Football news

Frank Lampard believes that the English Premier League is stronger than ever.

"Some people have said the league has gone downhill but I don't think it has," Lampard said before Chelsea's final league match against Wigan Athletic yesterday.

"The league has improved because the teams in the middle of the table and down the bottom have been fighting even harder and are more organised.

"It has proved more difficult for the bigger teams to win regularly.

"You are fighting against big teams in Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and others and there are times you have to stay strong. In the moments when we were down this season we have stayed strong."

Hannover dedicate win to Enke

Hannover dedicated their 3-0 win over Bochum on Saturday, which kept them in the Bundesliga, to their late goalkeeper Robert Enke.

The Hannover players rem-embered Enke, who committed suicide last November after battling with depression, by holding up a banner which read 'Robert Enke: RIP' at the end of Saturday's match.

"We have won for one man who is in heaven, and he is Robert Enke," said his successor in the Hannover goal, Florian Fromlowitz.

Fromlowitz broke down in tears at the final whistle, while the rest of the team struggled to fight them back as they celebrated in front of their own fans, who responded by calling Enke's name.

Rangers pull out of Boston game

Scottish champions Rangers have scrapped plans for a proposed friendly with Celtic in Boston this summer following a newspaper report on the behaviour of their fans.

The Ibrox side had planned to tour the United States in late July with games in Washington and Dallas before a money-spinning match against Celtic. But a Boston newspaper upset Rangers officials when it criticised the behaviour of the club's fans away from Scotland.

Rangers chief executive Martin Bain said: "In recent weeks the club has been discussing the possibility of a US tour and an Old Firm game in Boston."However, after all the facts have been considered we have decided not to pursue that."

'No orange tide' for World Cup

World Cup ticket sales in the Netherlands are sluggish, the ANP news agency reported yesterday, despite the national side being touted as possible winners.

The Dutch Football Federation to date has sold just 2,500 tickets for each of the three group games although it has been allocated between 6,500 and 9,000 places.

"There is no orange tide for this World Cup," said leading travel agent Julius ter Haar.

He said that a combination of factors were putting fans off including high prices for tickets, flight and hotels as well as perceptions of poor security in South Africa.

Kuranyi to sign Dynamo Moscow

Schalke's German striker Kevin Kuranyi said yesterday he was leaving the Bundesliga outfit for a reported three-year deal with Russia's Dynamo Moscow that would see him more than double his salary.

Kuranyi, one of the Bundesliga's top scorers this season with 18 goals, confirmed numerous media reports that he was heading to the Russian side.

"After carefully weighing all the arguments and following several discussions, I have decided to transfer to Russia with Dynamo Moscow," Kuranyi said in a "letter to fans" posted on his internet site.

"There is of course a financial aspect," he added, with reports saying he could expect to earn in the region of six million euros per year, more than double his current wage packet.

Forlan to play in King's Cup final

Uruguay will allow Diego Forlan to play in the King's Cup final on May 19 despite the game falling after the deadline for players to be made available for the World Cup.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has confirmed that he would not ask his star striker to skip the match between his club Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.

"I can't authorise a player to play on that date, as it's stipulated that he's not allowed to do so, but I can't intervene and tell him, 'Don't play,' either, as the player is in the most difficult position," Tabarez said.

FIFA have reaffirmed a rule announced last year that obliges clubs to release players who have been selected to play in the June 11-July 11 World Cup on May 16.

Ibra's Juve link normal says agent

Talk of Barcelona forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning to Juventus is "normal," his agent Mino Raiola has said.

Ibrahimovic's possible return to Juventus has been given a lot of prominence by Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport over the past few days.

"It is only normal that the new president of Juventus will think of a top signing to relaunch the club," Raiola was quoted as saying.

"Zlatan is one of the best players in the world. In my view, nothing is impossible in life. In fact, I love to transform the impossible into reality. I have managed that a few times already in the past."