Liverpool 1 Standard Liege 0
Liverpool suffered a night of torture against European minnows Standard Liege before scraping through to the Champions League group stage 1-0 in extra-time.
But the victory came at a cost to the Merseysiders and England boss Fabio Capello after Rafa Benitez confirmed his talismanic midfielder will miss the next two weeks recovering from groin surgery.
Dirk Kuyt's knee saved Benitez's side the embarrassment of being taken to penalties by the Belgian club, scoring with it from close range as the clock showed two minutes left to play.
But as their supporters and American owners breathed a huge sigh of relief about taking their place in Thursday's draw in Monaco with Arsenal, who thrashed Steve McClaren's FC Twente 4-0 at The Emirates last night and 6-0 on aggregate, they faced more agony.
Manager Benitez revealed Gerrard is to have an operation to cure the long-standing groin problem - ruling him out for around a fortnight.
The surgery means he is set to miss the all-important start to England's World Cup qualifying campaign against Andorra and Croatia next month.
His absence will be a major setback for Capello, who has failed to turn the national side into a force and knows the trip to Croatia will be one of the trickiest.
Benitez had to rely on Gerrard as his team struggled against Liege, but then the Spaniard said: "Gerrard will have an operation.
"He has a groin problem.
"We knew it could be like this. He will be out for 10-15 days.
"I was talking with the doctor and we talked with him. He said he would play with pain and after it he would have an operation.
"He knew he had to keep going tonight because he was having the operation tomorrow."
The tie appeared to be heading for penalties when Kuyt stuck out a leg at the far post to send Ryan Babel's cross into the back of the net and guarantee Benitez's side a share in the lucrative next round.
Kuyt said :"We wanted to play in the Champions League because we know how good it can be.
"We've been in a final and a semi-final over recent years and we want more.
"First we have to win the qualifier and this was a tough game. We believed in ourselves and even though it wasn't our best performance, we always know we have the quality to score.
"Standard Liege were really tough opposition, they were really fighting for the 90 minutes in both matches and in extra time and maybe they deserved more, but that's football. We are just relieved to be through."
Liverpool suffered a night of torture against European minnows Standard Liege before scraping through to the Champions League group stage 1-0 in extra-time.
But the victory came at a cost to the Merseysiders and England boss Fabio Capello after Rafa Benitez confirmed his talismanic midfielder will miss the next two weeks recovering from groin surgery.
Dirk Kuyt's knee saved Benitez's side the embarrassment of being taken to penalties by the Belgian club, scoring with it from close range as the clock showed two minutes left to play.
But as their supporters and American owners breathed a huge sigh of relief about taking their place in Thursday's draw in Monaco with Arsenal, who thrashed Steve McClaren's FC Twente 4-0 at The Emirates last night and 6-0 on aggregate, they faced more agony.
Manager Benitez revealed Gerrard is to have an operation to cure the long-standing groin problem - ruling him out for around a fortnight.
The surgery means he is set to miss the all-important start to England's World Cup qualifying campaign against Andorra and Croatia next month.
His absence will be a major setback for Capello, who has failed to turn the national side into a force and knows the trip to Croatia will be one of the trickiest.
Benitez had to rely on Gerrard as his team struggled against Liege, but then the Spaniard said: "Gerrard will have an operation.
"He has a groin problem.
"We knew it could be like this. He will be out for 10-15 days.
"I was talking with the doctor and we talked with him. He said he would play with pain and after it he would have an operation.
"He knew he had to keep going tonight because he was having the operation tomorrow."
The tie appeared to be heading for penalties when Kuyt stuck out a leg at the far post to send Ryan Babel's cross into the back of the net and guarantee Benitez's side a share in the lucrative next round.
Kuyt said :"We wanted to play in the Champions League because we know how good it can be.
"We've been in a final and a semi-final over recent years and we want more.
"First we have to win the qualifier and this was a tough game. We believed in ourselves and even though it wasn't our best performance, we always know we have the quality to score.
"Standard Liege were really tough opposition, they were really fighting for the 90 minutes in both matches and in extra time and maybe they deserved more, but that's football. We are just relieved to be through."
Chelsea have offered Carlo Ancelotti £24million to become their new manager. Last night the double Champions League winning coach insisted that he is not leaving AC Milan but Sportsmail understands that a meeting between representatives of both parties took place at the George V Four Seasons Hotel in Paris on Monday.
Chelsea received enough encouragement to offer the Italian a four-year contract at £6m-a-season.
However, last night they were forced to release a statement admitting they had not come to an agreement.
Stamford Bridge officials then apparently suffered a humiliating setback when Ancelotti, 48, said: "I will stay in AC Milan for sure and for many seasons to come. I have not spoken to anyone at Chelsea."
But in a carefully-worded statement, Chelsea did not deny that they had talked to representatives of the Italian, nor that they had made an offer, and it is clear that he is top of owner Roman Abramovich's wish-list of replacements for sacked manager Avram Grant.
The Stamford Bridge club said: "The club have not reached agreement with any individual to become manager, nor have we sought permission from any organisation to talk to their manager."
The mixed messages leave the tantalising possibility of a battle of the billionaires, with Russian oligarch Abramovich facing a duel for Ancelotti with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who owns the Italian club.
Abramovich appears to have decided on Ancelotti after advice from his personal scout Piet de Visser as well as his inner circle at Stamford Bridge.
Apart from the pre-requisite of a proven track record, they are thought to have been impressed by tactical flexibility and with his ability to handle the media calmly.
But Ancelotti's ability to handle some of the world's best players and not fall out with the dominating presence of Berlusconi is said to have made the biggest impact.
If the Italian does stay at Milan, Chelsea will look towards Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Mark Hughes, who had been linked with the job, is on his way to Manchester City after they agreed a £4.6m compensation deal with Blackburn.
Given Ancelotti's record in the Champions League, one of only five to win the European Cup as both player and manager, it is easy to understand why Abramovich is keen to bring in the manager he believes best able to deliver the trophy he covets above others.
A midfielder in the legendary AC Milan team of the late Eighties, he played alongside such greats as Paolo Maldini and the Dutch trio of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard, who has also been linked with the Chelsea job of late after parting company with Barcelona.
Ancelotti tasted European Cup success in back-to-back seasons in 1989 and 1990. Regarded as the voice of esteemed Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi on the pitch, it came as little surprise that Ancelotti opted to go into coaching.
His first managerial post came with in 1995 with Reggiana, who he guided to Serie A after one season in charge.
A move to former club Parma followed and with it came his first European managerial success, the 1999 UEFA Cup.
Two seasons as Marcelo Lippi's successor at Juventus came next, and two secondplaced finishes in Serie A.
But it was the move to AC Milan in 2001, as replacement for Fatih Terim, which cemented Ancelotti's place in the Italian coaching pantheon.
In his seven seasons at the helm, Milan have won the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia, the Italian Super Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, a World Club Championship and, most significantly as far as Abramovich is concerned, two Champions League titles.
The first European Cup success came with a 3-2 victory on penalties over former side Juventus in 2003 at Old Trafford, the second with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in Athens in 2007.
Having coached the superstars such as Rivaldo, Cafu, Clarence Seedorf, Filippo Inzaghi, Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka, Ancelotti is no stranger to the demands of handling the kind of star-studded dressing room Abramovich is eager to create at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea received enough encouragement to offer the Italian a four-year contract at £6m-a-season.
However, last night they were forced to release a statement admitting they had not come to an agreement.
Stamford Bridge officials then apparently suffered a humiliating setback when Ancelotti, 48, said: "I will stay in AC Milan for sure and for many seasons to come. I have not spoken to anyone at Chelsea."
But in a carefully-worded statement, Chelsea did not deny that they had talked to representatives of the Italian, nor that they had made an offer, and it is clear that he is top of owner Roman Abramovich's wish-list of replacements for sacked manager Avram Grant.
The Stamford Bridge club said: "The club have not reached agreement with any individual to become manager, nor have we sought permission from any organisation to talk to their manager."
The mixed messages leave the tantalising possibility of a battle of the billionaires, with Russian oligarch Abramovich facing a duel for Ancelotti with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who owns the Italian club.
Abramovich appears to have decided on Ancelotti after advice from his personal scout Piet de Visser as well as his inner circle at Stamford Bridge.
Apart from the pre-requisite of a proven track record, they are thought to have been impressed by tactical flexibility and with his ability to handle the media calmly.
But Ancelotti's ability to handle some of the world's best players and not fall out with the dominating presence of Berlusconi is said to have made the biggest impact.
If the Italian does stay at Milan, Chelsea will look towards Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Mark Hughes, who had been linked with the job, is on his way to Manchester City after they agreed a £4.6m compensation deal with Blackburn.
Given Ancelotti's record in the Champions League, one of only five to win the European Cup as both player and manager, it is easy to understand why Abramovich is keen to bring in the manager he believes best able to deliver the trophy he covets above others.
A midfielder in the legendary AC Milan team of the late Eighties, he played alongside such greats as Paolo Maldini and the Dutch trio of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard, who has also been linked with the Chelsea job of late after parting company with Barcelona.
Ancelotti tasted European Cup success in back-to-back seasons in 1989 and 1990. Regarded as the voice of esteemed Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi on the pitch, it came as little surprise that Ancelotti opted to go into coaching.
His first managerial post came with in 1995 with Reggiana, who he guided to Serie A after one season in charge.
A move to former club Parma followed and with it came his first European managerial success, the 1999 UEFA Cup.
Two seasons as Marcelo Lippi's successor at Juventus came next, and two secondplaced finishes in Serie A.
But it was the move to AC Milan in 2001, as replacement for Fatih Terim, which cemented Ancelotti's place in the Italian coaching pantheon.
In his seven seasons at the helm, Milan have won the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia, the Italian Super Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, a World Club Championship and, most significantly as far as Abramovich is concerned, two Champions League titles.
The first European Cup success came with a 3-2 victory on penalties over former side Juventus in 2003 at Old Trafford, the second with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in Athens in 2007.
Having coached the superstars such as Rivaldo, Cafu, Clarence Seedorf, Filippo Inzaghi, Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka, Ancelotti is no stranger to the demands of handling the kind of star-studded dressing room Abramovich is eager to create at Stamford Bridge.
David Beckham has hailed John Terry as the strongest character in football after the Chelsea defender scored the goal that helped England beat the USA.
Terry, captain for the night, headed home Beckham's 38th-minute free-kick to open the scoring in England's 2-0 victory last night - one week after missing the shoot-out penalty that cost the Blues victory in the Champions League Final in Moscow.
While Beckham admits Terry's display at Wembley will not banish the misery he suffered in Russia, the Los Angeles Galaxy star claims Terry now has the same influence that Stuart Pearce, now assistant coach, had in the 1990s.
"You could see the emotion going through him, in his eyes. Once he scored that goal and he was celebrating, you could see a slight relief.
Stuart Pearce
"You see that passion sometimes. You saw it in Stuart Pearce's face when he scored that penalty [in Euro 96 after missing one in the 1990 World Cup] and you saw it in JT's face.
"I put the ball in the right area and it was written for JT to get on the end of it. As a team we were all pleased and proud of him. He's got a lot of support within the team, outside of the team and at his club. To be captain and score a goal at Wembley means a lot to JT and no one can ever question his passion and dedication when he puts an England or Chelsea shirt on. That's what we look at."
Beckham, who was handed a commemorative golden cap by Sir Bobby Charlton prior to kick-off to mark passing his century of appearances in the last match against France, refused to be drawn on who should take the skipper's role permanently.
Terry became the third different player to assume the responsibility under Fabio Capello and Pearce after Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand, with Gareth Barry set to lead the team against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.
He added: "Every one of those players is a strong character and passionate about their country and when you see them play, everyone can see how much it means to them. If you show that kind of passion then you have got every chance of being a great captain."
Gerrard also paid tribute to Terry's character. "I am so pleased for John," he said.
"He is a top guy off the pitch and also a great player on it." Of those players who were in Moscow for the Champions League Final, only Ferdinand and Wayne Bridge will travel to Port of Spain for Sunday's friendly.
The Manchester United manager is furious at the statements made by Real coach Bernd Schuster and president Ramon Calderon in the last 24 hours that questioned Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford.
Speculation surrounding the Portuguese winger has intensified despite United’s
thrilling Champions League final victory over Chelsea.
Sir Alex Ferguson has launched a stinging attack on Real Madrid, accusing the La Liga champions of “lacking morals” following the Spanish club’s latest comments about the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Manchester United manager is furious at the statements made by Real coach Bernd Schuster and president Ramon Calderon in the last 24 hours that questioned Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford.
Speculation surrounding the Portuguese winger has intensified despite United’s
thrilling Champions League final victory over Chelsea.
But Ferguson said: “You get used to Real Madrid’s performance in these things. I read last night that Calderon’s talking, Schuster’s talking, and they use this market as a vehicle to unsettle players.
"The simple facts are that he is with us and has four years left on his contract and that’s the first thing. And Calderon makes that great statement ‘slavery was abolished many, many years ago’. Did he tell Franco that? Give me a break.
“In terms of great clubs, Barcelona have far better moral issues than Real Madrid will ever have. We know Real are not the only club with an interest in Ronaldo but they are not saying so.
“Do you not think we’ve not had many interests from the big clubs in Europe about our best players? Of course. But they don’t get into the nonsense that they get into. They think that they can ride roughshod over everyone but they won’t do it with us.”
The Football Association have written to Avram Grant and asked him to explain his claim that referees Steve Bennett and Mike Dean handed Manchester United the title on a plate.
The Chelsea manager could now be charged with misconduct after he questioned Bennett's integrity following his display in United's match at Wigan on Sunday.
United won 2-0 to ensure they beat Chelsea to the title by two points, but Grant was angry because Bennett failed to give Wigan a penalty when Rio Ferdinand handled in the area or show Paul Scholes a second yellow after he fouled Wilson Palacios.
Grant chose yesterday's official press conference previewing Chelsea's Champions League Final match against United in Moscow next week to make his feelings known.
He said: “The referee? He was, as expected, good for one team. I think in England there are some very good referees.
“But there are some — a few of them — you can influence, like you saw.”
Grant also claimed Dean, who was in charge of Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to United in Grant's first game in charge in September, was wrong to send off John Obi Mikel। The FA will also study a video recording of Grant's comments, although it is understood the Israeli's guilt is not considered clear cut at this stage.
Sir Alex Ferguson today insisted that he would not allow the Chelsea manager's mind games to disrupt his plans for next week's final. Grant's remarks had come as no surprise to Ferguson, who said: “I could go on and on myself.
“We feel we didn't get any decisions during the season.
“Maybe, when we went to Chelsea we should have been champions by then.”
Meanwhile, Didier Drogba has told Grant he must play him up front with Nicolas Anelka if Chelsea are to beat United.
The Blues boss favours the 4-3-3 formation used by Jose Mourinho with Drogba playing up front on his own. But Drogba believes he should be paired with Anelka in Wednesday's Champions League Final with United.
He said: “I have a lot of admiration and respect for Nicolas. He came to England very young and had to prove himself in a very demanding League.
“I'm a bit disappointed we've not been able to play together all that often since he arrived in January.
“But given the chance we can do a lot of damage to defences. Hopefully that will be the case against United.”
The Chelsea manager could now be charged with misconduct after he questioned Bennett's integrity following his display in United's match at Wigan on Sunday.
United won 2-0 to ensure they beat Chelsea to the title by two points, but Grant was angry because Bennett failed to give Wigan a penalty when Rio Ferdinand handled in the area or show Paul Scholes a second yellow after he fouled Wilson Palacios.
Grant chose yesterday's official press conference previewing Chelsea's Champions League Final match against United in Moscow next week to make his feelings known.
He said: “The referee? He was, as expected, good for one team. I think in England there are some very good referees.
“But there are some — a few of them — you can influence, like you saw.”
Grant also claimed Dean, who was in charge of Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to United in Grant's first game in charge in September, was wrong to send off John Obi Mikel। The FA will also study a video recording of Grant's comments, although it is understood the Israeli's guilt is not considered clear cut at this stage.
“We feel we didn't get any decisions during the season.
“Maybe, when we went to Chelsea we should have been champions by then.”
Meanwhile, Didier Drogba has told Grant he must play him up front with Nicolas Anelka if Chelsea are to beat United.
The Blues boss favours the 4-3-3 formation used by Jose Mourinho with Drogba playing up front on his own. But Drogba believes he should be paired with Anelka in Wednesday's Champions League Final with United.
He said: “I have a lot of admiration and respect for Nicolas. He came to England very young and had to prove himself in a very demanding League.
“I'm a bit disappointed we've not been able to play together all that often since he arrived in January.
“But given the chance we can do a lot of damage to defences. Hopefully that will be the case against United.”
