Bill Pierce

Arsenal may be forced to splash out £16m (€22.8m) on Ghanaian Lyon star Mickael Essien to bolster their midfield ranks and ensure they are not beaten in the race for his signature.

Fulham today lost their bitter High Court legal dispute with former manager Jean Tigana.

Former Fulham Football Club manager Jean Tigana told the British High Court today that his priority was always to do what was best for the Premiership side.

Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed told the High Court in London today that he would not let “any crook” get away with his money and destroy the Premiership side.

FORMER Fulham manager Jean Tigana’s career at the football club ended in “deceit and dishonesty,” the High Court heard yesterday.

France coasted to a 4-0 win over minnows Andorra as they began their warm-up for the defence of their European title in Portugal next month.

FRANCE coach Jacques Santini named nine Premiership players, including four from Arsenal, in his Euro 2004 squad.

Marseille 2, Newcastle 0 (Marseille win 2-0 on aggregate)

Marseille 2 Newcastle 0 (Marseille win 2-0 on aggregate)

Marseille boss Jose Anigo admits his club’s entire season rests on the outcome of their UEFA Cup semi-final second leg with Newcastle.

GERARD HOULLIER blasted the "outrageous" decision which cost Liverpool their European dream at the Stade Velodrome.

Gerard Houllier bemoaned the performance of referee Dauden Ibanez after watching Liverpool crash out of the UEFA Cup in Marseille tonight, insisting the Spanish official was “wrong” to award a crucial penalty against his side.

Marseille 2 Liverpool 1 (Marseille win 3-2 on aggregate)

Marseille coach José Anigo branded as “disgusting” the treatment by some of his countryman Gerard Houllier, as the pair prepare to cross swords in the UEFA Cup.

CELTIC manager Martin O'Neill has declared that drawing Barcelona in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup is a huge bonus for the club.

THE main contenders for Euro 2004 will blow away the winter cobwebs with a series of friendly games today, less than four months before the start of the tournament in Portugal.

FULHAM yesterday squared up to FIFA in a fresh stg£2 million transfer row — just weeks after losing the stg£3.2 million Steve Marlet case.

THERE was nearly an hour on the clock when Marseille’s most famous supporter, Zinedine Zidane, ended hopes of a shock result in their first Champions League game of the season.

VFB STUTTGART continued their impressive Champions League debut with a 3-1 win at Panathinaikos, and share top spot in Group E with Manchester United.

REAL MADRID continued their smooth progress towards the knock-out stages of the Champions League by easing to a third victory in three games with a 1-0 win over Partizan Belgrade in Group F last night.

Marseille 2 FC Porto 3

Patrick Vieira fears Chelsea are capable of winning Barclaycard Premiership title if fellow France international Claude Makelele settles in well following his transfer from Real Madrid.

Fulham’s French international striker Steve Marlet has joined Marseille on loan until the end of the season.

Everton 3 Fulham 1

RUSSIA coach Valery Gazzayev last night threatened to resign after his side’s 2-1 home defeat to Israel in a warm-up to the crucial Euro 2004 qualifier against a Republic of Ireland side sweating on the availability of Robbie Keane.

MARSEILLE coach Alain Perrin has confirmed his interest in Fulham striker Steve Marlet, who could join the French club on a one-year loan deal before the close of the transfer window on August 31.

Fulham 1 Middlesbrough 1

Defending champions France booked their ticket to the Confederations Cup final, but their enthralling 3-2 victory over World Cup semi-finalists Turkey could never lift the shadow of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe’s death earlier in the day.

Fulham, preparing an appeal against FIFA’s order to pay Valencia almost £500,000 (€717,000) after a row over John Carew’s aborted move, could now discover FIFA’s final verdict on the long-running Steve Marlet transfer saga next Saturday.

Fulham tonight pledged to appeal after FIFA ordered them to pay Valencia almost £500,000 (€710,000) – because they broke transfer laws by making John Carew’s January 2002 move subject to a medical, which he failed.

French striker Steve Marlet has warned Fulham he will not be pushed out of Craven Cottage unless the deal is right for him.

SYLVAIN Wiltord hopped off the train in Rennes early one Wednesday morning.

Fulham 0 Blackburn 4

Fulham’s two games in three days earlier this week have robbed Jean Tigana of up to three key players for tomorrow’s showdown with rock-bottom Sunderland at Loftus Road.

Andy Melville knows the exact words he wants to hear at 1.30pm on Monday - “Fulham...will play Chelsea.”

Fulham 2 Aston Villa 1

Louis Saha is ruled out of Fulham’s Loftus Road clash with Middlesbrough on Sunday by another hamstring injury.

MANCHESTER CITY boss Kevin Keegan drooled over the “unbelievable” talent of match-winner Nicolas Anelka , describing him as a “Rolls Royce” player with frightening potential.

Nicolas Anelka made amends for an incredible miss by bagging a late winner for Manchester City in today’s thrilling match at Loftus Road.

West Ham 1 Fulham 1

Jean Tigana faces an injury nightmare with seven first-team players out of the Boxing Day derby date at West Ham.

Newcastle battered 10-man Fulham into submission to climb into fourth place in the Premiership table for at least 24 hours with their eighth successive league win at St James’ Park.

TWELVE stewards had to rush into the players’ bar at Loftus Road on Sunday to defuse a bust-up between Fulham and Birmingham players that involved Irish international Clinton Morrison’s mum Angela.