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DRC rebels 'march to take capital'

MOBUTU PARLE DE LA VERITE CACHEE

Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich explains why Roberto Di Matteo was sacked*

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Chelsea Sack Di Matteo & Sign Rafa Benitez!! Where's Pep Guardiola?

Benitez Appointed

The Xtra Factor 2012 (playlist)

WHRE I AM GOING ? Guardiola will have pick of the top jobs

Had you delved into the heart of the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport on the day Chelsea were beaten in Turin you would have found a cartoon.

The features were exaggerated but the image was familiar, a smartly-suited and shaven-headed man with stubble, dwarfed by the skyscrapers of New York, studying a signpost.

London, Milan, Munich and Manchester were the options available. Across European football, everyone is asking the same question: Where now for Pep Guardiola, the world’s most wanted coach? 

Where next, Pep? Guardiola could have the pick of jobs when he returns to football

Roman Abramovich likes to think it is Stamford Bridge whereupon he will be expected to recreate the success he enjoyed in Barcelona, turning Chelsea into the world’s finest and most popular team. 

What can go wrong? The first thing for Abramovich is that Guardiola could swerve him for one of the other offers.

AC Milan and Bayern Munich are serious about their interest and Manchester City have recently appointed Txiki Begiristain as their director of football.

It was Begiristain, when in a similar role at Barcelona, who lured Guardiola back to the club in his first coaching role, in charge of the reserve team. City were favourites among the British bookies until yesterday’s shift.

Then there is Manchester United, the quiet option out of respect for Sir Alex Ferguson’s longevity, but if there is one person who might smooth the sensitivities of all sides of the Fergie exit, it is probably Guardiola.

Repeat performance? Guardliola could find it difficult to replicate his success at Barcelona

DI MATEO OUT BENITHEZ IN

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Blues told RDM he'd be axed if he dared to drop Torres

I'LL GET ME COAT ... Roberto Di Matteo was sacked after leaving £50million striker Fernando Torres on the bench in 

Former Liverpool chief Rafa Benitez has been named as interim boss until the end of the season.

Di Matteo was ruthlessly axed at 4am yesterday, hours after Chelsea were effectively knocked out of the Champions League with a a 3-0 defeat in Italy.

Abramovich still hopes he can get former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola in the summer.

Benitez is a dream appointment for Torres, who only showed his true ability when he was taken to Liverpool by Rafa.

Di Matteo decided to drop Torres after his dismal performance during the 2-1 defeat at West Brom on Saturday.

He then refused to obey Chelsea’s orders and named Eden Hazard up front in Turin.

And defeat was the final straw for Abramovich, who had been preparing to replace Di Matteo for almost a month.

V

Wenger: I'm sad and surprised by Di Matteo axe

ARSENE WENGER insists Roberto Di Matteo was not given enough time before being sacked by Chelsea

The Russian billionaire had only grudgingly appointed Di Matteo in June after failing to lure Guardiola.

A fresh approach was rebuffed following Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk last month.

And though Chelsea still hope to land Guardiola, Benitez has agreed to step in for the rest of the season with the brief of building a team around Britian’s most expensive footballer.

Torres, who is known by the other players to have the ear of Abramovich, was furious about being substituted against West Brom and in his previous game against Liverpool.

And he has been quietly lobbying for the appointment of Benitez, the man who signed him for Liverpool from Atletico Madrid in 2007.

The £180,000-a-week striker said in a recent interview: “Rafa has been the most important coach in my career. He’s the only one who knew how to improve me.”

Now Chelsea are banking on Benitez bringing the best out of a player who has hit just 19 goals in 87 appearances.

Yet while Torres might not be sorry, his Spanish team-mate Juan Mata was gutted.

He said: “Roberto is no longer our boss and I’d like to thank him for all his time with us and wish him the best of luck for the future.

“As a player he was a legend and with him as boss we won our first Champions League.”

Di Matteo said: “It was an honour for me to be a manager of a club I loved playing for and one that is close to my heart. I’m proud of the successes and trophies we won recently.

“Lifting Chelsea’s first Champions League trophy in Munich was the best achievement in club history and without doubt the highlight of my career to date, both as a player and manager. It is a memory I’ll treasure.

“I’ve a deep and unreserved passion for Chelsea and I’d like to sincerely thank all of the staff, my players and of course the Chelsea fans, for their tremendous and unconditioned support in the intense time I have been the manager.”

LMA chief Richard Bevan said: “Roberto’s passion for the club and the honesty and integrity he has shown throughout his time in charge is unquestioned.

“His record of a Champions League title and FA Cup triumph speaks for itself.”

DR Congo rebels seize military airport

GOMA TOMBE CONTROLE PAR LE M23

RDC : les rebelles du M23 contrôlent Goma

Vingt-quatre heures après l’offensive sur Goma, les rebelles du M23 ont pris le contrôle, mardi 20 novembre, de l’aéroport et d'une grande partie de la capitale du Nord-Kivu. Le gouverneur de la province, Julien Paluku, dit craindre "le massacre sélectif de personnalités proches du pouvoir de Kinshasa" par les nouveaux maîtres de la ville.

Goma change de mains. Après avoir pris le contrôle de l’aéroport, mardi 20 novembre au matin, les rebelles du M23 sont entrés sans résistance majeure dans la ville, abandonnée par les FARDC. Quelques tirs sporadiques se faisaient encore entendre en milieu de journée et les réfugiés congolais continuaient à arriver à Gisenyi, ville rwandaise frontalière proche de Goma.

Le gouverneur de la province du Nord-Kivu (est de la RDC), Julien Paluku, s’avoue vaincu et accuse : « Les rebelles du M23 se sont coalisés avec l’armée rwandaise pour prendre le contrôle de l’aéroport de Goma. Actuellement, ils sont rentrés dans la ville où ils contrôlent déjà plusieurs quartiers. Nos troupes se sont retranchées, pour l’instant, à Himbi, Mungungu et à Ndosho, dans la partie est de la ville ».

L’autorité provinciale dit craindre cependant des « massacres sélectifs » par les rebelles du M23. « Certaines sources nous rapportent que les maisons des personnalités proches du pouvoir de Kinshasa sont visitées par les hommes de Sultani Makenga [chef militaire du M23, NDLR] », explique-t-il.

Kabila lance un appel "au peuple"

De son côté, le président congolais Joseph Kabila a aussitôt lancé, à Kinshasa, un appel « au peuple ainsi qu'à toutes les institutions » à se mobiliser contre l'agression dont la RDC se dit victime de la part du Rwanda voisin. « Je demande la participation de toute la population à défendre notre souveraineté », a-t-il ajouté.

Dans Goma, certains habitants sortent de chez eux pour serrer la main de nouveaux maîtres de la ville. Alors qu’à Kinshasa, les jeunes sont descendus dans les rues de la capitale pour manifester leur colère après l’annonce de la prise de la ville par les rebelles. Ce tournant dans le conflit armé à l’est de la RDC contraindra-t-il Kinshasa à accepter des « négociations directes » avec le M23 ? « Pas question », persiste Lambert Mende, le porte-parole du gouvernement. « Si nous le faisons, ce serait une façon de laver la responsabilité du Rwanda dans cette guerre », soutient-il.

À New-York, la France a déposé lundi au Conseil de sécurité un projet de résolution sur l’élargissement du mandat de la Monusco qui se limite actuellement à la protection des populations civiles. « La résolution doit être adoptée ce jeudi 22 novembre pour donner aux troupes onusiennes sur place une mission plus étendue », affirme Sid Rouis, conseiller de la ministre française chargée de la Francophonie, Yasmina Benguigui. « Des sanctions additionnelles contre les dirigeants du M23 sont également prévues », ajoute-t-il.

jeune afrique

RDCONGOINFOS : le M23 dit être entré dans Goma

AMA 2012 PERFOMANCE

AMERICA MUSIC AWARDS 2012

Get a room ... Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber

with Justin Bieber at the American Music Awards.

The singer – who also performed solo in a fluffy wintry outfit – pulled a sex face as she thrust her bulging behind in the teen titan’s direction.

Newly-single Justin appeared equally caught up in the saucy moment, pushing his middle region towards the busty rap queen’s booty and pulling hungrily at his red leather trousers.

The stars’ Beauty And The Beat collaboration was among the live highlights at the prize-giving bash at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

But there was a host of other stellar performances on the night.

Showing lots of Minaj-ination ... Nicki performs in wintry outfit

Christina Aguilera vied to out-boob Nicki in typically revealing stage attire.

The singer ensured her ample assets didn’t go unnoticed in a star-emblazoned bodysuit at the 40th anniversary bash, where she performed Lotus, Army Of Me and Let There Be Love.

Breast intentions ... Christina Aguilera

She also teamed up with rapper Pitbull – looking dapper in a suit – for Feel This Love.

He's got the hump ... Pitbull thrusts himself at Christina Aguilera

R&B star Usher opened the three-hour show in eye-catching style, courtesy of a green laser beam display.

Dressed in black apart from a pair of red trainers, he played a medley of songs that included Numb, Climax and Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.

Opening act ... Usher

Carly Rae Jepsen, who beat One Direction to the New Artist Of The Year award, also performed early on in the ceremony.

The Canadian singer drew attention to her legs in a little white frock and jacket.

Bit of all white ... Carly Rae Jepsen

Chris Brown flaunted even more skin, going open-shirted for his Everydays Birthday collaboration with Swizz Beatz and Ludacris.

However, the R&B bad boy’s stint on stage has sparked controversy, with some eagle-eyed observers claiming he mimed his vocals.

Flesh-flasher ... Chris Brown

The Brits were represented in the form of The Wanted, who all dressed to the nines in smart evening clobber.

They gave a rendition of their song I Found You that went down such a storm, they received a standing ovation at the end.

Standing ovation ... The Wanted

Pink also had the audience mesmerised, recreating her complex choreography from her Try video for a live version of the single.

And she once again displayed impressive strength when she lifted her buff male co-star off the stage.

Manning up ... Pink

Taylor Swift proved she’s not all sweetness and light with a darkly brooding performance of her song I Knew You Were Trouble.

The singer – who bagged the Favourite Female Country Artist gong – apparently wrote the lyrics about her lothario former boyfriend John Mayer.

Dark side ... Taylor Swift

Gwen Stefani turned heads in a black bra and sheer top when she took to the fray with No Doubt.

She teamed her revealing top with tight leather trousers.

Bra-vellous ... Gwen Stefani

Less graceful onstage was Ke$ha, who looked distinctly ungainly throughout her performance of new single Die Young.

The towering singer appeared to be doing a dodgy version of the Can-Can at one point, proving she’s not quite as blessed as Gwen in the flexibility stakes.

Ungainly ... Ke$ha

Kelly Clarkson showed she can do style as well as belting out power ballads in a bra-revealing leather dress adorned with sparklers.

Her microphone was just as bling, glittering in the stage lights during her greatest hits medley.

Bling ... Kelly Clarkson

Linkin Park provided a dose of heavy rock, while Carrie Underwood looked gothic in a black dress and trendy heels.

Rock stars ... Linkin Park

Legend Stevie Wonder paid tribute to American radio and TV star Dick Clark, who died of a heart attack in April, aged 82.

The star performed a mash-up of his best-loved tunes while images of the broadcasting icon flashed on a screen behind him.

Going gothic ... Carrie Underwood

But the biggest cheers of the night were saved for South Korean star PSY’s duet with early-90s rap favourite MC Hammer.

Tribute ... Stevie Wonder

The unlikely pair closed the event with a version of PSY’s monster viral hit Gangnam Style, with Hammer nailing the song’s famous horse-riding dance.

The forgotten US rapper then reminded the audience of his past with a performance of his aptly-titled 1991 tune Too Legit To Quit.