SOCCER NEWSLUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI will start life as Chelsea's new boss at home to FA Cup winners Portsmouth after the 2008-09 fixture list was released yesterday.
Manchester United, who pipped Chelsea to the title on the final day last season, begin their title defence at home to Newcastle United. Third-placed Arsenal are at home to newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion on the opening day while Liverpool travel to Roy Keane's Sunderland.
Scolari will get his chance to test himself against United manager Alex Ferguson when last season's Champions League finalists meet at Stamford Bridge on September 20th.
Hull City, who will be playing in the top flight for the first time, face Fulham at home, while Stoke City, back among the elite for the first time since 1985, travel to Bolton Wanderers. The season kicks off on August 16th.
Meanwhile in Scotland, Rangers fans have warned of a backlash after reacting furiously to the new Scottish Premier League fixtures.
Supporters were already fuming after claiming fixture congestion and the SPL's refusal to sanction a further extension to the season cost Rangers the title and a fair build-up to the Uefa Cup final last term.
This time around, three of their opening four games will be played away from home, including tough matches against Aberdeen and Celtic.
Rangers begin away to Falkirk on August 9th, followed by a home game against Hearts. They then face daunting trips to Pittodrie and Parkhead.
Sandwiched between those two clashes is a Champions League qualifier, which will determine whether Walter Smith's men join Celtic in the lucrative group stages.
"It's mystifying," Rangers Supporters Trust spokesman Stephen Smith said. "Fans will not be happy at all and if the Scottish football authorities are looking to provoke a backlash, they are going the right way about it."
Fifa said yesterday they would take no action against Real Madrid following Manchester United's complaint that the Spanish club had sought to tempt Cristiano Ronaldo from Old Trafford.
United formally complained to Fifa last week over a series of public statements made by Real apparently expressing interest in the Portuguese international.
"From the documentation received, no breach of contract appears to have occurred yet," Fifa said in a statement.
"Therefore, in accordance with the applicable practice, no kind of formal procedure has been opened by Fifa regarding this matter."
Porto will be allowed to compete in next season's Champions League despite an ongoing investigation into the alleged bribery of referees, Uefa said yesterday.
"They will be able to take part in the competition next season," said spokesman William Gaillard.
"Any sanctions brought against them (by Uefa) will apply from the following season," he added, after annulling the decision to exclude the club over alleged bribery of referees in Portugal in the 2003-04 season.
Bolton manager Gary Megson has signed Fabrice Muamba from Birmingham for £5 (6.3) million.
The 20-year-old midfielder becomes Megson's first signing of the summer after he agreed a four-year contract at the Reebok Stadium.
Megson said: "Fabrice is a tough-tackling central midfielder who has had a good grounding with the Arsenal youth set-up."
Muamba came up through the Arsenal youth system before initially joining Birmingham on a season-long loan deal at the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Muamba moved to Britain in 1994 and became a naturalised British citizen. He has played seven times for the England Under-21s.
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has highlighted the capture of Chelsea's Frank Lampard as his club's "number one" priority this summer.
Earlier in the month Moratti insisted new boss Jose Mourinho was yet to decide who he wanted the club to sign, but yesterday the Nerazzurri president told Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport: "Lampard? We like him, and he's our number one objective."
