Vieira blasts Man Utd? Chamakh to leave Arsenal FC? Balotelli bust-up? Thursday's back pages

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by Crunch Sports Staff

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Mario Balotelli (credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The top stories making Thursday's back pages in the UK...

The Sun: Rio Ferdinand and Patrick Vieira were last night involved in a war of words as the title race heats up.

Also: Salomon Kalou was warned by Andre Villas-Boas that he would not play for Chelsea again unless he signed a new deal.

And: Paris Saint-Germain hope to land Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh for £5million.

Plus: Nigel Reo-Coker has revealed how he suffered from flashbacks when Bolton's FA Cup quarter-final fate was decided at White Hart Lane...Lionel Messi has signed for French second-tier side Angers SCO. The Cameroon Under-17 international shares his name with the Barcelona star.

Daily Mirror: Stuart Pearce is stepping up preparations to lead England into Euro 2012.

Also: Gerard Houllier has warned Kenny Dalglish he must win the title to be considered a success at Liverpool.

And: Blackburn manager Steve Kean was in France on Wednesday night watching Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac.

Daily Star: Roberto Mancini was involved in a furious training ground bust-up with Mario Balotelli yesterday.

Also: Jack Wilshere could be back in action within a fortnight.

And: Rafael Benitez has warned Roberto Mancini: "Don't fall for Sir Alex Ferguson's mind games".

Daily Mail: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will find out today if he is to serve a third UEFA touchline ban in 12 months after his alleged F-word rant towards a referee.

Also: Bradford and Crawley's incredible brawl on Tuesday night is being investigated by the Football Association, who have vowed to punish any fighting that escaped the attention of referee Ian Williamson.

Daily Express: Rafa Benitez has warned Roberto Mancini to ignore Sir Alex Ferguson's mind games if he wants to win the Premier League title.

Also: Chelsea believe they can pull off a surprise Champions League triumph inspired by the against-the-odds success of Porto in 2004 which catapulted Jose Mourinho into the manager's job at Stamford Bridge.

Metro: Chelsea hero Salomon Kalou has revealed he feared the same fate as Nicolas Anelka and Alex under Andre Villas-Boas but now wants to sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge.

Also: Patrick Vieira has taken another pop at Manchester City’s title rivals United, by claiming they receive preferential treatment from referees at Old Trafford.

Daily Telegraph: Patrick Vieira has again heightened tensions between Manchester City and Manchester United by claiming Sir Alex Ferguson's team receive preferential treatment from referees, saying 'this is the way it is'.

Also: Stuart Pearce is talking to Premier League managers about players who should be included in the England squad for the forthcoming European Championship, raising the possibility that he will be in charge of the tournament.

The Times: Stuart Pearce is continuing to work on England's plans for Euro 2012 while the FA carries on stalling before making an approach for Fabio Capello's successor.

Also: Gerard Houllier has told the FA to be patient in its pursuit of international success after warning that it could take a new technical director a decade to deliver results.

The Guardian: Patrick Vieira has said he was misquoted by the BBC after he was reported as saying that Manchester United have been helped to the top of the table because of a culture of generous refereeing at Old Trafford.

Also: Everton's quarter-final replay win at Sunderland on Tuesday ensured a first Merseyside derby at Wembley in 23 years but also potential chaos for the transport authorities, the Metropolitan police and Aintree racecourse as it welcomes more than 70,000 spectators for Grand National day including, inevitably, rival fans of both clubs.

The Independent: England caretaker manager, Stuart Pearce, is preparing for the possibility he may well be in charge of the national team for Euro 2012 this summer and is speaking to Premier League managers about the fitness and form of players who are up for selection.

Also: Gerard Houllier has said that no amount of cup success will quell the 'obsession' with the league championship at Anfield but insisted that Kenny Dalglish needs at least another year to make a success of his second tenure as Liverpool manager.

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