eurostar: John McClelland is vice-chairman of the newly-formed European Club Association

Porto 0-1 Celtic: Late strike gives Celtic edge
Porto 0 Celtic 1 Vennegoor of Hesselink 88

SPL becomes more than a two-horse race as bookies move the goalposts
ACCORDING TO the bookmakers, the outcome of season 2008-09 in the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League is not a two-horse race. No, they haven't taken leave of their s

McCann-do attitude secures win and puts Hughes' summer signings in favourable light
Falkirk 2 D Stewart 15 og; J Stewart 17 Queen's Park Rangers 0

Gravesen won't be forced out
DANISH midfielder Thomas Gravesen is refusing to be forced out of Celtic and his stubborn stance could cost the club £9.24m for what amounts to one season's work, write

Kingston believes newfound spirit of togetherness can bring silverware back to Tynecastle
LARYEA Kingston insists Hearts don't need a squad laced with superstars to be a success this year – they simply need to play as a team.

Motherwell 4-0 Bradford: McGhee's men tear Bradford apart in first-half rout
Motherwell 4 Clarkson 1; Porter, pen; Smith 31; Malcolm 40 Bradford 0

Tevez rejects Madrid to stay at United
CARLOS Tevez rejected overtures from Real Madrid this summer because he was happy to commit his future to Manchester United.

Inverness CT 4-4 Herfolge: McAllister fills Niculae's boots
Herfolge 4 Djebi-Zadi og 19; Toft 24, 52; Trager 90 Inverness CT 4 Rooney 41; McAllister 79, 82, 90

Morton 1-1 St Mirren: Buddies spot on in cup triumph
Morton 1 Russell 23 St Mirren 1 McAusland 25 St Mirren win 5-4 on penalties

Mensing has final say in comeback win for Accies
HAMILTON Accies deservedly qualified for the final of the Hartlepool centenary Tournament with a 2-1 victory over Huddersfield Town.

Hearts seek second opinion on Serie A striker Tullberg
HEARTS will take another look at Serie A trialist Mike Tullberg (right) when they face SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the final match of their German tour on Tuesday.

Danish striker gets chance to win loan deal with Hearts
HEARTS will consider a loan deal for Danish trialist Mike Tullberg if he impresses during the remainder of their German tour. The player still has three years remaining on his

Cueller injured in pre-season friendly
Raith Rovers.......1 Rangers............2

Kaiserslautern 1 - 0 Hearts : Csaba sure Hearts will get it right
CSABA LASZLO declared himself relatively content despite defeat for Hearts in Marburg last night.

Gerard: Murrayfield mauling won't pique Fletcher's gas
GERARD PIQUE knows all about Steven Fletcher having played against him in the Under-19 European Championships final two years ago.

Jambos open up to fans
HEARTS will open the gates of Tynecastle to supporters next Saturday with a free training day, allowing fans access to the team's final session before the visit of Hull Ci

David: We'll bounce back from battering
HIBS star David van Zanten today backed his Easter Road team-mates to shrug off their six-goal thrashing at the hands of Barcelona, insisting it won't crush anyone's

Smith: Kaunas clash is bigger than UEFA final
WALTER SMITH insists next week's Champions League qualifier against FBK Kaunas is a bigger game for Rangers than last season's UEFA Cup final.

Mesmerising Messi, a maestro with the world at his feet
LIONEL Messi is not one of life's born attention-seekers. Unfortunately for him, he keeps doing things which attract a fair bit of notice.

Tannadice can help to keep Barca in check - Levein
THE question is not a new one at Tannadice Park, and neither has it proved unsolvable. But Hibs' troubles on Thursday night bring a fresh frame of reference, and also urge

Cannavaro Tapping Up Ronaldo Now
Fresh from his own tapping up storm in England over Tottenham's Dimitar Berbatov, Sir Alex Ferguson will have went even redder in the face if he read today's Sun newspaper...

Greed Is Good For Lampard Too
It's been a dismal week for football fans as top players all over Europe look to feather their already extravagant nests with no regard for anyone other than themselves. While...

AC Milan Insist Kaka Is Not For Sale
It's only been a fortnight since I last wrote about Chelsea making an astronomical bid for Kaka and now we see the Italians having to speak out again to deny...

The Ronaldinho Saga Ends In Milan
So one of the year's biggest transfer stories hasn't ended in Manchester but in Milan where any football fan with half a brain knew it was going to end from...

Flamengo Offer Lifeline To The Real Ronaldo
It would be easy to forget that before the Portuguese Ronaldo learned his first step over trick another Portuguese speaking footballing genius called Ronaldo was wowing fans all over the...

I Wish I Was A Slave Like Ronaldo
Sometimes it doesn't seem possible for certain attention seeking lowlifes to fall even further in one's estimation than you previously thought possible but this week has seen just such a...

Chelsea Massive Bid For Kaka
AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has said that Chelsea have made an "astronomical bid" for Brazilian World Player of the Year Kaka and there is also interest in their Italian...

How Can Arsenal Be So Broke?
We've become accustomed to strange, off-the-wall outbursts from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger over the past few years but today's news from the Frenchman that the club will have to sell...

Has Kewell Or Galatasaray Taken More Of A Gamble?
From a basic point of view it seems that Galatasaray have done rather well in signing a 29 year old European Cup winning international star with a decade's experience of...

Spain Are Euro 2008 Champions
Spain have been crowned European champions after beating Germany 1 - 0 in the Euro 2008 final in Vienna, Austria. Liverpool striker Fernando Torres scored the decisive strike in the...

Germany power to U19 glory
Germany 3-1 Italy
Lars Bender, Richard Sukuta-Pasu and Timo Gebhart scored as Horst Hrubesch's side triumphed in Jablonec.

Rennes prevail in penalty marathon
SC Tavriya Simferopol 1-0 Stade Rennais FC (agg: 1-1, Rennes win 10-9 on penalties)
The home side bowed out after a mammoth shoot-out.

Bouma blow mars Villa victory
Aston Villa FC 1-0 Odense BK (agg: 3-2)
A serious injury to Wilfred Bouma tempered the English side's delight as Ashley Young's goal proved decisive.

Hamšík seals Napoli progression
SSC Napoli 1-0 Panionios GSS (agg: 2-0)
Marek Hamšík second-half goal secured the Italian side's first appearance in the UEFA Cup for 14 years.

Hrubesch hails all-conquering Germany
Germany coach Horst Hrubesch described his side as "the best in the tournament" after their UEFA European Under-19 Championship final win over Italy.

Sturm break hearts in Budapest
Budapest Honvéd FC 1-2 SK Sturm Graz (agg: 1-2)
Goals from Daniel Beichler and Mario Haas earned the Austrian visitors a place in the UEFA Cup second round.

Trio strike as Braga saga continues
SC Braga 3-0 Sivasspor (agg: 5-0)
Matheus, Roland Linz and Luís Aguiar found the target as Braga completed a comfortable two-legged victory.

Valerón returns to fire Depor through
RC Deportivo La Coruña 1-0 Bnei Sakhnin FC (agg: 3-1)
A Juan Carlos Valerón strike helped the Galician side to a UEFA Intertoto Cup third round win over their Israeli rivals.

Neftçi no match for resurgent Vaslui
SC Vaslui 2-0 PFC Neftçi (agg: 3-2)
Goals from Lucian Burdujan and Mike Temwanjera saw the Romanian side overturn a first-leg deficit to progress.

Grasshoppers bounce into UEFA Cup
PFC Chernomorets Burgas 0-1 Grasshopper-Club (agg: 0-4)
A Raúl Bobadilla strike gave Grasshopper-Club a comprehensive overall win against their Bulgarian hosts.

Jungwirth salutes German resilience
Florian Jungwirth hailed an "absolutely outstanding performance" as Germany recovered from their captain's dismissal to win the U19 championship.

Necid picks up scoring prize
Czech Republic striker Tomáš Necid has finished as top scorer in the UEFA European Under-19 Championship after scoring four goals in his four finals appearances.

Kirichenko cautious about Saturn voyage
FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast's Dmitri Kirichenko is wary of third-round opponents VfB Stuttgart as the Russian club bid to secure a debut UEFA Cup berth.

Oleguer to join Ajax from Barcelona
FC Barcelona central defender Oleguer Presas is to complete a move to UEFA Cup contenders AFC Ajax on Monday, signing a three-year contract in Amsterdam.

Friedel ventures forth to Villa
Aston Villa FC have signed former United States goalkeeper Brad Friedel from English Premier League rivals Blackburn Rovers FC for an undisclosed fee.

Rovers sign England keeper Robinson
Tottenham Hotspur FC keeper Paul Robinson has joined Blackburn Rovers FC for €4.5m, paving the way for Brad Friedel to join Premier League rivals Aston Villa FC.

Intertoto Cup reaches final curtain
The final edition of the UEFA Intertoto Cup concludes on Saturday and Sunday with many of the ties delicately poised after last weekend's opening games.

Brighi commits to the Roma cause
Midfielder Matteo Brighi, 27, has renewed his contract at AS Roma committing himself to the UEFA Champions League group stage contenders until June 2012.

Brückner takes up Austrian mantle
Former Czech Republic boss Karel Brückner has been named as the new coach of Austria following the post-UEFA EURO 2008™ resignation of Josef Hickersberger.

Porto beef up attack with Hulk
Portuguese champions FC Porto have signed Brazilian striker Givanildo Vieira de Souza – better known as 'Hulk' – from Uruguayan side CA Rentistas on a four-year deal.

Live text - Murray v Nadal
British number one Andy Murray meets world number two Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the Toronto Masters.

Middlesex win thrilling Cup final
Middlesex hold their nerve to win a scintillating Twenty20 Cup final off the final delivery against Kent at the Rose Bowl.

Chimbonda signs up for Sunderland
Sunderland boss Roy Keane strengthens his squad by signing defender Pascal Chimbonda from Spurs.

Friedel completes move to Villa
Aston Villa clinch the signing of veteran American goalkeeper Brad Friedel from Blackburn for an undisclosed fee.

Sastre set to win Tour de France
Spaniard Carlos Sastre is heading towards his first Tour de France win after his rivals failed to gain ground in Saturday's 53km time-trial.

Bolt cruises to stunning 200m win
Jamaican Usain Bolt underlines his Olympic credentials by winning the 200m at the London Grand Prix in 19.76 seconds.

Aston Villa 1-0 Odense (agg 3-2)
Aston Villa book a spot in the final Uefa Cup qualifying round with a win over Odense but the match is marred by a serious injury to Wilfred Bouma.

Messi hat-trick sinks Dundee Utd
Lionel Messi nets a second half hat-trick as Barcelona finish their Scottish tour with a 5-1 win at Tannadice.

Horror injury for Villa's Bouma
Aston Villa defender Wilfred Bouma is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after dislocating his right ankle.

Jubilant skipper hails Henderson
Skipper Ed Joyce praises Tyron Henderson after the all-rounder steers Middlesex to a stunning Twenty20 Cup final victory over Kent at the Rose Bowl.

Harmison handed recall by England
England recall Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison for the crucial third Test against South Africa at Edgbaston next week.

Injured Tomlinson is Games doubt
Chris Tomlinson's Olympic preparations suffer a blow as he pulls out of the long jump at the London Grand Prix.

Saints march on to Wembley
St Helens are on course to win their fifth Challenge Cup in seven years after a 26-16 win over semi-final opponents Leeds.

Marmalade wins King George
The Aidan O'Brien-trained Duke Of Marmalade wins the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot ahead of Papal Bull.

Taylor powers to Blackpool title
Phil Taylor claims the Stan James World Matchplay title in Blackpool with an emphatic 18-9 victory over defending champion James Wade.

Oleguer to join Ajax from Barcelona
FC Barcelona central defender Oleguer Presas is to complete a move to UEFA Cup contenders AFC Ajax on Monday, signing a three-year contract in Amsterdam.

Niculae delighted by Dinamo return
FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti have paid Scottish Premier League outfit Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC €475,000 to re-sign their former striker Marius Niculae.

Okkas and Niculescu join Omonia
UEFA Cup hopefuls AC Omonia have strengthened their squad by signing experienced Cyprus captain Yiannis Okkas and Romanian striker Claudiu Niculescu.

Žilina bank on Vrba dexterity
Slovakian UEFA Cup hopefuls MŠK Žilina believe this could be their year as coach Pavel Vrba seeks to take his players to the next level in European competition.

Elm set to take root at Heerenveen
Kalmar FF midfielder Viktor Elm has agreed to join fellow UEFA Cup participants SC Heerenveen on a free transfer when his contract expires in January 2009.

Austria Wien come in for Diabang
FK Austria Wien have signed Senegalese-born striker Mamadou Diabang from German second tier side FC Augsburg as they prepare for a UEFA Cup decider.

Benfica complete hat-trick of signings
SL Benfica have unveiled a trio of new signings with defenders Sidnei Rechel da Silva Júnior and Jorge Ribeiro plus winger Jonathan Urretavizcaya all arriving.

Young Boys let Hakan Yakin go
UEFA Cup contenders BSC Young Boys have released Switzerland attacking midfielder Hakan Yakin, who is likely to join Qatar's Al-Gharafa SC in the coming days.

Dellas and AEK part company
Greek international centre-back Traianos Dellas has been released by AEK Athens FC after failing to come to an agreement with the club over a new contract.

'No fear' for Glentoran's McDonald
Glentoran FC manager Alan McDonald is optimistic that competing against opposition from "across the water" will help the Belfast side extend their UEFA Cup run.

Heerenveen make double swoop
UEFA Cup hopefuls SC Heerenveen have drafted in Ivorian international midfielder Bonaventure Kalou and 20-year-old Norway forward Tarik Elyounoussi.

Sampdoria switch thrills Fornaroli
Bruno Fornaroli was delighted to join UC Sampdoria after resisting offers from other leading European clubs to sign for €3m from Club Nacional de Football.

Aissati swaps PSV for rivals Ajax
Ismaïl Aissati has become only the fourth player to switch from PSV Eindhoven to AFC Ajax with the 19-year-old midfield talent signing a four-year contract.

Makelele keen to share wisdom at PSG
Claude Makelele plans to share the knowledge he has gained in his years at the top of the game with the young players at his new club Paris Saint-Germain FC.

'Akpagoal' asked to lead Club Brugge line
Nigerian striker Joseph Akpala has joined UEFA Cup contenders Club Brugge KV from Belgian rivals R Charleroi SC for a fee believed to be around €3m.

PSG bring Giuly back to France
AS Roma winger Ludovic Giuly has returned to his homeland to become Paris Saint-Germain FC's second major signing of the summer on a three-year contract.

Zé António motors to Racing
UEFA Cup entrants Real Racing Club Santander have signed Portuguese centre-back Zé António, 31, from VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach on a two-year contract.

Brazilian Helder heads for Nancy
AS Nancy-Lorraine have continued to reinforce their defensive ranks with the signing of 20-year-old right-back Helder from EC Juventude in his native Brazil.

City slick as Danish sides dominate
Northern round-up: Manchester City FC were forceful winners in the Faroe Islands while the four Danish teams stamped their authority in their UEFA Cup ties.

Hertha and Salzburg go goal crazy
Central-East round-up: FC Salzburg and Hertha BSC Berlin both won by seven goals as FC Tobol Kostanay produced a surprise by overcoming FK Austria Wien.

Brighi commits to the Roma cause
Midfielder Matteo Brighi, 27, has renewed his contract at AS Roma committing himself to the UEFA Champions League group stage contenders until June 2012.

Porto beef up attack with Hulk
Portuguese champions FC Porto have signed Brazilian striker Givanildo Vieira de Souza – better known as 'Hulk' – from Uruguayan side CA Rentistas on a four-year deal.

Fábio Santos laid low at Lyon
Fábio Santos is likely to be unavailable when Olympique Lyonnais' UEFA Champions League campaign kicks off in September after suffering a broken cheekbone.

Nihat stuck on standby at Villarreal
A thigh injury picked up with Turkey at UEFA EURO 2008™ is testing the patience of Nihat Kahveci as he looks ahead to "a very tough season" at Villarreal CF.

Liverpool prise away PSG talent Ngog
UEFA Champions League contenders Liverpool FC have signed France Under-19 striker David Ngog from Paris Saint-Germain FC for a reported transfer fee of €1.5m.

Greek colossus bound for Anorthosis
Cypriot UEFA Champions League hopefuls Anorthosis Famagusta FC have made a massive transfer coup by bringing in Greece central defender Traianos Dellas.

European titans learn their destiny
Some well-known sides will be checking their maps of Europe as the end of the first qualifying round decided their upcoming UEFA Champions League adversaries.

Dublin primed for Drogs against Dynamo
Dublin is preparing for its biggest game since 2004 after Irish champions Drogheda United FC set up a UEFA Champions League tie against FC Dynamo Kyiv.

First time lucky for debutant duo
The lineup for the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round is now confirmed and features a pair of newcomers in Drogheda United FC and FK Modriča.

Fenerbahçe invite Emre aboard
Turkey international Emre Belözoğlu has been unveiled at Fenerbahçe SK following the conclusion of the 27-year-old midfielder's move from Newcastle United FC.

Rangers give Kaunas a mountain to climb
Former FC Porto coach José Couceiro knows "a lot of improvements are needed" in order for his FBK Kaunas side to be ready to challenge Rangers FC next week.

Meira turns new page at Galatasaray
Portugal international defender Fernando Meira has signed a three-year contract with Turkish champions Galatasaray AS after being released by VfB Stuttgart.

Raúl ready for Madrid title tilt
Raúl González has said Real Madrid CF are desperate to win a tenth European Champions Clubs' Cup as the Spanish giants prepare for the new season in Austria.

Budućnost braced to temper Tampere
Montenegrin champions FK Budućnost Podgorica are on the scent of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round as they play host to Tampere United.

Belief drives Valletta forwards
Valletta FC defender Josef Mifsud insists spirits are high as the Maltese champions look to overturn a 2-0 deficit against FC Artmedia Petržalka this evening.

Ketsbaia eager to beat Pyunik heat
Anorthosis Famagusta FC coach Temuri Ketsbaia warned his players not to get "into any hot water" when they defend a 1-0 lead against FC Pyunik in Yerevan.

Ventspils and Sheriff arrest losses
FK Ventspils and FC Sheriff both overturned first-leg defeats to make the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round while FC İnter Bakı also progressed.

Henrique in and out at Barça
FC Barcelona are to sign Brazilian defender Henrique, 21, from SE Palmerias for an initial fee of €8m and loan him immediately to Bayer 04 Leverkusen for a season.

Essien in for the long haul at Chelsea
Michael Essien has become the latest key individual to extend his contract at Chelsea FC, and is feeling "really positive" under the reign of Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Failure not an option for Aktobe
Kazakhstani champions FK Aktobe have been told they have "no right to make a mistake" as they visit FC Sheriff in Moldova looking to defend a first-leg lead.

Aragonés gets it right for overdue win
The talent was arguably always there for Spain to lift a major trophy but certain key differences meant Luis Aragonés's shimmering squad took the EURO by storm.

'World's best' bring Madrid to standstill
Spain's UEFA EURO 2008™ winners received a heroes' welcome from tens of thousands of supporters as they brought the Henri Delaunay cup back home to Madrid.

Berlin welcome picks up fallen heroes
UEFA EURO 2008™ runners-up Germany were welcomed home by more than 300,000 supporters at a colourful ceremony at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Xavi emerges as EURO's top man
Spain midfielder Xavi Hernández has been named as the Castrol Player of the Tournament for UEFA EURO 2008™ after his stirring displays in the Alpine nations.

Spain dominate Team of the Tournament
The UEFA Technical Team has named its UEFA EURO 2008™ Team of the Tournament, with no fewer than nine Spanish players being selected for the final 23.

The A-Z of UEFA EURO 2008™
euro2008.com casts its mind back over the past month: from Arshavin to Zidane via kidney transplants, great Turkish comebacks and naked walks in the park.

UEFA EURO 2008™ in quotes
euro2008.com tells the story of three and a half wonderful weeks in Austria and Switzerland in the words of the players and coaches who lived the ride.

UEFA praises the friendly finals
UEFA has reiterated its satisfaction that UEFA EURO 2008™ has been such a positive tournament on and off the field with the success of the Respect campaign.

What Europe's papers said
Olés rang out across Europe as the UEFA European Championship win by Spain met with universal acclaim among the sports editors of the other finalist nations.

The return of the Turniermannschaft
The pre-tournament favourites, Germany did indeed reach the UEFA EURO 2008™ final, but did so in a style more redolent of past pomp than recent achievement.

Roxburgh runs rule over Spanish success
UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh feels years of superb work at youth level paid off for Spain as they triumphed in Sunday night's UEFA EURO 2008™ final.

'Spain triumphed but football the winner'
Monday's Spanish newspapers included headlines such as "Spain conquers Europe" while Germany took defeat with grace as euro2008.com surveys the reaction.

Spain slumbers after a wild night
Spain woke up with a UEFA EURO 2008™-sized hangover on Monday after wild celebrations accompanied the national team's first trophy success in 44 years.

Goodnight Vienna
Mayor Michael Häupl bade a fond farewell to UEFA EURO 2008™, saying: "Vienna celebrated King Football and put on a peaceful and glorious festival of sport."

Praise for EURO volunteers
The 5,000 volunteers who made a crucial contribution to the success of UEFA EURO 2008™ have received resounding praise as the "smiling face" of the tournament.

EURO achieves green aim
UEFA EURO 2008™ was an environmentally friendly tournament according to Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Swiss federal chancellor Samuel Schmid.

Vote for goal of the tournament
Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Sweden and Turkey provide the eight contenders as Carslberg Goal of the Day becomes goal of the tournament. Vote now.

Torres ends Spain's long wait for glory
Germany 0-1 Spain
A first-half strike from Fernando Torres earned Spain a first UEFA European Championship crown in 44 years.

Casillas and Villa savour just deserts
Spain's goalkeeper captain and leading goalscorer chorused their approval after UEFA EURO 2008™ had a worthy title-winner in Luis Aragonés's stylish selection.

Success yet to sink in for proud Torres
Fernando Torres may have taken his winning goal in Vienna with deadly precision but taking on board the full meaning of Spain's glory may take a while longer.

Brückner takes up Austrian mantle
Former Czech Republic boss Karel Brückner has been named as the new coach of Austria following the post-UEFA EURO 2008™ resignation of Josef Hickersberger.

Lithuania coach takes political path
Algimantas Liubinskas has resigned as Lithuania coach to pursue a career in domestic politics, saying that: "Sometimes in life you have to make big decisions."

Czechs act on Rada impulse
Petr Rada has been confirmed as the new coach of the Czech Republic, stepping up from the assistant role to replace Karel Brückner (pictured) after his retirement.

Del Bosque picks up Spain baton
Former Real Madrid CF coach Vicente del Bosque has been confirmed as the man to replace the departed Luis Aragonés in charge of European champions Spain.

Portuguese pressure spurs Queiroz on
Carlos Queiroz said he felt a "sense of responsibility and an obligation to meet expectations" after being unveiled as the new Portugal coach on Wednesday.

France revive World Cup memories
Ten years after the greatest day in French football history, 80,000 fans packed into the Stade de France to see their world champions unite for a charity game.

Queiroz installed as Portugal coach
The Portuguese Football Federation have confirmed 55-year-old Manchester United FC assistant manager Carlos Queiroz as their new national team coach.

Bosnia-Herzegovina turn to Blažević
The experienced Miroslav Blažević has been named as the new coach of Bosnia-Herzegovina, replacing Meho Kodro following his dismissal in May.

Blanc gains from final heartache
As France mark the tenth anniversary of their FIFA World Cup win, Laurent Blanc says being banned for the final may have been the making of him as a coach.

France stand firm behind Domenech
Coach Raymond Domenech has been handed a vote of confidence by the French Football Federation despite a disappointing group stage exit at UEFA EURO 2008™.

Terim to lead Turkey until 2012
Fatih Terim has agreed a two-year contract extension, taking him up to 2012, despite suggestions he would stand down as Turkey coach after UEFA EURO 2008™.

United front to fire Lippi's new Italy
Marcello Lippi said his new Italy side will be following the example of Manchester United FC's Moscow heroes rather than looking at Europe's new champions Spain.

Weiss steps in to Slovakian fray
FC Artmedia Petržalka's Vladimír Weiss has been named as the new coach of the Slovakian national team with Ján Kocian not having his contract renewed.

Defoe reigns in Port of Spain
Jermain Defoe's double for England coincided with victories for Latvia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sunday's friendlies for teams not playing at UEFA EURO 2008™.

British success on night of friendlies
A number of nations not involved in UEFA EURO 2008™ played friendlies on Wednesday and uefa.com rounds up the action with England and Wales both victorious.

Capello summons English spirit
Fabio Capello has instructed his England players to put summer holidays to the back of their minds as they prepare for tonight's friendly versus the United States.

Newcomers earn Montenegro chance
Montenegro coach Zoran Filipović has called up two debutants for the friendlies against Kazakhstan on 27 May in Podgorica and Romania in Bucharest four days later.

Key players missing for Cyprus
Cyprus coach Angelos Anastasiadis will be without four first-team regulars when his side take to the field against European champions Greece on Monday.

Kodro fired as Bosnia-Herzegovina boss
Bosnia-Herzegovina have dismissed coach Meho Kodro after he refused to take charge of the national team for a friendly against Iran scheduled for 26 May.

Trapattoni puts faith in fresh options
Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni has given seven new players an opportunity to impress in the coming weeks, as well as recalling 37-year-old Dean Kiely.

NBA star Nash pushes for Vancouver team to MLS
NBA superstar Steve Nash, one of the country's most visible athletes, is joining the reclusive owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps in a bid to buy a Major League Soccer franchise.

McBride appears headed back to Chicago in deal
Brian McBride finally appears to be going home. Toronto FC has agreed in principle to trade its rights to the former U.S. national team striker to the Chicago Fire, a person familiar with the negotiations said.

MLS All-Stars defeat England's West Ham United
Chicago midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored one goal and helped set up another, and Houston midfielder Dwayne DeRosario snapped a tie with a penalty kick to give the MLS All-Stars a 3-2 victory over English Premier League team West Ham United on Thursday night.

Canadian anthem delayed at MLS All-Star Game
Organizers of the Major League Soccer All-Star Game caused a stir Tuesday night by leading fans to believe that the Canadian anthem was not going to be played.

MLS looks to add two expansion teams by 2011
Major League Soccer intends to add two expansion teams in time for the 2011 season, boosting membership to 18.

Dynamo acquire Kamara from Earthquakes
The Houston Dynamo acquired forward Kei Kamara from the San Jose Earthquakes on Thursday for a first-round draft pick next year and cash.

Brazil to spend $2.5 billion to modernize airports
Brazil will spend $2.5 billion to prepare the country's most important airports in time for the 2014 World Cup, the country's airport authority said Thursday.

Chinaglia among suspects in alleged mafia scam
Italian police arrested seven people Tuesday in a crackdown on an organized crime group that tried to buy Lazio football club with laundered money.

Barcelona asks Blatter to intervene on Messi issue
Madrid, July 26 (Xinhua) FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has asked FIFA President Sepp Blatter to resolve the issue of whether to send Lionel Messi for the Olympic Games.

Maradona feels Messi needs to show more character
Buenos Aires, July 26 (Xinhua) Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona feels that Lionel Messi needs to show more character, after his club Barcelona refused to let him go for the Beijing Olympics.

Fabio quit claims rejected by Football Association
London, July 26 : The Football Association has denied that England coach Fabio Capello will quit in two years, or half way through his lucrative four year contract.

Brad Friedel signs for Aston Villa from Blackburn Rovers
Friedel will now remain in the Premier League past his 40th birthday. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images The former Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Brad Friedel has signed a three-year contract wit...

Villa book Uefa spot
Aston Villa booked a place in the Uefa Cup qualifiers as they eliminated Odense in the third round of the Intertoto Cup following a 1-0 second-leg victory at Villa Park. With the game poised at 2-2...

Tevez fee to set British transfer record
Manchester United will sign Argentinian Carlos Tevez for a British transfer record fee of 32 million pounds ($63.52 million), according to newspaper reports on Saturday. The 24-year-old forward...

Kazan stay top despite draws
Russian Premier League leaders Kazan remained top despite being held to a 0-0 draw, their fifth consecutive stalemate, by visitors CSKA Moscow on Saturday. Kazan now have 29 points from 15 matches, tw...

Ajax agree deal with Barca
Ajax Amsterdam have agreed a three-year deal with Barcelona defender Oleguer Presas, the Dutch club said on its website (www.ajax.nl) on Saturday.

MLS All-Stars outlast West Ham
The Houston midfielder scored a tiebreaking penalty, Chicago midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco had one goal and helped set up another, and the MLS All-Stars posted a 3-2 victory over English Premier League...

Pulis defends Olofinjana signing
Nigeria midfielder Seyi Olofinjana joined Premier League newcomers Stoke City on Saturday for three million pounds (six million dollars). The 28-year-old, who has joined on a four-year deal from Wolve...

Brazil win titanic fight
Brazil came from behind three times to edge Portugal 5-4 for a place in the final. Andre scored a hat-trick to keep the Seleção in the game, before Bruno posted a splendid winner. Andre gave Brazil...

Us Youth Soccer Action
of Peabody scored the game’s only goal at the 63-minute mark. The FC Stars will take on the ARYSL San Juan Spirits this evening at 6:45 for the title. In other action involved Bay State teams,...

Mikel wants to fill Makelele
Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel said he was hoping to step into Claude Makelele's shoes by making the holding role his own next season. The 21-year-old said he was hoping for a run in the team a...

Rooney recovers his cool in United romp
Moments later, Nemanja Vidic had to make a goal-line clearance to deny Mthembu Siphelele after youngster Craig Cathcart had fluffed a defensive header on the edge of the penalty area. But United went ...

Italy reach final on penalties
Italy beat Spain 1-0 on penalties to book a Marseille 2008 final date with Brazil. Massimiliano Esposito dispatched the crucial spot-kick after the two sides had contested a pulsating 4-4 draw. Amare...

Beckhamania slows as MLS grows
The 33-year-old English international midfielder still draws sellout crowds, quadrupling New York Red Bulls attendance to more than 46,000 earlier this month, and Beckham souvenirs remain among the le...

Di Natale says penalty miss forgotten
Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale said on Saturday he has put June's costly UEFA EURO 2008 penalty miss against Spain well and truly behind him.

Chelsea put Blades to sword
Joe Cole struck twice as Chelsea hammered Chengdu Blades 7-0 on Saturday in a stylish rout which indicated new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari may be about to throw off the team's "boring" tag...

Aston Villa qualify for Uefa Cup but defender Wilfred Bouma breaks ankle
Ashley Young, right, scored the only goal of the game as Aston Villa qualified for the Uefa Cup. Photograph: Mark Regan/Action Images Aston Villa sealed their place in next season's Uefa Cup competi...

Nagoya miss J-League lead
Nagoya Grampus missed their chance to take the lead in the J-League standings as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday. Nagoya took the lead when Brazilian striker Magnum struc...

Clyde 2-0 Annan Athletic
Alan Trouten's double made sure that Annan Athletic suffered defeat in their debut outing in senior football. Clyde's summer signing Trouten fired into the side netting, while Pat Clarke shot over du...

Friendly round-up: Manchester United and Chelsea record emphatic pre-season wins
New Chelsea midfield colleagues Deco and Frank Lampard during their side's emphatic victory in Macau. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images With three weeks to go until the start of the new season,

Vitor Junior on target again as Kawasaki hold Nagoya+
KAWASAKI, Japan, July 26 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Vitor Junior came up trumps with his second goal in as many games as Kawasaki Frontale earned a 1-1 draw with Nagoya Grampus in the J-League on Saturday. M...

Register for Football, Cheering
Registration also will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Aug. 2 at Tommy E. Walker Field on State Road 555.The cost is $25 for football players and $25 plus uniform for cheerleaders...

Commissioner David Baker resigns