Isco wins under-21 award

Last Updated: December 22, 2012 2:41pm

Isco: Has played a key role in Malaga's recent success

Malaga attacking midfielder Isco has been named Europe's best under-21 player of 2012.

The 20-year-old Spaniard beat AC Milan's Stephan El Shaarawy and Atletico Madrid's Thibaut Courtois to the prestigious Golden Boy award.

Isco was selected by a panel of 30 journalists from 20 European nations and becomes the tenth player to receive the prize.

Past winners include Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero, while Borussia Dortmund's Mario Götze collected the accolade last year.

"I'm overjoyed," Isco told Tuttosport. "It is a wonderful thing. I see the past winners and it almost makes me shiver, names of the highest prestige, like Messi.

"When I read that I was one of three candidates for the title, I thought it was a joke. When I knew that El Shaarawy and Courtois were the other candidates, I didn't expect to win.

"This Golden Boy will be an incentive for me to become a real star of international football, like those who have gone before me."

Isco won with 137 votes, 12 ahead of El Shaarawy and 21 in front of Courtois, who is on loan at Atletico from Chelsea.

He has played a key role in Malaga's recent rise and has been in fine form this season, scoring six goals and assisting another eight in his 25 appearances.

Isco joined Malaga in July 2011 after starting his career with Valencia.

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Ronaldo - I won't celebrate

By Lucas Brown.   Last Updated: December 21, 2012 6:19pm

Cristiano Ronaldo: Will not celebrate if he scores against United

Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he misses Manchester United and has vowed not to celebrate if he scores against his old club in the UEFA Champions League.

The Portugal international will go up against the club he left in 2009 in the last 16 of the tournament in February after Real were pitted against United in Thursday's draw.

Ronaldo, who spent six seasons at Old Trafford and still keeps in contact with manager Sir Alex Ferguson, does not plan to celebrate should he find the back of the net against the side he considered "family".

"If I score against United I will not celebrate," he told AS. "I still speak to Ferguson. I miss him a lot, just like I do Manchester United.

"I felt really good there because it was like a family. I had six great years there and still speak to a lot of my former team-mates.

"I still speak to Ferguson. I miss him a lot, just like I do Manchester United."
Cristiano Ronaldo Quotes of the week

"Thanks to Manchester United I am enjoying my football with Real Madrid. Without them I could not have made it to be the player that I am now."

Real have twice knocked United out of the Champions League and the club's president, Florentino Perez, is relaxed over the draw.

He told Marca: "It's fine, Manchester is fine.

"We've been drawn against them twice and eliminated them twice."

See what was said in our discussion about the best league in Europe and the Champions League draw...

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Celtic and Arsenal have to play a Champions League blinder in the transfer window, says Jeff Stelling.

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Malaga to fight suspension

Last Updated: December 21, 2012 6:13pm

Malaga: Will fight UEFA's decision

Malaga have vowed to appeal against the "disproportionate and unjustified" sanctions levied against the club by UEFA.

The Spanish outfit was suspended from UEFA club competitions for one season and fined £244,000 following a meeting of UEFA's Club Financial Control Body for breaching UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.

Malaga, who are due to face Porto in the last 16 of the Champions League, also face being banned for a second campaign unless they settle their outstanding debts.

But a statement from the Primera Liga club said: "Malaga Club de Futbol wishes to communicate its total disagreement with today's UEFA decision.

"The measures taken against the club are absolutely disproportionate and unjustified given the club's situation. We consider that the club is being punished unfairly and used as an example to others.

"Given the total and absolute indignation and consternation on the part of the club, Malaga CF wishes to state that it will work energetically and without rest to achieve justice, using all available necessary means.

"Malaga CF wishes to add that it does not understand, and considers totally incomprehensible and abusive, that after having received this judgement it must now wait an unknown period of time to know the evidence upon which it was taken."

Five other clubs are facing a one-year exclusion unless they can settle their outstanding debts by 31 March; Croatia's Hadjuk Split and Osijek, Rapid Bucharest and Dynamo Bucharest of Romania and Serbian side Partizan Belgrade.

Another Serbian club, Vojvodina, and Ukrainian side Arsenal Kiev were handed fines while a case against Polish side Lech Poznan was dropped.

See what was said in our discussion about the best league in Europe and the Champions League draw...

Sky Sports looks at the glamorous previous meetings between Man United and Real Madrid.

Celtic and Arsenal have to play a Champions League blinder in the transfer window, says Jeff Stelling.

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Celtic hoping star pair stay

Last Updated: December 21, 2012 11:54am

Victor Wanyama: Has been linked with clubs around Europe after impressive form

Celtic are hopeful their glittering UEFA Champions League showdown with Juventus can convince Victor Wanyama and Gary Hooper to sign new contracts.

Wanyama still has three years on his current deal while Hooper is into the final 18 months of his terms at Parkhead.

Both players have been linked with moves to the Premier League and other clubs around Europe after impressing this season.

But Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell anticipates the meeting with Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League in February and March will ensure the pair do not leave in January.

"From my point of view, a game with Juventus has got to be quite powerful," he said. "From their point of view? I couldn't comment.

"We'd love to see them at Celtic come the game in February. At the moment, we are still talking to them. These things can take time.

"Victor still has two-and-a-half years to go, so we are more relaxed on that than we are with Gary. But we are relaxed with both. We still have them for a period of time.

"We have gone to them and said, 'how's about it?'. We like to be ahead of the game. We didn't have to do it but we went to them and hopefully we can end up in a good place."

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Podolski relishes Bayern test

By Tim Oscroft.   Last Updated: December 21, 2012 11:58am

Lukas Podolski: German striker will be aiming to prove a point against his old club Bayern Munich

Lukas Podolski is confident that Arsenal can get the better of Bayern Munich when the two sides meet in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

The Gunners were handed the tough test of facing the 2012 runners-up when the draw was made in Nyon on Thursday.

Germany striker Podolski will be especially keen to put one over his old club, where he spent an unhappy three years before joining Cologne in 2009.

"They are a big club - they played in the final in 2010 and last year - but we have a chance to win," insisted the 27-year-old.

"They have a very good team with big players. Mario Gomez up front, Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philip Lahm and Manuel Neuer.

"But there are two matches, home and away, and we have a chance to win."

Podolski is equally confident that Arsenal can overturn their inconsistent domestic form and mount a challenge for the Premier League title.

"Man United are in front, we have 15 points to first place and it's tough but the season is long. When we fight, play our game and don't lose stupid points we can go from fourth to first place."

While Arsenal face up to the traditionally busy festive fixture programme, with the FA Cup to follow, Bayern will shortly go into the winter break afforded to German teams.

However Podolski's fellow countryman Per Mertesacker feels Arsenal can turn schedule to their advantage.

"It's a long period for us while all the German teams will have a winter break and a rest," said Mertesacker.

"They only conceded seven league goals in the first half of the season but we will see what happens in February.

"We hope we can get into a good rhythm to face them and be a strong squad. Maybe it's a good opportunity for us to face them in February because we will be in our rhythm

"We have a lot of potential and Bayern know they will face an Arsenal squad which will be strong in February."

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See what was said in our discussion about the best league in Europe and the Champions League draw...

Sky Sports looks at the glamorous previous meetings between Man United and Real Madrid.

Celtic and Arsenal have to play a Champions League blinder in the transfer window, says Jeff Stelling.

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UEFA ban Malaga over debts

Last Updated: December 21, 2012 5:25pm

Malaga: Players are facing an exclusion from European club compeititions

Malaga have been banned from all UEFA club competitions for one season due to outstanding debts.

The Spanish outfit is one of nine clubs to have had sanctions levied against them following a meeting of UEFA's Club Financial Control Body.

Manuel Pellegrini's side will be prevented from entering the next European competition they qualify for and could face a further season's absence unless the club settles its debts.

Malaga, who are due to face Porto in the last 16 of this season's Champions League, have also been fined £244,000

A statement on the UEFA website read: "Malaga is excluded from participating in the next UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the next four seasons (i.e. 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17).

"In addition, Malaga will be excluded from a subsequent UEFA competition for which it would otherwise qualify (in the next four seasons) if it does not prove, by 31 March 2013, that it has no overdue payables towards football clubs or towards employees and/or social/tax authorities."

See what was said in our discussion about the best league in Europe and the Champions League draw...

Sky Sports looks at the glamorous previous meetings between Man United and Real Madrid.

Celtic and Arsenal have to play a Champions League blinder in the transfer window, says Jeff Stelling.

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Rummenigge wary of Arsenal

Last Updated: December 20, 2012 2:32pm

Karl Heinz Rummenigge: The Bayern chairman is wary of the threat posed by Arsenal

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has spoken of the difficulty he believes his side will face in their Champions League second-round tie against Arsenal.

Last year's runners-up Bayern will face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium before the return leg at the Allianz Arena for a place in the last eight.

Rummenigge said of the draw that placed them with Arsenal: "I think we enter this match as the slight favourites, but we can be making the mistake of underestimating them.

"Arsenal have struggled at times in the league over the last few months, which a look upon the standings in the Premier League will tell you. But by no means will this be an easy game for us. I look forward to our game in London and back home in Munich."

Meanwhile, Bayern deputy-chairman Karl Hopfner told Sky Sports of his satisfaction with the draw: "Now we have the first match in the competition (against Arsenal) in the Allianz Arena and we are happy to play against Arsenal. It's a long way to Wembley."

Bayern last faced Arsenal in Europe in 2005, running out as 3-2 aggregate winners. The first leg at The Emirates will be played on 19 February, with the return match at Munich's Allianz Arena on 13 March.

Arsenal communications director Mark Gonnella said: "They knocked us out that time (2005) but such is the level at this stage of the competition that whether you start at home or away there's not much in it.

"If you look at the statistics over time it probably proves that.

"So we've got to go out and get a good result under our belt in the home game and then see what we can do in Germany."

Sky Sports looks at the glamorous previous meetings between Man United and Real Madrid.

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View the original article here