Striker Shevchencko poised for San Siro return

AC Milan director Silvano Ramaccioni believes Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchencko is on the verge of securing a return to the San Siro.

The Ukraine striker has endured two disappointing years at Stamford Bridge following a big-money move from Milan. Reports suggest Shevchenko could return to Milan in what would initially be a season-long loan deal following a meeting between former club president Silvio Berlusconi and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in Sardinia last Thursday.

The Italian press claim the deal will be finalised on Thursday or at the latest 24 hours later and Ramaccioni agrees. 'Shevchenko in the Rossoneri shirt? There really isn't much more to be done,' he told Radio Goal.

'We are close to the end of the deal and I hope that these little things that have to be fulfilled are done as soon as possible. 'I would be extremely delighted if Shevchenko returns to Milan and I am ready to embrace the Ukraine champion again, for us it's about a return home.'

Shevchenko is AC Milan's second-most prolific goalscorer of all-time having scored 127 goals in 208 games during a seven-year career.

Pizzaro plots career resurrection with Bremen

Claudio Pizarro has returned to Werder Bremen after a seven-year absence looking to kick-start a career which stalled at Chelsea.

The Peruvian striker struggled to make an impression after he was lured to Stamford Bridge by then Blues boss Jose Mourinho last summer.

Pizarro's first-team hopes were not helped when Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant a few months later and the 29-year-old striker concedes his time in west London did not go as he had hoped.

'It was okay, I mean I still had some positive experiences, but it certainly did not turn out the way I had imagined,' said Pizarro who made the majority of his 21 appearances from the substitutes' bench.

'One of the best coaches in the world wanted to have me in his team, but then three months later he was gone.

'That is just my bad luck, but such is football.'

Pizarro has returned to Bremen, the club where he scored 29 goals in 56 games between 1999 and 2001, on a season-long loan.

The move came following an inquiry from Bremen director of sport Klaus Allofs, and while the former Bayern Munich striker still has a contract with Chelsea until 2011, he insists he is focused on helping his new team claim some silverware this season.

'I wanted to fight (for a place at Chelsea), but then Klaus came and told me all about Bremen,' he said.

'A lot has changed and I think Werder have improved in a lot of areas and the team has a lot of quality.

'I want to win things and that is why I am here.'