54 Friday, December 2, 2011 NNewew VVisionision SPORT Messi on I won’t be FIFA list fired-Boas

PARIS Premier League Players from Barcelona Tomorrow and Real Madrid made Newcastle v Chelsea up almost half of the 55- Blackburn v Swansea man shortlist revealed by Man City v Norwich FIFA on Thursday for the QPR v W. Brom FIFA FIFPro World XI 2011, Spurs v Bolton which will be announced League Cup quarter-final Wigan v Arsenal on January 9. United 1 C. Palace (II) 2 aet A. Villa v United Barcelona have 11 play- ers including Lionel Messi, Semi-finals Sunday Daniel Alves, Gerard Pique, Jan 9: first legs Everton v Stoke Xavi and Cesc Fabregas on Jan 23: second leg Wolves v S’derland the list. Monday Real 10 including Cris- Fulham v Liverpool tiano Ronaldo, Karim Ben- zema, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso. LONDON World champions Spain are the most well repre- Under-fire Chelsea boss sented country with 12 Andre Villas-Boas came out players, ahead of Brazil, fighting at a press confer- which has eight. ence on Thursday, adamant Brazil star Neymar, of he will keep his job even if Santos, is the only player Chelsea’s poor form contin- on the list who plays his ues. club football outside Eu- The Portuguese tactician rope. (inset) believes both elimi- The 50,000 professional nation from the Champions players registered with League and failure to win FIFPro-affiliated unions the Premier who will vote for the team Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung (left) challenges Stuart O’Keefe of Crystal Palace in the League Cup quarter-final match League will must select an XI in a 4-3-3 not culmi- formation. nate in his Five players in the short- sacking, list were named in the because FIFPro World XI in 2009 owner and 2010: Iker Casillas and Roman Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Abramov- Madrid, and Xavi, Andres ich has Iniesta and Lionel Messi of pegged re- Barcelona. building the United down current team as a long-term project. “I will still be here be- cause I was brought in for a three-year project and we believe in it,” he said. Ferguson apologises to fans after shock exit “The philosophy is not a cancer,’ the manager added, MANCHESTER Wednesday night, them lose to lower League titles, a European in defence of the style of United’s loss sim- league opposition nine Cup Winners’ Cup, a UEFA football he is trying to im- While Manchester United ply compounded a times –– almost an Super Cup, and an Intercon- print upon his team. manager Alex Ferguson staggering record average of once ev- tinental Cup and FIFA Club “We are not stuck on (inset) was left to offer ab- against lowly op- ery other season. World Cup to boot. something which is wrong. ject apologies, and home ponents for Eng- Not all of those It would be easy to assume We will continue to prog- fans shook their heads, a land’s most domi- defeats led to elimi- that in their pursuit of bigger ress as we are trying.” flick through soccer’s record nant club. nation, on occasion prizes, United’s sullied re- He denied there was a cri- books perhaps helped illus- While at the United bounced back cord can be explained away sis at Chelsea, even though trate why the English giants’ same time maintain- in a two-legged contest. by second-rate line-ups as the club are stuttering in loss to lower-tier Crystal ing a Premier League But still the statistic is re- key players rest for bigger the Champions League, Palace in the League Cup stranglehold, and filling their markable given that over the challenges. That may have have been eliminated from should have come as no coffers with other silverware, same period United won 12 been part of the answer over the Carling Cup and are great surprise. United’s performances in Premier League titles, four the years, but as Ferguson several points behind Pre- Humbled 2-1 at home the League Cup since the FA Cups, four League Cups, said his team on Wednesday mier League leaders Man- Messi is on FIFA shortlist by second-tier Palace on 1990/91 season have seen two European Champions was had with internationals. chester City. Bruce shown the door British trio face uphill task in Europa show SUNDERLAND home defeat by fellow strug- glers Wigan on Saturday left Europa League PARIS Spurs were surprisingly pionship outfit Birmingham Aston Villa boss Martin Sunderland 16th in the Eng- Selected results beaten 2-1 at home by PAOK City went down by the same O’Neill emerged Thursday as lish Premier League and just R. Kazan 4 S. Rovers 1 Scottish giants Celtic and Salonika –– who qualified margin away at last season’s a strong favourite to replace two points above the relega- Braga 1 B’gham 0 English sides Spurs and thanks to the win –– after surprise finalists Portuguese Steve Bruce following the tion zone. Celtic 0 Atletico 1 Birmingham City were left conceding two early goals side Braga. latter’s sacking as Sunder- O’Neill has been out of the Malmo 0 AZ Alkmaar 0 needing to win their fi- and were unable to take ad- Celtic, though, will need to land manager. game since leaving Aston Maribor 3 C. Bruges 4 nal Europa League group vantage of playing all of the pull off a win away at Ital- Sunderland sacked Bruce Villa in acrimonious circum- Rennes 0 Udinese 0 matches if they are to have second-half against 10 men. ian side Udinese –– who are on Wednesday after club stances in August last year. S. Liege 2 Hanover 0 a chance of reaching the Celtic lost 1-0 at home to three points ahead of them chairman Ellis Short said re- But the coach has been Spurs 1 PAOK 2 knockout stages after los- Spanish giants Atletico Ma- after drawing 0-0 with bot- sults were “simply not good linked with virtually every Lelia 0 PSV 3 ing their penultimate group drid –– who ensured they tom side Rennes in the other enough”. managerial vacancy since he Poltava 1 FC C’hagen 1 matches on Wednesday. progressed –– while Cham- match of the night. The north-east club’s 2-1 left Villa.