Football news

Hamburg have confirmed that Frank Arnesen will become their new director of sport from July. He will join from Chelsea in the summer after agreeing a three-year contract with the Bundesliga club.

Hamburg chairman Ernst-Otto Rieckhoff said: “Frank has not only the aptitude that is very meaningful to us for our future thanks to his experience, but in particular due to his focus on youth development.”

Arnesen fills a void in Hamburg which has never truly been occupied since Dietmar Beiersdorfer resigned 18 months ago. The 54-year-old joined Chelsea in 2005 after a stint with Tottenham.

Palermo boss unhappy with team

Palermo succumbed to a second successive defeat in Serie A on Saturday after a 0-1 upset to Bologna, leading club supremo Maurizio Zamparini to criticise the team and his coach Delio Rossi.

Rossi complained that Palermo did all they could with bans, injuries and a red card to Santiago Garcia on 60 minutes but Zamparini was unconvinced.

“Absentees are not an alibi, because there is no lack of alternatives up to the task,” Zamparini said.

“Our performance was poor. It was a deserved defeat. Yet again we conceded a goal at the 90th minute because of something stupid.”

Fans confront Bremen players

Werder Bremen players were confronted by around 250 fans upon arrival back at the Weser Stadion after Saturday’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at northern rivals Hamburg.

The fans prevented the team bus from entering the stadium and demanded, and received, a face-to-face confrontation with the coach and players.

“It is correct that the fans wanted this meeting,” said director of sport Klaus Allofs.

“You could clearly tell that they are concerned about the current situation at Werder.”

Coach Thomas Schaaf was spared any of the blame for Bremen’s slump as the fans demonstrated their support for the man who has been in charge for 12 years.

Jackett defends Millwall fans

Millwall manager Kenny Jackett defended his club’s supporters after Saturday’s Championship clash with Middlesbrough came close to being abandoned.

Referee Chris Sarginson asked Jackett and Boro counterpart Tony Mowbray whether the game should continue after missiles were thrown onto the pitch by the home fans.

But Jackett said after his side’s 3-2 defeat: “I didn’t think it would have been the right decision. We felt that things would settle down, which they did.

“From our fans’ points of view, there was some fantastic passion there and perhaps they felt aggrieved at one or two decisions which didn’t go their way.

“I’m not condoning it but I do like the passion and enthusiasm.”

Inter ‘have an edge’ over Bayern

Champions League holders Inter will go into their last 16 first leg against Germany’s Bayern Munich with the psychological edge, said the Italian side’s coach Leonardo.

Bayern suffered a 2-0 defeat to Inter in last year’s final, a result Leonardo believes will play on the Bavarians’ minds come Wednesday when the sides meet at San Siro.

“That will still be playing on their minds,” said Leonardo, who has revived Inter’s fortunes in Serie A since replacing Rafael Benitez in late December.

“It will still be fresh in the Bayern players’ memory that Inter ended years of Champions League frustration by winning it when they beat them. A lot of things have changed since then but the past will always be there.”

Hoeness rues missing Cisse

Wolfsburg’s managing director Dieter Hoeness has revealed that he had tried to sign the man who condemned his side to yet another defeat on Saturday, but was put off by the price.

Papiss Demba Cisse scored the winning goal as Freiburg beat the Wolves 2-1 to leave them on the brink of the drop zone in the Bundesliga, yet had Hoeness got his own way this winter that goal would have taken his side further up the table.

“Freiburg wanted €19m for Cisse,” he said.

“You cannot pay sums like that, especially as we want to disprove the general theory that money does not play a role here.”

Gignac unavailable against Man. United

Marseille beat Saint-Etienne 2-1 on Saturday, but suffered a damaging setback when in-form striker Andre-Pierre Gignac went off injured in the second half.

Gignac set up team-mate Lucho Gonzalez for the opener but then left the field with a groin injury and the club confirmed he will not be able to play against Manchester United in Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 first leg match.

“Gignac hurt his groin muscle,” Marseille sporting director, Jose Anigo, told OMtv.

“It’s not very serious but, barring a miracle, there’s not much chance of seeing him against Manchester.”

A statement on the Marseille website said Gignac would be out for around a fortnight.