“It’s like a final,” said Juan Mata yesterday of Chelsea’s match against Napoli.

IF THERE are gods of football, justice, then on Sunday they were surely smiling down on Naples.

Lazio coach Edy Reja has brushed aside reports linking Mauro Zarate with a move to Juventus or any other club before the end of the transfer window.

FOOTBALL in Europe is a season of two halves. True, the winter break has become more like a pause in Spain; they start back on Saturday, while Portugal, Italy and Greece have a few more days leave.

Twenty years ago tonight, Arsenal and Liverpool staged the most remarkable climax in history to an English football season. “A night of chilling simplicity” as commentator Brian Moore called it. Tony Leen was there.