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.

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard to attend Soccerex European Forum

Soccerex have confirmed that England and FC Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will be attending the Soccerex European Forum on April 10/11 in Manchester.

Regarded as one of the greatest central midfielders of the modern era, Gerrard has been an iconic symbol of English football as well as a once in a generation player for his hometown club, FC Liverpool.

Making his senior debut for Liverpool in 1998, he has made 625 appearances for the club, including 159 goals. His defining football moment came in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul. Having already brought Liverpool back from the brink against Olympiacos, Gerrard helped orchestrate one of the greatest comebacks in the history of football, his 54th minute header inspiring Liverpool to come from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win their fifth European Cup.

Gerrard gained his first international cap in 2000, scoring his first international goal in the 5-1 defeat of Germany in 2001. He has proved himself to be one of England's most consistent performers and reached 100 caps for England against Sweden in November 2012, becoming only the 6th player ever to do so. He captained the side for the first time in 2004 and was handed the armband again during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Gerrard retained the captaincy for the opening Euro 2012 qualifying match against Bulgaria and was later confirmed as permanent captain.

Steven Gerrard commented, "I'm excited to be attending the Soccerex European Forum; it will be a great opportunity to catch up with the football family and help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the FA."

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said, "To welcome a player of Steven's stature to our event is an enormous privilege for me and Soccerex. As England and Liverpool captain, he is an icon of the game all over the world and brings his vast experience and knowledge of the game both on and off the field which will greatly enhance everyone's Soccerex experience and help to make the Forum an unmissable event."

The Soccerex European Forum is a two-day event which attracts over 1,600 delegates from the elite of Europe's football industry to come together to debate, network and do business. This year's agenda setting conference programme will tackle the key issues shaping European football, including fan engagement, media rights, match fixing, discrimination and addiction, life after football, social media and a selection of special 1-2-1 sessions with Gianni Infantino, Alexey Sorokin, Sir John Madejski, Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Neville.

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com/europe .

VIDEO: Liverpool's Pepe Reina Incredible Over-Head Kick Goal in Training!

Liverpool FC goalkeeper Pepe Reina isn't having his best of seasons and maybe he is looking at other options then goalkeeping to get into the first eleven. Here a LFC training clip in which Reina scores an incredible over-head goal off a Luis Suarez corner.

Warrior - Face Off goes Live: Virtual becomes Reality in new EPL Prediction Game!

Warrior Football marks its debut season in the English Premier League by giving fans of all teams a chance to battle it out against each other as the brand's new online prediction game, Face Off, goes live.

Face Off challenges gamers to predict their team's performance on the pitch while going head-to-head with rival fans. Players who are on the ball will be in to win 'money can't buy' prizes, as well as the chance to claim the title of ultimate Premier League fan.

In true footballer style, the overall Face Off champion will be flown to Los Angeles with a friend for a 10-day taste of the high life. Whilst there, they will train alongside Warrior brand ambassador Vinnie Jones and his Hollywood All-Stars team. Announced as an ambassador in July, Jones is looking forward to putting the ultimate fan through their paces. Notorious for his frank, no-nonsense attitude, Warrior channels his hard-man persona throughout the game.

Speaking about his involvement with Face Off, Vinnie Jones said, "This game isn't about sitting on the sideline, it's about winning, proving you can cut it with the best. Face Off is a prediction game with balls that really sorts the boys from the men – if fans want to score on and off the pitch, this is a good place to start."

For those not Hollywood-bound, a chance to watch a game with eight friends in an executive box at Anfield is up for grabs, along with regular opportunities to score Premier League tickets and limited edition Warrior merchandise throughout the season.

Fans can sign up and make their predications via the Warrior Face Off website now!

UEFA Europa League: Playoffs draw out

The draw for the final round of qualifiers for the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League was carried out earlier today in Nyon, Switzerland. There are some well known sides who are fighting to survive to play in continental competitions this season.

Last season finalists Athletic Bilbao from Spain face Finnish side HJK Helsinki, while former champions Liverpool FC take on another British team in Heart of Midlothian FC and while FC Vaslui host 2010 UEFA Champions League winners Inter Milan.

The UEFA Europa League qualifiers for the group stage will be played on August 23 and 30 with the group stage to be drawn on August 31 in Monaco.


UEFA Europa League - Play-off Round

FC Anzhi Makhachkala (RUSSIA) - AZ Alkmaar (NETHERLANDS)
APOEL FC (CYPRUS) - Neftçi PFK (AZERBAIJAN)
Atromitos FC (GREECE) - Newcastle United FC (ENGLAND)
Tromsø IL (NORWAY) - FK Partizan (SERBIA)
FC Vaslui (ROMANIA) - FC Internazionale Milano (ITALY)

Heart of Midlothian FC (SCOTLAND) - Liverpool FC (ENGLAND)
Athletic Club Bilbao (SPAIN) - HJK Helsinki (FINLAND)
CS Marítimo (PORTUGAL) - *FC Dila Gori (GEORGIA) or Anorthosis Famagusta (CYPRUS)
Molde FK (NORWAY) - sc Heerenveen (NETHERLANDS)
Debreceni VSC (HUNGARY) - Club Brugge KV (BELGIUM)

FC Sheriff (MOLDOVA) - Olympique de Marseille (FRANCE)
Trabzonspor AS (TURKEY) - Videoton FC (HUNGARY)
FC Midtjylland (DENMARK) - BSC Young Boys Bern (SWITZERLAND)
WKS Slask Wroclaw (POLAND) - Hannover 96 (GERMANY)
FC Dinamo Bucuresti (ROMANIA) - FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKRAINE)

AC Horsens (DENMARK) - Sporting Clube de Portugal (PORTUGAL)
Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC (ISRAEL) - F91 Dudelange (LUXEMBOURG)
Feyenoord (NETHERLANDS) - AC Sparta Praha (CZECH REPUBLIC)
Motherwell FC (SCOTLAND) - Levante UD (SPAIN)
FK Crvena zvezda (SERBIA) - FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRANCE)

KSC Lokeren OV (BELGIUM) - FC Viktoria Plzen (CZECH REPUBLIC)
S.S. Lazio (ITALY) - ND Mura 05 (SLOVENIA)
AIK Solna (SWEDEN) - PFC CSKA Moskva (RUSSIA)
Legia Warszawa (POLAND) - Rosenborg Trondheim BK (NORWAY)
Bursaspor (TURKEY) - FC Twente Enschede (NETHERLANDS)

FC Steaua Bucuresti (ROMANIA) - FK Ekranas (LITHUANIA)
FC Slovan Liberec (CZECH REPUBLIC) - FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKRAINE)
VfB Stuttgart (GERMANY) - FC Dinamo Moskva (RUSSIA)
PAOK FC (GREECE) - SK Rapid Wien (AUSTRIA)
FC Luzern (SWITZERLAND) - KRC Genk (BELGIUM)
FK Zeta (MONTENEGRO) - PSV Eindhoven (NETHERLANDS)

*Subject to the CDB decision

Jazzy B - 'The Crown Prince of Bhangra' & his love affair with Liverpool FC

"My love for Liverpool Football Club stems from when I was growing up in Vancouver where all the kids watched English football. I remember players like Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Ian Rush. I always wanted to visit Anfield to watch my heroes play. Since moving to England I've had the chance to get more involved in football and watch some games live," explains Jazzy B, who is arguably one of the biggest stars of the Bhangra music scene.

Born in Punjab, India and raised in Surrey, British Columbia in Canada, Jassy B or in full Jaswinder Singh Bains released his debut album in 1993. He has since gone on to release over 15 albums and has toured the world twice over. Tagged as the 'Crown Prince Of Bhangra', Jazzy B has become one of the most recognised Punjabi personalities in the world with his unique style – both vocal and fashion.

"I am a huge LFC supporter and proudly wear my official LFC shirts on stage in India and the Far East. For the UK and North American audiences, I generally wear my customised LFC kurta (a traditional Indian loose shirt). I designed it myself and got it custom made by my tailor in Punjab. All the Asian Liverpool supporters around the world who've seen it are asking where they can get their own kit from." Jazzy's passion for the Reds has seen him endorse LFC in his recent smash-hit video the title track to 'Maharajas'. "It was an easy decision, the director wanted a certain style and the shirt was the right choice. I also have 'Maharajas' (meaning Kings) printed on the back."

With over half a million Youtube hits to his last video alone, 20,000+ followers on Twitter and in excess of 250,000 fans on Facebook, Jazzy B proves that his musical message goes far beyond the surrounds of the Asian music arena. "I love talking about music and football on Twitter and Facebook. It's what keeps me informed of how LFC are doing while I am on tour. I am also proud to be an honorary patron of the Punjabi LFC twitter fan club; I'll do anything I can to promote Liverpool FC."

As a sports fanatic who also follows Ice Hockey and the Indian sport of Kabaddi, Jazzy encourages his young fans to keep active. He is especially keen to see an Asian become a high-profile professional footballer, ideally with Liverpool FC. "It would be a dream come true to see a South Asian play at Anfield in front of the Kop. I'm sure it will happen and hopefully it will be my son Jovan. He's Liverpool mad. He's the first in our house to have his scarf in front of the TV singing 'You’ll Never Walk Alone' whenever we watch a Liverpool game."

Jazzy has partnered with Inventive Sports, a UK based sports consultancy, in their drive to promote UK Asians in football. "I really believe in the passion that Inventive Sports have about Asian participation in Football. It was their enthusiasm that really made me decide to support their cause. I hope I can help reach out to my global fan base and make a difference."

Director of Inventive Sports Baljit Rihal said, "We are glad to have Jazzy B on board to help us spread the word about Asians in Football. It's not just about the players on the pitch; it's also about encouraging more Asians onto the terraces. Having Jazzy as an ambassador will help us encourage participation on all fronts." Baljit, who also founded the Asian Football Awards, continued, "We are very excited to be working on a project with Liverpool Football Club's supporters committee, which we hope will help increase the awareness of Asians in football. It's also an added bonus that Jazzy is a passionate LFC fan and that he supports the club through his music and social media channels."

Liverpool FC's Ethnic Minority Supporters representative, Abu Nasir commented, "LFC are very much engaged with its Asian fan base and are proud to say that we probably have the biggest following of supporters from a South Asian background both in the UK and globally. We continuously work and engage with Asian fans on an on-going basis and are excited about developing this project in partnership with Jazzy B and Inventive Sports."

Danny Lynch from football's equality and inclusion organisation Kick It Out said, "If we see more Asians following their team in person after a clarion call from someone like Jazzy B, it can only be of benefit for the community and the game as a whole. Music and football have long had parallels with one another, combining passion and excitement from a mass audience. When they are used together to promote one another, as is the case here, they seem obvious bedfellows. Moreover, anything which creatively gets more people interested and energised by football is something to be applauded."

Former professional footballer and FA Consultant, Brendon Batson MBE was asked whether using music icons to engage with Asian fans was a positive step. He commented, "It's a good idea if done in a genuine way. It would also be beneficial if they supported a team or at the very least football."

After being informed of the forthcoming project, BBC Asian Network Presenter and fellow LFC supporter, Noreen Khan commented, "Having Jazzy B team up with LFC is brilliant news! He is probably the biggest Bhangra star around and has built up a huge loyal following over the years. With Jazzy helping to promote this initiative it can only help generate and boost more interest in football amongst young Asians."

With the 2012/13 season just weeks away, Jazzy hopes to catch some games in between his future tours and film release. "My wife and I saw Canada play in the Olympics last week, so now I am buzzing for the new Premiership season to start. I definitely plan to go to Anfield this season to see how Brendan Rogers gets the team playing. I was devastated to see Kenny go, but hopefully the team can now move on and challenge for the number one spot after such a long wait for another title."

With future plans to showcase Asian footballers in one of his music videos, Jazzy feels he has seen enough talent to know the future is bright. "I've seen kids in Canada, India and the UK wearing their (English) Premier League shirts with pride. Asian kids love the game and they all want to be the next Messi, Ronaldo or Gerrard. It would be great to have my music and my passion for Liverpool FC get more Asians interested in the game. With so many fans around the world supporting my music, I hope I can encourage more of them to start supporting Liverpool Football Club."

Follow details of the project on Twitter: @JazzyB @InventiveSports @PunjabiLFC

New Warrior Third Kit breaks new ground for Liverpool FC

Delivering a bold design statement to the football world, Warrior has unleashed the new 2012/13 Liverpool FC third kit. With a striking graphic print set over a daring colour palette of nightshade, orange and white, the new kit will be worn by Liverpool FC during their upcoming 2012/13 UEFA Europa League campaign and selected English Premier League games.

Head of Warrior Football Richard Wright said, "Our intention with the new third kit was to create something that broke new ground for Liverpool FC. Warrior has delivered a fearless design concept that steers clear of what's been done before."

Inspiration behind the kit's dominant nightshade colour stems from popular past goalkeeper kits worn by David James during the 1994/95 and 1995/96 seasons, and Pepe Reina in 2010/11. Ancient tribal warrior markings have been set along the outer sides of the sleeves and side panels – a design first for the Club. Beyond the third kit, this tribal graphic features heavily throughout the 2012/13 Liverpool FC range of apparel and accessories.

In line with Liverpool FC's new home and away versions, the third kit features a fully embroidered amber yellow Liver Bird emblem as the Club's crest. In recognition of the tragic events at Hillsborough in 1989 and Heysel in 1985, two commemorative Eternal Flames sit alongside a 96 logo, embroidered on the nape of the shirt's neck.

Unique to Warrior's third design, the kit has been constructed with body mapped mesh to help players stay cool under pressure. Powered by War-Tech, Warrior's revolutionary apparel system, the kit will keep external elements out while letting sweat and moisture escape to help players stay dry and comfortable. The main body of the third shirt is underpinned with durable water resistant technology, adding a layer of protection by rejecting external moisture while staying dry. In addition, polyester mesh fabric under the arms enables a full-range of movement and increased air flow to help regulate temperature in key heat areas during games.

Liverpool FC captain Steven Gerrard said, "The new third kit is completely different from anything we've had at LFC during my time at the Club; it's part of a new era and is a great design. The players love it."

Brendan Rodgers, the recently-appointed Manager of Liverpool FC, said, "The strip offers the supporters something new, fresh and exciting to wear. I know the players are looking forward to wearing it and performing with pride and distinction in it."

New Warrior Away Kit celebrates Liverpool's nautical heritage

Following the successful launch of the inaugural Warrior Liverpool FC home kit, the away strip is also built around the theme of 'modern tradition'. Specifically inspired by the kit worn between 1900 and 1906, the away shirt features a prominent yoke detail set over a distinct colour palette of black and raven grey.

Fully embroidered to match the new home kit, the amber yellow Liver Bird emblem sits prominently on the away shirt as the Club's crest.

Head of Warrior Football Richard Wright said, "The away kit draws strong parallels from the uniforms worn by the Liverpool dockyard workers who plied their trade at the Mersey Docks – the world’s most influential ship building at the turn of the 20th century."

As with the new home kit, the away version has been designed using Warrior's revolutionary apparel system, War-Tech. At the heart of War-Tech lies Scafé, an innovative, antimicrobial fabric made with coffee grounds. As well as being environmentally friendly, Scafé is fast drying, assists with odor control and provides UV protection.

To further ensure the highest level of performance, the main body of the Liverpool FC away shirt is designed with durable water resistant technology to reject external moisture and help maintain dryness. Under-arm four-way stretch mesh fabric also enables full-range movement, functionality and air flow to help regulate body temperature in key heat areas during games.

Globally the kit will be available to purchase online at www.warriorfootball.com .

Warrior will unleash LFC's European kit in July.

VIDEO: Scoring for the Craig Bellamy Foundation in Singapore

Warrior Sports, the new kit supplier of Liverpool FC, had Welsh star Craig Bellamy in Singapore for the launch of the new Reds kit in Southeast Asia last week. And Warrior are aggressively marketing their entry into football kitting, especially with their catchy phrase #WeComeNotToPlay .

Warrior unleashes new Liverpool FC home kit

Warrior has officially unveiled its highly anticipated 2012/13 Liverpool FC home kit. Combining revolutionary design and technology, the new kit is a celebration of the Club's renowned heritage with inspiration drawn from Liverpool FC legends of old. Developed out of the brand's global football headquarters in Wilmslow, England, the new Liverpool FC kit has been constructed by a hand-picked team of design and development experts.

Head of Warrior Football Richard Wright believes the new LFC kit will smash expectations.

"By partnering our knowledge of making high performance sports apparel with Liverpool FC's rich history, Warrior has successfully created a kit that will empower players with the means to dominate. Our goal is to breathe new life and energy into the game of football, to make people sit up and take notice by redefining expectations," said Wright.

Warrior has stamped its mark on the Liverpool FC home kit by introducing a number of signature features.

Inspiration behind the kit was drawn from the 1964/65 version, worn under Club legend, Bill Shankly. The cult manager believed the high-risk red gave players a physical and psychological edge over their opponents.

The iconic amber yellow Liver Bird emblem has been re-introduced to the new kit, taking centre stage on the shirt as the Club's crest. Reminiscent of the strip worn between 1976 and 1985 – a time recognised as one of Liverpool FC's golden eras – the crest has been fully embroidered on to the shirt for only the second time in the Club's history.

Marking a world-first in football, the kit has been designed using War-Tech, a revolutionary apparel system engineered by Warrior. At the heart of War-Tech lies Scafé, an innovative, antimicrobial fabric made with coffee grounds. As well as being environmentally friendly, Scafé is fast drying, assists with odor control and provides UV protection.

To further ensure the highest level of performance, the main body of the Liverpool FC shirt is designed with durable water resistant technology, a hydro-phobic development that rejects external moisture and helps maintain dryness. Under-arm four-way stretch mesh fabric also allows for full-range movement, functionality and air flow to help regulate temperature in key heat areas during games.

LFC captain Steven Gerrard, who was recently given the England captain's arm band for the 2012 European Championships, believes the new Warrior kit is one of the best in the Club's history.

"Warrior has designed a kit that embodies everything that is great about Liverpool Football Club," said Gerrard. "I'm extremely happy with the reintroduction of the amber yellow Liver Bird crest and the stitching gives it that extra touch of quality. For fit, comfort and functionality, it's one of the best kits I've worn – the fans will love it."

Liverpool FC will wear the groundbreaking new-look home kit for the first time against Toronto FC on July 21, during the Club’s summer tour of North America.

The kit will be available to purchase online at www.warriorfootball.com .

With a number of exciting club and player signings on the horizon, it is clear Warrior remains true to its brand philosophy of, we come not to play.

VIDEO: FC Liverpool's new 2012-13 kit!

English Premier League club Liverpool FC last month signed a six year kit deal worth £25m-a-year with Warrior Sports (owned by Boston based New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc) from the 2012/13 season onwards. Here a video of the new LFC kit presented by the Liverpool players!

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

VIDEO: Cat invasion at Anfield!

Liverpool FC hosted Tottenham Hotspurs at Anfield Road in a Monday night game on February 6. But there was an unusual visitor onto the pitch when 10 minutes into match a cat, a black and white moggie, ran over the pitch to stop proceedings for about a minute before a steward collected the cat and allowed the match to restart.

Since then the cat has become a celebrity with it even having its own Twitter account under @AnfieldCat .

VIDEO: Ian Rush on Indian football

Liverpool FC legend Ian Rush was in Mumbai this week for a promotional event for his club and their sponsors in connection with Indian youngsters. He spoke to news channel NewsX, an interesting and open interview.

PIFA children train at Liverpool Academy

The Premier India Football Academy from Mumbai organized their 24th international football camp to Europe this year. The PIFA Champions Tour 2011 was held at the Liverpool FC's - 'The Academy' at Kirkby in North Liverpool from June 1-9. Indian children got first-hand experience training under Liverpool academy youth coach Gary Judge, who holds a UEFA licence.

This is the first-ever Liverpool camp held for international children at 'The Academy'. The camp focused on technical training to help develop TABS - Technique, Attitude, Balance and Speed. Gary Lewis, Liverpool U-15 coach and UEFA 'A' licence coach did a special session for the campers to develop awareness on the pitch. Coach Darren did a session on SAQ and the use of specialized equipments such as parachutes and resistant chords to help build power, speed and balance.

The training was conducted every day on the astro-turf pitches both indoor as well as outdoor. The campers trained in Liverpool kit, got a tour of Anfield Stadium and museum. They were treated to lunch at 'The Boot Room' inside Anfield. The following day they were taken to Anfield for an interactive session at Reducate and a chance to pose with the UEFA Champions League Trophy won for the fifth time by Liverpool.

The children had a surprise visit by Liverpool Academy graduate and now Liverpool player John Flanigan. The children had lots of questions for him and learnt a lot about being a professional player with regard to his discipline, training and diet.

On penultimate day the children visited Old Trafford and were later invited to lunch at Jamie Carragher's restaurant in Liverpool – 'Café Sports England'. Later in the evening the boys played a friendly match against the local side form Runcorn.

Neel Shah was the final winner of skills test that were conducted through the camp. He won with a score of 730 points. The runners up was Yudister Jaisingh. Both the boys were presented with a trophy. All participants got a certificate from Liverpool signed by Ian Rush and a LFC gift set.

"This was the by far the best camp that we have attended, in terms of facility, training and enjoyment, we look forward to returning very soon," said PIFA Director Nirvan Shah.

The proceeds of these camps are utilised to develop the organisations I-League 2nd division team PIFA Colaba FC, a PIFA community football project undertaken by NGO - PIFA Foundation for benefit of sports in Colaba, Mumbai. The team in its fifth year of existence has reached the I-League 2nd division and finished third in the Mumbai Elite League.

Sami Hyypiä set to retire

At a press conference in Helsinki yesterday 37 year old defender Sami Hyypiä surprisingly announced that he will retire at the end of the season though he has a contract running until summer 2012 with Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Sami Hyypiä was born in Porvoo, which is close to the Finnish capital Helsinki. After playing for Pallo-Peokot and Kumu in his youth he joined Finnish first division side MyPa in 1992. After three years he left them for Dutch Eredivisie side Willem II Tilburg where he spend four seasons before joining Liverpool FC.

Hyypiä spend a memorable decade with the Red where he went on to win the 2005 UEFA Champions League besides the 2001 treble - Football League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup plus the 2006 FA Cup. He even captained the Merseyside for a number of years before leaving them for Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2009, which was to many a rather surprising move.

Hyypiä has never won the national title with any of his clubs, but was nine times Finland's Footballer of the year - 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010. He has the second highest number of internationals for Finland with 105 behind legendary Jari Litmanen having scored five goals for his country.

"My time at Leverkusen has been fascinating and will finish with a direct qualification for the Champions League," said Hyypiä, who has so far played 52 times for Bayer 04.

"I've spent two years with a superb team and a wonderful club which is giving me the opportunity to start my coaching career."

Hyypiä would return to Finland this summer to do his coaching badges and work as part of the coaching staff at the Finnish national team before returning to Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2012 as one of their assistant coaches on a two year contract.

PIFA tie up with Liverpool International Football Academy

Mumbai's Premier India Football Academy have a new tie-up with Liverpool International Football Academy Soccer Schools. This association will help PIFA organise camps at the Liverpool facilities and an opportunity to bring coaches from Liverpool to India. The association will also help PIFA to adopt the latest training methods employed by Liverpool.

Some of the graduates from the Liverpool Football Academy are Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard.

PIFA will be organising a camp to Liverpool from June 1 to 9. The participants will be train in Liverpool kit and will be coached by UEFA / FA licensed Liverpool coaches at The Academy facilities at Kirkby in Liverpool. The campers will also visit Liverpool's Anfield Stadium besides getting to know what nutrition and fitness program the Reds have that keeps them going as well as psychology sessions.

This will be PIFA's 24th camp to Europe since 2003. The academy has an AIFF I-League 2nd division team - PIFA Colaba FC as well as other teams playing in the Mumbai Football League. Talented campers get selected to play for these teams.

For camp details you can call 98202 68365 or visit their website www.pifa.co.in .

Deloitte Football Money League: Real Madrid top again!

The Deloitte Football Money League 2009/10 has been released with Spanish giants Real Madrid topping the league table of the world's 20 richest football clubs for the sixth 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 seven out of the top 20 clubs from the Premier League, four each from Germany and Italy, three from Spain plus two from France.

But 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 Real Madrid have been able to increase their revenues by 37.2 million Euros from the previous season to now an impressive 438,6 million Euros with Barca 40,5 million Euros behind. But the Catalans could close the gap considerably through their 30 million Euros per annum sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation.

Meanwhile the biggest jump came from big spending Manchester City who have come from 19th to 11th in the table and the Deloitte researchers think in coming seasons they along with Tottenham Hotspurs would make it into the top ten. Who they could replace was not said, but most likely the Italian clubs who are falling behind and maybe even Liverpool without European football.


Deloitte Football Money League - 2009/2010 Top 20

01. (01) Real Madrid 438,6 million Euros
02. (02) FC Barcelona 398,1 million Euros
03. (03) Manchester United 349,8 million Euros
04. (04) FC Bayern Munich 323,0 million Euros
05. (05) FC Arsenal London 274,1 million Euros
06. (06) FC Chelsea London 255,9 million Euros
07. (10) AC Milan 235,8 million Euros
08. (07) FC Liverpool 225,3 million Euros
09. (09) Inter Milan 224,8 million Euros
10. (08) Juventus Torino 205,0 million Euros
11. (19) Manchester City 152,8 million Euros
12. (15) Tottenham Hotspurs 146,3 million Euros
13. (11) Hamburger SV 146,2 million Euros
14. (13) Olympique Lyonnais 146,1 million Euros
15. (14) Olympique Marseille 141,1 million Euros
16. (16) FC Schalke 04 139,8 million Euros
17. (--) Atlético de Madrid 124,5 million Euros
18. (12) AS Roma 122,7 million Euros
19. (--) VfB Stuttgart 114,8 million Euros
20. (--) Aston Villa 109,4 million Euros

Rafa no more Inter Milan coach

Some relationships people say are made in heaven, but that between Italian giants Internationale Milan and their Spanish coach Rafael Benitez simply wasn't and the much awaited sacking came earlier today after the club and their now former coach worked out the financial details before officially parting ways. It somehow didn't work and Benitez in the end didn't even survive six months with the Nerazzurri (The Black & Blues).

But Benitez was on a lost mission from the start. His predecessor Jose Mourinho won everything with the club in his two years in Milano and this summer the club mainly retained the same squad, but injuries robbed Benitez of some of his best players and after such a sensational season as the last it always was difficult to recreate that form and level of performance.

The official statement from Inter Milan on their website read "a mutually satisfactory agreement for the early termination of his contract had been agreed." And this was the reason why the dismissal took so long to be officially announced.

The timing of the sacking can be termed as unfortunate with Inter Milan last week winning the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi against TP Mazembe from Congo, but the relationship between Benitez and the board had been damaged beyond repair after Benitez in a press conference said the following, "There are three possibilities for the club. One, 100% support for the coach and buy four or five players to build a stronger team with competition among the players to be able to carry on winning matches and trophies. Two, carry on like this without a project, without planning, and go ahead with one person to blame, for the whole season. The third is to speak to my agent to reach an agreement if there is not this support. Simple."

The club took option three. Inter president Massimo Moratti is known not to stick too long with a coach who he thinks isn't going to deliver. And it became more and more evident from the statements he made over the last few weeks that this was the case and even winning the FIFA Club World Cup couldn't save Benitez his job. Moratti had said in Italy, "I'm sorry the relationship with Benitez is over, but the split had become inevitable."

Now Benitez leaves and the discussions have started who will replace him. The front-runner is said to be a former AC Milan star and last season Milan's coach Brazilian Leonardo. Other names being mentioned are those of Walter Zenga, Luciano Spalletti, Frank Rijkaard, Fabio Capello or Diego Simeone.

Meanwhile Benitez's reputation as a top coach has suffered but his success at FC Valencia and FC Liverpool make him a hot property on the European coaching circuit. And the craziest of all rumours is that of a possible return to Liverpool if Roy Hodgson is shown the door at Anfield.

Nothing is impossible in football, but one will have to wait and see...

Liverpool FC: Asian owners?

News out of Liverpool says that Liverpool Football Club will have to be sold in the next four to six weeks. And why so? Simply as the banks involved in the deal and those who have lend money to the club plus their American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks want surety on where the club is moving in the future.

There are said to be six international bidders with a chance to buy the club. And it looks likely that an Asian bidder could win the race to buy one of the most iconic clubs of world football. But whoever buys Liverpool FC will have to shell out a substantial amount of money plus also invest a hefty sum in a new stadium and recruit players with which the club can challenge for the Premier League title and the crown of the UEFA Champions League.

The Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays Capital are looking after the sale of the Reds with the clubs new chief executive Martin Broughton, a former British Airways chief, looking after the clubs interest in any potential deal. And time is an issue not only for the current American owners to move out, but also for coach Roy Hodgson to have money to spend in the transfer market before it closes on August 31.

But who are the supposed bidders?

The top candidate at the moment for many analysts and pundits is said to be Hongkong-based businessman Kenny Huang, who is said to have the support of China's largest sovereign fund "China Investment Corporation". Some actually say the Chinese government is indirectly pushing Huang to bid and buy the Reds. At least colour wise China and Liverpool FC are on the same line.

The other prominent bidder to have gone public is Syrian born Yahya Kirdi now settled in Canada. Kirdi is a former footballer himself and is said to have financially strong Middle Eastern backers to give the club financial stability. But his closeness to Gillett's son Foster might be a deterrent.

And one Indian name which is being mentioned once in a while, but it does come back again and again is that of Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani. Any interest from Ambani senior has been denied by RIL repeatedly in the past, but that wouldn't be a deterrent. In the past there is said to have been negotiations between the American owners and Ambani about a minority share holding stake, but now the whole club is on sale. A new scenario has emerged and maybe something for Ambani to cash in on. And then we would finally have an Indian owner of a top English Premier League club.

Another Indian businessman who is being linked with Liverpool FC is Sahara Parivar chairman Subroto Roy. People close to Roy have internally said that Sahara has had talks with Liverpool FC, but their asking price would have to come down substantially due to the high debts of over 350 Million Pounds.

The other bidders are said to include Rafed Al-Kharafi, nephew of the Kuwait-based billionaire industrialist Nasser Al-Kharafi; and the Rhône private equity group based in the United States.

But which way the new ownership of Liverpool FC will go is not clear. The only thing that one can say for sure is that Reds fans will be happy once their American owners move out. And they will hope for better investors, who have the deeper pockets to support and strengthen the club. Otherwise this current nightmare could continue for a while...