31 OCTOBER 2001

Parma Sack Ulivieri

"From this moment in time Pietro Carmignani is in charge of the side. We've
reached an agreement with (Renzo) Ulivieri who from this point is no longer
the Coach of Parma Football Club." - Parma President Stefano Tanzi

Shevchenko Ready For Germany

Despite breaking his nose on Sunday against Bologna Andrei 'The Machine'
Shevchenko has said he will be ready to face Germany in Ukraine's World
Cup play-off match next week :

"I was in tremendous pain. I've never felt like that before in my entire life.
I don't think I'll be fit for the Torino match on Sunday but I'll be ready to
play for my country. And that is for sure."

Shevchenko Not For Sale

"I met the Real President Florentino Perez on a number of occasions last year
and three times he made me an enormous offer for Shevchenko and three
times I turned him down. Had I sold him our bank balance certainly would
have been at a very healthy amount. However I don't think that I would still
be employed by this club had I allowed the move to go through."
Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani 

Montella Out For Three Months

Roma striker Vicenzo Montella will miss the next three months of the season
after his knee injury was found to be more serious than first thought.

Baggio Out For A Month?

Roberto Baggio, currently joint top of the Serie A goalscoring charts alongside
Andrei Shevchenko, could be out for up to a month after spraining his knee
against Piacenza.

Owen Ready For Europe's Best

"We've wanted this for a few years now. We won the UEFA Cup last season
and really fancied this crack at the Champions League. You can all see how
well it's going. This is what we have wanted for a long time, what we have
been waiting for."

Yorke Hints At Leaving Old Trafford

"If you're a regular and well-established player and you're not playing or
you're not playing on a regular basis, then yes, you've got to look at the
alternatives. If you don't get a chance, what's the point in staying and
fighting, eating the right food and still not being given a chance?"
Dwight Yorke

Wenger Still Whinging

"I am going to take this right to the limits until FIFA make good sense
prevail. This trip to Australia (France's friendly against Australia) is sheer
heresy and nothing I have heard attempting to justify it has struck me as
valid. France has to understand that the clubs are sick and tired of all this."
Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger


30 OCTOBER 2001

Injury Problems For Milan

Captain Paolo Maldini is expected to be out of action for at least a month after
picking up a thigh strain against Bologna. Milan will also be without Iron Man
Andrei Shevchenko after he break his nose against Bologna. It's the remarkable
Ukrainian's first major injury in Serie A. He is expected to miss approximately
10 days and could also miss Ukraine's World Cup play-off tie against Germany.

Major Blow For Betis

High flying Real Betis will be without top scorer Gaston Casas after the
Argentinean striker had surgery on a fractured ankle. Casas is expected to be
out of action for 4 months.

Barry Not For Sale

"I feel he (Gareth Barry) has been badly advised to put in a transfer request.
I know there are predators around, but for the moment he's staying put. He
is not going anywhere." - Aston Villa chairman 'Deadly' Doug Ellis

Ravanelli Lets Rip

"Chelsea were supposed to hammer us yet at times, they played like a bunch of
amateurs. What were they playing at if they couldn't even beat a bunch of
so-called nobodies like us. The way they went about it makes you wonder
whether they actually want to win the Premiership."

"I was not happy that me and my team-mates were rubbished ahead of
Sunday's game. Zenden must have just come back off the moon if he has
not heard of me."

"Zenden? What's he done? I can't remember seeing anywhere that he had
scored the winner in a European Cup final, like I did for Juventus against
Ajax in 1996. He should look at the record books but he won't find himself
in it."

"Desailly put his hand in my face as I was going for a cross near the end.
There's a bit history between me and him. What he and Zenden said before
the game was out of order."

Ravanelli also criticised the team for deciding against travelling to Israel
for a UEFA Cup tie :

"They earn £45,000 a week yet they can't fly, can't travel and get tired".

Blanc Blames Forwards

Laurent Blanc is the latest Man United to offer an explanation as to the
teams problems this season :

"You know people talk plenty about our defensive problems but they
would talk about them less if we had managed to get something from
our chances up front. Those who consider me slow don't know me very
well because I have never been quick. Throughout my career I have
never come out too badly. I make up for it in other ways."

Presumably he is referring to ginger midget Paul Scholes, Andy 'couldn't
hit a cow's arse with a banjo' Cole and Ruud Van Nistelrooy all of whom
have missed several 100% chances this season.

Ferdinand Warns Rebrov

"I am going to keep my place for as long as I can. I am not going to say
to Sergei (Rebrov) 'here have your shirt back'. I understand his disappointment
and frustration at not playing but I'm certainly not going to let him back in
easily." - Tottenham Geriatric Les Ferdinand

Emerton Aims For The Premiership

"Although the league in Holland is good and I've learned a lot there I'm sure
the time will come to go to England. Obviously I'd like to go to one of the
big clubs in England but there's a lot of things to take into consideration -
where I have a chance of playing, where I'm going to be living."
Feyenoord midfielder Brett Emerton


25 OCTOBER 2001

Djalminha Hints At Leaving Super Depor

"I've been waiting for long and my patience is running thin. If I don't play
here I might as well leave and find another club. Let me insist I have the
utmost respect for my team-mates but I need regular first team football
and that is not happening now." - Djalminha

Cosmi Undre Pressure

Perugia President Luciano Gaucci has hinted that inspiration coach Serse Cosmi
may be given the sack unless the team climb out of the relegation zone :

"Should things not change then I'll be forced to intervene. Against Toro (Torino)
last week I saw errors that a Third Division side would make. Obviously we can't
continue like this." 

Cosmi has done a marvellous job with limited resources and has had to start
each season with an almost entirely new team.

Mendieta Blames Midfield For Lack Of Goals

"It's not just a problem with our strikers. If we are not scoring that many
goals then the midfield which I am part of must do more to create
chances." - Gaizka Mendieta

Champions League Quotes

"Coach Alberto Zaccheroni told us to win at all costs, but he didn't have to
say it as we were determined already. Now the trip to Nantes will be like a
Cup Final for us. If we do get through then it will be a miracle as after the
first three games no-one would have bet 50p (lira?) on us qualifying but
now we're convinced it can be done." - Simone Inzaghi

"I saw a brilliant game of football out there tonight played by two high
quality sides (Real Madrid V Roma) and although both teams played well
we were marginally the better side in terms of our tactics and our
technique." - Vicente del Bosque

"After we went ahead we didn't just defend but went in search of a second
goal. I think that after a poor start in the Serie A and in the Champions
League we are now progressing very well. Real did create problems for us
but we were able to withstand the pressure and that was a sign of a mature
side." - Fabio Capello

"I hope Gerard (Houllier) is watching. I want to tell him that we won a good
point here tonight but we should have had a win. We have to apologise for
that. The players were magnificent here tonight. They are just a point away
from the second phase and they deserve to be that close going into the final
game." - Phil Thompson

"We deserved to win but now we have to improve with respect to the
Liverpool game. Now we have to win in Liverpool. It won't be easy but
it can be done." - Matthias Sammer

"This qualification and the whole journey is down to my players. They did
something that few people expected of them. Nobody, not even me, not even
my players expected us to go so far and achieve so many good results but my
players are young, ambitious and very talented."  - Yannis Kyrastas


23 OCTOBER 2001

Batistuta Announces Retirement?

"It's all getting too much for me. I'm leaving the game after the Finals.
I'm not going to play anymore after next summer. Once the tournament
is over I'm quitting. I have to make so many sacrifices to play for my club
plus my country and it's taking its toll." - Gabriel Batistuta

Bayern Admit Deisler Signing

"I am certain Deisler will be a Bayern player next season. However, it's
impossible to know what might happen by Christmas because, from a legal point
of view, the contracts cannot be signed until January 1. We haven't paid £6.5
million but we have given him something which could be seen as a loan"
Bayern General Manager Uli Hoeness

Milan Derby Reaction

"Club president Silvio Berlusconi called me at the end of the game and he had
good words for all of us." - Fatih Terim

"The players knew the importance of the derby and a victory counts for a lot.
We got the most out of the wings but what we said to each other during the
break must remain a secret." - Fatih Terim

"Being a manager means being under the spotlight and discussed at all times.
The press wrote nasty things 48 hours before the derby but this is part of the
job. When you win everything is perfect but if you lose then everyone knows
better than the coach. If we draw at Bologna next week then I know that it will
all start up again. I know that in Italy every match is a new exam but winning all
the time is an attractive and impossible ideal. What can I do about it? I'll just
laugh it off." - Fatih Terim

"In fifteen minutes of craziness we lost the match. We lost our heads completely
and it proved fatal. We did not use even the slightest attention on their first goal
and conceded that equaliser through an incredible lapse of concentration. If you
watch that strike you'll see Manuel Rui Costa's cross come from practically the
centre circle. On the second goal Milan took a quick free kick and we all had
our backs to the ball. Another incredible mistake and that's when the game turned
around." - Hector Cuper

"I'm disappointed but I believe that the second half of the derby was a like a
blackout for us, now all we have to do is turn on the light. It was a double-face
match. The first half was very positive for us then Milan played better and
deserved to win. I must admit that their offensive potential is impressive."
Inter President Massimo Moratti

Lippi Plays Down Talks Of Crisis

"I haven't seen any of the big clubs play good football so far this season
(Milan?) besides, we are top of our Champions League group and with a
win on Tuesday would be qualified for the second round. In Serie A we
are in the leading pack so please, let's not make a drama out of it."
Marcelo Lippi

Mancini Regrets Decision To Stay On As Coach

"I received a lot of promises in July but nothing has changed since. If
I'd have known that things would have turned out like this I would have
quit then. I've not got a problem with the fact that I've not been paid in
months. That can continue until the end of the season. All I ask is for
some new players because at the moment I only have alternatives in
midfield. I'm not asking for world stars but players that could arrive here
for free. This club has the need to give me this at least." - Roberto Mancini

Strachan Back In The Premiership

Ginger Whinger Gordon Strachan is back in the Premiership as coach of
relegation threatened Southampton. Strachan replaces Stuart Gray who
was sacked following Saturday's defeat against West Ham.

Sammer - Lack of Commitment

"It seems our guys only really come out to play if they get a kick on the behind
before the game. Some serious soul-searching is required by everybody at
Dortmund, myself included, to figure out the reason for our lack of commitment.
We need to foster a winning mentality within this team." - Matthias Sammer

Figo - Time Is Running Out

"Time is running out. It means our margin of error becomes thinner and thinner,
week after week. It also puts us in an urgent need of away wins if we are to
challenge for the title this year". - Luis Figo

Robert Criticises Tactics

"Under the new system I found myself playing left-back more than an attacking
midfielder and it was very difficult. I had little opportunity to get forward and
Nolberto Solano was in the same position. We hardly had any opportunities to
get the ball into the box. In fact we did not see the ball all day. Spurs benefited
from the tactics straight away. The first goal illustrated that and then Poyet was
able to score the second under no pressure." Laurent Robert

Thompson - Fowler Not For Sale

Stand in coach Phil Thompson's response to newspaper claims linking Robbie
Fowler with a move to Leeds :

"I was disappointed to read all these stories. There is no substance whatsoever
in what was written, he is not for sale at any price. The question I have to ask is
why? Why write this now? Robbie has done great for us, he scored a hat-trick
and he is trying to focus on his game. Everyone can see he is going in the right
direction. Then you read these kind of stories and it's as though people
deliberately want to undermine what he has done. It doesn't seem to matter
how well he does, there are always people out there who want to come out with
something negative."


20 OCTOBER 2001

Van Basten Ready For Comeback!

"I think the time is right. I don't know what will happen but I really do want to
play football again. I feel as if I need to get back I've had no concrete offers but
after so long away from it I'm just dying to get back." - Marco Van Basten

Blanc Defends Defence

"It's not fair to take a swipe at just our defence. All of us need to improve. We
have an unbelievable amount of potential with champions like Veron,
Van Nistelrooy and Beckham but we need to get better. I came here to end my
career my winning something important. I hope to do so." - Laurent Blanc

Zac Blames Boban For The Sack

"Boban is the main reason why I left Milan. He didn't fit in with my tactics while
the president always wanted me to let him play from start. His career could
have been very different if he hadn't had so many injuries but he is a strange
player and was always prone to muscular injury." - Alberto Zaccheroni

Bergomi - Blanc Not Good Enough

"Everyone here was very surprised when United took Blanc from us. You can't
sell a player like Stam and expect to be able to replace him with Blanc. He is
now just not good enough to take over from Stam." - Giuseppe Bergomi


16 OCTOBER 2001

Liverpool Will Wait For Houllier

Liverpool have announced that they are not looking for a coach despite being
told that Gerard Houllier faces a long recovery following cardiac surgery on
Saturday. Houllier was taken to hospital at half time during Liverpool's 1-1
draw with Leeds after complaining of chest pains and some sources claims he
will not be able to return to coaching until next season.

Terim Under Pressure?

According to the press Milan coach Fatih Terim has been told by Vice President
Adriano Galliani and the clubs directors that if he fails to win the Milan derby
on Sunday he will be given the sack despite the fact that Milan are only 3 points
behind league leaders Inter. Milan have been looking for an excuse to get rid
of Terim and appoint former Milan hero Carlo Ancelotti as coach. Ancelotti was
released by Juventus at the end of last season after guiding the Turin giants
to 2nd in the table. Galliani denied the claims :

"Milan have full confidence in Terim. We didn't have to repeat this but in light of
some newspaper headlines these words became necessary. I didn't participate in
yesterday's reunion (directors meeting) because I had other things to attend to.
I must make it clear that reunions like yesterday's are normal routine for us and
in no way is management trying to impose decisions on Terim. Terim is free to
make his own choices."

Thuram Takes Part of the Blame

"We're lacking consistency. We need to try to play like we did in the first half
against Torino for the entire game. We need to make fewer errors as a team
but also as individuals. I for one made several yesterday and was the cause of
the penalty even if the foul was clearly outside of the box." - Lillian Thuram

Moggi Defends Zidane Sale

"It was our intention to keep hold of him. The transfer to Madrid came about
not because of our wish to release him but because he wanted to go and
play in Spain where there was less stress. We don't keep players in Turin against
their will." - Luciano Moggi, Juventus General Director 

Boban Retires

Former Milan legend Zvonimir Boban has announced his retirement from football
after failing to win a place at new club Celta Vigo :

"I thought long and hard before taking this decision. I've given a lot to the sport
and I'm leaving for good. After several years abroad I want to return to my
country, study history, and be with my family. I'm sad because I've hardly
played."

"I came to Vigo with the hope I was wanted by the coach, the club and the fans.
It all proved to be wrong."