The friendly match in London is the squad’s last outing before they travel to South Africa for the tournament and Ronaldinho’s omission suggests Dunga has been unmoved by the winger’s recent return to form with AC Milan.

Robinho, who joined former club Santos on a six-month loan deal from Manchester City last month, has been included in the squad.

Five-time champions Brazil were drawn alongside Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea in World Cup Group G.

They begin their campaign against North Korea in Johannesburg on June 15.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan, ITA), Doni (Roma, ITA)

Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona, ESP), Juan (Roma), Lucio (Inter Milan), Luisao (Benfica, POR), Thiago Silva (AC Milan, ITA), Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Michel Bastos (Lyon, FRA)

Midfielders: Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos, GRE), Josue (Wolfsburg, GER), Felipe Melo (Juventus, ITA), Lucas (Liverpool, ENG), Kaka (Real Madrid, ESP), Ramires (Benfica), Elano (Galatasaray, TUR), Julio Baptista (Roma), Kleberson (Flamengo)

Forwards: Robinho (Santos), Adriano (Flamengo), Nilmar (Villarreal, ESP), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla, ESP)

BRASILIA (AFP)

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Tuttosport reports Marcello Lippi will become the new president in October and Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli will take over the reigns from current coach Alberto Zaccheroni.

Juventus has a disastrous season and is already knocked out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia. They currently lie seventh in Serie A.

Coach Ciro Ferrara was sacked after the poor results and it’s rumoured that club president Jean-Claude Blanc will also leave the club, after the season.

Current coach Zaccheroni only has a contract until the end of the season and several managers have been linked with a move to the Bianconeri.

One of them is current Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli. He has also been inked with a move to the Italy national team after the departure of Marcello Lippi, due by the end of the World Cup 2010 campaign.

Prandelli has been in charge of Fiorentina since 2005. The 52-year-old coach has gained praise for his work with La Viola, despite the lack of trophies.

Fiorentina doesn’t want to lose their manager. Club owner Diego Della Valle said: “If it were to depend on us, he would stay for years.”

However, Tuttosport believes Prandelli is looking for a new challenge after five years in Tuscany. He is also said to have been far from indifferent when approached by Juventus through a third party.

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“We have agreed upon a clear strategy right up to the World Cup,” Loew said during a televised press conference from the DFB’s base in Frankfurt.

“We agree that our mutual interest is tied to the build-up to the World Cup over the coming weeks and months and we will prepare the team so that it can enjoy a good tournament.”

Loew confirmed that an extension to his contract, which expires in July this year, will not be discussed until after the World Cup.

The DFB suspended negotiations over a two-year extension to Loew’s contract, citing wage demands made by Loew and the team’s general manager Oliver Bierhoff.

Loew had been expected to agree to stay on until the 2012 European Championship and on Sunday he declared himself “very angry” with the DFB’s decision to publicise details of their negotiations.

Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had earlier urged the DFB to find a solution with Loew.

The Bayern chief also criticised Bierhoff for having reportedly demanded the right to veto the appointment of Loew’s successor.

“That was not acceptable (but) I think he’s prepared to take a step back,” said Rummenigge, who added that the DFB had made a “serious mistake — the biggest mistake possible — by publicising the contents of the contract”.

Loew took over as Germany’s national coach in 2006 after two years as an assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann.

Under Loew’s guidance, in 45 games Germany have recorded 31 victories, eight draws and six defeats.

At this summer’s World Cup, Germany have been drawn in Group D with Australia, Ghana and Serbia.

BERLIN (AFP)

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The Manchester United centre-back’s decision announced Tuesday means the newly-appointed England captain will serve a four, as opposed to three-game ban, for his challenge on Hull striker Craig Fagan at Old Trafford last month.

Ferdinand will now complete his suspension by sitting out the champions’ Premier League match away to Aston Villa on Wednesday and their game against Everton on February 20.

Ferdinand’s initial challenge to the FA’s decision allowed him to play in United’s League Cup semi-final victory against Manchester City last month.

But that appeal was widely interpreted as a means to get Ferdinand on the field for an important derby match rather than because of a genuine grievance with the ban, a view the FA endorsed when they deemed the appeal “frivolous”.

United, who thrashed basement club Portsmouth 5-0 on Saturday, are currently two points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.

LONDON (AFP)

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The ex-midfielder was taken into custody along with another man by police called to the Blackwell Grange Hotel in Darlington, northeast England, on Monday night.

Gascoigne was later released without charge after being questioned on suspicion of a public order offence.

The 42-year-old was previously arrested at the weekend on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, police said on Monday.

Gascoigne, who has struggled with alcoholism and depression, was arrested after officers were called to a disturbance at a takeaway restaurant in Leeming Bar, Yorkshire, northern England, on Sunday evening.

As well as his drink-related problems, Gascoigne has admitted heavy use of cocaine and has undergone treatment for bulimia and obsessive compulsive disorder. He was sectioned three times under the Mental Health Act in 2008.

Gascoigne – known to fans as “Gazza” – made 57 appearances for England in an international career that included a starring role in his country’s run to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup.

He played for Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio, Rangers and Middlesbrough as well as having a spell in China.

LONDON (AFP)

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Eduardo has already missed the last two games but Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger expects to have him fit for next week’s Champions League trip to Porto.

On Tuesday’s press conference Wenger said that there are no fresh concerns following Sunday’s defeat to Chelsea.

“We will check that before training this morning but normally we have no big injuries,” he said.

“Eduardo will not be back for Liverpool, but he should be available for Porto.”

The French manager is also worried by Nicklas Bendtner. The Danish striker has not yet regained full strength after the groin injury that kept him out for almost three months.

“He is not completely fit at the moment,” said Wenger. “That is one of our problems.

“He still plays a little bit handicapped, you can see he does not run free and he is not completely fit yet.”

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Chelsea midfielder Ballack has accused the Arsenal boss of making excuses for his side being outplayed when he reacted to the 2-0 defeat by caustically observing: “We didn’t get a demonstration of football but they were highly efficient.”

Wenger claimed Tuesday that comment had been taken out of context but refused to back away from his suggestion that Arsenal had been the better side at Stamford Bridge.

“I would just like to say that I was full of compliments and praise for Chelsea after the game and I find it completely unfair from the press that you take one word of my press conference to turn it in a kind of probe every time,” the Frenchman said.

Wenger argued that similar misrepresentation had resulted in his recent spat with Villa manager Martin O’Neill, who was infuriated by the Arsenal manager’s characterisation of his side’s style as “long ball” following last month’s goalless draw between the two clubs.

Addressing Ballack’s argument that Arsenal had lost the tactical battle at Stamford Bridge, Wenger commented: “I am long enough in England to know that the team who wins can say what they want. They are right.

“It is my job to take a distance from that and analyse the game in a calm way with a cool head and to analyse what is right.

“I have to live with all the conclusions that Chelsea are a much better side, but I believe what I believe.”

Despite Wenger’s defiance, Ballack’s comments will undoubtedly have touched a raw nerve with many Gunners supporters, who are growing increasingly frustrated that the wonderful football on offer at the Emirates has not yielded a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup.

“We knew the way Arsenal play,” Germany’s captain said. “It is always the same style. If you play tactics like we did, you can beat them.

“This season and the season before they showed they weren’t able to win the league.

“He (Wenger) always says things like this when he loses to find an excuse — but football is not possession of the ball and playing a nice pass, football is about winning games and that is what Manchester United showed when they played them and what we did.

“Football is a mixture of winning games and good football physically, but also technically. We have a good mix in the team as we have shown this season and you can’t do more. We are in first position and that counts.”

Back-to-back defeats by Manchester United and Chelsea have left Arsenal nine points off the pace in the title race ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with Liverpool, who are unbeaten in their last seven league matches, at the Emirates.

The recent setbacks have focused attention on Arsenal’s lack of physical presence throughout the side, particularly in attack, where the absence of the injured Robin van Persie has been felt acutely at times.

Wenger’s critics believe he could have addressed that problem in the transfer market but the Frenchman continues to believe he can deliver success his way.

“There is only one way to play football – that is to win games and be efficient,” he said. “The best way to win the games is the way which is most adapted to the qualities of your players and the philosophy of your club. That is what we try to be faithful to.

“You have to accept that when you lose games, the way you play is always questioned – what becomes a fantastic quality when you win, becomes a fantastic mistake when you lose. It is like that.

“We still have to believe in the way we do things, in the way we play and to show that strength.”

Fit-again Denmark forward Nicklas Bendtner is in line to start against Liverpool after coming off the bench against Chelsea.

LONDON (AFP)

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Ancelotti is keen to silence rival and former Chelsea coach Mourinho, who has already boasted: “Of course Inter will beat Chelsea.”

“Inter couldn’t have got a worse opponent. It will not be Ancelotti-Mourinho, but a really tough match,” Ancelotti told La Repubblica.

“We couldn’t have got tougher opponents, but we have everything: physique, quality; we can win in many different ways.”

Ancelotti has settled down well in west London and he plans to stay there as he rules out a job with Italy after the World Cup finals.

“The Premier League is difficult compared to Serie A,” he added.

“After Lippi? I will not be there as I have a contract with Chelsea. I will apply in 2030 when Italy will win the World Cup again.

“I have studied the statistics. We win it every 24 years. Every 12 we end up in the final and lose, so I will leave that to someone else.”

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Chamakh is free to sign a pre-contract because he is out of contract with Bordeaux at the end of the season.

Wenger has long been a fan of the 26-year-old, and is reported to have had an £8million bid turned down last summer.

Liverpool, whom Arsenal play in the Premier League tomorrow night, Internazionale and West Ham United have all been suggested as possible destinations.

Wenger, though, insists: “We are talking to nobody. We are focusing on tomorrow’s game.

“I believe he talks to many clubs, which he is entitled to do.

“He is free to sign a pre-contract.

“He is free to sign where he wants, but I cannot interfere in that.”

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Arsenal faces another crucial match against on Wednesday, when they take on fourth-placed Liverpool. While many are writing off Arsenal’s chances. Clichy insists the Gunners are still in the hunt for the Premier League title.

“Let’s work on it, next we play against a good side in Liverpool,” said Clichy.

“It’s going to be difficult but we have to do it because if we want to be the best, we have to compete.

“We have to think game after game and it starts with Liverpool. We have to think one game at a time but the less we lose, the better it will be.

“The rule in sport is when you want to be the best, after every defeat you have to ask the right questions to yourself and the team.

“You have to go again and dig in. That is what we are going to start doing again in training because it is only with hard work and a bit of luck that things can happen.

“Maybe then we can go somewhere.”

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