Soccer Extreme : Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho made one lucky fan's day by saving him a night camped out under the rain by giving him a ticket to the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in Madrid on May 22.

Hundreds of Inter fans had been setting up camp since Thursday morning to make sure they could snap up one of 5,000 Champions League final tickets due to go on sale in Milan on Saturday.

Fans have set up tents, blankets and mattresses outside the bank charged with selling the tickets.

But Paolo Sacco, a 23-year-old from Milan who was first in the queue, struck gold as Mourinho gave him a ticket worth 225 euros, and saved him a second night out in the open.

"I can't make everyone happy but with this gesture I want to show them (the fans) how much I appreciate them," said Mourinho, who was said to be proud of the sacrifices fans were willing to make to watch the final.

Mr Sacco is due to leave Milan by car at the end of next week to get to Madrid.

However, Mourinho insisted that his gift to the fan was not a financial one.

"This is my applause to all the fans. However the lad must demonstrate that he has given the money he's saved to charity."

Such gestures are not new by Mourinho who endeared himself to Chelsea fans by throwing his Premier League winners medals into the crowd after the club's 2005 and 2006 title successes.

The Inter fans are going to great lengths to be present in Madrid, particularly given the pouring rain in Milan.

There are two separate queues, one for season ticket holders (4,000 tickets available) and another for supporters' club members (1,000 tickets).

Local police set up metallic barriers on the pavement to allow fans to queue in a orderly fashion while an ambulance is on hand in case needed and there are two trucks standing by whose task it is to take away any rubbish.

Fans have also been making lists of those already lined up to prevent others from queue-jumping at a later time.

However, for some it has become a test of endurance and desire.

"I got here at 2am and I've made do as best I can with a quilt. Others with more foresight brought tents which is very handy given that it hasn't stopped raining," said Francesco Rugolo, a 52-year-old fan quoted by Ansa.

The limited number of tickets available, though, has left some fans outraged.

A 21-year-old called Paolo described it as "scandalous" that only 5,000 tickets are on sale to fans given that Bayern have put double that number on the market.

Tickets, which will go on sale at 0900 GMT on Saturday, are being sold at 155 or 255 euros. (reuters)

Soccer Extreme : Liverpool football legend Ian Rush (R) and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa (L) pose for photographers during a coaching clinic for children in Jakarta on May 15, 2010.

Rush took part in a series of sports activities that involved about 300 children as part of football campaign in his two-day visit to Indonesia. (topics)

Soccer Extreme :We thought the WAGs were banned for the World Cup? It would appear not. England boss Fabio Capello wants all distractions removed for the forthcoming tournament in South Africa - but when they look this good, we'd rather they were there.

As the big tournament approaches, Umbro has designed shirts to celebrate each of the seven nations who have become world champions.

And with a stroke of genius they have asked the likes of Peter Crouch's fiancee Abbey Clancy and an array of other lovelies to model the gear ahead of the launch.

Each kit has a redesigned national badge, which Umbro tell us have been designed by 'mixture of graffiti artists, cartoonists, tattoo designers, record label owners'

Soccer Extreme : England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is leaving his 4.5 million pound mansion under the vigilant eye of a Gurkha as he heads for the football World Cup in South Africa.

Gurkhas are a Nepalese warrior clan known for being lethal and deftly eviscerating enemies with their Khukri (dagger).

An Old Trafford source told The Sun: "The Gurkhas have a formidable reputation. We have been told this guy was military decorated. You wouldn't want to cross him."

The security man has been provided his own living quarters at the striker's house and keeps a watch over both the player's homes in Prestbury, Cheshire.

A string of robberies at the homes of absent Premier League stars where their kin were intimidated led to the hiring of the Gurkha guard.

Victims include United's Darren Fletcher, 26, whose partner had a knife held to her throat. (sports.rediff.com)

Soccer Extreme : Fernando Torres was anxiously awaiting news of Rafa Benitez’s meeting with Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton last night after deciding he wants his uncertain Anfield future resolved in the next week.

Liverpool’s record £21million signing is in demand after it became clear Anfield bosses may have to cash in on him, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Barcelona all waiting for any encouragement to open a bidding war that could send the fee soaring to £70m.

While Benitez presented his argument to Broughton over why any proceeds should go towards strengthening his squad, rather than servicing the club’s debt, Torres was agonising over his next move.

Alarmed at the way Liverpool’s campaign has petered out and left them lagging behind their main rivals, he wants answers on whether Benitez is staying and evidence of a strategy to guard against any repeat of this season’s failings.

Eager to avoid any unwanted distractions ahead of next month’s World Cup, he has made it clear he needs to know Liverpool’s intentions before he leaves Merseyside next week, in readiness for linking up with the Spain squad. He may be prepared to tolerate one more season without Champions League football but is ready to move on, should Liverpool deem a £70m offer too good to turn down.

Chelsea remain keen, as revealed in Sportsmail earlier this week, though City’s hopes appear to have been dashed by the 1-0 defeat by Tottenham.

Liverpool issued a statement last night that appeared to cast further doubt on the prospects of Benitez leaving to take over at Juventus. It claimed the talks, attended by managing director Christian Purslow as well as Broughton and Benitez, had been ‘constructive’ but added it was only the first of a series of planned meetings.

With Juventus wanting an answer from the Liverpool boss by the start of next week, they may finally abandon their pursuit of him and turn to alternative targets, such as Fiorentina’s Cesare Prandelli.

Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, explained why he was happy to shelve negotiations over his future until the start of next season, even though, by then, he will have less than a year to run on his contract.

The 32-year-old defender said: ‘I understand that, at my age, you can only make decisions season on season.’ (dailymail.co.uk)