Another jolt for football
Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh football endured another jolt and the crying need for improving the standard was exposed again as the U-23 football team crashed out in the group stages of SA Games losing 2-1 to India at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday.
Bangladesh booters again proved themselves as the chokers in the crunch situations as they tasted the first defeat when there was no way other than a victory. This unwanted demise also marked the sad end of the Argentine coach, Diego Andres Cruciani, who came to Bangladesh with a mission to turn the things around but is seems that he has failed to deliver the goods.
Though he took Bangladesh to the SAFF Championship final, which they lost to India in Karachi last year, but it was expected that he will bring success in the SA Games. But his players put on a disappointing show in the games. A success in football in Colombo would have wiped off most of the failures as it happened in 1999. But in the consecutive two editions of the games in 2004 and 2006, Bangladesh failed to cross the hurdle of the group stages.
The U-23 football team started on a sad note drawing 1-1 with Nepal. Conceding a penalty in the last minute of the injury time deprived Bangladesh of a possible victory.
The U-23 booters crumbled again against Afghanistan as the war-torn country held Bangladesh to a goalless draw. Bangladesh had the last chance of ending the bad time with a win against India. As all four teams were tied at two points Bangladesh had a chance of topping the group despite two draws. But it was proved that they do not have the capability to find a way out in critical conditions.
The Bangladesh Football Federation also played a big role in the demise. Removing the manager and the team leader in the last minutes and appointing a controversial person as the manager has certainly affected the team’s performance. The decisions aroused a lot of hue and cry in the football arena and the leading former footballers resigned from their posts of the National Team Management Committee.
The BFF has since taken over the responsibility of the NTMC and so they also have to shoulder the blame for the failure of Bangladesh team at the SA games.
Harmison strikes at last
as Pakistan forge on
Reuters . London
Pakistan (444/7) lead England (173) by 271 runs at tea, day 3
England’s pace bowlers found their bearings to dislodge Pakistan century-maker Mohammad Yousuf on the rain-affected third day of the fourth and final Test on Saturday.
The touring side, though, chasing a consolation win after going 2-0 down in the series, remained in total control on 444 for seven at tea, giving them a first-innings lead of 271 despite losing three wickets in quick succession.
Faisal Iqbal, the last recognised batsman, was on 25 not out. Shahid Nazir went for 17 off the final ball before the break, slogging out at fast bowler Sajid Mahmood and holing out to mid-on.
Pakistan, having reached 379 for three on a soggy, stop-start day, lost Inzamam-ul-Haq (31) and Yousuf (128) within six balls and two runs of each other shortly after an afternoon rain break.
Harmison got rid of Inzamam with a lifter which flew off the shoulder of the bat to Andrew Strauss at second slip and Hoggard then accounted for Yousuf, who pushed forward and feathered a catch behind. Shortly afterwards wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, having clattered 15 off 13 balls, also fell to Harmison off an edge to third slip.
Hoggard, England’s most successful bowler, had three for 119 at the break.
The final passage of play before tea was an extraordinary turnaround, for Harmison in particular. He had spent most of Friday and all of Saturday morning looking isolated and unsettled, pitching short and spraying the ball wide on both sides of the wicket.
Suddenly something seemed to click. He picked up his pace, targeted off stump and Inzamam and Akmal quickly paid the price.
Yousuf, who made 202 in the first Test and 192 in the third, currently averages 90.14 for the series, yet the frequent rain breaks clearly deprived him of his fluency. He produced just six scoring shots from 45 balls on Saturday after resuming on 115 not out. In all, he batted for five hours and 44 minutes, hitting 18 fours.
The right-hander has scored 1.123 runs in the calendar year, making him the top-scorer in Test cricket.
It was left to Inzamam to produce the day’s few flourishes. His team resumed on 336 for three and he soon contributed two sumptuous back-foot boundaries in the five overs available before the first downpour.
Returning, he rapidly added three more off Harmison. The paceman, though, headed for tea with a spring in his step at last. His sudden change in fortune during the afternoon had given him two wickets for one run in 15 balls. Before getting Inzamam’s wicket, he had bowled just over 46 overs, at The Oval and at Headingley, without a single success.
Chappell denies suggestions
of coaching Australia
Cricinfo
Greg Chappell has brushed aside suggestions that he could be the man to coach Australia’s national team once John Buchanan’s successful tenure ends after the World Cup in May 2007.
Chappell’s current contract with the Indian team also expires around the same time, but he insisted that there had been no approach from Cricket Australia, or any word from the Indian board that his deal would not be extended.
‘I haven’t really followed the story,’ he told Cricinfo. ‘If Allan Border did say that, then I assume that they might be in the process of identifying candidates to succeed Buchanan. If the media want to pick up a quote and run with it, then that’s their prerogative.’
The Herald Sun had quoted Border, now a Cricket Australia director, as saying: ‘Tom Moody, Tim Nielsen, Greg Chappell is in the mix, Dav Whatmore is now coaching Bangladesh and he was a long-term coach at Sri Lanka. We’ve got a lot of good candidates for a tough job.’
The story also suggested that Chappell’s contract with the BCCI ‘will not be renewed by mutual arrangement’. If that’s the case, it’s certainly news to Chappell, who said: ‘I’m just halfway through the job I have to do here.
There have been no discussions yet with the BCCI about extending my contract, nor have they told me that there is no interest in an extension. As of now, I’m coach of the Indian team.
‘That’s my job, and my entire focus is on that. I’m really not interested in fanning the flames of mere speculation.’
India have been in Sri Lanka over a week now, and have just one practice match and 22 balls of international cricket to show for their time here.
Chappell admitted that it was a difficult situation for the players to wait around not knowing when they would get to play. With more rain predicted, this ill-fated tour could literally turn out to be a damp squib.
Powell equals 100m world record
Agence France-Presse . Zurich
Jamaican Asafa Powell set the Golden League meet here Friday alight by equalling the world record of 9.77sec for the men’s 100m he holds jointly with doping-tainted American Justin Gatlin.
Powell led home a trio of Americans in sub-10sec times, Tyson Gay and Marcus Brunson setting personal bests of 9.84sec and 9.99sec, while third-placed Leonard Scott clocked a season’s best of 9.97sec.
Newly-crowned European sprint king Francis Obikwelu of Portugal could only finish in eighth and final place in 10.26sec.
Powell has twice before clocked 9.77sec, firstly in Athens in June 2005 and the second time in Gateshead, England last month.
He shares the world record with Gatlin, the Olympic and world champion matching Powell’s time in Doha in June but the American stands to lose that record should he be banned from athletics after testing positive for testosterone in April.
The result also meant that Powell remained in contention for a share of the one-million-dollar jackpot for athletes who can win all six Golden League meetings.
He is joined by American 400m runners Jeremy Wariner and Sanya Richards, as well as Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba (5000m), after all three also won their events.
Wariner took his unbeaten streak to eight, winning in 44.20sec ahead of compatriot Lashawn Merritt and Gary Kikaya of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 22-year-old Olympic and world champion, who has racked up three sub-44sec performances this season - a time which only seven others have breached - eased up significantly towards the line for a comfortable win.
Saif Shaheen Saeed, the Kenyan-born Qatari, failed in his attempt on his own world record in the 3000m steeplechase, coming home almost three seconds off the pace in 7:56.54, and put the blame firmly on his pacemakers.
Elsewhere on the track, Ethiopia’s world and Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele put in a fierce final sprint to see off Kenyan Isaac Songok in a world lead of 12:48.25.
And Kenyan Augustine Choge, the Commonwealth 5000m champion, won the 1500m in a personal best of 3:32.72 ahead of two compatriots Alex Kipchirchir and Daniel Komen.
Allen Johnson rolled back all of his 35 years to win the men’s 110m hurdles in a season’s best of 13.14sec, the former Olympic and world champion beating off Cuba’s Dairon Robles for his sixth win in Zurich since 1997.
Richards flagged badly in the home stretch of the 400m but did just enough to hold off Vanya Stambolova to win in 50.18sec.
Sherone Simpson made it a Jamaican sweep of the blue riband event of the 100m, easily winning in 11.09sec ahead of American duo Me’Lisa Barber and Stephanie Durst.
Proteas defend tour decision
Reuters . Johannesburg
The South African cricket team arrived back in Johannesburg on Saturday saying they felt the decision to abort their tour of Sri Lanka was fully justified after a bomb blast close to the hotel they were staying in.
Seven people were killed on Monday when a bomb exploded in the Liberty Plaza shopping mall, 600 metres from the team’s Colombo hotel
and often frequented by the players.
‘The criticism was upsetting and a tough pill to swallow,’ Mark Boucher, who captained the team in the absence of the injured Graeme Smith, said.
‘The series would have been a good opportunity for the younger players to have a go at winning selection for the World Cup. But, as a team, we always believe in all-for-one and one-for-all.
‘We could not even leave the hotel to practise and, personally, I like to get out and experience what touring is all about,’ Boucher said.
Coach Mickey Arthur said the South Africans had been eagerly anticipating the limited-overs triangular series, that also featured India, after losing the test series 2-0 to Sri Lanka.
‘From a cricketing point of view, abandoning the tour was a disaster and we are all very disappointed that it had to happen,’ he said.
‘The guys were really amped for the one-day series and we were looking forward to it. It would have been a great opportunity for the younger players.’
The coach added that South Africa’s decision to leave had been supported by many Sri Lankans.
‘There was a noticeable change in the climate in Colombo and the locals became a lot more uneasy. There was a lot of sympathy for us and many people said we’d made the right decision.
‘We can understand the disappointment of the cricketing people, though, and it is important to try and reschedule the matches,’ Arthur said.
Cricket South Africa’s corporate communications manager, Steve Elworthy, said South Africa would play two one-day internationals against Zimbabwe and may also travel to Abu Dhabi to play in a series against Pakistan and possibly Australia.
Pro-league transfers start on Sept 1
Staff Correspondent
The Bangladesh Football Federation categorically stated that the players’ transfers for the first ever professional league will start on September 1 as announced earlier, a BHH press release said.
The press release, signed by the acting general secretary of the BFF Monzur Hossain Malu, further stated that the federation after some fruitful discussions with the National Sports Council reaffirmed that there was no way of deferring the transfer and the league will kicked off in the first week of November.
The BFF also said French football star Zinedine Zidane along with Asian Football Confederation president Muhammad bin Hammam will be present during the inaugural ceremony of the pro-league.
The federation issued the press release after a number news items published in the national dailies stoked up some speculation about the professional league.
Jewel wins first silver for Bangladesh
Staff Correspondent
Jewel Ahmed presented Bangladesh the first Silver medal of the 10th SA Games when he finished second in 50 metre butterfly at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium Swimming Pool on Saturday.
Jewel clocked 20.60 seconds to cross the distance and was deprived of a probable gold due to a bad start.
Female swimmer Mahfuza Khatun won the Bronze in 100m breaststroke with a timing of 1:20:90sec.
Ace weightlifter Hamidul Islam lifted 140kg to earn Bronze in the -62kg category event while Akramul Huq won the Bronze in the -56kg category.
BCB Academy take lead
Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy XI took a slender six-run lead scoring 49 for no loss in their second innings against Pakistan Cricket Academy XI at the stumps on the third day of the four-day match in Karachi on Saturday.
Replying to BCB Academy’s first innings total of 340 the opponents scored 383 in their first innings. Usman scored 124 and Fawwad added 96. Marshal Ayub grabbed three wickets for 41 runs.
Nazmus Sadat was batting on 33 with Mehrab Hossain on 9 at the close.
India-SL ODI abandoned again
Agence France-Presse . Colombo
Heavy rain washed out the first limited-overs international between India and Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese sports club here on Saturday.
A sharp thundershower around 10.30 am (0500 GMT) waterlogged the outfield and forced the game to be called off an hour later. The remaining two matches will be played today and Tuesday at the same venue, weather permitting.
Just 16 minutes play was possible on Friday due to rain and match referee Chris Broad had ruled play would resume at that score on Saturday.
Jones failed drug test
Agence France-Presse . Washington
US sprinter Marion Jones failed a drug test at the national athletics championships in Indianpolis in June, the Washington Post reported on its website on Friday.
Quoting ‘sources with knowledge of the test results,’ the newspaper said the five-time Olympic medallist had tested positive for the blood booster erythropoietin (EPO), although the result remained unconfirmed pending analysis of the ‘B’ sample.
USA Track and Field declined to comment on the report, which also appeared in other US news media.
‘We would refer any question about domestic doping cases to the US Anti-Doping Agency,’ said USATF spokesperson Jill Geer.
USADA could not immediately be reached, nor could Jones’s agent Charles Wells.
The New York Times, in a story for Saturday’s edition, said information on the positive ‘A’ sample report had been provided by ‘people briefed on the results.’
The Chicago Tribune said that according to a source familiar with the case the ‘B’ sample is scheduled to be tested on September 6. Organizers of Friday’s Golden League meeting in Zurich said Jones had withdrawn at the last minute for ‘personal reasons.’
Hansjorg Wirz, who is also head of the European Atletics Association, said Jones ‘received a phone call from the United States this morning and left for personal reasons.
‘She was already on the plane when we got this information,’ Wirz said. Jones, 30, won five medals, including three gold, at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but has been shadowed by doping allegations raised in the criminal investigation of the BALCO laboratory prior to the 2004 Athens Games.
She has vehemently denied ever using performance enhancing drugs, and has never before tested positive nor faced a formal doping charge.
Although never convicted of a doping offence, she was effectively declared persona non-grata in Europe last season after being linked to the BALCO scandal.
Holders start in style
Staff Correspondent
Former national striker Mujibur Rahman Ritu slammed a hat-trick to give reigning champions Narayanganj a dream start as they crushed Joypurhat 7-1 on the second day of the final round of Jubok Phone National Football Championship at the Sylhet stadium on Saturday.
Ritu scored in the 46th, 63rd and 88th minutes of the match to ensure a good start for the holders. Md. Hanif opened the account after 13 minutes and Abul Hossain doubled the margin in the 34th minute. Apart from the Ritu heroics, Mithun Chowdhury and Zakir Hossain scored one apiece in the 66th and 73rd minutes.
Joypurhat’s lone consolation goal came from Pashban Hossain in the injury time. Jumratul Hossain Mithu of Narayanganj was adjudged as the man of the match.
Hafeez happy to seize chance
Agence France-Presse . London
Mohammad Hafeez insisted he’d never doubted he’d return to Pakistan’s Test side after marking his comeback match from a three-year exile with 95 in the fourth and final Test against England here at The Oval.
‘I was thinking all the time one day I will come back to Test matches. Three years is not an easy time to wait for a comeback but it worked for me.’
Hafeez’s stand of 177 with Mohammad Yousuf (115 not out) helped Pakistan finish the second day on 336 for three, a lead of 163, in reply to England’s meagre first innings 173.
With Hafeez’s fellow opener Imran Farhat making 91 it suggested Pakistan might be on the way to solving the first-wicket partnership problems that have plagued them this series.
Already a losing 2-0 down in the series, Pakistan have used four different opening combinations in as many Tests in England in the absence of proven performer Shoaib Malik, out with an elbow injury.
Hafeez, who retired hurt on eight with a leg muscle injury before resuming Friday, had only recently arrived in England.
And his performance was all the more impressive as this was his first Test since September 2003 when he made the last of his three previous appearances, all against Bangladesh, at Multan.
‘It was a good knock, especially as I was under pressure because I was coming back to Test cricket after three years. But after this innings I feel much happier and much better,’ Hafeez told reporters.
Hafeez, who can also bowl off-spin, has played 30 one-day internationals and it looked as if he’d been brought to England primarily for the upcoming five-match limited overs series.
‘I was in good nick. I scored 180 against Australia on the A tour and I was thinking I might get a chance to play a Test match and I would like to thank my coach (Bob Woolmer) and captain (Inzamam-ul-Haq) for the trust they’ve placed in me.’
The 25-year-old Hafeez, who previously had two spells playing club cricket in Yorkshire, northern England, said he was now determined to nail down his place at the top of Pakistan’s order.
‘I will try my level-best to get a place permanently in the side. I know the problem is in the opening area but you need to work hard to get a place at international level.
‘It’s not insecurity you feel, it’s pressure. Whenever you get a chance for your country you have to perform,’ added Hafeez, who in his second Test scored 102 not out against Bangladesh.
In sight of his second Test century, Hafeez’s 177 ball innings with one six and 14 fours, ended when he chipped pace bowler Matthew Hoggard to England captain Andrew Strauss at short mid-wicket.
‘To score a century in a comeback game would have been a very happy moment for me. I was lazy with the shot that got me out.’
Well though Pakistan batted, there was no disguising a lacklustre display by England’s attack. Too many of their bowlers were off-target and four catches, all off Hoggard, have been dropped in the innings so far with Yousuf missed on five and nine.
‘It was as bad as it looked,’ Hoggard admitted. ‘We were below par bowling, below par fielding and we were below par batting yesterday (Thursday).
Asked to explain a display that saw strike bowler Stephen Harmison well below his best with none for 78 off 15 overs, Hoggard added: ‘If we knew that we’d be quite rich.
‘We weren’t complacent. Pakistan are the third best team in the world and we know we have to play well to beat them,’ Hoggard, England’s leading bowler so far this innings with two for 79 from 22 overs, added.
‘They might have lifted their game a little bit and we’ve dropped our game. At this level you cannot afford to be five percent off your mark or you will be found out.’
The hod carriers of old are now vital
bricks in the defensive wall
Richard Williams
Once they were football’s odd-job men – the hod-carriers, janitors and road-sweepers of the game, toiling in obscurity so that others might spin in the spotlight. Not any more. Last Sunday the man of the match in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Chelsea in the Community Shield was the 21-year-old Mali international Mohamed Sissoko, of the telescopic legs and centre-circle dispossessions. Three days later a combination of industry and interceptions in England’s 4-0 win over Greece won the award for the once despised Owen Hargreaves. Neither man had scored or laid on a goal, yet their value was beyond dispute.
The early weeks of the Premiership will confirm the blossoming of a long-term trend that became unmissable this summer. Not since Alf Ramsey consigned old-fashioned wingers to the outer darkness 40 years ago has a World Cup exerted such an influence on the game’s tacticians, to whom the key area of the contemporary game is the one occupied by the holding midfield player – sometimes known as the screening midfielder, the metronome or the windscreen-wiper. And so virtually every leading team in England this season will have its equivalent of France’s Claude Makelele, Germany’s Torsten Frings and Argentina’s Javier Mascherano.
This week Hargreaves, having spent five years persuading England to give him the role he made his own with Bayern Munich, has been surrounded by stories of a £17m transfer to Manchester United. At Old Trafford he would become a team-mate of Michael Carrick, whose departure from Tottenham earlier in the summer suggested an interesting set of priorities. Spurs seemed happy to give up a player more noted for his passing than for his defensive capability once they had captured the Ivory Coast international Didier Zokora, who will be expected to supply the sort of protection that Makelele provides for the Chelsea rearguard.
‘Makelele set the trend,’ David Pleat said Friday. ‘It’s a defence-orientated role, protecting the centre-backs and intercepting balls before they get into the danger area, but he and a few others have done the job so well that they’ve taken what is essentially a cautious position and illuminated it.’
No one is more painfully aware of Makelele’s success than the spectators at the Bernabeu stadium, who watched their team fall apart after the Kinshasa-born player left for Stamford Bridge in a £16.6m transfer, his exit mourned by colleagues who understood exactly what he brought to the team. Three years on Fabio Capello, Real Madrid’s new head coach, is hoping to fill the gap by persuading a reluctant Lyon to part with Mahamadou Diarra, a Malian of similar gifts, for about £20m.
In Gianluca Vialli’s recent book, Jose Mourinho explained the crucial significance of his veteran defensive midfielder. ‘It starts with Makelele, who is between the lines,’ he said. ‘If nobody comes to him, he can see the whole of the pitch and he has time. If he gets closed down it means that one of the two other central midfielders is open. If they are closed down and the other team’s wingers come inside to help, it means there is space now for us on the flank, either for our own wingers or for our full-backs. There is nothing a pure 4-4-2 can do to stop it.’
As others point out, however, there is seldom anything really new in football. ‘What about Norbert Stiles?’ Howard Wilkinson asked this week. ‘Ramsey employed him in that role, behind Alan Ball, Bobby Charlton and Martin Peters, who were all essentially attacking players. Stiles broke up the opposition’s attacks and gave the ball to them or to the full-backs, who were important players in Ramsey’s formation.’
Leo McKinstry, Sir Alf’s most recent biographer, noted that Ramsey’s critics saw Nobby Stiles as ‘the embodiment of his sterile, negative management style, where work rate was cherished above artistry’. To Bobby Moore, however, there was another side to Stiles’s game. ‘All right, Nobby was there first and foremost to spoil, to mark people, to niggle and upset people,’ he wrote. ‘But he could still play the game.’
As can the finest contemporary exponents of the art, the descendants not just of Stiles but of Carlos Dunga, Pep Guardiola, Frank Rijkaard, the young Marcel Desailly, Roy Keane and Didi Hamann. When Chelsea’s 10 men came back from 1-0 down to beat West Ham 4-1 last season, the imperatives of the match ripped away Makelele’s customary veil of discretion, allowing spectators to admire the subtlety and timing of the passes with which he set his colleagues in motion. He, Michael Essien (his own heir presumptive at Chelsea), Hargreaves and Sissoko can all ‘play the game’.
Their rise to prominence is also an indication of the way the game is now dominated by teams aiming to score goals on the counter-attack. ‘The game’s been stretched,’ Wilkinson said. ‘The changes in the offside law and the back-pass rule, and the referees’ increasingly stringent treatment of the tackle from behind, mean that the ball cannot be won as early or as frequently. When teams get the ball back, they’re more often finishing up in the opposition’s third of the pitch. So counter-attacks now are over much greater distances, and because of that people have realised that the quicker you move the ball and the quicker you move bodies up the pitch, the better. The holding player offers comfort on the counter and security in your defensive third.’
‘Possession used to be eight tenths of the law in football,’ Pleat observed, ‘but not now. The teams who are winning things are the ones who can counter-attack, and that’s where the windscreen wiper comes in. His presence gives his team the confidence to break forward. It’s a skilful position because of the discipline it demands. Chasing the ball and following the play is a lot easier.’
Wilkinson - who, during his time as the FA’s technical director, was responsible for persuading the teenaged Hargreaves that his international future lay with England rather than with Canada or Germany – identified Didier Deschamps, once of Juventus and France, as being close to the ideal example of the breed. ‘He had great leadership qualities, he was intelligent, and he could handle the ball. He wasn’t the quickest, but you’d never know it. He read his way through games, passing and tackling and filling in, and he gave his teams a solidity at the back.’
Pleat, however, is not entirely convinced by the fashionable view that the metronome has become the most important instrument in the orchestra. ‘Hargreaves had a good game on Wednesday,’ he said, ‘and he played one fantastic pass near the end, but personally I thought, if you’re talking about the man of the match, that Steven Gerrard shaded it. And £17m, or whatever it might be, is a hell of a lot to pay for a player who isn’t going to make the final pass or score a goal.’
— The Guardian
Neville hails Hargreaves
New Age Desk
Gary Neville believes Manchester United target Owen Hargreaves has not been given the credit he deserves because he plays in Germany.
The international midfielder has reversed perceptions about his ability in England after a string of impressive international displays made a mockery of those that claimed he was not up to the required standard.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is one such admirer, but his bid to bring the player to Old Trafford has been given short shrift by Bayern, who are adamant in their desire to keep the player in the Bundesliga.
While Hargreaves has spoken of an interest in moving to United, Neville has backed Ferguson’s admiration for the combative 25-year-old – who he feels is finally getting the backing he deserves.
‘I think people in England have been ignorant of Owen for a long time,’ Neville told MUTV.
‘We have not accepted the fact he plays for a huge club in Germany like Bayern Munich.
‘They are one of the biggest clubs in the world, yet Owen has not been given the credit he deserves.
‘I have seen a lot of him with England and he is playing with a lot of confidence.
‘I don’t know what is happening as regards the speculation, but I am sure it is something the two clubs will try to sort out.’
Is Chelsea attack just too dangerous?
The Guardian . London
It was clear the Chelsea attack would be dangerous this season, but few can have guessed at the true extent of its scariness. ‘Teams in the Premiership will be up against the rocket, a steaming attack that cannot get enough . . . The rocket is loaded,’ Michael Ballack told The Sun this week. Wow! Not just a rocket, but a steaming, loaded one.
That really does sound like a dangerous attack. In the past teams might have been happy with a front line made up of marksmen and sharp-shooters, with perhaps a baby-faced assassin or a wily hitman waiting in the wings. At Chelsea, however, nothing less than missile technology will do.
Is there something sinister going on here? The fear is that the Chelsea attack could soon become simply too dangerous for its own good. Andriy Shevchenko, for example, bears a strong physical resemblance to the main bad guy’s henchman in a James Bond film, the one who also has nifty gadgets, is almost as tough as Bond, but ends up being horribly dismembered by a steak and kidney pie packing machine during a fistfight with Roger Moore (‘I never did find out what his beef was . . .’).
Of course, football has a long history of dangerous extremes – goalkeepers who become so adept at ‘making themselves big’ they end up consigned to a life of lonely, hermit-like gigantism, mournfully pacing an imaginary six yard box in the depths of some remote forest; and defences so solid they eventually fuse together to become fossilised human remains (tiny fragments of Steve Bould are still being found scattered about the fields and motorway verges close to Arsenal’s training ground).
On a striking theme, the ‘telepathic understanding’ between Liverpool strikers John Toshack and Kevin Keegan became so intense during the 1970s that both players were driven irretrievably insane. It’s a credit to football that the pair have since been cared for within the game, even enjoying lengthy stints in coaching and TV punditry.
The situation at Stamford Bridge is more extreme. Backed by its owner’s vast wealth, there is no upper limit to how dangerous the Chelsea attack might become. The Premiership has begun to resemble the cold war arms race, but with only one side buying any weapons. How long before we see Didier Drogba paraded through the capital, flat out and monumental on a 200 metre rocket trailer, flanked by a squadron of goose-stepping teenagers?
What we need is a competing superpower to even things up. Perhaps Aston Villa’s Randy Lerner could provide an uneasy counterbalance, stockpiling his own reserves of finishers, poachers and single-minded goal machines. Chelsea buy a fleet of proven European goalscorers: he responds with a platoon of pacy front-men with an enviable international scoring record.
In time we could see calls for unilateral striking disarmament. Summits, treaties and ultimatums will come and go. Sting might write a sad song about it. As a goodwill gesture both sides could eventually agree to the controlled destruction of Salomon Kalou and Milan Baros. And in time we might even live to see the entire Chelsea first team squad buried beneath 500 metres of concrete on a remote Pacific atoll. We can only pray that the world sees sense before it’s too late.
Holyfield launches comeback with a win
Agence France-Presse . Dallas
Four-time heavyweight world champion Evander Holyfield launched his comeback bid with a second-round technical knockout of Jeremy Bates here on Friday.
Holyfield, 43, had been absent from the ring since a loss to Larry Donald in November 2004 that led to his license being revoked by the State of New York on medical grounds.
‘I’m so glad to get the opportunity to get back in the ring and show the people that I wasn’t not a boxing man because I’m old,’ Holyfield said. ‘I was able to do the things that I haven’t been able to do in five years.
‘I was able to slip punches, I was able to use my foot speed, I was able to go in and out.’
Holyfield, who improved to 39-8-2, with 26 knockouts, had hand-picked Bates for his return bout, which was scheduled for 10 rounds.
The ex-champ pounded the insurance salesman late in each round before referee Rafael Ramos stopped the fight with four seconds remaining in the second.
Less than a minute into the bout, chants of ‘Holy-field, Holy-field’ rang throughout the arena.
But the 1984 Olympic bronze medalist in the light heavyweight division did not need any extra motivation against Bates (21-12-1), who had retired after suffering a second-round knockout to Ray Austin on April 1 before being recruited by Holyfield.
With time winding down in the first round, Holyfield landed a good right that backed Bates against the ropes.
Sri Lanka to seek compensation
Cricinfo
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has invited Percy Sonn, the ICC president, to spend a few days in Colombo and assess for himself the security arrangements that are in place for touring teams. Sonn, a former president of Cricket South Africa, is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka on August 20 and spend about four days as the guest of Sri Lanka Cricket.
‘I have invited Percy to come and see for himself the security arrangements that are in place for India and judge for himself whether they are adequate,’ said Jayantha Dharmadasa, the interim committee chairman of SLC.
Dharmadasa said that the Sri Lankan board will make use of Sonn’s visit to press forward their case towards gaining compensation from South Africa following the cancellation of the Unitech Cup tri-series which was scheduled to be held in Colombo from August 14-29.
The cancellation came about when South Africa pulled out of the tournament and returned home citing security concerns following a bomb blast near their hotel in Colombo while India, the third team, decided to stay back.
Although the South Africans were assured of the highest security protection - normally given only to heads of state - they decided to return home basing their reasons on two similar security reports which said the Sri Lankan government was unable to guarantee the physical security of the team.
Juventus fail in match-fix appeal
Agence France-Presse . Rome
Disgraced Italian giants Juventus have failed in their bid to convince Italian football federation bosses that their demotion to Serie B, the country’s second tier football league, should be overturned.
Juventus, one of several clubs sanctioned for being involved in a match-fixing scandal which rocked the country shortly before Italy’s World Cup triumph, met with bosses from the Italian football federation (FIGC) in arbitration with the national Olympic committee (CONI).
‘The result of this meeting was not a positive one, but at least we had the opportunity to explain our position,’ said Juve president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli.
‘We pointed out how our punishment was disproportionately damaging to us financially and in terms of prestige.
‘We proposed to be allowed back into Serie A with a points penalty, but now our Board of Directors will meet on August 21 to decide the next step.’
Juventus were stripped of their title, penalised 30 points and demoted to Serie B.Our options are arbitration, but there is also the TAR administrative tribunal and the European Court,’ said Cobolli Gigli.
‘We want the correct penalty for our club.’
DRU sports begins today
Staff Correspondent
The Annual Sports Competition-2006 of Dhaka Reporters Unity, sponsored by Jubok Housing and Real Estate Development Ltd, gets under way today.
The sponsorship agreement was signed between the Jubok Housing and the DRU at a press conference at the DRU auditorium on Saturday, said a DRU press release.
DRU president M Shafiqul Karim and Jubok Ltd managing director Md Lokman Hossain signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
DRU secretary general Shahed Chowdhury, sports secretary Kazi Imrul Kabir Suman and director of Telebarta Ltd Rashedul Huda Chowdhury were present on the occasion.
A total of 476 competitors will take part in different events of the meet.
Quick Bites
Hughes wants to succeed Fergie
Mark Hughes has admitted for the first time he would relish the chance to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson in charge at Manchester United.
Former United striker Hughes has emerged as one of the candidates to replace Fergie when the Old Trafford boss finally decides to step down.
Hughes has proved his managerial ability in two years at Blackburn, guiding the club from the depths of the Premiership to a sixth-place finish last season and an automatic place in Europe.
And although Hughes is focused on maintaining Blackburn’s impressive progress this season, the 42-year-old admitted he would love one day to take charge of his old club.
‘I’ve always said that I would love to manage one of the clubs I played for during my career,’ said Hughes.
‘When I was a player I always wanted to be the best I could be, and it’s the same now I’m a manager. I want to be the best manager I can be and go as far as I can.
‘More often than not, managers get linked with their former clubs. But at the moment the most important thing for me is to continue the work I’m doing at Blackburn and focus on that job.’
— New Age Desk
Totti has Italy change of heart
Francesco Totti said Friday that he wants to keep playing international football despite hinting at retirement after Italy lifted the World Cup last month.
‘I am available to play for the national team again,’ Totti was reported by the ANSA news agency as telling new coach Roberto Donadoni.
‘I thought long and hard after the World Cup and I am ready to come back, but first I want to recover completely from the injury I suffered in February.’
The 30-year-old Roma star said after the World Cup final win over France that it was ‘50-50’ whether or not he would carry on after his performances in Germany were hampered by a fractured ankle that had kept him out of action for three months.
Totti made his Italy debut in a 2-0 win over Switzerland in 1998 and has scored 10 goals in 58 games. — AFP
Senna to stay after United delay
Villarreal president Fernando Roig said midfielder Marcos Senna will remain at the club after Manchester United failed to follow through their interest in the Spain international.
‘They've turned his head without bringing the matter to any conclusion,’ Roig told reporters on Friday. ‘It isn't good for the relations between the clubs because people should behave in a more correct manner.
‘We waited until yesterday for them to finalise the conditions of the move. The player can wait longer but we can't and the case is now closed.’
Villarreal has said that they would approve the move if United made a good offer for the 30-year-old central midfielder, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
Roig, however, added: ‘He will stay and we will have to see if he renews his contract or not.’
Senna, who was born in Brazil, was part of Spain's World Cup squad and played an important role in Villarreal's run to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season. — Reuters
Beckhams get intimate with new fragrance
Soccer star David Beckham and his pop-star wife Victoria are set to get intimate with the unveiling of a new fragrance for men and women next month.
Dubbed Intimately Beckham, the fragrances will be sold starting next month across Britain.
The men’s line promises to bring the confidence of masculinity with a ‘magnetic, provocative, cool - yet never aloof’ blend of grapefruit zest, bergamot and cardamom.
Also in the mix are elements of nutmeg, star anise, sandalwood, patchouli and amber.
The women’s fragrance line aims to convey ‘the essence of Victoria known only to the people closest to her,’ according to a statement announcing the new fragrance.
‘An opulent bouquet of white flowers opens with the pure fresh notes of bergamot and rose petals that linger on the skin,’ is how the scent is described.
The couple, who married in 1999, have spent almost a decade in the perpetual glare of celebrity photographers’ flashbulbs, but their appeal is waning.
Beckham, the world’s most recognised soccer player, quit as England captain after the team’s lacklustre performance in the summer’s World Cup tournament.
He has since been ditched from the England squad, signalling the winding down of his playing career.
Victoria, once a singer with the multimillion-selling Spice Girls, made a poorly received solo album in 2001, but recently switched her attention to developing a line of designer jeans.
Besides perfume, the line of new products also includes body lotion, shower cream and deodorant spray.
Both versions are set to go on sale in Britain starting Sept 1. There was no immediate word on whether the fragrance would be marketed in Europe or elsewhere. — AP
Haan takes charge
of Cameroon
Dutchman Arie Haan was on Friday named as the new coach of Cameroon charged with reviving the fortunes of the Indomitable Lions who failed to reach the World Cup finals. Haan, 57, spent his playing career with Ajax Amsterdam, Anderlecht, Standard Liege and PSV Eindhoven and was capped 35 times.
The appointment of Haan was announced on national radio by sports minister Philippe Mbarga Mboa who added that Theo de Jong will be assistant coach with Jules Frederic Nyonga and Thomas Nkono also joining the coaching staff.
Former tennis player Yannick Noah was also added to the backroom staff as an advisor to the national team. Haan takes over from Portugal’s Artur Jorge who resigned in March, a month after Cameroon had been knocked out of the African Nations Cup at the semi-final stage. — AFP
Quadruple too much even for Jose
Agence France-Presse . London
Jose Mourinho admitted Saturday that winning all four trophies in the one season was too much even for a manager of his calibre.
The Chelsea boss believes that claiming the Premiership, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup titles all in one season was not possible given the current calendar.
‘My personal opinion is that you can’t do it. I don’t think so. Because it is modern football and that means a lot of matches during the season,’ he said.
‘Modern football means an unbelievable calendar for the national teams, players from a lot of different countries, different continents, different competitions to play in and so much travelling.
‘You arrive at a position where you have to make your options. You have to rotate players. You have to decide which games are more important and which competition is more important.
‘I don’t think it’s possible to do it. This is England – a country where you find a lot of teams with ambitions to win the same thing.
‘I was in Portugal and I won everything in one season. Okay, I won in Europe but in the other competitions only Porto, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon could win.
‘In England, when you go to the cup competitions, you have 10, 12, 14 teams all fighting for the trophy.
‘Even in the Premiership you have a minimum of four teams fighting for it and when you go to the Champions League you have six, seven, eight clubs in Europe all with the same ambition.’
Mourinho, who led FC Porto to the Champions League title before taking over at Chelsea, launches his quest for a third successive Premiership title at home to Manchester City today.
And, despite his summer spending spree, the Chelsea boss finds himself short of players.
Claude Makelele, Robert Huth, Petr Cech, Geremi and Joe Cole are all out and Michael Ballack is very doubtful for the opener.
Chelsea are close to adding Khalid Boulahrouz to the squad after agreeing an undisclosed fee for Hamburg’s Dutch international defender on Friday.
The arrival of Boulahrouz, 25, will not affect the move for Ashley Cole which currently appears to have ground to a halt.
Mourinho said, ‘I don’t think it’s a secret that we feel we are waiting for one or two defenders because we don’t want to lose what we’ve had for the last two years.
‘We have always had a very strong defence and whenever we’ve had a player out or injured we always had an answer.’
Mourinho will emulate Sir Alex Ferguson if he can complete his hat-trick of titles. But he reassured Chelsea fans that the achievement would not drive him away from Stamford Bridge in search of a fresh challenge.
Mourinho said, ‘I have a contract and I want to stay. If we win three titles, I will want to win a fourth. If we lose the third I want to win it back.
‘If the club are not happy, then that is another situation but at the moment, speaking from my heart, I love to be here.
‘I did think about leaving last season but now we are starting from zero again and I look forward to 38 matches.
‘As a manager, I want more respect, not love.
‘I have a lot of love already. I don’t need love.’
Fergie seeks home strength for MU
Agencies . Manchester
Manchester United need to tighten up at Old Trafford if they are to challenge twice winners Chelsea for the English title, manager Alex Ferguson said.
United dropped 13 points at home last season compared with two by the champions who won 18 of their 19 league matches at Stamford Bridge.
‘If you look at Chelsea’s home record in the last two years, it’s been absolutely superb,’ Ferguson told reporters before United’s opening game against Fulham at Old Trafford today.
‘We identify the areas we want to improve and obviously five home draws last season can be better. I think we can do better than that particularly the two 0-0 draws.
‘That was frustrating for us at the end of the season when we had a good momentum going.
‘Our away form last season was excellent so we want to convert those five draws into wins.’
When United last won the title in 2003, they won 16, drew two and lost one of their fixtures at Old Trafford.
Ferguson also believes long-term injuries, particularly at the start of the season when Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Gabriel Heinze and Ryan Giggs were sidelined, cost his side dearly last year.
The United manager hopes to avoid a similar scenario this term and says his squad can cope with the inevitable minor injury complaints.
United will be without a number of players for the visit of Fulham with recent signing Michael Carrick among those unavailable with an ankle injury suffered during a pre-season game against Ajax in Amsterdam.
Carrick is scheduled to resume training next week and Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic, who missed the World Cup finals with a knee injury, is also close to fitness.
Striker Alan Smith is only a couple of weeks away from a return to senior action after breaking a leg in February. Heinze will not be considered for first-team duty until next month, however. The Argentina defender is continuing to build up his muscle strength, despite playing in the World Cup.
Ferguson also demanded an end to the ‘disease’ of diving which is proving to be one of the controversial scars on the game.
In welcoming the new initiative which will see referees take responsibility for stopping the game when players get injured, Ferguson has called on the authorities to find a method of combating diving.
Manchester United have hardly been immune from the curse, with Cristiano Ronaldo and former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy both accused of diving in the past.
However, Ferguson, whose side face Fulham in their Premiership opener at Old Trafford today, feels something must be done to combat the problem, which plagued the World Cup.
‘We all agree the diving problem has started since foreign players came into our country but make no mistake about it, English players do it too,’ said the Scot.
‘It has become a disease and we want to see it eradicated.’
Ferguson did not describe exactly what measures should be put into place to defeat the cheats, although he is sure a decision to end the convention of players automatically kicking the ball out of play when opponents go down, apparently injured, is a positive step.
‘It is a common sense decision because the situation had gone beyond being abused, it was actually being turned into a form of cheating,’ said Ferguson.
‘I saw a situation last week when a team was defending a free-kick, the ball was headed down, it went to the attacking team and immediately someone went down holding his head.
‘The player in possession was 25 yards from goal and could have had a shot but the crowd started booing, so he knocked the ball out for a throw-in.
‘We should leave it to the referee to decide whether the injury is genuine or not.
‘If it is, you stop the game but we had got to the situation where players were going down so their team could recover their positions.’
Fowler saves Reds’ blushes
against Blades
Agence France-Presse . Sheffield
Robbie Fowler salvaged a 1-1 draw for Liverpool with a dubious second half penalty to deny Premiership newcomers Sheffield United a shock victory at Bramall Lane on Saturday.
Fowler converted from the spot on 70 minutes after referee Rob Styles adjudged Chris Morgan to have tripped Reds skipper Steven Gerrard to cancel out Rob Hulse’s opening header just after the break.
Hulse, who cost the Blades 2.1 million pounds (3.9 million dollars) from Leeds in the pre-season, nodded home David Unsworth’s accurate free kick on 47 minutes as Neil Warnock’s side threatened to make a dream start to the new season.
Recently-installed England manager Steve McClaren was in the stands to run the rule over some of his international stars and also take a look at highly-rated Blades players Phil Jagielka and Michael Tonge.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez handed a Reds Premiership debut to Craig Bellamy following his six-million-pound switch from Blackburn while England forward Peter Crouch was left on the bench.
Likewise, opposite number Warnock handed a debut to Hulse, who partnered former Manchester United forward Danny Webber in attack.
Hulse almost forced an early breakthrough after just six minutes when he looked to have got the better of Jamie Carragher only for the England defender to recover his poise.
Warnock’s men didn’t look over-awed and looked dangerous when going forward, with Webber and Michael Tonge causing the visitors’ defence problems.
Webber just missed a pacy cross from Derek Geary before Tonge skipped past two defenders but saw his goalbound shot well blocked by Reds centre-half Sami Hyypia.
But the Blades got a taste of how dangerous Benitez’s side could be on nine minutes when Jan Kromkamp sent Bellamy racing clear and his shot flashed across the face of Paddy Kenny’s goal.
Liverpool threatened again on 21 minutes when John Arne Riise beat the onrushing Kenny to a bouncing ball but saw his cross snuffed out by Chris Morgan’s diving header with Bellamy lurking at the back post.
It was Riise’s last action of the game after he fell in a heap and had to be stretchered off with a twisted ankle. Benitez suffered another blow on 35 minutes when Carragher too limped off with the same injury, to be replaced by Daniel Agger.
The Blades were living off scraps but Hulse thought he had put his side ahead just before the break when he latched onto Webber’s pass before beating goakeeper Jose Reina—but his effort was ruled offside.
The visitors ploughed forward in search of an equaliser and got out of jail when Styles awarded Gerrard a penalty despite television replays showing Chris Morgan hardly touched the rampaging midfielder.
Fowler made no mistake and Liverpool returned home to Merseyside breathing a huge sigh of relief.
Fabregas: Chelsea are long ball
New Age Desk
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas claims he does not like to watch Chelsea because Jose Mourinho’s side are too long ball for his personal tastes.
Fabregas has emerged in the past few seasons as one of the best midfielders currently plying their trade in England, with his promptings from the middle of the field very much at the epicentre of much of Arsenal’s best work.
The precociously gifted 19-year-old has stoked up the heat ahead of the new season by taking a swipe at Chelsea’s style of play, of the belief that Arsenal are very much more appealing on the eye.
While Mourinho will point to the past two Premiership tables as proof of the effectiveness of his side, Fabregas is content to play for a team he feels plays the game in the correct manner.
‘We are one of the best attacking teams in Europe, so we know if we get clean sheets we will always score goals,’ Fabregas told Arsenal’s magazine, in an article published in The Sun.
‘Chelsea have a great team, I respect them, but to be honest, I don’t really enjoy watching them all that much.
‘They are very strong and seem to play the long ball, then go for the second ball.
‘It is different to the way we play. For me it us, Barcelona and Milan who play great football.’
In securing Fabregas’s services until 2011, Arsenal had to fend off the advances of Real Madrid, but the player insists he is content in the capital and has even set his sights on the captain’s armband later in his career.
‘I was captain of the youth side at Barcelona and I like to lead by example,’ he added.
‘One day, I would like that honour at Arsenal. Thierry (Henry) is a great captain and I hope I can stay at Arsenal for a very, very long time and if I have the chance, I would love to be captain.’
Red card mania won’t change
my style: Rooney
Agence France-Presse . London
England star Wayne Rooney insisted Saturday that he won’t let red-card happy referees change his style of football.
Both Rooney and Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes received three-match bans after being sent off in a match in Amsterdam earlier this month.
Rooney, who was shown his second straight red card after appearing to make contact with Porto player Pepe during an aerial challenge, was also dismissed in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal.
He believes his combative style of play is making him a target for referees, suggesting football is veering towards becoming a non-contact sport.
But the 20-year-old, who is available for today’s Premiership match against Fulham at Old Trafford before sitting out United’s next three league games, is not ready to compromise, confident he is a fair player.
‘Unfortunately football is getting more and more where you cannot touch an opponent,’ Rooney told the Sun newspaper.
‘You see red cards now that would not even be fouls in years gone by.
‘It’s disappointing the way it has gone but you have to get on with it. The way I play football will not change. I’m determined. I want to win every ball and every challenge I go into.’
‘I’m gutted with that decision,’ Rooney said.
‘I’m extremely disappointed to miss any games over that. It was the wrong decision to send me off.
‘I never want to miss a game and certainly not for a harsh decision like that. You only have to look at the video to see I only had eyes for the ball.’
Van Basten key to Kuyt’s move
Agence France-Presse . Liverpool
Netherlands coach and former football great Marco Van Basten played a key role in persuading Liverpool’s new striker Dirk Kuyt to leave Feyenoord for the English Premiership.
Kuyt completed his move to Anfield on Friday after sailing through a medical, and later revealed it was Van Basten who suggested he was ‘too big’ for the Dutch league.
‘Marco van Basten has told me this is a very good move not only for myself but for the Dutch team,’ said Kuyt.
‘He thinks I have become too big for football in Holland and I need a move to a bigger club. And he thinks Liverpool is a good club for me.’
Van Basten last season annoyed Liverpool by claiming their new signing Jan Kromkamp had chosen the wrong club, because he was not certain to play enough games to secure a place in the World Cup squad.
Kromkamp finally was selected for Germany 2006, but saw no action, while Kuyt had a disappointing time in the tournament.
That is clearly the reason Van Basten pointedly advised
Kuyt, 26, to make his 10 million pounds move from Feyenoord.
Kuyt said, ‘It is a dream that a club like Liverpool with their history wanted me.
‘The beginning of the week I was just stunned by things, now it is a privilege to play for them.
‘I think my game is suited to England, I think I am a typical type of player for the Premier League.
‘I know there is a lot of competition up front, but that is only good for the team. Not everybody can play 50-60 games a season.
‘I have watched a lot of Liverpool games, I know Bolo (Boudewijn Zenden), Jan Kromkamp, Sami Hyypia and Jerzy Dudek, they can all speak Dutch to me.
‘Liverpool are very famous too in Holland, so nobody has to tell me much about the club.
‘In Holland I could make and score goals, I can do that here but I won’t say how many. The big thing is that I can be important to the team.’
‘Cole can leave’
Reuters . London
Arsene Wenger has given his permission for Ashley Cole to join Chelsea but is adamant the defender will still be at Arsenal until January. Asked on Friday where the England left-back would be on September 1, a day after the transfer window closes, the Arsenal manager said, ‘I think here. Because it has not happened - the transfer period started in June.
‘We are not at the end of August and still nothing has happened so why should it happen now?’
Cole, the subject of a reported 16.5 million pound ($31 million) offer from Chelsea, will not play in the Premier League opener against Aston Villa on Saturday despite making himself available.
‘I’ve given him permission to move and at the moment we have not reached the deadline,’ Wenger told a news conference. ‘I could put him in the squad and he could be sold tonight so I do not want to be confronted with that situation and as long as you don’t reach the deadline he has to be focused completely with us – to stay and readjust to the ambition of the club.
‘He expressed that desire last year and I gave him permission to do it, so I want to keep my word and of course from Monday or Tuesday it will be over.
‘I’m not disappointed at all, I respect that. At the moment it doesn’t look like (the deal will be completed).’
Wenger said he was unsure why Arsenal and Chelsea had failed to thrash out a deal.
‘I don’t think that it is any financial problem, I don’t know what’s stopping it – certainly not our demands.’
Despite Cole’s desire to leave, Wenger said he would have no problem in selecting him for future games, insisting it would not cause disruption in the Arsenal camp.
Chelsea buy Boulahrouz
Agence France-Presse . London
English champions Chelsea bolstered their defence on the eve of the Premiership season on Friday when they bought Dutch international Khalid Boulahrouz from Hamburg.
Boulahrouz, who can play centre-back or left-back, was known as ‘Khalid the Cannibal’ by Hamburg fans in honour of his aggressive tackling style.
The 25-year-old, for whom coach Jose Mourinho has paid an undisclosed fee, will be in London this weekend to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms.
‘Chelsea Football Club have agreed an undisclosed fee with Hamburg SV for the transfer of Khalid Boulahrouz,’ said a statement on the club website.
‘The Dutch international defender will be travelling to London over the weekend to discuss personal terms and to have a medical.’
Chelsea’s assistant manager Steve Clarke told Chelsea TV, ‘He is a good competitive player and will be a good addition to our squad.
Diarra in Real delight
Reuters . Lyon
Mali midfielder Mahamadou Diarra has said he is delighted that five-time French champions Olympique Lyon have given into his wishes and agreed to sell him to Real Madrid.
‘I’m the happiest person in the world,’ the 25-year-old told Saturday’s Spanish sports daily AS. ‘It was a dream for me to play for Real Madrid and at last I’m going to fulfil it.’
Under pressure from the player, who had threatened to go on strike, Lyon caved in and agreed to sell the holding midfielder to the Primera Liga side on Friday.
Diarra is expected in Madrid over the weekend to sort out final details of the move. Neither side has revealed the fee but Spanish media say that Real have agreed to pay Lyon 26 million euros ($33.37 million), making Diarra the most expensive close-season signing in the Primera Liga.
Lyon were originally reported to have asked for over 35 million euros for the Mali international but Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said they had settled for much less.
‘We carried out the negotiations with great professionalism,’ he told sports daily Marca. ‘We closed the deal for a figure that was considerably less than Lyon wanted.’
A key figure in the Lyon midfield, Diarra joined the French side from Vitesse Arnhem in 2002 and has won the last four Ligue 1 titles with the club. If the deal goes through, he will become the fourth player to join the club since Calderon was elected president last month.
The nine-time European champions have also signed Italy’s World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, Brazil midfielder Emerson from Juventus and Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy from Manchester United, spending 35 million euros on the trio.
Camoranesi heading for Juve exit
Agence France-Presse . Rome
Italy international Mauro Camoranesi is set to become the next high-profile player to leave disgraced Italian club Juventus, who last month were demoted to Serie B for match-fixing.
Despite continual claims by head coach Didier Deschamps that the right-sided midfielder is going nowhere, Camoranesi’s agent says his client refuses to play in the second division and wants to leave the Turin club.
‘Camoranesi does not want to stay at Juventus,’ Sergio Fortunato was quoted as saying by the Gazzetta dello Sport.
‘Mauro has made his position clear. There is no room for negotiation.
‘I don’t understand why the coach and the board keep saying that he will stay. It’s not true. Camoranesi will not play in Serie B.
‘He is a World Cup winner, not just any player, and the directors should respect his wish.’
Fortunato added that Spanish side Valencia and French champions Lyon were two of the clubs interested in signing Camoranesi.
Adriano and Martins on the move
New Age Desk
Inter are ready to sell both Adriano and Obafemi Martins, insist reports in the Italian media, with Real Madrid and Manchester United awaiting developments.
It has become clear that the club has to start reducing its selection of strikers after bringing in both Hernan Crespo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic over the past few weeks.
At first it appeared that Martins would be the sacrificial lamb, as he has allegedly received several £10m offers from Premiership clubs including Portsmouth and Newcastle United.
The Nigerian has not made the journey for this week’s friendly tests against Real Mallorca and Sporting Lisbon, officially due to a bout of flu.
However, the latest reports suggest that Adriano is also in the Nerazzurri departure lounge following a dismal season.
The Brazilian netted just 19 goals in 2005-06 in all club competitions – only four since Christmas – and disappointed in the World Cup for the Selecao.
It’s claimed in Saturday’s ‘Gazzetta dello Sport’ newspaper that Adriano will be benched for Trofeo Pirelli clash with Mallorca, a sign that he is no longer guaranteed a first team spot.
Manchester United and Real Madrid have maintained their interest in the former Parma and Fiorentina hitman, who could bring in as much as £30m.
Another option would be £10m cash from Real plus the return to San Siro of Ronaldo, who is also a target for Milan.
Agent Gilmar Rinaldi has flown to Spain with the Inter team and it’s claimed this is so he can get the ball moving for a transfer.
‘I spoke to the Inter directors. Everything is fine,’ he was quoted as saying in ‘La Stampa’.
RFEF rejects Espanyol’s complaint
Reuters . Madrid
Espanyol’s attempt to have their 1-0 defeat in the first leg of the Super Cup overturned because they believe Barcelona fielded an ineligible line-up has been dismissed by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
The Federation’s competitions committee said on Friday that they had rejected Espanyol’s complaint although the Primera Liga side can appeal against the decision.
Spain centre-back Carles Puyol and midfielder Xavi played for Barcelona in the match between the league and Cup winners at Montjuic on Thursday, three days after they had withdrawn from international duty through injury.
The duo pulled out of Tuesday’s friendly against Iceland because of minor injury niggles but then trained normally with their club and played in the first leg.
Xavi played for more than an hour and Puyol was replaced by new signing Gianluca Zambrotta six minutes from time.
The second leg is today.
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