Bayern plan Ribery talks

January 18, 2010

Bayern München have decided to postpone the contract talks with Franck Ribery until March. The Bavarian giants want the France international to concentrate on football first before they talk about a new deal. “We won’t put him under pressure,” said director of sport Christian Nerlinger.

Ribery is contracted to Bayern until 2011 and has doubts over a longer stay at the Allianz Arena.

“Franck came to us once in the summer,” Nerlinger said on Bayern’s official website.

“He said he felt very much at home in Munich and was grateful to the club, but there was one alternative which he could imagine himself taking. We declined, and the matter was closed internally.

“Franck has always behaved correctly, and I won’t hear a word said against him in this respect.”

The 26-year-old winger is yet to make a decision on his future. “We’ll sit down with him and talk in early March.

“We’ll set out our position, and he’ll explain his, and we’ll see if we can agree. It matters a lot to me that the process is fair and respectful.”

Tags: allianz, allianz arena, bavarian, Bayern, Christian Nerlinger, contract talks, director, doubts, France, france international, Franck, giants, München, Munich, new deal, pressure, winger

Mechelen goalkeeper out for months

December 25, 2009

KV Mechelen goalkeeper Olivier Renard will be unavailable for three to four months after fracturing his cervical vertebrae in a Belgian Cup match on Wednesday.

Near the end of the match with Charleroi, Renard went down following a clash with an opponent. Initially the injury seemed mild but later tests point out that it was more serious than expected.

“He was very lucky that nothing shifted, but he will definitely be out for months, tactical director Fi van Hoof told Sporza.

The player himself also reacted, thanking fans of both Mechelen and Charleroi for their support.

Mechelen won the match 2-5 after extra time and advance to the quarter finals of the national Cup tournament. In the domestic league, Mechelen are currently in 11th place.

Tags: advance, Belgian, cervical vertebrae, clash, director, extra time, fi, four months, Goalkeeper, kv mechelen, match 2, nothing, olivier renard, opponent, quarter finals, Sporza, support, van hoof

Bodor extends Roda stay

July 10, 2009

Hungarian midfielder Boldizsar Bodor has signed a new two-year contract with Roda JC.

The 27-year-old had reached the end of his current deal and was mulling over vague interest from abroad before deciding to commit to the Eredivisie club for a sixth season.

Roda director Martin van Geel told newspaper De Limburger: “Because Bodor is staying with us we no longer need to look for reinforcements for the defence and midfield. We are now focusing fully on a new striker.”

By: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: bodor, Club, contract, de limburger, defence, director, end, Eredivisie, hungarian, Limburger, martin van geel, midfield, midfielder, newspaper, rajput, reinforcements, Roda, roda jc, sixth season, striker, vague interest

Wolves make Doyle swoop

June 30, 2009

Premier League newbies Wolverhampton Wanderers look to set the record straight by signing Kevin Doyle, when they resume their domestic campaign.

The sought after Irish frontman has been signed from Reading for an undisclosed fee, while reports suggest he will cost Wanderers a club-record £6.5million.

Wolves have also said that they had to beat off competition from other top-flight clubs to secure the 25-year-olds services, who has signed a four-year contract at Molineux.

The Republic of Ireland striker, who signed for the Royals from Cork for a nominal fee in 2005, scored 55 goals in 163 games for the Berkshire club.

The Irishman revealed he had been impressed by the swiftness of Wolves’ approach and will partner Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who netted 7 more times than Doyle by scoring 25 in 2008-09 Championship season.

“Wolves were the first club that actually came in and settled things with Reading and so they were the first club I spoke to,” Doyle told the club’s official website.

“I was expecting a long summer but Wolves were in straight away.

“It was nice to see how keen they were and when I came in and met the manager I just got on really well with him. I had a good easy conversation with him and it felt right.”

Doyle added: “I spoke to the manager and chief executive and came to the training ground to see everything.

“I’ve been making my mind up and am just really pleased the decision has been made.

“The facilities here are top class and it’s great to be going back into the Premier League again.

“I’m sad to be leaving Reading because I had some great years there but I’m going with their blessing as well which is nice. This is a fresh start.”

Despite losing one of their star men, Reading director of football Nick Hammond claimed it was a good deal for the Royals.

“He has arguably been one of the club’s best ever signings, in terms of what he produced on the pitch, the value for money he gave us, and now the fact he has been sold for a club-record fee,” he told Reading’s official website.

“The point in time arrived where it was the right opportunity for him and the right deal for the club as well.

“I have already offered my best wishes and I am sure the supporters will be doing the same to a player who rightly earned their respect.

“Lastly, it is important from my own point of view to say that Wolves, and in particular their chief executive Jez Moxey, have been a pleasure to deal with and very straightforward. They have got themselves a top player.”

Written by: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: 163, berkshire, director, director of football, easy conversation, ebanks, English Premier League, fresh start, frontman, irishman, kevin doyle, nick hammond, officia, premier league, republic of ireland, striker, swiftness, top flight, undisclosed fee, wolverhampton wanderers, wolves

Grant tells Portsmouth to come and get him

February 15, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Former Chelsea boss Avram Grant has told managerless Portsmouth that he would be willing to take over at the struggling Premier League club.

Grant was sacked by Chelsea at the end of last season despite leading the Blues to the Champions League final, the League Cup final and a second-place finish in the Premier League.

The Israeli has already had a brief spell at Portsmouth as the club’s director of football before he took over at Chelsea and has been linked with a return to Fratton Park following the sacking of manager Tony Adams last week.

Now Grant has made it clear he would love to get back into English football and he won’t rule out a move to Portsmouth.

When asked whether he thought he could return to manage in the Premier League, the 53-year-old told Sky Sports Goals on Sunday: "It is my first priority.

"Portsmouth was my first club when I came here to England. It is a fantastic club, I enjoyed being there and I have a lot of friends there still, but I don’t know what will happen tomorrow."

Written by: AFP