Chelsea pensioners enjoy FA Cup

 

Goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba helped Chelsea to a 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Liverpool on Saturday.

The Wembley win is a concrete sign of the turnaround in fortunes at the club since Andre Villas-Boas' departure in March, with interim boss Roberto Di Matteo leading the west Londoners to silverware and a Champions League final later this month.

Now, with the Blues securing their fourth win in the competition in six years, it seems the Chelsea pensioners are enjoying the comfort of the FA Cup...

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2011-2012 Europa League Final

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Van Persie claims two trophies but Wenger is still dusting off the cobwebs

 

Robin van Persie was the toast of English football on Thursday night as the Arsenal striker accepted his Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award.

It was the second accolade of the season for the Netherlands international, who was also named the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year just a few weeks ago.

But Arsenal and Arsene Wenger remain empty-handed for another season, leaving the Frenchman to dust the cobwebs out of the trophy cabinet for another season. 

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Ronaldo strikes again to put Mourinho in a league of his own

 

Real Madrid secured their 32nd La Liga title on Wednesday night with a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao at San Mames.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 44th league goal of the season in just 35 starts, while Mesut Ozil and Gonzalo Higuain were also on target.

The victory meant Ronaldo - and his manager, Jose Mourinho - finally bowled over Barcelona, ending their dominance in Spain after three consecutive league championships.
 
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Hodgson takes England hot seat

 

 The Football Association confirmed the appointment of Roy Hodgson as the new England manager on Tuesday, giving the West Brom boss a few short weeks to assess and assemble a squad ahead of Euro 2012.

Hodgson gave the impression of a man undaunted by the task of winning over England fans and players, despite not being the favourite for the job prior to his appointment.

But plenty of coaches - popular or otherwise - have been burned by the England hot seat in the past. Will the former Fulham man still be relishing the role after a while on the throne?

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Noisy neighbours

 

It had been billed as the biggest Premier League fixture of all time, and whilst there may not have been the drama and incident to match the hype, Roberto Mancini's men's 1-0 victory over Manchester United signalled another turning of the tide in the title race.

Vincent Kompany's first-half header set City on their way to a vital three points at the Etihad Stadium, and while tensions flared between Sir Alex Ferguson and his Italian counterpart, the Scotsman was unable to inspire his side.

Instead, the Red Devils were left to return to Old Trafford with their tails between their legs and their noisy neighbours are starting to become deafening.

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Roy Hodgson sneaks up on Redknapp

 

The FA shocked the football world on Sunday evening when they moved to appoint West Brom boss Roy Hodgson as England manager.

The news came as a surprise, and probably none more so than to Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, who has been touted as heavy favourite for the role since Fabio Capello's departure.

Now, with the former West Ham manager having spent the past month suggesting half the Spurs squad will leave White Hart Lane in the summer, he finds himself in a right pickle, with the 65-year-old having his dream move snatched away from him by Roy.
 

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'German Messi' Marko Marin

 

On Saturday, Chelsea confirmed the the signing of Marko Marin from Werder Bremen for a reported fee of €7 million to €8m.

The Germany international earned himself the nickname 'the German Messi' following a string of fine performances early in his career, but his progress seems to have stagnated as he has failed to make much of an impact in Bremen in the last couple of years.

Nevertheless, this didn't stop Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich from snapping up the 23-year-old. Perhaps the Russian believes he has signed the real Messi ...

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Thanks for the memories...

 

Pep Guardiola ended speculation over his Barcelona future on Friday by confirming his departure from Camp Nou at the end of the season.

During his four-year spell in charge, the Blaugrana were ruthless, sweeping team after team aside en route to three consecutive Primera Division titles and two Champions League triumphs, among a host of other trophies.

With his place in the club's history assured, however, Guardiola decided it was time for a break...

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Michel reacts to Bayern v Chelsea showdown

 

There was a sense of shock when Chelsea and Bayern Munich, against the odds, both progressed to the Champions League final at the expense of their more fancied opponents. Barcelona and Real Madrid were unsurprisingly red-hot favourites to stage a Clasico decider, with some even going as far as to say that the blockbuster clash was already in the bag.

Uefa president Michel Platini had admitted in early March that a meeting between Barca and Real would make a great final, but after Chelsea's resilient defending forced the Catalans out and Bayern sunk Los Blancos in a penalty shoot-out, the Frenchman will have to redecorate the Champions League trophy ahead of the May 19 final at the Allianz Arena.

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