VIDEO: Luis Suarez Bites Branco Ivanovic

FC Liverpool's Luis Suarez in yesterday's EPL game against Chelsea FC bit his opponent Branislav Ivanovic after losing the ball. The referee did see the incidence, but judged it wrongly and didn't card Suarez, who had done the same thing while playing for Ajax Amsterdam. There is no logic to this except Suarez is a vampire or something similar, but jokes apart he's a good footballer but always capable of doing stupid things. If it is a judgement on video footage, then Suarez is surely looking at a lengthy ban.

Could Striker Mario Gomez be leaving Bayern Munich in the summer?

German giants FC Bayern Munich are currently playing one of their best-ever season with the Bundesliga title wrapped-up and still chances to win the UEFA Champions League and the German Cup, but there are players who lost out on the campaign with the biggest loser being striker Mario Gomez.

The 27 year old German international went into the season as the striker number one ahead of new signing Mario Mandzukic from VfL Wolfsburg and seasoned Claudio Pizarro, who returned from Werder Bremen. But injury and good performances from especially Mandzukic and the team player Pizarro have pushed Gomez back in the pecking order.

And that isn't to the liking of Mario Gomez, who scored a hattrick yesterday in just six minutes against VfL Wolfsburg in the German Cup semifinal, but only after coming on as a substitute for Mandzukic.

only a year ago Mario Gomez extended his contract at Bayern Munich until 2016 at a time where he was scoring regularly, but the criticism over the way he plays has never died down and now with Mandzukic there many say that Gomez's time in Munich could be over in the summer.

"There were always expressions of interest in the services of Mario," Gomez agent Uli Ferber told German tabloid Bild. "They were during his years at Stuttgart, right before his move to Bayern Munich, and right ahead of his most recent contract renewal. But also right now at this point in time."

So as expected there are clubs very much interested to sign Gomez with especially English Premier League clubs Manchester City and Chelsea FC potential destinations as they look at options upfront, but also other EPL sides besides clubs from Spain and Italy could be interested in the tall striker.

But Bayern Munich are not reacting at all, knowing that the situation for Gomez isn't the best but that is what competition does within a team...

2012/13 UEFA Europa League: Semifinal draw out

The draw for the Semifinals for the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League was carried out yesterday in Nyon, Switzerland. And there are some mouth watering clashes coming.

Reigning UEFA Champions League champions FC Chelsea face Swiss giants FC Basel, who have had some success against English sides in the last couple of years, be it Manchester United last season in the Champions League or Tottenham Hotspur in the last round of the Europa League.

In the other tie Turkish side Fenerbahce Istanbul take on Benfica Lisboa from Portugal to determine the other finalist.

The semifinal matches will be played on April 25 and May 2 with the final on May 15 at the Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands.


Semifinals
Fenerbahçe SK - SL Benfica Lisboa
FC Basel 1893 - Chelsea FC

VIDEO: Adidas' It's blue, what else matters? New2013/14 Chelsea FC kit

Adidas under the campaign 'It's blue, what else matters?' has launched the 2013/14 jersey of Chelsea FC without actually showing the design of the new kit, but making Chelsea players act in blue paint. I think a great, innovative idea!

VIDEO: Chelsea's Eden Hazard kicks ball boy, red carded

FC Chelsea and Belgium midfielder Eden Hazard kicked a ball boy, who didn't want to release the ball, during yesterday's Carling Cup Semifinal at Swansea City FC and was red carded by the referee. In the incidence the ball boy holds on to the ball for longer then necessary and Eden Hazard decides to take things into his own hands, which goes totally wrong.

Germany's Michael Ballack retires from active football

36 year old midfielder Michael Ballack yesterday called it quits on his playing career after the former Germany captain did not find a club to continue his career. Ballack left Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the summer and was said to have been in talks with clubs in the North American MLS and Australian A-League with offers also coming in from the Middle East, but no deal could be worked out.

In an official statement Ballack said:

At 36 years of age, I can look back on a long and wonderful time in professional football, which I could never have dreamed of as a child. It was a privilege to have worked with world-class coaches and fantastic players.

Of course, I will miss playing playing or scoring a goal in front of 80,000 fans, but the last few months without football have shown me that it is time to stop.

I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life and thank my family and all the awesome people who have helped and supported me. They are all a big part of my success.

The former Germany 'Capitano' as he was fondly called, played 98 times for Germany before a horrific injury playing for FC Chelsea by Kevin Pricne Boateng in the English FA Cup final in May 2010 forcefully ended his international career just before the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Ballack who played for Chemnitzer FC, 1.Kaiserslautern, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Bayern Munich, FC Chelsea London before returning to Leverkusen; is best known to have led Germany through a difficult decade without real stars expect him but also as someone who couldn't win an international title finishing runners-up at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 European Championships for Germany, besides the 2002 and 2008 UEFA Champions League though he won the German Bundesliga and English Premier League titles for his club sides.

VIDEO - IBN: Will Chelsea FC come to India?

Chelsea FC CEO Ron Gourlay was in New Delhi last week for the International Football Arena round table discussions. English language news channel CNN-IBN caught-up with him and asked him questions regarding his club Chelsea FC and India.

International Football Arena Roundtable focuses on the Indian football market

The third edition of the International Football Arena round table in New Delhi was held at the Oberoi Gurgaon over the last couple of days with key players from global, regional and national football taking part to discuss Indian football.

One of the key points discussed was that if India gets to host the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup it is going to boost the prospect of grassroots and infrastructure development of Indian football. Stakeholders of Indian football who gathered at the IFA Roundtable were unanimous in their opinion that public private partnership along-with key sponsors will help boost holistic development of the game. The roundtable was organised with the aim of finding solutions for development and marketing of Indian football.

Speaking at the IFA Roundtable, Jérôme Valcke – FIFA General Secretary, said, "While the size of India is a challenge for development of football, the key to success lie through the partnership of private sector. If the Executive Committee of FIFA agrees, India stands to host Under-17 World in 2017. It will provide a huge fillip to development of football in India." He further added, "We have engaged in a 10 year understanding with AIFF, wherein, we will be aiding the body with strategy, management issues, league management, club management and development of football. India should focus on creating a league which is viable, vibrant and has viewership. FIFA is happy with timelines that AIFF has shared with us in relation to football development in India."

Addressing the roundtable, AIFF President Praful Patel, who is also the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, said, "India has never been a one sport nation. Today, India is the home of world cricket and we are certain that in the years to come, football will regain its lost glory. Our vision document LAKSHYA has been well received by the FIFA and we are working towards having our presence felt at the FIFA World Cup, 2022."

Plans of Chelsea FC entering India were discussed during the roundtable. Chelsea CEO Ron Gourlay said, "India is an important market for us. We hope to be visiting the country soon to initiate a long-term partnership. It's too easy for clubs just to fly in, play and then leave. At Chelsea we feel a fundamental responsibility to help develop the sport at grassroots level and leave behind a lasting legacy, so there would be much more to consider than just playing games here."

Speaking on Indian football, Gourlay added, "I have learnt more about Indian football during the IFA Roundtable in the last 24 hours than I had in past few years. A lot of what I heard points to the need for India to work on creating and developing the under-17 team which will then be able to form the national team in the future."

Marcel Schmid, Founder and Chairman of the International Football Arena, has been critical on current ideas, to bring Iconic players to the country. "It would create a short-term media bust and get some public attention, but it would have no impact on long term sustainability. Instead of paying high salaries to foreign players it would be much better to invest into training your own youth."

Taking a cue from Marcel Schmid’s comment, Srinivas Dempo, who is the president of the Goa Football Association and Dempo Sports Club, said, "The
cumulative spend by Indian football clubs of I–League stature is about INR 140 crore. The operating costs are as high as 85% with more than 70% is salaries. Unless we have more say in I–League and clubs are treated as partners of the property, the future looks bleak. It is now the onus of AIFF to engage in a dialogue with clubs to usher in a new era of feasible, profitable and healthy football in India."

The 2012 edition of the International Football Arena round table was attended by representatives from FIFA; Asian Football Confederation; the Football Association (England); German Football Association (DFB); Chelsea FC; All India Football Federation; Reliance Industries Limited; Dempo SC; Shillong Lajong FC; East Bengal Club; Hero Motors amongst others.

Draws out for UEFA Champions League 2012/13 Group Stage

The draw for the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League group stage was carried out today at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco. And all the 32 participating clubs aim to reach the final to be played on May 2013 at Wembley Stadium in London.

The strongest of all groups is Group D containing four national champions - Real Madrid CF (Spain), Manchester City FC (England), AFC Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands), Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

Defending champions FC Chelsea have been drawn in a weaker Group E then along with Italian champions Juventus they should move into the knockout stage past Ukrainians FC Shakhtar Donetsk and newcomers FC Nordjaelland from Denmark.

Last season finalists FC Bayern München after having had the Group of Death last term, this time around got an easier Group F in which they face Valencia CF (Spain), LOSC Lille Métropole (France) and FC BATE Borisov (Belarus).


The Groups

Group A: FC Porto (Portugal), Dinamo Kyiv (Ukraine), FC Paris Saint-Germain (France), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

Group B: Arsenal FC (England), FC Schalke 04 (Germany), Olympiacos Piräus FC (Greece), HSC Montpellier (France)

Group C: AC Milan (Italy), FC Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia), RSC Anderlecht (Belgium), FC Malaga (Spain)

Group D: Real Madrid CF (Spain), Manchester City FC (England), AFC Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands), Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

Group E: Chelsea FC (England), FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Juventus Torino (Italy), FC Nordjaelland (Denmark)

Group F: FC Bayern München (Germany), Valencia CF (Spain), LOSC Lille Métropole (France), FC BATE Borisov (Belarus)

Group G: FC Barcelona (Spain), SL Benfica (Portugal), Spartak Moskva (Russia), Celtic Glasgow (Scotland)

Group H: Manchester United FC (England), Sporting Braga (Portugal), Galatasaray Istanbul (Turkey), CFR Cluj (Romania)

adidas and Chelsea FC train Mumbai's young footballing talent

After giving Delhi a taste of how football is played the Chelsea way, adidas, the Blues from London gave young footballers in Mumbai an unmatched experience-cum-training opportunity with the youth coaches from the UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea FC. The adidas-Chelsea FC Foundation Clinic kicked off at Priyadarshini Park, Napensea Road in Mumbai yesterday.

The foundation clinic was preceded by a month long scouting program - the adidas Predator Camp, conducted across 8 leading schools in Mumbai, including Dhirubhai Ambani School, Campion and DY Patil International. This scouting camp yielded 150 of the best footballing talent from the city. The Chelsea FC youth coaches also held a master-class training session with the respective school coaches, sharing essential training techniques to improve talent coaching and development.

Speaking about the clinic, Tushar Goculdas, Brand Director at adidas India, said, "Football is at the core of our brand's rich heritage and adidas is deeply committed towards building India's success as a footballing nation. Over the last few years we have consistently supported grassroots programs to help the development of young footballers. Mumbai is all in for the adidas-Chelsea FC Foundation Clinic and we plan to expand the program to more cities to encourage aspiring footballers from across the country."

The clinic was supervised by Steve Winnet, who is currently head coach of the Chelsea FC Boys College Academy. Steve has had been coaching for 12 years, working in different countries representing the Chelsea FC International Development Team. Before working at Chelsea FC he was a full time coach at the famous David Beckham Academy in London. Assisting Winnet at the clinic are youth coaches Sam Hubert, Gareth Davies, James Phillips, Julian Hart and Kane Cowburn.

Speaking at the clinic coach Steve Winnet said, "During the first foundation clinic conducted in New Delhi this May, we were extremely encouraged by the skill and passion showcased by the kids. We believed there was tremendous potential in other cities too and were excited to come to Mumbai. These kids are amongst the most talented and dedicated young footballers that we have coached. We believe the right training methods can really help these youngsters improve their game to world class level."

The adidas-Chelsea FC Clinic is working to take the football fever to another level in India and give young Indian footballers an 'all Blue' experience.

Chelsea's Asian Star Scouting Programme a success

English Premier League side Chelsea FC once more organised its Asian Star scouting programme at its Cobham training complex with more then 300 children taking part over the weekend, hoping to win a year-long place within the Chelsea FC Foundation's Elite Training Centre.

This year young players aged from Under-9s, U-10s, U-11s and U-12s with British Asian backgrounds had the opportunity to compete against each other under close scrutiny from Chelsea Foundation coaches. This year's winners will now return to the club's training ground later in the summer for a week-long trial.

The winners in the different categories are

Under 9 - Rajan Singh Sahni
Under 10 - Keshveer Singh Lakanpal
Under 11 - Ibrahim Rahman
Under 12 - Saidul Islam Khan


The Asian Soccer Star 2012 winners in the four age groups were decided on their performance, test results and the Foundation coaches' analysis.

Parents watched on under sweltering conditions as their children were put through drills and tests for speed and agility before taking part in five or six-a-side games of football. The teams all played each other once in a tournament before a final took place between the two top sides. The winners of that meeting were awarded medals and Asian Soccer Star 2012 trophies. The sides were guided by professional coaches.

The initiative attracted the attentions of local media and Punjab singer Jaz Dhami, a coach himself said, "This year I've seen a massive progression and I'm excited to be here. There are not any other clubs which put these events on and it gives the youngsters a great platform from which to build."

"I would like to see more of it, I've been involved over the past three years and I'm surprised other clubs where there is a big Asian population haven't followed suit."

Kashif Siddiqi is a professional footballer who, as well as being a Pakistani international, plays right-back for Ventura County Fusion in California. He came down to Cobham to lend a hand giving out prizes and couldn't speak highly enough of the event.

"It's a great initiative and I'm hoping a number of other clubs can now blueprint this model. What Chelsea are doing is not just great for young Asian footballers but the community as a whole," he said.

"I've seen different kids from the various age groups shine and it's a brilliant idea. If I had something like this when I was growing up it would have eradicated a lot of the barriers I faced, so I'm very appreciative of what the club are doing."

Each winner was given a Chelsea shirt with Asian Star printed on the back and the number depicting their age group before being whisked away for interviews. It marked the end of Asian Star 2012 and head of the Chelsea Foundation, Simon Taylor, said, "It's been an absolutely fantastic day, the weather's been lovely, there's been a great atmosphere and we've seen some very talented footballers on show."

"The kids have loved it and so have the adults. This year we've engaged with the parents a lot more, there have been a few presentations which have been extremely well received so hopefully everybody involved has had a great day."

UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich face Chelsea tonight

The day of the 2012 UEFA Champions League final has arrived in which German Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich take on English Premier League side Chelsea FC at the Allianz Arena in Munich tonight. It is the biggest club match of the season and it is even bigger this year with a home team in FCB having the chance to create history by winning the UEFA Champions League at their own home ground.

Both teams go into the match with a number of players missing due to suspensions picked-up during the semifinal second-legs. While Bayern Munich are missing Holger Badstuber, David Alaba and Luis Gustavo; Chelsea are missing Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles all due to yellow card suspensions, while John Terry had received a red card in Barcelona.

Due to those suspensions both sides go into the match with weakened defensive units and that could be a decisive factor in the match. Bayern Munich will be using holding midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk at the heart of defence alongside Jerome Boateng with Diego Contento moving into the left wingback position, while Toni Kroos joins Bastian Schweinsteiger in defensive midfield. On the other side Chelsea are set to gamble with the defenders Gary Cahill and David Luiz both set to make a first eleven comebacks, while Florent Malouda looks a 50-50 possibility for the match so he could start on the bench.

Both teams come into the final with inconsistant performances and results in recent weeks though Chelsea did win the FA Cup against FC Liverpool while Bayern Munich suffered a 2-5 defeat last weekend in the German Cup against Borussia Dortmund after earlier having conceded the Bundesliga title to the same opponent. But all will be forgotten as the two sides try and avoid final defeats like in 2008 (Chelsea) and 2010 (Bayern Munich).

For Bayern Munich it would be their fifth European Cup triumph for Chelsea it would be illusive trophy that Russian owner Roman Abramovich has always wanted to win. Due to the home advantage Bayern Munich are favourites going into the match, but both coaches Jupp Heynckes and Roberto di Matteo have said that the game starts at 0-0 and that both clubs have a 50-50 chance.


LIKELY LINE-UPS

Bayern Munich
Manuel Neuer - Philipp Lahm [C], Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Jerome Boateng, Diego Contento - Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos - Arjen Robben, Thomas Müller, Franck Ribery - Mario Gomez

Chelsea
Petr Cech - Jose Bosingwa, Gary Cahill, David Luiz, Ashley Cole - John Obi Mikel, Michael Essien - Frank Lampard [C] - Salomon Kalou, Juan Mata - Didier Drogba

Referee
Ricardo Proenca (Portugal)

VIDEO: Passage to Munich - UCL Final: Bayern Munich vs Chelsea FC

A video put together by Adidas on the Passage to Munich of both FC Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC show the numerous goals that both clubs have scored in the competition. A real joyride into the final.

Chelsea: Club bid for Battersea site for new stadium

English Premier League side Chelsea FC, who are in the final of the UEFA Champions League, have bid for the Battersea Power Station site as they have been looking at options for a new bigger stadium then their current home Stamford Bridge in Southwest London for years.

Earlier the Blues had been looking at the Earls Court exhibition centre, here an article of mine about it from November 2010 ( FC Chelsea: Bye Bye Stamford Bridge? ) with now the Battersea Power Station site a more likely location for a new 60,000 seater capacity stadium, if the club is able to buy the property which is not too far away from their current location.

Chelsea's problem is that Stamford Bridge, their home since 1905, has a capacity of just under 42,000 which is only the eighth largest by capacity venue in the English Premiership. The club losses millions in revenues due to this fact.

But Chelsea have other problems as well then any move could run into opposition from fans, then Stamford Bridge is owned by the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), a group of fans who acquired the freehold in 1993 to protect the ground from developers and last year they did not want to sell the ground back to their club.

Announcing a bid for the 39-acre site with property development partner Almacantar, the club said they had not made a final decision to leave Stamford Bridge and that they were not the only party interested in the site. However, Chelsea set out ambitious plans for a new ground that would incorporate the power station's key features.

And that they hope besides the price for the plot would give them a new home in the future.

Champions League: Spanish Armada sunk

Very few would have considered a FC Bayern Munich vs Chelsea FC final in the 2012 UEFA Champions League at Munich's Allianz Arena on May 19 becoming a reality then many thought FC Barcelona had already qualified after it became clear that they would face Chelsea FC in the semifinals while their Spanish archrivals Real Madrid having the tougher assignment against FC Bayern Munich but also expected to go through. But it came differently then planned and envisaged which is the beauty of football, unpredictability.

While Chelsea winning 3-2 on aggregate against the defending champions FC Barcelona, considered as one of the best club sides of all times, was a massive upset; Bayern Munich winning 3-1 on penalties against Real Madrid after 210 minutes of intense football with 2-1 wins for both sides at home was a very close one to call.

Tuesday and Wednesday evenings once more showed the beauty of football that anything is possible even in the most adverse circumstances. In both matches the Spanish home teams had gone ahead 2-0 and would have reached the finals with that result at the end of 90 minutes, but their English and German opponents came back into the match and then even went on to move into the finals.

Now one can look forward to an hopefully interesting and exciting UEFA Champions League final on Saturday, May 19 in Munich which surely will be an advantage to Bayern Munich, who play at home.

This was what I thought before the return-legs on Tuesday and Wednesday with a hint at what could happen: Champions League: Spanish giants face elimination .

Champions League: Spanish giants face elimination

In the next couple of days the return-leg of the two UEFA Champions League semifinals between FC Barcelona vs Chelsea FC (Tuesday) and Real Madrid vs FC Bayern Munich (Wednesday) will decide on which two sides will play the finals on May 19 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Last week Chelsea FC upset defending champions FC Barcelona at home at Stamford Bridge through a Didier Drogba strike. But it was one of the few Chelsea attacks that evening then Barca was the better side but the woodwork, great goalkeeping from Petr Cech and resolute defending denied the Catalans a goal. Interestingly Barca have a bad piece of stats against the Blues and history might repeat itself though Barca surely are capable of scoring two or more goals against Chelsea.

But the Londoners will come to the Nou Camp today with an aim to once more defend as resolutely as possible and then ideal score a goal or two which would mean Barca would have to win by a two goal margin to continue to have the chance to defend their title.

Meanwhile tomorrow Real Madrid will try and turn around a 1-2 deficit against German giants Bayern Munich at their Santiago Bernabeu. There is no doubt that Bayern Munich were the better side last Tuesday at the Allianz Arena and could maybe should have won by a bigger margin. The Bavarians showed that their aim of the 'Finale Dahoam' (the final at home) was alive and put the Spaniards under massive pressure for most of the match.

Real Madrid have the advantage of having scored a vital away goal through German Mesut Özil, but Bayern Munich of having scored the winner a minute from time. Another such performance would be needed to beat Real Madrid and make the dream of a home final a reality.

If the matches had been over after just the 90+ minutes from the first-leg then both the Spanish sides would be out of the competition. And interestingly against these opponents both sides have failed in the semifinals. Especially Real Madrid's stats are bad then thrice they faced Bayern Munich in the semis and on all three occasions (1976, 1987, 2001) the Bavarians prevailed.

Chelsea Star(s) to grace Pepsi T20 Football finals

The Chelsea FC trio Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba are all brand ambassadors of global cola brand Pepsi and in that function at least one of them will be in New Delhi for the national finals of the Pepsi T20 Football to coach and work with the winners of the nationals to take on a team made-up of Indian cricketer, who are also brand ambassadors.

There is no involvement from Chelsea FC in this exercise, the players have individual sponsorship deals with Pepsi; but the club surely will not mind the cross-promotion of the club through their players.

All this is set to happen in June 2012, but with Euro2012 taking place in Poland and the Ukraine from June 8 to July 1 the likelihood of Englishman Lampard and Spaniard Torres coming to India seems difficult due to their international commitments. Ivorian Drogba in my opinion looks to be the top candidate at the moment as per the football calendar, but maybe Pepsi India can work around it.

The feedback that I have gotten from people who have participated in the events in Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai has been positive. It is a new concept to mix elements of cricket into football, which can create a hype around the sport.

The Pepsi T20 Football is another step in Pepsi India's 'Change the Game' campaign which has started to promote football at the grassroot level.


Here the link to my original article from last month: Pepsi India launch Amateur T20 Football Tournament !

Chelsea's difficult search for a new coach

English Premier League side Chelsea Football Club are once more on the lookout for a long-term manager after 34 year old Portuguese André Villas-Boas was fired a few weeks ago, only eight month's after he had joined the club.

The west London club's Russian owner Roman Abramovich is on the lookout for his eighth manager in as many years. Top of his wish list are Pep Guardiola (FC Barcelona) and Jose Mourinho (Real Madrid) with other coaches like Guus Hiddink (now Anzhi Makhachkala), Juergen Klopp (Borussia Dortmund) and Laurent Blanc (France) have been sounded out, while coaches like Rafael Benitez have shown own interest in the job.

Spaniard Guardiola is currently the most successful club coach with FC Barcelona whom he only joined in 2008 and since then has won everything that a club can win. But news out of Catalunya is that Guardiola is getting tired at Barca and might leave in the summer. If he would take time off or join another side is not known, so Chelsea are trying to find out.

A dream for a lot of Chelsea fans would be the return of the 'Special One' Jose Mourinho, who coached the Blues very successfully from 2004 to 2007. But if the Mourinho would leave Real Madrid for London will have to be seen. Certainly Chelsea has a special place in Mourinho's heart and he has said that his next job after Real Madrid would be in the Premier League. But any return to Stamford Bridge would depend if Mourinho and owner Abramovich can work with each other again.

But there is an option which people aren't consider much at the moment, but maybe one to look at if he continues to be successful. Caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo has done well since taking over and might be named as full-time manager in the weeks to come if wanted candidates turn down the hot seat.

Chelsea's Asian Star Scouting Programme is back!

English Premier League side Chelsea FC will once more organise its Asian Star scouting programme. This year young players aged from Under-9s to Under-12s with British Asian backgrounds will have the opportunity to compete to win a season-long placement at one of Chelsea's Elite Training Centres in London, Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and Essex.

Since its inauguration in 2009, the programme has already identified five potential stars of the future who have gone on to play for professional clubs' academies.

Previous winners of the competition were given the chance to trial for the Chelsea Academy but to ensure aspiring players get the best possible coaching, this year's initiative is offering a year-long placement on one of the Chelsea FC Foundation's Elite Training Centres.

The scouting programme is quite popular amongst British Asians, whose kids want to try and make football their career. Parents and coaches of talented youngsters are encouraged to apply.

The Asian Star 2012 registration form and further details can be found on the official Chelsea FC website

Deloitte Football Money League: Real Madrid top once more!

The Deloitte Football Money League 2010/11 has been released with Spanish giants Real Madrid topping the league table of the world's 20 highest earning football clubs for the seventh straight year, according to auditing firm Deloitte.

For the first time the combined revenues of the 20 biggest football clubs in the world has crossed the 4 billion Euros mark and now stands at 4,3 billion Euros an increase of 8,3 percent with all these clubs coming out of Europe. England remains the most represented with six out of the top 20 clubs from the Premier League, five from Italy, four from Germany, three from Spain plus two from France.

Once more Spain's big two are the highest revenue earners in world football. Though playing second fiddle to FC Barcelona in the Spanish league and on the European stage Real Madrid have been able to increase their revenues by 40.9 million Euros from the previous season to now an impressive 479,5 million Euros with Barca 28,8 million Euros behind. But the Catalans could once more close the gap over their archrivals.

German Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04 are the biggest movers as they move from 16th place into the Top 10 for the first time due to their UEFA Champions League semifinal appearance and winning the German Cup as their budget rose from 139,8 to 202,4 million Euros.

Atlético de Madrid, VfB Stuttgart and Aston Villa dropped out of the Top 20; while Borussia Dortmund, FC Valencia and SSC Napoli entered this elite group of football clubs.


Deloitte Football Money League - 2009/2010 Top 20

01. (01) Real Madrid 479,5 million Euros
02. (02) FC Barcelona 450,7 million Euros
03. (03) Manchester United 367,0 million Euros
04. (04) FC Bayern Munich 321,4 million Euros
05. (05) FC Arsenal London 251,1 million Euros
06. (06) FC Chelsea London 249,8 million Euros
07. (07) AC Milan 235,1 million Euros
08. (09) Inter Milan 211,4 million Euros
09. (08) FC Liverpool 203,3 million Euros
10. (16) FC Schalke 04 202,4 million Euros
11. (12) Tottenham Hotspurs 181,0 million Euros
12. (11) Manchester City 169,6 million Euros
13. (10) Juventus Torino 153,9 million Euros
14. (15) Olympique Marseille 150,4 million Euros
15. (18) AS Roma 143,5 million Euros
16. (--) Borussia Dortmund 138,5 million Euros
17. (14) Olympique Lyonnais 132,8 million Euros
18. (13) Hamburger SV 128,8 million Euros
19. (--) FC Valencia 116,8 million Euros
20. (--) SSC Napoli 114,9 million Euros