Lionel Messi struck five times as Champions League holders Barcelona hammered Bayer Leverkusen 7-1 to confirm their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

IN difficult times when the outlook seems grim you can usually rely on English football journalists for some comic relief.

CELTIC manager Neil Lennon put up a brave face despite his side crashing out of the Champions League last night following a 4-2 aggregate defeat by Sporting Braga.

BOHEMIANS will have every reason to hope that they can advance to the third qualifying round of the Champions League after a second-half goal from Killian Brennan gave them a narrow victory over Welsh side TNS in a tense second-round, first-leg tie at Dalymount Park last night.

THE president of high flying Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta yesterday resigned days after being arrested by police probing embezzlement allegations raised by fellow board members.

PORTSMOUTH manager Harry Redknapp could be set to bring in two new faces as the club prepare to make their UEFA Cup debut.

Tottenham will face Wisla Krakow in the first round of the UEFA Cup.

Cyprus today applied to join Europe’s common currency, the euro, the European Commission confirmed.

TURKEY’S membership negotiations with the EU are back on track, after EU foreign ministers resolved a stand-off with Cyprus over Ankara’s relationship with the divided island.

Turkey was set to conclude the first round of membership negotiations with the European Union today, after EU foreign ministers resolved a stand-off with Cyprus over Ankara’s relationship with the divided island.

European Union foreign ministers agreed on a common position to start detailed membership talks with Turkey today after resolving a stand-off with Cyprus, officials said.

Cyprus’ insistence that the EU pressure on Turkey towards establishing relations with the divided island’s government today threatened to derail Ankara’s first detailed negotiations to join the EU before they could begin.

European Union ambassadors have failed to find a breakthrough on a joint negotiating position for Turkey’s membership talks and could not agree on a common response to Ankara’s refusal to recognise EU member Cyprus.

The draw for The UEFA Cup First Round is as follows:

Mick McCarthy’s record as Republic of Ireland manager since taking over in March 1996:

The draw for the Second round of the UEFA Cup.