Five facts about Raheem Sterling

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Raheem Sterling became the most expensive English footballer in history signing after for Manchester City from Liverpool.

|||

Five facts on Raheem Sterling after he became the most expensive English footballer in history signing for Manchester City from Liverpool for £44million, rising to possibly £49 million ($76 million, 68 million euro):

Wembley in his blood

Born in Jamaica - he has three siblings - but his mother moved to England when he was five and he grew up in a tough neighbourhood a short walk from Wembley Stadium, a fact which was not lost on him. “I used to ride my bike round this little car park that was by the stadium,” said Sterling. “I used to say to myself, 'One day, I'd like to play there. Hopefully I could do that,'“

Boy done good

Sterling couldn't settle at regular school in England so he was sent to a Special school. His mentor there Chris Beschi recognised immediately there was something different about him, although he also feared if not given guidance he could go down the wrong way. “I remember saying to him as a 10-year-old, 'If you carry on the way you're going, by the time you're 17 you'll either be playing for England or you'll be in prison'. It was a harsh thing to say and I don't think it was a defining moment for him, but I definitely felt it was true,” he told the 'Mail on Sunday' in 2012. “There wasn't going to be a middle ground for him. He wasn't going to be some guy working as a mechanic or a labourer. He was always going to be remarkable.”

Mum's the word

Sterling may earn himself a lot of negative publicity for his multi-million pound move, having snubbed an excellent contract offer from Liverpool who gave him his break, but off the pitch he is highly regarded as being courteous and civil. This he can put down to his mother Nadine, a nurse at a Jewish Community Centre who has been his guiding light throughout his young life even to the extent of telling him how to play football. “My Mum rules my life - she's a nightmare at times, but I love her and she's the main person in my life,” he told the Daily Mirror in 2013. “She has got a very strong personality and thinks she's the boss! When I get home from training, she's there, in my face. She's there 24/7. I don't know where she gets her knowledge from. Now she thinks she's Jose Mourinho!”

Sister Sledge

Not everyone in his family believes he is their footballing god as evidenced by what his elder sister Lakima attested to last year during the World Cup final. “You should see his six-year-old brother Kingston,” Lakima Sterling told The Times. “He can do keepy-ups and everything. He is better than Sterling was at that age. Kingston is the next Messi.”

Family man

Sterling perhaps mindful of how he lacked a father in his youth - he has said he never knew him and any chance of doing so was brutally cut short when he was shot dead in Jamaica four years after his family had moved to England - sees his three-year-old daughter Melody Rose as often as possible as she lives in Liverpool with her mother whom Sterling is no longer with. “She's at the hide-and-seek stage. She came to a match last season, but cried - the crowds were too much,” he told The Sunday Times in April this year. “She likes coming to training, though. Everyone says what a sweet baby she is.” – AFP



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1M57w5j
Read More

Sterling thanks Liverpool, Rodgers

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Raheem Sterling tried to make his peace with Liverpool following his record-breaking move to Manchester City.

|||

Raheem Sterling tried to make his peace with Liverpool following his record-breaking move to Premier League rivals Manchester City on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old forward became English football's most expensive player after passing a medical in a five-year deal worth an initial £44 million that could rise to £49 million ($76 million, 68 million euro).

City, the 2014 Premier League champions, finished runners-up to champions Chelsea last season as Liverpool came sixth and failed to qualify for Europe's elite Champions League competition.

“The more quality players that are around you, the more quality it brings out in you so I can't wait to get started and play alongside them,” Sterling told City's official website late Tuesday.

His move across the northwest of England set the seal on a long-running transfer saga involving the England international who was under contract at Liverpool until 2017.

But he had rejected a £100 000-a-week deal to extend his stay at Liverpool, with the Reds finally accepting City's third bid of the close season.

Sterling's behaviour, and that of his outspoken agent Aidy Ward, infuriated many Liverpool fans as well as drawing criticism from Anfield great Steven Gerrard.

Sterling, however, was keen on Tuesday to acknowledge the part various Liverpool figures, including current manager Brendan Rodgers, had played in his development since he was a teenager.

“It has been a long journey from QPR and I'd like to thank a few people who have helped me along the way,” he said.

“I'd like to thank Rafa Benitez for taking me to Liverpool as a 15 year-old – that was a massive step for me and a new challenge.

“Also to Kenny Dalglish for showing such faith in me and putting me in at such a young age.

“I want to thank Brendan Rodgers for giving me a chance and an opportunity in the first team, giving me my full debut – against City funnily enough – and giving me a real chance to cement a place in the first team and show the world my talents.

“Finally, I'd also like to thank all the people around me – my mum and sisters, my management team and Aidy Ward for helping me focus and get where I am today.

“I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone.”

The Jamaican-born Londoner took over the most expensive English footballer mantle from Andy Carroll, who moved from Newcastle to Liverpool for £35 million but never lived up to the tag.

Sterling, who will wear the number seven shirt, is now second only to Welshman Gareth Bale, who joined Real Madrid for some £85 million from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013, on the all-time most expensive British player chart.

Front-man Sterling will now competing with the likes of Sergio Aguero, Wilfried Bony, Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas and David Silva for a place in City's starting side.

Sterling will now fly out to meet up with his new team-mates on tour in Australia within the next 24 hours. – AFP



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1gBf6sw
Read More

Sanchez to miss Arsenal’s season opener

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Alexis Sanchez will miss Arsenal's first Premier League game of the season after being given an extended break.

|||

London - Alexis Sanchez will miss Arsenal's first Premier League game of the season after being given an extended break following his exertions with Chile at the Copa America.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Sanchez would return to the club at the start of August but would then need time to regain match fitness.

Sanchez will miss the Community Shield against league champions Chelsea at Wembley on August 2 as well as the league opener against West Ham United the following week after a gruelling Copa America campaign.

The athletic forward scored the winning penalty for his country in the Copa final against Argentina on July 4 in his 58th game of last season.

“Alexis will be back on Aug. 3. Usually it takes three weeks to be competitive. With Alexis it could be a bit less. He will miss certainly the first game,” Wenger told a news conference in Singapore.

“He is an important player for us and he showed he has the winning mentality when he took on the responsibility to take the last penalty in the Copa America final against Argentina.”

The 26-year-old Sanchez became a pivotal figure in Arsenal's campaign last season, helping them put a superb run of results together in the second half of the campaign.

Their hopes of sustaining a credible title challenge this season have been given a boost after they managed to persuade Chelsea to allow keeper Petr Cech to join one of their direct rivals.

“It's true not many players leave Chelsea for Arsenal, but the deal itself was not too difficult,” Wenger said.

“The decision was difficult because I felt our two goalkeepers did very well last season, but, on the other hand, we could add experience and strengthen the belief of our squad.”

Goalkeeper has long been a problem position for Arsenal with David Ospina and Wojciech Szczesny both culpable for errors last term as the side finished third.

Cech's arrival has been greeted warmly by Germany international Per Mertesacker, who will be marshalling the defensive line in front of the Czech shot stopper.

“There's even more belief now and we feel very confident at the back. There are many doubters out there, but we feel a lot stronger with Petr Cech,” he said. – Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1Dg4P9S
Read More

Fenerbahce sign Van Persie

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Robin van Persie vows to rekindle his goal-scoring prowess and help Fenerbahce win trophies.

|||

Istanbul - Netherlands striker Robin van Persie vowed on Tuesday to rekindle his goal-scoring prowess and help Fenerbahce win trophies as he joined the Turkish club from Manchester United on a three-year deal.

Donning the blue-and-yellow striped kit of the Turkish league runners-up, van Persie stepped out in front of thousands of cheering fans, a few setting off flares, at a signing ceremony in their stadium on the Asian side of Istanbul.

“With this team we can win trophies. My aim is to win as many trophies as we can over the next couple of years and to do really well in Europe,” he told a news conference.

“I will miss chances but I can promise you I will keep trying until it goes in. It is my dream to score goals for Fenerbahce,” he said.

Financial details of his deal were not disclosed.

The 31-year-old joined United from Arsenal for 24 million pounds ($36.92 million) in August 2012 and had an impressive debut season, finishing as the Premier League's top scorer as the Old Trafford side won the title.

But the Dutchman, who was entering the final season of his contract with United, struggled for form and fitness under Louis van Gaal last term and slipped down the pecking order.

He said he now needed a couple of weeks to be in perfect condition with pre-season training. Asked about his emotions on leaving Manchester, he said: “From my side there are no hard feelings.”

“You see that everyone really appreciated my time there. That was important for me,” he said.

Van Persie struggled with an ankle injury through last season. He blamed a hectic pre-World Cup training programme, as he battled to get fit for Brazil, and then a lack of a break after the tournament last summer.

Turkish passion

He spoke enthusiastically about his rapturous welcome in Istanbul, saying he had always liked the passion in Turkey from the fans and players.

Van Persie said his Dutch compatriot and former Fenerbahce player Dirk Kuyt had spoken positively of the club and his time in Turkey.

“We spoke with other clubs but this club gave me the best feeling and I am very happy that we are here now,” he said.

He was also asked about potential rivalry playing against his fellow national team player Wesley Sneijder at Galatasaray.

“He's a very good guy, he's a friend and colleague. I'm looking forward to that challenge because I respect this league a lot. You have many good teams here. It is a very hard league to win,” he said.

Van Persie followed his former United team mate Nani to Fenerbahce after the Portugal winger completed a move to the Turkish club last week for six million euros in a three-year deal.

Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1Gl0WAu
Read More

City sign Sterling for record fee

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

With a R940 million price tag, Raheem Sterling is now the most expensive English player in history.

|||

London - Manchester City made Raheem Sterling the most expensive English player in history when they completed a deal for the 20-year-old forward on Tuesday, rubber-stamping an acrimonious end to his Liverpool career.

City paid 49 million pounds (R940 million) for Sterling, according to media reports, with the England international signing a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

The pacy winger will fly out to join his new team mates, who are on a pre-season tour in Australia.

“Raheem Sterling is one of the best attacking players in world football, and I am very much looking forward to him joining our squad out in Australia later this week,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini said on the club website.

“He is a young player with outstanding ability, and I am sure the Manchester City fans will be very excited about seeing him in action for the team.”

Abu Dhabi-owned City did not confirm the transfer fee but said it was a record for the club.

The fee is also higher than the previous record for an English player, surpassing the 35 million pounds Liverpool paid Newcastle United for target man Andy Carroll in 2011.

Sterling endured an acrimonious end to his career at Liverpool after making 129 appearances and scoring 23 goals, having moved to the Merseyside outfit from Queens Park Rangers in 2010 as a 15-year-old.

His relationship with Liverpool hit trouble in April as contract talks stalled and he gave an unauthorised interview to the BBC, denying being a “money-grabber” and claiming he was motivated purely by ambition.

His outspoken agent Aidy Ward then angered the club and its supporters in May by saying the England player would not sign a new deal at Anfield - even for 900,000 pounds ($1.40 million) a week.

With no City deal on the immediate horizon, the issue came to a head last week as the player did not fly out with Liverpool for their pre-season tour despite being named in the squad.

Liverpool, however, showed no bitterness in a short statement confirming his departure on their website.

“Liverpool Football Club can confirm Raheem Sterling has completed a transfer to Manchester City,” the club said. “Liverpool FC wishes Raheem well.”

Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1JfQ0X1
Read More

Arsenal much stronger with Cech

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

The signing of Petr Cech has spurred belief that Arsenal can now bridge the gap between themselves and the top title contendors.

|||

Singapore - The arrival of goalkeeper Petr Cech has given Arsenal's unfairly criticised defensive unit a welcome boost and could be the missing piece in the title puzzle, his new side have said.

Pundits and fans have frequently cited last line weaknesses as the reason why Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, with David Ospina and Wojciech Szczesny both culpable for errors last term as the side finished third, 12 points behind champions Chelsea.

But the signing of the renowned Czech international, who enjoyed a trophy-laden decade at Chelsea before being usurped by Belgian Thibaut Courtois last term, has spurred belief of bridging the gap.

The goalkeeper is in line to make his first Arsenal appearance when the FA Cup winners kick off their pre-season in the Asian trophy against a Singapore select on Wednesday but his impact on the squad has already been felt.

“From day one you felt his presence, he is the type, he communicates well on and off the pitch, speaks several languages so I think he can add that extra we may miss at the moment,” German defender Per Mertesacker told reporters in Singapore on Tuesday.

“We are very happy with him and I think he has a good feeling as well about joining us and contributing to our team.

“We had already a good structure, but with him we feel much stronger.”

Mertesacker knows more than most the problems that Arsenal have faced at the back in recent years as they have struggled to put together a consistent 38-match title challenging campaign.

The World Cup-winner, though, believes Arsenal's issues were overstated and that the backline were already strong before the arrival of the 33-year-old goalkeeper.

“It gives you a lift when you have someone with that presence and record in our back,” he said.

“We feel quite confident at the back. There were many doubters out there but we feel we are stronger.”

One reporter suggested to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger that the arrival of Cech had solved the goalkeeping problem that existed since the departure of Jens Lehmann over seven years ago.

“Look it's quite simple if you go back to the numbers. We have no obvious goalkeeping problem,” said the Frenchman, whose side had the third best defensive record last term behind Chelsea and Southampton.

“In the last 19 games we conceded 13 goals and we want to maintain that record or improve it but that would be very, very difficult.

“That means 26 goals conceded in a season, that is exceptional. We have improved our record during the season last year, we want to maintain that and stabilise and if possible improve that.” – Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1O3yCZ6
Read More

United set for real title push?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Manchester United left for a pre-season tour of America with almost £80million of new players on board.

|||

Manchester United left for a pre-season tour of America with almost £80million of new players on board but uncertainty still lingers over the futures of David de Gea and Angel di Maria.

United managed to push through medicals for Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin in time for the two midfield players to board their plane for Seattle yesterday afternoon.

Manager Louis van Gaal believes that in the veteran German Schweinsteiger, signed for £15m, he has the man to finally bring some authority to United’s midfield. France international Schneiderlin, meanwhile, has arrived from Southampton for £24m as one of the most highly rated midfielders in Europe.

With United having already invested in Holland winger Memphis Depay and Italy full back Matteo Darmian, Van Gaal’s squad is looking much deeper than it did when he arrived at the club a year ago.

Still, though, there is confusion over goalkeeper De Gea and the club’s record signing Di Maria.

De Gea is with the squad in America — where they will play four games — and has yet to be the subject of a bid from suitors Real Madrid. For reasons so far unexplained, his deputy Victor Valdes is not with the squad, meaning that De Gea is likely to play plenty of minutes on tour.

Di Maria, meanwhile, is expected to be the subject of a bid from Paris Saint-Germain in the coming days as the French team look to take advantage of his unhappiness in England. It is understood that the 27-year-old and his wife have not settled and are keen to move.

Ideally, Di Maria would like to return to Real Madrid but whether he will be offered that option from a club that sold him only a year ago remains questionable.

Against this background, Van Gaal is continuing his search for a new centre forward and another central defender. Van Gaal has a liking for Robert Lewandowski at Bayern but is aware of how difficult that deal would be, given that he has just signed one of the German club’s star players.

United chief executive Ed Woodward certainly expects to remain busy during the remainder of a transfer window that does not close until the end of August. Woodward has flown to America with United but is expecting to return to the UK to continue business once the club leave Seattle and head to San Jose this weekend.

Certainly Van Gaal is happy that the club has managed to conduct a large proportion of business so early. Last summer United were still chasing players after the season had started — something he had expressly asked not to be the case this time around.

Speaking of his two latest signings, Van Gaal said yesterday: ‘There is no doubting Bastian’s talent and his ability to control games. He brings a wealth of experience and is an excellent addition to our squad. His record speaks for itself; he has won every honour at club level and was a major part of the successful Germany World Cup-winning team last summer.

‘Bastian is the ultimate professional and of course, no stranger to me. I worked with him during my time at Bayern Munich and I am truly delighted he is joining Manchester United.

‘Morgan is a very talented player with great energy and ability. His skills will complement the players that we already have and I am very pleased that we have been able to complete this deal before the tour.

‘That training camp will be very important in our preparations for the new season and gives Morgan and the other players a chance to show our fans what they can achieve together.’

Sportsmail revealed United’s interest in Schweinsteiger in mid-May. Despite his relatively mature age, the 30-year-old has been given a three-year contract in the hope that he can provide United’s midfield with the authority it needs.

Schneiderlin, meanwhile, abandoned plans to sign for Arsenal once he learned of United’s interest. The 25-year-old said: ‘Once I learned that United were interested in signing me, it was a very easy decision to make.

‘I have enjoyed seven very happy years with Southampton and it’s a club that will always be in my heart. But the chance to be part of this squad to help this great club be successful was too good to miss.

‘I know what Manchester United means to fans all over the world and I’m looking forward to experiencing that.’ – Daily Mail



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1HZylYR
Read More

Xavi slams Real over Casillas exit

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Xavi has hit out at Real Madrid for failing to give departing goalkeeper Iker Casillas the send-off he deserved before his switch to Porto.

|||

Madrid - Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi has hit out at Real Madrid for failing to give departing captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas the send-off he deserved before his switch to Porto.

A tearful Casillas appeared alone in the Bernabeu stadium press room on Sunday and the 34-year-old choked up several times as he read a farewell statement that brought to an end 16 seasons in the Real first team.

A wave of criticism followed, with Casillas's parents also saying in a newspaper interview their son had been forced out of the club by president Florentino Perez.

Real responded by organising an official presentation with Perez and Casillas at the Bernabeu on Monday, when hundreds of fans who turned up in sweltering heat chanted for the president to quit and gave Casillas a rousing ovation.

The contrast between Sunday's surreal appearance and the send-off Barca gave his close friend Xavi was telling.

A product of Barca's academy, Xavi, 35, joined Qatari side Al Sadd at the end of last season and fans, officials and team mates paid homage to him at a packed Nou Camp stadium where the midfielder was surrounded by family and friends.

Xavi wrote in Spanish daily La Vanguardia on Tuesday that Casillas had not changed since they first met at the Under-17 World Cup in Egypt in 1997 and that he remained “a good person”.

“That's why it leaves a bad taste what is happening with him now,” Xavi wrote.

“In recent years, I have seen that he is not enjoying himself like before.

“He even seems bitter and I think everyone in this country (Spain) should think about this.

“It cannot be that maturing Spanish athletes are not shown sufficient respect, that people neglect to value everything they have done for their sport and instead focus on their defects, sometimes with malicious intent.”

Xavi drew a comparison with Juventus and Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon, who he said still appeared to be enjoying himself in goal at the age of 37.

“I look at Iker and I have the feeling that lately he is playing under pressure, as if he has to prove what a great keeper he is in every match, without the joy he always had.

“Now he is going to Porto and I am sure he will be welcomed as a hero. Away from here they will appreciate him more.” – Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1Jf76nJ
Read More

Rodgers must spend Sterling cash wisely

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Brendan Rodgers has a mixed transfer record at best at Anfield and needs to use his swollen piggy bank wisely.

|||

It is imaginable that among those who represent Raheem Sterling, there was a sense of amusement when Brendan Rodgers was photographed without him yesterday as he tried to explain at a Bangkok hotel why club and player had separated on good terms. Supposedly, the Liverpool manager was snapped all-too often with an arm around Sterling's shoulders during training sessions, a Byzantine attempt, they say, to make it seem like a father was at work, guiding his son on the righteous path through career and life.

But Sterling, who was too tired at one stage last season to play for England, was tired of Liverpool, allegedly tired of Rodgers and tired of being told he was only worthy of becoming the third most valuable player in wage terms at the Premier League's sixth-placed club last season. Meanwhile second-placed Manchester City were prepared to make him the most expensive Englishman in football history.

Those making the decisions at Liverpool, however, consider that Jordon Ibe has as much if not more potential than Sterling. So, having secured, in May, a five-year deal for someone who wants to be there, for a fraction of the wage being offered to someone who does not, the £49m for Sterling is good business.

The process means Sterling's agent, Aidy Ward, instantly becomes a millionaire and it is clear he has not given his client the best advice in how to secure his move painlessly: that BBC interview and the no-shows at training leave a sour taste. Liverpool fans are left to lurch between the consolation of the astronomical figure and the fact, for the second summer running, Liverpool have lost arguably their most exciting talent - and this time strengthened a rival.

Liverpool, it will be said, have become a “selling club”, but this ignores the fact that historically they have not been defined by the players they've sold but by whom they have recruited. Ever since Kenny Dalglish sent chief scout Geoff Twentyman into early retirement upon his appointment as player-manager in 1985, it is an area Liverpool have struggled in and helps explain, in part, why they have not won the league in 25 years.

Rodgers has a mixed transfer record at best at Anfield and needs to use his swollen piggy bank wisely. Liverpool's next move - likely to be for Aston Villa's Christian Benteke - must work - and Ibe must be helped to kick on. Then the Sterling decision will be vindicated. Get it wrong and Rodgers might not be in the position next summer to defend his transfer policy. – The Independent



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1HG7OcD
Read More

Martinez targets Europe return

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has expressed his desire for the club to make a swift return to European competition.

|||

Singapore - Everton manager Roberto Martinez admitted that last season's disappointing campaign was impacted by the side's run to the last 16 of the Europa League but the Spaniard wants nothing more than to compete in the tournament again.

In his first season on Merseyside, Everton finished an impressive fifth but were mired in the bottom half of the table for much of the last campaign before they moved up to 11th on a run of good form after their European exit to Dynamo Kiev.

“If the question is 'does playing in the Europa League have an impact on the league?' then the answer is clearly 'yes',” Martinez told reporters on Tuesday in Singapore, where the club are playing in the Premier League Asia Trophy.

“It's different when you are playing in Europe season after season, you get that mentality and habits and into a position where you can cope with it a lot better,” added the Spaniard ahead of Wednesday's opening game against Stoke City.

Arsenal and a Singapore Select XI are the other teams in the lucrative pre-season event.

“Psychologically it's very tough... like having to go to Russia on a Thursday and arriving back on a Friday afternoon to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on an early Sunday kickoff is a physical aspect that will affect you,” he added.

“It is a lesson that we have learned, we matured and we got better. But that is our aim. We want to be in those situations, to be playing in Europe year after year but that is something that is becoming harder in our league as you can imagine.

“There are probably five teams preparing this season to try and win the title and there's another three or four teams with financial backing to get into Europe so it becomes harder and harder. But it is still our aim and one of our targets.”

Martinez has brought in a few new signings since the transfer window opened but does not expect any acquisitions similar to the club record 28 million pounds ($43.30 million) they paid for Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku a year ago.

“We are trying to build on what we have done in the last four windows and sometimes you need to spend big to bring in specific players,” he added.

“Now we have a strong group with some of the most exciting youngsters you will see in the league. I think the mixture is perfect and rather than talking about what we need, we are more concerned with how good we can be with the players we have.”

Club captain Phil Jagielka agreed.

“Obviously we spent a lot of money last year getting in the striker we needed but if you look around the squad, it's really well balanced,” the England defender said.

“Previously we have aimed for a Champions League slot at the start of the season and see how we get on. The manager would love us to win something and so would the players.

“We have really high standards at the club and we let ourselves down and never really got the momentum we needed last season. A lot of people are blaming the Europa League but we want to finish in the European positions in the coming season.

“Hopefully we can start well and achieve that. That can only be a good thing.” – Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1HFXLo2
Read More

Will Sterling justify his price tag?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Manchester City will find out soon whether Raheem Sterling has the ability to justify his enormous price tag.

|||

London - Manchester City are about to find out whether Raheem Sterling has the ability to justify his enormous price tag or is just another over-rated young English footballer motivated purely by his bank balance.

City are investing 49 million pounds ($76.2 million) on the fleet-footed and tricky forward in the hope that he can provide the sparkle to bring the Premier League trophy back to the Etihad Stadium.

Sterling, 20, will become the the most expensive English player ever when he completes his move from Liverpool, the club where he made his name before controversially rejecting a new contract.

Liverpool have first-hand experience of the pitfalls of splashing out big money on unproven young English players.

In 2011 they paid Newcastle United 35 million pounds for striker Andy Carroll but sold him to West Ham United for less than half the price two years later.

City finished eight points behind Premier League champions Chelsea last season and manager Manuel Pellegrini knew he had an ageing group of players.

Sterling's arrival will inject energy and youthful exuberance to a squad with an average age of around 29.

The England winger, who signed for Liverpool as a 15-year-old from Queens Park Rangers in 2010, can operate on the right, left or down the middle and will give City the option of playing with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation.

If Sterling can strike up the same partnership with City striker Sergio Aguero as he did with Luis Suarez during the Uruguayan's spell at Liverpool, then Pellegrini's side could challenge Chelsea.

However, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes City have paid over the odds for Sterling.

“At Liverpool, sometimes he was outstanding, but in the second half of last season he tailed off a bit,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “The same thing will happen at Man City because he's still only young.

“Raheem Sterling - at this stage of his career and what he's done up to now - is possibly worth around 30 million pounds.

“In the next three or four years, if Sterling can take City to a couple of Premier League titles, more success in the Champions League, they will say he's been worth it.” – Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1K5g9dX
Read More

Wenger unfazed by rivals’ big spending

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Arsène Wenger’s summer spending has been limited to £11m on goalkeeper Petr Cech.

|||

Arsène Wenger flew in for a pre-season tournament here in Singapore last night and allowed himself a knowing smile after learning two of his Premier League rivals had spent nearly £100m in a day boosting their squads.

But either his renegade goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had slipped him some laughing gas during the 13-hour flight or the Arsenal manager genuinely is not worried. Wenger denied he had ever shown an interest in rivalling Manchester City's £49m move for Raheem Sterling and indicated Manchester United also might have overpaid in their deals for Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin.

Wenger said: “It is no surprise first of all they go to clubs where the money is. It is one thing having money, but now we have to spend it in the right way, but they are all top-class players. I like Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger and Sterling, but offensively we have plenty of players. United came out of the season thinking they had to replace their midfield. They did it by buying two important players.”

Wenger's summer spending has been limited to £11m on goalkeeper Petr Cech. Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal captain who has signed a one-year contract, expressed his surprise and delight Cech had crossed the London divide.The midfielder, 33, said: “His ambition is intact even though he has won so many trophies with Chelsea. To have won what he has won and then come here is important because he knows he is going to get stick from Chelsea fans as he was a hero there.”

Wenger also used the opportunity to tell Italian champions Juventus they are wasting their time in their reported pursuit of Mesut Özil. He said: “Özil is our player, he will remain our player and he wants to remain our player. It is a big season for him because he had a difficult start last year and in the second part of the season he was very important.” – The Independent



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1O91K1H
Read More

Lloris injury blow for Spurs

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Tottenham Hotspur's goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is doubtful for the start of the Premier League season after fracturing his wrist.

|||

London - Tottenham Hotspur's France international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is doubtful for the start of the Premier League season after fracturing his wrist.

The north London club said on Monday that the 28-year-old player “will continue to work alongside the first team squad to build up his fitness in a bid to be ready for the start of the season.

“Our medical team will continue to monitor his rehabilitation and progress during pre-season,” they added on the club's official website (http://ift.tt/19tWWDu).

Lloris joined Spurs from French side Lyon in 2012 and has since made 122 appearances for the London side.

The 67-cap France captain was one of Spurs' most consistent performers as they finished fifth in the Premier League last season.

Tottenham's first match of the season is against Manchester United at Old Trafford on August 8. – Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1HFrPjw
Read More

Tevez returns to Boca Juniors

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Carlos Tevez was officially unveiled as a Boca Juniors player in a 6.5 million euros transfer from Juventus.

|||

Buenos Aires - Carlos Tevez was officially unveiled as a Boca Juniors player in a 6.5 million euros ($7.15 million) transfer from Juventus.

Thousands of fans of the popular club from the port district of La Boca packed La Bombonera stadium to welcome Tevez home from a decade abroad the day after the team went top of the Argentine league championship.

“My heart's exploding with happiness! Thanks for braving the cold and waiting for me. I'm already back home,” Tevez said on his Twitter feed.

Juventus, the last of Tevez's overseas clubs that began at Corinthians in Brazil in 2005 and included English sides West Ham United, Manchester United and Manchester City, revealed the terms of the deal on their website (www.juventus.com).

On top of the fee for Tevez, the Italian champions get the loan until June 30, 2017 of Boca teenager Guido Vadala with an option to buy him for 9.4 million euros and also first choice to sign three other young players.

“I'm returning in my prime, really that's now. At 26 or 27 I was fatter than anyone. I feel better than ever, physically and mentally,” the 31-year-old told a news conference after signing his contract.

Tevez will wear the number 10 shirt previously worn by Diego Maradona and Juan Roman Riquelme.

“Riquelme is one of the greatest, an idol of the club,” Tevez said. “I'm not here to better him, I'm here to write my own history.”

Boca went top of the table with a 1-0 win at Sarmiento on Sunday, a point ahead of San Lorenzo and three in front of River Plate.

Tevez, who missed the resumption of the championship because he was on holiday after playing for Argentina at the Copa America, said he would train all week to be ready for his comeback in next weekend's home match against Quilmes.

San Lorenzo drew 1-1 at Union and River were also held 1-1 by Temperley at El Monumental as they rested first choice players for Tuesday's first leg of their Libertadores Cup semi-final against Guarani of Paraguay.

Sunday was also a good day for former Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze, who made his coaching debut with Godoy Cruz in a 3-0 home win over Crucero del Norte in Mendoza.

Another coach Mauricio Pellegrino began his tenure at Independiente with a 3-1 home victory over Olimpo. – Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1K3wwKO
Read More

Blatter side-steps US question time

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

A US Senate panel invited Sepp Blatter to answer questions at a hearing - but Fifa declined on his behalf.

|||

Washington - A US Senate panel invited Fifa President Sepp Blatter to answer questions at a hearing this Wednesday about the corruption scandal that has badly tarnished soccer's global governing body, but Fifa declined on his behalf, a congressional official said.

“Senator Moran's office reached out to Fifa to explore the possibility of having Mr Blatter testify but the organisation declined,” said Garrette Turner, spokesman for Senator Jerry Moran, the Republican chairman of the consumer protection subcommittee, which is holding the hearing.

Fifa did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Blatter's legal representative in the US declined to comment.

Blatter said last week in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that he “won't take any travel risks until everything has been cleared up”.

The 79-year-old Swiss national did not attend the final of Fifa's Women's World Cup in Vancouver earlier this month but says he intends to be in Russia in late July for the draw for qualifying games for the 2018 World Cup.

Also missing from the hearing will be US Soccer Federation (USSF) top elected official, President Sunil Gulati, who is a member of Fifa's executive committee representing the North America region. He has been USSF president since 2006.

The USSF will be represented instead by CEO and Secretary General Dan Flynn.

Senator Moran's office said that Flynn was “the highest ranking official US Soccer was willing to send” to testify at the hearing.

The USSF did not respond to a question from Reuters about why Flynn and not Gulati was appearing.

The three other witnesses are Michael Hershman, a private investigator who served on Fifa's independent governance committee from 2011 to 2013, Sunjeev Bery, an official of Amnesty International, and Andrew Jennings, a British investigative journalist who led efforts to expose corruption in Fifa.

Senators will ask what if anything, current American soccer executives knew about alleged corruption in the sport's governing bodies, congressional aides said.

Former US soccer official Chuck Blazer, who was a Fifa executive committee member for 17 years, has been at the centre of the corruption scandal. He has pleaded guilty to a series of offences related to bribery and is co-operating with authorities.

The subcommittee will also explore what role and responsibilities corporate sponsors do and should play in the governance of the world's most popular sport, the aides said.

In late May, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York indicted nine soccer officials, most of whom held Fifa positions or had previously held such positions, and five sports media and promotions executives in schemes involving $150 million in bribes over a period of 24 years. Prosecutors said their investigation exposed complex money laundering schemes, millions of dollars in untaxed income and tens of millions of dollars in offshore accounts held by the soccer officials.

The indictment included reference to an unnamed sportswear company that has been widely identified as Oregon-based Nike. The indictment references payments made in “marketing fees” to the Brazilian national soccer federation, that were not in the company's initial contract.

Nike said there is no allegation in the indictment that it engaged in criminal conduct.

Congressional aides said senators are likely to ask witnesses detailed questions about what US soccer officials knew about the kind of corruption and dysfunction inside Fifa and its regional affiliates. In particular, they will want to know what the officials did or did not do about it, and what they plan to do to clean up the sport, the aides said.

In a statement last week, Moran said: “This hearing on the recent Fifa scandals will begin the discussion about our country's own participation in the organisation, ways the United States and our allies can work to reform Fifa, and how we can restore integrity to the game so many Americans and citizens of the world enjoy.”

Congressional aides said that senators will question witnesses as to whether they think major US corporations should play a larger role in ensuring that Fifa and other soccer organisations look after the human rights concerns of workers involved in major Fifa projects, such as the construction of stadiums for the 2022 World Cup competition in Qatar.

Reuters



from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1L40kao
Read More