Fuller arrested, Carroll charged over assaults

February 8, 2010

Ricardo Fuller, the Jamaica striker who plays for Stoke City in the English Premier League, has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a man in a nightclub at the weekend, police said on Monday.

Staffordshire Police said a 21-year-old man had suffered minor facial injuries that did not require hospital treatment following an incident in a nightclub in the Stoke area at around 0100GMT on Sunday.

Fuller, 30, has not been charged with any offence and was bailed until next month pending the outcome of enquiries by the police, who have appealed for witnesses.

Newcastle striker Andy Carroll, meanwhile, was charged on Monday with assault over an incident in which he allegedly attacked another man in a nightclub in the city in December.

He will appear in court on February 25. If convicted, the 21-year-old could, in theory, receive a prison sentence of up to six months but would be more likely to be fined and ordered to do community service.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: Andy Carroll, English Premier League, facial injuries, Jamaica, london, NEWCASTLE, offence, old man, premier league, prison sentence, ricardo fuller, six months, Staffordshire, staffordshire police, Stoke City, striker, suspicion

Mancini relishing Milan chance

February 3, 2010

Milan new loan signing Mancini is looking forward to revive his career with the Rossoneri following his six-month loan deal from rivals Internazionale.

The 29-year-old Brazilian was not getting first-team football under Jose Mourinho and was desperate for a move.

Mancini had been expected join Marseille before the Ligue 1 side pulled the plug on the deal, but the player is delighted to be given a fresh chance under Milan boss Leonardo.

“I have thrown away six months,” he said. “I was close to leaving Inter last summer but Mourinho told me that he believed in me. Patience… now we turn the page.

“Mourinho is good but I am now with Leonardo, someone who understands football. I would gladly cancel the past year but now the time has come to turn the page. A new adventure begins for me.”

Mancini, who enjoyed a successful spell in Serie A with Roma, made just seven appearances for the Nerazzurri this season and believes he is better suited to Milan’s style of game.

Mancini said: “Inter are a very strong squad but Milan are at the same level with different characteristics.”

He will have a reason to shine as he could make his stay permanent in the summer and he said: “I am desperate to show my worth, to win and to find the calmness that I lost a year ago. I will do the possible and impossible to return to play at my highest level.”

Tags: boss, calmness, game, Jose, jose mourinho, leonardo, loan deal, mancini, Marseille, Milan, patience, rivals, Roma, rossoneri, six months, team football

Magath dimisses Rafinha rumors

January 24, 2010

Schalke 04 coach Felix Magath has dismissed fresh rumours linking Brazilian defender Rafinha with a move away from the club.

Reports surfaced only hours before Schalke’s game with VfL Bochum yesterday, claiming that a deal had been done for Rafinha to move to VfL Wolfsburg for €14 million.

“There is absolutely no truth in it,” Magath told Liga Total television.

“We had this very same situation six months ago, that somebody somehow knew that Rafinha was moving to Bayern Munich – and that also happened during a Saturday afternoon game.

“Now this jester has decided to do the same all over again, only with a different club.”

As speculation reached its peak last summer, Magath sent Rafinha back to Brazil for a week to take his mind off the transfer talk, although that is unlikely to happen this time.

The Royal Blues are embroiled in a fierce title battle and relinquished a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Bochum yesterday and miss the opportunity to move to the top of the Bundesliga.

“I was happy with my side’s performance for a long time and would rate it positively,” Magath added.

“However, you could see what it means when you have a young team. When you concede two goals like that then it has a lot to do with a lack of experience.”

Tags: afternoon game, Bayern, bayern munich, brazil, Bundesliga, coach, felix magath, long time, rafinha, royal blues, saturday afternoon, schalke 04, six months, speculation, television, truth, Wolfsburg

Deportivo´s Luis out to end of season

January 24, 2010

Deportivo La Coruna’s Brazilian international Filipe Luis will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a serious ankle injury in a 3-1 home win over Athletic Bilbao, the club said Sunday.

Luis scored the opener in Saturday’s game on 49 minutes but injured his ankle as he collided with goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz and was stretchered off as his side went on to record a win that put Depor fourth, a point above Sevilla and Real Mallorca.

Luis, 24 and a summer target for Barcelona, was an ever-present last season and had not missed a game this season but will now be out for “four to six months”, his club said.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: AFP, athletic bilbao, Barcelona, Bilbao, deportivo la coruna, game, la coruna, Luis, MADRID, remainder, SEVILLA, six months, target

Mowbray denies rift with board over Caldwell exit

January 15, 2010

Celtic manager Tony Mowbray insists he has not fallen out with the Scottish Premier League club’s directors over the surprise sale of defender Gary Caldwell to Wigan this week.

Scotland centre-back Caldwell joined English Premier League strugglers Wigan on Thursday amid claims he was sold against the manager’s wishes.

The 27-year-old left Parkhead six months before his Celtic deal was due to expire after talks over an extension broke down.

Caldwell had hinted Mowbray was happy to agree to his wage demands but was vetoed by chief executive Peter Lawwell and majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

But Mowbray said: “I admire Gary Caldwell as a guy and as a football player. Yet, there was a negotiation that went on and on and never came to a conclusion to the point that he was running out of contract, a club made a bid and we accepted that bid.

“I don’t think we need look too deeply into those comments. Certain mischievous avenues could try to create a wedge that is not there.

“It’s wrong to say that there’s a conflict of interest at this club with myself and my board.

“First and foremost, it should be said I’ve got a very strong relationship – working relationship – with the executives at the club and my chief executive, Peter, and with the major shareholder, Dermot.

“There’s no animosity and nothing going on behind the scenes that anybody should try to read into.”

GLASGOW (AFP)

Tags: animosity, avenues, conclusion, conflict of interest, Dermot, Dermot Desmond, desmond, English Premier League, football player, Gary Caldwell, Glasgow, majority shareholder, negotiation, Peter, Peter Lawwell, relationship, scotland, scotland centre, Scottish Premier League, six months, surprise, tony mowbray, wage demands

Benjani hopes to extend his stay at City

January 12, 2010

Although the competition up front is fierce, Benjani doesn’t want to leave Manchester City.

The striker had a part in the first three goals of the Citizens against Blackburn Rovers and thinks he has proven that he can be part of City’s future plans.

The 31-year-old African is in his third season at the Eastlands and was a starter for the first time this season on Monday night, when City defeated Blackburn.

It were his first Premier League minutes of the season but Benjani immediately proved his worth by setting up the first three goals in City’s 4-1 win.

With Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy, Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez on the squad, the chances to become a regular starter are not that big butl Benjani insists he wants to stay at City.

“I’m very happy because I’ve started two games in a row and it’s been a long time since that happened,” Benjani saidon City’s official website.

“I’ve always wanted to see out my career at City. I have six months left on my current deal and it would be nice if I could get another year or so. The only thing that is important to me is to fight hard for the right to play.

“I love the role I’ve had in recent weeks. I think it suits my game because I love a physical battle but the good thing is that when one player goes out, another comes in and does just as well – those are the ingredients of a very good team.”

Tags: benjani, carlos tevez, craig bellamy, emmanuel adebayor, game, long time, manchester city, monday night, premier league, roque santa cruz, santa cruz, six months, striker, third season, two games

Atalanta manager Conte resigns

January 7, 2010

Antonio Conte’s first Serie A job has ended as a disappointment. The Atalanta coach handed in his resignation during a meeting with club officials Thursday morning. The Nerazzurri are yet to appoint a successor to Conte.

Atalanta only earned thirteen points from their first seventeen league matches and they are just one point above last-place Siena.

The Nerazzurri slipped to a 2-0 home defeat against Napoli yesterday, sparking a wave of protests outside the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia. Conte tried to present his resignation last night but it was rejected by the Atalanta directors.

However, the former Juventus captain announced today that he has become the second coach this season to leave the relegation-threatened team.

“This is right at this time,” said Conte as he left Atalanta’s training ground. “It’s me who’s decided to leave. “I already presented my resignation last night, but I was rejected. Having reflected on it all night, I then decided to present it again.

“My regret is that I couldn’t do all that I had in mind, but I leave a lively squad, very lively, with which I got 13 points, so it’s not a disaster. Is it a black mark in my career? No, if anything the black mark is that what happened yesterday with the fans.”

Conte only worked for six months at Atalanta. He joined the Nerazzurri after he left Bari, last summer.

Tags: antonio conte, Azzurri, Bari, club officials, coach, disappointment, disaster, italia conte, job, juventus, protests, relegation, resignation, Siena, six months, stadio, thursday morning

Gladbach hit by Dorda injury

January 5, 2010

Borussia Monchengladbach will have to play without the services of full-back Christian Dorda, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee.

The 21-year-old flew back from Gladbach’s training camp in Spain on Sunday and underwent surgery in Cologne on Monday morning.

He now faces six months on the sidelines, meaning his season is over.

Dorda, who has yet to appear for the Foals this season due to a succession of niggling injuries, was hoping to build up his fitness and join the first-team squad for the second half of the campaign.

However, he twisted his knee badly in training on Sunday and the club’s medical department, after consultation with a local hospital, agreed to send him back to Germany for surgery.

Dorda played seven games for Gladbach last season.

Tags: Christian Dorda, cologne, consultation, fitness, foals, Germany, local hospital, medical department, monchengladbach, monday morning, niggling injuries, patellar tendon, second half, seven games, sidelines, six months, Spain, succession, training camp

Ancelotti: City can challenge

January 1, 2010

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti insists Manchester City will be in the Barclays Premier League title race this season under fellow Italian manager Roberto Mancini. Ancelotti believes that City’s latest results prove they have the opportunity to make it into the top four.

Ancelotti’s side head into 2010 top of the league table but the Blues were inconsistent in December. Meanwhile City recorded back-to-back wins after appointing Mancini to take over from Mark Hughes.

Sir Alex Ferguson has predicted a two-horse race for the championship between his Manchester United side and Chelsea, but Ancelotti said, “A lot of teams will be involved in the fight for the

title. I don’t want to forget Arsenal, I don’t want to forget Manchester City or any other teams. I don’t know if Arsenal, Aston Villa, Tottenham or Liverpool can fight for the title, but I know that to play against them is not easy.”

He added, “I think the last results, the result of Manchester City above all, show they have an opportunity to return to the top four.

“It’s a very competitive championship, this. Staying at the top of the list, for us, for six months is a very good situation. We did a very good job in these six months to maintain this first place in the league.”

Tags: alex ferguson, arsenal, barclays, barclays premier league, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, CITY, good job, horse race, Liverpool, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, Mark Hughes, premier league, roberto mancini, sir alex ferguson, six months, tottenham

Nakamura keen on Espanyol stay

December 24, 2009

Shunsuke Nakamura may have been one of the biggest disappointments in Primera Division, but the Japan international is not ready to call it quits.

The 31-year-old, who rejected a return to Japan to realise his dream of playing in Spain in the summer, has stated that he will fight to cement a regular first-team place at Espanyol.

The former Celtic star was left out the squad that took on Almeria in last weekend’s league fixture, prompting the Japanese press to question his future at Estadi Cornella-El Prat.

However, Nakamura is not eyeing a move next month and is determined to fight his way back into the team.

“I need to find a solution which will help me play more games,” the midfielder told Nikkan Sports.

“At the moment, I’m not too happy about things. I just need to keep on trying. It’s all about trial and error.”

With the 2010 World Cup just over six months away, it is suggested his place in the Japan national team is under serious threat.

Despite his lack of playing time at Espanyol, Nakamura has received the full backing of Japan boss Takeshi Okada and only an injury will rule him out of the tournament.