Bian soccer world

Hoeness: Bayern Munich Set An Internal €100M Fee For Ribery

2009-08-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

Photo GalleryZoomUli Hoeness, Bayern Munich (firo)Uli Hoeness has revealed that Bayern Munich set a fee of €100 million for clubs to sign Franck Ribery and that he spent one uncomfortable day thinking the player would leave.

The Bundesliga giants' general manager has been able to reflect on a summer that has been dominated by persistent rumours that the Frenchman would leave the club.

Bayern publicly stated on a consistent basis that Ribery would not be leaving as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United were all linked, but things were different behind the scenes.

"Internally we said yes, from €100 million we'll deal. Also that was a defensive measure. We did not think anyone would pay that. We wanted to keep Franck," he told Sport Bild.

"One week before the expiry of our internal deadline we said that to him personally. Therefore he knew that interested clubs still had a week to offer the €100m.

"Someone said to me there would be an offer of €100m coming - but not from Real Madrid.

"I had a very bad day. I felt an emptiness in myself, because I had the feeling Franck was going to leave.

"In the evening it emerged that it was a misunderstanding. They wanted to include three players in the sum. When I had heard that I was really happy."

Bayern Munich beats Man U on penalties

2009-07-31T04:05:00.000-07:00

Manchester United suffered a penalty shoot-out defeat to hosts Bayern Munich after a goalless final of the Audi Cup.

Bayern held their nerve in front of a sell-out crowd of 69,000 at their Allianz Arena after United strikers Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen missed great chances in the second half to win the match.

Bayern enjoyed the better of the first half, in which Mario Gomez and Dimitar Berbatov both hit the woodwork, but United then had the better opportunities after the interval - only for Rooney and Owen to fail to beat Bayern goalkeeper Michael Rensing in one-on-one situations.

Rensing proved to be Bayern's hero as he made saves from Patrice Evra and Jonny Evans in the shoot-out before Daniel van Buyten stroked in the winner.

The third-place play-off was also decided on penalties, with Boca Juniors piling the misery on AC Milan by extending the Rossoneri's streak of defeats to five.

Thiago Silva gave Milan the lead in the 27th minute and the Serie A side looked on course for victory until Lucas Viatri equalised three minutes from the end.

Roberto Abbondanzieri then saved the decisive penalty from Pato to earn the Argentinians the win after Andrea Pirlo and Federico Insua had also seen spot-kicks saved.

Elsewhere, Derby boss Nigel Clough made a losing return to Burton Albion as the Coca-Cola Championship side lost 1-0 to their League Two opponents at the Pirelli Stadium.

Clough won the pre-season Bass Charity Vase three times as Burton coach and saw his old side continue that winning streak thanks to Shaun Harrad's 15th-minute goal.

Clough was able to give Kris Commons 55 minutes as he continues to come back from a hamstring niggle, while Giles Barnes and Jordan Stewart also featured in an otherwise unfamiliar Rams XI.

Crystal Palace ran out 1-0 winners in their friendly encounter at Bromley, with Allesane N'Diaye grabbing the only goal of the game.

New signing Stern John started for Palace alongside on-loan West Ham forward Freddie Sears.

Scunthorpe won a penalty shootout 4-3 in their Senior Cup meeting with Lincoln.

The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, Ben May equalising after Andy Hutchison fired the Imps ahead, before Kevan Hurst scored the decisive spot-kick.

Arsenal's Fabregas Dismisses Ferdinand's Title Claims

2008-12-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has hit back at Manchester United skipper Rio Ferdinand's suggestion that the title race is over for the Gunners this season.

Ferdinand, who is in Japan with the Old Trafford side for the FIFA Club World Cup, did admit that there was a slight possibility that Arsene Wenger's men could land the Premier League trophy, but it was now only very slight, and the real battle would be between United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

"With all the experience they [Manchester United] have, they should know more than anyone that football can change in one week, two weeks," Fabregas told Sky Sports today.

The Gunners face Liverpool on Sunday afternoon in a game that could well define either team's season. It could also give a real indication as to whether the Gunners do still have any serious designs on a title race that they look all but out of.

"It is a massive game against Liverpool, it is vital. It can be a massive change in the table," added Fabregas.

"If we win we know that we can come back to five points which is not a lot. We know five points is nothing."

Arsenal are currently eight points behind leaders Liverpool in fifth place, and a point behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, who are increasingly beginning to look the biggest threat to Arsenal's chances of playing Champions League football next season

Wenger Keen And Ready For Chiellini - Report

2008-12-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

Juventus could face the possibility of losing one of their biggest stars as Arsenal and
manager Arsene Wenger have laid eyes on Giorgio Chiellini.
A solid year has seen the Italian international become one of the best central defenders in the world. And, as usual, good performances warrant interest from other major clubs.
The Daily Telegraph claim Wenger is keen on the Old Lady's young man, and the manager's plan is to use him as a replacement for William Gallas - the French defender seemingly having reached the point of no return.
However, any possible transfer could be complicated for a number of reasons.
Although the English paper claims Chiellini could move to Arsenal, the latest reports from Italy suggest otherwise.
Add to that the fact the player's brother Claudio told Goal.com on Monday that Chiellini would not be moving and it's easy to see any deal hit a brick wall.
"Chiellini only signed an extension in the summer and he will not leave Juventus. I think it's pure fantasy," said Claudio Chiellini.
Also, if Arsenal do make a miracle swoop over the winter transfer window, the defender would not be eligible to play for the Gunners in the Champions League, having already done so for Juve this season.
A potential move is looking bleak but anything is possible in the money-dominated Calcio world.

Late Barcelona Show Stuns Real Madrid In El Clásico

2008-12-15T07:56:00.000-08:00

Barcelona took 83 minutes to break down a stubborn and resilient Real Madrid side in the Camp Nou on Saturday evening, despite having a penalty in the second-half.

The Catalan side were undoubtedly the more dominant of the two teams but they didn't create too many clear cut chances and Iker Casillas looked like he was going to be the hero as he saved a spot-kick from Samuel Eto'o with twenty minutes left.

However, the Cameroon international scored the opener with just seven minutes remaining, after Carles Puyol lept highest for a corner and nodded it to Eto'o just two yards out to poke in with his thigh.

Lionel Messi then put the icing on the cake as he latched onto a pass from Thierry Henry in injury time to beat Casillas on the counter-attack.

The goals sent the Camp Nou into raptures but even though Madrid were defeated there was no sign of the humiliating scorelines talked about in the build up.

The result still means that Barcelona extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points over Villarreal though and move a massive twelve clear of Real Madrid.

In a high quality and fast paced first-half the best chance actually fell to Real Madrid, despite the fact that they had been outplayed for the most part, and Royston Drenthe was the guilty party as he missed a clear one-on-one chance with Victor Valdés, after being played through in acres of space.

Barcelona failed to create much and the best opportunities they had fell to Lionel Messi, who when he wasn't getting kicked off the ball, tested Iker Casillas with a couple of decent shots.

The second-half was much the same story but Barcelona were gifted a chance to take the lead with just twenty minutes left as Michel Salgado bought down Sergio Busquets inside the box. Casillas pulled off a brilliant save to deny Eto'o though and was again the hero minutes later as he saved from distance this time.

Eto'o had the last laugh though as, in typical poacher style, he pounced from two yards to tap home a Puyol header from a corner late in the game, and then Messi rounded the night off with a lovely chipped finish over Casillas in injury time.

Swift Start

The big surprise before the match was that Juande Ramos opted to start Wesley Sneijder in midfield, who has been recovering from injury this week, and also started Sergio Ramos at left-back. Due to their other injury worries the visitors also began with three reserve team players on the bench, whilst Barcelona played with their normal 4-3-3 formation from the off.

As was expected the game started at quite a pace too, with Lionel Messi the centre of attention, first as he was chopped down in midfield and then as he drilled a shot at goal that Iker Casillas saved well, after some lovely skill on the right wing from the Argentine. Barcelona looked the more dominant of the two sides and only thanks to a great last ditch tackle by Fabio Cannavaro did they not go ahead after five minutes when Messi combined with Samuel Eto'o in the box, only to see his close range shot blocked.

The Real Madrid tactics were obvious from the outset, with the men in white taking it in turns to kick Messi, much to the frustration of Pep Guardiola and the Camp Nou crowd. The away side struggled to get out of their half in the early stages of the game as they looked more than happy to hit Barça on the counter-attack.

Indeed, it took until the 23rd minute for Victor Valdés to make his first save when Wesley Sneijder forced him to tip over the bar with a volley from inside the box. Less than a minute later though and Real Madrid should have taken the lead when Raúl played Royston Drenthe through behind the defence, only for the Dutch man to shoot tamely when one-one-one, allowing Valdés to save down to his right.

All the while the tackles continued to fly from the away side as Sergio Ramos and Christoph Metzelder both picked up yellow cards for poor tackles from behind. The home side were dominating possession but not really able to create any clear cut chances, and with just 36 minutes gone Sneijder had to be taken off to be replaced by debutant Miguel Palanca. The Dutchman was always a doubt for the match and presumably the risk to start him did not pay off as planned for Juande Ramos.

Madrid were holding their own though and bar a booking for Drenthe they managed to make it in to half-time unscathed. In fact, the whistles from the fans inside the Camp Nou towards referee Medina Cantalejo painted a clearer picture of the first-half than the scoreline. Barcelona had dominated for large parts but Madrid were happy to keep them at bay with borderline, and also reckless, tackles, that often the referee chose not to punish.

Real Chance

The second-half looked like it would begin in similar style to the first, with Barcelona monopolising the ball, but with just three minutes gone Real Madrid were again presented with a great chance from nowhere. A slack ball in midfield allowed a pass to be threaded through to Gonzalo Higuaín and until Carles Puyol slid in it looked like he would be one-on-one with Valdés. The Spanish defender put in a crucial tackle to prevent the Argentine from receiving the ball but still Barcelona could not create any chances early on.

Eto'o fired in a rasping volley from the right flank but that sailed over the bar whilst at the other end Higuaín threw himself to the floor theatrically on the edge of the box to no avail. The La Liga leaders looked the more likely of the two sides to break the deadlock but there was growing frustration in the Camp Nou as Sergio Busquets came on to replace Gudjohnsen.

Soon after coming on the young midfielder was involved in the incident which should have seen Barcelona take the lead too. Daniel Alves played a lovely little chipped ball over the defence after a corner and as Busquets burst through the middle he was tripped by Salgado, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. Eto'o was the man who stepped up but the Cameroonian saw his shot brilliantly saved by Casillas as he dived to his left.

Minutes later the Spanish number one thwarted Eto'o again as he made a great save from a shot on the edge of the box, and then denied Messi from close range. With the final whistle looming Barcelona were growing more and more anxious and they were nearly picked off on the break by Palanca, but he shot straight at Valdés from a tight angle.

However, with just over five minutes left Barcelona finally got the break though and it was Eto'o who atoned for his penalty miss by scoring. The striker was in the right place at the right time to tap home from a great header by Puyol and the Camp Nou exploded as the Cameroonian whipped his shirt off and whirled it around his head.

The home side didn't stop there either as they grabbed another late in injury time through Messi, who after being played through by Henry on the counter-attack, chipped over Casillas to end the game perfectly for Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo Could Face Ban Over Tottenham Kicking

2008-12-15T07:44:00.000-08:00

Mike Dean was the referee as Manchester United drew a blank with Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. The Manchester Evening News reports that the Football Association will review his report before deciding which action to take against Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese powerhouse kicked out at Spurs' Michael Dawson after the pair had tumbled to the ground, with most deeming the act sheer petulance.

Ronaldo would perhaps say that Dawson gave him a little shunt as they went down on the touchline, but the cheeky kick was irrefutable and brings United's discipline into question again, following Wayne Rooney's violent run-out against Aalborg in midweek.

The Lilywhites stopper said of the incident: "I made a tackle and was running off, so I don't know what happened."

Ronaldo was recently suspended and the newspaper reports that video evidence could be used to land him in more hot water.

Rooney and Ronaldo aside, Sir Alex Ferguson was banned and fined for rowing with referee Dean last month, while Patrice Evra has three games of a four match ban remaining after last term's Chelsea brawl.

Scolari The 'Worst' Chelsea Boss In Abramovich Era!!!

2008-12-05T04:08:00.000-08:00

Chelsea might be just one point from the top of the table, but that hasn't stopped The Sun turning up the heat on manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

However, and most atypically, the London tabloid has provided statistical evidence to support its claims that the Brazilian
is the Blues' poorest performing boss since Roman Abramovich bought the club five years ago.
Their recent loss to Arsenal means Chelsea have won 59.1 per cent of their games since Scolari took charge at the start of the season, a figure which does not compare favourably with his predecessors.
Avram Grant, who vacated the hot-seat just prior to the ex-Selecao coach's arrival, boasted a win ratio of 63.6 per cent after 15 Premier League games. But the veteran Israeli's record pales in comparison to that of the two Stamford Bridge bosses who went before him.
Claudio Ranieri had led the Londoners to victory 77.3 per cent of the time at the same stage of the 2003-04 season, and yet the resulting second-place finish wasn't enough to save him his job.
The Tinkerman, currently at Juventus, was replaced by Jose Mourinho, who now coaches Inter Milan - and the Portuguese gaffer tops the list of Abramovich-era managers with 78.2 per cent.
Thus, Scolari clearly has some work to do to please the higher-ups at Chelsea, a task that will only be made tougher by his non-existent transfer kitty this January.
However, it is unlikely the Russian owner or the chief executive, Peter Kenyon, will be too concerned with facts and figures if there is some new silverware in the trophy cabinet come May.

Rio Ferdinand: I Hated Manchester United.

2008-12-05T04:05:00.000-08:00

It didn't take Rio Ferdinand long to get used to being a successful superstar on the books of world footballing giants
Manchester United after signing from Leeds United in 2002.

However, before getting a taste of success at pre-meltdown Elland Road, London-born Ferdinand was a West Ham United player.

He has admitted that, in his younger years, the dominance of United turned his stomach and vowed never to make a deal with
the Red Devils.

He is quoted in The Mirror as saying: "I couldn't stand United when I was 21 or 22 because they used to win everything.

"A United fan came up to me once and said 'I bet you'd love to come to United'. I said 'I'll never go there'.

"Still, I have to admit I was so excited when I arrived."

Now, the 30-year-old admits that he wants the unlikely love affair to continue against the odds.

"I'll be 34 when this contract runs out and I'd have to be very lucky with injuries and keep in tiptop shape to go beyond
that," he mused.

"If I'm still playing in the first team at 34 I'll be delighted."

AMAZING!! Mourinho: Ronaldo Didn't Deserve Ballon d'Or!!!

2008-12-05T03:59:00.000-08:00

Inter coach Jose Mourinho has stunned everyone with his response when asked to give his views on Cristiano Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or win. The Manchester United ace scooped the award for his wonder season last term where he dragged his side to a Premier League and Champions League double. Ronaldo became the third Portuguese player to have won the Golden Ball after Eusebio and Luis Figo but Mourinho scoffed at the achievement and he revealed he would have preferred to have seen someone else lift it. Asked by Sky Italia about the Ronaldo win and whether he had any praise for the star, Mourinho said, "No, I would have preferred one of my own foreign players to have won the Ballon d'Or." Inter are running away with the Serie A title given the six point gap between them and second place Juventus, but the coach is keeping his feet on the ground.
"The league still hasn't reached the halfway point and we cannot relax. We will continue to work hard everyday."

The coaches' words are likely to cause controversy around the world. The 'Special One' didn't even recognize his fellow countryman's achievement with praise.

2008-12-05T03:54:00.000-08:00

Thiago Silva: Inter, Milan And Chelsea Want Me.

Fluminense defender Thiago Silva insists he is unsure of where his future lies despite the Italian media being certain about a January move to Inter.

The 24-year-old stopper has become a top target for a number of clubs and there is currently a three-way fight between the Nerazzurri, Milan and Chelsea.

Sportmediaset claimed a deal had already been agreed with Jose Mourinho's side but the player himself insists he doesn't know where he will end up.

“Nothing is sure yet,” Silva is quoted as saying on Dailymail.co.uk.

“Inter Milan, AC Milan and Chelsea have contacted my agent and made proposals. We will evaluate everything before making the right decision.”

Reports in Italy are rife with speculation that the player has already given Inter his word.

However, the Italian club has not confirmed that any deal has taken place.

Fergie Hit With Touchline Ban

2008-11-19T01:26:00.000-08:00

Age does not seem to mellow Alex Ferguson. The 66-year-old manager was hit with a two match touchline ban and a £10,000 fine today following the row that ensued at Old Trafford after Manchester United's 4-3 victory over Hull City.
Ferguson was incensed that referee Mike Dean did not send off Hull defender Andy Turner for a foul on Michael Carrick. He was further inflamed when Dean later awarded Hull a penalty for a Rio Ferdinand challenge on Bernard Mendy.
The Scot’s latest suspension begins on December 2 and means he will not be in the dugout for the Carling Cup match against Blackburn the following day.
He will also be in the stands when Sunderland visit on December 6, preventing him from a touchline reunion with Roy Keane, perhaps to the relief of the fourth official.
There were also signs of Fergsuon's famous paranoia when he claimed that the FA were "dying" to hit him with his latest charge.
Despite this, Ferguson did admit to the offence against Dean, and this was taken in to account by the FA's Regulatory Commission when they met in Manchester today, as was the manager's previous disciplinary record.
Ferguson served a similar ban last season for a finger-pointing rant at referee Mark Clattenburg following a defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

Rosicky backed to shine again

2008-11-19T00:39:00.000-08:00

Czech Republic head coach Petr Rada is convinced Tomas Rosicky will be back in contention for a start in the near future.
The midfield schmer has not played for Arsenal since picking up a ligament injury in January and went under the knife last month to remedy the problem.
Arsene Wenger issued an upbeat bulletin on Rosicky recently and Rada feels the 28-year-old is making good progress.
Rada has his eyes trained on the World Cup qualifier with Slovenia on March 28 and feels Rosicky will be in contention.
“I am 100% convinced he will play in this match,” Rada told Czech TV Nova.
“Tomas is physically fine, he is on his way to recovery.”

Now Mourinho Wants Tevez!!

2008-11-18T02:05:00.000-08:00

Reports in The People suggest that Portuguese coach Mourinho has already sounded out Kia Joorabchian, the president of Tevez's parent company Media Sports Investments, about a move.Talks between Tevez, United and MSI over a permanent stay have stalled of late, with the Argentine growing increasingly unsettled at Old Trafford. He's flitted in and out of the first-team this season and appears to have lost a bit of spark after falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.Fergie has given the bullish forward more playing time of late and will continue to do so with Wayne Rooney crocked. However, Angolan international Manucho came on for Tevez in the win over Stoke as the boss considers his options.Mourinho would relish doing transfer battle with old foe Ferguson, but it must be said that the move seems somewhat unlikely. Tevez will be aware of Hernan Crespo's Nerazzurri woes and would be more likely to seek a guaranteed staring slot if he leaves Old Trafford.Real Madrid will remain favourites as they seek to replace long-term absentee Ruud van Nistelrooy, although transfer plans may change depending on the fate of under-fire boss Bernd Schuster.

The World Doesn't Like Italian Football - Mourinho

2008-11-18T01:53:00.000-08:00

The former Chelsea man, who has experience in Spain from his time at Barcelona working as a translator as well as Portgual and England, thinks football in Italy is being shunned by the other major leagues."Italian football is not liked by the rest of the world, even though it doesn't seem like it," said Mourinho at a meeting in Coverciano as reported by Tuttosport."I feel like one of you. My family in Portugal has to wait until midnight to see a game in Serie A where as at seven they can watch a poor game like Getafe against Valladolid."All the leagues are difficult as is winning, even if a coach is good. We Portuguese are like Italians. It's very important to win a game, even if it comes in the 89 minute without playing well."Italian football is difficult, this is true. The coach needs to prepare the team very well."However, as a coach I think it's brilliant, spectacular. I made four changes against Genoa and they adapted every time."I am interested in Italian football as a product, but people abroad don't like it - especially in Asia where it's not sold very much."We have to improve upon this in future."The coach was speaking at the Panchina d'Oro awards where, ironically, clubless coach Roberto Mancini scooped the prize. Mourinho will be hoping he wins it next year.

Arsenal Keen On Fiorentina Star - Reports

2008-11-18T01:38:00.000-08:00

The Brazilian midfielder has been outstanding for the Tuscan side this season, and he has raised a number of eyebrows around Europe - none more so than those of Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.Firenzeviola.it claims that the North London club sent their scouting team to watch Melo in action against Bayern Munich last week and against Atalanta on Sunday, when the player scored his first Serie A goal.Melo was in red hot form in both games and thus Wenger will be recieving good news from his assistants.Reports suggest the midfielder's reprasentative Jose Rodri Baster was approached with an offer from the English club, although it is unlikely Fiorentina will let their player go.I Gigliati bought the star from Spanish side Almeria last season for €8 million and he is considered one for the future.Felipe's contract runs until 2013 and it doesn't seem as through the Artemio Franchi side will be keen on selling one of their most prized assets.Arsenal have always been keen on youth, but Cesare Prandelli is a huge fan of Melo and thus any future deal may be impossible.

Rio Drowned Sorrows With Irons After Gunners Defeat

2008-11-18T01:27:00.000-08:00

Depressed and disoriented, Rio Ferdinand escaped from the scene of Manchester United's recent defeat at the hands of Arsenal and drowned his sorrows with West Ham fans in an East London pub.The former Hammers ace has admitted that he was so down after the 2-1 Emirates defeat that he had to seek the bottom of a pint glass and he didn't care what anyone thought - even the Irons-daft locals."When you lose against Arsenal it does your head in," the stopper admitted."It was my birthday and I was supposed to be meeting family; it was meant to be a happy time."It wasn't, though. I told my driver to stop off at some pub. He said ‘I can’t let you go in there,’ because I had my United tracksuit on in a West Ham area."I said, 'Nah, drop me off.' People were looking at me, wondering what I was doing there, but I just had a couple of drinks, three packets of crisps...normal things."No, Rio, that's far from normal...

Karim Benzema Leaves Transfer Options Open

2008-11-17T04:45:00.000-08:00

Arguably the hottest young striking prospect in Europe, 21-year-old Karim Benzema of Olympique Lyon is continually linked with moves to a variety of the world’s biggest clubs. The forward has been reticent to close off any potential alleyways, though, leaving his future destination largely ambiguous. This was again the case when he spoke to l’Equipe TV.“There are many clubs interested, such as Barça [Barcelona] or Real [Madrid], but we should not forget clubs like Manchester [United] or [AC] Milan,” he said, “All are big clubs that footballers dream of playing for.“I like Spain, but I could really make progress in Manchester or Milan. I want to continue to a very high level and become among the best in the world.”Assertions that Jean-Michel Aulas will not let Benzema leave for anything short of €100 million have not been totally dismissed by the Lyon-born star, who has eight goals to his name already this season.“We must see [about the transfer fee], but this lies with the president,” Benzema asserts, “People were shocked because it is such a large some of money but, the day I leave, I will speak to the president about it… “At the moment, I am not thinking of my departure. At the end of this season, we’ll see, but I have a project here and that’s it.”

Milan Set To Offer Shevchenko To Madrid?

2008-11-17T02:51:00.000-08:00

Los Merengues continue to struggle on the field following last Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Real Valladolid. Their impotent front-line was cruelly exposed and the recent news that hot-shot Ruud van Nistelrooy’s will be ruled out for the remainder of the season has not helped the team’s confidence.
The Madrid hierarchy are planning to open their cheque-books during the winter transfer period in a bid to recruit several big names players to revive their flagging campaign.
Players such as Andrei Arshavin, Hernan Crespo, Carlos Tévez, Diego Milito and Klaas Jan Huntelaar have so far been linked to the capital giants in recent weeks and now, it appears that Andriy Shevchenko is the latest name to be added to the list.
According to Madrid-based daily, Marca, the Ukrainian striker’s current club AC Milan are prepared to offer the Bernabéu outfit the 32 year old’s services as he looks unlikely to fit into coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for the rest of this season.
Shevchenko was a starter in Milan’s opening Serie clash against Bologna, which they lost 2-1 but he has since been consigned to the substitute’s bench as Ancelotti has opted to adopt a 4-3-2-1 formation, with Kaká and Ronaldinho playing behind a lone striker.
Sheva is believed to be the Rossoneri’s current fourth choice option upfront, behind Filippo Inzaghi, Pato and even young Marco Borriello, who albeit, is out injured at present.
The relationship between Madrid and Milan is believed to have improved significantly ever since the Spanish giants stopped hassling the Italian behemoths about playmaker, Kaká.
A move could be beneficial for all parties concerned, especially for Los Blancos as Shevchenko will be eligible to play in the Champions League.

Almunia angry with Arsenal flops

2008-11-16T23:43:00.000-08:00

Manuel Almunia has ripped into his Arsenal team-mates after a disappointing defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, with the Spaniard describing the performance as ‘embarrassing’ and admitting that urgent change is required at Emirates Stadium.
The 2-0 defeat to Villa confirmed Arsenal’s worst start to a Premier League season under Wenger in terms of games lost and having already dropped three points on four occasions, a title challenge looks to be beyond their reach despite the recent win over Manchester United.
Wenger admitted that morale is low following the game at Emirates Stadium and Almunia has made no attempt to disguise his team’s shortcomings given that The Gunners are now a full nine points shy of joint leaders Liverpool and Chelsea.
The keeper has questioned why the team did not respond to a first half penalty for Villa when Almunia kept out Ashley Young’s spot-kick, with Gael Clichy going on to head into his own net and Gabriel Agbonlahor then scoring a breakaway goal to compound a miserable display for the home side.
And with just one win in the past four Premier League games, Almunia has urged the Arsenal squad to think deeply about their own contribution to the cause.
“We have to continue doing our job,” said Almunia on the club’s official website. “First of all because of respect for the fans. Anything is possible but we have to change many things from today.
“We are the same team [as last Saturday against United] but each player has to analyse his performance because today’s game was Arsenal’s worst for a long time.
“It is very disappointing because after the penalty I thought the team would be more excited and grow with desire to win the game. But the penalty did not change anything and that is embarrassing for us.”

LAMPARD: WHY BLUE IS MY COLOUR

2008-11-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

Frank Lampard is '100 percent' certain that he made the right decision in committing his future to Chelsea.
The England international plumped for The Blues despite being coveted by his former Stamford Bridge boss Jose Mourinho at Inter and, after seemingly interminable contract negotiations, he put his name to a new five-year contract in the summer.
While admitting that the death of his mother earlier this year did leave him considering the possibility of a change of environment, Lampard revealed that his return to pre-season training with Chelsea helped to make up his mind.
“Inter made a bid for me, and it was a possibility, for sure,” Lampard told the Sunday Times.
"It was a very tough time for me personally after the death of my mum, and my head was in a spin in the summer, he said
"I didn't really know what to do and I felt it might suit me to get away and change my surroundings and my life.
"But when I came back pre-season, I realised how much I loved this place - and, through speaking to my family, I knew what I had to do.
"I'm sure now 100 percent that I made the right decision."
Lampard’s decision-making process has been vindicated by the team’s impressive start to the season under Luiz Felipe Scolari and the former West Ham star believes the current league leaders have all the attributes necessary to finish the season as champions.
“I do believe we’re going to win the league this time,” said Lampard.
“Manchester United deserved to win it last time but with the squad we’ve got, the belief running through the players and the quality of the manager, I think we’ll do it.”
And who does Lampard believe to be Chelsea’s biggest threat?
“I would still say Man U."

INJURED GERRARD OUT OF GERMANY GAME

2008-11-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

England will be minus Steven Gerrard for next week’s friendly international against Germany after the midfielder injured his thigh in Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Bolton on Saturday.
Gerrard suffered a tear to the adductor muscle in his right leg and will be unable to play for at least seven days, making him a doubt also for The Reds’ next Premier League game against Fulham.
Liverpool FC spokesman Ian Cotton confirmed: "Steven picked up an injury in yesterday's game at Bolton. "A scan this morning has confirmed a tear in the adductor magnus muscle in his right leg, and he is expected to be out between seven to 10 days."
Gerrard is the third influential player already out of England’s game in Berlin, with the injured Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney not included in the squad named by Fabio Capello on Saturday.
Captain Terry would become the fourth, if, as expected, a foot injury sustained while playing for Chelsea at West Bromwich Albion precludes his involvement.