Keith Olbermann Disses Major League Baseball For the Episode With the Red Sox Coaches...

Keith Olbermann disses Major League Baseball for their action against the Red Sox coaches, nice.

Well, the Red Sox ended a threatened boycott today of their final spring training game in Florida and their flight to Japan, as they resolved a dispute against Major League Baseball over paying coaches for the season-opening trip overseas. According to Boston.com, a source said that all staff associated with the trip will be compensated.

The game against Toronto started an hour late when the team voted unanimously not to play or go to Tokyo after learning coaches and staff would not get a $40,000 appearance f! ee for the Japan trip. Players said they believed that fee was part of the original deal.

According to the major league source, in the past, the coaches' compensation has come from the players' portion of the pool. This time around the coaches were eliminated from that pool.

The source said that coaches, managers, and training staff will all be compensated and that the final amount is expected to exceed $40,000 per man. It's unclear whether it's $40,000 or even more because the receipts from the trip will be split at the end.

"Everyone connected with the trip will be fairly compensated," baseball spokesman Rich Levin said.

Kevin Youkilis, the Red Sox player representative, said the agreement still needs to be put in writing and the compensation for coaches and staff "is not the greatest thing that we wanted for them, but it's good."

He stressed that the players felt strongly about not going to Japan without a resolution! .

"The club's working on stuff and trying to get mo! ney wher e it needs to get," he said. "It was definitely an experience of a lifetime and it ended in a good way."

Sorry, Major League Baseball deserves all the criticism it gets in this episode...

It's About Damn Time! 'Baltimore' To Return To Road Jerseys

If this is true, the clamoring of the fans voices from WNST, Mike, and everyone else has been heard! Well, Rick Maese reports on the Sun website this morning that "Baltimore" will be returning to the road jerseys in 2009.

Ten straight years of losing, more than three decades of pining and now finally a big win. In fancy dancing script perhaps? Or maybe in bold block letters? Oh, we can fret the details later. What's important now is this: "Baltimore" is back.

Meaningless on paper, puzzling to outsiders, and indescribably important to those whose passions rise and fall with the Orioles. Thirty-six years after the hometown was erased from the chests of Orioles players, it is expected to return next year.

While we could sit here and moan about how long it took, about the years of needless hand-wringing and head-scratching, what's the point? The complaints! aren't new, the arguments aren't fresh and the reason behind the sudden change isn't exactly clear. But who really cares?

Why it took so freaking long to come to this decision when is beyond me, but now is a good time than never to go make a change.

I'm more concerned about what the team does on the field; however, finally someone up in the imperial kingdom of Oriole-land has gotten some sense.

V.P. Candidate Sarah Palin Booed Badly Before A Flyers' Game

Wow. Philly fans are rough, and boy did it sound like they skewered Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin badly...

PHILADELPHIA - To a mixture of boos and cheers, Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin dropped the ceremonial first puck Saturday night at the Philadelphia Flyers' home opener against the New York Rangers.

The Alaska governor and self-described "hockey mom" heard a few boos when she walked onto the ice, but that soon turned to polite applause as she headed to center ice with Mike Richards of the Flyers and Scott Gomez — from Alaska — of the Rangers.

Palin waved t! o the crowd and smiled as she dropped the puck to applause and cheers. Palin stuck around and watched two periods in the Rangers' 4-3 win over the Flyers.

No one said the fans in the city of Brotherly Love were ever known for their class, but man, does it ever sound bad....

The Angels Make An Offer For Teixeira

Well, it looks like the Los Angeles Angels have now made their numbers to Teixeira public.

I think the Angels may need him more than anyone, just for the fact that they can the win division again in the American League West.

From the L.A. Times: The Angels have offered an eight-year contract to Mark Teixeira, general manager Tony Reagins said Friday night.

The contract would be the longest and richest in club history. The v! alue could almost double the previous club record, the $90 million guaranteed last year to Torii Hunter.

Reagins declined to provide the value of Teixeira's offer. The Angels are believed to have offered at least $160 million, matching or exceeding the highest offer so far reported for Teixeira.

Owner Arte Moreno flew from his Arizona home to Las Vegas on Tuesday and met personally with Scott Boras, the agent for Teixeira. Angels spokesman Tim Mead said he believed Moreno presented the offer to Boras at that time. Mead also said he did not know when the offer might expire.

It looks like Anaheim's deal is commensurate with what Washington and Baltimore have offered -- if not slightly more.

I just think if Teixeira really wanted to come to Baltimore, he would have opened up some dialogue. Right now, I'd say, since he's probably got umpteen offers -- I'd say all within few million of each other -- he can take his time and pick whate! ver.

Well, I am sure he wants to come "home"; howev! er, that notion is really bunk to me. He's playing the system -- that's fine, I guess -- but he's holding these teams hostage for the most greenbacks possible.

He's waited for this moment to be a free agent, and he's taking advantage of it.

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Do We Extend Brian Roberts Or Not; Quick Hits...

With the signing of Nick Markakis to a long term deal, the talk has naturally turned to extending Brian Roberts. He definitely has an affinity towards Charm City and the only organization he's played for, so it looks like he might want to stay in Baltimore.

Here's a little more insight from FoxSports.com Ken Rosenthal:

If the Orioles intend to sign second baseman Brian Roberts long-term, they will need to offer him a four-year contract, major-league sources say.

Roberts, who is elig! ible for free agency at the end of the season, has received a three-year, $30 million offer from the Orioles, according to The Baltimore Sun.

>>> Read More

I'm 50/50 on the Roberts Deal...

Well, it looks the Brian Roberts deal is official and an announcement will be made later today at camp in Fort Lauderdale.

After Andy MacPhail all but made it known that Roberts was available at a price -- young prospects -- that no one met, both the Orioles and the second baseman knew he was better off staying in Charm City and being a critical piece in making the franchise into a winner.

I assumed -- as did many -- thought that Roberts would wind up in a another uniform (due to all the losing and umpteen personnel changes) even before he came up for free agency, he really must have had a change in heart. One could assume -- despite the kind words about the city and his teammates -- he wanted out big time, but he put ! up a nice public face and sat down long enough to honestly think, "is the grass greener on the other side?"

After seeing what has happened to his former mates, Bedard and Tejada, the economy, along the market for second basemen -- no. Ok, I am just speculating, but I'm sure this might have crossed Roberts' mind.

>>> Read More

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Orioles Get Whipped, 19-6 by the Rangers: Simon on the DL...

Just bad. Plain bad. It was bad for the Orioles as they lost 19-6 to the Rangers. It goes without saying the Orioles were bad in the field -- two errors in total -- and Mark Hendrickson paid for it as he only lasted 3 2/3 innings and gave up nine runs -- only TWO earned -- my lord.

Radhames Liz, who was just called from Norfolk looked bad as he gave up four runs on five hits in only an inning of work; thereafter, Brian Bass and Matt Albers came in as sacrifical lambs giving up seven more runs -- six earned -- in the final three innings.

Former Oriole Kris Benson -- a real nice guy who until last week had not pitched in a big league game since 2006 -- got the win, while Hendrickson took the loss.

Ian Kinsler hits for the cycle, drives in four runs and has six hits on the night. Marlon Byrd went for 5-for-6 and! drove in three runs, and Nelson Cruz drove in six.

>>> Read More

A Late Loss in Detroit, Matusz and Trembley

Clete Thomas crushed a solo homer to center with two outs in the last of the ninth off reliever Danys Baez as the Baltimore Orioles lost the opening contest in a four gane set to the Detroit Tigers, 6-5.

Chris Tillman was shaky in his second major league start, as he allowed five runs in six innings. Despite Baltimore taking a 5-run lead over Detroit in the opening frame off ace Justin Verlander, the Tigers seemed to chip away at their lead throughout the evening and jumped all over Tillman.

Much-talked about pitcher Brian Matusz makes his major league debut tonight and it will be exciting to if he can translate his minor league success ont! o the big stage; however, much of the attention yesterday about the Orioles was focused solely on Mora's ill-thought out comments and Trembley (they have since chatted and made up).

We've already talked about Mora, therefore, I would like to bring up Dave Trembley and the job he's doing for the Baltimore Orioles. Obviously, most of us don't know what goes in the clubhouse, but with the news of this weekend, one has to wonder how tenuous - if at all - Trembley's job situation may be.

There are some who have criticized the skipper for his game management, along with some of the foibles that have happened on the field, but you cannot blame the failure of the 2009 Orioles on him.

>>> Read More

Montral Trades Steve Begin to Dallas

According to TSN the Canadiens and Stars have made a minor trade with Montreal sending Steve Begin to Dallas for defenseman Doug Janik

Ovechkin Gets #50

50 goals in 70 games, not bad Mr. Ovechkin. It doesn't look like he is going to accomplish the 65 goals that he scored over the course of 82 games last season. The man they call "AO" or "Alexander the Great" looks likely to repeat his reign as the winner of the Richard Trophy for most goals in the regular season. Zach Parise of the Devils is the closest competition, he has 41 goals.

Video of Goal & Interview

According to Capitals Insider! :

Alex Ovechkin netted No. 50 during a four-on-four in the first period tonight to become the first Capital to score 50 goals three times and only the second active player to have accomplished the feat (Teemu Selanne is the other).

After ripping a shot past Mike McKenna, Ovechkin dropped his stick then bent over it and attempted to pick it up. But each time he reached down he pretended that the stick was too hot to touch.

The Lightning fans didn't appreciate the gesture and booed Ovechkin. Can't wait to see what Don Cherry will have to say about it on Coach's Corner on Saturday night.

In case you missed it, here's Cherry bashing Ovechkin for his outlandish goal celebrations. [Link]

You're right Mr.Cherry, this NHL fan finds Ovechkin's celebrations to be entertaining, just like Sean Avery is entertaining. If a ! guy scores a goal, he should show some damn emotion. I'm not s! aying to rub it in the opponent's face, but when you score a goal, you should show that you're excited! Ovechkin loves to score goals and as long as he's not doing it against my team, I love to watch him score them....and celebrate!!

Update: Ovechkin was just on the NHL Network and said he didn't think that Don Cherry would like it. So, Cherry was obviously on his mind when he celebrated his 50th goal tonight. Glad he didn't tone down the celebration just because Don said to!

How Can You Not Like This Guy??

Ovechkin chanting along with the Capital fans during their playoff series against the Penguins. "You Suck!" - funny stuff




Even Charles Barkley thinks he's the greatest athlete



[H/T to Puck Daddy]

Korpikoski Heading to KHL?

According to a Swedish website, Lauri Korpikoski may be looking to sign with a KHL team.

I do not know how credible the website it, I don't even know what the website says, because I don't read any language other than English. I'm just going by what others have interpreted the article as saying.

This better not be because he isn't getting enough money, Korpikoski got way more money than he deserved last season ($1M cap hit). The fact that he is even getting a 10% pay ra! ise is pretty damn nice for him. I'm assuming this is some type of hard ball contract negotiation tactic being employed by Korpkoski's agent to get him more than the 10% pay raise that he's entitled to as an RFA.

H/T to The NYR Blog

Update:
Blueshirt Banter has provided a rough translation of the article:

Timra is looking to replace Mika Pyorala, and may do so with Lauri Korpikoski. The article says the Rangers want to keep Korpikoski, but made him a lowball offer, and that he has allegedly received an offer from the KHL.

If I understand it right, the offer is $1.5M a year.

The article also says Korpi is good friends with former Ranger Jarkko Immonen

That's the best I ca! n do guys, but it doesn't take a perfect translation to see th! is may n ot be good news.

Sound of Relief; Dubinsky Signs Two Year Deal

The Brandon Dubinsky holdout is over! Dubinsky (a RFA) who missed all of the Rangers training camp to date and their first four preseason games finally signed a contract today, a deal that keeps him in New York for the next two years.

According to Ranger Rants:

Dubinsky's contract will pay him $1.7 million this season and $2.0 million next season. The Rangers, in the end, moved up to what Dubinsky was seeking. In the end, a big gamble on Dubinsky's part, holding out and risking being traded, works out for him.

"I just kind of said it was something I wanted to get done, I was tired of waiting, I didn't want to push this thing further," Dubinsky said. "I didn't want the team to be at their wit's end and I didn't want to be at wit's end myself. Wednesday was when I said it's time to get it done, let's push for this thing to be done. Thankfully, we were ab! le to accomplish that goal."

Today marked the eighth day of Dubinsky's holdout. He is expected to skate later tonight at the Rangers' practice facility.

I picked him as my breakout player this year for the New York Rangers this year. Hopefully Dubinsky can catch up quickly and fit right in on the top line as the Rangers and the fans are expecting.

Weekend ratings predictions.

Olympics dominate week again.

Phillies/Dodgers on track to be lowest rated LCS ever on broadcast.

SEC title game draws 9.3 rating.

Capital One Bowl ratings down, still stellar.

Ratings drop for packed pregame.

Week in review.

Breaking the Sound barrier.

The bottom drops out for NASCAR on FOX.

Video of the day.

Question of the day.

Big names

SEC puts up solid numbers on ESPN family of networks

Liga Italia 2009/2010 | 'Utang' Mutu pada Chelsea

Adrian Mutu bisa sedikit bernafas lega. "Utangnya" kepada Chelsea ditangguhkan setelah Pengadilan Tinggi Arbitrase Olahraga memutuskan demikian.

Seperti diberitakan sebelumnya, penyerang Fiorentina itu memiliki denda yang harus dibayarkan sebanyak 15 juta pounds! terling (sekitar Rp 241 miliar). Denda tersebut dijatuhkan Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) bulan Juli lalu setelah Mutu dinilai melanggar kontraknya dengan The Blues.

Mutu dinilai melanggar kontrak setelah positif mengonsumsi kokain kala bermain untuk Chelsea pada tahun 2004 silam. Ia pun kemudian mengaku ketar-ketir lantaran tak memiliki dana sebanyak itu untuk melunasi "utangnya" dengan klub yang bermarkas di London tersebut

Dengan adanya kendala tadi, Mutu pun berharap ada jalan tengah yang bisa dilakukan untuk bisa mendapatkan solusi terbaik buatnya dan Chelsea. Alhasil denda untuk pemain berusia 30 tahun ini pun ditangguhkan.

"Ini hanyalah penangguhan sementara dari hukuman yang dikeluarkan pengadilan tinggi olahraga," ungkap agen Mutu, Victor Becali, seperti dilansir Football Italia.

Pada 7 Mei 2008 FIFA menginstruksikan Mutu membayar 15 juta pounds sebagai kompensasi pemutusan ko! ntrak oleh Chelsea pada Oktober 2004, setahun setelah ia dibel! i dari P arma.

Mutu, yang sempat menjalani skorsing tujuh bulan dari kasus tersebut, selalu menolak atas pemberatan hukuman terhadap dirinya. Sebelumnya dua kali ia mencoba mengajukan banding, tapi selalu ditolak.

Amici Miei: Acquistato Pirlo

La società Mani Pulite comunica in data odierna di aver ceduto a titolo definitivo il campione del mondo (di nazionale e club) Andrea Pirlo al club del presidente Celeste Campopiano. Pirlo passa ufficialmente alla società Amici Miei in cambio di 3 crediti.

REAL MADRID: WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

SPANISH FOOTBALL - ROUND 2/2008-09: REAL MADRID 4 NUMANCIA 3 VIDEO HIGHLIGHT

ATLETICO DE MADRID MEXICAN TOUR 2008: FIRST GOALS AGAINST TIGRES (SEE VIDEOS)

REAL MADRID ALSO WANTS DANI ALVES

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2008: SEVILLA FC LOSE & FC BARCELONA WIN

EURO 2008 PREVIEW SPECIAL: GROUP C TEAM PHOTOS - PART III

LATEST SPANISH NATIONAL TEAM PHOTO

UEFA CUP 2007: VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF ATLETICO DE MADRID & GETAFE

REAL MADRID 2 - ATLETICO DE MADRID 1 & PABLO - GETAFE - FREE KICK VIDEOS ( 2007)

MOTO GP. DANI PEDROSA WINS GERMAN GP

SPANISH FOOTBALL NEWS & TRANSFER RUMOURS - 21.04.07

SPANISH FOOTBALL. "LA LIGA" UP FOR GRABS

WILL FC BARCELONA PUT HENRY ON THE MARKET NEXT YEAR?

TENNIS: RAFAEL NADAL STARTS 2009 WITH INDIAN WELLS

FERNANDO TORRES GETS NAMED IN THE IDEAL 11 TEAM OF THE YEAR

REAL MADRID THINKING IN DIEGO FORLAN OVER DAVID VILLA?

REAL MADRID PRESENTS OFFICIALLY RAÚL ALBIOL

REAL MADRID: IS FRANCK RIBERY STILL A POSSIBILITY?

SFS FLASHBACKS: EUROPEAN CUP 1993 - FC BARCELONA 4 - DYNAMO KIEV 1 (VIDEO)

The Fans Deserve It - Guti

Casillas Not Feeling The Nerves Ahead Of Final

Van Der Vaart To Miss Madrid Clash?

Emery: No Risks With Villa

Nacho Savouring The Málaga Moment

Deportivo Battle For A Point In Poland

Messi Hat-Trick Sees Barcelona Past Atletico Madrid

Josep Guardiola: Cup Result Was Not Great

Valencia Players Not Worried About Late Pay Vicente

Warren Buffett says economy fell off a cliff

Albiol eyes 'perfect' Prem

Murray makes history at Sony

Gomez in dark over future

Defending champion Ferrer cruises to quarters

Blues miss out on Michel

Xavi revels in Barca start

Carlos Queiroz: Man Behind Portugal

Carlos Queiroz: Man Behind Portugal

Everton Are Keen On Keane

By Jaymes Payten-Marsh
For THBN

Everton have made an informal enquiry for Tottenham striker Robbie Keane I can reveal. Everton value Keane at around £5 million, which, falls short of the £7 million valuation Tottenham have of him.

Although Everton's valuation of him does fall short, Martin Jol may let Keane go for around £5.5 million so as to free up cash for the Johnson move.

Jol has made it clear to the Tottenham supremo, Levy, that he wants the Crystal Palace striker in his squad before the pre-season games kick-off.

Crystal Palace's outspoken chairman is asking ?15 million for Johnson, as the highly inflated figure would be a hindrance to any clubs interested in the Palace and England star man.

Jol is ready to offer £7 million and will also throw in his young center-back, Davenport as part of the deal.

Tottenham have already turned down a £4.5 million offer for Kanoute, as it is b! elieved that they can get £7 million for the Mali international. With Keane now also linked away from the club, we can expect either Keane or Kanoute to be at other clubs come the start of the 2005/2006 season, with another new face in the striking department at Tottenham.

Chimbonda in Talks with Newcastle

Spurs right-back, Pascal Chimbonda, is close to a £6 million move to Newcastle.

Spurs have accepted the bid placed by Keegan's side and talks are underway.

If all goes as planned, Chimbonda will be a Newcastle United player.

3 Goals, 3 Sent Off

Final Score: Manchester City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Star Man: Mike Dean (Referee)

Harry Redknapp's magic continues as Spurs come from behind again to win at Eastlands, taking Tottenham Hotspur out of the bottom 3 for the first time this season.

Robinho scored on the 16 minute mark after Gomes could only parry a shot. Star man of the day, Mike Dean, took full control of the game, sending off Swiss International, Gelson Fernandes, for two bookable offences.

As soon Fernandes walked, Spurs upped their game, taking control of the midfield area and pushing on. Tottenham's persistence allowed Bent in to score his first of the game. City's captain, Richard Dunne hadn't realised that Bent was on the prowl and made the mistake which saw Bent run onto the ball and slot in left footed under Hart.

City were happy to go in at the break all square as they were being run ragged by a Spurs side completely rejuve! nated by a new back-room staff.

On 64 minutes, Jenas held the ball up well and laid it off to Bent, who passed the ball into the net.

City went on a mission after that goal, putting Spurs on the back foot until Dunne was shown a straight red for bringing down Bent. Why the City players gathered around the ref was completely beyond me. Bent was clean through and was brought down by Dunne. Dunne was also the last man and no other City players where around him. That was a good decision by Dean.

Assou-Ekotto also saw a second yellow after lunging at a City player.

Team: Gomes, Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto, Bentley, Zokora, Modric, Huddlestone, Jenas, Bent.

Is Harry telling us fibs?

So then, Harry's gone on record and said that he knows nothing about the Negredo deal.

Hmm. I remember him saying the exact same thing when asked about Cudicini.

Still, he could actually be telling the truth. To be honest with you, I hope he is. If the reports that we'll be spending £15+ million on him are accurate, then I'd rather keep the cash in my pocket, or spend it on Huntelaar (that's if he's interested in joining us).

Milan Rekrut Dua Striker Muda Potensional

MILAN - Niatan AC Milan untuk melakukan revolusi besar-besaran ternyata bukan hanya isapan jempol belaka. Ini dibuktikan lewat keberhasilan Milan menambah dua pemain muda Gianmarco Zigoni dan Giacomo Berreta ke dalam skuadnya di musim depan.
Setelah merekrut sejumlah pemain muda macam Thiago Silva, Felipe Mattioni, Davide Di Gennaro, kini Milan menambah pasukan mudanya dengan merekrut dua bomber masa depan yakni Zigoni (18 tahun) dan Berreta (17 tahun).
Namun, imbas dari kedatangan merek! a, Rossoneri juga melepas dua aset berharganya Luca Antoneli yang dilepas ke Parma dan meminjamkan striker lincah Pierre Aubameyang ke klub Prancis Lille. "AC Milan telah melepas Luca Antonelli ke Parma secara permanen dan Pierre Aubameyang dengan status pinjaman dengan opsi pembelian secara permanen di tahun berikutnya kepada klub Prancis (Lille)," tulis Milan lewat situs resmi klub, Rabu (1/7/2009).
"Dalam kesempatan ini, Milan juga berhasil mendapatkan Gianmarco Zigoni dari Treviso dengan status permanen dan Giacomo Beretta dengan status kepemilikan bersama dengan Albinoleffe," tambahnya.
Beretta dan Zigoni memang diketahui memiliki talenta luar biasa dan berprospek cerah. Pasalnya sebelum memulai karir profesionalnya di Serie B bersama klubnya masing-masing, kedua bomber muda itu sukses melesakkan lebih dari 100 gol. Keduanya juga diprediksi bakal menjelma menjadi bomber tajam dalam kurun waktu beberapa tahun ke depan.
Sekadar informasi, Gianmarco Zigoni ! diketahui adalah putra dari mantan bomber Juventus, AS Roma, d! an Veron a, Gianfranco Zigoni. Zigoni yang saat itu berkostum Verona juga tampil sebagai aktor utama kegagalan Milan merengkuh scudetto pada 1973, dengan mengantar Verona membungkam Rossoneri 5-3 di laga pamungkas Serie A. Hingga kini, sejumlah Milanisti juga masih mengingatnya dengan julukan "Fatal Verona."

Borriello Pilih Nomor 22

MILAN - Striker AC Milan ini memutuskan memilih kostum dengan nomor punggung 22, nomor yang sebelumnya dipakai Ricardo Kaka saat masih memperkuat Rossoneri. Bukan tanpa alasan yang kuat kalau Borriello memilih nomor tersebut.
Ia mengaku nomor tersebut dipilih bukan karena pernah digunakan Kaka. "Nomor ini seperti sebuah anugerah bagi saya. Contohnya, ini merupakan tanggal lahir ibu saya dan juga nomor kostum yang saya kenakan saat masih di Genoa, saat saya menjalani satu musim yang hebat," ucapnya pada Milan Channel.
"Saya tidak merasa terbebani dengan nomor yang ! pernah dipakai Kaka. Ia adalah pemain besar dan tidak tergantikan di Milan. Saya tidak mungkin menyaingi Kaka karena saya ingin menjadi diri saya sendiri."
Borriello merasa nomor 22 yang dipakainya saat masih di Genoa adalah nomor keberuntungannya. Ia pun meninggalkan nomor 11 yang dipilihnya pada musim lalu dan dianggap kurang membawa keberuntungan. Pada musim lalu ia hanya sepuluh kali tampil dan mencetak dua gol. Borriello menderita cedera serius pada Oktober lalu dan harus absen sampai akhir musim.

Galliani akan Kudeta Berlusconi

ROMA - Media Italia mengklaim, Wakil Presiden AC Milan, Adriano Galliani akan membeli kepemilikan klub dari presiden klub, Silvio Berlusconi. Ia akan menggandeng investor asal Israel.
Langkah itu dilakukan Galliani untuk menyelamatkan klub dari krisis ekonomi. Dan, yang terpenting, untuk mendapatkan dana yang cukup untuk membangun tim yang kompetitif. Beberapa waktu lalu, Milan memang menyatakan bahwa keuangan klub berada dalam keadaan normal dan aman.
Namun, kenyataannya, mereka masih kesulitan mengeluarkan anggaran transfer dalam j! umlah memadai. Akibatnya, konsolidasi Milan sepeninggal Ricardo Kaka, Paolo Maldini, dan pelatih Carlo Ancelotti tidak menunjukkan kemajuan memuaskan. Milanisti khawatir akan nasib tim kesayangan mereka.
Menurut Channel-4, pendukung AC Milan menilai Berlusconi tidak lagi mampu mendanai klub. Mereka tidak keberatan bila Berlusconi meletakkan jabatan untuk Milan yang lebih baik. Mereka juga menilai Galliani sebagai tokoh yang layak menggantikan Berlasconi.
Meski statusnya hanya secara formal hanyalah tangan kanan Berlusconi, namun khalayak sudah mafhum bahwa selama ini Galliani-lah yang mengendalikan Milan. Sebagai perdana menteri Italia, Berlusconi selama ini mendelegasikan tugasnya di klub kepada Galliani untuk menghindari konflik kepentingan. Itu juga yang membuatnya tidak bisa mengucurkan uang untuk berinvestasi di Milan, termasuk untuk membeli pemain.

Nomor Maldini Dipensiunkan

MILAN — Serangam Paolo Maldini dipensiunkan. Dalam bocoran nomor punggung skuat AC Milan yang dikeluarkan football-italia.net, nomor punggung tersebut tidak digunakan oleh pemain AC Milan.
"I Rossoneri" memensiunkan seragam bernomor 3 itu demi menghormati dedikasi Maldini yang telah membela Milan selama 24 tahun. Rencananya, seragam kebesaran Maldini akan dipersembahkan bagi putranya, Christian Maldini.
Sementara itu, bek anyar Milan, Oguchi Onyewu, mengenakan nomor punggung 5. Selanjutnya, pemain belakang asal Brasil, Thiago Silva, ! mengenakan nomor 33. Sedangkan striker yang dibeli dari Real Madrid, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, memilih nomor punggung 11.

Berikut nomor punggung skuad AC Milan:
1 Nelson Dida
4 Kakha Kaladze
5 Oguchi Onyewu
7 Alexandre Pato
8 Rino Gattuso
9 Filippo Inzaghi
10 Clarence Seedorf
11 Klaas Jan Huntelaar
12 Christian Abbiati
13 Alessandro Nesta
15 Gianluca Zambrotta
16 Mathieu Flamini
17 Gianmarco Zigoni
18 Marek Jankulovski
19 Giuseppe Favalli
20 Ignazio Abate
21 Andrea Pirlo
22 Marco Borriello
23 Massimo Ambrosini
25 Daniele Bonera
30 Marco Storari
31 Flavio Roma
33 Thiago Silva
44 Massimo Oddo
49 Davide Di Gennaro
77 Luca Antonini
80 Ronaldinho

Gaddafi akan Membeli AC Milan

MILAN - Beberapa media massa Italia mensinyalir, pemimpin Libya, Kolonel Muamar Gaddafi, berencana membeli AC Milan. Keluarga Gaddafi memang sudah lama bersentuhan dengan sepak bola Italia.
Sebelumnya, anaknya, Al-Saadi Gaddafi, bermain untuk Perugia dan memiliki beberapa saham di Juventus. Gaddafi juga diketahui sangat ingin memiliki klub di Italia dan AC Milan menjadi sasaran terkini.
Milan memang sedang diterpa krisis finansial. Pemilik Milan, Silvio Berlusconi, tidak terlalu banyak berinvestasi di musim ini. Jika dia ingin menjua! l klubnya, diperkirakan akan memasang harga 400 juta pounds (sekitar Rp 6,6 triliun).
Kekalahan Milan 0-4 dari Inter Milan membuat Berlusconi dikecam suporter. Sebab, dia dinilai mulai pelit membangun tim. Padahal, Milan baru saja mendapatkan dana 56 juta pounds (sekitar Rp 930,9 miliar). Sebab itu, kabar penjualan Milan disambut baik oleh suporter.
Mereka berharap pemilik baru akan lebih serius membangun tim yang berkualitas. Seperti dilaporkan La Repubblica, investor yang tertarik membeli Milan itu kemungkinan Muamar Gaddafi.
Pekan ini, Gaddafi baru saja mengadakan festival di negerinya. Silvio Berlusconi menjadi salah satu tamu yang hadir sebagai perdana menteri Italia. Gaddafi sendiri mulai diterima masyarakat internasional sejak 2003, setelah sempat diembargo dan dikucilkan dunia internasional akibat pengeboman pesawat di atas Lockerbie.
Bahkan, Gaddafi berencana akan berkunjung ke Amerika Serikat, peristiwa yang pasti akan sangat bersejarah.!

Milan Keok di Kandang Udinese

UDINE - AC Milan kembali menelan kekalahan dalam pekan lanjutan Liga Serie A Italia, Rabu (23/9). Di hadapan tuan rumah Udinese, "I Rossoneri" menyerah 0-1. Milan yang kembali bermain tanpa Ronaldinho mampu bertahan melawan tusukan Gaetano D'Agostino di 15 menit awal.
Namun, tim tamu tak kuasa menghadapi gempuran di menit ke-22, ketika Maurisio Isla menukik dari kanan gawang. Tendangan Isla membentur tiang dan memantul mengenai Antonio Di Natale dan gol.
"I Rossoneri" berusaha mengejar ketinggalan dan hampir menyamakannya pada menit ! ke-33. Alessandro Nesta menanduk sepak pojok, tapi bola mengenai mistar. Itulah satu-satunya kesempatan emas Milan karena berikutnya giliran Udinese mengancam.
Tim tamu nyaris kebobolan jika kiper Marco Storari gagal menepis tendangan keras pada menit ke-38. Kesempatan emas Udinese kembali terjadi di menit ke-50. Di Natale berhasil menguasai bola yang lepas dari Floro Flores dan membawanya hingga berhadapan dengan Storari. Storari gagal mengadang, tapi bola membentur tiang kanan dan keluar lapangan.
Masuknya Ronaldinho dan Klaas-Jan Huntelaar ternyata tak mengubah nasib "Il Diavolo" karena mereka tetap sulit membuka celah di pertahanan lawan. Milan justru semakin sulit berkembang setelah Mathieu Flamini mendapat kartu kuning kedua karena mengganjal Gokhan Inler di menit ke-84.

Susunan pemain:
Udinese: Handanovic; Domizzi, Coda, Lukovic, Isla (Basta 27), D'Agostino, Inler, Lodi (Sammarco 82), Pepe (Sanchez 77); Di! Natale, Floro Flores
AC Milan: Storari; Kaladze, Nesta, ! Pirlo, Z ambrotta, Oddo; Seedorf, Flamini, Gattuso (Abate 59); Inzaghi (Huntelaar 73), Pato (Ronaldinho 59)

sumber : kompas.com

Pemain kesukaan Gwe

dari berbagai banyak pemain di dunia,pemain yang paling gwe suka adalah....Cristiano ronaldo a.k.a CR 7(kalo d MU), kalo d madrid CR9. kenapa gwe menyukai dia??? ronaldo punya skill yang hebat.ia bisa menyihir para penggemar bola dengan kemampuan mengolah bolanya yang luar biasa.awal debutnya adalah di club de madeira portugal.setelah itu ia peindah ke sporting cp portugal dan pindah ke MU pada tahun 2000-an. lalu pada tahun 2009 bulan juli ia resmi menggunakan kostum real madrid dengan harga transfer di luar akal sehat untuk sebagai pemain bola,dan di anugrahkan sebagai pemain bola termahal dengan harga 1,3 triliun (uang yang banyak ya,berapa lembar tuh??? hahhaaa)). namun harga segitu tidak akan sia-sia dengan skill yang dimiliki ronaldo. menurut bebebrapa sumber yang gwe peroleh, alasan CR pindah ke Madrid adalah pesan ibunya yang mengatakan bahwa ia tidak akan meninggal sebelum melihat anaknya mengenakan baju madrid.

Ada loh temen gwe, tepatnya temen semeja g! we "emerson" yang sangkin kesel ma CR, dia nyoret" muka CR di sebuah magazine asal Jepang ...hahahhahaaa ada-ada aja, dasar bocah kampung...


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Duo ruled out for Reds

The midfield pair have not travelled with the rest of the squad to Italy for Tuesday's Group E tie due to illness and injury respectively.

Maschaerano, who made a late appearance off the bench in the weekend win over Hull City, is suffering from sickness, while Benayoun picked up a leg knock in the same game.

Argentine enforcer Mascherano was expected to return to the starting line-up against Fiorentina, but his absence means Steven Gerrard is likely to continue in midfield alongside Lucas Leiva.

Ryan Babel will be hoping to get the nod to replace Benayoun in the starting line-up after his two-goal show as a substitute against Hull.

Return
Meanwhile, Daniel Agger is set to make his return to action for the reserves on Tuesday night.

Agger has been pencilled in to feature in the reserves' clash with Manchester City after recovering from a back injury.

The Danish international has not featured this season a! fter being forced to undergo surgery on the problem and Liverpool reserve team boss John McMahon believes it is an ideal game for the defender to make his return.

"It is fantastic to see Daniel back and it's a great boost for everyone at the club," McMahon told the club's official website.

"It's always great to see quality players come back from injury and this will be a perfect game for him to make his comeback.

"It's a fantastic stadium with a great pitch and it is always a fantastic boost for the young lads when they have a top professional like Daniel playing alongside them.

"The young lads look up to him and they can learn from him as well."

Balotelli Terpidana

Milan,-

Meski lawannya adalah juara Liga Rusia, Inter Milan diunggulkan bakal menang saat bertandang ke Rubin Kazan. Kalau kemudian cuma hasil imbang yang didapat, Massimo Moratti menyalahkan Mario Balotelli.

Inter mendapat perlawanan sengit di pertandingan kedua fase grup Liga Champions. Sempat tertinggal lebih dulu di menit 11, Nerazzurri menyamakan kedudukan melalui Dejan Stankovic di menit 26.

Peluang Inter meraih poin penuh pertamanya menguap saat mereka dipaksa bermain dengan 10 orang menyusul kartu kuning kedua yang didapat Balotelli. Striker belia itu disanksi wasit lantaran melakukan pelanggaran tak perlu pada pemain lawan.

Kekurangan jumlah pemain membuat Zavier Zanetti cs tak bisa berbuat banyak. Jawara Seri A itu malah terhitung beruntung bisa membawa pulang satu angka karena di sisa pertandingan mereka terus digempur tuan rumah.

"Kemarin sore (kekalahan atas Sampdoria) merupakan pertandingan yang buruk, lalu! kami mencoba bereaksi dengan baik dan saya yakin pertandingan itu akan berakhir dengan positif jika insiden Balotelli tidak menimpa kami," ungkap Moratti di Football Italia.

Pengusaha minyak yang merupakan bos besar Inter itu mengindikasi adanya sanksi yang akan dijatuhkan buat striker 19 tahun itu. Inter sebelumnya pernah memberi hukuman pada pemain yang dianggap melakukan kesalahan dan berbuntut kekalahan tim, yang saat itu dapat sanksi adalah Marco Materazzi di Copa Italia.

"Kami akan melihat apa yang perlu dilakukan. Hal serupa pernah terjadi di Copa Italia, bahkan oleh pemain berpengalaman seperti Materazzi," pungkas Moratti. (*)

NEDVED-JUVE,ACCORDO LONTANO

Tre ore di trattativa in corso Galileo Ferraris, quartier generale della Juventus, non sono bastate per arrivare a un accordo. La strada del club bianconero e quella di Pavel Nedved restano parallele. Potrebbero incontrarsi. Ma anche no. Tra il giocatore ceco e la dirigenza juventina non c'è l'intesa per il prolungamento del contratto (in scadenza al termine della stagione). "E' andata benissimo...", il commento un po' seccato di Nedved all'uscita dalla sede del club. Anche il procuratore del giocatore, Mino Raiola, è andato via scuro in volto. La Juve ha confermato che "ancora non è stato raggiunto l'accordo". Le sensazioni,! prima dell'incontro, erano positive. L'agente del ceco aveva detto: "Se usciremo subito vuol dire che le cose sono andate male". Le quasi tre ore di confronto con l'ad bianconero Blanc fanno pensare che, quantomeno, ce ne sarà un altro nei prossimi giorni. Per brindare al prolungamento, oppure per dirsi addio. E sarebbe definitivo.

ADRI-MOURINHO,ACCORDO TROVATO

Adriano e Mourinho si sono incontrati a Belo Horizonte, al termine della gara valida per le qualificazioni ai Mondiali del 2010 tra Brasile e Argentina. Un incontro di qualche minuto, una stretta di mano e una chiacchierata fitta, lontano da occhi e orecchie indiscrete, nella quale il tecnico dell'Inter ha spiegato cosa si aspetta da lui e gli ha chiesto se sia disponibile a rimettersi in discussione e giocarsi le sue carte in maglia nerazzurra. "Non so come sia andata la discussione tra i due ma Mourinho e Adriano si sono incontrati - ha detto il procuratore del brasiliano Gilmar Rinaldi a Globoespor! te.com -. Non ho ancora parlato con Adriano, ma per quello che ha detto il presidente Massimo Moratti, rimarrà all'Inter".

MORATTI:"NO AD AQUILANI,CI SERVE UN DIFENSORE"

Il presidente dell'Inter Massimo Moratti torna a parlare di mercato dopo l'ennesimo infortunio a un difensore: "Certamente è fastidioso perdere anche Materazzi per il fatto che avremo presto una partita importante (la Supercoppa italiana con la Roma, ndr). Decideremo comunque in questi giorni se tornare sul mercato". Escluso invece un rinforzo a centrocampo: "La pista Aquilani non centra niente, a centrocampo siamo a posto"

Preoccupato per la difesa, soddisfatto per come procede il lavoro di Mourinho e un pizzico polemico. E' Massimo Moratti il giorno dopo il trofeo Tim. L'Inter gli è piac! iuta. "L'ho vista molto bene ho visto una squadra con un notevole potenziale. Adriano mi ha fatto impressione, come mi ha impressionato anche Muntari. Sapevo che era fortissimo, motivo per il quale l'abbiamo preso, forse lo è anche di più rispetto a quello che pensavo". Battuta finale per Stankovic, a lungo fischiato a Torino dai tifosi juventini: "Credo che lui sappia che certe cose possono capitare ma ha carattere. Mi ha fatto piacere che si sia comportato bene in partita". Ma resta? "Come no, certamente"

ZENIT VINCE LA SUPERCOPPA EUROPEA

Lo Zenit San Pietroburgo, grazie a un ottimo Danny, vince la Supecoppa Europea. A Montecarlo i russi battono i campioni d'Europa del Manchester 2-1. In rete nel primo tempo Pogrebnyak. Poi nella ripresa arriva il raddoppio con il nuovo acquisto Danny . Il Manchester, dopo un primo tempo incolore, ritrova Tevez e Rooney e accorcia le distanze al 28' con Vidic. Ma non basta. Finisce in dieci per l'espulsione di Scholes. La Juve è avvisata.


A Montecarlo gli uomini di Advocaat giocano un'ottima partita, meritando il successo su un Manchester che ha tardato a farsi vedere. E così lo Zenit San Pietroburgo diventa la prima squadra russa ad alzare la Supercoppa Europea.

I vincitori della Coppa Uefa, nel primo tempo senza Arshavin, lasciato in panchina, partono con davanti Dominguez, Danny, Pogrebnyakrebnyak. Tra i Red Devils ritorna Gary Nevile in difesa mentre l'infortunato Cristiano Ronaldo è in tribuna, tandem offensivo Rooney-Tevez.

Nel pr! imo tempo si fanno vedere molto di più i russi. Soltanto sul finale di tempo il Manchester va all'attacco: l'opportunità più clamorosa capita fra i piedi di Rooney al 35' dopo una discesa di Tevez sulla destra, ma l'attaccante incespica sul pallone.

Ma subito dopo arriva il vantaggio dei russi al 44': angolo di Dominguez, Denisov prolunga e Pogrebnyak insacca di testa. Nella ripresa Advocaat gioca la carta Arshavin che rende lo Zenit ancora più pericoloso. E infatti dopo solo 14 minuti della ripresa arriva il raddoppio grazie al nuovo acquisto Danny acquistato dalla Dinamo di Mosca alla cifra astronomica di 30 milioni di euro. Il portoghese, dopo aver preso palla sulla trequarti, va in progressione, evita Ferdinand e infila Van der Sar con il destro. La partita sembra chiusa ma al 28' arriva il 2-1 degli inglesi, frutto di una bella azione di Rooney che crossa per Tevez, torre di quest'ultimo e rete di Vidic. Negli ultimi minuti il Manchester, in dieci per l'esp! ulsione di Scholes, si getta in avanti alla ricerca di un pare! ggio che non arriva. Alex Ferguson, dopo nove anni, cioè dalla partita contro la Lazio, deve incassare un'altra sconfitta e aspettare per passare alla storia per essere il primo allenatore a vincere questo trofeo per tre volte.

Lo Zenit, da parte sua, vince e dà ai Campioni d'Europa una bella lezione di calcio. La Juventus è avvisata.

MANCHESTER -ZENIT 1-2 con il commento di F.Casotti

BECKHAM ALTRA STELLA ROSSONERA

L'anno scorso, si ricorderà, fu l'Arsenal di Wenger a offrire ospitalità all'esterno inglese. I "Gunners" furono molto attenti, per volere del loro manager, a confinare la cosa al campo di allenamento, a ridurre al minimo sindacale l'effetto mediatico della prestigiosa "ospitata". L'esatto contrario, si può supporre, di quanto farebbe il Milan se il progetto diventasse realtà. Da sempre molto attento alla comunicazione e al fatturato, il club di Via Turati studierebbe iniziative sul terreno di gioco e fuori legate a una contingenza che ha del magico: Becks, Ronaldinho e Kakà insieme in rossonero, una miniera d'oro per l'immagine e le casse del clu! b. All'utile (inteso come bilancio del Diavolo) si unirebbe il dilettevole dei tifosi, non solo rossoneri.

In attesa di sviluppi, quello che è certo è che Beckham cerca una "casa" per lavorare in vista della ripresa della stagione statunitense (prevista in aprile), ma soprattutto in chiave Nazionale. Le sue azioni alla Borsa di Capello sono in discesa e la prossima tornata di gare di qualificazione mondiale, prevista per fine marzo, lo deve trovare pronto. E chissà che Don Fabio, sentendo ancora profumo di Milanello, non lo riaccolga nel gruppo degli eletti.

MILAN,INTER & C. PER ZAR ARSHAVIN

Missione italiana per Arshavin, una delle stelle dell'ultimo Europeo. E ovviamente il suo nome va associato alla Juve, all'Inter (che già l'aveva trattato in estate) e al Milan. Il 27enne Andrei, dopo le ottime prestazioni con la Russia, è stato al centro di trattative importanti con le big d'Inghilterra e Spagna, ma lo Zenit San Pietroburgo non ha inteso cederlo, rinunciando anche a cifre importanti: diciamo intorno ai 17 milioni di euro.
LA CLAUSOLA - Tuttora Arshavin ha una clausola di rescissione abbordabilissima (13 milioni), quanto il suo ingaggio (3 milioni). Anche se il suo club non ha necessità di fare cassa, ora il manico del coltello sta per passare nelle mani del gioc! atore, visto che il contratto scade nel dicembre del 2009 e tecnicamente Arshavin è libero di cercare un ingaggio a parametro zero sin dal prossimo giugno. Così è cresciuto sensibilmente il potere contrattuale del giocatore, assistito da Dennis Lachter, agente anglo-russo che controlla i più importanti calciatori dell'Est. Ed è proprio lui a tenere i contatti con i club italiani. Proprio nei giorni scorsi a Milano ha avuto degli incontri sull'argomento.
LA CAUTELA - Comunque nulla può essere dato per scontato. Inter, Juve e Milan si muovono sotto traccia. Tenendo conto che il club russo non vede di buon occhio la partenza di Arshavin. I patron dello Zenit sono i proprietari della Gazprom, la più grande compagnia russa e il più grande estrattore al mondo di gas naturale.
L'ALTRO TALENTO - Nel suo giro d'orizzonte italiano Dennis Lachter ha avuto importanti riscontri anche per altri suoi assistiti. In particolare per l'attaccante Pogrebnyak, anche lui emerso all'a! ttenzione generale nel 2008. Ha conquistato la Uefa con lo Zen! it e ha vinto anche il titolo di capocannoniere del torneo, a pari merito con Toni del Bayern. Anche Pogrebnyak, 24 anni, ha voglia di fare un'esperienza dalle nostre parti. Le porte sono aperte.
UFFICIALE: HUNTELAAR AL REAL - Da ieri l'olandese è un giocatore del Real Madrid. Ventisette milioni all'Ajax, contratto per l'attaccante fino al 2013: sarà disponibile da gennaio.

SEEDORF+ KAKA(2)'+BECKS E IL MILAN VOLA

L'uomo del giorno? Kakà. Avevate qualche dubbio? Il brasiliano chiude la sua settimana di passione con una prestazione strepitosa. Ricardo innesca il gol del pareggio di Seedorf dopo il vantaggio su rigore di Di Vaio; porta in vantaggio i rossoneri sempre dal dischetto e sigla il 3-1 con un sinistro antologico da fuori area. Tutto nel primo tempo, in cui il Bologna, sul 2-1 per i rossoneri, perde Mudingayi per doppia ammonizione. La ripresa è pura accademia, ma premia l'ottima prestazione di David Beckham che si concede il suo primo gol in rossonero, tra l'altro di ottima fattura. Il Milan, quindi, fa sentire il suo fiato su Inter e Juve e si candida come terza incomoda del campionato.
ECCO SENDEROS - Sinisa Mihajlovic vede rossonero e va in fibrillazione. Dopo lo scherzetto dell'andata (in panchina c'era Arrigoni), l'ex secondo di Roberto Mancini amerebbe dare un altro dispiacere ai rossoneri. Un ghigno maligno sulle 400 panchine di Carlo Ancelotti. Ma l'allenatore del! Bologna deve accontentarsi di un posto in tribuna dopo la squalifica. Antenucci esegue gli ordini. Il Bologna propone il suo consolidato 4-3-2-1, ma con una variazione: Adailton al posto dell'influenzato Mingazzini. Nel Milan novità in difesa dove fa il suo esordio dal pirmo minuto Philippe Senderos. Clarence Seedorf vince il ballottaggio con Ronaldinho. Anche perché in coppia con Kakà accende tutte le lucine del Milan. Infine conferma per David Beckham. Perché più ordinato di Flamini e tecnicamente indiscutibile. E poi Pato, 7 gol nelle ultime 5 partite.
BEL BOLOGNA - Il Kakà2 condiziona il primo tempo della gara. Ovviamente solo nel bene. Che il Bologna sia una squadra quadrata e diligente lo si capisce chiaramente. Forte di due cursori incisivi come Amoroso e Valiani, capaci di puntare la difesa e mettere sempre Di Vaio nella condizione di fare del male, la squadra rossoblù interpreta nel migliore dei modi la partita, almeno fino a quando le è concesso di farlo. Vo! lpi fa bruciare le mani ad Abbiati, ma il mix esplosivo di cla! sse del Milan porta Seedorf a sfiorare la traversa.
TAGLIAVENTO - Gli emiliani puntano su pressing e velocità, quelle che poi gli permettono di passare in vantaggio. Al 9' Maldini e Senderos pressano in area Amoroso. Tagliavento esagera un po' e dice rigore e Di Vaio trasforma. La rete mette ancora in mostra le pecche difensive dei rossoneri. Senderos sbaglia a ripetizione e per il reparto arretrato tutto si complica. Il Milan sa però reagire. Kakà sale in cattedra trascinando letteralmente la squadra. Al 13' è suo il bolide che obbliga Antonioli alla corta respinta su cui si avventa Seedorf pronto a ribadire in rete. Il brio dei brasiliani, il piglio tecnico di Beckham e Pirlo allargano il gap in campo e al 17', quando Zambrotta subisce l'entrata muscolare di Bombardini, il divario si dilata. Colpevole Tagliavento che concede ancora un rigore dubbio. Lo batte Kakà: botta centrale ed è il 2-1.
NON SOLO KAKA' - Il Bologna non soffre certo di vittimismo; si tira su le manich! e e cerca di ristabilire le distanze, regalando però praterie al contropiede del Milan. Così, quando Pato innesca la quarta, Mudingayi non può che stenderlo. Già ammonito, il belga chiude in anticipo la gara, spianando la strada al Milan che va ancora in gol. Rete da antologia. A cominciare dal colpo di tacco di Pato per Kakà che dal limite fulmina Antonioli con un sinistro geometrico e imparabile. Il 3-1 non tocca le corde di Di Vaio che innesca un duello personale con Abbiati, ma le sue prodezze vengono neutralizzate con identica bravura dal portiere rossonero. Il sipario sulla gara scende definitivamente al 15' della ripresa quando Seedorf schizza via in contropiede e saggiamante lascia a destra per Beckham. L'inglese inquadra il primo palo e infila perfettamente. E' il sigillo sulla prova impeccabile del centrocampista: interprete da basso profilo e umile, ma tatticamente perfetto. Andarsene da Milano sarà davvero dura.

JULIO CESAR:"ADESSO FERMO ANCHE ROONEY"

"Sono contento per quello che ho fatto, posso andare a casa felice".Dopo aver salvato ! l'Inter contro ilManchester United, Julio Cesarpuò gioire, ma con la consueta modestia. Al ritorno, dopo lo 0-0 di San Siro, non sarà facile "anche perché ci sarà Rooney da ! fermare che secondo me è ancora più pericoloso di Ronaldo". E a proposito di Ronaldo: "Come ho parato le sue punizioni? Grazie a Balotelli con il quale mi sono allenato".

"Quando la squadra ha avuto bisogno - ha detto il portiere brasiliano - io mi sono fatto trovare pronto e lo 0-0 alla fine non è un risultato brutto. Meglio di 1-1 no? Là potremo approfittare del contropiede, conIbra e altri giocatori veloci".

All'inizio, contro i campioni d'Inghilterra, d'Europa e del mondo, l'Inter è sembrata intimorita. "Non siamo partiti bene, loro hanno avuto più possesso palla. L'atteggiamento della squadra però nel secondo tempo è cambiato tanto". E Cristiano Ronaldo è diventato meno pericoloso. Che paura, però, sulle punizioni: "Un giorno prima della! partita - ha raccontato Julio Cesar - ho fatto allenamento con Mario (Balotelli, ndr), che è uno che tira bene le punizioni, perché questi palloni sono diversi rispetto a quelli che usiamo in campionato: fanno più curve, mettono più in difficoltà il portiere. E Cristiano Ronaldo è uno che segna tanto su punizione e ogni volta che facevamo fallo vicino all'area mi concentravo al massimo per fare bene la parata".

Ma non è il portoghese il preferito di Julio Cesar: "A me piace molto Cristiano Ronaldo, m! a quello che preferisco è Rooney: è veramente uno che mette in difficoltà la difesa. Dobbiamo stare molto attenti a lui nella partita di ritorno. Io sono pronto".

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England have done it (again)

London Tours 24-27 Aprile 2009

Inter, ma è ancora il caso di tenere Ibra?

MILANO - Ennesima frecciatina di Zlatan nei confronti dell'Inter. In un intervista rilasciata ad Expressen, lo svedese, ha annunciato che il suo futuro per ora è all'Inter ma che nei prossimi giorni potrebbe cambiare. E'incredibile come un giocatore che percepisce 11 milioni netti (19 lordi per l'Inter) sia eternamente insoddisfatto. Di certo Zlatan non è la classica bandiera, ma l'Inter (giustamente) pretende rispetto. La società milanese per 3 anni ha costruito una squadra intorno al bomber ricevendo in cambio grandissime prestazioni in Italia e la mediocrità assoluta in Europa. E poi amici lettori ricordate un! a cosa: l'Inter lasciò andare via il Ronaldo più forte di sempre ed ha vinto 3 scudetti e più di 5 coppe nazionali...

Simone Pizzi

Fiorentina Ace Mutu: I Do Not Have 17 Million To Give Chelsea

Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has been ordered to pay Chelsea in excess of €17 million as a result of his conduct years ago involving substance abuse that saw the Pensioners terminate the player's contract before he joined Juventus and then Fiorentina.

There is even speculation that the player could be banned if the sum is not paid, but Mutu insists he does not ! have the money.

"I don't have €17 million and sincerely believe that only four or five players in the world have that kind of sum available," he said, according to Goal.com Italia, while on international duty with Romania.

"Everyone's help is essential, but I do not intend to do fundraising or collect money. Even against Palermo, the supporters let me know I was not alone in this battle."

However, the Romanian claimed he had other matters to concentrate on at the moment. "Now I am only thinking about the national team and the last chance to go to the World Cup."

Earlier in the day, a representative of the Italian Players' Association (AIC) claimed they would support the Viola ace.

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/86/italy/2009/09/02/1476924/fiorentina-ace-mutu-i-do-not-have-17-million-to-! give-chelsea

Pulis claims people who write off liverpool for title are 'CRAZY'

Tony Pulis saw his brave Stoke side beaten 4-0 at Anfield on Wednesday night and claimed it would be "crazy" to write of Liverpool as potential champions.

The Stoke manager admitted his team were outclassed at Anfield despite a defiant display. For Liverpool, it was the best way to wipe away the memory of their 2-1 defeat at new leaders Tottenham on Saturday.

Pulis, who saw his side achieve a notable 0-0 draw in the corresponding fixture last season, said: "I hold! my hands up, we were beaten by a better team and better players."

Fernando Torres put them ahead early on and impressive new-boy Glen Johnson made it two just before the break. Dirk Kuyt and substitute David Ngog completed the scoring in the second half.

He added: "I can't say they will win the title, but they will be right up there fighting for it. Anyone who says anything else is crazy.

"Liverpool created more chances against us here last season, but just did not take them.

"This time they were excellent. They do not only have Torres and Gerrard, who are world class. They have great players right through their team, and they showed that quality against us.

Ancelotti calms Zhirkov fears

The Russia international moved to Stamford Bridge in July in an ?8million deal from CSKA Moscow.

However, Zhirkov has yet to feature for the Blues in the Premier League after sustaining a knee problem.

Rumours have suggested that the versatile left-sided player's injury will only be cured by an operation, but Ancelotti does not believe that is the case.

"Now, at the moment, we don't think he needs surgery," said the Italian on Friday. "He's working with the team. Yesterday he worked with us.

"We have to control the situation. For the moment, he's not very well but he is improving. Next week we have to control his body. If he has improved, he can start to play matches again.

"He is improving. He didn't play with the national team because he's not fit now, but he is improving. At the moment, he doesn't need surgery."

Chelsea travel to Stoke on Saturday and the visitors will also be without Deco as the Portugal ! playmaker sustained a calf injury while on international duty.

Prediction Score La Liga; 4-5 October 2008

Continues the good run of Hull City

Prediction Score Premier League: 22-24 November 2008

Prediction Score Premier League: 17-19 January 2009

Van der Sar record Discontinued Blunder

Bird punished with one-match ban

Bird spent six years with Cronulla before joining Catalans in Januar

Catalans Dragons captain Greg Bird has been handed a one-match ban and a £300 fine after being found guilty of a reckless tackle last weekend.

Bird will miss his team's re-arranged Super League match against Salford on Friday following his challenge on Celtic Crusaders prop Ryan O'Hara.

Also this week Bird will discover the re! sult of an appeal against a prison sentence for wounding his girlfriend.

The former Cronulla Sharks player was released on bail pending the appeal.

Under the Grade C offence for a reckless tackle, Bird, who has played in the Dragons' last four matches, could have faced a four-match suspension.

New South Wales-born Bird does not have to attend Wednesday's court hearing regarding his prison sentence, which will be held in Sydney.

The 25-year-old stand-off had denied glassing Katie Milligan - who now lives with Bird in France - following an argument at their Cronulla home in August 2008.

Coyle bullish after shock victory

!

Burnley manager Owen Coyle believes his side's 1-0 win over Manchester United will make their critics think again.

"I think anybody who looked at our set of fixtures would have thought th! at Burnley will have zero points after five matches," he said.

"I thought Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs were just outstanding for them tonight but our players went toe-to-toe and tried to match up.

"Robbie Blake's goal was terrific and a fitting to win any game."

An explosive volley from Blake was the difference between the champions and the Premier League new boys and Coyle said the forward has always had the ability to score such goals.

What would success in 2012 look like for the nation?

There's been a bit of a theme in the diary this week. I've had a lot of meetings that are NOT about Sport and have been much more to do with the wider legacy of the London 2012 Olympics for the United Kingdom.

I know the 'L' word - legacy - is a tricky one, but it's unavoidable in my job.

We're bombarded with ideas and documents about the economic legacy, the sport legacy, the social legacy and countless others - and you can read some of the government's documentation here.

Read the rest of this entry

Transfer gossip

3rd April 2008

Real Madrid are interested in signing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, according to reports in Spain. (Independent)

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos is looking to bring in seven new players. Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito and Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero are among his targets. (Various)

Spurs have also been alerted to news that Real Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis has stalled on a new deal, while Portsmouth are also keen. (Daily Mail)

606: DEBATE ! What is the latest transfer rumour you have heard?

Barcelona and France striker Thierry Henry is being lined up by newly-formed MLS side Seattle, and will pay him £150,000 per week. (The Sun)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is seeking a £50m transfer kitty, which he believes he needs to take the club to the next level. (various)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is planning a £3m bid for Barnsley midfielder Brian Howard. (Telegraph)

Villa are also keen on USA keeper Brad Guzan, but face a battle with Arsenal for the 23-year-old. (various)

Manchester United are compiling a dossier on Falkirk teenager Scott Arfield. (Scot! tish Express)

Bolton's Jussi Jaaskelainen is Celtic'! s top ta rget if keeper Artur Boruc is sold in the summer. (Scottish Express)

Bolton's Switzerland international midfielder Blerim Dzemaili is wanted by Italian side Torino. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth's Ghana international midfielder Sulley Muntari has urged the club to sign his fellow countryman John Mensah. (The Times)

Mikel Arteta's future at Everton may be in doubt after his agent claimed he would be in the Spain team if he played for a bigger club. (The Sun)

Cardiff want to re-sign Sunderland striker Michael Chopra. (The Times)

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan will learn how much he has to spend next season only when the club's Premier League status is secured. (The Sun)

Birmingham have been told to move fast if they want on-loan Al-Sadd striker Mauro Zarate permanently. (various)

Blackburn chairman John Williams has insisted the club are not about to sell winger David Bentley. (Independent)

West Ham's! Lucas Neil wants the club to blood its youngsters as the injury crisis deepens. (various)

Derby face a battle to capture on-loan Tottenham midfielder Hossam Ghaly permanently as Feyenoord also want to sign the Egyptian. (various)

Wolves striker Freddy Eastwood looks set to join Crystal Palace, but Derby and Coventry are also keen. (various)

Plymouth will make a summer move for Barnet's 20-year-old winger Albert Adomah. (Daily Star)

1st April 2008

Birmingham loan signing Mauro Zarate is to have talks aimed at making his move from Qatar side Al-Sadd permanent. (Various)

Striker David Connolly will leave Sunderland for Sheffield Wednesday providing The Owls can avoid relegation. (Various)

Portsmouth target John Mensah has revealed that Reading and other unnamed Premiership clubs have also made enquiries about him. (The Sun)

Leicester's former Birmingh! am striker DJ Campbell is being watched by Watford, Charlton a! nd Cardi ff. (Daily Star)

Burnley are monitoring the progress of Manchester United winger Sean Evans, who will be free to leave Old Trafford this summer. (Daily Star)

West Ham are planning a summer move for Lazio's Swiss international midfielder Valon Behrami, who is stalling on a new deal with the Italian club. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Feuding Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have asked not to sit together at Wednesday's Champions League match with Arsenal. (The Guardian)

Bolton manager Gary Megson will not be sacked even if the club are relegated from the top flight. (Daily Mirror)

Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit says Avram Grant will never have respect at Stamford Bridge unless he wins a major trophy. (Daily Express)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce has urged owner Dave Whelan to emulate Portsmouth and invest heavily on established Premiership stars. (The Sun)

Spurs defender Jonathan Wo! odgate says the team needs to show more pride, following their humiliating 4-1 home defeat by Newcastle. (Various)

Derby manager Paul Jewell will be given around £10m to spend in the summer in an attempt to make an immediate return to the Premiership. (Daily Mirror)

Premier League results for 17th Jan 2009

Blackburn	3-0 (HT 0-0)	Newcastle
McCarthy (pen) 61 Roberts 66 Roberts 86
Bookings: Grella 82 Roberts 84		Bookings: Edgar 60 Butt 73 Barton 89
		Sent off: Butt 83

Second-half goals from strikers Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts handed Blackburn a victory over Newcastle that moved them out of the bottom three.

McCarthy opened the scoring from the spot after David Edgar was adjudged to have fouled the South African.

Roberts doubled the lead when he slammed in from 10 yards before tapping in a more simple effort from Morten Gamst Pedersen's square ball.

Newcastle were reduced to 10 men when Nicky Butt was shown a secon! d yellow.

Sam Allardyce's wish of getting ! "one ove r" his former employers came true in emphatic fashion but for 60 minutes Newcastle looked the better team.

Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba (Dunn 45), Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Andrews, Kerimoglu (Grella 59), Pedersen, Roberts, McCarthy (Roque Santa Cruz 70).
Subs Not Used: Bunn, Mokoena, Treacy, Derbyshire.

Booked: Grella, Roberts.

Goals: McCarthy 61 pen, Roberts 66, 86.

Newcastle: Given, Edgar, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Duff (Gutierrez 79), Guthrie, Butt, N'Zogbia (Barton 74), Carroll, Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Taylor, Kadar, LuaLua.

Sent Off: Butt (83).

Booked: Edgar, Butt, Barton.

Att: 25,583

Ref: Rob Styles (Hampshire).

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Premier League Results for 16th Aug 2009

Manchester United 1-0 Birmingham City

Man Utd

• 12 Foster
• 03 Evra
• 20 Da Silva
• 22 O'Shea
• 23 Evans (Brown 75)
• 17 Nani (Giggs 46)
• 18 Scholes
• 24 Fletcher yellow card
• 25 Valencia
• 09 Berbatov (Owen 74)
• 10 Rooney

Substitutes

• 29 Kuszczak,
06 Brown,
• 30 De Laet,
• 08 Anderson,
• 11 Giggs,
• 28 Gibson,
• 07 Owen

!

Birmingham

• 25 Hart
• 02 Carr
• 14 Johnson
• 20 Queudrue
• 27 Gregory Vignal yellow card
• 07 Larsson (O'Shea 81)
• 12 Ferguson
• 18 Fahey
• 26 Carsley (Benitez 74)
• 1 0 Jerome (O'Connor 65)
• 16 McFadden

Substitutes

• 01 Taylor,
• 21 Parnaby,
• 19 McSheffrey,
• 24 O'Shea,
• 08 O'Connor,
• 09 Phillips,
• 11 Benitez

Ref: Lee MasonAtt: Attendance:75062
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