Evra in sober mood as Euro 2008 approaches

Patrice Evra, the Manchester United left back, said that his Champions League celebrations have been muted as he turns his attention to France’s preparations for Euro 2008. Evra played the entire 120 minutes of United’s penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea in Moscow on Wednesday evening and insisted that Sir Alex Ferguson’s team were worthy winners.

“I can’t believe it. It’s unbelievable,” he said. “But we deserve to be champions because we played well. We have a great atmosphere in the dressing-room.” Talking about the celebrations after the match, Evra added: “It was good. I didn’t party a lot because I need to go with the national team. I don’t drink alcohol anyway.”

Cech's double take

Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper, was momentarily convinced that the West London club had become European champions before realising that John Terry’s penalty had missed. Chelsea were on the brink of their first Champions League trophy when Terry stepped up for his spot-kick. But the Chelsea captain slipped and the ball shaved the outside of a post. Cech said: “When I saw the goalkeeper going the other way, I thought I saw the ball going in. Then it was out, but these things happen.”

Eriksson embarrassed

As Manchester United celebrated winning the Champions League, Manchester City were embarrassed 3-1 by a South China invitation team yesterday in what may have been Sven-Göran Eriksson’s last match in charge. A weakened City side took the lead through Dietmar Hamann, but goals by Giovane da Silva, Festus Baise and Liang Zicheng sent them to defeat in Hong Kong. “We shouldn’t have lost,” Eriksson said. “It’s been a very long season so everybody’s looking forward to a break now.”

Banned fan sent home

An English fan who made it to the Champions League final in Moscow, despite being subject to a stadium ban, was escorted out of the ground. William Gaillard, the Uefa director of communications, said the incident showed how well the Russian and British police had worked together. “One fan was identified by English police spotters as someone who could have a stadium ban,” he said. “He was sent back to the airport under escort and it will be up to the British authorities what happens now.”