Football news

Brazil international Luis Fabiano has hinted he could be interested in a move to Manchester United.

The 29-year-old Sevilla striker, who will spearhead Brazil's World Cup campaign this summer, has one year left on his contract with the Primera Liga club.

"If you are asking me what team I most admire it is Manchester United," he told Daily Express.

"If you play under Ferguson then you are probably going to win a title or another major trophy."

Luis Fabiano has won two UEFA Cups and a Copa del Rey with Sevilla, for whom he has scored 90 goals in 187 games.

Bayern a force again - Rummenigge

Bayern Munich are a force to be reckoned with in European football, according to their chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

He claims that the Bundesliga club's run to the brink of the Champions League final has made the rest of Europe stand up and take note and even fear the Bavarians.

"We have worked up lots of respect internationally," he said.

"In recent years, we have only ever reached the quarter-finals at best and now we have a decent chance of reaching the final. That has turned the international focus back on FC Bayern."

Ear plugs for World Cup - expert

World Cup fans should wear ear plugs to protect them from the blaring vuvuzela trumpets beloved by South African spectators, a hearing expert said.

Professor De Wet Swanepoel of the University of Pretoria and Dr James Hall from the University of Florida conducted a study into the vuvuzelas. Swanepoel said the levels of noise from the plastic trumpets was well above what is allowed in South African factories without ear protection.

He said the study of 11 spectators exposed to vuvuzelas at a 30,000-seat stadium showed a significant decrease in hearing.

"If you are exposed to these levels that we measured for 10, 15, 20 minutes continuously, you are exposing yourself to a definite risk in noise-induced hearing loss," Swanepoel said.

Celtic not for me, Roy Keane says

Roy Keane has said he is not in the running to take over as coach at Celtic despite being on the bookmakers' shortlist for the job.

The former Manchester United skipper, who is currently in charge of Ipswich, ended his playing career at Parkhead four years ago following a short spell in Glasgow. However, he scoffed at speculation he could take over from Tony Mowbray who was sacked last month.

"Be very surprised if you see me walking through the gates at Celtic Park - except if it's for the Old Firm game on Tuesday week because I might come up for that one," Keane said.

"Celtic are a bigger club than anyone will ever understand unless they have been involved there."

Ferguson rejects retirement reports

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has dismissed reports he will confirm his retirement at the end of next season.

"It is rubbish," Ferguson told reporters.

"There is no truth in it. I have no intention of retiring and if I did the people I would tell are (chief executive) David Gill and the Glazer family (United's owners)."

The veteran boss, who turns 69 at the end of this year, has been in charge at Old Trafford since 1986.

But the Scot appears to be relishing the job as much as he ever did and is in no mood to give way to the likes of Inter manager Jose Mourinho, as has been reported.

"There is pressure in life. I can deal with it," added Ferguson.

"The only thing that determines whether I stay here is my health. And I am in rude health."

Bordeaux's Gourcuff hits out at media

Girondins Bordeaux playmaker Yoann Gourcuff believes the media are responsible for his team's freefall from first to sixth in the standings ahead of their trip to Lorient today but coach Laurent Blanc has a different opinion.

"We lost our enthusiasm because of you (the media), you have been on our backs, trying to find little problems to unsettle Bordeaux," the France midfielder told reporters.

However, Blanc said: "The media pressure is part of the game. It's how it works in every big club. Yo is a young player. With experience, he's going to learn."

Bordeaux, who have one game in hand, are two points behind third-placed Olympique Lyon, the team occupying the last Champions League qualifying spot.

Robben rocket brings Okada down

Japan coach Takeshi Okada was left in awe after watching Arjen Robben's Champions League exploits in midweek and admits World Cup opponents Netherlands represent the toughest of tests for his side.

Robben's superb winner in Bayern Munich's 1-0 win over Lyon gave the watching Japan coach a reality check before this year's World Cup.

"Robben is a really amazing player," Okada said.

"I don't know how you stop him. He can come up with incredible goals like that."

Okada's side were easily beaten 3-0 by the Dutch in a friendly last September.