Poland’s attacking midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski has been ruled out of Euro 2008 after suffering a serious thigh injury during training on Thursday.

The Borussia Dortmund player was injured at the team’s Bad Waltersdorf base in Austria, aggravating an old thigh problem, a national team spokeswoman said.

Poland have asked European football’s governing body UEFA for permission to replace Blaszczykowski with 23-year-old Hertha Berlin player Lukasz Piszczek.

Source:Soccer News

Footballers may not have the hardhitting nicknames of the boxing fraternity such as Tommy ‘The Hitman’ Hearns or ‘Smoking’ Joe Frazier but there are many who will perform at Euro 2008 who have interesting ones to say the least.

The world of the arts and showbusiness are well represented in diverse forms as Italian striker Alessandro del Piero earned the monniker of Renaissance artist of “Pinturicchio” (Bernardino di Betto) from Juventus’ late owner Giovanni Agnelli, himself known as ‘The lawyer’, a man not unknown for handing down great artists names to his best players as Roberto Baggio - also known as the ‘Pony-tailed Buddha’ - was branded ‘Raphael’.

Romania striker Adrian Mutu has been ordered to pay his former club Chelsea £9.6m for testing positive for cocaine, according to his lawyer.

Chelsea sacked Mutu in October 2004 and he was subsequently handed a seven-month worldwide football ban.

His lawyer Cristian Sarbu said Fifa’s decision was not final and that Mutu would contest the ruling.

“This is a decision taken by a sporting tribunal. After this is final, this can be taken to a civil court,” he said.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled last May that the world football body would decide Mutu’s fine.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani says Premier League strikers Emmanuel Adebayor, Didier Drogba and Dimitar Berbatov are transfer targets.

Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o and Mario Gomez of Stuttgart are also on the Rossoneri’s list of potential signings.

Galliani said: “The names are those that have been reported. That’s Eto’o, Drogba, Adebayor, Gomez and Berbatov.

Milan have failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League and Galliani added: “Any of them would be good.”

There has been growing speculation in Italy that Arsenal’s Adebayor may be on his way to the San Siro.

Tottenham will sign forward Giovani dos Santos from Barcelona, subject to a medical and agreeing personal terms.

The Mexico international will sign a five-year deal in a move which will cost an initial £4.7m and could rise to £8.6m depending on appearances.

Barcelona have retained the right to 20% of any fee should the 19-year-old move on from Spurs in the first two years of his spell with the club. And they will get 10% of any fee if he is sold later in his contract.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says the club would rather put Cristiano Ronaldo in the stands than sell him to Real Madrid.

Ferguson has met the Glazer family, who own the club, and said: “Their attitude is ‘To hell with them’.

“They’d sit a player in the stand, I’m telling you, absolutely no doubt about it, just to prove a point.”

Ronaldo has told Portuguese media he will clarify his position in “two or three days”.

Former Manchester United star David Beckham has urged Cristiano Ronaldo not to follow in his footsteps by leaving Old Trafford to sign for Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants are tracking the 23-year-old, despite being warned off by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Beckham, who joined Real in 2003, said: “I believe he’s at the right club now, a club he should stay at.

“He’s only been there a few years. He’s got a lot of people around him there who will protect him.”