Rafael Benitez rejects new Liverpool contract

Rafael Benitez has rejected the terms of the contract which was offered to him this week, according to a report.

The Spaniard has refused to commit to the deal because of a disagreement with owners George Gillett and Tim Hicks over his level of control.

Benitez told the Liverpool Echo newspaper: ‘The owners feel that the manager’s decisions need to be subject to the chief executive.

‘But I know that I am subject to results and to our fans and they are the best judges I will ever have.

Speaking earlier in the week, Benitez claimed he was baffled by reports he was on a collision course with the club’s American owners.

It was suggested he was locked in a power struggle with Hicks and Gillett over the terms of his proposed new contract.

There were claims Benitez had demanded complete control over transfers and more say in the running of the club’s youth academy

Benitez feels that he should be given more input into the club’s academy and is keen to see more home-grown talent emerge.

Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher both came through the ranks at Anfield and the Spaniard is keen to see more youngsters emerge on Merseyside.

He said: “I believe the academy is a very important part of the future of the club. The length of the contract was already agreed and this showed my long term commitment to the club.

“I know the academies of Ajax, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Valencia and they are producing players regularly.

“The way the system works there means the manager has an input into development and I think this could be the way forward here and we would hope that this would help us make better use of local talent.”

Cristiano Ronaldo Wins FIFA World Player Of The Year 2008

Cristiano Ronaldo as expected becomes FIFA World Player Of The Year 2008 he lifts the illustrious individual prize any footballer can get and is now well on his way to becoming a new legend in world football.

Ronaldo was voted in first place by 136 of the coaches and captains while 76 put Messi top.The United player picked up 935 total points, ahead of 678 for Messi and 203 for Torres.

Ronaldo is the first player based at an English club to win the FIFA award, which had previously gone only to footballers playing for Spanish or Italian sides.Ronaldo had a magnificent 2007/08 season, scoring 42 goals for Manchester United,capturing the Premier League, Champions League and European Golden Boot. He followed this up this by lifting the Club World Cup with club team manchester united

Ronaldo caps off a clean sweep of the major awards, having also picked up the prestigious Ballon d’Or (European Footballer of the Year) at the end of 2008.

The 23-year-old becomes the first English-based player to be named FIFA World Player of the Year, and only the second Portuguese, following in the footsteps of Luis Figo, who triumphed in 2001.

“It’s an overwhelming moment, very special,” said Ronaldo after receiving the FIFA award from Pele.

“I can say to my mother and sister, ‘let the fireworks off now’. It’s one of the most important moments in my life.”

In the women’s category, Brazilian sensation Marta was victorious, winning for the third year in succession

Ronaldo Crashes his Ferrari in tunnel

Ronaldo’s vehicle is thought to have been written off in the accident on the A538 Wilmslow Road - he was not hurt.

One of the wheels had come off and was about 200 yards behind where the car had come to rest.

The 23-year-old was able to get out of the vehicle himself and was spoken to by police at the scene.

But he will also be formally questioned, Greater Manchester Police confirmed.Police said the Portuguese international gave a negative breath test to officers at the scene.

The red Ferrari was badly damaged in the collision, with the front edge of the vehicle completely demolished

Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar, who was travelling behind Ronaldo in his Bentley, has already spoken to police but was not involved in the crash.

A club spokesman said: "He was involved in an incident this morning. No other cars were involved."

"He’s fine and is training as normal with the team this morning."

Onlooker Jody Lomax was driving behind Ronaldo when the crash happened.

"The Ferrari went straight into the wall, his front left-hand wheel came off and then Ronaldo got out of the car," he said.

"I was shocked. Anyway he was all right, he was walking - he was a bit shaken."

Mr Lomax added: “Obviously I was stunned at seeing a Ferrari go in the wall and seeing Ronaldo.

"He was obviously shaken - who wouldn’t be? - but it’s a shame about the car as well."

Arsenal face Arshavin frustration

Zenit rejected a £16m offer for Arshavin from Spurs in the summer

Arsenal's attempt to sign Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg is being held up by the Russian club's demands, according to his agent.

The Gunners and Italian side Juventus have been linked with a £20m deal, but Dennis Lachter says Zenit want the fee to be paid in only one instalment.

He said: "They want the money in one go. They did it that way when they got Danny for £24m and they want the same.

"Many clubs are afraid of how Zenit and other Russian clubs do business."

Despite Zenit's stance, Lachter says he is still confident Arshavin will be leaving the club in the January transfer window.

"That is what is going to happen," he added.

"There are 10, 15, 20 teams who are interested in him. The question is can they afford him?"

Zenit coach Dick Advocaat has confirmed Arsenal's interest in the 27-year-old who shone during Euro 2008.

"I am aware that Arsenal are interested but I don't know any more than that," said Dutchman Advocaat.

"I'm expecting Arshavin to leave. He's a top player and could play for any of the top teams in England."

"Arshavin played well for us last season but he didn't play as well as he can. There's still more to come from him and people will see that."

The Russian season ended in November with unfashionable Rubin Kazan claiming their maiden domestic title, with the 2007 champions Zenit languishing in fifth.

In December, Lachter told BBC Sport that Zenit and the player, who was linked with a move to Tottenham in the summer, had agreed that he should find a new club in January.

"He will definitely move in January or the player and club will lose money," he said.

"Zenit and Andrei understand that it is time for them to part from each other."

But Lachter denied reports that the player had visited both the training grounds of Arsenal and Spurs on a recent trip to London.

NFC Manager : How to Play?

SELECT YOUR PLAYERS

Select your “Owner” profile from our choice of characters and name your team.

• The team name must be unique. (Please note that any names deemed inappropriate or offensive will not be allowed, and teams will be disqualified and withdrawn from the game).
• You will also be asked “What type of owner are you?” This will be added to your “profile” in the game and will tell your fellow managers what type of management style they are up against.
• Pick Your Squad: Choose players from the “real life” players in the Barclays Premier League.
• To enter a team, you must select fifteen (15) players, PLUS a Manager from the Barclays Premier League teams.
• To select a player, click on a blank shirt, and then select the player that you want to pick for that position from the player list. Finding a player is easy - you can search by club or value.
• Important: In your squad, you may only select a maximum of three (3) players, INCLUDING the manager, from a single Club.
• You must select the squad and Manager from within a budget of £ 150 million.
• You can select your own squad and manager using your footballing know-how – or use the “Lucky Dip” option where our computers pick a team for you.

Captain:

• You must select one player from the starting XI to be your Captain. The selected player will score double points.
• Only the selected starting XI and the manager will score points in any game. Substitutes DO NOT score points.

EXPERT’S GUIDE

REMEMBER:

• Your budget is £150m for your entire squad.
• You can only have three representatives (Manager and players) from each Premier League club in your squad.
• You can make unlimited changes to your squad before the season starts.
• Don't just pick the obvious players. NFC Manager is far richer than most fantasy football games.

TIPS:

• Don’t just pick the obvious Fantasy Football Players.
• Study the “scoring” table closely before your choosing your squad.
• Balance your budget across the different positions
• We've tweaked our points scoring system to ensure that the top defenders and defensive midfielders generate just as many points as the leading goal scorers.
• Make sure all 15 of your squad are regular starters:
• Don't scrimp on the four players that go on your bench. Because you can change your team from game to game, and only have four transfers a month, it will pay to regularly change your starting XI depending on the forthcoming week's fixtures.
• Study the fixture list carefully
• Arsenal and Bolton were given great fixtures to start the season, and other teams will have similar runs as the season progresses.
  

FORMATIONS:

Choose a formation:

• You need to select a formation for your team to play. This formation will decide the shape of your squad, your tactics, and how your budget is spent. Choose your formation carefully as it cannot be changed once your team has been submitted.
• Selecting your formation

Selecting the right formation is a crucial part of NFC Manager. There are different team formations to choose from. Note that once you have decided on a formation, you must stick with it throughout the season.

Formations always consist of one goalkeeper and a combination of defenders, midfielders and strikers. So a 4-4-2 formation would consist of four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers.

The available formations are:

• 4-4-2
• 4-3-3
• 5-3-2
• 3-5-2

Submit Your Team:

• Once you are happy with your selection, and your squad is complete, you must submit your starting XI to score points. All teams which are completed by Friday, August 15th at 17.00 (BST) will be automatically submitted.
• Any teams incomplete or submitted after the transfer window will need to be manually submitted to start scoring points. To do this press the “submit” button which will appear on the “team” page once your squad and team is FULLY built.

MAKING CHANGES:

Making changes to your squad of 15 players and Manager

1. Although NFC Manager is a squad-based game, only your starting XI will score points.
2. To substitute a player, click on his shirt to move him out.
3. Select the player you want to bring on from the list of players on the pitch you are given to select from.
4. Remember that you need to stick to a required number of positions on the pitch. For example, if you're playing 4-3-3, you can't sub two forwards for two defenders.

How to make transfers

1. To transfer a player, click on his shirt, or name, from your squad list. You will be taken to list of players to select as his replacement - just click on the player that you want to bring into your team and confirm your transfer.
2. Remember that although you can make unlimited transfers before the season kicks off, your team's value must not exceed £150m.
3. You are limited to four transfers (including a manager) per short season from midday August 16 2008 and you must click the Save team button to make changes permanent.

HOW TO SCORE POINTS

Manager:

• WIN +5 pts DRAW +2 pts LOSE -2 pts

Players:

Position Goal Scored Goal Conceded Clean Sheet Assists

• Keeper +7 pts -2 pts +2 pts +4 pts
• Defender +5 pts -1 pts +1 pts +3 pts
• Midfielder +4 pts n/a n/a +3 pts
• Striker +3 pts n/a n/a +2 pts

Additional Points for Players:

• Played Over 70 mins +2 pts
• Played 69 mins and under +1 pt
• Yellow Card -2 pts
• Red Card -5 pts

Each Player will Receive Points based on the Performance of their Club:

• WIN +3 pts
• DRAW +1 pts
• LOSE n/a

STARTING XI & MANAGER ONLY SCORE POINTS:

• Only the selected starting XI and the manager will score points in any game. Substitutes DO NOT score points.

CAPTAIN SCORES DOUBLE POINTS:

• Choose one player from the eleven on the pitch to be your CAPTAIN.
• Your chosen captain will remain your team captain until your either drop him from the starting XI, or transfer him.
• This player will score DOUBLE points during the time he remains as Captain.
• If no captain is chosen, no player will receive double points.
• You can change your Captain by dropping him from the starting XI, or even transferring him out of the Club during the regular Transfer Windows.

OTHER NOTES:

• Only Barclays Premier League 2008-9 games will count towards NFC Manager 2008-9 points. Games taking place in the FA Cup, League Cup, European competitions or any other format will not count for scoring purposes.
• A player receiving 2 Yellow Cards and consequently a Red Card will score -5 pts only.
• Only players listed as Goalkeepers or Defenders in the official 2008-9 player lists will lose points for Conceding Goals.
• Points will not be changed if goals are subsequently re-assigned by FA Dubious Goals Committee.
• Points are not changed for yellow and red cards rescinded after the match taking place.

4-DAY TRANSFER WINDOW

TRANSFERS relate to buying new players for your squad.

• You can only make 4 transfers into your squad during a 4 day 'Transfer Window' each month.
• Every month you are allocated 4 Transfers to use only during a 4 day Transfer Window. This is the time you can replace players in your squad.
• It's important to note that you can only make transfers into your squad during this 4 day window - outside these 4 days you cannot make transfers into your squad.

Your 4 day 'Transfer Windows' are as follows:

Early Season - Tuesday 2nd Sept 08 (00.01) until Friday 5th Sept 08 (23.59)
October - Tuesday 30th Sept08 (00.01) until Friday 3rd Oct 08 (23.59)
November - Tuesday 4th Nov 08 (00.01) until Friday 7th Nov 08 (23.59)
Christmas Season - Tuesday 2nd Dec 08 (00.01) until Friday 5th Dec 08 (23.59)
January - Tuesday 30th Dec 08 (00.01) until Friday 2nd Jan 09 (23.59)
February - Tuesday 3rd Feb 09 (00.01) until Friday 6th Feb 09 (23.59)
March - Tuesday 3rd Mar 09 (00.01) until Friday 6th Mar 09 (23.59)
April - Tuesday 31st Mar 09 (00.01) until Friday 3rd Apr 09 (23.59)
* All times and dates quoted are in UK Time.

• You cannot carry transfers over outside the 4 day 'Transfer Window', from one month to another. If you have any transfers left at the end of the 'Transfer Window' you will lose them.
• Please Note: Your squad comprises of 15 players plus 1 manager, only the 11 players you select for your final team will score the relevant fantasy points. Your substitutes do not score you points.

Transfer Deadlines

• All transfers/swaps must be made by the published time of kick-off for any match.
• Only those players named in your starting line up at the published time of kick off will score fantasy points for that match. That means players on the bench do not score points for you.
• You can transfer/swap players out once a match has kicked-off and you will still score points for him.
• Players will only score points from the time/date they have been transferred/swapped into your team. Time of transfers will only be recorded as per the server clock (displayed in the top right hand side of the screen). We will not enter into discussion about times of transfer, or backdate points for any reason.

JOINING DATES

You can join the game at any point throughout the season. However you will not score points until your team is submitted.


FRIENDS / MINI-LEAGUES

Fancy taking your mates on in a no-holds barred fantasy football challenge? Then the Friends' League option is for you. It's essentially a private league where you can take on friends and colleagues.

If you've signed up to our game you can create as many leagues as you want. All you need to do is follow these steps:

Set up your squad and register to play NFC Manager

1. Create a league name and password.
2. Once this is done you can invite your friends to join the league by clicking the Challenge a mate button.
3. There must be a minimum of EIGHT players to form a Friends’ League.
4. Your friends will then be sent an email giving the name and password of your league. Once they've entered these details they'll automatically be entered in the league.
5. There's no limit to the number of mini-leagues you can enter, and there are prizes to win for the league that has the best AVERAGE score per member.

NFC Manager Game Rules

The NFC Manager game is based on the results and play in the 2008-09 Barclays Premier League season. Players will score points based on ALL League matches played over the season.

The game will start from matches played on Saturday, August 16th 2008, and will run through to the matches completed by Thursday, May 7th 2009.

Each entrant may enter as many teams as he wishes.


COMPETITIONS

Four competitions will be run under the auspices of NFC Manager throughout the 2008-09 Barclays Premier League season. Three of these will be in the format of a League:

1. A season-long individual competition running from August 16th 2008 – May 7th 2009.
2. Eight (8) shorter seasons (approximately one month long) for individuals. Dates outlined below.
3. Eight (8) shorter seasons (approximately one month long) for Friends’ Leagues. Dates are the same as for the individual league.
4. A 'Knock Out' style competition running from Dec. 2008 (date to be confirmed) until May 7th 2009.

PRIZES

The winner of the Season Long League, and the winner of the Knock-Out cup competition will travel to Singapore and meet in a head-to-head competition to decide the "Grand Prize" winner. The Grand prize will include a Trip for 2 to Europe to watch a top European game (including flights, accomodation and tickets).

The two winners of the Season Long League (16th August 08 - 7th May 09) and 'Knock Out' Cup will also win US$2,500.

Each short month-long “season” winner will win US$2,000 and a Nokia phone.

The Friends’ league with the best average amongst its players in the short month-long “season” will be awarded US$1,000.


SEASONS

There are three main competitions that will score points:

• The FULL season where points score from Aug 16th until, and including May 7th 2009.
• Eight, shorter monthly seasons. The eight seasons for NFC

Manager 2008-09 are:

• EARLY SEASON GAME: August 15th – October 2nd 2008
• OCTOBER SEASON: October 3rd – November 6th 2008
• NOVEMBER SEASON: November 7th – December 4th 2008
• CHRISTMAS SEASON: December 5th – 1st January 2009
• JANUARY SEASON: January 2nd – February 5th 2009
• FEBRUARY SEASON: February 6th – March 5th 2009
• MARCH SEASON: March 6th – April 2nd 2009
• LATE SEASON: April 3rd – May 7th 2009