Rangers edged close to the UEFA Cup quarter finals after a 2-0 win at home to Werder Bremen on Thursday.
Goals either side of half-time from Gabon international Daniel Cousin and Northern Ireland midfielder Steven Davis, assisted by horrendous errors from Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese, handed Rangers an important first leg lead.
It was a special night for Rangers captain Barry Ferguson who was setting a new Scottish record with his 77th appearance in European club competitions. And his side almost got off to a perfect start with only 60 seconds on the clock. Charlie Adam's first time shot from 20 yards looked to be heading towards the top corner until Wiese dived to his left to push the ball away. Although Werder Bremen were the visitors they were doing most of the pressing early on, without being able to test Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor. Adam's earlier shot clearly gave the midfielder a huge confidence boost and in the 13th minute he tried an audacious lob from the halfway line, after spotting Wiese off his line, but the ball flew harmlessly over.
The German side tested McGregor for the first time in the match in the 22nd minute. Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg let fly from 25 yards, but the Rangers keeper was equal to the task, acrobatically pushing the ball round the post.
In the 25th minute Adam came close for a third time. The Rangers midfielder's free-kick from the edge of the box took a deflection and bounced awkwardly in front of Wiese, who slapped the ball away.
Adam was clearly in the mood and in the 34th minute he took another free-kick, 30 yards from goal, which landed on the top of the net.
Despite these chances for Rangers it was Bremen who were controlling possession. McGregor was again called into action in the 44th minute, to save from Croatian Jurica Vranjes' header.
Keeper errorsBut in the 45th minute, from out of nowhere, Rangers took the lead. Cousin decided to try his luck from 35 yards but although his shot contained plenty of power it was straight at the Bremen goalkeeper. However, Wiese made an appalling blunder, pushing the ball up into the air and then failing to stop it dropping down behind him into the back of the net.
And at the start of the second half the Werder Bremen shot stopper was at fault again as Rangers doubled their advantage. Davis slid the ball into the path of Cousin but although he struck a decent shot from 16 yards Wiese should have been able to save comfortably instead of merely pushing it out in front of him.
The ball fell straight to Davis who slid in and poked it into the corner of the net and increase Rangers' lead in the 47th minute.
Bremen knew an away goal would put them right back in the tie and in the 75th minute Danish player Daniel Jensen tried his luck with a low drive which McGregor did well to save.
Rangers should have made sure of a quarter-final place in the 87th minute. Lee McCulloch, who had replaced Cousin in the 75th minute, knocked the ball under goalkeeper Wiese but with an empty goal at his mercy he hesitated, allowing Brazilian defender Naldo to make a tremendous last gasp tackle.
However, Rangers hung on to their two goal advantage to put themselves in the driving seat ahead of the second leg on Thursday, 13 March
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Arsenal's injured Croatian striker Eduardo Da Silva said Thursday that his recovery from the horror tackle which shattered his hopes of playing in UEFA EURO 2008 could take up to 15 months.
Eduardo suffered a compound fracture of the left leg following a tackle from Birmingham defender Martin Taylor at St. Andrews last month and originally expected to be out for at least nine months.
"Some doctors told me six months, others said I could play again in nine months but others say the recovery is going to take 15 months," the 25-year-old striker told the Jutarnji List newspaper.
Despite the injury, Eduardo said he had no intention of launching a legal case against Taylor. "Even if I wasn't sure that there had been no intention in the tackle, I'm not going to do it. It's difficult to prove," he said.
Eduardo suffered a compound fracture of the left leg following a tackle from Birmingham defender Martin Taylor at St. Andrews last month and originally expected to be out for at least nine months.
"Some doctors told me six months, others said I could play again in nine months but others say the recovery is going to take 15 months," the 25-year-old striker told the Jutarnji List newspaper.
Despite the injury, Eduardo said he had no intention of launching a legal case against Taylor. "Even if I wasn't sure that there had been no intention in the tackle, I'm not going to do it. It's difficult to prove," he said.
National technical director Gerard Houllier on Thursday urged rising French stars Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa to resist the lure of foreign clubs.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is known to be interested in Lyon pair Benzema, 20, and Ben Arfa, 21, while Real Madrid have been linked with 20-year-old Marseille playmaker Nasri.
But former Liverpool and Lyon boss Houllier believes the trio, who will play in UEFA EURO 2008 this summer, would be better served by staying at home.
"For those three players, it would be an error to leave for abroad now," Houllier told the sports daily L'Equipe.
"Nasri, Ben Arfa and Benzema are being selected in the best French teams. They are therefore in the best conditions to develop their game, progress and make that step up. They must stay and get more confidence into their game, assert their qualities and achieve things.
"And leaving Ligue 1 shouldn't just be a question of money. You must be professional in your approach to leaving. Going abroad must be motivated by the desire to assert your potential, your play."
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is known to be interested in Lyon pair Benzema, 20, and Ben Arfa, 21, while Real Madrid have been linked with 20-year-old Marseille playmaker Nasri.
But former Liverpool and Lyon boss Houllier believes the trio, who will play in UEFA EURO 2008 this summer, would be better served by staying at home.
"For those three players, it would be an error to leave for abroad now," Houllier told the sports daily L'Equipe.
"Nasri, Ben Arfa and Benzema are being selected in the best French teams. They are therefore in the best conditions to develop their game, progress and make that step up. They must stay and get more confidence into their game, assert their qualities and achieve things.
"And leaving Ligue 1 shouldn't just be a question of money. You must be professional in your approach to leaving. Going abroad must be motivated by the desire to assert your potential, your play."
Internazionale Milano Football Club, more commonly known as Inter, came into existence on 9 March 1908 in the back room of L'Orologiaio (The Clockmaker) restaurant in Milan. The impetus was provided by dissident members of the Milan Cricket and Football Club, who went on to become AC Milan.
The aim of these rebels was to open up the club to foreign talent at a time when AC Milan's regulations excluded all but Italian players - hence the name Internazionale. Even today, the club remain true to this original doctrine with more foreign players on their books (23 out of a professional playing staff of 45) than any other Italian club.
A century after the club's creation, Inter are ranked firmly among Europe's top clubs, with an impressive honours list of 15 Scudetti, five Italian Cups, three Italian Supercups, two European Cups, three UEFA Cups and two Intercontinental Cups.
What is more, the Nerazzurri are Italy's third most successful outfit in terms of silverware, bettered only by Juventus and fierce local rivals AC, as well the only side in the country never to have been relegated.
Due to a lack of financial resources, the club's early days were tough, so much so that the players even had to pay for their own shirts and boots. When the fascists came to power in Italy, the word "Internazionale" was deemed to be a reference to the international communist movement and, in 1932, Inter were forced to merge with the Unione Sportiva Milanese to become Ambrosiana-Inter until the fall of the regime. Ten years and two league titles later, Inter reverted to their old name.
Conveyor belt of talentTraditionally a key provider of talent for the national team, four of the players (Allemandi, Castellazzi, Demaria and Meazza) from the Azzurri side that triumphed at the 1934 FIFA World Cup™ in Italy were supplied by Inter, as were a further quartet (Ferrari, Ferraris II, Locatelli and Meazza again) for the FIFA World Cup victory in France four years later. The truly gifted Giuseppe Meazza, scorer of 283 goals in 408 official matches for Inter, stands out to this day as an exceptional striker and man. In 1979, a year after his death, the San Siro was renamed in his honour, with the agreement of the ground's co-occupants AC Milan, despite the strong rivalry between the two clubs.
The Moratti family has also left an indelible mark on Inter Milan. Under the chairmanship of Angelo Moratti (1955 to 1968) the Nerazzurri prevailed on pitches the world over, lifting three Scudetti, two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. His son Massimo, chairman since 18 February 1995, displays similar passion for the cause today.
The third name which will be forever associated with Inter is Helenio Herrera. While his playing career was unremarkable, Il Mago (The Magician) stockpiled an incredible haul of trophies as one of the world's most successful coaches.
Herrera casts his spell"HH" was heavily inspired by the pre-war defensive system known as the Swiss bolt, the central rivet of which he reinforced still further. Herrera, however, never accepted his reputation as the champion of the system's successor, Catenaccio. Instead he chose to emphasise the fact that he had been the first to develop dedicated right-wing play, thereby creating the "channel" concept so in vogue today.
It is difficult to isolate the different elements of Inter's classic side (Sarti, Burgnich, Facchetti, Bedin, Guarnieri, Picchi, Jair, Mazzola, Peiro, Luis Suarez, Corso), as they formed a unit of incredible solidity. That said, attention must be drawn to two players in particular.
Firstly, elegant wing-back Giacinto Facchetti, the control tower of the Inter defence who won 94 caps for Italy. He also had a spell as chairman of the club, before losing a long battle with illness in 2006. Secondly, attacking midfielder turned striker, Alessandro Mazzola, who bagged 157 goals in 561 games for Inter and 22 goals in 70 appearances for Italy between 1963 and 1974.
Between 1970 and 2005, despite investing colossal sums in the transfer market, Inter had to "make do" with just three more Scudetti, three UEFA Cups and the same number of Italian Cups, although many supporters still hankered for the halcyon days of Herrera.
And after much chopping and changing, in 2004 Massimo Moratti finally hit upon the ideal coach in the shape of Roberto Mancini. This former stylish striker made light of the tricky transformation from player to coach by guiding his gifted and cosmopolitan squad to the league and cup double in 2006, before sealing the Scudetto again in 2007.
With 18 wins, 7 draws and just one defeat so far this season ( editor's note: as at 7 March 2008), Inter are in the process of clinching their third consecutive and 16 th ever league title. With the Moratti-Mancini double act continuing to reinforce its place in club history, this particular centenarian is showing no signs of slowing down.
The aim of these rebels was to open up the club to foreign talent at a time when AC Milan's regulations excluded all but Italian players - hence the name Internazionale. Even today, the club remain true to this original doctrine with more foreign players on their books (23 out of a professional playing staff of 45) than any other Italian club.
A century after the club's creation, Inter are ranked firmly among Europe's top clubs, with an impressive honours list of 15 Scudetti, five Italian Cups, three Italian Supercups, two European Cups, three UEFA Cups and two Intercontinental Cups.
What is more, the Nerazzurri are Italy's third most successful outfit in terms of silverware, bettered only by Juventus and fierce local rivals AC, as well the only side in the country never to have been relegated.
Due to a lack of financial resources, the club's early days were tough, so much so that the players even had to pay for their own shirts and boots. When the fascists came to power in Italy, the word "Internazionale" was deemed to be a reference to the international communist movement and, in 1932, Inter were forced to merge with the Unione Sportiva Milanese to become Ambrosiana-Inter until the fall of the regime. Ten years and two league titles later, Inter reverted to their old name.
Conveyor belt of talentTraditionally a key provider of talent for the national team, four of the players (Allemandi, Castellazzi, Demaria and Meazza) from the Azzurri side that triumphed at the 1934 FIFA World Cup™ in Italy were supplied by Inter, as were a further quartet (Ferrari, Ferraris II, Locatelli and Meazza again) for the FIFA World Cup victory in France four years later. The truly gifted Giuseppe Meazza, scorer of 283 goals in 408 official matches for Inter, stands out to this day as an exceptional striker and man. In 1979, a year after his death, the San Siro was renamed in his honour, with the agreement of the ground's co-occupants AC Milan, despite the strong rivalry between the two clubs.
The Moratti family has also left an indelible mark on Inter Milan. Under the chairmanship of Angelo Moratti (1955 to 1968) the Nerazzurri prevailed on pitches the world over, lifting three Scudetti, two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. His son Massimo, chairman since 18 February 1995, displays similar passion for the cause today.
The third name which will be forever associated with Inter is Helenio Herrera. While his playing career was unremarkable, Il Mago (The Magician) stockpiled an incredible haul of trophies as one of the world's most successful coaches.
Herrera casts his spell"HH" was heavily inspired by the pre-war defensive system known as the Swiss bolt, the central rivet of which he reinforced still further. Herrera, however, never accepted his reputation as the champion of the system's successor, Catenaccio. Instead he chose to emphasise the fact that he had been the first to develop dedicated right-wing play, thereby creating the "channel" concept so in vogue today.
It is difficult to isolate the different elements of Inter's classic side (Sarti, Burgnich, Facchetti, Bedin, Guarnieri, Picchi, Jair, Mazzola, Peiro, Luis Suarez, Corso), as they formed a unit of incredible solidity. That said, attention must be drawn to two players in particular.
Firstly, elegant wing-back Giacinto Facchetti, the control tower of the Inter defence who won 94 caps for Italy. He also had a spell as chairman of the club, before losing a long battle with illness in 2006. Secondly, attacking midfielder turned striker, Alessandro Mazzola, who bagged 157 goals in 561 games for Inter and 22 goals in 70 appearances for Italy between 1963 and 1974.
Between 1970 and 2005, despite investing colossal sums in the transfer market, Inter had to "make do" with just three more Scudetti, three UEFA Cups and the same number of Italian Cups, although many supporters still hankered for the halcyon days of Herrera.
And after much chopping and changing, in 2004 Massimo Moratti finally hit upon the ideal coach in the shape of Roberto Mancini. This former stylish striker made light of the tricky transformation from player to coach by guiding his gifted and cosmopolitan squad to the league and cup double in 2006, before sealing the Scudetto again in 2007.
With 18 wins, 7 draws and just one defeat so far this season ( editor's note: as at 7 March 2008), Inter are in the process of clinching their third consecutive and 16 th ever league title. With the Moratti-Mancini double act continuing to reinforce its place in club history, this particular centenarian is showing no signs of slowing down.
Former Spain boss Javier Clemente is the new coach of struggling Real Murcia following the sacking of Lucas Alcaraz on Thursday, the Primera Liga club said on their website. Clemente, who was close to becoming the Iran national team coach last month, inherits a side second from bottom in the Primera Liga, six points from safety, with five wins from 26 games since winning promotion last season.
"It hurts me to make these types of decisions especially when Alcaraz has been working so hard, but it's the results that count," Murcia president Jesus Samper told a news conference.
Alcaraz was in his second season at the helm after steering them to third place in the second division last year. "Clemente has the capacity, the professionalism, the talent and a great knowledge of football," Samper added. "We should all now get behind the new coach to move this project forward. He has the spirit of winner and is familiar with the squad."
Miracle worker?Clemente, 57, has been given a contract until the end of the season and will be presented on Friday. He will be seeking to end a run of four consecutive defeats when he takes charge for the first time for Sunday's league match at home to Getafe.
He took charge of Spain after their failure to qualify for the UEFA EURO 1992 in Sweden, guiding them to both the quarter-finals of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and EURO 1996.
He was appointed Serbia coach in July 2006 but was sacked in December last year after the team failed to qualify for the EURO 2008 finals.
As a club coach he achieved his greatest success at Athletic Bilbao, steering the Basque side to the league title in 1983 and a league and cup double the following season. His other clubs include Atletico Madrid, Espanyol, Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Olympique Marseille.
"It hurts me to make these types of decisions especially when Alcaraz has been working so hard, but it's the results that count," Murcia president Jesus Samper told a news conference.
Alcaraz was in his second season at the helm after steering them to third place in the second division last year. "Clemente has the capacity, the professionalism, the talent and a great knowledge of football," Samper added. "We should all now get behind the new coach to move this project forward. He has the spirit of winner and is familiar with the squad."
Miracle worker?Clemente, 57, has been given a contract until the end of the season and will be presented on Friday. He will be seeking to end a run of four consecutive defeats when he takes charge for the first time for Sunday's league match at home to Getafe.
He took charge of Spain after their failure to qualify for the UEFA EURO 1992 in Sweden, guiding them to both the quarter-finals of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and EURO 1996.
He was appointed Serbia coach in July 2006 but was sacked in December last year after the team failed to qualify for the EURO 2008 finals.
As a club coach he achieved his greatest success at Athletic Bilbao, steering the Basque side to the league title in 1983 and a league and cup double the following season. His other clubs include Atletico Madrid, Espanyol, Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Olympique Marseille.
Internazionale Milano Football Club, more commonly known as Inter, came into existence on 9 March 1908 in the back room of L'Orologiaio (The Clockmaker) restaurant in Milan. The impetus was provided by dissident members of the Milan Cricket and Football Club, who went on to become AC Milan.
The aim of these rebels was to open up the club to foreign talent at a time when AC Milan's regulations excluded all but Italian players - hence the name Internazionale. Even today, the club remain true to this original doctrine with more foreign players on their books (23 out of a professional playing staff of 45) than any other Italian club.
A century after the club's creation, Inter are ranked firmly among Europe's top clubs, with an impressive honours list of 15 Scudetti, five Italian Cups, three Italian Supercups, two European Cups, three UEFA Cups and two Intercontinental Cups.
What is more, the Nerazzurri are Italy's third most successful outfit in terms of silverware, bettered only by Juventus and fierce local rivals AC, as well the only side in the country never to have been relegated.
Due to a lack of financial resources, the club's early days were tough, so much so that the players even had to pay for their own shirts and boots. When the fascists came to power in Italy, the word "Internazionale" was deemed to be a reference to the international communist movement and, in 1932, Inter were forced to merge with the Unione Sportiva Milanese to become Ambrosiana-Inter until the fall of the regime. Ten years and two league titles later, Inter reverted to their old name.
Conveyor belt of talentTraditionally a key provider of talent for the national team, four of the players (Allemandi, Castellazzi, Demaria and Meazza) from the Azzurri side that triumphed at the 1934 FIFA World Cup™ in Italy were supplied by Inter, as were a further quartet (Ferrari, Ferraris II, Locatelli and Meazza again) for the FIFA World Cup victory in France four years later. The truly gifted Giuseppe Meazza, scorer of 283 goals in 408 official matches for Inter, stands out to this day as an exceptional striker and man. In 1979, a year after his death, the San Siro was renamed in his honour, with the agreement of the ground's co-occupants AC Milan, despite the strong rivalry between the two clubs.
The Moratti family has also left an indelible mark on Inter Milan. Under the chairmanship of Angelo Moratti (1955 to 1968) the Nerazzurri prevailed on pitches the world over, lifting three Scudetti, two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. His son Massimo, chairman since 18 February 1995, displays similar passion for the cause today.
The third name which will be forever associated with Inter is Helenio Herrera. While his playing career was unremarkable, Il Mago (The Magician) stockpiled an incredible haul of trophies as one of the world's most successful coaches.
Herrera casts his spell"HH" was heavily inspired by the pre-war defensive system known as the Swiss bolt, the central rivet of which he reinforced still further. Herrera, however, never accepted his reputation as the champion of the system's successor, Catenaccio. Instead he chose to emphasise the fact that he had been the first to develop dedicated right-wing play, thereby creating the "channel" concept so in vogue today.
It is difficult to isolate the different elements of Inter's classic side (Sarti, Burgnich, Facchetti, Bedin, Guarnieri, Picchi, Jair, Mazzola, Peiro, Luis Suarez, Corso), as they formed a unit of incredible solidity. That said, attention must be drawn to two players in particular.
Firstly, elegant wing-back Giacinto Facchetti, the control tower of the Inter defence who won 94 caps for Italy. He also had a spell as chairman of the club, before losing a long battle with illness in 2006. Secondly, attacking midfielder turned striker, Alessandro Mazzola, who bagged 157 goals in 561 games for Inter and 22 goals in 70 appearances for Italy between 1963 and 1974.
Between 1970 and 2005, despite investing colossal sums in the transfer market, Inter had to "make do" with just three more Scudetti, three UEFA Cups and the same number of Italian Cups, although many supporters still hankered for the halcyon days of Herrera.
And after much chopping and changing, in 2004 Massimo Moratti finally hit upon the ideal coach in the shape of Roberto Mancini. This former stylish striker made light of the tricky transformation from player to coach by guiding his gifted and cosmopolitan squad to the league and cup double in 2006, before sealing the Scudetto again in 2007.
With 18 wins, 7 draws and just one defeat so far this season ( editor's note: as at 7 March 2008), Inter are in the process of clinching their third consecutive and 16 th ever league title. With the Moratti-Mancini double act continuing to reinforce its place in club history, this particular centenarian is showing no signs of slowing down.
The aim of these rebels was to open up the club to foreign talent at a time when AC Milan's regulations excluded all but Italian players - hence the name Internazionale. Even today, the club remain true to this original doctrine with more foreign players on their books (23 out of a professional playing staff of 45) than any other Italian club.
A century after the club's creation, Inter are ranked firmly among Europe's top clubs, with an impressive honours list of 15 Scudetti, five Italian Cups, three Italian Supercups, two European Cups, three UEFA Cups and two Intercontinental Cups.
What is more, the Nerazzurri are Italy's third most successful outfit in terms of silverware, bettered only by Juventus and fierce local rivals AC, as well the only side in the country never to have been relegated.
Due to a lack of financial resources, the club's early days were tough, so much so that the players even had to pay for their own shirts and boots. When the fascists came to power in Italy, the word "Internazionale" was deemed to be a reference to the international communist movement and, in 1932, Inter were forced to merge with the Unione Sportiva Milanese to become Ambrosiana-Inter until the fall of the regime. Ten years and two league titles later, Inter reverted to their old name.
Conveyor belt of talentTraditionally a key provider of talent for the national team, four of the players (Allemandi, Castellazzi, Demaria and Meazza) from the Azzurri side that triumphed at the 1934 FIFA World Cup™ in Italy were supplied by Inter, as were a further quartet (Ferrari, Ferraris II, Locatelli and Meazza again) for the FIFA World Cup victory in France four years later. The truly gifted Giuseppe Meazza, scorer of 283 goals in 408 official matches for Inter, stands out to this day as an exceptional striker and man. In 1979, a year after his death, the San Siro was renamed in his honour, with the agreement of the ground's co-occupants AC Milan, despite the strong rivalry between the two clubs.
The Moratti family has also left an indelible mark on Inter Milan. Under the chairmanship of Angelo Moratti (1955 to 1968) the Nerazzurri prevailed on pitches the world over, lifting three Scudetti, two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. His son Massimo, chairman since 18 February 1995, displays similar passion for the cause today.
The third name which will be forever associated with Inter is Helenio Herrera. While his playing career was unremarkable, Il Mago (The Magician) stockpiled an incredible haul of trophies as one of the world's most successful coaches.
Herrera casts his spell"HH" was heavily inspired by the pre-war defensive system known as the Swiss bolt, the central rivet of which he reinforced still further. Herrera, however, never accepted his reputation as the champion of the system's successor, Catenaccio. Instead he chose to emphasise the fact that he had been the first to develop dedicated right-wing play, thereby creating the "channel" concept so in vogue today.
It is difficult to isolate the different elements of Inter's classic side (Sarti, Burgnich, Facchetti, Bedin, Guarnieri, Picchi, Jair, Mazzola, Peiro, Luis Suarez, Corso), as they formed a unit of incredible solidity. That said, attention must be drawn to two players in particular.
Firstly, elegant wing-back Giacinto Facchetti, the control tower of the Inter defence who won 94 caps for Italy. He also had a spell as chairman of the club, before losing a long battle with illness in 2006. Secondly, attacking midfielder turned striker, Alessandro Mazzola, who bagged 157 goals in 561 games for Inter and 22 goals in 70 appearances for Italy between 1963 and 1974.
Between 1970 and 2005, despite investing colossal sums in the transfer market, Inter had to "make do" with just three more Scudetti, three UEFA Cups and the same number of Italian Cups, although many supporters still hankered for the halcyon days of Herrera.
And after much chopping and changing, in 2004 Massimo Moratti finally hit upon the ideal coach in the shape of Roberto Mancini. This former stylish striker made light of the tricky transformation from player to coach by guiding his gifted and cosmopolitan squad to the league and cup double in 2006, before sealing the Scudetto again in 2007.
With 18 wins, 7 draws and just one defeat so far this season ( editor's note: as at 7 March 2008), Inter are in the process of clinching their third consecutive and 16 th ever league title. With the Moratti-Mancini double act continuing to reinforce its place in club history, this particular centenarian is showing no signs of slowing down.
The South Korean K-League kicks off its 26th season on Saturday, with reigning champions Pohang Steelers taking on cup holders Chunnam Dragons. The two teams are renewing acquaintances for the first time since locking horns in last season's two-legged cup final, when the Dragons emerged triumphant with back-to-back wins over their southeastern rivals.
The Steelers, however, are keen to prove that winning the championship after finishing fifth in the regular season was no fluke. Brazilian coach Sergio Farias, who masterminded Pohang's fairytale run in the play-offs, outlined their ambitions: "Our aim is to reach the final and win it like we did last year. We're preparing for the new season, in which we're hoping to play more organised football with a balance between attack, midfield, and defence."
That said, Farias will be banking on the scoring prowess of his compatriots: Denilson and Aldo. The Brazilian duo arrived during the winter from Daejeon Citizen and Brazilian side Paulista FC respectively, are expected to lead the frontline, while midfielder Fabiano was recruited from Marilia Atletico Clube to fill the gap left by Tavares, last season's Most Valuable Player.
For their part, Chunnam are eager to shrug off the unwanted tag of 'tournament team', with three FA Cup victories the only major achievements of their 13-year history. Park Hang-Seo, the Dragons' new coach, has set a realistic target of reaching the six-team play-offs, but for the time being he will be without three key players - goalkeeper Yeom Dong-Gyun, midfielder Kim Chi-Woo, and striker Ko Ki-Gu - who were injured while on international duty last month.
Top trio aim to atoneOn Sunday, it is the turn of a trio from the midwest, who have dominated the league in recent years, to begin their campaigns, and all will have redemption as their target.
Perennial champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma lost the final against Pohang after finishing first last season, and their coach Kim Hak-Bum is hungry for success more than ever. "Every coach says their goal is to win the championship but I think it's a cliché," Kim said. "Scoring most goals and conceding least goals in the league are my priorities. The more goals we score, the more fans we will see in the stadium. And by conceding fewer goals, we'll be able to stabilise and stay on top of the table."
In fact, the former was already achieved last year with the Pegasus scoring no less than 43 goals in 26 games. But it was their neighbours FC Seoul who had the league's meanest defence with 16 goals.
Yet despite that miserly record, which was thanks largely to the consistent performance of veteran goalkeeper Kim Byung-Ji, Seoul narrowly missed out a place in the play-offs due to a lack of firepower. Attempting to address this, coach Senol Gunes has brought in Serbian forward Dejan Damjanovic from Incheon United to partner Park Chu-Young.
Last season's runners-up, Suwon Samsung Bluewings, did not spend big during the close season to bolster their already formidable squad. However, coach Cha Bum-Kun had no choice but to trade star forward Ahn Jung-Hwan for Korea DPR midfielder An Yong-Hak with Busan I'Park, this following Korea Republic captain Kim Nam-Il's departure to Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe.
Managerial changesOn the south coast, meanwhile, the managerial merry-go-round has been in full swing. Busan I'Park, for example, moved to appoint former South Korean international striker Hwang Sun-Hong as coach. The 39-year-old is set to make his debut in the dugout against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Sunday at Busan Asiad Stadium, where he opened the scoring in Korea Republic's 2-0 win over Poland at the 2002 FIFA World Cup™.
As for Gyeongnam FC, although they lost their attacking duo of Cabore and Popo, who left for J.League sides Tokyo FC and Kashiwa Reysol respectively, there was some cheer when former FC Seoul boss Cho Kwang-Rae returned to take the reins at his hometown club after an exile of three years. His predecessor, meanwhile, Park Hang-Seo, who led Gyeongnam to fourth place last year but resigned shortly afterwards, did not take long to return to the game with Gwangyang-based outfit Chunnam Dragons.
K-League Round 1 fixturesSaturday 8 March 2008Pohang Steelers-Chunnam Dragons
Sunday 9 March 2008FC Seoul-Ulsan Hyundai Horangi Suwon Samsung Bluewings-Daejeon Citizen Gwangju Sangmu-Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Busan I'Park-Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Gyeongnam FC-Daegu FC Jeju United-Incheon United
The Steelers, however, are keen to prove that winning the championship after finishing fifth in the regular season was no fluke. Brazilian coach Sergio Farias, who masterminded Pohang's fairytale run in the play-offs, outlined their ambitions: "Our aim is to reach the final and win it like we did last year. We're preparing for the new season, in which we're hoping to play more organised football with a balance between attack, midfield, and defence."
That said, Farias will be banking on the scoring prowess of his compatriots: Denilson and Aldo. The Brazilian duo arrived during the winter from Daejeon Citizen and Brazilian side Paulista FC respectively, are expected to lead the frontline, while midfielder Fabiano was recruited from Marilia Atletico Clube to fill the gap left by Tavares, last season's Most Valuable Player.
For their part, Chunnam are eager to shrug off the unwanted tag of 'tournament team', with three FA Cup victories the only major achievements of their 13-year history. Park Hang-Seo, the Dragons' new coach, has set a realistic target of reaching the six-team play-offs, but for the time being he will be without three key players - goalkeeper Yeom Dong-Gyun, midfielder Kim Chi-Woo, and striker Ko Ki-Gu - who were injured while on international duty last month.
Top trio aim to atoneOn Sunday, it is the turn of a trio from the midwest, who have dominated the league in recent years, to begin their campaigns, and all will have redemption as their target.
Perennial champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma lost the final against Pohang after finishing first last season, and their coach Kim Hak-Bum is hungry for success more than ever. "Every coach says their goal is to win the championship but I think it's a cliché," Kim said. "Scoring most goals and conceding least goals in the league are my priorities. The more goals we score, the more fans we will see in the stadium. And by conceding fewer goals, we'll be able to stabilise and stay on top of the table."
In fact, the former was already achieved last year with the Pegasus scoring no less than 43 goals in 26 games. But it was their neighbours FC Seoul who had the league's meanest defence with 16 goals.
Yet despite that miserly record, which was thanks largely to the consistent performance of veteran goalkeeper Kim Byung-Ji, Seoul narrowly missed out a place in the play-offs due to a lack of firepower. Attempting to address this, coach Senol Gunes has brought in Serbian forward Dejan Damjanovic from Incheon United to partner Park Chu-Young.
Last season's runners-up, Suwon Samsung Bluewings, did not spend big during the close season to bolster their already formidable squad. However, coach Cha Bum-Kun had no choice but to trade star forward Ahn Jung-Hwan for Korea DPR midfielder An Yong-Hak with Busan I'Park, this following Korea Republic captain Kim Nam-Il's departure to Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe.
Managerial changesOn the south coast, meanwhile, the managerial merry-go-round has been in full swing. Busan I'Park, for example, moved to appoint former South Korean international striker Hwang Sun-Hong as coach. The 39-year-old is set to make his debut in the dugout against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Sunday at Busan Asiad Stadium, where he opened the scoring in Korea Republic's 2-0 win over Poland at the 2002 FIFA World Cup™.
As for Gyeongnam FC, although they lost their attacking duo of Cabore and Popo, who left for J.League sides Tokyo FC and Kashiwa Reysol respectively, there was some cheer when former FC Seoul boss Cho Kwang-Rae returned to take the reins at his hometown club after an exile of three years. His predecessor, meanwhile, Park Hang-Seo, who led Gyeongnam to fourth place last year but resigned shortly afterwards, did not take long to return to the game with Gwangyang-based outfit Chunnam Dragons.
K-League Round 1 fixturesSaturday 8 March 2008Pohang Steelers-Chunnam Dragons
Sunday 9 March 2008FC Seoul-Ulsan Hyundai Horangi Suwon Samsung Bluewings-Daejeon Citizen Gwangju Sangmu-Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Busan I'Park-Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Gyeongnam FC-Daegu FC Jeju United-Incheon United
Everton, Tottenham and Bolton failed to match the lofty heights of their UEFA Champions League counterparts on Thursday as their UEFA Cup dreams were left hanging in the balance.
Hopes were high that the three could follow the impressive examples set by Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in midweek, but all three endured disappointing nights.
Everton, who harbour hopes of playing in Europe's elite competition next season, slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Fiorentina in their last 16, first leg clash to suffer their first loss since January and lose their 100-percent record in the competition.
Tottenham were also beaten, going down 1-0 at White Hart Lane to PSV Eindhoven to shatter coach Juande Ramos's hopes of winning the competition for the third successive year. Bolton, battling relegation from the Premier League, drew 1-1 at home to Sporting Lisbon.
Glasgow Rangers kept British pride intact with a 2-0 win at home to Werder Bremen while title favourites Bayern Munich cruised to a 5-0 win at Anderlecht.
Everton were indebted to goalkeeper Tim Howard who celebrated his 29th birthday in style with a string of fine first-half saves inside the cold and rainswept Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence. But Fiorentina were deserving winners with second half goals from Serbian striker Serbian Kuzmanovic and midfielder Riccardo Montolivo.
"We were a little too negative and too cautious," admitted Everton skipper Phil Neville. "We didn't play the way we could so it was a let down. But there'll be a great atmosphere at Goodison next Wednesday for the second leg. We'll have to play at a higher tempo, put in crosses and create chances. We need to play like Everton can play."
Tottenham's League Cup final hangover showed no sign of abating as PSV took a 1-0 advantage back to the Netherlands for the second leg next week. Jefferson Farfan punished a horrendous first half mistake from debutant Gilberto to inflict a second successive defeat on Ramos's side since they won the League Cup two weeks ago.
At the Reebok, Bolton saw Sporting Lisbon's Simon Vukcevic crack a stunning equaliser to cancel out Gavin McCann's first-half opener to leave Gary Megson's side facing an uphill struggle in Portugal.
Rangers winCeltic may have been eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona but city rivals Rangers stayed on course in the UEFA Cup with a 2-0 win over Werder thanks to goals either side of half-time from Gabon international Daniel Cousin and Northern Ireland midfielder Steven Davis.
Former European champions Bayern Munich were the night's most impressive winners cliching victory against Anderlecht in Brussels for the first time in five meetings. Hamit Altintop, Luca Toni, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose and Frank Ribery were all on target while Anderlecht were also reduced to 10 men after the sending off of Polish defender Marcin Wasilewski on the stroke of half-time.
Marseille, also former European champions, moved closer to the last eight with a 3-1 win over Russia's St Petersburg with former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse scoring twice for the French side.
Hopes were high that the three could follow the impressive examples set by Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in midweek, but all three endured disappointing nights.
Everton, who harbour hopes of playing in Europe's elite competition next season, slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Fiorentina in their last 16, first leg clash to suffer their first loss since January and lose their 100-percent record in the competition.
Tottenham were also beaten, going down 1-0 at White Hart Lane to PSV Eindhoven to shatter coach Juande Ramos's hopes of winning the competition for the third successive year. Bolton, battling relegation from the Premier League, drew 1-1 at home to Sporting Lisbon.
Glasgow Rangers kept British pride intact with a 2-0 win at home to Werder Bremen while title favourites Bayern Munich cruised to a 5-0 win at Anderlecht.
Everton were indebted to goalkeeper Tim Howard who celebrated his 29th birthday in style with a string of fine first-half saves inside the cold and rainswept Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence. But Fiorentina were deserving winners with second half goals from Serbian striker Serbian Kuzmanovic and midfielder Riccardo Montolivo.
"We were a little too negative and too cautious," admitted Everton skipper Phil Neville. "We didn't play the way we could so it was a let down. But there'll be a great atmosphere at Goodison next Wednesday for the second leg. We'll have to play at a higher tempo, put in crosses and create chances. We need to play like Everton can play."
Tottenham's League Cup final hangover showed no sign of abating as PSV took a 1-0 advantage back to the Netherlands for the second leg next week. Jefferson Farfan punished a horrendous first half mistake from debutant Gilberto to inflict a second successive defeat on Ramos's side since they won the League Cup two weeks ago.
At the Reebok, Bolton saw Sporting Lisbon's Simon Vukcevic crack a stunning equaliser to cancel out Gavin McCann's first-half opener to leave Gary Megson's side facing an uphill struggle in Portugal.
Rangers winCeltic may have been eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona but city rivals Rangers stayed on course in the UEFA Cup with a 2-0 win over Werder thanks to goals either side of half-time from Gabon international Daniel Cousin and Northern Ireland midfielder Steven Davis.
Former European champions Bayern Munich were the night's most impressive winners cliching victory against Anderlecht in Brussels for the first time in five meetings. Hamit Altintop, Luca Toni, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose and Frank Ribery were all on target while Anderlecht were also reduced to 10 men after the sending off of Polish defender Marcin Wasilewski on the stroke of half-time.
Marseille, also former European champions, moved closer to the last eight with a 3-1 win over Russia's St Petersburg with former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse scoring twice for the French side.
Sandro Mazzola is nothing short of an Italy and Inter Milan legend. A prominent member of la Grande Inter, the great side of the 1960s, he spent his entire career with the Milan giants, scoring 160 goals in 565 matches. The winner of four scudettos, two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups with his club, he also helped Italy claim the 1968 UEFA European Championship and appeared at three FIFA World Cup™ finals, amassing a total of 70 caps and 22 goals on the way.
The son of the famous Torino inside-left Valentino Mazzola, who died in the Superga air disaster on 4 May 1949, the 66 year old is regarded as one of the greatest Italian footballers of all time. And on the eve of his beloved club's 100th birthday Mazzola chatted to FIFA.com about a life with Inter .
FIFA.com:Alessandro, your father Valentino was a member of the great Torino side of the 1940s. Why did you choose to play for Inter instead?Alessandro Mazzola: I was only six when my father was killed. One day Benito Lorenzi, the Inter forward who played with my father in the Italy team and was a very close friend of his, came to my house. He asked my mother to let me to go to Milan to become the team's mascot. Giuseppe Meazza was also greatly affected by the Superga disaster and went out of his way to help my brother and I. The two of us would put on the full Inter kit, walk out with the players and stay by the side of the pitch during the matches. Even as mascots we were on bonuses and we used to get 10,000 lire for a win and 5,000 for a draw. It was a lot of money for our family.
But your father never played for Inter?No he didn't, but I still have photos of him at home wearing the black and blue shirt, even though he never played an official game for them. Back then, even if you were an international and a major star, you had to have a trial if a club wanted to sign you and pose for pictures in the jersey. You just can't imagine that happening these days. Did you ever regret the choice you made?No, not at all. Everyone really took care of us at Inter. They were like a second family for me and that's why I stayed.
Did your surname help you in your football career?It was very difficult when I was young because everyone expected me to be as talented as my father. But I didn't have the same qualities as him. The fans sometimes made very negative comments about me and that was hard to take, and it got so bad I was even thinking about giving up football at one stage. I wasn't a bad basketball player at the time and I had some trials with the Milan team, which was called Borletti back then. I played football and basketball for two months, trying to make my mind up what to do. In the end I chose football and when I started to make an impact I had twice as many fans because all the people who liked my father started getting behind me too.
You tasted glory with Inter under Helenio Herrera, the man behind catenaccio. Was it not frustrating for a creative attacking player like you to play in that kind of system?In fact it was Nereo Rocco, the Milan coach, who first started using a libero. I'm just sorry that Herrera's Inter went down in history for catenaccio. You only have to look at the players that were in that team: Giuliano Sarti, Tarcisio Burgnich, Giacinto Facchetti, Gianfranco Bedin, Aristide Guarneri, Armando Picchi, Jair, Joaquin Peiro, Luis Suarez, Mario Corso and I. We had five attacking players in the side, six if you include Facchetti, who used to get forward a lot, something that no one else did at the time. It's true that we sometimes employed a very defensive system away from home, but we regularly played 4-2-4 and everyone worked really hard. We never felt like dancing after a game, I can tell you. In fact, in my opinion Helenio Herrera invented modern football.
Do you think there are any comparisons to be made between your rivalry with Gianni Rivera and Francesco Totti's with Alessandro del Piero?No. Our's was even more fierce because it was much more than a personal rivalry: it was two teams from the same city battling against each other. In 1968, when the player's union was being set up, Rivera and I met in Milan. The fans saw us together and they were shocked. Even so, Rivera and I could never be friends. We respected each other but there was too much competition between us. And what's more, I was convinced I was a better player than him and he thought the exact opposite.
What is your happiest memory with Inter?Our first European Cup triumph against Real Madrid in 1964. We won 3-1 and I scored two goals. Real were such a fantastic team back then, and they won everything. They had Alfredo Di Stefano too, who to my mind was a giant. Before the start of the game I remember standing on the pitch staring at him. It was like I was paralysed. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Luis Suarez and he said to me: 'You're just going to stand there and look at him? Me, I'm going to play.' When the final whistle went I started running over to Di Stefano to swap shirts with him only for Ferenc Puskas to stop me. 'I played against your father,' he said to me. 'You did him proud and I want to give you my shirt.' That's the most valuable one in my collection today. Suarez was also a vital component of that team.Yes. He had this incredible will to win, a real passion to succeed. There was no such thing as a friendly when he was playing. You made your international debut against Brazil in 1965 and went on to win the European Championship and play at three FIFA World Cup finals? What sticks out in your mind from your Italy career?The 1970 semi-final against Germany (Italy won 4-3 after extra-time). Even though we had a great team, we didn't have much self-belief when we left for Mexico. We took lots of films with us to help us relax before games and by the semi-final came around we'd watched them all. That was the time when the coach Ferruccio Valcareggi used Rivera and I in his famous relay system. We both played a half each but never together. I played the first half against Germany and it was a wonderful memory for me.
Inter now have a 45-strong squad featuring 23 foreigners. What do you make of that?It's a very strong squad and it doesn't matter whether the players are foreigners or not. There are no barriers in football and quality is all that counts. Any team always needs someone like Javier Zanetti. He's a very hard worker and he never gets injured. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a class act too. He's the best in my book.
What's the difference between today's game and the one you played?It's more physical today and teams do more preparation now. Even though a host of new tactics came into the game when I was playing, there was still a lot of room for creativity then. Today it's all about physical strength and tactical awareness.
Which type of football do you prefer?Yesterday's game.
The son of the famous Torino inside-left Valentino Mazzola, who died in the Superga air disaster on 4 May 1949, the 66 year old is regarded as one of the greatest Italian footballers of all time. And on the eve of his beloved club's 100th birthday Mazzola chatted to FIFA.com about a life with Inter .
FIFA.com:Alessandro, your father Valentino was a member of the great Torino side of the 1940s. Why did you choose to play for Inter instead?Alessandro Mazzola: I was only six when my father was killed. One day Benito Lorenzi, the Inter forward who played with my father in the Italy team and was a very close friend of his, came to my house. He asked my mother to let me to go to Milan to become the team's mascot. Giuseppe Meazza was also greatly affected by the Superga disaster and went out of his way to help my brother and I. The two of us would put on the full Inter kit, walk out with the players and stay by the side of the pitch during the matches. Even as mascots we were on bonuses and we used to get 10,000 lire for a win and 5,000 for a draw. It was a lot of money for our family.
But your father never played for Inter?No he didn't, but I still have photos of him at home wearing the black and blue shirt, even though he never played an official game for them. Back then, even if you were an international and a major star, you had to have a trial if a club wanted to sign you and pose for pictures in the jersey. You just can't imagine that happening these days. Did you ever regret the choice you made?No, not at all. Everyone really took care of us at Inter. They were like a second family for me and that's why I stayed.
Did your surname help you in your football career?It was very difficult when I was young because everyone expected me to be as talented as my father. But I didn't have the same qualities as him. The fans sometimes made very negative comments about me and that was hard to take, and it got so bad I was even thinking about giving up football at one stage. I wasn't a bad basketball player at the time and I had some trials with the Milan team, which was called Borletti back then. I played football and basketball for two months, trying to make my mind up what to do. In the end I chose football and when I started to make an impact I had twice as many fans because all the people who liked my father started getting behind me too.
You tasted glory with Inter under Helenio Herrera, the man behind catenaccio. Was it not frustrating for a creative attacking player like you to play in that kind of system?In fact it was Nereo Rocco, the Milan coach, who first started using a libero. I'm just sorry that Herrera's Inter went down in history for catenaccio. You only have to look at the players that were in that team: Giuliano Sarti, Tarcisio Burgnich, Giacinto Facchetti, Gianfranco Bedin, Aristide Guarneri, Armando Picchi, Jair, Joaquin Peiro, Luis Suarez, Mario Corso and I. We had five attacking players in the side, six if you include Facchetti, who used to get forward a lot, something that no one else did at the time. It's true that we sometimes employed a very defensive system away from home, but we regularly played 4-2-4 and everyone worked really hard. We never felt like dancing after a game, I can tell you. In fact, in my opinion Helenio Herrera invented modern football.
Do you think there are any comparisons to be made between your rivalry with Gianni Rivera and Francesco Totti's with Alessandro del Piero?No. Our's was even more fierce because it was much more than a personal rivalry: it was two teams from the same city battling against each other. In 1968, when the player's union was being set up, Rivera and I met in Milan. The fans saw us together and they were shocked. Even so, Rivera and I could never be friends. We respected each other but there was too much competition between us. And what's more, I was convinced I was a better player than him and he thought the exact opposite.
What is your happiest memory with Inter?Our first European Cup triumph against Real Madrid in 1964. We won 3-1 and I scored two goals. Real were such a fantastic team back then, and they won everything. They had Alfredo Di Stefano too, who to my mind was a giant. Before the start of the game I remember standing on the pitch staring at him. It was like I was paralysed. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Luis Suarez and he said to me: 'You're just going to stand there and look at him? Me, I'm going to play.' When the final whistle went I started running over to Di Stefano to swap shirts with him only for Ferenc Puskas to stop me. 'I played against your father,' he said to me. 'You did him proud and I want to give you my shirt.' That's the most valuable one in my collection today. Suarez was also a vital component of that team.Yes. He had this incredible will to win, a real passion to succeed. There was no such thing as a friendly when he was playing. You made your international debut against Brazil in 1965 and went on to win the European Championship and play at three FIFA World Cup finals? What sticks out in your mind from your Italy career?The 1970 semi-final against Germany (Italy won 4-3 after extra-time). Even though we had a great team, we didn't have much self-belief when we left for Mexico. We took lots of films with us to help us relax before games and by the semi-final came around we'd watched them all. That was the time when the coach Ferruccio Valcareggi used Rivera and I in his famous relay system. We both played a half each but never together. I played the first half against Germany and it was a wonderful memory for me.
Inter now have a 45-strong squad featuring 23 foreigners. What do you make of that?It's a very strong squad and it doesn't matter whether the players are foreigners or not. There are no barriers in football and quality is all that counts. Any team always needs someone like Javier Zanetti. He's a very hard worker and he never gets injured. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a class act too. He's the best in my book.
What's the difference between today's game and the one you played?It's more physical today and teams do more preparation now. Even though a host of new tactics came into the game when I was playing, there was still a lot of room for creativity then. Today it's all about physical strength and tactical awareness.
Which type of football do you prefer?Yesterday's game.
Pele is joining the organising committee of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, which will be held in his native Brazil.
"I want to be part of a World Cup which will be worthy of Brazil," he told Globo television in an interview on Thursday, standing next to Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ricardo Teixeira.
"I hope that Brazil can put on a World Cup which will serve as an example to FIFA and the world.
"I believe I can make a big contribution to the success of the World Cup in our country."
Brazil, the only candidate to stage the tournament, were confirmed as hosts by FIFA last October. They previously staged the FIFA World Cup in 1950 when Pele was nine-years-old.
He said last year that he remembered seeing his father cry when Brazil lost 2-1 to Uruguay in the tournament's decisive match.
"I want to be part of a World Cup which will be worthy of Brazil," he told Globo television in an interview on Thursday, standing next to Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ricardo Teixeira.
"I hope that Brazil can put on a World Cup which will serve as an example to FIFA and the world.
"I believe I can make a big contribution to the success of the World Cup in our country."
Brazil, the only candidate to stage the tournament, were confirmed as hosts by FIFA last October. They previously staged the FIFA World Cup in 1950 when Pele was nine-years-old.
He said last year that he remembered seeing his father cry when Brazil lost 2-1 to Uruguay in the tournament's decisive match.
LA Galaxy star David Beckham on Friday voiced confidence his bid for a 100th England cap was on track following encouraging signs from national coach Fabio Capello.
Beckham said his fitness would be "perfect" for this month's friendly against France despite picking up a minor knock in Shanghai, the previous stop on Galaxy's Asian tour.
"I've played three games so far now and I've got through them all. Slight injury but that's not a problem," he told media in Hong Kong.
"Fitness-wise I'll be perfect but it's about performing and hopefully I'll do that."
Beckham, 32, has struggled with injuries since his high-profile Galaxy move and the former England captain was overlooked by Capello for his first game in charge last month.
But Capello has said he may personally visit Beckham in the United States to check his fitness, adding the midfielder was "in contention" for the 26 March friendly in Paris.
"It doesn't change the way I go into the game. But that's what he said to me anyway. I know that from a conversation I had with him," Beckham said.
"He said once I'm back playing and if I'm fit and if I'm playing well enough, he will pick me. What happened with the first game of him taking charge, I hadn't played any games and he explained that to me."
Beckham, who has featured in pre-season matches in Hawaii, South Korea and China, missed training here on Friday after limping off with a right thigh injury during Wednesday's match in Shanghai.
However, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder expects to be fit for Galaxy's final tour match against a South China invitational team here on Sunday.
"It's nothing serious, I'll be able to play on Sunday," he said. "It's an injury where you have to be careful not to do too much on it after it's happened."
Beckham said he would be proud to join Peter Shilton, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Billy Wright as only the fifth man to play for England 100 times.
"As a young boy I always wanted to play for my country, always wanted to captain my country and I always wanted to reach 100 games," he said. "It would be a proud moment."
And despite plying his trade in the unheralded Major League Soccer, he said he hoped to remain in the England frame for years to come.
"I believe I can play for my country for a good few more years yet," Beckham said.
"That's just me being honest. I believe I can still play at that level. The standard is obviously a bit different in the US but it's not as low as everybody thinks. We've got some good players and we play some good football.
"We'll just have to wait and see, but I believe I can play for my country for a good few years."
Beckham, whose movie-star looks and deadly right foot have made him one of the world's most recognisable faces, has a large following in Asia. Hundreds of fans and media caused chaotic scenes when he visited a hospital in Shanghai.
Beckham said his fitness would be "perfect" for this month's friendly against France despite picking up a minor knock in Shanghai, the previous stop on Galaxy's Asian tour.
"I've played three games so far now and I've got through them all. Slight injury but that's not a problem," he told media in Hong Kong.
"Fitness-wise I'll be perfect but it's about performing and hopefully I'll do that."
Beckham, 32, has struggled with injuries since his high-profile Galaxy move and the former England captain was overlooked by Capello for his first game in charge last month.
But Capello has said he may personally visit Beckham in the United States to check his fitness, adding the midfielder was "in contention" for the 26 March friendly in Paris.
"It doesn't change the way I go into the game. But that's what he said to me anyway. I know that from a conversation I had with him," Beckham said.
"He said once I'm back playing and if I'm fit and if I'm playing well enough, he will pick me. What happened with the first game of him taking charge, I hadn't played any games and he explained that to me."
Beckham, who has featured in pre-season matches in Hawaii, South Korea and China, missed training here on Friday after limping off with a right thigh injury during Wednesday's match in Shanghai.
However, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder expects to be fit for Galaxy's final tour match against a South China invitational team here on Sunday.
"It's nothing serious, I'll be able to play on Sunday," he said. "It's an injury where you have to be careful not to do too much on it after it's happened."
Beckham said he would be proud to join Peter Shilton, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Billy Wright as only the fifth man to play for England 100 times.
"As a young boy I always wanted to play for my country, always wanted to captain my country and I always wanted to reach 100 games," he said. "It would be a proud moment."
And despite plying his trade in the unheralded Major League Soccer, he said he hoped to remain in the England frame for years to come.
"I believe I can play for my country for a good few more years yet," Beckham said.
"That's just me being honest. I believe I can still play at that level. The standard is obviously a bit different in the US but it's not as low as everybody thinks. We've got some good players and we play some good football.
"We'll just have to wait and see, but I believe I can play for my country for a good few years."
Beckham, whose movie-star looks and deadly right foot have made him one of the world's most recognisable faces, has a large following in Asia. Hundreds of fans and media caused chaotic scenes when he visited a hospital in Shanghai.
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