Football news

Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini admits it is a concern to him that his side have failed in both of their biggest tests so far this season after losing first to Sevilla and then Milan.

Real have won eight of their 10 competitive games this season, but in arguably their toughest challenges they have come unstuck, going down 2-1 to Sevilla in La Liga earlier this month and then losing 3-2 at home to Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday.

When asked about this following the Milan loss, Pellegrini said: “Every defeat is worrying. Both teams (Sevilla and Milan) are more settled than we are and they’ve played together for a lot longer. I don’t consider it something normal, it’s worrying and we have to improve.”

Grafite draws Veh’s ire again

Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh is to hold disciplinary talks with striker Grafite for the second time in a week after he was shown the red card in Wednesday’s goalless Champions League draw with Besiktas.

Grafite lost his place in the Wolves’ starting XI for the first time in 15 months last weekend after he had criticised Veh for substituting him in previous games.

“We will have to talk about it because he shouldn’t be doing something like that,” said Veh.

The red card in the 74th minute may have appeared harsh, but Veh was not keen on defending his striker. “You can give a red card for that,” added the Wolfsburg coach, who has at least been given an easy excuse to leave Grafite out of the return fixture on November 3.

Rummenigge urges Bayern improvement

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has demanded a reaction from his team after the 2-1 defeat to Bordeaux dealt a blow to their hopes of making the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Bayern finished the game with nine men after Thomas Mueller and Daniel van Buyten were both sent off, but Rummenigge felt the visitors lacked more than just discipline.

“We missed everything in the first half – a willingness to run, determination, cleverness,” he said.

“Then with the dismissal of Mueller we had a numerical disadvantage which cost us dearly. We absolutely deserved to lose and are now obviously under pressure.

“It is now up to the team to react.”

Ribery could miss France play-off

France playmaker Franck Ribery could miss his country’s World Cup play-off matches against Ireland in November due to a knee injury that has flared up in recent weeks.

France must get past Ireland to reach the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, with the first leg taking place on Nov. 14 and the return match on Nov. 18.

“We have decided to allow the injury to heal,” Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal told reporters. “Ribery could be out for up to a month.”

Benitez retains Gillett support

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett remains fully behind manager Rafael Benitez, claiming the Spaniard is “absolutely as good as there is in the business”.

The Reds’ hopes of advancing from their Champions League group were dented by Tuesday’s 2-1 home reverse to Lyon – their fourth consecutive defeat.

“We have just entered into a long-term agreement with Rafa,” Gillett said, recalling the improved deal Benitez signed in March to keep him on Merseyside until 2014.

“Our family is extraordinarily pleased with him, we believe he is absolutely as good as there is in the business.

“The run of results disappoints everybody. Certainly, it disappoints the fans and it disappoints Rafa. But we are in this together.”

Messi set to sweep awards – Platini

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is set to sweep this year’s awards for individual players, UEFA president Michel Platini has predicted.

“I think that the player I like best at the moment is an Argentine who plays for Barcelona,” Platini said.

“I like Messi very much and I think he will win all the trophies for best player at the end of the year. He had a fantastic year last season, like Cristiano Ronaldo the year before, and I think he deserves the recognition.”

Messi was named European Club Player of the Year in August for helping Pep Guardiola’s Barca side win the Champions League trophy last season.

Chelsea appeal against transfer ban

Chelsea asked yesterday for the transfer ban imposed upon them by FIFA to be suspended in a bid to sign new players during the January transfer window.

The English Premier League side have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne against a ban which prevents the London club from signing any new players until January 2011.

They have also requested the ban be suspended until the outcome of the appeal is known, with a decision expected in November.

The ban was imposed by FIFA in August when its Dispute Resolution Chamber concluded the Blues had induced promising French youngster Gael Kakuta to break his contract with his first club Lens.

Kakuta, who was also banned from playing for four months, is also appealing against his FIFA suspension.