Soccer Digest: Chelsea could be set for a clean sweep of English Professional Football Association awards with Frank Lampard, John Terry, Petr Cech and Arjen Robben being nominated for player-of-the-year accolades.
Terry, Chelsea captain, has been widely recognised for his contribution to the defensive parsimony of his side this season and Lampard, runner-up to Thierry Henry in last season's vote, has shown his most spectacular form in the hectic final weeks of the season.
"You would be hard pressed to choose between them as they go head to head for the main award," said the PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor. "It's going to be a close-run thing."
Behind Terry, goalkeeper Cech has been a revelation, going 1,025 minutes in the Premiership this season without having to reach into his own net for the ball. An indication of the impact Robben has made since his £12 million arrival last summer is that he's favourite to land the PFA's Young Player of the Year award despite playing in only 26 of Chelsea's 51 games.
Although Henry has been nominated again, it is unlikely he will win an unprecedented third successive player-of-the-year title. Arsenal's failure to put pressure on Chelsea in the title race is certain to count against him. Liverpool's Steven Gerrard has also been recognised for his continued consistency and inspiration.
Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United, Tottenham's Jermain Defoe, Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing and Shaun Wright-Phillips of Manchester City make up the rest of the shortlist for the young player award. The two prizes will be presented at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Sunday week.
Zidane says no way
Three-times World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane has crushed rumours about his possible return to the France team by saying he would definitely not be coming out of international retirement. "I have made a decision and I will not reconsider it, full stop," the Real Madrid playmaker said. The 32-year-old midfielder ended his international career after they were knocked out of Euro 2004 in August last year.
Anti-English policy?
Jermaine Pennant believes Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's reliance on foreign players may have been the reason he was forced out of Highbury. "The number of games I've played in six years at Arsenal is pretty poor," the 22-year-old, who is on loan at Birmingham, said. "I don't know whether it's because I'm English, but Wenger brought in a lot of foreign players and they're playing and I got brought in and never played."
Pennant was released from prison two weeks ago after serving one month of a three-month sentence for driving offences.
AC Milan wait on Pirlo
AC Milan's in-form midfielder Andrea Pirlo faces a race against time to be fit for the expected Champions League semi-final against PSV Eindhoven later this month. The Italian international will be out of action for around 10 days after injuring his knee in Tuesday's abandoned quarter-final, second leg against Inter Milan and is expected to miss Serie A matches against Parma and Siena.
Meanwhile, Ajax's Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart could be out for up to a month after injuring a right ankle ligament in training.
Arrested on the pitch
An Argentinian footballer was still in custody last night for allegedly racially insulting a Brazilian opponent during a Libertadores Cup match in Sao Paulo. Quilmes defender Leandro Desabato was arrested on the pitch on Wednesday at the end of his team's 3-1 defeat by Sao Paulo over a first-half incident involving rival striker Grafite.
He was questioned, held overnight and charged with the crime of slander aggravated by racism. Desabato was kept in a cell on his own and given standard prison food yesterday, police said. He was allowed to be given a massage.
Friendly fire
US financier Malcolm Glazer would consider making a hostile bid for Manchester United if talks over a £800 million approach fall through, sources close to the process said yesterday.
"If the bid is rejected, he could take the offer straight to shareholders," one of the sources said, although he stressed Glazer's aim was to get a recommendation from United's board.
Credit problems
The European Union is to probe an exclusive credit card payment system in place for fans wanting to buy tickets for the 2006 World Cup Finals. EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes has agreed to look at the system following reports that some fans buying tickets must pay up to 60 per cent more than face value because of the deal between Mastercard, FIFA and the German Football Association. Holders of other credit cards must pay a hefty surcharge.
