Kaka Can Leave Milan For €65m

Kaka patiently awaits questions from journalists during the 2008 FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich (PA)

AC Milan are preparing to tell interested parties that Kaka can leave if they are willing to pay €65 million to help pay off debts that the club accumulated last season.

The Italian giants have been reported to be ready to listen to offers and that could see Florentino Perez seek to secure an early deal to take him to Real Madrid.

Corriere dello Sport state that holding company Fininvest, which is owned by Italy's president and Milan supremo Silvio Berlusconi, does not want to take the debt on board.

With a deficit of €66.8 million from last term, the sale of Kaka would wipe that out in an instant and allow the club to start planning for next term.

Milan already have a replacement for the former Ballon d'Or winner in Yoann Gourcuff, whom they would prevent from joining Bordeaux on a permanent basis after his loan spell at the club.

Kaka was on the verge of joining Manchester City in January before the potential move fell apart, but Milan's willingness to listen to the bid affected their relationship with the player.

Madrid have constantly been linked with the Brazilian after Ramon Calderon included him as one of the players he promised, and failed, to sign in his presidential election manifes


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Ronaldo: There's history to be made at United

Should he stay or should he go? Ronaldo has unfinished business at United - even if Sir Alex Ferguson's side triumph in Rome

At Manchester United, as long as Sir Alex Ferguson remains manager, there will always be something for which to aim. A fresh peak, a new page in the history book. That is why, as we prepare to enter another Cristiano Ronaldo debating season, the one argument that can be discounted is that he has done all he can at his present club.

Ronaldo insists he will be staying, yet the rumours persist. Certainly, there are a number of men who stand to make many millions if they can facilitate the deal that takes him to Real Madrid, and who therefore have a vested interest in perpetuating the idea that he is unsettled, even if it is untrue.
Yet why should he not wish to do another year at Old Trafford. Indeed, why would he not do another 10? This time last season, the speculation was that Ronaldo wanted to go out on the high of winning the first all-English European Cup final, as if nothing could beat that.

Now here we are, 12 months on, and Manchester United stand on the brink of an even greater achievement: to be the first club to retain the trophy in its modern, Champions League, format. First, they must overcome Barcelona, who have been laying waste to their own record books in Spain.
Top that? Well, incredibly, United could if next season they become the only English club to win four straight league titles. This would bring their total to 19, the most to be won (although Liverpool are now claiming two wartime titles to take their total to 20, which seems even more desperate than some of Rafael Benitez’s most recent press conference pronouncements).
For this team, at this unique moment in history, there is always a new milestone to be passed. In the excitement at theprospect of United retaining the Champions League, it has almost been overlooked that this season they have become the first club to win three consecutive league titles over two periods in history.
Real Madrid have won the Spanish league five times on the turn, so too Juventus and Torino in Italy and Porto in Portugal, but three has long been the ceiling in the English game. Huddersfield Town, Arsenal and Liverpool have done it, and United twice. And, of course, it is hard for somebody from outside the country to be responsive to the saga of the English game spanning three centuries, but every time Ronaldo stepped on the field this season, each time he helped Manchester United to victory, he was becoming part of England’s sporting folklore.
That will be true next season, too, if he can inspire a fourth triumph. With the exception of The Wednesday, every English league champion is still a member of the English league, and bearing the same name, today. Yet none have won it four times consecutively. And, yes, football clubs are about more than black and white columns in books on dusty shelves, they are about people and passion and the emotion Ronaldo clearly experiences when he thinks of Real Madrid.
Yet he may wish to consider why he felt that way, as a boy growing up in Funchal, on the island of Madeira; why he was bewitched by a club that played in a foreign league, in a foreign city, over 900 miles away. And the answer would be that he fell in love with their history, with their achievement, with the legends of special players and special football.
And, if he would only realise, that is what he is creating at Manchester United now. It is why Ronaldo’s work is not yet done, even if he leaves Rome triumphant once more.

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Ronaldo, Ronaldinho left off Brazil's roster

Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were not named to Brazil's roster Thursday by manager Dunga for two upcoming World Cup qualifiers and the Confederations Cup,

Brazil plays Uruguay on June 6 and Paraguay June 10 in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. The Confederations Cup is June 14-28 in South Africa.

Brazil is second in South American qualifying, three points behind Paraguay. The top four finishers automatically advance to the World Cup in South Africa.

The Brazilians are in Group B with Egypt, Italy and the United States in the Confederations Cup. Spain highlights Group A, which includes Iraq, New Zealand and South Africa.

Following is Brazil's full roster:

Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Nilmar (Inter Milan), Robinho (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Anderson (Manchester United), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Ramires (Cruzeiro), Elano (Manchester City), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina), Julio Baptista (Roma), Kaka (AC Milan).

Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Alex (Chelsea), Juan (Roma), Lucio (Bayern Munich), Luisao (Benfica), Kleber (Inter Milan), Andre Santos (Corinthians).

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Gomes (Tottenham), Victor (Gremio).

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Freestyler John fails in talent show bid

 

Football freestyler John Farnworth has failed to make the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent.

The 22-year-old, from Longridge, had wowed the judges with his tricks at the audition stage of the TV competition.

But the former world freestyle champion was not selected as one of the 40 acts for the live semi-finals.

In the last year John has won a £28,000 car for submitting a video of his skills to Sky Sports' Soccer AM and smashed the world record for the most "around the worlds" in one minute.


Oh shoot. John is definitely a monster in terms of football freestyling!
Well, maybe I'll go for Susan Boyle rather. :)



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Beckham picked by England

LONDON (AP) — David Beckham was among 24 players picked Sunday for England's roster for World Cup qualifiers next month and Gary Neville received a surprise recall for the games against Kazakhstan and Andorra.

Beckham, on loan to AC Milan from Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, has 17 goals in 110 international appearances. The 34-year-old midfielder hopes to play at next year's World Cup, where he could break goalkeeper Peter Shilton's record of 125 games for England.

Neville, a 34-year-old veteran of 86 appearances starting in 1995, has not played for England since a 1-0 loss to Spain in February 2007. Another surprise callup was West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Scott Carson.

Jermain Defoe and Theo Walcott return from injuries and may get a start alongside Wayne Rooney in attack.

England is 5-0 in qualifying and leads Group Six. Kazakhstan is 1-4 and Andorra is 0-5.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion), Robert Green (West Ham), Paul Robinson (Blackburn).

Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Joleon Lescott (Everton), Gary Neville (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham).

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (AC Milan, Italy), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa).

Strikers: Carlton Cole (West Ham), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

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Ronaldinho: I Will Stay With Milan & Win The Champions League

Ronaldinho’s signing was greeted with much fanfare by Milan fans last summer, however, the 29-year-old has endured a difficult season at the San Siro, despite a bright start to life in the peninsula.
It has been suggested that Manchester City could revive their interest in the former Barcelona ace as he went so close to a move to Eastlands last year, but ‘Dinho’ insists he is settled in Milan.

“I get along well with my team-mates, with the directors and the fans,” he is quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I don’t plan to leave this shirt. It’s true that I hoped to become champion of Italy with Milan and I am disappointed we didn’t meet our targets. I promise we will win the Scudetto and the Champions League next season.”

Carlo Ancelotti looks poised to join Premier League giants Chelsea this summer and Rossoneri president Silvio Berlusconi has often criticised the coach for having little faith in the Brazilian.

“Is he unhappy? That makes two of us,” concluded ‘Dinho’.

The Brazilian international has started just 16 games in Serie A so far, netting eight goals.

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo is simply irreplaceable

The king: Cristiano Ronaldo and the Premier League trophy - again Photo: REUTERS

If a player shows the kind of petulance that Ronaldo displayed against Manchester City last week, then more often than not Sir Alex Ferguson puts them on their bike.

Ferguson has never had a player of Ronaldo's importance show petulance like that, but if he were to get rid of him, the odds on United winning the big prizes next season would lengthen dramatically.

Nobody steamrollers the lesser teams like Ronaldo. Wayne Rooney might regularly be better than Ronaldo in terms of his work rate and other qualities, but Ferguson will never find a player who hammers opponents like Ronaldo.

Ferguson will want to keep Ronaldo, not because he likes him, but because he is so important to United. When he got rid of David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy, they were both still great players, but you could argue that they had seen their best days at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo is still only 24, so this summer is not the right time to get rid of him. United have to keep him and put up with his idiosyncrasies because he is simply a sensational player.

It was always impossible for him to better last season's performances, but he has still scored 25 goals this season. He has helped United overcome the lesser teams that Liverpool failed to beat.
Maybe they haven't been at their scintillating best this year as they have been in the past, but you cannot question their position at the top of the table.

What happens next season will revolve around what happens with Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, though. If he leaves United and Liverpool make two or three key additions, the balance of power could shift away from Old Trafford.

The only person who could come close to replacing Ronaldo if United sold him would be Steven Gerrard, but Manchester United are not going to get Steven Gerrard, so that's a non-starter.

Ronaldo is simply irreplaceable and that's why Sir Alex will turn a blind eye to certain things and put up with his petulance.

People talk about the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Thierry Henry and Eric Cantona as the best players the Premier League has ever seen, but none of them compare to Ronaldo in terms of the impact they have made.

Ask any manager which player they would choose out of those four and they would all say Ronaldo. No matter how much you dislike him, you just cannot deny that he has everything and that's why the Ronaldo factor is so important to United and all of their rivals this summer.

When I lifted the league championship trophy for Liverpool in 1990, it was my last game in football and I would never have believed it if somebody had told me then that, almost 20 years later, United would have gone from seven titles to go level on 18 with Liverpool.

It has now happened, but Liverpool are getting closer and next season could be the year for them and Rafael Benitez.

It's clear that a rift has grown between Benitez and Ferguson, but the only person who wins those kind of rivalries is the guy who wins the trophies.

Alex has had his spats with everybody, from Arsene Wenger to Jose Mourinho, and now Benitez, but when he comes out on top, he isn't interested in what has been said.

You cannot accuse Benitez of lacking humility towards Ferguson after the West Brom game yesterday because Ferguson has never had any humility towards opponents.

But Ferguson and United have won the title and that's all that people will remember, not who said what.

Benitez probably needs to put an end to it and say nothing. If you lose, don't keep going on about it. He should just get on with it now and look towards next season.

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Manchester United are masters of mind over matter

 

If ever you wanted to understand the intrinsic reason why Manchester United are again the newly crowned Champions of England, then you only had to watch around half an hour of their game at Wigan last week.

The invaluable commodity of mind over matter underpinned United's comeback in the last half hour, from a 1-0 deficit to a crucial 2-1 win. Somehow, it perfectly epitomised their season. No matter that the rain swirled down, no matter that this was United's second game in four days, their third in a week after the drama of the Champions League semi-final 2nd leg at Arsenal.

Thus, by Saturday night by which time they had also played Arsenal and secured the single point necessary to clinch the title, Sir Alex Ferguson's men had have played four games in 12 days. Not just run of the mill matches, but every one a potential decider in either the race for Rome and the Champions League final, or the battle for the Barclay's Premier League title.

It would be easy to look at Ferguson's handsome squad and sneer about no pressure because of an excess of quality. And it is true, even their closest rivals must drool at the manner in which the £30 million man Dimitar Berbatov is omitted, rested and then brought in, as fresh as a daisy at the end of a long, gruelling season.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal must also drool at the manner in which Wayne Rooney, truly the Duracell bunny, has continued to run and work as though these were the early weeks of a new season, not the climax to a 10 month slog through assorted countries and climatic conditions. It is doubtful whether any player in the Premier League consistently puts in as much effort and drive as Rooney.

But there is another, key reason why Manchester United are celebrating their 18th Premier League title, the one that rivals Liverpool's record. It is their 11th Premier League title in 16 seasons, a quite extraordinary illustration of their supremely efficient consistency, not to mention quality.

The key man in that phenomenal run hasn't been Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane or any other player. It is Sir Alex Ferguson and his insatiable appetite which has delivered these King-like riches to the fawning followers of a remarkable football club.

Ferguson's attitude, his fierce will and drive, are what make Manchester United the club they are. Plenty of clubs have had plenty of fine managers down the years but none have matched the longevity of Ferguson's winning ways, nor his iron discipline. The man has a motor that simple never stops, hardly needs to pause for re-fuelling before setting off again in search of fresh achievements.

Ferguson has been the manager of this and just about every season for the last 16 because he has done what is the hardest thing of all to achieve – earn success and then repeat it, year after year after year.   

What has been at the heart of his success is his ability to transmit that almost fanatical will to win, to keep on winning and keep piling up the trophies, to the minds of his players. At any other club, you would have wondered how they would react to going in at wet Wigan on Wednesday night, a goal down.

Limbs must have still ached from the Manchester derby the previous Sunday and besides, there was always the ‘insurance' policy of still having two games after the Wigan match to collect the four points they needed to be sure of the title. But that isn't Ferguson's way. True, his men left it late to clinch all three points at the JJB Stadium but they did it through Phil Carrick's goal in the 86th minute.

That meant just a point from the Arsenal game at Old Trafford on Saturday was enough and it was duly secured.

This attitude, of supreme professionalism intermingled with burning desire and a fanatical will, has again proved too potent a mix for any of United's rivals. It may well do so again next season when Manchester United set out in pursuit of a fourth successive Premier League title and, maybe, a third consecutive Champions League title.

As Ferguson has long since demonstrated, when you have a man at the helm with his driving will, simply anything is possible.

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Messi vs. Ronaldo clash captivates Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson has picked out Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - rivals in next week's Champions League final - as the two most gifted players in the game.

Ronaldo and Messi: Healthy rivalry?

The Manchester United manager believes the two stars' work ethic allied to their natural ability sets them apart.

Ferguson, who rates the quality in the Champions League as even higher than in the World Cup, also rates AC Milan's Kaka to an extent ''although he has never really taken my breath away''.

He told the latest issue of UEFA publication The Technician: ''There are some players, such as Kaka, Messi and Ronaldo who are innately gifted.

''But this is not enough, and there is a practice element which becomes very important.

''If you watch Cristiano Ronaldo, he practises after every squad training session, and quite a few others do the same.

''As a coach, we dedicate parts of the training to improving touch, movement, passing and speed of play, but the special quality, the detail, depends on the player being willing to sacrifice himself after training - this is a hallmark of the great players.

''If the big talents only rely on their natural ability, they won't have that extra edge. They must do something extra on their own.''

Asked which opposition players he rated highest, Ferguson replied: ''When I think of the current generation, Lionel Messi is top level and, although he has never really taken my breath away, Kaka has impressed.''

Messi and Ronaldo will come face to face in the Olympic Stadium in Rome, and Ferguson believes the Champions League is hard to beat when it comes to drama - even compared to the World Cup.

The United manager added: ''There are many good games at the World Cup, but in general the quality in the big UEFA Champions League games is, in my view, higher.

''I think that, overall, the UEFA Champions League is hard to beat when it comes to consistency, quality and drama.

''The World Cup, of course, is every four years, and big changes always take place with the departure of many players and coaches and continuity then suffers.''

Ferguson also picked out AC Milan's Paolo Maldini as his favourite opposition player during his time as a Champions League coach.

''He has a wonderful presence, competitive spirit, athleticism, and although not the world's greatest technically, he has influenced all the AC Milan teams during his wonderfully successful era - a truly marvellous player,'' said Ferguson.

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Now for Champions League, says Giggs

 

Three down, one to go. The Premier League trophy had barely disappeared down the Old Trafford tunnel on Saturday – bound for the trophy room where it has already spent 10 of its 16 years – when thoughts began turning to Rome and the European Cup final. At Manchester United it is the quest for honours that remains eternal.
No Premier League player is more decorated than Ryan Giggs, part of all 11 title-winning sides, and the 35-year-old, who said he is already harbouring thoughts of a historic fourth successive domestic title next year, has urged United's youthful side to learn the lesson of his own long wait for a second European Cup.
"Those of us who have been there before have been able to tell the other lads, 'Listen this doesn't happen every season'," Giggs said. "I had to wait nine years for my second. When you have won it you have to try and make it carry on. We want to be the first team to defend it. I thought about that more or less straight after last year's final."

Giggs has put the chances of Manchester United beating Barcelona as "50-50". The precarious nature of United's attempt to become the first side in the modern era to retain the Champions League was captured by his insistence that "whoever turns up on the day" could win the game in Rome on 27 May. "You have two great teams both capable of going and winning it."
United’s 18th league title draws them level with Liverpool, but the Anfield club’s manager, Rafa Benitez, yesterday pointedly refused to pass on his congratulations to Sir Alex Ferguson. “I prefer just to say well done to the club, a big club, a good club,” said Benitez. “Normally you have to be polite and respect the other manager but during the season we have seen a lot of things that I didn’t like, so that’s it.”
The size of the season's ultimate challenge has left the club unwilling to contemplate resolving Carlos Tevez's contract discussions before June. Though Sir Alex Ferguson may conceivably rest every one of his likely Rome starting XI for Sunday's visit to Hull – potentially incurring the wrath of the Newcastle United manager, Alan Shearer, if the Tigers secure the win which could send Shearer's men down – United's chief executive, David Gill, spelt out yesterday that the Tevez issue will also be on the back-burner. "We've got a very big game in Rome coming up and then the activities in terms of the transfers will be starting in June," said Gill, who revealed the original deal, under which United need to pay £25m to make permanent the loan of the player from investment companies led by Kia Joorabchian, is one the club now wants to renegotiate.
Asked if United were still willing to pay up, Gill said: "That's the discussion that is going on. We've got to assess it, we've been doing work with Alex and his staff, on the composition of the squad going forward. That is all being looked at." Supporters' demands that Tevez be signed caused the excruciating scene on Saturday of the United manager's victory speech being drowned out. Tevez milked fans' sympathies to maximum effect, shaking his head and departing the pitch with heavily laden waves to fans on 66 minutes, then conducting his own lap of honour, wearing an Argentina shirt.
Gill, the subject of protests which continued outside the main Old Trafford entrance after the goalless draw with Arsenal, had to be pushed to say he wanted Tevez to stay. "If it [the deal] can be structured correctly then, yes, we do," he said.
Gill dismissed Rafael Benitez's repeated claim that United have more money to spend than Liverpool as "a nonsense" and suggested that United's superior business infrastructure had contributed to their ascendancy. Gill said: "The analysis that was done shows that we are broadly in line with them over the last few years in terms of net spend on players. There are a lot of factors in it. We have great players and a great manager, but we have a great off-the-field team as well. We have a fantastic stadium that holds 76,000, which gives us a competitive advantage. Our commercial team are doing fantastic deals that we put back into the club, so we have many advantages through our current structure, which I think keeps us apart."
Gill said he anticipates Ferguson being around for "a number of years" and he reiterated the manager's suggestion there may not be big-money buys this summer. "I don't think we need a lot in terms of the team," he said.

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AC Milan denies Real Madrid to sign Brazilian playmaker Kaka

MILAN — Italian giant AC Milan denied Saturday that any deal had been agreed between Kaka and Real Madrid presidential hopeful Florentino Perez that would see the Brazil playmaker move to the Spanish powerhouse.

The club's website carried a statement from Bosco Leite, Kaka's father and legal representative, that any information about a possible deal was unreliable.

"There is no agreement with Real Madrid, and the statement, according to which the player has already signed a contract with the Spanish club, isn't true," Leite said.

Spanish sports newspaper Marca reported Saturday that Perez had negotiated a fee of 63 million euros (C$100 million) for Kaka, who had agreed to sign a five-year contract with an annual salary of eight million euros (C$12.7 million) should Perez regain control of the Spanish club.

"Kaka is still concentrated on the final games of the season and still very tied to Milan. Any information about the career of the athlete is to be considered credible and official only if it comes from his legal representative or from Milan. Any other source of information should be considered unreliable," the Milan website said

According to Marca, all that remained to be agreed between Perez - who oversaw Madrid's 'galactico' policy when he was formerly club president - and Milan was the commission which would be paid to Leite.

Kaka, the 2007 World Player of the Year, said last month he intended to stay with Milan and had not been in contact with Madrid. Earlier this season, Manchester City failed in an attempt to sign the Brazil midfielder after bidding around 110 million euros (C$175 million).

Kaka is said to be just one of many transfer targets for Perez, who announced Thursday that he would stand in next month's poll of club members in a bid to return to the presidency he quit in 2006.

It is standard in Spanish club elections for candidates to organize new signings to encourage members to vote for them.

Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Valencia's David Villa are others who Perez reportedly hopes to sign for next season as he attempts to reactivate the galactico policy which brought the likes of Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Ronaldo to Madrid during his first tenure.

Marca said Perez's interest in signing Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo has waned due to his high value on the transfer market and supposed temperamental character.

Perez, the head of Spanish construction giant ACS, aims to revamp a Madrid team which has been eclipsed by rivals Barcelona this season.

The Catalan club, which won the Copa del Rey last Wednesday, would win the Spanish league title later Saturday if Madrid failed to win at Villarreal. Barcelona has also reached the Champions League final, in which it faces United on May 27.

At present, Perez is the only candidate to announce his intention to stand in Madrid's election and there remains the chance he will be unopposed. If so, Perez would begin his second tenure on June 1.

Perez's spell as Madrid president from 2000 to 2006 saw the club winning two league titles and one Champions League. Madrid then suffered its worst trophy drought for over 50 years when it went three seasons without silverware, shuffling through five coaches over that time.

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Ronaldo geared towards another United campaign

The Bentley was parked up on the concourse outside and its owner was holding court in the dressing room, taking the rise out of the whole football media circus when he was handed a microphone to do an interview with Anderson. "He says we didn't play very good today and now are focused on Barcelona," said Cristiano Ronaldo, translating for Anderson and then telling him, with mock punditry: "You are a little bit disappointing because you come on and you touch the ball only one time today... OK thank you very much. This is Sky Sports..." It has not been possible to say this of Ronaldo over the past nine months but on Saturday he was funny; very funny.

It does not get much better than this for a player, even if the traffic lights on Sir John Gilbert Way had turned to green then back to red before he had finished signing the match programmes pushed into the Bentley by supporters who couldn't believe their luck. Sir Alex Ferguson clearly believes that events may yet keep the Premier League's leading scorer at Old Trafford for at least another year.

Ferguson revealed yesterday that Ronaldo also received some jibes over Barcelona's recent 6-2 mauling of Real Madrid – "our players were telling him that if he goes to the Bernabeu he'll have to play centre-half," he said – and perhaps the thought of what lies ahead at the two clubs makes the prospect of being at Old Trafford in 2010 more palatable than it did last summer.

The signs of continued world domination were all around him in that dressing room. Anderson, lounging alongside him, seems to be United's coming man in central midfield. He was one of those Ryan Giggs would have had in mind when he reflected on Saturday evening that this Manchester United is "a young team and all set to go on and win much more".

Behind Ronaldo as he played the TV personality was a rather bashful Wayne Rooney, overshadowed by his playing partner here in a way that he has certainly not been on the pitch this season. Rooney has arrived in this, his finest Manchester United year, and Giggs justifiably spoke of him as one of the leaders now. "Wayne is still quite young but has got natural leadership abilities," Giggs said. "You also see it in Rio [Ferdinand], Wes [Brown], John O'Shea, and Darren Fletcher who really evolved this season."

Pretty much every United player, Giggs included, gave mention to Federico Macheda and his two goals without which this title race may not yet be run but Ferguson reserved his talk yesterday for Danny Welbeck, a likely England World Cup prospect as he sees it, whose electric finish against Stoke City in November has been almost forgotten. Face it, Carlos Tevez: the outlook simply does not look good.

There were some faintly discernible crumbs of comfort for Liverpool in the manner of United's accession to title. The Old Trafford defence still had signs of the shakiness that has afflicted it since Liverpool's visit on 14 March and Robin van Persie might have deflected, if not altered, the course of history had he focused as much on the looping Samir Nasri cross which flummoxed Nemanja Vidic as he did on joining the knot of team-mates who were kicking Patrice Evra all afternoon.

It was shortly before United managed to equal Liverpool's title haul that Anfield formally announced Rafael Benitez's appointment of a new academy technical director, Jose Segura, to deliver the youth system products which are driving United on. But Segura's work is just beginning and Arsenal also have far to travel, despite Arsène Wenger's insistence on Saturday evening that his side will "of course" push United all the way next season. "We have seven players under 22 why shouldn't we hope to be that much better next year?"

United, meanwhile, are already on to their four-in-a-row title challenge. There is much still for the would-be Sky TV reporter to pit himself against before he and his Bentley move on.

Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar; O'Shea, Vidic, Evans, Evra; Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs; Rooney (Anderson, 90), Tevez (Park, 67). Substitutes not used: Kuszczak (gk), Neville, Berbatov, Scholes, Rafael Da Silva.

Arsenal (4-5-1): Fabianski; Sagna, Toure, Song Billong, Gibbs (Eboué, 76); Nasri (Bendtner, 69), Denilson, Diaby, Fabregas, Arshavin (Walcott, 69); Van Persie. Substitutes not used: Mannone (gk), Vela, Ramsey, Silvestre.

Wayne Rooney to take hair regrowth pills?

Wayne Rooney is reportedly set to try experimental drugs to stop going bald.

The United star’s hair has been thinning for years even though he’s only 23, and now he’s said to be planning to take Finasteride tablets to avoid going completely bald.

A source told the News of the World: “Wayne’s wanted this so long. It won’t suddenly give him a head of hair but will stop the rot.”

Studies of the drug, which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, have shown it promotes hair growth in around 50% of those with “mild to moderate hair loss”.

Until this year, sportsmen have been banned from taking it because it was thought it could mask steroids but even though it’s now legal, it might not be the best time for Wayne to take it - he’s expecting his first child later this year with wife Coleen Rooney and the drug, even just dust or crumbs from the tablets, can cause birth defects in a developing baby boys.

A second source added: “They’re going to have their 20 week scan soon to find out whether they’re having a boy or a girl.

“To be on the safe side though, he should probably save his vanity until after the baby arrives.”

Getting old huh. xD

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David Beckham difines Basketball

Awesome.

Kaka and Pirlo on wishlist as Ancelotti prepares to join Chelsea

David Beckham shares a joke with Carlo Ancelotti in Tirana yesterday ahead of AC Milan's friendly against Albania

Chelsea remain confident that Carlo Ancelotti will become their new manager and are already discussing their summer transfer plans with the Italian.

The Serie A veteran has signed a pre-contract agreement on a three-year deal to take over at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and, as part of those talks, Ancelotti has told Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich that he would like to bring players with him from AC Milan -- in particular Andrea Pirlo and Kaka (below), who is likely to leave the San Siro.

While those discussions are at an early stage, and no specific moves have been made as yet, sources close to Ancelotti last night dismissed suggestions the 49-year-old was having second thoughts about joining Chelsea or had been set an ultimatum by Abramovich.

With AC Milan trailing Inter by seven points in Serie A, Silvio Berlusconi, who is in Egypt as part of his duties as Italian prime minister, is reported to have told tourists at the Sharm el Sheikh resort that it is "all Ancelotti's fault" that the club will not win a trophy this season.

While conflicting comments have swirled around Ancelotti for months, and should be treated with caution, Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani did little to refute the claims yesterday.

Abramovich has pursued Ancelotti for some time -- despite the fact that the coach has worked only in Italy -- because of his pedigree of winning the Champions League.

Abramovich has already made clear to Ancelotti that he will bid for Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor -- who the Italian wanted at Milan -- as well as Carlos Tevez and CSKA Moscow's Yuri Zhirkov.

Some of Ancelotti's most important players at Milan can be added to that wish list.

Pirlo, who is 30 next week and has two years left on his contract, has attracted interest from Chelsea in the past and has been key to Ancelotti's plans at Milan, where he has evolved into the club's playmaker. The Italy international has indicated in the past that he does not want to leave Milan but could be tempted this time.

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How to Do a Bicycle Kick in Soccer

Step 1
Keep your back to the target and your eyes on the ball.

Step 2
Bring the knee of your non-kicking leg toward your chest followed immediately with the same motion of your kicking leg. The movement of your legs will appear as if you're pedaling a bicycle backwards.

Step 3
Extend your kicking leg to meet the ball while you're airborne and falling backwards.

Step 4
Pedaling down with your non-kicking leg, kick through the ball.

Step 5
Pull your toes back so your ankle makes a right angle as you connect with the ball.

Step 6
Extend both arms and your palms facing the ground behind you to brace yourself.

Step 7
Watch the knee of your kicking leg until you're on the ground to insure that you don't hit your head.


*Tips & Warnings:

• Comparisons to Pele won't be immediate. This kick takes practice to learn.
• If you increase the speed of the pedaling motion, the force of the kick increases.
• There's a lot of timing involved, so don't get discouraged if it takes a while to do this kick.
• Practice on a soft surface like a tumbling mat or your bed to learn how it feels to fall doing a bicycle kick. If you're a kid, it's probably not a bad idea to ask your parents before you start jumping on the bed.
• If you have any condition which would impair or limit your ability to engage in physical activity, please consult a physician before attempting this activity. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

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Ronaldinho Slams Milan Attitude After Serie A Draw With Juventus

Ronaldinho applauding during AC Milan's 2-2 draw with Portsmouth in the UEFA Cup

Milan could have closed the gap on Serie A leaders Inter to five points last night, however, the Diavoli failed to overcome Juventus at the San Siro, despite taking the lead through Clarence Seedorf. Juve hit back just three minutes after the opening goal with a diving header from Vincenzo Iaquinta.

“It was a beautiful match, but unfortunately we did not manage to get the three points we wanted,” Ronaldinho told the club’s official website.

“However, if we work hard we will be able to end the season well. After going ahead, there was a bit of euphoria and we lost our focus. We conceded an equaliser and that demoralised us a little bit.

“This has to serve as a lesson for the future so that we avoid committing this kind of error.”

Milan still trail Inter by seven points with three games to go and the Nerazzurri will be crowned champions if they defeat Siena next Sunday. The Rossoneri will play away to Udinese on Saturday night.

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Rio Ferdinand: Manchester United Still Out For Revenge Against Manchester City

Rio Ferdinand insists that the wounds are still fresh from Manchester United's derby defeats to Manchester City in the previous campaign and this is all the motivation they need to get payback by doing the double over them this season.

The defending champions have already made some amends for losing home and away to their city rivals last season, winning at Eastlands in November. There is still some hurt leftover, however, and the revenge mission is not yet complete.

"If you are going to be champions and reach cup finals, you need a feeling of hurt when you lose games," Ferdinand was quoted as saying by fifa.com.

"I have experienced all aspects of playing against City and there are not many worse feelings than losing to them.

"Any idea that the derby means more to the fans than the players is wrong. The players care, I can assure everyone of that.

"We will be doing our best and we want to win."

The England defender went on to insist that he was not fazed by City's new-found wealth, although he suggested it would only a matter of time until they truly become a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League.

"I don't know if the derby is progressing as a fixture," added Ferdinand. "It is weird really. City have had a lot of money pumped into them by their current investors but I couldn't care less what happens to them.

"As long as we are above City I won't be too bothered about looking over my shoulder. I am just hopeful we can go out there and produce the goods tomorrow.

"If more money is invested in the squad I am sure they will become more successful, start vying for the cup competitions and get higher in the league.

"Then the rivalry will become even more passionate. Being around each other in the league would add to the fire. You can see that now with Liverpool.

"The rivalry with them has increased over the last few months because we are both going for the title."

The Red Devils will go into Sunday's showcase game in full knowledge of the fact that their closest pursuers, Liverpool, sit top after dismantling West Ham United a day earlier.

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Birmingham Brazilian Soccer School - John Farnworth

One of a hell Soccer freestyler, John Farnworth!

Manchester United Veteran Ryan Giggs Named PFA Player Of The Year

Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs has been named as the PFA Player of the Year, with the veteran midfielder's efforts in the twilight of his career being applauded by fellow professionals.

The player, deployed in a variety of roles by his club manager Alex Ferguson this season, beat off competition from Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Edwin van der Sar and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, to claim the award.

"It's right up there, with personal accolades it's the best to have as it's voted by your fellow players," he told The Guardian.

"I've been fortunate to win a lot of trophies, I won the young player award twice but this is the big one."

Giggs did not feature for the Red Devils in Saturday evening's astonishing fight-back against Tottenham Hotspur, when United overturned a 2-0 deficit to triumph 5-2, and so it is likely that he will make his 800th appearance for the team when they face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final this week.

The 35-year-old has played more games for United's first team than any other player in history, having surpassed Bobby Charlton's appearance record during last season's Champions League final in Moscow.

Giggs is the first Welshman to win the award since current Manchester City manager Mark Hughes, who took it in 1990-91 whilst a United player. Coincidentally, that was also the season Giggs made his first-team debut for the Red Devils.

Many have expressed a certain amount of cynicism about his nomination, feeling it was an exercise in sentimental nostalgia, as he has made only 12 Premier League starts and scored just one league goal. Few would begrudge one of the game's most enduring characters his success, though.

United have six players in the team of the year, but Wayne Rooney is perhaps one surprising omission from the line-up.

Premier League team of the year: Edwin van der Sar; Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra; Ashley Young, Steven Gerrard, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo; Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Torres

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Barcelona hoping to overcome English domination

LONDON — Barcelona must guard against its form dipping at just the wrong time to prevent it challenging England's domination of the Champions League.

While defending champion Manchester United and Arsenal warmed up for Wednesday's semifinal meeting with weekend victories, Barcelona prepared for its European showdown with Chelsea by only narrowly avoiding a Spanish league defeat Saturday -- Thierry Henry scored with four minutes left for a 2-2 draw against Valencia.

The end of a seven-match winning streak was hardly ideal preparation for Tuesday's first-leg meeting with Chelsea, which continued its impressive form under temporary coach Guus Hiddink with a hard-fought 1-0 win at London rival West Ham 1-0.

But coach Pep Guardiola still thinks his relentlessly attacking team should be fine.

"We finished like bulls," Guardiola said. "We're a machine."

Many neutrals are hoping he's right and that Barcelona can get past last season's runner-up. England has provided nine of the past 12 Champions League semifinalists in an unprecedented domination of the continent's top club competition.

Tuesday's game at Camp Nou will go some way to proving whether Barcelona, which has scored 94 goals in 33 games to lead the Spanish league by seven points, is good enough to add a third European Cup title to its collection -- three years after its last.

"The best team in Europe," Hiddink said of Barcelona. "Or the world."

Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi and Henry, who scored 10 goals against Chelsea in his eight seasons with Arsenal, will line up again to pressure a defense missing suspended left back Ashley Cole and injured central defender Ricardo Carvalho.

With Carvalho out, Chelsea captain John Terry should play alongside Alex, with Branislav Ivanovic one of the contenders to replace Cole and attempt to shackle Messi.

"Whoever is playing against Messi will have a tremendous job to do because he is the most productive player in the world and one of the players you like to watch, except when you play him," Hiddink said.

Hiddink rested striker Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien and Alex at the weekend, only bringing on the midfield pair late to shore up the side.

The win kept Chelsea in contention for the Premier League title, although Manchester United and Liverpool are still ahead of the Blues. Chelsea's most likely route to a trophy this season appears to be the Champions League or next month's FA Cup final against Everton.

Manchester United's rivalry with Arsenal has been less intense in recent seasons as the Gunners have faded from contention for major honors.

But that could change when the teams go head-to-head at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

"There is more pressure on United because they are the team to beat," Arsenal defender Kolo Toure said. "United are the ones who won it last season, but for us we are going there to do the best we can playing free and passing the ball.

"We know when we play football against Manchester United, they struggle a lot."

United showed its attacking range when it rallied from 2-0 down at halftime to beat Tottenham 5-2 on Saturday, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney each scoring twice.

Arsenal is focused upon stopping Ronaldo, who scored in last season's final, with Toure suggesting 19-year-old midfielder Kieran Gibbs could be deployed to mark the Portugal winger.

"Let him play," Toure said. "He's a good player and very intelligent. He came in at a really difficult time when we play the big teams and I think he has showed good character.

"I think he is going to perform very well on Wednesday."

Ronaldo and Rooney are almost certain to start again against the Gunners, who had a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough on Sunday that was so straightforward that manager Arsene Wenger was able to replace captain Cesc Fabregas with more than 20 minutes remaining.

The key midfielder scored both his team's goals and could make use of the extra rest.

Toure is confident that his team can hold out against a United side making up for a shaky defense with some great attacking form.

"United are a really good team going forward, but, like us, at the back they have conceded a few goals," Toure said. "We have the same type of team: we both like to play, but sometimes you can be caught out at the back.

"The team that will win will be the one which defends the best."

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Manchester United deny interest in Kaka & Ribery

The Old Trafford club have moved swiftly to quash rumours that Bayern Munich’s unsettled French midfielder will be subject of a £62.5m bid

Manchester United have reacted quickly to distance themselves from fairly well-substantiated reports yesterday that they were readying a world-record £62.5m bid for French international Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich. The Old Trafford club said the rumours were not worthy of comment, which allied to Cristiano Ronaldo's description last week of a putative move to Real Madrid as "dead", would suggest that we're still waiting for the big saga of the summer to present itself. They also dismissed any talk of a bid for AC Milan's Brazilian superstar Kaka...

Newcastle's patience with Joey Barton has finally snapped after the midfielder's latest lapse of discipline, a two-footed lunge at Anfield that earned him a red card and saw him banned for the rest of the season. The club is willing to take a large loss on the £5.8m they paid Manchester City for him, with Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth all willing to take on the 26-year-old whose career has been dogged by trouble. Rovers boss Sam Allardyce brought Barton to St James's Park when manager there two years ago, and is considered front-runner to land him...

Croatian winger Danijel Pranjic has been linked with Liverpool after impressing this season for Dutch side Heerenveen. The left-sided 27-year-old can play anywhere down the flank, but has excelled in attack, notching up 16 goals so far this term. Pranjic has described a transfer to Merseyside as being a "dream move", but Rafa Benitez would face competition from Spanish sides Sevilla and Real Betis...

Harry Redknapp's summer spending spree is just weeks away, and one of the many names on his list is that of Bordeaux attacker Marouane Chamakh. The 25-year-old has been the target of scouts from clubs across the continent after notching up 10 goals this season for the Girondins, and while Bordeaux would rather not sell the Moroccan international, £8m could prove to be too good an offer to turn down.

Kaka + Ribery? Damn!


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Mourinho hits back at jeers

Internazionale coach Jose Mourinho turned on the fans who jeered his players during Saturday's 2-0 victory over Lazio.

Second-half goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sulley Muntari strengthened Inter's grip on a third straight Scudetto, but afterwards an agitated Mourinho hit back at the fans who had booed his side - and in particular Ibrahimovic.

"It's not right," protested the Portuguese coach. "I've been here for ten months and I've given my soul to the club.

"I like Inter and San Siro, so I'd love to celebrate the Scudetto at home, but there can always be moments of frustration during a match.

"We need the fans to support us, not jeer us. It didn't seem right when they reacted so negatively. In any case the fans should not boo a team that is so close to the Scudetto.

"Right now we are tired mentally and physically after many matches and many battles. That's why we don't always play as well as we'd like.”

Meanwhile, Ronaldinho will not be leaving AC Milan at the end of the season, according to his agent.

The Brazil star has endured a mixed first campaign in Serie A with the Rossoneri following his arrival from Barcelona.

Ronaldinho has started just 17 Serie A games and has been linked with a move to Turkish football with Fenerbahce.

However, his brother and agent, Roberto De Assis, claims the former world and European player of the year will be staying at the San Siro.

"We will not be leaving Milan," he claimed in a brief statement.

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Ryan Giggs Goal Vs Arsenal FA Cup 1999

Yeah right. Ryan Giggs is one of the greatest football player of all time. :)

David Beckham turns Schwarzenegger in The Terminator-style Motorola ad

David Beckham is to feature in a new global ad campaign for Motorola inspired by 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger movie The Terminator.

The campaign, to launch the new Aura phone, breaks internationally from the end of April.

Print ads for the new Motorola handset feature a shirtless Beckham holding the phone, which appears to show an x-ray of the inner workings of half of the footballer's body.

Beckham said: "I love classic watches so a phone that exposes its mechanics while also being so stylish is really unique."

Motorola's new ad, shot in Milan where Beckham has been playing for AC Milan on loan from LA Galaxy, is backlit by a red light that gives the image a similar look to the famous shots of the Sarah Connor-hunting Terminator played by Schwarzenegger in James Cameron's 1984 film.

The campaign was shot by director Anthony Mandler, who has directed a string of music videos for singer Rihanna and previously worked with the footballer as director of Snoop it Like Beckham, the third episode of TV show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood.

Motorola said that the campaign, created by ad agency Ogilvy London, was inspired by renaissance art, "fusing bold classical sculpture with precise anatomical sketches", and modern themes such as mechanisation and robotics. The Aura phone itself was inspired by luxury Swiss watch design.

The mobile phone manufacturer signed up Beckham to be a global brand ambassador in 2006 in a three-year deal struck by Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment.

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Kaka: It was ''essential'' for me to stay with Milan

Brazilian star Kaka believes it was ''essential'' he stayed at AC Milan after being wanted by Manchester City, while he has also played down talk of a summer move to Real Madrid.

Kaka is keen to stay at the San Siro.

City - backed by the wealth of owners the Abu Dhabi United Group - tried to sign the playmaker during January's transfer window for a world record fee of around £109m. The player pledged his future to the San Siro club and now claims he made the right decision, while also cooling suggestions he will join Real in the summer amid reports in Spain.

"I said 'no' to the offer from Manchester City because I think I will have lots of success here with AC Milan," Kaka told Hungarian sports daily Nemzeti Sport. "After I've received so much from Milan it was essential for me to stay.

"It's hard to say anything about the future because football is, a little bit, the game of the moment, so I can just talk about my present feelings. I like this team, I love the city and I'd like to play football here for a long time.

"Real Madrid is an amazing team with outstanding players, but I'd never say that I want to leave Milan."

There have been claims that Milan's ageing squad requires a major overhaul, but Kaka does not feel the club's experienced players should be consigned to the scrapheap.

He added: "There's no controversy, this is normal that players are coming and going at any club.

"I think it is important to build Milan on the players who have been playing here for a long time, but sometimes a new impulse is needed.

"Maldini, Pirlo, Ambrosini and Gattuso are the most influential players in the team. I think Ambrosini or Gattuso will be the new team captain after Maldini retires. Of course, I hope very much that some time I'll wear the armband."

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