The Football Life

Football Transfer: Manchester City Aim To Replace Robinho With Ronaldinho

2009-11-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

Football Transfer Report: Manchester City Aim To Replace Robinho With Ronaldinho

It seems that fiscal heavyweights Manchester City are keen to recruit a new marquee signing if, as appears increasingly likely, Robinho is Barcelona-bound.

Former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, currently flourishing under the tutelage of fellow national Leonardo in the AC Milan set-up, is being linked once again with a mega-money move to the Citizens.

According to Sport, the Citizens will press Milan for an answer regarding the availability of Ronaldinho and, should the response be positive, then they will green-light the sale of Robinho to Barcelona.

Robinho has been consistently linked with a move away from the City of Manchester Stadium, and is allegedly regarded as a replacement for Thierry Henry, despite the Frenchman's current form on the left of the Catalan club's attacking trio.

City previously tried to seal a deal for Ronaldinho, prior to the Brazilian's switch to Serie A; however, the 29-year-old spurned Mark Hughes' advances.

A swoop for Ronaldinho's fellow national, Maicon, is expected to fall through, though, as the player's agent has distanced his client from the City speculation.

The Eastlands side have also been linked with moves for Henry, Yossi Benayoun, and Franck Ribery.

Ronaldinho in Manchester with Rooney? I think this would be the best Football transfer of the year, what do you think?

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Cristiano Ronaldo wants patience from Real Madrid teammates and fans

2009-11-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

MADRID, Spain — Cristiano Ronaldo wants patience, both from his Real Madrid teammates and the Spanish club's demanding fans.

The Portugal winger, who moved to Madrid from Manchester United in the off-season, has scored nine goals in seven appearances - all wins - since leaving England. But an ankle injury has recently forced him to the sidelines, where he has been watching his star-studded team struggle.

"I've already missed some games to injury but it's not like I'm the saviour," Ronaldo said in an interview. "I'm just a player that will give to help the team to win, but the team needs to work. I think things will improve."

Ronaldo has missed Madrid's past six games, one of those being a 4-0 loss at Alcorcon in the first leg of the fourth round of the Copa del Rey. That result put pressure on coach Manuel Pellegrini, who has pleaded for more time.

But how much more time can be given to a team that spent more than 250 million euros (C$398 million) in the off-season for players such as Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso?

"I don't know, only time will tell," Ronaldo said in Spanish. "I can't say to you tomorrow, or after a month. I just hope it's as quickly as possible because if not we'll lose games or points and that's not good for the club or for us the players, either.

"It's difficult when we lose a game, or another with a little pressure, but that's normal and it's a club that's used to it and players should be ready for that."

The biggest factor for the early season sluggishness, Ronaldo believes, is the return of Madrid president Florentino Perez and his purchase of several new players.

"It's a club where you can't learn, you have to be ready when you arrive here and us players have to give our best to continue improving," Ronaldo said. "I'm certain - 100 per cent certain - that the team will reach a high level, but that takes time."

In the Spanish league, Madrid trails defending champion Barcelona by one point and Ronaldo believes the difference in experience has much to do with their contrasting starts.

"We know if we get better we'll reach a good level and we'll be able to fight against (Barcelona), which has a clear base foundation of great players who go out playing the same way with the same difference," he said. "Madrid is not like that. But, little by little, I'm confident the team will improve and we will play well. I'm sure of that."

Lionel Messi is one of Barcelona's best players, and the Argentina forward is the clear favourite to take Ronaldo's Golden Ball and FIFA Player of the Year titles away after helping his team become the first Spanish club to win three major trophies in a season.

Ronaldo said Barcelona's never-changing system is the main reason for that.

"He's got a great team at his back and it's a lot easier when you have so many great players of quality around you," Ronaldo said. "When you play in a team under construction, it's much more difficult and Barca has a team that for many years has been great."

Ronaldo, however, isn't ready to concede the league title to Barcelona just yet.

"They are no favourites in my opinion," Ronaldo said. "The truth is Barca is playing really well, playing better than us. That's the reality and people know that. But accounts are settled at the end of the season and I'm confident we're going to improve and we're going to fight to the end of the season."

Although surrounded by press managers, photographers and bodyguards, Ronaldo stayed calm when asked about getting back on the field.

"I'm very relaxed and will keep working in the same way that I did at Manchester and I know things will work out little by little and the team will get better," said the 24-year-old Ronaldo, who will also begin modelling Armani clothes alongside Hollywood actress Megan Fox.

Not even a foot injury and luxury clothes could keep Ronaldo from juggling a football, when his normally stoic demeanour dropped momentarily as he described his life in the Spanish capital.

"Life is very good. It's very similar to Portugal, I knew that before and I'm very happy here. It's a very lovely city," Ronaldo said. "It's totally different (from Manchester). Here there is almost always sun. The personality of the people are very different. The league, the food - almost everything is different and for that it's been a very radical change."

Football transfer rumours: David Villa to Chelsea ... again?

2009-11-02T19:34:00.000-08:00

Look at his face. Just look at his face. While the temptation to forego a round-up of the day's tabloid tittle-tattle in favour of a good old fashioned caption competition instead (the winning entrant will be chosen at 2.30pm and receive their choice of - Rumour Mill writer scans desk for free tat to give away - In The Shadow Of A Giant: The Autobiography of Arsenal and Wales Legend Mel Charles or Nobody Beats Us: The Inside Story of the 1970s Wales Rugby Team or a partially chewed blue biro missing its lid or the apparently discarded bicycle helmet of the Rumour Mill's colleague Mikey Stafford*), it would be a gross dereliction of journalistic duty not to list the contenders queuing up to plant their rumps in the managerial hotseat at Anfield: Jose Mourinho.

Yes, yes, it's well documented that Waldorf and Statler can't afford to sack Rafa Benitez and the Rumour Mill doesn't want to see any man lose his job in these difficult times, but in the wake of Saturday's comedy of errors at Craven Cottage and the run up to Wednesday's humiliation at the Stade Gerland, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Liverpool's American owners can't afford not to sack him, even though such a move could well ruin the fun for those of us sitting by the guillotine with knitting in hand, waiting to see exactly how much gas there is in this particular explosion/mixed metaphor. Whatever about finishing in the top four come season's end, at the rate they're shipping goals, players and points, Liverpool will be lucky to finish in the top 10 of the Premier League this season.

As you'd expect on a Monday morning following one of the more fascinating weekends in recent Premier League history, tabloid transfer tell-all is fairly thin on the ground, what with the papers devoting the lion's share of their column inchage to match reports, thundering opinion pieces and The X Factor. That said, the Mirror has made room for the obligatory whispers linking Valencia striker David Villa with a £33m move to Chelsea, a football club that is not prepared to let the small matter of a transfer ban curtail their spending on new talent during the January transfer window. While the Mirror reports that Villa would rather go to Manchester United and rejected Chelsea's advances during the summer, the Rumour Mill has it on good authority that he's quite the homebird and has no desire whatsoever to leave his nearest and dearest in Spain for a cold, wet, foreign country where he can't speak the lingo.

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Ronaldo calls for Rooney at Real

2009-11-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Manchester United star and current World Player of the Year, would love to see old teammate Wayne Rooney, and one time adversary, at Real Madrid.

The Portuguese winger, who moved to the Spanish capital in the summer for a record £80 million fee, claimed that Rooney would be ideally suited to life at the Bernabeu, although Rooney has stated on a number of occasions he plans to be a United player for a long time yet.

David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy have also made the switch from Old Trafford in the past, although neither made such an immediate impression with Ronaldo scoring nine goals in seven appearances before injury recently sidelined him.

“Wayne would be a sensation out here,” said Ronaldo. “He would be brilliant if he came here. This is the ideal place for the world's best players and there's little doubt he is one of them.”

Ronaldo did confess that the probability of 24-year-old Rooney making the switch was slim, but was quick to point out that anything is possible in football.

“I realise it would take a lot for him to move from England. He loves the country, he loves Manchester and he is a Liverpool boy. And United is a good club for him. But you never know what could happen in the future.''

Rooney has taken on the mantle of United talisman from Ronaldo this season, and chipped in with another superbly taken goal against Blackburn yesterday.

It was Rooney’s eighth goal of the season, and earned him high praise from the Premier League’s greatest-ever goalscorer. Alan Shearer said: “It was a fantastic finish by Wayne. It is a difficult skill to sweep the ball like that – with his wrong foot – but he did it superbly and gave the keeper no chance.”

One more good reason why United would never consider selling Wayne Rooney. Mind you, didn’t they say that about Beckham, Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo? Just a thought.

Source:http://www.givemefootball.com

Ronaldinho says smile is back on his face

2009-11-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

MILAN, Italy — Ronaldinho said on Tuesday that he is finally happy again playing for Brazilian compatriot Leonardo at AC Milan.

The Italians tackle Real Madrid in the Champions League at the San Siro on Wednesday as the two most successful clubs in European competition go head to head for the second time in two weeks.

The 29-year-old has endured a difficult last two seasons, proving to be a shadow of the player he once was when he inspired Barcelona to Champions League glory and won successive world player of the year awards.

But he has been improving lately, and proving decisive for Milan by creating many crucial goals recently.

"With Leonardo (the coach) I'm happy. Football is like this, right now I feel good and I'm happy," Ronaldinho said.

"And when I feel like this, things work better. What's the secret? I've worked hard and I've had the time to do so.

"The coach and the physio are helping me, I'm going onto the pitch at 100 percent and my body is responding, things are coming easier to me.

"Last season I didn't play much, now I'm playing more and the coach has confidence in me."

Ronaldinho actually made a pretty good start to his Milan career last season, scoring the winner in the Milan derby with a rare header.

But injury and some ill-discipline during the winter break affected the second half of his season, in which he struggled to earn a place in the starting line up and rarely bristled even when he did play.

All he wants now is to start adding goals to his repertoire.

"I'm delighted to help my team-mates, I'm providing assists but I want to do better by scoring goals," he added.

"I'm expecting a great night for the whole team and I want to give my all."

Leonardo has been trying to boost his player's confidence by claiming he would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.

"Surely we have to insert Ronaldinho in the list of the top 10 players of all time," he said before turning attentions to Wednesday's game.

"These matches between Milan and Real have a history all of their own. Our results have been good, we've got a good atmosphere and it's always the right time for a game like this."

Milan are sweating over the fitness of centre-back Alessandro Nesta while Leonardo will have to decide who out of Filippo Inzaghi and Marco Borriello will partner Ronaldinho and Pato in his three-man attack.

While the game is probably the biggest in Europe this week, it is not a winner takes all clash for these two.

Whatever the result in this Group C match they will both come out of it still in a good position to qualify for the Champions League knock-out stages.

They both have six points with Marseille and FC Zurich three points back and Real's Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini is thinking more about top spot than qualifying.

"Both teams are aiming for first place in the group and will be trying to win," he said.

"We'll have a go from the first minute and we'll see what happens but I'm sure we'll play a great match."

Pellegrini also insisted his team had not taken Milan lightly in their first match in the Bernabeu, where the Italians scored a shock 3-2 win.

"We weren't over-confident, until they equalised (at 1-1) we had controlled the game," he said.

"Then we lost our shape and with the great players they have, Milan made the most of that."

Despite not scoring in six matches, France forward Karim Benzema looks likely to start alongside Argentine Gonzalo Higuain in attack with Raul dropping to the bench.

Sir Alex Ferguson Defends Gabriel Obertan After Home Manchester United Debut

2009-11-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

French winger Gabriel Obertan has received the backing of his manager Sir Alex Ferguson following his long-awaited home debut in a Manchester United shirt.

The former Bordeaux youngster was signed from the French club during the summer although a back injury has limited the 20-year-old to just a handful of reserve appearances before last week.

Obertan made his first team bow in the League Cup victory over Barnsley in midweek and was introduced in the 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers yesterday as a replacement for Nani after 63 minutes.

Despite failing to find the net with two gilt-edged chances on his Premier League debut, Ferguson was quick to offer his support to the tricky midfielder suggesting that he was pleased with Obertan's overall performance.

"Gabriel was a bit nervous when he came on," said the Scot, as quoted by the Press Association.

"It was only his second game in seven months, so you have to put it in perspective. But then he settled down and did well. He is not happy with himself and that is a good thing."

Blackburn held United for large period of the game and it wasn't until the 55th minute that Dimitar Berbatov finally broke the deadlock for the champions.

Wayne Rooney added a second to seal the three points and Ferguson was pleased with his side's attacking edge in the second half.

"The players worked very hard as Blackburn set out their stall," he added.

"You always get a bit concerned when you haven't scored.

"But we don't panic. We have that experience. We can win games in the 93rd minute.

"You need that patience, though, and we improved our penetration in the second half. That is a strong virtue of this club."

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Beckham close to finalising return to AC Milan

2009-10-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

David Beckham has revealed he is ready to sign a loan agreement with AC Milan to keep his dream of playing at a fourth World Cup finals alive.

The San Siro was always the likely destination for Beckham in January with Major League Soccer in close season hibernation, and while the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder has a number of interested parties he remains committed to a Serie A return.

For the first time since moving to the United States in 2007, Beckham seems set for an extended season with the Galaxy primed for the end-of-season play-offs. On Thursday, they beat Chicago 1-0 to move to the top of the Western Conference with two games remaining in the regular season.

Beckham will have a couple of months to rest before moving back to Italy for a second spell.

England coach Fabio Capello has made it clear he must return to play in Europe to remain in his plans for South Africa.

"There are other options available but none that will stop me going to Milan," the LA Galaxy player told the Mail on Sunday. "It is close to being finalised.

"When I left (Milan), they said they wanted me to come straight back. I had such a marvellous time there. They're a great club."

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Wayne Rooney vs Cristiano Ronaldo vs Kaka vs Lionel Messi

2009-09-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

Let's have some fun guys. Who do you think is the best among this awesome footballers: Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Lionel Messi.

Wayne Rooney
Age: 23
Position: Forward
Club: Manchester United

United's very own Roy of the Rovers, Rooney made his mark in Manchester with a stunning Champions League hat-trick in a 6-2 thrashing of Fenerbahce, which included a beautifully flighted free-kick.

Rooney, who is set to make his 50th Champions League appearance for United on Wednesday, already has a considerable medal collection having helped the Old Trafford club to three Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup - to name but a few.

The former Everton player has the ability to terrorise defences with his speed, strength and vision, and he is equally adept at tackling and tracking back.

Arguably a genius in the making, an incendiary element to his character is the only flaw in his well-rounded game. His kicking of a corner flag at Craven Cottage following his sending off in a 2-0 defeat to Fulham in March merely illustrates this. If he can follow Kipling's advice and keep his head, Rooney will have the world at his feet.

Rating: 7/10.

Watch Rooney on YouTube

Kaká
Age: 27
Position: Forward
Club: Real Madrid.

The Fifa 2007 World Player of the Year had the Midas touch at Milan and helped the Rossoneri win the Champions League in the same season, scoring 10 goals during the tournament. He may not have the blistering pace of a Cristiano Ronaldo, but Kaká can see the game from a bird's eye perspective and is as much a creator of goals as a supreme finisher.

After completing his £68.5 million move to Real Madrid in the summer, the Brazilian will be keen to impress again in a World Cup season.

Rating: 8/10.

Watch Kaká on YouTube

Cristiano Ronaldo
Age: 24
Position: Forward
Club: Real Madrid.

A player who is just as fast with or without the ball at his feet, Ronaldo can leave the best defenders with twisted blood.

The Portuguese, who scooped two Football Writer's Player of the Year awards and a brace of PFA accolades during his time in England, helped Manchester United win the Champions League in 2008 with the opening goal in their defeat of Chelsea.

Crowned Fifa World Player of the Year for 2008 with the Ballon d'Or already in his possession, the one remaining trophy that Ronaldo would dearly love to get his hands on is the World Cup.

Rating: 9/10.

Watch Ronaldo on YouTube

Lionel Messi
Age: 22
Position: Forward
Club: Barcelona.

The catalyst for Barcelona's Champions League triumph over Manchester United last season, this diminutive genius would appear to be the safest bet for this year's Fifa World Player of the Year.

One of a string of Argentine players to have been compared to the great Diego Maradona - and the first to deserve such comparisons - Messi seemingly sows his boot to the ball as he fillets opposition defences.

Proclaimed to be the best in the world by none other than England manager Fabio Capello, Messi may not be the greatest goal scorer, but he is a scorer of great goals.

Rating: 9/10.

Watch Messi on YouTube

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Kaka: Argentina Aren't Doing Too Well

2009-08-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Thinking ahead to the decisive World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina in early September, Kaka only had harsh words for Los Albicelestes.

"Argentina aren't too well, while Brazil, with a victory, will qualify for the World Cup," said Kaka.

In the weeks leading up to the highly anticipated clash between the South American rivals in Rosario, Argentina, several players have had their say on the form of their respective team and that of their rivals.

Kaka's national team teammates Robinho, of Manchester City, affirmed that if Brazil manage to play good football during the game they will moved closer towards another World Cup appearance.

"We need to play well against Argentina, we need to claim a victory and pick up the three points."

In recent weeks Diego Maradona, the coach of Argentina, explained that because his side will face Brazil it will definitely be a "complicated" match, but that his squad will play their "hearts out" in order to win the match.

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Sebastiano Rossi: Milan Are Taking Right Steps To A Winning Cycle

2009-08-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

After selling Kaká and making no major new signings, things are not looking too bright for Milan ahead of the new season, and many fans have already voiced their disappointment.
However, former Rossoneri goalkeeper Sebastiano Rossi, still the record holder in Serie A for the longest unbeaten run with 929 minutes, thinks that the club are taking the right steps to build another winning cycle.
"I've heard many complaints from fans, but I tell them: my friends, Milan are following the right road to build a new cycle within a few years," he said to Il Giornale.
"You have endure some suffering and use a fundamental virtue, patience, to find yourself a winning team again. After building the team's spine, you can insert world-class players one at a time.
"All the great teams have this characteristic to endure in time and not be a fluke team. I'm not just referring to Barcelona or Manchester United. I also remember how Fabio Capello's Invincible Milan team was born, and [Marcello] Lippi's Juventus."
On Ronaldinho, who will probably be given more responsibility now with Kaká's departure, Rossi said: "I want to make a prediction, I like taking risks: I think they will do well, I saw it from the first few tests of this pre-season, he has the right desire.
"I think Milan will start slowly, they will have some problems but in the end they'll be fine. You'll see that in the end they won't disappoint: I know the Milanello people well."
Rossi was at Milan between 1990 and 2002, winning three Scudetti, and one Champions League among other trophies, and establishing his unbeaten record in the 1993/1994 season.

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Wayne Rooney determined to fill Ronaldo's boots as well as his own

2009-08-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

The load on Wayne Rooney's shoulders can be judged by a comment from Carlos Tevez just before the Carling Cup final. The Argentinian described the combination of himself, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney as "the best forward line in the world". Suddenly, a few months on, there is just the boy from Croxteth left.

Since their season ended in the bitter anticlimax of the European Cup final Manchester United have lost two footballers worth more than £100m who last season provided 41 goals. The challenge of filling the void looms before Rooney but it is not one he was ever likely to shirk.
In United's first game since the departures of Ronaldo and Tevez, played in heat and humidity that Sir Alex Ferguson half-jokingly suggested required medical attention just to watch, Rooney drove into the fray, scoring the first goal in a 3-2 win over Malaysia and setting up Nani for United's second. When with England, Rooney has confessed to disliking friendlies, missing the intensity of a fixture where goals translate into points. However, with 85,000 in the Bukit Jalil stadium which erupted even when he clipped the ball into an unguarded net in the warm-up, Rooney could not be accused of failing to give value for money.
Afterwards he accepted that the season ahead, which may just end in a World Cup final in Johannesburg on 11 July, would be a draining one. "With Cristiano gone, it leaves a huge hole when it comes to goals," he said. "We all need to score more, especially me and Dimitar Berbatov, than we did last year.
"We don't feel let down by Cristiano. I have spoken to him since he left. He was a great player for Manchester United but it was his wish to go and I think the club have respected that. We always knew he was going to go sometime. For the club and for himself it was a good deal and the six years we got out of him were brilliant."
Despite the part Ronaldo may have played in Rooney's dismissal in the World Cup, the two were close, bound by an unfettered love of the game. Before kick-off at Old Trafford they would invariably be juggling a football in the dressing-room. He got on well with Tevez, who remarked that playing alongside Rooney was "an absolute joy" and delighted in teaching him Spanish swear-words. Rooney is more reticent about Tevez's departure: "He was a great lad and it was a shame that it [his contract] never got sorted out. I am sure a lot of people will have a lot to say about him joining Manchester City but I don't want to say too much."
Last summer, as the club toured South Africa, Ferguson confessed to having misused Rooney. The United manager admitted he had fallen victim to the temptation of allowing Rooney to play all over the pitch, sometimes because he always craves the ball, sometimes to do a specific job for Manchester United.
Ferguson promised Rooney he would play as an-out-and-out centre-forward, which did not always happen. Even in the European Cup final he was isolated on the left flank, with Ronaldo operating as a centre-forward. This time he will almost demand to go through the middle.
"We haven't spoken about it but I am sure that is where I will play," Rooney said. "Everyone knows it is my best position and, hopefully, that is where I will be. It is less work, you get more chances and, as a forward, that is what you want." Certainly Rooney has developed his close-range work – the goal he scored against Malaysia was a tap-in, an aspect he scarcely bothered with at Everton. Michael Owen's winner, which ensured the match ended with images of United's most unexpected summer signing on the Bukit Jalil's giant screens, was similar.
Owen remarked before kick-off that, if Rooney could improve his game by "five per cent" and if he could cast off the chains of despair that dragged him down at Newcastle, the gap left by Ronaldo and Tevez could be filled. Certainly Owen seems a more natural partner for Rooney than Tevez and until Owen broke his foot in December 2005 they were England's first-choice strike force. "We are delighted to get him," said Rooney. "He is a great goal-scorer, a good finisher and we are all sure he will bring us some goals. I think the move will give him a new lease of life. Over the last couple of years he has had some criticism but, to be honest, it would have been difficult for anyone to have scored in that Newcastle side."

Credits to this site.

Ronaldinho promises to fill Milan's Kaka gap

2009-08-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ronaldinho has vowed to lessen the impact of Kaka's departure by having a "great season" for AC Milan.
The Brazilian playmaker was responding to quotes from owner Silvio Berlusconi over the weekend that called him a "great champion".
Many fans were dismayed at Kaka's high-profile departure but Ronaldinho is vowing to step up his efforts for the Rossoneri and help mount a serious challenge for the Scudetto.
After Milan's comfortable pre-season victory over local side Varese he said: "I want to have a great season and dedicate my efforts to the president.
"I also want to guarantee the fans that I have the right mentality to become a great champion once again."
Ronaldinho had an indifferent campaign last year, making just 16 starts and suffering a slump in form after the Christmas period.
As the club rebuild after coach Carlo Ancelotti's departure, Ronaldinho has also urged the club to sign Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano.
He said: "It would be a great addition, he is a great player and we could form a wonderful trio along with [Alexandre] Pato."

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Kaka: Ronaldo, Beckham, Carlos Told Me Nice Things About Madrid

2009-08-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

While the rest of the world had their eyes on the Santiago Bernabeu for Real Madrid’s Monday night coronation of Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s other galactic star, Kaka was quietly enjoying a party of his own back in Sao Paulo.

Los Blancos’ new No. 8 returned to Brazil for a short holiday after a successful Confederations Cup campaign to celebrate his son, Luca’s first birthday (even though he was born on June 10) and among
the guests at the party was Elano, Robinho, Ronaldo and F1 driver, Felipe Massa.

During the celebrations, Kaka admitted that he wants to disconnect himself from football for the time being and focus on family.

“At the moment, my priority is Luca. A lot of people here say to me that I am not Kaka, but the father of Luca,” he told Brazilian TV program, ‘Esporte Espectacular’.

“What I want is for him to grow up well, be happy and be comfortable in Madrid,” he continued.
The playmaker then went on to touch briefly on why he signed for Los Blancos.

“I contacted other Brazilians who have played for Madrid, especially those who were in the national team such as Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. I even got in touch with [David] Beckham and they all have only nice things to say about Madrid,” he revealed.

“I chose Madrid because of the glamor of the club, because of the fascination people have with them, because of the stadium, the fans, things that you can’t find at any other club in the world.”

Finally, Kaka was asked if his €67 million transfer fee will put any unwanted burden on him.

“At the end of the day, each transfer will involve millions of euros but it is the players who have the least to win,” he replied.

“This is football, an industry where millions of dollars revolve around this spectacle.
“For me, I do not regret anything. Instead, I thank the Milan fans for all the support they’ve provided me all these years but now, I only think about my future with Real Madrid.”

Kaka will remain in

Brazil

to attend the wedding of Alexandre Pato, before returning to the Spanish capital to begin preseason training on July 27 with the rest of the squad.

Kaka surprised by speed of Real's move for Ronaldo

2009-08-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Kaka was surprised Real Madrid swooped for Cristiano Ronaldo so soon after his own move to the Bernabeu was announced.

The Brazilian completed his switch from AC Milan for a fee of around £56m last Monday.
Only three days later, Manchester United confirmed they had accepted a bid of £80m for Ronaldo from Madrid, although the Portugal international has not completed the move.

''I was quite surprised because everything was sorted so quickly,'' Kaka told Globo TV on Monday. ''It was pleasant surprise, not a bad one. He is an excellent player who can bring a lot to the team.
''To have players who can decide a match on their own is very important and Cristiano can do that.''
Asssuming Ronaldo's deal is completed, the double capture of the Portuguese and Kaka represents a stunning raid to land perhaps the best two players in world football.

The amount of money being spent by Madrid under president Florentino Perez, who returned this summer for a second spell in charge, has come in for strong criticism, but Kaka defended the architect of the 'Galacticos' policy.

''It is a political problem,'' Kaka said. ''Florentino has his project, his way to invest. It is not something negative for football, but positive.

''The Barcelona president (Joan Laporta) has criticised us, but they are very strong. The way Real can be a competitive team again is to have an ambitious project like Florentino's.''

David Beckham commitment under fire

2009-08-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

The great experiment in question involved adding one part soccer superstar, David Beckham, to a diluted North American market, hoping that a massive positive chemical reaction might take place.
Well, we're still waiting, even if there have been a series of minor explosions along the way. All eyes are back on Beckham as he returns, finally, to the Los Angeles Galaxy roster July 16 for a game against the New York Red Bulls. He's back from an extended stay in Europe, where he fled in search of better competition.

Certainly, Major League Soccer wants him back. He sells tickets and merchandise and gives the league a cachet it might otherwise lack. But he also has left even his teammates wondering if Beckham still believes in the mission.

L.A. striker Landon Donovan is highly critical of Beckham in this long-awaited book by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl. Donovan says Beckham is guilty of a lack of commitment and suggests he deserves to be benched if his attitude has not changed.

Wahl writes of the Galaxy's trip to Toronto in August 2007 as being the first time his teammates experienced the VIP treatment accorded Beckham wherever he goes. At the Ultra Supper Club, "you would have thought you'd stepped into a time warp back to 1977, to the days when the New York Cosmos of Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia partied with Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger and the gang at Studio 54 in Manhattan. For the Galaxy players, that night in the Supper Club – the hottest nightclub in downtown Toronto – was the first time they felt like a SuperClub."
Those were the days.

Milan Don't Need To Buy Any Players – Silvio Berlusconi

2009-08-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Milan president Silvio Berlusconi will anger his own fans with the statement he is in no hurry to sign any new players.

The Rossoneri have been linked to various players this summer, but no major signings have been made as pre-season training starts today.

“We have chosen to look forward, aiming on the renewal,” explained the club’s president to the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“However, our squad remains formidable and therefore I foresee a good season. The fans need to remain calm: it will not be a defeatist mentality for Milan.

“We have great champions like Pato, Ronaldinho and [Andrea] Pirlo, and many young promising players.

“No one in Italy, from the technical point of view, has a squad as strong as ours, not even Inter.

“The objectives? Milan, as always, starts off to win everything, even though there are years which are more lucky or less lucky.

“Reinforcements? The problem is not the names. If on the market some doors open up, someone can arrive, otherwise we’re fine like this. We must not buy at all cost.”

The fans have voiced their disappointment over Milan's transfer efforts through the low sales of season tickets, with reports from Italy stating that the Rossoneri have sold under 1,000 tickets, whereas their rivals Inter have sold over 24,000 so far.

Source

Freestyle football - Matt's got the moves

2009-07-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

MATT Aird has busked in Rundle Mall but this week the 19-year-old from Adelaide's south will begin his campaign to take on the world's best freestyle footballers in South Africa.

Aird's biggest audience to date has been a handful of shoppers in the city centre but on Thursday the soccer ball juggler will be South Australia's sole hope in the Red Bull Street Style qualifier in Melbourne.

If he wins the try-out stage on either Thursday or Friday, Aird will be flown to Sydney to face the leading contenders from NSW and Queensland. After launching in Australia this year, Red Bull Street Style national trials will be staged in 45 countries over the coming months.

The Aussie winner will be invited to an international shootout at the 2010 world finals in Cape Town in March.

"I've only done a couple of performances, but not nearly as big as the one I'm going doing for Red Bull," Aird said.

"With performing, for some reason you can do the combos that you can't do when you're practising at home. Being in front of a crowd, it's like stepping up another gear.

"Sometimes I get comments if I'm busking at Rundle Mall, you get people who say 'You can't do that on a pitch', or 'I can do that', that kind of thing. I think it's a compliment. I love it."

Happy Valley's Aird, studying mechanical engineering at university, took up the sport three years ago after seeing a highlights package on YouTube.

He played soccer through high school but said freestyle's extreme range of skills meant the two sports were worlds apart.

"It's like comparing figure skating to ice hockey - they both involve skating but they're totally different," Aird said.

The street style competition is similar to Australian Idol - but with a soccer ball.

Rivals perform stunts in solo and head-to-head battles, on a stage with pumping music.

Judges award points for individual tricks and combinations, and apply penalties for dropping the ball or use of hands. The world leaders also merge juggling talent with breakdance-inspired moves.

See his Video here.

Rooney hospitalised after stumbling over his yacht

2009-07-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who is holidaying on the French Riviera, ended up in a hospital after stumbling over his luxury yacht.
According to reports, his pregnant wife Coleen took him to a hospital in St Tropez after he toppled over on the deck.

Doctors feared that Ronney might have suffered a concussion, following which he was kept under observation for two and a half hours.

“He cut his head and everyone was worried he may have a concussion. So, he was taken for a check-up,” The Mirror.co quoted an insider, as saying.

“Wayne might have looked like he was trying to keep a low profile by wearing a cap and hoodie but he was probably trying to hide his cut,” he added.

The Man U star was finally discharged, when doctors were satisfied that the medical reports showed no serious injury. (ANI)

Source

Manchester City test John Terry's loyalty with £40m bid

2009-07-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Manchester City will make an increased bid of £40 million for John Terry, although any transfer is likely to be dependent on the England captain’s willingness to force the issue.

Chelsea suspect that Terry may be using City’s interest as leverage in an effort to secure an improved contract, but if he is serious about leaving Stamford Bridge, the club will insist that the defender submits a transfer request as they are determined not to be painted as the villains in any prospective sale.

City would not have pursued Terry so rigorously had they not been given grounds for encouragement and are refusing to concede defeat despite having a £30 million bid rejected last week.

Terry would stand to earn about £200,000 a week at City — compared with his existing wages of £135,000 a week at Chelsea — and is said to be impressed by the scale of City’s ambitions, although the club must be aware that they could be being used as a bargaining tool.

Chelsea would consider opening talks with Terry, whose present contract has three years left to run, about a new deal, but they will not be held to ransom and know that £40 million is a lot of money for City to offer for a player who turns 29 in December.

The tone of the statement Chelsea released last week, confirming that they had “completely rejected” City’s offer, reflected their frustration, but despite encouraging Terry to reiterate his commitment to the club, the defender has yet to do so.

City lodged an initial bid for Terry in January, despite being warned off by Chelsea before that, but the situation is intriguing not least because it pits the two of the richest owners in world football against each other for the second time in less than a year.

Sheikh Mansour, the City owner and Arab billionaire, won the previous battle of wills in September last year, with Roman Abramovich, his Chelsea counterpart, refusing to match City’s £34.2 million British record bid for Robinho, the Brazil forward.

Mark Hughes, the City manager, has made it clear that he covets Terry over most others and believes that his leadership qualities, along with his defensive nous and goalscoring prowess from set-pieces, will greatly strengthen a rearguard that still has a fragile look.

Reports that Hughes and Terry were on holiday at the same hotel complex in Dubai last week will only add fuel to the heated speculation.

Hughes wants to pair Terry and Joleon Lescott, of Everton, in central defence next season, although the City manager may wait to see how the Terry situation pans out before stepping up his efforts for Lescott. Everton’s £20 million-plus valuation of Terry’s England team-mate may prove a sticking point.

If a second bid for Terry fails, Hughes is likely to turn to Kolo Touré, the Arsenal defender who is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium next summer and who would be available for about £14 million.

City are still awaiting a decision from Samuel Eto’o, the Cameroon striker, who is locked in a dispute with Barcelona.

Manchester United also inquired about Eto’o this summer but it seems unlikely that Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, will sign another striker now that Michael Owen has joined on a free transfer.
Despite the uncertainty over Terry and Eto’o, however, Carlos Tévez’s £25.5 million transfer to City should finally be ratified this week, with the former United striker rejecting suggestions that a cross-city move would be an act of betrayal.

“If I play for Manchester City I don’t think the United fans will feel I am a traitor,” Tévez said.
¤ Christopher Samba has put Manchester City on red alert by refusing to pledge his future to Blackburn Rovers (Graham Chase writes). The centre back was brought to Ewood Park by Mark Hughes in January 2007 and the City manager wanted to take him to Manchester last summer.

The 25-year-old defender has also been linked with Everton and West Ham United and has left himself open to a move away from Blackburn.

“I am still at Blackburn, so I can’t comment,” he said. “Whoever wants me will need to talk to Blackburn Rovers and we will see. I am calm and waiting.”

Source

Owen Will Be Better Than Tevez For Manchester United

2009-07-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Former England manager Glen Hoddle has insisted that Michael Owen will be a better attacking option than Carlos Tevez for Manchester United.

Owen went from Newcastle United to Old Trafford on Friday in a move that has taken the football world by surprise.

However, Hoddle insisted the transfer would suit Owen perfectly and he tipped the striker to thrive at his new club.

“The way United play will suit Michael down to the ground,” Hoddle told the Sunday Mirror.

“Possession football and a lot of chances. It couldn't be better for him.

“At United, he won't be the focal point of the team. He will have the likes of Rooney, Berbatov and Valencia around him. They are match-winners as well. He will thrive at United.”

Hoddle also insisted that Owen would outscore Tevez, who rejected the chance to stay on at the club and now looks set to move to Manchester City instead.

“It is a superb bit of business by Sir Alex Ferguson. I'm convinced it could be the shrewdest signing of the summer,” he added.

“If Michael can stay relatively fit and be involved in 30 or so games, he can be better for United in front of goal than Tevez.”

Source

Life without Kaka will be difficult for Milan

2009-07-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

In summer of 2003, two relatively unknown players, Riccardo Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, signed for Milan and Manchester United from Sao Paolo and Sporting Lisbon respectively.
In a matter of months both became valuable assets for their new clubs.
Kaka steered Milan to the 2007 Champions League and a year later, Ronaldo helped United beat Chelsea in an unprecedented all-English final to lift their third European Cup. On a personal level, Kaka won the 2007 Golden Ball whereas Ronaldo was given the same France Football award last year.
By sheer coincidence, these two players were Real Madrid's first signings in Florentino Perez's second reign at the club this summer.
Whereas United intend utilising the proceeds made from the sale of Ronaldo (thought to be in the region of €93 million) to bolster an already-strong squad, Milan have used the €64 million cashed in on the sale of Kaka to balance their books.
This move has irked many Rossoneri supporters because the transfer of Kaka is seen as a big step in the wrong direction for a club harbouring aspirations of glory both domestically and on the continent.
In the past, Milan did lose some of their best players but stability in the team was always maintained and they went on to conquer Europe and lift the scudetto.
Marco van Basten's last competitive game for Milan was the 1993 European Cup final. The following season, Milan replaced the Dutch master by giving more playing time to veteran Daniele Massaro.
The move paid rich dividends as in 1993/94 Milan became the second Italian club - after Inter in 1964/65 - to win the scudetto and the European Cup in the same season.
More recently, in summer of 2006, Milan offloaded Andriy Shevchenko to Chelsea and in the following year they went all the way to lifting the Champions League trophy at the expense of Liverpool.
So, can history repeat itself this time around as Brazil duo Ronaldinho and Alexander Pato are now expected to be allowed a free role to operate behind a lone striker, likely to be new signing Emanuel Adebayor (Arsenal).
In other words, can Milan achieve more with less?
The answer to this depends mainly on Milan's new signings.
Ronaldinho was largely out of action for most of last season. If the 2005 Golden Ball winner can hit top-form again, the departure of Kaka could indeed pass unnoticed. Up to 2006, Ronaldinho was considered the best player in the world before hitting a dark patch with Barcelona.
Last season, Ronaldinho showed just a glimpse of his magic but to replace Kaka over an entire campaign he has to step up several gears, keep up in shape and, perhaps, earn his place back in the Brazil national team ahead of the World Cup.
New Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, formerly of Milan, is doing his utmost this summer to prise Pato away from the San Siro.
However, Milan chief Adriano Galliani has insisted several times that the Brazil prodigy is not for sale.
If Pato stays put, Milan could still vie for the honours but if Milan give in to Chelsea's offers, then it becomes pretty obvious that money matters more for Galliani and the rest of the Milan hierarchy.
Pato is Milan's future. For the fans, he has become what Kaka has represented after the departure of Shevchenko.
In recent years, Milan signed seasoned players, putting commercial interests as priority ahead of football matters. But there are indications this summer that the trend is changing as Milan have already snapped up a number of promising youngsters in the shape of Ignazio Abate (Torino), Giacomo Beretta (Albinoleffe) and Gianmarco Zigoni (Treviso).
Club supremo Silvio Berlusconi was criticized in the past for having appointed novices Arrigo Sacchi and then Fabio Capello at the helm of the team. But results have always proved the Italian premier right.
Given the prevailing negative economic climate around the globe, it was inevitable not to sell Kaka at such a conspicuous transfer fee. Milan have a mammoth task in replacing the Brazil wizard but with the right moves and signings, this seemingly-insurmountable hurdle could be overcame.
It is a matter of belief.

Source

40,000 fans welcome Kaka to Real Madrid

2009-07-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Around 40,000 fans flocked to Real Madrid's Estadio Bernabeu to see the presentation of new signing Kaka.

The Brazilian playmaker - signed from AC Milan three weeks ago for around 65 million euros ($91.31 million) - was presented to the fans and media Tuesday by new club president Florentino Perez, who said that the Brazilian was 'unique and special' and 'an icon of our times'.

Kaka, for his part, said that 'today is a very special day for me. I am very happy to start a new stage in my career at Real Madrid, and I hope to write my name into the history of this great club.'

It was then announced that Kaka will wear the No.8 shirt for Real. The Spanish giants have already sold more than 2,000 Kaka replica shirts, without any number on them.

Kaka, 27, flew into Madrid Tuesday morning from South Africa, where he had guided Brazil to triumph at the Confederations Cup. He underwent rigorous medical checks at the Estadio Bernabeu and then put his name to a lucrative six-year contract.

Perez, who returned as Real president June 1, is prepared to spend more than 250 million euros building a star-studded team to challenge European champions Barcelona.

He has also signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for a world record fee of around 94 million euros, and defender Raul Albiol from Valencia.

Ronaldo will be presented to the media July 6, Albiol later next week.

According to the Spanish media, Perez' next transfer targets are Liverpool pair Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, plus Valencia's David Villa and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich.

Source

Brazil door open for Ronaldinho

2009-07-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Brazil manager Dunga has told former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho the door is still open for a return to the national side.

The AC Milan forward was left out of Brazil's squad for the Confederations Cup in South Africa as they bid to win the tournament for a third time.
Ronaldinho has suffered indifferent form since his move to the San Siro from Barcelona, scoring 10 goals in 32 outings in his first campaign.
Wayward form for both club and country towards the end of last season prompted Dunga to omit him from his squad for the Confederations Cup, which acts as a dress rehearsal for next year's World Cup.

Responsibility

"I would like him to come back," said Dunga. "But whether he will come back I don't know.
"I think you must address that question to him directly. He obviously has that responsibility on his shoulders, it depends more on him than on me, but I would like him to come back."
Upon announcing his players for the tournament, Dunga revealed he would not pick the Milan star until he recaptured the type of form which once made him the best player in the world.
In March, the 29-year-old was ridiculed for a poor performance as Brazil drew 1-1 with Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier and he has made just one appearance in the yellow shirt since.

Big star

Despite the absence of one of football's biggest stars, the national team have been in impressive form in South Africa, netting 11 goals en route to Sunday's final against USA.
Despite the form, which includes a 4-0 drubbing of World Cup holders Italy, Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer has suggested the South Americans are not equipped to win a sixth Cup next year.
But Dunga, who captained his country to their 1994 triumph, disagrees and highlights their attacking ability as a strong point.
"Anyone can have an opinion," said Dunga. "So let's just look at the number of goals we scored here.
"We had the best attack in the group stages and scored 10 goals and you can't argue against the numbers and the facts."

Source

Manchester City announce that Tevez will sign

2009-07-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Carlos Tevez is set to wear the blue of Manchester City after the club announced they have reached an agreement over a proposed move to the City of Manchester Stadium.

Tevez has agreed personal terms and is expected to pen a five-year deal at Eastlands. City have confirmed the deal has been ratified by the Premier League and the Football Association, and Tevez is expected to have a medical shortly before meeting up with his new team-mates on their pre-season tour to South Africa.

Manager Mark Hughes said "It is terrific news. Carlos is an international player of the highest class who possesses all the attributes that will help drive this club forward."

Tevez caught an overnight flight from South America on Monday to Manchester to put an end to a lengthy pursuit of a player who ended his association with Manchester United after finishing a two-year loan at Old Trafford amid much acrimony at the end of June.

City have previously been reluctant to express too much confidence about the chances of Tevez joining them, knowing the complexities of the deal could scupper it at any time. Tevez's "economic rights" are owned by third-party group MSI, fronted by businessman Kia Joorabchian.

Despite something of a rapport with fans at Old Trafford, and a United offer that met MSI's requirements in terms of wages and a fee for the player, Red Devils' boss Sir Alex Ferguson said on Monday that he felt the Argentine striker had decided to bail out long before the eventual decision was taken.

"I half expected Carlos Tevez would be going a long time back," said the United boss. "I think he maybe did a deal around January because I spoke to him and gave him an offer on the night we played Inter Milan (in March) and he never came back to me.

"I phoned him on holiday and he never got back to me and I texted him twice and he never got back to me then either, so obviously he had made his mind up a long time ago.

"He was a good player and did well for us. But he obviously assessed the situation and wanted to go somewhere else."

Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor has also emerged as the latest big name to catch City's eye while they also wait to see what the result of conversations between John Terry and Chelsea will be.

Blues chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak is willing to make Terry the highest-paid player in England in order to lure him north.

Source

Cristiano Ronaldo is simply the best

2009-07-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

Cristiano Ronaldo has come a long way from that slightly gawky 18-year-old who performed almost as many dives as step-overs, and whose final product was somewhat lacking.

He has come a long way, too, from that hate figure for English football, vilified for his part in Wayne Rooney's sending-off during the 2006 World Cup.

Now, quite simply, Ronaldo is recognised as the best player in the world.
And now his career is set for another chapter.

The 24-year-old's world record £80million move to Real Madrid from Manchester United was rubber-stamped last night with the player having agreed a six-year contract with the Spanish giants.

The second 'galacticos' era under Florentino Perez kicked off earlier this month with the signing of Brazil playmaker Kaka, and now Real have sealed another massive coup.

So what will Madrid be getting for their money?

He has it all - proficient with either foot, tremendous speed, brilliant dribbling ability, a vicious shot, a free-kick style that he alone has mastered, a goal-poacher's nose, a powerful physique and strength in the air, which was highlighted by heading home the opening goal in last year's Champions League final.

He even manages that little bit of luck all great players seem to have - his penalty miss in the Moscow shoot-out against Chelsea will largely be forgotten as his team-mates got him out of trouble.

Does he have a weakness? Not even his temperament any more, as the occasional tantrums that sometimes surfaced in the past now appear under control.

Ronaldo, in fact, is as close as you can get to the complete footballer.

The story of his discovery by United is the stuff of legend now.

Sir Alex Ferguson had already been alerted to the 18-year-old's promise by his assistant Carlos Queiroz when United were invited to play Sporting Lisbon in a friendly to inaugurate their new stadium in August 2003.

Sporting won 3-0, and the United players were so impressed by the Portuguese teenager they implored Ferguson to sign him. Within a week, he had done so, for £12.24million - an astonishing sum for such a young player untested in the Premier League.

"In the dressing room after the match the lads were talking about him constantly," said Ferguson.
"On the plane back home from the game they urged me to sign him - that's how highly they rated him.

He was one of the most exciting young players I had ever seen."

Ferguson had to move quickly because by that time Queiroz was at Real Madrid and was trying to persuade his sporting director there, Jorge Valdano, to move for Ronaldo, but United swooped first.

Born on the island of Madeira, Ronaldo began his career with FC Andorinha, who turned down an offer of just £175 from Maritimo for an offer of two seasons' worth of kit and equipment from Nacional.

His move to Sporting was equally low key - as part-exchange instead of cash when a defender called Franco moved the other way.

Ronaldo did not settle in well on the mainland, though, and was expelled from his first school.
"When I arrived at Lisbon, the teacher was making fun of my Madeira accent. I didn't like it and I threw a chair at her," he confessed later.

Sporting agreed the precocious talent could concentrate on football and, on August 15, 2001, he was handed his senior debut as a 16-year-old.

Once at United, taking over the number seven shirt that had belonged to David Beckham was no small task, and initially there were some doubts about his tendency to over-elaborate, not to mention his propensity to dive.

Ferguson worked on both weaknesses, and soon they were ironed out - even if opposition fans still believe the way he sometimes collapses under a challenge is over-dramatic.

Any lingering doubts were dispelled by the 2004 FA Cup final, when he dazzled during United's 3-0 win over Millwall.

After the World Cup three years ago, there were serious doubts whether he would return to United or join Real Madrid, such was the public loathing following the England v Portugal match.

It was partly thanks to Rooney, who made it clear there were no hard feelings on his part, that Ronaldo was rehabilitated.

And, although the Portuguese forward came in for some grief from opposing fans, soon they realised that actually they were being given an opportunity to witness true footballing genius.

He scored 23 goals in 2006-07, and as importantly was credited with 20 'assists', and won both major Footballer of the Year prizes.

In the 2007-08 season, he almost doubled his goals tally - an astonishing achievement - although his assists' total was around a third of the previous figure, which was perhaps an indication he was being played in a more direct role by Ferguson.

Once again, he was the only real candidate for both domestic gongs.

After missing the start of the 2008-09 campaign through injury, he went on to bag another 26 goals in all competitions to help United retain their league title and reach the Champions League final for a second year in succession.

In December he picked up the Ballon d'Or and in January added the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year accolade to his personal haul - official recognition that he is the best footballer on the planet.

CRISTIANO RONALDO FACTFILE
1985: Born February 5 in Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

2002: Makes his debut for Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Super Liga at the age of 17 after winning international caps for Portugal's youth sides.

2003: August 6 - Scores in pre-season friendly against Manchester United.

August 8 - Completes a £12.24million transfer to United, taking the number seven shirt following the sale of then England captain David Beckham to RealMadrid.

August 16 - Makes his debut as a second-half substitute in opening-day 4-0 win over Bolton at Old Trafford.

August 20 - Plays for Portugal's full national side in 1-0 win over Kazakhstan.

November 1 - Scores his first goal for United in the 3-0 victory over Portsmouth at Old Trafford.
2004: May 22 - Dazzles in United's 3-0 FA Cup final victory over Millwall.

June 24 - Scores in the shoot-out as Portugal knock England out of the European Championships 6-5 on penalties.

July 4 - Plays in Euro 2004 final, which Portugal lose 1-0 to Greece.

2005 October 19 - Arrested and questioned by police after an allegation of rape at a London hotel is made against him. Ronaldo asserts his innocence. No charges are brought.

November 18 - Agrees two-year extension to his United contract, keeping him at the club until 2010.

2006: July 1 Protests to referee Horacio Elizondo after United team-mate Wayne Rooney clashes with Ricardo Carvalho in the World Cup quarter-final between Portugal and England. Rooney is sent off and television pictures catch Ronaldo winking towards the bench. Scores the winning penalty in the shoot-out to knock out England.

July 8 - After losing the third-place play-off to Germany, Ronaldo reveals he wants to leave United. Admits he would like a move to Spain, having been linked with Real Madrid.

July 7 - United stress there is "no possibility" Ronaldo will be sold.

2007: February 6 - Named captain of the Portugal team for a friendly against Brazil a day after his 22nd birthday.

April 13 - Agrees new five-year deal with Red Devils.

April 22 - Voted both the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year - the first player to land the double award since Andy Gray in 1977.

May - Voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association as United win the Premier League title.

December 17 - Finishes third in FIFA World Player of the Year voting, behind winner Kaka and Lionel Messi.

2008: March 19 - Scores twice in a 2-0 win over Bolton - taking his tally for
2007-08 to 33 - to beat George Best's 40-year-old club record for goals scored by a winger in a single season.

April 27 - Voted PFA Player of the Year for the second year running.

May 5 - United claim Premier League title with win at Wigan.

May 14 - Real Madrid claim they have the funds to purchase Ronaldo.

May 21 - Heads United in front in Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow. The game goes to penalties and, despite Ronaldo missing his kick, United win the shoot-out. Ends the season with 42 goals.

May 22 - Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster says he believes Ronaldo will play for the Spanish club at some point in his career.

June 2 - Ronaldo is reported to have told Brazilian website Terra that he wants to join Madrid, if they can meet United's asking price.

June 6 - United report Madrid to FIFA over their pursuit of Ronaldo.

June 19 - Unable to prevent Portugal being dumped out of Euro 2008 as Luiz Felipe Scolari's team lose 3-2 to Germany in the quarter-finals.

July 7 - Ronaldo undergoes surgery on his injured ankle in Amsterdam.

August 8 - Tells Portuguese newspaper Publico he will remain with Manchester
United "for at least another year".

August 17 - Makes his return from injury as a 62nd-minute substitute in a home goalless draw with Villarreal in the Champions League.

November 15 - Scores 100th goal for Manchester United with the first of a brace against Stoke.
November 30 - Sent off for two yellow cards in the Manchester derby, the second caution coming after a bizarre handball incident.

December 2 - Wins the prestigious Ballon d'Or, convincingly seeing off competition from second-placed Messi and Liverpool's Fernando Torres, in third.

2009: January 8 - Escapes uninjured after writing off his Ferrari sports car by crashing into a roadside barrier under a tunnel near Manchester Airport on his way to training.

January 12 - Named FIFA World Player of the Year at gala ceremony in Zurich.

May 16 - Helps United win Premier League title with 0-0 draw against Arsenal.

May 27 - Unable to prevent United losing 2-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome.
June 11 - United accept a world-record £80million bid from Real Madrid.

June 26 - United and Real confirm they have finalised an agreement for the transfer of Ronaldo. The player has agreed a six-year contract with Madrid.

FIVE MEGA DEALS

Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid from Manchester United was finalised tonight with the Portuguese officially joining the Spanish giants on July 1 for a world record transfer fee of £80million.
Here, we look at five other record-breaking deals.

1 Kaka, £56million from AC Milan to Real Madrid 2009
Just three days before Real revealed they had an agreement to sign Ronaldo, they made their first major purchase of the summer following Florentino Perez's return as president with the capture of brilliant Brazilian Kaka. The midfielder had rejected a move to Manchester City in January - for nearly double the fee - but the bumper pay day for cash-strapped Milan sealed the deal this time.

2 Zinedine Zidane, £46.7million, Juventus to Real Madrid 2001
Following the controversial arrival of Luis Figo in the Spanish capital a year before, Perez continued his now-infamous 'galacticos' project with the capture of the then FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane from Italian giants Juventus for a world record fee.

3 Luis Figo, £37million, Barcelona to Real Madrid 2000
Perez was elected Real president in the summer of 2000 on the back of his promise to do the unthinkable and bring the star player from arch-rivals Barcelona to the Bernabeu. Upon appointment he was true to his word, breaking the world transfer record by signing Figo for £37million.

4 Hernan Crespo, £35.7million Parma to Lazio 2000
In the summer of 2000, Sven-Goran Eriksson's Lazio were Serie A champions and flush with cash following the sale of Christian Vieri to Inter Milan a year before for a then world-record fee. They spent £35.7million of their money on Parma's Hernan Crespo, who finished top scorer in the league in his first season in Rome but was unable to help the club defend their Scudetto and also left for Inter in 2002.

5 Robinho, £32.5million, Real Madrid to Manchester City 2008
Having been taken over by the super-rich Abu Dhabi United Group on the final day of the 2008 summer transfer window, the new owners of Manchester City made a signal of their intent by beating Chelsea to the signing of unsettled Brazilian star Robinho from Real Madrid in a Premier League record deal worth £32.5million.

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Wayne Rooney: I can be central to Manchester United

2009-07-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

Wayne Rooney believes he can compensate for the summer exodus of attacking talent from Manchester United - after admitting he has not been given the chance to shine so far at Old Trafford.

Key men Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez have left the Barclays Premier League champions since the end of the season.

Already, it has been suggested that Rooney must step up and fulfil his potential this season if United are to maintain their lofty standards of recent campaigns.

And the England striker feels more than ready to meet that obligation.

"We've lost two key players and obviously I hope we can get a few players in," Rooney told The Times.

"Between them Cristiano and Carlos scored a lot of goals for us last season and the season before, but I would like to think I'm capable of filling that gap.

"I've said before that, if I can play in my right position, I'm capable of doing that."

Rooney has often been asked to operate out wide by manager Sir Alex Ferguson since joining from Everton.

The Liverpudlian is adamant that has prevented him from showing his best form on a consistent basis, and believes the time is right to make a permanent switch to the centre.

"I want to play in the position where I feel I'm best," he said.

"A lot of people think I'm best as a centre forward.

"To play in a Champions League final and to play week in, week out for Manchester United is a privilege and it's something I'm very lucky to be doing, but I don't think playing on the wing I can express myself as much as I like to."

Source

Kaka and the Backstreet Boys

2009-07-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

MANCHESTER CITY’S Brazilian star striker Robinho has tried to embarrass his international teammate Kaka upon the former AC Milan attacker’s transfer to Spanish giants Real Madrid by making public knowledge the €67.2 million (RM319.6m)-rated player’s love for popular 1990’s boyband, the Backstreet Boys.

When asked about the musical preferences of the 27-year-old Kaka, Robinho, himself a former player of Real, is reported to have said to the press, “Kaka? Music? He will only listen to the Backstreet Boys!”

The Backstreet Boys, a boy band, are best known for their smash-hits such as: Quit Playing Games With My Heart, As Long As You Love Me and Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely.

Kaka could car-pool’ with Manchester United’s £80 million (RM465.4m) star Cristiano Ronaldo, should they both live in the same vicinity of Real’s Santiago Bernabeu home, as the Portugal international is also partial to the odd cheesy single and is said to have Phil Collins in his CD-rack.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s attacking teammate of five years, Wayne Rooney, is said to be friends with rap mogul P Diddy (formerly known as Puff Daddy) after the England international, together with his wife, Colleen McLoughlin, won a weekend with the Come With Me star during a fund-raising bash hosted by David Beckham.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Stuart Taylor has become the third signing of the summer for City from from Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee.

Taylor who followed the same path of midfielder Gareth Barry, and also traded Villa Park for the City of Manchester Stadium, and manager Mark Hughes were delighted to have sealed the deal. The other player signed is Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers.

“We are delighted to be able to add a goalkeeper of Taylor’s undoubted calibre to the squad,” Hughes told the club’s website. “He is still a fairly young goalkeeper at 28 but he provides a wealth of experience and reliability.”

Taylor will provide cover and competition for firstchoice Shay Given, and will also pave the way for Joe Hart to leave the club on a loan deal in order to secure first-team football in the build-up to the World Cup in South Africa next year.

Hart is keen to play regular football so that he can play his way into contention for England boss Fabio Capello’s 2010 squad.

Source

Real Madrid Should Sign Great Players – Iker Casillas

2009-07-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

Iker Casillas thinks that Real Madrid are right to have splashed out on Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo because they proved in the past that big-money signings can be a success.

Los Merengues' goalkeeper hopes that the expensive duo can mirror the effect that Zinedine Zidane had on the club when he arrived for a world record fee in 2001.

Although Madrid have raised eyebrows with their outlay of around €161 million for two players, Casillas is pleased that the club are rebuilding after a poor season.

"I think it's fantastic to sign great players because the best should play for Real Madrid," the club's official website quote him as having said.

"Such an amount of money was paid in the past for men like Zidane, who was an amazing player and a great person. The same goes for [David] Beckham. I don't know Kaka, but I'm told he is a great guy and that's important."

Casillas may have won everything possible with Real Madrid, but he is now intent on following up Spain's European Championship victory with Confederations Cup and World Cup winning medals.

"I will always have the chance to win something every year with Real Madrid, but a Euro only comes every four years. Winning in Vienna was a childhood dream come true," he added.

"I didn't want to retire without winning a title with the national team. Great players like [Andoni] Zubizarreta, [Emilio] Butragueno, [Diego] Camacho and [Josep] Guardiola played for Spain in the past, but they had only won a silver medal in the Euros and an Olympic gold medal.

"The problem is we now want more. We are playing to win the Confederations Cup and the World Cup is around the corner. We are hungry for titles."

Source

Ronaldinho Desperate For Recall To Brazilian National Team

2009-07-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

AC Milan’s Ronaldinho was left out of Brazil’s Confederations Cup squad, which is currently taking place in South Africa.

His country have comfortably topped Group B, with a maximum nine points from three matches, and the former FIFA World Player of the Year is desperate to earn a recall to the team, in the lead up to next year’s World Cup.

“I certainly want to return to the national team, which for me is like a family,” Ronaldinho declared in an interview with TV Globo.

“Next year I want to be a part of the World Cup with Brazil. I am not angry for not being in South Africa with the national team at this moment, but I am very sad.

“I love the national team and what the fans do for you. I have been a member for a long time, and I was also the captain.

“I desperately want to return, and for this it is necessary that I have an excellent season with Milan. I have to give my all, and we need to be successful along the way.

“That will be the easiest way for me to regain my place in the national team.”

Brazil recently smashed three goals past a hapless Italian side, to book their spot in the final four of the Confederations Cup.

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Carlos Tevez decides to leave Man United

2009-07-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

MANCHESTER, England — Carlos Tevez is considering joining Chelsea or Manchester City after rejecting a five-year deal with Manchester United.

The Argentina striker, who would have become one of United's top-earners, left the Premier League champions because he felt unwanted, but wants to continue playing in England.

Despite United's cross-town rival Manchester City not being able to offer Tevez European football next season, its wealthy Abu Dhabi ownership is targeting the world's best players to create a title-winning side.

"City and Chelsea probably would be the two clubs that are on the table," Tevez's adviser Kia Joorabchian said Saturday. "City have obviously been in contact with us. I've spoken to (City executive chairman) Garry (Cook) and to (manager) Mark (Hughes) on several occasions.
"We haven't talked to them about a contract, we haven't talked to Chelsea either about that because we've respected the fact that Carlos is a Manchester United player."

Liverpool was ruled out by Tevez because of the club's rivalry with United.

Tevez was brought to England in 2006 through a contentious loan move to West Ham by the investment company that will relinquish his rights when he seals a permanent deal.

The Red Devils said they had wanted to keep Tevez and were willing to pay 25.5 million pounds (C$47.9 million) to turn his two-year loan deal into a permanent contract.

"Disappointingly, however, his advisers informed the club that, despite the success he has enjoyed during one of the club's most successful periods, he does not wish to continue playing for Manchester United," the Old Trafford team said.

Tevez decided to leave Old Trafford, having previously said that United disrespected him by not explaining why he was dropped so often from the team.

He joined United before the 2007-08 season and quickly become a fan favourite. After the final home match of the season in May, more than a thousand supporters converged on the directors' exit and players' tunnel to chant at manager Sir Alex Ferguson: "Fergie, sign him up."

Joorabchian said the decision to reject United's offer was not down to money, but the club's long delay in making the offer.

"If it was, let's say, Wayne Rooney's contract finishing six months before, or Cristiano Ronaldo's contract finishing six months before, would they have offered a better deal to them at that time or would they have tried to secure their services a bit sooner?" Joorabchian asked. "He has that little bit of a feeling that maybe he wasn't the most wanted person at United."

Tevez's exit will leave Ferguson searching for another attacking player to complement Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov while also seeking a replacement for Ronaldo, who is set to complete a move to Real Madrid.

Teenagers Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck made impressive contributions last season, but lack the experience Man United requires as it seeks to rebound following its Champions League final defeat to Barcelona.

Source

Kaka ready to assume more responsibility

2009-07-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AFP) — Superstar Kaka, buoyed by his recent high-profile move from AC Milan to Real Madrid, is ready to accept more responsibility as a senior player with Brazil.
The 27-year-old, who signed a six-year contract with the Spanish giants for a reported fee of 65 million euros earlier this month, recognises his growing stature as a senior player in Dunga's national team.
His willingness to step up was evident in Brazil's 4-3 victory over Egypt in the Confederations Cup here.
When the referee blew for a penalty in injury time with the scores tied 3-3, the Brazil No.10 showed no hesitation, immediately making his way to the spot before placing his strike past goalkeeper Essam El Hadary.
"Yes, I'm now a leader within the squad. Definitely not the only one, but one of several," he told Fifa.com.
"It is to be expected that more senior players such as myself, Gilberto Silva, Lucio or even Robinho should take on more responsibilities.
"It's a role that I take in my stride as it's a natural progression, it's not something that was forced upon me."
His decision to step forward for the penalty kick in a pressure situation was seen by many as a defining moment and one that he said he had learned to handle during his time at AC Milan.
"I think that my attitude is what people expect from me in the national team," said the midfielder, who will link up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real next season after the Portuguese forward's move from Manchester United.
"As for the crucial penalty against Egypt, for example, I'm used to those situations from my last few seasons at AC Milan, so it's only natural that I should perform a similar role for the national team."
Kaka was at AC Milan since arriving from Sao Paolo in 2003, scoring 70 goals in Serie A and 23 in the Champions League.
He won the 2007 Champions League with them, the 2004 league title, two European Super Cups and the world club championship in 2007.
His experience also stretches to World Cups.
He was part of the winning squad at Korea/Japan in 2002, though in a peripheral role, and was a starter at Germany 2006 in a team packed with household names like Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Cafu and Ronaldinho.
Despite his high-profile summer transfer the Brasilia-born attacking midfielder, crowned FIFA World Player of the Year in 2007, was not at his best last season, spending time on the sidelines with injuries.
But he is now fit and gnashing at the bit, keen to see Brazil win the Confederations Cup and do well at the World Cup in South Africa next year.
"Playing in the Confederations Cup is a great opportunity ahead of the 2010 World Cup, and as long as we remain strong in adversity like against Egypt, I think we'll be on the right track," he said.

Source

United States 0 - 3 Brazil PreviewReportMatchLive CommentaryGameCast Robinho wants Brazil to find their composure

2009-06-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

Striker Robinho would like to see a more focused display from Brazil when they take on the United States in their second group game of the Confederations Cup in Pretoria on Thursday.
The Manchester City star and his team-mates were given an almighty scare in their first game against Egypt, which looked to be heading for a 3-3 draw before Kaka netted a late winner from the penalty spot.The three points against the African champions spared Selecao's blushes as they moved top of Group B, a position they currently share with Italy."It could have been a lot easier for us but Egypt deserve a lot of credit for fighting back in the second half," Robinho said. "We maybe lost our composure for a few minutes there but the most important thing was that we won."In the next game against USA we'll be working hard to make sure we don't make those errors again, because we'll be coming up against another quality team."Dunga's team came into the tournament after back-to-back World Cup qualifying wins against Uruguay and Paraguay, games the coach said added to his players' fatigue. But the defending champions will be keen to seal their place in the semi-final with another victory at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.New Real Madrid signing Kaka added: "We expected it to be a very tough opening match and we're very happy to leave here having got the job done in what is a very tight group."Playing in the Confederations Cup is a great opportunity ahead of the 2010 World Cup, and as long as we remain strong during the difficult periods, like against Egypt, I think we'll be on the right track. In a short tournament with decisive matches, that's all that matters. We've got the three points we wanted and now we're in a position to reach the semi-finals."On the other hand, the Americans were left without a point after their opening game against the Italians, despite turning in an encouraging display.The CONCACAF winners lost 3-1, but were 1-0 up at half-time, despite having a man sent off.But they were stretched in the second half before eventually going down, and captain Landon Donovan knows they need a big performance tomorrow."After losing our opener, this game against Brazil is now a must-win for us," he said. "We know we can give a hard game to any team we meet and Brazil will be no different."We need to put the first game with Italy behind us and bounce back by getting it right at Brazil."Coach Bob Bradley is also hoping for a turnaround.He said: "To play against a team like Italy and be down a man takes extra strong efforts on a lot of parts, and I thought that part was good from my team. Unfortunately playing with a man less took its toll. But it's only the first game of the group, and now we move on."

Source

Manchester United target £45m David Villa

2009-06-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

Target: Valencia's David Villa is among the Europe's hottest properties

Villa, the Spain striker, is expected to leave Valencia this summer due to crippling financial problems at the Mestalla.

And the Mirror claims Ferguson hopes to spend a large chunk of the £80 million United will receive for Ronaldo on Villa, the leading scorer at Euro 2008.

Should United land Villa, the fee would break the British transfer record set when Robinho moved to Manchester City last summer.

However, United will face fierce competition from Madrid, who announced last week that Villa would join Kaka and Ronaldo at the Bernabeu.

Chelsea had been monitoring Villa's situation at Valencia, with the Spanish club under pressure to strip their prized assets as they lumber under debts of around £400 million, but the former Sporting Gijon forward has always made clear his preference for staying in Spain.

Valencia are thought to have turned down an inquiry from Chelsea for the striker last week.

Source

Cristiano Ronaldo can learn a lot from David Beckham

2009-06-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

She unveiled a miniature mansion for her 13 dogs, offered to become Susan Boyle's style guru, and jettisoned a Z-list boyfriend.

By an amazing coincidence she also stumbled over Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's most expensive footballer.

According to an understandably breathless eyewitness, they "swapped spit".
Niiice. Wait till Mummy gets you home, young man.

Say what you like about Paris, she's a pro.

Once she surfaced for air, she revealed her intention to name her children Victoria and David after Posh & Pecs.

"They are so hot and I want kids as beautiful as her," she trilled, unwittingly emphasising the pecking order of the world's second favourite game.

In football terms Ronaldo is arm candy, a distracting dalliance. Beckham is roses-around-the-door royalty.
It's the difference between a shell suit and an Armani suit, which for Goldenballs comes free with a £32million underwear contract.

The Winker has lots to learn from him on and off the pitch.

The Beckhams were welcomed to Tinseltown by Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Demi Moore and their other halves.

Ronaldo was a passing fancy for the paparazzi, an extra in a film that will go straight to DVD. He's another wannabe, orbiting the outer reaches of the celebrity galaxy. He might be the world's best footballer, but his move to Madrid has little to do with football.
President Perez is the Noughties' answer to Sam Goldwyn, a film studio boss in the business of selling dreams.

He wants Ronaldo to drive the e-economy, to become a salesman for a new generation of interactive internet content.

Beckham sold a million Madrid shirts in six months.

Ron must shift 30million in six years. He can do that only by building a brand capable of penetrating the favelas of Sao Paulo, the slums of Mexico City and sweatshops of rural China.

Madrid are chasing fool's gold. Since you can buy a counterfeit replica shirt for less than a fiver, revenue from official merchandise in the emerging world is relatively insignificant.

Even the marketing monolith that is Manchester United makes only £3m a year from assorted souvenir sales in Asia.

A stroll down Oxford Street, where homo-erotic images of his waxed torso dominate Selfridges, confirms that Brand Beckham is the real deal.

Ronaldo simply lacks class, showroom sheen.

Becks gives good copy, smiles on cue, plays to the gallery.

I saw him creating a minor riot in the car park of Almaty's Central Stadium.

Children crawled through our legs, pawed at him as if he were a 17th-century saint.

He was so at ease amid the madness. He never missed a beat, eulogising the potential of Fabio Capello's England. It was meaningless, but PR gold.

Don't bet against him making the World Cup squad and returning to the Premier League once he's done the chore of an 11 game spell with LA Galaxy.

Beckham makes sense of management speak, like "There's no I in team". He Walks the Talk. It's "We" not "Me".

In injury time at Wembley in midweek, he tracked back 50 yards to give away a free-kick and stop an Andorran attack.

He provided unnecessary confirmation of his work ethic.

Ronaldo lacks maturity, empathy and strength of character. He's shallow and self-obsessed.
He needs to learn the world does not revolve around him.

A few more nights in Paris should do the trick.

Gerrard backs Owen return

2009-06-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

Steven Gerrard believes former Liverpool team-mate and close friend Michael Owen still has a future with England.

Owen has again been overlooked by Fabio Capello for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers with Kazakhstan and Andorra raising further doubts about his England ambitions.

The Newcastle striker has missed all of England's World Cup qualifying campaign after an injury-hit spell on Tyneside, but Gerrard has backed Owen to win his place back in Capello's plans.

"I'm a big fan of Michael Owen, a good friend of his," said Gerrard. "I'd love to see him get a move from Newcastle to a big club and get his England career back on track.

"I do believe he can play for England again. He has suffered a lot with injuries for the past couple of years but I believe a fit Michael Owen has got the ability to be involved in the squad.
"I'm sure he will be desperate to get back playing football again, staying fit and scoring goals. That is what he loves doing."

Target

Meanwhile, Gerrard believes England need to match Spain if they are to have any chance of winning the World Cup next summer.

Gerrard has installed Euro 2008 winners Spain as favourites for the 2010 World Cup, but the Liverpool midfielder has been encouraged by the progress made by England under Capello.

Gerrard said: "How far are England off the likes of Spain? It is difficult to say how far but it is certainly clear Spain are the benchmark for this team.

"Spain have got to be massive favourites for South Africa, the way they have been playing of late, and how well they played against us.

"I think it was a good thing we played them to get an idea of how good they are so we know how much we need to improve from now to South Africa."

Winning mentality

Gerrard added: "I think that winning mentality has transferred itself to the team - but let's not get carried away."There is still a long way to go, a lot of improvement for this team to do before we can win a World Cup.

"But I'm certainly confident we can go better than what we have produced before. I think we are progressing well, getting stronger, becoming more of a team.

"We've been guilty of playing like individuals in the past but I think the manager is focusing a lot on the team.
"We've got the right mentality at the moment and we need to keep winning because it breeds confidence."

Source

Robinho wants Brazil to find their composure

2009-06-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

Striker Robinho would like to see a more focused display from Brazil when they take on the United States in their second group game of the Confederations Cup in Pretoria on Thursday.The Manchester City star and his team-mates were given an almighty scare in their first game against Egypt, which looked to be heading for a 3-3 draw before Kaka netted a late winner from the penalty spot.The three points against the African champions spared Selecao's blushes as they moved top of Group B, a position they currently share with Italy."It could have been a lot easier for us but Egypt deserve a lot of credit for fighting back in the second half," Robinho said. "We maybe lost our composure for a few minutes there but the most important thing was that we won."In the next game against USA we'll be working hard to make sure we don't make those errors again, because we'll be coming up against another quality team."Dunga's team came into the tournament after back-to-back World Cup qualifying wins against Uruguay and Paraguay, games the coach said added to his players' fatigue. But the defending champions will be keen to seal their place in the semi-final with another victory at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.New Real Madrid signing Kaka added: "We expected it to be a very tough opening match and we're very happy to leave here having got the job done in what is a very tight group."Playing in the Confederations Cup is a great opportunity ahead of the 2010 World Cup, and as long as we remain strong during the difficult periods, like against Egypt, I think we'll be on the right track. In a short tournament with decisive matches, that's all that matters. We've got the three points we wanted and now we're in a position to reach the semi-finals."On the other hand, the Americans were left without a point after their opening game against the Italians, despite turning in an encouraging display.The CONCACAF winners lost 3-1, but were 1-0 up at half-time, despite having a man sent off.But they were stretched in the second half before eventually going down, and captain Landon Donovan knows they need a big performance tomorrow."After losing our opener, this game against Brazil is now a must-win for us," he said. "We know we can give a hard game to any team we meet and Brazil will be no different."We need to put the first game with Italy behind us and bounce back by getting it right at Brazil."Coach Bob Bradley is also hoping for a turnaround.He said: "To play against a team like Italy and be down a man takes extra strong efforts on a lot of parts, and I thought that part was good from my team. Unfortunately playing with a man less took its toll. But it's only the first game of the group, and now we move on."

Source

Brazil coach Dunga takes big gamble

2009-06-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

It’s weird. Brazil arrive in Johannesburg this week and nobody’s making a fuss.

The last time Brazil dropped by, for that wonderful 3-2 friendly victory over Bafana Bafana in 1997, South Africa was practically speaking in tongues.

Since then, we’ve grown up a bit, while Brazil have slipped a floor in the elevator of world football. Spain have usurped their position as the most stylish team in world football and coach Carlos Dunga’s talent pool is strangely patchy.

Dunga isn’t even thinking about the Confederations Cup — first, he must negotiate a treacherous World Cup qualifier against Paraguay on Wednesday.

And the squad that will cross the Atlantic a day later is a brave, experimental one.

For us lowly mortals, picking a national football team is a simple culinary task. Pick the two best players in each position — using cold statistics as your measure — then season lightly with one chilli-hot youngster. Stir vigorously for two weeks and serve hot. Voila!

But Dunga is no lowly mortal. Like every other guardian of the Seleçao (Brazilian team), he is mandated to make football history. That requires a visionary, not just a humdrum chef kow- towing to an easy recipe.

So Dunga craves a vindication rush: that sweet moment when a risky selection triumphs, thus proving everybody wrong but the much-maligned genius in the dugout.

Carlos Alberto Parreira also chased the vindication rush when he was in charge. He got it in 1994, when the most defensive Brazilian team in history won the World Cup, with Dunga as captain.

No cigar in 2006, though, when Parreira stubbornly persisted with Roberto Carlos, Cafu and Ronaldo — and that trio’s geriatric efforts vindicated millions of nay sayers.

Maybe it’s a Brazilian thing, this urge to gamble. Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana recently took a wild flier by snubbing an 18-goal striker in favour of a three-goal striker. Either that, or he was just taking the piss.

In his Confederations Cup selection, Dunga has done something similar by ignoring Wolfsburg goal fiend Grafite — the Bundesliga’s top scorer this season with 28 strikes — and persisting with the off-form Luis Fabiano, who has netted just eight times for Sevilla.

Dunga also gambled on the fast-fading Gilberto Silva and the ring-rusty Elano, and dumped Ronaldinho.

But the reaction in Brazil has not been hostile, mainly because Dunga called up five Brazil- based stars in Nilmar, Ramires, Victor, Kleber and Andre Santos. The homeboys have been an endangered species in the Seleçao lately, so the new blood has been applauded.

Group rivals Italy should be wary of Internacional striker Nilmar and attacking midfielder Ramires, who has just transferred to Benfica from Cruzeiro.

Nilmar had an average season with Olympique Lyon in 2005, but since returning to Brazil with Corinthians and now Internacional, he has matured into a scintillating forward.

For evidence, visit YouTube and savour Nilmar’s Maradonesque solo goal against Corinthians last month, in which he made six defenders look like donkeys in shorts.

Ramires, a dynamic, goal- scoring midfielder, is nicknamed “Queniano Azul” — the Blue Kenyan — on account of his Cruzeiro shirt, his dark complexion and his exceptional speed and stamina. He’s not a Ronaldinho or a Rivaldo, but there are no emerging talents of that calibre available.

Brazilian football is at a low ebb at present, especially in attacking positions. Ronaldinho has declined, Adriano is an emotional wreck and while Robinho has been picked, he has stagnated at Manchester City.

Much is now expected of Alexandre Pato, the AC Milan wunderkind who’s excelling in Serie A but has yet to look the business in a yellow jersey.

It would be a sad state of affairs if Dunga cannot assemble a world-class strike force from the ocean of players at his disposal.

So history beckons for Nilmar, Ramires and Pato. And for Brazilian footballers, history is a harsh judge.

Brazil squad

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

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

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

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

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Rooney Is A Genuine World Class Player

2009-06-20T03:44:00.000-07:00

Emile Heskey once again stated which, to most United fans at least, is blindingly obvious: that Wayne Rooney is a world class player. The United striker scored a stunningly brilliant goal for England at Kazakhstan and was excelling in the free role behind Heskey throughout the game. His strike partner was very impressed with him.

'Wayne is a great player and has shown it for both United and England on many occasions,' he said.

'It's working well and hopefully we can continue to link-up well.

'Wayne is a great player and is up there with the best in the world. He is playing in positions he has never played in and is doing a great job.'

And it's clear that his best position is still behind the main striker. It's a pity that so often at United he's always shunted wide or stuck up front alone to accomodate others. Imagine Rooney playing just behind Cristiano Ronaldo with two hard-working, pacy, skilled wingers... oh, mouthwatering.

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Wayne Rooney ready for centre stage at Manchester United now Ronaldo has gone

2009-06-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Wayne Rooney is ready to step forward and become Manchester United's main man.

The England international believes he can take on the mantle after Cristiano Ronaldo's world record £80million transfer to Real Madrid.

Rooney has already told manager Sir Alex Ferguson he wants to play as a striker rather than on the wing.

But he is convinced he now has the experience as well as ability to shoulder the responsibility of talisman for the club.

He is desperate to lead United to more domestic and European success - and prove Ronaldo is not indispensable.

Rooney's selfless commitment to the United cause last season, often operating wide and backtracking to help the defence, has earned him widespread appreciation.

But it has compromised his attacking prowess and he confronted Ferguson over his position before the end of the term.

Rooney's case has been reinforced by his performances for England, who have given him licence to run at the heart of defences and raid the penalty area. He has rewarded Fabio Capello with eight goals in the World Cup qualifying campaign and virtually secured the national team's passage to next year's finals.

United insiders contend Rooney is a victim of his own versatility and enthusiasm - as well as Ronaldo's ego.

They argue that now the Portuguese is on his way, Rooney can be unleashed and become the inspiration for the next Old Trafford generation.

The golden boy of English football was expected to grow into that role when United signed him from Everton five years ago.

Ronaldo had been signed from Sporting the previous summer but was generally regarded as a one-trick pony. Rooney was considered the player of substance, the real deal.

Yet Ronaldo began to harness his exceptional talent and Rooney was eclipsed.

Ronaldo's phenomenal 200708 season, when he scored 42 goals and led United to a Premier League and Champions League double, brought also a cascade of individual awards. He cleaned up at domestic, European and world level.

Last season the fractures in Ronaldo's relationship with United began to appear while Rooney soldiered on, uncomplaining in public, but increasingly frustrated.

He knew he could play a more productive part for United and left Ferguson in no doubt about his feelings.

The United boss knows better than anyone that Rooney has the capability and application to respond to the added challenge.

Now, at the age of 23, Rooney is ready to step out of Ronaldo's shadow and achieve the stature many feel is his destiny.

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Liverpool: potential transfer list

2009-06-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

Liverpool came close to finally reclaiming the league title after a 19 year wait this season, and had it not been for injuries to Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, they might have done it.

Rafael Benitez appears to have finally put together a team that can lead a genuine assault on the Premier League, but the Spaniard will still be eager to bring in a couple of new faces.

Although after Liverpool's holding company revealed losses of £43m this week, Benitez may be forced to sell before he can buy.

From the apparently likely to the long shots, we've sifted through the rumour pages to bring you the potential transfer list of Liverpool.

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Perez: Ronaldo is the new Beckham

2009-06-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

Cristiano Ronaldo is the new David Beckham, according to Real Madrid’s president-in-waiting Florentino Perez.

Former Real president Perez is expected to be installed as the club’s kingpin once more this summer and will set about righting what he perceives as the wrongs of the three and a bit years since he was last in charge of the club.

Perez’s successor Ramon Calderon tried unsuccessfully to bring Ronaldo to the Spanish capital, but the latter's attempts were too little, too late, according to Perez, who believes the Portuguese should have been signed immediately after the departure of Beckham in order to maintain his team's quota of marketable commodities or 'Galacticos'.

“Madrid should have brought Cristiano Ronaldo as Beckham’s replacement two years ago,” Perez told the Sunday Times.

“There are specific footballers who can turn out to be very profitable, because of the commercial benefits they bring the club.

“For instance, we once brought in €15m for playing two matches in Japan. That would not happen in the current climate but they did it then because we had Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and Beckham.
Perez added: "If Cristiano Ronaldo comes in, we would have a Nike-endorsed player putting on an adidas shirt every week,”

“In the previous time, we established a model which allowed us to pay off our debts and raise our income, and we did it by investing in great players.

“They brought money in, the model worked.”

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Brazil: Pele, Ronaldinho, Samba

2009-06-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

"So how is your Spanish?" ask my friends in India when I talk to them from my current location

"Why Spanish?"

"Aren't you now in Latin America, in Brazil, the land of football, Samba, and beauty queens?"

"Indeed, I am. But it is Portuguese here and not Spanish and to answer your question my language is still pretty bad," I answer.

Their ignorance is understandable. This land is so far, so remote in one's imagination, that to believe that all of Latin America speaks Spanish; that to Samba is the same as to tango is natural though not true.

At my Brazilian end too, I get questions. "What is common and what is starkly different between Brazil and India?" ask some Brazilian journalists to me, a new Indian ambassador. Our two countries today are in several common groupings with fancy acronyms which bring emerging countries together -- IBSA, BRIC, G-20 and so on and hence curiosity about India has been rising.

"Well, the commonalities are several," I start and enumerate the obvious: "We are both big countries: Brazil is actually two-and-a-half terms the size of India, but India is a big country too; both have large populations -- Brazil is one fifth of India, but two hundred million is not a small population; both are vibrant democracies; possess great diversity -- Brazil has large numbers of people of Japanese and Lebanese origin apart from millions with European, African and native Indian descent making it a happily assimilative melting pot for the last 300 years; have capabilities in industry and in S&T..."

Even as I go on listing all this, my questioners from the media become impatient. "What are the differences then?"

Again I start with the obvious. "We speak English, Hindi and many other languages; but you are nearly mono-lingual in Portuguese; you excel at football and we are passionate about cricket; your cuisine is varied no doubt but tends to be bland at least to me and ours is also diverse and exotic, but spicy to most Brazilians."

When I am saying all this, my mind is wandering and wondering about how our different pasts, specialty the colonial past have influenced our present.

The story of European colonisation starts with Portugal, a small country compared to England [ Images ], France [ Images ] or Spain, but which had many adventurous seafarers. Their first voyages occurred at the same time with landings in both India and Brazil. If Vasco de Gama landed at Calicut in 1498, Cabral the sailor who 'discovered' Brazil landed in the northeast coast of Brazil in 1500, again in a search for a route to India.

As we know, Columbus was trying to reach India and in the process 'discovered' America; Cabral with a similar intention landed at the coast of another country in another continent to the South that came to be named Brazil.

What lay at the other end of these voyages was however very different. India already had hundreds of millions of people, an ancient civilisation and a long history of political organisation and administration. The Portuguese and later the British were in a long line of foreigners landing on our shores.
In contrast, the huge area of Brazil was much less inhabited, some estimates put the figure of indigenous people at one million, had nearly empty vast interior spaces and the Tupis -- the native inhabitants were readily welcoming the European 'guests' according to accounts of that period, a bit different from the Zamorin of Kozhikode.

Each colonial history is different: The British, the French, the Spanish or the Portuguese brought their own distinctive traits to bear on the land that they colonised, but equally the character of the land and the people too shaped the outcome of the encounter. In Brazil this took a distinctive form like nowhere else.

Portuguese may have been the first Europeans in Brazil and today, five hundred years later, Portuguese may still be the lingua franca of Brazil, but its identity, culture, customs or cuisine have been shaped by many other influences apart from the European. The reasons for this are the sheer vastness of Brazil, its abundant riches and resources, and as a result the influx of people from different parts of the world starting from as early as 1550.
As we noted, first there were the indigenous natives and then the new settlers from Portugal. But soon it became evident that to farm the land, to grow sugar and later coffee, labour was needed in plenty.

In the first few hundred years after 1500, slaves were brought from Africa, on a scale much larger than the United States. Their large numbers and the cohabitation and to use that terrible word that we see in colonial studies the so-called 'miscegenation' has imprinted Brazil with a distinctive African heritage.

The manifestations today are in the world famous Carnival, the sensuous appeal of the Samba and in the pulsating magic of figures like Pele or Ronaldinho [ Images ]. They are integrally Brazilian but with some African ancestors casting a benevolent eye on their graceful exploits on the football field.

But this, the influence of Europe and Africa is not all. In 1908, a century ago, there was a famine in Japan [ Images ] and the search for work led to a large migration from Japan to initially work in the coffee plantations of Brazil, the world's richest coffee grower. Today next to Japan, the largest Japanese community is in Brazil, all speaking Portuguese and many following the Catholic faith.

There are also very large Brazilian communities tracing their roots to Lebanon, Germany [ Images ] and Italy [ Images ] adding to the colours of the kaleidoscope.

I find it fascinating that this is one country without many Indians, our kind of Indians. The reasons are natural, once you think of it. The huge numbers of Indian labour that were taken or sent to work in plantations went to where the British ruled -- Sri Lanka [ Images ], Fiji, Mauritius and farther apart to the Caribbean -- Guyana or Trinidad. No British domination over Brazil and hence no Indian migration.

That India would get ruled by the British and not by Portuguese except in some parts was a historic destiny. Why, even Mumbai [ Images ] was given away as a dowry gift by the Portuguese, when their princess, Catherine de Braganza married Prince Charles of England in 1661.

Apart from all this, there is another interesting and perhaps unique twist in the Brazilian past that has made Brazilians not think of themselves as having been 'colonised'. Though the huge landmass of Brazil had come under tiny Portugal, in 1807 Napoleon threatened the Portuguese monarchy in Lisbon.

In a flotilla of four hundred boats the royal family fled to Brazil and established their capital in Rio de Janeiro.

Subsequently, the Portuguese empire declared that its capital and seat would be Rio rather than Lisbon. Comparable to Calcutta being declared the seat of all of the British Empire!

One result of this history is that there are few seminars on 'colonial inheritance' or 'post-colonial deconstruction' of the kind that we see in Indian academic circles. Portuguese is not a foreign language for the Brazilians: in fact it is their language, often their only one.

'How come, you don't speak Portuguese?' ask some friendly Brazilians.

I don't know what to say. "Well, I am learning," I answer tamely. "Not all Indians are Goans," I try as a joke. They look mystified, understandably clueless at a shared bit of historical connection from the remote past.

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Should Barcelona let Eto’o go?

2009-06-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

While Real Madrid were tying up their deal to sign Kaka from AC Milan, Barcelona seemed curiously ambivalent about the possibility of losing one of their big-name players, the Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o .
The 28-year-old has a contract until 2010 when he will be able to leave free of cost, unless an extension can be agreed or the club decide to cash in on him now.

The first meeting to discuss the issue between his agent Jose Maria Mesalles and Barca’s sports director Txiki Begiristain, took place on Monday with very little seemingly resolved.

“The technical staff and the representative have met to try and agree a period of continuity, which is what we would like,” Barca president Joan Laporta said on the club website.

Mesalles said no renewal proposal had been forthcoming so far, but insisted Eto’o wanted to continue.

He was quoted in Spanish media as saying: “We are open to every possibility. If we have to look at a renewal we will study it, but if there is another possibility we will study that too.”

Inter Milan and Manchester City have been linked with interest for Eto’o, while Barca are reported to have considered a swap deal involving Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and moves for Atletico Madrid’s Diego Forlan or Olympique Lyon’s Karim Benzema*, or maybe even Bayern Munich;s Luca Toni.

But why would they not want to hang on to a player who scored 30 goals in the Primera Liga last season and netted the opener in their Champions League final victory over Manchester United?

Media reports have suggested there are differences over the terms of a renewal, and that coach Pep Guardiola may want a different style of striker to lead the line along with Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi.
Perhaps Barca’s greatest fear is that if they cannot meet the player’s demands on an improved contract, or convince him to take up an offer from another club, he could just walk away from them next year denying them a substantial payday.

It is an issue that is unlikely to be resolved quickly, as Mesalles recognised: “The market is open until August 31 and anything can happen before then.”

PHOTO: Barcelona’s Samuel Etoo scores against Deportivo Coruna during their league match in Coruna May 30, 2009. REUTERS/Miguel Vidal

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Dark side of Wayne Rooney shows again alongside spectacular goal

2009-06-13T04:27:00.000-07:00

Wayne Rooney's temperament often overshadows an impressive career with England.

Widely accused of suffering from a very short fuse, the Manchester United striker is no stranger to criticism from England managers past and present.

They worry about his ability to control tempestuous emotions on the field.

Yet, the 23-year-old marksman has been sent off only once in a flourishing international career that saw him pick up his 51st cap against Kazakhstan yesterday.

During that time, he has scored 22 goals - including a spectacular volley in Almaty.

On his day, Rooney is one of the most dangerous strikers in world. His positional play, eye for goal and awareness are exceptional attributes few players can match.

If there's a deficiency in his game, aside from the 'emotional time bomb' claims, it's his frustration at failing to receive service.

He invariably moves into unfamiliar territory in search of the ball and gets involved in rucks with his own players.

Those close to him claim a growing sense of responsibility and imminent fatherhood have brought about a positive change in his character.

Sadly, you were left to question those claims as Rooney's dark side showed up again last night.
The physical tactics the Kazakhs employed to shackle him were evident. But it was also clear Rooney's frustrations at his own team-mates were close to boiling point.
In the first half, with the game goalless, his arms came up in annoyance as he saw less and less of the ball.
Eventually, he tracked back deep inside his own half to pick it up and unleashed a volley of abuse at his own players.

Despite England's two-goal half-time lead, he trudged down the tunnel, mumbling to himself with his head hung low.

Rooney's mood continued to deteriorate further after the interval, as he drifted out of the game for long spells.
But that was all to change in a moment of magic when he made it 3-0 with an acrobatic volley. The dark clouds were lifted as Rooney celebrated his eighth international goal in his last six outings - a phenomenal run.
The happy Rooney tune didn't last long and he was soon ranting and raving again.

But as one England fan said at the end: "Roo can kick off all day as far as I'm concerned, but if he scores and England win, who gives a damn?"

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Real Madrid Ace Kaka: I Will Always Support Milan

2009-06-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Kaka may be a Real Madrid player now, but he will always be a Milan supporter.

The Rossoneri and los Blancos finalised Kaka’s transfer to the Bernabeu on Monday for a reported €67.2 million, leading to the 27-year-old committing his future to the Spanish club for the next six seasons.

But during a press conference in Recife, where Kaka is on international duty with Brazil in preparation for the Confederations Cup, the player insisted that the deal was made in the interest of the Rossoneri, who are struggling to make ends meet in the current economic recession.

And Kaka sent a text message to the Milan Channel yesterday afternoon, reassuring supporters that he will forever carry the Rossoneri in his heart.

“Nothing could ever erase Milan and all the people who have been part of my heart for these six years. I will always support Milan,” read the message.

Kaka arrived at Milan in 2003 from Sao Paulo. During his time in Italy he won a Scudetto, a Supercoppa Italiana, a Champions League, a FIFA Club World Cup, two UEFA Super Cups and claimed the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2007.

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Rich Gladiators show off their logos at the Stadio Olimpico

2009-06-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

Boot-iful: Lionel Messi toasts Barca's winning goal by celebrating with his new Adidas boots at the dismay of fellow Three Stripes endorser Edwin Van der Sar

It was a Roman contest with a 21st Century twist. A fierce gladiatorial battle but the chosen weapons were 'Flywire' technology and 'Sprintskin' fabrics, not spears and daggers.
Lionel Messi's twinkling toes were encased in his brand new adidas F50i, cyan and black, customised boots, bearing an image of the European Cup and the date.
Cristiano Ronaldo strutted confidently in a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly, the lightest and fastest football boots known to man, according to their manufacturers.

Like a James Bond movie, the Champions League final is not complete without another wave of state-of-the-art sporting gadgets and designs.

This game, beamed around the world, is the extreme example of why Manchester United, Barcelona and their players command huge sums of money to carry a certain logo.

Last year's final was an epic clash of Nike-sponsored United against adidas-backed Chelsea. Both were relieved to find the fall guys in the penalty shootout - Nicolas Anelka and John Terry - were wearing Puma and Umbro.

Last night was something of a Nikefest and they celebrated by decorating flagship stores with a 'Great men made Rome great' image featuring Nike wearers in the final, like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta.

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Wayne Rooney: England can win 2010 World Cup

2009-06-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

Wayne Rooney last night admitted he has started to dream of winning the World Cup.

He was among the scorers as Kazakhstan were thumped 4-0 on Saturday to give England six wins out of six in the qualifiers and move them to within touching distance of South Africa.

With Andorra up next at Wembley on Wednesday, Rooney said: "Of course I think about the World Cup. It's the biggest tournament in the world and we're one step closer."

Victory in Almaty took to 20 England's Group Six goals tally and leaves Fabio Capello's men two wins away from guaranteeing a place at next year's finals.

England are now fourth favourites behind Brazil, Argentina and Spain and Rooney said the belief in the squad that they can be world champions was growing, particularly with so many scoring options available.
"If we win on Wednesday it will be a massive step and then there are the qualifiers in September and October and we can get there," said the Manchester United striker.

"You love to play in a big tournament. The two I've played in ended in big disappointments. Hopefully we can qualify and win something with this team.

"Four different scorers against Kazakhstan - me, Gareth Barry, Emile Heskey and Frank Lampard - was good for the team. There are a lot of players who can score for us."

World Cup Qualifier: David Beckham leads England vs Andorra

2009-06-11T20:14:00.001-07:00

World Cup Qualifier - David Beckham leads England vs. Andorra: Team England with David Beckham will face Andorra tonight at Wembley Stadium in London in a World Cup Qualifier, hoping to record their seventh straight win in World Cup qualifying Group Six and edge the team closer to next years World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

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England Boss Fabio Capello - Wayne Rooney Was Nervous In Champions League Final

2009-06-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

With the 2010 World Cup on the horizon, Fabio Capello has been examining footage of his potential England team.

Afforded little evidence of how his side would cope if they were to progress to the final due to the country's failure to reach one since 1966, Capello has been forced to look at other sources - including Manchester United's Champions League decider with Barcelona.

The England boss believes that his star striker, Wayne Rooney, suffered from a bout of stage fright during the tie in Rome, but he is confident that it will not affect the player's international performances.

"Rooney lost easy passes in Rome, incredible - he was nervous, he wanted to play different," Capello said, quoted by the Associated Press.

"When you have to win, sometimes the pressure is too big and when you go to the pitch it's not the same. United played for 10 minutes like United but struggled after that.

"It's not a problem for me because [Rooney] is a very, very good player and he will play very well.

"It's normal in a career of one player to lose and to win. For me I forgot every time when I lost. As a player I lost a final against Ajax and as a manager I lost some finals.

"You win, you lose - but you carry on.''

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Beckham "Not Very Welcome" Back At Galaxy, Say Some Fans

2009-06-10T06:56:00.000-07:00

David Beckham is set to return to the Los Angeles Galaxy when the international transfer window opens in July. The England midfielder paid most of the $10 million transfer fee to stay at Milan through the summer, but thinks the Galaxy fans will forgive him “deep down” for leaving California for the opening of the Major League Soccer season.

“I hope they realize by now the reasons why I made this move,” Beckham told Grahame Jones of the Los Angeles Times. “I'm sure they do deep down. I'm sure they'll be supportive when I come back. But you never know. Things could be good. Things could be bad. I can only play the game and enjoy myself.”

Goal.com hit the stands of the Galaxy's home stadium, the Home Depot Center, during LA's MLS match against the Kansas City Wizards to find out what the fans really thought about the prodigal midfielder..

“He's not very welcome as far as we're concerned,” said Jeff from LA. “He has priorities other than the Galaxy, and to Galaxy fans we don't have the same priorities.

“The question becomes, how much does he help versus how much does he care? If he helps the team, great, but it's a little bigger than that. And he knows that, he knows that.”

Several fans refused to comment, saying they had nothing to add that could refrain from profanity. Most comments were littered with vulgarity anyways.

“Eff him,” said Jeff in the LA Riot Squad, a Galaxy fan group. “He's too much of a pretty boy. He has been since he came here. We shouldn't throw a whole bunch of money and resources to try to keep him here when they could be better used doing pretty much anything.”

Ryan from Huntington and George from Alto Alva let their middle fingers do the talking for them. One fan sporting a Beckham jersey refused to admit that the midfielder's name was printed on his back.

The fans in the stands watched as the Galaxy resorted to late dramatics once again to salvage a draw. An Edson Buddle strike in the 87th minute gave Bruce Arena's men their fifth consecutive draw.

Perhaps Beckham could help provide the spark the team needs to turn draws into three points, but Adrian from Culver City says the 34-year-old is to blame for the current mess in the first place.

“I think the team has been a circus since he got here,” Adrian explained. “He's been great for U.S. soccer, not so great for the Galaxy. I feel that we've taken the hit for the rest of MLS. It'll be nice to have him back if he contributes on the field, and I'm sure he'll give it his all, but I kind of resent the whole staying over at A.C. Milan thing.”

At the end of the MLS season, Beckham could be on the move again. AC Milan has shown interest in purchasing the player outright, and it appears that the midfielder wants to play in Europe to better his chances of making the England squad for the 2010 World Cup.

Adrian, for one, did not think a divorce between the Galaxy and Beckham would be such a bad idea.

“Yeah, actually, I am excited,” he said about a possible Beckham sale in the January 2010 transfer window. “That will work out great for us, I think.”

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David Beckham convinced me to join Real Madrid - Kaka

2009-06-10T03:47:00.000-07:00

On joining Real Madrid for a world record £59m, Brazilian playmaker Kaka revealed that England's David Beckham, a former team-mate at AC Milan, convinced him to move to the Spanish captial.

He also said that the current global downturn convinced him now was the right time to switch.

"I can officially say I'm a Real Madrid player," the 27-year-old said, who turned down a move to the Premier League and Manchester City in January. "My professional link with AC Milan finishes now, but my sentimental link will never end.

"I spoke to some friends, like Beckham, who has already played for Real. He said it's a fantastic place to play. I spoke to him this past week and he kept helping me, he said I made a positive choice for my career's growth.

"Real Madrid intend to build a great team, with historic players such as Raul and Iker Casillas. We will make history again, both in Spain and Europe. I guess the sport project is very good.

"Manchester City and Real Madrid are two different clubs with different situations. At that time (January), it was mid-season, I had a strong emotional impact due to the Italian fans requesting me to stay, and I decided to stay.

"Now another chance came up and AC Milan is in a big crisis (financially). For me, the sporting project (at Madrid) is interesting and will be an important boost to continue my career in the highest level.
"I wanted to stay on at Milan, but the world (financial) crisis affected a lot of clubs, especially those like Milan which are businesses.

"So then, I spoke with the Milan directors and we reached the conclusion that the best thing for everybody would be to sell."

Kaka also revealed that new Real president Florentino Perez has been busy "making contact" with potential targets as he looks to revive his 'Galacticos' project.

In Perez's previous stint with the club, he oversaw the acquisitions of global stars of Luis Figo, Ronaldo and David Beckham, as well as Zidane.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, David Villa and Franck Ribery have also been linked to the Spanish capital club since Perez's unopposed election signalled the return of their vast spending.

Kaka continued: "The president (Perez) is already making contact (with potential signings) and is putting together a competitive team, one which will try to once again become champions in Spain and Europe. That's why I chose Madrid.

"They have historic players there already, such as Raul or Casillas. Real Madrid will be an important challenge for me. We're going to win many titles again."

He also revealed that although the deal was only announced last night, it had been in the pipeline for some time, adding: "I wanted this move to be announced sooner. For me it's a relief that it has been announced now, although I have always be 100% focussed on the national side.

"I've been weighing up the offer from Real Madrid a lot. It's an important project for me to continue growing in my career. I'm not going to Real Madrid for money, as I had other offers. But I knew I would only leave Milan to play for Real Madrid.

"Only small details were missing, such as the medical exams I passed this morning. The deal was sealed long time ago".

He also said he hoped to put an end to Barcelona's dominance of Spanish and European football, after the Merengues' arch-rivals swept all before them this season en route to claiming Spain's first league, cup and Champions League treble.

"This will be a tough season at Real Madrid, after all that Messi conquered with Barcelona," he said.

"They're the big favourites and deservedly so. I hope Barcelona's hegemony will end in the coming years. Real Madrid will build a great team to win titles again, as it's the club's history."

Meanwhile he revealed he fell uncomfortable taking on the number five jersey once worn by Zinedine Zidane.
Perez had admitted he would like to see the Brazilian playmaker take on the shirt, but Kaka said he would not feel comfortable doing so.

He said: "Wearing the number five would be a great responsibility. Zidane was a great player, both for Real Madrid and for France, and I wouldn't like to wear the same number as he did.

"We're going to wait a bit before deciding which one to use."

And finally he had words of gratitude to Milan for launching his career in Europe, while he was also elusive about whether he would end his career in Madrid.

"I will be 33 years old by the time the (Madrid) contract ends, with the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 still to come. Lots of things will happen," he said.

"I'm not thinking today in ending my career at 33. I expect to write history there and sign a new contract, who knows, until 35. May be I'll retire then."

He added: "I want to thank Milan, as they were the club who put me on the international scene. They gave me the opportunity to become a big name in Europe.

"I'm happy to leave Milan by the front door, with a lot of friends. It has been very emotional to see what the Milan fans have done for me."

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Kaka set to be confirmed as a Real Madrid player

2009-06-08T19:32:00.001-07:00

The 27-year-old AC Milan playmaker was given permission to meet with Real officials between World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Paraguay and is thought to have passed both initial tests and a full medical at the national team's base in Recife.

Providing there are no last-minute problems Kaka will become Real's first signing following the return of Florentino Perez as club president.

If the deal is concluded the fee is expected to be £56m, which would smash the previous world record of £47m paid by Real to Juventus in 2001 for Zinedine Zidane and could be the first in a new wave of 'Galáctico' signings.

Kaka, who converted a penalty in Brazil's 4-0 win in Uruguay on Saturday, has refused to discuss his future since joining up with the Brazil squad last Tuesday.

When he last spoke publically about his future, Kaka insisted he was desperate to stay at the San Siro, but the economic realities of such a huge transfer fee mean Milan are eager to do business in order to provide new boss Leonardo with transfer funds. Ironically, it was Leonardo who helped persuade Kaka to join Milan from São Paulo in 2003.

Confirming that the medical had taken place a statement on the Brazilian Football Federation website read: ''The technical committee of the Brazilian national team attended the request of Kaka and the board of Real Madrid and released the player to perform the routine examinations in a clinic in Recife.

''The CBF had to make all the arrangements for the test through its Medical Department head Jose Luiz Runco, who accompanied the player during the tests.''

Regardless of whether a deal is completed on Monday or early on Tuesday Real Madrid will have to wait before they can parade Kaka at the Santiago Bernabeu due to Kaka's commitments with Brazil.

After entertaining Paraguay in Recife on Wednesday, Brazil begin their Confederations Cup campaign against Egypt next Monday and will be in action until June 28 if they make it through the tournament.

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Book on Beckham Academy kick-off

2009-06-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

Children's book based around David Beckham Academy is published

The four-volume fictional series, comprising Twin Trouble, Le Football, Save The Day and Bossy Boots, is aimed at boys and girls aged seven and up with an interest - surprise, surprise - in football.

Each tome follows the escapades of a different group of youngsters at the former England captain's football academy in Greenwich, south

Two activity books will include ideas for training, including pull-out tactics boards, puzzles and a stats section.

The 34-year-old AC Milan midfielder said: "I'm very pleased that the academy has inspired this series of books, and am hopeful that it will bring more children to reading.

"The academy is dedicated to the development of all those that attend and these books are a fantastic addition to its scope."

Beckham opened the academy in 2005 to offer youngsters high-quality coaching and teach them life skills through football.

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Kaka Signs Real Madrid Shirt

2009-06-08T01:11:00.000-07:00

Milan ace Kaka is behaving like a Real Madrid player already, dropping another hint that he has all but joined the Primera Division club after he autographed one of their shirts, according to reports in Brazil.

Globoesporte.com claims the Brazilian ace is currently in Uruguay with the Selecao and he did not object to signing a Real Madrid shirt with his name on it when a fan pulled out the famous jersey and asked him to initial it.

"He was very nice. He saw the shirt and he signed it near the club's badge," the fan told the Brazilian paper.

"He was very good about signing the shirt."

The latest news from Italy claims Kaka will reveal all his future plans during a press conference in Recife on Monday, where he is likely to announce his passage to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Kaka's signature on the shirt seems to confirm reports that he will become a Real Madrid player. The move comes just hours after Rossoneri patron Silvio Berlusconi claimed his man wanted to leave.

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Carlos Tevez, Samuel Eto'o, Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz on Manchester City hitlist

2009-06-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

As Mark Hughes strode down the Celtic Manor fairways yesterday clad in his Lacoste golfing gear, he looked more like an establishment figure than a radical.

But make no mistake, Comrade Hughes' blue revolution is sweeping through Eastlands.

Chairman Mark has already signalled his intent by pulling off a coup to beat Liverpool to the £12million signing of Gareth Barry and claims more big names will follow in this summer of change for Manchester City.

Players like Carlos Tevez, Samuel Eto'o, Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz figure highly on his wish-list and Hughes is determined to rebuild City, bigger, better and stronger.

Hughes knows his buys during this transfer window will decide his future and he is determined to fulfil his vision for City.

Armed with Sheikh Mansour's billions, City could become the first club to smash the £200,000-a-week wage barrier, although Hughes claims players are attracted by the club's potential. "A lot of players now understand what we're trying to do at the club and Gareth wants to be part of that," he said.

"We've got an idea where we want to be in the next few years. We want players to buy into that idea and we can offer players a different experience.

"Hopefully it will be an enjoyable one and the next few years are going to be exciting for everybody connected to Manchester City and the players recognise that.

"We are obviously going to go back into the market. We still feel there are areas of the team we want to improve and if players become available, then we will try and acquire them.
"We've made a good start and we're happy with that.

"It's going to be an interesting summer for everybody involved with Manchester City."

That's one way of putting it and the number of players coming in is only likely to be dwarfed by the mass exodus from Eastlands.

Hughes has spent his first 12 months evaluating his squad at City and it is clear that most of the players he inherited from Sven Goran Eriksson may not make the cut. He is going to take a wrecking ball to his squad and when the dust finally settles, Stephen Ireland could be the only survivor from the players he inherited last summer.

Not even skipper Richard Dunne is safe and the Irish international, who turns 30 in September, had a poor season by his standards.

Hughes has made no secret of his desire to sign a commanding central defender and feels Toure could yet be prised away from Arsenal. Several of the young players brought through the ranks at City will also be on their way through the exit.

Teenage striker Daniel Sturridge is already joining Chelsea on a free after City refused to meet his demands for a new £65,000-aweek deal.

"We've offered Daniel a deal that we think is at the level he should be at," said Hughes. "He's in a strong position because he's in the last year of his contract.

"He's keeping his options open, which he has done for quite some time. We just have to wait and see.

"Obviously I have made my intentions very clear to him. I would like him to stay, but it may be out of our hands."

England hopeful Joe Hart could be farmed out on loan after being demoted to No.2 by Shay Given and Hughes admits he has struggled to cope with his sudden fall from grace.

"Joe is frustrated and obviously wants to play," said Hughes. "We will look at his situation in the coming weeks and it might be to both Joe's and the club's benefit if he did go out on loan."

Micah Richards is interesting Aston Villa and could be sold because he has not impressed Hughes with his poor attitude.

Hughes feels the onetime England star is a poor trainer and sent him from the training ground after a recent bust-up.

Doubts over Michael Johnson's future remain and although Hughes rates him as a player, he is concerned by the midfielder's injury record and his love of the high life.

Definitely being turfed out this summer are Danny Mills, Michael Ball, Dietmar Hamann and Glauber Berti, who are out of contract.

Hughes will also listen to offers for Jo, Elano, Tal Ben-Haim, Javier Garrido, Darius Vassell, Valeri Bojinov, Felipe Caicedo, Gelson Fernandes, Benjani Mwaruwari and Kasper Schmeichel.

Elano, from the safety of the other side of the Atlantic in Brazil, claims he wants to join Inter Milan and Hughes will shed few tears if he can offload the troublesome Brazilian. Although Elano is a favourite with the fans, his future at City has been thrown into even greater doubt by Barry's arrival.

The Samba star would love to team up with Jose Mourinho at the San Siro and said: "I have a contract with Manchester City, but I hope the Nerazzurri do not see this as a constraint. I would wear the Inter shirt.
"Jose Mourinho is great. His teams always leave their mark, and every player who has worked with him considers him a phenomenon.
"I hope my friend Julio Cesar can put in a good word for me."

All change on Eastlands front ... the likely transfers

INS:
Gareth Barry (Villa) £12m, Carlos Tevez (Man Utd) £32m, Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona) £40m, Kolo Toure (Arsenal) £15m, Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn) £20m.

OUTS:
Jo £10m, Micah Richards (Villa) £10m, Richard Dunne (Sunderland) £8m, Elano (Inter) £7m, Mwaruwari Benjani £5m, Valeri Bojinov £4m, Felipe Caicedo £3m, Javier Garrido £2m, Gelson Fernandes £2m, Tal Ben-Haim £1.5m, Darius Vassell £1m, Kasper Schmeichel £1m, Dietmar Hamann, Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Danny Mills, Michael Ball, Glauber Berti (all free) Joe Hart (Birmingham) loan.

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David Beckham Hopes For Quick AC Milan Return

2009-06-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

AC Milan midfielder David Beckham helped his side reach direct qualification to the Champions League as they defeated Fiorentina 2-0 at the Artemio Franchi stadium this afternoon.

This is Beckham’s final match for the Rossoneri before his return to the Los Angeles Galaxy, even though he hopes he will be back in Milan soon.

“Even though today we did not win anything, we have reached the direct qualification to the Champions League,” commented the former Manchester United player to Milan Channel. “Winning today was fundamental, just like being in the Champions League.

“With regards to my future I cannot say anything more than what I said two weeks or two months ago: now I return to Los Angeles for the final part of the season, then we’ll see what happens, but I hope to return soon.

“My thanks goes to everyone, they have all been fantastic with me in making me feel like a part of the team from the first minute and I wish them all the best.

“With Carlo Ancelotti away from Milan, an era comes to an end, extraordinary years come to an end, but wherever he will go to coach, it will be a lucky club to have him.”

The 34-year-old player joined Milan last January and played a total of 18 league games.

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Kaka reiterates Milan stance

2009-06-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

AC Milan star Kaka has reiterated that he does not want to leave San Siro, as reports suggest he is set to follow Carlo Ancelotti to Chelsea.

Speculation has suggested that informal talks over a £70million deal have already started as the Blues look to tempt the Brazilian to the Premier League, while returning Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is also a long-term admirer.

Ancelotti's appointment as manager at Stamford Bridge was confirmed on Monday and the Italian is set to begin a three-year contract at the beginning of July with the aim of securing the UEFA Champions League.

It is rumoured that Kaka is top of the 49-year-old's wanted list as he plans tweaks to his inherited, ageing squad, with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich understood to be prepared to spend big this summer.
World record

But Kaka, who broke into the Milan side under former boss Ancelotti, insists he is staying in Italy, telling Gazzetta dello Sport: "I say it for the last time. I don't want to leave Milan."

The playmaker appeared to be on the verge of a world-record switch to Manchester City in the winter transfer window before the deal collapsed as Milan opted out of selling.

Kaka's potential move to Eastlands was shrouded in controversy as it was suggested the player was being forced out of Italy against his wishes.

The 27-year-old has now stated that he will make no further comment upon his future so that there is no confusion over his desire to stay at Milan.

Silent

"In this period I prefer to remain silent because I don't want to be misunderstood," he added.

"To the millions of Milan supporters, I say that I have made my choice. I want to stay."

Kaka admits that he is in a debt of gratitude to Ancelotti after he was offered the opportunity to shine.

"I owe him a lot. He opened the doors for me in Italian football," he concluded.

Source

Florentino Perez: Kaka Was Born To Play For Real Madrid

2009-06-07T04:17:00.001-07:00

As the Kaka saga looks set to reach boiling point in the next few days, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was like a child waiting for his birthday as he expressed his obvious excitement ahead the Monday press conference.

Speaking in an interview on the Punto pelota show, Perez declared, “Kaka is one of those players that was born to play for Real Madrid. In some ways he reminds me of Zidane in that respect.”

In reference to the news that Kaka had earlier signed a replica Real Madrid shirt for a fan in Brazil, Perez added:
“Has he signed already? I am extremely excited to see what could happen on Monday.”

Kaka's current club, AC Milan, have insisted that any move to the Spanish giants will happen only if the player himself wants it to.
One way or another, the Brazilian will let the world, and the excited Mr Perez, know on Monday.

Source

David Beckham reaffirms commitment to MLS

2009-06-06T19:36:00.001-07:00

Roll out the red carpet, Major League Soccer. David Beckham is done with AC Milan (for now), training with the English national team for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra, then a four-week vacation, and then he will mosey on back to Los Angeles to grace the Galaxy with his GQ looks and bending free kicks.

He plans to resume training with the team July 11 and play his first game of the season July 16 at the New York Red Bulls. He will stick around for a while, but likely will head back to Europe for an England friendly Aug. 12 against red-hot Netherlands (more on them later) in Amsterdam, and will be gone again for World Cup qualifiers at home against Croatia on Sept. 9, at Ukraine on Oct. 10 and at home Oct. 14 against Belarus.

He has stressed that at this point in his career, his top priority is the national team. He also hopes to return to AC Milan next winter. He played 17 matches for the Italian club on his extended loan, getting two goals and five assists. But Beckham insists he remains committed to the Galaxy and MLS.

''People have questioned me and questioned my commitment to MLS, to the Galaxy, to soccer in America,'' Beckham told MLSnet.com last week. ``I've always said that I'm committed to one, being an ambassador for MLS and soccer in America because I still believe in 10, 15 years this level will lift to a level where it can compete with some of the big teams in Europe. And, obviously, I'm committed to the Galaxy.

``I said that to the players before I left and I said that to the manager [ Bruce Arena] before I left. This is not me running away from soccer in America. I'm fully committed to going back to MLS putting in performances like I know I can, being fully fit and working hard for the team. I still believe we've got very good players on our team and I still believe we should be reaching the playoffs. Hopefully, that will happen this year.''

The Galaxy is in fifth place in the Western Conference, 12 points behind first-place Chivas USA. Despite reports to the contrary, Beckham said he always intended to return to Los Angeles.

''I always said that I would be going back to finish the season with the Galaxy,'' Beckham told The Times of London. ``I never expected to stay for six months. When I first made the decision, it was always for three months. But then, obviously, being given the chance to play until the end of the season was good.''

But his main focus now is on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

''I think what drives me hard is just playing for England,'' he said. `Obviously, I'd love to win something with my country, but just being involved in every game that I play in, whether it be a friendly or a qualifier, I love playing for my country.''

Source

Manchester United hope to succeed in their 'last chance' to sign Carlos Tevez

2009-06-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

Manchester United fans make their feelings plain

Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have all now, in principle, reached the asking price for the 25-year-old Argentine. However his adviser, Kia Joorabchian, the man who leads the group of investors who own the rights to Tevez, insists he will not enter into negotiations until June 10.

It was claimed on Sunday that City had agreed a deal for Tevez but Joorabchian is insistent that this is not the case and that the striker wants to wait until after Argentina have completed their forthcoming international matches. They play Colombia at home on June 6 and then are away to Ecuador four days later in two crucial World Cup qualification matches.

Although Tevez has appeared certain to leave United, having failed to secure a permanent contract at the end of his two-year loan period, and having said his farewells to the rest of the squad following last week's Champions League final, there is one last chance for United to secure a deal.

Chief executive David Gill indicated last week that the club were considering backing down in their attempts to renegotiate a price for Tevez, having hoped to pay less than £20 million. Gill also admitted it was "easier" to deal with a company than a club in this case – something Sir Alex Ferguson had said wasn't the case, much to Joorabchian's annoyance.

Another significant hurdle for United is to convince Tevez that he will play frequently enough. One of the player's major complaints is that he has not started a sufficient number of United's important matches and only featured as a half-time substitute in last week's final. He has become disillusioned and wanted to leave, as he declared in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph last month.

Tevez's anger has, however, cooled and he is now less certain that he will definitely be leaving United. He wants to stay in the Premier League and the firm interest from three of United's rivals has also not gone unnoticed by Gill and Ferguson who had hoped there would not be other serious bidders, allowing them to renegotiate the original terms.

City are proving to be the most eager bidders at present with manager Mark Hughes, along with his family, his backroom staff and their families, in Abu Dhabi for a short holiday. The will also discuss the club's transfer targets with owner Sheikh Mansour who has indicated, despite public declarations otherwise, that he wants to spend big this summer in order to challenge for the Champions League places. City are likely to also mount a serious bid for Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o who has been told he can leave the club even if he would prefer to stay.

Joorabchian is aware of City's interest in Tevez – and their keenness to conclude a quick deal - but has informed them that he will not hold talks until after the international programme has finished and, also, he has concluded negotiations with United.

Source

Doubts about Eto'o future

2009-06-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said "it would be nice that Eto'o retires here," though he warned. "There could be a surprise."

Joan Laporta, who insisted on the fact that all the topics related to the season planning lie in the hands of sporting director Txiki Beguiristain and coach Pep Guardiola, he said Samuel Eto'o "is one of the players who always receives juicy offers."

Samuel Eto'o contract with Barcelona expires next season; so, if the Cameroonian player and the team fail to reach an agreement, he will be entitled to join any team he wishes as from January 1, 2010.

"We want him to stay with us, his contract is still in force and we hope he can accept a deal renewal," Laporta commented. He insisted that all sports decisions are made by the sporting director, so he won't reveal a fact. "I won't talk about anything that are not convenient."

When asked about whether Florentino Perez shocked the market with such a huge offer for Kaka, Laporta said. "Barcelona will stick to the same policy, regardless of any decision made."

"Our advantage is that the players take Barcelona as a point of reference because of all the titles we've earned recently, I say it with all respect," Laporta added. "We always try to play the player what he really deserves and what is fair for the team,"; He also stated that he feels proud of their policy, which is based on focusing on players coming from the junior divisions.

Freestyle Juggling - 4 Years Old

2009-06-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

WTF!

Chelsea Sign 'The Russian Ronaldinho' For £18.5million

2009-06-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

Russian International Yuri Zhirkov has signed for Chelsea and will join the Premier League club this summer from CSKA Moscow, according to quotes from his agent in Russian paper Tvoi Den.
25-year-old Zhirkov was understood to have been one of the recommendations made by interim Blues manager Guus Hiddink to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic. The Dutchman knowing all about the talents of the left-sided winger, who has been dubbed ‘The Russian Ronaldinho’ in his homeland after working with Zhirkov while in charge of the Russian national side. A job Hiddink will return to after Chelsea’s FA Cup final against Everton on Saturday.

Zhirkov is now set to join Chelsea on a four-year deal, with Abramovic understood to have shelled out a fee in the region of £18.5million to lure his compatriot to Stamford Bridge. His agent revealing that Zhirkov will link up with the Premiership side this summer after signing for the West London club in the last day or two.

“Yury [Zhirkov] has signed the contract with Chelsea just a day or two ago," Zhirkov's agent told Tvoi Den.
“He will join his new team this summer.”

Capped by Russia 30 times, Zhirkov scored 15 goals in 139 league appearances for CSKA during his time at the Luzhniki Stadium. The Russian now set to follow Roman Pavlyuchenko and Andrei Arshavin, who signed for Tottenham and Arsenal respectively last season.

Source

Zico: Diego A Great Purchase For Juventus; Ronaldinho Should Change Team

2009-06-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian coach has given his opinion on the two Serie A players, praising the new Juventus signing and advising the Milan forward to move on.

CSKA Moscow coach Zico heaped praise on former Werder Bremen and now Juventus player Diego, who he believes will be an important figure for his new team in the upcoming season.

In fact, there is a lot of expectation on Diego as the Bianconeri fans are hoping that he can lead the team back to the top in Italy.

"Diego is a great purchase," declared Zico to the Gazzetta dello Sport.

"In Germany he proved to be an exceptional talent. I saw him against Udinese in the UEFA Cup and he made the difference for his team."

Zico also commented on Ronaldinho's disappointing season at Milan, where he failed to convince coach Carlo Ancelotti to utilise him regularly.

"Unfortunately he did not play much," he continued. "For his characteristics he needs to go on the pitch with continuity.

"In my opinion, if he had the opportunity to change teams, he should evaluate it well."

Zico is considered a legend both in Brazil and in Italy, where he played with Udinese between 1983 and 1985, making 39 Serie A appearances and scoring 22 goals for the club.

Source

Kaka Can Leave Milan For €65m

2009-05-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-28T04:28:00.000-07:00

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.

Source

Ronaldo, Ronaldinho left off Brazil's roster

2009-05-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

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).

Source

Freestyler John fails in talent show bid

2009-05-26T04:45:00.000-07:00

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. :)

Source

Beckham picked by England

2009-05-25T04:07:00.000-07:00

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).

Source

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

2009-05-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

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.

Source

Manchester United are masters of mind over matter

2009-05-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

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.

Source

AC Milan denies Real Madrid to sign Brazilian playmaker Kaka

2009-05-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

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.

Source

Ronaldo geared towards another United campaign

2009-05-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-05-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

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

Source

David Beckham difines Basketball

2009-05-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

Awesome.

Kaka and Pirlo on wishlist as Ancelotti prepares to join Chelsea

2009-05-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

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.

Source

How to Do a Bicycle Kick in Soccer

2009-05-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T05:13:00.000-07:00

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.

SOURCE

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

2009-05-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

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.

SOURCE

Birmingham Brazilian Soccer School - John Farnworth

2009-05-11T04:21:00.000-07:00

One of a hell Soccer freestyler, John Farnworth!

Manchester United Veteran Ryan Giggs Named PFA Player Of The Year

2009-05-10T04:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-07T04:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-05T05:38:00.000-07:00

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

David Beckham turns Schwarzenegger in The Terminator-style Motorola ad

2009-05-03T05:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

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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David Beckham still tops the league as football's biggest earner

2009-04-28T05:14:00.001-07:00

David Beckham remains Britain's richest footballer with three times the fortune of any other player.

This year's Rich List puts Becks' assets at £125million but second-placed Michael Owen, the Newcastle striker, has just £40million.

Young megabucks stars are Man Utd's Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo with £35million and £18million respectively.

Old Trafford team-mates Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs each have £30million assets.

Portsmouth's Sol Campbell has £33million while Robbie Fowler - now playing in Australia - has £31million.

At Chelsea, Frank Lampard has £20million, at least until he settles with ex-partner Elen Rives. England captain John Terry has £17million, Ashley Cole's £13million beats namesake Joe Cole's £12million, and other Chelsea stars Nicholas Anelka, Petr Cech and Michael Essien have £11million each At Liverpool, Steven Gerrard is worth £20million and Fernando Torres £9million.

Arsenal have Cesc Fabregas in the list with £7million. At rivals Spurs, Jonathan Woodgate has £8million.

England manager Fabio Capello is worth £30million but Newcastle's emergency boss, Alan Shearer, tops him at £32million.

As for club owners, steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal has put part of his £10.8billion behind QPR and Chelsea's Roman Abramovich is still worth £7billion.

For Rooney, family matters most. He and pregnant wife Coleen were at Liverpool yesterday to see brother Graham play in the amateur All-England Sunday Cup Final.

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Manchester United target the latest Brazilian teenage sensation

2009-04-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

Manchester United target the latest Brazilian teenage sensation
By Sportsmail Reporter

Sir Alex Ferguson is poised to make a bid for a new Brazilian sensation - the latest to be labelled the new Ronaldinho.

Gremio's 18-year-old midfielder, Douglas Costa, has attracted the attention of a number of European clubs, with Villarreal having a £8million offer turned down.

The Sun reports that United have been monitoring Costa after reports from their South American scout, Jaap Stam.

Fellow target: Gremio attacking midfielder Douglas Costa

Costa’s advisor, said: 'The boy is special and loves the Premier League. He has a lot of offers to consider.'

Costa, who holds a Portuguese passport and so would not need a work permit, is due to talk to clubs at the end of this month with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Inter Milan also thought to be interested.

This kiddo is interesting huh.

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Manchester United line up Kaka and Ribery to replace Real-bound Ronaldo

2009-04-20T04:26:00.000-07:00

Manchester United are set to splash a world record £70million to bring AC Milan's Kaka to Old Trafford to replace the departing Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 24-year-old Portuguese will demand a move to Real Madrid in the summer, and the Brazilian superstar is being lined up by Sir Alex ferguson to replace the current world player of the year.

Flying north: Manchester United will tempt AC Milan with a £70million bid for Kaka

Also wanted is Bayern Munich's French midfielder Franck Ribery, with Wigan winger Antonio Valencia completing a trio of summer signings, report the News of the World.

While Ronaldo's desire to join Real is one of the worst kept secrets in football, Kaka has recently rejected a deal with the Rossoneri.

With current boss Carlo Ancelotti expected to join Chelsea in the summer, the club lie third in Serie A, some 13 points off first-placed Inter Milan.

Shocker: Ronaldo is off to spain in the summer, sources say

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Sign up Wayne Rooney as a money-saving star

2009-04-20T00:18:00.000-07:00

Sign up Wayne Rooney as a money-saving star

Every so often you read something in a bit of celebrity news that makes you smile and remember for all their millions of pounds, the famous are people too.
Today's comes from a story about how Wayne Rooney has lost a £1m Mercedes contract that will see him have to forgo his free car.

There are all kinds of snippets in here that remind you that Rooney, despite his fame and fortune, appears to remain resolutely down-to-earth.
There's the bit that makes you imagine him grinning like a schoolboy on getting his motor: 'He was thrilled to be endorsing Mercedes because he is a total car fanatic and is a huge fan of Mercedes. He bought one for Coleen for her birthday. He loves them, so of course he's disappointed.'
Then there's the bit where some snob seems to forget that perhaps he might be a good ambassador because he's an exceptionally talented footballer not a bling encrusted clothes horse: 'Ordinarily you'd expect Mercedes to choose someone aspirational and classy to advertise its cars, and it's fair to say that Wayne Rooney doesn't fit into that category'.
But my favourite is actually nothing to do with the car. It's from an interview by his wife Coleen that's tagged on. She says: 'If I go shopping with Wayne I'll say, 'Look at that handbag! Isn't it lovely?" And he'll say, 'You don't need any more handbags'
So that's Wayne Rooney multi-millionaire footballer, set up financially for life before he was out of his teens, reminding his wife she doesn't need to buy something, as she doesn't need anymore handbags.
As the Government appears to be spending our cash on increasingly inexplicable public information campaigns at the moment, can we have another?
Let's find out if Wayne is serious about this money-saving thing and sign him up to remind kids that however rich you are, sometimes you don't need another handbag and if you aren't rich you also might want to lay off the mobile phones, trainers and flat screen TVs.
And while we're at it, give him a Jaguar to make up for losing that Mercedes.

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Liverpool FC can bridge the gap

2009-04-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

Liverpool FC can bridge the gap

Ian Doyle, Daily Post

FERNANDO TORRES is convinced Liverpool can pull off a remarkable Champions League comeback tomorrow.
The Spaniard netted twice as the Anfield outfit responded to their shock defeat to Chelsea in midweek by thrashing Blackburn Rovers 4-0 at home on Saturday.
It kept the pressure on Premier League leaders Manchester United, who still lead Rafael Benitez’s side by a single point.
Liverpool step out at Stamford Bridge tomorrow aiming to overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit and reach the European Cup semi-finals for the
fourth time in five seasons.
And Torres said: “We have kept our confidence after the Champions League game and it was important to win for the fans.
“It was an important victory because it was the last game at home before the Hillsborough memorial service and I think they enjoyed it.
“I hope that we can score three goals against Chelsea. We know it is a very difficult task.
“They are a strong team, but we have confidence we can do it and we have to go there to win the game. We beat Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford so we know we can do it.
“We know it is difficult and it is difficult to score against them, but we will prepare the game and see what happens. I think Chelsea will play for a win. If they score one or two it is over, so they will not just defend.”
Saturday’s brace of goals moved Torres to 11 goals in only 19 league appearances of a campaign that has been hampered by continual hamstring problems, a hangover of his efforts in helping his country win Euro 2008 last summer.
Torres is expected to endure another lengthy season with Spain taking part in the Fifa Confederations Cup in South Africa. The competition runs from June 14-28, with Vicente del Bosque’s side playing as many as five games in that period.
Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa and Albert Riera are also expected to figure, but it is Torres that will be the major concern to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.
And the striker said: “It has been really frustrating to miss league games this season. Just 19 league games and 11 goals is a good record.
“We have to try and learn from this for next season and try and help me stay 100% fit for all the games.
“I have to play in the Confederations Cup in the summer because it is important for my country Spain after the European Championships.
“We are a good team and we have to try and win trophies and this is the next one. I know it might not be the best preparation for pre-season but that is our job.
“I will try and get enough rest. It is just four or five games. But we have to talk at Liverpool about the next pre-season, try and do the right things and not make the same mistakes that we did this season.”
Torres scored the opening two goals of Liverpool’s weekend win, with Daniel Agger and substitute David Ngog completing a comfortable win late on.
Torres’ first goal was a goal of the season contender, a dipping cross-volley reminiscent of Marco van Basten’s magnificent strike for Holland in the final of Euro 88.
“It was a good day for me,” said the Spaniard. “The first one was a great goal and a great start to the game. To then get three more goals was good for the team.
“I work hard on my heading so I was pleased with the second one. I am always pleased to score at Anfield and I almost had a hat-trick but the main thing was to win and stay fit for Tuesday which is a big game.
“I don’t know if the first one is the best I have scored. Maybe one of the best. I don’t think it was like van Basten. He was one of the best players in the history of the game.”
Steven Gerrard was an unused substitute as Benitez elected not to risk his skipper’s adductor problem.
And the manager said: “It was almost perfect, but it could have been better as we could have scored more goals. It was the perfect response after the result in the Champions League in midweek, so it was a very positive afternoon.
“United are under pressure, Ferguson is always talking about us now and that’s a positive as he wasn’t talking about us for the last few seasons.”
Asked if having a fully-fit Torres for more of the season would have seen Liverpool clear at the top by this stage, Benitez said: “Yes, could be. We have had some games this season that ended in draws that, had Fernando been playing, it could have made a massive difference.
“If you have Torres and Gerrard fit, then you know the team is much better.”

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Galaxy needs new plan of attack

2009-04-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

AC Milan forward Ronaldinho, right, and his teammate, Pato, react following AC Milan's 2-0 victory over Lecce in a Serie A match on Sunday. Ronaldinho is one player the Galaxy could use to help re-build their franchise once David Beckham leaves.

Beckham's late-season entrance might boost attendance, but it's not too soon to start planning buzz-worthy moves for 2010.

By Grahame L. Jones

When November rolls around and David Beckham leaves town for the last time, what is the Galaxy going to do?

That it has to do something has been made painfully obvious by the team's lack of success on the field and at the gate in the first couple of weeks of the new Major League Soccer season.

After three games and going into tonight's match against Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center, the Galaxy is still looking for its first victory of 2009 and has played in front of successively diminishing announced crowds of 18,013, 16,709 and 6,219, the latter for a Tuesday night U.S Open Cup game.

In each case, the figure seemed inflated. There were only 281 in the house half an hour before Tuesday's kickoff.

Last season, with Beckham in tow, Los Angeles averaged 26,009, and whether that was inflated or not, it was still tops in MLS.

Club officials have blamed the drop-off on the economy, but the economy has not stopped the Seattle Sounders from attracting 32,523 and 28,548 for their first two MLS games, or Toronto FC from extending its string of sellout crowds to 31 with an opening-day attendance of 20,658.

Clearly, it is more than just the economy.

Could it be that Beckham is missed -- at the gate if not on the field?

Since the English midfielder has made clear his intention to return to AC Milan after his July-November cameo appearance with the Galaxy this year, it is not too soon for team owner AEG and Coach Bruce Arena to begin planning for 2010.

This week, the hot rumor was that former Italian international Christian Vieri would soon be winging his way to California. Not so, said the Galaxy, emphatically denying a rumor that started in Italy.

Vieri is 35 and would have fit in with Arena's over-30 gang, which now numbers nine with the arrival last week of 35-year-old defender Gregg Berhalter. But Vieri, a free-agent former Inter Milan player with no fewer than 14 clubs on his resume, is six years past his prime and would not have created any buzz in Los Angeles.

There are a couple of Brazilians who could do so and one American who could help the Galaxy on the field, but whether AEG and Arena opt to go after, say, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho or DaMarcus Beasley is, for the moment, only a matter of speculation.

Ronaldo, 32, is playing and scoring goals again, this time for Corinthians in Brazil, but while Beckham's former Real Madrid teammate and friend would no doubt jump at a fat contract dangled in front of him by the Galaxy, he is less likely to do so if Beckham departs as planned.

It also remains to be seen whether Ronaldo can regain the form that made him a World Cup winner in 2002 and the tournament's all-time top goal scorer in 2006.

Ronaldinho, 29, would have a tremendous impact on and off the field and is one player who could instantly raise the profile of MLS. But Beckham's AC Milan teammate is focused on playing in next year's World Cup in South Africa and will not leave Italy before then.

Beasley, meanwhile, is not getting much playing time at Glasgow Rangers and has talked about trying his luck in Spain. Earlier this year, the German club Schalke 04 expressed interest in him, and chances are the U.S. player would prefer to stay in Europe.

But the opportunity to link up again with close friend Landon Donovan could tempt Beasley to California and the Galaxy. The two have a very good on-field understanding, and Arena would be in favor if the price were right.

The trouble is, Beasley, 26, would not create the noise that the Galaxy needs to get the fans back. He won't sell the jerseys or get the turnstiles clicking and, for AEG, that takes precedence over everything.

Meanwhile, if Coach Carlo Ancelotti leaves AC Milan for Chelsea this summer, as reports in Italy and England suggested Thursday, then Beckham and Ronaldinho might have to rethink their own futures and all bets are off.

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CL quarter finals, day 2

2009-04-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

You know it’s CL football when it’s Liverpool - Chelsea :-)

What is it, the 6th time on the trot, this fixture? But whatever it is, you also know it means pace, passion and goals! And what a great first half it was. High paced passing football, tough challenges, and did I mention pace? Torres scored the 1-0 after a nice backheel flick from Kuyt and a Abelardo cross in. Unmarked, Torres said muchos gracias in the 6th minute. It appeared The Reds would have a field day, but quickly in the match Liverpool started to make mistakes. Bad passing and simply losing the ball. Gerrard never got in the game, Xavi Hernandez had many stray passes and Kuyt and Torres were continuously closed down. Chelsea position-played themselves slowly but surely into the game. Lampard at the Blues’ side didn’t play great either but Ballack stepped up to the plate and Kalou and Drogba were constant threats. It would take two corner kicks to get Chelsea back in the game. Hiddink couldn’t play Bosingoa at right center back and started with Serbian Ivanovich. The defender started very well - I’m not even sure Riera played for ‘Pool - and the debutant scored the 1-1 with the head in the first half.

In the second half, Chelsea started to string more good passes together and the Liverpool back four - in particular Skertl, Abelardo and Aurelio started to lose it. Ivanovich scored his second header to take the lead and Drogba finished a cool and snappy attack led by Ballack to score his first and Chelsea’s third: 1-3.
A great aggregate score for Lucky Gus, who will need to finish the job next week at Stamford Bridge.
Dirk had a good start this game, but slowly disappeared. Babel got on the pitch in the last 10 minutes and lost possession a lot, but obviously, Liverpool was in a hurry and precision and aesthetics didn’t matter anymore.
The main course of the day: Barca - Bayern. I personally figured Bayern would be able to hurt Barcelona. Yeah, right! They did score a record 12-1 aggregate in the last round against Sporting, and the Germans are known to be able to disrupt anything. How wrong I was…
In the first 12 minutes it was 2-0 already. Some Bayern players hadn’t even touched the ball. And it became a super exhibition of modern football. Four forwards, four midfielders and four defenders…hang on… That’s 12 fieldplayers… Well, that’s what you get with Daniel Alves in your team. Messi can move centrally, Alves takes over. Toure plays destroyer as if Barca has both De Jong and Van Bommel in midfield and Sneijder/Van der Vaart…oops… I mean Iniesta/Xavi can have a ball making the play. It’s hard not to compare this Barca with the potential of Oranje.

But anyway, first half ended 4-0, with Messi on fire and the aforemention midfield in glowing form. Messi was denied a penalty (and received a yellow card for his trouble while Pep Guadiola was sent to the stands….) and Barca even missed a couple of sitters.
During the first half, we saw some close-ups of the distraught Bayern players and Mark van Bommel can expect a call by Quentin Tarantino for his next movie…
Will Barca thunder forward in the second half? And another question: who will stop this team?
What a tremendous whoopin’ for Klinsmanns’ boys. Their defense looked like a Jupiler league team and Toni wouldn’t even be able to outrun my grandma. And she’s dead! I think Klinsi didn’t put the right team on. Barca is on form, Bayern isn’t. Don’t play a static striker with two wide players (Ribery, Pigclimber) but do it the traditional Bayern way. 5 Defenders, four midfielders and one quick runner up front a la Rummenigge. Anyway, who cares :-)?
Barca made their point. And inspired me to a new post to be published soon… Can Oranje copy Barca like Barca copies Oranje?
So, Chelsea - Barca in one semis and Porto - Arsenal the other one?
Another Arsenal - Barca finals?

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Chelsea and United to fight for Kaka - Transfer Talk

2009-04-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

English options: Kaka could choose between Chelsea and Manchester United

Chelsea and Manchester United are favourites to sign Kaka after he admitted he is interested in playing in England.

Manchester City's acrimonious attempt to sign the AC Milan playmaker in January is likely to leave the Brazilian seeking an alternative destination if he leaves Serie A for the Premier League.

Kaka, say sources in Italy, was not happy with the way the Eastlands club went about their business and while Arsenal and Liverpool are also interested in the midfield genius they do not have the funds to compete with Chelsea and United.

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