‘Beckham is a great acquisition, just like last year’

January 7, 2010

David Beckham made his return for Milan on Wednesday night in the home match against Genoa (5-2).

Injuries to Alexandre Pato and Clarence Seedorf meant second-placed Milan had to start the Englishman further forward than usual on the right of a front three.

“He had a week where we tried him in every role in training,” coach Leonardo said after the match.

“I think that is the synthesis of what he is all about. He has an absolute willingness to help, extraordinary quality and tactical intelligence.”

34-year-old Beckham hopes to secure a World Cup spot during his loan spell at Milan. National coach Fabio Capello advised the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder to continue his career in Europe.

Beckham produced some superb crosses, went close with a drive and worked hard defensively in front of Capello.

“Beckham, just like last season, has been a great acquisition,” Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani said.

“He earns very little from us. He came to Milan for all different reasons than money.”

Tags: acquisition, adriano galliani, alexandre pato, capello beckham, chief executive, clarence seedorf, coach fabio capello, crosses, David Beckham, different reasons, englishman, Europe, fabio capello, genoa, home match, leonardo, Los Angeles, los angeles galaxy, Milan, national coach, tactical intelligence, wednesday night, willingness, world cup spot

PFA to be there for King

November 1, 2009

Gordon Taylor insists the players’ union will support disgraced footballer Marlon King.

The shamed Wigan striker was given an 18-month prison sentence for sexual assault and actual bodily harm after punching a 20-year-old female student in the face in a nightclub.

King has been sacked by Wigan and pictures of the injuries suffered by the student have now been published in a Sunday newspaper.

Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, said: “Everybody in life can have big problems to face and this is probably his biggest and I hope he’s able to overcome it and if he needs help to get his life back on track I assure you we’ll be there for him.

“We will be pleased to give any of our members who has got problems support to get his life and his career back on track.

“We have a known record for that. I think we’ve got almost 50 cases in the past few years where such help has been requested and been given and for the most part we’re pleased to say it has been successful.”

Former Arsenal player Tony Adams and Newcastle’s Joey Barton are two high-profile examples of footballers who have served jail terms and returned to the game.

Taylor believes King will be able to resume his football career when he has served his sentence.

He told BBC Radio 5Live’s Sportsweek: “If he serves his time, is contrite and shows a willingness to get his life back on track then that (football) is his skill and that’s the right of every individual.

“There are many managers who have taken on players who’ve had chequered careers both on and off the field. Sometimes they have been able to change them and other times not.

“It’s not going to be an easy situation to accept but I would hope with the passage of time, with the right approach from Marlon and the willingness to get his life back on track then that’s a situation that hopefully may resolve itself and he’s still young enough to be able to do that.”

Taylor, however, revealed the PFA had not been contacted by King or his agent Tony Finnegan.

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: actual bodily harm, arsenal player, bbc, chief executive, football career, gordon taylor, jail terms, joey barton, Marlon King, NEWCASTLE, passage of time, pfa, prison sentence, professional footballers association, radio 5live, sexual assault, sportsweek, striker, Tony Adams, Tony Finnegan, Wigan, willingness

Rovers sign Di Santo

August 4, 2009

Premier League side Blackburn Rovers have signed Chelsea striker Franco Di Santo on loan for the first half of the season.

And Rovers boss Sam Allardyce, who is trying to strengthen his attacking options following the departure of Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City, has signed the 20-year-old Di Santo, giving him an another option.

The Argentinian, who has made a minimal impact on the first team at Stamford Bridge, started his club career with his local side Godoy Cruz in 2005, before moving to Chilean team Audax Italiano in 2008.

After scoring 16 and 19 goals in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons respectively, he was signed by Chelsea.

However, the player will stay with Blackburn until January under the terms of the deal completed today with Rovers then having an option on extending the deal provided Chelsea’s willingness to let him stay on loan for the remaining months of the season.

Di Santo could make his first appearance for Blackburn in Wednesday’s home friendly against Hibernian.

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: abhimanyu, blackburn, boss, CHELSEA, club career, Di Santo, first appearance, franco di santo, italiano, manchester city, minimal impact, premier league, roque santa cruz, sam allardyce, santa cruz, stamford bridge, willingness

Nigeria grabs age cheats by the wrists

July 16, 2009

The decision by Nigeria to test their under-17 players to eliminate age cheats is the first step in ridding African soccer of a long-standing blight.

Nigeria Football Federation president Sani Lulu Abdallah has said this week his organisation will take the unprecedented step of measuring the bone density of players by use of an MRI scan, usually done around the wrist area, to approximate whether they are roughly the right age or not.

They will start before Nigeria put an under-17 side together for their hosting of the world championships later this year.

It has long been suspected that past sides (and Nigeria have won three World under-17 Championships) have had age cheats but Nigeria is among the first associations to have shown any willingness to try to tackle the issue.

There have been past admissions of cheating, almost all of them long after the fact, while some teams have been caught trying to change the date of birth of players, who had been previously registered for other competitions.

Similar scans to those proposed by Nigeria have not been implemented because they are not 100 percent accurate. But FIFA’s own findings have attached a 90 percent credibility to the tests…certainly much more credibility than the World Junior Championship will enjoy if age cheats go unchecked.

PHOTO: FIFA president Sepp Blatter, keen to root out age cheats, in Seoul Sept. 9, 2007. Blatter visited Seoul to watch the final between Spain and Nigeria at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. REUTERS/Jo Yong-Hak

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Mourinho extends contract with Inter Milan

May 26, 2009

MILAN, Italy (AFP) – Jose Mourinho put an end to rumours linking him with taking over as coach of Real Madrid on Monday when it was announced he had extended his contract with Serie A champions Inter Milan.

The Portuguese – who had suggested that he wasn’t 100percent certain of staying in Italy last Thursday before denying he was going anywhere on Saturday – was originally contracted to Inter till June 2011 but his extension will see him stay there till June 2012.

“This extension is in response to the willingness of the coach to pursue his project that he panned out a year ago, which is a sign of attachment to the club and a spirit to always win,” read a statement from the club.

Principal among Mourinho’s aims will be to end Inter Milan’s Champions League drought – they won the last of their two titles in 1965 – and add to the trophy he won with Porto in 2004.

Tags: 100percent, aims, champions league, coach, drought, inter milan, Italy, Jose, jose mourinho, last thursday, MADRID, Milan, milan italy, PORTO, portuguese, real madrid, Serie A, trophy, willingness

Bulgarian star Petrov commits to Villa

May 20, 2009

BIRMINGHAM (AFP) – Stiliyan Petrov, the Bulgaria midfielder who has been one of Aston Villa’s outstanding performers this season, has committed his long term future to the club by signing a new four-year contract.

The new deal will keep the former Celtic star at Villa until 2013 and ends speculation that he could leave if England international Gareth Barry gets the move to Liverpool that he wanted last year.

Petrov, who turns 30 in July, was manager Martin O’Neill’s first signing at Villa with the Northern Irishman paying six million pounds to sign him from his former club in 2006.

O’Neill had generally deployed Petrov as an attacking midfielder at Celtic but, having suffered a major dip in form last season, it is as a holding player that he has thrived in the current campaign.

The Villa boss said he was delighted to have held on to Petrov.

“It is only just a year ago that people were concerning themselves about whether Stiliyan had a future here,” O’Neill reflected. “But he has battled back so much so that I’d like him to be around here for the next few years.

“If every person shows the same determination and willingness and drive that Stiliyan has shown the last year, there will be a future for anyone at the club.”

O’Neill meanwhile admitted that he expects to receive approaches this summer for his star performers — Barry and the young forwards Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor.

“I would be surprised if some people were not inquiring about our players – big teams – but I am hoping we will be able to withstand that,” he said.

Barry was stripped of the club captaincy last year after putting in a transfer request in an attempt to force Villa to sell him to Liverpool, who would not meet the Midlands club’s valuation.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is expected to make a fresh attempt to sign Barry this summer and O’Neill appeared resigned to the possibility that he could lose the midfielder, who will be able to walk away for nothing when his contract expires at the end of next season.

“With Gareth, you do accept – having spent 10-11 years at the club – he would be wanting to have a look at other particular things,” O’Neill said.

With the backing of American owner Randy Lerner, Villa will be in the market themselves this summer and O’Neill recognises the need to inject greater strength in depth into his squad.

“If you are prioritising, quality is essential,” he said. “Yes, we have had some benefits from fielding a settled side this season. But you realise now, when you look at Manchester United, and the changes all the top sides can make, how important it is to be able to do that.”

Tags: ashley, aston villa, Birmingham, boss, bulgaria, England, england international, English Premier League, forwards, gabriel agbonlahor, Gareth Barry, irishman, Liverpool, Manchester, martin o neill, Martin O'Neill, midfielder, Midlands, new deal, Northern Irishman, rafael benitez, randy lerner, speculation, star performers, transfer request, willingness

Tevez has future at Man Utd, Ferguson says

May 17, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson says he is convinced striker Carlos Tevez will stay at Old Trafford despite the player’s repeated expressions of discontent.

The Argentinian’s future has been in doubt all season and remains so despite the club clinching a third straight Premier League title on Saturday.

His two-year loan deal runs out this summer and no deal is in sight with Tevez also saying he is unhappy at not commanding a regular spot in the starting lineup.

That unrest was again evident against Arsenal when he appeared to wave goodbye to the Old Trafford crowd when he was substituted.

Ferguson though insists that Tevez still has a future in Manchester.

“The demands originally put to us were unrealistic,” he told The Sunday Times.

“Like other clubs, we have to be aware of the consequences of the credit crunch. It’s no time to be careless about money.

“As far as Tevez is concerned, everybody would be best served by a willingness to compromise.”

Ferguson also said he believed Cristiano Ronaldo’s would stay at the club despite the interest shown in him by Real Madrid.

“The indications I’m getting from the dressing room are that the other players don’t feel he is behaving as if he’s discontented.

“Obviously you can’t stop people pressing him with offers but we have handled that the best way we can.

“His contract with us runs until 2012 and we are in the driving seat.”

United meet Barcelona in Rome a week on Wednesday as they attempt to become the first side to retain the Champions League title.

Tags: alex ferguson, arsenal, Barcelona, carlos tevez, champions league, credit crunch, cristiano ronaldo, discontent, dressing room, driving seat, English Premier League, loan deal, london, MADRID, man utd, Manchester, manchester united, old trafford, premier league, real madrid, ROME, ronaldo, starting lineup, sunday times, Trafford, unrest, willingness

Liverpool discuss 600m pound sale with Kuwaiti family – report

January 22, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has reportedly started discussions with a wealthy Middle East family over a possible 600 million-pound sale of the English Premiership club, the Daily Telegraph claimed on their website on Thursday.

The preliminary talks are with the Kuwaiti Al Kharafi family, led by Nasser Al Kharafi who is worth nine billion pounds and is the 48th richest man in the world, the site added.

A purchase of Newcastle by the Al Kharafi family last year had also reportedly been a possibility.

Liverpool’s 350-million-pound loan is due to be renegotiated in July and sources have claimed both Hicks and co-owner George Gillett, who own Liverpool shares at 50-50 and therefore need to be in agreement to sell the club, both have a new willingness to find the right buyer.

The key negotiater from the Al Kharafi family is believed to be Nasser’s nephew, Rafed Al Kharafi.

Construction, plus a number of other activities in banking, catering and tourism, are the basis of the family’s wealth, the site continued.

Liverpool’s discussions with the Al Kharafis started when Liverpool’s finance director, Phillip Nash, a close ally of Hicks, went to Kuwait earlier this week.

Nash had been hoping for help in Liverpool’s project for a new ground, yet it is believed a 600 million-pound sale of the club was the main motivation.

The talks with the Al Kharafis is in fact the second time within 12 months that the American owners have tried to sell the five-time European champions to the same family.

The Kuwaitis suddenly ended talks early last year when Gillett had tried to bring about a possible sale and it is thought Hicks’s decision to once more attempt a deal on his own initiative annoyed Gillett, creating more distrust between the two men.

Written by: AFP