Today’s most interesting news:

1. Wenger won’t spend big next year

Wenger:

“I’d be happy to go into next season with the same squad because we are in a growing process.

The temptation is always there to spend but I’m more concerned with developing the young players.

I don’t think we need a big investment.”

[Source: Sky Sports]

Not much to say on that except that Wenger is right – the current squad needs more time and Arsenal should stick with them.

However, bringing in 3-4 experienced players (keeper if Lehmann leaves, otherwise a defender, a midfielder and a striker) is necessary if Arsenal want to challenge for the Premiership. They don’t need to spend big though.

2. Uefa asks United fans to tone down their drinking

UEFA has asked Manchester United to warn travelling supporters to cut down on their drinking ahead of the Champions League semi-final trip to face AC Milan next month.

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard:

“There are no special concerns about the game in Milan. It is a different city, a different stadium and a different team. There was trouble in Seville last week but none on Tuesday when Chelsea played Valencia.

If everyone behaves in a proper way, we should have a smooth sailing but Manchester United has to brief its fans and tell them what is appropriate.

There has been a problem with drink and it would be nice if the supporters were advised not to do it. I realise this is a difficult thing but people are putting themselves at risk because they stop behaving in a rational way. UEFA are still investigating what happened in Rome, so we have to be careful, but there is shared responsibility for most situations, even if there is not equal responsibility.”

[Source: The Scotsman]

While I don’t think that drinking is the primary cause here, it is a convenient scapegoat. The big question is – what about the drunk fans in England Or do fans only drink when they’re outside England

3. La Liga title race heats up

Real Madrid have a chance to top the La Liga table on Saturday if they beat Racing Santander away. Barca and Sevilla play on Sunday, and if Madrid win it’ll be interesting to see how the other two react.

Barca play Real Mallorca at home so they should get through the weekend with a win (although Deco (personal reasons), Ronaldinho (illness) and Samuel Eto’o (tendinitis) may not play), but Sevilla have the tougher game as they travel to Valencia on Sunday.

[Source: Reuters]

4. Schuster signs pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid

Soccernet have either outdone The Sun or they’re first to the big news. According to them, Bernd Schuster’s representatives have confirmed to DPA (Deutsche Presse-Agentur – a German news agency) that Real Madrid have signed Schuster on a pre-contract agreement that will require the party canceling the agreement to pay 1m Euros as comepnsation.

Bernd Schuster has done well at Getafe and is well-loved at Real Madrid. So was Capello, mind you.

Schuster is expected to take on July 1st.

This is the best bit from the article:

“In March, Schuster boosted his stock with the Madridstas when he lambasted out-of-favour Capello.

‘Capello only wants to win, it does not matter how, and with that philosophy you will never succeed at Real Madrid,’ he said.

‘It is practically certain he won’t be coach of Real Madrid next season.’

Since then Schuster has been involved with planning Madrid’s summer transfer campaign – demanding any plans of sell defender Fabio Cannavaro are shelved, approving a move for Germany international Christophe Metzelder and suggesting £50m is decent price for Cristiano Ronaldo.”

5. Is the Premiership the best

People are not happy with success – they need to question it and rationalise it, as if success alone is not enough and we need to discredit it as well.

>Gabriel Marcotti from SI.com tries to figure out why the Premiership clubs are so strong in Europe this season. His basic argument Money, stability and luck. He’s probably right about luck