Football news

Boca Juniors president Pedro Pompilio said it was a privilege to have Juan Roman Riquelme at the club after the Argentina international was criticised by a team-mate.

"Riquelme is an extraordinary player," Pompilio said. "It's a privilege to have him... I would not think twice about signing him again."

This week, Boca defender Julio Cesar Caceres said Riquelme appeared to have more motivation when he played for his country.

"In some matches, he is apparently running and in others he is passive," Caceres said.

Although Riquelme can unlock defences with superbly angled passes, many see his unhurried style as out of place in today's game.

Adriano to lead Brazil attack

Controversial striker Adriano is set to lead Brazil's attack in Sunday's World Cup qualifier away to Venezuela. Adriano partnered Robinho in a practice match for the first team against the reserves on Wednesday, which in Brazil is a reliable indication of the line-up for the match.

The Inter player, recalled by Brazil this year after a long series of fitness and disciplinary problems threatened to wreck his career, has been given his chance after an injury to Luis Fabiano.

"I'm doing well at Inter, slowly but surely I'm winning back my place," Adriano told reporters.

"Being here again is the fruit of my work and I hope to play an important role."

30,000 fans for Borgonovo match

Star players from Serie A clubs Milan and Fiorentina figured in a friendly match in Florence on Wednesday night in the presence of former player Stefano Borgonovo who was recently diagnosed with a form of motor neurone disease.

Borgonovo, now 44, made his name at Milan in the late 1980s before moving on to Fiorentina where he became a fans' favourite.

The match attracted 30,000 fans as funds were raised to help find a cure for the disease.

The game ended 4-1 to Fiorentina with a brace from Giampaolo Pazzini and goals from Manuel Da Costa and Marco Nappi. Daniele Massaro scored the only goal for Milan.

Borgonovo said: "We have to believe in football to help us find a cure for this illness. Florence never betrays you and the people there are honest and sincere."

Credit crunch not affecting United

The credit crunch that shook the financial world from its seams is not affecting Manchester United, the club's US owners said.

Some clubs are already feeling the pinch after years of over-spending and there were fears that United may struggle as well. The club remains £660 million in debt following the Glazers' 2005 takeover.

A spokesman for the Glazer family said: "The credit crunch is not having a negative bearing on United.

We continue to benefit from the sell-out of Old Trafford and the growth in commercial operations."

It's football not war - Eriksson

Mexico coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has brushed aside fears of a physical battle in this weekend's World Cup qualifier away to Jamaica. Mexico have a 100 per cent record in Group Two and another win will send them through to next year's final phase.

Mexico have often struggled on previous visits to the Caribbean, appearing intimidated by the physical prowess of sides such as Jamaica.

"It may be a tough match and Jamaica may be a tough team but I don't think we're scared of playing there," said Eriksson.

"I'm not going to send out a team of battlers, we are going to play football, we're not going for a war."

Jamaica go into the game under interim coach Theodore Whitmore. Former England international John Barnes will take over in November.

Filipino scouting

Unable to find talented players at home, soccer bosses from the Philippines have been scouring the leagues of Europe to beef up their struggling national team.

Searches across England, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands have turned up scores of players with at least one Filipino parent, making them eligible to play for one of the world's least-decorated teams.

Although players from Bognor Regis, NAC Breda and Fulham reserves are unlikely to get the pulses of the Filipino fans racing, soccer president Mari Martinez believes his new recruits have given his humble team a major boost.

Martinez said: "We don't want to bring in foreigners and naturalise them. Instead we'll tap the services of Filipinos in other countries.

"We need to improve and we had to do something."

Alonso too slow says Ranieri

Under-pressure coach Claudio Ranieri told reporters Juventus pulled out of a move for Liverpool's Xabi Alonso in summer because he felt the midfielder was "too slow".

"He was a player we wanted but left me perplexed by the slowness of his movement in midfield," Ranieri said.

"In the midfield of Rafa Benitez's Liverpool, where all of them are little soldiers, he finds himself in a fantastic position.

"But in our midfield, he would have found it hard to support the midfield line seeing as wingers Camoranesi and Nedved are not players that come back to give support like Liverpool's wingers."