MILAN (AP) - David Beckham's impressive play for AC Milan has been rewarded with him being included on the team's 25-man roster for the UEFA Cup, with coach Carlo Ancelotti calling the player "indispensable" to his team.

With Beckham set to return to the Los Angeles Galaxy when his loan period finishes on March 8, he will only be eligible for two games against Werder Bremen on Feb. 18 and Feb. 26.

"We have included Beckham in the UEFA Cup list because he is doing very well. We want to take advantage of his form for the two games against Werder Bremen," Ancelotti said.

"Beckham is becoming an indispensable player for this team and he has earned it through his talent," Ancelotti added.

Since joining Milan, Beckham has scored two goals and set up two of Milan's scores in their 3-0 win over Lazio on Sunday night.

He has started all five matches since his arrival.

The Blues have announced the news on their website and state that the Premier League have rubber-stamped the deal.

Inter Milan had earlier left Quaresma out of their updated Champions League squad, prompting reports he could be offered to Tottenham in exchange for midfielderJermaine Jenas. Yet he will be heading to a different London club.

The Portuguese winger made six appearances for Inter in the group stages of Europe's elite club competition but has failed to impress since joining the Italian champions in the summer from Porto.

"I am disappointed with him,'' said Inter coach Jose Mourinho. "He is a player that I wanted in Milan but unfortunately, he has not been able to overcome the criticism directed at him.

"Without confidence in oneself it becomes more difficult.''

Argentinian striker Hernan Crespo yet again failed to make the cut for Inter's squad, withZlatan Ibrahimovic, Julio Cruz and Adriano grabbing Inter's attacking places for the Champions League.

The Serie A leaders take on Manchester United in the first knock-out round on February 24.

Inter travel to Old Trafford for the return leg on March 11.

"The deal was signed for 3 1/2 years and the financial details will be disclosed tomorrow," Zenit spokesman Alexei Petrov said.

Arshavin helped Zenit win last season's UEFA Cup and has become Arsenal's biggest signing of the transfer window. While the clubs negotiated the deal, he flew to London to have medical checks.

Arshavin pushed for a transfer after an impressive European Championship last year, when he helped guide Russia into the semifinals.

Negotiations with Arsenal's north London rival, Tottenham, in the offseason broke down over the price tag.

The Gunners are fifth in the Premier League, 10 points behind leader Manchester United, and manager Arsene Wenger identified Arshavin as his main target to compensate for the losses of long-term injury absentees Cesc Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott.

Walcott, who was injured on international duty in November, is not expected to make his comeback from a dislocated shoulder until early next month.

"He has four weeks before he sees a specialist again and then he should get the green light," Wenger said Monday.

Fabregas said over the weekend that his recovery from knee ligament damage was ahead of schedule, but Wenger was less certain about the Spaniard's return.

"Fabregas, I believe, will be six to eight weeks before playing," Wenger said. "I can understand his optimism, and we hope (that he will be back quicker) but with a medial knee ligament you have to respect the time."

Rosicky, who has been sidelined for more than a year with a hamstring injury, will have to wait another eight weeks before returning.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=

ORLANDO, Fla. -- He was the first to dress as Superman to win a dunk contest.

He's now the first player to get 3 million votes from fans.

Howard

Yes, the All-Star game is fast becoming Dwight Howard's personal showcase.

The Orlando Magic center -- who leads the NBA in rebounds, blocked shots and double-doubles -- got a record 3,150,181 votes to lead this season's All-Star team, released Thursday.

The Feb. 15 game in Phoenix will mark the third All-Star trip for Howard, who'll be starting for the second time and easily topped the previous record of 2,558,278 votes collected by Houston's Yao Ming four years ago.

"Wow, what a blessing," said Howard, the 6-foot-11 center who dressed in full Superman regalia, cape and all, on the way to winning last year's slam dunk competition. "That is what I took it as, a blessing from God and then the fans. It's just a great honor and I was surprised, but like always I thank the fans for everything they have done for us."

The final results of fan balloting didn't exactly bring any major surprises.

Miami's Dwyane Wade (2,741,413) and Detroit's Allen Iverson (1,804,649) will be in the East's backcourt, alongside reigning All-Star MVP LeBron James of Cleveland (2,940,823) and Boston's Kevin Garnett (2,066,833), who beat New Jersey's Yi Jianlian for the starting nod by 253,004 votes.

"The All-Star game is always so meaningful to me because of the fans," said James, whose 24.3-point scoring average is the highest in All-Star game history for players with four or more appearances.

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers (2,805,397) was the West's top vote-getter, and will be joined at guard by New Orleans' Chris Paul (2,134,798). At center, Yao (2,532,958) will start for the sixth time, along with forwards Tim Duncan of San Antonio (2,578,168) and Amare Stoudemire of Phoenix (1,460,429).

"When I first heard I was leading in votes, I was shocked, to be honest with you," Howard said. "I really didn't expect anything considering you have guys like Kobe, LeBron and Dwyane."

All-Star Starting Lineups

Olympic teammates LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Dwayne Wade will lead the Eastern Conference against the West's Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul.

East

G Dwayne Wade, MIA

G Allen Iverson, DET

F Dwight Howard, ORL

F LeBron James, CLE

C Kevin Garnett, BOS

West

G Chris Paul, NO

G Kobe Bryant, LAL

F Tim Duncan, SA

F Amare Stoudemire, PHO

C Yao Ming, HOU

Howard entered Thursday averaging 20.2 points, 14.1 rebounds and 3.2 blocks for the Magic, who took the league's best overall record (33-8) into a home game against the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.

But on the national stage, Howard still might be best-known for his exploits in last year's All-Star dunk contest in New Orleans, with his cape sailing on one jam and capping his night by using teammate Jameer Nelson as a prop in another slam.

"That's his element there. He's an entertainer. He loves it," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I think sometimes people look at that kind of thing, where Dwight's out there having a good time, and they doubt the seriousness of a guy. That's not the case at all. He's very serious about winning and very serious about being a great player."

Van Gundy likened Howard's All-Star antics to what the NBA has come to see from another giant jokester -- Shaquille O'Neal.

"Like Shaq, Dwight is a great person who loves to make other people smile and laugh," Van Gundy said. "That's what really makes him go. He likes to have a good time and he likes to help other people have a good time. It's his nature. It's his character."

That all being said, O'Neal is reluctant to anoint Howard as the game's, well, next Shaq.

"He's a good player, but everything he's done I've invented, so I'm not impressed," O'Neal said. "For me to get my eyes wide open about another big man, he'll have to do something that I haven't seen before or something that I haven't invented. Everything that he's done, I've invented it."

For Garnett, it's his 12th All-Star selection -- second-most among active players behind O'Neal's 14 trips. O'Neal could see that total increase by one; he could easily be announced as a reserve when coaches' balloting to fill out the seven remaining spots on each roster are announced next week.

"It's like a good wave, man," Garnett said. "If you've surfed the boogie board, you know you ride it 'til it dies out. And I love boogie boarding. It's all about that good wave and holding on and holding on for dear life. And once it's over, you crash and you go out and try to find the next one."

Much like the East, the West voting was a bit predictable.

Stoudemire's spot turned out to be the most vulnerable; he nipped San Antonio's Bruce Bowen -- who isn't even starting for the Spurs right now -- in the starters' balloting by 68,031 votes.

Plenty of late voting helped shape the West starting five.

The league's next-to-last voting update, released on Jan. 22, showed Denver's Carmelo Anthony -- who's currently sidelined with an injured right hand -- ahead of Stoudemire by 10,431 votes, plus Houston's Tracy McGrady leading by a 157,063-vote margin over Paul.

Neither lead held up.

Paul wound up prevailing by nearly a half-million ballots, and Stoudemire took his appeals directly to voters.

Stoudemire launched an Internet campaign -- www.vote4Amare.com -- and Anthony said Thursday he probably would have given him the spot anyway.

"He's in Phoenix," Anthony, who finished fifth among West forwards behind the starters, Bowen and Houston's Ron Artest, told The Denver Post. "It's his All-Star game."

In all, five players (Howard, James, Bryant, Wade and Duncan) all topped Yao's previous record vote mark.

"It's always an unbelievable honor, because there's so many great players in this league and so many young guys coming in, when you get named a starter from the fans," Wade said.

The Portuguese winger made six appearances for Inter in the group stages of Europe's elite club competition but has failed to impress since joining the Italian champions in the summer from Porto.

"I am disappointed with him,'' said Inter coach Jose Mourinho. "He is a player that I wanted in Milan but unfortunately, he has not been able to overcome the criticism directed at him.

"Without confidence in oneself it becomes more difficult.''

Reports in Italy suggest Inter are currently pondering offloading Quaresma to Spurs in a transfer deadline day swap deal for England midfielder Jenas.

Argentinian striker Hernan Crespo has yet again failed to make the cut, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Julio Cruz and Adriano grabbing Inter's attacking places for the Champions League.

The Serie A leaders take on Manchester United in the first knock-out round on February 24.

Inter travel to Old Trafford for the return leg on March 11.

Manager David Moyes tried to sign the player in the summer from CSKA Moscow but was outmuscled by Manchester City's cash, with the Eastlands club securing the player for £19m.

But Jo has made little impact with City, scoring three times in 18 games, and will now join Everton on loan until the end of the season.

There is no agreement that will see the deal becoming a permanent one, with Everton unable to match the sort of money City would want back.

Jo cannot play on Wednesday in the FA Cup replay against Liverpool because his last appearance for City was in their cup exit to Nottingham Forest. Jo is expected to make his debut for the Toffees on Saturday against Bolton.

Santonio Holmes made a brilliant 6-yard catch deep in the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining Sunday to lift the Pittsburgh Steelers to a record-setting sixth Super Bowl win, 27-23 over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Steeler six
Sunday's win gave the Steelers a record-setting sixth Super Bowl win. A look back at their ultimate triumphs on football's big stage:
Super Bowl Opponent Score MVP
XLIII Cardinals 27-23 S. Holmes
XL Seahawks 21-10 H. Ward
XIV L.A. Rams 31-19 T. Bradshaw
XIII Cowboys 35-31 T. Bradshaw
X Cowboys 21-17 L. Swann
IX Vikings 16-6 F. Harris
The Steelers, who won their second Super Bowl in four seasons, led 20-7 in the fourth quarter, only to see Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner effect a remarkable rally to put Arizona ahead 23-20 with less than three minutes remaining.

Warner hit All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald in stride for a 64-yard touchdown with 2:37 left. Fitzgerald sped down the middle of the field, watching himself outrun the Steelers on the huge video screen.

But Fitzgerald could only watch from the sideline as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard drive to win the NFL title in what resembled another home field for Pittsburgh. With Steelers fans who made the trip to Florida twirling their signature gold towels in support of their beloved team, Pittsburgh's offense rescued the title.

"These guys just don't blink," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "They deliver.

"It's never going to be pretty or perfect, if you will, but they have a great deal of resolve."

Holmes was selected the game's MVP.

It was one of the most thrilling finishes to the NFL's title game, certainly equaling last year's upset win by the New York Giants that ended with Plaxico Burress' TD catch also with 35 seconds left.

Santonio Holmes needed to use some fancy footwork to catch the game-winning touchdown pass. (Matt Slocum / Associated Press)

"Great players step up in big-time games to make plays," Holmes said. "I kind of lost a little composure, you know, but I knew our defense would give us a chance to make it back."

The stunning swings in the game overshadowed James Harrison's record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown for the Steelers to end the first half. That looked like the signature play until the final quarter, when both teams shook off apparent knockout punches to produce major plays of their own.

Roethlisberger and Holmes struck the last blow, and when Warner fumbled in the final seconds, the Cardinals' dream of winning their first NFL crown since 1947 were gone.

"I said it's now or never, I told the guys all the film study you put in doesn't matter unless you do it now," Roethlisberger said. "I'm really proud of the way they responded."

The Cardinals, playing in their first Super Bowl and first championship game of any kind since 1948, lost their composure after Harrison's big play. They had three penalties to keep Pittsburgh's 79-yard drive going, a 16-play march that ended with Jeff Reed's 21-yard field goal for a 20-7 lead.

Fitzgerald, who already had set a postseason record for yards receiving and had five touchdowns in the playoffs, was all but invisible until an 87-yard, fourth-quarter drive he capped with a leaping 1-yard catch over Ike Taylor. He made four receptions on that series, on which Warner hit all eight passes for all the yards.

Then he struck swiftly for the 64-yarder that put Arizona within minutes of a remarkable victory, that was thwarted by the Steelers' resilience.

"I'm disappointed for our team," said Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh when the Steelers won the 2005 title. "This is a group of men that I'm very proud of. They played very hard in circumstances where nobody believed in them."

Pittsburgh looked like the offensive juggernaut to open the game, smoothly driving 71 yards in eight plays. But the 72nd yard that would have given the Steelers a touchdown never came.

It seemingly had when Roethlisberger's short run was ruled a TD. Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt challenged, and the score was overturned after video review, leaving Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin his first difficult decision.

He chose to have Reed kick an 18-yard field goal, the shortest in a Super Bowl since 1976.

After forcing a punt, the Steelers kept the ball the remainder of the first quarter - 11:28 in all, outgaining Arizona 140-13, getting seven first downs to one for the Cardinals. As Warner and the usually potent Cardinals' offense watched, frustrated, from the sideline, Pittsburgh plowed it in on Gary Russell's 1-yard run to make it 10-0.

When Arizona finally got the ball back, it suddenly put the Steelers off-balance with short passes - and one huge play.

Warner hit Anquan Boldin streaking from left to right. He was upended at the Pittsburgh 1-yard line, and Warner's lob to Ben Patrick got Arizona on the board. It was the tight end's first touchdown this season.

Arizona's defense then made a big play. Bryan Robinson tipped Roethlisberger's pass high into the air and Karlos Dansby corralled it at the Pittsburgh 34. The Cardinals got to the 1, then the Steelers' defense asserted itself magnificently.

Harrison, the defensive player of the year, stepped in front of Boldin at the goal line, picked off Warner's throw and began a journey down the right sideline to the longest play in Super Bowl history.

Harrison ran past or through most of the Cardinals, nearly stepped out of bounds at one point, and was dragged down by Fitzgerald as he fell to the goal line. The play was reviewed as several Cardinals knelt on one knee, exhausted from the chase and disheartened by the result.

"Those last couple of yards were probably tougher than anything I've done in my life, but probably more gratifying than anything I've done in football," Harrison said.

The previous longest play was Desmond Howard's 99-yard kickoff return for Green Bay in 1997.

Crawford, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, originally came in fourth in Beijing. Teammate Wallace Spearmon was third but was disqualified for running out of his lane.

American officials studied video of the race and then filed a protest against Martina for the same error. Martina and his Netherland Antilles team have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, arguing that the protest was filed too late under rules set by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

More here

"He's still not in form, but his contribution could be useful," Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "He has dynamism, tactical intelligence and skill. He plays for the team and is always involved."

Against Hamburg, Beckham played in a largely defensive role in midfield and provided a steady performance before being replaced by Mathieu Flamini.

Teammates commended him for his unselfishness.

"You could see that he wants to play and win with us," said Ronaldinho. "Simplicity is his best weapon, and with desire you can accomplish a great deal. Milan is not a team of galacticos, it's a team with a lot of great players that know how to sacrifice themselves."

Beckham said that the game against Roma would be "very emotional for me, whether I play or not."

With midfielder Gennaro Gattuso out for six months following knee surgery, Beckham may have to adapt to a more defensive role.

Milan is also still missing key defender Alessandro Nesta, who is in Miami for medical care on his aching back.

Milan has extended its stay in Dubai due to snowy weather throughout much of Italy. The club will fly directly to Rome on Friday to prepare for the match with the Giallorossi.

Roma captain Francesco Totti injured his right thigh in the club's last match before the three-week holiday break and is out for up to two months. Another Roma forward, Julio Baptista, left a friendly Wednesday with a bruised knee.

Mirko Vucinic scored twice in the 3-2 friendly win over Lanciano and will likely pair with Roma's new French forward Jeremy Menez, who was in top form before the break.

Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani has returned after a long injury layoff.

Roma is tied for 10th with Palermo with 23 points.

Three-time defending champion Inter Milan leads with 42 points, Juventus is next with 36 and Milan is third with 33.

Inter hosts Cagliari on Saturday and Juventus plays Siena on Sunday.

"There's a new game out: how to catch Inter," Inter midfielder Dejan Stankovic said. "That's good, it means we've become very important and a goal for the others."

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon played half of a friendly with Monaco on Tuesday, his first action following a three-month layoff due to a leg muscle injury, but was barely tested and is planning on sitting out once more against Siena.

Alexander Manninger is Buffon's replacement.

The weekend opens with Genoa vs. Torino on Saturday, and workers were still putting the finishing touches Thursday on a new layer of gra** at the Ferraris stadium. Officials were still to decide if the match could go on or not.

Sunday's other games are: Bologna vs. Chievo Verona; Fiorentina vs. Lecce; Napoli vs. Catania; Palermo vs. Atalanta; Reggina vs. Lazio; and Udinese vs. Sampdoria.

KAKA has given the green light to join Manchester City after the club increased their offer to a phenomenal £243million.

AC Milan last night confirmed they had received the mind-boggling bid which changes the face of world football.

KAKA ... at centre of mind-boggling bid

And we can reveal the Kaka camp gave their blessing for City to approach Milan SIX WEEKS ago when they first saw just how much was being offered.

Citys bid breaks down as follows:

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard told a court yesterday that he was not guilty of assault charges in connection with a nightclub brawl.

The 28-year-old England midfielder appeared at a brief hearing at Southport magistrates' court, saying he intends to plead not guilty when the case goes to trial.

Other defendants

Dressed in a dark blue suit, Gerrard arrived and left in a chauffeur-driven car without speaking to reporters.

He and two other defendants were released on bail and ordered to return to crown court on March 20.

Gerrard was arrested early December 29 after a disturbance at the Lounge Bar nightclub in Southport, near Liverpool. He was charged with assault and affray.

Arrested

The bar's 34-year-old disc jockey, Marcus McGee, was hospitalised after losing a tooth and cutting his forehead.

A total of eight men have been arrested in the case.

Gerrard had gone to the bar with friends to celebrate after Liverpool's 5-1 win over Newcastle.

After yesterday's court appearance, he went straight to Liverpool's training to prepare for tomorrow's FA Cup fourth round game against Everton.

Robinho, 25, who has allegedly given a routine DNA sample to police, was held and questioned after an undergraduate student claimed she was attacked in the early hours of the morning.

The pretty student, who attends a university in Yorkshire, alleged that she was assaulted by the player at Space nightclub in Leeds.

She made her complaint to police the following afternoon.

Robinho's spokesman, Chris Nathaniel, said: "Robinho has met the police, as prearranged, as part of a criminal investigation. He strenuously denies any allegations of wrong-doing or criminality and is happy to co-operate with the police if required further."

Detectives had hoped to question the player, whose real name is Robson de Souza, after Manchester City's training camp in Tenerife the week after the alleged attack.

But they were forced to wait after Robinho flew to Brazil citing "family reasons," thought to be his 25th birthday party.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has promised to fine him for leaving the training camp, although it is understood that the circumstances of his trip and whether it was sanctioned by the club are the subject of dispute.

On his return to the UK the player was questioned by detectives at a scheduled appointment and then released on bail.

Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz face a tough opening game in the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Finals in Trinidad and Tobago in March when they tackle traditionally strong United States of America (USA).

On the schedule that was announced on Thursday, Jamaica will tackle the USA on opening day March 6 in the second match of a Group A double-header at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago.

The Americans have qualified 11 times for FIFA's U20 World Championship including the last six.

Two-leg play-off

The match follows the series opener between El Salvador and either Honduras or St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

Honduras and SVG will face each other in a two-leg play-off for the last berth in the eight-team series that will decide the confederation's four qualifiers for the FIFA U20 World Championship.

Honduras finished third in Central American qualifying while SVG finished runners-up to Jamaica in the Caribbean zone.

On the second day of the series on March 7, Mexico will play Costa Rica and hosts Trinidad & Tobago meet Canada in Group B at Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya, Trinidad.

The USA, who travelled this week to Trinidad and Tobago for a one-week acclimatisation training camp, will play again on Sunday March 8 against Honduras/SVG while the Jamaicans meet El Salvador.

The last Group A matches on Tuesday, March 10 will see Jamaica facing Honduras/SVG and the USA meeting El Salvador.

Group B matches

The second set of Group B matches will be Canada against Mexico and T&T facing Costa Rica on March 9 and the first-round closes two days later when Costa Rica meet Canada and T&T tackle the Mexicans.

After the USA, Mexico are the second most successful of all CONCACAF nation, making it 10 times to the FIFA U20 Championship.

Jamaica had beaten SVG 2-0 to top the Caribbean zone.

El Salvador won the Central American tournament to earn their place in T&T while the USA, Canada and Mexico qualified for the final round automatically, along with hosts Trinidad & Tobago.

The top two in each group will advance to the semi-finals on March 13 with the final and third-place matches two days later.

The four semi-finalists will qualify for the FIFA U20 World Championship in Egypt from September 23 to October 16.

FAC: Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham

ZINEDINE ZIDANE: Juventus to Real Madrid £46m, 2001

LUIS FIGO: Barcelona to Real £38m, 2000

"Kaka is staying with Milan," Berlusconi told a TV show. "For Kaka, money isn't everything ... Kaka is and remains with Milan."

Shortly after Berlusconi's comments, City issued a statement confirming it had ended negotiations with the Italian club over the transfer.

"Following a meeting in Milan today, the club felt that it was unlikely that the two parties could reach common ground for an agreement," City said. "The discussions reached only a preliminary stage and the player was not involved at any time. No commercial terms were framed."

The news came following a full day of meetings between Milan, City and Kaka's father and chief adviser - Bosco Leite - to discuss a bid that was said to be 100 million pounds.

"There has been a lot of news, rumors and speculation over these last few days that put my father in a bad light. It's not like that," Kaka said. "I never argued with my father. My decisions are always made with my family. My wife was great, she helped me and always supported me in all my decisions.

"My family was great and not at any moment did they push me to go one way or another. At the end what counted was my history, where my ties are and where my heart really lies."

Upon hearing the news, fans holding vigil outside Kaka's downtown home celebrated as if the Brazilian had scored a goal. They began chanting and Kaka poked his head out a window and made a celebratory gesture himself, applauded, and threw a Milan jersey down toward the crowd.

Berlusconi added in a phone interview with the "Processo di Biscardi" show that he had tried to persuade the player to stay.

"It was my intervention but also his," Berlusconi said. "When I heard he preferred to stay, that he hadn't thought about losing a chance for a higher salary and that he put the values of the club, friendship and fans affection above all else, I said, 'Come on,' and we hugged.

"He has taken himself off the market with this decision to remain tied to the contract he has with Milan," Berlusconi added in another interview, with Sky Italia TV. "A contract signed on a piece of paper but from now on we can pretty much call it signed with sentiment, signed with the heart.

"Kaka is a great champion and a great man. He turned down the offers from Manchester and preferred Milan, his teammates and his fans. He said no because money isn't everything in life... Money is important but there are also other things that are more important. As a fan I'm very happy. Kaka turned down a ton of money and it's a decision worth admiring."

Earlier, a group of about 500 fans protested outside Milan's downtown offices, chanting "Don't sell Kaka." A few flares were lit, but no problems were reported.

Some fans then moved toward Kaka's home and chanted, "Stay with us, Ricardo," to which Kaka replied by approaching a window with a Milan jersey in hand and beat his hand three times on his heart, sending the fans into delirium, the ANSA news agency and Gazzetta dello Sport Web site reported.

"Heart has prevailed on the matter," Milan vice president Adriano Galliani told Milan Channel. "The fans should thank president Berlusconi again for his economic input ... It was a strong temptation, with such astronomical and world record figures."

There had been speculation that Kaka's camp will ask for a revision of his contract with Milan if he decided to stay, although he is already the highest paid player for the Rossoneri at 9 million (US$12 million) per season, and Milan does not appear inclined to accept such a request.

Milan's other Brazil stars earn much less - Ronaldinho 4 million (US$5.3 million) and Alexandre Pato 2 million (US$2.7 million) - and Milan fears that if it restructures Kaka's contract, other players will want to follow suit.

The 26-year-old Kaka is under contract with Milan through 2013.

 Ferguson feels frustration

At 4-1 up just before the hour mark, the Premier League and European champions should have cruised home.

Instead, they reached the final whistle severely rattled as Bernard Mendy and Geovanni breathed new life into the contest and forced Sir Alex Ferguson's men to cling on for maximum points, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting a double.

As they had already won at Newcastle, Tottenham and, more pertinently, Arsenal this season, Hull had every reason to travel across the M62 to Old Trafford for a league game for the first time since 1975 nursing at least hope.

They refused to buckle even after Ronaldo had given United a third minute lead, although the slack marking that allowed Ronaldo to exchange passes with Dimitar Berbatov before seeing his shot cannon in off Boaz Myhill's left-hand post would eventually return to haunt them.

With Geovanni floating around behind Cousin and Marlon King, the Tigers were not easy to contain.

Nemanja Vidic found it particularly difficult and was fortunate not to be booked, if not for the severity of his fouls, then the regularity with which they took place.

Midway through the half, the normally dependable Serb had a tug at King's shirt, presenting Andy Dawson with the opportunity to curl a dangerous free-kick into the heart of United's penalty area.

Cousin rose above a crowd of bodies, glanced his header beyond Edwin van der Sar and Hull's army of fans dared to dream.

Had Phil Brown's men held United for any length of time, they might have ended up with something, although their naive defending would always lead to trouble at this level.

As it was, just six minutes elapsed before Vidic and Wayne Rooney c****ined to set up a lightning counter-attack in which Berbatov took the ball on before feeding Michael Carrick to his left.

Just as Ronaldo was given too much space earlier, so the Hull defence backed off Carrick. The England midfielder reached the edge of the area before Paul McShane closed in. By then it was too late.

Carrick may have been making his first start for seven weeks but a bit of ring-rust was not going to stop him hitting the same post as Ronaldo had done, with exactly the same result.

Ferguson expressed his displeasure at Goodison Park last weekend and against West Ham on Wednesday at the lack of a cutting edge from his team, so they were not likely to ease up a third time.

Myhill beat away a Ronaldo effort, then Rooney had a goal correctly disallowed for a marginal offside decision before Nani drifted a corner to the near post two minutes before the interval which Ronaldo powered home.

Although the next goal would have brought Hull back into it, Brown knew damage limitation was the order of the day as the teams re-emerged.

For 15 minutes, United peppered the Hull goal, with Ronaldo and Berbatov going close. They scored once, when Vidic turned home Rooney's corner.

But Ferguson wanted more and introduced Carlos Tevez for Nani. It meant United had £90million-worth of attacking talent on the pitch, plus Ronaldo, whose goal tally had shot up to seven.

Amazingly though, Hull were the ones who scored as substitute Mendy outjumped Patrice Evra, then beat Van der Sar with a lob which had crossed the line before Vidic hooked it out.

Still Ferguson was not deterred and with Ryan Giggs on as well, United were playing fantasy football as Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov all threatened.

The commitment to attack left them vulnerable at the back and as Hull shared the same instinct, it was no surprise Mendy found himself in the United box once more. Ferdinand hauled him back. Geovanni converted the penalty and a capacity crowd were treated to a pulsating last eight minutes in which tempers became as short as the entertainment value had been long.

The Ivory Coast striker was axed by boss Luiz Felipe Scolari for Wednesday's FA Cup replay against Southend amid suggestions that his career with the Blues is effectively over.

He was not included in the squad for the game which Chelsea won 4-1, however assistant first-team coach Ray Wilkins insisted the player remains a ''valuable member'' of the set-up.

Drogba was made to train with the reserves yesterday, on the back of his poor performance in the 3-0 mauling by Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

But Chelsea will not consider selling Drogba until he starts to shine for them and there is little chance of him leaving during the current transfer window.

England midfielder Lampard now wants Drogba to use the snub as a catalyst to regain his place in Scolari's affections and stay at the club.

''It's the manager's prerogative to leave players out,'' said Lampard. ''Every manager I've played under, and I've played under some top managers, has the right to drop someone, put them on the bench, rest them, whatever.

''Didier is a very big personality and player at this club and he will take it in the right way, I'm sure.

''Hopefully he will remain a massive part of this club because he's definitely one of (the best), if not the best, strikers in the world. You always want those sort of people around.''

Drogba is the first victim of Scolari's get-tough policy but the Brazilian coach also unleashed a scathing assessment of his under-performing stars prior to their visit to Roots Hall.

Yet Lampard maintains that Scolari has every right to voice his opinion about their poor performances.

''Any time at any club there will be some players at the top of their game and some that aren't,'' said Lampard.

''The manager didn't pick on anyone individually. The manager was just explaining how it's been. We're not here to pick out certain individuals, we've all had our patches where we've not played at our best.

''It's important the team stays strong and against Southend we showed a good spirit and team ethic. This is what we need to show from now on. I don't think it's a problem - we're all men. When you're a professional at a team like Chelsea and play below par or make a mistake, you have to accept it yourself.

''If the manager criticises you, you have to understand that. There is not a problem with it at all.

''If you want to cry about the manager saying you're playing below par - you have to look at yourself first. That is what every player has to do and is doing. The response was fantastic and we need to carry on from that.''

The omens did not look too good for Scolari's own future when Southend took a surprise lead last night but goals from Michael Ballack, Salomon Kalou, Nicolas Anelka and Lampard destroyed the home side's dream of a cup shock and helped Chelsea restore their pride.

Suggestions of a rift between the players and Scolari were rejected by England left-back Ashley Cole, who said the team's fightback epitomised just how much the squad is prepared to battle for their boss.

''We fought for the manager and for each other because at the end of the day we are the ones who have been letting ourselves down,'' said Cole. ''I don't know if he [Scolari] is feeling the pressure, but a lot of people are trying to blame him, which is wrong.

''We go out every week and we are the ones letting down the fans and the manager. It's about us stepping up and against Southend we did.

''If we don't perform, people blame the manager, but it's down to us, we take full responsibility for results.''

Chelsea's victory, which set up a home fourth-round tie against Coca-Cola Championship side Ipswich, came at a cost as England midfielder Joe Cole limped out of the game with an injury to the back of his knee.

The club are unsure of the nature of the problem and are awaiting the results of a scan.

Aguero is one of the most sought-after players in Europe after impressing for club and country in the last year.

Atletico Madrid are determined to keep hold of the prolific striker with all of Europe's top clubs credited with an interest in his services.

Aguero, who is seeing Maradona's daughter, has insisted he is happy with life in the Spanish capital, but Maradona has given suitors of the striker encouragement by claiming the 20-year-old would consider a move to England.

"If Chelsea, City or Inter Milan come in with sufficient money then Atletico will take it - it is the law of football," Maradona told Marca.

"If they can pay the right money then they can take Kun (Aguero).

"I don't particularly want Kun to leave Atletico but I always try to tell the truth and all those clubs must know what will happen if they come up with the cash."

According to coach Carlo Ancelotti, Kaka still has a long-term future with the club.

"Kaka has played lots of decisive games for Milan and I think he will figure in a lot more," he said.

Kaka's team-mates also feel he will be sticking around, at least until the summer.

"I would be surprised if he left," said Seedorf.

"I don't think he has made up his mind yet, but it would surprise me if he left us in January."

Beckham has only just joined the Serie A club and admits he would like to get to know Kaka a bit better over the next two months before he returns to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"He's a great lad and it's great to play in the team with him," he said.

"He is one of the best players in the world and it is obvious that the best players are always the focus of speculation.

"But he loves Italy and he loves Milan.

I don't think he will leave."

Milan have reportedly agreed to let Kaka hear what City have to offer, but Beckham still expects Kaka to follow his heart.

Given the reception the Brazilian had on Saturday night, with 65,000 voices calling on him to stay and pleading with the club not to sell him, Beckham is not too worried about City's advances.

"I don't think anybody in the dressing room is thinking about how much money they can earn," said the England international.

"It's about playing with the best team with the best players in the world and winning trophies and it's not always about money.

"Riccardo doesn't need my advice.

He will decide what he wants to do, but he loves Milan."

ONE of the men at the heart of the biggest transfer in football history has been placed under armed guard.

AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani is overseeing negotiations with Manchester City for £100million-rated superstar Kaka.

But he has been forced to employ security after threats against him from the Italian club's fans.

Reports in Italy claim Milan's ultras have demanded free tickets and club memorabilia but Galliani has refused.

There are fears the supremo - who oversaw the deal that took David Beckham to Milan - could be attacked.

Some of the fans are already on trial for separate offences but it is not known if the latest threats are related to the Kaka transfer.

City have made it clear they are desperate to sign the Brazilian and have sent a delegation to Milan to try seal a deal.

As well as the huge fee involved, City are expected to offer Kaka £280,000 a week to lure him to Eastlands.

KAKA will move to Manchester City only if he is given a series of get-out clauses as part of a world-record £175million deal.

Despite the Brazilian star claiming yesterday that he wants to grow old at AC Milan, the mega-money swoop to take him to Eastlands is still very much alive.

DEMANDS ... Kaka wants to ensure City succeed

His father and main agent Bosco is flying in from Brazil to Italy to enter into the negotiations, with Milan ready to take the money on offer from City.

But first Kaka, 26, wants written guarantees in his contract that during his time at City:

DIDIER DROGBA has been dumped by Chelsea and Big Phil Scolari has sensationally admitted he does not care if he gets sacked as boss.

AXED ... Didier Drogba

The striker will be replaced by Nicolas Anelka at Roots Hall while Scolari further stunned Blues fans when he shrugged off the threat of losing his job.

He said: I dont care. If I lose my job, I have another job. Maybe tomorrow, maybe after one year or two. Ive worked for 25 years, so no problem.

It was revealed yesterday the Brazilian must win a major trophy this year or face the axe.

He has been dogged by poor results and dressing-room unrest over the past two months though it would cost Chelsea £10million to pay him off.

Scolari insisted he would be happy coaching anywhere.

He added: I like Chelsea. I like Cobham, where I live, I like the school my son is at, I like my job here, the people, even the Press.

Its not a problem for me. I like every day in London.

But if I go back to Brazil, I will like Brazil the same. When I was in Kuwait, I loved Kuwait.

I had three fantastic years in Saudi Arabia. I love life, finish. If I lose or not lose my job, I will be the same.

Drogba, 30, is desperate to leave and his old club Marseille want to sign him on loan.

The French club's owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus said: "I called Peter Kenyon to sound him out about Drogba.

"But they absolutely do not want to let him go."

Anelka will return after confronting Scolari about the fact he had been left out for the last three games even though he is the Premier Leagues top scorer with 14 goals.

Scolari said: I have looked at many games with Anelka and at the last few with Didier. I have my opinion and I will put my opinion on the pitch every game.

MANCHESTER CITY last night offered a sensational £175million in a bid to land AC Milan superstar Kaka.

Krazily Insane understands that City chief executive Garry Cook and deal broker Kia Joorabchian met Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani to make the world-record bid.

Milan would pocket £100m and Brazilian playmaker Kaka almost £75m for a five-year deal worth £15m a season or £280,000 per week.

According to a top Milan source, the Italians technical director Ariedo Braida was also at the meeting.

An informant at the negotiations said: The Manchester delegation were determined to make their offer but it was rejected.

But our owner Silvio Berlusconi is now concerned that the player himself may want this deal to happen.

Berlusconi said: I hope Kaka stays.

But Galliano told the City delegation: We would not consider selling Kaka for £100m it would have to be an obscene amount more.

The Italian giants have never sold ANY of their superstars but admit they have been taken aback by the jaw-dropping bid.

Milan have twice in the past rejected megabucks offers from Real Madrid.

But what only a few months ago seemed inconceivable still looks a possibility.

The 26-year-old Brazil star was the 2007 World Player of the Year.

He was again a candidate this year but Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned as his successor in Zurich on Monday.

The midfielder has been the cornerstone of Milans success in recent years.

If Citys offer is eventually successful it will eclipse the world record £46m transfer that took Zinedine Zidane from Juventus to Real Madrid in 2001.

Kaka currently earns £10.8m a year at Milan and is the second-highest paid player in Serie A behind £11m-a-year Zlatan Ibrahimovic,

City boss Mark Hughes would be thrilled to pair Kaka with his fellow Brazilian Robinho.

Hughes was already keen to strengthen his midfield before yesterdays news that Dietmar Hamann is out for three months.

The former Germany star, who suffered the injury in training, will travel to Switzerland to see a specialist for the exact diagnosis.

Hughes, already without long-term injury victims Michael Johnson and Martin Petrov, said: Didi kicked a ball in training and unfortunately it looks like he may have ruptured a tendon.

The best-case scenario is that it will be nine weeks, but it could be 12.

We are a bit light in midfield areas so we could have done without this.

"Beckham is ready to play even though he's been inactive for two months, but it's difficult to start him in the match against Roma," the ANSA news agency quoted Ancelotti as saying.

Ancelotti stressed that the former England captain, who is on a three-month loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy, was "ready to give an important contribution" to the Milan squad, and would be welcome to stay on after his loan expires.

Former Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas has speculated that the star may quit the MLS team after his loan and remain with Milan. Beckham spokesman Simon Oliveira has said Beckham was committed to returning to the Galaxy in March for the start of the MLS season.

Beckham made his debut for Milan in a friendly against German club Hamburg on Tuesday.

Chelsea suffered their worst Old Trafford defeat in 15 years as United eased to a thoroughly deserved success after Nemanja Vidic had broken the deadlock in first-half stoppage time.

Wayne Rooney added another just after the hour mark before Dimitar Berbatov completed victory for Sir Alex Ferguson's men near the end.

With Mourinho looking down from the stands in judgement on his old club, this would have been the perfect time for Scolari to start proving his doubters wrong.

The decision not to start with Nicolas Anelka, especially with Rio Ferdinand's back injury ruling him out, seemed strange.

But Chelsea seemed more incisive in midfield, even if their hosts had more possession.

Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack both had chances and a more natural offensive player than Ashley Cole would surely have profited from Deco's inspired pass instead of allowing it to bounce through to Edwin van der Sar.

In return a viciously curling Giggs free-kick caused Petr Cech a problem, more so than Berbatov's scuffed shot after being invited to shoot by Rooney.

But, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ballack also having penalty claims turned down, a hotly contested scrap was still waiting for its switch to be triggered as it entered the last couple of first-half minutes.

Ronaldo might have flicked it but he mis-hit a shot that bounced into Rooney. Then Darren Fletcher had a penalty appeal turned down when his effort struck John Terry on the arm.

Instead, United got the corner which will still be debated years from now.

Rooney seemed to know exactly what he was doing when he rolled the ball into, then out of the quadrant. Giggs ambled over, crossed and Ronaldo - expected to be crowned FIFA world player of the year in Zurich tomorrow - powered home a near-post header.

Referee Howard Webb said no. United reacted with fury at the perceived injustice of it all, surrounding the linesman who had made the decision. Chelsea were merely bemused.

Amazingly, Chelsea were still trying to take it in as Giggs swung over the re-take. This time Berbatov got there first, flicking the ball on towards the far post where Vidic arrived to power home.

A month ago, Vidic scored United's injury-time winner against Sunderland before getting sent off in the FIFA Club World Cup final win in Japan that might yet rule him out of the Champions League clashes with Mourinho's Inter Milan.

This was something different and prompted Scolari into a half-time reshuffle, with Anelka replacing Deco.

The move worked to the extent that Chelsea were able to enjoy more sustained spells with the ball.

However, the double negative for the visitors was that their finishing was poor and their need to attack played to United's strengths.

Nevertheless, Chelsea's goal should not have been under threat once Patrice Evra exchanged passes with Ronaldo but then skimmed Berbatov's head with the left-wing cross.

Cole seemed to be in control of the situation but Rooney had other ideas as he pushed his leg between the England full-back's and got enough power into a shot to divert it past a startled Cech.

And when Ronaldo picked out Berbatov with a low free-kick four minutes from time that gave the Bulgarian an easy finish, Scolari could probably feel Mourinho's eyes burning into him from above.

But this is a different team to the one Mourinho crafted. Some of the names may be the same but their power has waned.

Once the most feared Premier League striker, Didier Drogba hit one shot so wide he conceded a throw-in, another skidded off the side of his foot and missed the target by 20 yards.

None of this will worry United, of course. They are now a single point adrift of the Londoners with two matches in hand. And if they win the first of them, against Wigan on Wednesday, they will only trail Liverpool by two.

Under the Portuguese coach, Chelsea twice made it to the Champions League semi-finals, where they lost both times to Liverpool.

Last season, months after Mourinho left and with Avram Grant at the helm, the Londoners went a step further but saw their hopes ended with a penalty shootout defeat to Manchester United in the final.

The former Porto coach, who is now in charge at Inter Milan, is in no doubt that had he remained as Blues boss, Champions League glory would have been delivered.

"While I was at Chelsea we did everything but win the Champions League. We won all the other big, big trophies. There was the first league title for Chelsea in 50 years and the next year we were champions again," he told the News of the World.

"We won the first FA Cup at the new Wembley, beating Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United. And two Carling Cups.

"So we'd won absolutely everything apart from the Champions League. But people always want more - and at Chelsea that was the Champions League. I would have won it with Chelsea.

"My contract was until 2011, so I would have been there for seven years. It's enough time."

Philadelphia at NY Giants

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Fabregas will be out for four months

Updated: January 10, 2009, 7:45 PM ETBoldin will not play vs. PanthersComment Email Print By Mike Sando ESPN.comArchive

CHARLOTTE -- The Arizona Cardinals placed injured receiver Anquan Boldin on the inactive against the Carolina Panthers in their divisional playoff game.

Anquan Boldin

#81 WR
Arizona Cardinals

2008 STATS

• Rec89
• Yds1038
• TD11
• Avg11.7
• Long79
• YAC571

Boldin strained his left hamstring on a 71-yard touchdown pass play from Kurt Warner in the second quarter of last Saturday's 30-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Boldin's absence will likely affect the Cardinals' approach to this game. Also inactive for Arizona: cornerback Eric Green, linebacker Victor Hobson, tackle Elliot Vallejo, tackle Brandon Keith, defensive tackle Alan Branch and tight end Ben Patrick. Brian St. Pierre is the third quarterback. If he plays, Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart could not return.

That leaves Stephen Spach and Leonard Pope as the active tight ends. Pope hasn't played much this season. He previously struggled with false-start penalties on running plays.

Inactive for Carolina: receiver D.J. Hackett, safety Quinton Teal, linebacker Adam Seward, guard Mackenzy Bernadeau, receiver Kenneth Moore, defensive tackle Darwin Walker and defensive tackle J'Vonne Parker. Matt Moore is the third quarterbackET

Boldin will not play vs. Panthers

Comment Email Print

By Mike Sando
ESPN.com
Archive

CHARLOTTE -- The Arizona Cardinals placed injured receiver Anquan Boldin on the inactive against the Carolina Panthers in their divisional playoff game.

Anquan Boldin

#81 WR
Arizona Cardinals

2008 STATS

• Rec89
• Yds1038
• TD11
• Avg11.7
• Long79
• YAC571

Boldin's absence will likely affect the Cardinals' approach to this game. Also inactive for Arizona: cornerback Eric Green, linebacker Victor Hobson, tackle Elliot Vallejo, tackle Brandon Keith, defensive tackle Alan Branch and tight end Ben Patrick. Brian St. Pierre is the third quarterback. If he plays, Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart could not return.

That leaves Stephen Spach and Leonard Pope as the active tight ends. Pope hasn't played much this season. He previously struggled with false-start penalties on running plays.

Inactive for Carolina: receiver D.J. Hackett, safety Quinton Teal, linebacker Adam Seward, guard Mackenzy Bernadeau, receiver Kenneth Moore, defensive tackle Darwin Walker and defensive tackle J'Vonne Parker. Matt Moore is the third quarterback