THE BEST SOCCER PLAYERS

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko is furious at reports that he has become an unsettling influence at the club. The 30-year-old striker is seen as the cause of a conflict between manager Jose Mourinho and the club's hierarchy. He has been accused of being the dressing-room 'spy' of owner and friend Roman Abramovich but has strongly denied the accusations. "I am being made a scapegoat for things that have nothing to do with me," Shevchenko told The Times. He added: "My contract runs for four years. I am here now and I am staying here. I am continuing to work to fit inside the team. "I have been attacked from all sides but I intend to carry on. I will grit my teeth. I am not a quitter I just want to be kept out of the politics." It is no secret that Abramovich wanted Shevchenko and the Ukraine star moved to Chelsea in a £30m summer deal from AC Milan. But he has struggled to fit into Mourinho's plans and reports suggest that new striking arrivals

Alessandro Del Piero will make his 500th appearance for Juventus when the Serie B leaders host Bari this weekend. The 32-year-old striker, a World Cup winner with Italy last year, is in his 14th season with the Turin club and was one of the few stars to stick by them when they were relegated from Serie A last summer for match-fixing. Former Italy coach Marcello Lippi, who stood down after the Azzurri triumphed in Germany, heaped praise on Del Piero for his contribution to Italian football. "Del Piero is exceptional," Lippi said. "Few players have reached 500 appearances for Juventus, let alone score 203 goals. "When anyone thinks of Juve, they think of Del Piero. He is one of the few real symbols of Italian football; he is a leader and has an immensely tough character, he demonstrated that at the World Cup. "He stayed with Juventus after they were relegated and is a shining example to the rest of the squad." Source: AFP