Madrid/Barcelona  - Some 254 million euros, close to 330 million dollars: that is what it would cost to get the talented forward Lionel Messi away from Barcelona in accordance with Spanish law.

Barcelona have set 150 million euros (195 million dollars) as the fee - required by Spanish legislation - for the young Argentine to unilaterally break his contract with his current employer.

Rome  - AC Milan have not ruled out a permanent place for David Beckham at the club after his loan deal from Los Angeles Galaxy expires, an attorney of the Italian powerhouse indicated Monday.

Leandro Cantamessa told Sky TV that "after March anything can happen."

He added: "Beckham will have first to talk with Los Angeles Galaxy and tell them he felt good here. Only then can we start a new negotiation, which won't be based on a loan anymore."

Beckham, 33, is due back to California on March 9 for the start of the US Major League Soccer.

Hamburg - Former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann expects a tough fight for places in the team's starting 11 at the 2010 World Cup with some friction involving captain Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings simply part of the game.

"This development will continue until the World Cup and I am quite intrigued to see how many players from the Euro (2008) final will be in the starting line-up in the first World Cup match," Klinsmann told the website of the German football federation.

Hamburg- Bayern Munich face a tough start to the football year in Germany when they travel to VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday in the last 16 of the German Cup.

Bayern will also have one eye on a trip to SV Hamburg on Friday as the league season resumes following its winter break.

The cup holders are at full strength as they seek to continue their form of the end of last year which saw them move level on points with league leaders Hoffenheim.

London, Jan. 26: Brazilian football star Robinho and Manchester City coach Mark Hughes are to have their showdown talks sometime today, where Robinho is likely to be asked to explain why he left the club's training session in the Tennerife to return to his home in San Paulo, Brazil.

The AWOL Manchester City star returned to England yesterday afternoon with wife Vivian and their son Robson Junior.

London, Jan. 26: Troubled former England football star Paul Gascoigne is to be locked in a freezer to help him beat his demons, reports the Daily Star.

Gazza is said to be making "amazing" progress in his battle against his booze addiction and now medics at his rehab clinic now plan to give him ground-breaking "Kriotherapy" in a bid to boost his recovery.