Beckham wonÂ´t be distracted by United clash

February 14, 2010

AC Milan midfielder David Beckham insists he will be able to cope with the emotions of his first encounter with former club Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Beckham will face United in a competitive game for the first time since quitting Old Trafford to join Real Madrid in 2003 when the English champions visit the San Siro for the first knockout round first leg.

The 34-year-old, on loan at Milan from LA Galaxy, spent 10 years in Sir Alex Ferguson’s team after emerging from United’s youth academy and won a host of honours including the Champions League and Premier League.

Beckham is a self-confessed United fan and the England midfielder admits it will be quite an occasion to come up against his old friends.

But he is confident he will be able to keep his emotions in check and help Milan in one of the Champions League’s biggest fixtures this season.

“Obviously there will be emotions but I don’t think it will be a problem. I’ve played in many big games,” Beckham told the Sunday Times.

“There has been so much talk about me going back to Manchester United in the second leg, because it will be my first time playing for a club there in seven years.

“But this tie is not just about me playing against United, it’s about AC Milan. It’s about two great clubs coming together, and that’s what makes it such a big game, for the teams, for the fans.”

Beckham believes in-form United striker Wayne Rooney, who has 23 goals this season, is the man his side must stop if they want to reach the quarter-finals.

“I have always thought that Wayne is one of the best goalscorers in football anywhere. He’s proving that,” Beckham said.

“He’s at a great club and doing what he does best, which is scoring goals. United are playing so well for him, too.”

LONDON (AFP)

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Redknapp in favour of Old Firm England bid

November 10, 2009

Glasgow rivals Celtic and Rangers have won backing for their bid to join the English Premier League from Tottenham coach Harry Redknapp.

The long-standing Old Firm campaign to join the English setup was given a boost last week when both Everton’s David Moyes and Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill endorsed Bolton chairman Phil Gartside’s plan for them to be included in a new two-tier top flight.

Gartside’s proposal is expected to be discussed at a meeting of Premier League clubs this week and Redknapp has become the first English boss to publicly back the concept.

He told the Daily Record: “Absolutely, I would welcome Celtic and Rangers to English football if they wanted to play down here. No doubt about it. I’m sure they would be good for the English game.

“We are talking about two huge football clubs and if they were to join our league you would be looking at great games in great stadiums.

“I was up in Scotland only a couple of months ago to watch Celtic play Arsenal in the Champions League qualifiers and the atmosphere was out of this world.

“It was incredible and I’d love to see games like that on a more regular basis.

“The one worry I would have is what happens to the rest of Scottish football if the two of them are allowed to leave but only the people up there know the answer to that.

“If you’re asking me if it would be good for the English game then the answer is yes.”

Former Celtic player Moyes and ex-Parkhead boss O’Neill have emotional ties to their former club but Redknapp is a more dispassionate observer.

And despite acknowledging the Old Firm would eventually become a threat to his own club, he would still welcome them with open arms.

He said: “It’s true, with the extra money they would get down here the two of them probably would end up challenging clubs such as ourselves for European places but that’s nothing something we should be scared of.

“We are talking here about two great clubs and it would be fantastic to compete against them. It would only make the game in this country stronger if we had two clubs with their tradition operating in our league.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: aston villa, champions league qualifiers, coach harry, daily record, David Moyes, emotional ties, England, english game, English Premier League, football clubs, gartside, Glasgow, great clubs, great games, Harry Redknapp, london, martin o neill, Martin O'Neill, Neill, no doubt, parkhead, Phil Gartside, premier league, premier league clubs, s david, s martin, scotland, scottish football

Schalke ready to deepen Bayern’s wounds

November 6, 2009

Schalke 04 takes on Bayern Munich in this week’s Bundesliga’s top match. The Royal Blues will be looking for a repeat of last season’s result- a 1-0 victory. Bayern are sixth in the league and almost out of the Champions League after Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat at home against Bordeaux.

“It won’t be an easy game, but it’s definitely possible to beat Bayern,” said Schalke striker Jefferson Farfan at the club’s website.

“Great clubs like Bayern, who have such good players, are always under pressure. However, we’re only focusing on ourselves; their problems on the field are of no concern to us. We’ll just try to get the best possible result in Munich.”

Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, who feels the heat in the Allianz Arena after a weak start of the season will be able to call up some fresh legs as Belgian centre half Daniel van Buyten returns from his calf injury. Another boost for Van Gaal’s suffering side is the return of fully recovered Arjen Robben, who will reclaim his spot in the starting line up.

Striker Luca Toni is set to grab a spot ahead of Mario Gomez and Thomas Muller will return in midfield after his Champions League suspension.

Van Gaal gave his players a rare day off on Thursday to flush the midweek defeat out of their system, knowing that a defeat against Schalke would make his position uncomfortable.

“The day off is for the heads to clear and turn to focus on Schalke,” van Gaal told reporters. “This is a crucial match which we must win.”

Paul Haring

Tags: allianz, allianz arena, Bayern, bayern munich, belgian centre, Bordeaux, Bundesliga, calf injury, champions league, Daniel van Buyten, great clubs, jefferson farfan, louis van gaal, luca toni, mario gomez, match, midfield, Munich, Paul Haring, robben, royal blues, starting line, thomas müller, Toni, Van Gaal

World Cup dream behind Beckham´s Milan stay

March 9, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – David Beckham has revealed his dream of playing for England in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was the motivation behind his desire to stay with AC Milan.

After weeks of negotiations, Beckham has extended his loan with Milan from Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy until the end of the Italian season in an attempt to prove to England coach Fabio Capello that he can still perform at the highest level.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is desperate to have one last crack at winning the World Cup in next year’s finals, but he had been reduced to a bit-part role for England since his move to America.

His switch to the San Siro has kept Beckham in Capello’s thoughts and he made a record-equalling 108th England appearance in last month’s friendly against Spain.

Beckham, 33, will return to California to see out the rest of the MLS season after finishing Milan’s campaign. He is set to return to Italy for the 2009-10 season, providing him with a platform to impress Capello, and he believes staying with Milan will help his England ambitions.

"There’s a few reasons for staying with Milan. One is I’m playing with one of the biggest clubs in the world and with some of the best players in the world. I’m passionate about that," Beckham told the BBC.

"Obviously the one everyone talks about is it gives me a chance to play in the 2010 World Cup. I personally have to do everything I can to be involved in that.

"Everyone knows how passionate I am about playing for my country and if this gives me a better chance of being involved in that squad that’s great."

Negotiations for Beckham to stay were slowed after Milan baulked at the size of transfer fee demanded by Galaxy, thought to be around 12 million euros.

Beckham hinted that reports he paid three million dollars to make up the difference between the fee Galaxy wanted and the price Milan were prepared to pay were on the mark.

"I’ve done really well in my career and played for so many great clubs. I’ve been able to help myself stay in Milan, if I can put it that way. That is the big thing for me," he said.

"It’s never been about money for me. It’s been about football and my passion for the game. Hopefully this has shown it.

"Everybody knew how much I wanted this to happen and how much I wanted to stay and play my football in Milan. Obviously the Galaxy have been great and Milan have been great.

"I want to stay in Milan to help the club qualify for the Champions League.

"It also gives me a chance to go back to LA and finish the season. It is something I am very committed to. Then after that we will see."

Beckham insisted his move to California has not been a mistake.

"People have always asked me if I’ve regretted my decision. Throughout my career I’ve never wanted regrets and I’ve always said no," he said.

"At the time I felt it was the right thing to do. I’ve had two great years with the Galaxy. We might not have been successful on the field but statistics show the game has grown.

"If we continue to have the success we’ve had with attendances and the interest in the game, that will be positive and a sign that the game is moving forward."

Written by: AFP