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Sion lose appeal against Europa ban Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:28 AM PDT File photo of FC Sion's manager Laurent Roussey (L) talking to FC Sion's president Christian Constantin after their Europa League playoff second leg soccer match against Celtic in Sion August 25, 2011. Sion, kicked out of the Europa League for fielding ineligible players in their playoff win over Celtic, have won a Swiss court order re-admitting them to the tournament the club said on their website September 13, 2011. – Reuters pic BERNE, Sept 13 – Swiss club Sion, kicked out of the Europa League for fielding ineligible players in a playoff tie, lost their appeal against UEFA's decision today. "The UEFA appeals committee rejected FC Sion's appeal against their expulsion from the group stages of this season's Europa League," said Celtic, the club who took their place in Group I. "Celtic will (now) take on Atletico Madrid, Udinese and Stade Rennes," the Scottish club added on their website (http://www.celticfc.net). Atletico host Celtic on Thursday. Earlier in the day Sion, who beat Celtic 3-1 on aggregate in a playoff tie last month, said they had won a Swiss court order re-admitting them to the tournament. However, the statutes of UEFA and world soccer's governing body FIFA ban clubs and national federations from taking football matters to civil courts. "The court ordered UEFA to admit Sion as a participant in the Europa League and to take every measure to integrate them into Group I," the club said on their website (http://www.fcsion-live.ch). Sion added the court ordered that six players they signed this summer must be considered by UEFA as eligible, despite FIFA saying the club were subject to a transfer ban at the time. "The regional tribunal in the canton of Vaud also ordered UEFA to consider Stefan Glarner, Billy Ketkeophomphone, Mario Mutsch, Pascal Feindouno, Jose Goncalves and Gabri to be recognised as Sion players and to admit them to the Europa League," said the Swiss club. "This order is to be executed immediately." European football's ruling body UEFA said it would make a statement later. "UEFA also received today a court decision from the Tribunal Cantonal de Vaud and will issue a statement in this respect at a later stage," it said. The FIFA ban was imposed after Sion were found guilty of inducing an Egyptian player to join them while he was still under contract to another club. Swiss Cup winners Sion were initially banned from fielding the players in the Swiss League which then reversed the decision after the players took their case to a civil court. – Reuters

Mourinho ban may put wind in Dinamo sails: Coach Posted: 13 Sep 2011 04:53 AM PDT ZAGREB, Sept 13 – Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho's touchline ban could put "wind in the sails" of tomorrow's Champions League opponents Dinamo Zagreb, according to the Croatian team's coach. "Mourinho's absence could make a difference because he has a huge influence on the team and takes an active part in the game with his game plan and instructions," Kruno Jurcic told a news conference on the eve of the Group D tie. "He is a leader and leaders are hard to replace so his exclusion might put some wind into our sails. This is the kind of game every coach lives for." Mourinho (picture) is serving a three-match touchline ban for misconduct in the first leg of last season's semi-final clash with Barcelona who beat Real 3-1 on aggregate before going on to lift the trophy. Dinamo are back in the competition for the first time since 1999-2000 and Jurcic is confident they can upset the nine-times European champions in front of a passionate home crowd at Maksimir stadium. "What we have to do is bring Real Madrid down to our level in order to spring a surprise," said the coach. "We can't throw caution to the wind and beat them at their own game. "We have plenty of skilful players who can keep possession and if we can frustrate them with our passing we've got a good chance with our 40,000 fans behind us. "It would be against all my coaching principles to think about anything other than victory and my players will be thinking how to outfox Real Madrid rather than what rival to swap jerseys with after the final whistle," Jurcic added. Jurcic, who played for Dinamo (then called Croatia Zagreb) when they featured in the group stages in 1999-2000, said Real's La Liga rivals Getafe showed his team the way to play against Mourinho's side. "Getafe lost 4-2 (on Saturday) but they had a real go at Real and had it not been for what I think was a controversial penalty they might have come away with something from the Bernabeu," he explained. "I don't need to motivate my players for a game like this, they can't wait for the kickoff and all I can tell them is to go out there and enjoy themselves." – Reuters

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Hugh Jackman in ‘Real Steel’ Posted: 13 Sep 2011 08:10 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Sept 13 – The second full-length trailer for the sci-fi action film Real Steel, starring Hugh Jackman, was released this weekend. The footage in this version strikes a balance between action and drama, revealing more of the storyline while also showing the area action and the immense metal fighters. The story concerns a washed-up boxer at a time in the near future when human boxing has died and been replaced with battling robots. But he doesn't have much luck promoting fights with 2,000-pound bot boxers either. As Hugh Jackman's character questions his success in the ring and his relationship with his young son, they grab a second chance and rebuild a robot together. Directed by Shawn Levy (Date Night, Night at the Museum), the film also features Evangeline Lilly (The Hurt Locker) and Dakota Goyo (the young 'Thor'). Real Steel premieres in Paris on October 6 and hits theatres October 6-7 in North America, Russia, Germany, India, Hong Kong and other markets, followed by the UK, Thailand and Brazil October 14, rolls out through November and opens in Japan December 17. Also in IMAX. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdWJjfQKCRQ – AFP

EU grants veteran musicians 70-year copyright Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:18 AM PDT Singer Mick Jagger of British Rock band, The Rolling Stones. The European Union has granted veteran musicians a 70-year copyright. – AFP pic BRUSSELS, Sept 13 – As Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan prove they can rock the crowds well into their golden years, the European Union is offering veteran musicians a cash windfall by extending copyright from 50 to 70 years. The measure seeks to ensure aging performers, who more often than not get their first break young, can survive once they've hung up their guitars in a last goodbye to the stage. While the move may be of little interest to millionaire performers Jagger, 68, or Dylan, 70, it could be a boon to lesser-known artists, facing a loss of copyright after 50 years. "With increasing life expectancy, the previous 50-year protection term was clearly insufficient," said Michel Barnier, the 27-nation EU's internal market commissioner. "Despite the fact that their music and songs are still popular, today many performers are left without income when they are older," he said. "The increase to a 70-year term means performers can still receive remuneration when their music is played once they have retired." The legislation was adopted by the EU yesterday despite opposition from Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. EU states will have two years to incorporate the new rules into their national legislations. – AFP

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Carmakers flaunt luxury in era of austerity Posted: 13 Sep 2011 08:45 AM PDT Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini, introduces the new Gallardo super sports car. — Reuters pic FRANKFURT, Sept 13 — Crisis? What crisis? There may be turbulence in the euro zone, a downgrade in the US credit rating, tumbling stock prices and fears about climate change making consumers clamour for low emission vehicles, but at the Frankfurt car show it's the high priced, high-powered, high emission vehicles that are drawing the crowds. Demand for the glitzy luxury cars that some might call ostentatious remains astonishingly high. The new Porsche Carrera 911 S is presented at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. — Reuters pic "These are dream cars — these are not cars you buy because you need a car but because you want to fulfil a dream, mainly a childhood dream," said Stephan Winkelmann, the chief executive of Lamborghini after presenting a new super sports car here. "So it's a matter of buying something which you really love and sometimes money doesn't matter," Winkelmann told Reuters after unveiling the limited-edition Gallardo LP 57004 Super Trofeo Stradale, with a 10 cylinder engine and 570 horsepower. The bright red Lamborghini drew a lot of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' today from the thousands of assembled journalists as Winkelmann and two assistants in tight black skirts took the wraps off the car that retails for more than 200,000 euros. But there was also a lot of buzz at other stands featuring high-emission cars even though there had been a lot of pre-show media attention paid to electric and low-emission vehicles. And for the first time, the Frankfurt car show even devoted an entire hall to electric cars — and every carmaker has some sort of electric vehicle in its plans. But the excitement was elsewhere today after the show opened to the media. Wolfgang Duerheimer, CEO of Bentley, presents the new Bentley Continental. — Reuters pic ENOUGH MONEY "There are people who have enough money and who have achieved some success in their lives and they really appreciate the Porsche brand," Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller told Reuters after presenting a revamped 911, the company's pride and joy with 350 horsepower and a price tag of some 250,000 euros. Mueller said Porsche was keeping its eyes on developments in stock markets, the economies in key markets and the euro zone turbulence. But despite all those areas of uncertainty, he said, demand for Porsches has remained high. "The Porsche 911 is a car that fits the era," Mueller said. "It's an expression of a person's lifestyle and standard of living. It's quite simply a statement for those who own such a car — it's a sovereign possession." With a top speed of nearly 300km per hour, the new Porsche 911 was one of the most eagerly awaited cars in Frankfurt. Models pose at the exhibition booth of French carmaker Citroen next to the new 'Tubik' car in Frankfurt. — Reuters pic Another new car likely to cause sticker shock to the general public nevertheless caught the media's attention today was Bentley's new Continental GTC cabriolet with 567 hp and 220,000-euro price tag. But Alasdair Stewart, a member of Bentley's board, told Reuters that demand for the luxury car remains strong in most markets around the world. "Even though stock markets are moving around, customers appreciate the car and see value," he said. "We're watching the stock markets carefully. We're keeping the supply as tight as we can. But people are buying. "Maybe they just feel 'I've had enough of all this gloom and doom and maybe it's time to have a new car'." Christoph Stuermer, a car industry analyst at IHS Global, said despite the attention on low emission cars, the industry and public still have a fascination with powerful engines and high-performance cars. The one-off "white gold" Bugatti Veyron L'Or Blanc will cost about 1.6 million euro. — Reuters pic "The industry is just steaming ahead like it always does and it's the usual 'better-more-beautiful-and-faster' kind of show that we've always seen here," Stuermer said. One concept car that caught a lot of peoples' eyes is a concept car by Citroen called the Tubik. It is a large van that can carry up to nine people and its grill pays homage to the French carmaker's H Van light delivery truck. But the Tubik has been described as a "misbegotten spawn of an affair between a piggy bank and a bread bin" by Karla Pincott at CarsGuide.com.au website. "Could the Citroen Tubik be the ugliest motor show concept ever designed?" Carlo Bonzanigo, Citroen's head of advanced design, said he wasn't bothered by the unflattering review from Australia. "That's interesting," he told Reuters. "When you do a concept car, the worst thing you can do is have a car that doesn't make an impact or is boring." — Reuters

366m worldwide have diabetes Posted: 13 Sep 2011 08:22 AM PDT The disease kills one person every seven seconds. — Reuters file pic LONDON, Sept 13 — The number of people living with diabetes has soared to 366 million, and the disease kills one person every seven seconds, posing a "massive challenge" to healthcare systems worldwide, experts said today. The vast majority of those with the disease have Type 2 — the kind linked to poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise — and the problem is spreading as people in the developing world adopt more Western lifestyles. Diabetics have inadequate blood sugar control, which can lead to serious complications like heart disease and stroke, damage to the kidneys or nerves, and to blindness. Worldwide deaths from the disease are now running at 4.6 million a year. The latest figures, unveiled at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) congress in Lisbon, underline the need for urgent action by governments at a UN meeting next week, according to top doctors in the field. The vast majority of diabetes sufferers have Type 2, which is linked to poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise. — Reuters file pic The high-level UN meeting in New York on September 19-20 — only the second to focus on disease after one on AIDS in 2001 — will consider what should be done to counter the growing problem of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes. Food, drinks and tobacco companies are in the firing line for selling products linked to cancer, heart disease and diabetes, but health campaigners fear politicians may not set firm targets or provide funds for a decent fight. The NCD Alliance, which groups 2,000 health organisations from around the world, argues that spending US$9 billion (RM27.5 billion) a year on tobacco control, food advice and basic treatments would avert tens of millions of untimely deaths this decade. Cash-strapped governments, however, have baulked at finding new money, though the cost of inaction may be even greater, with annual healthcare spending on diabetes alone now put at US$465 billion. The new figures on the prevalence and cost of diabetes are to be published in the fifth edition of the Diabetes Atlas, the authoritative guide to the disease issued by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). The previous edition in October 2009 had estimated the number of diabetics at 285 million for 2010, although a separate study published in the Lancet medical journal in June this year had already put the figure at a much higher 347 million. "The IDF's latest Atlas data are proof indeed that diabetes is a massive challenge the world can no longer afford to ignore. In 2011, one person is dying from diabetes every seven seconds," said IDF President Jean Claude Mbanya. Mbanya and EASD Vice-President Andrew Boulton said more research was needed into strengthening health systems around the world to deal with diabetes. Many older classes of diabetes drugs are now available as cheap generics, but global drugmakers — including Sanofi, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk — aim to introduce new classes of drugs that could further extend treatment options. Global sales of diabetes medicines totalled US$35 billion last year and could rise to as much as US$48 billion by 2015, according to research firm IMS Health, driven by increased prevalence and treatment, especially in countries such as China, India, Mexico and Brazil. — Reuters

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Dahl family seeks US$800k to save writing hut Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:55 AM PDT LONDON, Sept 13 — Roald Dahl's family has launched an US$800,000 (RM2.4 million) campaign to relocate the garden hut where the British children's author created classics including "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "James and the Giant Peach". Dahl (picture), who died in 1990 aged 74, would go from his home in Great Missenden, northwest of London, to the hut in his garden every day for 30 years. No one else was allowed into the small outbuilding, built in the 1950s from a single layer of bricks. Dahl's grandson Luke Kelly came up with the idea to relocate the interior of the hut and its contents, including the author's own hipbone, to the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre close to the family home. The relocation is estimated to cost around GBP500,000 pounds organisers said today. They hope to install the hut's interior and open it to the public by March 2012. "When my grandfather died he left in his wake an aching gap, but also a palpable magic and limitless imagination, which is not exclusive to my family," said author and former model Sophie Dahl, the author's granddaughter. "It is now time for us to save the hut, but even more importantly, to share it." There has been some sceptical reaction to the Dahl family's fundraising campaign on micro-blogging site Twitter. "Stella McCartney to appeal to taxpayers for money to restring her father's Hohner Bass guitar," wrote journalist Misha Glenny, in a gentle dig at the campaign. Another Twitter message dubbed Sophie Dahl the "Big Stingy Giant", a play on the title of one of her grandfather's classics "The BFG" (The Big Friendly Giant). The press release on Roald Dahl's website said that the family "had done its utmost to safeguard the hut", which is now in a state of disrepair. — Reuters

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Kuota haji: Malaysia dapat tambahan 2,000 tempat Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:22 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 13 Sept — Malaysia memperolehi tambahan kuota jemaah sebanyak 2,000 daripada kerajaan Arab Saudi untuk membolehkan 28,000 jemaah negara ini menunaikan haji di tanah suci tahun ini. Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom berkata, pertambahan kuota itu diberi berikutan populasi penduduk Malaysia yang kini mencapai 28 juta orang. "Saya sudah bermesyuarat dengan pihak pengurusan haji (Arab Saudi) dan memberitahu mereka tentang pertambahan rakyat Malaysia. Mereka bersetuju untuk menambah bilangan kuota ini selaras dengan jumlah rakyat kita," katanya kepada pemberita selepas menghadiri sambutan Aidilfitri agensi-agensi di bawah Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri di sini hari ini. Beliau yang dipetik Bernama Online berkata, kerajaan Arab Saudi menyediakan kawasan penempatan jemaah haji yang lebih luas selain membina lebih banyak hotel empat dan lima bintang berdekatan Masjidilharam untuk menampung bilangan jemaah yang semakin bertambah bagi memberi keselesaan kepada mereka untuk menunaikan rukun kelima itu. "Sebelum ini jemaah kita ditempatkan di kawasan yang berjauhan (dari Masjidilharam) dan menyukarkan mereka... tetapi kali ini dengan adanya penempatan baru, ia akan memudahkan jemaah kita," katanya. Jamil Khir berkata Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) juga membuat persiapan rapi untuk melancarkan pengurusan jemaah termasuk menyediakan 800 orang petugas di Malaysia dan Arab Saudi. Beliau juga meminta jemaah, terutamanya warga emas, supaya mengikut arahan pegawai LTH terutamanya dalam menjaga kesihatan dan keselamatan diri masing-masing semasa menunaikan ibadah itu. Jamil Khir juga mengumumkan bahawa Kongres Majlis Agama Islam Malaysia, yang julung kali diadakan, akan dirasmikan oleh Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin dan turut dihadiri Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan Timbalannya Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Kongres itu akan diadakan pada 26 hingga 27 Sept di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC).

Bukit Kepong: Muhyiddin tidak mahu debat dengan Mat Sabu Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:06 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 13 Sept – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkata beliau tidak akan berdebat dengan Timbalan Presiden PAS Mohamad Sabu mengenai isu  pejuang kemerdekaan yang sebenar. Timbalan Perdana Menteri (gambar) memberitahu bahawa individu yang layak berdebat dengan Mohamad Sabu adalah pakar-pakar sejarah dan bukannya beliau. Ditanya mengenai tindakan saman yang akan dibuat oleh Mohamad yang lebih dikenali sebagai Mat Sabu sekiranya beliau enggan menyahut cabarannya, Muhyiddin berkata: "Tak apalah, saya tunggulah dia saman saya." "Mat Sabu sebagai seorang pemimpin politik seharusnya menarik balik kenyataannya bahawa pengganas komunis adalah hero sebenar dalam tragedi Bukit Kepong dan meminta maaf secara terbuka," katanya dipetik Bernama Online. Muhyiddin berkata Mohamad tidak seharusnya memutarbelitkan fakta sejarah demi mengejar cita-cita politiknya kerana sejarah tidak ada kena mengena dengan politik dan apa yang dibangkitkannya boleh memporak-perandakan negara. Minggu lalu Mohamad berkata beliau lebih bersedia untuk berdebat dengan Muhyiddin kerana timbalan presiden itu memintanya bertaubat. Pendirian itu turut disokong oleh pemimpin-pemimpin PAS atas tarafnya selaku timbalan presiden parti. Mohamad juga menolak kesediaan Ketua Pemuda Umno Khairy Jamaluddin yang mahu berdebat dengannya berhubung kenyataan beliau berkaitan dengan tragedi Bukit Kepong bulan lalu. Terdahulu Muhyiddin menghadiri majlis Tawaran Baru kepada Pengetua (Sekolah Menengah) dan Guru Besar (Sekolah Rendah) Bidang Kerberhasilan Utama Negara (NKRA) Pendidikan 2010 di Bahagian Teknologi Pendidikan, Bukit Kiara di sini.  Mengenai majlis makan malam beliau bersama Setiausaha Agung Parti Komunis Republik China, Sun Zhenglai malam ini, Muhyiddin berkata hubungan diplomatik Malaysia dengan China adalah baik dan Malaysia menghormati pandangan ideologi negara itu. "Malaysia tidak mengkritik China kerana berfahaman komunis tetapi mengutuk tindakan kejam pengganas komunis sebelum Malaysia mencapai kemerdekaan dahulu.  "Hubungan dua hala Malaysia dan China adalah penting kerana negara itu menjalinkan hubungan dalam sektor perniagaan, dalam perdagangan, perindustrian dan pelbagai sektor lain," katanya. Beliau berkata Amerika Syarikat yang mengamalkan demokrasi sepenuhnya pun turut menjalin hubungan diplomatik dengan China. "Maka kita perlu pragmatik dalam perkara ini dan tidak menimbulkan isu politik mengenainya," katanya.

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Bad boy Barton on best behaviour Posted: 12 Sep 2011 04:59 PM PDT SEPT 13 — All eyes were on Joey Barton last night as the controversial midfielder made his debut for his new club, Queens Park Rangers, against his former club, Newcastle United, at Loftus Road. Barton, in case you're not familiar with him, is currently the number one bad boy of English football. A highly talented but bad tempered midfielder with as much natural ability as nearly anyone in the country, his career has been regularly blighted by disciplinary problems including a spell in jail for assault. In recent years he has made strenuous efforts to reform his character and restore his reputation, even transforming himself into something of a modern-day philosopher — quoting Friedrich Nietzsche, Virgil and George Orwell on Twitter in an attempt to demonstrate his new-found intellectualism. None of that was enough to rescue his career with Newcastle, where owner Mike Ashley overruled manager Alan Pardew by failing to agree a new contract with the provocative midfielder and allowing him to leave on a free transfer. Pardew barely managed to disguise his frustration at the decision, making it plain that he held Barton's midfield talents in great esteem and would have preferred to keep him at St James' Park. It was the first major public sign of discord between Ashton and Pardew, the former West Ham manager he controversially hired nearly a year ago — but probably not the last. Keep an eye on that one. Let's get back to Barton. When he was made available on a free transfer earlier this summer, all sorts of clubs were initially linked with his signature, including Manchester United and Arsenal — whose new signing Gervinho was involved in a trademark Barton bust-up in the opening game of the season. But those high-profile moves failed to materialise, so the path was left clear for recently promoted QPR, under the new ownership of Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, to step in and capture the enigmatic midfield man. And, of course, the footballing fates had decreed that Barton's first game for his new club would come against none other than Newcastle, the club that had rejected him. Delicious — especially as he'd promptly been made Rangers captain by his new manager Neil Warnock, never a man to shy away from controversy. Surely there would be an explosion? True to his contrary nature, though, Barton was on best behaviour. Although quietly effective, he was an unusually restrained figure as Rangers tore into their visitors from the opening whistle. This was impressive stuff from a new-look team — Barton was just one of five debutants for the home side, along with Shaun Wright-Phillips, Luke Young, Anton Ferdinand and Armand Traore, but you would never have known it as they played with pace and precision to completely dominate proceedings. The chief architect was Moroccan international Adel Taarabt, who really is a star in the making. The former Spurs trainee was named Championship player of the year as Rangers gained promotion last season, and last night he showed exactly why with a sumptuously creative performance "in the hole" behind striker Jay Bothroyd. Rangers created chance after chance, with the misfiring Bothroyd and the impressive Wright-Phillips somehow missing glorious opportunities and then both having efforts cleared off the line by an increasingly stretched Newcastle defence. But they couldn't break the deadlock, and the visitors were delighted to reach the break with the game still goalless. The second half was more of the same, although Rangers gradually lost their cutting edge as Taarabt and Wright-Phillips faded and the game drifted towards a disappointing stalemate. Despite their failure to turn clear superiority into victory, it was an encouraging evening for Rangers as they enter a new era under Fernandes. The new players have already made a big difference in making the team look far more potent going forward, and if Wright-Phillips can add consistency to the occasional flashes of brilliance that he has always been capable of producing, their chances of avoiding relegation will begin to look promising. The biggest concern is probably their lack of a genuinely Premier League-class striker. Bothroyd has skill and strength but he won't be a prolific goalscorer at this level, and neither will the man who replaced him last night, DJ Campbell, nor veteran squad members Tommy Smith and Heidar Helguson. But that's casting an unnecessarily negative note on what was a pretty good night's work for Rangers. They played well, created chances, their new signings have settled in quickly... and Joey Barton even stayed out of trouble. Things really are looking up. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Euro action still the best Posted: 12 Sep 2011 04:51 PM PDT SEPT 13 — We will be witnessing the start of group matches in the UEFA Champions League from tonight.  Though only the first round, the action looks good enough to surpass that of the domestic leagues all over Europe. One of the highlights I am looking forward to is seeing former Germany captain Michael Ballack back at Stamford Bridge, but this time he will be in the colours of Bayer Leverkusen. It will be most interesting to watch how Ballack and his former teammate Frank Lampard square off in the middle of the pitch. This will be clash of two midfield dynamos who are close or nearly over their "sell-by" date. Ballack was obviously not happy with being dropped from the German national side by Joachim Loew. Lampard, however, is still in denial over his ability to contribute to the England squad in the international showcase. In another England-Germany encounter, Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund play host to Arsenal. The Gunners will most likely line up German national defender Per Mertesacker in his first Champions League encounter for the London side. His record against Borussia Dortmund last season, while playing for his previous club Werder Bremen, is one win and one loss. Such a player will also now have to carry one of the heaviest burdens in English football — improving the Gunners' defensive frailties. However, I think Dortmund are going to be too good for Arsenal, playing at home, and I see the Germans topping Group F after the group stages. Group A has become the most anticipated for some exciting possibilities. It will be tough to make the call between Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Napoli and Villareal. Bayern is trying to regain their reputation of being feared in Europe, while Man City is just trying to make a name for themselves in Europe. Napoli and Villareal, meanwhile, have got what it takes but may just be too inconsistent to achieve either of the top two spots in Group A. Still, the most exciting match of the week will surely be taking place at the Nou Camp where champions Barcelona take on AC Milan.  The latter will make life difficult for the champions by featuring quality players like Alexandre Pato and Robinho. The visitors can take them on and give the Catalans a good contest. AC Milan are a very steady side, both in terms of their player strength and their tactical nous too. However, Barcelona are ready for all challenges and, in newly-purchased players of great calibre like Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas, they have young men who are ready to step up and compete for a first-team pick every week. The best team in the world still needs to look for new and improved weapons after all. Finally, I strongly believe that the Primera Liga is going to continue its reputation and status as the best league in the world, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona likely to top their respective groups in the Champions League come December. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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