Shevchenko : "I Don't Understand Mourinho"

The Ukrainian had a disappointing first season in English football following his £30m move from AC Milan, but he did not leave Stamford Bridge in the summer despite plenty of links surrounding a return to the Serie A giants.

However, the arrival of Claudio Pizarro seems to have pushed Shevchenko down in the pecking order and the one-time prolific goalscorer is quickly becoming the forgotten man at Chelsea.

Shevchenko has been struggling with injury, but the player insists he does not know why he is still being left out and his comments are unlikely to impress manager Jose Mourinho with the pair already appearing to have a strained working relationship.

He said: "I do not know what's happening. I don't know why he doesn't play me. I do not understand him, but I am calm. I will wait for my chance."

Ramon Calderon Pleased To Silence Critics

Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón was pleased that the emphatic victory against Villarreal will silence some of Bernd Schuster's critics.

The Bernabéu supremo was also delighted with the entertaining performane that saw los Merengues continue to attack despite chalking up a comfortable lead.

Calderón did issue a word of caution though, as he recognised that it is stil early days and that expectations must be realistic.

"We have to be humble. We cannot be content with that, but we are on the right path," he said.

"Nobody should forget that there are still 36 games remaining.

"I have received messages from fans telling me that this is the Madrid that they want to see and that is always great news.

"I am pleased with what I saw. This is a long season and Schuster must be allowed to carry on working."

Schuster was attacked by the media after some of Madrid's performances in pre-season, but Calderón believes that the first two league wins prove that the club have the right man for the job.

"I think he was treated unfairly and I am happy for him that he has showed that we did not make a mistake," he continued.

"Schuster is a cautious person, he will not change and he has suffered a lot because of the way he has been treated.

"I have read headlines where I thought that people wanted to ruin him.

"Pre-season is the time when a team gels together and there were eight new arrivals and a new system to adapt to.

"Some of the things I read have surprised me, but Madrid always attracts different opinions and I am pleased that Schuster is changing some of those.

"I am pleased that (Javier) Saviola and (Roberto) Soldado are with us and that we have (Arjen) Robben, Pepe and (Gonzalo) Higuaín waiting to play.

"It is a strong squad, who all play together. We scored five goals, but it could have been nine.

"This is not a team that when they score a goal starts defending that lead. This is the new Madrid that everyone wanted."

Totti: I Want To Beat Manchester United

Francesco Totti has set his sights this season on the Ballon d'Or - and a revenge thrashing of Manchester United in the Champions League...

Roma stalwart Francesco Totti is aiming to round off his impressive collection of silverware with a solo prize: the Ballon d'Or.

This prestigious prize amounts to a European Footballer of the Year award as given by journalists who vote for players based on a starting list of 50 players assembled by France Football.

The player himself isn't concerned with the intricacies: just ensuring that, for a change, he's on the list.

When asked by the Gazzetta dello Sport about the Pallone d'Oro, as it's called in Italy, he said, "I think Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy are the favourites.

"To be honest, I don't fully understand the selection criteria. But I've now gained silverware, and I am playing consistently. If I can get a good start in the Champions League, I may be considered..."

But he knows that teamwork is just as important - and has tipped Roma for a Scudetto charge.

He said, "There is no point in denying it: we are one of the four sides in with a chance at the title. We have a great squad, but let's not be hasty: in Rome, it's easy to swing from excitement to depression."

The player refused to swipe at Inter coach Roberto Mancini, following his insistence that Roma's 'sexy football' had brought them nothing but a 22 point deficit behind the nerazzurri last season, instead responding in calm fashion.

"That's true," he said, "but [Mancini] had a squad of 40 to choose from. We had the same first team, plus youth players."

However, after restraining himself on Mancini, he launched an attack on Juventus; or, more specifically, former director Luciano Moggi.

Totti added that the Roma squad now had the depth required to compete with Inter before saying, "Luciano Moggi isn't around anymore, and now we can suddenly get important players. Perhaps it's just a coincidence.

"After Lazio, the team I love to beat most is Juventus. But they've put together a good, ambitious squad this year."

But Roma don't just face competition at home. They also have the Champions League to contend with: and Manchester United.

The Red Devils soared to a magnificent 7-1 win over the giallorossi in last year's knockout stages to send Roma crashing out. Totti now hopes to repeat the feat - albeit from the other side.

"This time I want to win - but by seven goals to nil. The English tabloids may call it a journey into hell, but they can say what they like; they only want to sell more papers," he muttered.

Totti recently retired from international football, along with defender Alessandro Nesta. While Nesta recently reacted angrily to claims that he could be coaxed out of retirement, Totti's own reaction was somewhat more enigmatic.

When asked if he'd respond to a striking emergency to play, he said, "It would be a beautiful experience... I say, no." Not quite an emphatic no, but a no nonetheless.

Totti scored the final goal on Sunday as Roma ran out 3-0 winners over Siena.

TRANSFERS NEWS

Real Madrid Agree Cassano Terms With Sampdoria

Antonio Cassano is finally set to leave Real Madrid - if only temporarily. Los Merengues have agreed to partition the player's wages with Sampdoria, who will receive the Italian striker on loan in exchange for paying a third of his gargantuan salary...

Spanish sports daily Marca reports that Antonio Cassano's loan move from Real Madrid to Sampdoria is all but done and dusted.

As recently reported, the troubled Italian forward has been the subject of intense negotiation between the Genovese and the Madridistas, with a deal finally being brokered this evening.

Now, with Sampdoria agreeing to pay 1.4 million euros of the player's wage bill, he's on the way to the Blucerchiati.

Real Madrid will be glad to shift the striker from their squad, but still have to pay the remaining two-thirds of Cassano's salary.

Rumours of a 5.5 million euro buyout clause in the loan deal suggest that Los Merengues could yet recoup at least some of their investment, but it's clear that the Antonio Cassano saga has been a disappointing one for Madrid from start to finish.

The striker arrived from Roma in January 2005 amidst almost hysterical fanfare but never quite hit the heights he managed in Italy with the Giallorossi.

Instead, he tumbled steadily down the pecking order at the Bernabeu, playing fewer than 400 minutes of Liga football in his debut half-season, netting only once.

2006-07 proved little better; Cassano's apparent weight gain and allegedly poor attitude putting him in poor stead for a recovery of form. He started - but failed to finish - five league matches, scoring just, during a route of Levante in Valencia.

Nonetheless, there is undoubted talent in there somewhere. Madrid were parted with their 6 million euros based on the diminutive's prolific and energetic showings for Roma, who in turn signed him from his hometown team Bari in 2001.

Perhaps now that Cassano is back on home soil, he can finally justify his Madrid price tag - although, going on past form, his career in Italy has been as controversial as that of Spain.

Whether it's making rude gestures to referees, falling out with a succession of Roma coaches, or seemingly constant contractual disputes at Roma, Antonio was seldom far from the headlines during his time in Serie A.

Sampdoria, of course, will hope for more media attention... only, of course, if it relates to his goalscoring exploits.