The London Premier League club said in a statement on their website they had accepted Welshman Hughes’s decision to leave after 43 games in charge.

“Fulham Football Club can confirm that Mark Hughes has provided notice, under the terms of his contract, to leave the club at the end of June,” Fulham said on their website.

“After discussions with Mark the club has agreed to accept this notice.”

Hughes, who led Fulham to eighth place and into Europe via the Fair Play League, is favourite to take over at Aston Villa who parted company with Frenchman Gerard Houllier on Wednesday.

But the former Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea striker issued a statement saying he had taken the decision to “further his experiences”.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to clarify that neither myself nor my representative have approached or have been approached by another club,” the 47-year-old said.

“This decision to leave Fulham has not been influenced by any outside party.

“I would like to thank the chairman, directors, players and fans of Fulham Football Club for their support over the last 12 months and wish them every success in the future,” Hughes added.

“I believe my management team and I have done a good job and the club has a strong foundation from which they can go forward.”

Hughes was given a route back into top-flight management last year when Roy Hodgson left Fulham to take over at Liverpool and he leaves with his reputation enhanced.

After taking Wales to the brink of the Euro 2004 finals, Hughes’s first Premier League coaching assignment came with Blackburn Rovers, the club where he finished his playing career.

Hughes spent four years at Rovers before joining Manchester City in 2008 shortly before the club was taken over by billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Tasked with taking City into the Champions League, Hughes was sacked just before Christmas 2009 despite being well-placed in the Premier League and was replaced by Roberto Mancini.

Source: timeslive.co.za

Rodriguez put Liverpool ahead after 32 seconds, and volleyed a second before Dirk Kuyt made it 3-0 on 16 minutes.

Moussa Dembele gave Fulham hope with a crisp finish from Bobby Zamora’s pass.

Rodriguez smashed a spectacular third from 25 yards and Luis Suarez rounded Mark Schwarzer to make it 5-1 before Steve Sidwell fired a late consolation.

It was a sensational display from Liverpool, who have now scored 13 goals in their last three games and have climbed from 12th to fifth in the table since Kenny Dalglish took over from Roy Hodgson in January.

The Reds are two points clear of Tottenham, who play Manchester City on Tuesday and travel to Anfield on Sunday for a game that is effectively a play-off for the Europa League spot.

Suarez broke clear down the left and advanced into the penalty box before trying to pick out Kuyt.

The low cross was deflected towards goal by Carlos Salcido and although Schwarzer stopped it creeping in at the far post, Rodriguez was on hand to lash into the opposite corner.

Six minutes later, Glen Johnson found space behind Salcido and crossed to the far post, where Rodriguez volleyed low past Schwarzer.

There was a moment of controversy on 14 minutes when a long ball found Suarez bearing down on goal. The irrepressible Uruguayan took a tumble after an apparent push from Brede Hangeland but the officials rejected the visitors’ penalty appeals.

Any sense of grievance on Liverpool’s part was short-lived as Kuyt received the ball in space on the right and drilled a speculative effort towards the near post, which Schwarzer inexplicably allowed to slip through his fingers to gift the Dutchman a ninth goal in his last eight league games.

Suarez and Rodriguez both missed presentable chances before Clint Dempsey had Fulham’s first opportunity of the game just after the half-hour mark – but his low volley from a corner was cleared off the line by Johnson.

Fulham boss Mark Hughes brought on Zamora for Simon Davies at half-time and the change paid dividends as the home side began the second period in the ascendancy.

First Zamora had a goal-bound header blocked and then Dempsey fired narrowly over the bar from the edge of the area.

Fulham briefly threatened a comeback but Rodriguez’s superb drive from outside the area guaranteed Liverpool the points and allowed the Argentine to depart to a standing ovation.

Five minutes later, substitute Jonjo Shelvey threaded a pinpoint pass through to Suarez, who coolly took the ball around the goalkeeper and tapped in.

Despite being on the receiving end of a fearful hammering, Fulham refused to throw in the towel and Sidwell’s superb chest down and half-volley from the edge of the box would have graced any fixture.

As it was, the goal merely reduced the deficit to three and there was still time for Suarez, Shelvey and Kuyt to go close to adding a sixth.

That would simply have added further gloss to a superb display in a game in which captain Jamie Carragher made his 666th appearance to go second behind Ian Callaghan (857) in the Reds’ all-time list.

Source + Pic: news.bbc.co.uk

It took a scrappy 52nd minute own goal from John Pantsil, who sliced the ball into his own net after Fernando Torres shot deflected off the post, to secure the three points and Liverpool’s second consecutive Premier League win after the weekend victory over lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The win lifted Liverpool to seventh in the standings with 32 points.

“We will take anything as any club will do,” manager Dalglish told Sky Sports. “At times we played good football and deserved the bounce of the ball.

“I have seen three games and that is one of the few games we have had a little bit of good fortune.”

Liverpool could have taken an early lead when a rejuvenated Torres latched onto a pass from Raul Meireles and poked it into the net only to be pulled back by the linesman’s flag.

While Fulham keeper David Stockdale made fine saves to deny Meireles from eight yards and a long-range effort from Glen Johnson in a first half largely dominated by the Reds.

But after taking the lead, Dalglish’s side failed to press home their advantage and allowed the visitors to maintain a foothold in the game.

Fulham pressed hard in the closing minutes and should have levelled when Moussa Dembele saw a shot from eight yards scrambled away by Reds keeper Pepe Reina.

“I think Fulham might feel a bit of injustice and feel they should have got something from the game,” Dalglish added.

“I think in the first half we had six good chances and one chalked off that was really onside.

“But the lads put in a great effort and threw their bodies on the line because they didn’t want to lose a goal and they have worked hard all season.”

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za

Derided by United manager Alex Ferguson as “noisy neighbours”, mega-rich City failed to rattle the 18-times champions but were spared the agony of last season when they lost both league meetings to last-gasp goals.

While City and United huffed and puffed to little effect, champions Chelsea stole a march in the title race as Essien’s first-half goal proved enough to beat Fulham, although the Ghanaian blotted his copybook when he was sent off late on for a two-footed lunge at Clint Dempsey.

Essien was unmarked on the half hour to head in Salomon Kalou’s cross but Chelsea, beaten 2-0 at Liverpool on Sunday, were slapdash in front of goal and failed to kill off their west London rivals who have not won at Stamford Bridge since 1964.

Despite lacking the gloss of early-season whe nthey could not stop scoring goals Chelsea are flying high with 28 points from 12 games with United on 24 and Arsenal, for whom Marouane Chamakh scored in the first minute and again in the last in a 2-0 win at struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers, third on 23. City complete the top four on 21.

Andy Carroll struck his seventh league goal of the season again for fifth-placed Newcastle United to boost his chances of an England call-up but his side slipped to a 2-1 home defeat by Blackburn Rovers.

Revived Fernando Torres made it three goals in two games for Liverpool but his classy first-half strike only earned a 1-1 draw at Wigan Athletic. Blackpool went down 3-2 at Aston Villa and Everton equalised late in a 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers after having Marouane Fellaini sent off.

West Ham United remained bottom after drawing 2-2 at home to West Bromwich Albion and have managed just one win with nearly a third of the season gone.

Manchester United remained the only Premier League side unbeaten this season but Ferguson appeared subdued by the loss of two points in his 34th Manchester derby.

“Credit to them, they set their stall out to be difficult to break down,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.

“Maybe there was too much tension. We needed to make chances and we needed to win the match but in that sense we only had two openings and that’s a bit disappointing.

“They are always going to be difficult to beat on their own ground but we don’t go away targeting draws.”

Chances were few and far between as much of the action was confined to the overcrowded middle third of the pitch with City unwilling to throw of the defensive shackles that have become a trademark of Roberto Mancini’s side.

The creative talents on view were marginalised with United striker Dimitar Berbatov hardly seeing sight of goal while City’s Carlos Tevez was only a little more effective trying to puncture United’s rearguard.

Tevez did force one flying save from Edwin van der Sar before halftime with a curling free kick and United fullback Patrice Evra tested Joe Hart with a firm shot after one of the few fluent passing moves of the game.

Berbatov’s only effort on goal came after the break with an overhead kick comfortably dealt with by Hart.

Despite the lack of chances and excitement the closing minutes were tense for both sets of fans and the away contingent breathed a sigh of relief when City’s Pablo Zabaleta wafted one presentable chance over the bar.

“A point is better than last year! Maybe we played better last season, but we lost,” Mancini said. “This time it was not a fantastic game but in the end it is a good point.

“We suffered in the last three minutes, but only because of what happened last time.”

Source: supersport.co.za

Pic: soccernet.espn.go.com

Ferguson’s men were missing Wayne Rooney because of a virus and they lost ground on Premier League leaders Chelsea when Nani missed an 87th-minute penalty that would have secured a 3-1 lead – a spot kick the United boss thought Ryan Giggs should have taken.

Nani’s effort was well saved by David Stockdale and in the final minute Brede Hangeland, whose own goal had nudged United ahead, nodded home the equaliser to earnMark Hughes’ side a share of ther spoils.

“When you get the opportunity to seal the game with that penalty you should be taking it,” Ferguson told MUTV. “It was a missed opportunity and it galvanised them, got the crowd up and they scored the equaliser in the end.

“I thought Ryan should have taken it. In the last game we played against Tottenham at home Ryan scored two penalty kicks and Nani was on the pitch the same day. Maybe Ryan should have taken it.

“When we got that second goal I thought ‘we’ve escaped here’. But to miss a penalty kick to make it 3-1, you’re throwing two points away there I’m afraid.

“You don’t want to be dropping silly points and we dropped silly points today. We can’t escape that. There was an opportunity to go 3-1 ahead with three minutes left and we didn’t take it.”

Ferguson’s frustration at failing to join Chelsea at the top of the table was tempered by the admission Fulham deserved a point from an enthralling contest. An ominous start from United saw Paul Scholes fire a powerful 25-yard drive in the 11 minute only for Simon Davies to equalise in emphatic fashion during a second half controlled by the Cottagers.

“In fairness to Fulham they were the better team in the second half. I don’t think we deserved to be in front at 2-1,” Ferguson said. “They caused us a lot of problem, particularlyBobby Zamora who was very good for them. We can’t complain in terms of the run of the game.”

Ferguson added: “We’ve seen that before from Paul – he’s done that so many times. Once again it was an outstanding performance from him. It’s just disappointing we didn’t ram home the advantage.”

The United boss confirmed that Rooney, who has gone 13 games for club and country since his last competitive goal, was ruled out through illness. “Wayne has a virus,” Ferguson said. “The problem is he turned up yesterday with it and he had no chance in 24 hours.

“If it had been a Thursday or Friday we may have been able to patch him up. Sometimes these viruses are 24-hour things and that could have been the case but there was no attempt to see if he could recover from this.”

Fulham had Stockdale’s reflexes to thank for keeping them in contention but boss Mark Hughes was wary of lavishing praise on the 24-year-old. Arsenal target Mark Schwarzer, who has handed in a transfer request, failed to recover from his back injury so Stockdale continued between the sticks.

“Stockdale has done very well, he’s a good young keeper,” Hughes said. “We’re pleased with what he’s producing at the moment but it’s always difficult for young keepers. They get by initially on enthusiasm, but can they keep it up over time? We’ve got to be careful with him.”

Source + Pic: soccernet.espn.go.net

Atletico Madrid won the inaugural final of the Europa League 2 – 1 over Fulham as Diego Forlan struck an extra-time goal.

Having already scored the crucial goal at Anfield that knocked Liverpool out at the semi-final stage, Forlan was on target in the first half and then slipped his marker to score in the 116th minute to send the title to Madrid.

“I am very happy that my goals helped the team, it is good to have the golden shoe, but it is better to win titles with the team,” said the 30-year-old, who won the European Golden Boot for the second time last season.

“I just hope the volcano allows us to get home safely now and that Madrid will dress in red and white when we get back.”

This was Atletico’s first European title since they won the now defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1962, also on German soil, when they beat Fiorentina 3-0 in Stuttgart. They face Sevilla in the Spanish Cup final on May 19.

For Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, this was the second time he has finished on the losing side in a European final after he lost the 1997 UEFA Cup final with Inter Milan.

“The players are obviously very disappointed, but we put in a valiant performance,” said Hodgson.

“It was a bitter blow to concede such a late goal. I thought the game was heading to penalties, we were looking good despite the tiredness and holding our shape.

“Forlan scored a typical goal-scorer’s goal and we simply didn’t have enough time to recover, but I am tremendously proud of what those players have achieved.”

Coach Quique Sanchez Flores started former Manchester United forward Forlan up front alongside Argentina’s Sergio Aguero and it was Forlan again who played the hero for his side as his two goals gave Atletico the title.

Hodgson fielded Bobby Zamora, despite the ex-West Ham striker struggling with an Achilles injury, playing in front of Hungary’s Zoltan Gera after the pair’s 14 goals had helped put Fulham in the final.

The London club came to the Hamburg Arena having already knocked out Juventus, Hamburg, UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk and Wolfsburg on the way to the final in what has been a remarkable run.

Atletico reached the final having won just two previous games on their European journey, with a win at Galatasaray in the round of 32 and then a 1-0 victory at home to Liverpool in the semi-final first leg.

Atletico opened the scoring when left winger Simoa Sabrosa controlled the ball with his chest before Aguero’s mis-hit shot found Forlan, who slotted in his fifth goal of the competition on 32 minutes.

Fulham were back on level terms just five minutes later after Zamora won possession on the edge of the penalty area, Gera chipped in a cross and Welsh midfielder Simon Davies drilled home a fine volley.

But Forlan was a constant threat and Schwarzer had to push his shot around the near post just before the break as it stayed 1-1 at half-time.

Hodgson took off Zamora, who had not looked sharp, on 55 minutes to give United States winger Clint Dempsey a chance up front and he immediately combined with Gera to test de Gea.

It remained 1-1 after 90 minutes and as the game went to extra time, Atletico had the best chance of the first period as Gera was dispossessed, but Forlan could not get his shot past Schwarzer.

On the stroke of the extra-time changeover, Aguero hit the side-netting from close range after Forlan had broken through again past a tiring Fulham defence.

With both sides flagging, Forlan finally slipped his marker to give the Spaniards their first trophy since 1996 and claim his sixth goal of the tournament as well as his fourth in his last three European games.

Source + Pic: timeslive.co.za

While the livewire Rooney notched his 31st and 32nd goals of a remarkable season, languid Bulgarian Berbatov provided the perfect foil with a display that oozed class.

Berbatov, who has never completely won over the Old Trafford faithful, produced a brilliant piece of play to set up Rooney’s second goal and got on the scoresheet himself to take his tally for the season to 10.

While that is hardly prolific for a player of Berbatov’s pedigree who has enjoyed being top dog at most of his previous clubs, Ferguson was more concerned with his silky contribution in other areas.

“The work by Berbatov was fantastic football and he just laid it on a plate for Wayne who took it well,” Ferguson told MUTV. “He (Berbatov) is intelligent, he has good composure on the ball and he adds to the team all the time.

“The making of the second goal was absolutely superb. It was very important (for him to score later), because he had a few opportunities, but he took one.”

Victory lifted United back in front of Chelsea and Arsenal in the Premier League title race but the champions were made to sweat for long periods against a hard-working Fulham side

Rooney opened the scoring 30 seconds after the interval and struck again with six minutes remaining after Berbatov jinked down the right and pulled back a perfect pass.

“Fulham made us work because they’ve got good possession of the ball, they have composure and experience on the ball and they made us chase all over the pitch, particularly in the first half,” Ferguson said.

“The start to the second half was crucial and we got a good one to put us in a good position.”

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za

Despite the return of club captain Steven Gerrard from injury, Rafael Benitez’s men were listless in a goalless stalemate at struggling Wolves.

But the Liverpool manager was defiantly upbeat after a result that means his side are unbeaten in five matches in the league.

“We had two or three chances in the first half and it was same in the second but our final pass not the best,” the Spaniard said.

“But it is another clean sheet and everyone is working really hard, so I think it is really positive.”

The draw leaves Liverpool three points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham, who were always in control of their London derby clash with Fulham at White Hart Lane.

“Three points — that was the main thing tonight, but I think the win was well deserved tonight,” said Spurs boss Harry Redknapp.

Spurs went ahead mid-way through the first half through Peter Crouch, who fired home after being teed up by Luka Modric following a wonderful piece of improvisation from the Croatia playmaker.

David Bentley made sure of the win with a second-half free-kick that found the net with the help of a deflection off Bjorn Helge Riise which wrong-footed Fulham’s Australian goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer.

At the other end of the table, it was a memorable night for Bolton, who claimed their first league win under new manager Owen Coyle, at the expense of his former club Burnley.

Lee Chung-Yong’s 35th-minute strike proved enough to earn Bolton a 1-0 win that lifted them out of the relegation zone.

As a result of West Ham and Wolves both picking up a point apiece, Burnley dropped into the drop zone for the first time this season.

Predictably, Coyle was given a hostile reception from the visiting fans, who hurled “Judas” insults at the man they used to refer to as “God.”

A more appropriate biblical reference, Coyle wryly reminded his critics, would be Moses, given his achievement in leading Burnley to the promised land of the Premier League.

West Ham had to settle for a 1-1 draw at bottom club Portsmouth after taking the lead at Fratton Park.

The Hammers had gone ahead seven minutes into the second-half.

Alessandro Diamanti curled a corner from the right towards the back post and, after it had been deflected goalwards by Pompey defender Younes Kaboul, the ball ended up in the net off the thigh of Matthew Upson.

The Hammers looked strong favourites to go on and take all three points at that stage, but Portsmouth snatched an equaliser with just under quarter of an hour left.

John Utaka played in Danny Webber and the substitute slotted his finish through the legs of Hammers’ goalkeeper Robert Green for his first Premier League goal.

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za

The Manchester United forward was sent-off for two bookable offences during the Premier League champions’ shock 2-0 defeat.

Although he had words with Phil Dowd after being shown the red card, the official has confirmed he was not sworn at by Rooney, an offence which could have led to a longer ban.

However, the Football Association (FA) are to write to Rooney, whose temper has been a worry to some within the English game, about his conduct after the former Everton favourite punched a corner flag while leaving the pitch.

An FA spokesman said on Monday: “We have clarified with Phil Dowd that there was no abuse from the player after he was dismissed.

“In relation to the incident when he punched the corner flag, the referee did not see that and we have written to Wayne Rooney reminding him of his responsibilities.”

Rooney will now be suspended for one match, the Premier League fixture against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, United’s home ground, on April 5.

Source: supersport.co.za