Other soccer stories in brief
Trap meets trio
GIOVANNI Trapattoni last night described meetings held yesterday in Manchester with Steve Finnan, Andy O'Brien and Stephen Ireland as "very good" and expressed the hope they might pave the way for all three to make themselves available for international duty again, reports Emmet Malone.
"I had very good meetings with all three players," said the new Republic of Ire;and coach who had been accompanied by both of his assistants, Liam Brady and Marco Tardelli. "The discussions I have had with them have been very positive and I am confident there is a very good possibility that they will return to play for their country."
Next Tuesday Trapattoni names the travelling party of 28 for the training camp in the Algarve as well as the games against Serbia and Colombia on May 24th and 29th respectively and the trio's future should become a good deal clearer by then.
Carr to move on
NEWCASTLE manager Kevin Keegan has decided to release former Republic of Ireland international Stephen Carr at the end of the season.
Carr will join James Troisi and Peter Ramage in leaving St James' Park in the summer as Keegan begins to put his own imprint on the squad he inherited from Sam Allardyce earlier this season.
Carr arrived in 2004 from Tottenham having earned a reputation as one of the best full-backs in England and had previously been linked with Manchester United.
But a series of injuries hampered his progress and he must now find alternative employment in the summer after 107 matches in four seasons at Newcastle.
Plan approved
LIVERPOOL'S new stadium was approved yesterday - for the third time in five years. Liverpool have twice won permission from the city council but been forced to reapply after changes were deemed necessary to their new home.
Yesterday, planning councillors gave the go-ahead to the £350 million scheme - which will see a 60,000-seater built across Stanley Park, not far from Anfield.
Despite permission being granted, it is still unclear when work will begin on the club's new ground.
'Pep' poised
JOSEP "Pep" Guardiola is set to take over from Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona coach this summer, according to media reports in Spain.
Guardiola, the former Barca captain and current coach of the club's reserve team, has regularly been linked with the top job at the Nou Camp and it appears as though the wheels have been set in motion for him take charge.
Barcelona's delegate commission met on Monday evening where it was recommended the 37-year-old Guardiola replace Rijkaard, who has been under under increasing pressure with the Catalan giants going a second successive season without a major trophy. Meanwhile, Thierry Henry has declared that he will stay with Barcelona for at least one more season.
Nani apologises
MANCHESTER United winger Nani has begged for forgiveness after getting himself sent off against West Ham.
The Portuguese star headbutted West Ham captain Lucas Neill in Saturday's win at Old Trafford, earning himself a three-match ban.
He also faces internal disciplinary action, with manager Alex Ferguson vowing to "deal with" the player.
Nani said: " I regret having done what I did and I have to be thankful for the fact that my team-mates secured a win which was extremely important to us. I want to publicly ask for forgiveness."
