The 28-year-old Ronaldinho Gaucho has chosen the next and possibly last station of his footballing career - a move to AC Milan instead of Manchester City for a 3 year contract till June 2011. Snagging Ronaldinho is the final piece of the puzzlea€¦ or is it?

Morale is high in the Spanish camp after clearing the Italian hurdle, whom they had not beaten in a competitive match in 88 years. It is even more amazing that they did it in the pressure cauldron of a shoot-out which has never been their forte. Breaking the mental block, they are more than ready to dispel the German myth too.

The quarter-finals of Euro 2008 came to an end and several favorites were slain in the process. Portugal exited the tournament with their tail tucked behind their legs after being overpowered in a 2-3 defeat by Germany. Some tears were shed as Portugal were among the most exciting entertainers. However, the mesmerizing wizardry of Cristiano Ronaldo and subtle touches of Deco count for nothing against the efficient Germans.

Portugal affirmed their status as the hot favorite for Euro 2008 by sweeping past Turkey with a comfortable 2-0 victory in Geneva. Four years ago, they came in as runners-up to Greece in their own country but this time, they are more than ready to erase their underdog tag and claim their ascendancy to European dominance.

While the rest of Europe prepare in earnest for the upcoming European Championships, the English are wondering what activities to indulge themselves as they licked their wounded pride. England failed to qualify so it is hard to foresee a nation gripped by football fever.

Amid this depression, nobody paid much attention to to Fabio Capello's friendly match against United States at Wembley. For the record, England won 2-0.

Last Saturday, Manchester United pipped Chelsea to clinch their 17th Premier League title with a 2-0 victory at Wigan. Chelsea let themselves down in a 1-1 draw with Bolton, adding more cheer for the Red Devils as they are seen as legitimate winners, in the sense that goal difference was not the decisive factor.

Avram Grant accused them of winning due to benevolent referees and certain clubs who conspired to deliver the title to United's doorstep.

Wenger had miscalculated the fallout from Flamini's transfer. What is most painful from this botched negotiation is the club gets nothing in return for a talent which they had cultivated. Some view Flamini as a traitor and a money grabber for walking out on the Gunners.

The fans had accepted him as one of their own but yet he rejected Arsenal's final contract offer of £55,000 a week and defect to AC Milan on a free transfer... for just £10,000 more.

The moment of truth will be out soon for the Special One. Even if Avram Grant wins nothing, he has already gone one up over his predecessor, Jose Mourinho, by getting the better of Liverpool. Chelsea finally gained sweet revenge for three disappointments in four years. Grant just about deserved the plaudits in this pulsating outing, after all, nobody expected him to come so far.

The Premier League title race was blown wide open by Chelsea who mustered a dramatic 2-1 win over Manchester United. The latter's surge towards their second consecutive title (10th in 16 seasons) has faded in recent weeks after draws against Middlesbrough and Blackburn. All is not lost yet with the latest defeat but there is already a palpable shift in power.

Over the past few weeks, punters who placed their faith on Arsenal had their fingers burnt badly. The Gunners slumped into a crisis, blew their five points advantage, and now languish six points behind league leader Manchester United. Some injured pride was healed in the 3-2 victory over Bolton which, in the words of Wenger, was their "best comeback" since he was in charge at the club.

This article will have done well if it came out on Tuesday (April's Fool). John Batchelor, former owner of York City, wants to buy Mansfield Town and to rename it Harchester United, taking inspiration from Sky series The Dream Team, after he gained control.

Batchelor had submitted a bid to majority shareholder Keith Haslam and Sky series producers confirmed an approach for the name usage but the Football League will have the final say on this matter.

All eyes were on Manchester United to bounce back in style against Derby after being eliminated from the FA Cup by Portsmouth - spurned chances cost them dearly. This match was no different and it is discomfiting to know that their success now rest heavily on the shoulders of one man: Cristiano Ronaldo.

You win some, you lose some. Juande Ramos was stoic in defeat as Tottenham were eliminated from the Uefa Cup after a nail-biting penalty shootout. An English team dumped out on penalties, is it a surprise? For those who follow football, they will know that anything associated with "England" and the word "penalty" doesn't look promising.

The annihilation of Manchester United and Chelsea in the FA Cup last week leaves the Big Four unrepresented in the semi-finals, a phenomenon not seen since 1987. All four are still in the Champions League but the domestic competition which prides itself on producing spectacular drama and upsets are raising doubts on their superiority.

Jose Mourinho, unemployed since leaving Stamford Bridge, barged into our consciousness on Friday when he remarked that he is keen to "kill" his old club if he meets them in next season's Champions League.

Apparently, he was still on speaking terms with Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon, dispelling rumors of a fallout since he was given the boot by "mutual consent." He said: "It was last week that I spoke with people from the club. I wish them always good, I wish them always to succeed, I wish them always to win."