Pompey battle for survival moves to High Court

February 10, 2010

Portsmouth’s battle for survival in the Premier League switched from the pitch to the High Court on Wednesday as the cash-strapped club attempted to stave off a move by the UK tax authorities to have it placed in administration.

Having failed to reach an out-of-court accord with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over an outstanding Value Added Tax bill of 7.5 million pounds, Portsmouth’s lawyers went to court to seek an adjournment of a hearing on a winding up petition presented by the tax body.

If they failed, Portsmouth faced becoming the first Premier League club to be placed in administration, a move that would lead to a nine-point penalty being imposed and effectively condemn Pompey to relegation from the top flight.

That is looking very likely in any case. Portsmouth, who have lost 17 of their 25 matches this season, are currently bottom of the table and six points adrift of Bolton, the club occupying the last survival spot.

Talks on a negotiated settlement with HMRC broke down on Tuesday but there was a glimmer of hope for the club’s long-suffering fans as their side snatched a 96th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

Aruna Dindane headed in the last-gasp equaliser after Darren Bent had given Sunderland an early lead from a penalty.

Afterwards, Portsmouth manager Avram Grant appealed to the judge considering the club’s tax case to take the passion of the Fratton Park faithful into account in his decision.

“It is not a normal business, it is not like an apartment you buy without feelings,” the former Chelsea and Israel manager said.

“The club is 112 years old, it belongs to 250,000 people. It needs to stay alive. That is more important than football.”

Portsmouth’s total of four wins in the league matches the number of owners the club have had this season.

Hong Kong-based businessman Balram Chainrai took a controlling interest in the financially-stricken club last week after exercising provisions linked to a 17-million-pound loan his company made to the former owner, from Ali Al-Faraj, a Saudi Arabian national based in the British Virgin Islands.

Chainrai is hoping to stabilise the club before selling it on to new owners in order to recoup his investment.

Portsmouth’s financial difficulties have been underlined by the club’s failure to pay staff and players on time on four occasions so far this season and former owner Alexandre Gaydamak claims he is still owned 28 million pounds.

The club’s precarious financial position first became evident towards the end of 2008 and has resulted in the dismantling of the squad which won the FA Cup that year.

Star striker Jermain Defoe and midfielder Lasanna Diarra were sold in January 2009, Defoe’s England team-mates Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson followed at the end of last season and Bosnia goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and key defender Younes Kaboul were offloaded last month.

Cardiff City, the side Portsmouth beat in the 2008 Cup final, were also facing a winding-up order from HMRC on Wednesday. Cardiff’s financial plight is so bad the club cannot afford to pay to have its badly scarred pitch restored.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: adjournment, alexandre gaydamak, Ali Al-Faraj, aruna, aruna dindane, Bosnia, British Virgin Islands, businessman, cardiff, controlling interest, equaliser, first premier, four wins, Fratton Park, glimmer of hope, hmrc, Hong Kong, israel, last gasp, london, long suffering, Portsmouth, premier league, six points, Sunderland, tax authorities, tax case, top flight, UK, winding up petition

Roma late show shocks Fulham, Celtic face Europa League exit

November 6, 2009

Fulham compromised their hopes of advancing in the Europa League on Thursday when Roma came from behind to win 2-1 in Italy, the English Premiership side ending the Group E contest with nine men, while Everton slumped 2-0 at home to Benfica.

Diomansy Kamara shocked the Stadio Olimpico by netting a spotkick on 19 minutes after Marco Andreolli brought him down but everything went downhill for the visitors thereafter as substitute Erik Nevland was dismissed within three minutes of coming on for a heavy challenge on Daniele De Rossi.

Former Liverpool man John Arne Riise then levelled after 69 minutes with a deflected effort and Stefano Okaka headed the clincher a quarter of an hour from the end before defender Paul Konchesky fouled Rodrigo Taddei to leave Fulham two men down.

The loss means Roy Hodgson’s side, who had held the Romans on their own turf, suffered their first reverse in the group and they now stand third, two points behind Roma with two games remaining.

At Goodison Park, Everton were outclassed for the second time by Benfica, the Portuguese winning with strikes from Javier Saviola after good work by highly-rated Angel di Maria, then an acrobatic volley from Oscar Cardozo to leave the Portuguese three points clear at the top of Group I.

The win meant a happy return to Merseyside for Benfica legend Eusebio, who scored six of his nine goals at Goodison in the 1966 World Cup, including two in a win over Brazil and four more in the memorable 5-3 success over North Korea.

“Today for me, for my family, it’s a good day, for Benfica to play here. This stadium for me is the best stadium in my playing life,” Eusebio told Channel Five television before the game.

The top two teams from each group will join the third-placed sides from the eight Champions League groups in the last 32.

Shakhtar Donetsk, who won the final UEFA Cup competition last season before the competition morphed into the Europa League, are through after they made it four wins in four games, beating French side Toulouse 2-0 in Group J.

Werder Bremen of Germany are through after seeing off Austria Vienna 2-0 in Group L.

French veteran Robert Pires was twice on target for Villarreal in Group G group in a 4-1 home romp over Lazio to join the Italians on six points.

Celtic’s hopes of advancing hang by a thread after they could only manage a goalless draw in Hamburg, to whom they had lost at home in Group C.

Celtic, just one win now in 25 European away ties, prop up the group with Thursday’s point only their second to date after striker Scott McDonald missed two good chances to secure maximum points at the Nordbank Arena.

The Germans lie second in the group on seven points with Israeli outfit Hapoel Tel Aviv out in front after the latter moved onto nine points following a 3-0 romp at Rapid Vienna.

Elsewhere, Ajax are as good as through after they won 2-0 away to nine-man Dinamo Zagreb with Marko Pantelic and Demy de Zeeuw on target.

Dinamo had Leandro Cufre and Adrian Calello dismissed in a match played behind closed doors owing to recent crowd trouble.

Anderlecht are also looking set fair for the next phase after a 3-1 home success over Romania’s Timisoara left them and their Dutch rivals six points clear.

In Group B, veteran Hernan Crespo was on target as Genoa edged out Lille 3-2 while Valencia, twice Champions League finalists, let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Slavia Prague.

Lille are still a point ahead of Valencia and Genoa.

Turkish side Galalatasary are through from Group F after Aussie striker and former Leeds and Liverpool forward Harry Kewell netted the opener in a 3-0 win at Dinamo Bucharest.

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: Adrian Calello, C. Celtic, cup competition, daniele de rossi, english premiership, Erik Nevland, four games, four wins, french side, Goodison Park, Harry, I. The, Italy, J. Werder, javier saviola, john arne riise, L. French, Liverpool, man john, Maria, Merseyside, morphed, North Korea, oscar cardozo, PARIS, paul konchesky, premiership side, robert pires, rodrigo taddei, roy hodgson, saviola, scott mcdonald, shakhtar donetsk, stadio olimpico, Stefano Okaka, UEFA Cup

Ferguson wary of Moscow threat

November 3, 2009

Manchester United face CSKA Moscow in the Champions League at Old Trafford here on Tuesday with Sir Alex Ferguson warning the hosts they have not qualified for the latter stages just yet.

Ferguson’s side have won all three of their Champions League matches so far, including this corresponding fixture in Russia, and stand on the cusp of reaching the knock-out stages.

They are huge favourites to make that four wins out of four against a CSKA side that is currently lurching from one crisis to another.

After sacking Brazil legend Zico in September, his replacement – the former Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos – lasted just 46 days in charge before he was also shown the door last week.

As a result, new coach Leonid Slutsky’s first game in charge of the club will be against United – a formidable challenge for anybody, never mind a coach trying to re-unite a dressing room that is said to be hugely divided.

However, Ferguson is by no means complacent about the challenge CSKA are likely to pose to his team, citing the fact that the visitors must win if they wish to keep their own Champions League ambitions alive.

“In a way I think it might be tougher than it was over there,” Ferguson said. “I think that over there they needed to win so we kept our patience and kept the ball and run them into a difficult position and they didn’t quite know how to beat us.

“Now the situation is that they need to win all their games and it’s going to be difficult to qualify so I don’t know whether they’d come to Old Trafford and have a go.

“But it’s more clear-cut for us in that we’ve got to attack them and do it with a purpose as we have to do in home games.

“There’s nothing unusual for us but how they approach it, with the position they’re in and with a new coach, I’m not sure what they’ll do.”

United are likely to have one eye on next weekend because they are playing Chelsea in a Premier League clash that could help dictate the destiny of the title.

And despite Ferguson’s claims the Moscow game is going to be tough, he may well decide to rest stars such as Edwin van der Sar and Ryan Giggs to ensure they are fresh for the encounter with Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

A victory for United would also mean they could afford to give fringe players some valuable Champions League experience in the two final group matches after the Moscow game.

“If we win on Tuesday we’ve won the group, that’s the incentive so we’ll put the accelerator on because of that,” Ferguson added. “If we do that it gives me options about what I do in the next two Champions League games.

“Young players will definitely get their opportunity but first we’ve got to win the game on Tuesday.”

Sunday’s 3-1 defeat by FK Moscow brought an end Ramos’s reign at CSKA and a, perhaps unfair, level of expectation is now resting on Slutsky’s shoulders.

A win at Old Trafford would herald the dream start for the 38-year-old but if he is being realistic, he must have accepted a place in the Europa League is now the best he can produce, despite the hopes of others at the club.

“We need to build a new team, which only a Russian manager can do,” the club’s owner, Evgeny Giner said.

“The contract with him has been signed for three years. Our trust in Slutsky is as big as our enthusiasm about the club’s prospects.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: alex ferguson, ambitions, brazil, carlo ancelotti, champions league, clash, cska moscow, cusp, dressing room, Edwin van der, England, first game, four wins, home games, knock out, latter stages, Leonid Slutsky, Manchester, manchester united, Moscow, old trafford, premier league, russia, ryan giggs, sir alex ferguson, slutsky, tottenham hotspur, zico

Blues on Ancelotti´s wavelength as Rovers await

October 24, 2009

Carlo Ancelotti’s English might still be a work in progress, but the Italian is currently happy for Chelsea to provide eloquence on his behalf.

On every occasion the west Londoners have been asked a taxing question since Ancelotti took charge, they have provided an articulate response.

A shambolic defeat at Wigan was followed by a brutally efficient win over Liverpool; then, just when their credentials appeared to be undermined by another notable wobble, this time at Aston Villa, they reaffirmed them in stylish fashion with a 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid.

It all makes ominous reading for Blackburn Rovers ahead of their visit to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Chelsea may have been prone to the odd bout of brain-freeze on their travels this term, but their imperiousness on home soil has been a throwback to the days of Jose Mourinho.

Four wins out of four in the English Premier League, including 10 goals for and just one against, are the kind of statistics which usually add up to a title challenge.

Chelsea are also one step ahead of their rivals in a different form of numbers game.

The club’s serene progress in the Champions League this season, where they have won all three games without conceding, is a mark of their strength in depth.

They have not once been able to call upon Didier Drogba, their talismanic striker, due to the three-match European ban awarded for his foul-mouthed rant at Tom Henning Ovrebo, the referee for last season’s semi-final with Barcelona.

Chelsea’s ability to shrug off adversity is in stark contrast to some of their title rivals, most obviously Liverpool, who have laboured in the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, a point that has not gone unnoticed at Stamford Bridge.

“We’re very fortunate at Chelsea,” Frank Lampard, their England midfielder, said.

“Since Roman Abramovich came, we’ve had a lot of strength in depth – like with Salomon Kalou scoring twice against Atletico with Didier Drogba being out.

“People said we would struggle without Didier, but we didn’t. If you take Torres out of their team, who do they (Liverpool) bring in?

“It’s difficult. We have players that are not here only to make up the numbers, but players that are fighting and working hard every day in training to come in and really prove themselves.”

Lampard had failed to score from open play for his club all season until he plundered Chelsea’s third goal against Atletico with a typically crisp long-range drive.

Presumably, any relief felt by Lampard will have been mirrored by Ancelotti.

Sam Allardyce’s Blackburn have lost all three league games on their travels, leaking 11 goals in the process, and were thrashed 6-2 by Arsenal in their last outing to the capital.

They might venture south buoyed by their east Lanacashire derby win over Burnley, but few of their fans will be travelling with great expectations.

“Looking at the fixtures, beating Burnley gives us a better opportunity to nick something from the next two games than we would otherwise have done,” maintained Allardyce.

“It was a great three points bearing in mind it was a local derby and that our next two away games are Chelsea and Manchester United.

“It was important we got to 10 points as quickly as possible as these fixtures are going to be difficult.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: Barcelona, brain freeze, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, didier drogba, eloquence, English Premier League, Fernando Torres, four wins, frank lampard, home soil, Jose, jose mourinho, Liverpool, london, MADRID, Manchester, numbers game, premier league, roman abramovich, Salomon Kalou, Sam, stamford bridge, stark contrast, Steven Gerrard, stylish fashion, title challenge, tom henning, Tom Henning Ovrebo, wobble

Top Spanish teams inspired by Messi and Ronaldo

September 26, 2009

With just four games gone the Spanish league appears to have turned into the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo show with the two biggest football superstars in the world inspiring Barcelona and Real Madrid to a maximum 12 points.

Argentine Messi has scored five goals in three appearances to push Barcelona to the summit while Ronaldo, the world?s most expensive player, has scored in every league game for Real with five goals from four outings.

Barcelona crushed Racing Santander 4-1 on Tuesday, with Messi scoring twice, and they are on the road again travelling to Malaga on Saturday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has struck up a real partnership with Messi and the Swede made history by becoming the first ever Barcelona player to score in each of his first four matches for the club.

“Ibra (Ibrahimovic) and I are getting to know each other but it is easy because of his quality,” explained Messi. “I have to get used to his movement as he does to mine, however, slowly but surely our understanding is developing.”

Ibrahimovic is a doubt for the Malaga game after twisting his ankle against Santander so Thierry Henry may be asked to play as a central striker having done so on many occasions at Arsenal.

Four wins represents Barca?s best start since 1998 but Real have matched the champions with 12 points in their best opening sequence since 1992.

Real host promoted Tenerife at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday and the spotlight will be on Portuguese centre-back Pepe who makes his league return following the completion of a 10-match ban.

Pepe was hit with the 10-match suspension during the tail end of last season for stamping on Getafe?s Francisco Casquero and striking another Getafe player, Juan Albin, in the Madrid derby which Real eventually won 3-2.

“It is in the past and I am just looking forward now,” said Pepe. “The hardest thing has been left on the outside watching your team-mates play while I couldn?t. I just want to get back playing.”

With Barca and Real already nestled in the top two the anticipated two-horse title race appears to be under way, however, Sevilla midfielder Didier Zokora believes his side can compete with the big two.

“Barcelona are the best team in the league and Real have a great team but we can fight for the title and even get as far as the semi-finals in the Champions League because we have an excellent squad here,” explained Zokora.

Sevilla lie third, three points behind the leading duo, going into Saturday?s match at Athletic Bilbao who are level with them on nine points after a promising start to the campaign.

The feature game of the weekend is on Saturday when struggling Atletico Madrid travel to Valencia.

Atletico, fourth last season, sit second from bottom after failing to win any of their first four matches and coach Abel Resino has reportedly been given two games to save his job, starting at Valencia.

“I am calm and have not had an ultimatum of any sort,” insisted Resino. “I will go to work with the team and look for solutions. One game can change everything.”

Valencia lost 3-1 at Getafe on Wednesday as they tasted their first defeat of the season leaving them five points off the leaders.

Spanish international David Villa has scored five goals to join Messi and Ronaldo at the top of the goal-scoring charts and publicly attacked the team for failing to kill off opponents.

“I have spoken with Villa and the matter is now closed,” revealed Valencia coach Unai Emery. “We want Villa to score goals and we will discuss internal matters internally.”

Villarreal are the other Champions League hopefuls but they have had a wretched start with two points from 12 as coach Ernesto Valverde seeks his first win in charge at Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.

Fixtures

Saturday

Real Madrid v Tenerife (1600 GMT), Athletic Bilbao v Sevilla (1600 GMT), Malaga v Barcelona (1800 GMT), Valencia v Atletico Madrid (2000 GMT)

Sunday – all 1500 GMT unless stated

Espanyol v Xerez, Real Mallorca v Valladolid, Osasuna v Sporting Gijon, Almeria v Racing Santander, Real Zaragoza v Getafe (1700 GMT), Deportivo La Coruna v Villarreal (1900 GMT)

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: Albin, barca, four games, four wins, hardest thing, league game, lionel messi, madrid derby, opening sequence, racing santander, real madrid, ronaldo, santiago bernabeu, spanish league, striker, superstars, swede, team mates, thierry henry, zlatan ibrahimovic

Liverpool look ahead after Champions League scare

September 17, 2009

Liverpool will hope to make it four wins in a row when they visit West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday after limping to a 1-0 victory against Hungarian champions Debrecen in Europe.

“We’re slowly getting back to where we want to be,” Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said after seeing his side struggle to victory over Debrecen in their opening Champions League Group E tie at Anfield on Wednesday.

“It’s three wins on the spin, hopefully we can make that four at West Ham,” added the England midfielder.

Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt scored the only goal against Debrecen, who were making their first appearance in the Champions League group stages.

“The most important thing is to get the three points,” Reds manager Rafael Benitez said after seeing Kuyt’s goal in added time at the end of the first half secure the win.

“People didn’t know what to expect because they didn’t know the other team, but they showed they’re not bad,” added the Spaniard who was celebrating his 300th game in charge of Liverpool.

Attention now turns to Saturday and Liverpool’s visit to West Ham.

The Reds, boosted this week by a multi-million pound sponsorship deal signed with Standard Chartered Bank, have endured a mixed start to the new Premier League season.

Liverpool have lost two of their opening five fixtures – the same number as during the whole of last season when they finished second to champions Manchester United.

“Everyone knows we had a bad start… We are trying to get our confidence back,” Kuyt said on Wednesday.

Benitez began the match against Debrecen with the same side that had defeated Burnley 4-0 in the Premier League last weekend, which meant Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano started on the bench following a short spell out through injury.

Israeli Yossi Benayoun, scorer of a hat-trick against Burnley, was involved in creating the goal before making way for Mascherano near the end.

The Hungarians, backed by a few hundred noisy fans, defended solidly early on, restricting the home side to long-range strikes fired tamely wide of the visitors’ goal.

Debrecen grew in confidence as the first-half progressed and in the 30th minute Peter Czvitkovics forced Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal into a finger-tip save over his bar.

It was a wake-up call for Benitez’s players who fought back thanks to two strikes from Albert Riera but on each occasion the Spaniard’s effort was well saved by Debrecen’s goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic.

Riera was at the heart of the action once more just before the break, firing in a low cross but Gerrard was unable to keep his shot on target.

Liverpool finally opened the scoring moments before the end of the first half.

Fernando Torres, collecting a through-pass from Benayoun, swivelled away from his marker on the edge of the Debrecen box, before unleashing a shot towards goal. Poleksic managed only to push the ball back into the path of Kuyt and the Dutchman slotted home from close range.

Liverpool took the game to Debrecen in the second half as Gerrard shot a volley just over the bar and a Benayoun effort was punched away by the keeper after a mazy run from the diminutive midfielder.

Debrecen might have snatched a shock equaliser near the end but French striker Adamo Coulibaly, finding himself free in the box after beating the offside trap, was unable to lob Reina rushing from his goal.

LIVERPOOL (AFP)

Tags: albert riera, anfield, Argentina, captain Steven Gerrard, champions league group, dirk kuyt, England, Fernando Torres, first appearance, four wins, group stages, hat trick, hungarians, Javier Mascherano, Liverpool, Manchester, midfielder, noisy fans, Peter Czvitkovics, rafael benitez, reds manager, Reina, Spaniard, sponsorship deal, standard chartered bank, Steven Gerrard, west ham

Liverpool seek Premier League tonic after cup scare

September 17, 2009

Liverpool will hope to make it four wins in a row when they visit West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday after limping to a 1-0 victory against Hungarian champions Debrecen in Europe.