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With crisis turning into catastrophe and his sacking as Chelsea manager looming, Carlo Ancelotti was saved, for a while at least, by a man thought to be his most weak-minded player.

Nicolas Anelka’s gloomy disposition, reluctance to accept authority and reputation as a troublemaker earned him the nickname “Le Sulk” long ago, and with Chelsea’s season collapsing hurriedly, the French striker may have been the last person one would expect to stand tall and engineer a revival.

Yet just four days after messing up a penalty shootout attempt vs. Everton that hastened Chelsea’s FA Cup exit, Anelka produced a barnstorming, two-goal display to sink Champions League opponent FC Copenhagen and, barring a horrendous second-leg meltdown, book his side’s place in the quarterfinals.

Elimination in the round-of-16 stage would have left Chelsea with nothing to play for this season and in all likelihood would have seen Ancelotti clearing his desk Thursday morning. Instead, for all the recent doom and miserable performances, Tuesday’s 2-0 result ensured there remains some life in the West London club’s campaign and the opportunity to win the one trophy owner Roman Abramovich covets more than any other.

If Tuesday night marks a turning point, the fact that its fuse was lit by Anelka will go down as an extraordinary twist. The 31-year-old’s feet are laced with rare talent, yet his head has been occupied by demons for most of his career. Bitter Champions League memories still fester.

Anelka came on as a late substitute in the 2008 final against Manchester United, the closest Chelsea has ever come to lifting the trophy. After Chelsea captain John Terry slipped and hit the post on the effort that could have clinched glory, Anelka stepped up for his shootout attempt and could only aim a tame strike within easy reach of Edwin Van Der Sar, sparking United delirium.

If ever there was a time that Anelka’s frail mindset would be exposed, this would be it. Chelsea’s form has been woeful in recent months, and the criticism has poured in. The arrival of Fernando Torres, whose record signing contract has drawn the gamut of attention, means that either Anelka, Didier Drogba or the $79.5 million man himself must start on the bench each week.

On Tuesday it was Drogba who made way, giving Torres another chance to open his Chelsea account after a disappointing start to life at his new club. But instead, it was Anelka who grabbed the headlines.

This kind of form makes it increasingly unlikely that a move for Anelka to Major League Soccer, a rumor widely reported in the French media earlier this month, will take place any time soon. L’Equipe newspaper claimed that Anelka was disillusioned with Torres’ arrival and a likely shift down the pecking order – and was considering joining his compatriot Thierry Henry at the New York Red Bulls.

Forget about that for now, especially with Ancelotti suspecting he has found something that could get him out of trouble. Whatever his initial thoughts about Torres’ signing, Anelka is now benefitting from the defensive attention the Spaniard commands, opening up extra space and freedom for himself.

“Anelka was able to score, and Torres had a lot of opportunities that he created with his movement,” said Ancelotti. “[Our season is] still alive. I had this idea before the game and I maintain it now. We are not dead.”

Chelsea still has deep problems, and Ancelotti’s stint in charge is likely to end as soon as his team is knocked out of this competition. For now, though, he is still alive and kicking, after a night when “Le Sulk” took the chip off his shoulder and came to the rescue.

Labels: alive, Chelsea, keeps, Sports, Yahoo

Blackpool inhibit Spurs ambitions

Blackpool prevented Tottenham from moving into third with a 3-1 home win. Charlie Adam’s penalty put Blackpool ahead before D J Campbell scored just before halftime. Brett Ormerod made it 3-0 before Roman Pavlyuchenko’s late consolation goal. MORE

Wenger ‘enjoys’ busy schedule

Ars?ne Wenger has described squad rotation as “difficult but enjoyable”. Arsenal host Stoke City tonight, their first game in a run of five matches in 13 days, and Wenger believes that the chance to give the whole squad first-team games is positive. MORE

Hateley offered bribe to miss game

Former Rangers striker Mark Hateley has revealed he was offered cash not to play a crucial Champions League fixture against Marseilles in 1993. The French club was later stripped of their domestic title theywon that year because of match-fixing. MORE

Deschamps: United short of ‘fantasy’

The Marseilles coach, Didier Deschamps, said that this Manchester United team “maybe has a bit less fantasy” than some in the past, ahead of tonight’s tie between the two teams. He accepted that a 0-0 draw would be good for his team. MORE

Anelka double fires Chelsea ahead

Two goals from Nicolas Anelka gave Chelsea a crucial lead after their first leg away at FC Copenhagen. Carlo Ancelotti partnered Anelka with Fernando Torres, with Didier Drogba relegated to the bench. The approach was vindicated as Anelka put the visitors ahead after 17 minutes, intercepting a wayward back pass from former Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer (right), before bursting past his defender and shooting into the far bottom corner. Chelsea created other first-half chances but most of them fell to Torres, who was still lacking sharpness in front of goal. Anelka scored his second early in the second half, receiving Lampard’s pass on the turn and again finishing powerfully low across Johan Wiland. After defending well in the second half, they take a strong advantage back to Stamford Bridge. MORE

Gomis levels late onfor Lyons

An equaliser from Bafetimbi Gomis denied Real Madrid a firstleg win in Lyons. Karim Benzema had put the visitors ahead soon after coming on as a second-half substitute. But Gomis volleyed Lyons level from close range with seven minutes left. MORE

Wilkinson keen to win back berth

Jonny Wilkinson has described having to win his place in the England team back from Toby Flood as “a big challenge”, but insisted that “it’s about continuing to learn, continuing to grow”. Flood will start against France, but Wilkinson may come on. MORE

Djokovic adds to his game in Dubai

Novak Djokovic believes that he will improve his game by coming to the net more often. “I’m working on that variety in my game,” said the Australian Open winner, who beat Michael Llodra 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Championship. MORE

Poulter questions early start time

Ian Poulter will begin his defence of the World Match Play tomorrow at 7.25am. “I guess I could be on an airplane by mid-afternoon,” he said of the chance of being knocked out. “How many people are going to be through the gates at that time?” he asked. MORE

Contador let off by negligence clause

Alberto Contador’s lawyer has said that his client’s suspension for doping was lifted because he ate contaminated steak. Andy Ramos revealed that if riders can prove there was no intentional negligence, as Contador did, they are freed of responsibility.

King hopes for Cheltenham glory

Alan King hopes to have a better Cheltenham Festival this year than last, and craves a winner. Medermit, one of the country’s top novice chasers, represents his best chance. “Deep down, I wasn’t really expecting a winner last year,” he admitted. MORE

England struggle to narrow victory

England won their opening game against Netherlands yesterday by six wickets, although they will be disappointed to have conceded 292, after some poor fielding, before 88 from Andrew Strauss helped see them home. MORE

Opinion: James Lawton

Fernando Torres, at his most imperious, would have buried the two chances that came to him in the first half but such peace of mind does not come easily when you are the poster boy for your oligarch boss’s cravings.

Labels: February, Independent, Matrix, Sports, Wednesday

Even one of the greatest streaks in soccer history has not saved Jose Mourinho’s position as Real Madrid boss from coming under intense pressure.

With a 2-0 victory over Levante last weekend, Mourinho’s players ensured their coach would complete nine full years without any of his teams having lost a league game at home, a remarkable run that confirms his reputation as one of the all-time greats.

The statistics are astonishing. In 148 home league games since 2002 – when Porto lost 3-2 to Beita Mar – Mourinho’s Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid teams have won 125 and drawn 23. Out of 444 possible points, they have gained 398.

Yet despite all this, the marriage between Mourinho and the Madrid hierarchy is tortured, and every passing week brings greater speculation in Spain that he will either jump or be pushed out before too long.

The complicated political structure of the famous old club has created tension ever since Mourinho walked through the doors of the Bernabeu at the beginning of last summer. The Portuguese icon feels there are factors inside the organization that are working against him, but his decision to go public with his grievances further alienated his opponents and sent some fence-sitters into the opposite camp.

Such an unstable working environment does not bode well for his future in Madrid, and the situation may be brought to a head this week. Madrid faces French side Lyon in the Champions League on Tuesday in the first leg of a round of 16 clash that could decide its season, and Mourinho’s fate.

The La Liga title may be beyond reach already, with Barcelona’s consistency such that the current five-point gap is looking like a barrier that could be too steep, even with a third of the campaign left.

The pressure on Madrid’s Champions League bid is further intensified by another streak – an unwanted one. The Galacticos have lost at this round of 16 stage in each of the last six seasons, most recently to Lyon one year ago.

Mourinho has taken a typically bullish approach this week but he knows better than anyone that failure in this competition is the biggest sore point at Madrid, especially with Barca reaching four semifinals in five years and winning it all in 2006 and 2009.

“(Lyon) are tough opponents, who know how to play this kind of match, but we are Real Madrid,” he said, at a pre-game news conference. “The statistics are against us but they are figures from the past. If we think it’ll be easy, we’ll be in trouble. But we don’t think that. If we believe that everything will be decided (in the first leg), we’ll be in trouble. But we don’t believe that.

“We are ready and convinced of our qualities. We’re not attached to the past and we respect our opponents for what they are today. But we are Real Madrid, the champion of champions of European football. There’s pressure but also conviction that accompanies us.”

The most intriguing subplot to Mourinho’s increasingly tenuous position is the certainty that he would be much-coveted elsewhere were he to leave. Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is close to the axe and Mourinho has been strongly linked with a return to West London and the English Premier League, where he won two titles and spearheaded the revolution funded by Roman Abramovich.

Such a move would be extraordinary given the way he parted company with Chelsea in 2007, yet Abramovich needs someone capable of building a squad in the manner Mourinho did several years ago.

For all Mourinho’s quirks and sometimes abrasive nature, Abramovich didn’t realize what a good thing he had until he was gone.

Real Madrid may soon be left feeling the same way.

Labels: Madrids, Mourinho, Sports, Yahoo

Spain have been named the Team of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

La Furia Roja won the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa in the summer for the first time in their history.

Spain were voted as the best sports team of the past 12 months ahead of Inter, who won the treble in the last campaign as they lifted the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League trophies.

French football legend Zinedine Zidane was bestowed with the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award for his brilliant career in which he won the European Championship, World Cup and the Champions League.

The full Laureus World Sports Awards 2011 are as follows:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Rafael Nadal
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Lindsey Vonn
Laureus World Team of the Year: Spain World Cup Team
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Martin Kaymer
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Valentino Rossi
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Verena Bentele
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Kelly Slater
Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: Zinedine Zidane
Laureus Spirit of Sport Award: European Ryder Cup Team
Laureus Sport for Good Award: May El-Khalil, founder of the Beirut Marathon

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Labels: Award, Goalcom, Laureus, Spain, Sports, World

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