Football news

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini believes Owen Hargreaves can play a key role in his side’s challenge for silverware after the injury-plagued midfielder marked his debut with a fine goal in the 2-0 League Cup third round win over Birmingham.

“It was good for him,” Mancini said.

“Owen is a fantastic player, who can become a very important player for us. He hasn’t had any problems in the last three weeks. At the moment his knee is fine.

“We said before the match we would give him between 45 and 60 minutes. As it turned out, he was okay for 60.”

English protege banned for racism

Austrian first division club Wiener Neustadt announced yesterday they have suspended a gifted young footballer from their team for racism.

English-born Nikon ‘El Maestro’, whose parents are from Serbia, was suspended for using Youtube to post racist songs and texts written by the 18-year-old himself.

Hailed as a protege, the player began his career with Austria Vienna’s youth side before joining the youth teams at Spain’s Valencia and Schalke 04 in Germany.

He returned to Austria last year and joined Wiener Neustadt, who are eighth in the 10-team league, but has failed to live up to expectations and has yet to play a match.

Anelka could still stay at Chelsea

Nicolas Anelka insists he could still sign a new contract with Chelsea despite claims from Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas that the French striker wants to leave.

Villas-Boas suggested over the weekend that Anelka had indicated to him that he wished to leave the Premier League club when his contract expires at the end of the season.

“I am linked everywhere but, when you are linked, it doesn’t mean you want to leave,” Anelka told Chelsea’s website.

“I like Chelsea and first of all wanted to stay – that’s why I am still here. I will see what happens in December and, if I am still here, I will see what happens in June.”

Rangnick quits as Schalke coach

Schalke 04 coach Ralf Rangnick yesterday became the second German league coach this week to part company with his club after the 53-year-old cited fatigue syndrome as his reason to stand down.

After Hamburg sacked coach Michael Oenning on Monday, Rangnick has quit Schalke with immediate effect on his own terms after just six months in charge.

“After long and careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that I need a break,” Rangnick said on Schalke’s web page.

“I found it incredibly hard to make a decision like this, but my current energy levels are not high enough to succeed and in particular to advance the team and the club.”

Reja received death threats – Lotito

Lazio president Claudio Lotito has revealed that coach Edy Reja offered to quit after receiving death threats from angry club supporters, blaming negative reporting by the media for the fans’ reaction.

“You journalists have got to report fairly and not always instigate, because by always focusing on the negative aspects, some people react in unbalanced ways,” Lotito told Sky Sport Italia.

“There are people who make death threats to Reja in the street, because not all supporters have the mental balance necessary to understand the way the media works.

“A good 65-year-old man cannot walk along the street with his wife and be met by people shouting ‘You have to leave’ with terrible insults. That’s not criticism. It is criminal.”

Real Madrid form worries Mourinho

Jose Mourinho conceded Real Madrid’s form was “worrisome” but insisted Wednesday’s goalless draw at Racing Santander offered more encouragement than the weekend loss at Levante.

Madrid have scored just once in their last three games, including the stalemate with Racing, and appear to have lost the attacking verve with which they started the season.

“It’s less worrisome to draw a match in which you’re the only side that tries to play and win,” he said.

“We’ve dropped five points in two away games and that is worrisome. We’ve scored one goal in our last three games and we must return to normality by scoring and winning on Saturday (tomorrow).”

Owen feeling the pressure

Michael Owen has admitted he gets as nervous ahead of his sporadic appearances for Manchester United as he used to do before the biggest games of his entire career.

“I have had some massive games in my career but I almost feel myself getting more nervous these days,” he said.

“I don’t fear my touch will go because I am doing a lot of training and putting in a lot of hard work.

“But even the best players in the world can have a bad game and that negative thought is definitely there in the back of your mind because you cannot put things right in three or four days’ time like most other players who play all the time.”