The draw for the knockout stages of Champions League paired Tottenham Hotspur with AC Milan in the last 16, meaning that Spurs fans will travelling to the Italian city once more this season. Many Tottenham fans went to see Spurs be defeated by Inter Milan in an entertaining match earlier in the season that ended 4-3, with some respectability for Tottenham earned by Gareth Bale’s hat-trick. However, if you didn’t travel to Milan for the Champions League group stage game, here is a guide to the Italian city so that you can watch Tottenham in Milan this time round.

The first thing you’ll want to do is get your hands on those coveted tickets for the match in the San Siro. The first leg takes place in Milan on Tuesday 15th February and you can check ticket availability by clicking here. The stadium is located in the San Siro district, in the Western Milan area, about 5.5 km from the centre of Milan. You can take the Metro on Line MM1 to Molino Dorino or Line 16 on the tram from Cathedral Square.

If you go down the route of car hire then heading to Milan from Torino you need to proceed towards Venice after the pay-station, up to the intersection for ‘Milano Certosa’. From there follow the road signs to the stadium. If you’re travelling from Rome you need to take the ‘Tangenziale Ovest’ Bypass and get off the road at the Statale 11 Interchange. From there, follow the signs to the stadium. You can search for car hire options, alongside flights, by clicking here.

Buy AC Milan v Tottenham Champions League tickets here!

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There are a number of flight options available to you, although as the Champions League fixture approaches the demand for air travel to Milan is sure to increase. Flights are available from Luton, London Gatwick, Stanstead and Heathrow direct to Milan Malpensa Airport. You can decide to stay in Milan for the night and get a return flight back the next day so that you can explore the Italian city as well as watch the football.

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If you plan to stay in Milan for the night then you’ll need to book hotel accommodation alongside flights. The Football FanCast Travel Page is ideal for this as you can bring up all the hotels within a five mile radius of the San Siro. The available hotels are also listed in order of price so that your Italian football trip doesn’t have to cost you the earth. A handy map illustrates just where you’ll be staying, too, with Hotel San Siro Fiera on the doorstep of the AC Milan stadium.

So you can book football tickets, flights, hotel and accommodation for the AC Milan v Tottenham Champions League fixture with a couple of clicks of your mouse. This will ensure your trip to Italy is as simple as possible, then you just have to hope that Spurs do the business in the San Siro.

Despite three home defeats already this season Arsene Wenger stated that he was delighted to be in the title mix going into the Christmas period. A title win is long overdue at the Emirates and Arsenal fans will be hoping that this team has the stomach to go all the way.

At FFC we have seen a mixed bag of articles which include Arsenal fans set for another transfer pantomime; Arsene Wenger should ignore Spanish advances, while the Barca draw could prove a blessing in disguise for Arsenal.

We also look at the best Arsenal articles around the web this week.

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TOP TEN Grand Entrances in Football sponsored by Heineken

The TEN Premier League Players of the season so far…in my view

Is there really no room at The Emirates for an England legend?

In light of George Graham’s comments, do Tottenham play more attractive football than Arsenal?

Another transfer pantomime with Arsene Wenger?

Wenger should continue to ignore bid, despite Jack’s progress

The wrong move for Arsenal and the player

Why for Arsenal it could ultimately prove a blessing in disguise

Will top clubs embrace idea to avoid the shackles of Platini’s proposal?

What to do with Ramsey and Wilshere?

The Top TEN Worst Football Fads Of Our Time

Have derby matches lost their edge?

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Best ARSENAL blogs around the web this week

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Arsenal’s home form will win us the league, is there a message in his message? – Le Grove

Few tips for Santa this Christmas, add yours…. – Highbury House

Poles Apart & Chamakh Needs To Be A Bully – A Cultured Left Foot

The XI That Got Away – Online Gooner

Exclusive: Arsenal shareholders quarterly letter / Danny Fiszman moves shares on! – Le Grove

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Porto’s march to the Liga Sagres title continues unabated after the runaway leaders toppled Nacional 3-0 on Wednesday.

Benfica won the league in 2009/10 to end four consecutive title-winning years for Porto, and Andre Villas-Boas’ side seems intent on making amends this season.

With their comprehensive win over Nacional at Estadio Do Dragao, Porto are now 11 points clear on top of the league table.

They were set on their way in just the fourth minute, when irrepressible frontman Hulk scored his 27th goal for Porto in all competitions this season.

He improved that tally when he doubled his side’s advantage in the 33rd minute, with 19-year-old Columbian midfielder James Rodriguez – a 5.1 million euro signing from Argentinian club Banfield in July 2010 – rounding out the scoring 12 minutes later.

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Despite the loss, Nacional’s season remains a positive one. The Madeira club remain sixth on the table, though they have played one more game than many of their closest rivals.

Javier Mascherano was saddened by the response his former teammate Fernando Torres received from Liverpool fans when he signed for Chelsea.

Torres signed for Chelsea on Monday in a deal worth 50 million pounds, a move which angered many Liverpool supporters, some of whom vented their feelings by burning shirts with Torres’ name on the back.

Now-Barcelona midfielder Mascherano is uniquely placed to know what Torres was feeling, having been on the receiving end of similar treatment from the Anfield faithful after his own controversial move to Barcelona last year.

“When I left Liverpool there were no shirts burnt, but it seemed as if I had killed someone,” Mascherano said.

“It is sad and nothing new, that people like Fernando have done a lot for Liverpool – not winning titles but enjoying good form – have to leave via the back door.”

“Besides being a move that one feels is a step forward, it is something that the press and the club want to make seem as if the players are the guilty party.”

“I spoke to Fernando and he doesn’t have anything to worry about as he did very well for Liverpool. He played when injured in order to help the club, so he has no reason to worry.”

Meanwhile, Mascherano is wary of the threat Barcelona face from a struggling Atletico Madrid outfit in Saturday’s La Liga clash.

Quique Sanchez Flores’ side visit the Nou Camp sitting in seventh place in the league, and the Europa League champions have won only once in La Liga this year causing supporters to voice discontent at the team’s form.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are on a 19-match unbeaten run and they secured a berth in April’s Copa del Rey final with a 3-0 second-leg win over Almeria on Wednesday, yet Mascherano insists they cannot afford to take the visitors lightly.

“I think that this is the most dangerous thing, when a big team like Atletico Madrid are hurt they present a bigger threat,” he said.

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“They have a very good team, who won an international title last year in the Europa League.”

“This year they were in the Super Cup against the World Champions, so we can’t underestimate them.”

“Maybe they haven’t had good results in the last few games, but they are still a big team. When a big team is hurt, then they want to have a good game against Barcelona – the league leaders.”

The arrival of David Luiz at Stamford Bridge has been the most unheralded of the big money transfers which rained in on the Premier League in the closing hours of the transfer window.

With the acquisition of a new, young central defender, Carlo Ancelotti has been at pains to stress that the new addition will mean regular squad rotation for his key defenders, captain John Terry included; “Everyone knows that in the top teams there is competition for places, that is normal.”

Competition for places is not, however, always normal at Stamford Bridge. For years, come poor runs of form or injury, Terry has essentially picked himself. So long as Chelsea’s talisman wants and is able to play, he has slotted into the starting line-up.

Ancelotti’s statement, however intended, will raise inevitable questions. Is Luiz meant as a direct replacement for a Manchester City bound Terry? Does such a high profile addition to the squad represent a concession that the defence organised by the former England skipper, has not been up to scratch?

Ancelotti would be foolish to alienate Terry – he only needs to see how Luiz Felipe Scolari’s reign at the Bridge ended for evidence of the power the Blues’ captain still possesses.

In the past the Italian has tried to appease his skipper, suggesting he can play deep into his thirties in a similar fashion to one time AC Milan legend, Paolo Maldini. “He has no physical problems and a lot of passion,” the Chelsea boss claimed last season. The passion Ancelotti talks of has never been in doubt, however, ignoring the physical effects of being Chelsea’s bedrock for nearly a decade has not been wise.

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The concerns over Terry’s pace and mobility are nothing new – critics have long flagged up the Chelsea captain’s perceived lack of speed – the former England captain has compensated by being excellent from a positional point of view and reading of the play in front of him.

Nevertheless, this season has seen an unprecedented level of weakness from the current domestic champions. Whilst the Blues retain the best defensive record in the league, the months of malaise at the Bridge has had a visible impact on the side’s lynchpin.

During Terry’s time at the club, the Blues have been guilty of complacency from time to time and Ancelotti’s warning that no man is irreplaceable is in stark contrast to Jose Mourinho’s list of ‘untouchable’ players during his tenure.

This may well be a reflection of the way in which the Blues are playing. By electing to address the issue of his captain’s continued selection, Ancelotti is firing a warning to every player in the squad. With the exception of Petr Cech, Ashley Cole and possibly Branislav Ivanovic, none of the first team regulars can be happy with their performances this season.

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The arrival of David Luiz hardly heralds the end of the ‘John Terry era’ at Stamford Bridge – the club captain will continue to be selected for major fixtures so long as he is able to walk. The concern for Chelsea fans has been whether Terry himself will know when to play and when to rest. Ancelotti’s piece of January business shows he is no longer frightened to take that decision away from his skipper.

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Football is a funny old game as the old adage goes – it’s a sport that’s much more prone to sentiment than almost any other, and one in which the heart often rules the head; and emotional returns are all just part and parcel of this.

There is a saying though that you should never go back; that any return is doomed from the beginning because it is downright impossible to live up to the previously high expectations set by a player or manager during their original stint at the club. If there is one fixed point of reference in football over time, it is most definitely the law of diminishing returns.

However, there remains hope for fans all over the country. Amidst talk of Kenny Dalglish being offered a two-year managerial deal at Liverpool and even a surprising move by Arsenal for former stalwart Jens Lehmann after a goalkeeping injury crisis, it appears emotional returns are now back in fashion, when it looked as if they were all but confined to the scrapbooks.

Here, in this list of top ten returning heroes, I will chart the careers of ten players, managers, and not to give anything away too much, chairmen, who have done the unthinkable – they’ve gone back to the scene of their past glories and have expanded on their legacy rather than tainted it like so many have done before them. So without further ado, here are ten people’s careers that may go some way at least to disproving the well worn theory that you should never go back.

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Click on Dalglish below to see the Top TEN Returning Heroes

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Mirassol came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw at home to Noroeste and move top of the Campeonato Paulista on Friday.Two goals in the space of three first-half minutes from defender Matheus and forward Diego gave struggling Noroeste a surprise lead at Estadio Jose Maria de Campos Maia.But defender Gustavo Bastos pulled one back for Mirassol two minutes into the second half, before striker Serginho levelled on 52 minutes.Neither side was able to produce a winner, but the draw takes Mirassol one point above Corinthians and into top spot.Noroeste remain 16th, but are now one point clear of the relegation zone. Elsewhere, Mogi Mirim twice came from behind to beat Sao Bernardo 4-2. Forward Elionar put hosts Sao Bernardo ahead within six minutes of kick-off at Estadio Municipal Primeiro de Maio.Striker Denilson equalised four minutes later for visitors Mogi Mirim, before midfielder Dirceu restored Sao Bernardo’s lead from the penalty spot on 23 minutes.They remained in front at half-time and it took until the 66th minute for Ytalo to level again for Mogi Mirim.This time the visitors seized the initiative – Denilson struck again to claim a brace and make it 3-2, before Geovane weighed in with a goal on 74 minutes to make it 4-2 to Mogi Mirim and complete the transformation.The win takes Mogi Mirim up to ninth in the table, while Sao Bernando are fourth from bottom with just nine points from 11 matches played.Eraldo’s 75th-minute strike gave Gremio Prudente a much-needed 1-0 win at home to Ituano.Three points sees Gremio Prudente climb off the foot of the table and into 18th place, two points off safety. Ituano are three points better off in 14th place.

Fabio Capello will not field an entirely new England team against Ghana on Wednesday, but the coach is planning significant changes.England secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Wales in Euro 2012 qualifying on Saturday, but six of the players involved have now been released to rejoin their club sides.

With a near-capacity crowd at Wembley Stadium expected to see a second-string team in the international friendly, Capello has been forced to justify his thinking.

“There will not be 11 changes. It will be seven changes, depending on which players will be fit tomorrow (Tuesday),” the Italian said.

“(Phil) Jagielka, (Gary) Cahill, (Leighton) Baines and (Andy) Carroll will start, (Gareth) Barry will be captain and (Joe) Hart will be in goal.”

“It is important for me to see the players play a team like Ghana, this is a really important team.”

“I respect the fans but it will be interesting to see some players they don’t know so well.”

“It will be interesting for me as well because these players who will play are really good.”

Reinstated captain John Terry, Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard were among those who featured against Wales but have now been released.

All six players are expected to be in Champions League action next week.

“The players that went home are not here because I prefer to preserve them for the clubs and for us,” Capello said.

“At this moment if you are tired it is easy to be injured.”

“They would have played four games in 10 days. It is dangerous for players to play so many games in a short time. Now they will play only three in eight days.

Capello also gave his blessing for Jack Wilshere, newly promoted to the senior team, to take part in the England under-21 side’s European Championship campaign in June.

“Yeah, I will support him 100 percent because I think the players will be really important for the under 21s,” he said.

“Those players can make the difference.”

The Seattle Sounders beat the Chicago Fire 2-1 while Philadelphia edged New York by a goal in the MLS.The Sounders opened the scoring through O’Brian White in the seventh minute, although the Fire responded almost immediately when Diego Chaves equalised.

But the home side hit back as Steve Zakuani combined with White to restore the lead as Seattle hung on for the three points and their first win of the season.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia Union defeated New York Red Bull through substitute Roger Torres’ late strike in the second half.

New York went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when Juan Agudelo hit the post in the 21st minute before he again struck the woodwork 10 minutes later.

But the final say went to Torres, who fired a low shot past Red Bull custodian Bouna Coundoul after receiving a pass from Danny Mwanga.

Elsewhere, Real Salt Lake, who recently qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League final, had a 2-0 victory over New England Revolution while David Beckham’s LA Galaxy could only muster a 1-1 draw after they conceded a late equaliser against DC United.

The scores finished even in the match between San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto FC while Chivas USA and Columbus Crew played out a 0-0 draw.

The Daily Star is reporting that Manchester United will attempt to hi-jack Bayern Munich’s bid to sign Schalke 04 goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Sir Alex Ferguson will bid £24m for Neuer – after being very impressed with the player’s performance against his own team in the Champions League semi-final in which United won 2-0.

Manchester United has been tracking the talented shot stopper for 18 months – but had believed the German international keeper had sealed a move to Bayern Munich. However, the Daily Star is suggesting that the German giants are unwilling to pay more than £20m for the player – so Ferguson will make one last attempt to get his man to replace the retiring Edwin Van Der Sar.

Sir Alex Ferguson had turned his attention to Spanish keeper David De Gea – but at just 20 years old there are concerns that De Gea may lack experience to play consistently at the highest level. Neuer is seen as a safer bet at 25 years old and top level experience playing in the World Cup and in the Champions League. Manchester United have taken heart from the fact that talks have yet to begin between the two German clubs and Bayern already fear that the price may increase.

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