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Young Irish GAA stars attend the Tadhg Kennelly headed AFL recruitment day at the National Basketball Arena. ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
up and at them

The Morning Score: Thursday

Catch up with all you need to know this fine February morning.

EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING,TheScore.ie brings you the stories you need to know before 9am.

1. #CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Arsenal’s Champions League dream is as good as over for another season after they surrendered a four goal advantage to AC Milan at the San Siro last night.

Arsene Wenger pretty much agreed that the quarter finals are a leap too far for them and said of the humiliating 4 – 0 result:

“It’s a night never to forget. It was our worst night in Europe. We made mistake after mistake and were punished, and deservedly so.”

A stunning volley from Kevin Prince Boateng got the show on the road before Robinho netted either side of half time. Zlatan Ibrahimovic completed the scoring with a penalty, little over 10 minutes from time. Is it now, finally, the time for Wenger to step down?

Earlier yesterday, Zenit St Petersburg and Benfica played out a thrilling first leg in Russia.

Oscar Cardozo looked to have given the Portuguese side a valuable score draw with an equaliser after 87 minutes. Until Roman Shirokov popped up in the last minute to grab his second of the night giving Zenit a 3-2 advantage which they carry into the second leg.

2. #PRO12 Felix Jones could make his first Munster appearance in over eight months against Benetton Treviso in theRaboDirect Pro12 this Saturday.

Jones returned for Shannon against Young Munster in the AIL last weekend, his first action since he damaged ankle ligaments against France in August, dashing his hopes of a place in Ireland’s World Cup squad.

The full-back is joined in Munster’s 28-man squad by his recovery room counterparts, Mike Sherry and Tommy O’Donnell, both of whom have been out of action since before the new year.

3. #REFUND The French rugby union have opened the process for ticketholders to last Saturday’s postponed Six Nations match.

Full details are here, but you’ll still need to shell out plenty of your hard-earned to get to Paris and stay the night. A point Declan Kidney used to whip the tournament organisers and the FFR yesterday.

4. EURO2012 Ireland jumped three places and into Fifa’s top 20 ranking teams yesteday.

It is their highest position since August 2005, when Brian Kerr’s reign was nearing an end.

One of Ireland’s opponents in Euro 2012, Spain, remain top and are closely followed by Germany and the Netherlands. England are fifth, while Wales move to 42nd, Scotland stay at 48th, and Northern Ireland climb one place to 86th.

5. #GAA Donegal youngster Paddy McBrearty was reportedly the star of the show in the National Basketball Arena as Tadhg Kennelly invited the best and brightest young GAA talent to be put through their Aussie Rules paces at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght.

6. #EUROPA LEAGUE Thursday night, Channel 5. Both Manchester clubs will realise that particular nightmare tonight as they begin their Europea League campaigns.

City are in Portugal to face Porto without Carlos Tevez, who Roberto Mancini claims he has treated ‘too well’. Cross-town rivals United take on Ajax in Amsterdam.

Stoke’s European adventure sees them take on Spanish giants Valencia in the last 32  at the Britannia Stadium tonight. It’s gonna be good.

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