William Gaillard, a senior adviser at European footballing governing body UEFA, told a parliamentary inquiry into the governance of English football that Liverpool FC was a prime example of why financial fair play rules must be introduced.

Gaillard, one of the closest advisers to UEFA president Michel Platini, warned a committee of MPs that the Anfield club had come perilously close to going into administration, before the club was rescued at the eleventh hour by American firm New England Sports Ventures (NESV).

Previous Liverpool FC owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, had loaded the club with debt – causing unmanageable debt management problems.

Gaillard said: “We’ve seen more than 80 clubs in Europe in 10 years going into administration.

“Leveraged buy-outs for many clubs end in disaster. Just take Liverpool where you have owners who came, contracted debt, bought out the previous owners and saddled the club with the debt.”

Gaillard told the inquiry that what almost broke Liverpool was two failed banks – one British, one American – which had both been nationalised.

He went further to say: “They suddenly found themselves being owned by two failed banks that had been taken over by governments – Royal Bank of Scotland by the British government and Wachovia by the US government.

“The club has now been rescued and thank God because it has tremendous heritage – but it was a close call.”

UEFA’s new financial fair play rules are designed to force clubs to break-even after an initial period of flexibility, and make playing in the UEFA Champions League difficult for clubs burdened with huge debts.

Gaillard also cautioned MPs against investors who over-leverage clubs with sudden massive investment from unpredictable and untrustworthy parties.

He said: “We at UEFA feel if a person brings equity, that is much better sit than if he brings debt.”

Cheshire East Council confirmed that they had received formal complaints from at least two residents in the village of Prestbury, where the Rooney’s £4.5 million house is located.

Disgruntled neighbours have said that they and their families were kept awake by loud rock and rap music playing until 1am in the morning. They are especially angry that the party – believed to have cost £100,000 and held in celebration of Kai Rooney’s first birthday – took place on the Sunday night before the children were due back at school after the half-term break.

Other villagers said that they visited the celebrity couple’s home to ask that the music be turned down, but that doormen turned them away. One angry resident, a mother of two who wished to remain anonymous, said:

“It wasn’t just a little music; it was so loud you could hear it word for word and it was booming out across the whole valley.”

“I’m not a party pooper but it was going on very late. It’s just not very neighbourly.”

Coleen Rooney and husband Wayne, who have recently returned from a luxury £250,000 holiday in Dubai, were said to be surprised that anyone had complained about the noise levels at their party. A spokesperson for the England footballer said:

“Wayne and Coleen took every precaution to make sure that the noise on Sunday was not excessive. They had a noise monitor running for the duration of the party.

“Of course they are sorry if anyone was disturbed, although they are surprised.”

Manager Alex Ferguson expressed pleasure in an interview that his prodigial son had agreed to remain at the Old Trafford club, but with the 24-year-old having publicly undermined the great Scot, is this new deal just a way for United to ensure that their asset is tied in to a lengthy contract so when he does go they can command the highest price?

Everyone in football knows that when a United player and manager Sir Alex collide, only one generally remains with their job in tact. Just ask Jaap Stam, Roy Keane or David Beckham.

It’s also well known that a player with a year or so left on their contract is in a much more powerful bargaining position.

With first team players’ ability also brought into question by the scouse striker Rooney’s seeming U-turn decision to stay at United seems odd – especially given the public outbursts and out-of-character press conferences over the matter. Did he finally get asurances that United were in fact still finncially able to challenge big spending rivals City? Does this mean that United’s debt isn’t as bad as first thought?

 Or is this contract a way for Mr Rooney to stay in favour with the club and their supporters, by showing some respect to the club (as Sir Alex requested) and nsuring they get the biggest transfer fee in January (or whenever)?  Who knows.

One thing for certain is that it will be interesting to see what happens when Wayne Rooney is fit and ready to play again for the club, and if the relationship between the two football marvels can truly blossom again when the big clubs request Mr Rooney’s services in the January transfer window.

Real Madrid and Manchester City had better add an extra ten million pounds to their offers now.

The BBC confirmed moment sago that Rooney had talks with the manager and has accepted their offer.

Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, said: “I said that the door is always open and I’m delighted Wayne’s agreed to stay.”

The pair had met with Chairman David Gill to thrash out an agreement.

Rooney added: “I’ve talked to the manager and the owners and they’ve convinced me this is where I belong.”

This should put United fans minds at rest that assurances were made about the future ambitions at the over-indebted club.

Press Association reports allege that Rooney has asked to leave the Premiership club at the earliest opportunity and has refused to sign an extension to his current contract. This could see the striker leave as early as the January transfer window.

It is this current contract which is the big concern for United, as there is only eighteen months remaining which means he would be free to leave the club under the Bosman ruling for no transfer fee.

United will naturally try to prevent this from happening and are keen for the 24-year-old to sign an extension to his current deal. Manchester United bought Wayne Rooney from Everton for close to £30m, but they will lose massively on their multi-million pound investment if the player walks at the end of this contract.

Rooney has complained that the relationship he has with Sir Alex has completely disintegrated and compares it to the relationship Ferguson had with David Beckham in 2003, which subsequently saw the footballer exit stage left.

The reasoning behind Rooney’s reported departure request, is that he is angered by boss Alex Ferguson’s comments that the forward was nursing an ankle injury.

Wayne Rooney did have ankle issues last season, but claims that he has not been suffering of late. In an interview Rooney said he is not injured and hasn’t been injured this term – refuting Ferguson’s earlier claims.

It is believed that the manager was trying to shield Rooney from ongoing criticism regarding his current form.

Since the world cup this summer Rooney has been a shadow of the player that terrorised defences last season and his form has been of sorts - which was not helped by intense media speculation surrounding extra-marrital affairs by the England forward with a couple of prostitutes.

Latest reports have linked the danger man with close rivals City, who attracted Carlos Tevez away from United in another big-money deal.

City currently lie ahead of their rivals and are second in the Premier League behind leaders Chelsea. Other possible clubs seemingly interested include European big-hitters Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The takeover at Liverpool FC was put further under strain as Lim offered the money as the club started their High Court showdown.

Liverpool are at court because their major creditors, the Royal Bank of Scotland, are taking action against American current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, as they claim the owners are in breach of contract by trying to change the running of the club to ‘frustrate’ its sale on Friday.

The American pair have been accused of “breathtaking arrogance” over their attempts to change the Liverpool board’s structure following an offer of £300m by John W Henry that was accepted by the club’s directors but which the pair rejected.

However, the offer today from Singapore businessman is a cash-only offer – made to Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton – for £320m. Lim has said he would remove the £200m debts taken on by Hicks and Gillette and has promised to offer a further £40m for player acquisitions.

In a statement, Peter Lim said: “I respect and admire Liverpool Football Club, which is steeped in tradition and history. I am committed to rebuild the club so that it can soon regain its position at the pinnacle of English and European football, where it truly belongs.

“This is why I have stepped forward with this offer. I believe that if its massive debt burden can be removed, the club would be able to focus on improving its performance on the pitch.

“My offer pays off the existing owners’ bank acquisition debt and also frees the club of its own bank debt. If the board accepts this offer, the monies are available immediately thereby removing the threat of administration.

“The club needs to strengthen its existing squad. As part of this offer, I will be injecting £40m in cash into the club for Roy Hodgson to bring in new players during the upcoming transfer window. Liverpool needs to start winning again!

“My offer provides a firm financial platform from which the club can rebuild. Given the manner in which the sale process has been handled, I feel Martin and the board owe it to me, to the club, and to the supporters, to consider my offer.”

These dreadful figures for the 12 months to June 30th compare less favourably than the £48m profit from the year before, which were boosted by the sale of Christiano Ronaldo for £80m.

Manchester United was bought for £800m in 2005 by the American Glazer family and saddled the club with massive debts. This was highlighted in the club’s annual figures by the club’s one-off finance charges for the year totalling £67m and the fact that United also paid out £40m in interest payments.

The defecit is despite the overall annual turnover for the “Red Devils” increasing to £286.4m.

Fans of the team have been angered by the Glazer’s presence and have turned their back on the club’s red and black colours in favour of the green and gold of old amateur team Newton Heath – which later became Manchester United.

They will point at these figures as proof that their ticket and TV subscription money is going on servicing debt rather than improving the playing line-up or the facilities.

The 24-year-old model and TV presenter is said to have confirmed the news this week when lunching with friend and celebrity hairdresser James Brown at Italian restaurant Strada. The Sun reports that she even showed Brown – Clancy’s co-star on the upcoming E4 programme Great British Hairdresser – a scan of the baby, saying that she had just been for a 12 week scan at a private clinic in central London.

A fellow customer said that she overheard a delighted Clancy on the phone talking about the scan, when she reportedly found out the sex of the baby. Speaking of the nurse, the model apparently said:

“She’s the expert. She said she could see what it is now which means it must be a boy. I reckon it’s probably a boy. She said it’s so perfect’.”

Many will be surprised at the news, as the couple were last in the papers battling to save their relationship after Tottenham Hotspur striker Crouch, 29, was accused of infidelity. The story was widely reported when an Algerian prostitute calling herself Monika Mint alleged that she had slept with Crouch twice in Madrid last July. If the allegations are true and Clancy really is expecting her first child, she would have been around one month pregnant at the time.

It would appear now that Clancy has forgiven Crouch, especially as the couple continue to share their £3 million Surrey mansion.

Desite allegations Mr Rooney’s extra curricular activities with a pair of prostitutes, Mrs Rooney has chosen to make a defiant act of togetherness by still waering her wedding ring.

The England and Manchester United footballer is reported to have slept with two prostitutes simultaneously at Manchester’s five-star Lowry Hotel, whilst wife Coleen was pregnant with their son Kai.

However, despite the rumours surrounding her husband the scouse TV presenter has kept her diamond wedding ring on and claimed to fight for the marriage.

The parents of both prostitutes named and shamed in the sex scandal have both openly apologised to Coleen Rooney for their daughter’s acts and have reportedly disowned them.

Wayne, who has previous history with another prostitute, has met with wife Coleen in a bid to save the relationship for the sake of their son.

When the England football team get together conversations about family life must surely raise the temperature a little, as Peter Crouch, John Terry and Ashley Cole have all had their share of news coverage following their alleged wanderings.

It was reported in the Daily Mail that Rooney, 24, cheated on wife and childhood sweetheart Coleen, also 24, with prostitute Jennifer Thompson (also known as ‘Juici Jeni’).

The 21-year-old prostitute claims that she met Rooney at the Manchester 235 Casino last summer – whilst Coleen was pregnant with their son, Kai, now ten months old – and met him at Salford’s Lowry Hotel for sex after he sent her a number of suggestive text messages. She then met him at the same hotel many times more, him reportedly paying around £1,200 in cash each time. Thompson says:

“Wayne chased me with sex texts and paid in wads of cash. He didn’t seem to care he was betraying Coleen.”

According to the Daily Mail, Rooney broke the devastating news to model and presenter wife Coleen via text message, whilst she was visiting the hair salon ahead of a family gathering. Unlike the partners of John Terry and Peter Crouch, Coleen has reportedly left the couple’s £4.5 million Cheshire house to seek comfort at her parent’s house – a sign that their marriage may be in jeopardy in a similar fashion to the Cole’s because of Rooney’s actions.

Wayne, meanwhile, travelled to Switzerland and is preparing for the England game tonight. Pictured arriving at Switzerland still wearing his wedding ring, Rooney will have to convince England manager Fabio Capello that he is in a fit state of mind to play in the Euro 2012 qualifier game.

As has been widely reported in the press, the couple – who married in 2006 in a fairytale wedding – decided to end their four-year relationship after allegations surfaced about Chelsea footballer Ashley, 29, and a string of other women. The divorce has now been granted on the grounds of ‘unreasonable behaviour’ by the footballer.

The divorce process has been sped through the courts as the couple wanted to keep it quick, painless and amicable. This was helped by Ashley and Cheryl agreeing on how to split their jointly owned assets, including a £22 million fortune.

All property and cash will be split equally between the two, with Cheryl expected to sell the nine-bedroom ,£6 million mansion they shared in Surrey and divide up the proceeds. The Parachute singer is also expected to be keeping Ashley’s surname, Cole, for “career reasons”.

A source believed to be close to the couple has spoken to the Mirror about the amicable agreement Cheryl and Ashley reached early in divorce proceedings, saying:

“It turned out to be quite straightforward and there was no excessive wrangling on either side. Both Cheryl and Ashley wanted to make it as easy for each other as possible and just draw a line under things.”

According to reports, neither party attended the court hearing when District Judge Christopher Simmonds granted the decree nisi. Cheryl is in Los Angeles filming The X Factor, whilst Ashley was preparing for the England vs. Bulgaria game.

Tiger & Elin before the truth came out

Golfing superstar and notorious love cheat Tiger Woods and his estranged wife Elin Nordegren have now finalised their divorce, this week flying to a Florida court together to sign the last official papers.

The couple separated nine months ago, after it was revealed that Woods had engaged in a string of extra-marital affairs. Allegations of affairs with up to 19 women – starting with nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel – dominated headlines all over the world, resulting in severe damage to the golfer’s career and marriage. Although Woods has made a number of public apologies, this wasn’t enough to save his relationship with betrayed wife Nordegren as she filed for divorce.

Swedish former model Nordegren is said to have been awarded a divorce settlement of $100 million (£64 million) from Woods, although she apparently could have had grounds to pursue half of the golfer’s £650million fortune. However, she reportedly took the $100m to avoid a long, messy and very public court contest.

Nordegren did sign a pre-nuptial agreement before her 2006 wedding to Woods, but he was forced to renegotiate this in an unsuccessful attempt to save his marriage.

This week, the couple – who are reportedly on speaking terms for the sake of their two young children – flew to a court in Panama City for a final ten-minute hearing, where their marriage was described as

.

As well as agreeing on the $100m settlement payment, Nordegren will get to keep the home they previously shared together. Other reports suggest that Nordegren will stay silent on the subject of their marriage, as long as Woods agrees not to expose their children to any of his girlfriends.

The woman in question, who calls herself Monica Mint, told the papers that Crouch, 29, paid her £829 for sexual liaisons in the back of a taxi and at a £80-a-night hotel in Madrid whilst he was on a friend’s stag weekend last July.

Ms Mint, 19, claims she met Crouch at the Buddha del Mar nightclub before heading to a hotel with him, where he reportedly paid for the room using his credit card. Although describing Crouch as “humble and kind”, Mint also said she didn’t know Crouch was engaged to Abbey Clancy at the time. She has said:

“I can’t believe he paid for sex with someone like me when he has a gorgeous woman like her at home.”

Crouch and Clancy have been engaged for just over a year, and had recently been photographed enjoying a romantic holiday in Sardinia.

Neither Crouch nor Clancy have commented on nor confirmed the rumours, meaning that Ms Mint’s allegations remain very much her word against the footballers for the time being.

However, sources close to Clancy claim she is devastated at the news, although she has still been seen wearing her engagement ring as she films her new programme Great British Hairdresser in Manchester. A friend told the Daily Mail:

“She tried to put a brave face on things and got through the day as best as she could like a professional but you could see she was in pieces from the news.”

Brazilian Massa, who was leading the race at the time, was instructed by his team that Alonso was a quicker driver than him and asked if he understood the instruction – a clear order to relinquish the lead to his teammate.

As a result Massa then slowed and allowed Alonso, who is ahead of Massa in the championship standings, to overtake him easily.

Alonso went on to win the race at the German Grand Prix, with Massa eventually finishing second.

But the usually exuberant celebrations on the podium were stale, despite Ferrari coming first and second and Massa looked unhappy with what he had been ordered to do.

In the press conference after the race, a disgruntled Massa simply said “pass” when asked about the incident.

The rule regarding team orders was brought in to the sport in 2002, following Michael Scumacher benefitting from team orders to take the world championship.

Ferrari were fined £65,000 and summoned before the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council, which could prove more significant. The hearing is expected to be held next month in Paris, and it’s possible that the council may opt to expell Ferrari from this year’s world championship.

Former team owner, Eddie Jordan, commented: “It was unlawful and theft. They stole from us the chance of having a wheel-to-wheel contest between the drivers.Ferrari should be ashamed. This was a team order. For me it is cheating and the two cars should be excluded. It looks as if a young Spaniard acted petulantly and Ferrari have reacted.”

Christian Horner, the principal at the Red Bull team, said: “That is the clearest team order I have seen. It’s wrong for the sport. The regulations are pretty clear – team orders are not allowed.”

Who is the mother of Ronaldo's baby?

And now, it has been suggested that he became a father after a one night stand with a waitress who he met in LA.

The footballer is said to have met the woman in question when he was in America last summer and when he found out that she was pregnant, he reportedly paid her £10 million not to reveal her identity and also to give the baby to him once it was born.

It was Ronaldo who made the first move on the waitress and when he found out that she was pregnant, he agreed to a DNA test which revealed that he was the father.

Ronaldo announced his good news on his website as well as on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook. He was adamant that the mother of the baby wanted to stay anonymous.

There have been several rumours flying around as to how and why Ronaldo has become a father with some reports suggesting that he may have paid a surrogate mother to have his baby. Ronaldo has so far made no comments about these claims.

The circumstances surrounding the birth of the baby have not yet been confirmed, so there are bound to be plenty more rumours circulating before the truth is finally revealed. But we may have to wait a while before we learn the truth, because it has been reported that the mother of the footballer has ordered that he does not reveal the name of the mother of his baby until the baby is 18.