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New deal for Diaby at Arsenal

France international midfielder Abou Diaby has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, the Premier League club confirmed on Thursday.

The 23-year-old joined the Gunners from Auxerre in January 2006, and after recovering from a broken ankle at the end of that season, has since gone on to make 119 appearances.

Diaby has developed a good understanding with Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas in their new midfield formation this season, scoring six goals.

“This shows my long-term commitment to Arsenal and I am very happy here, which is why I am so pleased to extend my contract,” said Diaby.

“It’s a great thing for me and hopefully there will be some good years ahead for me here.”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger added: “Abou is a great player with huge presence on the football pitch and he has the potential to be an extremely influential part of Arsenal for many years to come.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: abou, abou diaby, AFP, arsenal, auxerre, boss, broken ankle, fabregas, football, football pitch, France, france international, good understanding, gunners, london, midfielder, new deal, premier league, presence, term commitment, term contract

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Domench gets FFF support

Raymond Domenech will remain in his position coach of the France national team, according to the president of the French Football Federation, Jean-Pierre Escalettes, putting an end to recent speculation that cast doubt over the manager’s future.

Domenech has been an unpopular figure with fans of Les Bleus and the pressure has mounted on the former Lyon manager after France needed a controversial extra-time goal to make it to to the World Cup finals.

FFF board member Guy Chambily had called for a vote on Domenech’s future, but after a meeting, it has been decided that the 57-year-old manager will remain in his role.

“The question was posed to all the members of the board by Mr Guy Chambily,” said FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes.

“The debate lasted an hour-and-a-half without the presence of Raymond Domenech. Everyone expressed themselves.

“But out of the whole of the members of the federal board, no-one, with the exception of Guy Chambily, asked for there to be a debate opened on whether to keep Raymond Domenech.”

Escalettes believes that any change in France’s management would have a negative influence on the team’s preparations for the World Cup.

He said, “That would have been totally counter productive since our aim must be to prepare the France team for the World Cup, it would have been hardly in accordance with the line of conduct of the board who have twice confirmed Raymond Domenech as coach.

“He had to qualify Les Bleus for the World Cup and that’s what he did. We’re qualified and that was the only sportive clause that figured in his contract.”

Tags: aim, Bleus, board member, cast doubt, extra time, fff, France, france national team, french football federation, Guy Chambily, hour and a half, jean pierre, Jean-Pierre Escalettes, Lyon, Mr Guy Chambily, position coach, presence, raymond domenech, speculation, time goal, vote, world cup finals

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Wunderkind Kroos to return to Bayern next season

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

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Nigeria strike Kanu close to Portsmouth deal

Nwankwo Kanu is close to agreeing a new one-year contract with Premier League club Portsmouth, according to the Nigeria striker’s agent.

Kanu’s present deal ran out at the end of last season but the former Arsenal star and his agent Samuel Okoronkwo have been in discussions with Fratton Park chief executive Peter Storrie and expect a new contract to be settled soon.

Paul Hart’s side are short on strikers following Peter Crouch’s move to Tottenham and manager Paul Hart has invited Kanu to join his team-mates on their pre-season tour to Portugal.

Okoronkwo said in The News: “Kanu is in Portugal with the rest of the team. He would not be out in Portugal if he was not close to having a new contract.

“His presence with the team is sufficient expression of how close we are. There is a situation at Portsmouth being handled by Peter Storrie.

“But as far as my client is concerned though, his commitment to the club is total. Peter (Storrie) and I have had very productive discussions and talks are progressing very well.

“The understanding is there and the commitment is there. The i’s will be dotted and the t’s crossed shortly. I’m sure whatever is not finalised will soon be sorted.

“The conditions are right and both sides are comfortable with Kanu remaining at Portsmouth for another season.”

PORTSMOUTH (AFP)

Tags: arsenal, chief executive, expression, Fratton Park, kanu, manager paul, new contract, nigeria, paul hart, Peter, peter crouch, Peter Storrie, Portsmouth, portugal, premier league, presence, productive discussions, Samuel Okoronkwo, striker, strikers, team mates, tottenham

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Villa boss downbeat over injured Laursen

BIRMINGHAM, England (AFP) – Aston Villa will have to do without injured captain Martin Laursen for the rest of the season, manager Martin O’Neill predicted on Wednesday.

Laursen has not played since injuring his knee in January and hopes of a return were dashed when he suffered a setback at the club’s training break in Dubai last month.

O’Neill said: “Martin is struggling. There’s not much more to say. He’ll be struggling to play again before the end of the season.”

Villa have sorely missed the presence of Laursen at the back, conceding 24 goals in their last 10 matches.

Striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is improving after suffering a hamstring injury against Everton last weekend although he remains doubtful for Saturday’s home meeting with West Ham.

Villa are still awaiting the results of a scan on the England player.

O’Neill said: “Gabby came off the pitch on Sunday with a hamstring niggle. It seems to be getting better. But we are awaiting the results of a scan.

“At the back of the doctor’s mind is a concern that he may have strained it. That would make him doubtful for this weekend’s game.

“He certainly seems to be responding – no doubt about that – but he still remains a doubt for the West Ham match.”

Agbonlahor’s absence could be offset by the return of Emile Heskey who suffered a hamstring injury during England’s recent friendly international with Slovakia at Wembley.

O’Neill said: “Emile has trained for the last couple of days and that is encouraging for us. It would be good if he could make it for the weekend.

“We will see how he is later in the week because we have a few days yet. But at least he has been out training and he is certainly making progress.”

Tags: aston villa, Birmingham, birmingham england, boss, captain Martin Laursen, couple of days, downbeat, Dubai, Emile Heskey, England, england player, English Premier League, few days, gabriel agbonlahor, Martin, Martin Laursen, martin o neill, Martin O'Neill, match, Neill, no doubt, pitch, presence, setback, slovakia, Wembley, west ham

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Hiddink takes charge of first Chelsea training session

LONDON (AFP) – Guus Hiddink took charge of his first Chelsea training session on Monday with the club’s England midfielder Frank Lampard saying the Dutchman was already making his presence felt.

Hiddink watched last weekend’s 3-1 FA Cup win away to Watford following the sacking of former Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Lampard told www.chelseafc.com that Hiddink’s presence had lifted the spirits of the players.

"He has cast his eye over training and the game and you can see a little lift in the lads trying to impress him, which always happens when a new manager comes in," said Lampard.

"I think he will be happy with the desire and spirit we showed at 1-0 down (against Watford) and some of the football we played on a difficult pitch was good. I am sure he is looking forward to working with us.

"I think I will enjoy working with him because we all know him as a manager, we know what he did before with other teams. We look forward to working with him."

Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League table, seven points behind leaders Manchester United.

They face Aston Villa, two points ahead of them in third place, on Saturday and Lampard insisted the title was not yet beyond Chelsea this season.

"Aston Villa is massive because they are in front of us. To still be in the chase we have to win the game.

"It is going to be tough but we have a lot of big players, a strong team and we can do it."

Written by: AFP

Tags: AFP, Aston, chase, CHELSEA, chelseafc, com, desire, dutchman, England, English Premier League, Eredivisie, felipe scolari, frank lampard, game, guus, guus hiddink, lads, london, Luiz Felipe, Manchester, manchester united, midfielder, pitch, premier league, presence, Scolari, seven points, spirit, spirits, training session, watford, www

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Robinho could have made all the difference: Scolari

LONDON (AFP) – Luiz Felipe Scolari said he was in charge of a ‘bureaucratic’ Chelsea side which, because of injuries to key players and the lack of a game-changing forward like Robinho, left him with few tactical options.

Speaking to France Football magazine a week before he was sacked on Monday the Brazilian admitted he faced several challenges during his short stint with the Premier League giants.

Scolari told the magazine he had two main requests before taking over from the sacked Avram Grant at Stamford Bridge, namely signing Brazilian forward Robinho and Brazil-born Portuguese midfielder Deco.

Despite managing to sign Deco, Manchester City swept in with an unrivalled bid of 42 million euros to snatch Robinho from rival clubs.

The subsequent lack of a flair player with game-changing abilities – and injuries to Didier Drogba, Deco, Mickael Essien and Ashley Cole among others – limited Scolari’s tactical options, according to the Brazilian.

"At Chelsea we don’t have a player who is capable of provoking chances on his own and producing some magic on the pitch," said Scolari in the interview, published Friday but conducted prior to his sacking last week.

"Robinho would have been that player. He’s not afraid to dribble and to take risks. As a Brazilian, that’s the kind of player I like.

"My team is not Brazilian enough, it’s too bureaucratic. That’s just the style of my players, and is why Robinho would have made such a difference."

A 0-0 league result with Hull last weekend effectively sealed Scolari’s fate, but even before then there were reports of dissent from the Chelsea dressing room.

Rumours said that some players complained of Scolari’s lax training regime, and soon it became apparent he had lost the support of some of his players.

The Sun newspaper even warned that Chelsea had become a club "deeply divided by warring factions".

Scolari added in the interview that the presence of egos in the Chelsea dressing room, whose combined annual salaries have prompted the club to tighten the purse strings, wasn’t helped by the lack of relations with the players off the pitch.

"There are egos in the dressing room, but that is normal, isn’t it?

"My relations with the players are good on the pitch but it’s true that they don’t compare with the relations I had with the Portugal side. I spent five years there.

"In Brazil as a club manager, it was also easier. I knew everything about the players. Here, I don’t have a family relation with the players. Everything is on the pitch. Outside, there is nothing."

Written by: AFP

Tags: AFP, ashley, ashley cole, brazil, charge, CHELSEA, Cole, deco, difference, dissent, dressing room, dribble, egos, English Premier League, Essien, everything, flair, France, france football magazine, Grant, HULL, interview, london, luiz felipe scolari, magic, manager, manchester city, Mickael, midfielder, portugal, premier league, presence, quot, Robinho, rumours, Stamford, stamford bridge, stint, tactical options, warring factions

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Can Beckham’s Milan love affair last?

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, AC Milan have fallen in love with David Beckham and it seems the attraction is mutual.

 ”Our wish is that he continues with us,” coach Carlo Ancelotti said after Beckham had scored his first Milan goal in Sunday’s 4-1 win at Bologna. “Beckham knows what our wish is.”

There has been enough daylight in Beckham’s recent comments too to suggest he might be persuaded to try to extend his two-month loan deal from Los Angeles Galaxy. ”We’ll see,” was all he would say to Italian media on Sunday but note he now isn’t ruling it out completely.

Beckham staying on in Milan is a pleasing thought. The Englishman has looked perfectly at home in Serie A thus far and his continued presence would make the 2010 World Cup in South Africa a realistic target for the former captain.

As everyone now knows, Beckham is not a man to be written off lightly. He showed great character to come back from a bad experience at the 1998 World Cup and regain the respect of everyone in the English game. He also managed to resurrect his Real Madrid career when that looked to have reached a premature end and he has proved that his England recall was richly deserved.

On the other hand, he has always seemed to be a man of his word when it comes to football and it would be out of character to go back on an agreement to return to Galaxy on March 9.  

I wonder too if Beckham’s Milan experience might be subject to the law of diminishing returns.

I was in Madrid when Beckham arrived and I watched first hand as the eye-catching performances of the first few weeks gave way to too many displays that were little better than useless.

Then there’s the fact that Milan have a bad habit of holding on to players in their 30s. Might they not decide, a few months down the line, that Beckham is a luxury they could do without?

His wife is another variable and although she has a number of fashion shows to attend in Milan, Italy’s second city can never match the glitz of LA where the three children are at school.

It’ll be interesting to see what they all decide. Do Milan and Beckham settle down and make a real go of their relationship? Or can they just enjoy a consequence-free fling while it lasts? We’re running a poll on this at our main soccer website and please drop us a comment here.

PHOTOS: A combination of pictures showing Beckham reacting during AC Milan’s Serie A match against Bologna at the Dall’Ara stadium in Bologna, Jan. 25, 2009. REUTERS/Tony Gentile

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Tags: ac milan, Ara, bad experience, bad habit, Bologna, captain. As, carlo ancelotti, David Beckham, England, english game, italian media, Italy, law of diminishing returns, loan deal, Los Angeles, los angeles galaxy, MADRID, man of his word, Milan, nbsp, presence, rsquo, Serie A, South Africa, target, Tony GentileGo, valentine, World Cup

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Derby beat world champions United in League Cup

DERBY, England (AFP) – Championship strugglers Derby County, with new manager Nigel Clough watching from the directors’ box, beat Manchester United 1-0 in the semi-final, first leg of the League Cup here on Wednesday.

Kris Commons 30th minute left foot shot past United keeper Tomasz Kuszczak was enough to claim victory against the World, European and Premiership champions in Derby’s first major semi-final since 1976.

It ended the Red Devils’ 14-match unbeaten streak dating back to November 8 when Arsenal beat them 2-1 at the Emirates stadium.

Clough chose not to walk on the pitch and acknowledge supporters at Pride Park before kick off. A publicist he is not, but he surely played a part in creating what he hopes to be the second Clough dynasty at Derby County after his new team embarrassed the might of Manchester United.

Alex Ferguson has more than a grudging regard for Derby County’s new manager and stated as much when the pair clashed in the FA Cup just over two years ago when Clough was manager of non-league Burton Albion. Little did he know they would turn out to be so prophetic.

The presence of Paul Jewell’s permanent successor in the directors box had the predictable effect on the team languishing in 18th place in the Championship, but even he could not have envisaged the fact that he will renew combat in two weeks time with a first leg lead, thanks to Commons.

Only eight months ago, Derby were relegated from the Premier League with a miserable 11 points.

Despite bravado from Derby players, claiming they wanted to test themselves against the best United had to offer, prior to locking horns with the World club Champions, the sight of a United side with containing only two genuine regulars in Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic and the vastly experienced Paul Scholes, further energised the hosts and they can be assured to face a far more menacing line-up for the second leg.

Clough will not meet his squad of players until Thursday but he "popped" his head around the door of the home dressing room to wish them well and he clearly has a touch of his father’s magic and sense of occasion.

Without the calming influence of Rio Ferdinand, Vidic and Tomasz Kuszczak were subjected to early moments of discomfort as United were unable to find any of their customary rhythm and it was hardly against the run of play when Derby deservedly broke the deadlock.

Reaching the semi-final stage cost Commons almost 1,000 pounds in purchasing tickets for his friends, but the fulminating 25-yard shot he guided beyond United’s Polish keeper after 30 minutes was pure gold dust for David Lowe, elevated from youth team coach to temporary Derby manager for the evening.

United were so unconvincing that Ferguson’s plans to rest all his key players ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with title rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge had to be abandoned after an hour.

They had barely registered a shot against their former ‘keeper Roy Carroll’s goal when Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were introduced to cure the lethargy that gripped the overwhelming favourites.

What his dad Brian, who died in 2004 from stomach cancer, would have made of it all was a question Clough was expecting: "I haven’t got the foggiest to be honest. He might have said don’t be so stupid, but I hope it would have been a positive response. I just wish he was still around to give me some advice."

Written by: AFP

Tags: alex ferguson, box, bravado, Brian, burton albion, CHELSEA, Club, David Lowe, derby county, derby england, eight months, emirates, England, English Premier League, FA Cup, kris commons, Manchester, manchester united, nigel clough, part, Paul Jewell, paul scholes, premier league, premiership champions, presence, pride park, publicist, red devils, regulars, Rio, ronaldo, Roy Carroll, vidic, wayne rooney, world club champions

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The end is near, admits veteran Juninho

LYON, France (AFP) – Lyon’s former Brazilian international midfielder Juninho admitted on Tuesday that his stellar career was drawing to an end.The 33-year-old – who has been the inspiration behind Lyon’s seven successive championships since he arrived from Vasco da Gama in 2001 – said that nevertheless he hoped he broke the century of goals mark at the club, which he is presently six short of."I know that I am nearing the exit," conceded Juninho, who was capped 44 times and scored seven goals for Brazil."I feel it is the moment to prepare for the future with my family."The younger players could probably express themselves better without my presence."I am under contract till 2010 and don’t dare ask for an extension," he added in an interview given to regional newspaper Le Progres.However, Juninho, who had already intimated last October that he wanted to retire soon, refused to be explicit about when he would eventually call it a day."I have my ideas but I don’t want to divulge them," said Juninho."But the club doesn’t know what date I have set and I hope they are understanding about it," added Juninho, who has two readymade replacements waiting in the wings in the shape of Miralem Pjanic and Honorato Ederson.Juninho admitted he had played less often this term but believed he had lost none of his ability and confessed he still had targets."When I see the applause when Steven Gerrard scored his 100th goal for Liverpool, I think to myself that is a nice thing to achieve."

Written by: AFP

Tags: AFP, applause, brazil, contract, Ederson, extension, France, Honorato, honorato ederson, inspiration, interview, juninho, Ligue 1, Liverpool, Lyon, lyon france, midfielder, miralem pjanic, nice thing, presence, quot, replacements, shape, stellar career, Steven Gerrard, targets, Tuesday, vasco da gama, waiting in the wings

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