Barca´s Eto´o gets extra week of holidays

July 16, 2009

Barcelona have given their Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, whose future at the club is uncertain, an extra week of holidays to buy time to negotiate his departure, Spanish media reported Thursday.

The club resume training on Monday but the player will only join up with the team on July 27 along with the six Spanish internationals who took part in the Confederations Cup — Xavi, Gerard Pique, Sergi Busquets, Carles Puyol and Dani Alves — as well as Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

Coach Josep Guardiola no longer wants Eto’o in his team and the move is an attempt by the European and Spanish champions to “buy time” to offload the striker who has one year left on his contract, daily La Vanguardia reported.

Guardiola wants to replace the 28-year-old with another striker such as Valencia’s David Villa or Atletico Madrid’s Diego Forlan, it added.

When he took over as Barcelona coach from Frank Rijkaard last year, he made it clear that he wanted Eto’o, Ronaldinho and Deco to leave, reportedly because of problems that the striker had caused in the dressing room.

Ronaldinho was sold to AC Milan, Deco went to Chelsea but Eto’o stayed at the club because Barcelona did not receive any convincing offers for him — and history risks repeating itself.

Barcelona reportedly wanted Eto’o, who scored in the Champions League final win over Manchester United, to accept an offer from Manchester City but the player refused and the English club eventually gave up on recruiting him.

Spanish media have indicated wage demands of some ten million euros (14 million dollars) a year were frightening off top clubs.

Barcelona’s efforts to recruit Villa have hit a roadblock over money with financially-troubled Valencia refusing to sell the player for less than 50 million euros while the Spanish champions are offering 42 million euros.

The 27-year-old, who has made it clear that he wants to leave Valencia, has offered to pay the difference out of his own pocket, several Spanish newspapers reported Thursday.

Meanwhile, Pablo Forlan, the father of Uruguayan international Diego Forlan has said that his son would like the chance to play at Barcelona.

“Diego is at Atletico, very happy there because he has been treated wonderfully, but without a doubt playing in a team like Barca would interest any player,” he told COM radio.

But Atletico president Enrique Cerezo has refused to let the top scorer in the Spanish league last season go.

Barcelona announced Wednesday that it had singed Brazilian left-back Maxwell from Italian side Inter Milan for 4.5 million euros, its first recruitment of this current period.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, Andres Iniesta, atletico madrid, Barcelona, cameroon, carles puyol, CHELSEA, clubs barcelona, DAVID VILLA, deco, Diego, diego forlan, enrique cerezo, frank rijkaard, josep guardiola, LA Liga, la vanguardia, lionel messi, MADRID, manchester city, maxwell, Pablo Forlan, roadblock, ronaldinho, samuel eto, samuel eto o, sergi, spanish champions, spanish media, spanish newspapers, top clubs, wage demands, xavi

Rivaldo rolls back the years on soccer pitch

May 28, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) – Brazilian legend Rivaldo rolled back the years as he kept his nerve to score a penalty and put Uzbek side Bunyodkor into the AFC Champions League quarter-finals.

Their stunning 1-0 win away to Iranian powerhouse Piroozi late Wednesday came on a night when one of Rivaldo’s former clubs Barcelona captured Europe’s equivalent trophy with a 2-0 victory over holders Manchester United in Rome.

Rivaldo, world and European footballer of the year in 1999, made light of his 36 years to command the match and converted the penalty four minutes from the break after he went down under a challenge from two Iranian defenders.

Piroozi’s exit left no Iranian teams standing in the competition and prompted their Portuguese coach Nelo Vingada to confirm his departure.

“This was my last match with Piroozi,” said Vingada.

“I wrote a letter giving notice of my resignation two days ago. If you’re looking for someone to blame (for the elimination) then blame me.”

It was a red letter day for Uzbek clubs as Bunyodkor — last year’s semi-finalists — were joined by domestic rivals Pakhtakor who also enjoyed a notable away success with a 2-1 victory over Saudi side Ettifaq.

Ettifaq’s prolific Ghanaian striker Prince Tagoe opened the scoring but while they dominated they suffered from wayward finishing and Pakhtakor stormed back with two late goals to secure their place in the last eight.

Indeed, they left it almost to the final whistle with a stoppage time freekick by substitute Alexander Geynrikh keeping them in the competition.

Their coach Victor Djailov conceded that things would only get harder from now on.

“The quarter-finals will be harder because there will be strong teams from Qatar and Saudi Arabia as well as the quartet from the eastern zone,” he said.

Al Ittihad also came from behind to win an all-Saudi clash as they beat Al Shabab 2-1. They too had to rely on a late winner — this time Moroccan substitute Hicham Aboucherouane scoring three minutes into time added on.

Al Ittihad coach Gabriel Calderon claimed he had never feared his side would lose.

“Even after Al Shabab scored the first goal, I had a feeling that we would win the game,” said the Argentine, whose side avenged a humiliating 4-0 defeat by the same opponents in the King’s Cup which placed a question mark his position.

Calderon sought to clear the air over his future.

“We had a good season in terms of performance and results and our final match in the King’s Cup was the worst game that we played during the season.

“Now Al-Ittihad can look to my achievements with the team and decide if they want me to continue.”

It will not be the same for his compatriot and coach of Al Shabab, as Enzo Tressero announced he would be stepping down.

“I am leaving the team. It was my last match and I have made my decision,” said Tressero.

“I think I have presented Al Shabab with a good young team. We enjoyed two good seasons and won cups and competitions.”

A bad night for Saudi Arabian sides was capped as Qatari outfit Umm-Salal prevailed 4-3 on penalties away at Al Hilal, who will have no-nonsense Belgian Eric Gerets in charge next season as he is leaving Marseille to join them.

The eastern zone round of 16 matches, which feature defending champions Gamba Osaka of Japan, are played on June 24.