European clubs' lobbying pays off at UEFA Congress - SI.com

European Football Leagues

ISTANBUL (AP) -European football clubs had a successful day at the UEFA Congress on Thursday, winning financial concessions from both the continent's governing body of the sport and FIFA.

Clubs were promised an increased share of ?100 million ($131.6 million) from 2012 European Championship revenues, and FIFA finally agreed to create an insurance policy for players called up on national team duty.

"Today is an excellent day,'' European Club Association chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told officials from UEFA's 53 member nations. "This day proves that there is harmony, loyalty and fairness in European football.''

Still, Rummenigge called on FIFA President Sepp Blatter, sitting in the front row, to work more closely with the 200-member ECA after months of public sparring between the pair.

"Please open the door to FIFA,'' he said, urging Blatter to negotiate a renewed working accord, just before the clubs and UEFA signed a similar deal through May 2018. "We are not after a revolution. We want to play a fair part in decisions.''

Earlier Thursday, Blatter offered a significant olive branch - and promise of future compensation -to clubs worldwide.

Blatter told the annual congress that FIFA will pay for "total insurance coverage'' for international players.

"This is an insurance coverage for the players, for the clubs and the (national) associations'' for all matches on FIFA's international calendar, Blatter said. "You have to take into account the best interests of the players.''

The policy can take effect after its 208 national members approve the proposal at their gathering in May. European qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup begin in September.

FIFA's insurance offer follows UEFA, which said in January it would pay for insurance starting at Euro 2012 , after strong lobbying by the ECA.

UEFA said Thursday that its insurance scheme would operate for all players registered with a European club "pending FIFA's takeover of such package on a worldwide level.''

Clubs campaigned after Bayern Munich lost Arjen Robben for six months when the Netherlands winger returned injured from the 2010 World Cup.

Rummenigge, who is also chairman of Bayern, lamented at the time that Robben "came back in worse condition and now we have to pay the bill.''

Rummenigge had urged FIFA then to use some of its billion-dollar reserves from World Cup revenues to fund an insurance scheme.

The insurance schemes are in addition to compensation funds giving clubs a slice of major tournament revenues. The money is distributed among clubs worldwide per a daily rate for as long as each player is involved in the tournament

FIFA and UEFA set aside the cash sums as part of a 2008 deal to recognize the ECA as the democratic voice of Europe's biggest and wealthiest clubs.

On Thursday, UEFA and its president, Michel Platini, almost doubled the ?55 million ($72 million) originally promised to clubs from Euro 2012, to be played in Poland and Ukraine.

UEFA also announced that clubs will share ?150 million ($197.5 million) from Euro 2016 revenues, when the tournament in France is expanded from 16 to 24 teams.

FIFA shared $40 million among clubs whose players were selected in the 32 teams at the 2010 World Cup.

However, Rummenigge complained that Bayern received only ?57,000 (then $73,000) - less than one week of basic pay - for Robben's time spent in South Africa.

Clubs could also receive a further bonus next week from FIFA, which currently has budgeted to give $70 million in compensation to clubs for letting their players compete at the 32-nation 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Despite FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke saying this month that the $70 million was a fixed agreement, the subject is on the agenda when the FIFA executive committee meets March 29-30 in Zurich.

FIFA's agreement with European clubs expires after the 2014 World Cup, and any renewal talks have not yet started.

Meanwhile, UEFA also completed agreements with the European leagues' umbrella group and the international players' union, FIFPro.

"We are very happy to have unified the entire football family, just as Turkey unites east and west.'' Platini said.

Platini's personal "Financial Fair Play'' project to curb clubs' reckless spending also made progress Thursday.

UEFA's members granted disciplinary powers to an expert panel that will monitor accounts and ensure clubs break even on football-related income and spending.

The panel is now empowered to withhold clubs' prize money from the Champions League and Europa League, plus prevent them registering new players and restrict their squad sizes for those UEFA competitions. In the most serious cases, clubs can be barred from the Champions League from the 2014-15 season onward.

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AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report

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APOEL Emerges From Cyprus to Stand Alongside Giants of European Soccer - NESN.com (blog)

European Football Leagues

Somewhere lost between Lionel Messi cementing his place as one of the best ever, Real Madrid sulking along, and Bayern Munich acting like one of the veritable big boys in Europe, small Cyprus side APOEL has been one of the biggest stories in the tournament.

It is the first team from Cyprus to make it this far in the UEFA Champions League, becoming everyone’s favorite Cinderella team after defeating Lyon in the Round of 16. The team was founded at a candy shop, and is impossible to hate. Of course, the clock, by all accounts will strike midnight when Real Madrid takes the field on Tuesday.

But, who exactly is APOEL and how did it get here?

While obscure in the rest of the world, APOEL is a legend in its own right back in Cyprus. It is one of the original teams that founded the Cyprus Football Association in 1929. In the league it is a local powerhouse: it has won 21 league championships, and recorded impressive wins, including a record breaking 17-1 win against Aris (perhaps the most recognizable club from Cyprus due to its foreign signings).

It did not find European success until the 21st century, when it first advanced to the second round of the UEFA Cup in 2002. The success continued later in the decade, making it to the playoff stage during the 2010-2011 Europa League.

This year APOEL managed to churn along in one of the easiest groups in the Champions League, with the highest "powerhouse" in its group being FC Porto. It managed to advance to the Round of 16 and there faced another (relatively) easy draw against manageable Lyon.

In later years, the team has begun to invest more in foreign talent -- specifically Brazilian and Portuguese players -- that have given the team a spark to put it ahead of its rival Aris.

Unfortunately, this magical run could end up hurting the team in the long run.

While it may give the team a spark in promotion and probably yield a marketing craze (APOEL jerseys may become the "hispter" soccer jersey of the year), it will likely lead to a massive exodus of talent. With players being seen on the biggest stage of club soccer, they are hounded by bigger teams in Europe looking for the next great promise. This will reap great benefits for the team economically, but it also means it probably won't find itself in a position like this for many years to come.

It's been an admirable run for APOEL, and a perfect example of a club taking advantage of opportunities (and not using their size or resources as an excuse). The run ends now with Real Madrid ready to steamroll it on the way to the semifinals, but APOEL will be a greater hero in Cyprus simply for stepping on the field with Real Madrid -- even if they managed to win by ten goals.

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FA tight-lipped on Hoddle England hopes - ESPN

European Football Leagues

By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent

The Football Association have refused to react to the news that Glenn Hoddle has announced he wants to return as England boss.

PA PhotosGlenn Hoddle: England manager from 1996 to 1999

Adrian Bevington, one of the four men mandated to select Fabio Capello, told ESPNsoccernet on Monday: "I am currently abroad but I am up to speed about what is being said, however the FA have been consistent and we refuse to be drawn on the selection of Fabio Capello's successor."

However Hoddle has said that he would even take the England team as a caretaker to the Euroepan Championships if the FA cannot put their new man in place in time.

Hoddle told the Independent on Monday that "if I died my life would be incomplete" as he has unfinished business with England.

Hoddle has a success rate only third to Sir Alf Ramsey and Capello, and would prove a popular choice according to a poll in the Daily Telegraph which has him at 56% with fans as the ideal choice, which perhaps wipes out the popular view that Harry Redknapp is the only popular choice.

In fact Hoddle is far more qualified than Redknapp in terms of international football as player and manager, but Hoddle believes Redknapp will be offered the post and that he will take it.

Hoddle quit the job he enjoyed at Chelsea in 1996 when England came calling and he believes the same will happen to Redknapp at Spurs.

Former England head coach Hoddle, who was also boss at Spurs, knows it is not "The Impossible Job" at the FA, but instead an impossible job to turn down, if you are English and the national team want you.

Hoddle is sure that Redknapp will be offered the post, that he will accept it, and be installed in time to lead England to the European Championships - the only obstacle will be Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's determination to keep Redknapp.

Currently technical director for a new 20-20 football concept, Hoddle said at its latest launch: "I think Harry's done at the end of the season personally. Tottenham won't want to lose him, but if the FA want to go and get him I think that eventually he'll be their man and Harry will go and take England to the Euros, that's what my belief is, and I think he'll do a good job."

"The FA have been making sure they keep the door open, saying they're not adverse to a foreign manager or anyone else."

"Everyone seems to think they want to go English, but we'll see. My gut feeling is that Harry will take the job.

"Tottenham are sure to want to hold onto him, and rightly so, such is the job he has done there.

"But if Harry wants the job, which I am sure that he does, I would expect him to be the next England manager."

Hoddle, of course, was manager of all three of England, Spurs and Chelsea, and was asked which one he would take on again.

"Not all of them", he said. "But I would take just one of them."

• Glenn Hoddle was talking at the launch of The Elite Legends Cup and the Fallen Heroes Trophy: www.20-20football.com. Tickets on sale from Loftus Road next week.

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European Football Monday Round-up - ESPN STAR Sports

European Football Leagues

A summary of the football action around Europe on Monday evening.

Besiktas went level on points with third-placed Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig after drawing 2-2 at mid-table Istanbul Buyuksehir.

The home side took an early lead through Efe Inanc who opened the scoring after six minutes.

Besiktas came back into the game and went ahead through goals from Manuel Fernandes (36) and Mustafa Pektemek (49).

But the home side ensured the points were shared when Edin Visca scored with 20 minutes remaining.

Portuguese Primeira Liga

Braga went top of the Portuguese Liga as Marcio Mossoro and Rodrigo Lima scored the goals in the 2-1 win over Academica, making it 13 successive wins in the league.

Mossoro opened the scoring after 36 minutes and Lima netted on the stroke of half-time before David Simao got a consolation for Academica after 62 minutes, five minutes after coming on as a substitute.

The win took Braga a point above Porto at the top of the table while Academica remain five points above the relegation zone.

Maritimo had to come from behind to win 3-2 at home to Gil Vicente as Christian Pouga scored a late winner five minutes after entering the action as a replacement.

Ramos Heldon gave Maritimo the lead after just three minutes before Gil Vicente took control with goals from Ze Luis Andrade (43) and Luis Carlos Lima a minute later.

Nuno Briguel levelled the game up after 62 minutes before Pouga settled it with four minutes to go.

Danish Superliga

Soren Larsen and Osarna Akharraz scored a goal in each half as AGF Aarhus ended a run of three Superliga games without a win with a 2-0 victory at Midtjylland.

AGF's triumph proved enough to move them above their opponents into fourth place and the final Europa League qualifying position, and within a point of third-placed Horsens.

Larsen opened the scoring for the visitors in the 17th minute and AGF wrapped up the points in the 74th minute when Akharraz, a 68th-minute substitute for Soren Berg, was on target.

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London Olympic Demand Hurting Euro 2012 Soccer Hospitality Sales - BusinessWeek

European Football Leagues

The organizers of the European Championships are struggling to sell corporate-hospitality packages for the three-week soccer tournament, as competition from the London Olympics and the event’s location in Poland and Ukraine crimps demand.

The quadrennial 16-team championship brings 1.3 billion euros ($1.7 billion) to soccer’s regional governing body UEFA, placing it behind just the World Cup and Olympics for revenue. It’s being played in eastern Europe for the first time, and starts about six weeks before the opening of the London Games.

Four years ago, the Olympics were in Beijing, “rather more difficult to access from Europe,” David Taylor, chief executive officer of UEFA’s commercial arm, said in an interview. “These things inevitably have an effect.”

The 2008 tournament in Switzerland and Austria had hospitality sales of 150 million euros, three times more than the 2004 event in Portugal, Taylor said. Current projections for June’s competition are for sales to be about 30 percent lower than in 2008.

Tony Barnard, marketing director at Prestige Ticketing Ltd., the London Games’ official onsite hospitality seller, said clients have told him they are prioritizing the Olympics, the first to be held in the U.K. capital since 1948.

“A lot of clients are saying this year we’re going to do the big one as opposed to some of the more perennial events that they normally do,” Barnard said in a telephone interview. “While the Euros are normally very well attended it is a very long hike out to Poland and Ukraine and it’s a different ball game to being France and Germany or Switzerland and Austria.”

UEFA said at its annual congress in Istanbul last week that general attendance tickets have yet to sell out and the numbers of those is likely to swell when unsold corporate seats and returns from national associations are reallocated. England, traditionally one of the best supported nations, has failed to sell out its allocation.

“The bigger football nations are worse than previous years,” Taylor said. “In some countries it may be because the national team isn’t performing so well, there’s a lack of enthusiasm for the national team, but I think in general there’s an issue of the distance to go and the costs involved.”

Rene Proske, managing director of Germany-based Proske Sports, responsible for organizing sponsor Coca-Cola Co.’s hospitality, said potential clients have been concerned about facilities in Ukraine.

“It’s infrastructure in general: buses, venues, hotels,” he said. “We have to be creative. Many clients have chosen to have fly-in fly-out programs.”

The company is also an authorized seller of corporate packages. Sales are down about 30 percent from the last tournament, Proske said.

Another factor limiting sales are new anti-corruption measures brought in after the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Proske.

“It’s not that easy to invite people anymore, you need to justify that it’s not a bribe,” he said.

Taking the tournament to eastern Europe was part of a 2007 promise by UEFA President Michel Platini to develop the game in all parts of the region.

“A very important decision has been made to actually go to eastern Europe in the light of the awareness that this isn’t going to be the most financially successful tournament of all time,” Taylor said. “We could go elsewhere if that was our objective.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Tariq Panja in the London newsroom on tpanja@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Elser at celser@bloomberg.net

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Ukraine, NATO to hold security exercises during Euro 2012, says Dolhov - Interfax

European Football Leagues

17:42

Ukraine and NATO will hold a joint seminar and command-staff strategic exercises aimed at security protection during the Euro 2012 European Football Championship on April 18-20, 2012.

The Ukrainian side at the exercises will be represented by the agencies directly responsible for security protection during the championship, including the Emergency Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Health Ministry, the anti-terrorism center of the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Agency on Preparations for and Holding the Euro 2012 European Football Championship Finals in Ukraine and the Realization of Infrastructure Projects (Ukreuroinfraproject), Head of Ukraine's Mission to NATO Ihor Dolhov told Interfax-Ukraine in an exclusive interview.

The exercises will take place at the crisis center on the base of the Olympiysky National Sports Complex in Kyiv.

"Football is very popular in Europe, and demand to see the matches is huge. We hope that the Ukrainian hosts of the tournament will do everything for the convenience of their guests. Relevant conditions, including in the security sphere, should be created for a successful holiday," the Ukrainian diplomat said.

He added that the security issue includes several segments, namely "security of teams, fans, and the prevention of possible illegal visitors coming to Ukraine."

"From the viewpoint of security, it would be better if the public, supporters, football players don't notice anything, at the same time, all conditions for their safety are being created," Dolhov said.

The exercises will be aimed at learning about the advanced experience of the countries that hosted big sports events in the last ten years (Austria and Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States) or will host international sportive competitions soon (Sweden, Finland, and Britain), according to the Ukrainian diplomat.

One and a half day of the exercises will be dedicated to theory, during which Ukrainian experts will listen about world experience in the sphere of inter-departmental cooperation, interaction between the private and state sectors. The issues of protection of the population from radiological, chemical, and bacteriological threats during big international sports competitions will also be considered.

The other day and a half will be dedicated to practice, in particular, command-staff strategic exercises will be held. The exercises will be aimed at development of a single strategy of cooperation between Ukrainian services in case of emergencies and strengthening of coordination between agencies.

Today NATO is working on emergency scenarios that will be worked on during the exercises.

<<< back 26.03.2012

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Chelsea want FA to bring forward Cup semi-final to help European cause - The Guardian

European Football Leagues

Roberto Di Matteo, the interim Chelsea manager, has regularly expressed his concern over the club's packed fixture schedule. Photograph: Jose Manuel Ribeiro/Reuters

Chelsea will consider lobbying the Football Association to have their FA Cup semi-final brought forward by 48 hours to a Friday evening should they progress beyond Benfica to confront Barcelona or Milan in the last four of the Champions League.

Chelsea play the Portuguese at the Estádio da Luz on Tuesday night in the first leg of their quarter-final and Roberto Di Matteo has expressed frustration that more leeway is not granted to the last remaining English side in European competition on weekends ahead of key ties. Benfica and Napoli, in the previous round, were permitted by their domestic federations to play their league games on Friday night before taking on Chelsea, effectively allowing them an extra 24 hours' recovery time.

The Londoners' interim first-team coach suggested on Monday night that initial discussions had taken place with the FA to test the water ahead of a potential Champions League semi-final, which would be scheduled for 18 April at Stamford Bridge, if Benfica are defeated over two legs. There is an acceptance that having a move in date sanctioned may prove difficult but the situation is likely to be revisited by English clubs next season.

"Absolutely, we need [the support from the FA] because it doesn't help English teams in the Champions League," said Di Matteo. "Benfica played on Friday night, so did Napoli. Their leagues try to give them a lot of help and the best possible advantage. We are engaged on this matter but, ultimately, someone has to make the decision. But let's get through this tie first."

The schedule for FA Cup semi-final weekend is complicated by Liverpool's tie, against Sunderland or Everton, having been confirmed for Saturday 14 April to avoid a clash with the 23rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. That would leave Chelsea facing either Tottenham Hotspur or Bolton – the sides meet on Tuesday night in what is sure to be an emotionally charged occasion after the initial game was abandoned when Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest – on Sunday 15 April, some three days before the potential semi-final against Milan or Barcelona.

Any request made through the FA to bring forward the fixture would run into issues with the Metropolitan police, particularly if the semi-final proved to be a London derby against Spurs. Broadcasters would also be reluctant to lose a showpiece occasion from their Sunday afternoon scheduling when viewing figures might be maximised.

Concerns are rife within the Chelsea squad over the cluttered fixture schedule, particularly with their fraught pursuit of a top-four Premier League finish. Petr Cech described the potential list of games as "a crazy calendar" over the weekend and Di Matteo has regularly expressed his concerns on the issue.

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Higher prices to watch Euro 2012 - TODAYonline

European Football Leagues

SINGAPORE - Football fans will have to pay significantly more to watch this year's Euro 2012 championship "live" on TV.

StarHub, which won exclusive rights in November last year, released its price structure yesterday for all 31 matches to be carried on its pay TV, online and mobile platforms.

The tournament will be co-hosted by Poland and the Ukraine from June 8 to July 1.

The early bird offer is S$58.85 including Goods and Services Tax, for those who sign up by April 30. After that, it will cost fans S$69.55.

The figures are a significant increase, considering consumers paid only S$10 or S$20, respectively, for Euro 2008.

StarHub told Today the price increase is due in large part to a jump in rights fees imposed by UEFA, the European football governing body.

This will be the first exclusive content to come under the purview of the Cross-Carriage Measure (CCM) laws which took effect from August last year.

The telecommunications giant must now also offer the Euro 2012 package to subscribers of rival pay TV operator mio TV at the same price. But it remains a healthy market for StarHub because, combined with mio TV's, the telco will have a subscriber base of more than 900,000 to tap from.

Customers of mio TV can buy the Euro 2012 package at any StarHub shop or exclusive partner outlet without installing a separate set-top box or having to sign up as a subscriber.

Bidding wars, especially when SingTel's mio TV wrested the lucrative English Premier League TV rights in 2010, resulted in hefty price hikes in sports content on pay TV and eventually led to the CCM laws.

While both telcos said in June last year they were considering bidding for Euro 2012, mio TV declined to comment if they had actually done so.

Football fan Sanjay Sasidaran, who subscribes to both StarHub and mio TV, felt even the early bird price of S$58.85 was too expensive.

Said the 33-year-old marketing manager: "Maybe S$30 would have been more reasonable. But as a football fan I will bite the bullet and pay up."

Sales executive Roger Quak, 31, disagreed.

"Every two years to watch a major tournament like this (World Cup or European Championships) is not expensive. I'll buy it because of the convenience of watching the matches at home, rather than going elsewhere," he said.

Understandably, SingTel has no plans to promote Euro 2012.

"We will fulfil our obligation under the Media Market Conduct Code and carry the Euro 2012 matches to any mio TV customer who subscribes to the package," said a SingTel spokesperson.

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Malaga wins 2-1 at Espanyol, rises to 4th in Spain - SI.com

European Football Leagues

MADRID (AP) -Malaga came from behind to win 2-1 at Espanyol Sunday to rise to fourth place in the Spanish league, keeping the club in the hunt for European football next season.

Malaga's Ruud van Nistelrooy and Martin Demichelis scored within three second-half minutes as the Qatari-owned club hit back from Philippe Coutinho's 24th-minute goal to secure a fifth victory in six games.

Malaga is level with third-place Valencia on points, moving ahead of Levante after it lost 2-0 to Osasuna. Raul Garcia and Juan Francsico Martinez scored either side of the break to lift Osasuna to sixth, the last Europa League place, and three points in front of Espanyol.

"More than results, we're looking to establish a style of play,'' Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini said. "If the team's displays continue on like this then I am certain we can finish the season high in the standings because we've never lacked ambition.''

Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao lost ground with the top teams after drawing 1-1 at home with Sporting Gijon, its fourth straight winless game since humbling Manchester United.

Athletic dominated Sporting Gijon and Oscar de Marcos looked to have put the Basques on course to victory at San Mames stadium with a 77th-minute goal. But Alberto Lora scored in the 90th minute for Sporting to salvage a 1-1 draw.

Bilbao knocked out United in the Europa League but its form has since been lacking due to fatigue and injuries. The team again failed to put away a game it dominated, especially in the first half as Iker Muniain had a penalty saved by Juan Pablo Colinas and Fernando Llorente missed a clear chance.

"We should have won by two or three goals,'' said Athletic coach Marcelo Bielsa, whose team plays Hannover on Thursday. "There are still a lot of reasons to remain optimistic.''

The race to avoid relegation saw all three bottom clubs pick up points, but Villarreal's 2-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano left them all six points from safety.

Villarreal coach Miguel Angel Lotina picked up a victory in his second game in charge as Marco Ruben and Angel Lopez scored either side of the break to give the "Yellow Submarine'' a big boost as it looks to end a miserable season by at least staying up. Granada, which plays Sevilla in an Andalucian derby on Monday, is tied with Villarreal.

Zaragoza converted a last-minute penalty to beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 and provisionally move off the bottom of the table, although Racing Santander's 1-1 draw at Real Betis coupled with Sporting's result put it right back at the bottom again on goal difference.

Atletico, which is a point behind Espanyol and one ahead of Athletic, conceded a dubious penalty when Diego Godin was booked for making contact with Helder Postiga.

Antonio "Apono'' Galdeano scored the spot kick in the last play of the game as Zaragoza moved above Sporting Gijon and Racing Santander to within three points of safety.

"We were in last place so our obligation was to win,'' Zaragoza coach Manolo Jimenez said. "It was clear in this game that the team who scored would win.''

Coutinho continued his excellent loan spell at Espanyol with a masterfully taken free kick, the Brazilian forward rolling his shot under the wall as the defenders jumped off the ground for his fifth goal since arriving from Inter Milan in January.

Enzo Maresca struck the post on separate occasions before Van Nistelrooy slotted home a loose ball to equalize in the 76th.

Dimechelis was perfectly placed moments later to fire the rebound from Jose Rondon's saved header into the roof of goal.

At Valencia, Garcia volleyed home Osasuna's opener in the 16th minute, before Martinez jumped on a Levante defensive lapse in the 79th to score from inside the area.

Osasuna is unbeaten in six games and remains in a strong position to finish in a European place with nine rounds remaining.

Spanish leader Real Madrid bounced back from consecutive draws to beat Real Sociedad 5-1 on Saturday to stay six points ahead of Barcelona, which beat Mallorca 2-0. Also on Saturday, Getafe beat Valencia 3-1.

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Paul Logothetis can be reached at: www.twitter.com/PaulLogoAP

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European Football Sunday Round-up - ESPN STAR Sports

European Football Leagues

A summary of the football action around Europe on Sunday.

AZ Alkmaar ensured they would remain top of the Eredivisie this weekend with a 1-0 home win over RKC Waalwijk.

Johann Gudmundsson scored the only goal of an otherwise poor match after 49 minutes to keep Gertjan Verbeek's side clear of the chasing pack.

Ajax remain their closest challengers, a point behind, after beating title rivals PSV Eindhoven 2-0.

The two goals came inside seven second-half minutes, with Ismail Aissati opening the scoring (56) and Siem de Jong adding a penalty.

Three goals in 19 second-half minutes gave Feyenoord a 3-0 win at bottom side De Graafschap that keeps them on the fringes of the title race.

John Guidetti, Ruben Schaken and Sekou Cisse all scored for the Rotterdammers to keep them five points behind AZ.

Heracles Almelo capped a memorable week with a home win over 10-man FC Utrecht to further ease their relegation worries.

After president Jan Smit hailed the midweek 4-2 KNVB Beker semi-final win at AZ Alkmaar as the "high point in the history of the club," the Heracles players ensured there was no league hangover.

Samuel Armenteros fired them ahead after just three minutes and while Cedric van der Gun levelled on 54 minutes the game turned on Alje Schut's dismissal soon after.

Ninos Gouriye ensured they made full use of the advantage as he struck a double in the final 10 minutes to move Heracles eight points clear of the relegation play-off zone.

Zenit St Petersburg continued to stutter towards the Premier League title after being held to a 1-1 draw at him to Rubin Kazan.

Szabolcs Huszti's 36th-minute opener was cancelled out by Haedo Valdez (58) to leave Zenit with just one win in their past six league games.

Despite that Luciano Spalletti's side are still seven points clear of closest rivals CSKA Moscow, who lost 2-0 at third-placed city rivals Lokomotiv yesterday.

Spartak Moscow moved up to fourth after they won their Moscow derby at Dinamo 3-1.

With time ticking down the match was locked after Alexander Samedov (45) levelled the opener from Emmanuel Emenike (30). But a Cristian Noboa own goal on 70 minutes gave Spartak the lead before Ferreira Ari sealed the win in injury time.

Anzhi Makhachkala snuck into the final Europa League place as second-half goals from Odil Ahmedov (60) and Mbark Boussoufa (80) set up a 2-0 win over Kuban Krasnodar.

Spartak Nalchik remained in the relegation zone as they lost 2-1 at Rostov.

Hector Bracamonte (11) and Kornel Salata (31) gave Rostov a 2-0 lead and while Adnan Zahirovic (62) pulled a goal back David Siradze's 80th-minute dismissal ended their hopes of a point.

Lucerne and Young Boys remain second and third respectively in the Swiss Super League after both sides enjoyed home victories on Sunday.

Lucerne beat 10-man Grasshoppers - who had Michael Lang sent off on 23 minutes - 1-0 thanks to a 25th-minute goal from Xavier Hochstrasser, while Young Boys thrashed FC Thun 4-0.

A penalty from Christoph Spycher on 31 minutes gave Young Boys the lead and Raul Bobadilla made it 2-0 just before half-time.

Further goals from David Degen (82) and Emmanuel Mayuka (90) completed the rout.

Elsewhere, bottom side FC Sion beat Lausanne Sports 1-0 courtesy of Yerly Danick's 73rd-minute goal.

Portuguese Liga

Porto were denied the chance to go three points clear at the top of the Liga standings after conceding a late equaliser at Pacos Ferreira.

Porto looked set to take full advantage of title rivals Benfica's draw at Olhanense on Friday night as they still led by Ricardo's 47th-minute own goal heading into the closing stages on Sunday.

However, Lorenzo Melgarejo equalised for the hosts 11 minutes from time as Porto had to settle for just a one-point lead at the summit.

Elsewhere, two Claudemir penalties helped Nacional beat third-bottom Beira Mar 3-0, with Ladji Keita adding a third goal 15 minutes from time.

In Sunday's other two matches Guimaraes beat Rio Ave 1-0 thanks to a 77th-minute Edgar goal, while Vitoria Setubal were victors by the same scoreline against second-bottom Uniao Leiria, with Miguelito's third-minute effort earning his side the points.

Danish Superliga

FC Nordsjaelland closed the gap on Superliga leaders FC Copenhagen to three points with a win at AC Horsens.

Michael Parkhurst (25) and Tobias Mikkelsen (71) scored the vital goals while Copenhagen were being held to a 0-0 draw at Silkeborg, who had Marvin Pourie sent off in the last minute.

Elsewhere, Brondby beat Lyngby 2-1 thanks to goals from Mikkel Thygesen (17) and Nikolaj Agger (25), with Anders Christiansen (43) replying for the visitors.

And bottom side Koge pulled off a surprise 4-2 win over Odense, only their third victory this season.

Nicolaj Madsen (15) put Koge in front before Bashkim Kadrii (54) equalised for Odense, but the visitors then scored three times in 16 minutes.

Lee Sorensen scored twice (61 and 77) and Adeola Runsewe (63) also got on the scoresheet before Tore Reginiussen (84) grabbed a consolation for Odense.

Turkish Super Lig

Super Lig leaders Galatasaray needed a late equaliser from Felipe Melo to avoid only a fourth defeat of the season as they salvaged a 1-1 draw at home to third-placed Trabzonspor

Gala, after being knocked out of the Turkish cup quarter-finals in midweek, looked set for more disappointment as they went behind in the 24th minute to a Burak Yilmaz goal.

However, with only eight minutes left on the clock, they drew level through Melo's penalty to extend their unbeaten run to nine league matches and leave them seven points ahead of second-placed Fenerbahce.

At the other end of the table, Samsunspor moved out of the bottom two with a 2-0 home win over nine-man Mersin Idmanyurdu, Ekigho Ehiosun's brace in the 18th and 67th minute ensuring his side took full advantage of the red cards shown to Marcio Nobre (21) and Ibrahim Kas (51).

Replacing Samsunspor in 17th spot are Manisaspor, who lost 3-1 at home to fifth-placed Sivasspor and can now start preparing for life in the second tier.

Kadir Bekmezci put the visitors ahead early on and, although Manisaspor were level by the break thanks to Ferhat Cokmus, Sivasspor took the spoils through goals in the final 19 minutes from Erman Kilic and Ricardo Pedriel.

Still propping up the standings are already-relegated Ankaragucu, who suffered their 13th successive league defeat after losing 3-0 at home to fourth-bottom Antalyaspor, for whom Mehmet Boyraz (nine), Kerem Seras (34) and Tita (61) were on the scoresheet.

Gaziantepspor beat Eskisehirspor 2-0 in a match which saw both teams reduced to 10 men.

Marek Sapara (73) and Serdar Kurtulus (90) struck the goals for Gaziantepspor, who lost Yasin Pehlivan to a 75th-minute red card, 13 minutes after Koray Arslan had been dismissed for the hosts.

Elsewhere, a 38th-minute Larrys Mabiala goal earned Karabukspor a 1-0 home win over Kayserispor, while Orduspor and Genclerbirligi shared a goalless draw.

Greek Superleague

Olympiacos edged closer to the Greek Superleague title with a 7-2 thrashing of Asteras Tripoli.

The home side are now 10 points clear of arch-rivals Panathinaikos with just four games remaining. A win at Panetolikos next weekend - or a Pana slip up against Aris Salonika - will hand them their 39th league crown.

The title announcement may be delayed, however, with Pana set to appeal the ruling on Friday which saw them docked three points after crowd trouble caused the abandonment of their match with Olympiacos last weekend. Olympiacos were also awarded a 3-0 victory.

Kevin Mirallas scored four times for Olympiacos against Asteras, the first from the penalty spot, with Rafik Djebbour, Pablo Orbaiz and David Fuster also on target.

PAOK Salonika stay fourth thanks to a 4-0 win at Kerkyra - Costin Lazar scoring twice to add to strikes from Pablo Garcia and Stefanos Athanasiadis.

A 10th-minute goal from Nikos Liberopoulos handed AEK Athens a 1-0 win over Panetolikos while Marinaldo da Silva, from the penalty spot, and Stefano Napoleoni grabbed the goals in Levadiakos' 2-0 victory at rock-bottom Doxa Dramas. Doxa played for 80 minutes with 10 men after the dismissal of goalkeeper Konstantinos Davkos.

Ergotelis had two men sent off at Giannina but held on for a point in a 1-1 draw.

Emiljano Vila put Giannina ahead and they looked on course for the win when the visitors' Egutu Oliseh and Giorgos Sarris both saw red.

But the nine men grabbed a last-minute equaliser through Lefteris Gialousis.

French Ligue 1

Stuttering Paris St Germain were unable to reclaim top spot in the Ligue 1 standings after being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Bordeaux.

PSG needed a last-gasp equaliser to avoid defeat at lowly Caen last weekend before being knocked out of Coupe de France by Lyon in midweek and they looked set for more misery today after going behind in the 77th minute to a Cheick Diabate goal.

Carlo Ancelotti's side managed to get back on level terms four minutes later thanks to Guillaume Hoarau but they could not go on to grab a winner as they remain behind leaders Montpellier on goal difference, with both teams now on 60 points.

Toulouse climbed back into fourth spot with a 1-0 home win over Auxerre, Franck Tabanou's 38th-minute goal proving the difference.

In the day's other game, Dijon boosted their chances of avoiding the drop with a 2-0 home victory over fellow strugglers Caen.

Koro Issa Kone set Dijon on their way with a 21st-minute opener and Younousse Sankhare secured the points with a second goal in the 69th minute.

The victory leaves Dijon four points clear of 17th-placed Caen, and five above 18th-placed Nice and the relegation zone.

English npower Championship

Birmingham moved into the npower Championship play-off places despite being held to a 1-1 draw by promotion rivals Cardiff at St Andrew's.

Blues, who were poor in the first half, took the lead through Erik Huseklepp's second goal for the club - a neat close-range finish - shortly after Marlon King had seen a penalty saved by David Marshall.

But Cardiff levelled with a goal from nothing as Mark Hudson fired in a cross from Peter Whittingham and Blues could not find a winner.

Birmingham boss Chris Hughton was a disappointed man despite moving back into the top six.

"We were not at our best in the first half. We got an improvement in the second half up against a team which floods the midfield," Hughton said. "In 95 minutes their goal was the only chance they had.

"We defended well as a team. The penalty miss was disappointing, but I thought we responded well afterwards and when Huseklepp scored I thought it was going to be the winning goal.

"But it was important that we remained solid and after Cardiff equalised we had to make sure we didn't lose the match. It gets us into the top six and it is now our responsibility to stay in that position."

The result represents a third straight draw for Cardiff who have been unable to get their own promotion charge fully on track ever since their Carling Cup final defeat to Liverpool.

"We came away to our play-off rivals who have lost once in 19 games at home and were tough to play against," manager Malky Mackay said.

"They had four centre-backs in their team, but on the flip side I am disappointed because we played fantastically and showed real courage in dominating possession.

"If we had panicked and lumped the ball forward it would have played into their hands. I thought we probed well, pushed on well after our equaliser and we had Birmingham on the back foot."

Johnstone's Paint Trophy final

Chesterfield won the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final with a 2-0 win over Swindon at Wembley.

The Spireites had to withstand a barrage of Swindon pressure for the majority of the first half and much of the second following Jack Lester's disallowed strike in the eighth minute.

But the npower League One side, who last graced the national stadium in 1995, held firm and went ahead through an own goal from Swindon's Oliver Risser before Craig Westcarr netted in stoppage time to secure a memorable victory.

Chesterfield's first sight of goal came after just four minutes, but Lester's header from Drew Talbot's right-wing cross did not trouble goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.

At the other end, the Robins showed early signs of being able to cut their opponents apart as Simon Ferry played in Alan Connell only for the striker to chip harmlessly over.

Lester had the ball in the back of the Swindon net in the eighth minute after following up Simon Ford's attempt which rebounded off the crossbar, but saw the goal ruled out for offside.

After a nervous opening, Swindon started to settle and Lee Holmes' curling effort from the edge of the box flew just over after 18 minutes.

The League Two side slowly gained the upper hand and goalkeeper Tommy Lee did well to paw Holmes' deflected shot to safety.

One fine move carved Chesterfield apart in four inch-perfect passes, only for Connell to volley wide when well placed inside the box.

Matt Ritchie's low drive brought a comfortable save out of Lee late in the first half as Paolo Di Canio's side dominated without finding a way through.

However, the Robins' wastefulness in front of goal was punished by Chesterfield after the interval in the most fortuitous of circumstances.

After Jordan Bowery's effort was saved by Foderingham, Alex Mendy collected the loose ball, turned his marker and fizzed in a low centre which was prodded into his own net by Risser.

Swindon were rocked and Westcarr went within a foot of doubling his side's lead on the hour when he turned Alan McCormack only to drag his shot wide.

The Spireites wasted a gilt-edged chance to put the game to bed with 18 minutes remaining when Westcarr missed the target when one-on-one with Foderingham.

Di Canio rejigged his team as they chased the game, switching formation to 3-4-3, and Holmes should have done better than shoot tamely at Lee.

The Chesterfield goalkeeper then came to his team's rescue late on, producing a superb fingertip save to push Alessandro Cibocchi's header to safety.

But Chesterfield's celebrations could start in earnest in injury time when Westcarr raced clear to beat Foderingham and make it 2-0.

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