PSG in talks with Kombouare

Paris Saint-Germain tonight said they were speaking to coach Antoine Kombouare "with a view to making a resolution that will protect both parties' interests", amid speculation he had been sacked.

Media reports in France today suggested that Kombouare's tenure with the club, who he has guided to the top of Ligue 1 heading into the winter break, was an at end.

But, in a statement released on their official website, www.psg.fr, the club stopped short of confirming that they had parted company with their manager. Instead, they said: "Paris Saint-Germain and their first-team coach Antoine Kombouare would like to clarify that they are engaged in positive discussions, with a view to making a resolution that will protect both parties' interests."

Once the story began to break earlier today, the French managers' union (UNECATEF) moved to condemn them, a somewhat understandable stance considering the club's position in the table.

UNECATEF released a statement to L'Equipe, reading: "The UNECATEF formally condemns the dismissal of Antoine Kombouare and his deputies by the management of PSG.

"All coaches, all technicians in France can only be indignant about the fate of one of them. Why blame him? For not being glamorous enough? Not good enough? Whatever the reasons, nothing can justify or excuse the brutal dismissal. UNECATEF will be with Antoine Kombouare as long and as firmly as is necessary."

The 48-year-old manager been with Paris Saint-Germain since May 2009 following a five-year spell at Valenciennes but has seen his position come under intense scrutiny is recent weeks, with the likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Frank Rijkaard being linked with the role.

The club failed to make it through the group stages of the Europa League but last night defeated St Etienne to go three points clear of Montpellier at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

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AVB defends Torres, talks title hopes

Andre Villas-Boas had nothing but praise for Fernando Torres, despite watching Chelsea's £50m man fluff his first Premier League start for almost two months. Torres's latest goal drought grew to ten matches yesterday as the Blues drew 1-1 in their west London derby against Fulham in what was another blow to their increasingly remote title hopes.

The game at Stamford Bridge must have seemed the perfect time to give Torres a chance to play himself back into form, ahead of Didier Drogba's January departure for CAF Africa Nations Cup duty. But after some positive early signs, including a volley the striker was unlucky to hit straight at David Stockdale, the 27-year-old looked as lost as he had ever done in a Chelsea shirt.

Villas-Boas pointed out the Spaniard had set up Juan Mata's opener, neglecting to mention that was only because he had miscontrolled Ashley Cole's cross. Explaining Torres's recall, the Chelsea manager said: "We decided to bring Fernando in.

"He's been working well and he had an impact in the game. He worked well for the team, assisted Mata for his goal, and showed the level of commitment he has shown in training."

"We don't judge our strikers on the score. We are one of the most attacking teams in the country. We have a lot of goals spread out among the team. What is important is that they make an impact. That is what we expect from them."

Villas-Boas all but conceded the title yesterday, something which might have been the cue for Torres to be given a run in the side without fear of it proving too costly. But Chelsea simply cannot afford to keep throwing away points because they are suddenly back in a real battle to finish in the top four, with Arsenal knowing a win against Wolverhampton Wanderers today would lift them above their London rivals.

Billionaire Blues owner Roman Abramovich may yet forgive Villas-Boas not winning the title this season, but he is unlikely to tolerate failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

"The difference between us and the top will be big," the Portuguese said. "We had reduced it to seven points recently, but 13 points would be new for us. With City and United continuing to get the points they are getting at the moment, it'll be difficult.

"That is the perspective we have to make at the moment. It's difficult. It's not impossible. You cannot say that.

"But we have to focus on our position at the moment and make a real assessment. Maybe the Premier League [title] is over for us at the moment."

Jol upbeat
Fulham boss Martin Jol is on a much longer leash, but still needed a better performance yesterday from his players than they delivered in Wednesday's 5-0 thrashing by Manchester United. The fact he got it was all the more impressive after forwards Bobby Zamora (Achilles) and Andy Johnson (groin) both pulled out injured.

Admitting he "gambled" with his team selection and tactics, Jol said: "Our two main strikers dropped out, so we had to come up with something else. I think it paid off."

Indeed, Fulham were unrecognisable from Wednesday night and Jol added: "We had a good result against Liverpool, a good result at the Emirates.

"You can't say we are inconsistent - it was just against United that we didn't have a good result. We've shown we can give all these teams a good game."

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QPR in talks to sign Henrique

QPR today reached an agreement with Sao Paulo that could make Brazilian striker Henrique Mark Hughes' first signing as manager.

The clubs are now in discussions over whether Rangers take Henrique on loan initially or buy him outright. The transfer is subject to a work permit being received for the 20-year-old, who has yet to make his senior Brazil debut.

Henrique, who was voted player of the tournament at last summer's FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia, has already hailed the prospect of joining QPR as "a fantastic opportunity".

He told the Sun: "I know a lot of clubs are interested in me. But when I spoke to Mark Hughes and QPR, they made me feel very excited about their plans.

"I want to go to a club with ambition and to play in London would be a fantastic opportunity. The manager is known everywhere. He played for great clubs like Manchester United and Barcelona.

"As a striker, I know I can learn so much from him. I've always wanted to play in Europe and, for me, England has the most exciting league in the world."

Reports suggest any loan could be for 18 months, with a permanent transfer costing around £5million.

Hughes has repeatedly acknowledged his new side's goalscoring problems since taking charge, with only Wigan Athletic having netted fewer times in the Barclays Premier League this season.

Speaking after Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United in his first game in charge, he said: "It's important that we improve our goals-for column because that is hindering us at the moment."

Hughes is also looking to bolster his defence, having made bids for both Chelsea's Alex and Blackburn's Christopher Samba.

QPR are understood to retain an interest in signing the centre-backs, who have both submitted transfer requests.

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Neymar talks 'king' Pele, Messi

Brazilian star Neymar admitted today that he could never reach Pele's level and described Lionel Messi as the best in the world.

The top-rated 19-year-old, who has been at the centre of a debate over whether he is better than Barcelona ace Messi, said the reigning FIFA Ballon d'Or winner was superior "at the moment".

"I do believe Messi is the best player at the moment," the talented Santos striker told a packed press conference in Japan after jetting in for the FIFA Club World Cup, where he could come face-to-face with Messi in the final.

And Neymar dismissed any comparisons with the iconic Pele, who remains idolised for his exploits with Santos and Brazil.

"He's the one and only, he's the king of football," said Neymar, sporting his trademark blond mohawk. "To reach his level is something I don't think I can do."

Neymar, who last month signed a two-year contract extension with the South American champions, said he had nothing to prove at this month's tournament.

"For me, I'm not trying to prove anything here," the Brazilian international said. "I'm here to contribute to the team and win the title."

He also admitted that he had been taken aback by the adulation he had received in Japan. "I'm on the other side of the globe but so many people seem to know me and love me," the striker added.

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Sources: Talks to resume between NBA players and owners

NEW YORK, N.Y. - NBA players and owners will resume talks on Wednesday, two people with knowledge of the plans said Tuesday. This comes a week after the sides vowed to meet more frequently in hopes of reaching a new collective bargaining agreement.

The session will be just the third between top negotiators since the lockout started July 1. But with the opening of training camps less than a month away, both sides said they recognized the urgency to pick up the pace.

The meeting — expected to be a small group — will be in New York. The site hasn't been disclosed.

No new proposals were exchanged last week during a meeting that lasted about six hours. Neither side shared many details, saying they preferred to keep the nature of the talks private.

Commissioner David Stern said afterward there was still "clearly enough time" to make a deal that would allow the regular season to open as scheduled on Nov. 1. However, a gap remains between the financial changes owners are seeking and what players have been willing to accept.

"I could see it going either way," two-time MVP Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns told The Canadian Press on Tuesday. "It looks like right now we probably won't start on time.

"Hopefully, as we start to get into the time of year where everyone is missing basketball, we can all start to concede on some points that each other are looking for and find a middle ground. That would be the best of both worlds."

Before last week, the only other meeting between top officials was on Aug. 1, after which Stern criticized the players for an unwillingness to compromise. The league filed an unfair labour practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board and a lawsuit against the players the next day, adding to the complaint the union had already filed with the NLRB.

But both sides have stressed that a deal can only be reached at the bargaining table, not the court system, and Stern and players' association president Derek Fisher of the Lakers said last week they would be holding many meetings.

One of the people confirmed an ESPN.com report that there could even be additional ones this week if Wednesday's session goes well.

Training camps are scheduled to open the first week of October, with the first pre-season games set for Oct. 9.

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