Crowd trouble marred Ghana’s African Nations Cup semi-final win over hosts Equatorial Guinea in Malabo as Ghana fans were forced to flee the stands after being pelted with bottles.

Ghana 3 Equatorial Guinea 0

Africa Cup of Nations

Africa Cup of Nations preview

Liverpool boss’s vision in stark contrast to short-term thinking of his former employers.

Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant cannot understand why Jose Mourinho has marginalised Juan Mata, but insists the Spaniard still has a future at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho says it took him “five minutes” of a meeting with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to agree a return to Stamford Bridge after six years away.

They circled him like sharks, occasionally breaking ranks to dart forward and nip him, just to see what he would do.

Rafael Benitez is expected to be given at least one more match in charge at Chelsea despite his rant criticising Blues supporters and the club’s decision to give him the title of interim manager.

Chelsea 4 Brentford 0

David Luiz insists Chelsea could restore their European reputation in the Europa League following the “embarrassment” of becoming the first Champions League holders to crash out of the competition before Christmas.

Avram Grant has ruled out returning to Chelsea to either replace or work alongside beleaguered interim manager Rafael Benitez.

Chelsea today insisted there is “no truth” in reports that Avram Grant is to return to Stamford Bridge as an advisor to interim manager Rafa Benitez.

West Ham 3 Chelsea 1

Rafael Benitez blinked in irritation when asked if Chelsea could still win the Premier League after falling seven points behind Manchester United.

An apology from Rafael Benitez for his comments about Chelsea fans would go some way to healing the rift between them, according to the chair of the Chelsea Supporters’ Group.

Roman Abramovich’s decision to sack Roberto Di Matteo just 186 days after he won the Champions League, underlined — as if it really needed emphasising — that Football Plc has finally sucked out all the goodness from a sport that used to be known as the beautiful game and yet is now beholden almost entirely to the ruthless rules of big business.

Roberto Di Matteo vowed to “keep working” after Chelsea’s crushing Champions League defeat at Juventus put him firmly in the firing line.

John Terry came face to face with Anton Ferdinand yesterday at the start of the Chelsea captain’s disciplinary hearing over allegations he racially abused the QPR defender.

JT: Comfortable in his own skin whatever anyone else thinks

To understand the man, sometimes you have to have met him as a boy.

Roberto Di Matteo has insisted he does not feel like a dead man walking ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has defended the number of managerial changes at Stamford Bridge since Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003 and believes the club’s success in that period vindicates their policy of always having “the right manager” in place.

The Camp Nou was the stadium where Fergie’s phrase ‘Football, bloody hell’ was coined some 13 years ago, but it is arguable that the stunning arena has ever seen anything more astonishing than Chelsea’s victory over Barcelona on Tuesday night.

A resurgent Chelsea will be looking to upset the odds, and keep their discipline, as they take on the might of Spanish powerhouse Barcelona in the Champions League this evening.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was supportive but unsurprised after hearing he had outlasted another title-chasing boss in the shape of Andre Villas-Boas.

In the end, there was only one real surprise to Andre Villas-Boas’s eventual sacking.

Daniel Sturridge has insisted Chelsea are not a “divided unit” under Andre Villas-Boas.

MICHAEL O’NEILL intends to “restore a sense of belief and pride” in the Northern Ireland national side after being appointed on a two-year contract by the Irish Football Association.

Michael O’Neill intends to “restore a sense of belief and pride” in the Northern Ireland national side after being appointed on a two-year contract by the IFA.

CHELSEA boss Andre Villas-Boas yesterday insisted there was no chance of him being sacked if the club fail to reach the Champions League knockout phase or fall even further adrift in the Premier League in the coming days.

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS, who has only been at Chelsea for 20 weeks after arriving as the prodigal son from Portugal and who has yet to make a real signing of his own, is in serious danger of being home again for Christmas.

TOTTENHAM may have been able to recover from a grim start but it seems there will be no way back for Steve Kean.

CHELSEA face an anxious wait for an update on the fitness of Michael Essien after the Ghana midfielder sustained a knee injury.

NEW Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas can expect to be left alone to get on with his job, according to former Blues boss Avram Grant.

Sam Allardyce will hold face-to-face talks with West Ham’s England trio of Robert Green, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole to try to convince them to fight on at Upton Park next season.

SAM ALLARDYCE insists West Ham must quickly shake off their relegation “hangover” to make an immediate return to the Barclays Premier League.

Sam Allardyce was today confirmed as the new manager of West Ham.

Sam Allardyce is set to be confirmed as West Ham manager after revealing he will take charge when he returns from holiday.

KEVIN KEEN’S record as West Ham manager is played two, won none.

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady insists former manager Avram Grant was given every opportunity to succeed by the club in their failed bid to preserve their Barclays Premier League status.

Former West Ham forward Paolo Di Canio believes he is on the brink of securing a coaching position in England next season – and said he would “give everything” if he ended up at Upton Park.