Flush with pride after a "dream come true", newly appointed Real Madrid CF coach Manuel Pellegrini insists there is no better time to arrive at the Santiago Bernabéu having replaced Juande Ramos on a two-year deal.

Russia will hope to make their experience tell when they travel to Slovenia for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship Elite round, though the Netherlands and Belarus will also present stern opposition in Group 2.

Denmark coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller is confident his side can make an impression at UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ and what better way than to overcome hosts Finland in their opening game in Helsinki on 23 August?

Cup winners last season and now league champions for the first time, FK Mogren are the most successful side in the three-season history of football in the independent Montenegro, with FK Budućnost Podgorica missing out.

The refereeing experiment involving five match officials is to continue at matches in the new UEFA Europa League on the proposal of the UEFA President Michel Platini, following the FIFA Executive Committee's approval.

Guy Lacombe has been appointed the new coach of AS Monaco FC with his former post at French Cup finalists Stade Rennais FC going to former OGC Nice chief Frédéric Antonetti, who has signed a two-year contract.

Serbia coach Slobodan Kr marević has named a full-strength squad for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, with five full internationals in the party for Sweden. "It will be a great and strong competition," he said.

Manchester City FC have signed England midfielder Gareth Barry for a €13.9m fee on a five-year contract from Aston Villa FC, a club for who he made more than 400 appearances after joining as a trainee in 1997.

FC Dynamo Kyiv took the title while FC Vorskla Poltava earned their first Ukrainian Cup since 1956 at the expense of deposed champions FC Shakhtar Donetsk, though UEFA Cup triumph helped console the Pitmen.

With six of the eight 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship finalists now known, thoughts in Hungary are turning back to 25 years ago today when their team held their nerve in front of 72,000 fans to take the title.

Sweden striker Henrik Larsson is hoping attack dominates defence at this summer's UEFA European U21 Championship, telling uefa.com: "People want to be entertained and scoring is the best entertainment there is."

FC Porto have signed Uruguay left-back Álvaro Pereira from CFR 1907 Cluj and Brazilian defender Maicon from EC Cruzeiro while Jesualdo Ferreira has agreed a two-year extension, committing to the club until 2011.

Finland's injury misfortunes continued on Wednesday when goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was forced to withdraw from their squad for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship because of a knee injury.

Captain Mattias Bjärsmyr believes home advantage can help Sweden go far at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, saying: "We get to show ourselves at home against the best. We couldn't have it any better."

A treble winner with FC Barcelona, young Spain forward Bojan Krkić now has his sights set on a continental title at national level, as he tells uefa.com of his hopes for the forthcoming Under-21 finals in Sweden.

Regarded as the best Estonian player in history, goalkeeper Mart Poom has announced that he will retire from professional football on 10 June as he looks to win his 120th cap in his side's friendly game against Portugal.

Former Manchester United FC defender Steve Bruce has been named as the new coach of Sunderland AFC, leaving the post at Premier League rivals Wigan Athletic FC vacant to return to his native north-east.

The Galatasaray A board have accepted the resignation of 40-year-old coach Bülent Korkmaz after just over three months in charge, with the Istanbul club's fifth-place Süper Lig finish regarded as a disappointment.

ŠK Slovan Bratislava secured their first Slovakian title in a decade - and fifth over all - with four games to spare while there was cup triumph for MFK Ko ice and coach Ján Kozák, whose namesake son plays for

CAPITAL running star Chris O'Hare (Edinburgh AC) was one of six Scottish athletes to set personal best times in last night's St Mary's Classic Invitation m