There Are Different Types Of Soccer Shoes

Soccer shoes are item of footwear worn by player who are playing association football. These shoes are designed for grass pitches have studs on the outsole to aid grip. They are also named as football boots or cleats. Soccer shoes are a pivotal piece of equipment for any soccer player. Without cleats, player will be slipping and sliding around the field. Therefore,88, soccer shoe is meant to provide a comfortable cleat that gives player traction and the ability to handle and shoot the ball proficiently.

Depending on the type of surface, different types of soccer shoes are applied. Generally speaking, there are three types of soccer shoes, which are indoor shoes, outdoor shoes, and turf shoes.

Indoor soccer shoes are designed for playing indoor soccer on indoor courts and fields, like gym or indoor soccer facilities. They are actually flat-surfaced, low-cut shoes with a slightly harder surface area than a traditional sneaker.

Outdoor soccer shoes are intended for playing outdoors. One of the most important purposes of these cleats is to provide the player with enough amount of traction preventing him/her from slipping and giving an opportunity to turn, stop and accelerate with ease. According to different types of outdoor surfaces, there are Hard Ground Cleats, Firm Ground Cleats and Soft Ground Cleats.

Hard Ground (HG) cleats are for playing on hard fields. These soccer shoes have short studs,120, these studs are made of hard rubber to provide player with enough amount of traction, but and won't apply too much pressure on the feet.

Firm Ground (FG) cleats are playing on firm fields. They are molded cleats. This kind of soccer shoes are the most popular shoes worn by soccer players. And they are more expensive than other cleats in tag prices.

Soft Ground (SG) cleats are for playing on soft fields. These soccer shoes have detachable studs designed in circular or blade shape.

Turf soccer shoes are designed for use on harder outdoor surfaces and on artificial turf. These shoes contain various raised patterns on the bottom.

How To Improve Your Soccer Skills

Did you know there's a way to learn how to improve football skills? In fact, training is the right way to sharpen a player's skills, allowing them to perform better during a sport. In other words, if you are seriously interested in becoming a great soccer player, you need to practice a lot to allow your soccer abilities to improve over time.

Taking the time to improve your soccer skills does a number of things. For one, you'll learn how to improve soccer health and fitness. Fitness is important because it can determine how a player's body operates during a soccer game.

Soccer fitness in general consists of a player's pace, endurance, agility, speed, balance, stability and even flexibility. A player that works to improve every aspect of soccer fitness eventually becomes one of the best soccer players within their season.

If you want to improve your soccer skills, there's several activities you can begin undertaking everyday to find the best results. Remember that you can develop your football fitness as long as you keep practicing techniques each day. To start off, you can begin finding out how to improve soccer footwork.

The most basic soccer footwork skills involve working with the ball by itself. As an example, you can practice your touch football skills. It's just a matter of controlling the ball with your feet, so you can gain a better quantity of control over how you work the ball inside a soccer game.

It's recommended to learn how you can juggle the golf ball in stages at a time, starting with the smallest amount to a bigger amount each time you practice. Start with the smallest amount first and then move to a larger amount once you can maintain a lot more than three at a time. In addition, soccer turns are also important to know; such as controlling the ball, you will have to know how to turn, therefore the ball won't depart your possession during the game.

Incorporate passing and shooting into your practice regimen. Managing, passing and shooting the soccer ball just about all correlate with each other, since you will be using all three abilities at once to play the game.

Like with most sports, it's always suggested to rehearse playing during your down-time. You won't have to worry an excessive amount of about securing equipment, since you'll just need a ball and some space to practice to start. If you don't practice, you'll have a difficult time adjusting to actively playing the game on a regular basis.

We All Need To Be Familiar With These Basic Football Rules

If your significant other is a football fan you may find yourself frustrated and annoyed when he ignores you while the game is on, or acts skeptical when you ask questions about the game. Many football fans have been watching football for so many years that they just don't understand when others are unfamiliar with the rules and the players.

If you are dealing with this problem, or you simply want to learn about something that is so important to someone you care about, here is a very brief summary of the basic rules of football. Being familiar with these basic football rules will help you to understand what is happening on the field, and your understanding will improve the more that you watch the game.

During a football game there are two teams of 11 men each on the field. At no time can any one team have more than 11 men on the field. Each game is divided into four quarters made up of 15 minutes of actual playing time. The time from the start of a game until the end may vary greatly depending on a number of factors: the number of timeouts taken, time for officials to review plays, injuries during the game, commercial breaks, and the halftime break.

Each team has their own units of men who only play Defense or Offense, or who are on "Special Teams" that only come onto the field in certain circumstances.
Assume that Team A wins the toss; Team A starts on Offense. The Offense wants to move the ball down the field into the end zone to score points. This is accomplished by passing or by running with the ball. The quarterback has the responsibility to either throw the ball to a receiver, hand off the ball to a running back, or run with the ball himself.

Every time the Offense moves the ball at least 10 yards towards their goal they achieve a "first down." The Offense has four chances maximum to accomplish each first down. If they can't do it, there is a "turnover" and the other side "gets the ball" and can now play Offense.

In our example above, Team B begins by playing Defense. The Defense tries to prevent the Offense from moving the ball down the field for a score by tackling the player with the ball or intercepting the ball thrown by the quarterback. If Team B's Defense can get the ball away from Team A's Offense Team B can now attempt to score points.

If an Official believes that a player has violated the rules, he will toss out a yellow penalty flag. This is what the announcer means when he says "there is a flag on the play." The rule violation is not necessarily an intentional act. It may be for a bad or illegal tackle – hitting another player in a way that the rules do not allow because of the likelihood of injury, for example, but it may be simply for stepping out of bounds during the play. The Officials may consult with each other and sometimes even watch an instant replay before they make a ruling on the penalty call. If the penalty is assessed the team that violated the rules may have to repeat the play, lose some of the

Though the basic rules are stated here, there are a great many more, very detailed rules governing play, and those rules that may be updated or modified every year. Additionally, there are differences in some of the rules for professional football and college football. You may notice that the officials, coaches, players, and commentators do not always agree about penalty flags, failure to call a penalty, and rulings on contested penalty flags, so it is not surprising that the fans may also disagree.

You Need To Know About These Football Rules

Football is a physical sport. There is a large chance of injury and therefore the rules of the game have been tweaked over the years to help prevent players from injury as much as possible. The basic rules of the game and the basic concept of the game have not changed since it was invented but modern technology, as well as the push to prevent injury has changed some of rules for the better in recent years.

Recently, a big push has been to block helmet to helmet hits when a defender will lead a hit on an offensive player with this helmet. This action has resulted in personal foul penalties of 15 yards and often times have resulted in fines to the player that are levied by the NFL commissioner. There has also been a big push recently to protect the quarterback because he is often seen as a defenseless player and there have been a lot of controversial rules in recent years that do not allow defensive players to hit quarterbacks in the head, or to hit them once they have thrown the football to a receiver or running back.

When you are looking at football rules so that you can better understand the game, it is pretty easy once you have everything broken down. Let us start with the field and that it is rectangular and it is either played on grass or artificial turf that is green.

Football, as every other game, has its own set of rules and regulations to ensure one team does not exploit the other and the game proceeds in a disciplined manner and prevents physical assaults and injuries.

Football is often a famous in addition to popularized activity loved by lots of people. There are an increasing number of fanatic footballing fans would rather watch that exciting footballing game and need to find out playing the idea. However, if there anyone thinks about how exactly many attempts made guiding the exciting and successful football activity. Besides the good effort made by the players and coaches, there needs to be some essential and extreme rules to be sure the even holding of you.

There are rules and regulations for every game and sport. In the early 19th century, soccer is welcomed by people and it gradually began to has its own rules, but at that time the rules is ambiguous, so it become the main reason of nuisance.This change of rules has resulted in a large outcry from defensive players across the league who feel that their style of play has been hampered by the new rules. They have gone largely unheeded because there are now even more strict rules in place that guard against injury to quarterbacks or to other unprotected players.

Another big advancement in the rules of football has been the invention and the implementation of instant replay. Media networks have long used instant replay to show live audiences the play time and time again, and they have been able to dissect a play and see exactly what the correct call should be.

However, the officials down on the field do not have this luxury and therefore were prone to making incorrect calls because they simply could not see the play from the proper angle. Instant replay has changed all of that and now officials are able to review a play if they feel the need and even coaches can challenge the ruling on the field if they feel that the call was made in error. This is seen by many people as a good advancement in the game because it allows officials to make the game more accurate and it allows coaches to get correct calls made for their players. It is unfortunate when an official's call has to decide the outcome of the game but it is in the best interest of the game that it is officiated correctly. These advancements in technology have made the game of football more enjoyable and more safe for everyone.

There Are Three Skills That Are Important To Play Football

Football is a familiar game around the world. This popular game is known by different names soccer, fussball, futbol etc. With millions of fans, there are many opportunities for kids to to learn this game too. The Summer Camp is an excellent place to learn how to play football. Countless numbers of summer camps have started to provide football training, but not all of them will teach you the much needed skills for become a actual better football player. It is very important to make sure that the summer camp that you choose will give you the three skills that are important playing football.

1. The speed

Speed is the key factor that decides the success of a professional football player. Speed is very important for the players in the offensive position. As the offense players have an important role in flag football, he needs to be fast and precise in passing the game. It has to be noted that a slow offensive player in flag football can cause enough damage to loose the game. Various training techniques are used today to increase the speed of the flag football players. You should have noted that the very best football training summer camps will give much importance to speed than anything else.

2. Breaking towards the sidelines

The offense player of the flag football team should also be able to break towards the sidelines immediately after catching the ball. Breaking towards the sidelines after catching the ball at the highest point will prevent the defenders of the game from getting the best angle to grab the flags. Moreover, breaking towards the sidelines will limit the number of flags that the defenders of the game will be able to grab. Hence the skill of quickly breaking towards the sidelines is necessary to become successful in flag football.

3. The defense players should be fast and aggressive

It must be noted that the defense line up of flag football must be very aggressive. The aggressiveness of the defense players will force the offense players of the other team to make mistakes and will provide the opportunity to pick more flags. When compared to the skills needed for a player in offense position, the defense player skills are easy to develop.

What You Can Do To Choose The Best Football Shoes

There are so many different football shoes around these days that it's difficult to make a concrete decision when you get to the shop. But making sure that you've got the right type of shoe for your foot will help you with your performance, so you should do your research. Really, you should try to avoid choosing style over substance, but with all the great shoes on offer, it's possible to combine both.

You should think about two things before buying your footie boots – the surfaces that you're likely to be playing on and the actual shape and size of your foot.
The most popular choice of boots are ones with screw-in studs- if there's a chance that your pitch might get muddy, then longer studs will provide you with a better grip on the ground. Screw-in studded boots mean you can change the type of studs that you're using, which is great if you're going to be playing on a lot of different surfaces. However, if you're looking to play mainly on a dry grass pitch, then a moulded stud will give you better support.

For all-weather surfaces, such as Astroturf, you will need special shoes with rubber studs. These give you the best grip and which help you to avoid cutting or burning your legs. The studs also guard your feet against the hard surface, which will save you a lot of unnecessary pain in the long run. Boots with blade studs are a relatively new alternative. These were manufactured to allow users to turn with more ease and some are available with studs that you can change.

Boots are available in plastic and leather, but which type you choose is mostly down to personal preference. It's best that you test both out for yourself, but the main difference is that plastic boots are waterproof and leather boots will mould to your foot. Plastic boots do tend to be cheaper, but not as much air gets through the material so your feet can get very sweaty. The best way to tell if a boot is well made, though, is not through the material that it's styled in, it's how light and elastic the boot is that really counts.

Each boot's studs are arranged in different places, so try them on before you buy them as you could end up hobbling around in a lot of pain 20 minutes into the game. Once you've worn your boots in, you'll want to keep that snug fit, so make sure that you clean them properly. After you've cleaned the mud off them, avoid placing wet leather boots anywhere near a heater. Let them dry on their own instead and stuff them with newspaper, as this will mean they won't lose shape for your next game.

Enjoy The Fun Of Playing NFL Flag Football

We have seen fathers and teens enjoying watching football during game nights and weekdays. Yet many children wonder what fun these people experience in watching big armored people battle it out in getting that funny-shaped ball being sent to one end of the game field. Although kids are exposed to TV at this time and age, not all shows that are appreciated by adults are accepted by the younger population.

They are still into playing video games and taking pleasure in Barbie. However, there has been a way in making NFL Flag Football common to children ages five to sixteen years. The sporting world would like to have kids experience the pleasure of being engaged in games that teaches teamwork and sportsmanship.
Although this is football, this does not mean that children will have to bear the pain of playing the said game. We know and we have grown to love football because of the moments where being charged, tackled, and beaten (not to mention being squished by many people), has given thrill and excitement in the game.
Kids can enjoy playing football without getting hurt even. In their level of playing, the fun part is the chase where players have to catch the one holding the ball. Flag football leagues in Texas, being the place where the FlagFootball4Fun was first found, set the standards on how to play the game worry-free for parents so that they can encourage their kids to take part and enjoy playing while learning.
This same gaming standard is being followed by flag football leagues in Florida. They make sure that audiences and young players alike enjoy playing United States' national sport without the pressure of being sport. Coaches and teams in this game are giving valuable lessons to children by teaching teamwork, sportsmanship, perseverance, patience, and obedience in relation to their victory in playing flag football. Furthermore, this game is supporting the drive against drug abuse since young boys and girls are given alternatives or things to do aside from staying home watching TV, being with friends lounging all the time, and spending too much wasted time on the internet. Now who says that playing football is only for big people? It is also for small kids with big potential, since playing football is for all!

Playing Football Is Benefit To The Health Of The Children

We never forget to congratulate our kids for securing fair grades in their exams. We understand that a good academic track record is one of the most vital aspects that build ground for the better future of the kids. However, studies alone are not enough to make them a complete human being. The emancipation of mind is one of the key factors that differentiate a child from that of an adult. The mental emancipation can be achieved by several means viz., participation in extra curricular activities, interaction with peers and more.

A good number of parents encourage their child to participate in games like football and rugby to cultivate the spirit of sportsmanship in their child. However, introvert kids, and shy girls are reluctant to take part in such activities which are a little away from their daily schedule. It is up to the parents to encourage their kids to ward off the inhibitions and get engrossed in these games.
The primary trick to hold their attention is to allure them with attractive jersey and sport caps. Kids are generally attracted to fancy products and would certainly love to be a part of the game. This would at least arouse an interest for football.
In order to hold their attention to football, you need to segregate them into teams and assign them to each of the teams. When their team is able to perform well, you need to cheer first which would be followed by your kids. Never forget to congratulate your kids on success of their team and offer them small rewards so that they are really motivated to perform better. Small rewards as a token of appreciation for their efforts work like an added incentive.
Football is not a game alone; it is a reflection of combined effort of many individuals who form themselves in a team. It is the spirit of the team which is the sole essence of the game. Perhaps there is no better game made which cultivates the sense of team spirit in your adults as football.

How Beneficial Is The Football For Our Health

Football is way too violent and should be abolished as a sport. Even some NFL players admit that they would not let their own sons play football. Then there are others, fierce advocates who think football is a wonderful game with tremendous benefits to its participants and think all of the media hype about injuries are just overrated scare tactics and headline grabbers.

But the majority of us are probably somewhere in the middle and aren’t quite sure what to think. So why don’t we spend a little time sifting through all the facts and emotions and see if we can make some logical decisions about the subject. I have an interesting perspective in that I am a sports medicine physician who is a true fan of the game, has played the game, has sustained injuries and has a son of my own.

Dementia, CTE, chronic headaches, depression, the list goes on and on. It’s not just long-term orthopedic problems anymore. It’s not just the chronic knee pain or back pain. These athletes suffer from cognitive, psychological, psychiatric, social, emotional and daily functional problems that even lead some to take their own lives. From this perspective it is easy to ask oneself the simple question: Is it worth it?

Especially when I have a 4-year-old son who is so innocent and has his whole life ahead of him. I ask myself: Is this what I want for him? On the other hand, football is a beautiful game. It is the No. 1 sport in America for a reason. Not only is there the physical strength, speed, technique and skill that it develops in its athletes, but it also provides a structure to develop other skills. Learning about hard work, strategy, teamwork, social and trust building skills, these are all life lessons that provide our youngsters with tools to not only tackle their opponent, but to tackle life.

From a spectator perspective it is also a fascinating game to watch. The strategy of the play calling and the intricacy of the formations, the feat of skill of an amazing catch, the excitement of an interception and of course the energizing violence of a hard fumble-causing tackle. Finally, for the athletes themselves there is also the social status of being a football player on the high school or collegiate level. And for some there is the lure of playing professional football with all of the fame and fortune and opportunity that it provides. For many it is the last hope and a way out of an otherwise troublesome life. So how do we balance these two perspectives?

Well, as with any decision in life we must weigh the risks and rewards. So let’s take a logical look at the risks. There is tremendous risk in football. Every year football players in this country die from head trauma or sudden cardiac death or heat illness. Also injuries leading to paralysis and permanent disability are not as rare as we would hope. But what are the true relative risks? It is a fact that head trauma is more common in bicycling than it is in football. Football is then closely followed by playground accidents. Concussions may have a higher incidence in girls soccer than in football. What about the risk of death?

Perhaps the greatest is education and awareness. Proper pre-participation screening, heat illness prevention, proper equipment, proper tackling technique, concussion baseline testing and injury monitoring, and there are many others. We also reduce risk by reducing exposure. Limiting the number of hits by limiting full contact practices will reduce injury rates. Rule changes such as on kickoffs will change play dynamics and reduce injury exposure as well. Penalizing dangerous technique such as hits to the head and hits on defenseless receivers and fining flagrant acts of dangerous unsportsmanlike conduct will also reduce risk.

Changing the culture of the game will also go a long way toward limiting violence and increasing injury reporting and monitoring. Should the violence completely disappear? Should the game be more about pure skill and less about physicality? It probably shouldn’t. After all, what does a non-violent, non-physical football game look like: It’s called the Pro Bowl. And nobody watches it. So I don’t think the game needs to be radically changed and the violence completely eliminated, but clearly there does need to be change. Luckily that change has finally arrived.

Football has gone through periods of significant change in the past. From being saved from extinction by Teddy Roosevelt in 1905, to the development of the forward pass, to the fearlessness of the hard-helmeted athlete, there have certainly been many periods of change. I think we have now arrived upon another one. An age of enlightenment so to speak. An awareness of the importance of injury prevention and a culture change of what it means to be an injured athlete. I do not think that the game of football that has been played over the last decade will be the same as that played by my 4-year-old when it is his turn.

Brendan Rodgers Wants To Work For A Club Who Has The Potential To Win Silverware

Liverpool have renewed attempts to discuss their vacant managerial post with Swansea's Brendan Rodgers.

Continue reading the main story“We would like to confirm that there has been no contact from Liverpool and nothing has changed since our previous statement on the issue”Swansea City statement on MondayOwner John W Henry arrived on Merseyside on Tuesday to personally oversee the recruitment process.

Having spoken to Wigan manager Roberto Martinez, Liverpool have gone back to Rodgers to discuss the position.

Rodgers 39, met Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins on Tuesday morning but the Welsh club insist the manager's future was not discussed.

Martinez has yet to hear back from Liverpool, but Henry is understood to have been impressed with him when the pair met in Miami last week and was keen to speak to him a second time.

Though persistent rumours that Rodgers would be meeting Liverpool last night proved unfounded, Swansea are today bracing themselves for the call from Merseyside. City chairman Huw Jenkins emerged from morning discussions with the Northern Irishman – which had been scheduled long before the Liverpool position became available – to insist that there had still been no contact from Anfield. But Rodgers' return to the UK from a visit to New York has coincided with a sudden sense of pessimism in south Wales that he could be persuaded to stay – and Liverpool may now be prepared to make their move. An announcement may be forthcoming on Friday.

But Rodgers has never made any secret of the fact that he wants to work for a club who have the potential to win silverware and though the presence of his family in South Wales is important, the Liverpool opportunity may prove too good to resist.

The outcome of Liverpool's pursuit of a new manager may now depend on how Martinez and Rodgers feel about the prospect of working under Louis van Gaal, who is favourite to become the club's sporting director. Van Gaal has always had an imperious streak and said 11 years ago that he had been top of Manchester United's list to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I knew I was first on the list to succeed [Ferguson] last year," he said. "I don't have any contact with them now... but I can imagine that a club like Manchester United are still interested in Louis van Gaal."

With Wigan's Martinez weighing up the structure that Liverpool's owner, Fenway Sports Group, has put before him, Rodgers has told friends that although he is happy in Wales he is intrigued by the chance to manage one of football's biggest clubs. He is pondering whether such an opening will come around again.

Swansea are on the verge of completing a club-record £6.8 million (AED 39.1m) transfer for on-loan Hoffenheim midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and are interested in a loan deal for Tottenham's out-of-favour Giovani dos Santos - whom Rodgers watched on Sunday as a guest of the Football Association of Wales for the friendly against Mexico in New Jersey.

However, despite suggestions elsewhere that Rodgers had already been offered the Liverpool job, the club refused to comment officially on their manager's position.

Joey Barton Has Fallen Foul Of The Football Association

Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has fallen foul of the Football Association on more than one occasion.
　　
On Wednesday he was issued with a 12-match ban after being found guilty of two counts of violent conduct during Rangers' 3-2 defeat by Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season. Here, BBC Sport reflects on some of the moments that have made headlines during the 29-year-old's career.
Barton, 29, was sent off in QPR's defeat at Manchester City on the final day of the season and had accepted a charge over his clash with Sergio Aguero in the wake of his red card.
　　
He was also found guilty over a separate clash with Vincent Kompany.
　　
 The midfielder has been fined £75,000 by the Football Association.
　　
Barton was initially sent off for an off-the-ball clash with City striker Carlos Tevez and will serve a four-match ban for that offence, as it was his second sending-off of the season.
　　
The incidents involving Aguero and Kompany came after Barton had been dismissed, meaning they fell outside the jurisdiction of the referee, and have resulted in a further eight-match suspension.
　　
The real wreckage, however, is not in the length of ban or the period of time in which Barton will not be allowed to play. It is now about the period when he will be allowed to play. A second hearing, this time convoked by his employers, Queen's Park Rangers, will begin now the outcome of the FA's is known. This does not promise to be any more pleasant or easy going than that which took place yesterday, given that there would not necessarily have been many tears shed at Loftus Road for the length of ban.
　　
The harsh reality for a club such as QPR, and there is no disrespect meant here, is that they cannot carry a player who will not be able to play for them until the nights are closing in. It could be a winter of discontent that the former Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder faces, as he turns 30.
　　
He may not even be among the Premier League squad of 25 at the season's start, for a club who cannot afford to be a player short for the start of their second campaign in the top flight in the last 16 years.
　　
In April he was involved in a half-time row with his club captain, Shaun Derry, in the dressing room at West Bromwich Albion. That had not helped his standing with some team-mates before the Etihad incident.
　　
An FA statement read: "An independent Regulatory Commission has today (Wednesday) dealt with two charges of violent conduct against Joey Barton, arising from the game against Manchester City, resulting in an eight-match suspension and 75,000-pound fine for the Queens Park Rangers midfielder.
　　
"This eight-match suspension is to run consecutively to the four-game suspension Barton was already given for his dismissal in the fixture, making a total of 12 matches."
　　
The chairman of the Independent Regulatory Commission said: "There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behaviour tarnishes the image of football in this country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe."

Liverpool Have Sacked Manager Kenny Dalglish

The decision came after Dalglish flew to Boston to meet with Liverpool's US owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner.

Kenny Dalglish led Liverpool to League Cup success and the FA Cup final in his second spell at Anfield. But his side finished eighth in the Premier League, 37 points behind champions Manchester City and below local rivals Everton.

The poor league finish came after Dalglish spent millions on new players last summer. Dalglish won 35 of his 74 games in all competitions since taking over in January 2011. In that time Liverpool have drawn 17 and lost 22 matches.

Liverpool have struggled for form at home this season winning just six of their 19 league games. Dalglish was also criticised for defending Luis Suarez after the Liverpool striker was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and Wigan's Roberto Martinez are the two early favourites to take over at Anfield.

Dalglish arrived back in England on Tuesday morning after meeting representatives of Fenway Sports Group, including Liverpool's principal owner, John W Henry, and the chairman, Tom Werner.

At the meeting, instigated by Dalglish in response to the uncertainty that has surrounded his position since defeat in the FA Cup final on 5 May, he delivered his end-of-season review and outlined his strategy for next season.

FSG, however, were dissatisfied with Liverpool's poor eighth‑place finish in the Premier League, matching their lowest league finish since they were promoted back to the old First Division in 1962.

A statement from the club said: "Kenny Dalglish is to leave his post today as manager after having his contract terminated. After a careful and deliberative review of the season, the club came to the decision that a change was appropriate. It is not a decision that was reached lightly or hastily. The search for a new manager will begin immediately."

Henry said: "Kenny will always be more than a championship winning manager, more than a championship winning star player. He is in many ways the heart and soul of the club. He personifies everything that is good about Liverpool Football Club. He has always put the club and its supporters first. Kenny will always be a part of the family at Anfield.

"Our job now is to identify and recruit the right person to take this club forward and build on the strong foundations put in place during the last 18 months."

The Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said: "Kenny came into the club as manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him. He didn't ask to be manager; he was asked to assume the role. He did so because he knew the club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilise Liverpool over the past year-and-a-half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.

Even as they paid tribute to Dalglish, co-owners Henry and Werner revealed it was the failure to come remotely close to delivering a top four finish that ultimately cost the Anfield icon his job.

"Kenny will always be more than a championship winning manager, more than a championship winning star player (but) our job is to identify and recruit the right person to take this club forward," Henry explained.

That process gets underway immediately, with bookmakers installing Roberto Martinez and former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez - who still lives in the area - as the two overwhelming favourites for the vacant position.

But the owners have made clear they will not be rushed into any hasty decisions in finding the right man to take them towards the top four challenge they consider is the minimum requirement for next season.

They are admirers of Andre Villas-Boas and considered him a credible candidate when they sacked Roy Hodgson in January 2010.

Chelsea FC Overcame Liverpool FC 2-1 To Win Their Seventh FA Cup

It's getting to the point where Roberto Di Matteo would have strong grounds for unfair dismissal if Roman Abramovich doesn’t keep him as Chelsea manager.

The Italian was supposed to provide nothing more than a safe pair of hands until the end of the season when Abramovich decided that having a man who was sacked by West Brom in temporary charge was a better option than Andre Villas-Boas.

But two months on, the Blues have won the FA Cup and have a Champions League Final to come.
Goals by Ramires and Didier Drogba took the famous old trophy back to Stamford Bridge for the fourth time in six seasons and seventh time overall.

And if Di Matteo’s men were impressive in the way they dominated Kenny Dalglish’s side for more than three-quarters of the contest, the sheer defiance they showed after Andy Carroll’s reply was just as telling.

Petr Cech’s save to push Carroll’s 82nd-minute header onto the crossbar will go down as one of the cup final’s definitive moments.

Liverpool insisted that the ball had crossed the line – but television replays suggested assistant referee Andrew Garratt’s eyes had not failed him.

And so, 14 years after he scored a goal that was once the fastest in Cup-final history, this was another day for Di Matteo to savour. 

Chelsea FC overcame Liverpool FC 2-1 to win their seventh FA Cup and their fourth in six years thanks to Ramires's first-half goal and a landmark strike by Didier Drogba.

It was a cagey first half and, although Ramires gave Chelsea an early lead, opportunities were few and far between. Drogba doubled the Blues' advantage after the break to become the only player to score in four FA Cup finals. Andy Carroll gave Liverpool hope with an emphatic strike but Chelsea held on with the help of a superb reflex save by Petr Čech.

In his programme notes Chelsea's interim manager Roberto Di Matteo hailed his side's 'class and character' in their 5-1 semi-final victory against Tottenham Hotspur FC and Juan Mata showed plenty of the former to set up Ramires for the opening goal on 11 minutes. The Spanish international pounced on a mistake by Jay Spearing to find Ramires with a perfectly weighted pass and the midfielder raced clear of José Enrique to fire in a shot which went in off Pepe Reina at his near post.

Liverpool came close to an immediate response but Branislav Ivanović blocked Craig Bellamy's goal-bound volley after Chelsea failed to clear Glen Johnson's centre. Midway through the first half the lively Salomon Kalou looked to have weaved his way through the Liverpool defence but his mesmerising run was halted by Daniel Agger at the final hurdle.

The UEFA Champions League finalists continued to control the game in the second half and doubled their lead on 52 minutes. Frank Lampard evaded the challenge of Spearing in midfield and slid the ball into the path of Drogba, who squeezed his effort through the legs of Martin Škrtel and into the bottom right-hand corner to become the first player to score in four FA Cup finals.

Seemingly down and out, Liverpool were back in the game 12 minutes later when substitute Carroll pounced on a loose ball, made himself some room in the penalty area and rifled it into the roof of the net giving Čech no chance.

Buoyed by their goal, Liverpool went in search of an equaliser and came close when Carroll's header was superbly pawed on to the crossbar by Čech with eight minutes remaining. The west Londoners held on, however, to give themselves the perfect boost ahead of the UEFA Champions League showpiece in a fortnight's time.

Roy Hodgson Is The Man Charged With The Responsibility Of Leading England At UEFA EURO 2012

England will go into UEFA EURO 2012 with Roy Hodgson as their manager after the Football Association (FA) confirmed his appointment on a four-year contract.

Hodgson replaces Fabio Capello, who quit the role in February, and will have just two friendly matches – against Norway in Oslo on 26 May, and Belgium at Wembley on 2 June – before England embark on their EURO campaign against France in Donetsk on 11 June.

"Roy emerged as our stand-out candidate," said David Bernstein, the chairman of the FA, at the press conference to unveil England's new appointment. "We quickly agreed Roy is the right man to guide us through the European Championships and future tournaments.

"We were unanimous in choosing Roy, a manager with vast experience of international and European football. This is the first time the FA has appointed an England manager with any previous international experience. This, I'm sure, will be of great benefit in helping him make the adjustments from club management."

Hodgson described feelings of great pride at taking the job he regards to be "the pinnacle" of football management. "It's a very proud day for me," he said. "I'm a very happy man to have been offered the chance to manage my country. I'm looking forward enormously to the task ahead; everyone knows it's not an easy one but I also think that everybody – the fans – will get behind the team because it's the team that counts, and it's the team that will win us matches."

Hodgson added that he was aiming to guide England to victory at UEFA EURO 2012 and that the announcement of his provisional squad for the tournament would be put back until the end of the season in order for him to do "as much research" and "speak to as many players as possible". The 64-year-old has also agreed to see out West Bromwich Albion FC's final two Premier League matches of the campaign – against Bolton Wanderers FC and Arsenal FC – before focusing on the matter of steering England to glory in Poland and Ukraine.

"England have always got to go into a tournament with the aim of winning it because we're a major footballing nation. It will be difficult because I've come in at a rather late stage, but I think the players would be disappointed if I tried to do anything less."

The FA announced on Sunday that it had made an approach to West Brom to speak to Hodgson, who had been manager at The Hawthorns since February last year and whose contract with the club ends this summer.

England have been without a manager since the resignation of Capello. Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce held the reins for the 3-2 home friendly defeat by the Netherlands at the end of February.

Hodgson has previous experience of international football with Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Finland and as coach of the Swiss ended their 28-year absence from major tournaments when steering them to the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the last 16. He also led Switzerland to EURO '96 qualification but moved on to FC Internazionale Milano before the finals.

In an interview with UEFA.com last year, Hodgson reflected on the different challenge of international management when he said: "The major difference for me was the nature of the work and what it demanded from me. You get more preparation time, which is good. I always felt that I was able to go in and really talk with some expertise on the opponents, because I had the chance to follow them and study them and prepare the videos."

Known as a hands-on coach on the training ground, Hodgson also voiced his awareness of one of the potential perils of the job. "There's a risk with being a national coach, that after periods of inactivity you try to do too much in a short period of time," he said.

"You also forget that the players come from a day-to-day environment, they come to you maybe a little bit tired from their club training sessions, and you are trying to get the maximum and demanding a lot from them in your training sessions; it can be a dangerous job for people like myself who like to be out on the field coaching the players."

Hodgson will face these challenges and more in his new role, but can draw on almost four decades of experience from a coaching career which began with Swedish club Halmstad BK in the mid-1970s.
Since then Hodgson has managed clubs in five other countries – Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Norway and, of course, England. He returned to his homeland in 2007 to take charge of Fulham FC and led them to the UEFA Europa League final in 2010, just as he had done with Inter in the 1997 UEFA Cup, before a short-lived spell as Liverpool FC manager.

Kerstin Gerfrekes And Ana Maria Crnogorčević Celebrate Frankfurt's First Goal Against Arsenal

After helping her side overcome Arsenal LFC 4-1 on aggregate to reach their first UEFA Women's Champions League final 1. FFC Frankfurt midfielder Kerstin Garefrekes decribed the prospect of playing at Munich's Olympiastadion on 17 May as "something special", while defender Alex Scott, along with several team-mates, accepted the result was fair after being punished for "sloppy mistakes".

Kerstin Garefrekes, Frankfurt midfielder
It is something special to reach a Champions League final, especially as it will take place on German soil. We're glad we managed to go through and get the chance to play the final in Munich. We didn't give a lot away today and were strong in the tackle, which is why Arsenal weren't that dangerous. We worked hard as a team and deserved to win. We know our strengths and we didn't just want to hold on to our first-leg advantage. We are attack-minded, we can and always want to score.

Kim Kulig, Frankfurt midfielder
Arsenal are a very strong side, but we are strong too. I think we had the game under control and we deserved to reach the final. We gave a good team performance and Saskia Bartusiak was back organising the defense. We played well defensively and that was the key to our success. We're happy to play the final on German soil and I think we definitely have a chance of winning the title ‒ it doesn't matter whether it is Lyon or Potsdam.

Jessica Landström, Frankfurt forward
It feels great to win 2-0. We wanted to score today as well and not just focus on not conceding. You cannot play a game by only defending, we didn't have any plans just to defend.

Sven Kahlert, Frankfurt manager
Congratulations to Arsenal for being a strong opponent. We needed to give everything physically and I am happy that we reached the final. I was not pleased with our offensive performance in the first half, but it got better in the second half.

Alex Scott, Arsenal defender
Last week it was there for us to win the game, but today possession was not good enough and we made too many sloppy mistakes and they punished us and deserved to win today. At half-time we said, we would go out and score two goals, but then the game opened up and they punished us. We got to a semi-final, so you are pleased with that, but in our hearts we wanted to get to the final and we felt we had the squad to get there. When we play in away legs we need to be better in possession. You can't give away the ball that much at this level and we need to finish our chances.

Kim Little, Arsenal midfielder
The quality on the ball wasn't good enough. We played better in the first leg and not well enough today, Frankfurt deserved it over the two legs. We started well in the first leg, but didn't convert our chances into goals ‒ that's what has hurt us the most. We didn't concede for an hour today, but even in the first half we didn't create enough chances to score. We defended pretty well in the first leg and did OK today, but obviously our quality in the final third especially needs to be a lot better when we play at this level.

Rachel Yankey, Arsenal forward
It was not our day today, the better team won. We knew what we had to come here to get goals, but unfortunately we didn't do that. We tried and gave everything we had but it just wasn’t enough in the end. Today we weren't really good on the ball, their quality was a lot better than us.

Laura Harvey, Arsenal manager
We didn't play very well in the first half. In the second half the first goal was crucial. Last week it was our biggest disappointment, as we knew Frankfurt are very good at home. We thought that not winning the game last week was going to be hard for us. They were the better team today.

Ashley Cole Warned "Not To Take Your Eye Off The Ball" Against FC Barcelona

With memories of the 2009 semi-final defeat by FC Barcelona still vivid, Chelsea FC's Ashley Cole has warned his side "not to take your eye off the ball for a minute" on Wednesday.

Given that Chelsea FC are facing UEFA Champions League semi-final opponents who defied them in the dying seconds at this same stage three years ago, it is little wonder defender Ashley Cole has warned his side "not to take your eye off the ball for a minute" against FC Barcelona. "Any one of them could step up and do something magical," he told.

Cole remembers all too readily the agony of that semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge, when his side were seconds away from what would have been a repeat of the previous year's final against Manchester United FC. Michael Essien's early opener had seemingly done enough to earn the Londoners victory, until Andrés Iniesta crashed in a dramatic added-time equaliser to take the eventual champions through to the Rome showpiece on away goals.

The England left-back believes Chelsea paid the price for dropping their guard, and that is not a mistake he intends to repeat when Josep Guardiola's holders come calling again on Wednesday for the first leg in London. "Against a team like that you have to be concentrated for not just 90 minutes, but 94 or 95 minutes," said Cole. "We were doing well until the [93rd] minute when Iniesta stepped up with a great goal. So we know it's going to be tough.

"They've got a great manager who has been in this situation for years, and they've got so many world-class players that you can't take your eye off the ball for a minute, because any one of them could step up and do something magical. So we've got to be fully on our game."

No pre-match build-up involving Barcelona is complete without reference to three-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, who has equalled Gerd Müller's long-standing competition scoring record with 14 goals this European campaign. Yet excellent though the Argentina forward has been, Cole knows there are more strings to the Azulgrana's bow than their famous No10.

"They are not just a one-man team," said Cole. "Everybody says it's all about Messi, but I don't think that's the case. All their players are world-class. Everyone thinks you've got to stop Messi and that's it, but then you get the other players who contribute. We know we've got to stop more than just Messi."

Despite the onerous nature of the task that awaits them Chelsea are in fine form. Since the departure of André Villas-Boas they have rediscovered their belief, winning nine of their last 12 matches, including Sunday's 5-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat of Tottenham Hotspur FC. Back in the last four of the UEFA Champions League for a sixth time in nine years, they also boast a 100% record at Stamford Bridge in this season's European campaign.

"The players are buzzing," added the 31-year-old veteran of 92 UEFA Champions League matches. "We went from a bad patch to progressing to the [final] of the FA Cup, and the semi-final of the Champions League ‒ not many people would have said we'd have got there in January or December. We've started to come on more as a team now, and thought 'it's down to us', because we've seen the manager go, and that was our fault, so now we've got to change things. It has turned around and hopefully we can now go on and win a trophy for the fans."

Forward Diego Lauded Atlético For Playing "Intelligently" To Reach The UEFA Euopea League Semi-finals

Forward Diego lauded Club Atlético de Madrid for playing "intelligently" to reach the UEFA Euopea League semi-finals, while Hannover 96 midfielder Jan Schlaudraff to stay positive in defeat.

Club Atlético de Madrid playmaker Diego said his team were "very happy" to have reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League as the Spanish side brought an end to Hannover 96's unbeaten home record with a 2-1 victory in Germany. Meanwhile, the hosts' midfielder Jan Schlaudraff was left feeling dejected in spite of the club's best ever European campaign, but was trying to look on the bright side when he spoke to.

Diego, Atlético midfielder
We're very happy. I have another chance to play a semi-final, which is very important for any player. Today was an important step and I was very happy to help my team. It was very tough. I think it's been 11 months since [Hannover] lost here and they're a very strong team. To come here and win took a very good performance. We played intelligently and managed to get the result.

I hope we can win the Europa League this year, but it's still too early to be talking about things like that. Of course that's our objective, but we have to get through the semis first. It's going to be a very difficult game against Valencia, but it will be a special night with two Spanish teams.

Thibaut Courtois, Atlético goalkeeper
We defended really well in the first half, but we weren't getting anywhere up front. At half-time the coach said we needed to play differently and we were much better in the second half, scoring two goals. A semi-final is very special for any player as they may only get to play in a handful during their career. Now we're up against Valencia, who are one of the best teams in Spain, so we'll see what happens.

Jan Schlaudraff, Hannover forward
I think Atlético deserved to go through. We knew that as long as it remained 0-0, we were in with a chance as we're always capable of scoring a goal. We weren't great going forward in the first half, but we were excellent at the back and didn't let anything through. Obviously, we wanted to find a breakthrough, but it was difficult after their goal. After the equaliser we had a very good phase, but they punished a needless loss of possession and that proved decisive.

I think our disappointment outweighs our pride at coming this far. That said, if you look at our season as a whole it's been very positive. Now we want to push on and make sure we're involved again next year.

Mohammed Abdellaoue, Hannover forward
Of course it's very disappointing. I thought it was very tight in the first 45 [minutes] and neither side created many chances. We knew that we had to be patient and that one goal could change the whole game. We were still in it until the end, but when they scored it made things very difficult.

Goalkeeper Elinton Andrade Will Make His First European Appearance For Marseille

Goalkeeper Elinton Andrade will make his first European appearance in almost three and a half years when Olympique de Marseille host FC Bayern München in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Didier Deschamps has picked the 32-year-old, who has not played for OM since January 2011, ahead of Gennaro Bracigliano to deputise for the suspended Steve Mandanda as the French team seek their first win in any competition since overcoming FC Internazionale Milano in the round of 16 first leg more than a month ago.

Marseille
Coach Didier Deschamps
I have spoken to both goalkeepers and made my choice: Andrade will play in goal. I have made this decision because I think it is the best one for the team. Compared with Dortmund, Bayern have greater experience, so they are the favourites. We are going to play a great game, a piece of history for the club, against a great team.

Physically and psychologically, we will be ready. We will need to watch their two quick players on the flanks with the full-backs in order to counter their attacking football. Winning against Bayern would not be a miracle, but they are up for reaching the final and they are going through a very positive run of results. We need to put on two great performances.

Weekend result
Saturday: OGC Nice 1-1 Marseille (Monzón 76pen; A Ayew 56)
Mandanda; Azpilicueta, Diawara (Kaboré 7), Fanni, Morel; Mbia, Cheyrou; Amalfitano, Valbuena, A Ayew (Diarra 72); Brandão (Gignac 81).

• Substitute Charles Kaboré was sent off just before half-time as Marseille halted a run of seven successive defeats in all competitions, extra time included.

Team news
Souleymane Diawara and Steve Mandanda are both suspended, although Diawara would be unavailable anyway after suffering a knee injury against Nice. André Ayew has been playing despite ongoing shoulder problems that require surgery, while Loïc Rémy (thigh) will undergo a fitness test on the morning of the match.

Bayern
Coach Jupp Heynckes
We play every three days so I spent the full day yesterday analysing OM's football. They are a great team with a great coach that I know well. I have got positive feelings about OM. They play emotional football and will probably be 100% motivated. We will try not to fall into their trap; Marseille are a difficult team, very physical.

We expect a tough game in this stadium but we are confident. I am focused on this match, but we have a lot of respect for this team. We know that scoring away from home is crucial, but we did not score in Basel [and still went through] so I am not too concerned about this.

[Former OM forward Franck] Ribéry wanted OM in the draw. We understand his feelings, but he is having a sensational season and it would be great if he could win a European trophy in Munich.

Weekend result
Saturday: Bayern 2-1 Hannover 96 (Kroos 36 Gomez 68; Ya Konan 74)
Neuer; Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba; Luiz Gustavo, Pranjić (Tymoshchuk 57); Robben, Kroos (T Müller 78), Ribéry; Olić (Gomez 61).

• Toni Kroos' third goal in five games set Bayern on course for their ninth successive home win. During that time they have scored 32 and conceded four. Initially rested on Saturday, Mario Gomez came on to score his 37th goal in his last 39 games for club and country.

Team news
Bastian Schweinsteiger has made just two substitute appearances since 8 February – most recently the second leg against FC Basel 1893 – because of an ankle problem and was scheduled to have a workout on Tuesday to determine if he is fit enough for consideration. Daniel Van Buyten (broken metatarsal) and Breno (knee) are long-term absentees.

Match fact
Bayern had won six of their previous nine UEFA Champions League away games before going down 1-0 at Basel in the round of 16 first leg. They overturned that deficit with a 7-0 triumph in the return, setting a new record for margin of victory in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds.

Jarl Torske Is Aiming To Make It Fifth-time Lucky This Summer

After finishing runners-up four times, Norway coach Jarl Torske is aiming to make it fifth-time lucky this summer – but he knows his side must first negotiate the second round.

Norway coach Jarl Torske believes his current crop has even more potential than the youthful squad that reached the showpiece last summer, but for now he is looking no further than the second qualifying round that begins on 31 March.
Portugal, the Czech Republic and a Belgium side that contested last season's final tournament lie between Norway and a place in July's UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship. The road does not appear too treacherous, but Torske is too savvy to fall victim to complacency – this is, after all, his 12th campaign in this competition.

"There are more teams who are doing well," he told UEFA. "You can lose against any of the top 20 in Europe if things are not working for you. The level and standard of matches is getting tougher, tighter; there are no easy matches. Still, at least we were ranked high enough to avoid Germany."

They will have been especially keen to, with memories of Norway's 8-1 final defeat by Maren Meinert's charges last summer all too raw. At the time, Torske said he was "embarrassed and humiliated", but in the cold light of day he has been able to apply a more positive slant. "All in all, when we look on this tournament, we are very pleased with what we did.

"Before that terrible second half against Germany, we beat the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, and we also put in a good performance against Germany in the opener [eventually losing 3-1]. Overall I think it was a good way of developing the players, giving them confidence. We just have to be even better next time we meet Germany."

That reunion may well come in the final tournament in Turkey this summer. "Some of key players from 2011 are still in the squad," said Torske, whose side beat Italy and Iceland 2-1 before losing by the same scoreline to Denmark in La Manga at the beginning of March. "I think we might see a more possession-orientated squad, but we will keep our direct style. I think we have a good team this year. Our chances of getting through to the finals are pretty good.

"Then, if you reach the final round then of course you want medals; and if you get to the final, you want the gold. I have been in four finals now and have four silver medals! It would be lovely to one day get a gold, but the most important aspect of this is developing the players."

Norway kick off their second qualifying round campaign against Belgium on 31 March.

Kampfakta:
NORGE - NEDERLAND 3-0 (2-0)
Sted:  Romeo Galli - Imola, Italia.
Tilskuere; 857.
Dommer: Morag Pirie - Skottland.
Kort: Ingen.

Mal: Melissa Bjånesøy str. (6.min). 2-0 Kristine Hegland (39.min). Melissa Bjånesøy (57.min).Norges lag (4-3-3): Ane Fimreite - Ida Aardalen (Ina Skaug 46.min), Maren Knudsen, Ingrid Søndenå, Anja Sonstevold - Cathrine Dekkerhus (Else Vassbø 89.min), Maria Thorisdottir, Andrine Hegerberg - Ada Hegerberg, Melissa Bjånesøy (Caroline Graham Hansen 75.min), Kristine Hegland.

Lionel Messi Added Two More Goals To His Five In Midweek

Lionel Messi added two more goals to his five in midweek to reach the half-century mark in all competitions this term as FC Barcelona triumphed 2-0 at Real Racing Club.

Lionel Messi plundered his 50th goal in all competitions this season as FC Barcelona prevailed 2-0 at Real Racing Club to stay within ten points of Liga leaders Real Madrid CF.

Scorer of a record-breaking five strikes against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Messi continued his superb campaign with both efforts in Barcelona's win. The Argentina forward slid in a Cesc Fàbregas pass on 29 minutes and added a penalty after the break to also hit the 30-goal mark in the top flight this term.

Third-placed Valencia CF could only draw 2-2 with RCD Mallorca, meanwhile, letting their two-goal lead slip as the visitors mustered a spirited response via Emilio Nsue (57) and Victor Casadesus (66). Valencia had Tino Costa dismissed with six minutes remaining and now lie 16 points shy of Barça.

Elsewhere, RCD Espanyol dismantled Rayo Vallecano de Madrid 5-1, Kalu Uche grabbing a hat-trick, and Club Atlético de Madrid beat Granada CF 2-0. In the late game, CA Osasuna climbed up to sixth by defeating Athletic Club 2-1.

The 75,632 spectators who witnessed it live can say "I was there" in the same way as the people who saw basketball player Wilt Chamberlain score 100 points in one game, Mohammed Ali knock out Sonny Liston or saw long jumper Bob Beamon fly in Mexico. They all witnessed something sublime. Messi scored five goals in a Champions League match. This season, he scored four against Valencia and two seasons ago he registered four against Arsenal in the Champions League. Yesterday he went one better.

Hurricane Messi
El País, Spain
We have to be grateful to Messi because he always wants to play – he does not distinguish between friendly or competitive matches, easy or difficult, important or trivial, and does not accept that the game is over, regardless of whether he is fit, cold or hot, whether he is at home or away, and if it is Wednesday or Saturday. No one demands more of Messi than Messi himself, who makes every show a spectacle.

Football god Messi!
Bild, Germany
His five goals made Leverkusen look ridiculous. This 169cm man was five goals too big for Leverkusen. Lionel Messi dismantled the fifth best side in the Bundesliga in the Champions League round of last 16. A debacle for Leverkusen, a pleasure for all football fans.

Five legendary goals
Corriere dello Sport
Only José Altafini and Gerd Müller [and Søren Lerby] achieved the same before the Champions League era. Messi is an alien compared to the rest, he just requires a success with Argentina to be there on the same level with the player also known as 'D10s'.

Magician Messi on a roll at Nou Camp
De Telegraaf, Netherlands
Lionel Messi was majestic again for Barcelona on Wednesday evening. The diminutive Argentinian was scoring at will in the round of 16 Champions League return. Messi became the first player ever to score five goals in a Champions League match. Bayer Leverkusen became the latest victim of football's miniature magician.

Stratospheric Messi
L'Équipe, France
Bayer's players Manuel Friedrich and Michal Kadlec had an argument at the interval in the first leg as to who would get to swap shirts with Lionel Messi. On Wednesday, they might have been tempted to get him to pose with them for a photo in the middle of the action as the Argentinian seemed in a class of his own, trouncing his German opponents 7-1. A deft shot (1-0, 25 minutes), a curl (2-0, 42), a chip (3-0, 54): all of the usual and nevertheless fabulous art of Messi was on show.

Arrest him!
SportDay, Greece
As long as Lionel Messi is allowed to walk around free, things like this will happen. The Argentinian superstar made fun of Leverkusen, scoring five goals in Barcelona's 7-1 dismissal of the Germans to rewrite the history books. He was once again unstoppable and became the first player ever to score five goals in a UEFA Champions League match.

Messi masterclass rewrites record books
Telegraph, England
Lionel Messi became the first player to score five goals in one Champions League game last night and moved to within seven goals of becoming the highest goalscorer in Barcelona's history at the age of just 24. In keeping with the extraordinary nature of his record-breaking career the player had complained of a headache before the one-man demolition of the team that just four days earlier had beaten Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.The endless collection of Messi wonders has one more rarity.

Público, Portugal
What is there left to write about Lionel Messi? The Argentinian player never stops surprising and at Camp Nou he sank the team fifth in the Bundesliga.

Jorge Jesus Returns To Outgun Zenit's History Boys

SL Benfica coach Jorge Jesus is predicting goals when FC Zenit St Petersburg come to town on Tuesday night, and is confident his home side will "score more and qualify". His opposite number Luciano Spalletti, meanwhile, believes that his team's "character" will see them through a match he has described as "the most important in Zenit's history" with a first UEFA Champions League quarter-final place in the offing.

BenficaIn our stadium with a good pitch and normal weather we can qualify. We know that we're playing a good side, a strong one, with five players in the Russia team that beat Denmark last week. Apart from their individuals they are tactically very strong too but in our stadium, with our fans behind us, I think we can win.
I predict that both teams will score, but I believe we will score more and qualify. We want to reach the quarter-finals and after the result in the away leg, with our fans and our quality I think we'll do it. Jardel is a possible option as cover for [Ezequiel] Garay in defence. For [the suspended] Pablo Aimar, we have Rodrigo and [Javier] Saviola, so let's wait and see. This tie was 50-50 after the draw was made but our two away goals give us some confidence and we feel that we can qualify though, as I say again, Zenit are a very strong side.

Weekend resultFriday: Benfica 3-2 FC Porto (Cardozo 41 48; Hulk 7, Rodríguez 64, Maicon 87)
Artur; Emerson, Luisão, Garay (Vítor 71), Pereira; Gaitán, Javi García (Oliveira 90), Witsel, Nolito; Aimar (Rodrigo 52), Cardozo.

• Emerson was sent off (77) as the Eagles suffered their first home defeat of the season in their 18th game; they had won all ten of their previous Liga matches at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica this term. Starting at Zenit, Benfica have suffered three defeats in four games, quite a change in fortunes for a side that had previously lost once in 34 outings in 2011/12.

Team newsPablo Aimar is suspended while Garay is also missing from the 19-man squad with an injury to his left knee that he suffered against Porto. Yannick Djaló damaged his right thigh in training on Saturday.

ZenitI think that the outcome of the tie will be decided by my players. Our aim is to get a result and qualify. I have always had teams that were very good in terms of character and I think that this will help us decide the tie. When we played Porto we didn't play well but we got a result and qualified. I am sure that we'll fare much better against Benfica. The best of the Portuguese players is the one who is sitting beside me now, my No10 [Danny].

This is the most important match in Zenit's history and I want my players to perform at their very best for the whole match. We cannot think about playing for a draw in a match like this. There are no favourites here and we cannot think about the one-goal advantage we have. Our aim is to play our game and win. In my profession playing in matches like this is the best feeling you can have. When you get to this stage every match is incredibly special.

Weekend resultSaturday: PFC CSKA Moskva 2-2 Zenit (Dzagoev 17, Musa 68; Kerzhakov 1 56)
Malafeev; Anyukov, Lombaerts, Hubočan, Criscito; Fayzulin (Zyryanov 74), Semak, Denisov, Shirokov, Arshavin (Lazović 55); Kerzhakov (Kanunnikov 90+3).

• Aleksandr Kerzhakov took his tally to 11 goals in his past ten Premier-Liga outings as leaders Zenit resumed after the Russian winter break with a draw away to the side that began the day six points adrift in second. Zenit are 17 matches unbeaten in all competitions, dating back to the matchday one defeat by APOEL FC.

Team newsGoalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev (calf) and Criscito (food poisoning) have returned after missing the first leg but Aleksandr Bukharov is out with a hamstring problem. Danny has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Match fact
This is the first European meeting between the teams on Portuguese soil. In four home fixtures against Russian opponents Benfica have won two and drawn two, conceding only one goal.

Olivier Giroud Scored On His Full International Debut

Olivier Giroud scored on his full debut and Florent Malouda also struck as Les Bleus made it 18 matches unbeaten in impressive fashion. Olivier Giroud scored on his full international debut to help France extend their unbeaten run to 18 matches with a confidence-boosting friendly win against Germany.

Seizing his chance in the absence of Loïc Rémy and Karim Benzema, the Montpellier Hérault FC striker capped a strong performance by scoring the opener midway through the first half and having a role in the second 21 minutes from time, converted by substitute Florent Malouda. The hosts registered late on through Cacau but that could not take the gloss off a fine France performance, epitomised by the rampaging performance of right-back Mathieu Debuchy and some inspirational goalkeeping by Hugo Lloris.

France created the early chances, twice going close from corners. If Adil Rami was guilty of nodding the first opportunity wide, Yohan Cabaye could count himself unfortunate when André Schürrle blocked his downward header on the line. Laurent Blanc must have been delighted by his players' assurance and after 21 minutes new faces Debuchy and Giroud combined to score. The former burst forward purposefully, outpaced Dennis Aogo and rolled a perfect cross in to the middle for Giroud to steer home his first international goal left-footed.

The three-time European champions responded by conjuring a flurry of openings and Lloris had to be at his best to keep them at bay, racing off his line to deny Marco Reus before saving Miroslav Klose's effort from point-blank range seconds later. Joachim Löw's charges were suddenly irresistible yet they could not find a way past Lloris. France's newly appointed skipper beat away Holger Badstuber's far-post header and was then grateful to see Klose miscue his shot from close to the penalty spot after being brilliantly set up by Mesut Özil.

Germany failed to exert similar pressure in the second half as Blanc's men regained the upper hand. The dynamic Debuchy stung Tim Wiese's hands from 30 metres before the Werder Bremen goalkeeper got down to save from Giroud. The second goal looked to be coming and after Mathieu Valbuena had missed a good chance, Malouda duly scored on 69 minutes, pouncing from close range after Giroud's effort was blocked. Two more substitutes combined to pull a goal back for Germany, Cacau steering in Thomas Müller's cross in added time, but it was undoubtedly France's night.

"Poland Will Have Three Perfect Footballers"

If seven straight wins have left Borussia Dortmund well placed to successfully defend their Bundesliga title, the club's sublime form also gives cause for hope across the border in Poland.

It is no coincidence Dortmund's hot streak has come when their three Polish internationals have enjoyed an extended run together in Jürgen Klopp's team. This was most evident in Sunday's 3-1 home win against Hannover 96, as Robert Lewandowski scored twice with the assists coming from Jakub 'Kuba' Błaszczykowski and Łukasz Piszczek.

The performance had their coach purring. "It was obvious they were all in good shape but against Hannover they took it to another level," said Klopp, whose side are now four points clear in Germany. "Judging by their displays, I would say they are close to 100%. I'm very fond of these types of players."

The timing could barely be better for ambitious Dortmund – and likewise for Poland. "I can promise Polish fans that Kuba, Robert and Łukasz are still to reach the top of their game," Klopp added. "Poland will have three perfect footballers by the time EURO kicks off." It is a hope shared by the trio. "We want to take this form with us to the national team," said midfielder Kuba, whose country face Portugal on Wednesday in the first game at the new National Stadium Warsaw.

"We don't have to communicate much when we are on the pitch together, we already know what the other player will do," added the right-footer, who has been with Dortmund since 2007. Previously an undisputed regular, Blaszczykowski found himself benched earlier this season yet bounced back to emerge as an ideal replacement for the injured Mario Götze. "My confidence has increased a lot in the last few weeks," the 26-year-old former Wisła Kraków man said.

Ever a threat, his contribution has not gone unnoticed by Klopp. "He is an exceptional player with outstanding talent," the coach recently observed. Kuba is also one half of Dortmund's dynamic right flank with Piszczek filling in at full-back. Originally a striker, Piszczek – also 26 – joined Dortmund from Hertha BSC Berlin in 2010 and soon became a fixture in the side, earning a new contract until 2016.

However, it is probably the youngest of the three who has received the most attention. Lewandowski has scored 16 Bundesliga goals in 23 games this term, also supplying eight assists – all of this after he endured a difficult spell last season following his switch from KKS Lech Poznań. In a system that features only one centre-forward, the 23-year-old was second choice behind Lucas Barrios, yet when the Paraguayan got injured, Lewandowski seized his chance.

Having won the Polish Cup and league championship with Lech Poznań, followed by last year's Bundesliga, the No9 certainly has a thirst for trophies. "Defending the title with Dortmund would be great and reaching the German Cup final is another of my goals," he said.

Grand plans are also afoot for UEFA EURO 2012. With expectation levels rising among the Polish public, especially after being drawn in Group A with Greece, Russia and the Czech Republic, Lewandowski predicts: "We should be able to reach the quarter-finals."

While the focus is club football for now, it will not just be Klopp wishing for more Dortmund success this spring. With an expectant nation counting down to June, national coach Francisczek Smuda says: "Dortmund are the most important club for the Polish national team."

Milan Takes Centre Stage For Weekend Drama

A top-of-table clash in Italy, derby games in north London and Istanbul, and dramatic encounters in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands are the pick of this weekend's fixtures.

Italy: AC Milan v Juventus (Saturday, 20.45)
Milan are a point clear of Juventus atop Serie A, though Saturday's visitors have a game in hand. With 48 goals in 24 games, the Rossoneri boast the best attacking record in their league, but are without 15-goal top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimović, who completes a three-game ban. Juve have Italy's most parsimonious defence, conceding just 14 times this season, and won 2-1 at Milan in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on 8 February. Thiago Silva, though, says the Rossoneri have been a different side since a 2-1 comeback victory at Udinese Calcio three days later. "In those last 25 minutes we rediscovered our will to win," he said. "The game against Juve is important, but now we know we can beat them."

Poland: WKS Śląsk Wrocław v Legia Warszawa (Sunday, 14.30)
Legia fans will get a first glimpse of new striker Nacho Novo as the third-ranked side take on Polish league leaders Śląsk, who are seeking a first title since 1977. The Warsaw outfit recently saw star players Maciej Rybus and Marcin Komorowski join Russian side FC Terek Grozny, but Novo has given them an exciting new option. "I could have stayed at Sporting Gijón but I did not want to just be on the bench," the 32-year-old told UEFA.com. "I heard a lot of good things about Legia. They have fanastic supporters, an amazing stadium and big ambitions. We are aiming for the title and I've come here to help them achieve it." Victory would take them within two points of Śląsk.

Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven v Feyenoord (Sunday, 14.30)
The Eredivisie is providing drama by the bucketload, with six teams still within five points of leaders PSV. Feyenoord are among them, and PSV will be relieved that John Guidetti – who has hit three hat-tricks in five games for the Rotterdam side – is suspended. AZ Alkmaar are level on points with PSV, and on Sunday meet sc Heerenveen, who go into the weekend two points adrift in third despite 5-1 losses to fellow contenders AFC Ajax, PSV and FC Twente this season. "This is a really top match, in which we can show where we stand," said Heerenveen coach Ron Jans.

England: Arsenal FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC (Sunday, 14.30)
The north London derby will have an extra edge as forward Emmanuel Adebayor returns to Arsenal in the colours of their arch-rivals. The 27-year-old hit 46 goals in 104 league appearances under Arsène Wenger but now finds himself as the focal point of Tottenham's attack, with ten league goals so far this term. The Gunners are fourth, ten points adrift of Spurs in third, but Johan Djourou says league positions will be irrelevant come kick-off. "When you play them, you forget the table – it is a battle and the best team will win," said the Arsenal defender. "They are in great shape but you have to forget that and go to war."

Germany: FC Bayern München v FC Schalke 04 (Sunday, 15.30)
The Bundesliga title is apparently destined for one of what has been dubbed the 'Fantastic Four' by the German media, and two of the quartet meet on Sunday as third-placed Bayern host a Schalke side one point behind them. "We are under extreme pressure in the Bundesliga," said Bayern sporting director Christian Nerlinger. "We were eight points clear at the top at one stage, now we are four adrift. The alarm bells are ringing." They will ring louder still after Wednesday's 1-0 UEFA Champions League defeat by FC Basel 1893, though Schalke's legs may be heavier after taking 120 minutes to see off ten-man FC Viktoria Plzeň 24 hours later. Neither can afford to lose ground on VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund.

Turkey: Galatasaray AŞ v Beşiktaş JK (Sunday, 18.00)
Six points clear of arch-rivals Fenerbahçe SK at the top of the table, Galatasaray may partner Milan Baroš and Necati Ateş up front against third-ranked Beşiktaş, with Johan Elmander's fitness in doubt. Baroš has scored five in six home games against the Black Eagles, and Fatih Terim's predicted 4-4-2 formation could be further fortified by the return of midfielder Yekta Kurtuluş after four months out. Beşiktaş are 11 points adrift of Galatasaray, and up against it: Carlos Carvalhal's side have Manuel Fernandes suspended, while left-back Tanju Kayhan is doubtful with a dislocated shoulder, and they played a UEFA Europa League game against SC Braga on Thursday, advancing to the last 16 despite a 1-0 defeat.

Basel Narrow Lead Over Bayern

Substitute Valentin Stocker's strike four minutes from time earned a famous first-leg victory for the hosts, who also struck the woodwork twice.

A late strike from substitute Valentin Stocker gave FC Basel 1893 a priceless 1-0 advantage in their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie against FC Bayern München.

Bayern began with purpose but the Swiss hosts responded with equal endeavour and twice hit the woodwork in the opening period. Chances became more and more scarce yet as the visitors grew ever more stagnant, Basel were able to take advantage four minutes from time through Stocker. Having avoided conceding an away goal, Bebbi will head to Munich for the second leg on 13 March confident of causing another upset.

Following a series of below-par performances in the Bundesliga, Bayern needed a reaction and their eagerness was evident in the early stages. Just two minutes had elapsed when Franck Ribéry played in Mario Gomez, but the angle created by the striker's touch around goalkeeper Yann Sommer made finishing impossible.

As Bayern stroked the ball from one flank to the other, Ribéry twice had an opportunity to open the scoring himself within the opening quarter of an hour but was denied by Sommer on both occasions. First the French international was foiled at the near post after controlling Arjen Robben's chip, before again being thwarted by the Basel No1 from Philipp Lahm's pass.

Basel were content to let the visitors control possession, but when they did get the chance to counter the danger felt imminent. Indeed, the hosts struck the goal frame twice in the space of two first-half minutes. Aleksandar Dragović had a header pushed onto the post by Manuel Neuer, who was then helpless as Alexander Frei fired against the bar moments later.

David Alaba and Gomez each tested Sommer from range, but as the interval drew closer Bayern's approach play became increasingly laborious and their movement predictable. Robben's efforts on the right were commendable as he sought to justify his restoration to the side, yet the winger lacked the inspiration which made him such a goal threat in last season's competition.

Marco Streller managed the first effort on target in the second half when he headed harmlessly into Neuer's arms, and it was some time before either goalkeeper was troubled again. Toni Kroos and Alaba were both off target with long shots, while Gomez's overhead attempt from a deflected free-kick was straightforward for Sommer. Lahm had the Basel custodian scrambling after cutting in from the left, but again his strike was palmed away.

Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes introduced Thomas Müller for Ribéry late on and the Germany forward quickly played in Gomez, whose angled finish was again parried by the excellent Sommer. It proved to be a false dawn for the away side, and with full time on the horizon Basel struck the killer blow. Substitutes Jacques Zoua, on three minutes earlier, and Stocker combined, with the latter slotting past Neuer to put the Swiss side in the box seat.