lundi 21 février 2011

Marseille coach Deschamps revels in chance to show his worth

When Manchester United walk out into the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Wednesday, they will take on not only a vociferous crowd and a talented team, but also be pitting their wits against one of the most impressive young coaches in world football.

   Didier Deschamps, the France midfielder once derided as a "water carrier" by Frenchman Eric Cantona, is the man in the Marseille hot-seat and is already making a name for himself as a coach.

Mourinho desperate to win his third Champions League

Jose Mourinho has a burning ambition to fulfil this spring.

   The Real Madrid boss is desperate to become the first coach to win three Champions Leagues with three different teams.

   Mourinho rose to prominence in 2004 by guiding rank outsiders FC Porto to Champions glory. Last year he repeated that trick with Inter Milan.

PREVIEW: Lyon aiming to continue good record against Real Madrid

French giants Lyon are aiming to continue their good record against Real Madrid when the two old enemies meet again in the Stade de Gerland on Tuesday, in an intriguing Champions League round of 16 first leg clash.

   Remarkably, Lyon have not lost once to Real in their six clashes with the Spaniards since 2005. Indeed, they have beaten Real on all three occasions when the madridistas have visited Lyon, and have managed to come from behind to draw three times in Real's Estadio Bernabeu.

Ferguson delighted as Evra extends Manchester United contract

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson expressed his delight at Patrice Evra's decision to sign a new contract with the club on Monday.

   The 29-year-old France full back signed a new deal that will keep him at Old Trafford until the summer of 2014.

   "(Evra is) unquestionably one of the world's best left backs," Ferguson told United's website.

PREVIEW: Liverpool, Man City home in on Europa League progress


Premier League sides Liverpool and Manchester City will be among the Europa League favourites seeking to reach the last 16 this week.

Both City and Liverpool ground out goalless draws in last week's first-leg matches and will be out to complete aggregate victories on home turf.

City take on Aris Thessaloniki while Liverpool host Sparta Prague on Thursday among a number of evenly-poised second-leg encounters.

PREVIEW: Champions Inter and Bayern stage Euro final rerun

A chilly winter evening is forecast Wednesday at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium, where Bayern Munich hope to savour the first course of a cold revenge at Inter Milan.

   The Champions League draw pitted the 2010 finalists against each other in a mouthwatering two-leg tie of the round of 16, nine months after the Nerazzurri's European triumph.

   A good piece of news for the German champions is the absence of Argentine Diego Milito, whose brace in the Madrid final sank their hopes to clinch a fifth continental title.

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