Football news

Liverpool's Spanish coach Rafael Benitez (picture) has joined the manager's chorus and complained about the number of Christmas and New Year fixtures in England.

Premier League teams will play four games over a 10-day period from today - too many for a man schooled on the winter break tradition of Spain.

Stressing that he did not want to lose the tradition of the busy holiday programme, he nevertheless suggested that two games would be enough.

"It's impossible for a player to be physically fit (again) in three days," he said.

Juve lose Tamoil sponsor

Juventus received a financial blow yesterday when oil giants Tamoil informed the Turin giants they were stopping their shirt contract worth a massive £160 million.

Juventus did have a deal in place with the company until 2010, but their relationship will now terminate at the end of the present campaign.

Juventus had been in talks with Oilinvest Bv, who control Tamoil, to renegotiate terms following the club's demotion to Serie B. However, after months of negotiations, no compromise could be reached as the club failed to convince Tamoil to stay on board.

Juventus had already seen their Sky Italia TV and Nike contracts reduced by 30 per cent after being demoted for their part in the match-fixing scandal.

Le Guen expects fierce welcome

Rangers' French manager Paul Le Guen said yesterday he was well aware of the hostile rivalry between Rangers and Aberdeen who meet in the Scottish Premier League at Pittodrie today.

Players have been attacked by fans and also targeted by missile-throwing thugs in a fixture that now evokes feelings between fans almost as bitter as those shared by Rangers and Celtic supporters for each other.

Le Guen told a news conference yesterday: "The atmosphere will be hot, but it is a great game to be playing.

"Before the first game I was told (of the intense rivalry) and now I know that. But the most important thing is what happens on the pitch."

Rangers can overtake Aberdeen and move into second place if they win.

Dobrovolsky - Moldova coach

Former Soviet striker Igor Dobrovolsky was promoted to head coach of Moldova's national team yesterday.

Dobrovolsky, who was assistant to Moldova coach Anatoly Teslev, replaces the fellow former Soviet international who resigned yesterday after Moldova's disappointing start to their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Moldova remain bottom of Group C with just a point from their first four matches.

Dobrovolsky, 39, who started his playing career with Nistru Chisinau in the mid-1980s, also played for Dynamo Moscow, Olympique Marseille, Atletico Madrid and Italy's Genoa as well as various clubs in Germany and Switzerland.

Gago capture... a lottery win

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said the signing of Argentine midfielder Fernando Gago was like winning the lottery.

The 20-year-old passed a medical and completed his $27 million move from Boca Juniors to Real, putting pen to paper on a six-and-a-half year contract.

"Today is the draw for the (Spain's famous Christmas) lottery, yet we have already won. Our prize is right here," Calderon said.

Gago joins teenage Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain, and Brazilian full-back Marcelo as the club's recent new signings, as the nine-times European champions look to rejuvenate their squad.

United policy still the same

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said yesterday the club's transfer policy remains unaltered under the ownership of the Glazer family.

London's The Times newspaper had suggested Ferguson was being given an annual transfer fund of £25 million with a similar figure set aside for a 'superstar' signing.

But Ferguson insisted United's approach to signing players had not changed since the US-based Glazers took control at Old Trafford in 2005 with every case judged on its merits.

"There's no figure from the Glazer family," Ferguson told reporters. "There's no figure put at any time. They are operating the same way that United have always operated."

The Times claimed to have seen the transfer fund figure in documents outlining the business plans of the Glazer family.

Roma after Fiore signature

Stefano Fiore is the target of Roma who are looking to bolster their side in next month's transfer window. The midfielder has struggled at Torino since his loan move from Valencia and found himself on the bench in the last few matches.

Agent Federico Pastorello has hinted that a New Year switch may be on the cards.

"Fiore is liked by Roma who already made an enquiry with Valencia during the summer," he said. "I'm not aware of any contact at the minute between Roma and Torino, but it wouldn't surprise me if that occurred."

Fiore was expecting to be one of Torino's key players this term until coach Gianni De Biasi was axed and replaced by Alberto Zaccheroni.

Libertadores Cup

Holders Internacional were given a tricky draw this week for next year's South American Libertadores Cup. The Brazilians, who beat Barcelona on Sunday to win the Club World Cup, will face Uruguay's Nacional, Emelec of Ecuador and the winners of a preliminary round tie between Velez Sarsfield (Argentina) and Danubio (Uruguay) in Group Four. Thirty-eight teams will take part in the tournament, the South American equivalent of the Champions League. Mexico are not members of the South American Football Confederation but their clubs take part by invitation.