THE HAGUE, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Feyenoord will not allow fans to travel to France for the UEFA Cup clash against Nancy later this month due to fears of a repeat of the violence which erupted when the sides met two years ago, the Dutch club said on Wednesday.

THE HAGUE, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Feyenoord will not allow fans to travel to France for the Uefa Cup clash against Nancy later this month due to the threat of violent reprisals, according to the Dutch club's website on Wednesday.

PARIS, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - Former European champions AC Milan were among the big names looking with optimism towards possible UEFA Cup glory after landing in a comparatively manageable group following Tuesday's draw.

The top three teams from each of the eight groups, along with the third place group finishers from the Champions League, progress to February's round of 32.

PARIS, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - Draw for the group phase of the UEFA Cup, announced by European football's ruling body on Tuesday:

Paris Saint-Germain (France)

Manchester City (ENG)

Racing Santander (Spain)

Hertha Berlin (German)

Metalist Kharkiv (Ukraine)

VfB Stuttgart (German)

Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)

PARIS, Oct 3, 2008 (AFP) - Tottenham edged nervously into the UEFA Cup group stages on Thursday to ease the pressure on under-fire coach Juande Ramos but fellow English strugglers Everton crashed out.

Tottenham, rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, drew 1-1 with Wisla Krakow in Poland to secure a 3-2 aggregate win.

PARIS, Oct 3, 2008 (AFP) - Collated results from UEFA Cup first round, second leg matches on Thursday:

Standard Liege (BEL) 2 (Witsel 22, Jovanovic 79-pen) Everton (ENG) 1 (Jagielka 67)

Liege win 4-3 on aggregate

Rosenborg (NOR) 3 (Ya 15, Skjelbred 74, Sapara 87-pen) Brondby (DEN) 2 (M. Rasmussen 26, Kristiansen 36)

Rosenborg win 5-3 on aggregate

PARIS, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Results from UEFA Cup first round, second leg, matches on Thursday:

Wisla Krakow (POL) 1 (Brozek 83) Tottenham (ENG) 1 (Glowacki 58-og)

Tottenham win 3-2 on aggregate

Rapid Bucharest (ROM) 1 (Maftei 70) Wolfsburg (German) 1 (Batista Grafite 15)

Wolfsburg win 2-1 on aggregate

PARIS, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Results from UEFA Cup first round, second leg matches on Thursday:

Wisla Krakow (POL) 1 (Brozek 83) Tottenham (ENG) 1 (Glowacki 58-og)

Tottenham win 3-2 on aggregate

Rapid Bucharest (ROM) 1 (Maftei 70) Wolfsburg (German) 1 (Batista Grafite 15)

Wolfsburg win 2-1 on aggregate

MUNICH, Germany, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Bayern Munich striker Miroslav Klose on Thursday laughed off suggestions the German giants were bribed to lose last season's UEFA Cup semi-final to Zenit St Petersburg.

PRAGUE, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Czech police arrested 100 supporters of Dynamo Zagreb here on Thursday in the run-up to the UEFA Cup clash between the Croatian club and Sparta Prague.

'The fans were aggressive towards police who had to accompany them to the stadium,' said police spokesman Iva Knolova.

PARIS, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Tottenham edged nervously into the UEFA Cup group stages on Thursday to ease the pressure on under-fire coach Juande Ramos but fellow English strugglers Everton crashed out.

Tottenham, rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, drew 1-1 with Wisla Krakow in Poland to secure a 3-2 aggregate win.

PARIS, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Results from UEFA Cup first round, second leg matches on Thursday:

Standard Liege (BEL) 2 (Witsel 22, Jovanovic 79-pen) Everton (ENG) 1 (Jagielka 67)

Liege win 4-3 on aggregate

Rosenborg (NOR) 3 (Ya 15, Skjelbred 74, Sapara 87-pen) Brondby (DEN) 2 (M. Rasmussen 26, Kristiansen 36)

Rosenborg win 5-3 on aggregate

PARIS, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Results from UEFA Cup first round, second leg matches on Thursday:

Standard Liege (BEL) 2 (Witsel 22, Jovanovic 79-pen) Everton (ENG) 1 (Jagielka 67)

Liege win 4-3 on aggregate

Rosenborg (NOR) 3 (Ya 15, Skjelbred 74, Sapara 87-pen) Brondby (DEN) 2 (M. Rasmussen 26, Kristiansen 36)

Rosenborg win 5-3 on aggregate

ENSCHEDE, Netherlands, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Former England boss Steve McClaren guided Dutch club Twente Enschede into the UEFA Cup group stages on Thursday after a 1-0 win over French side Rennes.

Twente had lost the first round, first leg clash in France 2-1 a fortnight ago, but that away goal, allied to Swiss international Blaise Kufo's strike here in the 68th minute, proved crucial.

PARIS, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Results from UEFA Cup first round, second leg matches on Thursday:

Standard Liege (BEL) 2 (Witsel 22, Jovanovic 79-pen) Everton (ENG) 1 (Jagielka 67)

Liege win 4-3 on aggregate

Rosenborg (NOR) 3 (Ya 15, Skjelbred 74, Sapara 87-pen) Brondby (DEN) 2 (M. Rasmussen 26, Kristiansen 36)

Rosenborg win 5-3 on aggregate

PARIS, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Results from UEFA Cup first round, second leg matches on Thursday:

Standard Liege (BEL) 2 (Witsel 22, Jovanovic 79-pen) Everton (ENG) 1 (Jagielka 67)

Liege win 4-3 on aggregate

Rosenborg (NOR) 3 (Ya 15, Skjelbred 74, Sapara 87-pen) Brondby (DEN) 2 (M. Rasmussen 26, Kristiansen 36)

Rosenborg win 5-3 on aggregate

OSLO, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Norwegian police have arrested 26 Danish fans for public disorder and vandalism in a hotel in the western city of Trondheim ahead of the UEFA Cup game between local club Rosenborg and Danish outfit Brondby.

PARIS, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Results from UEFA Cup first round, second leg, matches on Thursday:

Wisla Krakow (POL) 1 (Brozek 83) Tottenham (ENG) 1 (Glowacki 58-og)

Tottenham win 3-2 on aggregate

CSKA Moscow (Russia) 1 (A. Berezutsky 37) NK Slaven Koprivnica (Croatia) 0

CSKA Moscow win 3-1 on aggregate

KRAKOW, Poland, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Struggling Tottenham drew 1-1 with Wisla Krakow at the Wisly stadium here on Thursday to move into the UEFA Cup group stages but had to suffer an anxious final spell in the 3-2 aggregate win.

PARIS, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - British teams will have to weather a tough time in Thursday's UEFA Cup, but it is a case of the 'dolce vita' for their Italian counterparts after an excellent showing in the first leg.

LIVERPOOL, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Steven Pienaar is on the verge of an Everton comeback after being included in David Moyes's squad for the make-or-break UEFA Cup clash with Standard Liege in Belgium on Thursday.

PARIS, Sept 30, 2008 (AFP) - Results from UEFA Cup first round, second leg, matches on Tuesday:

CSKA Moscow (Russia) 1 (A. Berezutsky 37) NK Slaven Koprivnica (Croatia) 0

CSKA Moscow win 3-1 on aggregate

St Patricks Athletic (Ireland) 0 Hertha Berlin (German) 0

Hertha win 2-0 on aggregate

BORDEAUX, France, Sept 26, 2008 (AFP) - The UEFA Cup is to be rebranded as the Europa League next season, European football's governing body confirmed here on Friday.

The new name, accompanied by a new red and yellow ball logo, follows further organisational changes to the second-tier continental competition which will have a new 48-team group stage featuring home and away matches

PARIS, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - UEFA Cup first round, first leg results on Thursday:

Cherno More (BUL) 1 (Dyakov 42) VfB Stuttgart (German) 2 (Gomez 66, 81)

FC Moscow (Russia) 1 (Samedov 90+1) FC Copenhagen (DEN) 2 (Nordstrand 45-pen, Sionko 90+3)

Litex Lovech (BUL) 1 (Popov 10) Aston Villa (ENG) 3 (Reo-Coker 45, Barry 72-pen, Petrov 90)

MILAN, Italy, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - Struggling AC Milan earned their first victory of the season in a 3-1 success over FC Zurich in the UEFA Cup first round, first leg at the San Siro on Thursday.

It was a welcome boost for under-fire coach Carlo Ancelotti who will now hope his team carry that form into Sunday's visit of Lazio in Serie A.

PARIS, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - Tottenham and Everton, once proud members of the English Premiership's big five, were left struggling to salvage their UEFA Cup dreams on Thursday.

PARIS, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - UEFA Cup first round, first leg collated results on Thursday:

Cherno More (BUL) 1 (Dyakov 42) VfB Stuttgart (German) 2 (Gomez 66, 81)

FC Moscow (Russia) 1 (Samedov 90+1) FC Copenhagen (DEN) 2 (Nordstrand 45-pen, Sionko 90+3)

Litex Lovech (BUL) 1 (Popov 10) Aston Villa (ENG) 3 (Reo-Coker 45, Barry 72-pen, Petrov 90)

PARIS, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - UEFA Cup first round, first leg results on Thursday:

Cherno More (BUL) 1 (Dyakov 42) VfB Stuttgart 2 (Gomez 66, 81)

FC Moscow (Russia) 1 (Samedov 90+1) FC Copenhagen (DEN) 2 (Nordstrand 45-pen, Sionko 90+3)

Litex Lovech (BUL) 1 (Popov 10) Aston Villa (ENG) 3 (Reo-Coker 45, Barry 72-pen, Petrov 90)

PARIS, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - UEFA Cup first round, first leg results on Thursday:

Cherno More (BUL) 1 (Dyakov 42) VfB Stuttgart 2 (Gomez 66, 81)

FC Moscow (Russia) 1 (Samedov 90+1) FC Copenhagen (DEN) 2 (Nordstrand 45-pen, Sionko 90+3)

Litex Lovech (BUL) 1 (Popov 10) Aston Villa (ENG) 3 (Reo-Coker 45, Barry 72-pen, Petrov 90)

NICOSIA, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - Cash-rich Manchester City needed a brace from Brazilian striker Jo to overcome Cypriot minnows Omonia Nicosia 2-1 in this UEFA Cup first round, first leg tie here on Thursday.

PARIS, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - Manchester City and Aston Villa needed to battle back from a goal down to wrap up opening UEFA Cup wins on Thursday on a bumper night of 37 first round, first leg ties.

City, now bankrolled by the petro-billions of a Middle East sheikh, fell behind to 49th-minute goal from Klodian Duro at Cypriot minnows Omonia Nicosia.

PARIS, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - UEFA Cup first round, first leg results on Thursday:

Cherno More (BUL) 1 (Dyakov 42) VfB Stuttgart 2 (Gomez 66, 81)

FC Moscow (Russia) 1 (Samedov 90+1) FC Copenhagen (DEN) 2 (Nordstrand 45-pen, Sionko 90+3)

Litex Lovech (BUL) 1 (Popov 10) Aston Villa (ENG) 3 (Reo-Coker 45, Barry 72-pen, Petrov 90)

PARIS, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - UEFA Cup first round, first leg results on Thursday:

Cherno More (BUL) 1 (Dyakov 42) VfB Stuttgart 2 (Gomez 66, 81)

FC Moscow (Russia) 1 (Samedov 90+1) FC Copenhagen (DEN) 2 (Nordstrand 45-pen, Sionko 90+3)

Litex Lovech (BUL) 1 (Popov 10) Aston Villa (ENG) 3 (Reo-Coker 45, Barry 72-pen, Petrov 90)

BERLIN, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - A string of good performances on his first Bundesliga season and three goals in four games has brought Borussia Dortmund teenager Neven Subotic to the attention of Germany coach Joachim Loew.

PRAGUE, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - Members of the official delegation of Czech side Sparta Prague were assaulted overnight prior to Thursday's UEFA Cup 1st round match with Dinamo Zagreb, Czech news agency CTK reported.

Four officials and four bodyguards were attacked in the street by some 20 baseball bat-wielding youths, according to the agency.

PARIS, Sept 17, 2008 (AFP) - Premier League tailenders Tottenham host Polish unknowns Wisla Krakow in the UEFA Cup on Thursday, with under-fire boss Juande Ramos knowing only a convincing win will appease weary fans.