Torres to make Chelsea debut against Liverpool

LONDON (AP): Fernando Torres should make his debut for Chelsea against former club Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, just six days after leaving the Reds in a British-record transfer deal.

The Spain striker angered Liverpool fans after sealing his reported 50 million pounds ($81 million) switch to the defending English champions by saying he jumped at the chance to move to a "top-level club" after 3 1/2 years at Anfield.

Torres says it's destiny that his debut for the Blues comes against Liverpool, although it remains to be seen whether Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti starts him at Stamford Bridge.

Both teams are in impressive form but unbeaten leader Manchester United shows no sign of slowing up ahead of its match at Wolverhampton on Saturday.

  

Arsenal keeper Fabianski to miss rest of season

LONDON (AP): Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will miss the rest of the season because of a shoulder problem.

Wenger says the 25-year-old Poland international will undergo an operation in Germany to cure an injury that has kept him out for the past month.

Wenger says Fabianski "has decided after having seen a few specialists that he will have surgery ... it means his season is over."

Fabianski had established himself as Arsenal's first-choice goalkeeper, playing 20 games this season after displacing Manuel Almunia.

With Almunia recently back from a long-term injury absence, Wenger will have choose whether to give the jersey to the Spanish player or Polish youngster Wojciech Szczesny.

  

Report: Anelka could join Henry in MLS

PARIS (AP): L'Equipe newspaper says the New York Red Bulls are trying to sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka.

According to the sports daily, the Major League Soccer club wants Anelka to reunite with fellow Frenchman Thierry Henry, who will begin his second season with the Red Bulls in March.

Anelka's brother Claude told L'Equipe that the former France international has expressed an interest in moving to the United States.

Anelka, 31, is under contract with Chelsea until 2012 but is now facing competition from Fernando Torres, who was sold by Liverpool to Chelsea during the January's transfer window.

  

Barcelona goes for record 16th straight league win

MADRID (AP): Barcelona will look to make history Saturday against Atletico Madrid when the Spanish leader goes for a record 16th straight league win.

Barcelona tied the mark of 15 straight wins set by Real Madrid 50 years ago against Hercules, a victory which also allowed it to stretch its lead over Madrid to seven points in the standings.

Madrid knows it can ill afford to drop points over the second half of the season to keep the pressure on the two-time defending champions.

Jose Mourinho's side looks to rebound from last weekend's defeat at Osasuna against Real Sociedad on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, where Madrid is 17-0 this season.

Third-place Villarreal looks to maintain its best-ever season against Levante.

  

Schalke out to salvage season at Borussia Dortmund

BERLIN (AP): Schalke coach Felix Magath has more than most at stake in the 137th Ruhr Derby on Friday when his side visits Borussia Dortmund to get a weekend of derbies under way in the Bundesliga.

Trust in the 57-year-old coach's ability to save Schalke's disappointing season is fast eroding following last week's loss to Hoffenheim and a number of questionable transfer deals in the winter period, and it appears patience has run out with his side languishing in 11th place.

Fans have issued an open letter accusing Magath of creating "a climate of fear" at the club and calling for an "end to the madness." "We share these concerns and fears," the board said of the Schalke Fan Club Association.

Schalke has 25 points and Dortmund leads the table with twice as many, but Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp is still wary.

"You can be successful from a desire for victory or from fear of defeat. Schalke has a lot of advantages," Klopp said. "It's easier to surprise when expectations are low than vice versa."

Shinji Kagawa scored twice when Dortmund won 3-1 in Schalke earlier this season, but the Japan midfielder is injured for the rest of the season.

"We'll miss Shinji, no question," Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller told Kicker. "But we cannot change the situation. We have to take it as it is."

Dortmund will look to rising star Mario Goetze to provide the midfield inspiration in his place. Despite limited playing time so far, the 18-year-old German has scored four goals and provided seven assists.

"I feel good in this position," Goetze said. "I know it from my youth. I like playing here as much as I do on the wings."

In Saturday's derby, fifth-place Hannover hosts a Wolfsburg side bolstered by the acquisition of six new players in the winter break, including exciting 19-year-old Yohandry Orozco from Venezuela.

Wolfsburg coach Steve McClaren can also count on Turkey international Tuncay Sanli in midfield, and former Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes has arrived to replace the departed Edin Dzeko.

"Edin was without doubt a good player," the 26-year-old Helmes said. "But every player has qualities. Wolfsburg has always had good strikers and that will stay the same." Wolfsburg is 12th, four points from safety.

In Saturday's late game, 2007 Bundesliga champion Stuttgart travels to Borussia Moenchengladbach for a relegation battle between the two bottom sides.

Stuttgart coach Bruno Labbadia is hopeful that Germany striker Cacau will make a return from injury.

He has also bolstered his attack with the acquisition of Japan striker Shinji Okazaki from J-League club Shimizu S-Pulse, expected to make his debut against Nuremberg on Feb. 12.

Also on Saturday, relegation struggler Cologne hosts a third-place Bayern Munich side missing Franck Ribery, Nuremberg hosts second-place Bayer Leverkusen, fourth-place Mainz hosts Werder Bremen, and Hoffenheim hosts Kaiserslautern.

There's another local derby on Sunday, when Hamburger SV hosts St. Pauli, with public viewing set up around the city so fans without a ticket can see the sold-out game.

"It is one of the most beautiful games of all," Hamburg coach Armin Veh said. "A derby at home in front of your own fans. If that does not stir your heart, then you have none."

Also Sunday, it's Freiburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt.

  

PSG striker Guillaume Hoarau in form again

PARIS (AP): Paris Saint-Germain striker Guillaume Hoarau, whose confidence hit rock-bottom earlier this season after spending 11 games without scoring, is starting to silence his critics.

Hoarau's capacities to deliver at the highest level were questioned when he broke into tears after being substituted earlier this season during a game at Montpellier.

Sitting on the bench, the 26-year-old forward started to cry, with pundits questioning whether he would be mentally strong enough to bounce back.

The France forward answered with a hat trick in a 4-1 win over Martigues in the French Cup on Wednesday, hitting form again at the right time before next week's friendly against Brazil.

Hoarau is also expected to start PSG's league match at fourth-place Rennes on Saturday. PSG is in second place in the standings, four points behind leader Lille.

"The important thing was to get through. We went about things in the right manner," Hoarau said after his hat trick. "For a striker, there is nothing better than scoring a goal, although I benefited from the hard work put in by my teammates."

This season, Hoarau has often been overshadowed by Brazilian midfielder Nene, who already has 13 goals and has inspired PSG's rise to second place in the standings.

Hoarau has scored only six goals in 20 league matches but France coach Laurent Blanc has maintained his confidence in the tall forward. Hoarau is now hoping his hat trick will be rewarded by a spot in Blanc's squad for the Brazil match.

"This match against Brazil is like the icing on the cake," Hoarau said. "The France team needs players able to perform and I rang the bell (with my hat trick). Until now I've been left unsatisfied with France, I didn't manage to fully become part of the team."

PSG coach Antoine Kombouare, whose support to Hoarau never wavered, was pleased by the striker's best performance this season.

"He had a great match," Kombouare said. "It's very important both for him and the team. I'm really happy to see him playing good matches at the highest level again."

Against Rennes, Kombouare is likely to be without midfielder Claude Makelele, who injured his left ankle last week. Striker Peguy Luyindula is also doubtful after picking up a pelvis injury at Martigues.

Fourth-place Rennes is lagging three points behind PSG in the standings and will try to bounce back after back-to-back defeats. The club was handed an humiliating 5-1 loss by Sochaux last weekend before losing 4-3 to second-division side Reims in the French Cup.

"Rennes will be a wounded animal after conceding nine goals in two games," Kombouare said. Unbeaten in 11 league matches, Lille plays at Auxerre on Sunday while defending champion Marseille hosts last-place Avignon.

Also Saturday, it's: Brest vs. Nancy; Caen vs. Lorient; Lens vs. Valenciennes; Montpellier vs. Saint-Etienne; and Nice vs. Sochaux.

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps has asked his players to show they are capable of defending their title this season following a disappointing scoreless draw against Monaco.

"I know it's the best attack against the worst defence, but at least the players will be awake after what happened in Monaco, where they maybe thought we had already won the game," Deschamps said. "I want them to take the three points."

  

Fans turn against Ronaldo after Corinthians' loss

SAO PAULO (AP): The love affair between Corinthians fans and Ronaldo is apparently coming to an end, and the player's career may be too.

Corinthians was eliminated from the preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores after a 2-0 loss to Deportes Tolima on Wednesday in Colombia, and fans are blaming Ronaldo's poor performances for the disappointment.

The result leaves the Brazilian club with little to play for the rest of the year, and may prompt Ronaldo to halt his career ahead of time.

He had already said he wouldn't play past 2011, and has not dismissed stopping earlier depending on his condition and the team's results.

The visibly out-of-shape Ronaldo said he was "a little stunned" as he left the pitch on Wednesday, as some fans jeered him.

  

Jadue says Bielsa will stay as coach

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP): Chile's new football association president says Marcelo Bielsa, the national team coach who has been threatening for three months to resign, is staying on in the job.

Sergio Jadue, who was elected last month as the head of Chilean football, said he met with Bielsa for 15 minutes on Wednesday. He said Bielsa is under contract until 2015.

He said the temperamental Argentine indicated he would continue as Chile's coach.

The popular Bielsa led Chile to the second round of the World Cup last year, the country's best result since 1962.

Bielsa started talking about resigning in November when Spanish businessman Jorge Segovia was elected president of the national association.

Segovia's election was later annulled, leading to Jadue's election in January.

Jadue told reporters that he waited for seven hours after talking with Bielsa for the Argentine to give him a written response. He received none.

"By not saying 'no,' we interpret the silence as a 'yes,"' Jadue said. "I interpret the silence positively. Marcelo Bielsa is staying."

Bielsa, who was Argentina's former national team coach, is an intense man who seldom grants interviews. His nickname is "El Loco" (The Crazy One).

Segovia defeated Harold Mayne-Nicholls as football association president. Mayne-Nicholls hired Bielsa and the Argentine - who campaigned for Mayne-Nicholls - made it clear he would quit if Segovia were elected.

  

Man City draws at Birmingham; Tottenham wins 1-0

LONDON (AP): Manchester City slipped eight points behind Premier League leader Manchester United with a 2-2 draw at lowly Birmingham on Wednesday.

City led 2-1 through Carlos Tevez's 15th Premier League goal of the season and Aleksander Kolarov's first, but Craig Gardner equalized with a 77th-minute penalty for Patrick Vieira's foul on Kevin Phillips.

The draw left City three points behind second-place Arsenal and two ahead of Chelsea. Tottenham maintained its challenge for the final Champions League spot with a 1-0 win at Blackburn, secured through Peter Crouch's third-minute goal.

Luis Suarez made his Liverpool debut as a substitute in a 2-0 win over Stoke, while Daniel Sturridge scored on his Bolton debut for a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Tevez collected a fourth-minute pass from David Silva and put City ahead with an angled shot that took a slight deflection off Birmingham's Martin Jiranek on its way into the far corner.

Nikola Zigic equalized in the 23rd, but Kolarov restored City's advantage four minutes before halftime with a free kick hit from outside the area into the bottom left corner.

Gardner won it, though, following Vieira's clumsy challenge.

After just one win in four Premier League matches, City's challenge for a first title since 1968 is fading.

United beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Tuesday to maintain its five-point lead and unbeaten record, while Arsenal beat Everton 2-1 the same day. Chelsea beat Sunderland 4-2, also on Tuesday.

Tottenham had several key Spurs players injured or suspended but Crouch clinched victory for his depleted team, leaping above defender Christopher Samba to head Rafael van der Vaart's cross into the corner.

Tottenham kept a firm hold of fifth place and is three points behind Chelsea, which occupies fourth place and the final Champions League qualifying spot.

"It's a great result for us. I was delighted with the performance," Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said. "We had to chop and change it a bit this week."

Liverpool won its third straight Premier League match, with Raul Meireles kicking things off in the 47th minute at Anfield.

The Portugal midfielder latched onto a loose ball in the area following a free kick and smashed it past goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

Suarez, who joined from Ajax on Monday, came on in the 63rd and struck a left-footed shot 16 minutes later that trickled over the line, apparently via an intervention by Stoke defender Andy Wilkinson.

Liverpool has 35 points, two fewer than sixth-place Sunderland.

On-loan Sturridge scored in injury time to give his new club a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, sending Wolves to the bottom of the Premier League.

Visiting goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey excelled until a disastrous back pass from Ronald Zubar gave the Chelsea striker an easy chance he could not miss.

West Ham moved above Wolves after a debut goal by on-loan striker Robbie Keane and two by Victor Obinna secured a 3-1 win at Blackpool, while Damien Duff scored against his former club to give Fulham a 1-0 win over Newcastle.

  

Palermo defeats Juventus 2-1; Napoli loses 2-0

ROME (AP): Juventus' winless streak reached four matches with a 2-1 loss at Palermo on Wednesday that dropped the struggling 27-time champion into eighth place in Serie A.

Former Juventus striker Fabrizio Miccoli put Palermo in front seven minutes in with a shot under the legs of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, then Giulio Migliaccio doubled the lead in the 20th with a header off a corner.

Juventus argued for a penalty to no avail despite a clear handball by Palermo defender Cesare Bovo in the 34th, and Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio took his anger out over the missed call to cut the lead in half in the 36th with a shot that went by four defenders.

Second-place Napoli lost 2-0 at Chievo Verona, which scored goals through Davide Moscardelli and Gennaro Sardo. AS Roma was held to a 1-1 home draw by Brescia, which equalized in the 69th through Brazilian striker Eder after Marco Borriello had put Roma ahead.

AC Milan, which drew 0-0 with Lazio on Wednesday, holds a five-point lead over Napoli, with Lazio seven points back and Roma nine points behind in fourth.

Five-time defending champion Inter Milan, which has played two fewer matches, is 10 points back entering its game at Bari on Thursday.

Also Wednesday, it was: Cesena 1, Catania 1; Fiorentina 1, Genoa 0; Parma 0, Lecce 1; Sampdoria 0, Cagliari 1; and Udinese 1, Bologna 1.

Juventus, which is 13 points behind Milan, has not been able to overcome a series of injuries that have decimated its attack, taking out Fabio Quagliarella, Simone Pepe and Luca Toni.

Juve signed Alessandro Matri as the transfer window closed Monday, and the former Cagliari forward played from the start but his best chance unluckily hit Bovo's heel in the 48th.

Juventus also lost 2-1 to Udinese at the weekend, and was eliminated 2-0 by Roma in the Italian Cup quarterfinals last week following a 0-0 draw with Sampdoria.

  

Madrid to play Barcelona in Copa del Rey final

MADRID (AP): Real Madrid will play fierce rival Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final for the first time in 21 years after Spain's biggest teams both recorded comfortable two-legged wins Wednesday.

Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 for a 3-0 overall win, while Barcelona earlier defeated Almeria 3-0 to complete an 8-0 aggregate victory.

Mesut Oezil scored in the 82nd minute for Madrid with a cool finish before Emmanuel Adebayor hit his first goal for the 17-time Copa champions, who are through to a record 37th final and first since 2004.

Adriano, Thiago and Ibrahim Affelay scored for Barcelona, which will look to add to its record 25 wins and pick up a second domestic cup in three seasons on April 20 against Madrid, four days after the pair meet in a Spanish league "clasico."

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho can bring the club its first piece of silverware since the 2007-08 league title. Madrid currently trails Barcelona by seven points in the league, with the two-time defending league champions on a record 15-game winning streak.

"We knew it was going to be difficult and not easy but here we are," said Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who has never won the Copa, the only competition he's entered that he hasn't.

Oezil raced in alone on Javi Varas and evaded the Sevilla goalkeeper with a dribble to the right before firing into the empty goal.

Adebayor, who came on soon after the Germany playmaker's goal, scored in the game's final play, the on-loan striker chesting a cross down before firing into the roof of goal.

Madrid created better opportunities than Sevilla, with Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo guilty of failing to convert clear chances in the first half. Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo had a goal disallowed for a dubious offside call before halftime.

Benzema shot wide of an empty goal after Angel Di Maria's attempt had come off the post in the fifth minute, while Varas denied Ronaldo point-blank in the 31st.

Madrid midfielders Fernando Gago and Pedro Leon were left out of the squad after a reported bust-up in the changing room.

Varas made a save from Di Maria from the edge of the box in the 68th, and Brazil striker Luis Fabiano was then brought on as Sevilla went forward in search of an equalizer.

But Madrid exploited the open space, Xabi Alonso and Benzema coming close before Oezil provided the breakthrough.

At Juegos Mediterraneos stadium, Adriano skirted past two defenders into the area to beat goalkeeper Esteban Suarez with a low shot for Barcelona's 35th-minute opener.

"We achieved what we wanted after two great games by the team," the Brazilian fullback said after scoring his first goal for the club.

A diving Suarez barely got his fingertips to Thiago's header in the 56th as the Barcelona reserve-team player exquisitely turned Daniel Alves' short cross home to double the lead.

Ibrahim Affelay unleashed a fierce shot past Suarez in the 76th for his first goal for the Spanish champions, who have outscored Almeria 16-0 in three games played this season.

Barcelona won the 1990 final 2-0.

  

Neville retires after 20 years with Man United

MANCHESTER, England (AP): Former England defender Gary Neville retired Wednesday after a 20-year playing career spent entirely with Manchester United, the club he supported as a boy.

The 36-year-old Neville signed for United in July 1991 and played 602 games during the club's most successful era, winning the Champions League, eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cup titles, the Intercontinental Cup and the Club World Cup.

He would have won even more titles but was increasingly sidelined with recurring injuries, starting only 31 Premier League matches over the past four seasons.

"Gary was the best English right back of his generation," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "He is an example to any young professional: hardworking, loyal and intelligent.

"As a United fan born and bred, his fantastic career at Old Trafford has cemented his place in the affection of the club's supporters everywhere."

Neville played 85 times for England, making him his country's most capped right back. He played at the 1998 and 2006 World Cups, missing the 2002 and 2010 tournaments because of injury or lack of match practice.

"I have been a Manchester United fan all my life and fulfilled every dream I've ever had," Neville said. "Obviously I am disappointed that my playing days are at an end, however it comes to us all, and it's knowing when that time is.

"For me, that time is now. I have played in the most incredible football teams, playing with some of the best players in the world as well as against them, and I have been lucky to have been part of the team's achievements and the club's great success."

With David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and brother Phil Neville, Neville graduated from the side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992 to provide the platform for United's dominance of English football.

Stung by the failure to win a trophy in 1996, Ferguson sold stalwarts Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis to make space for the youngsters.

Neville replaced England international Paul Parker as first-choice right back as United immediately won the Premier League and FA Cup double.

  

Chambery upsets Sochaux in French Cup

PARIS (AP): Fifth-division team Chambery won its third consecutive French Cup match over a topflight club on Wednesday, rallying to knock out Sochaux 2-1 to reach the quarterfinals.

Nigeria striker Brown Ideye headed home the opener for Sochaux in the 21st minute.

Fabien Tissot-Rosset leveled with a volley from a free kick in the 61st, before Aissa Yahia Bey surprised goalkeeper Pierrick Cross with a 30-meter strike.

Chambery beat Monaco and Brest in the previous rounds.

France striker Guillaume Hoarau scored a hat trick as holder Paris Saint-Germain downed fourth-division side Martigues 4-1.

Martigues played with 10 men for 70 minutes after Boubacar Dembele was sent off for fouling Clement Chantome.

Peguy Luyindula scored PSG's other goal.

  

Europe’s big spenders warned by UEFA over transfer spree

BERNE: Europe’s big-spending clubs were warned on Tuesday that their recent frenzy of transfer activity could affect their ability to meet UEFA’s new financial rules aimed at making them live within their means.

The European governing body also repeated its determination to stamp out reckless spending one day after the end of the January window which saw Liverpool and Chelsea pay £130mil (US$209mil) between them for just four players.

“There is no doubt that transfers made now will impact on the break-even results of the financial years ending 2012 and 2013 – the first financial years to be assessed under the break-even rule,” UEFA said in a statement.

“The clubs know the rules and also know that UEFA is fully committed to implementing them with rigour.”

UEFA, worried about the health of club finances, introduced its Financial Fair Play plan last year to try and stop clubs spending more than their generated revenue.

Clubs who fail to comply could be barred from European club competition from the 2014/15 season. They will be monitored over the previous three financial years before being admitted.

UEFA said again it believes clubs are backing its efforts.

“The UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations have been widely supported by all clubs and stakeholders, during the long and considered consultation and approval process,” added the statement on UEFA’s website (www.uefa.com).

“UEFA is aware of the recent transfer activity across Europe.

“It must be noted, however, that the financial fair play rules do not prevent clubs from spending money on transfers themselves but rather require them to balance their books at the end of the season.

“It is therefore difficult to comment on any individual situation without knowing the long-term strategy of each club.”

UEFA president Michel Platini had previously insisted that some of the biggest-spending clubs, including Chelsea and their Premier League counterparts Manchester City, support his plan.

The European Club Association, whose 197 members include all of the region’s biggest clubs, also insist the plan has unanimous backing from its members.

Platini said last month he would not shy away from enforcing the rules even if it meant keeping a big club out of European competition.

“If a club doesn’t fall in line and live by the same rules as everyone else, they will have to live with the consequences,” he said.

“It will be time for them to face the music.”

The clubs’ recent behaviour, however, appears to contradict claims they were trying to bring their finances under control.

Manchester City’s squad is so bloated they have 15 players out on loan with a collective price tag of nearly £100mil and there is no hint of a need to balance the books.