Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has named a 24-man squad for the upcoming international friendly against the Czech Republic in Dublin on February 29th.
Speaking after the squad announcement, the Irish boss said, "This game is the beginning of our Euro 2012 preparations.
"As we face this fixture, it is important for our players to remember the attitude and performance that brought us qualification.

Amidst all the loan deals away from White Hart Lane yesterday there was one permanent departure and it came in the shape of Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko who has departed for Lokomotiv Moscow for a fee in the region of £7.5m.

It had been an unhappy eighteen months at the Lane for Pav, punctuated by occasional match winning strikes against the likes of Birmingham last season and against Sunderland a few weeks ago, where his solitary goal could yet prove vital in the course of the season.

Tottenham yesterday saw both Roman Pavlyuchenko and Steven Pienaar leave White Hart Lane for Lokomotiv Moscow and Everton respectfully. Both moves do not come as a surprise, in fact if anything, they were both overdue.

After having been linked with a move away from Tottenham for quite some time, Pavyluchenko finally made the switch to Lokomotiv for a reported £8 million.

Everton has leapfrogged West Ham, Queens Park Rangers, and cross-town rivals Liverpool in being the front-runners to sign Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic.

The Toffees, who have scored only 22 goals this season a total that is only higher than bottom-club Wigan are in search for a finisher with a proven pedigree and Jelavic offers an affordable option to cover their needs.

Liverpool and Arsenal face a major battle with Fiorentina and Borussia Dortmund to sign Spartak Moscow striker Welliton.
The Brazilian, 25, is rated one of the best forwards in Russia and has attracted interest from a number of European clubs.
Both Liverpool and Arsenal are keen to bolster their forward line and have been linked with a move for the 5ft 9in forward.

Talksport: Liverpool and Arsenal battle for Brazilian striker

But Spartak Moscow star Welliton is also wanted by Fiorentina and Borussia Dortmund

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2012-01-05 18:17:47 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

By Alan Duffy

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Sunderland Premier League 18th December 2011

They may have started the game without the crocked pair of Gareth Bale and Jermain Defoe and lost Aaron Lennon after just 27 minutes, but Harry Redknapp's in-form Spurs side still had far too much left in the locker for the visiting Black Cats.

The business end of the 2011-12 Russian Premier League season began this weekend with the sixteen teams split into two groups of eight. In recent seasons the league would've concluded after thirty rounds of matches but due to the changing of the league season from a spring-autumn season to an autumn-spring timetable from the 2012-13 season another fourteen rounds of matches are necessary in order to decide championship and relegation matters this time around.

John O'Shea and Kevin Doyle are back in the Ireland team for tomorrow night's Euro 2012 play-off second leg against Estonia in Lansdowne Road.
Stephen Kelly at right back and Jon Walters in attack are the players that make way for the returning duo.
O'Shea comes back into the side following a hamstring injury, while Doyle returns from suspension to partner Robbie Keane in the Irish attack.

Middlesbrough forward Tarmo Kink has acknowledged the depth of the Ireland team that arrived in Estonia for the first leg of the Euro 2012 qualification playoff between the two nations but has singled out Spartak Moscow's Aiden McGeady as the biggest threat.

Kink, who has scored four times in 22 appearances for his Championship outfit, is wary of other seasoned Irish performers such as the Los Angeles Galaxy's Robbie Keane and Fulham's Damien Duff but admits that the 25-year old McGeady is the one striking fear in Estonian hearts.

German international Kevin Kuranyi received a yellow card after this kick to the head of Spartak Moscow's Sergei Parshivlyuk with his Adidas Predator's, as Dynam Moscow drew 1-1 on Saturday. Accident or intentional?

Grab a deal at Soccer.com

by Adam Bate

November 7, 1990 – Napoli were eliminated from the European Cup by Spartak Moscow on penalties.

Look out for Ciro Ferrara and Diego Maradona converting their spot-kicks for Napoli with Marco Baroni the unfortunate Italian to miss presumably put off by the goalkeeper's prescient Movember contribution.

By Alan Duffy

Following on from yesterday's news about the arrest of former French international Tony Vareilles on suspicion of attempted murder, we have another crime-related Euro football tale (featuring another man with dodgy hair).

A couple of swap deals could be on the cards this January with both Roman Pavlyuchenko and Heurelho Gomes being used as potential bait to bring new faces to the Lane.

While Pav has only featured as a fringe player this season, Gomes has been reduced to third choice goalkeeper after some high profile errors towards the end of last season.

Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni saluted Richard Dunne and Shay Given for their heroic performances in a precious 0-0 draw in Moscow.
Dunne produced two superb blocks and ended the game with four stitches in a head wound as Ireland managed to cling on for their first ever point in Russia.

CSKA Moscow currently top the Russian League

The 2011-12 Russian Premier League may still have a long way to go but the next nine rounds of matches will prove intriguing. After 30 rounds the league is split into a championship group and a relegation group with eight teams in each. It is, therefore, vitally important for every club that they put some form together at this crucial time.

The fields for the groups stages of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League are nearly set, with just one play-in round remaining in each competition.

The 10 Champions League play-in ties are highlighted by an Arsenal-Udinese matchup. The teams that win those 10 ties will be entered into the draw for the UCL group stage, while the 10 losers will drop to the Europa League group-stage draw.

This morning was the draw for the qualifying round of the Europa Cup. A two legged affair, that if we win, we go forward into the the group stages of the competition.

This time last year we were all excited about who we would be drawn against in the Champion League qualifying round but this competition is a real chance for glory.

By Chris Wright

Proof if proof were needed that the clones are walking among us...

1. Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow) and Denise Van Luyn (Uhtrecht Ladies)

It's a shit lookalikes staple and a down-right classic. Never gets old.

Shocking and very interesting development in Fenerbahce team...
Nigerian forward Emmanuel Emenike is leaving Fenerbahce to join Spartak Moscow in Russia.
Earlier on Thursday, Fenerbahce said it was considering offers from foreign clubs for Emenike.
Emenike, 24, was questioned by Turkish police earlier this month in a Turkey's match-fixiing scandal but released without charge.

Defending cup holders CSKA are out of this year's competition

CSKA Moscow, defending title holders of the Russian Cup, have been sensationally knocked out of this year's competition having gone down to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of second-tier club Volgar-Gazprom Astrakhan. A goal in the 88th minute from Alan Chochiev ensured that the Army club, who have won six Russian Cups in the last decade, will not retain the title this time around.

My name is Sam Allardycias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!

...and for my next trick FC Basel will take Radoslav Kovac from this club and actually pay money for the privilege. You read that correctly. Radoslav Kovac is off to Switzerland and it's not to join Dignitas.

Our Titan is not one to be overthrown. A thunderbolt from Alex on a warm day in October is selected as this season's magnum opus. Jamie will be positively giddy.

Readers' goal of the season voting results (2010-11)
Votes: 134
1.

For Premier League fans everywhere, last year there was only one name synonymous with West Bromich Albion: Peter Odemwingie. Upon arrival from Spartak Moscow, it was clear that the Nigerian was prepared to deliver the goods; the striker became an...
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SPARTAKUS CSKA Moscow 0-1 Spartak Moscow (30:04:11) Liverpool fan Nick Kelly joins the Royal Wedding avoidance party - in Moscow.... Upon the announcement in November that Prince William was to marry Kate Middleton, my overriding thoughts were not of joy for the happy couple, but of nausea and a desire for escape.

Cue the golazos.

Day 4 of our end of season polling brings with it one of the more popular offerings of each summer, goal of the season. Perhaps there is not a headline favorite as in previous seasons Essien v. Barcelona in 2009, Drogba v. Bolton in 2010 but that's not to say there aren't several fine candidates.

It looks likely to be all change between the posts for next season with both Carlo Cudicini and Stipe Pletikosa set to leave the club in the summer.

Pletikosa was signed on a season long loan from Spartak Moscow and maybe everyone thought that Carlo wouldn't recover quite so well as he has from his motorbike accident.

Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has announced a provisional 33 man selection from which a squad will be chosen to face Nigel Worthington's IFA team on May 24 and Scotland on May 29 in the Carling Nations Cup followed by the Euro 2012 qualifier against Macedonia on June 4.
Ireland squad
Given (Man City), Westwood (Coventry), Forde (Millwall); Dunne (Aston Villa), O'Shea (Man Utd), Foley (Wolves), Delaney (Ipswich), Clark (Aston Villa), Coleman (Everton), Kilbane (Huddersfield), Kelly (Fulham), McShane (Hull); McCarthy (Wigan), Whelan (Stoke), Wilson (Stoke), Gibson (Man Utd), McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Fahey (Birmingham), Lawrence (Portsmouth), Treacy (Preston), Hunt (Wolves), Ward (Wolves); Keogh (Wolves), Stokes (Celtic) Folan (Colorado Rapids), Walters (Stoke), Keane (West Ham), Long (Reading).

Porto vs Villarreal Final score:- Porto 5-1 Villarreal ( Falcao*4, Freddy Guarin/ Cani) Europa League Semifinal First Leg- 28/4/11- Porto at home- Estadio do Dragao Porto produce an excellent second half performance to thrash Villarreal 5-1, with Radamel Falcao scoring four goals. Porto 0-1 Villarreal ( Cani) Porto 1-1 Villarreal ( Falcao) Porto 2-1 Villarreal [.

Spartak Moscow vs Porto (FCP) 2011 14/4/11- 14th April, 2011- Europa League Quarterfinal second leg Final score:- Spartak vs Porto 2-5 ( Dzyuba, Ari/ Hulk, Rodriguez, Guarin, Falcao, Ruben) ( Porto win 10-3 on aggregate) Porto beat Spartak Moscow 5-2 in Moscow to pick up a 10-3 win on aggregate in this Europa League quarterfinal [.

Spartak Moscow vs Porto (FCP) 2011 14/4/11- 14th April, 2011- Europa League Quarterfinal second leg Final score:- Spartak vs Porto 2-5 ( Dzyuba, Ari/ Hulk, Rodriguez, Guarin, Falcao, Ruben) ( Porto win 10-3 on aggregate) Porto beat Spartak Moscow 5-2 in Moscow to pick up a 10-3 win on aggregate in this Europa League quarterfinal [.

Oguchi Onyewu and FC Twente need a comeback of epic proportions to keep their UEFA Europa League hopes afloat after being drilled by Giuseppe Rossi and Villarreal in the first leg of their quarterfinal matchup. Twente managed a late away goal in the opening leg to keep its flame flickering but still trails its Spanish opponent by four goals.

Europa League on GolTV: PSV - Benfica at 3pm and Spartak Moscow - Porto at 5pm. MLS on ESPN2: Portland - Chicago at 11pm. All Times Eastern

Led by Porto and Benfica who have virtually booked their tickets in the Europa League semi finals, the Portuguese trio continue to roll with no mercy! FC Porto, who I thought had the toughest draw, made a mockery out of Spartak Moscow's defense by putting up 5 goals and [read more]

Ajax loses against Spartak Moscow, Spartak loses 5-1 against Porto! From Portugal. The land of C Ronaldo.

PSV loses 4-1 against Benfica. From Portugal. With a killer goal in the dying seconds.

Twente starts wonderfully against Villareal but loses 5-1. Our competition leaders against the Spanish subtop.

An Oguchi Onyewu-Giuseppe Rossi head-to-head matchup highlights the first legs of four UEFA Europa League quarterfinals on Thursday.

Onyewu's FC Twente and Rossi's Villarreal do battle in one of the four remaining ties, which involve three teams from Portugal, two from the Netherlands, and one apiece from Spain, Russia and Ukraine.

Europa League on GolTV: Benfica - PSV Eindhoven at 3pm and Porto - Spartak Moscow at 5pm ET.

There is no place for Carlos Tevez or Sergio Aguero in the Argentina squad that coach Sergio Batista brings to New York for Saturday's friendly against the U.S.

Injury has kept Aguero out of some recent squads -- he has not played for his country since coming on as a substitute and scoring against Spain last September.

The only two American-born players left in European competitions will face off in the Europa League quarterfinals after Oguchi Onyewu's FC Twente was drawn against Giuseppe Rossi's Villarreal in Friday's Europa League draw.

Here is the full draw:

FC Porto vs. Spartak Moscow

Benfica vs.

All eight UEFA Europa League quarterfinalists will be determined on Thursday, as all of the Round of 16 second legs are played throughout Europe.

In the ties involving American internationals, Oguchi Onyewu and FC Twente carry a 3-0 edge over Zenit-St. Petersburg into their return leg in Russia, while Maurice Edu and Rangers host PSV Eindhoven after a scoreless first leg in the Netherlands.