Bayern Munich will be hoping that the old adage ‘third time’s a charm’ rings true as they prepare for their Champions League Final against Bundesliga rival Borussia Dortmund. Having lost out to Inter Milan in 2010 and then losing on penalties to Chelsea last year, the German champions will be desperate to overcome a Dortmund side that has developed a fearsome reputation in Europe over the past year. 

Wembley Stadium is a fitting venue for the first ever all German Champions League Final but there is a wealth of international footballing talent in both teams; big spending Bayern can rely on the likes of Mario Mandzukic, Dante and Thomas Mueller, whereas Dortmund’s comparatively meagre budget  has seen them nurture players like Robert Lewandowski, Mats Hummels and the soon-to-be Bayern bound Mario Gotze into some of the most coveted players in Europe.

Dortmund may be considered underdogs but manager Jurgen Klopp is confident his side will perform in the “perfect place against the perfect opponent”. However, they will undoubtedly miss the talents of Gotze who won’t feature against his future club due to a groin injury.

One of the key battles in tonight’s final will be between Robert Lewandowski and Bayern’s centre backs Dante and Jerome Boateng. Dortmund’s Polish front man has tormented opposition defences throughout the competition with his clever movement and incisive finishing; Manchester City, Malaga and especially Real Madrid all failed to deal with him and consequently paid the price.

Without the clever wide play of Gotze to support him, Lewandowski may find himself having to work more to create chances but he can also rely on Marco Reus and Jakub Blaszczykowski for ammunition in what is likely to be his final game for the club.

Another key tussle will take place in the centre of the pitch. Both teams posses a number of world class central midfielders and their contest for the engine room may decide who goes on to lift that illustrious trophy. The evergreen Bastian Schweinsteiger will look to pull the strings for Bayern with his almost faultless distribution but he will have to contend with his compatriot Sven Bender.

The more defensively minded Bender excels at shielding the Dortmund defence by breaking up opposition play and with Nuri Sahin and Iker Gundogan alongside him, their midfield posses both passing ability and defensive stability.

The Bundesliga fixture that was billed as the dress rehearsal for tonight’s final ended in a 1-1 draw, which seems rather appropriate as there doesn’t seem to be much that separates the two teams on the pitch. Off the pitch, however, it is the battle of big spending Bayern and their big name internationals against Klopp’s well built side of bargain buys and home grown talent.

There may not be an English team in this year’s final but at least we have the privilege of hosting what is sure to be on the more memorable conclusions to the Champions League.

An extra-time goal from Miranda ensured Atletico Madrid triumphed in the Copa Del Rey Final 2-1 over city rivals Real

Fourteen long years and 26 failed attempts yet all so worth it come the end of 120 minutes of one of the most pulsating cup finals one could ever wish to witness.

The Copa Del Rey final brought about one of the most action-packed matches many people will ever have seen, with goals, defensive errors, reckless challenges and touchline spats aplenty, meaning that onlookers were never far away from another talking point.

And what it all boiled down to in the end was the end of a hoodoo and what Jose Mourinho was left calling a ‘failure of a season’ for Real Madrid.

With Atletico Madrid not having recorded a victory over their city rivals since the turn of the millennium, there was almost a poetic sense that it had to be done in a special manner.

And with their own Decima on the line after years of talk about Real’s it was fitting that the Copa Del Rey trophy was held aloft by those in red and white, as yet more success brings more hope that they might just hang on to Radamel Falcao for another year yet.

With all the talk in the build-up to the game focusing around Falcao and his supposed agreed switch to Monaco, it was not the way for Atletico to approach such a monumental fixture for them and few would have given them a prayer with such distractions against a Real side that have enjoyed good form on the domestic front.

And with Cristiano Ronaldo taking centre stage in a positive way to start with, any hope of Atletico overcoming their foes seemed fleeting. With 15 minutes still to pass on the clock Ronaldo displayed his fantastic aerial ability once again, as he out-muscled Diego Godin (no slouch in the air himself), timed his jump to perfection and headed home with such power and accuracy that Thibaut Courtois was left helpless.

It came as something of a surprise then that Real did not press on with this advantage, with Atletico looking rattled and the chance for Los Blancos to potentially put the game to bed by half-time.

Instead they backed off and allowed Atletico to get a foothold in the game, despite a lack of clear-cut chances until the 35^th minute, when Atletico brought themselves level.

Falcao displayed what Atletico would miss if he does depart this summer, holding off the challenge of Raul Albiol (picked ahead of the out-casted Pepe by Mourinho), turning him and playing an inch perfect ball through to Diego Costa.

The burly Brazilian still had plenty to do, but took the ball into his stride ever so comfortably, lurched forward and placed the ball beyond the despairing dive of Diego Lopez, instantly raising questions of whether Iker Casillas, still cheerleading from the bench, would have saved t. Probably not.

This merely seemed to wake Real up, as it turned out that beating Atletico was no formality, as the press had made them believe.

Mesut Ozil hit the post with a long-range drive cannoning back off of the woodwork to ensure the sides went into the half-time break on level pegging.

Ozil then brought a great save from Chelsea loan keeper Courtois, before the incident that almost suggested luck was favouring Los Rojiblancos at the home of their great rivals.

Ronaldo’s pull-back wasn’t dealt with by Atletico, but Karim Benzema’s effort rebounded off the post, into the path of Ozil, whose shot was superbly blocked on the line by Juanfran to leave Real puzzled and Diego Simeone celebrating like his team had scored themselves.

Ronaldo was next to rattle the frame of the goal with a free-kick that went under the wall, before Mourinho’s frustrations at the number of fouls his team were conceding saw him lay into referee Carlos Clos Gomez too heavily, resulting in him receiving his marching orders from the touchline.

Ronaldo was sent off in extra-time

And so it came to extra-time. A thought that had crossed the minds of very few watching around the world, let alone the 50,000 Real fans hoping to celebrate another title at their home ground.

With their manager watching from the dressing room and their discipline already frayed with a series of bookings in normal time, you would have been hard pressed to name Real as your favourites now, as Atletico still came out looking fresher and hungrier than their more-illustrious rivals.

Diego Costa tested Lopez again, before the big moment arrived, with Miranda proving the unlikely hero, timing his run to perfection and powering a free header home from Koke’s cross to provoke hysteria among the 30,000 Colchoneros that had entered the fortress of their enemy.

As opposed to fighting back, Real simply decided to just fight from then on, Ronaldo joining his manager in the dressing room before time for flicking his studs into Gabi’s face.

Gabi admittedly made a meal of the kick, but there was no doubt that Ronaldo deserved to go for an act of pure stupidity that curtailed any hopes his team had of at least taking the game to penalties.

So for all the pre-match talk of Real saving their season with this victory, they were left to reflect on a season in which they were hammered in the league, denied the Decima in the Champions League and bested by their city rivals in the cup, illustrating how the gap between the two sides has closed.

Atletico on the other hand eased years of hurt by finally defeating Real, captured their own Decima with their tenth Copa Del Rey title and made it three trophies in the 18 months Simeone has been in charge, having already clinched Europa League and European Super Cup glory.

This may not be a power shift, there is no changing of the guard. But Atletico have shown that they have closed the gap on their neighbours, and could be a force to be reckoned with in the near future, if they can just keep their squad together.

Discuss the Copa Del Rey final in the comments section below, or directly on Twitter @SmParker8

Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes

When David Moyes takes over at Manchester United, 91 of the 92 league clubs will have changed their manager since Arsene Wenger last won a trophy. Arsenal are the only club that haven’t, an incredible statistic, but Gunners fans can take heart from this weekend’s Champions League Final.

Before the start of this campaign, Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes had gone 14 years without a trophy, culminating last season with an incredible runners-up treble in the Bundesliga, German Cup and the Champions League. Despite this, he has comeback stronger than ever this term, creating the greatest team he has ever been involved with in his career.

That is an incredible statement when you consider his longevity of his career. If Greece’s Euro 2004 winning coach, Otto Rehhagel, is the grandfather of German football then Heynckes is the father. He has been involved in more than a thousand Bundesliga games, second in history behind Rehhagel, and this despite spending seven years of his managerial career in Spain and Portugal.

Heynckes has been an integral part in some amazing sides in that time, starting with his playing role as the goalscorer in the great Borussia Mönchengladbach of the mid 1970s. He was also a member of the West German squad that did the double of European Championships and World Cup in 1972 and 1974.

As a manager he won two consecutive titles with Bayern in the late 1980s before his biggest moment as a coach, winning the Champions League in his sole season with Real Madrid in 1998, ending their 32-year wait for a European Cup. A side boasting a young Raul and the likes of Clarence Seedorf, Roberto Carlos and Fernando Redondo as well as being able to call on Davor Sukur from the bench.

There is no questioning the high regard Heynckes was already held in before this season. Uli Hoeneβ has been quoted as saying that firing Heynckes the first time around was one of the biggest mistakes he has made whilst in charge at Bayern Munich.

The current Bayern side he has created have dominated both domestically and in Europe like no other side before, winning the Bundesliga by 25 points from a side good enough to be in the Champions League Final against them on Saturday. To put that into perspective, Celtic won this year’s SPL (played over the same amount of games) by five less points.

An astonishing 26 out of 31 conceivable Bundesliga records were broken by this team and they have dropped just two points since Christmas, meaning they have played every team in the Bundesliga in 2013 and beaten all of them except their opponents on Saturday, who managed a draw.

Whilst doing all that at home they also negotiated the notoriously tricky Champions League knockout stages with ease, beating a Juventus side who strolled away with Serie A 4-0 on aggregate, before destroying a Barcelona side that 12 months ago was almost considered unbeatable themselves, 7-0 on aggregate. Just think about that for a minute, they won 3-0 in the Nou Camp!

What may be their most amazing achievement though is that they have been so good they have re-energised Heynckes himself. At the start of the season, the 68-year old’s press-conferences were littered with mentions about his age and thinking about spending more time with his family and comments that seemed to hint to impending retirement. Under those circumstances, it is easy to see why they jumped at the chance to bring Josep Guardiola in for next season.

Now though, Heynckes seems excited about the future within football and looking forward towards the next challenge. Although with two wins in the next week – Champions League and German Cup Finals – it would be tough to see where he could go after an historic treble.

Jurgen Klopp

So an era has ended with Sir Alex Ferguson bringing down the curtain on an incredible career, with one Glaswegian taking over from another. David Moyes is the choice of Manchester United – a steady hand on the tiller who will already be planning what to do with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Wilfried Zaha.

But let’s imagine that things are still up in the air, a parallel universe if you will, where Ferguson has shocked the Glazers and left them with a decision to make. One man currently awaiting a Wembley date should be taken fully into consideration. That man is Borussia Dortmund’s Jürgen Klopp.

Before anyone maintains otherwise, Klopp would have undoubtedly considered the move, despite the position he is currently in. While he would publicly maintain he can continue to evolve a Dortmund squad and point to the record he has of doing it and succeeding, how many more key players can he afford to lose before the pack of cards come tumbling down.

The similarities between the two managerial careers are astounding too. They both had their first real success turning lower league clubs of smallish towns into top-flight teams. Both Ferguson and Klopp sent their respective clubs (St. Mirren and Mainz) to the almost unheard of heights as a stable top-flight club.

Not only that, they both left those clubs in the kind of shape to continue to thrive without them as St. Mirren qualified for the UEFA Cup three times in the 1980s and then won the Scottish Cup in 1987 to make it a fourth foray into Europe within a decade. Meanwhile, Mainz continue to challenge for European places on a yearly basis after Klopp left the club.

For both, the move sent them to fervently supported regional clubs on the fringes of their domestic scenes. Dortmund because of poor financial management after winning the 1997 Champions League and Aberdeen because of the stranglehold of the Old Firm. Both went on to win the league and then retain them despite these unlikely restrictions, and then go on to have successful European runs, in Sir Alex’s case, lifting the UEFA Cup Winners Cup.

They also share one of the key Manchester United philosophies of generating their own young players through the youth system. At least one homegrown player has been in the United squad for 3,638 matches, while Dortmund have generated a swathe of young talent under Klopp akin to the ‘Fergie’s fledglings’ of the mid-90s.

One final key factor in Klopp’s favour is how comfortable he would naturally be with the fact that Sir Alex will retain a role at the club. This is simply due to the management structure operated in continental football, where there is a general manager above the head coach whose job it is to control finances and transfers. Those individuals normally become marginalised once a coach has the success that Klopp has enjoyed.

Ask most United fans what David Moyes’s main job will be this summer, other than just ensuring that the machine rolls on, and most would categorically state that it is to update a midfield held together by the final ‘Fergie fledglings’ – the retiring Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

Now, while there are many critics who spot the lack of depth outside the first XI at Klopp’s Dortmund, even they would not question it in a midfield area where he could field two sets of world class players, almost at the detriment of other areas of the squad.

Considering that, maybe having a midfield obsessed manager might just be what is needed for this midfield lacking side.#

CHELSEA LINE-UP JOSE TARGETS

As the rumour surrounding Jose Mourinho’s imminent return to Stamford Bridge intensifies, Chelsea have been linked with a host of world class players, with Atletico Madrid’s Radamel Falcao topping the list.

The Colombian is this summer’s hottest property following another magnificent season for Atletico and The Mirror are reporting that he will top Mourinho’s wish-list once he takes the job at his former club. The Blues are also being linked with big money moves for Porto’s French defender Eliquim Mangala and Bayer Leverkusen forward Andre Schurrle is already on his way.

Other high-profile targets are Malaga’s Isco and Everton’s Marouane Fellaini. Mourinho has already been told by Real Madrid that he is free to leave the club next month and it appears when he arrives at Stamford Bridge rather than if.

MARTINEZ STILL CONSIDERING WIGAN FUTURE

Roberto Martinez has requested more time to decide on whether he will will remain with Wigan Athletic.

The highly sought after Spaniard was expected to inform chairman Dave Whelan of his decision on Thursday but will now wait until next week before deciding anything. The FA Cup winning manager has the option of attempting to lead Wigan out of the Championship or seek a fresh challenge after four years at the DW Stadium.

Managerless Everton and Stoke City are just two of the clubs eager to install Martinez as their new manager.

UEFA PLAN EUROPA LEAGUE SHAKE-UP

UEFA are reportedly considering changing the rules of the Europa League so that the winners will be rewarded with a place in the Champions League.

Since its conception the competition has repeatedly failed to compete with the Champions League in terms of popularity and interest from clubs, with many teams choosing to field weakened sides in the competition. As it stands the winners of the Europa League will net around £4million whilst a Champions League win is worth closer to £50million.

Allowing competitors to play for a place in the Champions League is an attempt to generate increased media attention and profile to the Europa League. UEFA’s decision is expected sometime on Friday.

ON THE CONTINENT

Santos have said they are yet to receive an interesting offer for wonder kid Neymar, despite reported interest from Barcelona.

PSG’s  Zlatan Ibrahimovic is once again being linked with a move away from the French champions.

Berlin’s Olympic Stadium will host the 2015 Champions League final.

OTHER NEWS

Titus Bramble has hinted on Twitter that he is leaving Sunderland this summer.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon will be allowed to sit in the dug out for the Scottish Cup final. He was issued with a suspended one match ban for encroaching on the pitch during a defeat to Motherwell last month.

PFA Chairman Clarke Carlise has announced his retirement from football at the age of 33.

Guilherme Siquiera was on target as Granada closed in on securing survival

Granada, Deportivo La Coruna and Mallorca secured big wins to give them real hope of survival, while it was a mixed weekend for Real Sociedad as they push for Champions League qualification.

GRANADA 3-0 OSASUNA

This was the perfect opportunity for one of these sides to make themselves virtually safe going into the final two rounds of games, as the worst home record in the division came up against an Osasuna side whose miserable away record was only surpassed by the teams starting the weekend in the bottom three.

And it was Granada who were able to pull five points clear of the drop zone with only points still to play for, with a crushing win that ensures they have the head-to-head record over one of their relegation rivals, that has proven so costly in previous seasons.

Youssef El-Arabi had given Granada the lead after 23 minutes, but it wasn’t until the final ten minutes that the hosts were able to make safe the result, as Osasuna once again imploded under the weight of their own indiscipline.

Nano was sent off for a professional foul, giving Guilherme Siquiera the chance to convert from the penalty spot, before Diego Buananotte added the gloss in stoppage time to all-but ensure another Primera Liga season for El Grana.

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA 2-0 ESPANYOL

A disappointing run of results had undone Depor’s climb out of the relegation zone of late, but a return to winning ways saw them sitting in safety going into the final couple of rounds.

Bruno Gama gave them the lead five minutes into the second half against an Espanyol team with nothing left to play for, and Nelson Oliveira made sure of a vital three points in stoppage time to lift Depor a point clear of a swift return to La Segunda, though Malaga and Real Sociedad await them in their final two games.

MALLORCA 1-0 REAL BETIS

Mallorca are still three points away from Deportivo in 17^th, but this win meant they weren’t relegated just yet. Which is nice for them.

Tomer Hemed has recently rediscovered where the back of the net is again following a lengthy barren spell and he was the match-winner in this instance, his 21^st minute strike proving enough to overcome a surprisingly lack-lustre Betis side, given that they still yet to fully secure European football next season. Though half the teams battling with them have been banned from Europe next season, so it may not be that desperate.

REAL ZARAGOZA 1-2 ATHLETIC BILBAO

Real Zaragoza fell back into the relegation zone after they threw away the lead in the final ten minutes to end up pointless.

Helder Postiga had put Zara in the lead after 14 minutes and with the clock ticking down against a side with nothing left to play for themselves, it looked like a vital three points was to be secured.

But disaster was to strike as Fernando Llorente continued his return to the scoresheet in recent weeks ahead of his move to Juventus, before Ibai Gomez netted in stoppage time to break home fan hearts and leave them in the bottom three with tricky tussles with Betis and Atletico Madrid awaiting them in the final two games.

SEVILLA 1-2 REAL SOCIEDAD

Real Sociedad picked up a big victory to just keep their noses in front in the race for fourth place, but their weekend was soured as inspirational manager Philippe Montanier was announced as the manager of Rennes for next season.

Prior to that announcement, Sociedad had fought back from a goal down to claim a big three points, with Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic performing that ever-enjoyable treat for an onlooker of scoring at both ends.

The Croatian found the net at both ends inside the opening 20 minutes of the game before Imanol Agirretxe scored what proved to be the winner after 25 minutes to keep Sociedad on course for the Champions League, with the head-to-head record keeping them above Valencia for now.

GETAFE 0-1 VALENCIA

Valencia just about kept up the heat on the Basque challengers for the Champions League place, as they scraped to a victory that also puts a likely end to Getafe’s hopes of European qualification.

Jeremy Mathieu netted the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time to give Los Che the three points and keep them on course for another season in Europe’s premier club competition, with a more favourable run-in than Sociedad awaiting them.

BARCELONA 2-1 VALLADOLID

The title is already wrapped up and Lionel Messi is unlikely to feature again this season, so it only made sense that Barca laboured to victory against a Valladolid side that have exceeded expectations this season and quite frankly been a delight to have in La Primera.

Pedro netted after 21 minutes to send Barca on their way, before Marc Valiente did his best to make my scouting report on defenders look slightly foolish by putting the ball into his own net just before half-time to seal the win for the hosts.

Victor Perez was able to put a black mark on Victor Valdes 500^th appearance by netting from the penalty spot in the final minute of normal time, but Barca were comfortably able to hang on for their 30^th league victory of the season.

LEVANTE 2-3 RAYO VALLECANO

Were it not for UEFA, this game could have had major implications for Rayo Vallecano, as they moved up to eighth, which would be good enough to secure European football next season, with Malaga’s ban still in place for 2013/14.

However, Rayo’s financial situation is no better than their application for a European licence has also been thrown out, making this game essentially meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Otherwise it was a great game of football. Piti had given Rayo a first half lead, before Roberto Acquafresca cancelled that out early into the second half.

Franco Vazquez quickly restored Rayo’s advantage, before Piti notched his 17^th of the season to seal the victory, rendering Vicente Iborra’s late strike nothing more than a consolation for Levante.

PSG TEMPT ROONEY

Paris Saint-Germain have made it clear to Wayne Rooney’s management team they are willing to match his reported £12million-a-year Manchester United contract, and pay of fee of £40million for the 27-year-old.

Rooney is reluctant to leave England – wife Coleen gave birth to the couple’s second child, Klay Anthony, on Tuesday – but his options to stay in the Premier League on his current salary are strictly limited.

His Old Trafford future is in serious doubt since Sir Alex Ferguson suggested the forward had asked for a transfer after nine years with United. New boss David Moyes may want to keep him but the player appears determined to leave.

The French champions, who are backed by mega-rich Qatar Investment Authority, made their interest in securing the player known last week and reports in The Guardian and the Daily Mirror have indicated they are prepared to pay big to land the England international.

GUNNERS QUOTED £25M FOR JOVETIC

Arsenal have been told by their top transfer target, Stevan Jovetic, will cost £25million.

Reports have suggested that the Montenegro forward’s representatives are in London this week to thrash out a deal with the Gunners.

But Fiorentina are keen to spark a bidding war for Jovetic, with Serie A rivals Juventus also interested in the player..

FULHAM LAND TRIO

Fulham appear keen to get their transfer dealings for the new season started early with deals already agreed for defender Fernando Amorebieta and midfielder Derek Boateng – both arriving on free transfers.

Venezuela defender Amorebieta, 28, has signed a four-year deal from Athletic Bilbao, while Ghana international Boateng, 30, joins on a one-year contract after leaving Ukrainian side Dnipro.

Fulham have now signed three players for next season, having taken up an option to permanently sign Sascha Riether from Cologne

ON THE CONTINENT

Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain is reported to be close to agreeing a deal with Serie A champions Juventus.

Ajax head coach Frank de Boer has agreed to extend his stay at the Amsterdam ArenA until 2017.

Barcelona full-back Adriano has signed a new four-year contract at the club.

OTHER NEWS

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll could be out until the start of the new season with the heel injury that forced him out of England’s upcoming friendlies.

Former Manchester United and England defender Brian Greenhoff has died at the age of 60.

Motherwell manager Stuart McCall is set to open talks with Sheffield United about their managerial vacancy in the next 24 hours.

Di Canio's temperamental nature may spell trouble - he is pictured here clashing with Leon Clarke in his, and the player's, second game at Swindon

Paolo Di Canio spent 24 minutes in Sunday’s post-match press conference talking about his plans to completely overhaul and rebuild the Sunderland squad after fining seven of his players for breaches of discipline. Now it appears the PFA will be investigating whether the punishments Di Canio has levied are ‘acceptable’.

There is no question that Di Canio certainly got a ‘Black Cats’ bounce on his arrival that kept Sunderland in the Premier League, but will the Italian’s sometimes unusual methods work in the long-term?

Talk of a complete rebuild will likely bring positivity and excitement to the North-East where Martin O’Neill’s squad looked not just second-rate, but a majority appeared to have lost the passion for the fight. However, his history with Swindon Town suggests this should in fact fill the Sunderland fans with dread.

By the end of his first transfer window in the summer of 2011, Di Canio had signed 15 players for the first team; only three of those are still at Swindon (four if you count Oliver Risser who was at loan with Aldershot who finished bottom of the football league).

Fortunately Di Canio was backed financially by Swindon to be able to ship those players out, bring in some more and correct the situation well enough to win promotion from League Two. At Sunderland, however, no matter how well backed he may be, the prices of players at the highest level will not allow him the financial breathing room to recover from that kind of failure percentage in the transfer market.

Apart from his questionable transfer success, there is of course his excitable, almost manic, antics in the dug-out and the technical area. There is no question they have been well received by Sunderland fans, especially his knee slide on the St James’ Park turf during the 3-0 win against their arch rivals.

Sunderland fans had become far too accustomed to the almost resigned nature of O’Neill towards the end of his reign. However, as a former football manager who was scouting as Swindon two years ago told me: “It seems good fun for the first 15 minutes but then you realise the guy is just crazy.”

It has made an impact at Sunderland certainly, and anyone that saw him play knows that it is the real Di Canio out there and there is no semblance of acting the part about him. However, how long will it be before the impact of how up front and emotional the Italian is becomes either tiring or just plain fades into background noise due to its regularity?

As seen by the brewing row with the PFA, his approach almost makes as many enemies as it does friends among players in his dressing room. The only player of the 12 ‘failed’ signings to still be playing at a similar level to Swindon is Leon Clarke who is now with Coventry.

He was released after an on pitch argument in his second game at the club – the second game at Swindon for both player and manager. Once again, if he manages to alienate players that he brings into Sunderland, they will be much harder and much more expensive to replace than they were at Swindon.

So while Di Canio’s initial impact was impressive, as a long-term solution it looks a worrying time for Sunderland fans.

CARROLL WAITS ON MAGPIES

West Ham have agreed a £15million fee with Liverpool for striker Andy Carroll, but the 24-year-old is not keen to commit his long-term future to Sam Allardyce’s side just yet.

It is believed Carroll is waiting to see if any other club registers an interest in his services – particularly his former club Newcastle United – before making a final decision.

Magpies boss Alan Pardew wanted to bring the player they sold to Liverpool for £35million back on loan last summer, but their desire for the Reds to pay part of his reported £80,000-a-week wages saw the deal fall through.

West Ham took advantage and despite an injury-plagued season his seven goals and numerous assists have made his permanent signing the Hammers summer priority.

Despite Pardew confirming recently he remains interested in Carroll, his wages could still prove a major stumbling block for the Magpies.

TRIO LINKED WITH STOKE

Phil Neville, Mark Hughes and Brighton manager Gus Poyet have emerged as the early favourites for the Stoke job following Tony Pulis’s sacking.

Chairman Peter Coates told Pulis yesterday the time was right to part company after seven years in charge, with the club expected to take their time over appointing his successor.

Neville is believed to be keen to move into management and Poyet is weighing up his options after he was suspended by Brighton following comments made after their play-off defeat to Crystal Palace.

REINA HAPPY AT LIVERPOOL

Pepe Reina admits to being flattered by reported interest from Barcelona but the 31-year-old is in no rush to leave Liverpool.

“I don’t know if there has been contact between the clubs or with my agent. At the moment I don’t think there’s anything serious.”

Reina has previously admitted he wants to finish his career back in his homeland but added: “I don’t know how long I’ve got left in football, what I do know is I want to enjoy what remains and feel appreciated and at Liverpool I have that.”

ON THE CONTINENT

The latest racism scandal to hit Serie A will see Roma forced to shut down part of their stadium for one game next season after the club’s supporters repeated racist chants about Mario Balotelli.

Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gotze is a doubt for the Champions League Final after continuing to struggle to overcome a hamstring injury.

Napoli are the latest club to register an interest in Udinese defender Mehdi Benatia

OTHER NEWS

Liverpool are expected to complete the signing of Manchester City defender Kolo Toure, 32, on a free transfer when his contract expires in June.

Manchester City have announced a partnership with baseball giants the New York Yankees to form a new Major League Soccer franchise.

Celtic’s Scottish international midfielder Kris Commons, 29, has retired from international football.

West Ham were promoted to the Premier League a year ago through the play-offs

A place in the Premier League might just be the most coveted prize in English football; there’s the £120million windfall and of course the chance to see your team face off against some of the biggest names in world football. However, should fans of Championship sides be so eager to see their team make it to the supposed ‘promised land’?

There’s no denying the superior quality of football on display and the chance to feature on the odd Super Sunday is far more preferable than staying up past midnight to catch the Football League Show, yet there are plenty of downsides to a season in the Premier League.

Watching your beloved team take a shellacking once a month against the Premier League’s elite is certainly not how most football fans want to spend their Saturday’s. Take Derby County; a team that snatched promotion in the 2007 play-off final only to spend the next season losing all but 9 of their 38 games and suffering relegation in March. For Derby fans, their last spell in the top flight is ironically both a season to forget and one that will haunt them for years to come.

Consolidation has become the goal for most teams who find themselves promoted. Beyond securing mathematical safety as soon as possible what else is there to play for in the top flight? The top six is invariably made up of the same teams every year, leaving a mid-top half finish and the hope of winning a cup the new definition of success for those aspiring to the Premier League.

Next Monday it’ll be either Crystal Palace or Watford heading for the top table of English football. However, fans of both clubs may find life outside the Championship isn’t as wonderful as Sky Sports would have you believe, especially when you take into account just how gripping England’s second tier can be.

Yes a midweek trip away to Barnsley may not be to everyone’s tastes, but what makes the Championship so entertaining is the fact that it is one of the most unpredictable leagues in Europe; 3-0 defeats to a team without a win in months come just as easily as shock victories over the team sitting proudly at the top of the table.

You need look no further than this past season for proof of just how open the Championship can be. Only seven points separated the mid-table teams from either a place in the play-offs or the final relegation spot, and when you factor in all of the last day drama surrounding the battles for automatic promotion, play-off spots and survival, it really is hard not to get excited about what next season will bring.

Of course that unwavering belief that all football fans share is what fuels the desire to see their team play in the Premier League. Despite the overwhelming odds and the financial gulfs we all like to believe that once our club makes it out of the second tier, one day they can go on to break that glass ceiling and compete for a place in Europe with the grand old men of English football.

But knowing that this accomplishment is probably beyond the vast majority of Football League clubs, it may just be that the hunt for the Premier League is now actually more entertaining than playing in it.

Oscar Wilde probably wasn’t referring to the race for the Premier League when he wrote that ‘there are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it’, but nevertheless it is a quote worth considering if you’re desperate to see your team make it to the top flight. That place in the ‘promised land’ might not be as promising as it sounds.

Arsenal's Lukas Podolski

PODOLSKI ‘HONOURED’ BY JUVE INTEREST

Lukas Podolski has refused to rule out a move to Juventus with the 27-year-old striker topping the Serie A champions list of summer targets.

Podolski has enjoyed a relatively successful first season at the Emirates with 11 Premier League goals in 33 top flight games but, speaking to Bild about Juventus’s reported interest, he said: “There are always offers, I don’t have any influence on that. Of course I feel honoured.

“But, the fact is, I have a contract with Arsenal. There’s no reason to leave the club. However, in the football-business a lot of things are conceivable.”

Arsene Wenger’s admiration of Juve defender Stephan Lichtsteiner may give the Italian club hope they may persuade the Gunners to part with Podolski.

REDKNAPP WARNS QPR BOARD

Just a fortnight after committing to QPR’s Championship campaign next season Harry Redknapp has warned he may quit Loftus Road if he’s not allowed to bring in the players he wants.

Redknapp oversaw the club’s relegation and Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Liverpool was their seventh in the last nine matches.

Redknapp said: “If I can’t change it around during the summer and get some good lads in, I wouldn’t want to come back.

“I don’t need to come to work every day and have that aggravation. I want to get a group in willing to come, learn and take a bit of pride in what they do. Hopefully I have support from the board and we have to see what players we can find.”

HODGSON CALLS FOR CALM

England manager Roy Hodgson is leading the call for fans not to sing antagonistic songs when the Republic of Ireland visit Wembley in a week’s time.

The game is the first between the sides since a match at Lansdowne Road was abandoned in 1995 because of crowd trouble.

In an email to England ticket holders and in his programme notes Hodgson will ask fans to avoid songs with political or religious overtones.

England fans are known to sing anti-IRA songs and were alleged to have aimed racist chants at Rio and Anton Ferdinand during a recent World Cup qualifier against San Marino.

ON THE CONTINENT

Barcelona’s Brazilian defender Dani Alves has admitted he could be tempted by a move to PSG or Monaco.

Internacional boss Dunga has confirmed he is keen to bring AC Milan striker Robinho back to Brazil.

Lazio are expected to make a summer move for Valencia striker Jonas Goncalves.

OTHER NEWS

The seemingly imminent return of Jose Mourinho to Chelsea moved a step closer with Real Madrid confirming their Portuguese manager is leaving the club at the end of the season.

Manchester City’s Jack Rodwell has been called up to the England squad for their friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil.

Doncaster Rovers have appointed Paul Dickov as their new manager.

Wenger's Arsenal claimed the final Champions League spot at the expense of Villas-Boas's Spurs

The Premier League season drew to a close with a series of breathless matches and Arsenal confirming a Champions League place ahead of north London rivals Tottenham. 

Defender Laurent Koscielny got the crucial goal in the Gunners’ 1-0 win at Newcastle which saw them finish fourth, a point and a place ahead of Spurs, who won by the same margin at home to Sunderland via a late Gareth Bale wonder-strike. Andre Villas Boas’ men miss out on the Champions League for another season despite posting their highest number of points in the Premier League era.

Elsewhere Fernando Torres sealed a third-placed finish for Chelsea with the winner in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Everton, and Sir Alex Ferguson ended his 26-year career as Manchester United manager in the most exhilarating of encounters – an extraordinary 5-5 draw at West Brom.

Goalkeeper: Simon Mignolet (Sunderland)

Up until Gareth Bale’s late intervention the Belgian was looking unbeatable at White Hart Lane, as Spurs threw everything at Sunderland in search of a goal. Made a number of fine stops and organised his defence well. Arguably the Black Cats’ shining light in a difficult season.

Defender: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)

Switched to right-back against Everton and looked like he’d been playing there all season.  It’s this versatility as well as his commitment and dependability that have made Ivanovic a Chelsea first-choice.

Defender: Alexander Buttner (Manchester United)

The young Dutchman stated his case for more starts by impressing with his attacking runs in the thriller at West Brom. United played their final match under Sir Alex Ferguson with a sort of devil-may-care attitude that suited Buttner, and he put them 3-0 up with an excellent driven finish across goalkeeper Ben Foster that Robin Van Persie would have been proud of.

Defender: Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)

Deserves his place purely for a goal at Newcastle without which Tottenham would have pinched the final Champions League place. Koscielny and his defensive colleagues have attracted criticism for not always performing to the same high standards as previous Arsenal defences, but they’ve been good enough to help ensure a 16^th successive Champions League qualification.

Defender: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)

Made the last of 737 appearances for Liverpool in a performance against QPR that typified the tenacity and character that have made him a legend at Anfield. Was withdrawn to a hero’s ovation with five minutes remaining and then given a dignified send-off by his team-mates at the final whistle. Came so close to ending his career with a rare goal when his 25-yard first half strike cannoned back off the post.

Midfielder: Jonny Howson (Norwich City)

A scintillating solo effort from Howson proved the difference between Norwich and Manchester City in a see-saw affair at the Etihad. The Leeds Academy product picked up the ball around the half way line and just ran with it, slaloming his way between four City defenders before coolly slipping the ball past Joe Hart to make it 3-2. Also played the crossfield pass that led to Grant Holt putting Norwich 2-1 up earlier on.

Midfielder: Kevin Nolan (West Ham United)

Hat-trick hero as the Hammers ended their first season back in the top flight in style, with a 4-2 defeat of Reading. Nolan combined to great effect with Andy Carroll and was always looking to get on the end of the big striker’s knock-downs. A midfielder who always gets into double figures for the season and that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Midfielder: Gareth Bale (Tottenham)

Tottenham’s saviour once again with another amazing 30-yard strike out of nothing to win the game late on against Sunderland, although ultimately their goal of Champions League qualification just eluded them. Should have had a penalty in the first half, but instead was booked for diving and always involved in Spurs’ most inspired moments. Totally dejected at the final whistle; can the club hold on to the Welsh wonder?

Forward: Fernando Torres (Chelsea)

Has deserved much of the criticism he’s received, but there are now signs he is rediscovering his old Liverpool form. The Spaniard scored his first league goal since December with the winner against Everton and looked happier than he has for years in this current Chelsea side. Rafa Benitez’s departure might be a blow for Torres, but Chelsea will now at least have second thoughts about selling him.

Forward: Romelu Lukaku (West Bromwich Albion)

Became only the fifth player in Premier League history to come off the bench and score a hat-trick and the fact it was against Manchester United only highlights what a handful this young Belgian can be. West Brom were trailing 3-1 when he made his entrance and his huge presence immediately unsettled the United defence and transformed the game. Surely he’ll be back at Stamford Bridge next season?

Forward: Javier Hernandez (Manchester United)

Usually defined as a pure goal poacher and little more, ‘Chicharito’ quashed such pigeon-holing with a very unselfish and hardworking display at West Brom. Although he did eventually get on the score sheet, the Mexican had already had a hand in three of United’s previous four goals. Can David Moyes keep him satisfied with so few starts as he’s had under Sir Alex?