SEOUL: Lionel Messi scored a quick-fire double as Barcelona cruised to a convincing 5-2 win over the K-League All Stars in a friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium Wednesday.The Argentinian superstar made his pre-season debut halfway into the game and scored two quick goals, giving his team

LONDON: The English Premier League (EPL) is contemplating the creation of "football schools" in a bid to improve the standard of the England national team.EPL chief executive Richard Scudamore insisted his organisation had "suffered" as a result of England`s early World Cup exit and

DEN OSSE: Dutch girl Laura Dekker, the 14-year-old bidding to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone, set off Wednesday saying the daunting voyage held no fear for her.Dekker left the port of Den Osse in southwestern Netherlands only days after winning a year-long

LONDON: Blackburn Rovers could be the latest English club set for a takeover after Indian entrepreneur Ahasan Ali Syed made a formal approach to the club`s advisors, it was reported Wednesday.Owned by the trustees of the late Jack Walker, Blackburn currently have debts of around 20

NANTES: Zinedine Zidane and Lilian Thuram are set to make a rare appearance for France in a charity match which will pit the 1998 world champions against a European select side.Like most of France`s World Cup winners, Zidane and Thuram have both retired from the game.But the pair will

KARACHI: Recalled Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf flies to London Thursday to join his embattled team ahead of the second Test against England, which starts in Birmingham a day later.Yousuf, who turns 37 later this month, was recalled from retirement on Sunday, hours after Pakistan`s

PONTIAC: Brazilian Ronaldinho and star Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo are among four top AC Milan players who will not make the trip to suburban Detroit for a Friday friendly against Greek outfit Panathinaikos.Ronaldinho suffered a strained left hamstring last week, prompting the Italian

LONDON: Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou on Tuesday warned rivals Manchester City that their spending spree will not guarantee them the Premier League title.City boss Roberto Mancini has spent over 70 million pounds (84 million euros) on signing Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng, Alexander Kolarov

COLOMBO: Virender Sehwag hit a typically robust 97 not out off 87 balls to lead India`s reply after Thilan Samaraweera`s century lifted Sri Lanka to 425 in the third and final Test on Wednesday.Sehwag, who made 109 in the first Test and 99 in the second, continued his brilliant form to

LONDON: Chelsea are on the verge of signing Benfica`s Brazil defender Ramires on a four-year, 17 million pound deal, according to a report here on Tuesday.The 23-year-old, who has 16 caps and played for his country in the World Cup, is scheduled to have a medical at the Premier League

BERLIN: German champions Bayern Munich suffered a major blow on Tuesday when star Dutchman and Bundesliga player of last season Arjen Robben was ruled out for two months because of a left thigh injury.Bayern could seek compensation as they believe it is an aggravation of the injury the

DHAKA: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a team Tuesday for the conditional camp from August 4 to 21 before the national camp.The camp would take place in Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The Players have been asked to report to National Team’s Assistant Coach

SANTIAGO: Marcelo Bielsa has agreed to extend his contract as Chile coach until the 2015 Copa America tournament, the Chilean Football Federation (ANFP) announced late Monday.ANFP president Harold Mayne-Nicholls confirmed the new deal for Bielsa, who guided the national team to the second

LYON: Top French side Lyon have barred their players from wearing headphones in public, defender Aly Cissokho has revealed.The edict was issued by coach Claude Puel and comes on the back of similar headphone bans at league champions Marseille and first division newcomers Brest."The coach

LIVERPOOL: Spain striker Fernando Torres pledged his immediate future to Liverpool on Tuesday, ending speculation that the World Cup winner could be heading out of Anfield."I am really happy to be back, really happy to stay with all my team-mates," the 26-year-old told the club

ROME: Roberto Baggio, one of Italy`s finest players ever, is set to return to football, joining Italy`s football federation (FIGC) after the national team`s disastrous exit from the World Cup, the local press reported on Tuesday."I have said I am fully available to fill the role of

LONDON: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff suffered yet another injury setback on Tuesday when, days before he was due to return from a year on the sidelines, he was ruled out of action for the rest of the season.Flintoff has not played for 12 months following two knee operations and

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara top-scored with 75 as the hosts prospered against an untidy Indian attack on the opening day of the third and final Test on Tuesday.Former skipper Mahela Jayawardene made 56 and Thilan Samaraweera remained unbeaten on 65 as Sri Lanka, leading

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka are sweating on the fitness of Lasith Malinga as the fast bowler battles to recover from injury and illness ahead of the third and final test against India starting on Tuesday.Malinga took seven wickets in Sri Lanka`s first test victory in the three-match series at

FRANKFURT: Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti described defender Ashley Cole as "the best left-back in the world" on Sunday and said the England international would not be leaving the Premier League champions.Cole, 29, has been linked in media reports with a reunion with former Blues coach