Under-age sex scandal that could ruin France's WC Chances

THIS is the hooker at the centre of an underage-sex scandal which could ruin France's World Cup chances.

Blonde Zahia Dehar is said to have had £2,000-a-time romps with internationals Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema, Sidney Govou and Hatem Ben Arfa when 17.She has just turned 18 - the country's legal age for prostitution - and a judge is probing whether they knew how old she was. If found guilty, each could face up to three years in jail.

Wannabe model Zahia, seen in snaps on social networking sites, said of the players: "I loved them all - they spoiled me. I wasn't truthful about my age. They should be left alone."

This is Wahiba with Franck who are married with kids and Franck converted to Islam due to their union.

Reports in Paris claimed Bayern Munich ace Ribery - sent off in last night's Champions League semi-final against Lyon - had Zahia flown first class from France to Germany for sex in a hotel.

The 27-year-old, who has two daughters with wife Wahiba, is alleged to have later attended Zahia's 18th birthday party.

First Thierry Henry's handball, now this??! Oh mon dieu!

Forbes' Most Expensive Football Teams

No. 10: Schalke 04

Domestic league: German Bundesliga

Owner/majority shareholder: Veltins brewery

Current value: $510 million

A new German TV deal is boosting revenue. So is selling out Veltins Arena (the brewer is parent and naming-rights sponsor). The team is locked up with Gazprom on a shirt sponsorship deal that will reportedly pay as much as $180 million over five years. Quarterfinalists in Champions League in '08, Schalke 04 was out early in '09.

No. 9: Juventus

Domestic league: Italian Serie A

Owner/majority shareholder: Agnelli family

Current value: $600 million

Juventus was promoted back to Serie A last year following scandal and demotion. Eligible for Champions league this year, the team is building a new, mid-sized stadium; the naming rights are already sold.

No. 8: Chelsea

Domestic league: English Premiership

Owner/majority shareholder: Roman Abramovich

Current value: $800 million

Although the team was a runner-up both in Premiership and Champions leagues, home attendance at London's Stamford Bridge was down. More than $700 million in debt, team head Peter Kenyon's plan to turn profit will have to wait.

No. 7: Barcelona

Domestic league: Spanish Primera Liga

Owner/majority shareholder: club members

Current value: $960 million

The Champions league semifinalist is investing in Major League Soccer team in Miami to grow U.S. presence and investing $400 million to redevelop its old stadium.

No. 6: AC Milan

Domestic league: Italian Serie A

Owner/majority shareholder: Silvio Berlusconi

Current value: $990 million

The team shared a stadium with Inter Milan, and it will miss the '09 Champions league after a subpar 2008, despite borrowing David Beckham from Los Angeles Galaxy. Revenues are up on first year of new TV deal with Berlusconi's Mediaset

No. 5: Liverpool

Domestic league: English Premiership

Owner/majority shareholder: George Gillett/Thomas Hicks

Current value: $1.01 billion

The credit crunch forced owners to halt plans for new stadium last year. Hicks and Gillett have roughly three months to repay or refinance $600 million in debt with RBS/Wachovia. Owners could be forced to sell just one year after making the semifinals of the Champions league.

No. 4: Bayern Munich

Domestic league: German Bundesliga

Owner/majority shareholder: club members

Current value: $1.11 billion

The team missed the Champions league but made it to semifinals of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Cup. Bayern Munich has a debt-free balance sheet, and last year it bought a 50% stake in its stadium that it did not own, which will increase their revenue this season.

No. 3: Arsenal

Domestic league: English Premiership

Owner/majority shareholder: Alisher Usmanov

Current value: $1.2 billion

London club sold out new Emirates Stadium in its second year, despite increased ticket prices, and finished third in English Premier League (EPL). Naming rights pay an average of $18 million a year through 2021, which should help pay stadium debt. There are 50,000 fans on the waiting list for season tickets.

No. 2: Real Madrid

Domestic league: Spanish Primera Liga

Owner/majority shareholder: club members

Current value: $1.353 billion

Despite the loss of their jersey sponsor BenQ Mobile, these Spanish champs are in the second year of a $1.4 billion, seven-year TV deal. And recent stadium improvements mean more luxury suites and hospitality revenue this season

No. 1: Manchester United

Domestic league: English Premiership

Owner/majority shareholder: Glazer family

Current value: $1.87 billion

These European champs benefit from the first year of new Premiership TV deal. Owners could sell naming rights for the team's Old Trafford stadium to reduce their $1 billion debt.

Forbes' 10 Most Valuable Teams in Sports

Manchester United has topped the list of Forbes' 10 Most Valuable Teams in Sports..

No. 1 Manchester United

Football

$1.8 billion

An annual powerhouse with a true global brand, Man-U fetched the highest price ever for a sports franchise when Malcolm Glazier forked over $1.45 billion for it in 2005.

No. 2 Dallas Cowboys

American Football

$1.6 billion

No. 3 Washington Redskins

American Football

$1.5 billion

No. 4 New England Patriots

American Football

$1.32 billion

No. 5 New York Yankees

Baseball

$1.3 billion

No. 6 Real Madrid

Football

$1.29 billion

A winner of nine European Championship Cups, Real Madrid rakes in close to half a billion dollars in annual revenue. Its 62-year-old stadium--Santiago Bernabéu--has been heavily renovated over the years, with capacity trimmed from a peak of 120,000 to 80,000. Like American baseball, European soccer is moving to a model that emphasizes revenue per seat over maximum attendance.

No. 7 Arsenal

Football

$1.2 billion

The club founded in 1886 took in $329 million in revenue last year. Three-year-old Emirates Stadium, which seats over 60,000, includes 7,139 club level seats sold in one to four year licenses and over 150 boxes where seats start at $87,000 annually (65,000 euros). The naming rights deal with Emirate Airlines is worth $133 million (100 million euros) over eight years.

No. 8 New York Giants

American Football

$1.18 billion

No. 9 New York Jets

American Football

$1.17 billion

No. 10 Houston Texans

American Football

$1.17 billion

Remember this?

Martin Keown tells the Daily Mail that ex-Red Ruud van Nistelrooy (who lines up for Hamburg in the Europa League semi-final against Fulham tonight) was "up there with the best strikers I played against but you couldn't trust him - he was always looking to test referees, which is why I ended up losing my rag with him." Naturally it warranted that reaction in 2003 after Arsenal earned a 0-0 draw at OT.

Van Nistelrooy missed a penalty at the dieing moments of the game after Arsenal skipper Patrick Viera supposedly kicked Van Nistelrooy at the groin in the 18 yard box. Ruud ended up missing the penalty which made Keown did the "Crouching Tiger, Flying Dragon" move.

Ref favoring Mourinho?

I know because everybody knows that José Mourinho hates referees. But after Inter's win over reigning champions Barcelona, Barca players are blasting at Portugese referee Olegário Benquerença who according to Barca players, was biased and loyal to his countryman.

Xavi Hernandez is alleged to have asked Mourinho: "What did you think of the referee?" to which the 'Special One' replied: "Why are you asking me? What about the Chelsea match last season?"

When asked what had happened in the tunnel, Mourinho said: "It's always difficult to lose for those who aren't used to losing. I'm like that too. It's the characteristic of a team which always wins.

"I can never have a problem with Xavi because I adore him. He's one of best in the world."

Gerard Pique is asking for an "impartial" referee for the 2nd leg at Nou Camp and was also allegedly shouting to Mourinho in the tunnel.

Mourinho is of course refering to the semifinal which referee Tom Henning Overebo favoured Barcelona eventhough there were 4 clear penalty claims by the Blues which helped Barcelona reach the final and beat Manchester United to win the trophy. The Special One said: "The way they are, tomorrow we will probably read I am to blame for the volcano.

"Maybe I have a friend in the volcano and I am responsible for that."

Mourinho did sound a note of caution to his Inter side, heading into next Wednesday's second leg.

He added: "We are not playing a small team, we are playing Barcelona who are a great team with a great coach and great fans.

"We go to Barcelona and we are ahead, and we want to go into the final, but we are not there yet."

Samir Nasri wants to break Yoann and Marouane's Bromance?

Samir Nasri would love to have Marouane Chamakh in Arsenal which he is expected to move in the summer according to transfer gossips. Samir has played against Marouane during Samir's time in Marseille. which means....

the Yoann/Marouane bromance will be over....I need some Kleenex!

Liverpool FC has arrived in Madrid!

Liverpool began their journey in Runcorn, where they boarded a train to London. A Eurostar train to Paris then followed, and after a night's stay in the French capital they boarded another train to Bordeaux, and then flew to Madrid. They face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Europa League.

Steven Gerrard poses with a fan

First-choice GK Pepe Reina

Rafa Benitez believed that this trip has helped him bond with the players. Why do that now,Rafa? Why couldn't have you bonded with the players at the start of the season? (rhetorical question,btw)