SOCCER SHORTS:PORTUGAL winger Nani apologised to team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo for denying the Real Madrid star a memorable goal in their side's 4-0 friendly mauling of world champions Spain.
Captain Ronaldo looked to have put Portugal ahead with a superb effort in the first half, cleverly turning inside Gerard Pique before scooping his shot over Madrid club-mate Iker Casillas.
As the effort was dropping into the net Nani raced in from an offside position to head the ball in from on the goal line, leading to the goal being disallowed.
Manchester United winger Nani said: "I touched the ball because I thought I wasn't offside.
"After having time to think about it I apologised to Ronaldo. It was a great piece of play and I shouldn't have ruined it."
Pires given deal at Aston Villa
FORMER France midfielder Robert Pires has joined Aston Villa until the end of the season, the English Premier League club said yesterday.
The 37-year-old, who was a free agent, had been training with his former club Arsenal having been released by Spanish club Villarreal earlier in the year.
Pires won two Premier League titles during a six-year spell with Arsenal and has winners medals from France’s successes at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
English FA to go ahead with centre
BUILDING work on England’s much-delayed National Football Centre will begin in January, the Football Association said yesterday.
The €125 million project, which was first suggested in 2001, has been repeatedly put back because of doubts over funding. The site will be in Burton-upon-Trent.
The centre is due to be completed in mid 2012 after the FA board agreed to underwrite the project.
CHELSEAhave named Nigerian Michael Emenalo as their assistant manager, the club said yesterday.
The 45-year-old replaces Ray Wilkins as Carlo Ancelotti’s right-hand man. Wilkins left Stamford Bridge last week for undisclosed reasons.
Emenalo joined Chelsea in 2007 and has been working as the club’s Head Opposition Scout.
He represented Nigeria as a defender at the 1994.
McCarthy hits out at England coach
MICK McCarthy has hit out at the treatment of Wolves winger Matt Jarvis by England head coach Fabio Capello in not notifying him of his exclusion from the final squad named to face France.
McCarthy confirmed that Jarvis was told he was in the provisional list of names chosen by Capello for Wednesday’s clash at Wembley, but after the 24-year-old’s hopes had been raised, there was no phone call or text from Capello or any member of the England hierarchy when Jarvis was left out.
Former Republic of Ireland manager McCarthy said: “Of course the hopes (of Jarvis) had been built up. My point is that if you get notification that you might be called up, you might then get a call or text from someone to say ‘sorry, you’re not in’.
BUSINESSMANCraig Whyte said yesterday he was considering making an offer for Scottish Premier League champions Rangers but had not yet approached the club's board.
Schmeichel tells United new goalkeeper not good enough
MANCHESTER United have provisionally agreed a €4.1 million deal to replace Edwin van der Sar with a goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has flatly described as not good enough to play for the club.
Anders Lindegaard, the newly established Danish international, will move to Old Trafford in January but Schmeichel thinks Alex Ferguson is making a serious error bringing in the 26-year-old from the Norwegian club Aalesunds FK.
“I don’t believe it for a minute,” Schmeichel replied in an interview last week in which he championed Liverpool’s Jose Reina as the right man to take over from Van der Sar when the Dutchman retires.
Schmeichel, widely recognised as the greatest goalkeeper in United’s history, was asked whether his compatriot Lindegaard was of the sufficient quality to play for England’s biggest club.
“No,” he replied. “We are talking about Manchester United here.
“Too many goalkeepers have been through, in and out of the doors at Manchester United.”
Holloway sticks by his selection
BLACKPOOL manager Ian Holloway has challenged the English Premier League to prove the side he fielded at Aston Villa last week was under-strength.
The league have written to the club asking them to explain their selection for the Villa Park contest.
Holloway made 10 changes for the game eight days ago, which his side lost 3-2, and then changed the entire starting line-up for Saturday’s draw at West Ham.
Wolves were hit with a €30,000 suspended fine after being found guilty of failing to field their strongest team and Blackpool could be charged with the same offence.
Holloway is planning a robust argument as he selected only from the 25-man squad he named earlier this season. “I can explain every single decision I made,” said Holloway yesterday. “I would like them to try to prove to me how that is a weakened team.
“We picked a team to win and we lost 3-2 with the last kick of the game – I was absolutely devastated.”
