Triumphant Barca stars feted in victory parade
May 28, 2009
BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) – Tens of thousands of ecstatic fans cheered Barcelona’s Champions League heroes during a victory parade through the city centre in an open-top bus Thursday.
Leo Messi, Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry and their team-mates flew back from Rome after a stunning 2-0 win over Manchester United on Wednesday — the third part of a unique trophy treble also including the Spanish league and cup titles.
The players and coach Pep Guardiola then rode through the city in a open-top bus decked out in the club’s royal blue and burgundy colours and marked “Champions,” dancing and waving to the fans.
The crowd, many of whom waved the red and yellow flag of the Catalonia region, chanted “Ole, Ole, Champions!” and “Barca, Barca and Barca!” as the bus headed through the city’s main thoroughfares for the club’s Camp Nou stadium.
Cameroonian Eto’o, who scored one of the goals in the final, stood at the front, blowing kisses to the crowd.
“Eto’o, Africa says thank you,” said one banner carried by a Senegalese man who said his name was Yatma.
“Since he (Eto’o) came here we (Africans) are better treated,” he said.
Dozens of youths also clambered onto the Columbus monument, at one end of the famous Las Ramblas avenue, to await the team.
The joyful scenes contrasted with those in the early hours of Thursday when police in the city arrested 119 people and more than 150 people were injured as victory celebrations descended into riots.
Around 100,000 people spilled onto the streets of the Catalan capital after the victory.
But the carnival atmosphere turned ugly after midnight when youths began clashing with police around Las Ramblas.
Youths hurled bottles as they tried to storm through metal barricades keeping a mob back from shops, prompting a surge by baton-wielding riot officers.
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control rioters, who damaged lampposts, telephone kiosks and bus stops, media reports said.
Terrified passers-by cowered behind walls as the clashes intensified.
Spain’s TVE public television said one of its cameraman was among those hurt.
The statement said police had issued “repeated warnings” to the rioters.
The celebrations had started peacefully as thousands of joyous fans, many draped in the dark red and blue of their club, let off fireworks and honked horns.
Many fans mocked rivals Real Madrid, which ended the season trophyless — Barca’s own fate for the past two seasons until new coach Pep Guardiola rejuvenated the team this year.
And in the Spanish capital, Catalans jumped into the fountain in the Plaza Cibeles, the traditional site for celebrations by Real supporters.
Barca fans had already twice gorged on success in recent days after their team won the Spanish title and lifted the Spanish Cup.
“Champions! (three times)”, headlined the Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia.
Barca and their supporters have experienced “the greatest night in their history,” it said.
The nation’s top-selling paper, El Pais, said Barcelona now has “a legendary triple crown” and is “at the top of the world.”
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Nuremberg set to win Bundesliga promotion battle
May 28, 2009
BERLIN (AFP) – Nuremberg look set to return to the Bundesliga next season after their 3-0 win at Energie Cottbus in Thursday’s promotion play-off first-leg.
Ghana striker Isaac Boakye scored twice for Nuremberg who are now in pole-position to win promotion with the second leg to be played back at their home ground on Sunday.
The German Football Federation (DFB) have brought in the promotion play-off this season between the side who finished third from bottom of the Bundesliga, Cottbus, and the team which finishes third in the second division, Nuremberg.
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Torres signs improved Liverpool contract
May 28, 2009
LIVERPOOL (AFP) – Liverpool striker Fernando Torres signed an improved contract with the Premier League club on Thursday.
Torres, 25, was handed the wage increase as a reward for his superb displays this season, which helped Rafa Benitez’s side finish second in the Premier League behind champions Manchester United.
The new deal, believed to be worth around 90,000 pounds a week, also includes the option of a further year’s extension to Torres’s current contract, which is due to expire in June 2013.
Spain international Torres scored his 50th goal for Liverpool in the victory over Tottenham on the final day of the Premier League season and is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.
“Fernando Torres has agreed a new, improved contract with Liverpool, reflecting his standing as one of the world’s top strikers,” the club’s website confirmed.
If Torres had been able to avoid injuries that sidelined him at several key stages of the season, Liverpool would have been in a strong position to end their 19-year wait to win the English title.
And Benitez believes the best is yet to come from Torres because he remains hungry to learn more about his position.
“Fernando is one of the best strikers in the game today and, at his age, can only get better,” Benitez said.
“Every major side would want him in their team, but he has shown how much he wants to achieve success at Liverpool by committing his future to the club. He’s a special talent, but still has the hunger to improve his game.”
Torres joins Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and Daniel Agger in agreeing new deals at Anfield over the past two months.
Benitez added: “We’ve made huge progress this season and now we need to take the next step. We are building something special here and securing such important players on long-term deals means we can move forward with confidence.
“This sends out a very positive message to everyone connected with the club.”
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Lippi saves big guns for Confed Cup
May 28, 2009
ROME (AFP) – Italy coach Marcello Lippi has left his top players out of his squad for next month’s friendly against Northern Ireland, keeping them fresh for the Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Lippi on Thursday named two squads, with 13 players guaranteed to be on the plane heading for Africa on June 7.
His other squad, comprised of 21 players, will compete for the 10 remaining squad places for the Confederations Cup, which also takes place next month.
They will be the only ones in contention to face Northern Ireland in Pisa on June 6, however, by the time that match is played, Lippi will already have handed in the names of his final 23-man squad for the Confederations Cup as FIFA’s deadline is on June 4.
The Northern Ireland squad is mostly made up of young and some untried players such as Inter Milan full-back Davide Santon.
However there are a few experienced internationals in the group like AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso, who will be trying to prove he’s got the fitness to play in South Africa having been out since Christmas.
Squad to face Northern Ireland in a friendly in Pisa on June 6:
Goalkeepers: Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray/TUR), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari)
Defenders: Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool/ENG), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon/FRA), Andrea Esposito (Lecce), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Davide Santon (Inter Milan)
Midfielders: Marco Biagianti (Catania), Matteo Brighi (AS Roma), Gaetano D’Agostino (Udinese), Daniele Galloppa (Siena), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Pasquale Foggia (Lazio)
Forwards: Giuseppe Mascara (Catania), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Sergio Pellissier (Chievo), Giuseppe Rossi (Villareal/ESP)
Preselected squad for Confederations Cup in South Africa:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Palermo)
Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid/ESP), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
Forwards: Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich/GER)
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Mexico´s Aguirre ´dreams´ of English Premiership
May 28, 2009
MADRID (AFP) – Mexico’s national coach Javier Aguirre says his “dream” is to work in England’s Premier League after the World Cup 2010.
“After clarifying my future with Mexico, I want go back to the (Spanish) league, but above all, my dream is to go to the Premiership,” he said in Thursday’s edition of Spanish sports newspaper Marca.
“I had contacts this year and I think I will use them from 2010 onwards,” he said about the possibility of coaching a team in the English Premiership after next year’s World Cup in South Africa.
Aguirre, 50, replaced ex-England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as Mexican coach last month.
He had previously coached the Mexicans at the 2002 World Cup before moving to Spanish side Osasuna and thereafter to Atletico Madrid, who sacked him in February.
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Celtic chairman says no rush to find new boss
May 28, 2009
GLASGOW (AFP) – Celtic chairman John Reid insists the Glasgow club will take their time to find a new manager to replace Gordon Strachan.
The deposed Scottish champions, who surrendered the league to arch rivals Rangers on the last day of the season, were forced to start searching for a new boss when Strachan resigned on Monday in the aftermath of that title failure.
But Reid and his board have already suffered two knock-backs as their top targets, Burnley manager Owen Coyle and West Bromwich Albion chief Tony Mowbray, were declared out of bounds.
Coyle pledged his future to the Clarets on Thursday, just days after leading the club into the Premier League, while Albion issued a hands off warning over Mowbray.
But Reid claims Celtic have yet to make an official approach for any candidate and he is adamant they won’t make a rushed decision, even though the club face a Champions League qualifier in July.
“We are considering a number of possible candidates. However, we have made no official approach to any club. Clearly, Celtic’s priority is to appoint the very best candidate,” Reid told Celtic’s website.
“We will aim to do this as soon as we possibly can, but we will also do so in a professional, considered manner and ensure that we appoint the correct individual for the club and its supporters.
“It is better to get this right rather than be rushed. As the board has done in recent years, through the appointment of Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan, we aim to appoint a manager who will bring continued success to the club.”
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Moenchengladbach coach quits
May 28, 2009
BERLIN (AFP) – The coach of German side Borussia Moenchengladbach, Hans Meyer, said Thursday he was stepping down following a season which saw the once proud club just escape the drop.
“We cannot construct a team with Hans Meyer, a man of almost 67,” he himself said in a newspaper interview.
“With my experience, I was able to keep the side up – but beyond that things are counter-productive, for Hans Meyer and the club alike,” he added.
Meyer, who previously was in charge at Nuremberg, came in last October as replacement for the sacked Jos Luhukay on a contract running to 2010.
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Southampton´s future in balance as wages go unpaid
May 28, 2009
SOUTHAMPTON, England (AFP) – Southampton’s future remains in the balance after staff at the League One club were told on Thursday that they have not been paid this month.
Administrators asked staff to carry on working for another week as a ‘goodwill gesture’ as they continue to look for a buyer for the crisis-torn club, who have tumbled from the Premier League to English football’s third tier in the space of five seasons.
Although four parties are reported to be interested in buying Saints, the administrators were hoping to complete the transfer of winger Nathan Dyer to Swansea, with a fee of around 400,000 pounds going towards keeping the club running.
The club’s parent company, Southampton Leisure Holdings plc, was placed in administration by former chairman Rupert Lowe at the start of April.
Southampton were also docked 10 points by the Football League, which will come into effect next season following their relegation to League One.
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Former United star Yorke released by Sunderland
May 28, 2009
SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) – Former Manchester United forward Dwight Yorke was released by Premier League club Sunderland on Thursday.
Yorke, 37, was out of contract at the end of the season and the Trinidad and Tobago international has been told he will not be offered a new deal.
He made just eight appearances for the Black Cats this season, with his final match coming against United at the Stadium of Light last month.
Yorke won the Champions League as well as three Premier League titles during his four-year spell at Old Trafford.
Republic of Ireland striker David Connolly, Arnau Riera, goalkeepers Darren Ward and Nick Colgan and young defenders Peter Hartley and Niall McArdle have also been released by Sunderland.
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Japan´s World Cup campaign draws new blood
May 28, 2009
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan’s World Cup qualifying campaign has drawn new blood with 18-year-old midfielder Naoki Yamada making a promising international debut in a 4-0 win over Chile at home.
Yamada, who joined former Asian champions the Urawa Reds straight from their youth team this spring, was sent in to replace injured striker Keiji Tamada in the 39th minute in the friendly match in Osaka Wednesday night.
He set up Japan’s fourth goal through Venlo midfielder Keisuke Honda in stoppage time in the second half.
At 18 years and 327 days, he could have become the youngest player to score for Japan’s senior national team if he had made the shot himself — earning him praise for passing up the chance and thinking of the team.
“I always think about the rate of success. So it turned out that way,” said Yamada, who has scored a goal in each of the 10 matches he has played so far in the spring-to-autumn J-League season.
“I didn’t expect him to do so much in his debut game,” said Japan coach Takeshi Okada, whose side is just one win away from qualifying for their fourth straight World Cup finals.
“He made mistakes,” said Okada, whose squad will face Belgium in another friendly on Sunday ahead of Japan’s three remaining World Cup qualifiers next month against Uzbekistan, Qatar and Australia.
“But instead of playing around in a reserved manner, he challenged things. He played beautifully,” Okada said.
Japanese media heaped praise on Yamada, with some sports dailies featuring him on the front page, rather than striker Shinji Okazaki who bagged a brace.
In an article headlined “Naoki’s 18-year-old debuts with an assist,” the Nikkan Sports daily dubbed him “Japan’s secret weapon.”
Yamada, who has caught nationwide attention with brilliant performances at Urawa, all but set up a hat-trick for Okazaki on the stroke of half-time. He sent a pin-point left cross for the Shimizu S-Pulse striker but he headed over.
With just a minute left in the match, he picked a pass from substitute Kisho Yano in front of the goal. He faked a shot and fed a grounder to Honda on the right to fire home.
In 1977, Nobutoshi Kaneda became the youngest player to score for Japan when he was 19 years and 119 days old.
At 166 centimetres (5.4 feet), Yamada was not an imposing figure on the pitch as he was bumped off several times by Chilean players.
But he wowed the 44,000 spectators at Nagai Stadium with his stamina.
“Yamada’s greatest weapon is not brilliant passing or dynamic dribbling. His great rate of work shows in situations not favourable to the opponents,” the Sports Nippon Daily said.
“The World Cup has been my dream since I started playing football,” said Yamada, whose father Takashi, 48, once played for Mazda (now J-League Sanfrecce Hiroshima).
“I feel… it has come a bit closer to reality.”
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