Manchester United - Most valuable club in the World

The American wealth magazine put the Red Devils at the top of their latest list of the world's richest football clubs, with an estimated value of £1.2 billion.
And that leaves United flying high at the top of the sporting tree, ahead of the NFL's top team the Dallas Cowboys (£1.072 billion), and baseball's number one club the New York Yankees (£1.040 billion).
Spanish giants Real Madrid are second on the list of top football clubs at £859m, with Arsenal third on £767m.
European and Spanish champions Barcelona are fourth on £650m, but are the only debt-free side in a top six that is rounded out by Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
Chelsea have slipped behind Juventus to ninth on the list after posting losses of nearly £50 million - the worst financial performance of any club in the top 20 - while Newcastle cling on to their place in the top 20 despite their relegation at the end of last season.

Rank ---- Team ---- Country ---- Value

1 ---- Manchester United ---- England ---- £1,192m

2 ---- Real Madrid ---- Spain ---- £859m

3 ---- Arsenal ---- England ---- £767m

4 ---- Barcelona ---- Spain ---- £650m

5 ---- Bayern Munich ---- Germany ---- £643m

6 ---- Liverpool ---- England ---- £534m

7 ---- AC Milan ---- Italy ---- £520m

8 ---- Juventus ---- Italy ---- £426m

9 ---- Chelsea ---- England ---- £420m

10 ---- Internazionale ---- Italy ---- £268m

11 ---- Schalke ---- Germany ---- £249m

12 ---- Tottenham Hotspur ---- England ---- £242m

13 ---- Lyon ---- France ---- £216m

14 ---- Hamburg ---- Germany ---- £214m

15 ---- Roma ---- Italy ---- £200m

16 ---- Werder Bremen ---- Germany ---- £178m

17 ---- Marseille ---- France ---- £170m

18 ---- Borussia Dortmund ---- Germany ---- £170m

19 ---- Manchester City ---- England ---- £168m

20 ---- Newcastle United ---- England ---- £129m

Sir Alex Ferguson's successor??

Fergie is set to hang up his watch and chewing gum at the end of next season and he is convinced fellow Glaswegian Moyes is the man to provide the continuity needed to ensure United continue to compete for top honours.

Bayern Munich - Lyons Team News

Holger Badstuber and captain Mark van Bommel are both suspended for the home side after collecting their third yellow cards of the campaign last time out.

Meanwhile, Danijel Pranjic, who is set to deputise for Van Bommel, will be banned for the return leg if he picks up a booking.

Bayern put in an emphatic display to beat Hannover 7-0 in the Bundesliga at the weekend, although Miroslav Klose was omitted from the squad due to an abdominal infection and could miss out again.

They have no major injury concerns and Franck Ribery is set to play despite being quizzed by police as a witness regarding a case of prostitution regarding a minor.

Lyon, though, have a few absentees for the game as they look to gain an advantage ahead of the second leg at Stade Gerland on 27th April.

Jean-Alain Boumsong (calf), Francois Clerc (knee), Mathieu Bodmer (hamstring) and Joan Hartock (Achilles) are all unavailable.

Long-term absentee Anderson has been out since last season while Jean II Makoun has not played since March with a groin problem.

The two sides were drawn against each other in the group stages of the 2008/09 competition with the score ending 1-1 in Munich as the Germans came out on top 3-2 in Lyon.

Ribery amidst sex scandal!!

Bayern Munich closed ranks around Franck Ribery on Tuesday after an under-age call-girl scandal that exploded around the French midfielder on the eve of the Champions League semi-final against Lyon.

"This is, of course, an issue for us," said Bayern's director of sport Christian Nerlinger with his team set to face Lyon in Wednesday's last four first leg tie at Munich's Allianz Arena.

"But for the time being, we have to concentrate on the football, including Franck."

According to a French judicial official, the 27-year-old Ribery could face charges over alleged relations with an under-age girl after French police quizzed him as part of investigations into prostitution at a Paris nightclub.

Ribery trained with Bayern on Tuesday for the first time since the scandal broke on Sunday and he is expected to face Lyon on Wednesday, having been spoken to about the issue by Munich's bosses on Monday.

If charged and found guilty Ribery, who is married with two daughters, could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros (60,000 dollars).

Both of his team-mates Philipp Lahm and Daniel van Buyten were staying tight-lipped in Tuesday's pre-match press conference and admitted the club had instructed them to say as little as possible about the scandal.

"Franck trained very well, is really motivated and happy to be able to play," said van Buyten.

"In this important phase, it is important to concentrate completely on the game.

"He can think more clearly about the future after the match."

Ribery has a contract at Munich until June 2011 and he has said a decision about whether he will stay with Bayern is expected to be made soon, with Real Madrid and Barcelona both chasing his signature.

But Nerlinger said there is no sign of a decision being made by Ribery in the near future.

And Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said he has heard nothing: "It's all quiet on the Ribery front" he said when asked about a possible transfer.

With head coach Louis van Gaal back in his native Holland due to a bereavement, assistant coach Andries Jonker took training on Tuesday and said Ribery was in contention to be selected.

"Franck Ribery has done well in training and it looks like he may be part of our team for Wednesday," he said.

Kiss of disaster!!

Inter Milan’s transformation from Champions League also-rans to serious title contenders can be traced back to the day coach Jose Mourinho sauntered into town less than two years ago.

The road has been a bumpy one but Tuesday’s vibrant 3-1 win over holders Barcelona in their semi-final, first leg left home fans in dreamland having witnessed one of the great European nights at the famous old San Siro.

The rafters literally shook as 75,000 supporters bounced up and down in sheer delight after goals from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon and Diego Milito gave Inter the edge ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg at the Nou Camp.

World player of the year Lionel Messi, who scored four goals in the last round against Arsenal, was almost completely nullified by Javier Zanetti’s constant harrying and Inter’s ability to break so quickly that the ball was often behind him.

“We did a good defensive job on Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and we created lots of chances,” Argentina’s Milito told reporters after also being involved in the first two goals.

“My goal? I prefer to talk about my assists. It’s great to set up goals for my team-mates.”

Milito’s work-rate and willingness to chase lost causes sums up the attributes Mourinho has instilled in his players during a run of six straight European victories, including two against Chelsea.

Typical Manchester United!!

Manchester United left it typically late as they went within a point of leaders Chelsea, who were stunned by Tottenham, while Arsenal blew their slim title chances.

City's gut-wrenching loss to their Manchester rivals allowed Spurs to leapfrog them into fourth place, while elsewhere Aston Villa were also triumphant, Everton closed on Liverpool, Bolton now look safe while Hull City and Burnley both appear doomed.

For the third time this season, United scored in the dying moments in their meeting with Manchester rivals City. Saturday's lunchtime clash between the pair lacked intensity and tempo, with the Red Devils just about shading the goalscoring chances. But a draw looked the most likely result as the match entered second half injury-time. However, as United have done so often, their refusal to give up and instead play until the final whistle shone through when Paul Scholes, who signed a new contract at Old Trafford last week, headed past Shay Given to break City hearts and send United within a point of the table-toppers.

The pressure was then on Chelsea, who took on Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's evening kick-off. The phrase 'it is Chelsea's to lose' has been uttered in the Blues direction, and, not for the first time this campaign, Carlo Ancelotti's men crumbled when in pole position. But, as poor as Chelsea were, Spurs were just as inspired, with the club building on their midweek scalp of Arsenal, helping to forget their FA Cup semi-final exit. The deadlock was broken at White Hart Lane on 15 minutes when Jermain Defoe slotted in from the penalty spot following an alleged handball by John Terry. Then just prior to half-time the in-form Gareth Bale, who is surprisingly not on the shortlist for PFA Young Player of the Year, grabbed Spurs' second with a low strike. Chelsea's misery was compounded when Terry was handed a second yellow card for going in stupidly on Bale before Frank Lampard grabbed a consolation. Next for Spurs is United. Can they make it three 'big four' scalps on the bounce? Chelsea will be hoping so.

Chelsea's loss presented third-place Arsenal, who were seemingly out of the title race during midweek, with an opportunity to haul themselves back into the hunt. The Gunners tackled lowly Wigan and claimed a 2-0 lead as Theo Walcott and Mikael Silvestre scored either side of half-time. Three points looked a certainty for Arsene Wenger's men, who were coasting in the second period. But complacency set in and in the 80th minute Ben Watson bagged to set up a tense finale. Then came another error from goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who was making his first appearance since the horror show in Porto while also celebrating his 25th birthday, as Titus Bramble levelled. And in injury-time, the previously inconceivable became a reality as Charles N'Zogbia fired in to make it 3-2 Wigan at the DW Stadium. Said victory means the Latics are now all-but safe while this is the fourth time this season that Arsenal have suffered back-to-back league defeats