Andrea Pirlo, on his 100th cap, opened the scoring with a picture-perfect free-kick, but Javier Hernandez levelled affairs from the penalty spot after he had been felled in the area by Andrea Barzagli.
But the Milan striker stole the headlines after a night that had seen him largely frustrated by Mexico goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona, latching on to Emanuele Giaccherini's pass before tucking home.
Stephan El Shaarawy was the only absentee for Italy, an ankle injury sidelining the Milan forward so Claudio Marchisio began in support of Balotelli. Mexico were forced into changes in their midfield as Giovani dos Santos and Javier Aquino replaced Pablo Barrera and Aldo de Nigris.
Italy began the game the stronger as Claudio Marchisio broke down the left wing before rolling the ball to Balotelli in the six-yard box, but Corona flung himself in front of the effort to deny the 23-year-old.
The UEFA Euro 2012 were not dominant, however, and Gianluigi Buffon was called into a stunning save from Andres Guardado as the Valencia winger caught Dos Santos' cut-back with a sweet effort, but the Italy captain did brilliantly to tip the ball onto the crossbar.
Cesare Prandelli's side did take the lead though, as Pirlo curled an unstoppable 25-yard free-kick into Corona's right-hand corner, and although the Mexico shot-stopper appeared to withdraw his hands from the save, he was well beaten.
However, the lead did not last long as Barzagli was robbed on the edge of the area by Dos Santos and, as the striker moved into the penalty area, bundled him over with referee Enrique Osses given little option but to award the spot-kick. Hernandez stepped up confidently and sent Buffon the wrong way to equalise and record his 33rd international goal.
After the break, neither side were able to create many clear-cut chances, but Riccardo Montolivo should have scored after Pirlo's low free-kick rebounded his way in the six-yard box, but the Milan player could only prod straight to Corona.
Italy's dominance of the match continued with Buffon a mere spectator in the second period and their pressure paid off with 12 minutes remaining as Balotelli secured the win.
The striker held off the challenge of Francisco Rodriguez on the edge of the penalty area to latch onto Giaccherini's flick, he beat two defenders to the ball and thundered a strike past Corona.
Prandelli's side saw out the game superbly and will take great confidence into their remaining Group A fixtures against Spain and Uruguay.
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Sunday, 16 June 2013
FIFA Confederations Cup: Mexico 1 Italy 2
FIFA Confederations Cup: Spain 2 Uruguay 1
The reigning World Cup and European champions were in complete control and won over local fans with their stylish football seeing them find the net twice in the first half through Pedro and Roberto Soldado. Though the crowd became frustrated at times, the Europeans took their foot off the gas but an exquisite Luis Suarez free-kick late on proved just a consolation.
Spain boss Vicente Del Bosque elected to start with Iker Casillas in goal for his side, despite the goalkeeper not appearing for Real Madrid since January. The 62-year-old also opted to begin with Soldado in attack and the Valencia man almost repaid his coach's faith within five minutes, however he was unable to turn Jordi Alba's cross in at the back post.
The Spaniards monopolised possession in the opening stages and a quick attacking injection in the 10th minute caught Uruguay off guard. Andres Iniesta's dummy let the ball roll through to his Barcelona team-mate Cesc Fabregas, who was denied a goal when his low shot crashed against the foot of the post.
Oscar Tabarez's men were struggling to cope with the crisp, interlinking passing of the Spaniards in the final third. It took two attempts for Fernando Muslera to keep out an effort from Iniesta after a lovely move at the top of the box.
It seemed an inevitability that Spain would find the net and that is precisely what happened in the 20th minute. Pedro's sublimely struck effort looked to be heading for the bottom corner but a deflection off Lugano made sure it found the net by redirecting it past the committed Muslera.
Uruguay began to rile their opponents and almost stole a goal through Edinson Cavani with a well-worked free-kick routine, but the World Cup holders re-asserted themselves by doubling their advantage soon after.
A tremendous disguised pass from Fabregas picked out Soldado with space to take a touch on the edge of the area before guiding the ball past Muslera confidently just after the half hour mark.
Spain's relentless pressing made it difficult for Uruguay to get any respite and it took a brilliant reflex save from their keeper in order to keep out Gerard Pique's header before the break.
After the interval it was more of the same from Spain, as Soldado and Iniesta both came close to adding their team's third but neither were able to pull a save from Muslera.
There was less urgency from Del Bosque's men in comparison to the first half but their incessant passing was stopping Suarez and Cavani from having any impact on the game. A tame volley from Pedro in the 64th minute that went wide of the post was their only subsequent effort.
They certainly paid the price as Suarez conjured up a moment of sheer magic when he bent an immensely-precise free kick inside Casillas' near post from in excess of 25 yards, but Spain held on in a nervy end to the game.
Victory ensures Spain go to the top of the Group B with three points but that could change depending on the result of tomorrow's fixture between the group's lesser lights Nigeria and Tahiti.
Spain boss Vicente Del Bosque elected to start with Iker Casillas in goal for his side, despite the goalkeeper not appearing for Real Madrid since January. The 62-year-old also opted to begin with Soldado in attack and the Valencia man almost repaid his coach's faith within five minutes, however he was unable to turn Jordi Alba's cross in at the back post.
The Spaniards monopolised possession in the opening stages and a quick attacking injection in the 10th minute caught Uruguay off guard. Andres Iniesta's dummy let the ball roll through to his Barcelona team-mate Cesc Fabregas, who was denied a goal when his low shot crashed against the foot of the post.
Oscar Tabarez's men were struggling to cope with the crisp, interlinking passing of the Spaniards in the final third. It took two attempts for Fernando Muslera to keep out an effort from Iniesta after a lovely move at the top of the box.
It seemed an inevitability that Spain would find the net and that is precisely what happened in the 20th minute. Pedro's sublimely struck effort looked to be heading for the bottom corner but a deflection off Lugano made sure it found the net by redirecting it past the committed Muslera.
Uruguay began to rile their opponents and almost stole a goal through Edinson Cavani with a well-worked free-kick routine, but the World Cup holders re-asserted themselves by doubling their advantage soon after.
A tremendous disguised pass from Fabregas picked out Soldado with space to take a touch on the edge of the area before guiding the ball past Muslera confidently just after the half hour mark.
Spain's relentless pressing made it difficult for Uruguay to get any respite and it took a brilliant reflex save from their keeper in order to keep out Gerard Pique's header before the break.
After the interval it was more of the same from Spain, as Soldado and Iniesta both came close to adding their team's third but neither were able to pull a save from Muslera.
There was less urgency from Del Bosque's men in comparison to the first half but their incessant passing was stopping Suarez and Cavani from having any impact on the game. A tame volley from Pedro in the 64th minute that went wide of the post was their only subsequent effort.
They certainly paid the price as Suarez conjured up a moment of sheer magic when he bent an immensely-precise free kick inside Casillas' near post from in excess of 25 yards, but Spain held on in a nervy end to the game.
Victory ensures Spain go to the top of the Group B with three points but that could change depending on the result of tomorrow's fixture between the group's lesser lights Nigeria and Tahiti.
Friday, 7 June 2013
Liverpool plan £150m Anfield expansion
Liverpool are set to take a major step closer to a £150 million redevelopment of Anfield by submitting a planning application before the start of next season.
GettyImagesAnfield currently has the sixth-highest capacity among Premier League grounds
Managing director Ian Ayre has confirmed that plans are on course for the rebuilding programme, which would see the Main Stand and Anfield Road End expanded, increasing the capacity to around 60,000.
That would potentially make the ground the second biggest in the top flight, behind the 76,000-capacity Old Trafford. Arsenal's Emirates Stadium is currently the next largest, as it can hold just over 60,000 fans.
The plans come soon after reports emerged that Manchester City are planning to increase the size of their Etihad Stadium to house as many as 54,000 fans.
Last October, Liverpool announced that they planned to stay at Anfield rather than pushing ahead with proposals for a new stadium in neighbouring Stanley Park, seeking to expand their current ground's 45,000 capacity.
But the expansion, going ahead in partnership with Liverpool City Council and social housing developer Your Housing, requires the purchase and demolition of homes that back on to the ground.
Ayre has indicated that negotiations to buy the last few of the 90 houses that need to be demolished are almost complete.
"We are in an interesting period in terms of our aspirations around the stadium," he told the Liverpool Echo. "Our goal is to extend Anfield. But we need certainty, and that comes with the acquisition of properties.
"Real progress has been made in acquiring them. Once they have all been acquired, we will go through the planning process.
"We would expect to be in a position to make that a certainty this summer. Once planning has been achieved, then we can start construction."
Ayre has indicated that the club need to expand Anfield to increase revenue and allow them to compete financially with the Premier League's top teams.
"There are three core revenue streams - media, commercial and matchday," he added.
"Our media and commercial revenues are very impressive, but where we fall behind is our matchday revenues. Having a bigger stadium and playing in the Champions League are two mechanisms which would dramatically change our fortunes.
"We're determined to press on with the stadium solution. It's in the hands of other people, but hopefully we will get there and deliver what our fans want."
Robben: I have no plans to leave Bayern
Champions League final hero Arjen Robben has said he has no plans to leave Bayern Munich – but added that he would never forget being barracked by fans after missing crucial penalties in the club's heartbreaking 2011-12 season.
GettyImagesArjen Robben's goal won the Champions League for Bayern
Robben, 29, scored Bayern's 89th-minute winner against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last month, wiping out the memory of the penalty he missed as the Bavarians lost the trophy to Chelsea on their own ground a year earlier.
He had also missed a spot-kick in the Bundesliga game at Dortmund in that campaign, all but sealing that club's second successive Bundesliga title.
That led to some Bayern fans giving him a tough time, and he told Bild: "I don't want to, and will never, forget that. That was bad, it hit me hard.
"There were also many who supported me. But those who whistled me... they are not real fans to me. As a real fan, you stick by your team and its players in good and in bad times."
But regardless of those bad memories, and despite transfer speculation, the Netherlands international stressed that he had no plans to leave Munich.
"I say it like it is in football," he said. "Nothing is certain - this is a business in which everything can happen all the time.
"But I feel great here, and have a contract until 2015. My plan is to stay here."
During an injury-hit first half of the season, reports in the German media had suggested he could opt to retire from the game.
But he said: "I never really considered it. When you are injured again and again, when you work hard but your body just doesn't function, of course you will think: 'Why do I still do it?'
"But, in the end, the love for the game is bigger and you keep on fighting."
The anatomy of transfers
Football transfers usually follow a simple pattern.
Big club wants smaller club's player. Player wants to join bigger club. Smaller club will only let player go for a premium. Said premium is argued over. Player eventually joins bigger club after agreeing wages.
There is a flipside. Eventually, a big club might not want a player. Smaller club makes offer. Said offer is argued over. Player eventually joins smaller club after agreeing wages.
That’s how footballers switch clubs. There is such a thing as a free transfer, too - but they follow a very similar pattern, except that this time it’s just an argument between the player and his representatives with the prospective new club over wages.
Yet we live in an age in which the football transfer has become an utterly dominant narrative. The absence of a truly major tournament makes this a transfer summer. Odd-numbered years are those when speculation leads the agenda. Most of the big transfers of recent years have taken place in them. Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka joined Real Madrid in 2009, the same summer that saw Barcelona pay silly money for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Time might prove that they were a waste of time and effort, but the Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez sagas ran the length of the summer of 2011. This ‘close season’ will be no exception.
In English days gone by, football would shut up for the summer. Cricket would take over what few newspaper pages were assigned to sport. Wimbledon fortnight provided a moratorium, too, but there’s no such luck these days for those who want to think about football only when the Community Shield comes around.
Transfers dominate right up until August 31 and even manage to overshadow the opening weeks of the season as the build-up to the all-night party that is Transfer Deadline Day intensifies. There are those who enjoy transfers even more than the football itself. An entire industry has sprung up and a series of familiar tropes has appeared.
The ‘wantaway’ star
Luis Suarez provides this summer’s example, though of course the media is wholly to blame for his wanting to join Real Madrid and not continue to carry Liverpool’s rather distant hopes of revisiting the Champions League. It usually takes quite a lot for a player to admit he wants to leave his club. He will always take care not to blame the fans, who will probably hate him for daring to desert them.
GettyImages
Luis Suarez has made his transfer intentions clear, much to the dismay of Liverpool fans
Loyalty bonuses built into contracts usually delay the putting in of transfer requests, and managers often act publicly surprised when their players finally ask to leave. Arsene Wenger is the master of this. He kept saying Cesc, Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie would stay. Sir Alex Ferguson, famously, refused to sell Real Madrid a virus and then flogged them Ronaldo for £80 million. ‘Wantaway’ stars eventually get their wish.
The rolling news channel
On TV, the big news is embedded in a yellow ticker, always given the ‘BREAKING NEWS’ prefix before the legend of Nicky Shorey’s big move is revealed. The newsreader, be they a clean-cut, squash-playing type, a greying but ever-elated veteran hype machine or a painted Amazonian beauty squeezed into a summer dress, reads out the telling information with the gravitas of Walter Cronkite on the night of November 22, 1963.
As stories grow, a reporter is dispatched to stand outside a training ground or stadium that has been shut down for the summer. They then proceed to read out statements from that club’s website. On Deadline Day evening, the ladies and gentlemen in the field wear branded jackets and are surrounded by inebriated fans with nothing better to do than cheer the signing of Dean Whitehead. We then build up to a crescendo and are told that “anything can happen” - when actually all that is happening is that some footballers are changing football clubs.
The transfer specialist
While many football reporters are taking a break from a season of late-night filing and being whipped by the elements and are trying to lose the poundage gained from nine months of club hospitality, now is the time when the transfer specialist kicks into gear.
He or she - mostly he, let’s be honest - has a rolodex full of numbers for agents and club insiders, and thus launches a seasonal campaign of rumour and counter-rumour. Contrary to popular perception, a high proportion of stories do have a grain of truth to them, but too often a mere grain is enough for a back-page splash. There are papers to be sold, hits to chase.
Phone a club chairman and ask them if they want to sign a Brazilian star, and be told they do not, and a story is there to be written. “XXXX last night distanced themselves...” and so on. Being a transfer expert is not for the thin-skinned. You have to prepare to be wrong over 50% of the time but, if you pull in a big one, your editor is very happy indeed.
The Twitter blowhard
Once Twitter went mainstream some time in 2010, a new seam of information was there to be mined. In the past, desperate fans used to call premium rate phonelines or pump names into news aggregator sites, but now the world of 140-character assassination is the real home of transfer talk.
Transfer-specialist sites and Twitter feeds are widespread
What a Twitter user wants most of all is followers and attention. Football transfers are the quickest route to getting Sulia to earn you a whole £2 a day. Twitter transfer ‘experts’ rarely use their given name, instead hiding behind alter ego and cartoon avatar. That’s because, with a couple of exceptions, they are generating either second-hand news or a complete load of trumpery moonshine with absolutely no relation to the concept of truth. And then there are those who just copy their ‘scoops’ from a foreign TV station, website or newspaper, using bilingual skills to gain recognition, and eventually notoriety.
The agent
Who loves the transfer window even more than all of the above? Football agents, of course. Unless an agent represents a player at the very top of the game, with the attendant big wages and endorsements, the easiest way to make money from their clients is to have them regularly change clubs. Percentages of signing-on fees and loyalty bonuses can be very lucrative indeed.
PA Photos
Jorge Mendes, who represents the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Falcao, is arguably the most powerful agent in world football
Agents have a habit of inserting themselves where money is going to be spent. Kia Joorabchian has been agent in residence at West Ham United, Manchester City and QPR - though not at Stoke, if public pronouncements are to be believed. The glut of spending at Monaco will be lining the pockets of Jorge Mendes, who just happens to represent most of the stars heading for a tax-free life in the principality.
These days, leading players do not restrict themselves to one agent. Robert Lewandowski seems to have several, stretching across different countries. And spending cash with agents is no pathway to success either. Manchester City spent £10.54 million on them in 2012 and failed to defend their title, with Liverpool shelling out £8.6 million to finish seventh. QPR spent £6.82 million. How did that go?
Big club wants smaller club's player. Player wants to join bigger club. Smaller club will only let player go for a premium. Said premium is argued over. Player eventually joins bigger club after agreeing wages.
There is a flipside. Eventually, a big club might not want a player. Smaller club makes offer. Said offer is argued over. Player eventually joins smaller club after agreeing wages.
That’s how footballers switch clubs. There is such a thing as a free transfer, too - but they follow a very similar pattern, except that this time it’s just an argument between the player and his representatives with the prospective new club over wages.
Yet we live in an age in which the football transfer has become an utterly dominant narrative. The absence of a truly major tournament makes this a transfer summer. Odd-numbered years are those when speculation leads the agenda. Most of the big transfers of recent years have taken place in them. Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka joined Real Madrid in 2009, the same summer that saw Barcelona pay silly money for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Time might prove that they were a waste of time and effort, but the Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez sagas ran the length of the summer of 2011. This ‘close season’ will be no exception.
In English days gone by, football would shut up for the summer. Cricket would take over what few newspaper pages were assigned to sport. Wimbledon fortnight provided a moratorium, too, but there’s no such luck these days for those who want to think about football only when the Community Shield comes around.
Transfers dominate right up until August 31 and even manage to overshadow the opening weeks of the season as the build-up to the all-night party that is Transfer Deadline Day intensifies. There are those who enjoy transfers even more than the football itself. An entire industry has sprung up and a series of familiar tropes has appeared.
The ‘wantaway’ star
Luis Suarez provides this summer’s example, though of course the media is wholly to blame for his wanting to join Real Madrid and not continue to carry Liverpool’s rather distant hopes of revisiting the Champions League. It usually takes quite a lot for a player to admit he wants to leave his club. He will always take care not to blame the fans, who will probably hate him for daring to desert them.
GettyImages
Luis Suarez has made his transfer intentions clear, much to the dismay of Liverpool fans
Loyalty bonuses built into contracts usually delay the putting in of transfer requests, and managers often act publicly surprised when their players finally ask to leave. Arsene Wenger is the master of this. He kept saying Cesc, Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie would stay. Sir Alex Ferguson, famously, refused to sell Real Madrid a virus and then flogged them Ronaldo for £80 million. ‘Wantaway’ stars eventually get their wish.
The rolling news channel
On TV, the big news is embedded in a yellow ticker, always given the ‘BREAKING NEWS’ prefix before the legend of Nicky Shorey’s big move is revealed. The newsreader, be they a clean-cut, squash-playing type, a greying but ever-elated veteran hype machine or a painted Amazonian beauty squeezed into a summer dress, reads out the telling information with the gravitas of Walter Cronkite on the night of November 22, 1963.
As stories grow, a reporter is dispatched to stand outside a training ground or stadium that has been shut down for the summer. They then proceed to read out statements from that club’s website. On Deadline Day evening, the ladies and gentlemen in the field wear branded jackets and are surrounded by inebriated fans with nothing better to do than cheer the signing of Dean Whitehead. We then build up to a crescendo and are told that “anything can happen” - when actually all that is happening is that some footballers are changing football clubs.
The transfer specialist
While many football reporters are taking a break from a season of late-night filing and being whipped by the elements and are trying to lose the poundage gained from nine months of club hospitality, now is the time when the transfer specialist kicks into gear.
He or she - mostly he, let’s be honest - has a rolodex full of numbers for agents and club insiders, and thus launches a seasonal campaign of rumour and counter-rumour. Contrary to popular perception, a high proportion of stories do have a grain of truth to them, but too often a mere grain is enough for a back-page splash. There are papers to be sold, hits to chase.
Phone a club chairman and ask them if they want to sign a Brazilian star, and be told they do not, and a story is there to be written. “XXXX last night distanced themselves...” and so on. Being a transfer expert is not for the thin-skinned. You have to prepare to be wrong over 50% of the time but, if you pull in a big one, your editor is very happy indeed.
The Twitter blowhard
Once Twitter went mainstream some time in 2010, a new seam of information was there to be mined. In the past, desperate fans used to call premium rate phonelines or pump names into news aggregator sites, but now the world of 140-character assassination is the real home of transfer talk.
Transfer-specialist sites and Twitter feeds are widespread
What a Twitter user wants most of all is followers and attention. Football transfers are the quickest route to getting Sulia to earn you a whole £2 a day. Twitter transfer ‘experts’ rarely use their given name, instead hiding behind alter ego and cartoon avatar. That’s because, with a couple of exceptions, they are generating either second-hand news or a complete load of trumpery moonshine with absolutely no relation to the concept of truth. And then there are those who just copy their ‘scoops’ from a foreign TV station, website or newspaper, using bilingual skills to gain recognition, and eventually notoriety.
The agent
Who loves the transfer window even more than all of the above? Football agents, of course. Unless an agent represents a player at the very top of the game, with the attendant big wages and endorsements, the easiest way to make money from their clients is to have them regularly change clubs. Percentages of signing-on fees and loyalty bonuses can be very lucrative indeed.
PA Photos
Jorge Mendes, who represents the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Falcao, is arguably the most powerful agent in world football
Agents have a habit of inserting themselves where money is going to be spent. Kia Joorabchian has been agent in residence at West Ham United, Manchester City and QPR - though not at Stoke, if public pronouncements are to be believed. The glut of spending at Monaco will be lining the pockets of Jorge Mendes, who just happens to represent most of the stars heading for a tax-free life in the principality.
These days, leading players do not restrict themselves to one agent. Robert Lewandowski seems to have several, stretching across different countries. And spending cash with agents is no pathway to success either. Manchester City spent £10.54 million on them in 2012 and failed to defend their title, with Liverpool shelling out £8.6 million to finish seventh. QPR spent £6.82 million. How did that go?
Thursday, 6 June 2013
Ribery and Van Buyten sign new deals
Bayern Munich have announced that Franck Ribery and Daniel van Buyten have extended their contracts until 2017 and 2014 respectively.
GettyImagesDaniel van Buyten and Franck Ribery celebrate Bayern's DFB-Pokal sucess
Ribery, 30, played a leading role for Bayern as they clinched the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB-Pokal last season, and he has agreed to extend his existing deal by two years.
"I am delighted to stay in Munich," the France winger said, in Bavarian tongue. "I promised the fans, and now I have put pen to paper.
"For my family and me, FC Bayern has become a second home, and I am convinced that there will be trophies to win and defend for this team during the next couple of years."
Belgium centre-back Van Buyten, 35, also agreed to stay on for a further year.
"We all know what we have here," Van Buyten said. "Right now there is no better, no more solid and, most of all, no more successful club. I am delighted to be able to help the club defend our titles next season."
Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressed his delight at keeping "two key players" at the Allianz Arena.
"Franck and Daniel achieved outstanding things last season," he added. "We were able to rely on them at all times and, especially in the most important games, they have often made the difference."
Meanwhile, reports suggesting attacker Mario Gomez, 27, will be leaving the club have grown stronger.
Gomez's agent, Uli Ferber, told kicker that the striker intends to move on and that he had informed Rummenigge of his plans on Wednesday.
However, he added: "We have definitely not made a decision about a new club."
Gazidis sure of Wenger commitment
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said he believes that Arsene Wenger is committed to the club "for the long term" but could not offer any firm update on the manager's status beyond the end of next season.
GettyImagesIvan Gazidis believes Arsenal is an attractive proposition to potential players
Wenger has been strongly linked with a move to succeed Carlo Ancelotti at Paris Saint-Germain in recent months, with suggestions that he may be tempted to make the move to the French capital when his Arsenal deal expires at the end of next season being floated in recent days.
Gazidis told journalists from the boardroom of Highbury House that he believes Wenger is still 'excited' by the club's potential, but was unable to confirm the club's most successful manager will continue beyond 2014.
"I really don't want to have a public discussion about Arsene's contractual position," Gazidis was quoted by the Evening Standard as saying. "That would be a daily, weekly fixture on the public coverage if you start getting into that.
"I don't even want to say [we have discussed a new contract]. What I will say is that we think we have got a fantastic manager. We have got a lot of confidence that Arsene is the right person to take the club forward and I think he will want to do that. We hope that he wants to do what he is doing for the long term. I believe he does.
"I think he is still ambitious, still driven and sees the potential of the club as he looks forward and I think he is very excited by that. We have a great relationship and he has a great relationship with the board as well.
"This is going to happen very quietly behind closed doors, privately and then there will be an announcement when things are all put in place."
Gazidis moved to dismiss suggestions that the uncertainty over Wenger's future would affect the club's ability to sign top players in the transfer market in the coming months, as he claimed the stability at the club is one of the chief selling points for potential new arrivals.
"If you are asking me, is (Wenger's future) an issue with players, the answer is 'no'," he said. "It is far more an issue with players signing at other clubs than it is at Arsenal. If players have that on their issue list, I think that's a mark in our favour, not against us.
"I think players that are concerned about uncertainty probably think about Arsenal as the most certain place they could be in the world of football. So if it's consistency players are looking for, I think Arsenal would be a very attractive place to come.
"This is a club that has had remarkable consistency in terms of its manager, its football philosophy, its direction and the consistent support from the board and our principal owner for our manager is pretty much unmatched, through some difficult periods as well."
Gazidis went on to suggest that what he describes as a relatively slow start to the summer transfer scramble amongst Premier League clubs was due to the numerous managerial changes at top-flight clubs and would not be drawn on Arsenal's possible summer targets.
Mourinho hints at Terry omission
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has hinted that he could consign club captain John Terry to the Stamford Bridge bench, just as he did with Iker Casillas at Real Madrid.
GettyImagesJose Mourinho will have some big decisions to make about how to use Chelsea stalwarts like John Terry
• Leverkusen: Schurrle deal not done• Hazard 'intimidated' by Mourinho
• Lythell: Jose's critical eye
• Lythell: Jose's critical eye
Mourinho's return after seven years away from Chelsea sees him reunited with many former players who played key roles during his first successful spell in charge, including Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Petr Cech and Michael Essien.
With all these players now in their thirties however, and Blues owner Roman Abramovich reportedly providing the incoming boss with a £100 million warchest to freshen up the squad he has inherited, Mourinho may now be faced with managing the expectations of senior players who he has long claimed to be close friends.
Talking Spanish TV programme Punto Pelota about his 'feud' with Madrid captain Casillas this season, the Portuguese said he always wants 'meritocracy' in his dressing-room, even if it means upsetting senior players, while he also alluded to tension between Terry and Chelsea's former interim boss Rafa Benitez in recent months.
"I am a coach who looks for a meritocracy," Mourinho said. "Whoever I think is best must play. Without looking at status or the past. You play as you train. It is a normal situation. As it was normal for me to leave [Marco] Materazzi, a mythical player at Inter, on the bench. Or like Benitez this year at Chelsea with Terry.
"The fans can think that Iker is better than Diego [Lopez]. I accept that, but I am the coach. If there are players who change their 'modus operandi' if they play or not, that is a problem for the player."
Mourinho's clashes with senior players at Madrid last season - also including Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil and Karim Benzema – has left some pundits claiming that the new Madrid coach struggles to bring together big personalities in a dressing-room.
The former Inter Milan boss, however, insisted that the Bernabeu dressing room was now in a much better state than when he arrived three years ago.
"The coach who comes in will find themselves in a different situation from the one I faced," he said. "Now we are psychologically on top of our biggest rival. Also the president will make two good signings."
Perez: Ronaldo will retire at Real Madrid
Florentino Perez has again stated that Cristiano Ronaldo has no intention of leaving Real Madrid, while admitting that new contract talks with the Portuguese have yet to begin.
AP
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 146 goals in 135 games for Real Madrid
- Corrigan on Perez
-Okwonga: C-Ron, Money, sentiment
- Mou criticises Ronaldo
AS claimed on Thursday morning that Europe’s richest clubs - including Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco - were battling for position to sign the Portuguese either this summer, or when his contract ends in 2015. According to the Spanish paper Ronaldo could then receive a €60 million signing on-fee and more than double his current €10 million a year wages at Madrid.
Speaking on radio show El Primer Toque on Wednesday night the Blancos president claimed he was not concerned about such rumours as Ronaldo had no intention of leaving Madrid and talks over a contract extension would soon begin.
"There are no open negotiations at the moment, that will be from July," Perez said. "My opinion is that Cristiano will retire at Real Madrid, that is his dream, and the club’s too. Some people think that negotiations are done in the newspapers."
While the ‘unhappiness’ which Ronaldo suffered from last September appears to have passed, the former Manchester United man has given no indication that he plans to sign a new Madrid contract. Perez said the only way his club would sell was if the buyer agreed to meet the player’s €1 billion release clause.
"The truth is I do not know [why he was unhappy]," Perez said. "I told him not to worry, that I would do everything possible so that he was happy. He played a magnificent season. Cristiano never asked me to leave. If anyone does want to leave it is very easy - the clause must be paid. With that money you could buy a lot of good players."
Another concern for Madrid fans is the contract situation of key midfielder Xabi Alonso, who has just 12 months left on his deal. Perez suggested that the Spanish international, 31, was waiting to see if his current injury problems cleared up before deciding on his future.
"Xabi Alonso wants to see how he is, he has one year left on his contract and, if he feels good, he wants to stay at Madrid," he said. "If he feels less good, maybe a move elsewhere would be studied. There is no type of problem, if he feels good, he will stay, I have no doubt about that."
Asked if Alonso might play out the last year of his contract at the Bernabeu before moving back to England, perhaps to former club Liverpool or to team up again with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, Perez said that he doubted this would happen.
"If Xabi could go to the Premier League, then he could be with Madrid," he said. "That is not what he should be thinking about. If he feels good, the best place to be is at Madrid."
The future at the Bernabeu of centre-half Pepe, 30, has also been thrown into doubt after he was displaced in the team this season by French teenager Raphael Varane and reports in the UK have suggested Manchester City were preparing a €25 million bid.
Perez said he had no intention of selling the Portuguese defender, given how difficult it would be to find a replacement.
"Pepe is not for sale," he said. "He will not leave this summer. That is my opinion, we will see what happens. He is one of the best defenders in the world. It would be very difficult to replace him. Varane has done very well, but he is still a youngster, still learning."
AP
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 146 goals in 135 games for Real Madrid
- Corrigan on Perez
-Okwonga: C-Ron, Money, sentiment
- Mou criticises Ronaldo
AS claimed on Thursday morning that Europe’s richest clubs - including Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco - were battling for position to sign the Portuguese either this summer, or when his contract ends in 2015. According to the Spanish paper Ronaldo could then receive a €60 million signing on-fee and more than double his current €10 million a year wages at Madrid.
Speaking on radio show El Primer Toque on Wednesday night the Blancos president claimed he was not concerned about such rumours as Ronaldo had no intention of leaving Madrid and talks over a contract extension would soon begin.
"There are no open negotiations at the moment, that will be from July," Perez said. "My opinion is that Cristiano will retire at Real Madrid, that is his dream, and the club’s too. Some people think that negotiations are done in the newspapers."
While the ‘unhappiness’ which Ronaldo suffered from last September appears to have passed, the former Manchester United man has given no indication that he plans to sign a new Madrid contract. Perez said the only way his club would sell was if the buyer agreed to meet the player’s €1 billion release clause.
"The truth is I do not know [why he was unhappy]," Perez said. "I told him not to worry, that I would do everything possible so that he was happy. He played a magnificent season. Cristiano never asked me to leave. If anyone does want to leave it is very easy - the clause must be paid. With that money you could buy a lot of good players."
Another concern for Madrid fans is the contract situation of key midfielder Xabi Alonso, who has just 12 months left on his deal. Perez suggested that the Spanish international, 31, was waiting to see if his current injury problems cleared up before deciding on his future.
"Xabi Alonso wants to see how he is, he has one year left on his contract and, if he feels good, he wants to stay at Madrid," he said. "If he feels less good, maybe a move elsewhere would be studied. There is no type of problem, if he feels good, he will stay, I have no doubt about that."
Asked if Alonso might play out the last year of his contract at the Bernabeu before moving back to England, perhaps to former club Liverpool or to team up again with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, Perez said that he doubted this would happen.
"If Xabi could go to the Premier League, then he could be with Madrid," he said. "That is not what he should be thinking about. If he feels good, the best place to be is at Madrid."
The future at the Bernabeu of centre-half Pepe, 30, has also been thrown into doubt after he was displaced in the team this season by French teenager Raphael Varane and reports in the UK have suggested Manchester City were preparing a €25 million bid.
Perez said he had no intention of selling the Portuguese defender, given how difficult it would be to find a replacement.
"Pepe is not for sale," he said. "He will not leave this summer. That is my opinion, we will see what happens. He is one of the best defenders in the world. It would be very difficult to replace him. Varane has done very well, but he is still a youngster, still learning."
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
The rise and fall of Sven-Goran Eriksson
Sven-Goran Eriksson was appointed boss of Chinese outfit Guangzhou R&F on Tuesday. Yes, that is the same coach who was paid millions to become the first foreign manager of England, and who had much success across Europe prior to his Three Lions appointment.
PA PhotosSven-Goran Eriksson lifted a number of trophies at Lazio, including the Serie A title
If you have had your head buried in the sand for the past seven years, you would be forgiven for thinking just what exactly a man with such a distinguished CV is doing at a club sitting just two spots off the Chinese Super League's relegation zone.
In reality, however, this one-time A-list manager has slipped down into the lower echelons of the game's coaches-for-hire list. Moreover, due to both a poor track record in the latter half of his career, combined with some strange and often bewildering decisions, Sven has assumed the position of the butt of many of football's jokes.
1977-2001
Forced to retire as a footballer at 27 in 1975, Eriksson landed his first managerial role two years later, taking charge of Degerfors IF. He showed his potential from the off, gaining promotion to Sweden's Division Two within just a year, before earning himself a move to IFK Goteborg in 1979. It was there he first truly made a name for himself, winning the Swedish Cup in his maiden season before wrapping up a treble of Swedish league, cup and UEFA Cup in 1982.
Eriksson's stunning managerial rise in Sweden, inside just five years, led to a switch to Benfica. Remarkably, he nearly achieved the same treble feat as at Goteborg that season, winning the Portuguese Liga and cup, only to lose out in the UEFA Cup final. Another Liga title in 1984 confirmed his managerial pedigree on the European stage, and that summer Roma came calling.
The Swede picked up a Coppa Italia at the Giallorossi in 1986, before a trophyless stint at Fiorentina was followed by a return to Benfica, which brought with it a European Cup runners-up medal in 1990 and another Liga title in 1991.
Eriksson then headed back to Italy, this time taking the reins of Sampdoria, claiming another Coppa Italia in 1994, before moving on in 1997 to the side where he would become most successful, Lazio.
By the time England came knocking in 2001, Eriksson had added a Serie A title, two more Coppa Italias, two Italian Supercoppas, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup to his name - albeit aided by the significant millions of club president Sergio Cragnotti. Nonetheless, such a back catalogue of trophies made him the Football Association's first choice. What Eriksson did not know at the time, was that they would be his last taste of silverware.
England
If now-everyone's-favourite Swede were to have retired at this point, he would be remembered as a successful manager who picked up winners medals everywhere he turned. While his spell as England boss would go on to be a respectable one, it was the manner in which he carried out his business and how he started to accept mediocrity that set the tone for the rest of his career.
Under Eriksson over the next five years, England became more than competent but yet never exceeded expectations, with three consecutive quarter-final finishes at the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.
From a side that produced one of the nation's finest hours, beating Germany 5-1 in 2001, to a team that, despite exiting the World Cup 2006 quarter-final to Portugal on penalties with ten men, had struggled past the likes of Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago and Ecuador en route; and with the so-called 'Golden Generation'. Little progress was made.
The ironic thing is, many England fans would probably settle for Sven's safe hands right now, with Roy Hodgson's team facing a tough task to book their place at next year's World Cup. The Swede never had a problem with that side of things, winning 19, drawing four and losing just one - to Northern Ireland - of his 24 qualifiers at the Three Lions helm.
PA PhotosSven-Goran Eriksson was appointed England manager in 2001
Eriksson lost much respect from people for his off-field antics, which would go a long way to laying the foundations for the almost-comical character we see before us today. Whether it was his affair with TV presenter and compatriot Ulrika Jonsson, his fling with FA employee Faria Alam or his infamous 'Fake Sheikh' dealings, he often made the headlines for the wrong reasons. Something that seems unimaginable with the dignified Hodgson.
Eriksson was effectively asked to step aside from the England job in 2006 due to the Sheikh saga, setting the wheels in motion for the rest of his career, and ultimately proving to be something he would never recover from.
Manchester City
In 2007, no-longer-everyone's-favourite Swede took charge of Manchester City: a club in transition and on their way to winning the Premier League title five years later. Backed by the millions of former prime minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra, Eriksson brought in a number of exciting players, such as Elano and Martin Petrov. Sadly, in a sign of things to come, he was gone the following summer, despite having qualified for the UEFA Cup through the Fair Play League, achieved the club's joint-highest Premier League points total and become the first City manager to have won both league derby games against Manchester United since 1970. A ninth-place finish was ultimately not enough for Shinawatra, who told Eriksson he was "not the right man for the job".
Mexico
After the stresses of managing a club like City and following the orders of such a demanding boss as Shinawatra, Eriksson decided to return to the international fold in 2008 with Mexico. Just the odd few matches every couple of months, and only expected to qualify for the upcoming World Cup - which he could do with his eyes closed, remember. What could possibly go wrong? Most things, is the answer. The Swede was sacked just ten months into the job, following a run of one win from seven competitive matches, leaving the nation in grave danger of missing out on qualification.
Notts County
You are reading that correctly. Just three years after having been manager of England, Eriksson was now trying out a director of football role at League Two outfit Notts County. A Middle Eastern consortium took over the club with a five-year plan to take County into the Premier League. Along with the Swede, a number of new signings arrived, including Sol Campbell and Kasper Schmeichel. Unfortunately, the new backers soon pulled out, and by February 2010, seven months after his arrival, Eriksson too had grown tired of the experiment. He did at least outlast Campbell, who decided to jump ship the previous September, one month in.
Ivory Coast
GettyImagesSven-Goran Eriksson has headed to the Far East for work most recently
After the disaster that was the director of football role at Notts County, Eriksson decided he was probably best off becoming a national team manager once again. With Ivory Coast already qualified for the World Cup 2010, he did not have to worry about a Mexico-style situation. It was feet-up time, and the quarter-finals would surely soon appear from around the corner. The Elephants, however, failed to make it past the group stage, although they did have to face Brazil and Portugal. Still, the Swede was reportedly paid £270,000 for three months' work.
Leicester City
In August 2010, more Thai millions came calling: this time in the shape of a new consortium at Leicester City. Eriksson managed to guide a club bottom of the Championship to a tenth-place finish. Perhaps things were starting to look up for the luckless coach? However, following a summer of heavy investment that saw the arrivals of the likes of David Nugent and Schmeichel (again), a return of just five wins from the opening 13 games of the new season was enough to ensure the old 'left by mutual consent' would appear once again on the Swede's CV.
BEC Tero Sasana, Al Nasr
From 2012 onwards, perhaps knowing that his reputation in Europe and beyond had been more than tarnished, Sven decided to up sticks to Asia, where he has been ever since.
Having tried out life as a director of football, the technical director role was next on his list, at Thailand's BEC Tero Sasana. A new continent and a chance to start afresh, surely stability was now at the forefront of his mind. Four months later, he had moved to United Arab Emirates side Al Nasr. He had decided to stay loyal to the technical director role, in fairness.
Guangzhou R&F
After just four months in Dubai, yep you guessed it, Eriksson announced his switch to China.
"I've been at the club for four-and-a-half months and I have done what I was supposed to do," he said, confirming he has a shorter life span per club than Jose Mourinho.
As a final parting shot, it would be too easy to lament the sad decline of Sven's career; to compare trophies won pre and post 2001. Instead, outgoing Leeds chairman Ken Bates can have the last word on Eriksson, who, remember, was heavily linked with both the Manchester United and Chelsea jobs while England boss.
"We have had Sven-Goran Eriksson apply, but he won't be coming."
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