Perspective - The Orioles After Three Weeks...

After a nice six-game winning streak to start off the season, the Orioles had lost three in a row before last night's win? Have we officially started to suck now? Are the Orioles finally who we thought they were and have the smoke and mirrors faded away?

Reading some of the articles, forums and blogs out there — I think we are overreacting a bit. Personally, I would not say I have written off 2008, but I'm not concerned about the standings — I just want to see progress and the culture of the organization change.

We have 151 games to go; thus, anything can happen. Will we finish with 90 losses or more — most likely; however, if Jones develops and Wieters by some miracle blows through the minors, the Baltimore franchise will be in good shape.

The question you have to ask yourself, granted only three weeks into the season is: Are the Orioles better than they are in 2007 right now, or worse?

I think they are better now than they were i! n 2008. Honestly, I see a fight in this team that did not exist last year, as evidenced from what I have seen this past two weeks.

Like I said, I pretty much just want to see Jones develop, Markakis tear it up for another year, Loewen overcome his injuries, and see the good Daniel more often than the bad one.

I have put off even competing with the Red Sox and Yankees this year and next — I want to see a core put together and see if they can win along with connect with the fans.

A Ticket Offer Too Good To Refuse; Assuming We Win Of Course...

Well, in a creative promotion to cure the team of losing Sundays, the Orioles perhaps have an offer that fans cannot refuse...

In an effort to snap their 14-game Sunday losing streak, the Orioles have announced a sequel to the popular "We Win, You Win" promotion from July 6. The "We Win, You Win 2" promotion will raise the stakes, as all fans in attendance at the 1:35 p.m. game on Sunday, July 20 against the Detroit Tigers will receive two complimentary tickets in the same seating category to any future non-prime game, if the Orioles win.

Through Sunday's game, the Orioles were 45-48 on the season. They had a 1-14 record on Sundays, having not won a Sunday game since April 6 vs. Seattle at Oriole Park, the opening weekend of the year. The Orioles have a 44-34 combined record on all other days of the week.

"With three straight Sundays resulting in grueling one-run losses, we have to pull out all the stops and help the team get off to a fresh ! start after the All-Star Break," said Orioles Director of Communications Greg Bader. "We believe that 'We Win, You Win 2' will be fun for the fans, and hopefully rewarding as well. Buying a ticket for this Sunday could be like getting three tickets for the price of one."

Tickets for the Sunday, July 20 game are available for purchase online at www.orioles.com; via phone at 1-888-848-BIRD; or in person at the Camden Yards Box Office.

The "We Win, You Win 2" offer is valid for paid tickets only. If the Orioles defeat the Tigers, fans will be given two tickets in a comparable seat location to any of the 29 remaining non-prime dates during the 2008 regular season for every ticket turned in, subject to availability. If the Orioles win on July 20, the Camden Yards Box Office will remain open following the game to accommodate those fans wishing to redeem their tickets, though fans will also be able to redeem them any time prior to the conclusion of the seaso! n on September 28.

Khalil Greene Goes To St. Louis

Another deal in the Hot Stove season, this time in a trade with the Padres dumping salary and also garnering some prospects. It looks like our role in the rumored three team trade with the Cubs and Padres has gone up in smoke with this development.

In a slow-moving market, the Cardinals are acting quickly. St. Louis answered the biggest question in its 2009 lineup on Thursday, trading for Padres shortstop Khalil Greene. A day earlier, the Cards signed reliever Trever Miller to a one-year contract.

The Redbirds announced the trade on Thursday evening after a day of report! s and speculation. St. Louis will send relief prospect Mark Worrell and a player to be named later to San Diego.

It's the second deal consummated between the two teams in less than a year -- in December 2007, the Padres acquired Jim Edmonds for Minor League third baseman David Freese.

Greene will make $6.5 million in 2009, and thus far there are no indications as to how much, if any, of that salary the Padres would pick up. If St. Louis pays the entirety of Greene's 2009 salary, it would be left with approximately $10-15 million more in payroll room to find a second baseman and perhaps another starting pitcher and/or another left-handed reliever. Greene will be eligible for free agency after the 2009 season.

I don't know how this move makes the shortstop position for the Cardinals that much better; however, they only have Greene for one year, and if his numbers pick up, he's going to be line for a great pay day.

I'm not so sure ! he'd be good fit in Baltimore anyway aside from his power, and! not muc h else in my mind to jump and say "sign him".

Meanwhile, the Orioles keep looking -- with Renteria signed with San Francisco and Furcal most likely rumored to sign with Oakland, could Cesar Izturis be our next shortstop?

Pittsburgh Mayor to Change Last Name (Temporarily) In Anticipation Of The Steelers-Ravens Game

From the you can't believe it file...

Baltimore Sun: Mayor Ravenstahl issued a proclamation temporarily changing his name after he was taken to task by a local radio station for having Raven in it. I think Pittsburgh should just consider itself lucky that its mayor doesn't have more important personal issues to worry about.

Haven't heard what the two mayors are going to have a wager on Sunday's game, so all I can do is speculate. If the Ravens win, Ravenstahl would probably send some of those weird sandwiches with the french fries in them. If the Steelers win, I'm guessing we'll just give him something from Best Buy.

Should be a good game. Funny, how crazy people get about their sports, eh? All in good fun though and the best of luck to both teams. I'll have my predictions for this weekend's game maybe Thursday.

>>> Read More

Former Oriole Larry Bigbie Speaks About Steroids, the Mitchell Report & More to the Baltimore Sun...

Ah, to cap off a horrible week new-wise in baseball, former Oriole Larry Bigbie in the Baltimore Sun speaks to Dan Connolly about his role in the Mitchell Report, his career and also the fallout from everything -- up to his relationships and friends lost.

This is a must read article, as Bigbie -- once a highly touted young player, flamed out and is paying perhaps a dear price for being caught up in a bad situation as well as choosing the wrong friends.

>>> Read More

O's Down Nats, 6-2 in Norfolk; Eaton Named 5th Starter...

The Orioles are on their way back north to Baltimore; however, they made a detour in Norfolk and faced their neighbors to the south, the Washington Nationals. This afternoon, the Orioles faced a former teammate -- Daniel Cabrera -- and defeated them, 6-3.

Of course, with Cabrera, the more things change, the more they have stayed the same. He issued five walks and five runs in five innings, as well seemed to be all over the place at the plate.

Koji Uehara was solid as he went six innings and allowed two runs on a single hit. Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-run homer off Uehara in the fourth inning to tie! the game. The only other run the Orioles allowed came in the eighth inning as Lastings Milledge hit a solo shot off Matt Albers.

Nick Markakis hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Cabrera and in the fourth inning Cesar Izturis plated Melvin Mora to break a 2-2 tie; thereafter, Chad Moeller plate Brian Roberts and Ryan Freel with a single. Oscar Salazar drove in Baltimore's last run in the ninth inning.

Remember, Fan Fest is tomorrow at Camden Yards, and then they travel to Washington in the afternoon to face the Nationals again.

>>> Read More

Business is About to Pick Up in Philadelphia; Pedro Martinez Signs With Phils...

Interesting...

From CNN: Pedro Martinez and the Phillies have agreed to a deal on Tuesday and an announcement is expected on Wednesday, SI.com has learned.

The Phillies scouted Martinez twice recently and the right-hander passed a physical in Philadelphia on Tuesday, according to Yahoo! Sports. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that it is a one-year deal worth $1 million and includes $1.5 million in incentives.

Other teams interested in Martinez included the Diamondbacks, Indians, Pirates, Brewers, Cardinals! , Cubs and Rays.

I can imagine every start featuring Pedro from here on out will be must-see-TV just to see how Philadelphia reacts...

Rangers Wake Up This Morning in 8th Place

View the current Conference Standings at NHL.com






Rangers have a skate this morning at 10:30, more later on when there's more news & interviews available.

Game tonight vs. the Islanders @ 7pm on MSG

Wigs, Burritos, The Selke & A New NHL Record!

• Think Bruce Boudreau is sick of hearing about Alex Ovechkin's 50th goal celebration last week against Tampa? He has some pretty blunt quotes for the media. [Link]
  
  
• It's Scott Harntell wig night in Philly tonight. If you're going to the game, make sure that your one of the first 5,000 fans into the arena (or under 14 years old). I'd love for this to backfire on Philly and see a Flyer get a hat trick (of course still getting beat by Florida), what a mess that would be - 5,000+ wigs on the ice! [Link]
  
  
• Cal Clutterbuck, you know the Minnesota Wild rookie who fought Sean Avery on Tuesday night, set an NHL record last night. "Clutterbuck set a league record for hits in a season, breaking the mark set by Dustin Brown of the Kings last year." Thi! s article also discusses why the the record is a very subjective stat. [Link]
  
  
• Capitals win the Southleast Division. Well, not yet, but that hasn't stopped some retailers in Washington D.C. to start selling the "2009-09 Division Champions" shirt. [Link]
  
  
• Marty Turco is unhappy. What could possibly be wrong? He's playing like crap - where's Sean Avery when you need someone to blame? [Link]
  
  
• Interesting promotion out of San Jose - eating burritos with the players. [Link]
  
  
• Who do y! ou think is going to win the Selke (best defensive forward) this season? This Philly writer makes a case for Mike Richards. Well considering that he has a league leading 7 short handed goals, I think it's a safe bet that he'll be a nominee. [Link]
  

Patrick Roy Offered Avs Coaching Position

According to today's Denver Post:

Former Avs star Patrick Roy has been offered Granato's job and is mulling over the offer, according to multiple NHL sources who are close to Roy. The Hall of Fame goalie could not be reached for comment Sunday night, and the Avs had no comment about the possibility of Roy replacing Granato. Granato has not yet been told he's out of a job.

Roy, the co-owner, general manager and coach of major-junior hockey's Quebec Remparts, has made no secret of his desire to move into NHL coaching at some point. He met 10 days ago with Avalanche officials to discuss the possibility of rejoining the organization.

As for the GM job, Craig Billington, the Avs' vice president of hockey operations, is a leading candidate. Billington was Roy's backup as an Avs goal! ie at one time.

Amazon One Day Special Offer: 50% off Magainze Subscriptions

Zherdev Situation Getting Uglier

If it wasn't apparent to you last week after the Rangers signed UFA Ales Kotalik that the Rangers had no intention on bringing back Nik Zherdev, then this interview might convince you.

Found this yesterday while surfing the Rangers blogosphere over on Beyond The Blueshirts, it is a translation of an interview with Zherdev that appeared yesterday in the Russian newspaper Sport-Express:

- How is the situation with the Rangers now?

- The question of the contract remains open. I have submitted documents to the arbitration court, now my agent and I are waiting for the meeting, which will take place on July 31st. After the decision is made, it will be possible to talk about things more specifically.

- How, ! in your opinion, could this all end?

- If the Rangers agree to my terms — I'll sign the contract, if not — it will be necessary to search for other options with other teams.

- Are you not surprised that problems have come up after your very good season?

- Of course I'm surprised! To tell the truth, I thought that we would come to an agreement with the club easily, because last season was one of the best in my career. In New York things actually went very well for me — I scored 58 points. Though the year before in Columbus it turned out that I collected even more points — 61.

- And how likely is it that you'll return to Russia this summer?

- I would still like to play in the NHL, but I also haven't ruled out the option of moving to the KHL. It's possible that I'll remain in the Russian league for one year, then become a free agent and have the opportunity to negotiate with any NHL team.

- What are the chances that you will play in the KHL?

- Thirty percent, no less.

- And what Russian commands have offered you a contract?

- I'll only say that it's 3 or 4 top clubs in the KHL. If you excuse me, I won't name them.

- It's no secret, that during the World Championship, you were in contact with the management of Salavat Yulaev, but you turned down an offer from that club at the time. Why?

- Well, I won't hide it: Salavat has indeed shown interest in me. I did not turn this club down, I only said that for now I would like to remain in the NHL. But I didn't speak with representatives from the Ufa during the World Championship. In Switzerland all thoughts were only about the game — nobody conducted any negotiations.

- By the way, what impressions remain with you from the World Chamopionship?

- Our team won — that's the main impression. But personally, for me, the championship — I expect you remember — was unsuccessful. Alr! eady on my second shift in the tournament I broke a finger on my hand. I was able to play two matches in intense pain, and then the finger simply began to hurt intolerably — it was impossible to play in such a condition.

- During the World Championship you shared a room with Alexander Radulov. Did you speak with him about Salavat?

- We talked about various topics. Including about the KHL and about the Ufa team.

- Taking into account the upcoming Olympics, perhaps a move to Salavat Yulaev may be worth it, in order to continually be in the view of the coach of Team Russia [who also coaches Salavat]?

- I'll repeat, I haven't ruled out such an option. If I hadn't filed for arbitration, it would be possible to have conversations on the subject now already. But in the present situation it's useless. In any case, I don't think that I'll remain without a team (laughs).

- But nevertheless, why didn't the ! Rangers do everything they could to keep you? Could it be tha! t you do n't suit the coach?

- I don't even know how to answer you. I didn't hear any specific reprimands in his address. And there were no situations of conflict with the coaching staff.

- After the new head coach of the Rangers, John Tortorella, has come in, your statistics became worse than they had been over the course of the season with Tom Renney. Did Tortorella trust you less?

- That was probably one of the reasons. I admit, that I had slump — it's impossible to play the entire season completely evenly. During that time, at times my game was off completely.

- And on what team in NHL you would like to continue your career?

- To begin with, it must be a team that has a need for me. That's why I'll answer your question this way: it would be nice to play on one of the teams in the division that the Rangers play in.

- To show the New Yorkers they were wrong?

- No, it is simp! ly that when I played in Columbus, there were many long flights. It's more interesting to play in the Atlantic Division, and you fly much less there. Accordingly, you get less tired.

- Are there any teams in the NHL that you dreamed of playing for as a child?

- Yes, I always liked Detroit.

- And could you be traded there?

- I wouldn't exactly be against it!

- Czech forward Jiri Hudler of Detroit is planning to spend at least two seasons in the Kontinental league, and then return to the NHL. Should you not follow his example?

- It's hard to say. By the way, when I saw the news that Jiri had signed a contract with Moscow Dynamo, I was very surprised. I even thought that something had not been translated correctly.

- Is it possible that a place for you was just opened in Detroit?

- (Laughs.) I don't know, we'll see.

- When and where will y! ou start preparing for the season?

- Now in Ki! ev I'm k eeping in shape, I run constantly. And in a few days I will arrive in Moscow. Probably, I'll skate in Mytischi.

After reading that, do you still think Zherdev will be with the Rangers when training camp begins in two months?

Brashear vs Godard Fight Video

Idle notes.

Video of the day.

Mother Nature to rescue World Series ratings?

Question of the day.

Worst of sports media 2008.

Weekend ratings.

In the year 2000... (the Weekend ratings predictions edition)

Another steep drop for NASCAR on FOX.

Weekend ratings.

NASCAR ratings rut continues.

Idle notes.

TBS draws good numbers for Division Series on Sunday

Weekend overnight ratings

CALCIOMERCATO

DOMANI SERA ALLE 21:30...

Kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2009/2010 | Ukraina ke Play-off, Kroasia Tersingkir

Ukraina dan Kroasia sama-sama meraih kemenangan dalam laga terakhir mereka di babak kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2010. Ukraina melangkah ke babak play-off, sementara Kroasia harus tersingkir.

Pada laga terakhir Grup 6 yang dihelat Ka! mis (15/10/2009) dinihari WIB, baik Ukraina atau pun Kroasia sama-sama melawat ke markas lawan. Ukraina pergi ke kota Andorra la Vella untuk menghadapi Andorra, sedangkan Kroasia bertolak ke Astana untuk menghadapi Kazakhstan.

Di Stadion Comunal, Ukraina tak memberi ampun Andorra. Andriy Shevchenko cs. meremukkan tuan rumah dengan skor 6-0. Shevchenko sendiri mencetak gol pembuka untuk timnya pada menit 22.

Tetapi Ukraina harus menuggu hingga menit 61 untuk meraih gol keduanya. Usai Oleg Gusev mencetak gol kedua, barulah pasukan Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko itu leluasa menggelontor jala Andorra.

Berturut-turut gol bunuh diri Ildefons Lima (menit 71), gol Yaroslav Rakytskiy (80), Yevhen Seleznyov (81) dan Andriy Yarmolenko (84) merobek gawang Andorra yang dikawal Josep Moreira Gomez.

Sementara itu Kroasia sudah unggul lebih dulu ketika Ognjen Vukojevic membobol jala Kazakhstan di menit 10. ! Tetapi tuan rumah akhirnya bisa menyamakan kedudukan pada meni! t 26 lew at Sergei Kizhnichenko.

Gol kemenangan Kroasia baru hadir pada masa injury time, tepatnya pada menit 93. Adalah Niko Kranjcar yang menjadi pendulangnya. Namun, kemenangan ini tak membuat mereka menggenggam tiket play-off.

Kroasia berakhir di posisi tiga dengan koleksi nilai 20. Sedangkan Ukraina berada satu tempat di atas mereka dengan raihan nilai 21. Dengan demikian Ukraina yang berhak lolos ke babak play-off.

Jatah tiket untuk melaju langsung ke Afrika Selatan tahun depan sudah dipegang oleh Inggris. The Three Lions memimpin klasemen dengan koleksi nilai 24 dan baru akan memainkan laga terakhirnya di grup ini beberapa saat lagi melawan Belarusia.

FOOTBALL (SOCCER) HUMOUR

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SPANISH CUP 2008 - LAST 32 TEAMS WEDNESDAY RESULTS

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SPANISH NATIONAL FEMALE SQUAD. GOOD START TOWARDS EURO 2009

FORMULA 1. ALONSO 2º IN THE BRITISH GP

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FORMULA 1: CHINA GP - FERNANDO ALONSO 9TH

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Slaven Bilic: Man Behind Croatia

Slaven Bilic: Man Behind Croatia

Arnesen Ultimatum

By Jaymes Payten-Marsh
For THBN

Tottenham released the following statement in response to viewing a photograph of Frank Arnesen meeting with Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich on his yacht in Sardinia:

'Having seen the photo, we have contacted Chelsea and set a deadline for the matter to be resolved. If we do not receive a satisfactory agreement by noon on Friday, we shall be making a formal complaint to the FAPL and looking to exercise other potential options'.

The problem Tottenham have is that they have become the laughing stock of the Premier League. First, they ask for compensation in the region of £10 million. Reports then circulate that Scott Parker may be used in a swap deal. That fails to materialise as Parker moves to Newcastle. We are now told that Chelsea's striker, Carlton Cole, may be part of a sw! ap deal.

Chelsea are playing a very clever waiting game. With every passing day, the situation gets worse for Tottenham. How can the Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, make a complaint after nearly one month of deliberations?

If Levy does make a formal complaint to the F.A. & Premier League Associations, and they reject it, then it would seem as though Chelsea have won again.

The only way out of a scenario like that would be to hold onto Arnesen's contract and leave him in football limbo. But with Chelsea being as cunning as they are, I am sure they will hire the Tottenham Director of Football under the table.

All will be explained by noon on Friday.

German Striker & England Winger Linked

Reports are stating that we are after the Bayern Munich & German striker, Lukas Podolski.

The striker, who I feel would do great in the Premier League, is valued at around £8 million by the Bavarian club and has been shown the door after being deemed surplus to requirements.

It's probably just paper talk and/or his agent trying to get him a new club. If true, I feel he could strike up a sensational partnership with Keano as Podolski is powerful striker and likes to get stuck in.

Also doing the rounds (Metro Newspaper) is the story that Blackburn & England winger, Bentley, is close to a move to his beloved Spurs.

But at £15 million?? That's surely way too much for him. If we could get him for around £10 million, it would be a real catch.

If we are to actually sign the above two mentioned players, the only positions that we would need to fill would be a centre-half and a commanding central midfielder.

PS. O! h yeah, and a decent goal-keeper!

Anything to sell papers

The Mirror today wrote an article stating that Spurs are to offload O'Hara and Lennon in place of getting Keane back to the Lane.

I am a Spurs fan and have been one for a while. I am also a realist. Why would Liverpool want O'Hara? I can see the Anfield faithful really admiring Rafa for pulling off a coup like that!

The Mail also ran a piece saying that Harry is after Crouch, not Keane. To be honest, that story seems more likely as Crouch would offer another dimension to our squad.

The rumours surrounding Appiah have been doing the rounds. Harry may take a gamble on the fellow.

The transfer tittle-tattle is firmly underway. Expect us to be linked with approximately 172 players by January, 31st 2009.

Pav is part of the plan

Our Russian strikers' agent says that he is confident his client will be part of the Redknapp plan this season.

Can anyone shed some light on what this plan entails? I only ask as it looks like we really are linked with every player. Today I read that Beckham will join us or City. Give me a break.

Does this plan state how Crouch (possibly), Defoe, Bent, Keane & Pavlyuchenko will all be vying for a place up front? What about a left winger? We haven't had one of those since Ginola.

A lot of you have said that there will be some definite action in the next two weeks. I'll believe that when I see it!

Milan Belum Menyerah Kejar Dzeko

MILAN - Vfl Wolfsburg ogah melepas Edin Dzeko? Bukan pantangan bagi AC Milan untuk meneruskan upayanya memboyong bomber asal Bosnia-Herzegovina tersebut. Ya, wakil presiden sekaligus manajer umum Adriano Galliani kabarnya belum bersedia mengakhiri perburuannya terhadap Dzeko.
Apalagi, Dzeko sendiri sempat menyatakan hasratnya berkostum Rossoneri. Sportmediaset.it melansir, Kamis (2/6/2009), Il Diavolo akan kembali melancarkan tawaran kepada Wolfsburg guna mendaratkan Dzeko di San Siro. Milan d! isinyalir telah menyiapkan 22 juta euro untuk Dzeko dan berharap mendapatkan respon positif dari kampiun Bundesliga 2008/2009 tersebut.
Belum diketahui kapan tepatnya Rossoneri mengajukan tawaran tersebut, namun diduga itu akan menjadi tawaran terakhir yang disiapkan klub untuk Dzeko. Jika tawaran tersebut kembali menemui jalan buntu, maka klub asuhan Leonardo Araujo tampaknya akan segera mengalihkan perhatiannya kepada Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), atau Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Real Madrid).
Diantara ketiga pilihan tersebut, Huntelaar tampaknya memiliki peluang terbesar hijrah ke San Siro. Pasalnya, setelah kedatangan Karim Benzema dari Olympique Lyon, Los Blancos kini memiliki terlalu banyak striker dan diyakini tengah mencari jalan melepas sejumlah pemain lamanya. Il Diavolo sendiri belum lama ini telah mendapatkan dua striker muda Gianmarco Zigoni (Treviso) dan Giacomo Berreta (Albinoleffe) untuk memperkuat skuadnya di musim 2009/2010.

Luis Fabiano Tuntut Milan Lebih Agresif

MILAN - Dilaporkan sebelumnya, negosiasi antara Milan dan Sevilla untuk Luis Fabiano menemui jalan buntu. Milan menolak memenuhi permintaan harga Sevilla yang nilainya sedikit lebih tinggi dari penawaran mereka.
Menurut beberapa media Italia dan Spanyol, Milan hanya bersedia mengajukan tawaran tak lebih dari 12,5 juta poundsterling. Sementara Sevilla mematok harga 18 juta pounds. Milan akhirnya memilih menunggu dan bersabar dengan terus membuka kesempatan negosiasi kembali.
Akan tetapi, taktik ini membuat kubu Luis Fabiano geregetan. Milan dinilai terlalu lamban d! an kurang agresif. "Kami menunggu Milan untuk mengambil langkah pertama dan memulai negosiasi dengan Sevilla," ujar agen Luis Fabiano Jose Fuentes kepada Telebombardia. Kami tak bisa seterusnya menunggu selama seminggu, karena semuanya akan mudah bagi Luis fabiano dan Milan mencapai kesepakatan personal."
"Kubu Milan harus terbang ke Sevilla, meningkatkan nilai tawaran mereka dan membuat sedikit pengorbanan secepatnya untuk bisa membawa Luis Fabiano pergi. Harga dia hanya 18 juta pounds," tegas Fuentes.

Galliani Bantah Kudeta Berlusconi

MILAN - Wakil Presiden AC Milan Adriano Galliani membantah berita yang menyebutkan dirinya akan membeli klub tersebut bersama pemodal dari Israel. Media massa di Italia secara mengejutkan menyebut Galliani sebagai calon pemilik baru Milan bakal menggeser pemilik saat ini, Silvio Berlusconi.

Langkah Galliani dilakukan untuk menyelamatkan klub tersebut dari krisis ekonomi yang melanda "I Rossoneri". Aksi mengambil alih kekuasaan Milan itu konon akan dilakukan Galliani dengan menggandeng investor dari Israe! l.
"Cerita ini sama sekali tidak beralasan, sama sekali tidak benar," bantah Galliani. "Rekor Presiden Berlusconi tidak terpecahkan dan menjadi kuat sejak 1 November 1979." Hubungan Galliani dan Berlusconi terbentuk sejak keduanya merintis bisnis jaringan televisi komersial pada 1979.
Berlusconi, yang oleh majalah Forbes disebut memiliki kekayaan lebih dari Rp 73 triliun, kemudian membeli Milan dan menetapkan Galliani sebagai tangan kanannya pada 1986. Ketika Berlusconi terpilih sebagai Perdana Menteri Italia, jabatan Presiden Milan pun kosong dan Galliani ditugaskan untuk mengurus klub tersebut.

Pirlo Pernah Ragukan Kemampuan Leonardo

MILAN - Andrea Pirlo dan sejumlah pemain veteran AC Milan ternyata sempat meragukan kemampuan Leonardo. Namun, perasaan itu kini telah berganti dengan semangat dan dukungan penuh kepada pelatih mereka itu. Leonardo ditunjuk sebagai pengganti Carlo Ancelotti akhir musim lalu. Sebelumnya, ia tak pernah menjabat sebagai pelatih dan hanya menjadi pencari bakat di Milan.
Minimnya pengalaman Leonardo itu memunculkan pertanyaan soal kemampuannya melatih tim sebesar "I Rossoneri". "Musim lalu, ketika beredar rumor bahwa dia akan mengambil alih, k! ami sedikit skeptis," aku Pirlo kepada Sky Sport Italia. "Dia tidak pernah menjadi pelatih dan aneh jika direktur mengambil keputusan ini."
Benar saja, Leonardo bisa dikatakan gagal total saat melakoni ajang uji coba selama musim panas ini. Dari sekian laga persahabatan lawan tim-tim terbaik dunia, "Il Diavolo" hanya menang sekali. Itu pun terjadi melalui adu penalti lawan Juventus di San Siro dalam ajang Trofeo Berlusconi.
Meski demikian, Pirlo dkk tetap memercayai mantan pemain Brasil itu. Mereka yakin bahwa Leonardo telah dan akan bekerja dengan sungguh-sungguh. Lepas dari berbagai kekurangan yang ada dalam tim, Pirlo menilai bahwa ada perubahan positif sejak tangan dingin Leonardo menangani para pemain.
"Namun, setelah melihatnya pelan-pelan mulai kerasan di posisi barunya, semuanya berjalan baik. Leonardo sangat memperhatikan setiap detil dan langsung turun tangan. Kami mencoba membantunya sebaik mungkin untuk meraih sukses," tambahnya.
Pirlo menamb! ahkan, untuk mewujudkan sukses itu, para pemain harus bertangg! ung jawa b bersama dan mau berkorban bagi tim. Dengan atau tanpa pelatih, tujuan utama mereka adalah memenangi pertandingan dan memburu gelar juara.

Huntelaar Ingin Cetak Gol Ke Gawang Madrid

MILAN - Partai AC Milan versus Real Madrid, atau sebaliknya, rupanya menjadi partai yang sangat ditunggu Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Ingin unjuk gigi dan kemampuan di dua klub itu menjadi misi Huntelaar.
Kepada AC Milan, ia berharap bisa membuktikan jika ia layak menjadi andalan lini depan. Sedangkan kepada Real Madrid, ia ingin menegaskan jika klub Spanyol itu telah melakukan kesalahan menyia-nyiakan bakat yang dimilikinya.
"Aku tahu pertandingan baru akan berlangsung bulan Oktober. Kami akan menghadapi Real Madrid dan akan merupakan sesuatu yang hebat jika aku mampu me! mbuat sebuah tanda [gol] di pertandingan itu," kata Huntelaar kepada Ilsussidiario.net. "Dalam enam bulan, aku ditangani tiga pelatih dan dipimpin tiga presiden.
Aku mencetak gol delapan kali di Spanyol musim lalu dan aku menjadi striker terbaik selama periode itu. Real membeliku dengan harga 27 juta euro, tapi akhirnya mereka menjualku." "Leonardo memberikan jaminan jika ia mendatangkanku tidak hanya untuk melihatku duduk di bangku cadangan," simpulnya.

Abate Tak Pusingkan Posisi Milan

MILAN - Gelandang Ignazio Abate mengatakan kekalahan 1-0 atas Udinese tidak mencerminkan jalannya pertandingan dan merasa Milan berhak mendapat hasil imbang.
Pemain berusia 22 tahun itu bertekad melupakan kekalahan tersebut secepat mungkin agar bisa berkonsentrasi melawan Bari dan dia mengakui posisi Rossoneri di klasemen mencerminkan hal yang kurang baik. "Hasil akhir pertandingan berbohong.
Hasil imbang mungkin akan lebih fair, kami bermain baik," jelas pemain tim nasional Italia U-21 itu kepada Milan Channel. "Udinese bermain bagus, mereka memanfaatkan serang! an balik dengan baik. Di babak kedua kami berusaha menyamakan kedudukan, tetapi gagal."
"Kami memulai babak kedua dengan buruk, tetapi masuknya Ronaldinho membuat kami menciptakan beberapa peluang." "Posisi Milan di klasemen belum terlalu mengkhawatirkan, tetapi kami harus meraih angka penuh saat bermain di kandang sendiri melawan Bari," ujarnya mengakhiri. Milan saat ini berada di posisi ketujuh bersama Chievo, Roma dan Lazio dan tertinggal enam angka dari pemimpin sementara Inter.

sumber : goal.com

Real Madrid Menggila Berkat Aksi Para Pemainnya|Bola Lover

Bola Lovers,sebelumnya saya ingin meengucapkan Selamat Hari raya idul fitri bagi yang merayakannya.oh iya,karena lebaran saya pun juga harus libur posting.ya dikarenaka saya adalah warnet user.warnet nya libur saya juga harus ikut libur deh... T__T..(sedihnya ga punya sambungan internet dirumah....)
Kenapa jadi curhat masalah! pribadi gini yah ?!?!?!?! =="

Bola yang kali ini akan saya bahas adalah tentang pertandingan anatara Real Madrid Vs Xerez.Tim sepak bola raksasa ini atau yang sering di sebut Los galacticos ini berhasil menghancurkan musuhnya dengan skor 5-0.Pertandinngan kali ini merupakan hujan gol bagi real madrid dan membuktikan kualitas para pemain bintangnya.Pada babak pertama saja di detik 47 real madrid sudah bisa membobol gawang lawannya oleh aksi Cristiano Ronaldo membuat Real ungul 1-0.Pada babak ke-2 pertandingan dilaksanakan kembali,pada menit awal babak ke 2 CR79 membuat gol lagi lewat aksi indahnya.kemudian gol ke-3 diciptakan Guti Hernandez yang masuk sebagai pemain pengganti.Karim benzema menciptakan gol ke-4 bagi real madrid.dan gol penutup real Madrid di ciptakan rut van nistelrooy yang menggantikan CR 9. dan akhirnya tim sepak bola ini menang 5-0 atas xe! rez. Ah mungkin berita ini udah gag up date,yah habis mau gima! na lagi, saya baru bisa OL sekarang..daripada tidak ada content sama sekali....

saya juga mau mengucapkan terimaksih kepada om google karena sudah mau menemani saya nonton pertandingan bola menarik ini.(ketahuan dah bohongnya,tadi katanya user warnet,pertandingan ini kan disiarin jam 12 malem.mana bisa ke warnet jam segitu,apalagi warnetnya lbiur ==") hehheeee.... Go sepak bola !

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Aurelio reveals Rafa anger

The Brazilian full-back has admitted that the normally cool Spaniard blew his top at half-time in Tuscany during their UEFA Champions League clash.

Liverpool were 2-0 down at the Artemio Franchi, and Benitez made his feelings clear to his charges, although despite a second half improvement the scoreline stayed the same.

"That was the most annoyed we have seen the manager, but we all were," admitted Aurelio.

"We all felt like that after the first half and that's why you saw a better performance in the second.

"But we didn't need harsh words at half-time - we all knew that we were not playing well and that we had to be much better.

"In the second we were a different side and if it had been like that from the start it could have been a different result."

Chelsea
Aurelio admits that Liverpool will be looking to shrug off their defeat in Italy as they tackle Chelsea on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1.

"In football you always have a chance to put it right and turn things to your favour and ours comes at Chelsea on Sunday," he said.

"It's a good opportunity for us to get over the disappointment of losing to Fiorentina.

"It is a very important game in the Premier League, against a very strong side, and we have to recover from this result straight away and have the confidence we can do a good job again.

"We have to fight really hard to take the points.

"It's important to get something against the top sides. We are scoring more goals at the moment but you must keep improving if you want to win trophies."

Hargreaves Kembali November

Manchester,-

Setelah absen selama lebih dari satu tahun karena cedera, gelandang Manchester United Owen Hargreaves akan segera berlatih. Ia diplot untuk kembali pada bulan November.

Hargreaves telah menjalani operasi di Amerika Serikat untuk mengobati cedera patellar tendinitis, yakni radang pada tendon yang mengikatkan otot betis di tulang kering kakinya.

"Kita mungkin akan melihatnya berlatih dalam 10 hari ke depan dan dia seharusnya kembali pada awal November," terang manajer MU Sir Alex Ferguson seperti dikutip Reuters..........


Hargreaves pernah menjalani operasi di kedua lututnya dan terakhir bermain tatkala The Red Devils bermain imbang 1-1 melawan Chelsea pada September 2008.

Gelandang 28 tahun itu memang dikenal rentan cedera. Sejak bergabung dengan MU dengan nilai transfer 17 juta poundsterling dari Bayern Munich tahun 2007, Hargreaves baru bermain sebanyak 25 kali.

"Kami akan sabar menanti karena yang penting adalah dia dapat bermain di level yang benar. Kami terus bicara dengan dia serta dengan dokter yang merawat selama rehabilitasi di Amerika," kata Ferguson.

"Itu berarti kami semua dapat mengerti setiap perawatan dan rehabilitasi yang dilakukannya," pungkas dia. (*)

EURO 2008, I CONVOCATI DELLA SPAGNA

Comincia con questo post l'avventura Euro 2008 di Tv Calcio. Una serie di articoli e news vi accompagneranno fino all'inizio della competizione in Austria e Svizzera.

La Spagna ha già diramato le convocazioni tramite il suo ct, Luis Aragones:
Portieri: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF), Pepe Reina (Liverpool FC), Andrés Palop (Sevilla FC).

Difensori: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF), Álvaro Arbeloa (Liverpool FC), Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Valencia CF), Raúl Albiol (Valencia CF), Juanito (Real Betis Balompié), Joan Capdevilla (Villarreal CF), Fernando Navarro (RCD Mallorca).

! Centrocampisti: Marcos Senna (Villarreal CF), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool FC), Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona), Cesc Fábregas (Arsenal FC), Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona), Rubén De la Red (Getafe CF), David Silva (Valencia CF), Santiago Cazorla (Villarreal CF).

Attaccanti: David Villa (Valencia CF), Daniel Güiza (RCD Mallorca), Sergio García (Real Zaragoza), Fernando Torres (Liverpool FC).

LIPPI RITORNA SULLA PANCHINA DELL'ITALIA

Marcello Lippi torna alla guida della Nazionale. Il presidente della Figc, Giancarlo Abete, lo ha nominato nuovo commissario tecnico degli azzurri in sostituzione di Roberto Donadoni. Lo ha comunicato la stessa Figc con una nota sul proprio sito, solo qualche ora dopo l'addio al ct uscente, che ha condotto l'Italia fino ai quarti di finale di Euro 2008. Lippi sarà presentato martedì 1° luglio in una conferenza stampa a Roma.
La Federazione non ha reso nota la durata del contratto di Lippi, ma sarà quasi certamente un biennale. Con obiettivo, ovviamente, i Mondiali del 2010 in Sud Africa. I dettagli saranno stabiliti prima della conferenza di present! azione di martedì.
Il tecnico viareggino torna dunque alla guida tecnica della Nazionale, dopo il ciclo iniziato nell'estate 2004 (Islanda-Italia 2-0 in amichevole il 18 agosto 2004, la sua gara d'esordio) e culminato con il trionfo azzurro ai Mondiali di Germania 2006. Lippi ha collezionato 29 presenze sulla panchina dell'Italia, con bilancio che parla di 17 vittorie, 10 pareggi e 2 sconfitte. "Sono molto, molto, molto felice. E anche molto motivato". Queste le prime parole del neo-ct.Prima di Lippi, solo un altro commissario tecnico aveva ripreso le redini della nazionale maggiore azzurra in un secondo periodo. Si tratta di Vittorio Pozzo, la cui esperienza alla guida dell'Italia si articolò addirittura in tre periodi distinti: il primo dal 29 giugno al 3 luglio 1912, il secondo dal 9 marzo al 2 giugno 1924 e infine l'ultimo dall'1 dicembre 1929 al 5 agosto 1948, per un bilancio complessivo che parla di 63 successi, 17 pareggi e 15 sconfitte su 95 panchine ufficiali.!

NEDVED:"STANKOVIC E' IL MIO EREDE"

Dopo Legrottaglie e Chiellini, anche Nedved apre all'arrivo alla Juventus di Stankovic. Il nome del centocampista nerazzurro gira ancora molto soprattutto all'interno della squadra bianconera. Meno tra i tifosi: "Non vedo giusto l'ostracismo degli ultras. Io valuto il giocatore" ha detto il ceco. "Uno come lui - ha poi aggiunto - farebbe comodo a tutti. Se mi assomiglia? Può darsi, ma alla Lazio avevamo ruoli diversi".

Nedved ha poi aggiunto: "Io lo conosco come un grande giocatore e come un bravissimo ragazzo. Spetta però alla scoietà e al tecnico decidere".


Insomma, in casa Juve sempre aprirsi un altro spiraglio per l'arrivo del serbo.

ULTIM'ORA: SALTA LA PRIMA PANCHINA, VIA COLANTUONO

"Il Palermo ha sollevato dall'incarico di allenatore Stefano Colantuono. L'incarico viene affidato a Davide Ballardini, che guiderà la squadra già dall'allenamento di giovedì pomeriggio". Con questo scarno comunicato, apparso sul proprio sito ufficiale, il club siciliano ha messo fine alla seconda avventura del tecnico romano sulla panchina rosanero. Colantuono era già stato esonerato da Zamparini lo scorso anno e poi richiamato.

IL GRIFONE SU OWEN

Vi ricordate di Michael Owen? Il talento esploso nelle fila del Liverpool qualche anno fa e oggi al Newcastle? Bene, secondo voci provenienti dall'Inghilterra, il 28enne attaccante inglese sarebbe nel mirino del Genoa. La società del Grifone non ha ancora fatto un'offerta ufficiale, ma è stata ingolosita dal fatto che Owen, il cui contratto è in scadenza nel giugno 2009, non ha ancora parlato di rinnovo con il club di Premier League.

Il proprietario del Newcastle, Mike Ahsley, sta pensando di cedere la mano (agli arabi) e per questo il futuro della società, e dei suoi giocatori, è ancora incerto.
Un'occasione in più per il G! enoa, che potrebbe rinforzare il proprio parco offensivo, affiancando Owen a Diego Milito per quella che sarebbe una coppia da sogno.
Molto dipenderà da come andranno le trattative tra l'ex nazionale inglese e i Magpies. Anche perché di mezzo c'è un ingaggio da capogiro, qualcosa da oltre venti milioni di euro in tre anni. Ed è forse questo l'unico vero ostacolo per i rossoblu.
Potrebbe, tuttavia, esserci da battere anche la concorrenza "interna" dell'Inter, che poco tempo fa aveva fatto un sondaggio per portare a Milano proprio lo stesso Owen, a dimostrazione della grande considerazione di cui gode ancora un giocatore mai completamente affermatosi.

XAVI A TUTTO CAMPO DAL REAL ALL'INTER

La gente catalana ha pensato che Xavi stesse diventando un vero giocatore del Barcellona una sera di aprile del 2004, quando un suo astuto pallonetto — che da queste parti chiamano vaselina a sottolineare la soavità della fregatura — diede al Barça la vittoria al Bernabeu dopo sette anni di viaggi a vuoto. Non poteva essere altrimenti, perché in Spagna (e in Catalogna, che non è la stessa cosa) la maturità di un calciatore, per quanto talento possieda, si misura da ciò che riesce a fare in un clasico, come viene definito il confronto diretto fra Real Madrid e Barcellona. Da quella vaselina Xavi è ulteriormente cresciuto, fino a venire eletto, in questo magico 2008, miglior giocatore dell'Europeo! e quinto assoluto nella classifica del Pallone d'oro, gran piazzamento per uno che non abbonda in effetti speciali ma semplicemente gioca (assai bene) a calcio. E dunque davanti a noi c'è un uomo di 28 anni che di recente si è nutrito di gloria, eppure parla ancora da affamato. Specie questa settimana.
Il Barcellona sta benissimo, il Real malissimo. E' una sintesi che la convince?
"Solo nella prima parte, è vero che noi stiamo benissimo. Il resto è complesso da capire. Provo a spiegarmi: il destino di Barça e Real è di stare sui due piatti della stessa bilancia. Non possiamo essere felici assieme, tra noi c'è una tale rivalità che il successo dell'uno automaticamente svaluta il risultato dell'altro, che magari in assoluto non sarebbe così negativo. Oggi il Real sembra in crisi perché noi stiamo filando da far paura, ma la distanza è minore di quanto sembri".
C'è scritto sugli specchietti retrovisori delle macchine americane: attenzione, gli oggetti che ve! dete riflessi qui potrebbero essere più vicini di quanto appai! ano.
"Perfetto, il concetto è questo. I tifosi ci chiedono la manita, ovvero un 5-0, perché il nostro gioco li sta entusiasmando e pensano che un'occasione così propizia per umiliare i rivali non capiterà più. Ma nel nostro spogliatoio nessuno sputerebbe su un semplice 1-0, che ci porterebbe 12 punti avanti al Real; non sottovalutiamo la loro capacità di reagire, già in Champions si è visto qualcosa".
L'esonero di Schuster l'ha sorpresa?
"Sì. Ma più ancora mi avevano sorpreso le sue parole di resa. La frase "al Camp Nou non possiamo vincere" suonava falsa, strategica".

Ha letto dei possibili accoppiamenti negli ottavi di Champions?Tutte squadre forti, e un'opzione è addirittura l'Inter di Mourinho. "Ho letto, ho letto... E' prematuro esprimere una preferenza, ma sappia che se venissimo sorteggiati contro l'Inter il fascino della sfida supererebbe la paura di non farcela. Se mi passa la battuta, sarebbe un match speciale... Mourinho è un grande, l'ho con! osciuto qui, quando lavorava con noi, e già allora ero certo che avrebbe sfondato. Un'eliminatoria con l'Inter sarebbe equilibratissima".
Le piacerebbe anche una rivincita Spagna-Italia al Mondiale 2010? "Dipende a quale livello del torneo. L'accetterei col sorriso sulle labbra soltanto se arrivasse molto in là. Diciamo che mi auguro di affrontare l'Italia il più tardi possibile, perché non ho dimenticato l'asprezza del quarto che abbiamo vinto ai rigori all'Europeo; le nazionali che andranno in Sudafrica per vincere sono tante, ma non ci sarebbe nulla di strano se Spagna-Italia valesse il titolo".

Nel suo ruolo abbiamo due grandi nomi: Pirlo per l'oggi e Aquilani per il domani.
"Pirlo resta il migliore, perché alle doti di visione del gioco unisce ora la grande esperienza. Aquilani è una splendida promessa, può raggiungere Pirlo; ma al momento lo sta ancora inseguendo".

E' rimasto sorpreso dalla rapidità con la quale Ronaldinho si è inse! rito nel Milan?
"Per niente. Il calcio è un gioco sempli! ce, molt o basato sul talento: se ne hai tanto — e Dinho ne ha tanto moltiplicato per dieci — ti adatti in fretta a ogni situazione nuova".
Però c'è qualche problema tattico con Kakà.
"Lo capisco, giocano sostanzialmente nella stessa posizione, e lì ce ne può stare uno. Però anche Kakà ha talento, assieme troveranno la soluzione. La mia idea è che entrambi debbano variare un po' la zona di operazioni: non può essere uno solo a sacrificarsi".

Lei, Puyol, Iniesta, Messi, Valdes, Bojan... Xavi, perché un club ricco come il Barcellona pesca con tanta facilità nel vivaio?
"Perché ha trovato nel tempo una serie di allenatori capaci di dare fiducia ai giovani: quando si accorgevano che in squadra mancava qualcosa, Van Gaal, Rijkaard e adesso Guardiola hanno cercato innanzitutto nella "cantera". E' un trucco semplicissimo, stento a capire perché gli altri non ci arrivino".

LA 22.MA GIORNATA DI A SU TVCALCIO

Sabato 31 Gennaio
Napoli-Udinese h 18.15 (hlts disponibili dalle 22)
Juventus-Cagliari h 20.45 (live)

Domenica 1 Febbraio*
Atalanta-Catania h 15.15
Bologna-Fiorentina
Chievo-Sampdoria
Genoa-Palermo
Inter-Torino (hlts disponibili dalle 18.45)
Reggina-Roma
Siena-Lecce
Lazio-Milan h 20.45 (live)

* domenica 1 Febbraio resta confermato l'appuntamento live del posticipo mentre per il pomeriggio verrà scelta una gara o diretta gol.

AMAURI,IL BRASILIANO CHE DIVENTA ITALIANO

Da oggi Amauri è un po' più "italiano". La moglie Cynthia ha infatti giurato a Palermo sulla Costituzione e tra qualche giorno riceverà il passaporto. A questo punto, via alle pratiche anche per quello dell'attaccante della Juve che, a sua volta, ha l'opportunità di diventare italiano a tutti gli effetti. Per i tempi, si parla di circa sei mesi, dopo di che toccherà ad Amauri decidere se rispondere o meno a un'eventuale chiamata di Lippi.

La prima data buona per vedere il brasiliano in azzurro potrebbe essere la spedizione dell'Itali! a in Sudafrica a giugno per la Confederations Cup. Sempre che Marcello Lippi decida di convocarlo e che, nel frattempo, non arrivi una convocazione da parte di Dunga per il Brasile.

Oggi alle 17 CDA nel Napoli.Stasera sapremo il nuovo destino di Donadoni

L'appuntamento è per le 17 di oggi, quando Aurelio de Laurentiisincontrerà i suoi più stretti collaboratori e getterà le basi del nuovo ciclo del Napoli. Se poi di questa nuova era farà parte ancheRoberto Donadoni - e al momento non pare facile - lo sapremo prestissimo. Già, perché il presidente dei partenopei sembra determinato a voltare pagina e, in attesa di trovare un nuovo tecnico, sta cercando da giorni il sostituto di Marino.

E proprio partendo dal nuovo dg il presidente del Napoli ha intenzione di rifondare la squadra. I nomi sul taccuino di de Laurentiis sono, fin qui, quelli di Montali - il patron dei partenopei vuole un manager a tutto tondo più che uno "specialista" del calcio - e quello di Lele Oriali. Quest'ultimo, in particolare, per il suo legame lavorativo con Roberto Mancini, tecnico che piace alla piazza e piace a de Laurentiis.

Non solo Mancini, però, per il quale bisognerebbe prima risolvere la grana Inter - il tecnico di Jesi è ancora sotto contratto con i nerazzurri. E che contratto! -, ma anche Walter Mazzarri e Delio Rossi. Entrambi liberi ed entrambi graditi al numero uno del club campano. La decisione sarà presa oggi. Il nuovo Napoli è qui e ora.

The half decent football magazine..

British Renaissance - di Emanuela Martini

Kaka: "L'Italia non è in crisi. Balotelli farà grande l'Italia"

ROMA - Ecco le parole di Ricardo Kaka alla vigilia della finale di Confederations Cup: "Quando arriva una competizione come il Mondiale gli azzurri sono sempre tra i favoriti. Ho giocato 6 anni li da voi, e conosco la mentalità vincente dei giocatori: e poi Lippi è un tecnico molto preparato, saprà trovare presto i rimedi necessari. Leggo sempre con piacere quello che accade nel vostro calcio, ho visto in Tv le partite dell'Under 21 di Casiraghi, ci sono dei bravi giovan! i. In particolare, Balotelli secondo me può dare tanto per il futuro della Nazionale italiana."

Simone Pizzi

Charles Church is among the liquidators of the editorial work of the centenary, "Century Rossoblù".

"An adventure game last autumn, when with Lamberto Bertozzi and Charles Caliceti we have been in head of a dream: enrich the celebrations of the centenary of the Bologna with so rich and complete work in terms of content, statistics and pictures do not have precedents and hits the scene of the national and international publishing." An ambitious project has collected the accession of society and family Menarini, provided that, despite the amount of the project and editorial as necessary to publish it, does not become a product elitist, expensive and therefore inaccessible part of the public. The instance was right, because our target is great people rossoblù, all the fans from front to back, and the condition was met thanks to commitment dela Publisher Minerva Bologna, who married the project with enthusiasm and accepted the challenge to achieve a rich work in popular price. The result makes us very proud: we have translated on paper the original project.

The first three v! olumes i s dedicated to the history of the Bologna. There was a great precedent: the book of the fiftieth anniversary by Turrini. We have thought to spread from scratch, moving in three directions: historical research, statistics and images. Our historical research ripercorso all the way of club: we are allocated from the first day, the birth of Bologna, to try to find something more and different, we succeeded, with the help of many actors, for example Isotta Rauch, daughter of the first mythical President of the Bologna and the College of Spain, where we have reconstructed the history of Antonio Bernabeu, special character that was among the founders o! f the rossoblù; club Adalbert Bortolotti has enriched opera considering playing tactics. Turning to statistics, Lamberto Bertozzi showed regain all tabellini official consignments from 1909 to date. For images, Maurizio Subscriber gave shots of modern times, mind archives Breveglieri and Comaschi documenting the farthest years. A complete job, has no weaknesses.

The second volume is the most innovative, an encyclopedia universal Bologna comprising all the scibile in strict alphabetical order: characters,! footballers (each with biography, personal and career in Bolo! gna, mor e than 60 biographies signed by Gianfranco Civolani), coaches, Presidents, large fans, sports directors, Secretaries, characters curious, facts, anecdotes, yellow, triumphs, competitions and whatever the other. More than a thousand entries for a job impressive that no club in the world equal in terms of publishing.

The third book is a rich set of shots of the best of the upcoming exhibition "Bologna, love my - Memorabilia": football is also a story of love and emotions, which we wanted to meet in this beautiful volume which will certainly affect the heart of all the fans.

Tomorrow the work is on sale in libraries: 64 euro is the total price of the first two volumes, EUR 24 one of the third book. Also quit a luxury Edition with a cushioned to 180 euro. "We present this work with pride: the wonderful dream had has become a reality, these books are the real true emblem of the century of Bologna".
http://www.bolognafc.it/it/news/pagine/7045/Chiesa--Un-opera-senza-precedenti-.html

Liverpool look upon creative Madrid ace after losing to Villa

Rafa Benitez has been alerted to the possibility of signing Arjen Robben from Real Madrid but faces a battle with Manchester United.

Robben is a very creative and a flare player and that is something what Liverpool have lacked over years.So it would be a great move by Liverpool to buy Robben.But as far as the Funds are concerned i don't see any funds left for Liverpool.

Rafa has already admitted that he doesn't have any more transfer fund left with him.

The Spanish ! tactician has been a long time admirer of the winger and the defeat to Aston Villa on Monday night has highlighted the desperate need to add some width to the side.

The Dutch star could be available for around £18m and Benitez could well demand that owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett put their hands in their pockets and stump up some of the cash they received for Xabi Alonso in order for Benitez to strengthen the squad. Reports in Spain suggest that the former Chelsea winger is now available but Benitez is not alone in his admiration as United boss Sir Alex Ferguson also likes him and has the money to hand to buy him.

The arrival of Robben would again cast a doubt over the future of winger Ryan Babel who has failed to live up to his expectations at Anfield since his arrival from Ajax for around £11m two years ago.

Ade - I've done nothing wrong

The Togo star scored City's third goal in a 4-2 win over the Gunners and caused controversy by running the length of the field to celebrate in front of away fans.

Adebayor, who left Arsenal this summer in a ?5million deal, is also in hot water after appearing to stamp on the face of ex-team-mate Robin van Persie.

Critics have called for the 25-year-old to be handed a suspension, but he does not think he has done anything wrong and has yet to hear from the Football Association.

"I don't know what I have done wrong to get banned," said Adebayor in The Sun.

Mistake
"I have not heard the police or FA want to talk to me. The club have not said anything."

Adebayor admits he made a mistake by running in front of the Gunners supporters after they reacted angrily and a steward was struck by a thrown object.

But he maintains that the act was not premeditated, adding: "It was silly to run up in front of the Arsenal! fans. But these people have been insulting me all game.

"Even in the warm-up they were insulting me. They were saying things that are not nice to hear, personal things.

"I didn't plan it, not at all. I didn't even know that I would score. The way things were going from the warm-up, at the end it came into my head.


Apologise
"I would like to apologise to the steward for what happened, why not?"

Adebayor is also looking forward to playing against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on 24th April 2010.

He said: "I can go and play at the Emirates for the return game, why not? I play for Manchester City and if they want me to go and play, I will play."

Adebayor also claims that Van Persie, who branded his former colleague's actions 'mindless and malicious', did not accept an apology after the match.

He added: "After the game I saw him and said sorry but he didn't even want to speak to me."

Gourcuff saves face Domenech

Becks in Milan: Victoria Beckham the Dilemna

Rafa record in the Threshold Two Anfield Legend

The 'Beckham Croats' had sex in the field

'Let Creation Rooney'

Harrington handed Woods in USPGA

Harrington beat Garcia and Curtis by two shots in the USPGA last yea

Tiger Woods and defending champion Padraig Harrington will play together in the first two rounds of the USPGA which begins at Hazeltine on Thursday.

Woods and Harrington, who have won five of the last nine majors, also played together at the US Open.

Rich Beem, who won the USPGA when it was last held at Hazeltine in 2002, ma! kes up the trio in Minnesota.

Masters champion Angel Cabrera, US Open winner Lucas Glover and Open champion Stewart Cink are also grouped together.

World number two Phil Mickelson will play with Paul Azinger and David Toms.

Bolt says he wants to try long jump

!

It may be time to extend those sand pits because Usain Bolt is considering the long jump.

The Jamaican sprint star said Thursday he would like to try the long jump some day.

If Bolt comes close to the standards he has set in the sprints, the world record of 8.95 meters could be in danger some day, although he said the addition of a new event to his schedule was not around the corner. Mike Powell's world record has stood since 1991.

"I definitely want to try the long jump, I think I can be a good long jumper," Bolt said Thursday, on the eve of the Weltklasse Golden League meet in Zurich. "I'! ve messe d around with it. I think I'd be good. I think I'd have a good distance, just looking at it."

Although Bolt said he has never measured his leaps, the 23-year-old sprinter who shattered world records in the 100 and 200 meters at the world championships did not put a timetable on his long jumping career.

"Maybe when the races start getting tighter, closer," Bolt said.

While not ruling out that he might compete in the long jump at the 2012 Olympics in London, Bolt cautioned that it was still just his own idea.

"I haven't discussed it with my coach," said Bolt, who ! added that running the 400 was not in his plans. "I want to try it (the long jump) before I retire."

That could be some time off. Bolt slashed .11 seconds off his world record in both the 100 and 200 this month in Berlin, winning overwhelmingly. He clocked 9.58 in the 100 and 19.19 in the 200 to improve the times he set in winning gold medals at last year's Beijing Olympics.

Bolt said he was surprised by how quickly he ran the 200 in Berlin.

"The fans were pretty much looking for one (world record) because I also did it in Beijing, so I said what ! the heck, let's go for it," Bolt said. "But I was surprised at! how goo d it was."

Bolt said he was a little tired after Berlin but that he still may have "three good" races in him. He would not speculate about Friday's 100-meter event in Zurich, where he will face off against former world-record holder and Jamaican teammate Asafa Powell, the bronze medalist in Berlin.

Bolt earlier made a public appearance at Zurich's main railway station, stepping out of a black limousine to rapturous applause from about 3,000 flag-waving fans.

Dressed in a dark-blue T-shirt, jeans and white sneakers, Bolt spent about an hour signing ! autographs before putting in a brief DJ performance for the crowd.

The Jamaican didn't race. That job fell to a life-size cardboard cutout, which sped 50 meters along a rail at Bolt-speed. Attempts by fans to keep up — even on a bicycle — all failed.

"It was good. I am surprised how many people came," Bolt said. "The crowds are getting bigger."

The Weltklasse meet at the Letzigrund stadium is the fifth of six Golden League events, with four athletes still in the running for the $1 million jackpot — Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, the 5,000 and 10,000 world champion in Berlin, plus three women, 100-meter sprinter Kerron Stewart of Jamaica, Sanya Richards of the United States in the 400 and Yelena Isinbayeva in the pole vault. The jackpot goes to athletes who win their event at all six meets.

Isinbayeva is looking for redemption in Zurich after a no-height performance in Berlin that saw her lose her world title.

The Zurich meet has drawn 16 champions from Berlin and 14 gold medalists from Beijing.

Promoted teams

Birmingham, Derby and Sunderland all promoted. Which one will be the one to watch? My money is on Sunderland. Yes they've have a turbulent time in the last few seasons up and down and managerial changes. My humble opinion is that Roy Keane will do well with Sunderland.
As for Birmingham difficult to say. Lets see how their transfers go with the Konchesky deal pending. I must say it's good to see Steve Bruce still at the wheel and the club didn't take the usual stance of firing the manager. Also with Steve McManaman on the board this should add strength for the club.
And last but not least Derby. 2001 - 2001 season was the last top flight action for Derby. Claude Davis could prove to be a strong signing. Keen to stay in top flight football after being hampered by injury and relegation at Sheffield, perhaps being reunited with old boss Billy Davies will work well.
Let me know what you think.
Of course all of this is just my opinion and has no bearing on ! how any one will perform

Berbatov, time to go.

So this is what its come to. Premier League clubs paying top wages to players and you get a pre Madonna like Berbatov saying he wont play , well if Ramos doesn't get rid of him then it'll be the biggest mistake made this season for Spurs. He has to get someone up front as he'll loose is second striker already loosing Keane to Liverpool and he'll probably loose Berbatov to Man Utd this coming week. The "take it or leave it offer" from United of £25m is more than generous for the forward, so come on Ramos pull your finger out.
Ramos isn't quick to make a deal and stalls just look at the Bentley deal and how long he screwed around with that, so don't expect speedy replacements for strikers at White Hart Lane.

Anfield remembers Hillsborough

play video from BBC Sport

All the latest Premier League gossip and transfer news

All the latest Premier League gossip and transfer news, you can use the links to go to the news paper or media which published the story.

Carlo Ancelotti insists Andriy Shevchenko has a future at Stamford Bridge, despite the fact that the Ukrainian has played just one game in the last 15 months for Chelsea. (Press Association)

Holland midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who has been linked with Manchester United, Aston Villa and Arsenal during the summer, is resisting pressure from Real Madrid to accept a move away from the Spanish giants. (Marca)

Everton have given up the fight to keep England defender Joleon Lescott and agreed to sell him to Manchester City for £22m.
Full story: Daily Mail

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could still make a last-ditch bid to bring former skipper Patrick Vieira back to the club from Inter Milan before the transfer deadline. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is poised to sign Blackburn defender Stephen Warnock for around £8m. (Daily Mirror)

Livorno say that West Ham United's offer for striker Alessandro Diamanti is considerably short of their £8m valuation.
Full story: Times

Fulham are considering a move for Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos and Newcastle defender Steven Taylor.
Full story: Times

Everton boss David Moyes is chasing Spartak Moscow winger Vladimir Bystrov.
Full story: Daily Mail

Celtic boss Tony Mowbray does not expect Aiden McGeady to leave Parkhead after the Republic of Ireland Winger was linked to Tottenham.
Full story: Press and Journal

Gianfranco Zola has set up a meeting with Bordeaux striker Marouan! e Chamakh on Monday to try and persuade the Moroccan to join West Ham.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Bolton boss Gary Megson is weighing up a move for former Valencia striker Miguel Angel Angulo. (Daily Mirror)