Berbatov named Man of the Year in Bulgaria

December 4, 2009

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov was voted Bulgaria’s Man of the Year on Thursday, in an annual competition organised by the national Darik radio.

The 28-year-old Bulgarian national team captain was awarded the title at an offical ceremony in Sofia, after beating Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Bulgarian world amateur boxing champion Detelin Dalakliev.

Last year, Berbatov had narrowly missed out on the award, which was won by the captain of the national volleyball team, Plamen Konstantinov.

The annual Man of the Year award is decided through online voting.

Past winners have included Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, in 2002 and 2006, President Georgy Parvanov, in 2003, and former Bulgarian football star Hristo Stoichkov, in 1994.

SOFIA (AFP)

Tags: borisov, boxing champion, bulgaria, bulgarian football, bulgarian world, darik radio, dimitar berbatov, football star, hristo stoichkov, interior minister, man of the year, Manchester, manchester united, national volleyball team, plamen konstantinov, President Georgy Parvanov, prime minister, Sofia, striker, team captain

Wunderkind Kroos to return to Bayern next season

November 28, 2009

Rising German football star Toni Kroos will return to Bayern Munich next season after being loaned to Bayer Leverkusen since January, club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said Friday.

“Toni will return to Bayern and will become an important player for the club,” said Rummenigge.

Leverkusen had hoped to hold on to the teenager, who is under contract with Bayern until June 2010.

The 19-year-old was voted player of the tournament at the Under-17 World Cup in 2007, but had failed to regularly break into the Bayern first-team.

He joined Leverkusen to get more play as his game was limited at Bayern with the presence of Miroslav Klose, Luca Toni and Lukas Podolski.

Kroos played 19 times for Bayern between 2007 and 2009.

He has played 23 games for Leverkusen, scoring four goals.

MUNICH, Germany (AFP)

Tags: 19 year old, bayer leverkusen, Bayern, club chairman, football star, game, games, german football, Germany, karl heinz, karl heinz rummenigge, klose, LEVERKUSEN, Lukas, Lukas Podolski, miroslav klose, Munich, munich germany, presence, teenager, Toni, toni kroos, World Cup, wunderkind

Gerrard not guilty over bar brawl

July 24, 2009

Liverpool and England football star Steven Gerrard was found not guilty of affray Friday over an alleged assault on a businessman during a bar brawl.

The player showed no emotion when the verdict was read out, after 70 minutes of jury deliberation.

Judge Henry Globe told Gerrard:: “The verdict is a credible verdict on the full facts of this case, and you walk away from this court with your reputation intact.”

Gerrard was accused of being part of a group that injured Marcus McGee at the Lounge Inn nightclub in Southport near Liverpool, northwest England, in December last year.

The midfielder was celebrating his club’s 5-1 win at Newcastle United at the time. He denied the charge of affray. An initial charge of assault was dropped at a court hearing in March.

Giving evidence at the trial Thursday, the 29-year-old midfielder had insisted he punched 34-year-old businessman McGee only in self-defence after an argument about what music was being played.

But he said he was sorry about what he did, adding: “Obviously I am upset about how the whole thing turned out.”

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP)

Tags: affray, alleged assault, bar brawl, businessman, court hearing, emotion, England, england football, football star, initial charge, Judge Henry Globe, jury deliberation, Liverpool, liverpool england, marcus mcgee, midfielder, NEWCASTLE, newcastle united, northwest england, reputation, self defence, southport, Steven Gerrard

After 24 years, Maldini set for San Siro farewell

May 24, 2009

ROME (AFP) – Twenty-four years of glorious San Siro service come to an end on Sunday when AC Milan great Paolo Maldini finally bids farewell to his adoring home fans.

Twenty-four years is how long Maldini has been pulling on the famous red and black shirt of Milan, during which time he has won an incredible number of trophies.

Since making his debut in 1985, the 40-year-old has won the Champions League five times, the Italian title seven times and the Italian Cup, surprisingly, only once.

His reign as captain and lynchpin for Milan has defied all odds in the modern game during an era when the pace and power of football has rendered long careers a rarity.

And what has made Maldini’s career even more remarkable is that his own father Cesare was also a Milan stalwart during the 1950s and 1960s.

His swansong on Sunday will end, for the time being at least, a magnificent and long family tradition with the club, the only one for which he has turned out since his professional debut as a 17-year-old.

But he didn’t just bristle for Milan, he has also earned an Italian record 126 caps for his country, while setting another record in turning out more than 900 times for Milan.

The only record to taint his otherwise unblemished career is the lack of success Italy enjoyed during his reign.

Quite unlike his glittering — in terms of the trophies he won — club career, his international experience has been barren.

He did at least play in both the World Cup and European Championship finals but Brazil denied him in 1994 and France did so again in 2000.

And when Italy landed the World Cup in 2006, 24 years since their last victory, Maldini was already in international retirement.

But his greatness and place in footballing history should not just be marked by victories.

He has always been an example to all, in his manner of playing and in his off-field demeanour.

For an Italian football star he has also been an exception for the lack of tantrums, fits and controversy following him around.

That’s perhaps less surprising given that he played his whole career in defence, initially, and largely, as a left-back but also increasingly in recent years in the centre.

In fact it was in the centre of the back-line that he gave perhaps his most accomplished and important performance of all, in the 1994 European Cup final.

In that Milan were missing both their first choice centre-halves through suspension but Maldini filled in admirably and while the game is remembered mostly for Milan’s swashbuckling attacking display that swept them to a stunning 4-0 victory, it was on the foundation of a formidable defensive effort.

Maldini kept the dream attacking line-up of Romario and Hristo Stoichkov quiet throughout the evening and Milan shocked the footballing world.

But perhaps his greatest achievement was in fact the lack of animosity shown to him.

Even Inter Milan’s fans, the most likely to hate Maldini, were moved to pay hommage to him during the last, and Maldini’s last ever, Milan derby.

“That was a wonderful surprise. On a human level I think that was one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve ever had,” he said of the incident.

Maldini’s impact will possibly only be felt at its most once he has left and his team-mates will certainly sense his absence greatly.

“The thing that has always impressed me about Paolo is that after every goal, no matter where he is on the pitch, he always runs over to celebrate with the scorer. Without fail, I think that’s great,” said Brazilian Kaka.

Sunday probably won’t be Maldini’s last game as unless he is booked or sent-off he will make his farewell at Fiorentina a week later.

But Sunday will be the day when his own fans — 80,000 strong — will get the chance to say goodbye and thank you.

Because Maldini is sure that he will never come back as a coach.

“I’m going to have a long holiday, until September and then I don’t know but one thing is for sure, I’ll never be a coach,” he said.

Tags: ac milan, brazil, Cesare, club career, demeanour, family tradition, football star, France, home fans, international experience, international retirement, italian cup, italian football, italian title, Italy, lynchpin, Paolo, paolo maldini, professional debut, ROME, San, san siro, Serie A, seven times, stalwart, swansong, twenty four years

Iraqi star Akram signs with FC Twente

May 21, 2009

BAGHDAD (AFP) – Iraqi football star Nashat Akram has signed a three-year deal with Dutch club FC Twente, runners-up in this year’s league title, according to his website.

The promising midfielder with 75 international caps is the first Iraqi player to join the Dutch league and only the second to play in Europe after Hawar Mulla Mohammed Taher Zeebari joined Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta.

Akram, 24, a key playmaker in Iraq’s dramatic victory in the 2007 Asia Cup, previously played for Qatari club Al-Gharrafa and last year was on trial at Manchester City but was denied a work permit by the British government.

After a year with United Arab Emirates club Al-Ain in 2007, he was linked to Sunderland before signing this month with former England manager Steve McClaren’s side.

“This is a dream come true, to play in Europe. FC Twente is a good club with a big coach,” Akram said.

Tags: al ain, Al-Gharrafa, Asia, asia cup, baghdad, british government, dramatic victory, dutch club, dutch league, England, england manager, Eredivisie, Europe, Famagusta, fc twente, football star, hawar mulla mohammed, international caps, Iraq, manchester city, midfielder, Mohammed Taher, nashat akram, playmaker, Steve McClaren, Sunderland, taher, united arab emirates, work permit

Beckham backs new anti-malaria campaign

April 21, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – England football star David Beckham and world-class British tennis player Andy Murray joined Prime Minister Gordon Brown to launch an anti-malaria campaign on Monday.

Beckham, Murray and British Olympic gold medal-winning heptathlete Denise Lewis posed for the cameras in front of a blue mosquito net draped over the front door of 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence.

The trio have pledged their backing to Malaria No More UK, a charity launched in a bid to prevent millions of deaths from the disease worldwide.

England and AC Milan midfielder Beckham said: “It’s truly incredible to think we can stop this killer disease forever and it’s such a simple thing to do.

“For less than the cost of a football you can protect a family from dying. I urge the UK public to get behind the Malaria No More UK campaign to save a life and make malaria no more.”

Malaria, despite being treatable, threatens half the world’s population and pregnant women and children are particularly at risk.

Murray, fresh from reaching the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters tournament at the weekend, said: “This is the first global charity I’ve been involved with in this capacity and it was an easy decision.

“Malaria is completely preventable and stoppable but yet it still kills more children in Africa than any other single disease. We can radically change this, it is a huge opportunity and I’m urging the UK public to help save a life and get behind Malaria No More UK, a truly world-changing and life-saving initiative.”

Tags: 10 downing street, AC, ac milan, Africa, andy murray, British, british tennis, Brown, David Beckham, denise lewis, England, england football, English Premier League, football star, global charity, gordon brown, half the world, killer disease, london, masters tournament, Milan, monte carlo masters, mosquito net, olympic gold medal, prime minister gordon brown, star david, tennis player, UK, uk campaign

´King Kazu´ Miura still scoring goals at 42

March 15, 2009

TOKYO (AFP) – Timeless Japanese football star Kazuyoshi Miura, the 1993 Asian Player of the Year and known as "King Kazu" to his fans, has stretched his own record of the oldest scorer in J-League.

The midfielder scored from a penalty kick in the 12th minute in his club Yokohama FC’s 2-1 defeat to Kumamoto in a J-League second division match at home on Saturday.

He was 42 years and 16 days.

"I only had to concentrate on kicking," he told reporters. "I didn’t think about failing or any other unnecessary things. But it was really scary as the ball hit the (goalkeeper’s) hand."

Miura, who started his professional career at a youth club in Brazil at 15 and returned to Japan in 1990, scored his first J-League goal in 1993.

Saturday’s was his 151st goal in J-League, closing on Masashi Nakayama’s record of 157 goals.

"I do remember my first goal. I was really feeling strongly about scoring a goal at that time," Miura said. "Now I have to do different things — defending, crossing and dribbling. They are all as valuable as scoring a goal."

Written by: AFP

Tags: brazil, CAF Champions League, different things, football star, Goalkeeper, j league, Japan, japanese football, kazuyoshi miura, king kazu, Kumamoto, league goal, masashi nakayama, match, midfielder, penalty kick, professional career, scorer, scoring goals, tokyo, YOKOHAMA

Liverpool captain Gerrard charged over bar brawl

December 30, 2008

LONDON (AFP) – Top English footballer Steven Gerrard was charged Tuesday with assault and affray over an alleged bar brawl while out celebrating a crushing match win for the Premiership leaders, police said.

The Liverpool midfielder, 28, was charged along with two other men who were also arrested early Monday after an incident at a late-night bar in Southport, north of Liverpool in northwest England.

The venue's disc jockey, a 34-year-old local man, required hospital treatment after suffering facial injuries.

"He was charged in the early hours of this morning with assault and affray," a spokesman for Merseyside Police told AFP. The football star was released on bail from Southport police station early Tuesday.

Gerrard, not normally known for off-field indiscretions, featured heavily on the front pages rather than at the back of newspapers Tuesday.

"Then it all kicked off," splashed the daily Mirror alongside amateur pictures of the Liverpool star drinking before the incident, while the Independent had "The night Gerrard hit the bar."

The disturbance occurred hours after Liverpool won 5-1 at Newcastle United on Sunday, with Gerrard scoring two goals. Also charged were John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19, both from Liverpool.

Gerrard was arrested at around 2:30 am after a disturbance at the Lounge Inn, a restaurant on Southport's Bold Street which doubles up as a music venue. The bar was closed Monday but shards of broken glass were visible on the floor.

Southport, a prosperous seaside town, is known as somewhere where footballers from nearby Premier League teams go to socialise.

"The three men will be appearing at North Sefton Magistrates' Court on January 23," a Merseyside police statement said. Three other men arrested in connection with the incident — aged 33, 31 and 18 — have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Liverpool Football Club has so far declined to comment.

The Reds head into the New Year with a three-point lead over Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table.

Liverpool won the last of their record 18 English titles in 1990 and keeping star player Gerrard fit and available is widely considered essential if they are to win the Premier League this season.

Speaking after the Newcastle victory, Gerrard said: "This is the best team I have played with. If we want to stay at the top and be involved in this title race we have got to deal with the pressure."

Gerrard has played 70 times for England and captained his country.

Born in the Liverpool suburb of Huyton, Gerrard has only ever played professional club football for Liverpool, for whom he made his debut in 1998.

Three years ago he inspired the team to come from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Italian side AC Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul as Liverpool reclaimed European club football's most prestigious trophy.

Last year, Gerrard signed a contract keeping him at Anfield until 2011 and this October saw him score his 100th goal for the Reds.

The footballer is not known as a big drinker. However in 2001 he was spotted out drinking 11 hours before he was due to meet up with the rest of the England squad and had to apologise to then national manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Written by: AFP