Van Nistelrooy needs time: Hamburg coach

February 3, 2010

Hamburg’s new star signing Ruud van Nistelrooy needs more time to get fit before making his Bundesliga debut, his coach Bruno Labbadia said on Wednesday.

Having spent most of the season on the bench at Real Madrid before signing for Hamburg 10 days ago, the 33-year-old Dutch hot-shot striker is only 60 percent fit, according to Labbadia.

And it looks as though the striker will sit out Hamburg’s Bundesliga game at Cologne on Saturday and needs plenty of fitness work after knee surgery in November 2008 and having played just 127 minutes of football for Real this season.

“We would never put someone under a pressure of time to say when they will be fit,” Labbadia told SID, a subsidiary of AFP, with his side fifth in the German league table.

“Ruud is still working his way back to fitness and it is only 60 percent.

“Whether or not he is in the squad, we will decide at the end of the week.”

Labbadia says the Dutchman needs “a few more weeks” to return to top fitness.

“We don’t want to rush him back too early and risk him getting injured,” said Labbadia.

A calf injury meant van Nistelrooy only trained with the squad for the first time on Tuesday.

“He has not played for the best part of a year, it is a different story if a player has just been out for a few weeks.”

Van Nistelrooy has signed a contract until June 2011 and Hamburg are reported to have spent four million euros on him.

He has already been crowned the best striker in Holland, having scored 62 goals for Eindhoven between 1998 and 2001, England, having scored 95 goals for Manchester United between 2001-06 and Spain, having netted 46 goals for Real between 2006 and 2010.

Having retired after Holland were knocked out of Euro 2008 by Russia in the quarter-finals, van Nistelrooy has said he would like to play for the Netherlands again at this summer’s World Cup.

BERLIN (AFP)

Tags: berlin, bruno labbadia, Bundesliga, calf injury, cologne, different story, dutchman, Eindhoven, England, euro 2008, fitness work, german league, Hamburg, Holland, knee surgery, MADRID, manchester united, new star, quarter finals, real madrid, russia, ruud van nistelrooy, SID, Spain, striker, the Netherlands, top fitness, Van Nistelrooy

Van Nistelrooy keen to succeed at Hamburg

January 25, 2010

Ruud van Nistelrooy was, as expected, linked with various clubs before signing at Hamburger SV. His agent said that there were various English clubs who wanted to land the former Manchester United striker from Real Madrid.

“It’s obvious that Ruud has a big reputation in England, but his glory days are over,” said Van Nistelrooy’s agent Rodger Linse to Dutch magazine Sportweek.

“He was at a big club, became top scorer of the Premier League. That will never happen again of course. He had his doubts but he wants to be important for his new club.

“At Hamburger SV he will be in a new, inspiring surrounding. HSV is a big, ambitious club. He will give his all.”

Van Nistelrooy had an impressive farewell at the Bernabeu stadium before Real’s match against Malaga (2-0). “We already noticed that when we arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu,” Linse added.

“The fans chanted for him at the parking, they wanted to embrace him and it was all very emotional. Ruud has meant a lot for the club.”

Van Nistelrooy’s won’t make his HSV debut before February 6 when they face Köln. The 33-year-old hotman has only played 127 minutes for Real and must first return to match fitness before he can make his first appearance for his new club.

Tags: ambitious club, bernabeu stadium, doubts, dutch magazine, England, english clubs, farewell, first appearance, glory days, Hamburg, hamburger sv, hotman, HSV, MADRID, Malaga, Manchester, manchester united, premier league, real madrid, reputation, Rodger Linse, ruud van nistelrooy, Santiago, santiago bernabeu, striker, top scorer, Van Nistelrooy

Redknapp to move for Van Nistelrooy if Pav goes

January 19, 2010

Harry Redknapp has confirmed the transfer rumours: the Tottenham manager is interested in signing Ruud van Nistelrooy. However, the Spurs can only make a move for the Real Madrid striker if they manage to offload Roman Pavlyuchenko from north London.

Tottenham boss Redknapp last night admitted he is interested in bringing former Manchester United striker Van Nistelrooy to White Hart Lane in the transfer window.

But the deal can only take place if Pavlyuchenko- included in the Spurs squad for tomorrow night’s rearranged Premier League clash at Liverpool – leaves the Spurs.

Tottenham will only countenance a straight sale for the Russian international and have rejected a bid by Zenit St Petersburg to take the 28-year-old on loan for six months.

“It’s an interesting one. Van Nistelrooy is a fantastic player with a proven goalscoring record in England, and if he was available it could be of interest to us,” said Redknapp.

“But I’ve already got four strikers and if I ended up with trying to keep five of them happy, that’s a problem I could do without.

“Pavlyuchenko is looking to move, and I could only do something with van Nistelrooy if someone came in for Pav and he decided to go.”

Redknapp will be without Tom Huddlestone (knee), and Alan Hutton (groin) at Anfield. Skipper Ledley King trained today and Spurs will make a late decision on his wonky knee.

Tags: Alan Hutton, clash, England, groin, Harry Redknapp, Hart Lane, hutton, Liverpool, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, north London, pav, Petersburg, premier league, russian international, ruud van nistelrooy, skipper, spurs, striker, strikers, tom huddlestone, tomorrow night, Transfer Rumours, Van Nistelrooy, white hart lane, zenit st petersburg

Van Nistelrooy in talks with Spurs

January 19, 2010

Tottenham Hotspur are in talks to sign Ruud van Nistelrooy on a free transfer.

Van Nistelrooy is thought to have flown to London to discuss terms and undergo a medical. It is expected that a deal for the Dutch striker will be announced today.

The 33-year-old hitman knows he needs playing time in order to make a bid to be in Holland’s World Cup squad. He hopes to revive his chances to play at the World Cup by leaving Real Madrid.

Van Nistelrooy hasn’t been on Real coach Manuel Pellegrini’s mind this season and only appeared in one La Liga match this season and has been troubled by many injuries.

He recently turned down an offer from Galatasaray because he doesn’t want to play in Turkey.

Tags: coach, galatasaray, hasn, hitman, Holland, london, MADRID, manuel pellegrini, playing time, real madrid, ruud van nistelrooy, spurs, striker, tottenham hotspur, Turkey, Van Nistelrooy, world cup squad

Van Nistelrooy snubs Galatasaray move

January 18, 2010

Ruud van Nistelrooy has been the subject of many transfer rumours these days. His future remains uncertain but his agent insists the former Manchester United striker won’t move to Galatasaray.

“I’m getting many phone calls for Ruud, but he doesn’t want to play in Turkey,” said Van Nistelrooy’s agent Rodger Linse. The Real Madrid striker still has two weeks to sign for another club.

Van Nistelrooy has struggled to force his way into the Real side this season and he has also been hampered by injury problems. The 33-year-old hitman has only played one competition match for Los Merengues this season.

Tags: hitman, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, match, merengues, real madrid, Rodger Linse, ruud van nistelrooy, snubs, striker, Transfer Rumours, Turkey, Van Nistelrooy

Real to stay out of transfer market: reports

January 8, 2010

Real Madrid has no plans to replace injured Brazilian defender Pepe, or any others players, during the mid-season transfer window, Spanish media said Friday.

The club’s management told coach Manuel Pellegrini that he could not expect any new signings this month, the Marca sports newspaper said.

Real has notably rebuffed interest from Jonathan Cicero Moreira of Brazilian side Cruzeiro, who is keen to move to the Spanish capital.

The club will not let others leave either this winter, such as Argentine Gago, who has sparked interest from Boca Junior and Juventus.

Spanish media recently noted that Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who has been largely sidelined this season, had received the green light to leave this winter, perhaps to Liverpool.

Under chairman Florentino Perez, who took over last summer, Real has spent 250 million euros on star signings, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso.

Pepe, a regular in Real’s starting line-up since he joined the club from Porto in 2007, underwent surgery last month to repair ligament damage on his right knee and he is expected to be out for six months.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: Alonso, Argentine, boca junior, brazilian side, cruzeiro, florentino perez, gago, Jonathan Cicero Moreira, juventus, Karim Benzema, ligament damage, Liverpool, MADRID, manuel pellegrini, mid season, new signings, pepe, PORTO, real madrid, ronaldo, ruud van nistelrooy, spanish capital, spanish media, starting line, Van Nistelrooy, xabi alonso

‘AC Milan chase Drenthe’

November 26, 2009

Royston Drenthe is high on AC Milan’s shopping list. The Italians are keen on the Dutchman as Leonardo seeks to strengthen the left flank.

Drenthe was on the verge of swapping Real Madrid for Fiorentina this summer. That transfer was canceled, partly because coach Manuel Pelligrini wanted Drenthe to stay at Real.

On Thursday, Cadena Ser reports that Drenthe will leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the winter break. According to the Spanish media channel, Milan has targeted the versatile winger (who is valued at around €6 million) to strengthen their left flank.

Ruud van Nistelrooy may also leave Real Madrid. The 33-year-old striker is ready to reject a move to Arsenal to rescue Liverpool’s season, according to the Daily Mail. Reportedly, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are also keeping an eye on Van Nistelrooy’s situation.

Paul Haring

Tags: cadena ser, daily mail, Drenthe, dutchman, fiorentina, Hotspur, italians, left flank, leonardo, Liverpool, manchester city, Manuel Pelligrini, Milan, Paul Haring, pelligrini, ruud van nistelrooy, Santiago, santiago bernabeu, shopping list, spanish media, striker, Van Nistelrooy, verge, winger, winter break

Lyon closing in on Real´s Van Nistelrooy: report

July 2, 2009

MADRID (AFP) – Lyon want to sign Real Madrid’s Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy to replace Karim Benzema who has agreed to join the Spanish giants, sports daily Marca reported on Thursday.

Lyon was initially interested in another Dutch striker, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has sparked interest from AC Milan, but he refused to join the French side, the newspaper reported.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, then asked his Real counterpart Florentino Perez to try to convince Van Nistelrooy, out injured for most of last season, to join the club, it added.

The 33-year-old, who moved to Real in the summer of 2006, has said he would like to stay on at Real.

But he has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeu following the Spanish side’s signings of Brazil’s Kaka and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo in recent weeks.

Van Nistelrooy underwent an operation in November 2008 on his right knee which the club said at the time would sideline him from six to nine months.

The Dutchman has scored 45 league goals for Real, four of them last season before being injured.

He was the top scorer in the league for 2006-07 with 25 goals in 37 matches.

The Spanish press said Perez hopes to sell most of the club’s Dutch players, Aside from Van Nistelrooy and Huntelaar, these are Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Royston Drenthe.

Tags: ac milan, bernabeu, cristiano ronaldo, Drenthe, dutchman, french side, jean michel aulas, Jean-Michel, kaka, Karim Benzema, klaas jan huntelaar, LA Liga, league goals, Ligue 1, Lyon, MADRID, marca, Milan, pecking order, portugal, Rafael van der, rafael van der vaart, real madrid, royston drenthe, ruud van nistelrooy, spanish press, spanish side, top scorer, van der vaart, Van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder

Van Nistelrooy still hopes to play at Real

May 28, 2009

MADRID (AFP) – Real Madrid’s Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy, out injured since last November, says he hopes to play next season, although the team’s prospective new management may have other ideas.

“I have another year left on my contract and I am very happy. There isn?t a doubt in my mind that I will stay. I will get better and I will play again at the Santiago Bernabeu” stadium, he said on the club’s website.

“The team?s pre-season begins around the middle of July, and if everything goes as planned I hope to be back in action with the squad in August. I am so anxious to return.”

Van Nistelrooy, who turns 33 in July, underwent an operation in November 2008 on his right knee. The club said he would be out for six to nine months.

The Dutchman, transferred from Manchester United in 2006, has scored 45 goals in league for Real, four of them this season before being injured.

He was the top scorer in the league for 2006-07 with 25 goals in 37 matches.

Elections for a new president of Real are scheduled for June 14, with former head Florentino Perez currently the only candidate.

The Spanish press said Perez hopes to sell most of the club’s Dutch players, Aside from Nistelrooy, these are Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Royston Drenthe, Arjen Robben and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

Tags: arjen robben, doubt in my mind, Drenthe, dutchman, june 14, klaas jan huntelaar, last november, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, new management, new president, nine months, Rafael van der, rafael van der vaart, real madrid, royston drenthe, ruud van nistelrooy, Santiago, santiago bernabeu stadium, spanish press, striker, top scorer, UEFA Champions League, van der vaart, Van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder

Overtaking Baggio could solve Inzaghi’s image problem

April 21, 2009

After bagging his 300th career goal last month, AC Milan’s Filippo Inzaghi has set his sights on Roberto Baggio’s tally of 318.

The 35-year-old hit a hat-trick in Sunday’s 5-1 thrashing of Torino in Serie A to take his total up to 304 and he looks good to achieve his target next season.

This got me wondering whether reaching a milestone set by a universally recognised great of the modern game will win over those still sceptical about Inzaghi’s talents.

Inzaghi’s goal feats often fail to receive the enthusiastic greeting they get in Italy outside his homeland, especially with British fans and journalists.

“English colleagues have often suggested that ‘SuperPippo’ was nothing more than a ‘poacher’ and a ’six-yard merchant’, with a marked penchant for taking a ‘dive’ to boot,” Irish Times correspondent Paddy Agnew wrote in his book Forza Italia.

Agnew, who has covered Serie A since the 1980s, argues that Inzaghi is no more of a diver than his colleagues who have played in the Premier League “Saint Michael Owen, Ruud Van Nistelrooy or Wayne Rooney included”.

But the accusation that he is little more than a goal-hanger may be harder to shake off. His first goal of the 2007 Champions League final against Liverpool, which he deflected in with his arm, is seen by many as a typical Inzaghi effort.

What critics fail to take account of is that Inzaghi’s knack of being in the right place at the right time is more than just luck, it stems from the understanding he has with his team mates and his superb ability to read the game.

What’s more, you don’t score 300 plus goals just by sticking out random body parts. Indeed, I’d says Inzaghi’s second strike in the 2007 Champions League final, where he rounded the keeper and coolly slotted in from a tight angle, was much more typical than his first.

And while he is not a playmaker forward in the mould of Baggio, scoring goals is not his only contribution, as displayed by the smart lay-off he produced to create Clarence Seedorf’s winner for Milan at Chievo Verona two weekends ago.

Inzaghi has already pulled off many achievements, including being part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning squad, so I doubt that one more will dispel the reputation he has gained, in Britain at least, for simply being an expert poacher.

PHOTO: AC Milan’s Filippo Inzaghi celebrates with team mate David Beckham (R) after scoring against Torino during their Serie A match at the San Siro, April 19, 2009. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

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