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Showing posts from April, 2012

Ganso says Neymar is a genius and a prophet who sees the future

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Santos beat Sao Paulo 3-1 on Sunday thanks to a Neymar hat trick that gives the 20-year-old 100 goals for the club. As impressive as all that is, Santos midfielder Ganso claims that Neymar's true sorcery lies in his ability toaccuratelypredict the future. From Sambafoot : Ganso revealed though, that as well as being a genius on the football pitch, Neymar is also in the habit of predicting results. "He is a genius and a prophet," the Brazil midfielder started. "We were in camp and he told me 'it will be 3-1 to us, we will open-up 2-0, we will concede a goal and then we will suffer pressure before adding a final goal.' He is a genius." Either that, or Neymar's future self went back in time in a stolen DeLorean and gave his younger self the Grays SportsAlmanac, with which younger Neymar will amass a great fortune and eventually marry Marty McFly's mother. This will prove once and for all that the Back to the Future trilogy was based on actual future

Manchester City 1 Manchester United 0 - Stuart Mathieson's Premier League verdict

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Vincent Kompany heads in for Manchester City Manchester United surrendered their Barclays Premier League lead after suffering a painful defeat at Manchester City. Vincent Kompany scored a thumping header in first-half injury time to put the Blues ahead on goal difference with two games remaining. Tensions threatened to spill over after the break with managers Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson exchanging angry words on the touchline. Glimmer Theonly glimmer of good news for United is that they can get back to doing what they do best in the final two matches of the campaign. Against Swansea City and Sunderland the Reds must complete the run-in with adventure and hope Citys nerves take over again. Thescheme designed to quell Citys midfield menace can be ditched - and good riddance. If the champions are going to lose their trophy hopefully they will not surrender it with a whimper. Its win or bust from now on and nobody

Sir Alex Ferguson hits out at Roberto Mancini after Manchester United defeat

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Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini Sir Alex Ferguson accused Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini of "haranguing" the officials after watching Manchester United surrender the initiative with a damaging 1-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium. Vincent Kompany nodded home the winner in first-half stoppage time as City leapt to the Barclays Premier League summit on goal difference. But the game was more memorable for a touchline spat between Ferguson and Mancini in the second half, following Nigel de Jong's foul on Danny Welbeck. At one point, fourth official Mike Jones was stood between the pair, who were eventually pulled away by members of their backroom teams. "He refereed the game," said Ferguson. "He was out on that touchline the whole game haranguing the referee, the fourth official and the linesmen. "The minute I come off the bench for a bad tackle by De Jong on Welbeck, he was out again. "He can't have it bo

ESPN buys into the hype, prematurely names Man City Premier League Champions

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The lead-up to Monday's top of the table showdown between Man City and Man United was inflated by a number of erroneous and ridiculous claims of the match being a "title decider,"comparableto the Super Bowl and thatthe 650-million person global reach of the match's broadcast was actually the estimated viewership. But after all these shouts about a winner-take-all derby that would be watched by 78 trillion people, the match ended 1-0 to City , putting both clubs at 83 points with two matches left to play. Immediately after the match, the top story on ESPN.com's frontpage announced that "Manchester City claimed its first first [sic] EPL title since 1968, defeating Man U thanks to Vincent Kompany's goal..."Maybe they were a little overeager or just bought into too much of the overblown pre-match hype. Not to mention the fact that ittechnicallywasn't the "EPL" when Man City won in 1968. ESPN quickly changed the caption to read "Manches

Manchester City 1 Manchester United 0 - Stuart Mathieson's Premier League verdict

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Vincent Kompany heads in for Manchester City Manchester United surrendered their Barclays Premier League lead after suffering a painful defeat at Manchester City. Vincent Kompany scored a thumping header in first-half injury time to put the Blues ahead on goal difference with two games remaining. Tensions threatened to spill over after the break with managers Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson exchancing angry words on the touchline. Glimmer Theonly glimmer of good news for United is that they can get back to doing what they do best in the final two matches of the campaign. Against Swansea City and Sunderland the Reds must complete the run-in with adventure and hope Citys nerves take over again. Thescheme designed to quell Citys midfield menace can be ditched - and good riddance. If the champions are going to lose their trophy hopefully they will not surrender it with a whimper. Its win or bust from now on and nobody

MEN Sport live: Derby day special

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Follow all the latest onthehistoric 163rd Manchester derby, including text updates on the game itself,on our rolling blog below and have your say! United webchat Tweet

DTotD: Portland Timbers keeper Troy Perkins gets a face full of cleat

Montreal Impact put away two without reply when Western Conference underachievers Portland Timbers visited the Olympic Stadium on Saturday night. The most painful moment for the Timbers, however, came in the 63rd minute when Sanna Nyassi's cleat shared an intimate moment withgoalkeeper Troy Perkins' face. Perkins was unable to continue in the game, but thankfully he appeared to escape the incident with just a few cuts and a bruised ego. This has been the Dirty Tackle of the Day: a chronicling of unfortunate events.

Manchester City and Manchester United ready to do battle in derby of all derbies

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Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero (right) have scored more than 60 goals between them so far this season A record 650 million fans in 211 countries will tonight watch the Manchester derby the most significant game in the history of English club football. Boosted by Carlos Tevezs stunning U-turn in pledging to stay with the Blues revealed exclusively in todays M.E.N. Sport Roberto Mancinis men have the momentum going into the 163rd clash between the citys big two. But Sir Alex Ferguson has the experience of what it takes to succeed in a title run-in and United go into the match three points ahead at the top of the Premier League. It will be the biggest, richest game in the leagues 20-year history and one which will make the players legends or losers. Tonights pivotal match wont determine whether City end their 44-year wait for league glory or if United make it a record-busting 20 titles but it will go a long way towards determining who will be celebrating tit

Manchester derby - Comprehensive coverage

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Monday sees arguably the biggest Manchester derby of all time take place when United travel to City's Etihad Stadium for a potential title decider. Click on the links below for the MEN's comprehensive coverage of the game and build-up. :: Manchester United and Manchester City ready to do battle in derby of all derbies :: Roberto Mancini hails impact of Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez :: Manchester City v Manchester United: Premier League video preview :: Video: Roberto Mancini takes pressure of Manchester City in pre-match press conference :: Comment: Manchester derby sees a clash of philosophies :: Mega Manchester derbies here to stay, says United boss Sir Alex Ferguson :: Time is right for Manchester City win, says Micah Richards

Carles Puyol didnt appreciate Dani Alves and Thiagos dance

Barcelona recovered from their recent disappointments against Real Madrid and Chelsea to thump Rayo Vallecano 7-0 on Sunday. After scoring their fifth goal, Thiago joined Dani Alves in a rendition of the " Tchu Tcha Tcha " dance. As Rayo fans jeered at the choreography to celebrate being 5-0 up, Barca captain Carles Puyol ran in to break up the routine and scold the duo. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola and his soon-to-be replacement Tito Vilanova looked about as pleased as Puyol. Well, Pep did. Vilanova looked more like he just had his eyes closed so Jose Mourinho couldn't jam his fingers in there again. If that was the case, he is clearly a tactical genius who will destroy Real Madrid next season.

Samuel Etoo celebrates goal by borrowing a Russian policemans hat

Despite rumors that's he's unhappy in Russia (even with his record setting wages ) and looking for a move back to a more traditional European power, Samuel Eto'o has ended his goal drought with Anzhi and seems to be enjoying himself on the pitch again. Eto'o scored twice in Anzhi's 3-1 win over Lokomotiv Moscow on Saturday and after he embarrassed a couple of defenders in added time, he celebrated by running over to a group of policemen. Eto'o gave them a hug and swiped the hat off one cop's head. He then put it on his own head for a couple of seconds and gave it back before he could get tazed.

Lazio allow empty-net goal after fake final whistle

Down 1-0 to Udinese in the final minute of added time, Lazio brought goalkeeper Federico Marchetti forward on a last-chance corner kick. Though Marchetti swung his head at the ball, nothing came of the corner and he had to jog back to his own goal. Moments later, an Udinese clearance was followed by what sounded like the final whistle came from the crowd. Many of the player stopped, thinking the match was over, but Udinese's Roberto Pereyra didn't. Instead, Pereyra took a shot from outside of the box after Marchetti had abandoned his net and scored to put Udinese up 2-0. As Udinese celebrated, Lazio protested and shoved a couple of the officials. It took about five minutes for enough calm to be restored so the match could resume and the ref could blow the actual final whistle. After the match, Lazio refused to speak to the press , but Udinese midfielder Giampiero Pinzi gave his account (via Football Italia ): "I heard a whistle from the crowd. TheLazioplayers suddenly stop

Manchester derby - Comprehensive coverage

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Monday sees arguably the biggest Manchester derby of all time take place when United travel to City's Etihad Stadium for a potential title decider. Click on the links below for the MEN's comprehensive coverage of the game and build-up. :: Roberto Mancini hails impact of Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez :: Manchester City v Manchester United: Premier League video preview :: Video: Roberto Mancini takes pressure of Manchester City in pre-match press conference :: Comment: Manchester derby sees a clash of philosophies :: Mega Manchester derbies here to stay, says United boss Sir Alex Ferguson :: Time is right for Manchester City win, says Micah Richards :: Video: Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United press conference ::

Celtic fans had a Four Horsemen display at the Old Firm derby

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Celtic won the final Old Firm derby of the season 3-0 and before the match even began, things looked ominous for Rangers. With a large display featuring headstones, the phrase "Your day is coming" in a spooky font and a modified version of the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse, Celtic fans made it clear that they had no sympathy for their rival's crippling financial troubles, but they did have a bit of fun with them. The special Four Horsemen for Rangers are (from left to right): Celtic manager Neil Lennon, Inland Revenue mascot Hector the taxman , Death and tax-evading, banned for life Rangers owner Craig Whyte . All together, that foursome seems about right.

Manchester derby - Comprehensive coverage

Monday sees arguably the biggest Manchester derby of all time take place when United travel to City's Etihad Stadium for a potential title decider. Click on the links below for the MEN's comprehensive coverage of the game and build-up. Chris Bisson talks about he'll be spending derby night :: Roberto Mancini hails impact of Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez :: Manchester City v Manchester United: Premier League video preview :: Video: Roberto Mancini takes pressure of Manchester City in pre-match press conference :: Comment: Manchester derby sees a clash of philosophies :: Mega Manchester derbies here to stay, says United boss Sir Alex Ferguson :: Time is right for Manchester City win, says Micah Richards :: Video: Sir Alex F

Lyon had Quevillys captain lift the Coupe de France with them after winning

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Amateur side US Quevilly were the darlings of the Coupe de France this season, toppling Ligue 1 sides like Marseille and Rennes on their way to an improbably appearance in the final. On Saturday, Lyon (wearing their new 3D kit ) put an end to the fourth-division club's giant-killing ways by winning the final 1-0. But when it came time to lift the trophy, Lyon captain Cris called Quevilly captain Gregory Beaugrard up into the stands to raise it with him. Beaugrard looked a bit sheepish about lifting a trophy he didn't win with a team that wasn't his own, but Cris' intentions were to recognize Quevilly's impressive efforts, even if it did come off as an act of pity. This isn't the first time the Coupe de France has had such a gesture, though. When Nantes beat amateur club Calais in the 2000 final, Nantes captain Mickael Landreau did the same thing with Calais captain Reginald Becque.

West Brom fans show support for Alex McLeish to stay at Aston Villa

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As Aston Villa toil near the bottom of the table, the pressure to sack manager Alex McLeish -- a guy many Villa fans didn't want hired away from city rivals Birmingham in the first place -- has increased. But during Saturday's West Midlands derby against West Brom, McLeish got some support from the crowd in the form of a banner that read "McLeish please stay!" Of course, it was West Brom fans holding the banner and it was obvious their intentions weren't flattering, but McLeish's Villa held West Brom to a scoreless draw. So it's clear who won in the end. No one.

Manchester derby - Comprehensive coverage

Monday sees arguably the biggest Manchester derby of all time take place when United travel to City's Etihad Stadium for a potential title decider. Click on the links below for the MEN's comprehensive coverage of the game and build-up. :: Manchester City v Manchester United: Premier League video preview :: Video: Roberto Mancini takes pressure of Manchester City in pre-match press conference :: Comment: Manchester derby sees a clash of philosophies :: Mega Manchester derbies here to stay, says United boss Sir Alex Ferguson :: Time is right for Manchester City win, says Micah Richards :: Video: Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United press conference :: Interactive Manchester football map - find out where the Blue and Red strongholds are around the region :: MEN City reporter Stuart Brennan's Cit

Manchester derby - Key information

Monday sees arguably the biggest Manchester derby of all time take place when United travel to City's Etihad Stadium for a potential title decider. Click on the links below for the MEN's comprehensive coverage of the game and build-up. :: Comment: Manchester derby sees a clash of philosophies :: Mega Manchester derbies here to stay, says United boss Sir Alex Ferguson :: Time is right for Manchester City win, says Micah Richards :: Video: Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United press conference :: Interactive Manchester football map - find out where the Blue and Red strongholds are around the region :: MEN City reporter Stuart Brennan's City derby XI ! :: MEN United reporter Stuart Mathieson's United derby XI :: Roberto Mancini v Sir Alex Ferguson: Manchester derby head to heads

Sir Alex Ferguson: Manchester United have firepower to kill Manchester City's dream

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Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney have got the ammo to take out Manchester City in what Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson describes as a shootout on Monday night. The Reds and the Blues have provided a goalfest in the Premier League this campaign with the title battlers scoring 173 league goals City with 87 and United 86. Rooney is in contention for the Golden Boot, while his partnership with Welbeck has yielded 33 goals from 21 games theyve started together. Ex-Red skipper Gary Neville made the comparison between the 2012 pairing to the potent Treble-winning combination of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. The telepathic link-up between Rooney and Welbeck against Everton last Sunday revived memories of that celebrated duo. And Fergie says the goal threat against the Blues is going to be vital and praised Welbecks contribution. With Danny being fit again and playing consistently, hes developed better, sai

Artur Borucs Friday Rage List

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AAAAHHHHHHHH I AM ARTUR BORUC AND THIS IS A LIST OF THINGS THAT MADE ME ANGRY THIS WEEK: 1. MY HAIR -- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I TENSED ALL OF MY MUSCLES AT THE SAME TIME AND SHOT EVERY HAIR ON MY HEAD INTO THE SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEAL WITH THAT ALIENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEAL WITH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2. SEVILLA FANS' TENNIS BALL PROTEST -- PROTESTING A DELAYED KICKOFF BY DELAYING THE MATCH WITH TENNIS BALLS IS STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO MAKE A POINT YOU HAVE EVERYONE IN THE STADIUM BREAK WIND AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING BUT I'VE DREAMED OF THAT HAPPENING SINCE I WAS A MUTE CHILD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3. GENOA ULTRAS DEMANDING THE PLAYERS HAND OVER THEIR SHIRTS DURING A MATCH -- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS MADE ME SO ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOTE TO THE ULTRAS: IF YOU EVER TRY TO DO THIS TO MY TEAM I WILL EAT YOUR FLARES CONFISCATE ALL OF YOUR UGLY SHIRTS AND DONATE THEM TO A RESPECTABLE CHARITY ORGANIZATION!!!!!!!!!!!!

A glimpse of Pep Guardiolas upcoming time away from football

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Citing a need to "rest and move away," Pep Guardiola has announced his decision to step down as manager of Barcelona at the end of the season. These are just a few of the things he has to look forward to during his time away from football. -Canasta! -Text messages from Jose Mourinho at odd hours that always say the same thing: "miss u :(" -Realizing that getting Xavi to complete 472 passes in one match is easier than getting your kids to pass a toy store without crying and making you buy them something. -Realizing that Lionel Messi somehow still knows when you make those trips to the toy store and feels left out when you don't buy him something Lego. -Roman Abramovich trying to entice you to join Chelsea by dropping off increasingly massive yachts filled with gold doubloons and wigs made from the most luxurious llama fur gets old fast. Especially when the homeowners association complains that having ocean liners in the yard is in violation of several bylaws and

Leo Messi was too sad to attend Pep Guardiolas farewell press conference

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After four years, three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies, Pep Guardiola has decided to step down as Barcelona manager and take a break from the intensive atmosphere of leading "msque un club." Though Barcelona still have four league matches and the Copa del Rey final left to play, Guardiola announced his decision at a press conference on Friday (video below), which was attended by many of his frowny-faced players . But onenotable absence was Lionel Messi -- a player who won three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards under the guidance of Guardiola and a person who doesn't like to show his emotions in public. From the AFP : "I want to thank Pep with all my heart for everything he has given me in my professional career and personally," the 24-year-old Argentinian said on his Facebook page. "Because of the emotions I feel I preferred not to be present at Pep's press conference and to stay away from the press because I know they will look for

DTotD: Brazilian fans engage in an awkward yet vicious fight

There was a kick fight after Goias' 2-0 Copa do Brazil win over Atletico Mineiro, but instead of happening on the pitch between people who actually took part in the competition, it happened in the empty stands between mostly out of shape people. The two sets of fans went at it with nointerferencefrom police, which allowed them to launch vicious kick attacks against each other. With exception to a few ungraceful punches, it seems that in Brazil the rules against using your hands extend to fan brawls in the stands too. This has been the Dirty Tackle of the Day: a chronicling of unfortunate events. Video via 101gg

Roberto Mancini v Sir Alex Ferguson: Manchester derby head to heads

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini Manchester United travel to the Etihad stadium on Monday night to face Manchester City in what could turn out to be a title decider. Hereis alook at the past meetings between the two sides under Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson. Manchester City 2 Manchester United 1 (Carling Cup semi-final first leg, January 19, 2010) Roberto Mancini had been at the City helm for exactly a month when Manchester United visited Eastlands for Sir Alex Ferguson's first meeting with the Italian. However, it was former United frontman Carlos Tevez who made the headlines. Ryan Giggs gave United the lead on 17 minutes, but a controversial penalty decision by referee Mike Dean gave Tevez the chance to equalise just before the break. The Argentinian then headed in Vincent Kompany's cross from six yards, and celebrated a few feet from his former boss. Manchester United 3 Manchester C

The real deal: Former Red reckons David de Gea has come of age at Manchester United

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David de Gea and Joe Hart will be trying to scupper any hopes of goal celebrations on Monday Alex Stepney believes David de Gea has proved why Sir AlexFerguson wasprepared to make him the most expensive goalkeeper in British football. And after surviving a baptism of fire at Old Trafford, Stepney says the 18.9m Spaniard is a key reason why United are closing in on a record 20th title. De Gea was forced to get up to speed with the English game in double-quick time after enduring a nightmare start to life in the Premier League. High profile blunders in the first-half of the season saw him come under intense scrutiny and ultimately cost him his place when Ferguson dropped him following another mistake in the shock 3-2 defeat to Blackburn on New Years Eve. But the 21-year-old has responded impressively since then with outstanding displays as United have overtaken City at the top of the table to move within reach of the title. De Gea has pointed to a crucial late

Lyon will wear the first kit with a 3D design

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Someone at Adidas was desperate for an idea when an ad for Titanic 3D came on and so we have this: The world's first football shirt with a 3D design. Lyon will be the club wearing it, but only people wearing 3D glasses will see the full effect of the shirt's design. This is either an elaborate ploy to get Lyon's opponents to wear disorienting 3D glasses or a veryaccommodatinggesture to the one Lyon fan who wears 3D glasses and acolanderon his head everywhere he goes so Carla Bruni can't extract his thoughts. And if you don't have 3D glasses? Well, I doubt you'll be too upset that you can't see that little doodad across the front of their shirt pop out at you. Naturally, this will be Lyon's third kit for the 2012/13 season. But this season, Serie B side Reggina already beat them in the odd kit design category. Behold... Yes, for Reggina's derby match against Crotone earlier this month, they decided to wear a statue abs not unlike a T-shirt you might f

Liverpool allowing Fox to film documentary series to boost revenue

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Liverpool will be allowing unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to U.S.-based Fox Soccer Channel to film a six-part documentary series. "Our Liverpool: Never Walk Alone" will document the club's FA Cup final against Chelsea in May, as well as their preseason tour of North America in July. The finished product will air in the fall in the U.S., but it is being billed as a "global television event." Fox Soccer is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. -- the same parent company that publishes The Sun, which has been actively boycotted by people in Liverpool and fans of the club since the tabloid reported vicious accusations against Liverpool supporters involved in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. The decision to do the series was the idea of the club's newest American owners, who hope it will help boost Liverpool's already considerable popularity abroad, which will then increase revenue they can spend on bringing in high-priced talents like Andy Carr

Jose Mourinho went to Bayerns dressing room to offer his congratulations after defeat

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After dropping to his knees when Bastian Schweinsteiger won the penalty shootout to send Bayern Munich to the Champions League final, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho made a quick exit down the tunnel. Though Mourinho shook hands and shared a chuckle with Bayern manager Jupp Heynckes just before the dreaded shootout began, to some viewers it appeared Mourinho was throwing one of his tantrums in defeat. But when Heynckes spoke to the press later on, he made a point to highlight the private gesture Mourinho made to his adversaries. From the AP : Heynckes said Madrid coachJose Mourinho "came to the dressing room to congratulate my players and coaching staff after the game. It was very noble." And then he dressed up as Borussia Dortmund's bee mascot and urinated on their bus . It was very noble.

Napolis Morgan De Sanctis apologizes to ball boy with a kiss and a shirt

During the first half of Napoli's 2-0 win at Lecce, goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis yelled at a ball boy for throwing the ball back into play too quickly for his delicate taste. At halftime, De Sanctis realized that he went overboard in his reaction to the kid and tried to make it up to him by giving him a kiss and the shirt off his back. Unlike the Chievo ball boy who refused Sulley Muntari's shirt a couple weeks ago because of club policy, the Lecce ball boy accepted it just as his larger coworker reached out for De Sanctis as he walked away. So one ball boy received a nice gesture and the other an awkward missed connection. Video via 101gg

It's advantage Manchester United going into the derby, says Sir Alex Ferguson

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has heaped the pressure on the Blues ahead of Monday's derby by saying: "We are in a better position than Manchester City." The Reds hold a three point advantage at the top of the Premier League with just three games to play, and a draw at the Etihad Stadium would probably be enough to see United to a 20th league title. After the Blues had won at Wolves to reduce the gap to three points and ensured they will go top if they win, boss Roberto Mancini continued to insist United had won the title. Ferguson accepts there may have been an element of Mancini taking the pressure off his side. The Reds boss said: "Maybe he is trying to take pressure off his own players. But it doesn't matter. It is not going to affect our approach or attitude to the game. "We know the exact situation we are in here. "We are in a better position than Manches

Live at noon: Sports editor's derby webchat

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MEN Sport editor Peter Spencer Monday sees arguably the biggest derby in history when Manchester City host Manchester United in a title decider. MEN Sport editor Peter Spencer will be online at noon today to discuss all the big-matchissues. The webchat will take place within our rolling sports blog. Peter will be online from noon but feel free to submit your questions early by clicking on the box below. United webchat Tweet

DTotD: Neymar hit in the face with object thrown by Bolivar fans

Copa Libertadores holders Santos lost the first leg of their round of 16 tie against Bolivian club Bolivar 2-1 in an environment that was slightly hostile. After Bolivar retook the lead in the second half, the home fans took extreme measure to try and keep Santos at bay and hit Neymar in the face with a thrown object. Neymar was about to take a corner kick when he was hit and he immediately dropped to the ground, holding his mouth. He was then surrounded by riot police and their shields and after a bit of treatment, a few choice words and a little help from Ganso, he eventually did take the corner kick and played out the rest of the match. This has been the Dirty Tackle of the Day: a chronicling of unfortunate events.

DT Exclusive: Ask Kaka (post-Champions League semifinal edition)

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Real Madrid suffered adevastatingloss to Bayern Munich on penalties in the Champions League semifinal and though Kaka was one of the Madrid players with a key penalty miss, he isn't one to break a commitment. So after the match, he once again visited a local school to answer any questions the children had for him. The following is a transcript of that fictional event. Kaka: Hello, children! This has been a very difficult time for me, but I am smiling now because I know that being around all of you will make me feel much, much better. So, who has the first question? Ana: Hi, Kaka. My name is Ana and I'm 7. Are you sad now? Kaka: Failing to reach the Champions League final after being so close is very hard. And being part of the reason we failed is even harder, so yes Ana, I am sad. But we are still in first place in La Liga. I know we will be better next season and I still have my family and my faith and all of you. That makes me happy. Who has another question? Alex: Hi, K

John Terry wont be allowed to lift the Champions League trophy if Chelsea win

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If you don't like John Terry, then prepare to root for Chelsea in the Champions League final. The Chelsea captain was shown a straight red card after giving Alexis Sanchez a knee to the backside in the 37th minute of their Champions League semifinal second leg match against Barcelona. Though it pushed Chelsea towards certain doom, the rest of the team kept their focus and beat Barcelona to earn a place in the final. The exact length of Terry's UEFA ban has yet to be decided, but it will be at least one match and that one match will be the Champions League final. From the Guardian : Although Chelsea expect Terry to attend the game in Germany, he will not be permitted to sit on the bench and will have to watch from the stands, just as Paul Scholes and Roy Keane did with Manchester United in 1999 when the midfielders were serving one-match bans. The vice-captain, Frank Lampard, if available and selected, will lead out the team in Terry's absence in Germany and Uefa expects th

Dutch power company warns against beautiful Ukrainian women at Euro 12

Euro 12 is almost here and the Netherlands Energy Company is nervous. As Ukraine and Poland make their finalpreparations to host the tournament in June, the Dutch firm seems to think it is in danger of a lull in summer business as fans travel abroad to support the national team, so they've come up with an ad campaign to combat this. And the basis of this campaign is to convince Dutch women that their significant others will be seduced by Ukrainian ladies if they let them go to Euro 12. But if that doesn't work, free beer taps! From the AP : In the clip titled ''Keep Him Home,'' the Netherlands Energy Company offers a free beer tap to customers who sign up for its services. If Dutch men were able to tap their own beer, the ad implies, they would be more likely to watch the games at home instead of traveling to Ukraine. An Internet search of ''Ukrainian woman'' shown in the clip yields dozens of photos of women in erotic outfits and poses. [Ukraini