IT was 8pm when Judge Teresa Casoria finally delivered the verdict to a Naples courtroom crammed with reporters, TV crews, lawyers and policemen.

THE scene before kick-off said plenty. As Alex Ferguson vaulted over a barrier and stood smiling, chewing his gum and chatting to supporters, Carlo Ancelotti sat at the front of the technical area, silent, eyes twitching.

FERNANDO TORRES may have played only two games for Chelsea since a £50m (€58m) transfer from Liverpool but such is modern football’s insatiable desire for instant gratification that already the dreaded words ‘Andriy Shevchenko’ are being whispered nervously around Stamford Bridge.

ADRIAN MUTU yesterday lost his lengthy legal battle against Chelsea as the Swiss Federal Court ordered him to pay his former club over €17 million.

Adrian Mutu has been ordered to pay former club Chelsea over €17m after losing his final appeal in a legal battle which has lasted over five years, the Swiss Federal Court announced.

Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has been banned for nine months after failing an anti-doping test in January.

FIORENTINA captain Riccardo Montolivo has described tonight’s meeting with Bayern Munich at the Artemio Franchi stadium as the most important game of his life.

THE two Italian coaches new to the Premier League must be baffled by how much attention can be focused on a handshake that might never happen but that’s how it is in English football at the moment.

FIORENTINA striker Adrian Mutu is “worried but optimistic” following the announcement of his positive drug test, according to his agent.

Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has tested positive for a banned substance, the Italian Olympic Committee have announced.

West Ham sporting director Gianluca Nani insists the Barclays Premier League club are not after Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu.

RAFAEL BENITEZ has vowed to take Liverpool back into the Champions League as they prepare for the embarrassment of a dead rubber against Fiorentina tonight.

RANGERS’ Champions League hopes were left hanging in the balance when a late equaliser from Unirea Urziceni denied them a crucial first victory in the tournament this season.

Adrian Mutu has won the latest stage of his court battle with former club Chelsea.

GOKDENIZ KARADENIZ stuck a second-half winner as Rubin Kazan claimed a shock Champions League victory over reigning European champions Barcelona at the Nou Camp last night.

Adrian Mutu has succeeded in a bid to have the fine he was ordered to pay Chelsea put on temporary hold, his agent has claimed.

Rafael Benitez has promised it will be a “very different” Liverpool side that faces Chelsea at the weekend before back-to-back Champions League clashes with Group E leaders Lyon in the coming weeks.

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez conceded his side’s first-half performance left them with too much as his side went down in Florence last night.

Fiorentina 2 Liverpool 0

LIVERPOOL fans are familiar enough with uncertainty over club finances and their owners’ intentions to have some sympathyfor their opponents tonight.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC hopes to make a winning return to the San Siro to face his former club Inter Milan tonight when FC Barcelona begin their Champions League title defence.

ARSENAL and Celtic could be set to meet for a place in the lucrative Champions League group phase.

FORMER Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has lost his appeal against FIFA’s ruling that he must pay the English club €17 million in damages for breach of contract. Mutu, who cost the Blues €17.5m in 2003, was sacked a year later after he tested positive for cocaine, and was given a seven-month worldwide football ban.

Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has lost his appeal against FIFA’s ruling that he must pay the English club €17m in damages for breach of contract.

Players’ chiefs have served notice that they will fight plans for the Premier League’s top stars to be tested for drug use in their own homes.

England footballers and other Premier League stars face a raft of extra drug tests under a new crackdown being planned by their sport’s authorities, it was reported today.

ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO scored two goals to give Juventus a 2-0 victory over Real Madrid last night and book the Italians’ place in the last 16.

Adrian Mutu has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIFA's order to pay €17.17m compensation to Chelsea.

Romania striker Adrian Mutu suffered another setback on Tuesday when he dislocated an elbow while preparing for Wednesday’s international friendly against Latvia.

Chelsea on Thursday night hailed “an important decision for football” after FIFA ordered Adrian Mutu to pay the club £13.68m in compensation after being tested positive for cocaine while at Stamford Bridge.

Spain 0 Italy 0 (Spain win 4-2 on penalties)

HOLLAND were every bit as professional as coach Marco van Basten promised they would be as they outclassed Romania to send Victor Piturca’s side home and hand Italy a Euro 2008 lifeline.

Holland 2 Romania 0

Italy 1 Romania 1

Alessandro Del Piero is ready to take centre stage when Italy face Romania in tonight’s Euro 2008 showdown in Zurich.

FRANCE v Romania. Oh dear. Let’s blame it on the weather, shall we?

Romania 0 France 0

Fiorentina 0 Rangers 0 (after extra-time, Rangers win 4-2 on penalties)

BARRY FERGUSON has won every domestic honour possible with Rangers and has even had a crack at the Premier League with Blackburn.

Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu admits he was shocked by the “ugly” football Rangers served up in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final.

Rangers 0 Fiorentina 0

Rangers manager Walter Smith has every confidence his patched-up team will come through tomorrow night’s tie against Fiorentina with their hopes of reaching the UEFA Cup final still alive.

Luca Toni’s last-minute header gave Bayern Munich a dramatic away-goals victory over brave 10-man Getafe in their UEFA Cup quarter-final second-leg encounter.

RANGERS dreams of European glory took a knock when they drew a blank against Sporting Lisbon in their UEFA Cup quarter-final first-leg clash at Ibrox.