Euro 2008 Sweden Fixtures

10 June 2008
GREECE v SWEDEN
EM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim - Salzburg
Kick Off: 20:45 CET

14 June 2008
SWEDEN v SPAIN
Tivoli Neu - Innsbruck
Kick Off: 18:00 CET

18 June 2008
RUSSIA v SWEDEN
Tivoli Neu - Innsbruck
Kick Off: 20:45 CET

Euro 2008: Only 20 Days to go !!!!

Ljungberg boosts club and country

Freddie Ljungberg is confident he can justify his place in Sweden’s 23-man squad for Euro 2008 by fighting his way back to full fitness in time for the start of the tournament on June 7.

Ljungberg has endured a truncated debut season for West Ham, the latest blow coming when he suffered a broken rib in last month’s game against Newcastle.

The injury ruled out the former Arsenal midfielder for the remainder of the domestic campaign, but he now has his sights firmly set on resuming international duty as soon as possible.

"The pain has been quite extreme," he told The Hammers’ official website. "It's been difficult taking deep breaths and it hurts even when I just turn my body. I have been on painkillers however, and I'm getting better and better.

"I have slowly started to try to jog and have even cycled a little. The healing process so far has been all according to the prognosis by our medical staff which is encouraging. I am very much looking forward to being fit for the tournament."

Sweden have been drawn in Group D alongside Russia, Greece and Spain, and although Ljungberg is keen to adopt the old adage of taking one game at a time, he sees no reason why he and his countrymen should not aim for the stars.

"First our goal is to advance from the group,” he added. “That itself will be a challenge and then if we succeed we can set new goals.

“That will all depend on how the draw works out. But I don't think it is unrealistic to say we have a chance of winning the whole tournament. Greece showed in 2004 that anything can happen."

Source: Setanta Sports

FA Premiership Table

Final Standings
Premiership Champions 2007-2008 - Manchester United

POS	TEAM	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1	Manchester United	38	27	6	5	58	87
2	Chelsea	38	25	10	3	39	85
3	Arsenal	38	24	11	3	43	83
4	Liverpool	38	21	13	4	39	76
5	Everton	38	19	8	11	22	65
6	Aston Villa	38	16	12	10	20	60
7	Blackburn Rovers	38	15	13	10	2	58
8	Portsmouth	38	16	9	13	8	57
9	Manchester City	38	15	10	13	-8	55
10	West Ham United	38	13	10	15	-8	49
11	Tottenham Hotspur	38	11	13	14	5	46
12	Newcastle United	38	11	10	17	-20	43
13	Middlesbrough	38	10	12	16	-10	42
14	Wigan Athletic	38	10	10	18	-17	40
15	Sunderland	38	11	6	21	-23	39
16	Bolton Wanderers	38	9	10	19	-18	37
17	Fulham	38	8	12	18	-22	36
18	Reading	38	10	6	22	-25	36
19	Birmingham City	38	8	11	19	-16	35
20	Derby County	38	1	8	29	-69	11
Table standings correct as of 14 May 2008

Euro 2008 - Sweden Squad

Swedish coach Lars Lagerback has named his provisional squad for the Euro 2008 championships in Austria/Switzerland. Ibrahimovich and Ljungberg have been named along with the suprise return of Henrik Larsson!!!

Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Manchester City), Rami Shaaban (Hammarby), Johan Wiland (Elfsborg);

Defenders: Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa), Petter Hansson (Stade Rennais), Fredrik Stoor (Rosenborg), Daniel Majstorovic (Basel), Andreas Granqvist (Wigan Athletic), Mikael Dorsin (CFR Cluj);

Midfielders: Niclas Alexandersson (IFK Goteborg), Daniel Andersson (Malmo FF), Kim Kallstrom (Olympique Lyonnais), Tobias Linderoth (Galatasaray), Fredrik Ljungberg (West Ham), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Christian Wilhelmsson (Deportivo de la Coruna), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham City).

Forwards: Marcus Allback (FC Copenhagen), Johan Elmander (Toulouse), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), Henrik Larsson (Helsingborg), Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen).

Ljungberg rumours rejected

Freddie Ljungberg's agent has rejected reports suggesting West Ham were planning to pay-off the player to let him to leave the club.

Reports earlier this week claimed West Ham were ready to cut their losses on Ljungberg by paying him up the remainder of his three-year contract as they look to trim their wage bill.

Ljungberg, who joined West Ham from Arsenal last summer, has seen his progress at the club hampered by a series of injuries this season.

The 31-year-old, who is currently recovering from a broken rib injury, has made 25 league appearances for West Ham this season - scoring two goals.

Ljunberg's agent Claes Elefalk has rejected the rumours and says he is committed to West Ham.

"This story is complete nonsense, there is no truth in it," Elefalk told skysports.com.

"Freddie is not thinking of leaving West Ham.

"Scott Duxbury [West Ham chief executive] called myself yesterday and said he was sorry such nonsense appeared in the paper.

"Contrary to what has been said Freddie is enjoying his football as much as he has ever done.

"He feels at home at Upton Park, with the team and with the fans.

"Freddie is already thinking of next season and helping to bring West Ham to Europe."

Source: Sky Sports

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Fingers are crossed for Euro 2008!!

West Ham offer Fredrik Ljungberg £3m to tear up contract

Club want to make economies by cutting ties with Sweden midfield player who has three years left on his contract at £75,000 a week

West Ham United have offered Fredrik Ljungberg £3million to leave Upton Park after one season. The Barclays Premier League club decided to rein in their transfer spending earlier in the season and are keen to reduce their wage bill. The Sweden midfield player has three years remaining on the four-year contract he signed when he joined the club from Arsenal last summer. The compensation package is less than his salary of about £3.9million a year - £75,000 a week.

Ljungberg, 31, has made 25 league appearances this season but has not been able to recapture the goalscoring knack he had several seasons ago. The loss of some of his pace, the lack of a creative midfield player and West Ham's regimented style have contributed to him scoring only twice this season. He suffered a cracked rib in the 2-2 draw against Newcastle United two weeks ago.

West Ham could make similar compensation offers to Lucas Neill and Luís Boa Morte, the forward, who are among the higher-earning players. The club have been looking for a new right back to replace Neill, the Australia player who earns about £65,000 a week and has a year left on his contract. West Ham released Roy Carroll, the goalkeeper, in similar fashion last summer.

The offer of payoffs to players is not unusual, but it is extraordinary after only one year. Players are not obliged to accept the proposal, but if they do so they can move as a free agent to another club. Winston Bogarde sat out his four-year contract at Chelsea, where he earned £40,000 a week, and refused to accept compensation to leave. The former Holland defender made 12 appearances, only four of them starts, effectively earning £693,000 per appearance. He spent much of his time training with the youth team.

Source: The Times

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Get rid of those Freddie injury blues! Put a bit of Freddie on your desktop!

Ljungberg injury puts Euros in doubt

West Ham midfielder Freddie Ljungberg is a doubt for the Euro 2008 finals after suffering a cracked rib in his side's 2-2 draw with Newcastle.

The Sweden international was stretchered off at Upton Park in a first-half clash with Steven Taylor and manager Alan Curbishley revealed the player had been injured.

The former Arsenal man therefore becomes the latest player to join West Ham's lengthy absentee list.

Curbishley said: "I think Taylor has tried to leapfrog him and landed on him. He has been raked all down the side and front of his face and cracked a rib.

"That's another one out for us but we are hoping he will be okay for the Euros."

Source: Sporting Life

Match Report: West Ham 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd

West Ham United 2 - 2 Newcastle United
Barclays Premiership


West Ham: Green, Pantsil , Tomkins, Neill, McCartney, Faubert (Solano 90), Parker, Noble, Ljungberg (Boa Morte 21), Zamora (Cole 68), Ashton.
Subs Not Used: Walker, Mullins.

Booked: Faubert, Pantsil.
Goals: Noble 10, Ashton 23.

Newcastle: Harper, Beye , Edgar (Diatta 90), Taylor, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Butt , Barton, Owen, Viduka (Smith 82), Martins .
Subs Not Used: Forster, Duff, Carroll.

Booked: Beye, Butt, Martins.
Goals: Martins 42, Geremi 45.

Attendance: 34,980

Referee: Uriah Rennie

Read the full match report on the BBCi website