Nigeria defender Mohammed operated in South Africa

January 30, 2010

Nigeria defender Yusuf Mohammed underwent surgery at a Johannesburg clinic in South Africa on Saturday, according to an official statement by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The operation on the defender’s ruptured Achilles tendon took place at the Rose Bank Clinic in Johannesburg.

Nigeria team physiotherapist, Ekundayo Ogunkunle, who accompanied the player on the trip to South Africa from the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, said the operation had been successful.

“The player is already wearing boots and they will manage him for three weeks or so before we come around to take him back to Nigeria,” he added.

The Nigeria Football Federation arranged for the 26-year-old Mohammed to be flown to South Africa after he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the second half of the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Ghana on Thursday.

BENGUELA, Angola (AFP)

Tags: achilles tendon, africa cup of nations, Angola, benguela, boots, football federation, ghana, johannesburg, mohammed, nigeria, nigeria football, nigeria team, Rose, second half, South Africa, team physiotherapist, Yusuf Mohammed

Ferguson dismisses Neville rumors

January 9, 2010

Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed rumors that Gary Neville is planning to retire at the end of this season. Neville celebrates his 35th birthday next month but the Manchester United skipper seems to be feeling the passage of time.

Neville’s last three seasons have been plagued by injury. His disappointing performance in Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to League One Leeds United led to talk that Neville might hang up his boots at the end of the current season.

However, Ferguson denied such a decision had been taken.

And while Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are committing themselves to the Red Devils for another year, Neville’s future will be determined in the summer.

“There has not been a decision about Gary Neville,” said Ferguson. “We why make a decision about his future when we don’t need to? You don’t make decisions like that in the middle of the season. It is a load of nonsense.”

Paul Scholes certainly feels his long-time team-mate has something to offer, particularly if he can stay free of the injury curse that has blighted him for almost three years now.

“It is obvious Gary has had his injury problems but when he is fit there is no better right-back,” said Scholes. “I don’t see why he shouldn’t stay for another year. When he is fit he is still the best right-back in England. Hopefully he can prove his fitness and that will bode well for us.”

Tags: 35th birthday, back in england, boots, curse, Devils, England, FA Cup, Ferguson, gary neville, LEEDS, leeds united, long time, Manchester, manchester united, nonsense, passage, passage of time, paul scholes, red devils, ryan giggs, sir alex ferguson, skipper, team mate, three seasons, time team

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

Magnin slams Lehmann’s behaviour

December 20, 2009

Stuttgart defender Ludovic Magnin claims Jens Lehmann has been causing dismay and disrupting the harmony in the Stuttgart dressing room in recent weeks. Lehmann has caused problems at club after criticizing the management and producing several below-par performances.

Magnin will be leaving Stuttgart after agreeing a transfer to Zurich on Friday. The transfer will take place on January 1 once the Winter transfer window opens.

“Jens is not a person to set the tone off the field,” Magnin told the Bild newspaper.

Lehmann was given permission to take an extra day off per week in the contract he signed with Stuttgart in 2008, while he can also travel back home alone from away matches when he wishes.

Magnin revealed Lehmann’s special treatment has not been welcomed by his club team-mates.

“Football is a team sport and whenever things aren’t going well, then these privileges are made out to be the problem,” added the Swiss international.

“What may not be an issue when you are successful becomes more disturbing than an elephant when things aren’t going well.

“I told Jens this in a chat four weeks ago.

“He demands a lot from his team-mates and I would have expected him to show up for training the following day.”

Lehmann is suspended for the next three matches after receiving a red card against Mainz on Saturday.

Retired goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who was Lehmann’s rival for the goalkeeping spot in the German national team, called on the 40-year-old Stuttgart goalkeeper to hang his boots and spare himself the extra embarrassment.

Tags: bild newspaper, boots, dismay, dressing room, elephant, embarrassment, german national team, Goalkeeper, harmony, january 1, Jens, jens lehmann, Ludovic Magnin, magnin, mainz, oliver kahn, privileges, slams, stuttgart, swiss, team mates, team sport, winter, ZURICH

Portugal´s Conceicao hangs up his boots

November 14, 2009

Former Portuguese international Sergio Conceicao announced Saturday that he is retiring as a player.

“I want to announce today the end of my footballing career. When I look back I’m proud of what I achieved,” Conceicao told the Portuguese press.

The midfielder, who turns 35 on Sunday, will becoming sporting director of Greek club PAOK Salonica where he has played for the past two seasons.

During his career he played for major European clubs including FC Porto, Lazio, Parma, Inter Milan and Standard Liege.

He also notched up 56 caps and scored 13 goals for Portugal between 1996 and 2004. The highlight of his career was the clash against Germany in Euro 2000 when he scored a hattrick during their 3-0 victory.

LISBON (AFP)

Tags: boots, caps, clash, euro 2000, fc porto, Germany, greek club, hattrick, highlight, inter milan, lazio, Liege, Lisbon, midfielder, Milan, paok salonica, parma, PORTO, portugal, portuguese press, sergio conceicao, Standard, two seasons, victory

Maldini snubbed the Blues, reveals Ancelotti

June 30, 2009

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed Paolo Maldini turned down an offer to become part of his coaching staff at Chelsea.

Ancelotti joined the London club from AC Milan last month and had hoped Maldini would follow him to Stamford Bridge after hanging up his boots at the end of the season.

”I made that proposal to him,” said Ancelotti in an interview with Radio Deejay. ”But he wanted to take time off and after so many years playing, it’s understandable.

”But if I could have taken anyone to Chelsea, it would have been Maldini.’

Written by: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: ac milan, boots, bridge, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, English Premier League, london, london club, Milan, paolo maldini, proposal, radio deejay, rajput, Stamford, stamford bridge

Ex-Germany star Scholl to coach Bayern reserves

April 27, 2009

MUNICH (AFP) – Former Germany midfielder Mehmet Scholl was appointed temporary coach of Bayern Munich’s reserve team on Monday as his predecessor Hermann Gerland was promoted following Jurgen Klinsmann’s sacking.

Ex-Germany boss Klinsmann was sacked as head coach on Monday after just ten months in charge and has been temporarily replaced by Jupp Heynckes, with Gerland to act as his assistant for the last five games of the season.

Scholl, 38, has been promoted from Bayern’s youth team set-up and will be in charge of the reserves until the end of the season.

“Mehmet was a big player for Bayern and he has gained a lot of experience with the youth team, so we know we can rely on him,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Scholl spent his entire career as a player at Bayern and hung up his boots in 2007 after making 334 Bundesliga appearances and winning eight league titles and the 2001 Champions League title with the Bavarian giants.

He won 36 caps for Germany and was part of the squad that won the European Championship in 1996.

Tags: Bayern, bayern munich, boots, boss, Bundesliga, caps, champions league, five games, Germany, giants, head coach, Hermann Gerland, jupp heynckes, jurgen klinsmann, karl heinz, karl heinz rummenigge, league titles, Mehmet, mehmet scholl, midfielder, Munich, predecessor

Aston Villa´s Laursen considers quitting

April 22, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, England (AFP) – Martin Laursen, Aston Villa’s Danish defender, is considering hanging up his boots as he struggles to recover from the knee injury which ended his season in January.

The 30-year-old has had consultations with a specialist over the latest in a string of knee injuries and Villa boss Martin O’Neill admitted there were doubts about whether he would be able to play again.

“The news on Martin is not great,” O’Neill said. “He is deliberating on what to do. We were hoping that he could recover but he is having a tough time.

“But he will make the decision and, whatever decision he comes to, I will respect with the utmost regard.

“He has already seen a specialist and now has to make up his mind.”

Laursen has not played since the home encounter with West Brom in early January and a hoped-for comeback against Manchester United in early April had to be aborted after he broke down during Villa’s training break in Dubai.

Tags: aston villa, Birmingham, birmingham england, boots, boss, consultations, danish, doubts, Dubai, encounter, England, English Premier League, knee injuries, knee injury, Manchester, manchester united, Martin, Martin Laursen, martin o neill, Martin O'Neill, Neill, utmost regard, west brom

Maradona wants to be own man with Argentina

February 10, 2009

MARSEILLE, France (AFP) – Argentina coach Diego Maradona said on Monday he wanted to be his own man ahead of Wednesday’s friendly away to France.

The headstrong world champion player has been battling to impose his will on the Federation since his surprise October appointment but insisted that he doesn’t want "to resemble anybody" else as he bids to lead the team to next year’s World Cup.

Asked if he felt closer to 1986 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Bilardo or Cesar Luis Menotti, the 1978 chainsmoking world champion who gave him his bow as a teenage international Maradona said it was hard to pick either.

"Bilardo on a tactical level and Menotti for motivation – mixing that would amount to perfection. Menotti had his moment, Bilardo his too and as for me, I want to have my own.

"I want to be authentic, I want to be myself, I don’t want to resemble anyone," he insisted.

"You have to hang onto the good things that my coaches have given me, such as Miguel Angel Lopez (his first coach at Argentinos Juniors in 1979). I remember everything he told me – and he was right."

Asked if he felt appreciated in charge of the ‘albiceleste’ two-time world champions Maradona said that doesn’t change anything.

"Someone said my popularity has gone down but I’m not sure about that. I don’t want the issue of Maradona the coach to come in ahead of responsibility of being an Argentina player.

"Sometimes I don’t give an interview or don’t appear on people magazine covers as it’s the players who are the true protagonists."

But Maradona said he is consumed by the job.

"I want to be Argentina coach. I live, dream and wake up asking myself how I can improve this team. I want to improve the Argentinian players."

Asked if he can get the best out of the mercurial Leo Messi, whom he has anointed as the man to fill his own superstar boots after a raft of other players tried and were largely found wanting since he retired, Maradona said:

"I want him as a goalscorer, a passer, everything. his best position is the one he has at Barcelona, on the right, looking for the ball and then pushing along the flank. That’s where he feels most comfortable," said Maradona, adding he would be "crazy" to impose anything different on him.

"You have to leave him to move the ball around at his own pace and let him get on with the game," said Maradona.

Written by: AFP