Saturday 22 November 2014
CR7 Museum to sponsor second division side União da Madeira
 |
| great job cristiano |
The Cristiano Ronaldo museum in Funchal will sponsor Portuguese second division side União da Madeira for the next three seasons. The team will wear the CR7 Museum logo on their shirts from their next league match on 29th November.
On the decision to sponsor the Portuguese side, Hugo Aveiro, Ronaldo's brother and manager of the museum, said: "The president of União proposed the idea to me. I talked to Cristiano and he liked it. They were the first to propose this plan. União are trying to revive themselves. The CR7 museum will help the team as much as it can". However, the amount of sponsorship money agreed on is unknown.
Romeo guides Goa to fourth position
 |
| goal goal goal |
FC Goa earned three crucial points as they romped to a 2-0 victory against FC Pune City at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa on Saturday evening.
Romeo Fernandes’ sixth minute strike and Miroslav Slepicka’s header in the second half injury time were enough to help Goa register only their second victory on home soil. They have now picked seven points from a possible nine in their last three outings as they climbed to the fourth spot with 12 points in their kitty.
FC Pune City are now winless in their last four outings with 12 points and placed sixth owing to their poor goal difference.
Zico made three changes to the Goan line-up as he brought in Bruno Pinheiro, Romeo Fernandes and Haroon Amiri in place of Robert Pires, Youness Bengelloun and Gabriel Fernandes.
Meanwhile, Franco Colomba dropped David Trezeguet on the bench with Dufu Omagbemi being handed a start. Davide Colomba, Israil Gurung, Pritam Kotal and Daniele Magliocchetti were left out as Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Park Kwang-II, Krisztian Vadocz and Lenny Rodrigues made their way in.
The very first minute saw Arindam Bhattacharya tip over Haroon Amiri's lob over the bar. A couple of minutes later, Bruno Cirillo played Gregory Arnolin onside as the Frenchman was one-on-one with the keeper as his shot was also blocked.
The breakthrough didn’t take too long to come as Romeo Fernandes headed in an Andre Santos free-kick from the right as he got the better of Anupam Sarkar at the near post.
In the ninth minute, Vadocz cross saw Debabrata Roy try prodding it to Jan Seda as Dudu almost encroached upon the mistake. However, Seda came too the home side’s rescue just in time.
Tolgay Ozbey had a chance to double the deal as he was found in space between Cirillo and Dharmaraj Ravanan inside the box by Narayan Das. However, the Australian striker’s right-footed effort bounced meekly in front of Bhattacharya in goal.
Around the half hour mark, Santos forced a save from Bhattacharya off a free-kick taken from about 25 yards out after Romeo was brought down by Jermaine Pennant while Seda responded well to two of Lenny Rodrigues' efforts few minutes later.
The FC Goa custodian was yet kept busy as he did well to deny Park from close range in the 39th minute before the South Korean headed wide in another attempt.
The FC Goa custodian was yet kept busy as he did well to deny Park from close range in the 39th minute before the South Korean headed wide in another attempt.
Seven minutes into the second half and substitute Joaquim Abranches shot a rebound wide after Dudu’s initial shot was blocked by Narayan Das.
Amiri’s shot was blocked in the 59th minute after he was found unmarked inside the box. Ten minutes later, Santos completely missed Mandar’s cross from the left from handshaking distance in the Pune box as Ravanan cleared the danger thereafter.
Lenny Rodrigues forced a superb low save from Seda after being setup by Katsouranis. Pune City were unlucky as Katsouranis and Cirillo’s efforts struck the post.
From a misguided clearance from a corner, Katsouranis’s overhead bicycle-kick clattered the crossbar and the rebound fell to Cirillo whose first time header stuck the upright and went out.
Miranda had a brilliant chance to add his name on the score sheet after he got on the end of Romeo’s through ball. However, Wadoo did well to shoulder charge him which saw the ball get away from the winger after Arindam Bhattacharya came off his line.
The hosts held on their two-goal advantage as Pune City have dropped ten points in their last four matches as they need to introspect and find their best form if they wish to make it into the knockout stages.
Thierry Henry could return to Arsenal as a coach
 |
| returning ??? |
Arsene Wenger has revealed that he would welcome Thierry Henry back to the club as a coach -- if the Arsenal legend is serious about forging a career on the training pitch.Henry, the Gunners' all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in all competitions, has had two spells as a player firstly between 1999 and 2007 before an emotional, short loan spell at the start of 2010.The 37-year-old is still playing in Major League Soccer with New York Red Bulls, who face New England Revolution in the first leg of the MLS playoff Conference final on Sunday night. While he is expected to leave the club at the end of his contract later this year, the striker has not yet made a decision on retirement from playing.
Asked if he would welcome Henry back for a third time, this time as part of his coaching staff, Wenger did not rule out the prospect."It's not impossible -- I welcome people who have played for us to come back, but they need to do something," Wenger said. "Not an honorary job. It has to be a job available and one that you get up in the morning and you have to do something.
"He has to learn his job first. I have seen so many people who have the qualities to be a manager but not survive their first job because they are not ready. When you are a football player, you think it's so simple to be a manager. When you are a manager, you think it's so complicated suddenly and, if you're not prepared for that, you cannot survive.
"You learn to handle a dressing room and people. This job is about ideas and putting them into practice. You can only do that if you have the responsibility of the team."
Henry, meanwhile, believes Wenger will only be truly appreciated for his achievements with the Gunners when he is no longer their manager.Wenger signed Henry in 1999 for a then club-record fee of around 11 million pounds from Juventus and he won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups before joining Barcelona.
Henry's departure coincided in a less successful period for the North London side and even though Wenger has managed to guide the Gunners to Champions League group-stage qualification for 17 consecutive seasons, some Arsenal fans questioned the Frenchman's tenure given their failure to land silverware for nine years until last season.
Arsenal finally ended that trophy drought by winning the FA Cup and Henry believes Wenger is a victim of his own success to a certain extent given that he won major honours earlier on during his reign."When you give people a lot they get used to it and they just expect and demand and rightly so because when you're at a club like Arsenal people expect and want you to win and that's the way it is,'' Henry told the BBC's Football Focus.
"For me it's a no-brainer, the guy [Wenger] has changed Arsenal Football Club. Was Arsenal successful before? Yes they were, but in a different way. Now Arsenal is recognised for the type of football they play and that's all down to him.''
Premiere League calling Jurgen Klopp
 |
| on the way to premiere league |
Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed in a recent interview that England is his next logical destination, and that he is willing to begin negotiations to achieve this aim.
Klopp, who achieved star-manager status by guiding his team to the Bundesliga title in 2011 and 2012 and the Champions League final in 2013, has been linked to Chelsea and Manchester City in the past, but it is Arsenal with which club his services have been furiously linked to in more recent times.The 47-year-old said, “It’s the only country, I think, where I should work, really, next to Germany, because it’s the only country I know the language a little bit and I need the language for my work.
On asked about specific details about his future, Klopp said, “We will see. If somebody will call me, then we will talk about it.”
Klopp could be the logical choice at Arsenal to replace Wenger as well, because the German is known for an emphasis on fluent, attacking football and nurturing young players – carrying on a similar sort of legacy, so to speak. However, everybody remembers how that exercise turned out at Manchester United.
Khedira,still a GENIUS...
 |
| time to prove |
Sami Khedira brings to the team whatever his coach asks of him, whether that be Mourinho, Ancelotti, Löw, or even Guardiola who wants to take him to Bayern next year.
He isn't a big-name player. He never has been. Even less so now that the Bernabéu faithful have bowed down to Modric and Kroos' all but perfect partnership, to Isco's magic and to James Rodríguez's sheer class, but Khedira offers guaranteed results as soon as he strings two straight games together. He always delivers.
He carries in his DNA a quality that every coach has wanted from him: an uncanny ability to bring a huge dose of balance to the team. His tactical awareness and physical fitness make up for and compensate for those players whose game lacks his unique talent and he does so in two key aspects of the game, attack and defence. When Khedira puts an opponent under pressure, he rarely comes away without the ball.
When Khedira sprints the length of the pitch from his area to the opposition's, it isn't pretty, but he will probably arrive at his destination poised and ready to shoot or pass the ball.
In terms of tactics, Khedira is a very important player. He has the discipline and mental strength to put the good of the team before his own.
Early recovery for Modric.....
 |
| early comeback |
Luka Modric is hoping that the worst diagnosis of his injury and its corresponding recovery time turn out to be exaggerated. With this is mind, the player has paid a visit to Doctor Mikel Sánchez, a pioneer in stem cell and growth factor treatment. Modric went to the specialist in Vitoria to discuss an alternative that might allow him to be back on the pitch sooner than conventional wisdom dictates – up to four months, according to the latest tests.
The Croat is looking for the most effective remedy to his problem. A possibility is to go under the knife, but the player, for now at least, has put that idea on the back burner. The latest possibility that Real Madrid and the player are looking into is that proposed by Mikel Sánchez. Rafe Nadal, José Manuel Calderón and Fernando Llorente have all been patients of his at the USP clinic's Arthroscopic Surgery Unit in Vitoria.
Basically, the procedure is to develop a treatment based on the patient's own extracted blood. The blood undergoes a centrifugal process to separate the red and white blood cells and plasma with the platelets. The medicine derived from this technology stimulates the growth of tissue in the patient.
Ronaldo considered receiving treatment from Doctor Sánchez, but the aggressiveness of the treatment ruled out the idea of being injected with these growth factor.
Messi to Real Madrid....???
 |
| in the same team |
The Italian manager talked about the possibility of having the Argentine in his team.
When asked whether Messi would have a place in the current Real Madrid side after his remarks on his future at Barcelona, Ancelotti replied: "Of course, all quality players would have a place in this team."
No Space For Bale To Repeat Cup Final Heroics
 |
| catch me if you can |
The distance between the touchline and the first row of fans at Eibar's cosy stadium is a measly 95 cm, so we can rule out a repeat of Gareth Bale's incredible Copa del Rey final winner.
During that iconic run in Valencia, the Welshman veered so far off the pitch that he actually set foot in the technical area. If the final had been staged at Ipurúa rather than the Mestalla, Bale would have had to hurdle the seats in the away dugout - located just 50 cm from the sideline - while Marc Bartra would have faced a much easier task to block the Real Madrid speedster's path along the warm-up area.
Leaving aside the playing surface, Eibar's ground is cauldron-like because of its compact layout, which leaves the supporters breathing down the players' necks.
And you can rest assured the place will be rocking for Real Madrid's visit. No one wants to miss the occasion: the club has been inundated with media requests and tickets have been sold out for a week, meaning all 5,907 seats - a figure bolstered this season by the installation of temporary stands - will be occupied.
The Basque minnows had as few as 350 tickets to put on general sale, at prices ranging from €40 to €90, and these were all snapped up on the first day. Some fans had even camped out by the stadium overnight to make absolutely sure they would get to see the European champions.
REAL MADRID FACE POTENTIAL BANANA SKIN IN EIBAR
 |
| challenge accepted ? |
The trip to La Liga new boys Eibar will not be a walk in the park for Real Madrid and promises to drag the European champions out of their comfort zone.
The international break came at the worst possible time for Carlo Ancelotti's men. Before the players went off with their countries, 'Los Blancos' were in red-hot form, having soared to the top of the table and gained plaudits aplenty across the world for their devastatingly effective possession-based style of play.
Now, two weeks on, there is a danger of all that momentum having evaporated. All the more so with Croatian orchestrator Luka Modric laid low, though the fans and squad remain confident Ancelotti will find the winning formula in his absence.
Today's venue itself could call for a less intricate approach. The Ipurúa pitch is five metres narrower than the Bernabéu and, with the crowd right on top of the action and the balconies of the surrounding buildings packed to the rafters, it can prove an intimidating place to visit.
Though the Real boss is keen to keep up his side's swashbuckling antics, he knows that coming away with three points is what matters most and has told his players that these are the sorts of matches in which titles can be won and lost. As such, the Italian has made it clear that some blood and thunder would not be amiss amid the artistry if it gets the job done.
Friday 21 November 2014
Messi hopes to clear the air with goal scoring record
 |
| time to respond |
Lionel Messi is set to launch his fourth assault on La Liga's all-time top goalscoring record in the midst of the chaos caused by his recent controversial statements, rumours surrounding his future and his team's current run of form.
Messi dropped a bombshell earlier this week when he told Argentine newspaper 'Olé': "Although I've always said I'd like to stay there forever, sometimes things don't always turn out as you would like them to".
He added: "Things don't always go as planned, especially in football, where things are constantly changing and so many things happen. It's complicated, even more so with things the way they are right now at Barcelona".
One by one, all parties involved, expect the player himself, moved to play down his comments. Firstly, it was the player's father, Jorge Messi, followed by influential defender, Javier Mascherano and club president, Josep María Bartomeu.
Finally came the turn of Barcelona boss, Luis Enrique, who said: "There is no Messi debate".
Dozens of cameras will doubtlessly follow the Barça star during the game against Sevilla, closely scrutinising his every movement and gesture.
His position on the pitch is also under scrutiny, after both Luis Enrique and Argentina boss, Gerardo Martino moved him from his usual role in front of goal out wide to the right wing.
Real Madrid not writing off Eibar
 |
| another challenge |
After they were scattered to the corners of the globe for two weeks to represent their national teams, Ancelotti welcomed back his international players so they can get straight back to focusing on La Liga.
The visit to Ipurua, where 'Los Blancos' play their first match as league leaders, will be a much tougher test than the reputation or the capacity of Eibar's stadium might suggest. And the Real Madrid squad know it.
"Leagues are won and lost at these grounds", remarks one of the dressing room heavyweights. In fact, Ancelotti and many of his players remember how Real dropped points at grounds such as El Sadar and the José Zorrilla which could have given them the league title.
Real will arrive at Ipurua with a run of 13 wins on the trot in La Liga and the Champions League. The objective is to make it 14, but they know Eibar will not go down without a fight.
"Ronaldo is the best player that I've ever played with"
 |
| midfield maestro |
Xabi Alonso offered an interview to the 'Daily Mail' and chatted with his former teammate Jamie Carragher, who writes a column for the British newspaper.
The Bayern Munich man commented on his controversial statements about the Ballon d'Or. "A while back I said it would be fair if Neuer or any other German player won the Ballon d'Or. They won the World Cup. However I also think it would be fair if Cristiano Ronaldo won it. He had an outstanding season and won the Champions League. Ronaldo is the best footballer I've ever played with".
With these words, Xabi Alonso justified his previous comments in relation to CR7, but made no reference to Iker Casillas.
When asked about his move to Bayern, the Basque midfielder said, "It all happened quickly. I'd been at Real Madrid for five years. We'd won the Champions League and I felt as though my work was done. I'd played in Spain and England and had a great chance to play in Germany. The Bundesliga is increasingly improving and Bayern are one of the best clubs in the world".
"It's hard to copy Real Madrid's style. They have explosive players, like Cristiano Ronaldo", he added.
"I went from my hometown team (Real Sociedad) to the best team in England (Liverpool) and the best team in Spain (Real Madrid). Now I'm at the best team in Germany (Bayern). It's been an amazing journey", he said.
Ronaldo knows what it is to be unloved
 |
| messi feeling the pressure |
Now it is Messi's turn to complain that his club is not backing him in his quest for the Ballon d'Or.
However, in relation to Cristiano Ronaldo, on other occasions it has been the other way round. Not long ago, it was the Portuguese complaining about the little support he was receiving from his club, while Barcelona bent over backward to ensure the Argentine won the Ballon d'Or, promoting the virtues of their star player at every turn.
At the awards ceremony, this imbalance was plain to see. While the Portuguese turned up accompanied by just one director and Emilio Butragueño, Barcelona arrived en masse. Next to Messi stood president Rosell and Pep Guardiola, together with various Barça directors and teammates.
This time round, all is quiet at Can Barça. Nobody is talking about Messi's chances of winning the award. In contrast, Real are constantly looking for people to come out in support of their candidate. There has been a complete about face over the past few years. Once it was Cristiano who felt unloved, now it is Messi's turn.
Reus could leave Dortmund - Klopp
 |
| time to leave ... |
The 25-year-old has a buyout clause in his contract which becomes active in the summer, and has been linked with a number of clubs, including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and a host of Premier League sides.
Klopp has seen the likes of Shinji Kagawa, Nuri Sahin, Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski choose to continue their careers elsewhere and has conceded that his goal is not necessarily to keep the same team together until retirement.
"We had very successful years and we couldn't keep all these players," he said to BT Sport’s nightly news and information show SportsHUB.
"Not all of them stayed here. They had their own dreams their own situations different ideas, whatever. So we will see.
"The most important thing is the story of this club will go on. We'll have to do it with other players. It's not our idea to keep this team together until the end, until they're 34 and they go away.
"That was not the idea. We did it because of the potential of these players."
Klopp has been at Dortmund since 2008 - making him the longest-serving Bundesliga coach - but admitted he initially expected not to stay at Signal Iduna Park for so long.
“Not when I was starting no. I was 18 years at Mainz and I thought, that's it enough," he continued.
"I love this club in Mainz, I love this city, for a long time. My home town and so on. When I came here I thought OK now I can work as a normal coach, two or three years - next club, next city.
"I'm really interested in life, it's not important for me to stay for a long time in the same place. My children are old enough to stay alone, that's not the problem.
"I am here for more than six years, I don't know when it will end, I don't think about this. But it's not my idea to build a legacy.
"We will see, as long as it's successful and we can develop everything, we shouldn't change.”
Kerala Blasters FC 2-1 Atletico de Kolkata: Controversial goal line call robs Aleti off a point
 |
| lain hume enjoying his goal |
Kerala Blasters beat Atletico de Kolkata 2-1 in an Indian Super League (ISL) encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Friday. Iain Hume (4') gave the hosts the lead early on before Pedro Gusmao (42') added another towards the end of the first half. Fikru Tefera (55') pulled one back for the visitors while Luis Garcia was controversially denied an injury time equalizer.
Both sides elected to make one change each as David James brought in Pedro Gusmao and benched CS Sabeeth while his opposite number started Arnal Libert with Luis Garcia surprisingly named as a substitute.
The game was off to a cracking start in Kochi as Fikru Teferra wasted a great chance to put his team ahead in the third minute. A dinked ball by Borja Fernandez bypassed the entire defense but the Ethiopian, in spite of having all the time in the world, could only shoot straight towards David James.
A minute later, the Blasters replied with the classic sucker punch. Pedro Gusmao did ever so well on the left, his quick feet leaving Baljit Singh Sahni for dead. The cross had the away side's defense in tatters as Jofre failed to stop the ball from getting to Iain Hume at the far post. Subhasish Roy Chowdhury who had failed to get to the cross in the first place was completely out of positon as Hume struck it into the empty net. Stephen Pearson intelligently decided to step over the ball, as he was clearly in an offside positon on the goal line.
In what was a frenetic start to the match, Raphael Romey almost headed the ball into his own net after Lester Fernandes had put a good ball into the box.
As Antonio Lopez Habas' men tried their best to claw back into the match, Fikru almost did the spectacular all by himself as Sahni's cross from the right found him perfectly positoned between two defenders. What Fikru did next was out of the world, as he turned his body around with an overhead kick but saw it go agonizingly over.
In the 37th minute, the home side had two great chances to double their lead but it was down to Subhasish's heroics that kept his side into the match. It all started with the dynamic Pearson breaking from midfield and playing it to Hume on the right who returned the favour only to see him shoot straight to Roy Chowdhury. The rebound was missed by Milagres Gonsalves at the near post but fell to an onrushing Pedro whose shot too was somehow kept out by the Indian goalkeeper, allowing compatriot Arnab Mondal to smash it clear.
However the joy was short lived as the Blasters only had to wait for five more minutes to add to their score. Hume was involved once again as a give-and-go with Sandesh Jhingan allowed the Indian full back to direct a wonderfully shaped cross to the far post. Although Milagres missed the header, Pedro this time made no mistake as he scored his debut Indian Super League goal with a controlled strike past Roy Chowdhury.
In added time in the first half, Josemi was living dangerously as Hume almost pounced on some casual bit of play from the Spanish centre back which could have put him one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The Spaniard, to his credit recovered in time to wrestle the Canadian off the ball right on time.
The introduction of Luis Garcia at half time seemed to have injected newfound determination into the away side. It took Atletico only ten minutes to get one back and it was star striker Fikru who got it. Kingshuk Debnath, another substitute played a first touch pass towards the Ethiopian from the right which was played on to Fikru's shin by a lunging Hengbart. Fikru who was goalless for four matches made no mistake and put it past James who was caught off guard too.
The following fifteen odd minutes seemed to be bogged down in a midfield battle with neither team carving out any decent opportunities.
With about ten minutes to go, Borja gave the ball away to Milagres who showed what he is about by breezing down the left only to be stopped by Josemi's experience when he only had the goalkeeper to beat.
In the 83rd minute, Godwin Franco almost got lucky when his attempted cross from the right struck the crossbar, clearly catching Subhasish off guard.
A minute earlier, Garcia had shouts of a penalty turned down after he went to ground under Saumik Dey's challenge in the box. This was after a great throughball by Borja allowed him to run into space down the right.
Controversy struck in injury time as Jofre's weighted cross towards the far post was headed across by Fikru searching for his skipper. Garcia met it perfectly and his volley hit the crossbar and dropped inside the goal before bouncing out. The linesman however ruled that the ball had not crossed the line.
The game was off to a cracking start in Kochi as Fikru Teferra wasted a great chance to put his team ahead in the third minute. A dinked ball by Borja Fernandez bypassed the entire defense but the Ethiopian, in spite of having all the time in the world, could only shoot straight towards David James.
A minute later, the Blasters replied with the classic sucker punch. Pedro Gusmao did ever so well on the left, his quick feet leaving Baljit Singh Sahni for dead. The cross had the away side's defense in tatters as Jofre failed to stop the ball from getting to Iain Hume at the far post. Subhasish Roy Chowdhury who had failed to get to the cross in the first place was completely out of positon as Hume struck it into the empty net. Stephen Pearson intelligently decided to step over the ball, as he was clearly in an offside positon on the goal line.
In what was a frenetic start to the match, Raphael Romey almost headed the ball into his own net after Lester Fernandes had put a good ball into the box.
As Antonio Lopez Habas' men tried their best to claw back into the match, Fikru almost did the spectacular all by himself as Sahni's cross from the right found him perfectly positoned between two defenders. What Fikru did next was out of the world, as he turned his body around with an overhead kick but saw it go agonizingly over.
In the 37th minute, the home side had two great chances to double their lead but it was down to Subhasish's heroics that kept his side into the match. It all started with the dynamic Pearson breaking from midfield and playing it to Hume on the right who returned the favour only to see him shoot straight to Roy Chowdhury. The rebound was missed by Milagres Gonsalves at the near post but fell to an onrushing Pedro whose shot too was somehow kept out by the Indian goalkeeper, allowing compatriot Arnab Mondal to smash it clear.
However the joy was short lived as the Blasters only had to wait for five more minutes to add to their score. Hume was involved once again as a give-and-go with Sandesh Jhingan allowed the Indian full back to direct a wonderfully shaped cross to the far post. Although Milagres missed the header, Pedro this time made no mistake as he scored his debut Indian Super League goal with a controlled strike past Roy Chowdhury.
In added time in the first half, Josemi was living dangerously as Hume almost pounced on some casual bit of play from the Spanish centre back which could have put him one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The Spaniard, to his credit recovered in time to wrestle the Canadian off the ball right on time.
The introduction of Luis Garcia at half time seemed to have injected newfound determination into the away side. It took Atletico only ten minutes to get one back and it was star striker Fikru who got it. Kingshuk Debnath, another substitute played a first touch pass towards the Ethiopian from the right which was played on to Fikru's shin by a lunging Hengbart. Fikru who was goalless for four matches made no mistake and put it past James who was caught off guard too.
The following fifteen odd minutes seemed to be bogged down in a midfield battle with neither team carving out any decent opportunities.
With about ten minutes to go, Borja gave the ball away to Milagres who showed what he is about by breezing down the left only to be stopped by Josemi's experience when he only had the goalkeeper to beat.
In the 83rd minute, Godwin Franco almost got lucky when his attempted cross from the right struck the crossbar, clearly catching Subhasish off guard.
A minute earlier, Garcia had shouts of a penalty turned down after he went to ground under Saumik Dey's challenge in the box. This was after a great throughball by Borja allowed him to run into space down the right.
Controversy struck in injury time as Jofre's weighted cross towards the far post was headed across by Fikru searching for his skipper. Garcia met it perfectly and his volley hit the crossbar and dropped inside the goal before bouncing out. The linesman however ruled that the ball had not crossed the line.
Despite being the first team to score past James in Kochi, Atletico came away empty handed, missing the opportunity to regain their spot at the top of the pile. Kerala meanwhile, edge closer to their opponents, now just one point behind the third placed Kolkatans.
Costa & Fabregas fit for Chelsea’s match with West Brom
 |
| i am BACK ! |
Mourinho explained Costa had "totally recovered" from his hamstring issue, while Fabregas trained on Friday and a final decision will be taken ahead of Saturday's fixture at Stamford Bridge.
Costa scored Chelsea's winner against Liverpool at Anfield last time out but was excused from international duty with Spain as he manages persistent hamstring and groin problems.
Fabregas, meanwhile, also played against the Reds despite Mourinho afterwards revealing he had been carrying a thigh injury, and the playmaker was subsequently deemed unfit to be included in Vicente del Bosque's squad.
Mourinho also revealed that Andre Schurrle has fully recovered and that while Ramires is "not in a very good condition" he is improving and available for selection against West Brom.
Rooney: Welbeck right to go
 |
| rooney supports welbeck |
Many United fans were shocked earlier this year when Louis van Gaal sanctioned Welbeck's £16million transfer to the north London club.
Welbeck is a life-long United fan and joined the club as an eight-year-old having grown up in Longsight, which is just four miles away from Old Trafford.
During his 11-year spell at United, Rooney watched the pacy forward progress from teenage prodigy to first-team striker and admits it will be strange to play against the 23-year-old striker when the Red Devils travel to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
"Of course, Danny has been here all of his life," Rooney told MUTV. "He is a Manchester lad so it is weird seeing him (there).
"But that's football nowadays and players move on."
Welbeck started the vast majority of games on United's successful tour of the United States, however he struggled to get in the starting line-up soon after the season began, with Van Gaal claiming his goal-scoring record was not good enough.
Welbeck scored 29 times in 142 United appearances, but since his move he has found the net on 10 occasions for club and country.
Rooney, who played alongside Welbeck for England against Slovenia and Scotland in the recent international break, thinks leaving United has been beneficial for his former team-mate.
"I think, for Danny, and for his own personal career, it was probably the best move for him," Rooney said.
"He's done great and scored a few goals and is playing well. Danny gives you what he always gives you - a good shift. He works hard for the team.
"At times, as I said to him, he works a bit too hard but he's scoring goals and he's doing well."
Memories
Arsenal against United has been one of the biggest fixtures on the calendar in recent years, but neither side is considered a serious title contender this season.
For Rooney, the fixture still brings back fond memories, though.
"We've had some great memories," the England captain added. "Beating them in the Champions League semi-final (in 2009) was probably the highlight."
The same fixture last year ended in a dull 0-0 draw, but given the poor defensive record of both teams, it is unlikely the scoreline will be the same this season.
Rooney is hoping United can strike early against their opponents and is expecting a tough match.
"It's always a tight game and whoever gets the first goal normally wins or gets a result," the 29-year-old said.
"We have to go there with a good team shape and a good unit to make sure we do everything right.
"Arsenal have got a good squad, an exciting squad with a lot of young players and a lot of English players which is great for England. We know they play with a lot of energy and we'll have to be at our best to beat them."
CR7, Real's hotspot hotshot-elect
 |
| right at the point |
Some records are more significant than others, but whatever the case may be,Cristiano Ronaldo is a step away from adding yet another feather to his cap with regards to Real Madrid's history books.
Having taken 43 penalties for Real in La Liga, Cristiano is just one behind Hugo Sánchez's all-time mark of 44. The difference is that the Mexican legend converted 35 of his spot-kicks, while so far CR7 has netted 40, meaning he has the best conversion rate among the club's most regular takers.
Ronaldo's three league misses from 12 yards give him a 93% penalty strike rate, way ahead of Sánchez's 80%. His closest challengers on this count are Míchel, who scored 28 of his 34 attempts from the spot, and Pirri, who notched 23 of 28. The only more impressive conversion record (almost 95%) belongs to Paco Gento, who fluffed just a single spot-kick of the 19 he took for the club in the Primera División.
The 29-year-old has put away five penalties in La Liga this season, against Atlético, Elche (2), Levante and Barcelona. With the chance in the offing to become Real's hotspot hotshot and claim a new victim in the process, who would bet against Ronaldo increasing that tally in his first-ever meeting with Eibar this weekend?
Xabi apologises to Ronaldo
 |
| friends or foe??? |
Xabi Alonso's words when interviewed by Bild didn't take long to get a reaction from Real Madrid followers and even from the players themselves.
According to 'El Partido de las 12', the player has spoken with Cristiano Ronaldo to apologise if the Portuguese has felt offended. Xabi Alonso explained to the Real forward that what he said was, "The winner has to be a German or Cristiano".
Cristiano's reaction was quite calm. He assured the Spaniard that he understood perfectly and that he could rest easy – no offence had been taken. However, Xabi maintains what he said about Iker and has not plans to give him a conciliatory call.
How Real Madrid can get away with being €600m in the red
 |
| increasing debt with increasing income |
The Blancos continue to rack up huge deficits but remain among the world's top spenders. Their unrivalled power means their losses are not a major problem just now
"For the 10th consecutive year, Real Madrid will be the highest earning sports institution in the world. And, for the third year running, Forbes considers us the most valuable club," boasted Florentino Perez in announcing the club's financial figures for 2013-14 in September.
As statements go, it was entirely accurate but in many ways incredibly meaningless. What he failed to mention was that Real Madrid posted a debt of €602 million, a €61m increase on the previous year.
Borrowing went up by €41m to €283m, while all financial liabilities now total €459m as opposed to €396m some 12 months earlier. Gains made on accruals, costs to public administration and other provisions did little to eat into the total debt of €541m in 2012-13, meaning the club continues to lose money.
Perez has regularly claimed that the debt is much lower, citing only the near-€100m owed to banks. But there are also huge fees against Madrid's name in debits to clubs, sporting institutions, players and public bodies.
Some supporters point to the Forbes-cited debt to value of four per cent - compared to, for example, Manchester United's 19% - as justification for the club's spending, but that doesn't take into account the entire debt, only that owed to banks.
Such figures are not placating all of Madrid's interested parties, with fans groups rightly worried.
"We are concerned that the club cannot meet commitments and future payments which must be met," admitted Carlos Mendoza – the president of Valores del Madridismo, which is made up of club members aiming to preserve the values of Real Madrid.
More pressing still is the short-term debt. Of the €602m in the debit column, €361m is owed in the next 12 months. In layman's terms, that's Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos' transfer fees added together.
In reality, it will not take the sale of their five star players to meet the demands of creditors. But the club certainly cannot continue to overspend as they have in recent times. The arrival of Bale from Tottenham played a significant part in the €61m debt growth in 2013-14, while the additions of James and Kroos this summer suggest Perez and the remainder of the board have no issue at all with the club's rising costs.
Madrid currently have working capital of minus €94m - that is to say the club is owed €267m but has to produce €361m from somewhere to pay its immediate debts. That figure will be offset by the sales of Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria since the transfer fees paid for James and Kroos will be gradually written off over the course of their contracts, meaning the short-term debt has provided some leeway.
But that does nothing to address the problem over the longer-term, and transfer fees for the likes of Bale, Kroos, James, Isco and Illarramendi are still to be paid. All the while, future earnings are already being traded off.
"The club have two new credit lines, but they've had to use the advertising income and the season ticket sales for the next three or four years as guarantees to the banks, because they don't trust the club... That's not me saying that, it's from the club's annual accounts," Mendoza added to AS.
"They've been pawned basically. Just like when you go to the pawn shop, they give you money and you leave a guarantee, something real. If you don't pay them back, they keep whatever it is you left. Here, if Madrid don't pay back the money, the bank has the right to the money from the advertising income and the season ticket sales.
"Obviously the banks are asking for an extra guarantee from Madrid because they don't trust the club's situation. Under normal circumstances they wouldn't demand it."
The huge debt has been racked up in part due to the club's unparalleled position within sports. Almost nobody else would have been granted a free rein in the market while such large figures remained outstanding. But Real Madrid are Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world with the greatest pulling power, the most incredible strength of brand and countless key contacts across industries outside of football which can help to arrest the tide.
Yet if debt levels continue to rise and the club's future earnings are consistently traded off as capital to allow them to spend beyond their means, the Blancos could be forced to become a PLC rather than a socio-owned club.
Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna are exempted thus far from being forced to become a PLC under Spanish sporting laws, but under the assumed condition that each club is run in a suitable financial manner.
For now they are okay, with the LFP announcing last year: "The club has the capacity to deal with the debt and the figures show that Madrid is economically solvent, within the economic controls established."
This largely spans from the club having racked up debts placed against the value of the club. The depth of valuable players in their squad, the value of the Santiago Bernabeu – situated on prime real estate near the centre of the Spanish capital – and the number of big-money sponsorship deals all grouped together to make the club worth €2.7 billion according to Forbes.
But leading Spanish economist Jose Maria Gay de Liebana is worried that the dam will break at some point, leaving the club with difficult questions to answer.
"Real Madrid have so much debt because of all their investments. They have invested heavily in the Santiago Bernabeu and also invested in their training ground. All of that money adds up, but they have also invested heavily on footballers," Gay states.
"From their youth system there is hardly anyone; almost all of their players are bought from other markets and they are expensive players. That means that, even though they have their own resources, they are putting themselves into debt. The debt is a consequence of so much investment and, in particular, high investment."
It is a practice which cancels out many of the positives of being the world's most valuable sporting entity, as Gay explains.
"One thing is the valuation you are given, from specific operations or because of the Santiago Bernabeu or whatever else, but you have a balance sheet with your incomings and outgoings, and you have to generate sufficient money to be able to pay your debt.
"Look at it from a personal point of view: no matter how much I am deemed to be worth, I have to face up to my debts and use the money I am generating to address that. That's why a club or company with more moderate debt is in a better situation. Any company would want a more moderate or manageable debt in order to avoid complications.
"I'm not saying that Real Madrid have such complications at the moment, but look at Manchester United for example, who are not in the Champions League this year. For one season, that's not a problem, but two years in a row and they can become vulnerable."
Uefa's introduction of Financial Fair Play laws controlling a club's football-related spending against its income does nothing to address the debts already racked up before the practice was introduced in 2011. Nor does it stop clubs from adding to their issues by making seemingly unnecessary expansions to their stadiums, as Madrid are set to do at the Bernabeu.
While the club posted record revenues worth €518.9m in 2012-13, as per Deloitte's 2014 Football Money League, they also paid out more than any other club. And Gay questions the foresight of clubs who believe that football will continue to generate such huge levels of income come what may.
"I have one big doubt: can football grow much more?" he said.
"Real Madrid have an income of more than €500m, Barcelona thereabouts as well and Bayern Munich not far back… I ask myself: is there enough cake for teams to earn even more? Will we see Barca or Madrid, for example, with incomes of €1bn? Right now, I can't see it.
"There is an international share, including television and sponsors, etc… but I can't see that the Spanish league, the Champions League or European competition as a whole, are so strong that clubs can double their income. There is tension when it comes to incomes and I believe it's hard to see that growing much more than it already has. I have my doubts."
Their current debt levels dictate that Real Madrid - who failed to respond to Goal's request for comment on the matter - must hope that the football bubble does not burst any time soon. For as long as the game continues to grow as a financial behemoth, they will remain untouched with their huge debt growing year-on-year.
Perez will remain in a position of strength so long as football maintains its place as the world's favourite pastime. With his contacts, his business know-how and his record for keeping the creditors quiet, he has exactly the kind of track record the club needs in its operating head.
The biggest debt in football continues to grow. But so does the club to which it is attributed.
The biggest debt in football continues to grow. But so does the club to which it is attributed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)