Soccer Shorts: Chelsea's interest in Michael Ballack is reciprocated by the Bayern Munich playmaker, Ballack's agent said yesterday.

"Nothing has been signed, but there will be ongoing contact with Chelsea," Michael Becker was quoted as telling the BBC. "There is strong interest from both sides. The trend is in this direction."

Earlier this week Ballack denied he had signed a four-year deal with the English champions.

Becker said the interest of his 29-year-old client in moving to Real Madrid was cooling. "Michael had initially been very keen on Real Madrid. But the leadership changes there in the last few months mean we don't know what's happening," Becker said.

"There has been a change in the whole set-up at Real and we don't know where we stand - it's very confusing."

British newspaper reports yesterday linked Ballack with a move to Inter Milan but Becker ruled this out. "Michael will continue his career with a side that will win the Champions League. He definitely will not go to Inter Milan. He would only move to a club where he has a better chance of winning the Champions League than at Bayern."

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Chelsea have joined the hunt for Osasuna's 19-year-old midfielder Raul Garcia.

Sheringham to play on

Despite celebrating his 40th birthday next month, striker Teddy Sheringham is set to agree to one more season at West Ham .

Manager Alan Pardew said: "We are talking to him now and have almost sealed him for next year. I'm really pleased about that. We are only waiting to confirm now."

Pennant warned

Steve Bruce has warned Birmingham winger Jermaine Pennant he has to "lead a better life off the field" after disciplining the player following his fracas with stewards at a nightclub in the city.

Bruce met with Pennant at the club's training ground yesterday morning - 36 hours after he allegedly brawled with a doorman and was ejected at 3am from a nite club.

The City boss refused to disclose the details of the action against Pennant - "the matter will be dealt with internally" - but he has made it clear he wants Pennant to attract headlines on the back rather than the front pages.

Bruce believes the latest incident has been blown out of proportion but knows Pennant has to change his ways in an age where professional footballers are constantly under the microscope.

He said: "I've met with Jermaine and I've made it clear I am disappointed. He knows my thoughts. He will be disciplined although the matter is being dealt with internally.

"Jermaine has got to lead his life in a better way off the field. Too often he has been on the front pages rather than the back pages.

"He can look at the example of someone like John Terry who got in a few scrapes when he was younger, has learnt and is now being tipped as a future captain of England."

Blatter on for cut

Fifa president Sepp Blatter believes top national leagues should be cut to 16 teams to give players more rest.

"Having 16 teams in every national league would be ideal," said Blatter. "The market and the players cannot sustain so much soccer in the long run."

The Bundesliga has 18 teams while 20 teams play in the English Premiership, Spain's Primera Liga, Italy's Serie A and France's Ligue 1.

Blatter said Fifa should force leagues to cut the number of teams and the issue should be discussed in 2007. "We have to cut down on league games to get a better balance between club soccer and internationals as well as more recovery time for the players.

"A lot of clubs are also in favour of such a move. But they say Fifa has to order it - otherwise it will never happen. They can have it if they want."

Asked whether an outbreak of bird flu in Germany threatened the World Cup finals this summer, Blatter said : "At the moment no. But if bird flu developed into a threat like the plague or cholera, if people are infecting people, then the government must take a decision. We would have to respect that."

Blatter also said he did not rule out changing the May 15th deadline for World Cup coaches to submit their squads.

Jordanstown top class

Jordanstown lifted the Collingwood Cup for the fourth time in 10 years after beating the University of Ulster, Coleraine, on penalties after the game ended in a 1-1 after extra-time in Coleraine yesterday.

The resilience of Shane McCullough's side was repaid after they refused to concede defeat when they fell behind near the end of normal time.

For hosts Coleraine, defeat was a bitter pill to swallow particularly as Paul McDonald looked to have given them cause for celebration when he snatched the lead six minutes from the end of normal-time with a ground shot from just inside the penalty box.

Jordanstown came storming back and Philip McBurney scored the equaliser after a goalmouth scramble.

Extra-time failed to produce a winner and, in the penalty shootout that followed, Jordanstown goalkeeper Aaron McGrath saved from Caolin Kelly to give Niall Curneen the opportunity to seal success, which he duly did.

Ulster teams enjoyed a clean sweep of the third level college tournament trophies yesterday with Queen's collecting the Farquhar Cup, defeating DIT 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw and extra-time. Magee College beat Galway 1-0 to lift the Spillane Cup.

Martin gets real tough

Fernando Martin signalled the end of Real Madrid's galacticos era yesterday when he warned every player at the club they faced a day of reckoning.

The personal and professional lives of the galacticos are to be put under the microscope in a move designed to curry favour with Real's fans who suspect some of their idols have lost their commitment to the cause.

"I will set up an independent commission to evaluate the effort of each of the players, and their sporting and personal conduct," Martin told a news conference.

"I want to create a team the fans want. The players earn an extraordinary amount of money and the fans have the right to demand and expect the best from the players.

"Those players who think they can stay here only giving the minimum effort are wrong. I am not afraid to take tough decisions."

In brief . . .

Ruud van Nistelrooy could be struggling to win his Manchester United starting spot back after pulling out of Holland's friendly win over Ecuador on Wednesday with a stomach complaint . . . Quinton Fortune made his comeback from injury for Manchester United's reserve side last night . . . Sunderland full back Stephen Wright has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.