Bleacher Report - Articles by XXX XXX

Real Madrid Beaten But Not Out

XXX XXX — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:47:07 -0400

In the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, Valencia took the edge on defending league champions Real Madrid going in to the second leg of the Cup after a 3-2 victory in the Mestalla stadium on Sunday night.

Madrid took the lead with just under a quarter of an hour gone, Van Nistelrooy controlling a long pass from De la Red and beating Hildebrand with an angled shot. Silva hit the post at the other end before the break though when the Ches turned the scoreline around in a three minute period early in the second half.

Mata firing a shot past Casillas and then crossing in for Villa to head past his Euro 2008 teammate.

Schuster brought on Robben, who almost immediately crossed in for Van Nistelrooy to beat Hildebrand again to equalise. But with ten minutes to go Vicente picked up a return pass from Silva and battled past Heinze to score the winner.

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Alby Jnr

A European Roundup: The New Season Brings New Hope?

XXX XXX — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:16:46 -0400

So for the first roundup of the new season I will look at England, Spain and Italy...

It has been a busy summer, I hope that all you Bleacher souls are refreshed and good to go...

So a lot has gone down since the last roundup, there have been managerial shakes and twists plus the usual pre-season transfer dealings... the ones that did happen and to some more importantly there are the transfers that didn't happen...

From Kaka to Lampard, Robinho, Ronaldo to Barry but the market is only really starting now and big moves are yet to come... there should be no doubting this is a market of reluctant sellers and a market full of players already making big bucks elsewhere, very much a protracted affair.

SPAIN

Whooooooo!!!!

What a summer and what a party, I have never been in and out of so many fountains in my life. A great celebration in Madrid was had having seen Spain winning Euro 2008 by playing some of the best football at international level not seen for many years... a marker has been set for all to follow.

Vamos to Spain and also Rafa Nadal... Spain kicked it up a gear this summer.

So club football, it has been a turbulent time in Spain since I signed off on the round-ups last season.

Barcelona

This summer has seen Laporta appear in front of the firing squad only to survive by the skin of his teeth, winning by four per cent, after facing a vote of no confidence. No matter, the heat has died somewhat, after the signings brought in and seeing the doubts over Pep Guardiola settle at least for now after a successful pre-season, Laporta is for now at least holding on.

As is the nature of the beast in Spain, be it for Real Madrid or Barcelona each club will take momentum from the others problems, and Laporta's current situation has been tipped in his favour (though he is four or five bad results from the dog house) by the fact Madrid importantly could not sign Ronaldo.

Real Madrid

In Madrid, President Calderon has been weakened by events this summer, the full extent to which will not become clear until we are further into the season. The man has all sorts of trouble, not least with what comes out of his mouth, it seems to be his attempt at competing with Blatter for nonsensical quotes of the year.

Importantly for Calderon his trouble lies in the hard truth of perception, that he is not a real credible president, Calderon came to power with a small majority of only 8,000 when 80,000 had voted, also the fact postal votes were thrown out and if they had been included he would not have won.

So for Calderon he has been on a constant campaign for legitimacy, and this has not yet bore desired fruit, despite winning two successive league titles. The things that he promises have not come off, he ran for office on the promise of bringing Kaka, Robben and Cesc to Madrid... Robben came but a year to late and on arrival spent that time injured, he has now failed to sign Ronaldo.

Calderon needs a big player signing and what is making his situation all the more difficult, they now cannot afford to lose Brazilian Robinho for the very reason they have not gotten Ronaldo. Madrid are getting played at their own game and their argument heard all summer that you cannot force a player to stay at a club if he is not happy, a la Ronaldo, has come back to bite them somewhat.

If Robinho does depart then Madrid must buy a big player to score goals. However there is not that type of player readily available. Someone who might be, David Villa, is complicated, in that Valencia will rip their own eyes out before they have to sell to Madrid, for example just what happend to midfielder Mendieta, who was forced to move to Lazio, even though he wanted Madrid.

Not only that there is a real fear in Madrid that if Villa came, it would cause huge problems for Raul, which in turn would cause problems in the dressing room.

Out with the big two...

Villareal will be an exciting prospect having bought well once more, maybe the Champions League and La Liga might be a stretch, however they could be a decent outside bet.

Atletcio Madrid have a first eleven that is world class but have no great bench. Valencia, will not be able to buy and will not challenge the whole season, Sevilla have lost three of their best players but have bought well and looked good pre-season so we will wait and see.

My feeling as we head into the new season in Spain is that it could be one of those years where one of the big two might not win La Liga. I do have a sense Madrid will not be as strong as last year and Barcelona will get their act together, my money is on Barcelona, although I would not be over reaching to think a challenger will come through, and with some intensity.

ITALY

Chievo are back as are Bologna and Lecce.

There should be another interesting mix at the top, the big four could be broken once again with Fiorentina getting in the pack last year.

AC Milan have bought without having had to spend big, Flamini an excellent signing (and young for Milan), Zambrotta must prove his legs are not gone and Ronaldinho has everything to prove... any doubters you better go hide now the man is a coming back.

Kaka situation... is there one? People in Milan have told me he does not particularly want to leave, he has just become a father and has a great love for the city in addition to the fact he wants to be the heir to Maldini in terms of being the Milanesta captain for life.

However he did say, if it suited Milan, i.e 78 million into their bank account he might think again but I highly doubt this.

At Inter Milan, there is a new man in charge, to the despair and delight off all... Mourinho has arrived, he didn't get Lampard but got Muntari and Mancini. This club needed to sell most importantly and have failed to do so, but they have time.

Juventus are still recharging the batteries but this giant is coming back to strength and it will be exciting to have this great team once more in the Champions League.

With Napoli (back in Europe) my fingers are crossed we have Roma, Inter, Juventus, Fiorentina and AC Milan. Serie A is on its way back, although still in recovery mode, it is getting its act together.

ENGLAND

So it has been a busy summer for Bleacher Reports' favourite league...

For me I have glimmerings of a disaffection with the mighty EPL, with the financially-imposed inevitability of who wins and who loses—the antithesis of competitive sport I add.

The most interesting match on day one for me was the relegation six-pointer between Hull City and Fulham; looking in from outside, that is the only game that really piqued the interest.

Teams of note...

Tottenham

Are they in free fall or are they building? Can they breach the top four or get close, I don't really care as that would have to happen and then happen again the following year for me to give it due attention. Love the players they have signed just wish they weren't at Tottenham... from Gio to Luka there is now some grace in those Spurs.

Liverpool

What a difference a year makes, 18 Million for Barry? This time last year that figure would have not seen the light of day. No matter was he really the man to solve this teams problems? (For me the problem lies on the right hand side and also in Benitez's facial hair).

18 million on the flanks would give this team much more cutting edge, the money men seem to be questioning the managers judgement over Barry and I am to. Do the money men know something about the game after all?

Arsenal

The experienced core is all but gone. The defence is my main concern, Toure was poor the season past and Gallas worse, both essentially are the first choice as I do not see Sendoros and Djourou challenging the status-quo. For me Wenger is essentially betting on them being far better this year than last.

No replacement for Flamini and I feel this must be the signing to make.

I hope they do well this year and stay clear of injuries, on their day they can beat any team and finishing only four points behind (knowing they were not going to win helped) after that savage injury period I wish them better this year, the EPL needs this team at full strength.

Also of note, early season fixtures have been ever so kind to Arsenal and I think an early lead could be on the books, all the while they get people fit and bring in a new player or two.

Chelsea

New man at the helm. The one and only Frank Lampard re-signed, his new manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari said that Frankie was “a symbol of Chelsea.” Yes, that would be about right, Phil. The odd thing is though, I think Scolari meant it in a good way.

Going further you might argue that Lampard is a symbol of the Premier League itself, its extraordinary, almost surreal, self-regard... its vanities and its hubris. Its limitless greed, its assumption that we are all in thrall to its brilliance.

Chelsea, they ought to with no sense of shock lift the title. But where is the centre forward buy? That is where for me is where they need money spent?

Drogba no doubt one of the best in the land in his position, but he didn't score many goals last term and with age that knee is not getting better. Anelka? Well it is safe to say if one of these two came to life it would make a huge difference but the jury is out.

EPL Transfers of the Summer

Fulham—Zoltan Gera, who has gone for nothing delivers a fantastic ball which many teams lack.

Wigan—Amir Zaki, for next to nothing he has what it takes but time will tell.

Arsenal—Nasri, can see a pass and carries the ball excellently.

Surprise Team of 08/09

Man City and in no good way.

Interesting team for 08/09

Middlesborough young looking adventurous team with great pace.

Most Important Buy To Come

The choosing of Ferguson's assistant they have gone and lost the best Portuguese member of staff lol...

Quieroz has been tremendous for Man Utd and with the added date of Ferguson's departure hanging around once more, it will be an important decision.

But you know what forget that, there have always been people meant to be so vital behind the success and so vital to Ferguson from Kidd to McClaren to Quieroz, my man from Govan has missed them for at best maybe an hour... and you know what Quieroz is the idiot who inflicted the five man Man Utd midfield (much to Keane's dismay) which has only started to bare fruit in the last year and also he was a Madrid flop lol... so I say out you go Quieroz and best of luck... the language barrier in the dressing room will be made a little harder now he has gone at least.

Then I will change my mind again he has been vital on the training ground and the fluidity to Man Utd up front, he has had a huge part to play in making it work (you never knew what they were up to at times very rarely sticking to it throughout a game attacking four or five strong from deep positions which was a nightmare to defend against, it is a complex system)... No matter Alex will be cool and survive without his Portuguese sidekick.

So the EPL, will the second tier be able to grind out the must win games to get near the top four? No way Jimmy...

Hope springs eternal in the human breast and one simply cannot, in all good conscience predict unrelieved boredom for people for the next nine months... top four same as ever, bottom three consisting of the teams that came up last year.

So we have a new season ahead, it will hopefully be full of drama and great matches, let the games begin...
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Alby Jnr

Frank Lampard: Englishmen and Foreign Shores

XXX XXX — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:42:52 -0400

Frank Lampard’s decision to sign a new contract with Chelsea and shun the advances of Inter Milan was hardly a surprise.

The midfielder made a wise choice if he based the decision on the previous experiences of English players in Italy.

Only David Platt at Sampdoria was really a success. Ian “it’s like living in a foreign country” Rush lasted just a season at Juventus while the likes of Luther Blissett, Lee Sharpe, Ray Wilkins, Des Walker, Paul Ince, and Jay Bothroyd hardly set Serie A alight.

Paul Gascoigne was injured for much of his time at Lazio. Rather than his stunning play, he is best remembered here in Italy for shocking the nation by burping into a microphone.

In recent years only David Beckham at Real Madrid can claim to have done well away from English shores. That’s largely because he was one of the few who dared to try something new.

I actually think Lampard would have been a success at Inter, especially playing under former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. The Italian champions, and Serie A in general, are crying out for a goalscoring central midfielder.

Instead Lampard will start another English season this weekend, admittedly with packed stadiums and bags of money in his pocket. Recovering Serie A can’t quite compete with that.

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Alby Jnr

Spain's National Soccer Teams

XXX XXX — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:03:06 -0400

Spain's under-21 side will be playing an important European qualifier against Russia on Aug. 20, the day before the full international side's friendly against Denmark. The match will take place in Moscow, and the following 18 players have been selected.

Bojan Krkic and Diego Capel have been left out after playing the last match against Kazakhstan, although both may well feature in Vicente Del Bosque's plans for the World Cup qualifiers later this year.

Goalkeepers:

Fabri (Deportivo), Sergio Asenjo (Valladolid)

Defenders:

Piqué (Barcelona), Torrejón (Espanyol), Monreal (Osasuna), Miguel Torres (Real Madrid), Crespo (Sevilla)

Midfielders:

Javi Martínez and Susaeta (Athletic Bilbao), Raúl García (Atlético Madrid), Granero (Getafe), Jurado (Mallorca), Javi García (Real Madrid), Sisi (Valladolid)

Forwards:

Xisco (Deportivo), José María Callejón (Espanyol), Jonathan Pereira (Racing Santander), Mata (Valencia)

Spain's under-19 side will be playing in a four-way friendly tournament in Eire later this month, and the coaches have called up the following 18 players for the event.

Albacete: Jaime Romero
Athletic Bilbao: Isma López
Atlético Madrid: Sergio Rodríguez, Pichu Atienza
Barcelona: Iago Falqué
Celta: Joselu Sanmartín
Deportivo: David Rochela
Mallorca: Sergio Enrich
Rayo Vallecano: Jorge Sáez
Real Sociedad: Alberto Morgado
Sevilla: José Antonio Ríos, Salvador González
Valencia: Fernando Martínez
Valladolid: Carlos Lázaro
Villarreal: Diego Mariño, Mario Gaspar Pérez, Miguel Angel Luque, Jordi Pablo

Fixtures will be as follows:

18/08: Spain v Ukraine (Lissywoollen)
19/08: Portugal v Spain (Leah Victoria Park)
21/08: Eire v Spain (Lissywoollen)

An EPL Soap Opera

XXX XXX — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:35:11 -0400

Manchester United fans once popularised the old Monty Python song ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ as a stadium chant but it is their neighbours at Manchester City for whom those words have become almost a way of life during the past 32 years without a trophy.

It looks like City supporters may need to draw on their famed reserves of black humour once again given the current uncertainty surrounding the future of their club.

When former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived at Eastlands during the 2007 close season—having passed the Premier League’s ‘fit and proper person’ test for club owners—there was bold talk of City playing Champions League football in the not-too-distant future.

Hopes of a bright new dawn were enhanced by the installation of Sven-Goran Eriksson as manager and a spending spree of around 40 million pounds.

Although the fans may not have liked Thaksin’s treatment of Eriksson—the Thai dismissing him for his failure to achieve a top-six finish—the appointment of the highly-rated Mark Hughes in June went down well (despite Sparky being a former United hero and often mentioned as a possible successor to Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford).

The new man’s vow to “challenge at the top table, not only in this country but in Europe” persuaded many fans that further progress lay around the corner.

Two months on and Hughes must be wondering just what he has got himself into. His arrival after a successful stint at Blackburn Rovers came at a time City were spending a record fee on Brazilian striker Jo and making loud noises about signing Ronaldinho.

The former Barcelona man is now at AC Milan and City appear to be in limbo. Thaksin’s announcement that he has gone into exile in Britain may spare his wife Potjaman a jail sentence for tax fraud—she had been freed on bail pending an appeal—but it also means most of his assets remain frozen in Thailand.

Where this leaves City’s spending plans remains to be seen.

“I was at Blackburn for four years and I knew exactly how things were done, the lines of communication, what have you. At the moment, it’s not quite as it was at Blackburn,” Hughes was quoted as telling the Telegraph.

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Alby Jnr

Ronaldinho Revival? Don’t Speak Too Soon

XXX XXX — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:12:20 -0400

Ronaldinho's two-goal performance against New Zealand in Sunday's Olympic Games has already been hailed as some sort of revival after his miserable last season with Barcelona.

The former World Player of the Year showed flashes of his best form in the 5-0 win with plenty of cheeky flicks, shimmies, and stepovers. And, of course, he grinned.

"This was a reward for everything which I have done and for all the people who believed in me and helped me to start playing again," he told Brazilian media.

But, the performance needs to be put into context.

The Olympic soccer tournament is an under-23 competition and Ronaldinho is competing as one of the three permitted overage players per team.

Brazil's opponents qualified from a group in which Fiji were their strongest opponents. They have only three professionals in their 18-man squad. Most of the other players are university students who play football for fun.

Ronaldinho has just signed for AC Milan. He will play in arguably the world's most unforgiving league and is going to have to fight hard just to get into the team every week.

There are some much tougher battles ahead and it remains to be seen whether he has the motivation to return to his best, no matter this tournament is proving to be a good turn on the road the recovery.

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Alby Jnr

A Spanish Acquisition

XXX XXX — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:23:13 -0400

It's all over—or is it?

Cristian Ronaldo announced a couple of days ago that he has decided to stay at Manchester United, ending the long-running rumours about a possible move to Real Madrid. Strangely, though, Madrid president Ramón Calderón still believes he has a chance of signing him, rather like the Black Knight in Monty Python's Holy Grail who refused to give in even when he had both arms and legs cut off.

Sir Alex is a formidable knight to take on, but does Calderón have a dagger hidden in his teeth? There has been talk of a Figo-like pre-contract which would require Ronaldo to pay a big penalty clause if he doesn't sign, and other reports say that there is an agreement for the player to join next season. In any case Calderón said he would be contacting the Glazers next week, so we have to wait and see.

Assuming however that the saga has ended, Madrid will have to turn to their plan B. Rafa Van der Vaart is their only signing to date, but the Spanish press are rolling out a long list of names, including David Villa, Eto'o, Benzema, Kaká, Diego, and Huntelaar. Villa and Eto'o look like they will be staying put though; Valencia's new president is eager to hold on to as many of his stars as possible, and Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola reportedly deciding that the Cameroonian striker (who has showed a positive attitude since his return from vacation) is at least as good as anyone on the market right now.

Who may be moving to the Nou Camp in the near future is Valencia's David Silva, who could be sold to raise much needed funds. Although many clubs are bidding for him, including Manchester United, Roma, and Atlético Madrid, Silva has apparently said that if he does have to move on, it would only be to Barça.

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Alby jnr

Brazil: Dunga Far From Happy

XXX XXX — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:37:33 -0400

If there was an Olympic gold medal for whining then Dunga, coach of the Brazilian soccer team, would be among the early contenders.

The 1994 World Cup winning captain, who, as a player, was an example of resilience and dedication to the cause, is not a happy camper.

First, he was complaining about the food—"When you try to talk to the chef to change the menu, he has to talk to his boss, who has to talk to his boss, who has to talk to his boss and by that time the Olympics are over"—and lack of training time in Shenyang, where Brazil have started their campaign to win a first gold in Olympic soccer.

After his team struggled to beat nine-man Belgium in their opening match on Thursday, he blamed the pitch and his opponents for making life difficult (isn't that what they're supposed to do?).

"The ball bounces around all over the place and you need two or three touches to bring it under control," he snarled. "The opposition just kept putting all their players behind the ball and used the high ball into the area. They've been together for four months and we got together 15 days ago."

But the unhappy truth is that Brazil should have swept their opponent aside and might have done so if Dunga had been just a little more adventurous. A team boasting players such as Werder Bremen midfielder Diego, Premier League players Lucas and Anderson in midfield, AC Milan prodigy Alexandre Pato in attack, plus Ronaldinho, should not play in fits and starts as Brazil did on Thursday.

Unfortunately, Dunga did what he has done in recent matches with the senior side, which he also coaches, and went for the cautious approach.

He stuck three midfielders in front of his defence and left Pato to fight two or three Belgian defenders on his own. Ronaldinho was stuck out on the left flank with nobody to exchange passes with except left back Marcelo on his occasional forays up field.

Despite winning the Copa America in his two years at the helm, Dunga does not look comfortable as Brazil's national team coach.

Brazil will get better in the Games, but there is something missing from this, the greatest of footballing nations, and there is something a miss with their current manager. Will he still be around for the 2010 World Cup?

I am not so sure...

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Alby Jnr

Friendlies No More

XXX XXX — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:39:36 -0400

Friendlies no more... ya beauty!

Celtic have played their last friendly which was against EPL side Man City. They tied at Celtic Park 1-1 with Celtic’s only goal came from Paul McGowan. McGowan later had a chance to put Celtic ahead in the twilight stages of the game after my player of the game Paul Caddis played a beautiful cross to McGowan who punted the ball over the bar in style.

Caddis played the majority of the match on the right wing and looked good doing so. With Naka possibly being out, Caddis should get the starting nod on Sunday on the right wing, leaving Barry Robson and Scott Brown in the middle.

While a 1-1 tie against a mid to top level EPL team might be a mixed result for some, not a lot of regular first team players got a lot of playing time.

In the shop window that night were Celtic players Bobo Balde, Thomas Gravensen and Derek Riordan, not only playing, but starting with the hope of off-loading such excess cargo.

The real star of the match were the new electronic ad boards on the sidelines, which looked sharp.

Nothing really else to say besides it is time for real game to begin and with that the serious job of being Scotland's only team in the Champions League, all we need is to master the art of winning away from home, and we would be unbeatable haha and that is no joke...

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Alby Jnr

La Liga: Credit Crunch

XXX XXX — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:38:04 -0400

This looks like being one of the quietest summers on record for the transfer market. The economic crisis appears to be hitting home in Spain, with Barcelona the only club to really "flash the cheque book" up to now.

The €93 million laid out by the Catalan club on their six new signings represents almost 40 percent of the estimated total spend of €243 million by top flight teams to date, with ten sides having spent less than €3 million on new players and Numancia, Osasuna, Racing, Sporting, and Valladolid yet to pay out anything.

Madrid are expected to increase that figure after they signed Rafael Van der Vaart, and if they do get Cristian Ronaldo then that could set off a chain reaction. Right now, though, it appears that most people are battening down the hatches.

The situation is even worse in the second division, with no less than six clubs filing for protection from creditors under the Spanish "ley concursal," and many others struggling to meet the July 31 deadline to be up to date with payments to players in order to avoid automatic relegation.

Only Zaragoza, Murcia, and Hércules have any cash to spend, and around three quarters of the sides have yet to pay out anything for their new players. Levante are worse off than anyone though, and they agreed terms to rescind the contracts of no less than twenty members of their squad this summer.

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Alby Jnr

Breaking News: Barca Win Messi Appeal

XXX XXX — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:36:07 -0400

News just out that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled in favour of Barcelona and decided they will not have to release Argentine forward Lionel Messi for the Olympics.

Assuming Barcelona do not have a change of heart, it means one of the biggest name athletes at the Games will not be taking part. Brazilians Diego and Rafinha, of Werder Bremen and Schalke 04 respectively, will now also presumably be going home.

The presence of Messi has helped raise the profile of soccer at the Olympics enormously. His departure will be a big blow to Argentina, and to all those hoping hoping to catch a glimpse of the man.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said recently that Barcelona and other clubs should let their players stay and compete in the Games even if CAS were to rule in their favour. Let's see what Barcelona say. Manager Pep Guardiaola has said that the main thing is to for Messi be happy, so one hopes Messi gets to take part.

Even though my club needs him, for me a chance to play for your nation in the Olympics is unique and one that players no matter the skill or wage should fight for.

I'll have more on this later.

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Alby Jnr

Olympic Soccer Is a Serious Business—Just Ask The Flea

XXX XXX — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:51:16 -0400

The Olympic soccer tournament, which starts on Thursday, has enjoyed unprecedented publicity in the run-up to Beijing, unwittingly helped by the belligerent attitude of the European clubs.

In their attempts to avoid releasing Argentina striker Lionel Messi for the Games, Barcelona helped raise the profile of the competition to a level it has rarely enjoyed in the past.

Barcelona finally relented last Wednesday when FIFA reinforced its ruling that clubs must release their under-23 players, although the Spanish club have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports and will demand the player fly back from China if there is a ruling in their favour.

Earlier, Barcelona had dragged Messi off for a preseason tour to Scotland and the controversy dominated headlines on both sides of the Atlantic.

Messi's presence, even without the added publicity, is a huge boost and and means soccer will have one of the most illustrious athletes in the entire Games.

German sides Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen also helped the Olympic cause by refusing to release Brazilian pair Rafinha and Diego, respectively. Like Barcelona, they too are awaiting a ruling from CAS.

Unlike Messi, however, Rafinha and Diego took the case into their own hands as they simply defied their clubs and flew to join the Brazilian squad on a pre-Olympic tour.

Their actions show how seriously Olympic soccer—an under-23 tournament with three overage players allowed per team—is taken outside Europe.

Brazil, five-times winners of the World Cup, have never won an Olympic gold in soccer and will not consider their trophy cabinet to be complete without it.

Dunga, coach of the senior side, will be in charge of their team here as well. Already under pressure, he could lose both jobs if they fail—just as Wanderlei Luxemburgo did after a quarterfinal exit in Sydney eight years ago.

They tried to include Kaka as an overage player but, after AC Milan refused to release him, called up Ronaldinho instead.

It is not just in South America that Olympic soccer is taken seriously.

Just listen to United States midfielder Freddy Adu. "Most of the players, I'd say about 99.9 percent, want to go to the Olympics. This is a big, big, big deal," Adu told a news conference on Friday.

"Guys want to go but they're just being held back by their clubs. They're important for their clubs and you can understand it but I think it's a great rule that they have to be released."

On top of Messi, Argentina also boast Sergio Aguero, the overage Juan Roman Riquelme, Real Madrid's Fernando Gago, and Liverpool's Javier Mascherano in an impressive line-up and start as favourites to retain their crown.

Brazil, with AC Milan's Alexandre Pato leading the attack, look capable of mounting a serious challenge if Dunga can overcome naturally cautious approach.

Netherlands and Italy are likely to lead the European challenge, while Africa also look strong, represented by Nigeria, winners in 1996, and Cameroon, who won four years later.

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Alby Jnr

La Liga Update: Valencia's Internal Struggles

XXX XXX — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:45:51 -0400

Valencia were the team in the news this week, with boardroom shenanigans which make some of the top television soaps look tame. Club president Juan Soler had already got his "ropa interior" in a bit of a twist in recent months, with coach Ronald Koeman making himself "Mr. Unpopular" leaving players such as Cañizares, Albelda, and Angulo on the sidelines.

Koeman is already history and Unai Emery has been taken on to try and turn things around, but Soler decided he needed a new man higher up in the organization.

In came ex-Telefonica boss Juan Villalonga as the super-CEO, but it only took him a few days to upset everyone, trying to tempt Luis Aragonés away from Fenerbahçe and bringing in old fox Javier Azkagorta as his sporting director ahead of the present incumbents.

His biggest mistake though was to make public the club's huge debt and then announce that he wanted a capital increase to be able to hold on to players such as Villa and Silva, promising to bring in around €77 million in new funds in two weeks' time.

Soler had had enough and decided to fall on his own sword. He fired Villalonga (reportedly costing him a €10 million severance payout in to the bargain) and made "a pact with the devil," giving a purchase option over his shares to his old enemy, Vicente Soriano, hitherto the club's second largest shareholder.

Soriano takes over as president with immediate effect, but the future of Villa, Silva, and several others is once again in doubt, with the striker in Real Madrid's sights and his Spanish teammate already the subject of a bid by Atlético.

Eat your heart out Dallas/Dynasty and all the rest!

_____

Alby Jnr

Lynch Leaves Broncos

XXX XXX — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:34:27 -0400

Nine-time Pro Bowl safety John Lynch has left the Denver Broncos.

Head coach Mike Shanahan told the 16-year veteran that he could not guarantee him a permanent starting role.

"He wants to play every down," Shanahan said Thursday. "Heck, I can't blame him. I'm not going to say that he can't."

It's just not going to be with Denver, where's he's spent the last four seasons.

Lynch was promised nothing more than an opportunity to compete for a starting safety job when he took a pay cut in the offseason.

But with the emergence of Marlon McCree, Lynch didn't see much time in the nickel or dime packages during the first week of training camp.

He tried to live with it—to accept his reduced role—and soon realized he couldn't.

"I've always been one to follow my gut and follow my heart with decisions, and when I've done that things have worked out pretty darn good for me," Lynch said. "My gut was telling me that this wasn't the right situation."

Lynch, who's entering his 16th season, is going to explore his options, possibly signing with another team if he deems it a good situation.

"I still have a great passion for the game of football," Lynch said. "I still very much love it in my heart. I still feel like I can compete at a Pro Bowl level, but the situation is going to have to be right. I'm not going to just play for any team or any situation."

Shanahan is supportive of Lynch and won't stand in the way.

"I'll be rooting for John as long as he's not in the AFC West," Shanahan said with a grin. "If [he] is, I'll be rooting for him as a person, just not in the games we play."

The Lynch saga has been a surprise for the Broncos.

Champ Bailey knew the nine-time Pro Bowler was discontent with his playing time, but not to this degree.

"I didn't see that coming," Bailey said. "But I understand how competitive he is and how much pride he has about what he does on the field."

McCree understood Lynch's reasons for wanting to leave as well.

"It's how life is in the NFL," said McCree, who started all 16 games with San Diego last season. "John will go on and continue to have much success. I'm sure if he wants to play, he can still play at a high level."

Lynch's decline in playing time began last season as he started to come off the field on passing downs.

He came into camp knowing that there were no guarantees, after Shanahan leveled with him during organized team activities in June.

"John came up to me and said, 'Mike, if the season started today, where do you see me?'" Shanahan said.

So, Shanahan consulted with his coaches and told Lynch he'd be a part of the base defense, but wouldn't be in the nickel package, resulting in a dip in playing time.

Lynch reported to training camp, but as the practices wore on, he wasn't pleased with the amount of time he was receiving. He told Shanahan on Tuesday that he needed time to think about his future.

"He came back to me and said, 'I'm a guy that's really got to be involved...I just don't like the role I'm in right now,'" Shanahan said.

Shanahan didn't try to talk him out of the decision.

"I don't think I've ever been with more of a pro than a guy like John Lynch," Shanahan said. "He's the type of guy that you look at in the future and say, 'Could this guy be the president of the United States?' He's that type of guy. I felt like I owed it to him, to look at his options, football, retirement, whatever he wants to do."

Lynch wished his team well on his way out.

"I really like the feel about this team, and that's what made this an extra-hard decision," Lynch said. "This team has a great chemistry to it. I think they're going to do very well."

___

Alby Jnr for nfluk.com

JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden Have a "Major Impact" at Training Camp

XXX XXX — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 05:43:57 -0400

The Oakland Raiders have spent their last two first-round draft picks on a quarterback and running back; a pairing that they believe will lead them to glory.

On Wednesday, the pair combined to injure QB JaMarcus Russell, who sat out the day’s practice.

Oakland's franchise quarterback banged his elbow on the helmet of 2008 top-pick running back Darren McFadden, hurting him badly enough to hold him out of practice for the remainder of the day.

"We wanted to watch him throw, and our trainers watched him," coach Lane Kiffin said. "They just felt that he was struggling a little bit with it. He wanted to keep going. We pulled him out."

Kiffin said he didn't feel this injury would be a long-term issue for Russell, and X-rays showed no problems with the elbow.

Russell said he came out to practice early hoping to loosen up the elbow, but never felt quite right once the session started.

"Just a little soreness from the other day," he said. "I bumped Darren's helmet while he was going to block, kind of full force as I was throwing. I kind of did what I can right now."

Russell stayed on the field after practice and did footwork drills with offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.

Russell said he hoped to be back throwing by Friday, when the Raiders hold two practices. Kiffin said the team will put Russell through some on-field tests at the beginning of practice to see if he is ready to go full bore.

"I'm going to try and get out and practice as much as I can," Russell said. "I really haven't made any decisions about it yet."

After missing all of training camp a year ago in a contract dispute, Russell is being given as much work as possible this summer in order to be ready for the season.

Russell didn't get the chance to show much as a rookie after being the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. He played catch-up after signing his $61 million contract in the second week of the season.

He didn't step on the field until December, playing as a reserve in three games before starting the season finale against San Diego.

The Raiders spent Wednesday's team session working on late-game situations that will be important for Russell to master once the season begins.

"All these scenarios for him are so important, and the game scenarios and the two-minute situations we went through today," Kiffin said. "He got the mental reps, but it's not the same as the physical reps."

Andrew Walter and Marques Tuiasosopo split time at quarterback, as they battle for the backup position behind Russell.

Both quarterbacks struggled at times, with Tuiasosopo throwing a pair of interceptions during seven-on-seven drills, and Walter being picked off by DeAngelo Hall on the first play of a late-game drive.

"We do have a competition for our second spot at quarterback. So that's the positive way of looking at it. Those guys are getting reps," Kiffin said. "But that's not what we want or need right now. We need to get our No. 1 guy in there, especially with so many new pieces around him—with the new left tackle, the new back, new receivers. Every day's very valuable for him."

____

Alby Jnr

The Unveiling Of The Champions Flag

XXX XXX — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:02:36 -0400

Celtic has announced that Rosemary Burns, the late Tommy Burns’ wife, will be hoisting the 2007/2008 SPL Champions Flag over Celtic Park on August 10 during the prematch festivities before opening day.

This seems like a very fitting tribute to Tommy, especially in a season that was marked by his passing and dedicated to his memory. Celtic’s chairman had this to say, “It’s in memory of the fact that she was part of the Celtic family and stood together with Tommy in everything that he gave to this club. It’s a small way of recognizing that.”

There is also talk that this might set a precedent of someone else besides the Chairman of the Club hoisting the Champions Flag on the next season’s opening day.

___

Alby Jnr

Messi Takes a Step Closer to Beijing

XXX XXX — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:58:04 -0400

Barcelona’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi took a step closer to Beijing on Wednesday when FIFA ruled that clubs are obliged to release players aged 23 or under to play at the Olympics.

Barcelona and Bundesliga clubs Werder Bremen and Schalke, who want to keep Diego and Rafinha, respectively, out of the Games, will probably fight on in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but for now FIFA has made the right decision, one that’s for the good of the game as well as the Games.

Seeing Bremen and Schalke threaten legal action against their young Brazilian internationals earlier this month was a sad sight not only for the Olympics but for soccer.

Diego and Rafinha decided (quite nobly, if you ask me) to put their country and the Olympics temporarily ahead of their club careers and defied the orders of their employers—going AWOL in the process and putting themselves in line for large fines and other disciplinary problems on their return.

Barcelona and Schalke have Champions League qualifiers coming up, so it’s easy to see why they, in particular, want their players back home, but the long-term consequences could be more damaging than the short-term loss.

How can anyone expect a brilliant player like Diego to get excited about playing in Bremen ever again if he is forced to miss the Olympics in order to take part in a preseason Bundesliga training camp on the North Sea island of Norderney?

Could we expect Rafinha to have his heart in the Bundesliga’s first two matches when his compatriots were trying to win a first gold medal in China?

“[The judge stated that] taking part in the Olympic Games is a unique opportunity for all athletes of any sporting discipline,” FIFA said in its statement.

____

Alby Jnr

Andrei Arshavin Snubs Roma

XXX XXX — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:21:15 -0400

Russia’s Euro 2008 star Andrei Arshavin has ruled out a move to Serie A giants Roma as reports suggest that he favors a move to England.

The Zenit St. Petersburg striker is a target for Tottenham, but Arsenal has shown an interest recently as well.

“I want to leave Zenit,” he said. “Until then I cannot say exactly what the club will be, but the proposals are still there. I will say I do not want to play in Italy, and the proposed Roma move is not being considered.”

Clarence Seedorf Gets Best Player Award

XXX XXX — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:04:01 -0400

What a nice way to start the 2008/09 season for Clarence Seedorf.

First, Seedorf got to keep his hard-earned Number 10, and now he was even selected as the "Best Player of the Team" in a tournament. Seedorf scored two goals against Juventus during the first match which ended 2-2. The match was decided on penalties, and the final result was 4-6 for Rossonerri.

Seedorf declared, "It went well. All teams are doing the preparations for the new season so it's not easy to be physically in shape right away, you need at least 10 minutes. But, four goals in 45 minutes is a good average."

FC Juventus 4-6 AC Milan

FC Juventus 1-0 FC Inter

AC Milan 4-3 FC Inter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_sOrE2BbYg&feature=related

___

Alby Jnr

Celtic and Sevilla to Duke It out for Barca Wunder-Kid

XXX XXX — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:22 -0400

Celtic have been linked with 20-year-old Barcelona midfielder Marc Crosas, however it seems we will be competing for his services with Barca’s La Liga rival Sevilla. With the upheaval at Barca this season, the 20-year-old Catalan has been told by new coach Josep Guardiola that he will not be featured in the plans of the first team.

The previous season Crosas was on loan at Lyon and appeared in eight games. Apparently these eight games were not enough to impress Barca, and Crosas has been told he could seek a new home for more playing time.

Both Sevilla and Celtic have expressed interest and will be vying for the young Catalan’s services. Crosas is a product of the Barca youth program. He plays a holding, defensive midfield role and is compared with current Barca stalwart Xavi.

Given the trouble that Massimo Donati has had replacing Neil Lennon and Paul Hartley's hot and cold performances, Crosas might be just the answer for our midfield problems.

____

Alby Jnr

The Top 50 Most Important Derbies in World Football

XXX XXX — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:05:50 -0400

Lazio v Roma
Partizan Belgrade v Red Star Belgrade
Real Betis v Sevilla
Alahly v Zamalek
Shalke v Borussia Dortmund
Barcelona v Real Madrid
Boca Juniors v River Plate
Glasgow Celtic v Glasgow Rangers
Galatasaray v Fenerbache
Ajax v Feyenoord

Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain
Juventus v Fiorentina
Flamengo v Vasco Da Gama
Olympiakos v Panathinaikos
AC Milan v Internazionale
Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad
Benfica v FC Porto
Corinthians v Sao Paulo
Racing Club v Independiente
America v Guadalajara

Cerro Porteno v Olimpia
Rosario Central v Newell's Old Boys
Liverpool v Manchester United
Corinthians v Santos
Slavia Prague v Sparta Prague
Kaizer Chiefs v Orlando Pirates
Steua Bucharest v Dinamo Bucharest
Spartak Moscow v CSKA Moscow
Pirouzi v Esteghlal
Nacional v Penarol

Hadjuk Split v Dinamo Zagreb
Barcelona v Emelec
Rapid Wien v Austria Wien
Basle v Zurich
Raja Casablanca v Wydad Casablanca
America v Deportivo Cali
Genoa v Sampdoria
CSKA Sofia v Levski Sofia
AIK Stockholm v Djurgardens
Ferencvaros v Ujpest

Gremio v Internacional
Tenerife v Las Palmas
Mohun Bagan v East Bengal
Sarajevo v Zeljeznicar
Asec Abidjan v Africa Sports
Anderlecht v Club Brugge
FC Copenhagen v Brondby
Alianza Lima v Universitario
Arsenal v Tottenham
Beitar Jerusalem v Hapoel Tel Aviv

The Top 20 Most Important Derbies in World Football

XXX XXX — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:01:30 -0400

Partizan Belgrade v Red Star Belgrade
Real Betis v Sevilla
Alahly v Zamalek
Shalke v Borussia Dortmund
Lazio v Roma
Ajax v Feyenoord
Galatasaray v Fenerbache
Glasgow Celtic v Glasgow Rangers
Boca Juniros v River Plate
Barcelona v Real Madrid
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain
Juventus v Fiorentina
Flamengo v Vasco Da Gama
Olympiakos v Panathinaikos
AC Milan v Internazionale
Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad
Benfica v FC Porto
Corinthians v Sao Paulo
Racing Club v Independiente
America v Guadalajara

Spain: Barca/Madrid Preseason Wrap-Up

XXX XXX — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:14:43 -0400

Barcelona and Real Madrid played their first preseason matches this week as clubs start the long warm-up before the real business begins at the end of August.

Barça got off to a good start in Scotland, beating Hibs 0-6 and Dundee United 1-5. Messi scored four of the goals, and it remains to be seen whether FIFA will allow him to stay for the Champions League qualifiers or insist on him going to China to play for Argentina in the Olympic Games.

Real Madrid began their pre season training in Austria with a 2-3 win at LASK Linz, transfer listed Baptista and Saviola getting two of the goals. They now go on to London to take part in Arsenal's Emirates Cup.

Is World Football Destined to Remain an Olympic Sideshow?

XXX XXX — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:39:00 -0400

It requires an imagination more romantic than mine to embrace the claims that the involvement of a Great Britain football team in the 2012 Olympic Games would electrify the nation.

My skepticism has nothing to do with the resistance of the Celtic minorities of the UK to a concept that might imperil their independent status within FIFA.

I simply believe that Olympic events are never truly great, truly enthralling, unless they represent the absolute pinnacle of competition in a sport.

Disciplines such as athletics and swimming meet that criterion, but football must always be a sideshow at the games.

____

Alby Jnr

Sir Alex Ferguson: Mind Games of a Magician

XXX XXX — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:32:32 -0400

Even students of his history as a tireless provocateur may have been taken aback last week when Sir Alex Ferguson, who at 66 is the only full-time manager in English league football entitled to the state pension, was credited with stirring indignation in the ranks of Help the Aged.

It was, of course, a case of mischief begetting mischief when The Sun asked the charity organisation to comment on Ferguson’s attempt to wind up Luiz Felipe Scolari by speculating that the Chelsea squad had become overloaded with “experienced” (over 30 years old) players.

Accusations of ageism came with hilarious promptness. “In 2008, age is no longer an acceptable yardstick to measure a person’s worth or potential,” said Kate Jopling, spokesperson for Help the Aged, before adding a line that suggested she might have put in a couple of shifts on The Sun's subeditors’ desk: “Ageist attitudes and comments such as this should always be handed a red card.”

Either Kate was joining in the tongue-in-cheek fun or it is her mental age that should be causing concern.

Ferguson is in every sense too old in the head to pay much heed to the amusing nonsense.

He must live with the reality that, as he prepares to enter his 23rd season in charge of Manchester United, he has reached the point of dominating the media’s agenda for football in this country more extensively and persistently than any of the game’s greatest figures of the past ever did.

Whether stories are serious or trivial, substantial or frivolous, they are seen as gaining in impact from the inclusion of his name.

Obviously, somebody with his unprecedented record of trophy-harvesting achievements is bound to be subjected to incessant attention by broadcasters and newspapers, and likely, therefore, to be a rich seam of soundbites and to create a gusher of printer’s ink.

It is relevant, too, that both the expansion of sports-page acreage and the intensification of electronic coverage have changed reporting beyond recognition since the days of previous giants of management such as Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly, and Brian Clough.

The doings of those remarkable men stimulated huge and sustained interest (perhaps most strikingly the deeds of Clough, whose often wild but consistently productive and compelling personality refused to let the unfashionable clubs employing him remain obscure), but none of them was the relentlessly ubiquitous presence in the headlines that Ferguson is now.

While Jose Mourinho was winning consecutive Premier League titles with Chelsea, his blend of coaching brilliance, frequently offensive but unignorable utterances, and rivetingly improbable behaviour inevitably made him the darling of large swathes of the media. However, even in the Portuguese comet’s most dazzling phase, the Glaswegian wasn’t exactly in the shadows.

Theirs was a well-matched rivalry—on the field, in the press, and at the microphone—and Ferguson was always confident the superiority in results that Mourinho skillfully extracted from the unlimited resources provided by Roman Abramovich’s wealth would be temporary.

Manchester United’s recapturing of the championship in 2007 vindicated that faith, and Mourinho, having found Abramovich’s interference increasingly intolerable, was already confronting evidence of a crumbling regime when he departed with a barrowload of compensation last September.

The abrupt defection and the events that followed it have left Ferguson once again splendidly isolated at centre stage in English football, competitively supreme after a Premier League and Champions League double and unchallenged as the national game’s most eagerly quoted voice.

Last week’s papers were awash with superfluous proof that much of what he says will be aimed at upsetting the other clubs expected to contend for major honours.

In the interviews coming out of United’s touring party in South Africa, there was the familiar use of a personal code that is about as difficult to decipher as the neon signs on the Las Vegas Strip.

Thus, when he suggested an age problem at Stamford Bridge could prevent progress under Scolari (a conclusion scarcely supported by reference to all, rather than a convenient few, of the birth certificates involved), the natural reaction was to assume he regards Chelsea as the biggest threat to the defence of the championship.

On the same principle that Ferguson’s disparaging words are usually reserved for the dangerous, Arsène Wenger would cast a cold eye on his willingness to wax compassionate about how drastically Arsenal were undermined by injuries last spring.

As Wenger reflects on three seasons without a trophy, faces up to the loss of valued personnel, and worries over the possibility that additional weakening departures will be caused by Arsenal’s rigid wage structure, sympathetic noises in a Govan accent cannot be high on the Frenchman’s wish-list.

Behind the early blitz of propaganda, Ferguson has a right to be sanguine about the campaign ahead. He has built yet another formidable team and, whether Cristiano Ronaldo stays or goes, further development should be assured by a unique manager’s talent and miraculous stamina of spirit.

His prospects of more triumphs will undoubtedly be improved, if the mammoth sum expended on securing Carlos Tevez as a fully signed-up United player does not encourage Tottenham to become intransigent in negotiations for the transfer of Dimitar Berbatov.

With Berbatov playing centre-forward, Ferguson’s men would seem attractively priced at a best-available 6-4 to complete a hat trick of titles (more appealing, certainly, than Chelsea at 15-8 to be champions, Arsenal at 5-1, or Liverpool at 15-2).

In the matter of who will inspire most headlines, there’s no betting.

____

Alby Jnr

La Liga Transfers

XXX XXX — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:08:06 -0400

Almería

Transfers in: Gonzalo Arconada—manager (Numancia), Nieto (Real Madrid Castilla), Pablo Piatti (Estudiantes de la Plata), Esteban Solari (Pumas), Michel (Flamengo), Julio Alvarez (Numancia), Esteban (Celta), Pellerano (Vélez Sarsfield), Chico (Cádiz).

Transfers out: Unai Emery—manager (Valencia), Cobeño (Sevilla—loan period ended), Dos Santos (Bayern Munich—loan period ended), Vidangossy (Villarreal—loan period ended), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina), Paunovic (Partizan Belgrade), Domingo Cisma (Numancia—one year loan), López Rekarte (contract ended).

Transfers in and out: Mario Bermejo (Poli Ejido—loan period ended, transferable), Natalio (Cádiz—loan period ended, transferable), Francisco (Granada 74—loan period ended, transferable), David Rodríguez (in from Salamanca, loaned on to Celta).

Athletic Bilbao

Transfers in: Casas, Gorka Iraizoz (rejoins squad), Toquero (Sestao River), Joseba del Olmo (Eibar), Iñigo (Murcia). Susaeta (junior teams).

Transfers out: Del Horno (Valencia—loan period ended), David Cuéllar (Murcia), Luis Prieto (Valladolid), Beñat, Raúl (Conquense—one year loan), Expósito (Hércules), Aranzubia (Deportivo), Angulo, Ramis (Écija), Tiko, Zubiarre (transferable).

Transfers in and out: Lafuente (Espanyol—loan period ended, transferable), Ion Vélez (Hércules—loan period ended, transferable).

Atlético Madrid

Transfers in: Diego Costa (Celta—loan period ended, transferable), Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina), John Heitinga (Ajax), Coupet (Olympique Lyon), Sinama-Pongolle (Recreativo), Paulo Assunçao (Porto).

Transfers out: Abbiati (AC Milan—loan period ended), Falcón (Celta), Eller (Sao Paulo), Mista (Deportivo), Jurado (Mallorca—one year loan), Zé Castro (Deportivo—one year loan), Raúl Llorente (Alavés), Mario Ruyales (Sevilla Atlético), Raúl Medina (Puertollano).

Transfers in and out: Maniche (Inter Milan—loan period ended, transferable), Mario Suárez (loan period at Celta ended, transferred to Mallorca), Vara (Celta—loan period ended, transferable), Roberto (loan period at Nàstic ended, transferred to Recreativo), Cuéllar (loan period at Eibar ended, on to Sporting Gijón), Braulio (loan period at Getafe ended, transferred to Zaragoza).

Barcelona

Transfers in: Guardiola—manager (Barcelona B), Pinto (Celta—purchase option exercised) Daniel Alves, Keita (Sevilla), Piqué (Manchester United), Martín Cáceres (Villarreal), Hleb (Arsenal), Bojan (junior teams), Jorquera (rejoins squad).

Transfers out: Rijkaard—manager (contract rescinded), Edmilson (Villarreal), Ronaldinho, Zambrotta (AC Milan), Giovani (Tottenham Hotspur), Deco (Chelsea), Dimas (Numancia) , Marc Valiente (Sevilla Atlético), Oleguer (Ajax), Ezquerro, Thuram (contracts ended).

Transfers in and out: Marc Crosas (Olympique Lyon—loan period ended, transferable), Olmo (loan period at Racing Ferrol ended, transferred to Elche), Rubén Martínez (Racing Ferrol—loan period ended, transferable), Carlos Coto (loan at Excelsior Mouscron ended, transferred to Sevilla Atlético), Henrique (in from Palmeiras, loaned out to Bayer Leverkusen).

Betis

Transfers in: Mehmet Aurelio (Fenerbahçe), Sisi (Valencia pending), Emana (Toulouse), Chretien (Nantes—pending).

Transfers out: Somoza (Villarreal—loan period ended), Fernando (Málaga), Doblas (contract ended), Babic (transferable).

Transfers in and out: Contreras, Dani (Cádiz—loan period ended, transferable), Maldonado (Nàstic—loan period ended, transferable), Miguel Angel (Levante—loan period ended, transferable), Juanlu (Córdoba—loan period ended, transferable), Oscar López (Nàstic—loan period ended, transferable).

Deportivo La Coruña

Transfers in: Lafita (Zaragoza—loan period ended, purchase option exercised), Filipe Luis (Rentistas—loan period ended, transferred), Omar Bravo (Chivas de Guadalajara), Mista (Atlético Madrid), Zé Castro (Atlético Madrid—one year loan), Aranzubia (Athletic Bilbao).

Transfers out: Wilhelmsson (Bolton—loan period ended), Rubén Castro (Huesca—one year loan), Alex Bergantiños (Xerez—one year loan), Aouate, Munúa, Taborda (transferable).

Transfers in and out: Pablo Alvarez (Racing Santander—loan period ended, transferable), Aythami (Xerez—loan period renewed), Momo (Xerez—loan period ended, transferable), Adrián, Jairo (Alavés—loan period ended, transferable), Rodri (Poli Ejido—loan period ended, transferable), Ian Mackay (Vecindario—loan period ended, transferable).

Espanyol

Transfers in: "Tintin" Márquez—manager (Espanyol B), Sergio Sánchez (Racing Santander—loan period ended), Beranger (Numancia), Cristian Alvarez (Rosario Central), José Callejón (Real Madrid Castilla).

Transfers out: Valverde—manager (Olympiacos), Clemente Rodríguez (Spartak Moscow— loan period ended), Lafuente (Athletic Bilbao—loan period ended), Ewerthon (Zaragoza— loan period ended), Jordi Gómez (Swansea—one year loan), Serrán (Swansea), Casilla (Cádiz—one year loan), Moha (contract ended).

Transfers in and out: Fredson (Sao Paulo—loan period ended, transferable), Julián (Sevilla B—loan period ended, transferable), Fede (loan period at Nàstic ended, transferred to Swansea), Edu Costa (Gremio Porto Alegre—loan period ended, transferable), Jonatas (Flamengo—one year remaining on loan), Zamora (Eibar—loan period ended, transferable).

Getafe

Transfers in: Víctor Muñoz—manager (no club), Gavilán (Valencia—loan period ended, transferred), Adrián González (Real Madrid Castilla), Rafa (Valladolid), Polanski (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Ibrahim Kas (Besiktas), Joffre Guerrón (Universidad Quito), Granero (Real Madrid—loan period ended, transferred).

Transfers out: Laudrup—manager (contract ended), Braulio (Atlético Madrid—loan period ended), De la Red (Real Madrid—buy back option exercised), Pablo Hernández (Getafe— buy back option exercised), Tena (Rayo Vallecano), Redondo (Gimnàstic).

Transfers in and out: Luis García (loan period at Celta ended, transferred to Tenerife), Nacho (loan period at Real Sociedad ended, on to Málaga).

Málaga

Transfers in: Antonio Tapia—manager (no club), Weligton (Grasshopper Zurich—loan period ended, transferred), Iván Cuadrado (Murcia), Pere Martí (Elche), Fernando (Betis), Lolo (Sevilla Atlético—one year loan), Nacho (Getafe—one year loan), Luque (Granada 74), Manolo Gaspar (Levante).

Transfers out: Muñiz—manager (Racing Santander), Paulo Jorge (Benfica—loan period ended), Erice (Osasuna—loan period ended), Tiago Gomes (Estrela Armador—loan period ended), Antonio Hidalgo (Zaragoza), Gerardo (Las Palmas), Carpintero (Córdoba), Iván Rosado, Jesule (contracts ended), Sandro (retiring, joins technical staff), Gaitán, Peragón, Salva (transferable).

Transfers in and out: Ernesto (Ponferradina—loan period ended, transferable), Alcalá, Gascón (Alcorcón—loan period ended, transferable), Popo (Atlético Madrid B—loan period ended, transferable), César Navas (Racing Santander—loan period ended, transferable).

Mallorca

Transfers in: Scaloni (Lazio—12 months remaining on loan), Alhassane Keita (Al Ittihadd), Oscar Díaz (Elche), Jurado (Atlético Madrid—one year loan), Mario Suárez (Atlético Madrid), Josemi (Villarreal), Ayoze (Racing Santander), Corrales (Osasuna), Martí (Sevilla).

Transfers out: David Navarro (Valencia—loan period ended), Fernando Navarro (Sevilla), Ibagaza (Villarreal), Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle), Güiza (Fenerbahçe), Tuni (Hércules—one year loan), Héctor, Basinas (contract ended), Ballesteros (transferable).

Transfers in and out: Jordi López (Racing Santander—loan period ended, transferable), Martí Crespi (Granada 74—loan period ended, transferable), Delibasic, Víctor (Real Sociedad—loan period ended, transferable), Cendrós (loan period at Benidorm ended, on to Tenerife), Dani González (loan period at Pontevedra ended, on to Elche).

Numancia

Transfers in: Sergio Kresic—manager (Hajduk Split), Barkero (Albacete), Dimas (Barcelona B), Juan Pablo (Tenerife), Platero (Racing Santander B), Bellvis (Valencia B— one year loan), Domingo Cisma (Almería—one year loan).

Transfers out: Gonzalo Arconada—manager (Almería) Carmelo (Levante—loan period ended), Beranger (Espanyol) Jacobo (Valladolid—buy back option exercised), Alvaro Nuñez (Guadalajara), Julio Alvarez (Almería), Rafa Jordà (Alicante), Aragoneses (Tenerife), Bolo, Sietes (contracts ended).

Transfers in and out: Tomillo (Villanueva—loan period ended, transferable).

Osasuna

Transfers in: Nicolas Medina (Eibar—loan period ended), Astiz (Legia Warsaw—loan period ended), Roberto (Sporting Gijón), Shojaei (Al Sharjah), Sunny (Valencia—one year loan), Azplicueta (junior teams).

Transfers out: Hugo Viana (Valencia—loan period ended), Carlos Vela (Arsenal—loan period ended), Astudillo (Alavés—loan period ended), Javi García (Real Madrid—buy back option exercised), Elía (Murcia) Corrales (Mallorca), Garde, Izquierdo (contracts ended).

Transfers in and out: Fran Moreno (Albacete—loan period ended, transferable), Erice (loan period at Málaga ended, on to Huesca).

Racing Santander

Transfers in: Muñiz—manager (Málaga), Cristian Fernández (Las Palmas—loan period ended), Garay (Real Madrid—transferred and loaned back for one year), Ze Antonio (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Jonathan Pereira (Villarreal—one year loan), Antunes (Roma—one year loan), Iván Bolado (junior teams).

Transfers out: Marcelino—manager (Zaragoza), Jordi López (Mallorca—loan period ended), Sergio Sánchez (Espanyol—loan period ended), Pablo Alvarez (Deportivo—loan period ended), Orteman (Boca Juniors—loan period ended), Calatayud (Hércules), Ayoze (Mallorca), Platero (Numancia), Jonathan Valle (Ponferradina—one year loan).

Transfers in and out: Juanjo (Sevilla Atlético—loan period ended, transferable), Vitolo (Celta—loan period ended, transferable), Samuel (Las Palmas—loan period ended, transferred), Cristian Portilla (loan period at Racing Ferrol ended, on to Real Madrid Castilla), Szetela (Brescia—loan period renewed), Sarmiento (Estudiantes—loan period ended).

Real Madrid

Transfers in: De la Red (Getafe—buy back option exercised).

Transfers out: Balboa (Benfica), Nieto (Almería), José Callejón (Espanyol).

Transfers in and out: Pablo García (Murcia—loan period ended, transferred to PAOK Salonica), Cassano (Sampdoria—loan period ended, transferred) Adrián (loan period at Nàstic ended, transferred to Getafe), Garay (Racing Santander—transferred and loaned back for one year), Javi García (Osasuna—buy back option exercised, transferable), Granero (Getafe—loan period ended, transferred).

Recreativo

Transfers in: Zahínos (rejoins squad), Marco Rubén (Villarreal—loan period renewed), Sebastian Nayar (Boca Juniors), Roberto (Atlético Madrid), César Arzo (Villarreal), Adrián Colunga (Las Palmas), Nasief Morris (Panathinaikos—one year loan), Casado (Sevilla Atlético—one year loan), Andrés Lamas (Defensor).

Transfers out: Varela (Sporting Lisbon—loan period ended), Sorrentino (loan period from AEK Athens ended, transferred to Cagliari) Marquitos, Martín Cáceres (Villarreal—loan period ended), Calvo (Boca Juniors—loan period ended), Gerard (PAOK Salonica), Edu Moya (Celta), Carlos Martins (Benfica), Sinama-Pongolle (Atlético Madrid), Barbosa (Estudiantes), Dani Bautista (Hércules), Congo, Luque, Rosu (contracts ended).

Transfers in and out: Xavi Jiménez (Albacete—loan period ended, transferable).

Sevilla

Transfers in: Lautara Acosta (Lanús), Fernando Navarro (Mallorca), Konko (Genoa), Romaric (Le Mans), Squillaci (Olympique Lyon), Varas (junior teams).

Transfers out: Boulahrouz (loan period from Chelsea ended, transferred to Stuttgart), Daniel Alves, Keita (Barcelona).

Transfers in and out: Cobeño (Almería—loan period ended, transferable), Antoñito (Xerez —loan period ended, transferred), Martí (loan period at Real Sociedad ended, transferred to Mallorca), Jesuli (Tenerife—loan period ended, contract ended).

Sporting Gijon

Transfers in: Cuéllar (Atlético Madrid).

Transfers out: Hidalgo (Deportivo del Valle—loan period ended), Roberto (Osasuna), Chus Bravo (contract ended).

Transfers in and out: Alejandro (Cartagena—loan period ended, transferable), Noel Alonso (Palencia—loan period ended, transferable).

Valencia

Transfers in: Unai Emery—manager (Almería) Pablo Hernández (Getafe—buy back option exercised), Del Horno (Athletic Bilbao—loan period ended).

Transfers out: Montoro, Lillo (Murcia—one year loan) Caneira (Sporting Lisbon) Sunny (Osasuna—one year loan), Jordi Alba (Gimnàstic—one year loan), Cañizares, Mora (contracts ended) Albelda, Helguera (transferable).

Transfers in and out: Curro Torres, Regueiro (Murcia—loan period ended, transferable), Sisi (loan period at Valladolid ended, transferred to Betis), Butelle (Valladolid—loan period ended, transferable), Hugo Viana (Osasuna—loan period ended, transferable), David Navarro (Mallorca—loan period ended, transferable), Gavilán (Getafe—loan period ended, transferred), Manuel Fernandes (Everton—loan period ended, transferable), Héctor Verdés (loan period at Xerez ended, on to Barcelona B) Castells, Cerra, Marrama (Poli Ejido—loan period ended, transferable), Ruz (loan period at Granada 74 ended, transferred to Hércules), Juanlu (loan period at Granada 74 ended, transferred to Tenerife), Miku (Nàstic—loan period ended, transferable), Estoyanoff (Peñarol—loan period ended, transferable), Aarón Ñiguez (Iraklis—loan period ended, transferable) Bellvis (loan period at Elche ended, on to Numancia).

Valladolid

Transfers in: Alvaro Antón (Racing Ferrol—loan period ended), Jacobo (Numancia—buy back option exercised), Aguirre (Lanús—loan period renewed), Justo Villar (Newell's Old Boys), Luis Prieto (Athletic Bilbao), Escudero (Villarreal), Goitom (Murcia—one year loan) Canobbio (Celta).

Transfers out: Butelle, Sisi (Valencia—loan period ended), Llorente (Villarreal), Rafa (Getafe), Kome (Tenerife), Alberto, Camacho, Manchev (contracts ended).

Transfers in and out: Asier (Alavés—loan period ended, transferable), Kike (Poli Ejido - loan period ended, transferable).

Villarreal

Transfers in: Eguren (Hammarby—loan period ended, purchase option exercised), Edmilson (Barcelona), Llorente (Valladolid), Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Ibagaza (Mallorca).

Transfers out: David Fuster (Elche), Tomasson (Feyenoord), Josemi (Mallorca), Alberto de la Bella (Sevilla Atlético).

Transfers in and out: Martín Cáceres (loan period at Recreativo ended, transferred to Barcelona), Marco Rubén (Recreativo Huelva—loan period renewed) Marquitos (loan period at Recreativo Huelva ended, on to Real Sociedad), Jonathan Pereira (loan period at Racing Ferrol ended, on to Racing Santander), César Arzo (loan period at Murcia ended, transferred to Recreativo), Mavuba (Lille—loan period ended, transferred), Vidangossy (Almería—loan period ended, transferable), Xisco Nadal (Granada 74—loan period ended, transferable), Somoza (loan period at Betis ended, transferred to Vélez Sarsfield), Robert Flores (in from River Plate de Montevideo, loaned on to River Plate Argentina), Escudero (in from Vélez Sarsfield, loaned on to Valladolid), Felipe Manoel (loan at Recife ended, on to Huesca).

Cristiano Ronaldo Signing Needs Speeding Up, Real Madrid

XXX XXX — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:43:40 -0400

It really means something when even the good people at Marca are getting fed up with the whole Cristiano Ronaldo saga.

The Spanish sports paper devoted an editorial and a couple of articles yesterday to urge Real Madrid to get on with the job and sign the Portuguese forward ASAP. Today they have vox pops from fans saying much the same sort of things and it looks like their campaign to get things moving is going to continue.

Presumably Marca is seeing a dip in sales as a result of nothing much happening day after day. After all, if there really is no movement, they will soon run out of ways to spin the story.

Real don’t have to worry about selling newspapers (at least not directly) and they may well feel they can afford to wait. The player himself is currently injured, meaning it matters little if he only makes it on transfer deadline day.

But are they right to sit tight and hope that Manchester United eventually give in and accept whatever offer (reportedly 90 million euros) is on the table?

Only time will tell, but Real may find they have painted themselves into a corner.

This is a good Real Madrid team but not yet a great one. They won the league title last season comfortably but they now look far from being able to win the Champions League. They need some kind of reinforcement, whether that’s in the form of Ronaldo or someone else.

Perhaps it would be wise, as Marca suggest, to make one final push for Ronaldo now and if that fails turn their attention to players like Raffaele Van der Vaart, Cesc Fabregas, Kaka, and David Villa sooner rather than later.

It would liven up the front pages, anyway.

Federer Beaten In Rogers Cup

XXX XXX — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:17:38 -0400

World’s number one Roger Federer, who was Rogers Cup winner in 2004 and 2006 (he was undefeated there) suffered from some very shoddy play as he was upset by Gilles Simon, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, the winner in last week’s ATP tournament in Indianapolis.

Simon played unbelievably well, but Federer committed over 50 unforced errors and his usually devastating forehand consistently let him down. Blame it on rustiness—he had played no matches since Wimbledon—but poor serving and poor footwork seemed to be Federer’s main problems.

At one point in the second set Federer missed on his first serve every point for three service straight games.

In the third and final set Federer broke Simon’s serve twice but failed to hold his serve after each break of service and ultimately was broken at love by committing four unforced errors in the match’s final game.

World’s number two Rafael Nadal got through to the third round defeating American Jesse Levine, 6-4, 6-2. Levione led the first set 4-1 and had a break point to go up 5-1 but missed a routine service return. Again at 4-3 Levine had another chance to break Nadal but again failed to return Nadal’s serve.

From that point on the match was fairly routine for the French Open and Wimbledon champion.

Ballón D'Or, The European Milestone And Iker Casillas

XXX XXX — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:56:54 -0400

http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/sidlowe

This is a piece by a favourite writer of mine Sid Lowe, he is someone who I feel we can take a measure from when writing about La Liga and I encourage people interested to follow his work.

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An apologetic smile came across Michael Owen's face and he lowered his voice like a man who'd crept into a confessional and pulled back the grate, ready to reveal his sin. "At the time," he admitted, "I didn't realise it was a big deal". "It" being the Ballón d'Or, the European Footballer of the Year award he won in 2001. "Gérard Houllier was a bit put out by the fact that I wasn't punching the air and going hysterical," the striker said a little sheepishly, "he kept on going to me: 'Don't you realise what this means?!'." Owen might have become the first English winner since Kevin Keegan, twenty-two years earlier, but the truth is that, no, he didn't. "Now," he said, "I do."

It was the summer of 2005 and Owen was stretching out at Real Madrid's temporary training ground at Las Rozas, soaking up the sunshine. It had taken foreign eyes to make him see what he had achieved. A Frenchman, the Italians—"when we played Roma, every single question their journalists asked was about the Ballón d'Or," Owen recalled – and of course the Spanish. As he sat on the steps reminiscing, beyond the plywood doors of the Ciudad de Fútbol, where his team-mates were strolling by, were many men for whom the award's importance was crystal clear. One man in particular: the club captain, Raúl González Blanco.

"In England, it gets a little column on the back page telling you who has won and that's it," said Owen; in Spain the Ballón d'Or is, by comparison, an obsession. When the Liverpool striker signed for Madrid, the best thing about him was the Golden Ball tucked under his arm, dispelling some of the doubts about this "junk galáctico" and granting him membership of a club that included Ronaldo, Zidane and Figo—all former winners (albeit winners for what they'd done elsewhere; Madrid didn't so much produce Ballón d'Ors as buy them).

Trouble was, the joy at Owen's success was both fleeting—lasting only as long as his brief spell in Spain—and largely begrudging, uttered through gritted teeth.

The Golden Ball should not have been tucked under Owen's arm at all, but under Raúl's: even signing for Madrid didn't make the Englishman immune to the resentment for winning what "rightfully" belonged to the man who came second that year. In Madrid, the 2001 Ballón d'Or is not so much the one Owen won as the one Raúl should have won. Owen was treated like an impostor and a thief, one TVE figure taking another tetchy swipe at him this weekend, seven years later; Raúl's failure to be named European Footballer of the Year was treated like a personal affront, evidence of an anti-Spanish conspiracy, the greatest of footballing injustices.

It was an injustice the Madrid press took it upon itself to remedy. With every great goal they jumped up and down in righteous indignation, demanding that Raúl must at last be given the award. After one superb display against Milan, AS prayed that "those who chose the Ballón d'Or weren't taking a siesta. Note it down! Please do something!"

Like Raúl's inclusion for this summer's Spain squad, the Ballón d'Or agenda was pushed at every press conference or interview. Whenever someone said Raúl deserved the award, the media pointedly echoed the sentiment. Meanwhile, anyone who said someone else deserved it was simply ignored; complimenting the opposition was proscribed. If a foreign publication—Gazzetta dello Sport/Kicker/L'Equipe/World Soccer—praised him, the comments were reproduced under the inevitable headline: "Italy/Germany/France/England surrenders to Raúl".

Surrendering to Raúl now is pointless and his chance has in all probability gone forever. But while his failure to win the award may be a pity, there was an exhibit always missing from his case: success with the selección. Now, Spain have that. Having won the European Championships, this must surely be their greatest opportunity to boast a Ballón d'Or winner since Inter's Luis Suárez in 1960. And never mind the fact that the vote doesn't take place until the winter, the media is already throwing its weight behind its candidate and new idol: Iker Casillas.

The name might have changed and it may be early still but already there is something familiar about this fledgling campaign; about the unquestioning insistence; about the way in which winning the Ballón d'Or has been presented as a kind of moral imperative, a campaign for "justice"; about the way it's become a case of national pride; about the way stories are generated to follow a line already decided—not least with the classic ask-footballer-leading-question-and-plaster-his-answer-across-the-cover trick.

During a recent interview with David Beckham, Marca asked whether he'd like Iker Casillas to win. Not who he'd vote for but his opinion of the paper's pre-ordained candidate. Diplomatic as ever, Beckham said yes. That weekend's front covers were inevitable, one day where he "urged" Cristiano Ronaldo to join Madrid: "Beckham: Casillas should get the Ballón d'Or."

Which perhaps he should. Despite Ronaldo's incredible season for Manchester United, in tournament years tournaments tend to be what counts and Casillas makes a strong case. Madrid's best player last season (despite Marca naming Raúl as player of the year in the midst of their "Raul for Spain" campaign), he won the league title and then as captain won the European Championships, playing a starring role in the penalty shoot-out against Italy despite having an otherwise relatively quiet tournament. He is ludicrously talented, impossible to dislike and conducts himself with great dignity. He is, in short, the perfect candidate.

It's just a little odd that Marca aren't championing the only man whose case looks equally strong, instead almost ignoring the striker who hit 33 goals, became the Premiership's highest scoring debutant and got the historic winner in the final in Vienna. After all, Fernando Torres is Spanish too. But then, Fernando Torres doesn't play for Real Madrid.

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Alby Jnr.

Celtic In Ugly Game Against Middlesborough

XXX XXX — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:37:18 -0400

Celtic’s friendly against Middlesbrough was quite shocking. A boring game with neither side bringing many scoring chances let alone goals which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Middlesbrough’s goal came from Celtic backup keeper Marc Brown who BOUNCED THE FRICKIN BALL OFF OF A MIDDLESBOROUGH PLAYER INTO THE BACK OF THE NET ON A CLEARANCE ATTEMPT!

I think I speak for Celtic fans when I say, please don’t go Artur Boruc! Bobo Balde stuck his big head in the air and put the ball on Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's head and netted it in the 93rd minute to end the game a tie.

There were positives from the match. The goal was not the fault of the back line’s and they did not have a bad game. Aiden McGeady created two great chances in the first half and played great crosses right to Georgios Samaras‘ head but Samaras could not get enough behind the ball.

Barry Robson was centimeters away from netting another great free kick. All those that played at the striker position struggled mightily today though. Massimo Donati continued to look lost.

However, I’m not worried about the team or the season. There’s only so much you can take from a pre-season friendly. As you have so many subs, it is hard to get a chemistry working.

It was nice to see the backline work well, as well as more good performances by Aiden McGeady and Barry Robson. And finally, it’s always good for a striker to get his first taste of goal, as did Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink did tonight.

So it is on to FA Cup finalists Cardiff City on Thursday. Hopefully Artur Boruc will be fit enough to go for this one and the offense gets into the flow of things.

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Alby Jnr.