Rothen set to sign for Turkish side

January 24, 2010


Rangers manager Walter Smith admits that his team’s Jerome Rothen is on the verge of joining Ankaragucu. The deal will take the former Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain winger to Turkey on loan.

The 31-year-old has endured a hard time at Ibrox and has already spoken of his wish to secure a switch elsewhere during the January transfer window.

Rothen only moved to Scotland from Paris St Germain in September, but has struggled to make his mark and become a first-team player. Smith confirmed Rothen is set to move away from the Scottish outfit, although the move has not been finalized yet.

“Martin [Bain, chief executive] was dealing with that one,” Smith said after seeing Rangers held 1-1 by Hearts on Saturday.

“I think he is going there, although I don’t think it’s confirmed yet. But I think he is hoping to go there.”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

PSG: Coupet will return

December 1, 2009


Paris St Germain have insisted Gregory Coupet’s career will not be ended by his broken ankle. The 36-year-old goalkeeper broke his ankle when he wanted to kick a ball during the match against Auxerre (1-0 win), last Saturday. The goalie will be able to resume training within three months

Coupet’s leg buckled underneath him after he caught his studs in the turf while making an 82nd-minute clearance. Afterwards, PSG feared Coupet’s injury might force him to end his career but the former Olympique Lyon keeper thinks he will be able to return to the pitch in March.

“It was quite a clean break and he is predicting a return to the squad,” club president Robin Leproux told L’Equipe. “He will have to rest for six weeks and then begin his rehabilitation. Gregory has a smile on his lips, he knows the sequence that awaits him.”

Leproux also revealed the club will not look to sign a replacement keeper in the January transfer window and described Coupet’s likely deputy, Armenian Apoula Edel, as a “fantastic goalkeeper”. Coach Antoine Kombouare can also call on 34-year-old Willy Grondin, whom he raided former club Valenciennes to sign early in the season and has labelled “the best (goalkeeping) understudy in Ligue 1″.

Paul Haring

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Settled Anelka making the difference for Chelsea

November 26, 2009


Nicolas Anelka’s arrival at Chelsea in January last year hardly had the fans buzzing amid all the big-money signings since Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich transformed the fortunes of the west London club.

The peripatetic France striker seemed like a stop-gap and few expected him to be part of Chelsea’s long-term future.

He had just spent 18 months at Bolton Wanderers after spells at Fenerbahce, Manchester City, Liverpool, Paris St Germain and, following the best piece of business in Arsenal’s history, Real
Madrid who he joined for 23 million pounds.

At none of those clubs, however, did he really settle and deliver the regular match-winning performances that made him such a deadly proposition under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.

His first half-season at Chelsea produced just two goals and, although he was far more prolific last term with 25 and some excellent displays, there was always the feeling he was second fiddle to Didier Drogba.

This season, however, Anelka seems to have stepped up a gear and gives the impression that not only is he enjoying his football, a rarity for a man nicknamed ‘the incredible sulk’, but he is increasingly the focal point of Chelsea’s attack.

He headed the only goal on Tuesday in the Champions League win at Porto that secured top spot in Group D to maintain his record of vital goals this season having been the sole scorer in the home win over Porto and 1-0 victory at APOEL Nicosia.

He was also outstanding for France in the 1-1 playoff draw with Ireland that secured a World Cup berth, holding the ball up repeatedly with a sure touch and keeping possession despite some tough Irish tackling that previously might have seen him wilt.

“Not only in the Champions League but in all competitions Anelka is having a very good season,” Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said after Tuesday’s win.

“He is a very important player, sometimes playing as a striker close to Drogba, sometimes helping the midfield. His position is very important for our play.”

On Sunday Chelsea face London rivals Arsenal, where Anelka made his name as a teenage tyro after being nabbed from PSG for a bargain 500,000 pounds by Wenger.

He scored there in last season’s impressive 4-1 triumph and any sort of repeat would be a huge help in Chelsea’s title push.

“It is a very good time for us and we have to keep this going because the players are in good condition, have a good mentality and want to maintain this momentum,” Ancelotti said.

“We know very well that Sunday will be a very difficult match but we know that now is a very good time to play Arsenal,” he added, with their opponents hit by a string of injuries.

Chelsea could be further boosted by an early return for Frank Lampard after a thigh strain. Ancelotti said the England midfielder was in full training and may be fit for Sunday.

PHOTO: Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka (R) is challenged by Liverpool’s Daniel Agger during their English Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge in London October 26, 2008. REUTERS/Stephen Hird

Source

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Revenge and qualification on the line in Milan

November 25, 2009


AC Milan can secure qualification to the Champions League knock-out stages and gain an element of revenge if they beat Marseille at the San Siro in Group C on Wednesday.

Marseille beat Milan 1-0 in the first Champions League final in 1993 to become the first and only French team to win Europe’s premier competition.

That was the last time the two sides had met until September’s clash on the Cote d’Azur, with Milan running out 2-1 winners.

That was a game that Milan came into in poor form and in which Marseille dominated but were stung by two typically predatory finishes from Filippo Inzaghi.

Having lost that game and then been well beaten away to Real Madrid, Marseille’s hopes of advancing seemed small, but they have responded well, beating FC Zurich home and away to push themselves to within a point of Milan and Madrid.

If the Italians and Spaniards both win, they will qualify for the second round, so Marseille have to get something out of this game to ensure they stay in the hunt.

They will also be looking for revenge on Milan having lost a game they should have won on the south coast.

And given the recent goalscoring form of both teams, this promises to be an entertaining encounter.

Prior to Friday’s 1-0 win over Paris St Germain, Marseille had banged in 11 goals in their previous two matches while Milan showed in their 4-3 defeat of Cagliari on Sunday that they can be irresistible going forward.

What could make this match equally interesting, though, is the difficulties both teams have at times at the back.

Marseille’s 11 goals came in a 6-1 win in Zurich and then a 5-5 draw away to Lyon in which they had actually held a 4-2 lead with 10 minutes left.

The south coast club have been at best inconsistent this season, although there have been signs under coach Didier Deschamps that they are headed in the right direction.

And Deschamps is no stranger to beating Milan having captained that Marseille side that won the Champions League in 1993.

He also put one over Milan coach Leonardo on the field in 1998 in the World Cup final in Paris when France beat Brazil 3-0.

But Leonardo arrives at this match with a much improved reputation to the one he had when the sides first met this season.

The rookie looked like a fish out of water at the beginning of the season as his team managed only six goals in their first nine matches, failing to find the net in five of those and winning only three of them.

But for Milan’s financial difficulties, he might well have been a candidate for an early sacking.

Yet Milan kept faith and Leonardo’s record and standing have been heading in the right direction.

The rossoneri have not lost in nine matches and won six of the last eight.

Perhaps more important is how they have been playing, particularly in attack.

Ronaldinho, who had looked like a shadow of his former self throughout much of 2009, has benefitted from the faith Leonardo has been showing him and although his turn of pace has gone, he has not lost any of his ability on the ball.

Leonardo’s three-pronged attack is also working wonders with the injury-prone Marco Borriello – who is a doubt for Wednesday with a knee problem – proving the perfect foil for Ronaldinho and Pato either side of him.

Borriello’s strength and ability to hold up play and bring others into the game has proved a better combination with the two Brazilians than Inzaghi’s style of hovering on the edge of the offside line.

Pato has also rediscovered his scoring touch after a lean spell and with Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo in the side, Milan are firing.

But it is at the back where they are suffering, particularly in the absence of centre-half Alessandro Nesta and defensive midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.

Both should be missing again on Wednesday and that could help ensure a spectacular occasion.

MILAN, Italy (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

PSG duo tested for swine flu

October 24, 2009


Two players of Paris St Germain have undergone tests for swine flu, football officials said on Saturday casting doubts over Sunday’s league game at Marseille.

Winger Ludovic Guily and defender Mamadou Sakho have been been unwell with fly symptoms for the last two days and they were tested on Friday afternoon.

“We should have the results on Saturday morning and we will decide how to proceed with the match during the afternoon,” the French Football League said in a statement.

There have been isolated cases of swine flu among professional footballers in France but as yet no top level game has been called off as a precautionary measure.

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Marseille suffer in shock defeat

September 26, 2009


Marseille’s build-up to their crucial Champions League assignment at mighty Real Madrid in midweek suffered an embarrassing setback on Saturday when they slumped to a 3-2 defeat at humble Valenciennes, twice surrendering a lead.

The defeat also cost Didier Deschamps’s team the chance to take over top spot in the French first division.

They remain in third place, two points behind leaders and champions Bordeaux, who tackle Rennes on Sunday while Lyon can go top later Saturday with victory over Toulouse.

Former Real Madrid and Liverpool striker Fernando Morientes started his first match for Marseille since his summer switch from Valencia and the former Spanish international star opened the scoring in the 13th minute after good work by Lucho and Brandao.

Milan Bisevac levelled for Valenciennes seven minutes later after Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda could only parry a sharp drive from Rafael.

Mamadou Niang restored Marseille’s lead in the 22nd minute after a corner from Benoit Cheyrou wasn’t cleared.

In the 28th minute Valenciennes, who thumped Sochaux 5-2 last weekend, were level for the second time with David Ducourtioux planting a diving header past Mandanda.

The match looked to be heading for a draw until Brazilian defender Rafael headed Valenciennes’ winner seven minutes from time.

Unheralded Montpellier share third spot with Marseille after Nenad Dzodic headed a 78th-minute winner at home to promoted Boulogne for a 1-0 win.

Paris St Germain, held to a home 1-1 draw by Lyon last week, lost further ground in the title race when they drew 1-1 at Lorient.

Arnold Mvuemba gave Lorient a 40th-minute lead but Guillaume Hoarau levelled for PSG in first-half injury-time.

Monaco are just behind PSG in seventh place on goal difference after losing 2-1 at home to Saint Etienne for whom Argentine striker Gonzalo Bergessio scored a last-minute goal.

Hapless Grenoble suffered their seventh defeat in seven outings and are rooted to the bottom of the table without a point.

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Marseille aim to give Bordeaux southern discomfort

August 29, 2009


French fans will get an early idea of how this year’s title race may shape up when the pride of the southwest, reigning champions Bordeaux, travel over to the Mediterranean cauldron of Marseille’s Stade Velodrome.

Both sides have made a sparkling start to the season – Bordeaux head the table with a maximum nine points from their three outings to date while Marseille dropped two points last weekend at Rennes, leaving them joint second with Lyon and Paris St Germain.

Bordeaux should receive a warm enough reception given that their coach, Laurent Blanc, once played for Marseille and was long a teammate in the victorious French World Cup squad in 1998.

Blanc’s men will certainly not be short on confidence after last season’s exploits and their ability to transfer that form onto the new campaign.

After last week’s 4-0 thrashing of Nice, defender Michael Ciani noted: “The team are playing with confidence and are full of self-assurance.”

“The first three games will help us to maintain our confidence. Against Marseille, we will have to control the game as much as possible – that will be a tall order,” said Ciani, who insisted that Bordeaux’s minimal close season personnel changes are a plus point.

“It’s still early days at this stage – but our group has not changed. There are those who say their squad has changed quite a bit. So let’s hope they have not bedded down yet and we can benefit from that.”

Lyon, fresh from crushing Anderlecht to gain their passage to the group phase of the Champions League, take on Nancy in Saturday’s late match.

Nancy started well enough, winning their first two matches, but then a weekend reverse at Le Mans showed up their limitations.

And they are unlikely to stand in the way of a Lyon side who are resurgent after failing last season to make it eight titles on a roll.

Karim Benzema and Juninho may have gone on to sample pastures new – Benzema makes his Real Madrid debut this weekend after taking his career into an entirely different orbit at the Bernabeu – but Argentine Lisandro Lopez, with five goals to his credit already since joining from Porto, has filled the gap.

“We can only be very satisfied with him,” purred Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas of the 24-million-euro man whose emphatic showing against Anderlecht paid off a large chunk of his fee in guaranteeing at least six matches spread over almost four months of Champions League action.

“He has been exemplary,” says coach Claude Puel, who salutes the striker’s “great tactical intelligence.”

Paris St Germain, having won last week at Valenciennes, must keep the momentum going against Lille at the Parc des Princes on Sunday – just the kind of game the capital club would have drawn in recent seasons to frustrate fans who have not seen the league title brought home in 15 years.

Lille are winless in their three matches to date and if PSG are to have a say in this year’s championship this is a match from which they cannot afford to take less than full points.

Elsewhere, promoted Lens have made a good start with two victories for one loss and will expect to get past Rennes at their own Stade Bollaert while Monaco will have a tougher task at Sochaux if they are to bag a third success of their own.

Fallen giants St Etienne will, along with fellow former champions Auxerre, hope finally to get off the mark at home to modest Grenoble.

Auxerre travel to Boulogne.

Fixtures:

Saturday

Lens v Rennes

Nice v Montpellier

Sochaux v Monaco

Lorient v Le Mans

St Etienne v Grenoble

Boulogne v Auxerre (all 1700GMT)

Lyon v Nancy (1900 GMT)

Sunday

Paris St Germain v Lille

Toulouse v Valenciennes (both 1500 GMT)

Marseille v Bordeaux (1900 GMT)

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Bordeaux streak clear after perfect start

August 24, 2009


Reigning champions Bordeaux raced two points clear in the French league on Sunday after a 4-0 thrashing of Nice which made it three wins out of three for Laurent Blanc’s men.

With Lyon, seven-time champions between 2002 and 2008, and Paris St Germain having both won on their travels Saturday, the pressure was on Bordeaux to show their class and they did so with a handsome win as goals from Ferreira Jussie, Alou Diarra and a double from Yoann Gourcuff swept Nice aside.

Jussie’s opener on the stroke of half-time set the tone just when it seemed that the Girondins might make heavy weather of the task.

The decision of Gourcuff last season to make his way in France after a spell with AC Milan was a boon for Blanc, who has also in the past week managed to persuade another of the club’s stars, the mercurial Marouane Chamakh, to stay on despite initial from interest first from Arsenal, then West Ham in the English Premier League.

Gourcuff was a huge influence in last year’s title win and he has started with a bang this term with four goals to his name already.

With Marseille on the horizon next week over at the Stade Velodrome, Bordeaux have done themselves a favour by preparing in the best possible fashion with a big win.

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps was left overnight to ponder the loss of his club’s first points of the campaign after a 1-1 draw at Rennes following a spate of late missed chances.

“We will have matches like that and Rennes will give many a team a tough game,” said France’s 1998 World Cup-winning captain.

“You have to be realistic. The way the match went it’s a point gained in some respects,” he maintained after his men had to come back from a Jerome Leroy penalty for Rennes on the half hour after Suleimane Diawara had handled in the box.

A close-range volley from Mamadou Niang seven minutes after the restart gave Marseille their goal but Rennes keeper Nicolas Douchez made a series of fine late stops to deny the visitors the chance of going top.

Instead, they share second spot with Lyon and Paris St Germain, seeking only their third title and first since 1994.

Peguy Luyindula’s opener and further goals from Mevlut Erding and Christophe Jallet were enough to keep Antoine Kombouare’s Parisians motoring following a 3-2 win at Valenciennes, for whom Siaka Tiene and Rudy Mater were on target.

Lyon raced past Auxerre 3-0 with Jean-Alain Boumsong, Jean II Makoun and Miralem Pjanic all hitting the net for Claude Puel’s side.

Elsewhere, Nancy lost their early leadership of the table as they slid to a 2-1 loss at modest Le Mans.

Monaco, shocked 4-0 last week at Nancy, got back on track with a 2-0 home win over Lorient and the principality side are now one of four clubs on six points.

One of those is promoted Lens, who won 2-1 at Guingamp on Sunday.

There is no respite meanwhile for Saint Etienne, who slumped at their Geoffroy-Guichard stadium to promoted Boulogne 1-0 for a third loss in as many outings.

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Vieira ´staying with Inter Milan´

August 22, 2009


French international midfielder Patrick Vieira has ruled out a return to Arsenal saying he has decided to stay for another year in Italy with Inter Milan.

Former boss Arsene Wenger had expressed an interest in bringing the 33-year-old back to the Premier League and there had been interest also from Premier League arch-rivals Tottenham as well as from from Lyon and Paris St Germain in France after Vieira struggled to impress Inter coach Jose Mourinho.

But the player told L’Equipe sports daily that the Portuguese coach had changed his tune and made it clear that he still had a future with the Italian champions.

“Even if you never know what will happen tomorrow, I have decided to stay where I am,” Vieira said.

“I am happy with things and have no reason to go looking elsewhere. Physically I feel very good and what I need now is to play and get a few games under my belt.”

Vieira spent nine seasons with Arsenal before moving to Juventus in 2005 and then switching to Inter the following year when the Turin club were relegated over a match-fixing scandal.

Last year he was beset with injuries and played only 19 times in the league, with only 10 times in the starting lineup leading Mourinho to lose confidence in him.

He has also lost his place in the France international team although Vieira, who has won 107 caps, says he hopes to be included in the World Cup squad should the French qualify.

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Lyon stepping on the gas again

August 22, 2009


Shorn of the mantle of reigning champions going into a domestic season for the first time in seven years Lyon look to be emerging from the minor trauma of not sweeping all before them last time out.

After Wednesday’s 5-1 hammering of Anderlecht in the Champions League qualifiers at the Stade Gerland there seems little likelihood that seven years of famine will follow the seven years of plenty which began with a first ever league crown in 2002.

Third last season, the club then saw the likes of Brazilian midfielder Juninho and star French international striker Karim Benzema move on.

With champions Bordeaux and Marseille back to prominence and Paris St Germain determined to emerge from years in the doldrums, Lyon, who only scraped a draw on the opening day at Le Mans, are fully galvanised once again following their Anderlecht showing, says coach Claude Puel.

“We are starting to get things together and there is plenty of quality in the squad,” said Puel ahead of Saturday’s trip to 1996 champions Auxerre, who have begun their campaign with two losses.

Juninho may have gone but the club retain a Latin American flavour in the shape of the man who must fill Benzema’s boots, 24-million-euro Argentinian forward Lisandro Lopez.

Lisandro is quickly winning over the fans having been involved in three of the goals against Anderlecht while his last-gasp goal at Le Mans avoided an embarrassing first-day loss.

“I am settling down more with every day that passes. I’m very happy with my start to the season,” explained Lisandro.

Until 2002 Lyon existed in the shadow of local rivals Saint Etienne, but Les Verts are bottom of the table ahead of a home meeting Saturday with promoted Boulogne and these days they do not even have France striker Bafetimbi Gomis to rescue them after a switch to Lyon which would normally be frowned on by fans none too keen on his former club.

However, a winning goal against Valenciennes and two more against Anderlecht have endeared Gomis to the supporters.

“We are really getting into gear and are sure of our abilities, And spirits are on a high,” beamed Gomis after the Belgians were sent packing.

With the club’s other signing, Brazilian Michel Bastos, likewise on form Lyon – who will be without thigh injury victim Sidney Govou on Saturday – have thrown down the gauntlet to Bordeaux.

The Girondins will Sunday seek to make it three wins out of three at home to thus far unbeaten Nice.

With a place in the Champions League group phase now all but secured Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas has indicated that “if Claude Puel wants another player we can still recruit.”

One name in the frame is Inter Milan’s French veteran Patrick Vieira.

Despite their confident start Laurent Blanc’s Bordeaux are hoping that they can hang on to star man Marouane Chamakh, touted as being bound for West Ham.

“I’m here for now. I am waiting. If things go well here then maybe I will stay,” the Moroccan said this week.

Blanc insists he has a deal with the player that if “a big English club” comes in and puts money on the table then he will not stand in the player’s way.

But “this big English club does not exist,” according to Blanc.

Marseille, along with Bordeaux and Nancy the third side to have maximum points from two matches, travel to likewise unbeaten Rennes on Saturday while Paris St Germain, four points to date, will seek a second win at Valenciennes, who have two losses already on their slate.

Nancy can stay in pole poition if they win at lowly Le Mans.

Fixtures

Saturday:

Le Mans v Nancy (1700 GMT)

Montpellier v Sochaux (1700)

Monaco v Lorient (1700)

Auxerre v Lyon (1700)

Valenciennes v Paris Saint Germain (1700)

St Etienne v Boulogne (1700)

Rennes v Marseille (1900)

Sunday

Grenoble v Lens (1500)

Bordeaux v Nice (1500)

Lille v Toulouse (1900)

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Next Page »

 



Calendar

Related Sites

Free Page Rank Tool

eXTReMe Tracker


TinyPic Image and Video Hosting

Click Here

Categories

.