UK Roundup

Desailly extends Chelsea contract to 2005

LONDON (Reuters) -- French center back Marcel Desailly has signed a one-year extension to his Chelsea contract that will keep him at the club until June 2005.

The French international, who turns 35 next month, told his personal Web site on Monday that the rash of recent signings at the London club persuaded him to stay on.

"The new people running the club have shown that they are building for the long term," he said.

"This means that I will be able to finish my career in Europe at a big club," added Desailly, who joined Chelsea from AC Milan five years ago.

Chelsea, which hopes to finalize the signing of Romanian striker Adrian Mutu on Monday, has spent around 60 million pounds (US$96.04 million) on players since being taken over by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich last month.

"It's a new start for Chelsea and a new lease of life for me," Desailly told Monday's L'Equipe newspaper.

"I shall be the team captain. The new people running the club wanted to comfort me. I think that the new chairman wants me to be fully involved. I'm really happy to have extended my contract.

"I'm over 30 but I belong to the privileged players like Italian defender Paolo Maldini who can stand the repetition of the matches and the weight of the years. Physically, I'm feeling well and mentally everything is fine.

Desailly, who has 106 caps for France, said he had no plans to retire from the international stage.

"My goal as France captain is to qualify the team for the 2004 European championship," he said.

France is top of qualifying Group One after taking a maximum haul of 15 points to move five points clear of second-placed Slovenia after five matches.

"We started well but it's not the end of the story. I remember that after winning the 1999 World Cup we struggled to qualify for Euro 2000."

"The Confederations Cup was a very positive experience because we are now on a winning dynamic."

France retained the Confederations Cup in June thanks to a Thierry Henry golden goal that gave it a 1-0 victory over Cameroon in a match dedicated to the late Marc-Vivien Foe.

Desailly hinted -- with a laugh, said L'Equipe -- that he could carry on playing until the 2006 World Cup.

"As long as everything is going well, as long as my body is still going strong, I don't see why I should stop playing," he said.

"But at my age you play day by day. I know the end will come but I don't know when."

Charlton signs Di Canio on one-year deal

LONDON (Reuters) -- Italian striker Paolo Di Canio has signed a one-year contract with Charlton Athletic, the Premier League club said Monday.

The fiery 35-year-old was released by Charlton's London neighbors West Ham United at the end of last season and has since criticized the club and manager Glenn Roeder for dropping him as it slid towards relegation.

Di Canio, who also previously played for Sheffield Wednesday, Celtic and a host of leading Italian clubs, passed a medical Monday.

"I am delighted to have secured a player of Paolo's pedigree and quality, and I know he's going to be immensely popular with the club's fans," Charlton manager Alan Curbishley told the club's Web site.

"He will add a different dimension to our play and I am sure that his professionalism and presence will also help the younger players in the side."

It will be a test of Curbishley's management skills to incorporate Di Canio's hot temperament into a team whose work ethic and attitude has helped it perform above expectation since its return to the Premier League in 2000.

Di Canio, though, said that it was just those attributes that attracted him to The Valley.

"I had a number of lucrative offers from abroad but as soon as I met Alan Curbishley and (chairman) Richard Murray I sensed this was a club with ambition and real team spirit," he said.

"I am excited to be playing in the Premier League again next season and can't wait for my first game."

Charlton starts the new season at home to Manchester City on Sunday.

Vieira: 'Thanks for the tackle Neville'

PARIS (AP) -- Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira says a heavy tackle from Manchester United's Phil Neville in the English Community Shield reassured him that his knee problems are finally behind him, sports daily L'Equipe reported Monday.

Vieira, who has not played for London-based Arsenal since before a knee operation three months ago, played the whole of the match against Manchester United at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium Sunday.

Within 30 seconds of the start, Neville clattered heavily into him. However, Vieira feels this was the perfect way to prove his knee has fully recovered.

"Something like that is very important. When you take a tackle like that and get straight back up without any problem it's very reassuring," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

"I now feel 100 percent ready to start the new season," the 27-year-old added. United won Sunday's match in a penalty shoot-out after the teams finished 1-1 at the end of play.

Vieira, an integral part of Arsenal's team, has won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups since joining the Gunners in 1996.

He says he will likely sign an extension to his contract this week, following months of lengthy negotiations with the club.

"To have a good season, all the problems need to be resolved. This one will be resolved some time this week, I think," Vieira said.

Everton's Campbell out for a month

LONDON (Reuters) -- Everton striker Kevin Campbell will miss at least the first month of the Premier League season after damaging a hamstring in their final warmup match, the club said Monday.

Campbell, Everton's top scorer last season with 12 goals, left the pitch after 11 minutes of the 3-0 home win over Italian side Bologna on Sunday.

"The result (of a scan on Monday) confirmed what we saw clinically yesterday," Everton's head physiotherapist Mick Rathbone told the club's official Web site. "He has torn some fibres in his hamstring and will be out for a month or so."

The 33-year-old's injury leaves manager David Moyes with just one striker, Tomasz Radzinski, available for the opening game at Arsenal on Saturday and several other matches including the derby against Liverpool at Goodison Park on August 30.

Everton's England teenager Wayne Rooney has an ankle injury and Duncan Ferguson is due to start a three-match suspension.

Ljungberg doubtful for first Arsenal game

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -- Freddie Ljungberg is doubtful for Arsenal's Premier League opener against Everton after hurting his shoulder in his side's Community Shield defeat by Manchester United on Sunday.

The Swedish international midfielder was replaced in the second half shortly after falling on his shoulder following a tackle by United defender Quinton Fortune in a game won by United 4-3 on penalties after it ended 1-1.

"Things don't look great now, we'll see how it develops," Ljungberg was quoted as saying in the Swedish daily Expressen on Monday. "(Arsenal's doctors) can't promise anything."

But an Arsenal spokeswoman said the midfielder was "by no means ruled out" for the Everton match.

Berkovic could stay at City, says Keegan

MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- Man City manager Kevin Keegan believes striker Eyal Berkovic may stay with the club.

Berkovic handed in a transfer request last month. But on Sunday he helped set up both goals as City defeated Barcelona 2-1 at the new City of Manchester stadium.

"I think from the day Eyal did it (put in the transfer request) it was a gut reaction to a situation and a big mistake," the former England coach said.

"I now have to think long and hard where we now go with Eyal. I've now gone out and bought a replacement (Antoine Sibierski)." Eyal deserves a second chance but we will see where we go. So long as he keeps playing like that I would love to have him here. I don't think he's ever let us down on or off the pitch."

Reid slams Leeds after preseason flop

LEEDS, England (AP) -- Leeds manager Peter Reid has been critical of his side after it finished last in the preseason Dublin Tournament. Leeds lost on a penalty shootout to Aston Villa, and went down 2-0 against Irish side Shelbourne.

"Football sometimes is about attitude and certainly as a team the attitude wasn't right," Reid said.

The loss to the Irish team was particularly disappointing.

"We got a goal against us and we just fell apart," he said. "I know it's a team that we made a lot of changes to. There was enough experience out there to deal with it, but we didn't do that."

Reid is hoping for better in the opener this weekend against Newcastle.

"I left a few experienced players who should be in the team against Newcastle out, but it still wasn't good enough."

Barry counting on Alpay, Angel

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) -- Defender Gareth Barry is looking for big things from Aston Villa's Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel and Turkish star Alpay.

The two had little luck under former coach Graham Taylor, but should get a chance under new manager David O'Leary.

"Having them in the side is like seeing two new signings," Barry said. "The fans might wonder why there's only been one or two new players coming in this summer.

"But what the manager has done with the people who weren't getting a look-in before has been tremendous."

"Now Alpay and Juan Pablo have been given a fresh start and it will be really exciting for the club if they can take that chance. For the first time in a while, the fans should be able to see what they can do."

Former Ireland striker Quinn awarded honorary MBE

DUBLIN (Reuters) -- Former Ireland striker Niall Quinn has been honored by Britain's Queen Elizabeth for his charity work.

Quinn, who hung up his boots last year after nearly 20 years as a professional footballer, will receive an honorary MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) at a ceremony in Dublin on Wednesday.

He drew widespread praise for donating the proceeds of his benefit match to charity.

"Niall Quinn's initiative of donating the proceeds from his testimonial match between Sunderland and Ireland last year to children's charities led to his idea being adopted by a number of other players," said a British embassy spokeswoman.

Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute to Quinn's generosity at the time, saying: "It is absolutely typical of the individual.

"In circumstances where people in sport often get a lot of bad publicity, this is an example we can hold up to everybody," Blair added.

Quinn, who started his career at Arsenal in 1983, played for Ireland in last year's World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan and won a total of 91 caps for his country.

A long-standing back injury forced him to retire from playing for his most recent club Sunderland last year.

Britain's ambassador to Ireland, Stewart Eldon, will present the award to Quinn.

 

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