LIVERPOOL - Two English powerhouses, Chelsea and Liverpool, will be meeting in the Champions League for the fifth successive season and, for once, it is Rafael Benitez's men who have painful memories to avenge. After eliminating Chelsea twice at the semi-final stage in 2005 and 2007, it was Liverpool's turn to suffer the pain of defeat last year
ISTANBUL - Only a few years after hitting rock bottom, Turkey seems to be on the path to clear its reputation in fair play. That view is apparently marked by FIFA’s honoring Turkish and Armenian Football Federations with the Fair Play Award for 2008. The progress is seen as cautiously admirable by sports writers claiming that the return game will be crucial.
The national teams of Armenia and Turkey came together on Saturday in a World Cup qualifying match in Yerevan. However this game had greater significance than regular sporting competitions given the attendance of the presidents of both countries, who do not have any diplomatic relations. Turkey won the match 2-0. (UPDATED)