Chelsea (Emphatically) Wins Premier League

Didier Drogba celebrating Chelsea’s 8-0 victory against Wigan. Drogba scored three goals, giving him 29 this season, to edge Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney for the Premier League scoring title.

Chelsea is the best team in England, and anyone who disputes that need only look at the scoresheet from its final victory — an 8-0 thrashing of visiting Wigan on Sunday. Chelsea’s Premier League crown was its third in six years.
Didier Drogba led the way Sunday with three goals, giving him a Premier League-best 29 this season, though it would be just as easy to list the players who didn’t find the net.
Nicolas Anelka gave Chelsea the lead in the sixth minute, and Frank Lampard doubled it with a penalty kick in the 32nd. Wigan defender Gary Caldwell drew a red card for the challenge that brought down Lampard, leaving his teammates defenseless for what was to come: Salomon Kalou, Anelka again, Drogba (three times) and a 90th-minute left-footed rocket by Ashley Cole. (Drogba had a full-bodied hat trick, scoring left-footed, right-footed and on a header.)

Manchester United beat Stoke, 4-0, to finish 1 point behind, but all a disappointed Sir Alex Ferguson could do was try his best to be gracious.

“When we heard Wigan was down to 10 men, our hopes evaporated then,” Ferguson said. “We know how difficult it is to win the Premier League and that’s why we congratulate Carlo Ancelotti and his team.
“It’s a great achievement to beat Manchester United. Losing this title makes you appreciate the achievement of winning the last three and also getting so near. We’ve got to try again.”

Ancelotti’s team finished with 103 goals, becoming the first Premier League team to top the century mark and the first to do it in England’s top division since Tottenham in 1963.

The Blues finished with an astonishing goal difference of 71, and went a perfect 6-0 against the rest of England’s big four — Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. And they did it all despite not one but two sex scandals, Drogba’s pining for his Marseille days, and an injury list that, had it competed on its own, probably could have finished in the top half of the Premier League.

Not a bad year (not an unbeaten one, but still …). And it will only get better if they beat Portsmouth in F.A. Cup final on Saturday at Wembley.

Chivu wins Italy´s Cup

Romanian international Cristi Chivu's team, Inter Milan, beat AS Roma last night (Weds) in the final of the Italian Cup.



Inter Milan won 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome with Diego Milito scoring in minute 40 for Inter.

This is the sixth Italian trophy won by Inter Milan in their history.

The captain of Romania's national team, Chivu played the whole game but got a yellow card in minute 47.

Chivu is also through to the final of the Champions League, where Inter meets Bayern in Madrid, on May 22nd.

Lucescu wins fourth title in Ukraine

Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu had led his team Shakhtar Donetsk to victory for the fourth time in Ukraine.



Shakhtar Donetsk went six points ahead of its main rival, Dinamo Kiev, with a 1-0 victory on Wednesday in a home game.

Ilsinho scored for Lucescu's team in minute 15.

Lucescu also won the title in Ukraine, with Shakhtar Donetsk, in 2005, 2006 and 2008.

Lucescu, 64, was ranked as the fifth best coach in 2009 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

Wotte suspended from Craiova for poor results

Football coach Mark Wotte has been suspended from coaching his team, Universitatea Craiova, for poor results obtained until now and indiscipline, according to the club.



The club posted on its website an announcement saying Mark Wotte and his deputy, Gerard van Ruitenburg, have been suspended from their positions for 30 days, following poor results obtained by Universitatea Craiova.

The club also said, in another statement, that Wotte has been suspended for "lack of professionalism" and "repeated indisciplinary acts".

The club also announced that player Eugen Trica and George Bita are going to train the team until the end of the championship.

Football club Universitatea Craiova announced in January that its new coach was Dutchman Mark Wotte.

Wotte should coach the club for a year-and-a-half, according to his contract.

Universitatea Craiova currently ranks 13th in Romanian League I, with 33 points. On Saturday, Craiova lost by 3-1 against International Curtea de Arges.

Wotte has previously coached RKC Waalwijk and Southampton.

Steaua loses to last-place Unirea Alba Iulia

Legendary Steaua Bucharest has dropped to fifth place in the Liga I after its shameful 1-2 defeat by last place Unirea Alba Iulia in an away match this past week-end.

Unirea Alba Iulia thereby improved its chances of avoiding relegation to the second league. It is in 17th place with 26 points in the 18-team league.

Veljovici and Florin Dan scored for Alba Iulia in the 24th and 83rd minutes, respectively, while Arman Karamyan scored in the 43rd minute for Steaua.

Steaua lost for the second time this season to the last-place team in the Liga I, having earlier been defeated by then last-place Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt.

Steaua is currently in fifth place with 53 points, six fewer than leader CFR Cluj has.

Mutu makes way for Jovetic at Fiorentina

Striker Adrian Mutu has been put on the transfer list by his team Fiorentina after his suspension for nine months following positive testing for sibutramine in January.

According to the Italian press, Mutu has been put on the transfer list although his contract runs until 2012.

The Italian club also decided this week that Mutu would be only paid half of his salary.

Romanian striker Mutu transferred to Fiorentina for a 2.2-million-Euro annual salary.

Fiorentina sports manager Pantaleo Corvino was quoted by the Italian press as saying:


"Mutu made a severe mistake. We're going to talk with Prandelli (the coach), but one thing is certain. The future of Fiorentina is named Stevan Jovetic".

Jovetic, 21, transferred to Fiorentina in 2008 for a reported eight million Euros from Serb club Partizan.

Mutu, 31, called "Il Fenomeno" at Fiorentina, was one of its most-admired players.

Mutu is wanted by Turkish clubs Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, according to the local press.

Mutu will be back on the field at the end of October after testing positive for sibutramine, a banned substance in sporting activity.

He was suspended in February, and his team Fiorentina dropped to 10th place in the Italian Serie A league.
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I honestly think Jovetic deserves his spot in the lineup, most of the time he plays for them he does fantastic and he creates a lot of goals and scoring loads himself. I'm happy for Serb, but also (still) very disappointed at Mutu for having done this twice in his career... even if it was a very obscure substance and he may not have known it was illegal (doesn't do much anyway, more medical than anything), it's still been regarded as something he shouldn't have used according to the FIGC or whatever. He should get picked up by a team like Galatasaray or Fehnerbace or that Al-Sadd club... not the best teams but still not bad at all, I would like to see him play for the same team as Hagi did for a bit of his career (Galatasaray).

Lucescu criticises Mourinho for defensive play

Romanian football coach Mircea Lucescu has criticised Inter-Milan coach Jose Mourinho, who has taken Inter into the finals of the Champions League.



Lucescu said, as quoted on the website of his team Shakhtar Donetsk: "It is really a shame for a world-class team to stay on defence instead of attacking. I do not like such football. It is a pity that such teams can advance, unlike those who play spectacular football."

Lucescu, 64, was ranked as the fifth best coach in 2009 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

Lucescu won the UEFA Cup with his team FC Shakhtar Donetsk, but it was then eliminated from Europa League play.