Football news

Arsenal will unveil statues of legendary former coach Herbert Chapman, ex-skipper Tony Adams and former French wizard Thierry Henry to mark the club’s 125th anniversary this weekend, media reports said yesterday.

The club earmarked tomorrow for the official unveiling of the statues outside the Emirates Stadium.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Chapman, who led the club to their first league titles in 1931 and 1933 having previously also won two titles with Huddersfield, Adams, who captained Arsenal to five league titles and Henry, the club’s record goalscorer with 226, will all be honoured in stone.

Mancini slams Rummenigge

Roberto Mancini has hit back at Karl-Heinz Rummenigge after the Bayern Munich president again questioned Manchester City’s ability to meet UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

“I don’t understand Rummenigge’s behaviour against Manchester City,” Mancini said.

“For six months he talks against us every time for Financial Fair Play and he continues to say he hopes Napoli go through to the second stage. I don’t know what’s different with us.

“I think Manchester City are working for this FFP for the next two years.”

FBI probe WCup hacking claim

Investigators from the FBI have interviewed officials from England’s 2018 World Cup bid as part of a probe into possible computer hacking.

The FBI are understood to be looking into the possibility that the USA and England World Cup bids were the victims of attempts to hack into their email accounts.

The investigation centres on evidence pointing to attempts by Russia to hack into rivals bids’ computer systems, according to a source.

Initially Russia were rivals of both England and USA for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments before the USA decided to concentrate on the 2022 tournament.

Allegri upset

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri accused his side of letting their concentration slip as Viktoria Plzen hit back from 2-0 down to snatch a 2-2 draw in the Champions League.

“We were winning 2-0 we had three or four great chances to close out the game but we didn’t manage to do that and then we conceded twice,” he said.

“It went badly, we played well but there’s anger because this is the Champions League, we led 2-0 right to the end and we had chances to go 3-0 up.

“We let our concentration slip after we missed some chances up front. We conceded a goal from our own attack and then in a ruck at the end. We need to play with grit right to the end.”

Villas-Boas hits back at critics

Andre Villas-Boas slammed the snipers who have criticised his Chelsea reign after the Blues swept into the Champions League last 16 with a 3-0 win over Valencia on Tuesday.

“The players deserve respect they don’t get,” Villas-Boas said. “We have been continually chased by everybody and maybe today we gave everybody a slap in the face.

“It (the criticism) has been over the top. At the moment Manchester City is the only team in the country.

“Some of the criticism is out of this world. There was an ex-Manchester United defender who said he could not play for this Chelsea team. It is unbelievable to me. It is a continuous persecution of Chelsea.”

Chinese interest in Anelka

Shanghai Shenhua are confident of completing a move for Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka when the transfer window reopens.

The Chinese Super League club have offered former France forward Anelka a three-year contract, which includes a salary reportedly in excess of £6 million.

West Ham are also said to be interested in the 32-year-old, but Shanghai spokesperson Ma Yue believes agreement with Anelka’s representatives is close.

He told Shanghai Daily: “It will be a three-year contract and will involve both football and commercial co-operation.”

Pep’s thumbs-up

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola paid tribute to the youngsters who made a seamless transition into the first team as the Catalan side beat BATE Borisov 4-0 in the Champions League.

Goals from 19-year-old Sergi Roberto, 20-year-old Martin Montoya and two from Pedro, at 24 the third-oldest player in the starting line-up, earned them an emphatic victory.

After the match, Guardiola said: “A trainer asked (Marti) Riverola, who has been at the club since he was seven years old, if he was ready and he responded: ‘I have had a lifetime preparing for this moment’.

“Pinto, Maxwell, Fontas and Thiago, for what they gave, I have personally congratulated because I am very happy with them.”