Soccer News CHELSEA: Today the current Premiership leaders' defence against the disrepute charges laid by Uefa will be addressed by the European governing body but anyone expecting Uefa to have the final word on the row stemming from the Champions League tie in Barcelona is likely to be be disappointed, writes Matt Scott.
Should Chelsea be found guilty and receive anything more than a modest fine - the heaviest punishment would be ejection from the Champions League - they would appeal and they could take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The club, their manager Jose Mourinho, his assistant Steve Clarke and the security official Les Miles were all indicted last week on disrepute charges for allegedly making"false declarations".
The charges relate to Chelsea's claims that Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard had held an inappropriate conversation with the referee Anders Frisk during half-time of the first-leg tie at the Camp Nou.
Frisk subsequently retired from the game after receiving death threats and officials at Uefa have not ruled out the application of a sanction that would send the London club out of the competition despite their 5-4 aggregate second-round win over Barcelona.
Chelsea will first seek to have the case thrown out by the control-and-disciplinary body on the basis of the invective language Uefa first used in charging the club, accusing Chelsea of having "poisoned" the atmosphere of the second leg.
"There has been a war of words," said sports lawyer Ian Blackshaw. "So there is a human-rights issue of whether the remarks of Uefa officials are prejudicial to a fair hearing.
"That is not to impugn the independence of the Uefa control-and-disciplinary body. But can Uefa as the prosecutor ensure a fair hearing? Have Chelsea's rights been breached under Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights?"
That demands the presumption of innocence, which Chelsea claim cannot have been respected against the backdrop of Uefa's various pronouncements. Should the control-and-disciplinary body consider, however, that Chelsea have no grounds for complaint and apply a guilty verdict, there is little way of gauging what sanctions will ensue.
Guardian Service
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Andriy Shevchenko is ready to return for AC Milan in time for their Champions League quarter-final against rivals Inter Milan next Wednesday.
Milan's medical chief Jean-Pierre Meersseman said Shevchenko could prepare by playing in Saturday's Serie A game with Brescia.
The Ukrainian striker has been out of action since breaking his cheekbone in a Serie A match against Cagliari last month.
CELTIC: Want-away playmaker Juninho has taken a swipe at Scottish soccer as he prepares to bid farewell.
The 32-year-old Brazilian, whose move to Parkhead from Middlesbrough has been a frustrating one, is expected to complete a move to Palmeiras in his homeland this week when he agrees a pay-off to end the last year of his Celtic contract.
Juninho said: "I adapted to English football and I thought the style would be the same in Scotland. I waited and tried to adapt but the coaches and players have a different way of thinking here.
"Here it is not in the mentality to pass the ball in midfield. It goes directly to the attack and it makes it difficult for midfield players."
UNDER-17: The Republic of Ireland under-17 team's slender hopes of reaching the European finals evaporated after a 3-1 defeat to England at the Bescot Stadium, Walsall, yesterday.
Goals from Hogan Ephraim and Theo Walcott early in the second half won the game for England. The sending off in between of Mark Davies proving of no assistance to the visitors.
A long range strike from James Ryan proved of no consolation to Ireland, who, shortly before it, had Michael Spillane sent off, before James Vaughan added England's third goal.
REP OF IRELAND: Henderson (Aston Villa); Davies (Reading), Nolan (Blackburn), Spillane (Norwich), Quigley (Stoke); Ryan (Liverpool), Gleeson (Wolves), Hickie (Crystal Palace); Judge (Blackburn), Stokes (Arsenal), Treacy (Blackburn). Subs: Kiely (Cherry Orchard) for Hickie (71 mins), O'Shea (Tramore) for Gleeson (79 mins).
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