Andre Villas-Boas could well secure a major coup over his former club after Willian stated he would be tempted to join Tottenham despite interest from the European Champions.
The Spurs manager is now considered to be a ‘friend’ of the attacker who has been speaking ahead of the Champions League tie this week against former suitors Chelsea and realises all eyes are on him with the opportunity to showcase his talents on a bigger stage.
After failing in a bid for the versatile Brazilian in the summer Chelsea look set to battle once again for the player and face stiff competition from Spurs amongst other clubs after Willian basically confirmed his desire to leave in an interview with Lancenet.
The player elaborated further on his dilemma and relationship with AVB, confessing “he always sends me messages. We are in touch and he has become a friend for sure. Chelsea is Chelsea. They are a great team and the Champions of Europe.”
Despite inviting AVB to make an offer this January the player claims he is still focusing on the imminent match against Chelsea with Shakhtar boss Lucescu warning Chelsea that they will be made to pay for failing to appreciate the players “true worth” in the summer when making an offer with the club failing to get “anywhere near” the valuation of the player ahead of the crunch tie on Tuesday.
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New York City FC was only founded 15 months ago and isn’t set to join the MLS until the 2015/2016 season. The football club is 20% owned by Yankee Global Enterprises and 80% owned by City Football Group, who also own Manchester City.
Since the creation of the football club, New York City FC have acquired six players, with two of their most notable players being Englishman Frank Lampard and Spaniard David Villa. With the money available for the football club thanks to their wealthy owners and the quality of the players they have already brought in, New York City FC will be looking to have an immediate impact on the MLS and possibly change the landscape of the league. Some people may say thanks to their wealth, they have already bought an MLS title.
Until New York City FC joins the MLS for its inaugural season in March 2015, Lampard has gone on loan to Manchester City whilst Villa has gone on loan to Melbourne City FC, also owned by the City Football Group. The Australian side is yet to begin their season but the Spaniard is predicted to set the league alight. On the other hand, Lampard has already demonstrated he is still a quality player after scoring the equalizer in City’s 1-1 home draw against his former club, Chelsea, in the Premier League.
If that isn’t enough to satisfy you, maybe you should know that Lampard is the highest scoring midfielder in the Premier League from the 2009/10 onwards with a total of 65 goals. These goals would have mostly occurred thanks to Lampard’s characteristics of taking long shots and being excellent at direct free kicks. Lampard averaged 40.2 passes per game and also had a pass success percentage of 82.4% during his last season at Chelsea. He also averaged 1.3 key passes per game. New York City FC manager Jason Kreis will be hoping Lampard can replicate or increase these statistics in the MLS.
Villa finished last season as Atletico Madrid’s second top scorer, with 13 goals from 36 La Liga games. He was outshone by attacking partner and fellow Spaniard Diego Costa, who is now at Chelsea, but Villa’s contribution shouldn’t be understated. He averaged around 2.1 shots per game and has the characteristics of being a good finisher and playing through balls. He has won basically every top competition available including the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, La Liga, and the Copa Del Rey, and he is also Spain national team’s all-time leading top goal scorer with 56 goals.
Villa should have a similar impact to the MLS as Robbie Keane. In his first full season (2012) following the Irishman’s moved from Tottenham Hotspur to LA Galaxy in 2011, Keane scored 16 goals from 28 league games. Villa is a much better finishing than Keane as proven by the goals he scored last season in La Liga for Atletico Madrid. Villa is still good enough to play for many European teams.
Could we see more clubs in the Premier League owning or partly owning teams in the MLS in the future? The MLS is fast developing into a league for older players to continue to play, but also as a league that is producing some great players, so I think we will see more clubs in the Premier League owning or partly owning teams in the MLS in the future for that reason.
Some people, such as Arsenal manager Arsene Wegner, have questioned if the loan of Lampard to City is in line with Financial Fair Play rules. Some believe they have bent the rules to meet the five home grown players they are required to have in their restricted 21-man Champions League squad. UEFA rules state Lampard’s loan move falls inside the Financial Fair Play rules provided City pay the midfielder’s wages, which they insist they do. Although Manchester City, New York City and Melbourne City are all owned by City Football Group, they are run as standalone businesses but some believe New York City FC is helping City by loaning out Lampard to them and bending the rules.
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We could therefore also see more Premier League clubs owning or partly owning teams in the MLS in the future in order to try to get around the Financial Fair Play rules.
England may only have one manager, but ahead of every World Cup, every fan has his or her own opinion on who should, and shouldn’t be on the plane with the real gaffer. The squad selection is one of the most important decisions for an international manager. Determining who deserves the right to represent their country on the biggest of stages. Whilst every nation has a few stars that are guaranteed their flight ticket, for others there’s a much more nervous wait.
So what about those players fighting for their place on the plane? The inclusion of Theo Walcott in 2006 or Emile Heskey in 2010 shows that no matter old or young, there’s always a chance for a late phone call. Here are 5 players that, with a bit of form and good luck, could shock the pundits and fight their way into World Cup squad, a feat difficult to imagine 12 months ago. It’s not likely, but then again it wouldn’t be a World Cup squad without a surprise inclusion.
Luke Shaw
The Southampton defender is only 18 years-old and yet has already been linked with big money moves to Chelsea and Manchester United. Shaw has missed just two Premier League matches this season, starting all 14 of his games as he’s helped the Saints to have the joint best defence in the Premier League. But his pace, attacking threat and ability to read the game has led to Shaw being one of the country’s hottest youngsters, earning himself three caps for the Under-21 team since September.
He’s not a very experienced player to be suggested and playing for England in the biggest tournament in World football, but he could be called upon should injuries hit the senior side. Leighton Baines and Ashley Cole are set to continue their battle for the number 1 spot in the side over the remainder of the season, both looking to convince Hodgson that they are the best left-back in the country. But should one of the two be dealt the bitter blow of getting injured for the tournament, suddenly Shaw could be the back-up full-back.
Ravel Morrison
Andros Townsend has been a hit for both Spurs and England this season with his direct, attacking style of football. With a determination to beat defenders, the Tottenham winger has become one of the North London club’s most creative players this campaign. Ravel Morrison is another one of these players. With a statement to make after being sold from Manchester United, Morrison has started to make a name for himself at Upton Park, scoring 3 goals for the Hammers, including a stunning individual effort at White Hart Lane.
His goal scoring ability has been displayed on the Under-21 stage too. As well as scoring two goals against Lithuania Under-21s in October, Morrison was caught on camera scoring an audacious backheel volley during training for the youth side. England have often lacked players with a drive to take on defenders, but with Townsend and Morrison on the pitch, suddenly defenders will fear England’s style of play. Able to play out wide or in the centre of midfield, Morrison could add more flair and drive to Hodgson’s campaign.
Steven Caulker
The 21-year-old has done nearly everything right so far in his brief football career. After joining Spurs from a young age, Caulker was sent on loan to Yeovil, Bristol City and Swansea, to gain vital match experience. It worked too, earning him a place in England’s Under-19 and Under-21 teams, as well as playing all 5 of Great Britain’s Olympic matches in 2012. But after a year of fighting Jan Vertonghen, Michael Dawson and William Gallas for a place in Tottenham’s first team last season, the youngster moved to Cardiff City in the summer, in the pursuit of regular first team football.
Ever since Rio Ferdinand and John Terry’s retirement from international football, the Three Lions have been left with a lack of depth at centre-back. Cahill and Jagielka are expected to be Hodgson’s starting duo, with Joleon Lescott, Chris Smalling and the injury prone Phil Jones left as England’s only other options. Motivated by playing matches and not earning money for Spurs’ reserves, Caulker has shown his desire to become one of the best centre-backs in England, and could argue his case to get in the World Cup squad should there be a late withdrawals.
Jordan Henderson
The midfielder had a tough time when he first moved to Liverpool, for a surprising £16million fee. But after a long, difficult season, the former Sunderland youngster has turned his performances around over the summer. At first he was winning over a small pocket of Kopites due to his work rate, and persistence to cover every blade of grass. But as the weeks have progressed, more and more fans are starting to like the 23-year-old.
He still has a long way to go to win over all of Liverpool’s faithful, let alone the general public, but the midfielder is definitely showing improvement. His terrific performance during the Reds’ 5-0 win at Spurs, where he stepped in for the injured Steven Gerrard, earned him the man of the match award, and maybe a few more fans. Hodgson has to decide between taking 7 or 8 midfielders to Brazil, but if he continues to shown this much improvement, Henderson could earn himself a plane ticket. A tough task, with Barkley, Wilshere, Lampard, Carrick and Cleverly all fighting to sit with skipper Steven Gerrard in the midfield.
Callum McManaman
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It feels like a long time since the 22-year-old was handed the man of the match award after Wigan’s FA Cup success over Manchester City in May. The attacker scored 3 goals in the Latics’ surprisingly successful campaign, and soon after the press linked him with a move to Everton. But since Wigan got relegated, the Merseyside-born winger has somewhat fallen off everyone’s radar.
Not according to Hodgson himself though, who spoke in November about the chances of McManaman making the trip to Brazil: “We’ve got a few on the fringes who we look at, like Callum McManaman for instance, who could make the squad. We were talking about him the other day. He was flying for Wigan at the end of last season and then he got that unfortunate injury, so he’s one we’ll have a look at. We have been following his progress. There are certain players like that who aren’t out of our radar.” It would be one of the biggest squad surprises for years, but according to the England manager, not impossible.
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ESPNcricinfo previews the Champions League T20 qualifying match between Kandurata Maroons and Sunrisers Hyderabad
The Preview by Rohan Sharma16-Sep-2013Match FactsSeptember 17, 2013 Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Kumar Sangakkara and Thisara Perera will be required by their teams to give insight about the opposition•BCCI
Big PictureWhile this match represents a Champions League debut for Kandurata Maroons and Sunrisers Hyderabad, both teams will know just how vital it is to hit the ground running in what could potentially be a short tournament for either side. Both teams need to win at least two of the three qualification matches to have a strong chance of making the main draw.This will be the first time these sides face each another, so Kumar Sangakkara will play an influential role in providing some insight on the inner workings of Hyderabad. Thisara Perera can also shed some light on Kandurata, as a number of his compatriots make up the roster.Both teams have strong bowling departments that include several international players. Kandurata possess some of the best T20 players in the world, and feature a spin attack which includes Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv, backed by the ever-dependable Nuwan Kulasekera. Hyderabad are slightly more potent, beginning with the raw pace of Dale Steyn, the guile of Amit Mishra, the bounce of Ishant Sharma, the wicket-taking knack of Perera, and the leg spin of Karan Sharma. The fresh early-season pitch in Mohali might also work in their favour.Players to watchThilina Kandamby is one of the many former Sri Lankan players to make up the side, and played an instrumental role in Kandurata’s successful Super 4’s campaign. He finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 107 runs in two innings, at an impressive strike rate of 148.61. His best performance came in the final group match against Uthura Yellows, where he struck 90 off 54 to get Kandurata close to a 159-run target, but ultimately couldn’t prevent a six-run defeat.Amit Mishra had a solid outing in IPL 2013, finishing with 21 wickets in 17 matches. His best performance came against Pune Warriors, when he snapped up the last three batsmen for his third IPL hat-trick, as Hyderabad achieved an improbable 11-run victory after being dismissed for a paltry 119. He recently played in India’s 5-0 ODI series victory over Zimbabwe, where he equalled the record for most wickets in a bilateral series, with 18 in 5 matches.Stats and Trivia Shikhar Dhawan led the way for Hyderabad’s batsmen at IPL 2013 with 311 runs, despite missing seven matches due to injury Of the top six batsmen who scored the most runs in the Super 4’s T20 tournament in Sri Lanka, four of them represented Kandurata: Kandamby, Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga and Lahiru Thirimanne Quotes”I am cool and aggressive; aggressive from inside and cool from outside.” “We’ve got experience with the likes of Sangakkara, (Nuwan) Kulasekara, Upul Tharanga and Ajantha Mendis, who are among the best in the world at the moment. Whether you look at our bowling or batting, we have a lot of ability and the side is well balanced.”
Trinidad and Tobago players Ravi Rampaul and Adrian Barath are hoping a good showing in the Champions League will catalyse their return to the West Indies setup for the tour of New Zealand in December
Renaldo Matadeen30-Aug-2013
Ravi Rampaul is targeting the Champions League to make a case for his selection for West Indies’ tour of New Zealand in December•Associated Press
Trinidad and Tobago players Ravi Rampaul and Adrian Barath, who were named in the 15-man squad for the Champions League T20, are hoping that a good showing in the competition will catalyse their return to the West Indies setup for the tour of New Zealand in December this year.Rampaul has been out of action since last June when he injured his ankle on West Indies duty in the tri-nation series against Sri Lanka and India, and missed the subsequent Caribbean Premier League (CPL). His franchise, the Jamaica Tallawahs were crowned champions, but the pacer admitted he was he was looking forward to contributing to the success of his national outfit: T&T, as winners of the previous – and final- regional domestic T20 competition, the Caribbean T20, are the West Indies’ entrants in this year’s Champions League.”It is always good to wear your national colours,” Rampaul said. “We take pride in our T&T team, and hopefully when we go to the Champions League we can bring it home this time. Any tournament for T&T, I will want to do my best, and I have been putting in the work so that when the Champions League starts I am fit and ready.”I have been working with the trainer Oba [Gulston] for a couple of weeks and I got out today and feel good, so with some match practice we will see how it goes from there,” Rampaul said. “Things happen for a reason and I went back and looked at my performances and looked at ways I can improve my game. With everything there is always some good that will come out of it.”Having observed Jamaica’s success in the CPL, Rampaul has identified a few areas to work on to help facilitate his return to international cricket.”There were a lot of slower balls and everyone was talking about death bowling, and those are the areas I will be looking to improve on, more variation and death bowling,” he said. “I hope these improvements, and a good Champions League, will push me back into West Indies contention.”Barath echoed Rampaul’s sentiments as he believes T&T are hungry to prove themselves on the global stage. “It is always a privilege representing T&T. As a team and for myself, we will be looking to make use of the preparation games [in Guyana] and try and play as a team, and this should do us good for the tournament,” Barath said. “We have a good team. We have a good combination of guys and as we all know T&T is a very strong team and we just [have] to play our roles as individuals and that should help us as a team.”Following a lean period with West Indies, Barath worked with Gordon Greenidge to help regain the promise he showed as a youngster. He endured an average CPL, finishing with 135 runs from 6 matches at an average of 22.50, but admitted he felt confident things were turning around.”I will be looking to play my game, try and bat through the innings and try and get the team into good positions as much as possible,” he said. “I think the tournament [CPL] was an okay tournament for me. I got some consistent scores. I played my part as opening batsmen, batting through the Powerplay, and doing the job for the team. I will be looking to do the same [for T&T] and hopefully make the New Zealand trip.”T&T are placed in Group B with Chennai Super Kings, Brisbane Heat, Titans and a qualifier, while Group A includes Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Lions, Perth Scorchers and the other qualifier. Otago Volts, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Faisalabad Wolves and Kandurata Maroons will contest the qualifiers scheduled to begin on September 17, with the top two teams entering the main draw starting September 21 in Jaipur.
انتقد أسطورة نادي بايرن ميونخ، لوثار ماتيوس، تفكير إدارة البافاري في التعاقد مع مهاجم توتنهام، هاري كين، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.
وقدم بايرن ميونخ عرضين رسميين من أجل ضم هاري كين من توتنهام، كان آخرهما بمقابل مادي قيمته 80 مليون يورو ولكن تم رفضه من النادي الإنجليزي.
اقرأ أيضًا.. بايرن ميونخ يحدد سعر بيع ساديو ماني
وتحدث ماتيوس عن وجهة نظره في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الكتالونية، وقال: “كين هو أحد أفضل المهاجمين في العالم، آلة لتسجيل الأهداف”.
وتابع: “هاري مهاجم ذكي، يؤدي بشكل جيد ويجيد ضربات الرأس، لكن المقابل المادي للصفقة عليه علامات استفهام لأنه مطلوب 100 مليون يورو في لاعب في آواخر العشرينات”.
واختتم: “اذا كنت مسئولًا لكن من الأفضل تمديد عقد روبرت ليفاندوفسكي (لاعب برشلونة الحالي) لمدة ٣ سنوات وزيادة راتبه، وسيكون خيارًا أرخص من شراء كين الآن”.
As contratações feitas pelo Flamengo no início da temporada mexeram com o imaginário dos rubro-negros, que logo passaram a escalar o time ideal com Diego, Arrascaeta, Everton Ribeiro, Bruno Henrique e Gabigol no setor ofensivo. O quinteto, porém, só atuou junto por seis minutos até agora e, com o fim das fases de grupo do Carioca, se encerra o período de testes para Abel Braga.
Foi diante da Cabofriense, no Maracanã, que os cinco jogadores estiveram juntos: Arrascaeta deixou o banco aos 36 minutos, substituindo Willian Arão. Aos 37 da primeira etapa, contudo, Everton Ribeiro foi sacado por Abel Braga.
O técnico, por sua vez, sempre adotou a cautela quando questionado sobre a possibilidade de escalar o time desta forma, com apenas Cuéllar à frente dos zagueiros. Abelão vê outros nomes como essenciais para o setor do meio de campo, como deixou claro após o clássico com o Vasco, no dia 9 de março.
-Só que hoje o meio está com Arão, Cuellar e Diego. Está muito bem entregue. Quem tem a posição tem que tentar mantê-la – disse após o empate em 1 a 1.
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Além da opção de Abel Braga por atuar com dois volantes, dando maior proteção à zaga, os poucos minutos do quinteto têm outras explicações. Durante a fase de grupos da Taça Guanabara, o técnico revezou dois times, com Arrascaeta e Gabigol iniciando o Estadual na “equipe B”, já que foram integrados ao elenco depois da reapresentação e pré-temporada na Flórida.
Depois, Everton Ribeiro ficou fora de duas rodadas da Taça Rio, com dores no joelho esquerdo, impedindo que Abel Braga pudesse testar a formação diante do Americano e da Portuguesa, nas vitórias por 4 a 1 e 3 a 1, respectivamente.
Pela última rodada da fase de grupos da Taça Rio, o Flamengo encara o Fluminense neste domingo, no Maracanã. Como Arrascaeta está a serviço da seleção uruguaia na China, o quinteto não estará à disposição de Abel Braga para o clássico. Uma vitória garante o Rubro-Negro na semifinal do turno.
Do Fla-Flu em diante, o time da Gávea terá uma sequência de clássicos e jogos decisivos pelo Campeonato Carioca, Copa Libertadores e Brasileirão, que terá início no dia 28 de abril. O Flamengo estreia diante do Cruzeiro, no Maracanã.
كشف الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك بقيادة الكولومبي خوان كارلوس أوسوريو، عن قائمة فريقه لمواجهة فاركو غدًا الأحد في الدوري المصري.
وتقام مباراة الزمالك وفاركو غدًا الأحد على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إطار مباريات الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين من البطولة المحلية.
وشهدت القائمة غياب حسام عبد المجيد مدافع الزمالك بسبب تراكم البطاقات الصفراء بينما يفتقد أوسوريو لخدمات الثلاثي أحمد فتوح وحمزة المثلوثي وشيكابالا بسبب وجهة نظر فنية لحاجة الثلاثي للراحة السلبية.
وغاب عن القائمة عمرو السيسي لاعب الوسط لإصابته في كاحل القدم بينما يغيب الرباعي مصطفى شلبي والونش ودونجا وعبد الله جمعة لاستمرار تأهيلهم من الإصابة.
O Apoel, do Chipre, manifestou interesse em comprar o lateral-esquerdo Caju em definitivo, porém a crise financeira do clube europeu é o principal impasse para isso acontecer. O atleta pertence ao Santos até o fim de 2019.
Adquirir o lateral-esquerdo em definitivo já foi assunto diversas vezes entre a diretoria do Apoel e o estafe do atleta. Porém, sem se classificar para a fase de grupos da Liga dos Campeões da UEFA desta temporada, o time do Chipre não conseguiu arrecadar uma boa renda para o prosseguimento do calendário.
Mesmo sem o dinheiro necessário para ter Caju e outros emprestados em definitivo, a diretoria do Apoel entende que o atleta tem atingido sua melhor forma física e técnica. O bom desempenho tem provocado o interesse de clubes brasileiros, italianos, suíços e turcos.
O Santos tem noção das boas atuações de Caju, mas ainda não houve procura para definir se o jogador de 23 anos se reapresenta ao Peixe a partir de junho. O Alvinegro tem Felipe Jonatan e Orinho no setor, além de estar em negociação com Jorge, atualmente no Porto-POR.
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Até o momento, Caju é titular e destaque do líder Apoel. Na temporada, são 28 jogos, com três gols e cinco assistências. Os números positivos trazem confiança e felicidade ao lateral-esquerdo.
No Santos, Caju nunca foi unanimidade. Ele subiu ao profissional do Peixe em 2014, mas não se firmou. O Peixe tem 10% dos direitos econômicos em uma futura venda do atleta. Seu valorde compra é fixado em 1,5 milhão de euros (R$ 6,2 milhões).