London  - UEFA confirmed on Thursday it was considering a request from Liverpool to reschedule a Champions League game so it does not fall on the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

If Liverpool beat Real Madrid in their last 16 tie, the second leg of their quarter-final is due to be played on April 15.

A memorial service has been scheduled for that day to remember the 96 people who died following a crush at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool would like the game moved forward a day to allow players to attend the service.

Amsterdam  - All football games between Ajax and Feyenoord will be played without supporters of the visiting club for the next five years, Dutch media reported on Thursday.

The Amsterdam and Rotterdam mayors, the management of both football clubs and the national football association KNVB made the decision Wednesday night after a number of violent incidents had taken place last week.

The KNVB said the ban will be evaluated after two years, and could theoretically be shortened then.

Matches between Amsterdam-based Ajax and Rotterdam-based Feyenoord, traditionally known as the "classic duel", are notorious for their many incidents involving violence and vandalism.

Madrid  - Football fans across Spain are already looking forward to a "Super Saturday", with all of the top clubs in early action prior to next week's Champions League clashes.

Saturday's biggest game is the Catalan derby between record-breaking Barclelona and bottom team Espanyol.

Rarely before have the two Catalan teams been separated by so many points: Barca have 60, Espanyol just 18.

"On paper and in theory it looks like an easy game... but I'm sure that it won't be," Barca playmaker Xavi said.

London  - Manchester United beat Fulham 3-0 on Wednesday to extend their lead over Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table to five points.

Paul Scholes put them ahead after 12 minutes, Dimitar Berbatov added a second before half-time, and Wayne Rooney marked his comeback from injury with the third.

Fulham remain tenth in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone, but they will be concerned by a run that has seen them win just one of their last seven Premier League games.

Certainly the doggedness that marked some of their away performances earlier in the season was lacking, and they capitulated without every threatening to frustrate United.

Madrid  - Spanish news agency EFE reported on Wednesday evening that the players of second division team Alaves were robbed earlier in the evening whilst out on the training field.

An individual, who has still not been identified, allegedly entered the team's dressing-room and helped himself to mobile telephones, cash, credit cards and jewellery.

The suspect was spotted by one of the club's physio's and escaped in a car, only to be arrested later by the police. However, none of the stolen objects have so far been recovered.

The incident took place at Alaves' training ground in Ibaia, on the outskirts of the Basque regional capital Vitoria.