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Arsenal ready for title tilt - Wenger

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Manager Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have a strong enough squad to challenge for a first Premier League title since 2004.

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Singapore - Manager Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have a strong enough squad to challenge for a first Premier League title since 2004 with back-to-back FA Cup victories in the last two seasons bringing a winning mentality to the side.

“Winning the title is our target and we feel we have a chance in a very competitive league,” Wenger told reporters in Singapore on Friday, a day ahead of Arsenal's Premier League Asia Trophy final against Everton.

“We finished third last year and we won the FA Cup, so that shows we are not far away. We have a good cohesive group that has the quality and ambition to do better, and that's our aim.

“But as I have said before, we are in a league in which it is very difficult to know how good our opponents will be at this stage but it is important to focus on making sure we are as strong as we can be, then we have a chance.”

Arsenal fielded many of their younger players in the 4-0 victory over a Singapore Select XI on Wednesday to advance to the final and Wenger will give his more recognisable squad members a chance to impress against Everton.

“We have no fringe players, we have only good players,” Wenger barked when asked if he had resisted the temptation to field his strongest team against the hosts.

One player due to make an eagerly awaited debut is goalkeeper Petr Cech, who completed a high-profile move from Chelsea earlier in the transfer window and could stand out as Wenger's only major signing of the off-season.

“I am happy with the squad that we have but if we find anyone with exceptional potential to strengthen the squad then will pursue them,” the Frenchman added.

“It depends on the market. It's not easy at the moment because there are many clubs out there buying and the number of players who can strengthen the really big teams are restricted.”

One thing that has impressed Wenger on this trip is the amount of support Arsenal have received both on and off the pitch, giving him a stark reminder of how popular the Premier League remains in Asia and beyond.

“I am surprised to see how big and important football has become in the world,” he added.

“Did this happen because of Arsenal? Maybe we had some involvement but there are plenty of other Premier League clubs that have lots of support all around the globe.” – Reuters

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Delph has Man City medical

Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph has had a medical at Manchester City, after saying last week he would be staying at Villa Park.

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London - Aston Villa and England midfielder Fabian Delph has had a medical at Manchester City, British media reported on Friday, with the player set to perform a dramatic U-turn after saying last week he would be staying at Villa Park.

Delph was thought to be close to moving to City last week when reports said the north west club had triggered an 8 million pounds ($12.50 million) release clause in the 25-year-old's contract.

But he issued a statement on Saturday in order to “set the record straight”, saying that he was staying put.

The transfer, however, appeared to be back on when he was filmed by Sky Sports having apparently undergone a medical at City on Friday.

Delph, who moved to Villa from Leeds United in 2009, did not travel with his team mates for their pre-season training camp in Portugal.

He made his England debut against Norway last year and now has six caps.

Reuters

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Ajax confirm two signings

Ajax Cape Town have secured two new players to join their ranks in the new season.

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Johannesburg – Ajax Cape Town have secured two new players to join their ranks in the new season.

Former SuperSport and Golden Arrows striker Prince Nxumalo and Zimbabwean forward Thomas Chideu have joined the Cape outfit.

“Nxumalo is no stranger to Cape Town as he spent some time with National First Division side, FC Cape Town, before SuperSport United signed the Durban-born player,” said the club in a statement.

“Prince is a fantastic acquisition to the current squad, as he adds a terrific element by means of his pace, power and immense work ethic.

Zimbabwean, Thomas Chideu also recently spent some time training with Roger De Sa and his technical team here at Ikamva and a decision was reached to offer him a contract with the first team, which he gladly accepted.

Chideu joined Highlanders in January after spending the previous 12 months in England where he was involved in a schools exchange programme.

He opted to pursue a move to Ajax Cape Town instead, which we are extremely pleased about. Fellow Zimbabwean, Milton Ncube, who also joined Ajax CT from Highlanders a few seasons ago, is another example of the talents and professional nature of the players Highlanders are producing.” - ANA

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Milner scores on Liverpool debut

James Milner scored the winner in his first start for Liverpool as his new club overcame Brisbane Roar 2-1.

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Brisbane - England midfielder James Milner scored the winner in his first start for Liverpool as the English Premier League club overcame Brisbane Roar 2-1 on their pre-season tour of Asia and Australia on Friday.

The 29-year-old, who moved to Anfield on a free transfer from Manchester City at the start of the month, found the net 15 minutes from time to cap a fine performance and help his new club come from behind for the win.

Liverpool might have thought themselves at home when the crowd of more than 50,000 at Lang Park gave a stirring pre-match rendition of “You'll Never Walk Alone” on a chilly evening more typical of Merseyside than tropical Queensland.

Brisbane were not about to play stooges, however, and opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Dimitri Petratos took two touches on the edge of the box before drilling the ball inside the post.

Milner and another new signing, Danny Ings, both had chances to equalise before Adam Lallana got the visitors back on level terms in the 27th minute.

It was Milner's cross which found Lallana on the left side of the box and the midfielder beat his defender with a deft touch of his left foot before curling the ball into the net with his right.

Brisbane, Australia's champions for three of the last five years, kept their shape as Liverpool pressed forward in search of a winner after the break and it required a neat piece of skill from Milner to break the deadlock.

Taking the ball on the edge of the penalty area, he nutmegged one defender before looping his shot over the legs of a couple more to beat the Brisbane goalkeeper.

A victory courtesy of goals from two midfielders is unlikely to dampen the desire of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to secure the services of an out-and-out striker like reported target Christian Benteke.

The Belgian has two years remaining on his deal at Aston Villa but British media have reported Liverpool, flush with cash after the sale of Raheem Sterling, are negotiating a payout of a 32.5 million pounds ($50.39 million) release clause. – Reuters

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Sterling’s a ‘massive’ signing for City

Captain Vincent Kompany has hailed the signing of Raheem Sterling as “massive” for Manchester City.

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Captain Vincent Kompany has hailed the signing of Raheem Sterling as “massive” for Manchester City as the club chases more trophies, saying his fearlessness sets him aside from his peers.

The 20-year-old Sterling became the most expensive English footballer in history earlier this week when he signed from Liverpool on a five-year contract worth an initial £44 million that could rise to £49 million ($76 million, 68 million euro).

He almost immediately got on a plane to hook up with his new team-mates in Australia, where City play a friendly on the Gold Coast on Saturday ahead of matches against Real Madrid and AS Roma in Melbourne.

“It's massive for us - the biggest thing is that you've seen Sterling, especially the way he played the season before last, and he was one of the main reasons, along with (Luis) Suarez, that Liverpool played so well,” Kompany said on the club website.

“It became more difficult for them when Suarez left but what you will find is that he will have this kind of structure at City already.

“I mean, we've got Kun (Sergio Aguero) up front, we've got (Wilfried) Bony, we've got so many players who will be able to link up with him we will be able to make him better as well.”

City finished runners-up behind champions Chelsea last season and Kompany said the squad needed to be bolstered to challenge again with Sterling seen as the perfect fit.

“We have great quality in the team but you can't compete nowadays if you don't improve every year,” he said.

“Other teams improve, we need to improve and getting him (Sterling) puts us one step closer to being this team which can win trophies again. It's very important for us.”

Sterling, who rejected a £100 000-a-week deal to extend his stay at Liverpool, with the Reds finally accepting City's third bid during the close season, trained with his new team-mates on the Gold Coast Friday.

Whether he features in their clash against Melbourne City on Saturday remains to be seen.

Kompany, who has played against Sterling in a number of big games in recent years, said it was his fearlessness that stood him apart.

“He's quick, he's very unpredictable - he's shown that he has especially great determination,” he said.

“You play against so many players with great quality but it's the fact that he's always willing to put in the extra yard.

“That makes it that extra bit difficult when you have a player with quality who is not shy to run and put his body on the line - that's a special player.” – AFP

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Ramos needed at Real - Benitez

Coach Rafa Benitez says defender Sergio Ramos is not leaving Real Madrid and is an integral part of the La Liga giants' plans.

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Melbourne - Spain defender Sergio Ramos is not leaving Real Madrid and is an integral part of the La Liga giants' plans, according to new coach Rafa Benitez.

Ramos has been linked to a move to Manchester United for a number of weeks, despite having two years left on his contract.

According to Spanish media reports, Real have already rejected offers of over 28 million pounds ($43.77 million) from the Premier League club for the 29-year-old Ramos.

Benitez, who replaced sacked Italian Carlo Ancelotti after a trophy-less 2014-15 season, was reluctant to discuss transfer speculation but was forthright about the status of his seasoned central defender.

“In terms of Sergio Ramos, there's a lot of talk about his situation,” Benitez told reporters in Melbourne on Friday. “For me, he is an enormous professional. In person, he applies himself, he does everything that the team and I ask of him.

“And for me, the matter (is that) the president has already commented that he is staying with the club.

“I have spoken to him at length in the summer about his ideas, about his future. I see Sergio as an integral part of our team, he's a winner and that's what we need in our team.”

United manager Louis van Gaal is seeking to shore up his club's defence to help improve on last season's fourth-place finish in the Premier League.

Benitez, who has been contracted at the world's richest club for three seasons, has also declared Real must improve their defence after a season in which they surrendered both their Champions League title and domestic King's Cup crown.

Offensively, Benitez has been grilled over how he intends to deploy Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale after reports the pair were unhappy about the positions they typically played under Ancelotti.

Benitez has tried a number of different lineups during training in Melbourne ahead of Real's International Champions Cup opener against AS Roma on Saturday, fuelling speculation the Briton might play a more central role in the Spaniard's attacking setup.

Managing the million-dollar egos in the dressing room will be one of Benitez's most demanding tasks and the 55-year-old treaded gently when discussing his plans for the pair.

“Ronaldo, Bale, all of them are so good,” he said.

“All of them have an option... Ronaldo is a key player for us. Bale is a key.” – Reuters

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Liverpool set to sign Benteke

Liverpool are set to meet the £32.5m release clause on Aston Villa strike Christian Benteke's contract.

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Brendan Rodgers has convinced Liverpool's much-criticised transfer committee that the club should meet the £32.5m release clause on Christian Benteke's Aston Villa contract.

The 24-year-old Belgium international will become the second most expensive player in Liverpool's history as soon as he agrees personal terms for the move to Merseyside, which is expected to be concluded swiftly.

Rodgers made it clear in May to the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group, that he viewed Benteke's recruitment as the most significant piece of business the club will conduct this summer, following a season where Liverpool's struggle for goals ultimately cost them a place in the Champions League.

In the last two years of Rodgers's reign, Liverpool's transfer activities have been determined by the committee, of which he is a part along with chief executive, Ian Ayre, Dave Fallows, the head of recruitment, Barry Hunter, the chief scout, and Michael Edwards, the head of performance and analysis. Last summer it is believed that other members persuaded Rodgers it would be prudent to sign Mario Balotelli before the Italian's dreadful campaign where he scored just once in the league. Publicly, Rodgers's relationship with the committee remains strong.

This could be viewed as another sign of FSG'S commitment to Rodgers, who nevertheless will be perceived as accountable if Benteke does not prove to be successful.

Liverpool are on the second leg of their pre-season tour and will face Brisbane Roar today before flying south for another friendly match with Adelaide United on Monday.

It is possible that Benteke could join the squad in Kuala Lumpur in time to play a Malaysia XI next Friday as Rodgers is determined that all of his new signings will be fully fit and in-tune with his demands before the opening game of the season at Stoke on 9 August.

Liverpool's move for Benteke grew more urgent after it was claimed that Manchester United wanted to sign the striker. Whether or not the suggestion was genuine, Liverpool realised they could not afford to miss out on their No 1 target following experiences in previous windows where players have moved to other clubs while they refused to meet what they perceived as inflated demands.

Benteke's impending arrival means that along with Balotelli and Fabio Borini, who are not with the squad on tour, Rickie Lambert is likely to be moved on as soon as a buyer can be found. – The Independent

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Duo in close race for Barca presidency

Josep Maria Bartomeu faces a tough challenge to remain as Barcelona’s president in Saturday's elections.

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Barcelona - Despite Barcelona's treble last season, Josep Maria Bartomeu faces a tough challenge to remain as president in Saturday's elections due to criticism of his leadership and stiff competition from fellow frontrunner Joan Laporta.

Victory in the Champions League against Juventus last month capped a memorable season for the Catalan club, who also won La Liga and the King's Cup.

Bartomeu, however, is tarred by the dealings that took place over the transfer of Brazilian Neymar to Barca in 2013, which have embroiled the club in court proceedings.

Bartomeu replaced Sandro Rosell, who stood down over the Neymar scandal, last year and admitted that Neymar's true cost was closer to 100 million euros ($108.9 million) rather than the 57.1 million euros ($62.1 million) previously claimed.

Further problems including a Fifa transfer ban for breaching rules regarding the signing of under-age players, Barca's stuttering league form and a bust-up between coach Luis Enrique and Lionel Messi prompted Bartomeu, in January, to bring forward elections by a year.

Buoyed by Barca's spectacular end to the season many fans are now happy to maintain the status quo though others are swayed by Laporta - president from 2003 until 2010 - who oversaw the building of Barca's most successful side ever.

Following the appointment of coach Pep Guardiola in 2008 they won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues during his four-year tenure.

A brash figure who enjoys the limelight, Laporta also courted his fair share of controversy.

He showed little humility and there were claims of a lack of transparency and corruption during his presidency.

Agusti Benedito, who surprised many by finishing second in the last elections in 2010, is an outsider for the top job.

He hopes to win the support of fans looking for change and fed up with the personal attacks between Bartomeu and Laporta.

“Laporta, Rosell and Bartomeu are driven by hate and they are not capable of bringing a stop to this,” Benedito told Reuters.

“Laporta made a lot of errors (as president) that included taking advantage of his position. As for Bartomeu, the judicial process should disqualify him from the position.”

There is little chance though of an untried candidate winning the presidency with Bartomeu and Laporta neck and neck in the latest polls - some way ahead of Benedito in third. – Reuters

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Fifa hires crisis consultants

The world soccer body has hired a crisis communications firm to help handle multinational probes.

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Zurich/Miami - Swiss authorities extradited to the United States the first of seven current and former Fifa officials arrested in a corruption investigation while world soccer's governing body hired a New York-based crisis communications firm to help handle multinational probes and try to restore its tarnished image.

Swiss authorities did not name the extradited official, but the news came six days after a source told Reuters that Jeffrey Webb - one of seven current and former Fifa executives arrested in Switzerland in May - had agreed not to fight his extradition.

Webb and the others have been swept up in a US-led probe into allegations of bribery, fraud and money laundering, including possible corruption in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments to Russia and Qatar, respectively.

The allegations have roiled the world's most popular sport, prompting Fifa President Sepp Blatter to say he plans to step down and raising uncomfortable questions for the body's corporate sponsors.

The hiring of Teneo, a crisis communications and advisory firm “to work across operational and reputational priorities” as a Fifa spokeswoman explained it, represents the organisation's latest attempt to contain the fallout from the scandal.

Teneo's executives include a number of people who have worked on World Cup bids, among them its president, Doug Band, who was a director of a US campaign to host the tournament in 2022. The US bid lost out to Qatar in a vote of Fifa executive committee members that is now one subject of the US and Swiss investigations.

Before co-founding Teneo, Band served for years as a key aide to former US president Bill Clinton both in the White House as well as in his post-presidential career.

Clinton has credited Band for coming up with the idea for the Clinton Global Initiative, which organises meetings where government and business leaders - many charged a large fee - can meet with representatives of non-governmental organisations. Band sat on the Initiative's board of directors until 2012, according to Teneo's website.

Fifa has contributed between $50 001 and $100 000 to the Clinton Foundation, which includes the Global Initiative, according to the foundation's website.

Teneo did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

In another sign of how Fifa is grappling with pressure to improve transparency, its ethics committee, responsible for investigating the corruption allegations, called on Thursday for a change in the rules the to let it release more information about ongoing investigations.

A Swiss justice official said the first of the seven officials arrested had been extradited to the United States on Wednesday. Webb, 50, and the others were jailed after a dawn raid on a luxury hotel in Zurich just two days before a Fifa Congress in May where Blatter, 79, was re-elected for a fifth term.

“He was handed over to a three-man US police escort in Zurich who accompanied him on the flight to New York,” the official said.

Webb, a citizen of the Cayman Islands, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. He has been provisionally banned from his posts at Fifa and CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football.

Neither his lawyer nor a US Justice Department spokeswoman responded to requests for comment on Thursday.

A federal indictment unsealed by US prosecutors in Brooklyn charged soccer officials and marketing executives with exploiting the sport for their own gain through bribes of $150-million over 24 years.

The US indictment describes Webb as using his influential positions to solicit bribes from sports marketing companies in exchange for the commercial rights to soccer matches.

Amid an international uproar, Blatter announced days after the arrests that he would lay down his mandate at an extraordinary Fifa Congress which will take place between December and February, and would not stand again.

Reuters

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Old Trafford crowd lured Schweinsteiger

Bastian Schweinsteiger says the prospect of playing before Man U supporters helped lure him away from Munich.

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Bastian Schweinsteiger revealed the prospect of playing before Manchester United's supporters at Old Trafford's iconic “Theatre of Dreams” helped lure him away from Bayern Munich.

The 30-year-old 2014 World Cup-winning midfield general completed a £14m move to United on Monday after agreeing a three-year deal with the Premier League side.

The move to Manchester reunites Schweinsteiger with former Bayern boss Louis van Gaal, who forged a solid bond with the midfielder during a successful stint with the Bundesliga giants between 2009 and 2011.

Schweinsteiger, who joined up with United immediately for their pre-season tour of the United States, told journalists in Seattle on Wednesday he was looking forward to working with van Gaal again.

But it was the prospect of playing for United at Old Trafford which had been the biggest draw, he said.

“Of course we know each other, we had a good time but I am here for Manchester United because Manchester United is a big club and I am looking forward to playing in that great stadium,” Schweinsteiger said.

Schweinsteiger said the Old Trafford support had made a lasting impression on him during a 2010 Champions League quarter-final, when Bayern lost 3-2 but eliminated United on away goals.

“The supporters from Manchester United, they are huge,” Schweinsteiger said.

“I remember once when we played there, we lost 3-2 but we moved on to the next round - but these supporters were very respectful after the match, they gave us applause and I am looking forward to playing in front of these supporters.”

Schweinsteiger said he had his sights set firmly on a trophy-winning finale to his career after winning every available honour with Bayern.

“I cannot guarantee titles, but I can guarantee we will give our best to be successful,” he said.

“I am very happy to be here and to play for Manchester United. It is a big honour. Of course it is a new step in my life.

“I want to win titles, it is easy. Manchester United is used to it and I am used to it too. That is the goal for the next years in Manchester.”

Schweinsteiger could make his bow for United in their opening International Champions Cup match on Friday, when they face Mexico's Club America at CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks NFL team.

AFP

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Valdes hits back at Van Gaal

Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Vlades has responded to claims by Louis Van Gaal that he refused to play in reserve games.

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London - Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes escalated his dispute with manager Louis Van Gaal on Thursday by posting pictures of himself with the club's Under-21 team, which Van Gaal had accused him of refusing to play for.

Former Spanish international Valdes was left out of United's tour to the United States and told to leave the club because “last season he refused to play in the second team”, the manager told reporters in Seattle.

But Valdes, who signed an 18-month contract with United in January, responded with a post on Twitter including mention of three Under-21 games and a picture of himself in the dressing-room with the message “...? #respect”

It is not the first time the pair have clashed. When they worked together at Barcelona in 2002, Valdes declined to play in a reserve game after being dropped and was fined.

Now his future is in doubt, just as United face renewed interest from Real Madrid in signing their number one goalkeeper David de Gea. – Reuters

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Clear your calenders for Soweto derbies

October 31 and January 30. Clear those dates of any special events such as birthdays and weddings. It’s Soweto derby time.

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October 31 and January 30. Clear those dates of any special events such as birthdays and weddings. It’s Soweto derby time.

Unless of course you do not mind having none of your friends share your special moments with you.

Those two Saturdays are Soweto derby days for the 2015/16 Absa Premiership season league matches and history has proven that many a South Africans put everything on hold to be a part of the country’s biggest sporting event.

The Premier Soccer League yesterday released the full fixture list for the new season and scheduled defending champions Kaizer Chiefs to meet their traditional rivals on those month-end Saturdays no doubt intent on ensuring that the FNB Stadium will be packed for both clashes.

Already, the two giants are guaranteed to play their traditional pre-season friendly clash to a packed house after the sold out signs for the August 1 Carling Black Label Cup went up yesterday.

And this weekend they could well meet should both win their King’s Super Cup semi-final matches against Swaziland opposition in Mbabane.

The new league season is scheduled to kick off in the second weekend of August (8/9) and finish on May 21 with all 16 clubs playing the last two matches of the campaign simultaneously.

It is the start of the season, however, that the clubs will be focusing on as they wrap up their pre-seasons and Chiefs should be confident of maximum points when they kick-start their title defence with a trip to Chippa United, the venue of their coronation last season where they received their trophy having captured the championship a few matches earlier. The match is on Sunday August 9.

The honour of opening the new season goes to the not-so-glamorous sides in the league, with Free State Stars against Mpumalanga Aces and Bloemfontein Celtic at Polokwane City playing on Saturday afternoon.

It is perhaps Mamelodi Sundowns’ visit to their hoodoo team Platinum Stars that will grab the attention of the opening day – the two sides meeting in the evening match at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

In a fascinating twist to the fixtures, Pitso Mosimane’s side will play their last match of the year before the Christmas recess against Pirates on December 20 and then open the new year against Chiefs on January 9.

Premiership returnees, Jomo Cosmos and Golden Arrows start their campaign back in the top flight with tricky matches, Ezenkosi travelling to Maritzburg United and Abafana Bes’thende hosting the University of Pretoria.

The dates for the PSL’s three, official cup competitions were also released, with the MTN8 kicking things off from August 5 and the final set for September 19. The Premiership clubs-only Telkom Knockout will run from September 30 to December 16 while the all-encompassing Nedbank Cup is scheduled to kick off on March 28 and bring the curtain down on the season on May 28.

But you can bet it is October 31 and January 30 that will be circled in red or highlighted on many a football fan’s calendar. - The Star

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Liverpool selling their best players

Former Liverpool midfielder Patrik Berger believes Manchester City overpaid for England winger Raheem Stirling.

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Singapore - Former Liverpool midfielder Patrik Berger believes Manchester City overpaid for England winger Raheem Stirling but the Czech is worried his old employers are gaining a reputation as a selling club.

Sterling, 20, who rejected contract offers of around 100 000 pounds ($156,150) a week from Liverpool, joined City on Tuesday with local media putting the price tag at 49 million pounds, a record for a British player.

Berger, who played for Borussia Dortmund and Sparta Prague before spending seven years at Liverpool after joining in 1996, was taken aback by the price.

“If he doesn't want to sign a new deal, such a great deal, then Liverpool did the right thing, they sold him for an unbelievable amount,” Berger said in Singapore on Thursday.

“I think even 30 million pounds would probably be a good price, so to sell him for 50 million is an amazing price and I think it's good business for Liverpool.”

But the Czech, in Southeast Asia to launch the Singapore ICONS of Football Cup golf tournament, was worried about the negative impact the departures of Sterling and Luis Suarez last season could have on the club.

“In the last few years, they have been selling their best players which is not a good sign for the fans or the club,” the 41-year-old said.

“If you want to attract players to Liverpool, they can look up who they bought and sold in the last few years and they sold their best players, which is not a good sign.”

Berger said the Premier League title would be beyond Liverpool's reach next term but challenging for the Champions League berth was more realistic.

A fit Daniel Sturridge would make a top-four finish likely but Berger said the injury-prone striker could not be relied upon.

“I like him, he is a great player, I think he can be the difference but he hasn't been fit for years,” he said.

The Czech said winning a trophy should be the priority for Liverpool, who finished sixth last term and were knocked out in the semi-finals of the domestic cups and made limp exits of both European competitions.

Berger, also critical of Liverpool's failure to give long-term skipper Steven Gerrard a new contract, said the pressure was on manager Brendan Rodgers to deliver some silverware after failing to win a trophy in his three years at Anfield.

“Last year, they spent 100 million and were in the middle of the table,” said Berger, who was part of the Czech Republic squad that reached the final of Euro 96 in England.

“In Liverpool, as a manager, you have to win trophies and he didn't win anything in three years. The beginning of the season the games they are going to play, home and away, is quite tough, so it depends how they start the season.

“He is there now so I would give him a little bit more time.” – Reuters

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Bumper payday for Sterling’s agent

Raheem Sterling’s agent Aidy Ward is set to pocket around £2million from Sterling’s £49m move to Manchester City.

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Raheem Sterling’s controversial agent Aidy Ward is set to pocket around £2million from his player’s British record £49m move to Manchester City.

Ward has made himself a hate figure in Liverpool for the way he is perceived to have agitated Sterling into leaving, although the player has publicly thanked his adviser.

Ward’s cut from the transfer breaks down to five per cent of Sterling’s £180,000-a-week wages over the five years of his contract, which is about £2.43m. Out of that, Ward must pay an agreed percentage to Rob Segal’s Sports Impact Management, the organisation he left last year to set up on his own, taking Sterling and West Brom’s Saido Berahino with him.

That leaves the agent with a tidy £2m due from Sterling that will be paid over the length of the player’s contract at City.

Sterling still has a management contract in place with Segal until November — as has Berahino. The West Brom forward has recently split from Ward, who said: ‘You’ll have to ask Saido the reasons.’

Liverpool have just over three weeks to spend some of Sterling’s fee on reinforcements for manager Brendan Rodgers before the start of the new Premier League season.

Rodgers and his players left Thailand for Australia yesterday to continue their pre-season tour but midfielder Joe Allen insists it is wrong to make the manager the scapegoat for the club’s wretched 2014-15 season.

Rodgers came under intense pressure at the end of a campaign that unravelled spectacularly, culminating in the 6-1 final-day humiliation at Stoke.

The manager survived a performance review with club owners Fenway Sports Group but Allen, in talks over a new contract, admits that other coaches have been sacked for less.

‘The players here are all honest and take responsibility,’ said Allen. ‘When you end on such a low, it’s a really long summer.

‘We were the ones who let down the supporters, the manager, the staff down and ourselves. It’s simple. It’s up to us to get back to the levels we know we can reach.

‘It takes a while to get over disappointments like that but our mentality now is to look forward.

‘We don’t need extra motivation. We want to make sure we hit the ground running.’

Liverpool — who are still in talks with Aston Villa over striker Christian Benteke, but remain firm that they will not pay £32.5m for the Belgium striker — will continue to blood new signings during games in Brisbane tonight and in Adelaide on Monday. Nathaniel Clyne, the £12.5m arrival from Southampton who played the first 45 minutes in the 4-0 win over Thai All-Stars on Tuesday, is hoping the switch to Anfield will provide him with the chance to cement his position as England’s first choice right back.

He finished the last campaign under a small cloud.

England manager Roy Hodgson kept Clyne on the bench until the last minute of June’s Euro 2016 qualifier in Slovenia and the player scuttled off down the tunnel at the end instead of celebrating with team-mates and the travelling England fans. Afterwards, Hodgson was spiky in his appraisal of the 24-year-old.

Clyne, however, maintains he did not show Hodgson a lack of respect at the end of that 3-2 win, saying: ‘I was disappointed not to play but it’s just made me hungrier to get in the team.’

‘I feel I’m good enough and that I should be playing. I hope when the next game comes around I will get the call-up and get some game time. I thought I just went in with the rest of the team. Hopefully, next time I will play.’ – Daily Mail

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Di Maria’s United future unclear

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has done little to dampen speculation that winger Angel Di Maria could leave the club.

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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has done little to dampen speculation that Argentine winger Angel Di Maria could leave the club, a year after moving to Old Trafford for a British record transfer fee.

British media have reported that Di Maria, who joined United for 59.7 million pounds ($93.35 million) last year, is a target for French club Paris Saint Germain and that his wife is unhappy living in the northwest of England.

Van Gaal, while keen to keep the 27-year-old, was unsure if he would stay.

“We shall see,” the Dutchman told reporters in Seattle when asked whether he expected Di Maria to be with the club for the next English Premier League season.

“In football it's a process and I have said that many times. It's not clear in one day. It's a process for Di Maria, for United and we shall see.

“For now he's still a member of United and he has told me he shall come on 25 July.”

Di Maria played for Argentina in the recently completed Copa America and was given permission to join the club's pre-season tour of North America later this month. – Reuters

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