Chelsea Plan To Snatch Balotelli From Mourinho - Reports
Friday, 17 October 08, 01:51 AM
Kings Road billionaires Chelsea are keen to swoop for Inter striker Mario Balotelli, according to the Daily Mirror...
Following much hype and speculation regarding interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid, Chelsea have now jumped on the Balotelli bandwagon and they are ready to make old coach Jose Mourinho a
mega offer for the Italian hit-man.
Fireworks are likely to start exploding between the English and Italian clubs, given the relationship 'Special One' and the Blues, who sacked him last year.
The Daily Mirror claims the West London club are keen on the Italian under-21 international following his outstanding performances. Balotelli fired the Azzurrini to a 3-1 win over Israel
on Wednesday night and he is quickly becoming one of the hottest properties in football.
However, the striker is not finding much space at San Siro, fuelling speculation over his future as well as posing new questions on whether he would be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are looking at Balotelli as an interim replacement for the injured Didier Drogba, but reports in Italy suggest the striker isn't keen on moving to the Premier League as it may ruin his
chances of making a step up to Marcello Lippi's senior Azzurri squad.
A January bid for the player is expected and Inter may be tempted to part company with the rising star if they recieve a good offer from Chelsea supremo Roman Abramovic.
However, there is still the question regarding Mourinho, the coach is likely to shackle his player and scoff at his old club when he hears of their plans.
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Robinho 'Wanted To Reject City'
Sunday, 05 October 08, 03:42 PM
Wagner Ribeiro, Robinho’s former agent, has revealed all the details of the Robinho transfer saga which eventually saw the Brazilian playmaker move to Manchester City on transfer deadline day for a British record fee of £32.5million.
Ribeiro has revealed that Robinho was just about to sign for Chelsea when Premier League rivals City came in with a bigger offer which was eventually accepted by the Real Madrid
hierarchy.
Wagner Ribeiro has even claimed that he had bought tickets to fly to London ready to confirm and seal the deal with Chelsea.
It has also been revealed that Chelsea made a later offer of £33million for Robinho, but Madrid would not accept it.
The little Brazilian playmaker has been a big hit in his opening few games for Man City, but even he believed he would sign for Chelsea just hours before the transfer window closed.
Ribeiro told Setanta Sports: “If you are going to sell cakes in the market, we have a better offer from Manchester City," he said.
Real were informed by Ribeiro that Robinho would reject a move to The City of Manchester Stadium.
“I told him that Robinho will reject it but they accepted it. I then demanded a salary higher than Chelsea’s offer and got 15 percent more.
“At the last moment, Chelsea offered €42 million but Real did not want to hear of it. Their pride would not allow it.”
Nick Turner
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Europe’s Surprise Trio
Sunday, 05 October 08, 03:42 PM
Europe’s premier club competition is now well underway and 32 of the continent’s finest teams are all still in the running to reach the knockout phase next year. Mark Pickering assesses the credentials of three of the more noteworthy teams in this year's edition of the Champions League...
The tournament, which enters group Match Day Three on November 4th, is replete with squads that are the envy of world football and features no less than eight previous Champions League winners.
While there’s the usual cast of mainstays like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United, who are synonymous with the competition, there are also some little-known newcomers and returning
sides in this year’s European showpiece.
Three of the most intriguing entrants are Spanish standouts Atlético Madrid, Cypriot newcomers Anorthosis Famagusta and Romanian debutants CFR Cluj.
The headline-grabbing trio have already made a splash in this year’s competition and are well placed to reach December’s draw for the knockout stages.
Atlético are participating in the tournament for the eleventh time in their history and are intent on making up for lost time with their last appearance in the competition coming over a decade
ago.
Serbian Radomir Antić guided the Los Colchoneros to a famous league and cup double in 1996 and a much coveted Champions League berth.
The double winners had a squad brimming with talent including Argentine legend Diego Simeone, Serbian playmaker Milinko Pantić, Madrid native Juan Manuel López and his widely popular countryman
Kiko.
The Spanish side won their group ahead of eventual competition winners Borussia Dortmund but narrowly lost out 4-3 to defending champions Ajax in the quarter finals.
Twelve years on and the Spaniards have a squad reminscent of their class of 1996.
Now under the stewardship of Mexican Javier Aguirre, whose best known for guiding perennial strugglers Osasuana to the brink of the Champions League, Atletico are well placed domestically and
gearing towards European honours.
The star-laden squad has a strong Argentine influence with 20-year-old prodigy Sergio Aguero, captain Maxi Rodriguez, veteran keeper Leo Franco, on loan midfielder Ever Banega as well as
naturalised Spaniard Mariano Pernia.
Aguirre’s ranks also prominently feature a Spanish core with namesakes Luis and Raul Garcia and their compatriot Antonio Lopez also holding key roles.
The Mexican coach invested well in the summer, boosting his squad with a string of shrewd signings including Ajax’s John Heitinga, former French number one Gregory Coupet from Lyon, Czech
captain Tomas Ujfalusi and Porto’s Paulo Assunção.
Their timely spending spree added much needed depth to the squad and all but ensured Atletico would be a force to be reckoned with this term. That has proved the case as the La Liga side
produced a highly polished performance to convincingly beat PSV Eindhoven 3-0 in Holland in their opener and followed up with a gutsy 2-1 win at the Vincente Calderon against Marseille.
Now Atletico lead the way in Group D with maximum points and have a mouthwatering double header against Fernando Torres’ Liverpool in their sights which will likely decide who finishes top of
the group.
With such a talented squad, an ambitious president and the astute Javier Aguirre at the helm the Spanish side were expected to perform admirably in their return to the competition but brushing
aside Champions League regulars PSV and Marseille with such ease has raised eybrows.
Atletico will keen to test their mettle against Liverpool and could well torment their former idol Torres.
Elsewhere newboys Anorthosis Famagusta, who became the first ever Cypriot side to reach the group stage and are one of the least fancied teams in the competition, are heroically topping Group
B.
The little-known Cypriots overcome Greek giants Panathinaikos by three goals to one this week after a hard fought goalless draw away at Werder Bremen on Match Day One.
Their resolute performance in Germany is the more commendable of their two impressive results as they kept out a free-scoring Werder Bremen side that had scored 18 goals in their previous six
Bundesliga games and thumped Bayern Munich 5-2 a fortnight ago.
Despite their stellar start to their first ever Champions League campaign their efforts have gone largely unnoticed.
The Old Lady, who are coached by charismatic Georgian Temuri Ketsbaia, might be newcomers to European competition at the highest level but they do boast a wealth of international experience in
terms of personnel and some familiar names.
Former Real Madrid and Brazil star Savio, much travelled former Bordeaux man Paula Costa, former Portsmouth midfielder Giannis Skopelitis and towering Greek defender Traianos Dellas, once of AS
Roma, all ply their trade with the Cypriot Champions.
They may not be household names or at the height of their careers but collectively form a cohesive side who are relishing their first foray in the Champions League.
The Cypriots have a daunting couple of games against Italian giants Inter ahead but will take heart from their two group games so far and strive to remain in the hunt for an unlikely place in
the next round.
Fellow newcomers CFR Cluj-Napoca have been the darlings of the tournament so far and attracted plaudits as well as unprecedented mainstream attention after beating AS Roma in Italy and holding
last year’s finalists Chelsea to a stalemate.
The Romanian Champions, who have an international flavour with ten South American players on their books, five Portuguese, three Ivorians, a Canadian and a handful of Romanians, have wildly
exceeded expections.
The Champions League newcomers stunned Roma in their first game in the competition with a deserved 2-1 victory at the Stadio Olimpico and in doing so sent shockwaves through European football.
CFR Cluj proved their result in Italy was far from a fortunate one by taking the game to Chelsea in Romania and could well have emerged with all three points.
Six years ago they were among footballing backwaters in the the third tier of Romanian football - now they’ve become the first team from outside Bucharest to win Liga 1 in 17 years and are more
than holding their own against Europe’s elite.
The latest chapter in their meteoric rise is being overseen by Italian coach Maurizio Trombetta who will be looking for more of the same in the crucial double header against bottom placed
Bordeaux.
Mark Pickering
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TOTTENHAM, Venables for the future?
Sunday, 05 October 08, 02:37 PM
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SUNDERLAND, Keane wants Vieira
Sunday, 05 October 08, 02:37 PM
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Schuster Upset By Robinho's Mediocre Choice
Tuesday, 16 September 08, 03:45 PM
Bernd Schuster has taken a dig at Robinho for joining a mediocre English club to achieve his dream of becoming the best player in the world and admitted he cannot understand why he left Real Madrid.
The German coach has not talked about the Brazilian since he forced a move to Manchester City on transfer deadline day but has now issued a compliment and a criticism in one fell swoop.
Robinho's decision to leave Madrid upset Schuster, but his choice of club appears to have confused Los Merengues' trainer despite the Citizens' new found wealth.
"Personally, it was a real disappointment because Robinho had everything he needed here to be a success and we wanted him," Schuster told reporters.
"But we have to understand his dream to be a good player in a mediocre team in England and we have to respect that."
Schuster than revealed his frustration with the Sergio Ramos saga after Madrid claimed that the defender returned from international duty with a groin injury.
While the Spanish Football Federation deny he suffered a problem with them, the player is set to miss the Champions League date with BATE and the coach explained why.
"I want my players to be completely fit and I do not want then to go somewhere and then later on I cannot play them. I have to show that I am upset," he added.
Lucas Brown, Goal.com
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Zidane: Ronaldo Is World's Best
Tuesday, 09 September 08, 01:20 AM
French legend Zinedine Zidane has hailed the talent of Manchester United's number 7 Cristiano Ronaldo...
Holder of the world's largest transfer fee Zinedine Zidane picked up plentiful individual awards during his playing days and believes Cristiano Ronaldo is set to do the same.
Zidane, who was awarded the Fifa World Player of the Year on three separate occasions, has backed Ronaldo to pick up the first of his this year for his 42-goal return last season.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is in a good position to win it," Zidane is quoted by Setanta Sports as saying.
"Then, it’s a question of feeling. When I was playing, some preferred Zidane to Ronaldo and vice-versa... As far as I’m concerned, Cristiano Ronaldo has an edge regarding the whole season," he
concluded.
Ronaldo was recently rewarded with the Uefa Player of the Year award for his performances in last season's Champions League. He also scored the opening goal in the European final in
Moscow.
Alan Dawson
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Berba Not Up To 'United Standard'
Tuesday, 09 September 08, 01:20 AM
The English press claims that Dimitar Berbatov will begin a rigorous fitness course when he links up with Manchester United during the week...
Berbatov is yet to join the United squad despite completing his £30.75million move from Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the transfer window.
The silky striker has been away on international duty, starring in Bulgaria's entertaining 2-2 draw with Montenegro in last night's World Cup qualifier.
And according to News of the World, Berbatov will undergo a full physical examination when he arrives at Old Trafford before being placed on an extensive fitness program.
The 27-year-old has never been renowned for his work-rate on the pitch - indeed, Sir Alex Ferguson initially had doubts about signing him due to his somewhat laconic nature.
But an interrupted start to the season, brought about by his unceremonious exit from White Hart Lane, has left Berbatov some way below "United standard" on the physical front.
The former Bayer Leverkusen hitman will also have to cut out his casual smoking, a matter the Red Devils are particularly strict on.
Ferguson hopes to have Berbatov in peak condition for a potential debut in next weekend's derby clash against Liverpool.
Kieran Quentin
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Real Madrid Eye Podolski For January
Tuesday, 09 September 08, 01:20 AM
Real Madrid are currently looking at the possibility of signing Bayern Munich striker Luca Podolski during the January transfer window according to Marca.
The German international has already come close to swapping the Bundesliga for the Primera Division and he is admired by Los Blancos coach Bernd Schuster.
Podolski has already asked the German side to leave as he is not getting much playing time in the Allianz Arena.
Jurgen Klinsmann is sticking with Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose up front this season, therefore it is highly unlikely that the Polish-born hit-man will get much chance to shine this term.
Marca claims that the Santiago Bernabeu club are planning to pounce and make their move as soon as the European player market opens its doors to it’s new sales in January.
Podolski is a proven striker at both club and international level and reports suggest that Real may secure his services for around €12m.
However, there is one problem which may cause the Spanish side reconsider their options.
The striker will not be eligible to play for Los Merengues in the Champions League if he plays in that competition for Bayern from now until January.
In any case, Real are likely to prepare the cash and give their coach a late Christmas present.
Salvatore Landolina
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Ramsey Relegated To Under-21 Duty
Tuesday, 09 September 08, 01:20 AM
Welsh youngster Aaron Ramsey been withdrawn from his country's senior squad ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Russia...
Ramsey was part of John Toshack's squad for Saturday's qualifying win against Azerbaijan and appeared set to retain his place for the trip to Moscow this week.
However, the plight of the Wales under-21 team has seen the Arsenal midfielder travel to Romania in a desperate bid to resurrect the Young Dragons' hopes of reaching the European Championship
finals.
Although Ramsey, 17, is well down the pecking order in the senior set-up, a lengthy injury list and Paul Parry's international retirement has already left the Wales squad looking a little
thin.
But while Toshack admitted he was loath to omit one of Wales' most promising young talents, he is confident it was the right decision.
"I don't like this part of the job," the former Liverpool forward said in The Telegraph. "I had to tell him I felt it would be better if he had 90 minutes with the under-21 side in
Romania rather than go to Moscow and sit on the bench.
"Like every young player he wanted to be involved against Azerbaijan at the weekend and he wanted to go to Moscow. But he is only 17 and we had six under-21 players on the field in the end in
Cardiff on Saturday. Maybe, one more was too many.
"If we were an experienced international side and it was just a case of one or two players aged 17 and 18, that's different."
Cecil Braun
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