La Liga
Champions League Matchday 1
ROAD TO ROME – CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCHDAY 1
GROUP A
All roads lead to Rome so the old saying goes but for AS Roma the pressure of being the club whose ground will host the 2009 final proved too much to bear in their encounter with CFR Cluj-Napoca of Romania. Christian Panucci gave the Italians the lead on seventeen minutes before their world turned upside down, the Romanians reversing the deficit to win 2 - 1. Culio scored once in thirty-two appearances in 2007-08; in Rome, he doubled that tally in twenty-two minutes, the first on twenty-seven, and the second two minutes into the second half.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea ended the French resistance of Girodins Bordeaux, steamrolling through their defences at will. Frank Lampard opened the scoring after fourteen minutes, Joe Cole doubling that lead on half-an-hour. The comfortable 4 – 0 victory was sealed in the last eight minutes with goals from Malouda and Anelka.
GROUP B
Goals were in short supply in this group as Werder Bremen failed to break the stubborn defences of Cypriots Anorthosis Famagusta, the match ended goalless. Jose Mourinho took his Internazionale side to Greece to play Panathinaikos. No requirement to beware the Greeks bearing gifts as the Italian champions ran out comfortable 2 – 0 winners, Mancini and Adriano the scorers.
GROUP C
Barcelona may be stumbling in La Liga but they were positively purring in the Camp Nou, cruising to a 3 – 1 victory Sporting Lisbon. Marquez broke the deadlock midway through the first half, Samuel Eto’o increasing the lead on the hour, converting a penalty. Despite Tonel pulling a goal back on seventy-three, the win was in little doubt, a fact sealed with Xavi scoring three minutes from time.
Samba rhythms dominated the Swiss nightline as Shaktar Dontesk danced through their encounter with FC Basle. The boys from Brazil, Fernandinho and Jadson scored twice in the first half to give the Ukrainians a 2 – 1 win, Abraham scoring for the hosts with seconds remaining.
GROUP D
Atletico Madrid made their debut in the Champions League and had a night to remember in Eindhoven, blowing PSV aside in a 3 – 0 victory. Kun Aguero scored twice in thirty-six minutes before Maniche added the third on fifty-four, the Dutch helpless in their response.
In the south of France, Marseille might have fancied their chances against Liverpool, especially when Cana gave them a twenty-third minute lead. It was not to last as they succumbed to Steven Gerrard’s ninety-eighth and ninth goals for the Merseysiders, the equaliser a stunning shot from twenty-five yards three minutes after the French had scored. The winner coming from the penalty-spot six minutes later. Robbie Keane might not be finding the back of the in Premier League so it was entirely consistent that he did not trouble the French either.
GROUP E
Pointless playing the games really as none of Manchester United, Villarreal, Celtic or AaB Aalborg could hit a barn door, let alone find the back of the net. Indeed had they not kicked off at Celtic Park, Beauchamp of Aalborg would not have been sent off in the seventy-ninth minute.
GROUP F
A tight group on paper proved to be just that in reality with Steaua Bucharest succumbing to a fourteenth minute strike by van Buyten to give Bayern Munchen the points in the Romanian capital. In Lyon, the hosts gifted Fiorentina a two goal advantage with Albert Gilardino scoring in the eleventh and forty-second minutes. The French side fought back with two goals in twelve second-half minutes through Piquionne on seventy-three and Benzema on eighty-five, which probably makes his value €80.1m.
GROUP H
BATE Borisov may have thought that they had drawn the short straw with a visit to the Bernabeu but despite leaving the Spanish capital with ‘nil points’, better teams than they have been handed heavier defeats than the 2 – 0 scoreline inflicted upon them by Real Madrid. Pin-up of La Liga, Sergio Ramos, opened the scoring on eleven minutes but one of the less beautiful people gracing the top flight of any league, Ruud van Nistelrooy, made the Madrileños wait until the fifty-seventh minute for the second.
Juventus returned from the exile caused by the, ahem, dubious business practices that engulfed the club three seasons ago to beat UEFA Cup holders, Zenit St Petersburg by a single Del Piero goal fourteen minutes from time.
Berbatov A Barcelona Target But What Of Eto’o?
Reports in the English media have focussed on the possible transfer of Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham to Manchester United. Suppositions were posited that the Premier League champions had agreed a fee in excess of £20m for the Bulgarian international but these have turned out to be false with no price yet agreed between the two clubs.
The move may be forced along apace if United are genuinely interested with Sport, a Spanish daily, reporting that as a result of the negotiations between Tottenham’s North London neighbours, Arsenal and Barcelona having stalled over Emmanuel Adebayor, the Catalans are now turning their attentions to Berbatov.
Once more though Barcelona are hamstrung by the absence of genuine offers for Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian is the key to incoming funds despite receiving €19m for Ronaldinho. Eto’o was an early close season target of Juande Ramos but rejected the move at that point on the grounds that Tottenham were not a ‘big’ club. Subsequent to those remarks, Eto’o has been publicly told he is not a major part of the new Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, plans. The announcement was not unexpected with the triumverate of Ronaldinho, Deco and Eto’o widely believed to a troublesome clique for former boss, Frank Rijkaard.
Guardiola has performed a small u-turn by confirming that any of them that remained at the club would be welcomed and used in the coming season. The motivation for Eto’o is to prove that he still has much to offer for a top European club otherwise Tottenham might represent the size of club that he is attractive to.
Samuel Eto’o, FC Barcelona, Totteham Hotspur, Arsenal, La Liga, Premier League, Transfer Gossip, Football, SoccerBerbatov A Barcelona Target But What Of Eto’o?
Reports in the English media have focussed on the possible transfer of Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham to Manchester United. Suppositions were posited that the Premier League champions had agreed a fee in excess of £20m for the Bulgarian international but these have turned out to be false with no price yet agreed between the two clubs.
The move may be forced along apace if United are genuinely interested with Sport, a Spanish daily, reporting that as a result of the negotiations between Tottenham’s North London neighbours, Arsenal and Barcelona having stalled over Emmanuel Adebayor, the Catalans are now turning their attentions to Berbatov.
Once more though Barcelona are hamstrung by the absence of genuine offers for Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian is the key to incoming funds despite receiving €19m for Ronaldinho. Eto’o was an early close season target of Juande Ramos but rejected the move at that point on the grounds that Tottenham were not a ‘big’ club. Subsequent to those remarks, Eto’o has been publicly told he is not a major part of the new Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, plans. The announcement was not unexpected with the triumverate of Ronaldinho, Deco and Eto’o widely believed to a troublesome clique for former boss, Frank Rijkaard.
Guardiola has performed a small u-turn by confirming that any of them that remained at the club would be welcomed and used in the coming season. The motivation for Eto’o is to prove that he still has much to offer for a top European club otherwise Tottenham might represent the size of club that he is attractive to.
GILBERTO DEPARTURE LEAVES VACANCY IN ARSENAL MIDFIELD
The departure of Mathieu Flamini left a hole in the Arsenal midfield; that gap became bigger yesterday as Panathinaikos agreed to buy Gilberto Silva from The Gunners. It means a shortage of experience within the defensive department at The Emirates. Amongst Arsene Wenger’s squad, he has a number of youthful players who could fill this role - Abou Diaby, Denilson, Johan Djourou and Alex Song - but none have sufficient Premier League experience to suggest that they are ready to step into the position, despite their obvious quality.
The Brazilian’s departure has led to speculation that Xabi Alonso may be on his way to The Emirates, a move that would allow Gareth Barry the chance to move to Anfield. Despite weekend rumours of Arsenal interest in the Aston Villa player, there has been little to suggest that this was serious interest on the part of Arsene Wenger.
Alonso’s agent stoked the fires of this rumour when he spoke to Publico, a Spanish newspaper, and suggest that he was aware of Arsenal’s interest in his client. Were Alonso to join The Gunners, his fee would be in the region of £14m. However, doubts are cast upon this move when considering the style of play the Spaniard would bring to the Arsenal squad. Alonso is a more thoughtful passer of the ball and is not in the same mould as Mathieu Flamini in that he is not an energetic or busy player. However, cast against that would be the wealth of experience that he has and a judicious choice of passing that he possesses.
Either player would sit comfortably in the Arsenal midfield yet the sensible money is on Wenger promoting from within. Diaby has played plenty of games on the left for Arsenal, covering the absence of Tomas Rosicky and Wenger is believed to have great faith in his ability. Song meanwhile has been introduced at the back although some sterling performances in the 2008 African Cup of Nations suggest he has a future in midfield. Djourou and Denilson would be considered outsiders for the role; the Swiss international played for Birmingham City on loan for six months last season and would benefit from such a move again. Denilson is more of a passer and creative than defensive and perhaps an understudy to Cesc Fabregas.
Wenger has a problem area but no-one should discount his ability to have already found a solution from within.
MILAN AND BARCELONA OPEN THE TRANSFER FLOODGATES
With Ronaldinho’s move to AC Milan all but confirmed, it seems that the barrier to a number of summer moves has been released. Barcelona held the key to three transfers and within twenty-four hours, there has been confirmation that the end-game in two of them approaches. Firstly, AC Milan agreed to pay Barcelona £19m for Ronaldinho’s services and subject to a medical, that transfer should be confirmed today.
The funds received will allow Alexander Hleb to leave Arsenal to join the Catalan giants for a fee approaching £15m. The Byelorussian international arrived in the Catalan capital where according to the club’s website, he will undergo a series of medicals at a local hospital and the club’s medical centre. Should these be passed, he will be confirmed as a Barcelona player tomorrow afternoon.
The final key in the jigsaw will be the transfer of Emmanuel Adebayor, again from Arsenal. This is more problematic for Barcelona as funds to purchase the player are believed to dependent upon the sale of Samuel Eto’o. Reports in the Spanish media today suggest that Valencia are considering a €25m bid for the Cameroonian international. Eto’o himself has made it clear he will only leave Barcelona if it suits him but his age will count against him next summer when more youthful rivals will be coveted by the big European clubs. Eto’o is also prepared to play in this summer’s Olympics, a move that will not sit comfortably with new employers, especially with the high value of his fee.
The transfer floodgates are suddenly coming ajar; the end of this week may yet see them open fully.
RONALDINHO ROW GIVES CITY HOPE
Ronaldinho’s exit from the Camp Nou is proving as colourful as his time at Barcelona. Spanish Radio reported last night that Adriano Galliani has argued with the player’s agent and brother, Roberto de Assis, leaving the door open for the improbable sight of the Brazilian international in a Manchester City shirt next season.
Barcelona are known to prefer City’s £22m bid for the player as it is £10m more than Milan have offered. It seems that the Mancunians are dropping their corporate trousers in their attempts to sign the player, offering him more money and the number ten shirt to fit in with his sponsorship by Nike. The deal on the table for the player is in the form of a ‘pay as you play’ contract and is believed to be supported by the sportswear giant.
However, City do not have the presence in the game of the Italians and that is counting heavily against them. Whilst next season will see Milan participate in the UEFA Cup, City have no guarantee of this even with their qualifying campaign starting this week against EB/Streymur from the Faroe Islands. Their ambitions to progress cannot be doubted with £18m already spent on Jo, their signing from CSKA Moscow. How wisely this money has been spent remains to be seen.
For his part, Ronaldinho would not be available for competitive action to his new employers as he seeks to participate in the Olympic Games in Beijing later this summer. It will be useful for either of his suitors to assess his fitness there given that he has not taken part in a competitive fixture since March 9th.
The player expects to make a ‘major announcement’ with regard to his next move this week and it is widely expected to be acceptance of Milan’s offer.
NASRI SIGNS AS HLEB AND ADEBAYOR EDGE CLOSER TO THE EXIT
Samir Nasri has completed his protracted transfer to Arsenal, joining the club just as the first team squad return to training. The French midfielder did not enjoy the best of times at Euro2008, restricted to fleeting cameos as Les Bleus were dumped out of the tournament.
His signing would appear to open the door to Arsenal finalising the sale of Alexander Hleb to Barcelona. Spanish media reports suggest that this will be for an initial €15m, increasing to €18m with bonuses. The two players are very similar, indeed enjoying similar scoring ratios at Marseilles and Arsenal. It has been the biggest criticism of Hleb that during his time at Arsenal, the player has not found the net regularly enough.
That is to miss the essence of his contribution to the side. Hleb recently observed that he is more of a creator than a scorer, attributing this to a youth coach whose mantra was, “Pass, Pass, Pass“. It has made him the fulcrum of many Arsenal attacks whereby his dribbling and close control has allowed colleagues to make the final pass or score. It is this attribute that Nasri will be expected to fill, along with the recuperating Tomas Rosicky. Should those two be able to contribute more goals then it will make Arsenal a potent attacking force in the Premier League.
Whether the strikeforce will include Emmanuel Adebayor seems increasingly unlikely. The Togolese international has attracted the covetous glances of AC Milan and Barcelona all summer, seeking a move for monetary rather than footballing reasons. The Italians are not his first choice of destination but they have upped the ante by offering €30m plus Yoann Gorcuff to Arsenal. This though seems not to be adequate for The Gunners who want £35m, a fee that according to Adriano Galliani on many occasions is out of their reach. Barcelona are thought to be shy of that amount as well, reports suggesting that they will be prepared to go to €35m (£28m). The likely outcome is to be somewhere nearer to £30m for a player who scored thirty goals last season.
SLAVE? BLATTER INSULTS HISTORY WITH ILL-CHOSEN WORDS
During his time in office, Sepp Blatter has been no stranger to controvesy. Famously derided as having 101 bad ideas every day, FIFA’s President has suggested that women footballers ’should wear tighter shorts’ to make the game more popular with men, capping that sexism by insulting millions of people throughout history whose dignity and humanity have been stripped bare.
Comparing Cristiano Ronaldo, a multi-millionaire whose every whim is pandered to, with those who have suffered unimaginable depravation through slavery is simply unforgivable and must surely be the final nail in his Presidential coffin. It is simply untenable that Blatter remain in office; unbelievable that those nations whose ancestors have been ripped asunder through the greed of others have not yet called for his resignation.
Quite how Blatter came to his conclusions in a television interview beggars belief. Ronaldo freely renegotiated his Manchester United contract last season, enjoying vast sums of money on a weekly basis as reward for his talent; hardly the basis of any slavery where abject poverty was rampant. All Blatter has done is convince a spoilt manchild that his toys have been taken away because his employers will not tear up his contract of employment. Ronaldo could of course force the issue and submit a written transfer request. He will not for in doing so he will deprive himself of millions of pounds in loyalty bonuses. Should United decide to sell him, they will be forced to pay this money, hardly slavery Herr Blatter.
The hypocrisy of Blatter has been laid bare for all to see. If Blatter were truly convinced of the inquitous nature of the transfer market, he would have pioneered changes long before now. Instead, he has ensured the inherent greed within the system is in plain view; clubs extorting huge sums of money for players, even of mediocre talent, buying clubs exerting pressure to ensure the talent floats to those at the top. Outside of sport, which other industries impose a fee for employing personnel currently working for a rival?
Blatter’s motivation of this outburst is hard to fathom. He knew the furore which would erupt over his words, indeed one questions whether that was his intention. Is he meddling to try to bring the Ronaldo transfer to a head? FIFA had already declared that Real Madrid were not ‘tapping’ the player up despite their ready quotes for any media outlet that asked. Blatter has also ensured that a legal challenge to the FIFA statutes governing transfers and contracts will be forthcoming in the next year or two, with him being called as a star witness. The apocalyptic scenario of clubs going their own way may well have been hastened if anarchy reigns over the transfer market. More likely though, this was purely about revenge. Under the auspices of UEFA, the European Club Association rejected his quota proposals, preferring the current ‘homegrown’ rules, approved by the European Union. Blatter could not get his own way on that and took the chance to launch an incendiary device into football. Whether it ends his career at the top prematurely will soon be seen.
LAMPARD STAYING FOR NOW
Chelsea have confirmed that they will not be allowing Frank Lampard to join Internazionale for the moment, issuing a statement on their website,
Chelsea have informed Inter that we will not enter into any discussions regarding the transfer
The protracted contract wrangles involving Lampard has led to increased speculation about his future. It has been reported that he is demanding a five-year, £150k per week deal although neither party has confirmed this. Chelsea admitted recently that the talks were at an impasse although how much of this was to draw out Inter’s interest through official channels remains to be seen.
Lampard has not diffused the situation, merely commenting that he had no plans to meet any representatives of the Italian club whilst in their country on a family holiday. Jose Mourinho believes Lampard will let his contract rundown and join the Italians next season.
It is a crucial moment for the player. At thirty years of age, his career at the top level has probably a maximum of five years left and this represents his last chance for a big-money deal. Having spent his whole playing career at London clubs, he may feel that a change of scenery is opportune although he has been heavily linked with Barcelona in the past - probably on the basis that his partner is Catalan - but that interest has cooled.
LAPORTA SURVIVES DESPITE OVERWHELMING UNPOPULARITY WITH SOCIOS
As was widely expected, Joan Laporta was resoundingly defeated in yesterday’s Censure motion. Despite 60% of the votes cast being against the Barcelona President, Laporta has clung to power as the statutes required those against the President to total 66%. The outcome means that Laporta remains in office until 2010.
Dissatisfied at a second trophyless season, 23,870 socios voted against Laporta with 15,184 supporting his regime. It is a turbulent time at the Camp Nou with Frank Rijkaard and Deco having left, Ronaldinho seemingly on his way to AC Milan and Samuel Eto’o sitting and waiting for offers; out with the old guard, in with the new.
Attempts to strengthen the squad have been mixed. High profile signings such as Dani Alves from Sevilla will make the back line stronger to some extent but for every success, there have been shambolic attempts to sign others. Alexander Hleb remains an Arsenal player and Emmanuel Adebayor looks unlikely to arrive in the Catalan capital very soon. Indeed, there is a growing suspicion that the player is using Barcelona to extract a higher salary from The Gunners and has little intention of leaving the London club unless he is forced out by Arsene Wenger. Only Andrei Arshavin has publicly spoken of his love for the club and even then, the blaugrana face stiff competition from Arsenal and Chelsea, both of whom Arshavin is travelling to London to meet this week.
If this is the case and Adebayor rejects the offer of a move, the embarrassing summer for Laporta will be long indeed.
OH DEAR CALDERON NO RON-RON
Ramon Calderon, erstwhile President of Real Madrid, has conceded that his pursuit of Crisitiano Ronaldo is likely to be in vain this summer. According to reports from Marca, Calderon admitted this weekend that the ‘most likely scenario’ is that the Portuguese winger will be staying at Old Trafford for one more season at least.
The main stumbling block all summer has been the reluctance of Manchester United to enter into negotiations with the Spaniards, despite the best efforts of the Madrilenos to engineer a move through the media and with their own outbursts. The only reason United would now sell appears to be if the player himself requests a move, something that would be unlikely to happen as he will forfeit all of the bonuses due under his contract, signed only last summer.
For Calderon, it is a path well-trodden. During summer 2007, he publicly pursued Cesc Fabregas only to be rebuffed by the player and Arsenal. The use of ‘tame’ media outlets is a well-practised methodolgy for unsettling players and will no doubt continue despite its lack of success in these two high-profile transfers.
Had Real approached the United board quietly, they may have met with more success. Now, with egg on his face once more and empty promises in his hand, Calderon has to look elsewhere for new players.
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