Soccer Digest: Middlesbrough, who knocked out Roma last Wednesday, will face Swiss league leaders Basle in the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup.
Bucharest rivals Steaua and Rapid have been drawn to meet. Schalke O4, the only former champions left in the Uefa Cup, will meet Levski Sofia in the last eight while Sevilla face Zenit St Petersburg.
Steaua reached the last eight by beating Real Betis 3-0 on aggregate. Rapid went through on the away goals rule after a 3-3 draw with Hamburg SV.
The first legs of the quarter-finals will be played on March 30th, the second legs on April 6th. The final is in Eindhoven on May 10th.
The draw was also made for the semi-finals on April 20th and 27th. The winners of the Rapid-Steaua tie will play Basle or Middlesbrough and the winners of the match between Levski and Schalke take on Sevilla or Zenit.
Fifa look to 2010
Fifa yesterday agreed with South Africa's plans to host the 2010 World Cup in 10 stadiums located in nine cities.
Two new stadiums will be built in Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium) and Nelspruit (Mbombela Stadium). Eight others in Rustenburg (Royal Bafokeng), Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium), Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld Stadium), Polokwane (Peter Mokaba Stadium), Cape Town (Greenpoint Stadium), Durban (King's Park Stadium) and Johannesburg (Soccer City and Ellis Park Stadiums) will be upgraded.
Coleman hits back
Fulham manager Chris Coleman hit out yesterday at suggestions he will be sacked next week. Fulham have just parted company with two of his supporters in the boardroom, Lee Hoos and Andy Ambler, but Coleman said this was insignificant.
"Unfortunately people are putting two and two together," said Coleman. "My name has been mentioned, and some of my staff's names have been mentioned, in getting the bullet." ... l Guardian service
Dismay for Dutch
Netherlands coach Marco van Basten has criticised Fifa's decision to stick to its May 15th deadline for the naming of the 23-man World Cup squads.
"This decision flies in the face of the wish of 32 national coaches," Van Basten said. "We thought it was in football's best interest if the deadline was moved. I'm very disappointed the decision is negative."
Glenn wants hand
Glenn Roeder yesterday dropped a heavy hint that Newcastle United should appoint a director of football to identify and recruit reliable talent.
Significantly, the caretaker manager's view is endorsed by Alan Shearer, Newcastle's captain, who is understood to have been appalled by the millions squandered on players who have flopped on Tyneside in recent years.
Roeder said: "I believe the manager's job of old, that is doing everything, can't be right for the modern game. There are too many facets to the job for a manager to do it all and there needs to be someone to try to help eliminate buying poor players."
"Alan Shearer has said to me that he finds it strange that people spend so much money signing players but don't employ someone to find out about their characters when they are investing so much in them. I agree with Alan completely." - Guardian Service
Backing for O'Brien
Bolton midfielder Joey O'Brien's performances this season deserve to be recognised with the young player of the year award, according to manager Sam Allardyce. The Dublin-born 20-year-old has played much of the campaign at right back and Allardyce has been impressed how well he has adapted.
"Joey has been the find of the Premiership," said Allardyce of the Irish international. "If anyone should win young player of the year it should be Joey. He won't but he should because he has played 26 or 27 matches in his first season in the Premiership at right back - which is not his position - and has produced magnificent performances."
In brief . . .
Liverpool's Premiership match at Blackburn has been put back to Sunday, April 16th, to avoid a clash with the annual Hillsborough Memorial service at Anfield
. . . Fifa president Sepp Blatter has said that new anti-racism punishments for players and clubs will come into immediate effect. . . League Two side Bury have signed Hartlepool's Dublin-born striker Jon Daly (23) on loan.
