22 April 2005 Ferguson Shoots Down van Nistelrooy Rumours "The unfortunate part about this job is that you have to deny or refute something every week because we are big news. The idea that we would tout the best forward in Europe around is such rubbish it's hardly worth commenting on. The truth is we are not touting Ruud, we have not been touting Ruud and there is no chance of us touting him in the future." - Alex Ferguson Maxwell Out For 6-8 Months Ajax defender Maxwell will be out of action for upto eight months after tearing cruciate knee ligaments in a cup match against Willem II. Maxwell was expected to join Juventus in the summer. Barthez Banned for Six Months Marseille goalkeeper Fabien Barthez has been banned for six months, three of which are suspended, after spitting at referee Abdellah El Achiri during a friendly against Wydad Casablanca. 21 April 2005 Totti & Ibrahimovic Banned Roma captain Francesco Totti will miss five of the remaining six games of the season after being sent off on Wednesday for kicking Siena's Francesco Colonnese. TV evidence showed the Roma captain had struck Colonnese earlier in the match. Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was handed a two match ban for an off the ball incident with Ivan Cordoba in addition to a one match ban he received for a yellow card. Johannson To Stay On for Another Year 75 year old UEFA president Lennart Johannson will stay on for another year after receiving backing from all 52 federations. The UEFA Presidency elections will now be held in 2007. 20 April 2005 European Champions Still Waiting for Pay The players from Greece's Euro 2004 champions winning team have not received the €1 million in bonuses promised to them for winning the European Championships nor any pay over the last 10 months. The Greek FA received €18.5 million from UEFA and said most of the money has been distributed but have only received 75% in bonuses promised from the state. Woodgate Back Next Season A doctor claims 'Real Madrid' defender Jonathan Woodgate will be fit to return next season. After conducting tests in Finland Sakari Orava said : "Scientifically nothing can be 100% certain but Woodgate is close to returning. I believe Woodgate will be able to return next season. It will take some three months before he is ready to return to the top level but I believe that in two he could be training with his team-mates again. The condition of the muscle is good, you can see he has been working well at Real Madrid and has followed the correct recuperation programme." Woodgate, signed by Real Madrid last summer, has yet to play for the club following a serious of injuries. UEFA Pass Home Grown Proposals UEFA congress has passed plans to introduce a home grown player quote in UEFA competitions from the 2006-2007 season. By 2006-2007 in a 25 man squad clubs playing in the European Cup and UEFA Cup would have to include four players trained by the clubs academy or trained by other clubs from the same association. In the 2007-2008 season this number will rise to six and the following season to eight players. UEFA define a home grown player as a player aged between 15 and 21 who has been registered for a minimum of three seasons with that club. 19 April 2005 UEFA Announce Final Venues UEFA have revealed that the Stade de France will host the 2006 European Cup final and the 2007 final would be held in Athens  Olympic Stadium. Athens has hosted two previous European Cup finals in 1983 - when Hamburg shocked Juventus (1-0) and in 1994 when Milan thrashed Barcelona 4-0. The 2006 UEFA Cup final will be held at PSV's stadium and the following year at Hampden Park which hosted the 2002 European  Cup final. 18 April 2005 Valencia to sell Training Ground Valencia president Juan Soler has announced that the club plan to sell off their training ground in Paterna for €180 million and build another in a village called Ribarroja de Turia. Valencia are thought to be €120 million in debt : "With the debt that we have at the moment, the only solution is to carry out this project, because if we don't the only solution would be to declare the club bankrupt in the next general assembly. I am certain that it is going to provoke a great deal of jealousy in the world of football because, with our debts wiped out, we are going to be able to build a competitive team that can aspire to win everything. However, we are not going to spend €50 million signing David Beckham." Chelsea Deny Ferdinand Interest Chelsea have issued a statement denying interest in signing Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand after the defender met Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon in a London restaurant : "As far as Chelsea is concerned our position is completely unchanged. We have made it absolutely clear to Manchester United, on more than one occasion now, that we have no interest in signing Rio Ferdinand and, regardless of where this encounter took place, there is absolutely no significance in Peter Kenyon seeing Rio." 17 April 2005 Pele Backing Beckenbaur "Franz (Beckenbauer) achieves whatever he sets his mind to. I think he is the right man for the UEFA presidency. Platini wants the  job too but Franz has more ambition. He has achieved so much already, winning the World Cup as a player and manager." - Pele