Buffon not interested in United move

Buffon wants to stay at Juve

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluca Buffon has played down speculation linking the him to Manchester United, Alex Ferguson admitted this weekend that he expects Edwin van der Sar to retire at the end of the season and the Manchester United manager has been in the market in search of a replacement for the Dutchman.

Buffon who has played his entire career in Italy might be interested in playing in the Premier League, but the Italian has insisted such speculation is nothing more than transfer gossip, with his attention focused solely on Juve's Serie A title this season.

"I have no intention of leaving Juventus," the 32-year-old told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I feel good here and I have no contract problems. My wish is to respect my contract and see it through until 2013. Then we will see if there is the option to renew.

"Manchester United? They are a great team I have faced a few times and have a few bitter memories of, nothing else."

Buffon is currently working back to full fitness and hopes to back in the Juve team by the New Year; the Italian has been struggling with a long-standing back injury which flared up at the 2010 World Cup finals.

Michel Platini: Panorama won't effect England's bid

Uefa President Michel Platini has suggested that last night’s ill timed Panorama programme on FIFA corruption won’t have any bearing of England’s bid to host to 2018 World Cup finals when FIFA make their final decision on Thursday.

He said: "I don't think this [programme] will have an effect, no - but I think what may affect the decision is the atmosphere going back a long time and what people have been writing about FIFA in the British press for many years."

Panorama accused three FIFA executive committee members of taking bribes, and accused the FIFA vice-president Jack Warner of attempting to supply ticket touts during the 2010 World Cup. Panorama also accused African confederation president Issa Hayatou, whose voted England 2018 had high hopes of capturing, Brazil's Ricardo Terra Teixeira and Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay of taking bribes.

Warner has been accused that he "ordered [2010 World Cup] tickets costing 84,240 US dollars from the FIFA ticket office but the deal subsequently fell through".

The BBC has since defended a documentary which was aired last night, alleging three FIFA officials took bribes in the 1990s, but the English FA have criticised the BBC in a statement saying; "We stand by our previous position that the BBC's Panorama did nothing more than rake over a series of historical allegations none of which are relevant to the current bidding process. It should be seen as an embarrassment to the BBC.

"The 2018 team are entirely focused on winning the bid for England."