Torres targets another Champions League triumph AND Premier League glory this term

Have you got one of these? Fernando Torres shows off his medals

Chelsea hitman Fernando Torres is looking to win the trophy he never could at Liverpool but says he needs the help of his colleagues to do it.
The Barclays Premier League trophy has evaded the Spaniard, who has won the World Cup and European Championship twice with Spain and the Champions League and FA Cup with the Blues.
Now he has set his sights on the title and hopes both he and his west London supporting cast can emulate some classic Premier League attacking line-ups.
'I would like to finish my career with all the trophies possible – I may have the most difficult one but I haven’t won many of the trophies you have the chance to win every season,' he told Chelsea Magazine.
'The Premier League is a big target and maybe we can become the first team to win two Champions Leagues in a row. Let’s dream of that – who knows?'
Torres, who moved to Liverpool in 2007 from Atletico Madrid, added: 'There were the only two sides we could normally watch in Spain. Then I remember, when Thierry Henry was at Arsenal and Ruud van Nistelrooy was at Manchester United – proper strikers.

'It was amazing to see the crosses from Beckham and Giggs at United or Pires and Overmars at Arsenal. The striker was there to finish the balls.'
He continued: 'I like players who can find the space behind the defenders who can find a small gap to pass the ball and put me in front of the goalkeeper.

 

'Juan Mata is very easy to play alongside because he has these qualities, where he finds the space behind the defenders.
'We have scored a lot of goals thanks to these kinds of passes from him. We have him, plus Eden Hazard plays there and Oscar as well. For me it’s the most important position for the team.
'The No 10 or second striker is the one who is going to make the difference, the one who is going to finish the game of change it by giving an assist or scoring a goal.
'All the great teams have a quality No 10 and we have two or three this season, so we have to exploit that.'
The 28-year-old has been in fine fettle this season with three goals in four appearances, coming off the back of winning the Euro 2012 golden boot.
Some suggest he is thriving because of the absence of departed Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.
'Didier is not here any more so there is more responsibility for me and I’m ready for the challenge,' explained Torres.
'Hopefully, everything is going to be okay and we will work hard. Now I am looking for new personal targets, which is to get as many goals as possible and, hopefully, I will score more than I did in my best season at Liverpool.
'We have the squad to do that and we have five more trophies to play for, so it could be a magic season.'

Meireles exits Chelsea after completing £8m move to Fenerbahce

Chelsea have sold Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles to Fenerbahce.

The transfer window in Turkey does not close until September 5 so Meireles was able to quit Stamford Bridge and sign a four-year deal with the Istanbul side.
Meireles had been unhappy at Chelsea since the manager who signed him in the summer of 2011, Andre Villas-Boas, was sacked last season.

Gone: Meireles's spell at Stamford Bridge has been brought to an end

 

He was not been first choice under Villas-Boas’ successor Roberto Di Matteo and bar the occasional good performance the 29-year-old struggled.
Fenerbahce announced on Monday morning that they were conducting negotiations with the west London side. 
Meireles will link up with former Anfield teammate Dirk Kuyt. Fenerbahce have also shown interest in Everton's John Heitinga.
His finest hour in a Chelsea shirt came during the side's battling 2-2 draw with Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final last season.
Meireles put in a tireless display but picked up a careless booking which saw him miss the final in Munich.
It would now appear that Ramires’ days as a right-winger are limited because Chelsea are light in the middle.
With the acquisition of wide men Victor Moses, Eden Hazard and Marko Marin, and the loan departures of central midfielders Michael Essien and Josh McEachran to Real Madrid and Middlesbrough respectively, the Brazilian should be utilised in his natural position again.

Finest hour: Meireles was involved in Chelsea's Champions League winning run

Hulk ditches Premier League dream in incredible £39.5m move to Russian side Zenit

Brazilian attacker Hulk, linked with Chelsea all summer, has completed an eyewatering £39.5million switch to Zenit St Petersburg from Porto.

The Russian side have splashed the cash that the Blues refused to on the 26-year-old Olympic silver medallist.
Zenit then stumped up £32m (40m euros) for Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel who plied his trade at another Portuguese side, Benfica.

Going, going, gone: Hulk has finally left Porto

 

Both players have been given five-year deals.
Hulk, a powerful striker who can also play as a winger, came very close to a move to Stamford Bridge in the transfer window but Chelsea would not stump up the 50m euros fee Zenit decided to pay.
Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti had named Hulk among several transfer targets in July.
‘I have left the door open to be transferred,’ said Hulk earlier in the summer.
‘My preference is to play in England or Spain because they are the most watched league in the world. Now is a great time for me to move.’
Tottenham were also interested in the striker and manager Andre Villas-Boas even met with him over the summer while Hulk was in London for the Games.
He moved to Porto from Japanese side Tokyo Verdy in 2008, grabbing 54 goals in 103 league matches, and has 13 Brazil caps.
It is possible Hulk could yet play in England in the future, but as he is just coming into his prime any potential fees are likely to be extremely prohibitive.

Dream move? Hulk wanted to play in England or Spain

He could even star at Stamford Bridge as early as this season - Zenit could draw Chelsea in the Champions League if both sides make it through the group stage.
The Blues are currently linked with another player who left Porto for a giant transfer fee - Falcao for around £35m to Atletico Madrid.

Newcastle boss Pardew lands two-match ban and £20k fine for pushing linesman

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has been given a two-match touchline ban and fined £20,000 after accepting a Football Association charge of improper conduct.

The FA confirmed that following an Independent Regulatory Commission meeting, Pardew had been charged following an incident during his side's match against Tottenham on August 18.
Pardew was sent off during the 2-1 win after he pushed linesman Peter Kirkup after claiming the ball had gone out of play during a Spurs attack.

Flashpoint: Newcastle manager Alan Pardew pushes referee's assistant Stuart Burt

 

The suspension will take place with immediate effect meaning the Magpies boss will be forced to sit in the stands during the forthcoming Barclays Premier League games against Everton and Norwich.
The Newcastle boss was sent to the stands and later apologised for his actions, calling it 'ridiculous'.
A statement on the FA website said: 'Following an Independent Regulatory Commission held today [Monday 3 September 2012], Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has been given a two match touchline suspension and fined £20,000 after he accepted an FA charge of improper conduct.
'Pardew, who requested a personal hearing, was charged following an incident which occurred during his side's match against Tottenham Hotspur on 18 August 2012.
'The suspension will take place with immediate effect.'
After the win over Spurs, Pardew spoke about his misdemeanour, knowing his actions could lead to a ban if referee Martin Atkinson mentioned the incident in his match report.
Speaking at the time, Pardew said: 'We're overjoyed about the result but I hold my head in shame.
'I was just saying to the players [beforehand] about the great Olympics and how to set an example and there's me pushing the linesman over. It was comical, he just happened to be right in front of me.
'I went in and said I'm sorry [to the referees] and said I would have to apologise publicly too because it was ridiculous.'

View point: Pardew looks on from the stands

Iranian Paralympic athlete refuses to shake Duchess of Cambridge's hand 'for cultural reasons because she's a woman' at medal ceremony

• Discus thrower Mehrdad Karam Zadeh clutched his chest after he was presented with his silver medal
• Iranian cultural convention bans men from shaking hands with unrelated women
• St. James's Palace insisted Kate was warned beforehand not to expect a handshake

An Iranian athlete refused to shake the Duchess of Cambridge's hand after she presented him with his discus silver medal on Sunday.
The Royal was warmly received on the podium by Paralympic GB's gold medal winner Aled Davies and Chinese bronze medallist Lezheng Wang.
But when it was Mehrdad Karam Zadeh's turn to step up, the 40-year-old failed to offer a hand to the Duchess, clutching them close to his chest.

Controversy: Kate Middleton walks away after Mehrdad Karam Zadeh refuses to shake her hand

Briefed: St. James's Palace insists the Duchess was warned not to expect a handshake

His decision not to shake hands with the Duchess was likely to have been a result of Iranian cultural convention which bans such contact between unrelated men and women. The Duchess appeared to have been briefed on the situation, because she did not offer her hand either.
The incident threatened to overshadow a glittering night for Paralympics GB, which enjoyed its most successful day of the Games so far with seven gold medals.

The Iranian delegation in London have not been available to comment on the incident, but according to the Daily Telegraph, they have told Games organisers Zadeh was not making a political statement.
It's believed the athlete was merely conforming to Iranian cultural convention, forbidding men from shaking hands with unrelated women.
A spokesman for St. James's Palace has revealed the Duchess was briefed beforehand and warned not to offer her hand to Zadeh.

Presentation: The Duchess hands over the medal, left, and Zadeh claps his hands to his chest, right

End of the presentation: The Duchess of Cambridge moves away from the athlete

AN HONOUR, BUT IT WOULD HAVE INSULTED ISLAM

The Islamic rules about touching apply to Muslims and non-Muslims.
A man or a woman is only allowed to shake hands, or have similar contact, with someone of the same sex.
However, there are several exceptions for close relatives such as brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and so on.

'Many male athletes from Islamic countries do not shake hands in public with women they are not related to for cultural and religious reasons,' the palace representative said.
The palace added Middleton was 'honoured' to get the chance to present the medals, particularly to a British champion in Davies.
It put Paralympic GB in second place in the medal table, with 54 in all.
The Iranians have said that had the medal been presented by a man Zadeh would have shaken his hand. Likewise, had the Duchess presented the medal to a female Iranian they would not have hesitated to shake hands.
However, it's not the first time the Iranian custom has caused controversy.
Last year the Iranian volleyball team had to apologise after several team members shook hands with a female referee after a game against Afghanistan.
The gesture provoked outrage and Iran’s state-owned media described the players' behaviour as 'stunning and inappropriate'.

Beaming: The Duchess of Cambridge smiles as she hands the gold medal to Aled Davies of Paralympic GB

Shaking hands: The pair have no such issues as Aled Davies enjoys his moment of glory

Podium: Mehrdad Karam Zadeh poses with gold medallist Aled Davies and third placed Lezheng Wang of China

Earlier on Sunday, Kate cheered with delight as Britain's mixed coxed fours crew - David Smith, James Roe, Naomi Riches, Pam Relph and cox Lily van den Broecke - pulled away from their German rivals and crossed the finish line first at Eton Dorney.
In all, there were medals across athletics, rowing, dressage, table tennis, swimming and cycling yesterday – taking the overall total to 16 golds, 24 silver and 14 bronze. It puts Paralympic GB in second place in the medal table, with 54 in all. 
ATHLETE HANDED GOLD BY MISTAKE SNUBS RE-RUN MEDAL CEREMONY

Mariia Pomazan, Qing Wu from China and Jiongyu Bao from China at the original medal ceremony

The Ukrainian athlete who was ordered to give back her discus gold medal because of a scoring blunder did not turn up to the rearranged ceremony at the Olympic Stadium this morning.

Mariia Pomazan stayed away in apparent protest as the gold she had been presented with on Friday was awarded to China's Wu Qing.

The 23-year-old was demoted to silver and the place on the podium reserved for the second-placed athlete remained empty.

She admitted yesterday she was 'very, very angry' after losing her gold in the F35/36 class, with organisers announcing the wrong medals had been awarded. Points rather than distance determined the final standings in the combined-class event.

She revealed those feelings had been behind her shot put gold yesterday.

All three athletes who received medals on Friday were asked to return them, with an appeal by the Ukrainian National Paralympic Committee for the original result to stand rejected by the jury of appeal.

An International Paralympic Committee spokesman said: 'Since Friday we have tried to investigate if an alternative could be found that suited all parties that was within the rules. This has not been possible.'

Number one fan: Cristiano Ronaldo's son looking smart as he cheers on his dad during Real Madrid win

He may be adored by fan of Real Madrid, but Cristiano Ronaldo was only trying to impress one member of the crowd during Sunday's match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
His adorable two-year-old son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr was a hyper bystander during the match between dad's Real Madrid team and Granada, and he was delighted to see his footy ace father score two goals in the 3-0 win.
The cute tot dressed smartly for the match, wearing white trousers and a a shirt and jumper.

High five: Two-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo Jr waves to his footy ace father during the Real Madrid vrs Granada match in Madrid

The youngster watched the game with his proud grandmother and other family members and entourage - and could barely contain his delight after seeing his dad put on a blistering performance during the game.

He constantly waved at his famous father, and had to be held several occasions as he threatened to run riot in the stands the way his dad did on the pitch.

Enthralled spectator: Ronaldo Jr and his grandmother can't keep his eyes off the game

At one point he sat on his grandmother's lap, but it wasn't long before he was off again causing trouble.
And he had a lot to enjoy, as his father smashed in two goals
As well as score a double in the 3-0 thrashing, he sparked furious speculation the he is set to leave the Spanish champions.

Doting dad:  Cristiano Ronaldo made sure he put on a show for his son, scoring a brace in the 3-0 victory

Causing trouble: The young Ronaldo was a hyper figure while watching the game

He didn't celebrate for either goal, and when asked about the muted response he told reporters: 'I’m sad - when I don’t celebrate goals it’s because I’m not happy. 
'It’s a professional thing. Real Madrid know why I’m not happy.’
According to multiple reports, he had a showdown with club president  Florentino Perez on Saturday, and it's been reported that he has fallen out with some of his teammates.

Double trouble: Ronaldo scored two goals in the 3-0 thrashing

There was also a worrying moment for Ronaldo Jr during the match, wincing as he watched his father crumple down in a heap following a strong challenge from Granada's Borja Gomez in the second half.
He was later substituted as a precautionary measure.

'I want ten': Little Ronaldo is unsatisfied with his dad's double, and seems to want eight more

Ronaldo joined the Spanish team in 2009 from Manchester United, costing £82million.
However, his 46 league goals last year played an integral part in wrestling the league title from the grips of bitter rivals Barcelona. 
Ronaldo shocked the world two years ago when he announced via his official Facebook and Twitter pages that he had become a father by an unknown woman.

Moving on: Ronaldo has sparked speculation he is set to move after claiming he is unhappy at the club