Man City chief Cassell: Chelsea have wasted Wright-Phillips

Manchester City academy chief Jim Cassell says Chelsea have wasted the talent of winger Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Cassell, who signed Shawn Wright Phillips at 15 after he was released by Nottingham Forest, said: "I still think the Chelsea fans have yet to see the best of Shaun. His ideal position is in midfield and that is where he has had his best games for Chelsea rather than when he's played as a winger.
"When he plays in the centre he has many ways to get past people.
"Shaun is a great guy and a terrific player. He was the first player to break through at City after we had put the academy structure in place.
"People say I did well for him, but I always tell them they're wrong. He did more for us than we ever did for him."

Chelsea boss Grant: Everybody hates me, I don't care

Chelsea boss Avram Grant has dismissed criticism of the way he handled Wednesday night's defeat at Fenerbahce.
Grant said: "People can say whatever they want, it is fine by me.
"I don't care. I need to do my job and don't listen to all these opinions. If I had, we would have lost more games."
Fenerbahce's former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman reckons old boss Jose Mourinho would not have lost a 1-0 lead but Grant said: "People speak about Jose and Claudio Ranieri before him. I don't care about all that. This club has gone a different way. They have put me in charge.
"I prefer what happened on Wednesday. We were dominating.
"We were the better team and it was not the time to close it at 1-0. It was time to go for 2-0."

Eriksson wants Man Utd stylists to beat Chelsea for title

Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson wants Manchester United to see off Chelsea in the Premiership title race because of their style of football.
"We are not thinking about the title race - we are more worried about doing ourselves a favour," he said. "Chelsea still have a chance but I think United are big, big favourites.
"Not only because of the position they are in and the points difference but also the way they play football and how Cristiano Ronaldo plays football with Wayne Rooney."

Chelsea boss Grant: No Lampard row

Chelsea boss Avram Grant has played down suggestions of a rift between him and England midfielder Frank Lampard.
The player was unhappy when he was substituted against Fenerbahce in the Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday night but Grant insists there is no problem between the pair.
"Frank is a very passionate player," said Grant. "He was very disappointed that Fenerbahce had equalised.
"I shook hands with Frank. I like passionate players. If his reaction was good or not, it is an internal matter.
"The discipline at Chelsea has been very good since I've been here. I speak with all the players, but I speak about the game and not something else.
"Everybody was disappointed. It was one of our best performances but we lost the game so he wanted to understand why, that's all."

Di Matteo in talks over Chelsea return

Chelsea hero Roberto Di Matteo has revealed he is in talks over returning to the club as a coach and claimed that Blues boss Avram Grant has "put himself under pressure" with his defensive brand of football.
Di Matteo, who won two FA Cups, a European Cup Winners' Cup and a League Cup in 175 appearances for Chelsea, is currently taking his coaching qualifications with both UEFA and the Football Association.
"I have been doing my UEFA badges and am looking forward to getting back into the game," said Di Matteo, who since retiring as a player in 2002 through injury has done intermittent work with Chelsea's Soccer Academy.
"I would rather start coaching in England than Italy - I am doing all the licences here in England as well with the FA. I can't say too much more but I am talking with Chelsea at the moment." It is unclear if the Italian would work with the first-team under Grant, but the 37-year-old suggests winning both the Premier League and the Champions League this season may not be enough to save the Israeli's job.
"Every manager has his own style," he said. "If Grant said they were going to deliver more attractive football and they aren't, then he has put himself under pressure. "The fans have been critical but that has happened before. When Claudio Ranieri arrived, they were singing Gianluca's Vialli's name but he turned it around.
"If at the end of the season Grant wins the Premier League or the Champions League or both, that's what is going to make the fans change their attitude towards him.
"I don't know what the club would do if he doesn't deliver - or even if he does. Only God knows the answer to that. But he's been given a long contract."

Blackburn's McCarthy: Premiership missing Mourinho

Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy says the Premiership has missed former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho this season.
The South Africa international said: "Without him, the League is a bit sad. He is special and he was always interesting, a great coach, as we now recognize.
"At this point, few coaches make a difference. Of course there is Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez, Hughes, Keegan, but someone like Mourinho is difficult to find. He is of a higher level because players were dying for him. This is something very difficult to find.
"He's left a big gap, because he was the only one who could take the spotlight from Sir Alex Ferguson."
McCarthy, who played for Mourinho at Porto, added: "Even if people do not want to admit it, everyone has missed him."

Agent admits Roma move on for Chelsea's Shevchenko

Italian agent Vincenzo Morabito says a move to Roma could be on for Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko.
Morabito said: "It could happen. From the statements made by Carlo Ancelotti, you get the feeling he isn't in the plans of AC Milan. There's a lot of affection for the player at board level, but technically he isn't the best solution for Milan.
"It could be Roma that win this competition because the conditions are quite favourable. The only problem is his contract. But even in this case, we could find a solution."

Chelsea, Liverpool intensify Ronaldinho pursuit

The interest of Chelsea and Liverpool in Barcelona superstar Ronaldinho has intensified in the last 24 hours.
After meeting with AC Milan directors on Wednesday night, Ronaldinho's brother and agent, Roberto de Assis, was in London yesterday.
An agent close to Barcelona, Enzo Bronzetti, confirmed earlier this week that both Chelsea and Liverpool were keen on the Barca ace.

Mancini agent linked to talks with Chelsea, Man City

The agent of Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini is in London.
Tuttosport says Giorgio de Giorgios is sounding out interested clubs on behalf of Mancini, who is expected to leave Inter at the end of this season.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been linked with talks over Mancini as doubts persist for current manager Avram Grant. Manchester City have also been mentioned, where Sven Goran Eriksson would welcome Mancini as his new No2.

Fenerbahce's Kazim-Richards splashes out for family to see him at Chelsea

Fenerbahce's English star Colin Kazim-Richards has shelled out a cool £2,000 so his family can see him play against Chelsea next week.
The former Bury, Brighton and Sheffield United star said: "I've got a load of tickets for the game - I paid something like £2,000."
"I'm an East London boy and all my family are still there. I'm from Leyton, lived in Leytonstone for 12 years and moved to Walthamstow."
"It's just me and my girlfriend in Turkey but I'm so happy. It's like a fairytale. It was a tough decision to come to Turkey but this is a big club playing in the Champions League with massive players and Zico as the manager."
"My life is different here. I'm a household name in Turkey but may be in England soon."
"The Premier League is where everyone wants to play. If you ask any player on our bus, everyone wants to play in England."
"It's the top league in the world."

Fenerbahce hero Kazim-Richards dreams of Chelsea move

Fenerbahce star Colin Kazim-Richards admits he wants to return to the Premiership.
After a season at Sheffield United he moved to Turkey where he has reinvented himself, but his spell at Bramall Lane gave him a taste of what he believes is the best league to play in.
"Don't get me wrong, the Premier League is the best league in the world so I'm not going to tell you the Turkish League is the be all and end all," Kazim-Richards said.
"Of course, everybody wants to play in the Premier League - ask anyone on our bus.
"It would be great if a big club like Chelsea were interested in me."

Grant still struggling to win over Chelsea fans, players

Chelsea boss Avram Grant is again under pressure after Wednesday night's 2-1 Champions League defeat at Fenerbahce.
"He's only ever one bad performance away from the fans turning on him again," disclosed one Chelsea source.
"The players are not sure about his methods, he doesn't have the presence of Jose Mourinho and he doesn't give the players confidence."

Chelsea boss Grant defends Lampard substitution

Chelsea boss Avram Grant defended his decision to substitute Frank Lampard during Wednesday night's 2-1 defeat at Fenerbahce.
Lampard was visibly upset with the substitution, but Grant insisted: "Frank did well and it was not so easy after he was sick and only trained for two days.
"He played for more than 70 minutes and it was risky to allow him to play 90."
Fenerbahce's striker and former Chelsea teammate Mateja Kezman said: "If Lampard goes out of the game after 76 minutes something is wrong. We are full of confidence for the second leg. We will not show as much respect for them in London."

AC Milan agent reveals Liverpool, Chelsea want Ronaldinho

Italian super agent Enzo Bronzetti has revealed Liverpool have joined Chelsea and AC Milan in their interest for Barcelona star Ronaldinho.
Bronzetti - a renowned FIFA agent and the man behind most of the big transfers between La Liga and Serie A - had dinner with Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani and Ronaldinho's brother and agent Roberto de Assis on Wednesday.
"Milan are interested but it depends on many things," said Bronzetti. "We are still in the embryonic phases.
"Roberto de Assis was travelling to London and was only in Milan for a stopover, that's why we went to dinner together.
"If we wanted to hide ourselves and do a deal we certainly wouldn't have gone to restaurant Giannino."
Bronzetti denied the suggestion that Ronaldinho's move to the San Siro could depend on the Rossoneri securing a Champions League place.
But he did admit that several others clubs are also in the hunt for the 28-year-old's signature.
"The Champions League doesn't come into it at all," he added.
"Players come to Milan even if they aren't in the Champions League.
"But there's no lack of offers. There are three or four clubs interested in him - Chelsea definitely, and also Liverpool."

Kezman: Chelsea lack Mourinho spirit

Fenerbahce striker Mateja Kezman says Chelsea are missing the influence of Jose Mourinho after beating his old club on Wednesday night.
Kezman said: "Under Mourinho, Chelsea were a machine - and they worked for 90 or 95 minutes without mistake or faults.
"If Mourinho had been in charge of this match, of course it would have been different.
"He's a very different coach, and in his time there were no surprises and no mistakes. Everything worked fantastically. They don't have the same spirit in the team any more.
"We are full of confidence for the second leg. We will not show as much respect for them in London."

Ballack raps Chelsea pals after Fenerbahce defeat

Michael Ballack has told his Chelsea teammates that a lack of focus cost them on Wednesday night against Fenerbahce.
"It's the Champions League and you have to concentrate for the 90 minutes," said Ballack, who famously lost out on three trophies in little over a week with Bayer Leverkusen.
"One second that you don't concentrate, you concede a goal and the game changes.
"It was our fault against Fenerbahce because we controlled the game, had everything in our hands but didn't concentrate for every second. That's our fault. We have another game to put it right.
"It's very disappointing when you have everything in your hands and throw it away. It should not happen but it did and we have to put a line under it."
He added: "Of course, at home we are very strong.
"It was the same against Olympiacos in the last round. We knew they could score away from home but we played well over 90 minutes and concentrated - and we have to do it again."

Chelsea players remain confident of seeing off Fenerbahce at home

Chelsea players Carlo Cudicini and Didier Drogba insist all is not lost after Wednesday night's Champions League first-leg defeat at Fenerbahce.
Cudicini said: "I don't think we collapsed, it's just sometimes we need to close out games.
"It has sometimes happened this season. When you don't close out the game, the opposition have got a chance if they score."
Cudicini feels Chelsea are still in a good position to progress to the semi-finals, where they would face Arsenal or Liverpool.
"We are confident," he said. "We have shown we have the ability to play very well, as we did in the first half. We know we can beat them at the Bridge."
Striker Drogba agreed, adding: "We created a lot of chances which is good for the second leg, we know we will have a lot of chances but we have to score them."

Roma alternative for Chelsea striker Shevchenko

Roma have emerged as a shock destination for Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko.
Shevchenko intends to leave Chelsea at the end of this season and while AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has declared he'd welcome him back to the San Siro, coach Carlo Ancelotti is dead against the prospect.
Roma are waiting in the wings and if Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is prepared to keep down his asking price a deal could be on.

Chelsea ripped apart by original Coca-Cola kid!

Chelsea were undone last night by the original Coca-Cola kid!.
Fenerbahce's London-born star Colin Kazim-Richards first came to notice at Brighton when he was signed thanks to cash raised from a Coca Cola competition.
Groomed at Bury, Kazim-Richards joined Fenerbahce last summer after a maiden Premiership season with Sheffield United.
After scoring against Chelsea, Kazim-Richards said: "It was great to score my first goal with my left foot. But we've got a different ball game next week because Chelsea are very good at home, so we have to just enjoy tonight's win and get over it quickly."
On Kazim-Richards, signed last summer for £1.5million from Sheffield United, Fenerbahce coach Zico said: "He's getting used to the team and the way we play.
"He is a quality player and when he handles the adaptation he will make a great contribution. He will be successful for us and Turkey."

Chelsea boss Grant: Fenerbahce should be happy

Chelsea boss Avram Grant says Fenerbahce should be happy after last night's 2-1 defeat in their Champions League quarterfinal first-leg.
"They should be happy," Grant said. "Because they are a very attacking team they can score at any time.
"When we played well and held the ball they didn't create chances. It was a strange game."
Fenerbahce boss Zico called for an improvement from his players after Chelsea started so well.
He said: "We gave Chelsea a lot of time to play with the ball in the first half.
"These kind of players can destroy you if you give them time. In the second half we did the right things.
"People who watched the match would say it could never be turned to Fenerbahce's favour but we managed to achieve that.
"The important thing is to win. The fact that they had only conceded two goals before now shows how successful we were."

Sulejmani welcomes Chelsea interest

Heerenveen starlet Miralem Sulejmani has welcomed interest from Chelsea.
The teenage Serb's agent, Michael Stankovic said: "Miralem is playing very well and a lot of clubs would like to have him.
"A lot of clubs have been watching him and I believe Chelsea did watch him at the weekend.
"I believe clubs from Holland, Spain and Germany have all been watching him.
"He is honoured to be linked with Chelsea as they are one of the biggest clubs in England and Europe.
"Miralem likes English football and like every player he would be interested in moving to the Premier League as it is one of the best leagues in the world.
"He is happy at Heerenveen where he is contracted until 2010 with an option and I believe he should stay at Heerenveen for another year to continue his education."

Chelsea boss Grant refuses to panic after defeat

Chelsea boss Avram Grant is refusing to panic after their shock 2-1 defeat at Fenerbahce in the first-leg of their Champions Leage quarterfinal.
Grant's men dominated for an hour at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium but only had an own goal from Deivid as a reward before Colin Kazim-Richards came off the bench and levelled.
Deivid then grabbed the winner nine minutes from time, leaving Chelsea needing a win at Stamford Bridge next week to reach the semi-finals.
"I don't know what to say," Chelsea boss Grant said. "We played good football and deserved to be 3-0 or 4-0 up.
"One slip and they are back in the game.
"Normally it is a great result when you score away but because of our performance I'm very disappointed."
After being gifted the opener, Didier Drogba wasted two chances and Michael Essien struck the crossbar with a fierce drive.
"We talked about it at half-time, about the chances we threw away," Grant said. "We needed to score more goals and didn't do it. This is football, one minute you are sleeping, then they equalise."
Ricardo Carvalho was guilty of a loss of concentration when former Bury, Brighton and Sheffield United forward Kazim-Richards raced through, but nobody was at fault when Deivid found the top corner from 25 yards.
"Now we play at home," Grant added. "We can win this game.
"Against Olympiacos (in the previous round) we didn't play well and got 0-0, here we played very well and lost 2-1. I don't know what is more disappointing.
"We played good football but football is a game of results. Now we go home one down but still there.
"It's part of life. We wanted to play the second game at home and now we have to use it.
"Of course we are unlucky but we are disappointed. We deserved to win, more than 1-0, and we lost."

Chelsea's Pizarro dismisses Peru ban

Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro has dismissed the 18-month ban handed to him by the Peru FA.
Pizarro has denied he drank alcohol and invited women to his hotel room during World Cup qualifying and dismissed his 18-month suspension from the national side.
"I'm surprised by the sanction and I reject it. I'm innocent," Pizarro said.

Zico: Cudicini is Chelsea's weakest link

Fenerbahce coach Zico says Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is their weakest link.
The Brazil legend watched his shaky display against Middlesbrough when he allowed Afonso Alves a free shot at an empty goal.
Zico will tell his Turkish champions to pile on the pressure. He said: "As coaches we analyse the opponents and know individual strengths and weaknesses.
"We pass that on to our players to exploit and Cudicini was nervous against Middlesbrough."

Chelsea's Lampard cleared for Fenerbahce clash

Frank Lampard has been cleared to start for Chelsea tonight at Fenerbahce.
Lampard missed out on Chelsea's Premier League clash with Middlesbrough at the weekend after failing to recover from a stomach bug.

Tuncay backs Fenerbahce to stun Chelsea

Middlesbrough striker Tuncay Sanli is backing old club Fenerbahce to shock Chelsea tonight in their Champions League quarterfinal.
"Wednesday will be a massive occasion. There will be a very, very big atmosphere in Fenerbahce and Chelsea will have to be ready," he said.
"Galatasaray have won big things in Europe before, but never Fenerbahce. It would be huge in Turkey if they could get past Chelsea.
"Chelsea are going to have to be careful, I know everyone expects Chelsea to just ease through but it's not going to be as easy as people think. Fenerbahce are a very good team with some very good players.
"Alex, Mateja Kezman, Stephen Appiah, although he is injured, Roberto Carlos, Deivid, I could name more.
"I'm sure Fenerbahce will win the first leg then it will be all about what happens in the return in London. I still have many friends at the club and if they ask me any questions about Chelsea I will tell them."

Mourinho wants star Chelsea trio at Inter Milan

Jose Mourinho wants to take three of his former Chelsea stars to Inter Milan in the summer.
Mourinho has discussed a move to Inter at the end of the season with their president Massimo Moratti.
Among the subjects of discussion were Mourinho's transfer plans, which include Moratti funding a triple raid on Chelsea for Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Ricardo Carvalho.

Chelsea scout sees Ajax's Huntelaar score twice

Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is being tracked by Chelsea in the remaining weeks of the season.
Huntelaar is a favourite of Chelsea chief Frank Arnesen and the Dutch influence at Stamford Bridge including Piet de Visser and assistant coach Henk ten Cate.
Arnesen had Blues scout Hans Gillhaus watch Huntelaar in action last weekend and he saw the striker score twice in Ajax's 4-2 win at Heerenveen.

Sulejmani not ready for Chelsea move

Heerenveen striker Miralem Sulejmani has shrugged off interest from Chelsea.
"It's nice to know big clubs are watching you," said the youngster, "but I am happy at Heerenveen."
"Of course, my ultimate aim is to join a big European club, but I am happy here."

AC Milan president Berlusconi: I'm bringing back Sheva

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has promised fans major signings in the summer - particularly in defence.
He said: "We are ready to strengthen the team, but without going to extremes. Changes are needed especially in defence.
"Marcello Lippi or Luciano Spalletti? Carlo Ancelotti will stay and I'll bring back Sheva (Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko).
"As far as Ronaldo, I think we will give him a performance-based contract."

Chelsea's Anelka: Fenerbahce atmosphere crazy

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka expects the atmosphere at Fenerbahce to be "crazy".
"It's going to be crazy inside the stadium," former Fenerbahce star Anelka said. "We will have to be careful because they play good football, as well, and they have many good players. To be here, at this stage, they have to be good. I'm not surprised they got this far because when I was there two years ago, we were already strong and unlucky not to get through the group."

Chelsea's Cole ready for Roberto Carlos test

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole is excited about testing himself against Fenerbahce's star left-back Roberto Carlos.
Cole said: "I'm really looking forward to testing myself against him. For me, Roberto Carlos has been the best left-back in the world for the last 10 years.
"So it's a real big test for me - attacking and defending. I know I'll have to defend because he loves to come forward.
"But that's what I want - to play against the best players. It will be great for me to see what I can do against him."

Cole slates Chelsea performance against Middlesbrough

Joe Cole has slated Chelsea's performance for Sunday's 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough.
The midfielder said: "On Wednesday we need a better performance from everyone throughout the team than we had against Middlesbrough. We want to play better."
"If we are to win the Champions League we need a bit of luck, but we have to play well first and foremost. We can't underestimate Fenerbahce and think about facing Arsenal or Liverpool in the semi-final. They beat Sevilla at home, who are one of the top sides in Spain. They're a great side at home.
"They are a real force and can score goals. The atmosphere will be intimidating too but these are the games you want to play in."

Kezman: Chelsea's Terry ideal captain

Fenerbahce striker Mateja Kezman says his former Chelsea teammate John Terry is an ideal club captain.
"I know there has been this big debate about whether he should continue as England captain but I have huge respect for him as a leader," he said.
"At Chelsea, he is brilliant with the newcomers and brilliant at offering encouragement when he sees players having a hard time. He celebrates when his team win and supports players when the team lose."

Chelsea's Cole: Zico my hero

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole is hoping for a chance to meet with Zico when they face the Brazilian coach's Fenerbahce.
Cole revealed: "I loved him as a player. I used to have his picture as the screen saver on my computer."
"He was a top player, one of the best. I have loads of videos of him. Now he's proving himself to be a top manager, too."

Mourinho wants Chelsea stars Drogba, Lampard at Inter Milan

Chelsea face a battle to hang onto star pair Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.
Jose Mourinho will raid his former club Chelsea if he takes over at Inter Milan in the summer.
Top of Mourinho's shopping list is Chelsea striker Drogba and midfielder Lampard.
Chelsea would be reluctant sellers but they appear powerless to keep the duo, who would jump at the chance of teaming up with the Portuguese coach again.

Grant: Shevchenko can still make Chelsea impact

Chelsea boss Avram Grant says Andriy Shevchenko can make a big late season contribution.
"Andriy Shevchenko like always when he goes to Ukraine scores every two games. He is improving now. It is not an easy situation for him this season and we have only a few games to the end but I hope he will bring his contribution to the games," said grant.

Newcastle plan major bid for Chelsea's Bridge

Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan is ready to offer £6.5 million for Chelsea fullback Wayne Bridge.
Keegan is confident a contract worth £50,000-a-week will lure Bridge to St James' Park.
Bridge, 27, who joined Chelsea from Southampton for £7m in 2003, has made just eight Premier League appearances this season.

Chelsea not at our best - Terry

Chelsea captain John Terry admitted his side were below their best after they claimed a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge.
Ricardo Carvalho's sixth-minute header sealed the victory for the Blues, who leapfrog Arsenal into second place in the Barclays Premier League table.
The hosts dominated possession in the remainder of the match but were unable to convert it into goals and the visitors almost stole a share of the points, hitting the woodwork three times in the closing stages.
Terry said: "It was not a great performance today - we didn't start very well and there were a few tired legs out there, but we got the three points and held on.
"Middlesbrough have some big players and we attacked the ball well in defence and managed to deal with the late pressure.
"We dug in well today and this lifts us up to second which is good. All we can do as a team is keep the pressure up on Manchester United and carry on winning."

Grant insists Chelsea deserved three points

Chelsea boss Avram Grant was happy after their 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough.
Ricardo Carvalho's sixth-minute goal ended up being the decider but Boro hit the woodwork three times and might also have had a penalty.
The win took Chelsea above Arsenal into second place in the Barclays Premier League table and five points behind leaders Manchester United - who travel to Boro next week.
Grant conceded that his players had been forced to hang on at the end but correctly countered that more clinical finishing earlier on, especially from Didier Drogba and substitute Shawn Wright-Phillips, could have put the game out of the visitors' reach.
He said: "They hit the crossbar two times but at the other end Shawn could have scored twice and Didier in the first half.
"I cannot say that it was our best game but it was important for us to win today rather than have quality in the game.
"It is a good win. They were unlucky, but we also created some good chances from open play. We started very well and, maybe because of that, we thought it would be easy.
"We controlled the ball and controlled the game but by not making it 2-0, it became a good chance for the other team. But I think we deserved the win. At this stage of the season, it's about winning."

Platini in new attack on Premiership success

UEFA president Michel Platini has launched another attack on Premiership clubs over their recruiting of young players.
The Mail on Sunday says Platini is scathing in his criticism of English clubs that encourage boys to join them from abroad at the age of 16 or 17 - a practice that was pioneered by Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, most famously in the recruitment of Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona. The policy is now also widely used by Liverpool and Chelsea.
UEFA's president says he is working with the European Commission to introduce an exemption to labour laws specifically for football, which would prevent England's top clubs from encouraging boys from abroad to join them.
Platini said: "I have told the European Commission that we should ban the transfer of minors.
"The first football contract that a player signs should be for club that trains them. You don't train someone to be sold, you train a player to play. It is important to protect our young people. Minors shouldn't be seen as a machine that can be transferred for the benefit of agents or clubs. They have time enough for that.
"I left for another country at 25. You don't need to leave at 15. It's to do with protecting social values, family values. There is no justification for buying them at 15, getting them over with parents, that is just not on.
"I really don't like it when a club like Lugano, Geneve, Brescia or Nancy train a player and then when they are 16 they are bought by much richer clubs. We're going to fight it."
While United were criticised by Platini and have signed 16-year-olds such as Gerard Pique from Barcelona, only four of their 24-strong academy are from abroad and just 18 per cent of their playing squad under the age of 21 are from overseas.

Ancelotti shuts AC Milan door on Chelsea's Shevchenko

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has shut the door on Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko returning to the club.
"I don't think he would make an ideal partnership with Pato, as their characteristics are too similar," pointed out Ancelotti.
"There would be a much better and more balanced pairing between Pato and Marco Borriello, as they have different characteristics, yet they are compatible."

Obi Mikel frustrated with lack of Chelsea chances

John Obi Mikel admits he's frustrated by the lack of first team action he's seen at Chelsea since returning from the African Nations Cup.
The Nigeria midfielder said: "Since I have been at Chelsea I have played games, but lately not so much. I think I am back to my best, but if the manager wants me to wait, we have many big players and they all want to play.
"You can't blame them, because they are in the peak of their career and want to play every game. I am waiting, and I am young as well. I love playing football and want to be on the pitch all the time."

Chelsea's Anelka excited about Fenerbahce return

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is looking forward to facing former club Fenerbahce in the Champions League quarterfinals.
"I will be glad to be back because I like the country and the club," said Anelka. "When you leave a team from a country like Turkey, you never know if you will play there again.
"So I was pleased when I saw the draw because I will have the chance to return and see the people I played with there and the supporters too."
The atmosphere inside the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium is something special, according to the Chelsea striker.
There is a hunger to put Fenerbahce on the map in European competition and Anelka says the atmosphere will be hectic.
"I have already spoken with the lads in the dressing room and I said that it is going to be crazy inside the stadium," said Anelka.
"So we will have to be careful because they play good football as well and they have many good players. To be here, at this stage, they have to be good.
"I am not surprised they have got this far because when I was there two years ago, we were already strong and we were unlucky not to go through the group.
"Only when you play in the Champions League every year and you have more experience can you start to do well in it each season.
"The chairman of Fenerbahce wanted to do well in Europe this season because they won the Turkish title last year and the season before.
"Now he wants to do something good in the Champions League as well and I am not surprised they have got to this stage."