Good-Soccer

Messi and Mourinho top football's rich list

2011-03-25T13:21:00.000+07:00

Lionel Messi and Jose Mourinho are the richest men in football according to France Football magazine survey.

Barcelona forward Messi, the two-time World Player of the Year, brought home €31 million from his salary and publicity deals in 2011, just ahead of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo (€27.5 million) and Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (€20.7 million).

Real Madrid manager Mourinho topped the manager's rich list with an income of €13.5 million, ahead of Barcelona's Pep Guardiola (€10.5 million) and former Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez (€10.2 million). England manager Fabio Capello came fourth with the Italian receiving a salary of €8.5 million.

The English Premier League appears the most lucrative league of all with seven representatives in the top 20 list of highest paid players.

Two former Premier League stars, David Beckham and Thierry Henry, now playing in the MLS in the United States, are ranked fifth and 11 with salaries of €19 million and €13.6 million respectively.

Dani Alves officially signs new deal with Barca

2011-03-25T13:16:00.000+07:00

Dani Alves has signed his new contact with Barcelona, committing his future to the club until 2015.

The signing of the deal, agreed and announced on Tuesday night, was confirmed in a short statement on the club's website.

After months of uncertainty over the former Sevilla defender's future, he has signed a four-year deal which includes a €150 million buyout clause, which will go down in value by €25 million per season to be worth €50 million in the final year of the deal.

Alves, who is in the Brazil squad for Sunday's friendly against Scotland, returned to Barcelona to sign the contract. Earlier on Wednesday, Alves expressed his delight with the new contract.

"Being at the club for so many years is a dream,'' he said. "I'm playing at one of the world's most desired teams, which is making history. The most important thing is that I'm happy and I want to make the most of it. It is a privilege and a joy to be here.''

Juventus targeting Rossi

2011-03-25T13:13:00.000+07:00

Giuseppe Rossi's agent Federico Pastorello claims that Juventus are interested in signing the striker.

Rossi, 24, has scored 15 goals in La Liga for the Yellow Submarines in one of his best seasons since leaving Manchester United and Juve are keen to add to their strikeforce in the summer.

"Juve have sounded out the ground, as is usual for a big club in this period," Pastorello told Tuttosport. "There was an offer [in January], more precisely for a loan with an option to buy and Villarreal rejected it. But since then several things have happened."

Asked if he is referring to a reported ¬30m bid from Tottenham, Pastorello said: "And not just that. I am also referring to the explosion of the player.

"It seems normal that an ambitious project like Juventus' marries well with Rossi's identikit. He is obviously a youngster of great talent with a winning mentality. If Giuseppe is Juventus' first choice or not is something only the directors know."

Lippi rejects fresh Juventus link

2011-03-25T13:10:00.000+07:00

Marcello Lippi has dismissed reports that he will return to coach Juventus this summer, insisting he wants to leave Italy.

During his time at the helm of Juve, Lippi won five league titles, one Coppa Italia, a Champions League and a European Super Cup, but 2006 World Cup winner has been out of work since the Azzurri were eliminated from last summer's World Cup as holders in the group stage.

Lippi, who has had two spells in charge of Juve, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for under-fire coach Luigi Del Neri, but confirmed he would not be interested in the position.

''I want to coach for another two or three years,'' he said. ''If the right project comes along then I will consider it but I can confirm that I will not coach any more in Italy, not even if Juve called me.

''I left Turin seven years ago and each time the team has problems my name comes up. This makes me happy because it means that during my time there, I did well and the fans appreciate me. It's true that in the past I've had contacts to return.''

Juve are 11 points behind fourth-place Udinese with nine games remaining.

Pato keen on Kaka return

2011-03-25T13:07:00.003+07:00

AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato has said that he would welcome former Rossoneri midfielder Kaka back into the side with open arms.
Kaka left Milan for Real Madrid in a £56 million deal in the summer of 2009, but has failed to reach the heights he did in Italy after a loss of form and persistent injury troubles.
However, Brazil team-mate Pato maintains that the Serie A leaders would be happy to take him back again.

"I'd love to see Kaka return to Milan. We would welcome him with open arms if he decides to move on," Pato was quoted as saying by Sky Sport.

Meanwhile, Piersilvio Berlusconi, son of Milan president Silvio, claimed that he is keen to see former Inter player Mario Balotelli back at the San Siro in the colours of Milan.

Balotelli has revealed his desire to join Milan one day, but Berlusconi was not hopeful of doing a deal any time soon.

"Balotelli is a great player and in general terms would be a good signing for Milan, but it's too early to talk about it," he said.

Chelsea boss Ancelotti open to AC Milan return

2011-03-25T13:04:00.000+07:00

Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out ever taking charge of Inter Milan, but the Chelsea boss has admitted he would not turn down the chance to return to AC Milan.

Ancelotti had a stellar career as a player and manager with AC Milan - guiding the Rossoneri to Champions League glory on two occasions. He joined Chelsea in 2009 and led them to Premier League and FA Cup success last term, but this season has been a tough one. The Blues are still in the hunt for honours but he has been linked with a return to Italy.

Chelsea did little to dampen talk about Ancelotti's future recently and Inter are believed to be tracking his progress.

"Would I go to Inter in place of Leonardo? No," Ancelotti told Il Giorno. "I've spent 13 years at Milan, for me it is impossible to ignore the past.

"Moratti [Inter president, Massimo] has been thinking about me? I thank him for the kind words but I'm an AC Milan man. In the event that Moratti calls me in the future, I'll politely decline the invitation."

The Italian is focused on his role with Chelsea, but it is obvious that AC Milan hold a place in his heart.

"I am not thinking about returning to AC Milan," he said. "I'm at Chelsea. But if one day [club chief Silvio] Berlusconi or someone from AC Milan calls, I would not think for a moment to say yes, because certain relationships and certain victories will never be forgotten."

Redknapp: I wouldn't sell Modric for £1bn

2011-03-25T12:59:00.000+07:00

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp claims no amount of money could tempt him to part with Luka Modric.

Modric, 25, has been key to Spurs' recent success and has subsequently been linked with many of the top teams in Europe. Juventus and Inter are among the clubs said to have expressed an interest of late, and the player's agent, Mario Mamic, was forced to dismiss speculation in Italy on Thursday.

"These are just rumours," Mamic told Calcio Mercato. "Luka has a contract until 2016 and Tottenham have no plans to sell him. He has an excellent relationship with the coach, Redknapp, and only signed a contract extension with Spurs last summer."

Redknapp, asked about the midfielder in an interview with Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti, reiterated that Spurs would not entertain any offers.

"I wouldn't want to sell him for £100 million," Redknapp said. "Not even for a billion. He's the hub of the team."

It appears the future is less certain for the rest of Tottenham's Croatian contingent.

Niko Kranjcar has expressed a desire for first-team football and, while he rejected a move to Werder Bremen in January and then scored match-winners in successive games against Bolton and Sunderland in February, he has not started a game since.

"Niko's a great player and a great guy, very polite, but the guy just has no luck," Redknapp said. "I don't want him to leave the club - he was fantastic last season - but we've got Gareth Bale out on the left of midfield.

"Believe me, he'll be back in the team. I don't know when, but he will be back."

Asked about suggestions Vedran Corluka could leave White Hart Lane, Redknapp said: "I would be sorry to lose him.

"He's a really upbeat guy, always does what I ask him, but unfortunately he suffered the injury in that stupid challenge from Flamini [at AC Milan] and it ended that great run of form he was in."

Goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa added to the club's Croatian contingent when he joined on loan from Spartak Moscow, but he has made just one appearance for Tottenham.

Redknapp said: "Pletikosa has been really good in training, but what I would say is, 'What would you do in my position if you had Heurelho Gomes? Gomes is in great shape, and you can't play everyone."

Man City striker Etuhu to be sentenced

2011-03-25T12:56:00.000+07:00

A Premier League footballer is facing a possible jail term on Thursday when he appears in court after kicking and punching a man in a street fight outside a casino.

Manchester City striker Kelvin Etuhu, 22, will be in the dock at Warrington Crown Court after previously admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray, at an earlier court hearing.

He was caught on CCTV cameras kicking the victim three times on the ground after he floored him with a punch.

The fight broke out after two groups of clubgoers had earlier squared up in the Manchester 235 Casino in the early hours of February 28 last year.

Footage from city centre CCTV showed an incident outside the casino in which Etuhu's girlfriend was knocked to the floor as her partner became involved in a separate brawl.

The Nigerian-born player is a graduate of the Manchester City academy, making his first senior City appearance in September 2007 before being loaned out to Leicester towards the end of that season.

The younger brother of Fulham player Dickson Etuhu, he has also been on loan at Cardiff and Rochdale.

He was left out of City's Premier League squad for the 2010-11 season. Etuhu, of Astley, Wigan, is on bail.

Mourinho signals intention to return to England

2011-03-24T21:28:00.000+07:00

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has again reiterated his desire to return to England.

The former Chelsea boss has often spoken of his love for the English game and despite enjoying great success since leaving Stamford Bridge, most notably with Inter with whom he won the treble last season, Mourinho is relishing a return to the Premier League.

"I miss England and my next job will be in England," he told The Sun.

"There is unfinished business.

"And I think England wants me back, no? It was the most enjoyable time of my career.

"My Chelsea time was amazing as a football manager and family man. My family and I enjoyed it so much. We made so many friends here. We still keep in touch, we still come back.

"In football there are a few victories here I would like to repeat. I will talk to my agent and get a project for my career.

"I still have three years at Real Madrid. It is the biggest club in the world but it is also the most difficult club in the world.
"They came to me for the third time and I could not say no to them for the third time - I had to go.

"And I had to go to Italy, that was important for me because I wanted to try there. Everyone said it was the home of tactics so I said let me try there.

"But it is not England, England is special. People in Italy, Spain and Portugal ask me why I love England so much and I can't explain - I just do.

"I want to be happy in my work. I want to be happy with my football."

Suarez makes his mark

2011-02-03T08:45:00.001+07:00

soccernet.espn, Luis Suarez scored on his debut as Liverpool concluded a turbulent few days with a valuable victory over Stoke.

The Uruguayan slotted home the Reds' second goal of the game in front of the Kop to ensure Fernando Torres' £50 million move to Chelsea was no longer the major talking point.

And if questions were being asked about how the Reds would cope in their former striker's absence then efforts by Suarez and Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles - with his third goal in four matches - provided a swift answer.

Record £35 million signing Andy Carroll's introduction to the crowd before kick-off was the closest he is likely to get to the pitch for a month as he recovers from a thigh injury. Unfortunately for Liverpool this was exactly the sort of game from which they would have benefited from the 6ft 3in powerhouse striker.

Conversely, it did not seem that suited to his fellow new arrival, although arriving as a second-half substitute with his side already ahead made the task much easier.

The ball spent much of the first half in the air, which benefited Stoke far more than it did their hosts, and as a result Dirk Kuyt found his role as lone frontman a frustrating one at times. Saying that, he had at least three chances of which at least one would probably have been converted by Torres.

Manager Kenny Dalglish had tailored Liverpool's formation specifically for the Potters, lining up 3-4-2-1 with Lucas Leiva and Fabio Aurelio holding in midfield and Steven Gerrard and Meireles supporting the Netherlands international up front.

The first chance fell to Sotirios Kyrgiakos, returning to the team in that back three to combat the aerial threat of John Carew, as he headed Gerrard's corner goalwards only for former Liverpool midfielder Salif Diao to clear two yards out.

Jon Walters fired over an angled shot from ten yards and Carew headed over another ex-Red Jermaine Pennant's right-wing cross, with the hosts having penalty claims turned down when the ball appeared to hit Robert Huth's hand.

Stoke's tactics of keeping everything compact squeezed the life out of Liverpool and disrupted their passing game.

Suarez's appearance off the bench to jog down the touchline brought a standing ovation from the Kop, who as a result almost missed Asmir Begovic's brilliant reaction save to keep out Glen Johnson's close-range header.

Kuyt nodded wide Gerrard's cross and volleyed over from close range before shooting straight at the Stoke goalkeeper when a rare passing move involving Brazilians Lucas and Aurelio cut open the defence.

Within two minutes of the second half resuming Diao was booked for bringing down the advancing Daniel Agger and from the resulting free-kick Liverpool, somewhat fortuitously, took the lead.

Gerrard's low, driven free-kick deflected off Marc Wilson on the end of the wall to Kyrgiakos 12 yards out and although Huth nicked the ball off the defender Meireles was on hand to smash home left-footed.

Carew almost snatched an equaliser on the counter-attack with a shot which flashed across goalkeeper Jose Reina and wide of the far post before, just after the hour Suarez got his chance to start repaying his £22.7 million transfer fee - a club record for a few hours on Monday.

His first contribution was to engage Abdoulaye Faye in a sprint which resulted in the Stoke centre-back pulling a hamstring. One clever backheel to set up Martin Skrtel showed the Uruguayan was not short of confidence, despite not playing a game since December 8 because of a seven-match suspension for biting an opponent while playing for Ajax.

His next involvement was more decisive and was what the Kop had been waiting for. Kuyt's through-ball sent the forward racing through and having gone round Begovic he rolled the ball goalwards.

For a few seconds it appeared Wilkinson would cut out the shot but his desperate clearance came back off the post and bounced over the line.

While the crowd were still celebrating Reina ensured there was no frantic final few minutes by punching away Walters' shot.

Milan go clear

2010-12-05T08:31:00.003+07:00

AC Milan moved three points clear at the top of Serie A and opened up a ten-point cushion over defending champions Inter Milan thanks to a comfortable 3-0 win over Brescia.

GettyImagesRobinho is embraced by a team-mate after his goal in Milan's win over Brescia.

The match was decided inside the first half an hour with Kevin-Prince Boateng's first goal for the Rossoneri putting the home side on course for all three points after just four minutes.

Two goals in the space of three minutes from Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahmovic sealed the win and allowed Milan to sit back and relax for the remainder of the game as struggling Brescia failed to put up a fight.

Chievo recovered from two goals down to grab a 2-2 draw against Roma in atrocious conditions at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

Two goals from Fabio Simplicio in the first half put the Giallorossi in command on a pitch which was practically unplayable due to the huge patches of mud and sand.

Davide Moscardelli gave Chievo hope on the hour mark with the pitch also playing its part in his goal and Pablo Granoches scored the equaliser ten minutes from time before Daniele De Rossi was dismissed as he showed his frustration.

Russia and Qatar have won the FIFA votes to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals

2010-12-05T08:30:00.002+07:00

Russia beat off competition from England, and joint bids from Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal.

Qatar have been awarded the 2022 World Cup after seeing off challenges from Australia, Japan, South Korea and the USA.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced the result of the 22-member panel in Zurich, Switzerland. It will be the first time either Russia or Qatar has hosted the tournament.

"We go to new lands," said Blatter. "Never has the World Cup been in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Arabic world have been waiting for a long time so I'm a happy president when we talk about the development of football."

Russia deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov celebrated by saying: "You have entrusted us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I can promise, we all can promise, you will never regret it. Let us make history together.''

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who did not attend Thursday's vote, said he was leaving for Zurich to thank FIFA for awarding Russia the right to host the 2018 finals.

“This decision shows that Russia is trusted,” Putin told reporters before leaving for the airport to fly to Zurich.

Qatar had asked FIFA to take a “bold gamble” and insisted the desert nation's extreme heat would not be an issue.

It stressed the small nation had the money, resources and high-technology to overcome any logistical objections.

The tournament would be held when temperatures in Qatar typically exceed 48 degrees C (118 degrees F). FIFA highlighted the potential risk posed by the heat.

“Thank you for believing in change,” said Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. "Thank you for backing us and expanding the game. You will be proud of us and you will be proud of the Middle East."

Nasri sends Gunners top, Chelsea held

2010-12-05T08:27:00.000+07:00

Chelsea were given a huge helping hand by Manchester United old boy Phil Neville, but they still could not end their winless run as Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League on Saturday.

The defending champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton after Jermaine Beckford levelled Didier Drogba's opener with five minutes remaining. The result means Chelsea have now gone four league games without a win.

Carlo Ancelotti was boosted by the returns of John Terry and Michael Essien on Saturday, and his skipper almost scored a wonderful opener, looping a clever volley against the bar with Tim Howard well beaten. Everton were looking dangerous on the break, but the best first-half moments came from the home side as Salomon Kalou sent a free header wide of the far post.

Much as they had done at Birmingham, Chelsea were missing chances, so they were grateful when Neville played Anelka clean through, forcing Howard to bring the Frenchman down to receive a generous yellow card. Drogba, who had almost come off moments earlier with a groin problem, slammed home from the spot to ease Chelsea nerves.

Everton had not arrived to make up the numbers though, and they came within inches of levelling the scores on the hour when Beckford, on for the injured Louis Saha, sent a glancing header against the inside of Petr Cech's far post. Chelsea appeared set to hang on for an undeserved three points, but Beckford headed home from close range after a wonderful run by Leighton Baines to increase the pressure on Ancelotti.

Arsenal's defence threw up yet more question marks at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, but Samir Nasri produced two moments of magic to help Arsene Wenger's men to the top of the table with a 2-1 victory over Fulham. The Gunners had already lost three home league games this season, and Fulham threatened a fourth before Nasri's intervention in an entertaining encounter.

Nasri and Andrei Arshavin turned on the style in the opening stages in North London, with the Frenchman scoring a beauty as he turned two Fulham defenders inside-out before lashing home with his left foot. The goal was Nasri's tenth of an excellent season, helping to fill the void left by Cesc Fabregas' absence.

However, the pairing of Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci continues to look penetrable at the back, and Diomansy Kamara capitalised to level the scores on the half hour. Kamara could have put Fulham ahead by half-time too, but on this occasion Lukasz Fabianski rescued his side in a one-on-one situation.

GettyImages
Samir Nasri was, not for the first time this season, Arsenal's hero - his two superb goals sealing victory
The inevitable Arsenal siege came in the second half, and a winner finally arrived 15 minutes from time as Nasri dribbled past the entire Fulham defence, including the goalkeeper, before swivelling marvellously to find the net from a tight angle.

Ten-man Manchester City moved to within two points of their Old Trafford neighbours with a fast-paced 1-0 victory over Bolton. Following a training-ground spat on Friday, City boss Roberto Mancini started both Jerome Boateng and Mario Balotelli at Eastlands, but it was "Mr Reliable" Carlos Tevez who made the difference.

Occupying both centre-backs, Tevez moved off the shoulder of Gary Cahill to latch onto Yaya Toure's superbly-timed through-ball, and the Argentinian kept a cool head to place the ball into the corner past Jussi Jaaskelainen.

City did not have things all their own way though, with Bolton controlling large parts of the first half, but Tevez did almost find a second for his team before the break only to see his effort chalked off for offside against Gareth Barry.

The second period was full of chances for either side, but it was City who looked the more likely to trouble the scorers again, with David Silva turning and striking brilliantly only to see his effort rebound off the bar. Mancini's men did have to finish the match with ten men when Aleksandar Kolarov was sent off for a second bookable offence, but victory lifts City to within three points of top spot.

Tottenham are three points outside the Champions League places after they threw away a lead at St Andrew's, where Birmingham have lost just once in 14 months. Harry Redknapp's men produced some inspired football against Alex McLeish's side, but ended up with a 1-1 draw.

The opening goal came from the unlikely figure of Sebastien Bassong, who drilled home after Gareth Bale's free-kick was spilled by Ben Foster. However, Blues grew into the match, and they found an equaliser nine minutes from time through Craig Gardner.

Wolves slipped to the bottom of the Premier League table, despite West Ham not even kicking a ball, after Mick McCarthy's side were beaten 3-0 by Blackburn. Wolves had lost their last six away league games, and they failed to improve that record at Ewood Park.

PA Photos
David Dunn opened the scoring for Blackburn in their 3-0 rout of Wolves
David Dunn made the breakthrough for Rovers from a set-piece, diverting the ball home after Ryan Nelsen won a header at the back post. It was tough on Wolves who hit the woodwork twice in the space of 60 seconds through Nenad Milijas and George Elokobi, but by half-time they were facing a huge uphill task thanks to a delightful bending effort from Brett Emerton.

Sam Allardyce has never lost a match against Wolves, and that record was kept intact as Morten Gamst Pedersen, rejuvenated this season, sent over a wicked free-kick that was nodded home by Nelsen.

In the day's other game, Wigan and Stoke put on something of a thriller at the DW Stadium, producing a surprisingly high-scoring 2-2 draw. The result leaves Athletic in the relegation zone while Stoke stay in the top half.

Robert Huth began the goal-spree when his free-kick took a huge deflection past Ali Al-Habsi, but Danny Collins then got on the scoresheet at the wrong end from Ben Watson's free-kick. Parity lasted only a minute as Matthew Etherington continued his good form with Stoke's second, but Tom Cleverley added to his growing reputation with an equaliser before half-time.

Indonesia beat Laos 6-0

2010-12-05T08:02:00.002+07:00

Indonesia win again! after a remarkable result 5 – 1 the day before yesterday against Malaysia, today (4/12/2010) Indonesia defeats Laos for six goals to zero. The winning team showed a strong confidence from the first whistle of the game. The first goal start from the running of Christian Gonzales into the middle of Laos defenders and woalah! Penalty kick being offered to Indonesia, Firman Utina as the captain finished it nicely making the score 1-0 for Indonesia. Several chances was happen in every minutes of the game for Indonesia. The second goal was made by M.Ridwan on his rushed to put the goals from right area.

In the second round of the game, pressure was put against Laos team, Firman Utina made the third goals by putting the ball behind the net, then followed by new Indonesian football Idol a.k.a Irfan Bachdim (17) in 63 minutes of the game. Bambang Pamungkas was put in as a substitute to C.Gonzales. The game was in a fascinating atmosphere when finally Arif Suyono in the middle of a struggle defense by Laos is making his first goal for Indonesia. After that Okto (10) made an impressive running to closed the score 6-0 for Indonesia. This result will bring Indonesia into the top of the chart in the group, that successfully go through the semifinal.

The football in Indonesia are showing some improvements moreover because of the two naturalization player like Christian Gonzales and Irfan Bachdim that bring the new spirit to the team. Bravo Indonesia!!!

Camoranesi set to leave Juventus

2010-05-08T17:24:00.000+07:00

Mauro Camoranesi's agent has confirmed that the midfielder will leave Juventus in the summer.

The 33-year-old World Cup winner has spent eight years at the Stadio Olimpico but the Turin outfit are set for a major clear-out.

Camoranesi's agent Sergio Fortunato told calciomercato.it: "The cycle at Juventus is finished.

"At the end of the season, I will meet (Juventus sporting director) Alessio Secco and we will try and reach an agreement to find an arrangement that will suit Mauro.

"For now, we are not speaking about teams. I will begin to move in the next 10 days when the season more or less finishes everywhere in Europe to see if there is a solution for the good of Juventus and Mauro.

"We are talking about a player who will play at the World Cup. It's obvious that it will take a good team (to persuade him to leave), otherwise we will honour the contract with the Bianconeri.

Inzaghi wants one more season at Milan

2010-05-08T17:23:00.000+07:00

AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi has insisted that he wants to stay at the club so that he can beat Marco Van Basten's club scoring record - despite the Dutchman being in line to be coach at the San Siro side next season.

GettyImages

Inzaghi is hoping for a one-year extension on his current contract

Inzaghi told Football Italia: "I want to stay because I want to score one more goal in Europe to beat a 35-year-old record and I also don't want to miss out on scoring more goals than Marco Van Basten did here. I'm only three short of that."

Inzaghi has fallen out of favour under coach Leonardo but, with the Brazilian leaving his post at the end of the current Serie A season, the striker remains hopeful over his future.

He said: "I have started just nine games this term but I did manage to feel important. I accepted whatever decision the coach made, but I want to feel even more important next term. My hope is to remain in this shirt."

Inzaghi's current contract expires at the end of June, with Inzaghi hoping he can be offered a one-year extension once the Rossoneri have automatically qualified for the Champions League.

The prospect of Inzaghi being coached by the player whose record he wants to break doesn't concern the Italian. He said: "No matter who will coach the team next season, the important thing is that Milan return to winning ways.

"I don't think there will be problems [with my contract extension]."

Mancini to stay at Man City for many years

2010-05-08T17:20:00.000+07:00

Roberto Mancini will remain Manchester City manager for "many years", according to the club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

City's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League ended with Wednesday's 1-0 defeat by Tottenham, but speculation about Mancini's position has been dismissed by the City chairman.

"Roberto's going to do a wonderful job for us for many years," Mubarak told Manchester City's official website.

"Roberto is our manager. He's done an excellent job coming in mid-season, organising the team. I'm very happy, and [owner] Sheikh Mansour's delighted with the way he's organised the team."

Mubarak added: "We believe he is definitely the right manager for this club for many years. What he needs this summer is time to prepare and really organise ourselves.

"We know the areas that need to be improved within the club. A good pre-season followed with a good start to the season and I'm really excited for next year."

The City chairman insisted that he viewed the season as a success after the club improved on last year's Premier League finish of 10th place.

"It's been a wonderful season," reflected Mubarak. "We've gone a long way as a team and I feel very good about next year because we've crossed an important milestone as a club. Next year's going to be a very important year for us.

"It's been an incredible season. We can focus on last night or we can focus on the season as a whole - I prefer to do that.

"Fifth is not where we would like but it's a major jump. It's a major achievement for this club to move from 10th to fifth place."

Looking ahead to the summer, it seems likely that Manchester City will again be big movers in the transfer market.

"Manchester City is now a real force to be reckoned with in this league and the acceleration of investment really has put us in this position maybe a year early," continued Mubarak. "That gives us a much better position this summer to work from."

Drogba would welcome Ribery

2010-05-08T17:16:00.000+07:00

Didier Drogba says he would be pleased if Chelsea managed to sign Bayern Munich forward Franck Ribery.

The France playmaker is expected to be sold by Bayern this summer and Chelsea are one of a number of clubs showing an interest in Ribery.

"I know Franck from my time at Guingamp," Drogba said in The Sun. "If he comes to Chelsea, I will be happy.

"He is hungry. I like hungry players."

Drogba is desperate to beat Wayne Rooney to the league's top scorer award, with both players currently level pegging on 26 goals.

"To finish above Rooney in the scorers' table would be the cherry on the cake," Drogba said.

"Three years ago, I finished above him and we didn't win the league. There was something missing.

"But if there is a penalty to take, I have already agreed with (Frank) Lampard that I will take it."

Drogba believes that the John Terry affair earlier in the season came close to ending Chelsea's title challenge.

"It was a key moment in our season because it corresponded with a period where we had lost points, a period where it was less good," he said. "But we stayed united, like we always do when there is a storm at the club.

"It is a period which cost us a lot of points. Here in England, it was enormous. It went from sport to being in the celebrity pages. The cameras were focused on all sorts of things rather than football and we lost our focus, unconsciously, which made us drop points."

Meanwhile, Drogba, 32, admits he misses Marseille, but believes it would be hard to return to his former club.

"I miss Marseille. That's true," Drogba told France Football. "I have many friends there among the managers, but also from the club physios to the baker on the corner. But I have already said, it would be hard to go back.

"Moreover, I would prefer to avoid this question because that could lead to misunderstandings, whether in France or in England.

"If I ever return to Marseille it will come about naturally."

West Ham keen on Becks

2010-03-21T10:04:00.001+07:00

West Ham co-owner David Gold has admitted the club is ready to offer David Beckham Premier League football.
Beckham is currently recovering from a raptured Achilles tendon, but could return for the Los Angeles Galaxy within four months.
Gold told News of the World: “David keeps on showing he still has so much to offer and if he’s available then we want to be bidding.
“It’s not only a case of what he can do on the pitch but what he does off it – he’d be a sensational ambassador for his home-town club.
“He’s a local boy like the two owners and this could appeal to him.
“It’s not fanciful as he has so much to offer. His arrival would be massive.”
[Source: News of the World]

Chelsea close to £100m deal to sign Aguero

2009-11-28T10:20:00.000+07:00

Intermediaries have put together a £100 million "package" deal to take Argentine international superkid Sergio Agüero to Chelsea in the January transfer window.

Sergio Aguero rose to the occasion in scoring a brace against Chelsea in a recent Champions League encounter
The £100 million includes the player's salary which will be scaled up to reach nearly £250,000-a-week in the final years of the proposed Chelsea playing contract, the £40 million transfer plus near-£10m add-ons related to Chelsea's success, meaning a near £50 million transfer fee, with added agents' fees.
The 21-year-old Atlético Madrid striker Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo, has privately indicated "yes" to a move that will make him one of the highest paid players in the world, with a transfer fee that will smash the British record of £32.5m for Robinho by some distance.
Chelsea almost signed the boy who is engaged to Diego Maradona's daughter, Giannina, with whom he has a son, in the summer, but the deal broke down over the players £6m-a-year wage demands on top of Atletico demanding a £60m transfer fee.
However Chelsea know they have to meet the player's wage demands to make a spectacular signing in the January window while their FIFA ban is still suspended.
Talks have been on-going for several weeks between a host of middlemen intent on making the deal happen, and there is now room for optimism that it will advance sufficiently in the next four weeks to be in a position for the move to take place in January.
ESPN Soccernet has been told by one of the insiders involved with the deal that there is far more flexibility on all sides than there was been in the summer when the deal broke down.
My source revealed: "There is still more talking to do, but let's see. There is now a possibility, although with so many complications involved you would have to say it's still 50-50 whether it will finally go though."
Chelsea are keen to capture one of the best young players in world football at a time when their transfer ban has been suspended pending a FIFA hearing. They urgently need to make significant signings at a time when the big clubs usually only make interim moves and wait for the summer.
Roman Abramovich cannot take the risk of waiting until the end of the season in case Chelsea are banned from making any signings, so needs to act now, and intermediaries have stepped up the process of attempting to bring Aguero to the Bridge.
Chelsea are not as reluctant to invest in Agüero's salary as much as they are about Atletico's asking price of £60 million, which has dropped to £55 million. Talks are aimed at trying to get the fee below £50 million and closer to £40 million.
A compromise of money offered up in relation to Chelsea's success is the logical route to resolve the differences in the transfer fee valuation.
Chelsea would be prepared to hit the £50 million mark, if it included add-ons related to success, given that Real Madrid paid £80 million for Ronaldo, and the Argentine is a few years younger.
Chelsea would ideally like to sign Aguero for six years, but five years is normally regarded as a long-term deal, but as the player is so young at 21, they be might be able to stretch to six years or more, even if the final years are optional.
While Chelsea might start to pay the youngster £6 million-a-year, that will rise quickly to £10 million and that will go even higher in the final year of his deal.
Overall, including bonuses, and given Chelsea's propensity for silverware, he can realistically expect to yield £50 million from his personal terms and image rights, to add to the near £50 million transfer fee, totally an eye watering £100 mllion.
The player's agent Bruno Satin, head of the football division of IMG, one of the world's biggest sports agencies, based in Chiswick in London, is one of a number of agents working on negotiating an acceptable fee with Athletico.
Manchester City are the only club that could possibly compete with Chelsea at this level of transfer, but my source tells me: "The player doesn't want to go there, and Manchester City do have a problem with trying to sing players at this level, as they did with Kaka, because they are not serious yet. They will be, but they are not just yet."
For that reason Atletico have to be realistic to drop their asking price as Chelsea are the only buyers at that kind of price. That's why there is greater optimism of a deal going through than there has been at any other time.
A transfer of £40 million plus a near £10 million add ons based on Chelsea's success during the duration of the players contract would be one of the biggest deals in world football. The entire financial package won't be far short of the Real Madrid deals for Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.
My source added: "Money was the problem the deal fell through in the summer, and the money is the problem now, but we shall see, as I said, the talks are on going and everyone seems to want to find a solution."
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has targeted Agüero as his only major signing during the January transfer window. The club have been given permission to buy and sell after the Fifa-imposed transfer ban, following the Gaël Kakuta affair, was frozen pending an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Agüero scored two spectacular goals during the recent 2-2 draw with Chelsea in the Champions League. After the match Ancelotti joked that he would like to sign the exciting striker. But before that Ancelotti admitted Chelsea have been "monitoring" this player for some time.
Chelsea also remain interested in Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery, who would command a similar hefty investment in fees and salaries, and who is also greatly admired by Ancelotti.
But my source indicates that Ribery will be hard, if not impossible, to prise from Bayern in January, but will be a far more realistic target in the summer, if Chelsea win their appeal with FIFA. Chelsea's determination to secure the Aguero deal as they are aware that if their CAS appeal fails, they cannot make another signing for some time.
Agüero will not be eligible for Chelsea in the Champions League this season, having already played for Atlético, but Abramovich wants to win back the Premier League title from Manchester United, and the club are concerned about losing Didier Drogba and Solomon Kalou to the African Nations in January.
At 15 years and 35 days Aguero beat Maradona's record as the youngest player to make debut in Argentinean top flight. In May 2006, he joined Atlético Madrid for £16m.
He lost his place in the Argentine attack during the chaotic final stages of qualification, and needs to be playing at the highest level to play in the World Cup finals in South Africa, rather than with struggling Athletico, a factor that Maradona has made clear to him, and one of the reasons the player is keen to move to the Bridge.

Salam Fair Play Untuk "AREMANIA"

2009-11-27T09:47:00.000+07:00

Siapa kelompok suporter terbaik di Indonesia dan merupakan legenda ? tentu jawabannya AREMANIA. Tanpa mengurangi rasa hormat pada suporter klub lain yang ada di Indonesia, memang kelompok suporter yang satu ini merupakan pengecualian. Arema F.C. yang lahir pada tanggal 11 Agustus 1987, dengan rasa kecintaan dan semangat membara untuk mengembangkan persepakbolaan di Malang. Walaupun sebenarnya, Persema yang merupakan tim lain di Malang telah berdiri lama. Tetapi ternyata Persema belum memiliki ruh yang dapat mewakili Arek-arek Ngalam.

Jadi inget pas nonton Arema Malang dengan Aremania sebagai Pioneer suporter paling kreatif bukan cuma di Indonesia tapi juga di Asia lho. Lagu-lagu dan aksi suporter yang menarik perhatian siapapun yang melihatnya. Bahkan berita Aremania ini sampai diberitakan di media-media internasional.

Robinho no longer agitating for Barcelona switch

2009-11-26T21:16:00.001+07:00

A month ago, Robinho caused controversy at City when he told Brazilian radio station Radio Bandeirantes: "I'm very happy about the interest that Barcelona have in me. Playing at Camp Nou, it is much easier to be the best player in the world than at City."
But sources close to the player have told ESPN Soccernet that "it is not true" that Robinho no longer wants to play for Mark Hughes and has set his heart on a move to Barca.
There are strong reasons Robinho has been advised to ditch his desire to play for the European champions and to knuckle down at City.
Firstly, and perhaps most significantly, the usual behind-the-scenes preliminary negotiations between third parties have broken down. As ESPN Soccernet has already reported, Barcelona do not have the funds available at the moment and have only been seeking a loan deal, which City have ruled out without much consideration.
Secondly, Robinho has been out injured for some time and needs to prove his fitness and return to peak form to persuade Barca to resurrect their interest and make a proposal that might tempt City into opening negotiations.
So far, there has been no need for the two clubs to talk directly as they have both been made aware that nothing has been presented that would temp either club to discuss the matter formally.
With the World Cup coming up, Robinho needs to play regularly to ensure he makes the Brazil team, and there is a suspicion that if he joined Barca he would not be an automatic choice in a side with so many options in attack.
Robinho is in line for his comeback for Manchester City against Hull on Saturday, his first appearance since suffering a stress fracture of the ankle in August.

Hart not to blame for Pompey demise

2009-11-26T21:12:00.001+07:00

I have to admit I wasn’t surprise when I heard that Portsmouth boss Paul Hart had been sacked. It had been coming for along time after a poor start to the season.
Out of his depth
Hart was clearly out of his depth as a Premier League manager. He is a good coach and is a decent Championship boss.
Everybody within football seems to have only good things to say about him. He also seems like an intelligent and honest guy.
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie even mentioned how Hart is a man of great dignity. Hart has now been offered a role as Technical Director working with youngsters but is expected to decline the position.
Hart is no stranger to youth teams and younger players having worked as a youth team coach in the past. I hope he decides to keep his dignity and leaves Pompey for a Championship job. He could do a good job for a side in the second tier of English football. I was always a bit sceptical about his appointment as Portsmouth boss.

Champs League: Besiktas shock Man Utd

2009-11-26T07:55:00.002+07:00

Manchester United surrendered their 23-match unbeaten home record in the Champions League and missed the chance to secure top spot in Group A when losing 1-0 to Besiktas.

GettyImages

Rodrigo Tello of Besiktas is mobbed by his team-mates after he opens the scoring

• Champions League gallery
• Harris: United left with work to do
Rodrigo Tello scored against the run of play on 20 minutes to defeat an understrength United side with a shot that deflected off Rafael da Silva and past Ben Foster. The result means that to guarantee top spot, United must take a point in their final group game against Wolfsburg, while a 1-0 or 2-1 loss, or a defeat by two or more goals, will give the Germans first place.
Wolfsburg lost to CSKA Moscow in the early kick-off. Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko put the German side in front after 19 minutes at the Luzhniki Stadium but CSKA mounted an impressive second half comeback, scoring through Tomas Necid (58) and Milos Krasic (66). CSKA need to better Wolfsburg's result to finish in second place.
Bayern Munich could have been eliminated on Wednesday night but a combination of their 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa in Germany and Juventus' defeat in Bordeaux sets up a huge meeting on the final day in Turin to determine who finishes in second place. Bayern must win in Italy to join Bordeaux in the knockout stages, but a draw is enough for Juve.
Bayern carved out a succession of chances when dominating their home game against Maccabi Haifa, but required a solitary strike from Croatian forward Ivica Olic after 62 minutes to see off the Israeli side. Olic pounced after a shot from Mario Gomez had been saved.
Meanwhile, Bordeaux secured top spot in Group B when defeating Juventus 2-0 thanks to goals from Fernando Menegazzo (54) and Marouane Chamakh (90).
In Group C Real Madrid edged past FC Zurich thanks to Gonzalo Higuaín's first half goal. Real should have won by a far more convincing margin but spurned a host of chances.
Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to make his first appearance since early October, and could now play a big part in Sunday's Clasico with La Liga rivals Barcelona.
AC Milan and Marseille drew 1-1 in an entertaining game at the San Siro. Marco Borriello put the Rossoneri ahead after just ten minutes but Lucho González capitalised on a mistake from Milan 'keeper Dida to bring Marseille level.
Marseille hit the upright twice in the second half but couldn't force the winner that would have put them second in the group. They face Real Madrid in their final game knowing they will more than likely need to win to go through. If AC Milan beat Zurich in their final game they will go through too.
In Group D Chelsea secured top spot with a hard fought 1-0 win against Porto at the Estadio do Dragao. Nicolas Anelka's second half diving header from Florent Malouda's cross was enough to win the game. Porto are already through but will finish as runners-up.
In Group D's other match Apoel Nicosia and Atletico Madrid drew 1-1. Nenad Mirosavljevic gave the Cypriot side a first-half lead but Simão eqaulised in the second half.
Apoel remain bottom of the group but are only one point behind Atletico. The team that finishes third will qualify for a Europa League spot.

No decision on Hiddink future

2009-11-20T06:17:00.001+07:00

Guus Hiddink will take time to decide upon his future, after Russia were denied a place at the World Cup finals by Slovenia.

The Dutchman has been constantly linked with a return the Premier League following a successful spell in charge of Chelsea last season.

Hiddink's current contract with the Russian FA expires in 2010, but following their failure to reach the World Cup finals after a 1-0 defeat to Slovenia in Maribor on Wednesday night his future is once again in the spotlight.

He said: "I have an existing contract until the end of the World Cup finals in July 2010. The question [of whether I will continue to Euro 2012] will require some time for thought.

"Before the matches with Germany and Slovenia the Russian Football Association (RFS) expressed their desire to continue working together. But we'll talk about the future at a later stage."

Hiddink took over as coach in 2006 and guided Russia to a semi-final place at the 2008 European Championships.

Injuries may curtail Bellamy career

2009-11-20T06:13:00.001+07:00

Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy believes the injuries that have blighted his career could force him to quit the game in the next two years.

"I know there are not four or five years ahead of me with the injuries I have had," Bellamy told the Manchester Evening News. "Maybe I have got one or two years at the most. It will be all over before I know it, so I am just enjoying it."

Bellamy has scored five goals this season and is enjoying playing under former Wales manager Mark Hughes at Eastlands.

He said: "Everything at Manchester City has gone well for me from start to finish. It is so professional here. The manager is clever - he doesn't want to give any of the players reason to moan. He makes sure the only thing you have to concentrate on is football.

"The last few months have given me a huge sense of pride," Bellamy said. "I think people have seen what I am as a player now."

"I've always got goals in my career, but am I a one-goal-in- two-games player? No, I'm not, but my career has been one-in-three, which isn't too bad."

Record-breaker Berbatov eyes Champions League glory

2009-11-20T06:12:00.001+07:00

Berbatov twice in Bulgaria's 4-1 friendly win over Malta on Wednesday to take his total to 48 international goal and surpass the tally of former midfielder Hristo Bonev.

Manchester United's Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov has set his sights on winning the Champions League after breaking his country's goal-scoring record.

"I'm happy with the record because it was one of my aims," he told reporters at Sofia airport on Thursday. "I've achieved a lot and now (winning) the Champions League remains my only unrealised dream."

The 28-year-old has reached the final of Europe's premier competition on two occasions, as part of Bayer Leverkusen's team that lost 2-1 to Real Madrid in the 2002 final and the United side beaten 2-0 by Barcelona in May.

"I took part in two finals and failed to win it so now I hope to make it third time lucky," Berbatov said.

Former record-holder Bonev, 62, said: "I knew long ago Berbatov would break my record but I'm proud a player with such class did it. He is a top player ... and I think it's going to be many years before there's another striker like him in the national team."

Benitez title confession

2009-11-19T16:42:00.000+07:00

November 18, 2009

Rafa Benitez admits he would see it as a personal failure if Liverpool never won the Premier League title under his charge.

Liverpool are looking to end a 20-year wait to win the league title with their last success coming in 1990.

The Spaniard has been accused of putting European aspirations above domestic success, but Benitez insists he would rather win the Premier League than another Champions League crown.

"Anyone who knows me knows that I want to win every trophy, every game," Benitez told The Times.

"But if you ask me what I prefer, I will say the Premier League.

"If I do not win the title, I'm sure I'd be so disappointed maybe I would have this feeling [of failure]."

Benitez also admitted that his title aspirations last season suffered a blow when the club failed to sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.

Barry ended up staying at Villa and he has since ended up moving to Manchester City.

Benitez believes missing out on Barry also had a detrimental impact on Robbie Keane's time at Anfield.

Keane last just six months at Liverpool last season before being sold back to Tottenham.

"The plan was for Barry to play on the left and feed the ball to Robbie Keane, who would play up front with Fernando Torres," added Benitez.

"This blueprint had to be scrapped. The collateral damage was Keane, who signed from Tottenham Hotspur before the Barry deal had been done.

"When we wanted to sign Barry, we were sure we were signing a good player with a very good mentality and the quality to play in the Premier League. The priority was Barry, then Keane."

Villain Henry as Ireland, Ukraine, Russia exit in play-offs

2009-11-19T16:38:00.001+07:00

Gallas puts the ball in the net as the Irish defenders appeal for handball

Thierry Henry will not be granted the freedom of Ireland after his nefarious part in the goal that decided France's play-off with Ireland. It surely sent the Emerald Isle into a fervent rage they may long hold against the Barcelona striker after a 1-1 draw in Paris.

With Robbie Keane scoring the goal that placed the tie level at the Stade De France, and Ireland missing chances through both Keane and Damien Duff, justice will not be seen to have been served to a France team that continued to struggle under embattled coach Raymond Domenech. Extra-time dawned, after Nicolas Anelka had failed to secure a penalty with what looked a clear dive.

In the 103rd minute, a Florient Malouda free-kick found Henry, clearly offside in the first place. He used two clear touches of his hand to control the ball and then pass across the goal for an embarassed-looking William Gallas to nod in. Ireland and manager Giovanni Trapattoni flew into a justified rage. They exit the tournament with their dignity intact though, while France, losing finalists in 2006, deserve to be sheepish about their presence in South Africa. Their players - Henry especially - certainly looked so.

Andriy Shevchenko and Ukraine will not be in South Africa. The 2006 quarter-finalists were defeated in their own Donetsk backyard by a Greece team masterminded by Otto Rehhagel, the man who led Hellas to glory at Euro 2004. Dimitris Salpigidis was the deliverer of Greek tragedy to Ukraine. His clipped finish, hit with a coolness that belied the occasion, in the 31st minute gave Greece a 1-0 platform to defend.

Shevchenko, in what may be one of his last forays in the international arena, was culpable, missing a wondrous chance with the Greek goal gaping. Greek 'keeper Alexandros Tzorvas was the hero as Rehhagel's men held on and Greece are in their first finals since 1994.

Cristiano Ronaldo is in his second World Cup finals and he can thank his Portugual team-mates for their professional despatching of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zenica. Raúl Meireles burst from midfield on to a Nani pass to score a vital away goal that killed the tie following the weekend's 1-0 win in the first leg.

Bosnian tempers frayed as their team failed to convert a number of chances. When referee Roberto Rosetti sent off Sejad Salihovic for dissent, his Italian assistant was hit by a missile launched by angry fans. Bosnian hopes collapsed with that regrettable incident and Ronaldo, resting that injured ankle in Madrid, has his dream of returning to the finals.

There will also be no Russia in South Africa. Having led 2-0 at one point in their first leg with Slovenia only to concede an away goal, that late concession proved costly as Guus Hiddink's men were rocked by a Zlatko Dedic goal that placed the tie in Slovenian hands. And Slovenia held on to their 1-0 lead.

Russia failed to find an away goal in Maribor and then completely lost their cool with the sending off of Alexander Kerzhakov for a clash with goalkeeper Samir Handanovic that looked to have the Slovenia man in the wrong. Referee Terje Hauge saw it differently and sent off the Russian, and later dismissed Yuri Zhirkov for a second bookable offence after a clash with Slovenian subs.

It had taken an extra play-off to divide avowed rivals Algeria and Egypt and it was the Algerians who were 1-0 victors in the neutral venue of Khartoum, Sudan. African champions Egypt had looked marginally the better of the teams approaching half-time before a wonderful volley from Antar Yahia in the 39th minute gave the Desert Foxes a lead they protected.

Egypt had opportunities in the second-half but they were all half-chances save for a shot from sub Mohamed Zidan that was saved well by Algerian keeper Faouzi Chaouchi. Egypt slumped in misery as full-time rang in Sudan and Algeria celebrated reaching their first finals since 1986.

The very last place of all was booked by Uruguay, winners of the first ever World Cup in 1930, after a 1-1 home draw with Costa Rica. Rain lashed down in Montevideo yet the quality of play was good between the pair. Uruguay took a 1-0 lead from their intercontinental play-off first leg with their Central American opponents and needed it.

Sebastian Abreu headed the home side ahead in the 69th minute to frenzied celebration from the home fans but nerves were frayed when the Ticos' Walter Centeno equalised four minutes later and left the game on a knife-edge. Costa Rica never managed to get the away goal they required to go through and Uruguay, who could have scored more late on, are back in the finals for the first time since 2002.

They join 31 other teams, after a qualifying tournament that began across the globe in October 2007, in the finals draw that takes place in Cape Town on December 4.

Serie A has lost its appeal

2009-11-19T16:35:00.000+07:00

I used to be a really big fan of Italian football and Serie A. My love for the Italian game was soured by the scandal and corruption which appears to be rift within the Italian game .
Dropping standards
However it wasn’t so much the fact that the players or clubs were doing wrong. Its the fact that the standard and reputation of Serie A dropped dramatically when the likes of Juventus and AC Milan were punished for their part in scandals.
Inter dominance
Inter are completely dominate in the league and are a cut above the other clubs in player quality. Although I’m a big Inter fan and have been since I was 10, it almost gets boring watching the Nerazzurri win title after title, almost!
European failings
Unfortunately for me and every other Inter fan the club can’t replicate their domestic triumphs in the Champions League. Every season I have high hopes for Inter and every season they flatter to deceive. Apart of Inter’s problem is that they are so used to winning that they get complacent and against teams in Europe they punished for that complacency.
I recently watched Inter surprisingly struggle against a relatively poor Roma side. Although they got a draw against Claudio Ranieri’s men it was almost like they were in first gear. It was like they were just expecting to show up and collect the points and most weeks they do.
Week opposition
Their closest competitors this season are the same two of the last few years their city rivals AC Milan and Juventus. They are currently five points clear of Juve and AC are a further two points behind. They will probably run away with their fifth consecutive Serie A title but unless they progress in Europe then the fans will see the season as another wasted season.
Not attractive
Instead of being attracted to Serie A top players and bosses are leaving for the bright lights of La Liga and the Premier League. Serie A used to be the top league in Europe. Everybody who was anybody wanted to play in Serie A and now it simple can’t compete with the other two top leagues. Its as if young foreign players now sign for Italian clubs as a way of getting nearer to Serie A and the Premier League.
Bad news for national side
The downfall of Serie A has not helped the development of young Italian players either. The Italian national squad currently looks like the cast of Cocoon. They may have won the last World Cup but their squad has aged fours years since then and are starting to creak.
Its Ironic that two of top youngster coming through in Serie A are at Inter in the shape of striker Mario Balotelli and full-back Davide Santon. Neither are first team regulars though. They are both still in contention for next years World Cup but could miss out due to not getting regular football. A January loan move has been mooted for Santon, which could help the full-back get the first team action he needs.
Can Serie A recover?
I fear for the Italian top flight. I don’t think it will ever get back to the top of the European football tree. The standard has dropped too far and with the Russian Premier League and German Bundesliga both making giant leaps in recent years they could find themselves even further down the pecking order of European leagues.
The glory days of the Serie A are long gone and something has to be done to halt the slump. However I’m not sure how that can be achieved. It might need to get worse before it gets better for Serie A but for Italian football sakes I hope the league can make a recovery.

Robinho set for January swap move to Barcelona?

2009-10-16T14:22:00.002+07:00

Robinho will be the star turn in a £80 million swap shop centering on Barcelona and Manchester City in January, if intermediaries already working on the spectacular deal get their way.
• Turner: Early birds eye signings

GlynKirk./GettyImages

Robinho: Currently out injured for City

Robinho will be offered as a makeweight to lure some of Barcelona's biggest stars to Manchester City's relentless, ambitious, money-no- object push for Champions League football. Manchester City will offer Robinho plus cash to chose from the likes of Thierry Henry, Carles Puyol, Yaya Toure and Eric Abidal.
Barca have an array of superstars they could offer, but do not have the straight £32 million cash City would demand, in order to get their money back for the Brazilian they bought from Real Madrid.
A leading high-powered players broker close to Barca told ESPN Soccernet: "Robinho wants to go, and I think that City have had enough of him and would let him got. Barcelona want him but don't have the kind of money to tempt City, but do have plenty of players that would interest Mark Hughes. I can see a big swap deal in January."
Robinho has been a handful from the moment he joined City, and is reported to have thought he was heading to United when told Manchester had out-bid Chelsea on the transfer deadline just over a year ago. Now, Robinho has made it perfectly plain he wants to join Barca. and play alongside the treble-winning superstars at the Nou Camp.
Robinho has publicly stated his burning desire to join up with the likes of Argentina playmaker Lionel Messi. "Of course I'd enjoy playing for Barca." he told Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo. "Who wouldn't? We could have so much fun. It would be a pleasure to play alongside Messi, my compadre Dani Alves, Xavi, (Andres) Iniesta, (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, with them all.
"They're a great team. I played against them and know their quality. But right now I can only do it on the PlayStation."
The Brazil international insists neither he nor his agent - dad Gilvan de Souza - have been informed of any bid from Barcelona. But ESPN Soccernet has learned that Barca will equal the extortionate wages he earns at City. While there has been no direct deal struck by the clubs, the usual preliminaries are now underway to make Robinho's move back to Spain a reality.
However, City boss Mark Hughes' demands for new players to replace Robinho will ensure it will be a spectacular January transfer window, whether those players come from Barca or elsewhere.
Though Robinho insisted it would be "wrong to talk about this hypothetical transfer" until there was a formal offer, he could not resist heaping praise on the Catalans. "It is a pleasure to see Barca play, they seem to be like Brazilians in how they use the ball," he said. "Pep Guardiola's team are real entertainers."
Nou Camp boss Guardiola has concerns about his left flank. The club failed in bids for several players during the summer window and wants to rectify the situation this winter. Technical secretary Txiki Begiristain admitted that Robinho is an attractive option because he would not be cup-tied for the Champions League knock-out phase.
Barca and City are understood to have discussed the transfer of Robinho when they met in a friendly at the Nou Camp in August, but they could not come to an agreement then, but now seem sure to sort something out in the forthcoming two months ahead of the January window.
City were told that a part-exchange for Messi was out of the question and the 22-year-old Argentine has since signed a new contract until 2016 with a buy-out clause of £230 million. But other players mentioned were former Arsenal star Henry and veteran captain Puyol. Hughes would not be averse to losing Robinho, if he can bring players of that quality.
Robinho was the Abu Dhabi money men's impact signing on the day their buy-out was revealed in September 2008. City shelled out a British record £34m to take him from Real Madrid from under the noses of Chelsea's then chief executive Peter Kenyon, much to the annoyance of manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
"It is not a question of being loaned or transferred, whether in the winter or the summer," Robinho said. "It is a matter of sitting down and talking about it when there is a concrete offer, which, I repeat, I am not personally aware of. When that happens, we can talk. I don't want to be misinterpreted. It is clear that I have a contract with City and I owe it to them to be professional.
"It's no secret that there was clear interest from Barca (in the summer), but Manchester City would not enter negotiations. I believed that I was not transferable and so I focused on doing my best for City. We are thinking big, we have built a very strong team aiming to win the Premier League with (Carlos) Tevez, (Emmanuel) Adebayor, (Joleon) Lescott and (Gareth) Barry."
Brazil and Barca full back Dani Alves had said Robinho would be very welcome and would offer his team different options. Robinho replied: "Dani is a phenomenon. With Alves I have very good vibes. I am delighted with how well he has done at Barca. He deserves it, he's a great guy and excellent footballer. I am still up to date with Spanish football and left many friends in Spain. When I meet with many of them in the Brazil team we talk at length. We are used to exchanging text messages or calling each other."
Told he was admired by Guardiola, Robinho responded: "It is an honour that a coach such as him speaks highly of Robinho. I read that he values me. I thank him from the heart."

Lucio thinks Inter can become the new Barcelona

2009-08-15T21:59:00.001+07:00

Recent Inter Milan signing Lucio is confident ahead of the new season, despite Inter’s 2-1 defeat in the Supercoppa Italiana by Lazio. The centre-back has dismissed Real Madrid’s chances in the Champions League, and he has compared his side to treble winners Barcelona.

“With Bayer Leverkusen in 2002, I was one step away from winning [the Champions League],” Lucio told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “We were a strong side, with [Michael] Ballack and Ze Roberto. We lost in the final against Real by a piece of magic from [Zinedine] Zidane. To win the Champions League you need a compact team and champions’ blows, like ‘Zizou’s’ goal in that final – I can’t forget it. Take Barcelona. They didn’t win because they had [Lionel] Messi, but because they had Messi, [Samuel] Eto’o, [Thierry] Henry, [Andres] Iniesta, [Carles] Puyol…”

Rosicky setback for Gunners

2009-08-07T23:56:00.002+07:00

Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has suffered a setback in his recovery from a long-term injury absence.

The Czech Republic international was believed to be close to making his first-team comeback after 18 months on the sidelines with hamstring and knee problems.

Rosicky's last appearance was in an FA Cup tie against Newcastle United in January 2008, but the 28-year-old midfielder had taken a full part in pre-season training.

However, he has now suffered a setback after picking up a fresh hamstring problem and reports claim he could now miss up to six weeks of the new season.

Speaking about the fitness of Rosicky and fellow long-term absentee Eduardo Da Silva, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: "Six weeks ago I did not know how strong Eduardo would come back, or how strong Rosicky would come back, despite the setback he has had."

Wenger has already lost France midfielder Samir Nasri to a broken leg with the Premier League opener against Everton at Goodison Park just over a week away.

Ancelotti: No more signings

2009-08-07T23:54:00.002+07:00

Chelsea head coach Carlo Ancelotti says that his club are highly unlikely to make any further signings this summer.

The Blues have added goalkeeper Ross Turnbull, midfielder Yuri Zhirkov and forward Daniel Sturridge to their ranks and continue to be linked with a move for AC Milan playmaker Andrea Pirlo.

Ancelotti told reporters: "Now we stay with the players I've got. I don't want to take other players because the squad is very competitive.

"We don't need other players and I don't expect to make any more signings before the window shuts."

Meanwhile, Ancelotti has dismissed suggestions that the Blues came close to agreeing to sell defender Ricardo Carvalho and midfielder Deco to Italian champions Internazionale.

He added: "We never talked about selling Carvalho or Deco. They are important players for Chelsea.

"Carvalho is a very intelligent defender and Deco has a great quality. This team needs the quality of Deco. They will stay at Chelsea for this season.

"We don't have the idea to sell the players. If one player is not happy to stay with us, he has to say it to us. But at the moment nobody has asked to go."

Franck Ribery has stated that he will not let the transfer speculation surrounding him affect the way he plays

2009-08-02T11:32:00.000+07:00

The Bayern Munich winger watched his side beat Manchester United on penalties to claim the Audi Cup amid reports of a £35 million offer from United.

"People talk a lot about my future, but personally I don't want to discuss it," Ribery told L'Equipe.

"Some people are under big pressure, and my future is big trouble for them. It is not troublesome for me though. I am fine."

And the French international said he appreciates Bayern's determination to hold onto him.

He added: "The Bayern officials don't want me to leave. They are attached to me. They love me.

"I appreciated the fact that they recently defended me after criticism from Mr [Franz] Beckenbauer against me.

"If I ever leave Bayern, I would like to leave on good terms with the club.

"I have always acted like a professional, both on and off the pitch, and I have not changed. I remain the same."

Spanish Inquisition: Is Zlatan Ibrahimovic An Improvement On Samuel Eto’o?

2009-07-29T23:31:00.000+07:00

When you decide sell off your top goalscorer — a player who has helped you win two Champions League trophies, a Copa del Rey crown, three Liga titles, and two Spanish Supercopas — you had better have a replacement that can exceed or at the very least meet the departing player’s level of performance.

In signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Inter Milan, Barcelona may have parted ways with one of their most iconic players of the past decade in Samuel Eto’o, but they gain a player of the very highest quality — one who has helped his teams win a host of titles, including the Eredivisie (twice), Serie A (three times consecutively) and the Supercoppa Italiana (twice).

In playing for Inter this past season, a team that was arguably far less talented than Barcelona, Ibrahimovic still managed to score 25 goals in the Serie A — just five fewer than Samuel Eto’o’s 30 in La Liga. The Cameroon star's strikes were scored with the help of the best supporting cast in the world: Lionel Messi; Dani Alves; Xavi Hernandez; Andres Iniesta; and Thierry Henry.

That is not in any way to sell Eto’o short. Three times the African Player of the Year (among a long list of personal accolades), Eto’o is one of the most talented in the world in his position. But closer to the top of that list of the world’s best strikers, Zlatan Ibrahimovic could, if one can imagine it, be an upgrade for Barca.

While both players have comparable goalscoring ability, what separates ‘Ibra’ from Eto’o is the Swede’s technique. While Eto’o is a pacey, powerful striker who rarely takes more than three touches of the ball before scoring, Ibrahimovic is comfortable with the ball at his feet, frequently leading the counterattack or feeding a team-mate through on goal with a deft backheel.

For a man of such towering stature (1.92m or 6 ft 3.5 in) — which usually translates into awkward control of the ball at one’s feet and limited agility — Ibrahimovic has the touch of a fleet-footed winger. Such is his mastery of ball control that Ibra has even been directly compared to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, as Nike did in their famous Joga Bonito ad campaign, pitting the Swedish sensation against the Portuguese starlet:
With such an impressive repertoire, affectionately dubbed by the press as ‘Ibracadabra’, it is no wonder as to why Barcelona so publicly pursued Ibra; one can only begin to imagine the added element of creativity the Swede will bring to the Barca attack and how he will link up with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Alves, and others.

The other area in which Barca have made an upgrade from Eto’o to Ibrahimovic is in matters off the pitch. While Ibra has still been the subject of controversy throughout his career, relative to Eto’o he is as humble as Zidane.

Eto’o’s comments in the press during his tenure at Barca were polemically divisive at worst and distracting at best, as he did not hesitate to lambaste his previous coach, Frank Rijkaard, his team-mates, chiefly Ronaldinho, and even club president Joan Laporta.

But despite the improvements that Zlatan offers over Eto’o on paper, there are still some doubts with respect to how the Swede’s signing will play out over the course of a season and beyond. Only seven months younger than Eto’o at 27-years-old, Ibrahimovic is no spring chicken and has lost some of the pace that made him such a dangerous threat when he received the ball in midfield with it all to do.

Moreover, Ibra has suffered from a chronic knee injury and fitness could prove to be a problem as he continues to age. Barca coach Pep Guardiola did a superb job preventing injury to his key players by sufficiently rotating his squad through Barcelona’s three competitions last term. Using this strategy, and with the added element of fortune, Ibrahimovic may be able to avoid the sort of major injury that kept in on the sidelines for prolonged spells at Inter. Should he be able to do so, Zlatan could help his new team dazzle Barca fans even more so than they did last season… if such a thing can possibly be imagined.

Jermain Defoe Hails Peter Crouch's Arrival At Tottenham Hotspur

2009-07-28T23:36:00.000+07:00

Tottenham Hotspur triumphed over London rivals West Ham United today in Beijing, winning 1-0 to progress to the final of the Asia Trophy, where they will play Hull City.

Jermain Defoe struck the winning goal for the Lilywhites, and the England striker was also delighted to soon be playing alongside Peter Crouch, the centre-forward who signed from Portsmouth this week in a deal reportedly worth £9 million.

"He sent me a little text and I think he was delighted," Defoe revealed to Sky Sports News. "All the boys are delighted. He's a world class player and he's only going to help the team.

"We're looking forward to playing with him."

Defoe also felt that having previously combined well with Crouch at Pompey and at international level would be a good thing for Spurs, though he also felt that the competition for places, with Roman Pavlyuchenko and Robbie Keane at the club, would also provide the squad with a positive boost.

"Yeah, but obviously there's Pav [Roman Pavlyuchenko] and Robbie [Keane] as well," he added. "We're fighting for places, but it's fantastic."

Stylish Barcelona take United's crown

2009-05-28T13:59:00.000+07:00

FC Barcelona were crowned European champions for a third time – and the second in four seasons – as a vibrant display of pass and move, capped by goals in either half from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi, defeated Manchester United FC in Rome.Holders toppledUnited, bidding to become the first team to successfully defend the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era, began an open contest at breakneck speed as Cristiano Ronaldo threatened three times. After ten minutes, however, Eto'o put the Spanish champions ahead and they never looked back. Xavi Hernández struck a post early in the second period and, though the clinching second goal did not arrive until the 70th minute – via, unusually, the head of Messi – Josep Guardiola's side were worthy winners. The 38-year-old becomes the sixth man to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup as player and coach; United are the sixth club to lose the final as holders.
Relentless Ronaldo Fourteen of the players who started the game had featured in a UEFA Champions League final before, yet initially it seemed United's experience would prove more telling. Ronaldo made his presence felt by unleashing a dipping free-kick that Víctor Valdés could only parry; former United defender Gerard Piqué's last-ditch tackle prevented Ji-Sung Park from converting the rebound. Ronaldo then had Valdés scrambling across goal twice in as many minutes with shots from distance. If an early breakthrough looked imminent, disastrously for United it arrived when Barcelona struck with their first real attack.
Eto'o brillianceFit-again Andrés Iniesta was the orchestrator, finding Eto'o inside the area, but there was still plenty for the striker to do with Nemanja Vidić in close attendance. One swift turn inside the centre-back later, Eto'o was free to prod a shot inside Edwin van der Sar's near post. United's vocal supporters were stunned into silence and their team mirrored that reaction, with Barcelona enjoying the better of the half thereafter. Perhaps not surprisingly against the competition's best defence, however, clear chances were at a premium. Long-range efforts from Messi and Xavi, and a low Messi cross fumbled by Van der Sar, were the best Barça could muster.
United reprievesSir Alex Ferguson had said beforehand that his best team-talks "usually come to me about three in the morning" and the Scot sorely needed inspiration in his half-time instructions, opting to introduce Carlos Tévez for Anderson. This did little to stem the tide. Thierry Henry tricked his way past Rio Ferdinand only to shoot weakly against Van der Sar before Xavi curled a free-kick beyond the keeper, the post coming to United's rescue. Then Wayne Rooney's right-wing centre bounced over Park's lunge as the holders began to edge their way back into proceedings, disrupting Barcelona's rhythm though creating little of their own.
Messi decisiveTwenty minutes from time, that hard work was undone. Xavi was allowed to advance down the right; with time and space, the midfielder measured a pinpoint cross for Messi, enjoying similar freedom, and the UEFA Champions League's top scorer produced a fabulous header for his ninth goal of this campaign. Valdés promptly denied Ronaldo to preserve the two-goal cushion, yet the better openings continued to come at the other end – Van der Sar frustrating Carles Puyol twice and Iniesta. Sir Alex therefore missed out on joining Bob Paisley as the only manager to lift three European Cups. Instead, Guardiola's superbly inventive Barça became the first Spanish side to win league, cup and UEFA Champions League in the same season.

Man Utd's Ronaldo insists he's "at the right club"

2009-04-07T09:46:00.000+07:00

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed the latest reports linking him with a summer move to Real Madrid and insisted that he is "at the right club."

GettyImages

Ronaldo earns a smile from Fergie after saying the right thing in Monday's press conference

Both the reigning World and European player of the year and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson were not impressed when quizzed about the latest unsubstantiated reports linking the 23-year-old Portuguese midfielder with the Bernabeu.

In a press conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter final game against FC Porto, Ferguson wondered aloud "how many times" more he would have to endure such speculation before describing such reports as "pathetic".

Sitting alongside his manager, Ronaldo agreed, shrugged before adding: "We always have this question." The player, who scored twice in Sunday's vital 3-2 win over Aston Villa, moved to draw a line under the questioning by insisting: "I am happy at this club. I think it is the right club."

Over the weekend there were claims that Real Madrid were planning to launch a £75m bid for Ronaldo and were offering an annual salary of €12m; while they would seek to oil the wheels of a deal by offering his agent Jorge Mendes an €8m bounty for arranging a deal.

Despite claims that Ronaldo is unhappy with the rough treatment he receives at the hands of some Premier League defenders, and could be tempted to move overseas because of it, the player himself remains unfazed.

"It has always been like that," he said. "It is not only this season that defenders have kicked me to try and stop me. It is just normal."

After Sunday's win over Villa, United are now one point ahead of Liverpool in the title race and crucially have a game in hand. The Portuguese is in buoyant mood ahead of the run-in and believes an unprecedented quintuple remains a possibility.

"We are the best team in England," said Ronaldo. "We have shown that by being top of the table. That speaks for itself. We respect all our opponents but if we carry on winning, we will win the title again."

"We have a chance to win everything this season. First we have to beat FC Porto. After that, we must carry on."

Robinho in the clear over sex assault claims

2009-04-05T00:49:00.000+07:00

Manchester City striker Robinho will not face police charges following allegations of a serious sexual assault made in January.

GettyImages

Robinho: Set to make an official statement at a later date.

The Brazil international attended a pre-arranged interview with West Yorkshire Police at the time the allegations were made and answered questions relating to an alleged incident at Space nightclub in Leeds. He strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "Following a report of a serious sexual assault that occurred at a nightclub in Leeds on January 14, 2009, the matter was investigated and the man was arrested and released on police bail.

"A file was submitted to the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) who decided that no further action should be taken."

Robinho's advisor, Chris Nathaniel issued a statement:

"I am pleased to announce that Robson de Souza (Robinho) has been cleared of all allegations of rape," he said.

"He has maintained his innocence throughout the police interview process and I am delighted that all charges have been dropped.

"Robinho is a hard-working family man, who is extremely passionate about football. He now wishes to focus his attention on Manchester City to help create a successful end to the season.

"Robinho will be making an official statement at a later date, in the mean time he wants to pass on his sincere thanks to all his family, friends, fans and Manchester City colleagues who have supported him through this terrible ordeal."

Kaka to join Real in 60 million euro deal

2009-04-04T09:47:00.000+07:00

Florentino Perez, the favourite to win June elections for Real Madrid president, has reached an agreement with AC Milan to sign Brazilian star Kaka, a newspaper reported Monday.

Real will pay 60 million euros (80 million dollars) for the midfielder under the accord Perez reached during a meeting with AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani on March 16, sports daily Marca reported.

But possible offers from Chelsea and Manchester City, who are both interested in the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year, could complicate the Brazilian international’s transfer to Real, the newspaper added.

Kaka, who turns 27 later this month, is under contract with Milan through 2013.

Perez is also interested in signing Spanish international midfielders Xabi Alonso, 27, from Liverpool and Cesc Fabregas, 21, from Arsenal, it said.

Perez served as Real president between 2000 and 2006 when the Spanish giants signed a series of big name players such as Portugal’s Luis Figo and England’s David Beckham, earning the club the nickname the “Galacticos”.

The elections for Real president will be held either on June 7 or 14.

Perez has not yet said if he intends to stand in the election but Spanish media are certain of his return and polls show he is the big favourite.

Heinze happy at Real Madrid

2009-04-03T10:07:00.000+07:00

Real Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze insists he is happy at the club and is not keen on leaving the club in the summer.
The Argentine has been linked with a return to the Premier League, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham showing their interest.
Heinze’s current contract with Real Madrid expires in 2010.
“I am calm about my future,” Heinze told Sky Sports News.
“I saw the rumours about some clubs but still I have not spoken to a club.
“I have signed a deal with Real Madrid and now things could change but I am happy here.”

Cristiano Ronaldo Holds The Key To Real

2009-03-21T00:15:00.000+07:00

As Real Madrid’s presidential race begins to gain pace, one of the potential candidates, Florentino Perez, is expected to deploy the same strategy he used to win the top job back in 2000. Only this time, the key to his success is Cristiano Ronaldo instead of Luis Figo.
Spanish daily AS has reported that Perez will use the Manchester United ace as one of his three electoral promises, along with Kaka and Steven Gerrard, to return to the ‘White House’. It has already been speculated that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be forced to permit Madrid to negotiate with Ronaldo after signing a confidential written agreement last summer allowing CR7 to leave Old Trafford if the player so chooses.
The key man behind the move, however, is Merengues general director Jose Angel Sanchez, who was in Perez’s administration between 2000 and 2006 and was somehow retained by Ramon Calderon.
It is believed that Angel Sanchez used his close friendship with Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, to convince the Portuguese winger to sign a pre-agreement, whereby he will receive €12 million gross per year as his annual salary if he were to join Madrid, while Mendes will pocket €8.5 million in commission and the transfer fee will be approximately €80 million.
But Eugenio Martinez Bravo, who is so far the only person to have officially submitted his candidature for the elections, is likely to go the opposite direction. He revealed in an AS forum yesterday that if he were to be chosen as president, he would come up with a better way of spending the €80 million, such as investing in several Spanish players to recover Madrid’s lost identity.

Mourinho wants records

2009-03-16T10:09:00.000+07:00

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho said in a remarkable interview Wednesday he feels like the “Robin Hood” of the club, whom he plans to leave and then lead a Spanish club to title glory.
Mourinho, who led Chelsea to the English Premier League title in 2005 and 2006, is confident his side will win this year’s Italian league crown.
And if they do, he said it would allow him to then focus on achieving a rare feat of winning championship titles in the “three most competitive football leagues in the world”.
“Now we are going to win the title,” said the Portuguese, speaking to Italia1 television channel Wednesday. “And then we’ll sit down to consider the future.”
Despite having another year on his contract, he added: “Once my experience with Inter comes to an end I hope to go and coach in Spain because my aim is to win league titles in the top three competitive leagues in the world. All that’s missing is La Liga (Spain).”
Inter currently have a seven-point lead over Juventus in Serie A.
And in what appeared a jibe to the struggling AC Milan team of Carlo Ancelotti, Mourinho added: “Carlo Ancelotti has won the Champions League twice … but in the history of the competition there’s only one team that have lost it after holding a 3-0 first half lead.”
At Istanbul in 2005, Liverpool overturned a 3-0 deficit to Milan to win the final on penalties.
Mourinho also said he felt like the “Robin Hood” of Inter.
“We have Inter Channel (television) with 45,000 subscribers, while Juventus has (newspaper) Tuttosport and AC Milan has three television channels and newspapers,” he added referring to Silvio Berlusconi’s media empire.
“That’s why I feel a bit like Robin Hood at Inter. I like working here because it’s difficult.”

Fabregas set for City return

2009-03-13T10:06:00.000+07:00

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is set to make his comeback after three months out injured in Saturday’s Premier League match against Manchester City
Spain midfielder Fabregas has not played since December 21 when he sustained a knee injury in a tackle by compatriot Xabi Alonso in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool.
“Cesc is ready to play again, but he needs three games to be back at his best,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. “We are due to play eight games in 25 days, which are all decisive.”
Arsenal will be looking to extend an unbeaten run of 16 league matches which has moved them back into the top four and into one of the qualification spots for the Champions League.

Shearer prepares for 'massive job'

2009-03-11T10:03:00.000+07:00

Alan Shearer admits he has taken on a 'massive job' as he looks to save Newcastle from relegation in the final eight games of the season.Shearer was giving his first press conference since his appointment as acting Newcastle boss, and he acknowledged that the club has a fight on its hands if it is to preserve its Premier League status. Magpies boss Joe Kinnear continues to recuperate from his major heart surgery and the club have slipped into the bottom three, in his absence with Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood have been in charge. Former England captain Shearer is Newcastle's all-time leading scorer having notched 206 goals in 404 appearances during his 10-year playing career on Tyneside. Shearer took his first training session on Thursday morning when he met his new squad for the first time and was delighted with the reaction of the players. "The response has been fantastic," he said. "I've gone in this morning and seen all the players, spoke to them, spoke to the staff and the training was superb. "They've set a standard this morning that we want them to keep to. If they keep that standard up, keep that determination up, then I think we'll be OK, I really do. "We've got a massive fight on our hands, we know that, it's a massive job to be done in very, very difficult circumstances, but we'll face it head on." Shearer has pledged to the club's supporters, who worshipped him as a player, that he will give his all in his first managerial appointment. He said: "I think they (the fans) know me as well as anyone does. They know that they will get 100 per cent 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I hope that will be good enough, I really do. "It would sadden me and it would sadden the thousands and thousands of people who support this football club if it were in the Championship. They don't deserve that, they deserve better. "The powers that be have admitted that mistakes have been made this season and we would all agree with that. "It is important that whatever mistakes have been made, they've gone. We can't do anything about it. "We're third bottom of the league. Whether that is because of bad luck, bad play, low confidence, refereeing decisions, it doesn't matter. That's gone, it's history, we can't do anything about it. "What we can do something about is as of now, for the remaining eight games."

Chelsea wants Maicon

2003-04-07T09:39:00.000+07:00

Chelsea are interested in signing Inter Milan defender Maicon according to the Brazilian’s agent, Antonio Caliendo.

The 27-year-old has also been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid in recent weeks.

It is believed Maicon could leave Inter in the summer, should the right bid arrive.

“Not only Real Madrid have asked me about Maicon,” said Caliendo to Terra.

“The other team that has asked about Maicon is Chelsea and there are also three other English teams that are interested.

“However, personally I think that Inter are not interested in doing business.

“I think that the only way they would let him go is if there is a very large proposal.”