WHAT a week of snarling, no-holds barred, edge of the seat, competitive drama – and, no, I’m not talking about the Irish senior side taking on Paul Doolin’s Irish U23s.

BAYERN MUNICH coach Louis van Gaal still does not believe his team are among the elite sides of European football even though they are now just one step away from winning the Champions League.

CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF FINAL: Blackpool v Cardiff (Wembley, 3pm)

HISTORY in the making. The first round ball kicked in the new home of Irish football.

FORMER Cork City and Republic of Ireland player Brian Carey is still doing his duty for his country by enlisting one of his talented youngsters at Wrexham into the international fold.

WITH the Premier League season just around the corner, cash-strapped fans can avail ofrecession-busting buses to see their heroes in action.

BARCELONA’S pursuit of Cesc Fabregas appears never-ending with midfielder Andres Iniesta yesterday declaring everyone at the Catalan club wants to see Arsenal’s captain at the Nou Camp.

YOUNG Bohemians hotshot Paddy Madden is relishing the opportunity of sharing the pitch with one of the game’s greatest marksmen when an Airtricity League XI take on Manchester United in football’s inaugural outing at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.

MANCHESTER UNITED midfielder Anderson was dragged unconscious from the burning wreckage of his car after a weekend crash that is now the centre of a police investigation in Portugal.

MARTIN MURPHY never doubted that this day would come. While the Aviva Stadium had its detractors, once planning permission was granted, the stadium director could visualise the gates opening at 1pm as they do today for the O2 Challenge between a Connacht/Munster selection and a team representing Leinster/Ulster (2.30pm).

THE FAI yesterday won a landmark victory after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland ruled that any player born on the island of Ireland can play for the Republic even though they may have previously played for Northern Ireland at schoolboy, under-age, youth and U21 level.

IT WASN’T long before the cold, bracing slap of reality intruded on Shamrock Rovers’ fairytale night in Tallaght.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC boss Pete Mahon has demanded that his side keep a hold of top spot in the Airtricity Premier Division when they take on Bohemians at Dalymount Park tonight (7.45pm).

GAS board staff will be reading more than meters over the next six months as they devote their energy to help local children improve their literacy skills.

FOR a moment there yesterday, it seemed that not only had Richard Dunne made a miraculous recovery from injury but the big defender had been reborn as a tricky winger.

MANCHESTER UNITED supporters have urged the Glazer family to come clean about their ownership of the club.

IRELAND face a major injury crisis in defence ahead of Wednesday’s friendly international against Norway at the Aviva Stadium.

CHELSEA’S inherent weaknesses – and with it their title challenge – were brutally picked apart for the rest of the Premier League to see following a remarkable performance by Sunderland at Stamford Bridge yesterday that saw Steve Bruce’s side win 3-0.

CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti has scheduled an emergency meeting with his players on Thursday to analyse what went wrong during a humiliating home defeat against Sunderland but has refused to accept he needs to spend in the January transfer window.

THIS was another display of maturity from Arsenal and after another weekend of unconvincing performances from Manchester’s candidates, further evidence that they are the only realistic challengers to Chelsea.