Football news

Veteran Brazil striker Ronaldo, the all-time top scorer at World Cup finals with 15 goals, admitted he was not in the frame for a shock return to the national side.

Ronaldo, now 33 and plying his trade with Corinthians, has not played for the national team since the 2006 quarter-final loss to France, which brought him his 97th cap for 62 goals.

The "Phenomenon" says realistically he won't be on the plane to South Africa.

"Given the few matches I have played this season I don't deserve to be in the Brazilian squad, that's clear. But I am still at the call of the coach - after all, it's my country," said Ronaldo, who said in February he would retire at the end of next year.

Juve to bid for Benzema, Gourcuff

Fallen giants Juventus are looking to revive their prospects for the new season with the signings of France internationals Karim Benzema and Yoann Gourcuff.

Tuttosport reported David Trezeguet is expected to leave in summer and Juve are targeting Benzema, who joined Real Madrid for €28m, as a replacement.

Juventus are also targeting a more familiar player to the Serie A as Gourcuff has already played for Milan and is currently leading Bordeaux's charge in Ligue 1.

Creative midfielder Gourcuff has a £22m buy-out clause on his contract and is also attracting interest from other top sides around Europe.

Dawson keeps options open

Michael Dawson's wife has been nagging him to book his holidays but the Tottenham centre-back is not focusing on the summer while silverware and the World Cup are on the horizon.

Dawson, who is winning his battle to overcome an Achilles injury to face Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-final today, is also chasing a Champions League place with Spurs and is hoping his form will lead to an England call-up.

It means the uncapped 26-year-old is not thinking of the beach just yet.

"I've not booked my hols yet," he said.

"My wife keeps nagging me and asking me where we are going. I might not have decided yet! Even if I don't get selected for the World Cup, I'd be watching every England game anyway."

Hildebrand exit looms likely

Timo Hildebrand's future at Hoffenheim is looking bleak after the club's director of sport Jan Schindelmeiser hinted that he would not stand in his way if he wanted to leave.

The former Germany international has missed the past few games due to injury.

He has appeared 37 times for the club since joining from Valencia and has a clause in his contract which means he will automatically receive an extension if he breaks the 40-game barrier.

Otherwise, he can walk away on a free transfer in the summer.

There have been rumours suggesting that the 31-year-old is feigning injury to enable him to walk away in the summer.

"Even if his contract does get extended and Timo were to come to us and say that he doesn't want to keep playing here, then we would deal with the issue immediately," Schindelmeiser said.

Hamburg appeal Guerrero ban

Hamburg lodged an appeal against the five-match ban imposed on striker Paolo Guerrero for throwing a bottle at a fan after his side's goalless draw with Hanover last week.

The sanction means that the season is over for Guerrero, who had just returned from a serious knee injury, and he may not play in the Bundesliga again with his contract set to expire at the end of May.

The Peruvian reacted angrily after being verbally abused at the entrance to the tunnel as he left the field. He threw a plastic bottle at a fan, striking him in the face, and has already been punished by his club with a substantial fine.

Brazil facing 2014 problems

Brazil's planning for the 2014 World Cup faces "serious problems" if crucial work is not started before May 3, the deadline fixed by FIFA, Brazilian football federation (CBF) president Ricardo Teixeira warned.

"If the work does not start in time, we will have serious problems," said Teixeira.

FIFA set May 3 as a deadline for work on new and refurbished stadia to start. But organisers have faced problems with no sites being able to attract financial credits from banks.

According to FIFA planning, all major work must be finished by December 2012.

Varga dies on the pitch aged 65

Former Ferencvaros forward Zoltan Varga died at the age of 65 on Friday playing in a senior game.

Varga, who was bought by Ajax to replace the great Johan Cruyff in 1973, collapsed during the match in Budapest and could not be saved by medical staff.

He was a member of the Olympic team that won gold at the 1964 Games in Tokyo and also was part of the Hungary side that finished third at the European Championship that year.

Between 1961 and 1968 he played for Ferencvaros, scoring 53 goals in 135 league matches, and won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1965 when they beat Juventus 1-0 in Turin.