Keen to create a divide between Cristiano Ronaldo and his current employer, Spanish paper Marca are stirring things up extracting some insinuations from an interview with teammate Ryan Giggs.

The Welshman was asked to pick his Manchester Utd dream team, and he proceeded to wax lyrical about the likes of Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney. As you can see from his selection below, however, there is a distinct absence of any lothario Portuguese wingers:

The Giggs Manchester Utd dream team

Schmeichel or Van der Sar (he doesn’t distinguish between them as both are super brill)
Gary Neville
Jaap Stam
Rio Ferdinand
Dennis Irwin
David Beckham
Paul Scholes
Roy Keane
Ryan Giggs
Eric Cantona
Wayne Rooney

The Spoiler is concerned that the old guard has shown an apparent lack of appreciation for Ronaldo, but perhaps a little more concerned that Giggsy chose to pick himself in his own dream team…

Texan billionaire having doubts about future of annual match

The future of the Stanford Super Series has been cast into doubt after the Texan disbanded the group West Indian legends he employed to promote the event.

Ex-West Indies bowler Colin Croft told the BBC that the select group, which included Viv Richards, Lance Gibbs and Curtly Ambrose, had “definitely” been axed.

The ECB is now investigating reports that its five-year contract with Stanford may be under threat.

That’s not golf…

“Remember the time when my caddy called you a prick? Happy days.”

At a recent charity event in New Zealand, Tiger’s caddy, Steve Williams, revealed that he has no love for Phil Mickelson:

“I wouldn’t call Mickelson a great player, ’cause I hate the prick.”

Williams also related this Mickelson-flavoured anecdote at the event:

“It’s also a well-known fact that Woods and American Phil “Mr Nice Guy” Mickelson are not the best of buddies. Williams told a story of Woods and Mickelson paired together during the US Open. The pair were duelling for the lead in the third round. Tiger waved to a packed grandstand seating 5,000 people that bordered the 17th fairway. The crowd responded.

As a hush fell back over the crowd, a fan yelled out ‘Phil!’ No response from Mickelson. Again the fan yelled out ‘Phil!’ Again no response. The fan changed tack. ‘Hey, Mr Mickelson.’

When Mickelson turned and waved, the fan yelled out ‘Nice tits!’ The crowd erupted in laughter; Mickelson went double bogey, bogey and his tournament was over.”

[Fanhouse]

Funny, but not necessarily true. In fact, Mickelson denied this ever happened. He also responded to Williams with this barbed comment:

Time to rest one-dimensional spinner?

Monty Panesar was England’s most disappointing player in their unlikely loss to India in Chennai. We might have nominated captain Kevin Pietersen, who scored just five runs in two innings, but it has since been revealed that KP was playing with a fractured rib, so we’lll cut him a little slack.

Panesar bowled with no imagination, no confidence, no guile, no maturity, no nothing. He took no wickets in the match, and generally did a very good impression of a man who has lost his mojo. Monty is supposed to be England’s senior spin bowler, but he looked more like the junior partner to Graeme Swann, who took two wickets in his first ever over in Test cricket. When you consider than Panesar offers nothing as a fielder or batsman, his place in the team must be questioned.

With the promising Adil Rashid waiting for his chance, should Monty make way or keep his place for the second and final Test? Vote below:

Scot will earn more cash from new clothing sponsor

Andy Murray is thinking about terminating his sponsorship deal with Fred Perry. It’s a deal he has had since his US Open junior championship win in 2004. The British No.1 could start wearing K-Swiss clothes and shoes in 2009.

The deal with K-Swiss, an American company, is reportedly worth $3m, although there is still a slim chance that one of the two sportswear giants - Nike and Adidas - will make Murray a better offer.

If Murray does end up joining the K-Swiss stable, he’ll no doubt be asked to perform promotional duties alongside their most famous brand ambassador - a certain Anna Kournikova.

Update! According to Murraysworld.com, the Scot has decided to stay with Fred Perry after all.

Hip hop star reveals golf passion

Scarface is a moderately successful rapper in the States. He was best-known as a member of The Geto Boys, before he went solo in the 90s and released a string of lame-ass, cliched gangster-rap albums.

Anyhoo, turns out the rapper, who has twice been convicted on gun charges, is not so ghetto after all - he loves nothing more than a nice round of golf. Not gangster, but at least he managed to preserve some street credibility by invoking ‘tha bitchez’ (as we believe they’re known) when talking about his love of the game:

‘Golf is like a woman,’ Mr Face told MTV. ‘One day everything is cool. Next day, you be like, “What happened?”‘

Could be…

Not only is C-Jack a game girl, in as much as she doesn’t mind getting her kit off, but she also has a brain. It’s a rare combination, and the reason why Jackson is our favourite female sports presenter on the tellybox.

Anyway, words, schmords. Why read about her, when you could look at her in the flesh…

Tennis shoes… check. Tennis clothes… nope

Victoria Vanucci was set for a pro tennis career until a back injury cut destroyed her sporting dreams. Sniff.

However, tennis’ loss is our gain, as the Argentine stunner now makes money by posing for men’s magazines - which of course involves wearing not very much at all.

You can see a fine selection of these photos below (nudity is involved)…

Scottish tennis whiz takes to the track

The man-boy in the black/blue overalls is none other than surly tennis ace Andy Murry. And he doesn’t even have a driving licence!

That didn’t stop Murray from clocking up almost 300 laps this week at Surbiton’s glamorous go-kart track. Not quite Monaco, but it’ll do.

Johnno’s men avoid Tri Nations in group stages

There was a 75% chance that England would end up in a ‘group of death’ for the 2011 World Cup, with either New Zealand, Australia or South Africa, all of whom they lost to in recent weeks.

But they got lucky, and landed in a group which they will expect to win. Argentina may be top seeds, based on their higher world ranking, but England will start as bookie’s favourite to win Group B, ahead of the Argies, Scotland and two minnows.

Poor Wales, the only British team to defeat a southern hemisphere side this autumn and the side that will provide most of the British Lions who tour South Africa next year, have drawn the shortest straw. They face world champions South Africa and Fiji. Pick of the group games New Zealand vs France, no question.