Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/274219
52 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 MARCH 2014 FOOTBALL Sport PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL ZAMMIT CUTAJAR / MFA MFA and McDonalds Sign Sponsorship Agreement for the UEFA European Under 17 Championship - Malta 2014 THE Malta Football Association and McDonalds (Malta) have today put pen to paper on an agreement, whereby the latter will be sponsor- ing the Finals of the UEFA Europe- an Under 17 Championship, which will be held in Malta in May of this year. McDonalds will sponsor these finals both on a cash basis as well as by way of offering meals to the hundreds of volunteers and or- ganisation staff members, who will be engaged for the duration of the tournament. President Mr. Norman Darmanin Demajo and Treasurer Mr. Ivan Mizzi signed on behalf of MFA while Ms. Laura Jasenaite, Group Marketing Leader signed o.b.o. McDonalds. By way of this partnership the company will also be responsible for the selection and engagement of more than 100 boys and girls to act as Player Escorts at matches from the May Finals. McDonalds have combined this in their cam- paign leading to the selection of one child for the experience of acting as player excort at the FIFA World Cup Finals in Brasil. In this regard the Malta Football Associa- tion will assist by making available its facilities and resources for a Fun Football activity to be held for the chosen 115 youngsters, on 23rd April 2014. This agreement also gives the option to McDonalds to offer the opportunity to their clients to ac- quire Free Tickets for matches of the UEFA European Under 17 final tournament. The championship is currently in its Elite Qualification phase with matches from this stage being played between the 20th and 31st March. The seven best European teams at international youth level will join Malta in the Final tournament which will be played between the 9th and 21st May. The draws for the Final Group Stage are scheduled for the 9th April 2014 at St James Cavalier in Valletta. President Mr. Norman Darmanin Demajo and Treasurer Mr. Ivan Mizzi signed on behalf of MFA while Ms. Laura Jasenaite, Group Marketing Leader signed o.b.o. McDonalds Vintage Eto'o starts Blues rout A review of Saturday's action in the Barclays Premier League as Chelsea beat Tottenham 4-0 to go seven points clear at the top SAMUEL Eto'o came of age and sub- stitute Demba Ba scored twice as Jose Mourinho's Chelsea beat Tottenham 4-0 to move seven points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League. Cameroon striker Eto'o, whose age was questioned recently in unguard- ed comments made by Mourinho, celebrates his 33rd birthday on Mon- day and stood crooked at the corner flag, as if using it as an old man's stick, following his goal. Demba Ba, another much-derided Chelsea striker, then scored twice in his late cameo after replacing Eto'o. The victory extended Mourinho's unbeaten Premier League home record to 75 games and took Chel- sea seven points clear of Arsenal and Liverpool and nine ahead of Man- chester City, the Portuguese's title favourites. Cardiff captain Steven Caulker led from the front with two goals as the Welsh club won a crucial encounter against fellow strugglers Fulham 3-1. The centre-back scored in either half to give the Bluebirds' battle against relegation a boost while in- creasing the woes of their bottom-of- the-table opponents. Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solk- sjaer had said in the build-up the match was one they must win and in doing so he registered only his sec- ond league victory in nine matches since taking the job in January. Caulker put them ahead on the stroke of half-time when he con- verted Craig Noone's deflected cross but early in the second half Giorgios Karagounis' corner was flicked on by John Heitinga for Lewis Holtby to convert his first goal since joining on loan from Spurs in January. They were level for eight min- utes before Caulker headed Cardiff back in front and when goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg's saved Jordon Mutch's header only for the rebound to go in off his own defender Sascha Riether. Victory put them within a point of safety with West Brom, who lost 3-0 at home to Manchester United, the team immediately in their sights. United kept alive their slim hopes of a top-four finish after Phil Jones put them ahead 10 minutes before half-time with a header. After the break Wayne Rooney nodded in the second before sub- stitute Danny Welbeck added a late third. United, however, still remain nine points adrift of Manchester City, who currently occupy fourth spot but have two matches in hand over their neighbours. Norwich edged four points clear of the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke, who had goalscorer Jon Walters sent off five minutes af- ter scoring the equaliser. Bradley Johnson's header from Rob- ert Snodgrass' 56th-minute free-kick put the hosts ahead only for Sebast- ien Bassong to foul John Guidetti to allow Walters to score from the spot in successive weeks. However, the goalscorer was sent off for clattering into Alex Tettey as the Potters saw out the final 13 min- utes with 10 men. Southampton consolidated their position in ninth place as Jay Rod- riguez's breakaway in the 37th minute provided the only goal against Crys- tal Palace, who themselves are only two points above the bottom three. Udinese add more misery to Milan ANTONIO Di Natale compounded AC Milan's woes to earn Udinese a crucial win at the Stadio Friuli on Saturday evening. The former Italy international struck the only goal of the game mid- way through the second half to lift the Zebrette 10 points clear of the drop zone, and to within four points of the Rossoneri, who have now lost two in a row. Clarence Seedorf's men could fall as much as nine points adrift of the top five this weekend following the 1-0 loss, putting them under increased pressure to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League when they face Atletico Ma- drid on Tuesday night. Milan need to overturn a 1-0 defi- cit in Spain if they are to continue in Europe. Samuel Eto' o celebrates by posing like an old man