Tag Futebol

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that he would like to sign the £30m rated Lille playmaker Eden Hazard, but he is constricted by a need to generate profit on a season-by-season basis.

The Belgian international looks set to leave the Ligue 1 champions in the summer, sparking a scramble between Europe’s leading clubs for his services.

The Gunners have a successful track record of buying talent from France under Wenger, and the Emirates Stadium trainer has praised Hazard’s considerable ability.

“I really like him (Hazard) and, for several reasons: it’s his creative power, his ability to misalign the opponent, his vision of the game and his consummate skill to address the last pass which make him a very interesting player,” Wenger stated according to Mirror Football.

Despite realising Hazard’s quality, Wenger revealed that he is required to make a certain amount of money each campaign to balance the books, which may limit his ability to bid for the attacking midfielder.

“You should know that each season, it is imperative to show a profit of between fifteen and twenty million pounds. I would add that the purpose of a coach is to always buy at a price he sees fit,” he concluded.

Arsenal can expect competition from the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Manchester City for Hazard’s services should they enter the race for his signature.

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By Gareth McKnight

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UEFA has opened disciplinary cases against both Real Madrid and Barcelona following Wednesday’s fiery Champions League tie at the Bernabeu.Barca triumphed 2-0 in the semi-final first leg, though a brace by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi was largely overshadowed by theatrics on and off the pitch.

Referee Wolfgang Stark had his hands full as both sides played up challenges, argued vigorously and niggled at each other through the match, culminating in a red card to Real defender Pepe for a challenge on Davi Alves.

Real boss Jose Mourinho vented his fury at the dismissal to the fourth official and was subsequently banished to the stands, and later unleashed a torrent of accusations at Barcelona, UEFA and the officials in his post-match press conference.

Unsurprisingly, Mourinho attracted the attention of UEFA, who have announced they will investigate the Portuguese manager’s comments in one of five disciplinary charges levelled against Real.

The Spanish club have also be charged in relation to Pepe and Mourinho’s dismissals, a pitch invasion following the final whistle and the throwing of missiles onto the pitch by Real supporters.

Barca face just one charge after substitute goalkeeper Jose Pinto was shown a red card for his part in a half-time brawl as both sides headed to the dressing rooms.

Both cases will be heard by UEFA’s disciplinary board next Friday.

West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has dismissed recent rumours suggesting that manager Avram Grant's position is already under pressure.

The Hammers have lost their opening three games of the new Premier League season, but Sullivan is confident that Grant will soon turn things around at Upton Park.

He told the News of the World:"I haven't relayed any messages to Avram at all. I just expect a gradual improvement in form. It's not all doom and gloom.

"You can't judge a team after three games, it's very premature. When you're building something it takes time and there have been changes at all levels.

"The next three games are very, very tough. Chelsea at home, Stoke who are particularly good on their own ground and Tottenham at home.

"Three tough games and then the season really starts with the Fulham game on October 2, but I hope to surprise a few people against Chelsea, Stoke or Tottenham.

"The Bolton game was a major disappointment but it's early days. There was a stage last season where we lost six games in a row, these things happen.

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"He inherited a very imbalanced squad. Over the next year he'll turn things round. Results will gradually come. Avram is very, very confident about the future.

"He'd love to have £30-£40million to spend but what manager wouldn't? I've got every confidence in the manager and every confidence in the team."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Newcastle striker Demba Ba has stated that rumours over a potential move to Manchester United are false, and made by someone not on his management team.

Armand Doorn, who claimed to be the Senegalese frontman’s representative, stated that the Premier League champions were ready to make a transfer bid for the in-form attacker before the end of January.

Ba however has clarified the matter, and admits that he has nothing to do with Doorn.

“Really, I don’t know how desperate this “armand doorn” can be to talk like he’s my agent!!” Ba stated on Twitter.

“He’s nothing for me. Stop lying and show respect.”

Ba’s management have also released a statement rubbishing Doorn’s claims, and despite admitting that the African forward had a buyout clause in his contract, said that the player is happy on Tyneside.

“Armand Doorn is not Demba’s agent. Alex Gontran is the only person who can speak on his behalf and Newcastle have not had an offer for him,” a spokesman told talkSPORT.

“Demba feels good at Newcastle. He has just started something there. There is a release clause in his contract but the figure will remain confidential.

“If a club wants to speak to Demba, then they must go to Newcastle first. We respect the process,” he finished.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says Aaron Lennon could make a surprise return against Stoke on Saturday.The England winger missed Spurs’ midweek 4-0 Champions League quarter final first leg mauling at Real Madrid with a virus, but could recover in time for this weekend’s match.

“We will see if he feels any better when he comes in on Friday,” Redknapp said. “Whether he will be fit enough to train or not – we are not sure.”

“The kid was unwell – he was too ill to come in to training on Thursday. He will be doubtful but it depends how he is in training.”

With the second leg of that Madrid tie to come on Wednesday there has been speculation that Redknapp could rest some players against Stoke.

But he has insisted Tottenham need as strong a team as possible as they look to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League once again.

“I cannot afford to rest anybody because we have lots of players injured to start with,” Redknapp said.

“We are still trying to make the top four and compete in the Champions League.”

“It is hard trying to compete on two fronts – usually we compete on no fronts here at Tottenham.”

“It?s a tough ask to make the top four of the Premier League and next year it will be even harder because I’m sure Liverpool will be stronger.”

“We finished above Manchester City last season then they went out and spent about 140 million pounds in the summer to try and make sure they made the top four this time.”

Redknapp insisted the midweek flop in Spain has been forgotten because the Stoke game is of vital importance.

“I have forgotten about the Champions League, I am totally focussed on the game with Stoke,” he said.

“Stoke is the next match and that is the all-important game for us and the one we will concentrate on.”

“We have been making lots of chances and only one defeat in the last eight Premier League games.”

“We are playing well but you cannot always win.”

“Stoke is a good club; the fans are unbelievable and they get behind their team. It is a well-run club and it will be tough.”

Tottenham will be without defenders Ledley King (groin), Alan Hutton (knee) and Jonathan Woodgate (calf) and midfielders Wilson Palacios (knee) and Steven Piennar (groin) while Vedran Corluka (ankle) will face a late fitness test.

Former Bournemouth striker Brett Pitman has explained his reasons for snubbing a move to Blackpool, having opted to sign for Bristol City instead.

The 22-year-old seemed set to join the Seasiders, before heading to Ashton Gate in a deal worth in the region of £800,000.

Pitman told the Blackpool Gazette:"I chose Bristol City for a number of reasons. I know those reasons and obviously the manager knows them.

"This is a club going forward and going places, I feel, and I wanted to be part of that.

"Obviously a League One player turning down a Premier League club might cause a bit of reaction, but I've picked the club over the league.

"Bristol City have plans for a new stadium and they are signing some good players. That is what I want to be part of.

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"It is nice to stay in the south west, that is one reason I came to the club, but Bristol City are massive. I wanted to play for them."

Pitman scored 62 goals in 198 appearances for the Cherries before leaving to join the Robins.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Jordi Gomez struck with just three minutes remaining to secure a vital point in Wigan’s fight for survival and bring Chelsea’s title challenge to a stuttering halt.

The in-form midfielder was on hand to tap in his fourth goal in five games following Petr Cech’s fumble to give the Latic’s hope of beating the drop and lift the confidence levels at the DW Stadium even higher following their win at West Brom last week. Roberto Martinez’s men certainly deserved a point for their hearty endeavours against the Blues who were broght back down to earth with a thump following their win against Manchester City on Monday night. Andre Villas-Boas’ side looked on course to make it four wins in a row that would have closed the gap between league leaders City and themselves to four points. Daniel Sturridge’s goal just before the hour appeared to have settled a game that was evenly contested despite both sides being at opposite ends of the table.

It was the home side who started the brighter with Gomez having a penalty shout turned down after he tumbled in the penalty area before Chelsea went on the offensive. Unfortunately the Wigan defence was appearing uncharacteristically resolute restricting the visitors to pot shots from distance with John Terry fizzing an effort over from 30-yards. The impressive Oriol Romeu then saw his sublime low volley tipped wide by Ali Al Habsi before Didier Drogba missed the best opportunity of the half five minutes before the break. Raul Meireles’ cross found the Ivory Coast hit man in the Wigan six-yard area only to see his diving header fly wide. More appeals for a spot kick were forthcoming from the Latics after Branislav Ivanovic appeared to block Victor Moses’ drive with his arm.

Chelsea continued to crank the pressure up after the restart and substitute Solomon Kalou almost made an instant impact only for Drogba to fire his cross into the side netting. It was going to take something special to breakdown Wigan’s uncompromising defence and Sturridge duly provided it taking Ashley Coles pass in his stride before firing his seventh Premier League goal of the season past Al Habsi. Wigan responded brilliantly to going behind with Maynor Figuero forcing Cech into a low save following a driving run up the left flank before Hugo Rodallega latched onto Ivanovic’s sloppy back pass only to be denied by the Chelsea keeper. Former Blues striker Franco Di Santo was sharp to the followup but was denied on the line by Ivanovic who made up for his almost fatal error seconds earlier. The hosts continued their pursuit of an equaliser and were rewarded in the 87th minute as Gomez tapped home after Cech spilled Rodallega’s effort.

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There is no competition in club football more special than the UEFA Champions League. Just ask Steve McManaman and Christian Karembeu. Both players have great memories of the competition and indeed won the coveted trophy whilst at Real Madrid. They now work as ambassadors for UEFA at the Heineken-sponsored UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour.

Speaking on the Bangkok leg of the tour, McManaman, who scored a magnificent volley in the 2000 Final against Valencia, said: “The Champions League means everything to me. One of the reasons I actually left Liverpool was to play in the Champions League.

“Whilst I was there, only the domestic champions got to play in the competition and I wanted to test myself against the very best in the world. You have to test yourself against the best teams in Europe, that is what it is all about. And because I joined such an illustrious club with such great players, I was fortunate enough to win the Champions League the first year I got to play in it and that was fantastic!”

Karembeu was an unused substitute in the 2000 Final, but started in 1998 when a solitary Pedrag Mijatovic strike was enough to sink Juventus at the Amsterdam Arena. In that same summer, the 53-times-capped French international lifted the World Cup in Paris and although he remembers both occasions very fondly, he is unable to compare one to the other.

Karembeu said: “The Champions League is the first title that I won as a player so it means a lot me. It was also the first time in 32 years that Real Madrid had won the trophy and that made it extra special because the club were missing it. Both for me personally, and for the club it was genuinely a dream come true. It was one of the best moments of my life without question.

“But to then go on and win the World Cup in your home country is something else. You can multiply any feeling or emotion that you have by ten because you know that the whole country is with you every step of the way. I suppose looking back it is almost idealistic the way that I won those titles but I could not have done it without my teammates. I could not compare winning one trophy to the other because it was two different experiences with two different sets of people and I will cherish both memories for the rest of my life.”

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The Trophy Tour

The schedule of the 2011 UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken is:

February 22 – 27: Kuala Lumpur

March 5 – 6: Penang

March 11 – 12: Kuala Lumpur

March 16 – 17: Bangkok

March 19 – 20: Chiang Mai

March 25 – 27: Kon Kaen

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April 6 – 9: Seoul

April 15 – 17: Hong Kong

There will me more to follow about the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken…

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Sunderland boss Steve Bruce slammed the inexperience of referee Anthony Taylor following his side's opening day 2-2 draw with Birmingham City.

The Black Cats threw away a two-goal lead as they were held to a stalemate at the Stadium of Light.

Darren Bent's penalty and an own goal from Stephen Carr had put the home side comfortably ahead.

However, midfielder Lee Cattermole was sent off just before half-time for a second bookable offence and afterwards Bruce was furious with the match official.

"Today, all the big decisions, in my opinion, he got them wrong," he said.

"I don't want to criticise referees but I think he's only been refereeing for four years and it looked like it.

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"For it to be in a Premier League game, when we've got (fourth official) Chris Foy standing there, one of the best officials, it doesn't make sense."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Shane Long struck nine minutes from time to secure a well deserved point for West Brom after QPR looked to have secured only their second win at Loftus Road this season.

The Republic of Ireland international was on hand to covert substitute Peter Odemwingie’s cross to claim a vital point for Roy Hodgson’s side and provide a substantial buffer between them and the Premier League relegation zone. For long periods it looked as if Rangers would be collecting only their second three point haul at home after Heidar Helguson had put them into a 20th minute lead. Chances came and went for both sides with Shaun Wright-Phillips seeing his effort disallowed for offside whilst Albion thought they should have had a penalty for a foul on James Morison. Neil Warnock will be disappointed his side once again failed to turn their chances into goals in what turned out to be a miserable afternoon for the R’s boss who turned 63 on Thursday. Despite dropping two points he will have been purring over the performance of captain Joey Barton who returned from suspension to turn in an inspirational display.

It was the former Newcastle midfielder who provided the cross leading the first goal sending a superbly weighted ball into Helguson who made no mistake from six-yards heading past Ben Foster for his fourth goal in as many games at Loftus Road. The home side were well on top and Wright-Phillips thought he had doubled their lead four minutes later lashing the ball into the top corner only for the goal to be chalked off due to the assistant referees flag. Replays showed the goal should have stood and ultimately it proved crucial as QPR went on to spurn a series of chances that would have made the game safe. The visitors were missing the creative influence of the injured Zoltan Gera but went close through Morison and Jerome Thomas although both failed to test goalkeeper Radek Cerny.

Wright-Phillips then went close again only to see his header beat Foster but sail agonisingly wide of the post and Rangers were made to rue another missed chance. The Baggies were still spoiling after being denied a penalty for Daniel Gabbidon’s foul on Morison as they desperately sought an equaliser. They’d have to wait until the 81st minute for their salvation with Long display the predatory nature that persuaded Hodgson to spend a club record £7.5 million on him in the summer turning Odemwingies cross in from six-yards to seal a vital point.

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