UEFA shielding Barcelona: Cristiano Ronaldo

Barcelona: In a further extension of the bad blood between Real Madrid and Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo has come forward to say allege that UEFA is protecting Barcelona. Both the La Liga sides have been involved in a bitter feud during the course of the Champions League's two-legged semi-final match.

Barcelona tied 1-1 with Real Madrid in the second of the two-leg semi-final on May 3 and moved into the finals of the UEFA Champions League, courtesy their win 2-0 win in the first encounter.

Ronaldo said, "Barcelona is very well protected...we knew something would happen...(Higuain's) goal was legal. Pique pushed me and I fell on top of Mascherano, who never went to the ground in England, but here he's learned that trade like the rest of them."

His comments are second from the Real Madrid club as earlier their coach Jose Mourinho, who is serving a ban sentence.

During the course of the match on May 3, referee Frank de Bleeckere waived off a goal scored by Real Madrid's Gonzalo. Soon after Pedro Rodriguez scored Barcelona's lone goal of the match.

Ronaldo went on to say, "We knew if we scored a goal they would do everything possible so we wouldn't get through. This isn't good for football. If things don't improve we should just stay home and let Barcelona play by themselves...Next year they should just give the cup directly to Barcelona

Sir Alex Ferguson to seek Mourinho's help against Barcelona

London: With the much-expected mauling of Schalke 04 done, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, is looking forward to the UEFA Champions league title clash against Barcelona. The United manager has also told his players that there is no need to fear the La Liga side.

BBC News quoted him as saying, "I don't think we should be going there lacking in confidence...We are playing a fantastic team but we can't be frightened out of our skins. Their form is there for everyone to see. Our job is to find a solution."

Barcelona sidestepped arch rivals Real Madrid 3-1(on aggregate) to move into the finals while Manchester United mauled Bundesliga side Schalke 04 (6-1) to stage a repeat of the 2009 UEFA Champions League title clash.

In the 2009 title encounter Barcelona outclassed Manchester United 2-0 to win the UEFA Champions League at Rome.

Seeking to avenge the 2009 loss, Ferguson is planning to leave no stone unturned to win the trophy in front of the home crowd. As a move to prepare for the clash, he will be speaking to Real Madrid Manager Jose Mourinho.

Speaking about his impending plans to draw ideas from Mourinho, he said, "I speak to him [Mourinho] quite a lot...I spoke to him last week...I think we will depend on our own knowledge of Barcelona. It's not as if we haven't seen them before. We've watched them many times this season."

He went on to add, "But the experience Real Madrid have from Jose's angle, you always take information from him like that because he is very helpful in that way."

Former Heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper passed away at 76

London: Sir Henry Cooper, the former heavyweight boxer best known for knocking down the legendary Muhammad Ali in his prime, died on May 01. The British boxer aged 76 was two days short of his 77th birthday.

Cooper, also the first boxer to be knighted and receive the title 'Sir', died at his son's house in Oxted, Surrey, in southern England, after a prolonged illness.

Muhammad Ali, who was famously knocked down by Cooper during a 1963 non-title fight at the Wembley Stadium, in a statement condoling the death of the boxer said, "I am at a loss for words over the death of my friend, Henry Cooper...Henry always had a smile for me; a warm and embracing smile," Ali said. "It was always a pleasure being in Henry's company. I will miss my ole friend. He was a great fighter and a gentleman. My family and I extend our heartfelt sympathies to his family and loved ones."

Cooper was the winner of British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight titles but surprisingly never won a World Crown. In a professional career that spanned more than 16 years he had an enviable record of 40-14-1.

He retired from professional boxing in 1971 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in the year 2000.

Lionel Messi gives Barcelona 2-0 win over 10-man Madrid

Madrid: Lionel Messi lit up an ill-tempered Champions League semifinal on Wednesday with two goals in the last 15 minutes to give Barcelona a 2-0 victory at 10-man Real Madrid.

Messi guided substitute Ibrahim Afellay's cross through the legs of goalkeeper Iker Casillas to open the scoring in the 76th minute.

With three minutes to play, the elusive Argentina forward brilliantly ghosted past three defenders before clipping the ball past Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas for his 52nd goal of the season, and 11th in the Champions League.

Barcelona dominated throughout but only managed to break through after Pepe was red-carded in the 61st at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands for protesting the decision, which left Madrid playing with 10 against Barcelona for the fourth straight game.

Mourinho has seen his team finish with 10 players in his last five matches against Barcelona, counting Inter Milan''s 1-0 defeat at Barcelona in the semifinal return leg last year.

"If I say to (the referee) and to UEFA what I think and feel, my career ends today," Mourinho said. "One day I hope to get an answer to the question: why?"

It was Barcelona''s first win in three games between the bitter rivals in 12 days after a 1-1 league draw and a 1-0 extra-time Copa del Rey final defeat.

Madrid''s defense in Tuesday's return leg will be short-handed with Pepe and Sergio Ramos both suspended. Ramos was booked for a foul on Messi in the 53rd minute.

Mourinho described the second leg in Barcelona as "mission impossible" as he continued to bemoan his side''s treatment by the referee. Manchester United looks like the most likely opponent in the May 28 final after winning 2-0 at Schalke on Tuesday.

"We''ll go there with pride, without Pepe who did nothing, without Ramos who did nothing and the coach who can''t be on the bench," he said. "If we score a goal they''ll kill us again. It''s a result that is impossible.

"Today showed we have no possibility. And my question is why? I'll live my whole life with this question but I hope one day to get the answer. Why in a game that was equal did he do what he did? But he won''t answer, he''ll go home because he doesn''t have to answer to anyone."

Counterpart Pep Guardiola refused to respond to Mourinho's comments, preferring to congratulate his team''s performance.

"A team that has nine European Cups never gives up on a series, I'm convinced of that," Guardiola said. "We played a very good game. We controlled their counterattacks, their aerial game which is very dangerous."

Messi's 179th moved him ahead of Josep Samitier to trail only Cesar Rodriguez (235) and Laszlo Kubala (196) in goals scored for the club.

"At 23 he's the third leading scorer in club history. That's incredible," Guardiola said.

Both coaches had stoked tensions on the eve of the match, with Guardiola launching an expletive-filled attack on Mounrinho, and the ill-will spilled over into the match.

Substitute Barcelona ''keeper Jose Manuel Pinto was the first to be sent off for a red card at halftime as the two teams skirmished while leaving the field.

Pinto's sending off left Barcelona without a reserve ''keeper as the frustration of being unable to exploit 70 percent of the possession in the first 45 minutes seemed to boiled over.

Pepe was then harshly sent off after clashing with Daniel Alves as he lunged for a ball and Mourinho was sent to the stands for sarcastically clapping and showing a thumbs up to the fourth official.

"If you know football you know that's not a yellow card," said Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who was limited to testing Barcelona ''keeper Victor Valdes with a dipping shot before the half and a header over the bar after the restart.

"The coach was set to make changes over the last 20 minutes."

Barcelona dominated possession as expected from the start and Madrid defended while looking for an opportunity to counterattack, which only materialized when Emmanuel Adebayor came on at the start of the second half.

The visitors patiently threaded the ball around and David Villa and Xavi Hernandez nearly put the Catalans ahead with good chances as Madrid clamped down the center with Pepe sticking to Xavi and Messi.

Tensions finally exploded in the 40th when Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa was booked after a tussle with Pedro Rodriguez, while Alves was shown a yellow card for a push on Di Maria.

As the second-half minutes ticked down, Madrid looked set to succeed in frustrating Barca, but Pepe's expulsion complicated things.

Mourinho took a seat in the first row behind the dugout and began scribbling instructions that were passed to assistant coach Aitor Karanka, as he looked to reshuffle his team in the absence of his defensive lynchpin.

But there was no stopping Messi, whose second goal was a wonderful example of his trademark darting run and finish.

Apart from hitting out at the officiating, Mourinho also continued his war of words with Guardiola by insisting that if the Catalans coach wins his second Champions League title it will be marred by yesterday's result.

Champions League Semifinal Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Preview

Madrid : In the second installment of the Champions League Semi-final encounter between arch rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Spanish giants cross paths again on May 3 to get past each other and move into the finals. Barcelona's victory in the first match of the two-leg semi-final clash gives them a huge advantage over Real Madrid.

It can be recalled that the Catalans conjured up a 2-0 victory in the first-leg match.

When the two sides clash on Tuesday, more than the skill set of the players, it will be their ability to handle pressure that will decide the eventual winner. A clear illustration of that can be drawn up from the last encounter when Lionel Messi pulled out two magnificent goals towards the fag end of the game. The fact that he was the only one in the field who had an aura of calmness about him and also went on to become the difference between the two sides is testimony to the essence of that sombre virtue.

Once again, the clash will be billed as a Ronaldo vs Messi affair, but there is certainly more to it than the tussle between the two finest footballers of the current generation. It all depends on the manager's now to instill in their wards a sense of calmness and guide them to play without much temper.

At the moment, though Barca are well-placed due to their last victory, if given the number of players they have on their injured list, it appears a bit tough for them to come out clear winners. But if they manage to hold Real to a draw, then their task is done.

But then as most football lovers would like to say, it will all eventually boil down to how Ronaldo and Messi plays for their respective sides.

Man United Schalke Go Down to Rooney, Giggs, 2-0 Schalke 2-0

Gelsenkirchen: Wayne Rooney set up one goal and scored another two minutes later to help Manchester United to a convincing 2-0 victory over Schalke in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Tuesday.

Ryan Giggs scored in the 67th minute from Rooney's pass and Rooney himself netted in the 69th after United had wasted a dozen chances against the unheralded German side.

"We have to say without envy that we never had a grip on the game except for the first 15 minutes," Schalke defender Christoph Metzelder said. "We were clearly outplayed."

Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made a string of fine saves to keep his team in the match for more than an hour despite strong pressure by United, which now looks set to reach the May 28 final at Wembley against either Real Madrid or Barcelona, barring an upset next week in the second leg at Old Trafford.

Rooney's performance came on the same pitch where he was infamously sent off during the 2006 World Cup in England's quarterfinal loss to Portugal.

Neuer's heroics prevented United from scoring earlier, but in the 67th he was finally beaten.

Rooney held off three Schalke defenders and slipped a perfect through ball to Giggs, who slotted the ball between Neuer's legs.

Two minutes later, Javier Hernandez was allowed to run unchallenged to the edge of the area and pass to Rooney, who drove past Neuer inside the near post with a low shot.

"I think we showed too much respect from the start," said Neuer, whose team had knocked out title holder Inter Milan in the quarterfinals. "We had trouble winning the ball and did not defend well."

United is seeking its fourth title in the competition, while Schalke is in its first semifinal. Schalke had been unbeaten at home until the semifinal, while United still has to concede a goal away from home.

The Red Devils previously went out four times against German opposition — in the semifinals against Borussia Dortmund (1997) and Bayer Leverkusen (2002), and twice against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals (2001 and 2010).

Alex Baumjohann fired the first shot less than a minute into the game after splitting the United defense, but Edwin van der Sar had no trouble catching the ball.

At the other end, Rooney's deflected shot nearly beat Neuer, but instead brought a corner.

Antonio Valencia then fed Hernandez but Neuer was well placed to stop the effort, after earlier parrying a drive by Park Ji-sung.

Fabio had a great solo run and outpaced three Schalke defenders but ran out of steam before threatening Neuer.

In the 14th, Hernandez beat the offside trap but could not beat Neuer as the Schalke goalkeeper somehow scooped the ball.
Hernandez shot wide in the 21st, then dispossessed Kyriakos Papadopoulos and swapped passes with Rooney, only to have Joel Matip make a desperate clearance.

Hernandez again came close in the 26th minute but shot wide across the goal from a tight angle.

In the 28th, Neuer made a stunning reflex save from a close-range header from Giggs off a cross from captain Nemanja Vidic.

Hernandez had another effort parried by Neuer in the 37th, Park got the rebound but Atsuto Uchida hurled himself before the South Korean to block the effort.

With the Red Devils dominating late in the first half, Fabio sent a left-foot effort over the crossbar.

Neuer, easily the busiest and arguably the best man on the field, was nearly beaten by Giggs after a counter attack but somehow stuck out his right hand to palm the ball away.

Hernandez did find the net, but he was flagged offside.

One of Schalke's rare forays outside its half finished with Jose Manuel Jurado's mistimed volley off a cross from Jefferson Farfan.

With Schalke shaking off some of the pressure, Raul Gonzalez sent a useful cross to the far post but the United defense rose to the task.

Edu then tested Van der Sar, who smothered the ball in the 65th. But United responded with two quick goals and then cruised until the final whistle.

La liga: Zaragoza defeat Almeria 1-0

Zaragoza: Zaragoza moved one point clear of the relegation zone in the Spanish league after beating Almeria 1-0 on Monday from an own goal by goalkeeper Diego Alves.

Midfielder Gabi Fernandez's shot hit the post, bounced off the back of a prone Alves and landed in the back of the net in the 70th minute at La Romareda stadium.

The hosts had earlier had two shots cleared off the goal line and also hit the posts on two occasions.

Zaragoza defender Paulo Da Silva cleared Pablo Piatti's shot off the line in the 88th to protect Zaragoza's fourth straight home win.

"Tonight we will go to bed and sleep a little more peacefully, nothing more," Zaragoza coach Javier Aguirre said.

Zaragoza playmaker Ander Herrera was sent off for a hard tackle in injury time and will miss next week's match at Real Madrid.

Almeria is 10 points from safety with five rounds to play after its fifth straight loss. Hercules and Osasuna join the Andalusian side in the drop zone.

On Saturday, leader Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-0 to maintain its eight-point lead over Madrid, which thrashed third-place Valencia 6-3. Barcelona visits Madrid on Wednesday for the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.

Athletic Bilbao defeated Real Sociedad 2-1 to move to within six points of fourth-place Villarreal, which lost 3-2 at Sevilla. Atletico Madrid routed Levante 4-1, boosting its bid to qualify for the Europa League bid by opening up a five-point gap over Espanyol.

Dzeko breaks drought as Man City beat Blackburn

Blackburn: Manchester City moved closer to reaching the Champions League for the first time after winning 1-0 at Blackburn from Edin Dzeko's late goal on Monday to solidify its hold on the final qualifying place.

It was the first Premier League goal in 10 attempts for the Bosnia striker since joining Man City in a 27 million pound ($42 million) transfer from Wolfsburg in January.

Teammate David Silva's shot was only partially blocked by Blackburn defender Phil Jones in the 75th minute, and Dzeko slammed the ball into the net with his less favored right foot only three minutes after coming on as a substitute at Ewood Park.

"Sometimes it's difficult. I'm not the first who didn't make the best start, but I'm happy because I scored today and helped the team," Dzeko said. "Now we have to look at the future. Today was very good — it is a new beginning for me and for City."

City striker Mario Balotelli was standing in front of goalkeeper Paul Robinson when Dzeko scored, and Blackburn manager Steve Kean was unhappy the goal was allowed to stand.

"Balotelli was right in front of Paul Robinson, so I'm saying that was offside," Kean said.

With five matches remaining, fourth-place City is four points clear of fifth-place Tottenham. The two teams are scheduled to meet May 10 at City's Eastland stadium.

Blackburn hasn't won in the league for 10 matches and remains only one point above the relegation zone in 16th place.

Blackburn had claims for a first-half penalty dismissed by referee Andre Marriner when Jason Roberts was challenged by Vincent Kompany in another decision criticized by Kean.

"There was contact, Jason was saying he wanted to go through and finish," Kean said. "We also thought we had a late shout with Niko Kalinic.

"We're bitterly disappointed, we gave it a right go. We're gutted we didn't get anything tonight but if we play like that, we've got a great chance (of staying up)."

After beating Inter, Schalke hopes for another major upset against Man U

Gelsenkirchen: Two weeks after knocking out title holder Inter Milan, an unheralded Schalke side is looking to cause another major upset in the Champions League when they play Manchester United in the first leg of the semi-finals on Tuesday.

Schalke consider themselves a total underdog against the three-time champions. But the Bundesliga team was also the outsider against Inter and still went through 7-3 on aggregate.

"Manchester United is a household name, just like Inter Milan before," Schalke midfielder Alexander Baumjohann said. "It's a dream of every player to be facing the Reds in a Champions League semi-final.

"Looking at the names, there is hardly any difference between Inter and Man U. The important thing is not to concede at home. Perhaps we can land another upset."

Both teams rested some of their top players over the weekend. United still won, 1-0 over Everton, but Schalke lost 1-0 at home to Kaiserslautern.

While United is closing in on the Premier League title, Schalke has nothing to play for in the Bundesliga, where it is stuck in the middle of the table.

Schalke has managed to reach the semi-finals despite a turbulent few weeks which included the sacking of coach Felix Magath, who was replaced by Ralf Rangnick.

The club was also shaken last week by the decision of goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer not to extend his contract, which still has another season to run. The Germany goalkeeper has not said where he plans to continue his career, but many believe he will leave for Bayern Munich in the off-season.

The defeat by Kaiserslautern was Schalke's first under Rangnick, with the players seeming to be more focussed on the Champions League semi-finals.

Influential defender Benedikt Hoewedes missed the game through injury and is in a race against time to avoid joining Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar on the sidelines.

Raul Gonzalez, the Champions League's top scorer with 71 goals, won the competition three times with Real Madrid and could help set up a meeting with his former club in the final.

"We dream of beating United. Let's see if we're the better team," he told British newspaper The Guardian. "No one can believe this. A final would be even more incredible. I hope it's Madrid."

United captain Nemanja Vidic and midfielder Park Ji-sung were rested in Saturday's win over Everton and should return to the side. Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra were among the substitutes at Old Trafford — the latter two coming on in the second half — and should also be back in the starting lineup.

Striker Dimitar Berbatov was ruled out on Monday after failing to recover from a groin injury and although Darren Fletcher is back in training after seven weeks out with a virus, the Scotland midfielder didn't make manager Alex Ferguson's 23-man squad.

"I enjoy this critical stage of a season when we are involved in big games that come thick and fast and I think we will be ok," Ferguson said.

Vidic said his team was the favourite, but then added that counted for little.

"Schalke scored five goals away from home against Inter. You have to respect that. Any team you play at this stage of the competition is not going to be easy," he said.

Wenger confident Nasri and Clichy will stay

London: Arsene Wenger has revealed Arsenal have started negotiations with French internationals Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy to extend their contracts with the Premier League club.

Nasri and Clichy are moving towards the final year of their current deals and Wenger is determined to keep both players at the Emirates Stadium even though they have been linked with moves to clubs in Italy and Spain.

Wenger wants to build his team around the likes of Nasri, Clichy, Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere as he tries to improve a squad that once again looks set to finish without a trophy.

"We are talking to Nasri and his agent already and we have the same situation with Clichy. We have agreed to speak about it during the summer," Wenger said.

"The players have the opportunity here to do it in their own way, with their own philosophy, with their own togetherness.

"When you sign a contract for four or five years, you are committed through your contract to win trophies with the club where you sign.

"It is in no contract that if you do not win a trophy the first year, you can leave."

Manchester United Vs. Schalke 04: UEFA Champions League Preview

Berlin: It's a big-game tonight and despite all these years of experience behind him the battle-hardened Sir Alex Ferguson is still feeling the nerves. His side Manchester United may be the favourites to go past Schalke 04 in the Champions League semi-finals on April 26, but the legendary is still wary of the glorious uncertainties in the game of football.

Manchester United will seek to enter their third Champions League final in four years.

In an interview with PA Sports, Sir Alex Ferguson was quoted as saying, "You always get apprehensive at this stage of the competition. Semi-finals are never easy. We had the same situation in 1999 when we played our semi-final against Juventus...There was an apprehension in our first game at home that we released in the second leg."

He added, "When we played Barcelona in the first leg (three years ago) we got the result we wanted. But the last 20 minutes of the second leg were absolute agony."

Despite all the highs that Manchester United have achieved during Ferguson's reign, the fact remains that they have never beaten a German opposition in a two-legged game during this period.

Ferguson though aware of it but still believes that his side can go the distance. In the interview he was quoted as saying, "There is no way Manchester United will be led into believing this is going to be easy...Schalke have beaten every team at home in the Champions League this season, including Valencia and Inter Milan. If you just take that in isolation, it is good form."

He added, "This is going to be a difficult game and we will treat it that way.

Bolton Wanderers shatter Arsenal's EPL title hopes

London: Arsenal's Premier League title hopes suffered a crushing blow when they conceded a last-minute goal to lose 2-1 at Bolton Wanderers on Sunday.

Bolton substitute Tamir Cohen headed the winner, leaving Arsenal nine points behind leaders Manchester United with four games left and almost certainly ending their bid to claim a first trophy since 2005.

Arsenal went into the match on an unbeaten 16-game run but a succession of draws had allowed United, who beat Everton 1-0 on Saturday, to open a gap at the top of the table.

"It is difficult to swallow the way we lost," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports.

"We had chances to win it but didn't take it and in the end we were caught in the way we feared today, from a corner. The week we have just had summed up our season — lots of quality in our game on Sunday, Wednesday and today but not enough rewards for our effort. We could have had nine points but we got two."

United lead the way with 73 points, champions Chelsea are second on 67 and Arsenal, who have won only one of their last seven league games, have 64.

Manchester City, who visit Blackburn Rovers on Monday, are fourth on 56 with Tottenham Hotspur on 55.

Bolton were unrecognizable from the team thrashed 5-0 by Stoke City in the FA Cup semi-finals a week ago.

Their players used the match program to apologize to their fans for their performance at Wembley and they certainly set about the match as if they had a point to prove.

GOOD CHANCES

Lee Chung-yong missed two good chances before they took a deserved lead in the 38th minute. Gary Cahill's header from a corner was blocked on the line by Samir Nasri but Daniel Sturridge nodded in the rebound for his seventh goal in nine games since arriving on loan from Chelsea in January.

Bolton were awarded a soft penalty 30 seconds into the second half when Sturridge went down under little pressure from Johan Djourou but Kevin Davies shot weakly at Wojciech Szczesny.

Three minutes later Arsenal were level when Robin van Persie played a great one-two with Cesc Fabregas, who hit the post late in the first half, before scoring from the edge of the box.

A great save by Jussi Jaaskelainen denied Nasri in the 70th minute but though Arsenal, who were seeking a ninth successive victory over Bolton, dominated possession they struggled to test the keeper further.

Instead it was the home side who struck when Cohen, on the pitch for four minutes, powerfully headed home a corner.

He celebrated by tearing off his shirt to reveal a t-shirt bearing a picture of his father Avi, the former Liverpool player who died after a motorbike accident in Israel in December — and collected a mandatory booking for his actions.

"After last week, we wanted to show the fans we had the passion to prove to them that was just one bad day," Sturridge told Sky Sports.

"I have done my team Chelsea a favour today but I came out here to work for Bolton and their fans."

Bolton manager Owen Coyle said: "I think everyone knows how bad we felt after the FA Cup semi-final and it was important we showed our character today — and we did that.

"We dealt Arsenal's title hopes a big blow but more important for us was our performance. I think we showed the real Bolton Wanderers today and went a long way to putting the smile back on our fans' faces."

Arsenal host Manchester United in their next match on Sunday.

Tendulkar may not play against Deccan Chargers

Hyderabad: With reports emerging that Sachin Tendulkar may not play against Deccan Chargers in the IPL on Sunday in view of the worsening condition of Sathya Sai Baba, DC skipper Kumar Sangakkara said one should respect the iconic batsman's decision.

"If Sachin does not play tomorrow because he is worried about Sathya Sai Baba, his decision should be respected. You should always show a support towards personal decisions," Sangakkara said.

"There are many followers of Sai Baba in Sri Lanka too and they are also anxious. So I think it's a personal decision and should be respected," he added.

Mumbai Indians skipper Tendulkar joined the thousands of devotees praying for a speedy recovery of Shri Sathya Sai Baba, whose condition continues to remain very critical.

Asking his fans to pray for the well being of Satya Sai Baba, Tendulkar, an ardent follower of Sai Baba, tweeted, "I m praying for Shri Sathya Sai Baba's quick recovery. Hope everyone will join me in praying for his return to good health."

The panel of doctors attending on the spiritual guru said that his vital organs were showing minimal response to treatment and he continues to be in same critical state of health.

Sangakkara also wished Sachin, who turns 38 on Sunday, a very happy birthday in advance.

"I wish him a very happy birthday," the Sri Lankan added.

Man United's title charge slowed by Newcastle draw

Newcastle/England: Manchester United's Premier League title charge was slowed by Newcastle holding the leaders to a 0-0 draw that ended a run of three consecutive wins.

The point took United seven points clear of Arsenal before the second-place London club plays at Tottenham.

United was denied a penalty kick in stoppage when Javier Hernandez was instead booked for diving after being challenged by Newcastle defender Danny Simpson.

"I didn''t feel like I touched him, maybe he went over too soft. I didn''t feel like I touched him," Simpson said. "I feel like he went down too soft."

But United manager Alex Ferguson hit out at referee Lee Probert.

"It was a clear penalty, it's an insult because he's booked him," Ferguson said. "I thought the referee had a good game tonight, but he's let himself down by booking the player.

"If it's not a penalty, fine, but to book him is an insult. There is definitely contact, no doubt about that."

But Ferguson claimed not to see Newcastle's earlier penalty claim when Peter Lovenkrands felt he was tripped by United midfielder Anderson.

"The more obvious penalty was Peter Lovenkrands — it's an absolute cert," Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said. "It was a story of two penalties: one that definitely was for us, and one that wasn''t for them."

United has five matches left in pursuit of a record 19th English league title, but the draw has raised spirits at Arsenal before the north London derby.

"BIG BIG BIG thank you to Newcastle United!" Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny wrote on his Twitter account.

"Great spirit by the team and well done (Newcastle goalkeeper) Tim Krul for motm (man of the match) performance!" In the first half at Newcastle, Krul denied both Hernandez and Wayne Rooney, who returned after a two-match suspension for swearing into a TV camera during a goal celebration.

With around 20 minutes to go, Ryan Giggs curled the ball wide with the goal at his mercy after being picked out by Patrice Evra.

The draw took Newcastle up to ninth, reaching the 40-point barrier in its first season back in the Premier League that is usually enough to be safe from relegation.

"I think we owe it to ourselves and to the rest of the league that we put in a full performance (at Blackpool) on Saturday," Pardew said.

"I think with the commitment we've shown tonight, the points we've got, the goals we've got, we're pretty much safe but we want to finish high and put in the same commitment and effort as we have tonight against the probable champions."

Ronaldo heads Real past Barca for Spanish Cup glory

Valencia: Real Madrid defeated archrivals Barcelona 1-0 after extra time in a dramatic finale to win the Spanish Cup for the first time since 1993, setting off an all-night party.

A header from Cristiano Ronaldo sealed the championship, delivering coach Jose Mourinho's first trophy since joining the club last May.

As the final whistle blew in Valencia, fans in Madrid honked car horns and descended into the streets wrapped in the Real Madrid and Spanish flags or waving them in joy.

In central Cibeles Square, traditional home of Real Madrid victory celebrations, thumping music blared into the early hours, lights beamed the team logo across the city hall facade, and fans chanted: "Champions, Champions."

Last weekend Real ended a run of five straight defeats against Barca with a 1-1 draw in the league but at the Mestalla Stadium they went one better with their first trophy since 2008.

There still remain two more mouth-watering matches between the rivals in the Champions League on April 27 and May 3.

"This victory was for the fans as things haven't gone well at the club over the last few years. Mourinho is phenomenal," said Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Mourinho admitted that there was little to choose between the teams.

"I thought it was a great game where players worked hard, were concentrated and did what they had to do," he said.

"Barca are a side which is used to winning and when they didn't score they became frustrated. I was told recently that I was a great coach for titles but not for football -- I am happy to remain that way. I have won four cups now in four countries."

But Mourinho does not believe this victory will have any bearing on the upcoming Champions League clashes.

"We have now won one each and drawn a game this season, so who knows what will happen in the next. I don't think what happened in one game influences another."

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola hopes his players will bounce back quickly.

"We didn't play well and control the game like we wanted to do and lost the ball a lot," he said.

"We need to lift ourselves for the next games. Madrid played very well in the first half but they performed as I thought they would. It was a similar system as at the Bernabeu but perhaps with some different players."

Pakistan Tennis Federation hires Indian coach

In another sign of Pakistan's keenness to resume sporting ties with India, the country's Tennis Federation has got clearance to hire an Indian coach, Beerbul Wadera.

PTF President Syed Kaleem Imam today confirmed that the Ministry of Sports and Interior Ministry had given the NOC to the federation for hiring the Indian coach.

"We have got the NOC and now we will be in touch with Wadera to work out details with him. We intend to have the coach hold camps across Pakistan for the youngsters as well as top players," he said.

He also said the federation was in touch with the government regarding a proposal by top tennis star Aisam-ul Haq to play against his doubles partner Rohan Bopanna on the Wagah border to send out a message of peace and harmony on both sides of the border and to the world.

Aisam has already written a letter to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani requesting him to help organise the ground-breaking peace match. Aisam and Bopanna, who are currently playing on the international circuit, have both supported the peace match.

The PTF official said once the government gave clearance for the match, the federation can set up a tennis court for the exhibition match. The PTF official also said that efforts were being made to invite foreign players to play in Pakistan and invitations had been sent out to China, Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh and other countries of this region to send their players for invitational tournament to be played here in few months' time.

Meanwhile, the ministry of sports has also issued NOCs to the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association to send their team for the Asian Championship being held in India from April 23.

Pakistan cueists Mohammad Sajjad and Imran Shehzad are also hopeful of getting visas soon.

Geoffrey Mutai sets world record at Boston Marathon

Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya on April 18 won the Boston Marathon in two hours three minutes and two seconds to record the fastest time ever taken to cover the distance. The earlier record was held by Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie at Berlin in 2008 where he took 2:03:59 to cover the same distance.

Gebrselassie's record was not ratified as a new record as he was helped by a tailwind on a hilly course with too much downhill from start to finish.

Moses Mosop, another Kenyan who finished second also broke Gebrselassie's record as he completed the distance in 2:03:06.

An ecstatic Mutai was quoted by Reuters as saying, "I was not coming to break the world record. For me, today was good weather. And when you are in good form and get good weather and get some colleagues who can push you, you can make it."

Kenya's Carolibe Kilel also won the women's race in 2:22:36 by outrunning USA's Desiree Davila in the last paces of the marathon. She said, "I even thought the last couple of strides there maybe there was a little more left and I just couldn't pull it off...My legs were just shot."

Mutai and Kilel each got $150,000 for their victories, and apart from that Mutai was also given a bonus for breaking the course record in the 115th running of the Boston Marathon.

Yuvraj, Harbhajan offer financial help to Arunima

Star India batsman Yuvraj Singh and spinner Harbhajan Singh have announced a Rs. one lakh monetary help to national level football and volleyball player Arunima Sinha on Saturday. Arunima had lost her leg after being thrown out by robbers from a running train near Bareilly.

The two admitted that this was a small token of help to wish her the very best in life.

Yuvraj, who was adjudged player-of-the-tournament in the cricket World Cup which India won after 28 years, described Arunima a "brave sportsperson" and wish her a speedy recovery. "It is really unfortunate and tragic with what has happened to Arunima. She must be brave sportsperson who came forward to fight against robbery. I know the loss is irreparable, but I would like to offer her this little contribution on of one lakh rupees," he said in a statement issued by 'Yuvraj Singh Foundation'.

"I wish her a speedy recovery and in future if she I am of some help she can always contact me," he said. Arunima alias Sonu lost her leg after she was pushed out of the Padmavat Express near Bareilly on Monday night by three men trying to snatch her gold chain when she was travelling to Delhi to appear for a CISF examination.

As she lay on the tracks, another train ran over her left leg. She had fractures on her right leg and also suffered head injuries.

Railways has offered her a suitable job while Sports Minister jay Maken announced a Rs. two lakh medical compensation and an immediate ex-gratia of Rs. 25,000.

Costa Rica lends muscle to Sepp Blatter's FIFA bid

Sepp Blatter's bid to get a re-election to the topmost job in World football got a shot in the arm, when the Costa Rica soccer federation announced to support his bid for the FIFA presidential elections.

on April 15, Eduardo Li, president of the Costa Rica football association said, "On June 1, the Costa Rican soccer federation will give its support to Blatter. That is the decision reached by the executive committee and we believe in his work."

Interestingly enough, the announcement came during Blatter's visit to Central America, although he asserted that the trip had nothing to do with his re-election campaign.

Despite the assertion, he still could not desist from putting forth his credentials for the FIFA president's job and said, "It's the FIFA Congress that's going to vote and the national federations should say where we're going...Are we going together down a road that we know, or are we going down a road in which the pyramid might crumble?"

Blatter, 75 who is the incumbent of the FIFA President's post since 1998, has been challenged by Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar.