Showing posts with label Football. Show all posts
Andre Villas-Boas insists Tottenham have received no further bids for Luka Modric as the club stand firm on their £40 million valuation of the midfielder.



Real Madrid are preparing a £33 million bid for Croatia international Modric, but Villas-Boas insists there have been no further offers at this point.
Modric, who has made no secret of his desire to leave White Hart Lane, has not travelled with Spurs on their pre-season tour of the United States, but while Tottenham have said they will not stand in Modric's way if he wants to leave, they are holding out for their asking price.
"There is no news at the moment," Villas-Boas said ahead of Tottenham's pre-season friendly against Liverpool in Baltimore. "The player is training in London. There have been no further bids, no improved bids. The value hasn't been met for what we think is correct.
"We have a big squad and we are fielded in most of the positions, so we just have to wait and see how that deal goes or doesn't go. If the player eventually stays, he is a player of fantastic talent for us and will certainly add to our squad."
Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is believed to be looking to ease tensions with Tottenham and, when asked about Modric on Friday, he offered a diplomatic response. "I don't talk about players from other clubs," he said.
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Roberto Mancini has confirmed Manchester City are in talks over potential signings and said he hopes to bring in new players in the next fortnight.



City have had an uncharacteristically quiet summer so far, and Mancini - who had aired his frustrations last summer over the protracted signing of Samir Nasri - this week hinted at a dissatisfaction with the failure to further strengthen the squad.
It is thought City executive Brian Marwood is loath to add to an already substantial wage bill as the ramifications of UEFA's Financial Fair Play plan loom, and as yet the club have been unable to offload the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and Kolo Toure.
Nonetheless, Mancini remains convinced that City need to spend to enhance the squad, and has indicated that arrivals are expected in the near future.
"It's important to change some players in some positions," Mancini said. "If we are going to have a winning mentality and we want to win, it is important. We won the last championship and we have a good team, but this year will be harder because, when you win, the problem is to win again. For this reason I think that we need to improve our team with maybe some new players.
"I'm sure that maybe in the next two weeks we can do something about new players. We are talking to some players, but the market is not easy. It's difficult, and for this reason we need more time."
Asked how many players he is looking to sign, Mancini said: "We have a lot of players - I don't think we need ten new ones. We need to improve some positions, but I won't say two, three, one. Any new player must come here and help the team improve."
Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie have both been strongly linked, though Mancini said he did not believe a bid had been lodged with the Gunners for the latter.
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Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani has pledged his future to Napoli amid reported interest from a number of Premier League clubs.




Cavani, who is currently in England to represent his country at the London Olympics, has been linked with both Manchester City and Chelsea but insists he is happy to stay at the Stadio San Paolo.
"Are the big Premier League clubs looking at me? My response can only be Forza Napoli!" he told Il Mattino newspaper.
But the 25-year-old added that he may consider a move to the Premier League one day. "It is said that English football is art, why not think about it one day if there is that possibility?"
There were fears that Cavani, who only signed a new five-year contract with Napoli last summer, would quit the club this summer after his wife was mugged and robbed of a watch worth €18,000 in Naples, but the striker dismissed the notion.
"The men who attacked my wife were not Napoli fans, not the kind I have learned to know and appreciate in these years. This incident certainly won't make me move away from under the shadow of Vesuvius."
Cavani scored 23 goals in 35 appearances for Napoli in Serie A last season.
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Great Britain booked their place in the Olympic quarter-finals with a routine 3-0 victory overCameroon at the Millennium Stadium.




Captain Casey Stoney set them on their way with a close-range finish in the 18th-minute, with Jill Scott adding the second five minutes later. Steph Houghton, the heroine of the opening win over New Zealand, sealed the win with her fierce strike eight minutes from time.
And with Brazil and GB having recorded two wins from two in Group E, both sides are guaranteed a last-eight berth ahead of their meeting at Wembley on Tuesday.
There were moments of concern for coach Hope Powell thanks to some robust tackling from the African opponents, although it was an innocuous challenge from Ajara Nchout that saw defender Ifeoma Dieke leave the field on a stretcher during the second half.
Brazil striker Cristiane pounced on a poor clearance late on to break New Zealand hearts with a 1-0 win in the early match at the Millennium Stadium.
New Zealand had frustrated Brazil thanks to a disciplined defensive display and looked set to hold the Samba Queens to a goalless draw. But stiker Cristiane, who plays her club football in Russia with WFC Rossiyank, calmly lobbed Ferns' goalkeeper Jenny Bindon after her punch went straight to the Brazilian.
"New Zealand are a very good team, very organised," said match-winner Cristiane. "Nobody said any of these matches at the Olympics were going to be easy."
The victory meant Brazil, silver medallists at the last two Olympics, made it two wins out of two at London 2012 after thrashing Cameroon 5-0 in their opening game.
Reigning Olympic champions the United States secured their progress into the quarter-finals with a regulation 3-0 win over Group G opponents Colombia.
Megan Rapinoe opened the scoring with a fine dipping shot from outside the area on 32 minutes and the US would have been further ahead at the break but for two desperate goal line clearances from Colombian captain Natalia Gaitan.
Abby Wambach did eventually make the Americans' domination count 17 minutes from time and Carli Lloyd rounded off an excellent team move for the third three minutes later.
Group G rivals France revived their London 2012 hopes with a thumping 5-0 win over Korea DPR, which was inspired by their speedy supersub Elodie Thomis.
Women's World Cup holders Japan failed to capitalise on their territorial dominance and were held to a goalless draw by Sweden in their Group F clash at the City of Coventry Stadium.
Japan had enough chances to have won comfortably but were let down by poor finishing and some fine saves from Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
After the match, Japan captain Aya Miyama said: "We are not very happy. We want to get a gold medal and win all our matches so we are quite disappointed."
Also in Group F Canada proved too strong for South Africa, winning 3-0 thanks to two goals from captain Christine Sinclair and one from fellow forward Melissa Tancredi.
Canadian skipper and record scorer Sinclair took her tally for her country to 139 after Tancredi had opened the scoring by netting for the second successive match. She is now only 19 short of the highest-ever tally in women's football of 158 by Mia Hamm of the United States.
Coach John Herdman said: "That is the player Christine is. You can contain her for a period of time but when she is on song, she is on song. That is truly the mark of a great player in that some days they are unstoppable."
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West Ham United have beaten Wigan Athletic in the race to sign Real Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis, the player's Spanish club have confirmed.




Wigan chairman Dave Whelan confirmed  last week that his club had made an offer of "around £4 million" for Ramis, but the 26-year-old is now set to join the Hammers.
"Mallorca and West Ham have reached an agreement for the transfer of Ivan Ramis," the La Liga club said in a statement on Saturday night. "The Mallorcan defender has the permission of the club to have a medical with what will be his new team."
Mallorca did not mention any fee for Ramis but said they will "achieve the economic objective for which they have been working for over recent weeks.''
Ramis, who has played almost 200 games for Mallorca and Valladolid, has been linked with a host of clubs including Everton, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Celtic.
Earlier on Saturday, Ramis told the Daily Mirror: "I have played my last match for Mallorca because there is a new and very interesting offer for me. Wigan is not the best proposition for me."
If Ramis completes his move to West Ham he will join a host of new faces at Upton Park this summer, with manager Sam Allardyce having already brought in goalkeepers Jussi Jaaskelainen, Stephen Henderson and Raphael Spiegel, midfielder Mohamed Diame and forward Modibo Maiga.
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It seemed as if this speedy winger was destined to be heading out of Manchester United after quotes attributed to him suggested he had criticised Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson early in the 2009-10 season, yet Nani bounced back from that episode to turn in some fine displays for club and country.
Speedy and unpredictable, the lack of clarity in his game may be one of his best qualities. It often seems as if Nani is not sure what he will do next and if that is the case, his opponent has little hope of second guessing him. Trying to fill Cristiano Ronaldo's boots at United has proved impossible, but he had a good try in the second half of the 2009-10 Premier League season, with a memorable performance against Arsenal the highlight of his best campaign yet for United.
His two goals in the Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern Munich in April 2010 appeared to crown the revival in his fortunes at United, only for the German side to stun Old Trafford with two dramatic away goals to dump the 2008 European champions out of the competition.
The tricky winger continued to improve in 2010-11, particularly when the creative pressure rested firmly on his shoulders following Antonio Valencia's ankle break kept him out for six months. Nani contributed more assists (18) than anyone else in the Premier League last season and started the 2011-12 campaign with a blistering brace against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Strengths: On top form, the Portuguese winger can be a nightmare for defenders. A bundle of pace and trickery, his ability to create and score spectacular goals makes him an important attacking outlet.
Weaknesses: Defensively weak and still too often wasteful in possession, needs to understand that sometimes the simple pass or cross will do.
Career high: A 30-yard winner against Spurs in 2007 was his first goal for the club and lives long in the memory, but his performance against Arsenal at the Emirates in January 2010 was one of the best displays of individual attacking flair of the season.
Career low: Being ruled out of the 2010 World Cup with a shoulder injury three days before the opening match of the tournament.
Style: Pacy, skilful, creative; Nani is a devastatingly explosive winger with the ability to produce moments of magic.
Quotes: "Nani's got the potential to do what he wants. He's one of the sharpest players around, has a great strike with both feet - he's got the potential to be a top, top player." Rio Ferdinand praises his team-mate in May 2010..
Trivia: After coming on as a substitute for Wayne Rooney in the 2008 UEFA Champions League final, Nani scored Manchester United's crucial fifth penalty in the shoot-out.
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This week, AC Milan fans hold a mock funeral to mark the death of the club, Tom Hanks' life is incomplete without Aston Villa, Adelaide United announce a new signing that doesn't exist and North Korea don't like the South Korean flag very much, plus a tribute to Pippo Inzaghi, who hangs up his boots.




Some AC Milan fans were so outraged and disillusioned following the recent sale of marquee players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva that they staged a mock funeral outside Milan's Via Turati headquarters this week, with wreaths and candles marking the 'death' of the club.
Other Milanisti didn't feel quite so morbid about the €65 million double sale to PSG and settled for suing the club for "false advertising", alleging that Milan marketed season tickets on the basis that Ibrahimovic and Silva would be playing.
Amazingly, the Italian club caved in over the fans' demands and released a statement that backed up the claim made by vice-president Adriano Galliani that any disgruntled supporter could claim their money back.
It read: "Milan has confirmed its readiness to dissolve agreements for season tickets for the first team's home games for 2012-13. This willingness is dictated by the need for class and affection of the club towards its supporters, and independent of any legal analysis.
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists Andy Carroll is happy to stay at the club and can fit into the new style of play he is trying to impose at Anfield.



Carroll is widely expected to leave Liverpool this summer after he struggled to make an impact since joining from Newcastle United for a club-record £35 million in January 2011.
The England international's former club have already made a move to take Carroll back to St James' Park but the deal was rejected by the Reds.
West Ham have also made a £2 million bid to take Carroll on loan until the end of the 2012-13 season with a view to a £16 million permanent switch, if the club avoid relegation.
But Rodgers is adamant the striker, who came off the substitutes' bench in Liverpool's pre-season goalless draw against Tottenham in America on Saturday, is still in his plans for next season.
Reds boss Rodgers said: "Not that I am aware of. Obviously I'll know more when we get back.
"There has been a lot written about Andy, but you saw today he's happy to be here and he's worked very well since he's been here.
"The reality is he's still a Liverpool player, he can fit into how I want to play, and he's happy here. I'm certainly not wishing to push him out of the door.''
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Andriy Shevchenko retires to pursue politics career

-Former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has announced his retirement from football in order to pursue a career in politics.
-The 35-year-old Ukrainian revealed the news in a statement released by his club, Dynamo Kiev."This could shock everyone," he said. "My future is no longer in football."
-He won his 111th and final cap for Ukraine on home soil at Euro 2012 when he came on as a substitute during his side's 1-0 group stage loss to England.At club level, he made his debut for Dynamo Kiev in 1994 and went on to earn a reputation as one of Europe's most lethal strikers after he moved to AC Milan in 1999.He won the Champions League with them in 2003 - scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out - in a playing career that also saw him collect domestic silverware in Italy, England and Ukraine.As a 29-year-old, Shevchenko signed for Jose Mourinho's Chelsea for £30m in May 2006, but spent a largely unproductive two-season spell in the Premier League before returning to Milan.After he was unable to reproduce the deadly form of his previous spell at the San Siro, he signed a two-year deal with Dynamo in August 2009.Shevchenko was his country's talisman for more than a decade, and registered a national record 48 goals. He captained his country to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2006 and won the Ballon d'Or in 2004 as European player of the year."I will be going into politics," he said when announcing his retirement, and is expected to elaborate on his plans in the near future.
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Former Barça Trainer : Messi has changed. Leo Messi missed a penalty when Barcelona went out of the Champions League and failed to convince after that the league was lost against Real Madrid.


Now, the 24 years old football star has changed says former Barca coachRadomir Antic.
- He fights with his teammates and complain about referees. It is a differentMessi now, says Antic very sadly.


Leo Messi has been named the world's best football player for three consecutive years. But Barcelona is now knocked out from the Champions League semi-final, missed the chance to win the league and could end the season without a major championship. This may be a breakdown for the young Argentinian player; many believe that there will be a belief change.
One who is not surprised is Radomir Antic, coach of Barcelona 2003. The 63-year old coach means that Messi is no longer recognizable.
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The Dutchman’s agent Kees Vos met with Italian champions Juventus and revealed the Arsenal skipper wants £195,000 a week in wages.That would make Van Persie one of the highest-paid players in the world.
Juventus initially baulked at the figure and reconsidered their options but are now back in the hunt.And with Manchester City and Manchester United also chasing the 28-year-old, he is likely to get his money.
The double Footballer of the Year has already turned down a £130,000-a-week offer from Arsenal but neither City nor United will be frightened off by his demands.City already pay Yaya Toure £225,000 a week, while Wayne Rooney receives £200,000 a week from United.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger left RVP behind as the club flew out for a tour of the Far East yesterday.And rumours new signing Lukas Podolski will be given the No 10 shirt normally worn by Van Persie have increased speculation the £30m-rated forward will soon be on his way.But Wenger has not given up on keeping his star.
He said: “Van Persie is one of the best strikers in the world, if not the best, and my desire is to keep him.”
Arsenal have already signed two new forwards in Podolski and Olivier Giroud but are also lining up Spain star Fernando Llorente if Van Persie does leave.
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REAL MADRID hope the cut-price deal they struck for Rafael van der Vaart will help them land Tottenham’s Luka Modric

Van der Vaart moved to Spurs for £8million two years ago — £9m less than Bayern Munich had offered.
Real want Modric but are unwilling to pay the £35m asking price.Meanwhile, Giovani Dos Santos has warned Spurs to cash in on him now or risk losing him for nothing.He said: “I’m leaving this summer or I’ll sign for another club for free in six months.”
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