Czech midfielder Berger hangs up his boots

January 6, 2010

Sparta Prague’s former Czech international midfielder Patrik Berger has announced that he is retiring because of recurrent injuries, his team coach said on Wednesday.

Sparta Prague coach Jozef Chovanec said that the 36-year-old had informed him of his decision on Tuesday. “Patrik told me yesterday ‘It’s over. My knee can no longer hold up’,” said Chovanev.

Berger started his career as a Sparta Prague trainee before before joining city rival’s Slavia Prague aged 18 years. He then moved to Borussia Dortmund in Germany followed by seven years at Liverpool, then Portsmouth, Stoke City and Aston Villa.

He rejoined Sparta in 2008 but rarely featured because of health problems, playing his final match on August 8 last year.

Berger was capped 44 times and scored 18 goals for the Czech Republic between 1993 and 2001.

PRAGUE (AFP)

Tags: 18 years, Aston, aston villa, august 8, boots, chovanec, czech international, czech republic, dortmund, final match, Germany, health problems, jozef, Liverpool, midfielder, patrik berger, Portsmouth, PRAGUE, seven years, slavia prague, sparta prague, Stoke City, team coach

PSG keeper ‘blackmailed’ by former coach

December 15, 2009

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Apoula Edel is being blackmailed by his former coach and advisor Nicolas Philibert, the club’s sporting director Alain Roche told AFP on Tuesday.

Philibert worked with Edel in Cameroon, where the player was born, and persuaded him to move to Armenia in 2002.

According to a report that appeared in Tuesday’s edition of Le Parisien newspaper, Philibert claims that Edel owes him 30,000 euros but the naturalised Armenian international refuses to pay him.

Following this refusal, Philibert allegedly provided information to Saint-Etienne, PSG’s opponents on Sunday, that cast doubt on the goalkeeper’s true age and identity.

Saint-Etienne accordingly filed a pre-emptory complaint prior to their match at the Parc des Princes, which they lost 3-0 with Edel keeping goal for the home side.

“In 2000 and 2001 I was the coach (at Cameroonian side Espoirs de Yaounde) of Ambroise Beyamena (Edel’s real name, according to Philibert), who was 19 years old,” Philibert told France Bleu radio.

“This player has behaved very badly towards me for four or five years.”

Philibert went on to allege that Edel has not settled outstanding debts between the two men.

“I visited him at his hotel in Montpellier before PSG’s match (on August 8),” Philibert said.

“I told him that I was not happy with his behaviour and he laughed in my face. I told him: ‘Wait until I denounce you for lying about your age and your identity’. He was 19 in 2000, so he is 27 today.”

PSG and the French Professional League officially list Edel’s date of birth as June 17, 1986, making him 23.

On Sunday, PSG president Robin Leproux lamented the reservations raised by Saint-Etienne ahead of the league game between the clubs.

“It is the act of club directors who have lost their nerve and their composure,” he said. “Regarding Edel, he has all his papers in order, approved by FIFA, passport etc.”

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: 19 years old, alain roche, ambroise, armenian, august 8, cameroon, club directors, former coach, France, france bleu, Germain, Goalkeeper, hotel in montpellier, league game, Montpellier, nicolas philibert, parc des princes, paris saint germain, professional league, robin leproux, saint etienne, true age, YAOUNDE

Beckenbauer slaps 94m euro tag on Ribery

July 29, 2009

Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer said Wednesday unsettled Franck Ribery could leave the club – for 94 million euros.

“Should Bayern let Ribery go? Of course we wish to get the market price – and if Christiano Ronaldo is worth 94 million euros, then Franck Ribery is worth a comparable sum,” Beckenbauer told the Sport Bild newspaper.

“If we do not receive an offer at this level, then he should honour his contract until 2011,” he added.

On Monday the German football legend accused the 26-year-old French international of disloyalty to Bayern.

Ribery, a member of the Munich squad for the past two years, is known to be attracted by the lure of Real Madrid, but the high-spending Spanish club baulked at the multi-million euro price tag set by the south German giants.

Beckenbauer, writing in his column, added: “All the fuss is unnecessary, particularly when a new coach (Dutchman Louis Van Gaal) has taken over and wants to prepare in a calm atmosphere.

“The coach does not want to be listening every day to talk about Ribery.”

Ribery is currently recovering from a knee injury and has been unable to participate in Bayern’s pre-season matches and he is a doubtful starter in the club’s opening game of the season against Hoffenheim on August 8.

MUNICH, Germany (AFP)

Tags: august 8, Bayern, bayern munich, calm atmosphere, Christiano, doubtful starter, dutchman, football legend, franck ribery, franz beckenbauer, french international, Germany, Hoffenheim, knee injury, Louis, louis van gaal, MADRID, Munich, munich germany, old french, price tag, real madrid, ronaldo, south German, spanish club, sport bild

Injured Ribery likely to miss season start

July 28, 2009

Bayern Munich’s French star Franck Ribery is likely to be unavailable for the first match of the Bundesliga season on August 8 against Hoffenheim, the club said on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old midfielder has had a succession of medical problems since he resumed training at the beginning of this month, including blistered feet and a knee injury, preventing him from joining in full training since July 12.

“Franck has a lot of catching-up to do. He trained hard and went further than last week but it has been limited nevertheless,” said Bayern manager Louis Van Gaal on the club’s website.

The Dutchman added that if Ribery did play in the Hoffenheim match, it would be for a maximum of 20 minutes.

The France international will also miss the first round of the German Cup next Sunday when Bayern play Neckaretz.

Other Munich players on the injured list are Croatian striker Ivica Olic and fellow forward Luca Toni of Italy who has a damaged Achilles tendon.

The giant south German club has rejected approaches for Ribery during the off-season, notably from Real Madrid who baulked at Bayern’s asking price of 80 million euros.

BERLIN (AFP)

Tags: achilles, achilles tendon, asking price, august 8, Bayern, bayern munich, berlin, dutchman, France, france international, franck ribery, french star, german club, german cup, giant, Hoffenheim, Italy, knee injury, louis van gaal, MADRID, match, medical problems, Munich, real madrid, succession, Toni

Ticket sales slow for Premiership Asia Cup: report

July 15, 2009

Slow ticket sales for a tournament involving three English Premiership teams and China’s Beijing Guoan are causing concerns among sponsors, according to state media.

So far only 20,000 of the 120,000 tickets available for the July 29 and 31 knockout tournament at Beijing’s Worker’s Stadium have been sold, with most fans buying the cheap seats, the Beijing News said.

Reports that Guoan will field a team of substitutes as it rests its best players for a crucial China Super League match against rivals Chongqing on August 2 are also hampering sales, the paper said.

The pre-season tournament, backed by Premier League sponsors Barclays, has previously been staged in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Hong Kong and is becoming a regular showcase for the world’s most popular league.

The Beijing tournament pits Guoan against Hull, while West Ham face Tottenham, with the winners and losers to face off against each other two days later.

Beijing sponsors are asking China’s Super League to postpone the Beijing-Chongqing match until later in August so that Guoan can field its top players, the newspaper said.

Meanwhile about half of the 70,000 tickets available for a match between Serie A champions Inter Milan and Cup winners Lazio at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium on August 8 have been sold, the newspaper said.

The match is intended to mark the first anniversary of the Beijing Olympic Games.

BEIJING (AFP)

Tags: Asia, asia cup, august 8, BANGKOK, barclays, Beijing, beijing guoan, cheap seats, China, Chongqing, cup winners, English Premier League, english premiership teams, face off, Hong Kong, HULL, inter milan, knockout tournament, kuala lumpur, lazio, Milan, Nest Stadium, olympic games, pits, premier league, rivals, ticket sales, tottenham, west ham, winners and losers

Fowler raring to go for new A-League club

July 10, 2009

SYDNEY (AFP) – Former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler says he is keenly counting down to next month’s kick-off for the Australian A-League season with his new club North Queensland Fury.

The 33-year-old former England striker, whose goal-scoring exploits once saw him idolised on the red half of Merseyside, will be the Fury’s marquee player as the club makes its debut in the A-League this season.

Fowler dismissed suggestions earlier this week that he was seeking a move back to England and said he was eagerly anticipating his first appearance for the Fury against Sydney FC on August 8.

“The season’s coming up and everyone’s starting to get the butterflies in the stomach and it’s an exciting time,” Fowler said on Friday.

Fowler said he hadn’t experienced too many problems with northern Queensland’s tropical climate and didn’t think the heat would be a factor for him in the coming Australian season.

“I think people are probably make more of it (the climate) than what it is to be fair,” he said.

“As a player you play in hot countries and hot climates anyway so you tend to get used to them.”

Fowler said the arrival of his family in Townsville would help him settle further, though he had enjoyed his time in Australia so far.

“I was quite settled anyway. The fact is I was over here for two months without them,” he said.

“Obviously I missed them immensely and the fact they are over here now helps a little bit more but I was settled anyway and the fact is they’re here which will calm me down a little bit more.”

Fowler scored 120 goals in 236 league appearances for Liverpool and also played for Leeds United, Manchester City, Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers, where he was released late last year after a short stint.

Tags: A-League, august 8, Australia, blackburn, blackburn rovers, butterflies, cardiff city, climates, England, English Premier League, exploits, first appearance, hot countries, league appearances, LEEDS, leeds united, Liverpool, manchester city, marquee player, Merseyside, north queensland, northern queensland, robbie fowler, stint, striker, SYDNEY, sydney fc, time in australia, tropical climate

Fowler is happy down under

July 8, 2009

Australian A-League side North Queensland Fury’s striker Robbie Fowler has denied reports that he is set to reunite with former Liverpool team-mate John Barnes at Tranmere, insisting his future remains in Australia.

The former Liverpool marksman, who signed a two-year contract with the new A-League franchise in February, but hasn’t made his debut or even taken part in full training session due to a string of groin and hip injuries.

With lack of match practice after his three-month contract with Blackburn expired in December, the 34-year-old has been linked with a move to Prenton Park where former Celtic and Jamaica manager Barnes, is now at the helm after taking over from Ronnie Moore last month.

Jason McAteer, a former Liverpool team-mate of Barnes and Fowler, who is also employed as Barnes’ assistant at Tranmere, just missed out on the League One play-offs last season on the final day.

The report suggested Fowler’s family has also failed to settle in Australia and that, coupled with his succession injuries, would force his return to England.

However, the former England and Manchester City striker has insisted that he is staying put ahead of North Queensland’s season opener against Sydney FC on August 8, with featuring of the player still in doubt after his latest injury setback Fowler.

“I don’t know where it’s come from,” said Fowler. “It looks like somebody’s put two and two together and come up with six.

“I’ve got a two-year contract with North Queensland Fury FC and I’m a man of my word – I’ll play it out.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to do that sort of thing to me and I certainly wouldn’t do it anyone.

“There’s nothing to this – my family has just arrived and they wouldn’t have travelled all this way if I had any intention to leave.”

Even Fury coach Ian Ferguson has also spoken to Fowler at length regarding the report.

“Robbie’s happy here and he want to play football for the Fury,” Ferguson said.

“There’s no doubt he’s the sort of player other clubs would be interested in, but John Barnes would have had to come through the Fury if he was interested in Robbie and that hasn’t happened.”

“Robbie is under contract to us for two years and it would be a breach of FIFA regulations for another club approached him.”

“There’s no one quoted in the story and it just isn’t right.”

“When you’ve got a world class player in your team there’s always going to be speculation about him going to other clubs.”

By: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: august 8, Australia, celtic, England, English Premier League, Ferguson, groin, Ian Ferguson, Jamaica, jason mcateer, john barnes, league franchise, Liverpool, liverpool team, man of my word, manchester city, marksman, mate john, no doubt, north queensland, Prenton Park, Robbie, robbie fowler, ronnie moore, season opener, sydney fc, team mate

Keane to sign more players

July 4, 2009

Ipswich Town manager Roy Keane has revealed that he is looking to sign “four or five” more players for Ipswich, within the next two weeks.

As the current crop of players began pre-season training this week, Keane admitted that two potential signings were virtually agreed and was still hoping to add at least two more ahead of the season’s kick-off on August 8.

He told the Evening Star: “We’ve probably been linked with 50 or 60 players over the last few weeks and it would be unfair of me to talk about players until they’ve signed.”

“I hope, in time, to bring in maybe four or five. We are close with two and there will be hopefully be another two or three over the next two weeks.”

“The fun and games will start over the next few weeks when managers get back to their clubs and take stock of what they’ve got. It’s quite difficult these days with the transfer fees that are mentioned, but if you want quality you’ve got to pay for it.”

By: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: abhimanyu, August, august 8, crop, English Championship, Evening, evening star, fun, fun and games, ipswich, manager, pre season training, quality, rajput, roy keane, season, star, stock, time, Town, transfer, week

‘Birds nest’ to host Italian Super Coppa

June 10, 2009

The 2009-2010 Italian season begins far away from home, as the Super Coppa clash between Internazionale and Lazio is scheduled to be played in Beijing’s National Stadium.

The Super Cup was played outside Italy three times before. Milan beat Torino to win the season’s first trophy in Washington DC, in 1993. Juventus were too strong for Parma in Tripoli, 2002 and a year later it was again ‘Juve’ to beat Milan on penalties in New York.

The match in Beijing will be played on August 8, to celebrate the first anniversary of last year’s Olympic opening ceremony.

Written by: Jonathan Roorda