For those starting to wonder if Fabio Capello's loyalty to the flag of St George might be tested by Inter Milan's millions, there came comforting signs yesterday.
From England's retreat in the Austrian mountains, Capello spoke with a rare depth of feeling about the players under his control and his passion for the job.
Speaking in his native tongue, in an interview for an Italian television channel, he was able to portray some of the emotion which is so often absent when he uses his limited English.
Capello explained how God Save the Queen gives him 'goosebumps' before a match and how he adores the work ethic and training ground commitment of the English players.
Demands: Diego Maradona has demanded luxury toilets be installed at his World Cup suite
Luxury: Maradona's toilet is believed to be similar to this one, which features heated seating and a warm air blow dryer
Base: Maradona and the Argentinian football team will stay at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria during the World Cup tournament
Diego Maradona has demanded two state-of-the-art bidet toilets be installed for him at Argentina's World Cup base camp in South Africa.
Builders were rushed in to carry out a £1,400 overhaul of the football legend's private suite after his aides complained that the existing bathroom facilities would not meet his 'high standards.'
DIEGO'S DEMANDS
Two bidet toilets
All rooms must be painted white
Six Playstations for the footballers
Ten hot dishes to be served every day
Every dinner must include three desserts
Icecream must be available at all times
Prior to the kickoff at Super Bowl XLIV, Grammy-winning artists Queen Latifah and Carrie Underwood got the crowd at Sun Life Stadium ready for action with two stirring performances.
Latifah, in a sparkle-filled gray jacket, performed a soft-spoken but heartfelt version of America the Beautiful to the delight of fans.
Moments later, with the color guard closely behind her on a makeshift stage at midfield, Underwood belted out a stunning rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Seconds after finishing the final note, Underwood looked toward the sky with a big smile as four F-15s flew over the stadium before peeling away on full afterburner, rattling the seats at Sun Life Stadium.
At halftime, legendary classic rock band The Who performed a rushed, multi-song set that included hits such as Pinball Wizard, Teenage Wasteland, Who are You and (Won't get) Fooled Again.
Missing from the halftime show this year in Miami were the fans, who are usually rushed onto the field to add atmosphere to the abbreviated concert.
On a full-circle stage that stretched from one 30-yard line to the other, guitarist Pete Townshend ripped off his patented windmill strum in front of a multi-colored laser and fireworks show that continually lit up the crowd from behind the stage.
—— Tim Gardner
Friends in high places:
Their habits drew second looks because no one knew whether they were real or costumes. But Sisters Mary Rose and Mary Andrew were in uniform and on duty for the Saints.
The New Orleans nuns, friends and suite guests of Saints owner Tom Benson, teach in the French Quarter. They had varying reasons for their loyalty but were happy it paid off with a Super Bowl game they could witness.
"I've been praying for this for 43 years," said Sister Mary Andrew, a lifelong fan who didn't give her age. "It's exciting. More than exciting. They've been very good to us and very faith-filled Catholics. We're blessed to be the ones here."
Said Sister Mary Rose, "I just fell in love with New Orleans and more with the Saints because of what they did for the city after Hurricane Katrina. The hope they brought to the city was incredible, and that forever put them in my heart and raised them way high. The franchise got it. They represent the city."
—— Gary Graves
Coming up roses:
Rarely has bathroom duty yielded so many perks.
That's the way Sun Life Stadium restroom attendant Schadrac Jean Claude viewed his job as he dispensed hand soap, towels and greetings in his club-level post. A two-year stadium employee with Haitian parents, he's been in frequent contact with his family since the Jan. 12 earthquake and said they've provided encouragement to him as he tries to do the same for them.
"They're OK, they're very happy for me and they want to be here," Jean Claude said. "People ask if I like (the job), and I tell them I really do. It teaches me how to talk to people and I do all right with tips."
Lest anyone think he has the worst seat in the house, there are two flat-screen TVs for Jean Claude to watch the game.
"I just have to be ready for halftime," said Jean Claude, who was rooting for the Colts. "That's when it becomes a madhouse."
Football fan has a brush with fame during yesterday's Manchester United and Chelsea game
A football fan had a brush with fame when he was filmed cleaning his teeth during a football match.
The fan was captured on camera as he brushed his teeth in the middle of yesterday's crunch game between Chelsea and Manchester United.
The unidentified man was spotted with foam and a toothbrush in his mouth in the stands at Stamford Bridge.
He was visible for several seconds behind players Salomon Kalou and Michael Owen as they waited on the touchline to come on as second-half substitutes.
Sharp-eyed internet users posted the clip on YouTube and within hours it had been watched by more than 1,000 people.
BBC Radio 5 Live presenter DJ Spoony also spotted the fan, who bizarrely was wearing dark glasses.
He asked on air: 'Why has he got a toothbrush in the stadium?
'And more importantly, why is he brushing his teeth in the stadium?'
'Every time you eat something, you should brush your teeth afterwards.
'You were taught that, right? You should be flossing too, I would add.'
Spoony went on: 'So you're in the football stadium, you've had your pie, you brush your teeth. I mean where do you rinse, or gargle?'
The fan later answered Spoony's appeal to phone in and explain his strange behaviour.
He said he had not had time to brush his teeth before setting off for the game and was wearing dark glasses because his ex-girlfriend was there and he is "a ladies' man".
Chelsea won the top-of-the-table clash 1-0, thanks to a 76th minute goal from captain John Terry.
