Chelsea put all contract talks on hold

Chelsea have confirmed they will not entertain any new contract negotiations until the end of the season – or when they know for sure whether they will be playing Champions' League, Uefa Cup or just domestic club football next term.

That means Arsenal and Manchester United, to name but two, will keep monitoring the situation of centre-back John Terry, who is seeking improved terms at Stamford Bridge.

Some reports claim that the 22-year-old Terry has already agreed a new deal at Chelsea which puts him on financial parity with leading earners like Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gianfranco Zola. But others suggest he is not satisfied with what is on offer next season and would consider a move.

Chelsea's managing director, Trevor Birch, said: "The club won't be discussing contracts until the end of the season. That goes not just for John Terry but everybody else."

The Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, has rejected Nigeria's plan to co-host the 2010 World Cup with Ghana, Togo, Cameroon and Benin Republic. "This idea of Nigeria is not feasible," he said. Blatter confirmed that the 2010 World Cup would take place in Africa.

Brazil has been chosen by the South American Football Confederation as its sole candidate to host the 2014 World Cup.

Blatter is resisting calls by Europe's leading clubs that governing bodies or national associations should pay players' wages when playing for their countries. Blatter said: "Clubs should recognise that international exposure enhances the quality and price of players."

Henrik Larsson, the Celtic striker, has come out of international retirement for Sweden's Euro 2004 qualifier in Hungary on 2 April. With other striking options not playing regularly, the Swedish management duo, Tommy Soderberg and Lars Lagerback, asked him to return.

Andy Cole's Blackburn Rovers future was plunged into doubt yesterday because he will not apologise to Graeme Souness. The pair met in an effort to settle their differences after their training-ground dispute last week.

The Rovers manager wants Cole to apologise for the way he shouted at himas their row got out of hand. However Cole feels he has done nothing wrong and refused, so Souness told the former Manchester United striker he would not be training with the first team and sent him to work out on his own instead.

Neither Souness nor Cole are in the mood to back down. Cole is on a huge salary at Blackburn and it would be hard to find him a new club.