Belenenses Board Resigns After Transfer Gaffe Os Belenenses' board has resigned en masse after mistakenly registering Alberto Meyong Ze for competiti

Who would have thought that a simple penalty kick could result in so much upheaval?

When Alberto Meyong Ze swept home his spot-kick against Naval, it seemed to be a fine debut for the second half substitute.

Little did he know that it would result in his club's board of directors tendering their resignation.

For the Cameroonian forward was in no way eligible to take part in that game - something that the staff at the club apparently knew. That he was fielded anyway is set to cost the Lisbon side a six point penalty.

Meyong, whose contract is owned by Levante, fell foul of a FIFA/FPF ruling allowing no player to compete for more than two clubs in any one year period from July 1st to June 30th.

But the hitman played for Levante in August before moving to Albacete on a brief loan deal. Only after that did he make the move to Portugal.

The FPF told Os Belenenses of the player's ineligibility, but in a bizarre move, president Cabral Ferreira and his board went on to register the player as a striker.

Nobody seems to know exactly who signed the relevant paperwork, or why, but amidst much blame-throwing and stone-casting, the entire board - Ferreira and all - has been compelled to resign. Sporting director Carlos Janela had already fallen on his sword last week.

Jose Manuel Anes, president of the club's General Assembly, will take over as caretaker until an election for a new president can be held at the end of the season.

The six point penalty severely complicates the Azúis do Restelo's chances of reaching the UEFA Cup this season.

Lippi Backing Cassano For Azzurri Recall

The Italian enfant terrible has not played for his country since the 3-1 defeat to France in Paris in September 2006, but his recent form for Sampdoria is making him impossible to ignore.

"The great thing about Cassano is that he now realises he's back to the condition where he can dream and seems settled in his current environment. This is very positive," Lippi enthused.

"Now he knows if he goes on as he is, the dream could very well come true."

The former Real Madrid misfit did not get a chance to continue to rebuild his reputation against Juventus this weekend, as he was forced to sit out the scoreless draw against Juventus with a muscular problem. He very well could have proven the difference as he was in particularly devastating form during the 3-0 victory over Palermo last round, with a goal and two assists.

The Azzurri are due to face their European rivals Portugal in Zurich on February 6 and one of coach Roberto Donadoni's key decisions ahead of the important test in the build-up to Euro 2008 will be whether to grant Cassano a recall.

Juande To Rescue Miguel From Mestalla

The 28 year old has become available after falling foul of the new disciplinarian coach at Valencia- Ronald Koeman.

The White Hart Lane club are looking to strengthen all across the back line, and recently had an £8 million bid for Rangers Alan Hutton rebuffed. This development has reportedly unsettled Pascal Chimbonda, who has voiced his intention to leave.

Valencia have raised the possibility of a cash plus player swap with Spurs involving Chimbonda so a quick deal could be on the cards, although Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Newcastle are tracking Chimbonda.

Juande Ramos knows Miguel from his time in Spain and rates him highly. The former Benfica full back has 45 caps for Portugal and has always stated his desire for a move to England one day.

Chelsea and Arsenal were linked with the player last year before he signed a new 5 year contract in September.

Tottenham also look set to complete the signing of Miguel’s international team-mate Tiago this week from Juventus. The former Chelsea and Lyon midfielder is determined to leave the Turin giants after falling out of favour with trainer Claudio Ranieri.

“I can't stay here any longer” said Tiago. “The best thing for me would be to leave.”

Although personal terms have yet to be agreed, it is expected that he will complete a £9.7 million move very soon.

Rodrigo Tiui Completes Sporting Move After passing a medical, Rodrigo Tiui has completed a free transfer signing to Sporting Lisbon…

The process was completed rapidly, with Tiui arriving in Lisbon yesterday morning, completing a medical, and then being presented to the media in the afternoon.

The Brazilian striker will wear the number 22 shirt, and partner fellow countryman Liedson in attack.

After his presentation to the media, the Leões latest signing commented by summarising his talents.

"I am a different kind of player, he explained. "

"I like to move about, and go in search of play. I help a lot in defence, despite being a forward."

Tiui arrived at the Lisbon giants after his contract with Fluminense ended in December of last year.

The striker’s self-introduction will leave Sporting fans expectant; with the Lisbon club struggling in attack this season, and finding themselves fourth-placed in the league, he could be just the tonic.

In related news, various reports in Portugal suggest that Sporting may well not be finished in the winter transfer market, with the club reportedly looking to secure a left-back and a midfielder. Such revelations will please Sporting supporters, who will be hoping that some new blood at the club can spark a revival in the second half of the season.

Portuguese Cup Preview: FC Porto - C.D Aves What: Portuguese Cup, Fifth Round Who: FC Porto vs Desportivo das Aves When: Saturday, January 19th,

Overview
On Saturday evening, FC Porto face C.D Aves in the Portuguese Cup fifth round, a match that represents a David versus Goliath scenario that only a cup competition can produce.

FC Porto are currently top of the Bwin Liga, with a massive 11-point gap separating them from their nearest rivals Benfica, and are in the second round of the Champions League after topping a group containing last year’s finalists Liverpool.

In stark contrast, Aves find themselves three places off bottom in the Liga Vitalis (Portugal’s second division), which is an unlikely position for a club that had been playing in Portugal’s top division last season.

However, the Liga Vitalis side will take inspiration from the fact that FC Porto were eliminated from last years tournament by third-division outfit Atletico Clube de Portugal in a memorable match at the Estadio do Dragao.

The embarrassing 1-0 defeat in the fourth round of last year's competition will still be fresh in the mind of Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira, who will be looking to avoid any similar upset. This is particularly due to the fact that his side were again eliminated from a domestic cup competition earlier this season, with a defeat on penalties at the hands of Fatima in Portugal’s secondary trophy competition, the Carlsberg Cup.

Teams

It is difficult to predict the starting eleven that Porto will present on Saturday, with Jesualdo Ferreira commenting in a press conference that, “FC Porto will play on Saturday with a team that I feel has the capacity to eliminate Aves. Who I will play or not, I have not yet decided. But I can safely say that some new players who arrived at the club this season will play, whilst others will have to sit out”.

Ferreira’s words indicate that he will be giving an opportunity to certain new player, meaning that Mariano Gonzalez, Ernesto Farias, Milan Stepanov and Kazmierczak are all in the running for a spot in Saturday's starting eleven.

One thing is for certain: Helder Barbosa, who returned from loan this week, will not be playing. This is due to issues with the player’s registration, forcing FC Porto to have to make do without the player as he won’t be eligible in time for the match on Saturday.

Aves on the other hand are certain to start their strongest eleven, as a positive result could turn their season around, and give a boost for in future league performances. However, the side are likely to be without Sergio Carvalho, Octavio and Yu Dabao, who are all suffering from injuries and missed training today.

Prediction:

FC Porto 3-0 C.D Aves

Porto’s recent tendencies to be eliminated in the early stages of domestic cup competitions at the hands of lower league opposition is well-known, yet it is difficult to see this trend continuing. With Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira desperate to add a Portuguese Cup to his CV it is likely that Porto will field a relatively strong side, and with the home fans demanding a victory, the players will surely respond with a comfortable win. Anything less than victory for the home side will be scandalous, and Aves may well have to content themselves with trying to keep the scoreline down.

Carlos Alberto To Be Given 24-Hour Assistance Carlos Alberto has once again failed to take part in Werder Bremen's training. It's prompted the club t

Brazilian midfielder Carlos Alberto has been nothing but problematic since joining Werder Bremen in the summer for a club record €8.5m.

The 23-year-old has barely featured for the Green and Whites this season after a whole host of injury and psychological issues as well as a training ground fight with striker Boubacar Sanogo.

"We had hoped that Carlos wouldn't have any more problems," sighed sporting director Klaus Allofs.

But after failing to report for the club's trip to Turkey for a training camp because of a thyroid gland problem it now appears the club's patience is wearing thin - they've now employed someone to keep tabs on the Brazilian's wellbeing!

But Bild are reporting that the Weser side have recruited former Brazilian player Rogerio Messias to look after Carlos Alberto, who has found life in Germany challenging after spells in his homeland and in Portugal.

Messias should move into Alberto's house on 26th January to provide 24-hour assistance. "We welcome everything that makes sense and has a positive effect on Carlos," said Allofs, who revealed that the midfielder should commence training back in Bremen on Thursday.

Portugal - Superliga

1 FC Porto 41
2 SL Benfica 33
3 Vitória SC 28
4 Sporting Clube de Portugal 27
5 Vitória FC 24
6 SC Braga 24
7 CS Marítimo 23
8 CF Os Belenenses 23
9 CD Nacional 20
10 Boavista FC 19
11 CF Estrela da Amadora 16
12 A. Académica de Coimbra 16
13 Leixões SC 16
14 A. Naval 1° Maio 15
15 FC Paços de Ferreira 15
16 UD Leiria 5