Football news

Winger Cristiano Ronaldo hinted he could leave Manchester United after next week's Champions League final, British media reported yesterday.

The Portuguese international, whose 31 goals this season helped United secure the Premier League title on Sunday, has long been linked with a move to Spain and he did not rule out a transfer in the near future.

"I am happy here but let's see what happens after the Champions League final," Ronaldo told Spanish television in an interview.

"I am feeling calm here. I'm happy here but in the future I don't know."

The 23-year-old had pledged last week to stay on with the English champions, with whom he has a contract until 2012, but his latest comments will no doubt cause confusion.

Cahill expects to be ready for new season

Everton's Tim Cahill expects to be fit for the start of the English Premier League after undergoing foot surgery in Sydney two weeks ago.

Cahill, who will miss Australia's four World Cup qualifiers, said yesterday his recovery was right on schedule.

"The swelling has gone down, and everything looks really good. I have seen the specialists again, and they let me go in the swimming pool today."

Sammy Lee returns to Liverpool

Sammy Lee has returned to Liverpool as assistant manager to Rafael Benitez, the Premier League club said yesterday.

Lee, a popular midfielder at the club in the 1970s and early 1980s winning three league titles and two European Cups, replaces Alex Miller, who left to take over at Japanese club JEF United Chiba last week.

The 49-year-old Lee held various roles on the Anfield coaching staff from 1993 to 2004 before joining the England set-up. He joined Bolton Wanderers in 2005 as assistant to Sam Allardyce and took over as manager in 2007 when Allardyce left.

Lee's reign at Bolton lasted just six months after a poor start to the season.

Brazil recall Adriano

Adriano was recalled by Brazil for next month's World Cup qualifiers, only the second time he has been picked by his country since the 2006 World Cup.

The 26-year-old was included in a 25-man squad for the matches away to Paraguay in Asuncion on June 15 and at home to arch-rivals Argentina in Belo Horizonte three days later.

Paraguay lead the 10-team South American qualifying group with 10 points from four games, one ahead of Argentina and two ahead of Brazil.

The same squad will face Canada in a friendly in Seattle on May 31 and Venezuela in Boston on June 6, minus Adriano who has club commitments with Sao Paulo.

Adriano, plagued by physical and reported alcohol problems last year with Inter, has re-found his form since joining Sao Paulo on loan in December and has scored 16 goals in all competitions.

Cole wants to erase memory of Paris final

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole is determined not to endure a second Champions League final disappointment next Wednesday in Moscow having been reminded of his first every time he arrives at training.

The England left-back was in the Arsenal side that lost to Barcelona in the 2006 final in Paris when Juliano Belletti, now his team-mate at Stamford Bridge, scored a late winner.

"Before the game, nobody expected (Arsenal) to win," Cole told reporters.

"We had so many young players, we had a man sent off, went 1-0 up, should have been 2-0 up but then Belletti comes along and scores - which I hear about all the time!

"Hopefully, he'll get another one of those 'lucky' goals."

Marseille deny Nasri rumours

Olympique Marseille have denied a newspaper report that Arsenal were chasing the Ligue 1 club playmaker Samir Nasri.

"We have not received any offer from Arsenal for Nasri," Marseille sports director Jose Anigo told regional radio station France Bleu Provence yesterday.

French sports daily L'Equipe wrote yesterday that Nasri was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's top priority for next season.

The versatile 20-year-old, who has been compared with France great Zinedine Zidane, extended his Marseille contract to 2012 earlier this month.

Spain delay squad announcement

Spain have delayed the announcement of their squad for Euro 2008 following the news of the death of team doctor Genaro Borras.

The Spanish Football Federation said the squad would be named today instead of yesterday to allow national team coach Luis Aragones attend the funeral in Vigo.

Borras, 62, who had been team doctor at three World Cups and two European Championships and also worked for second division side Celta Vigo, died after a long illness.

Aragones is expected to omit former captain and all-time leading scorer Raul from his 23-strong squad despite the Real Madrid striker's fine season for his club.