00:44
Reporter:
Editor
Read more...
10:25
Reporter:
Editor
British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Barcelona is considering bids for Manchester United central defender and Northern Irish international Jonny Evans and Manchester City central defender and Belgian international Vincent Kompany (23 - picture).
Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain would already had drawn up a short list of alternative candidates in case the transfer of Shaktar central defender Chygrynskiy wouldn't go through (read more here) and will now try to land one of these other options before the end of the month.
The tabloid claims that Manchester United is unlikely to listen to offers for Evans, while Kompany could be attractive because of his versatility, which allows him to also act as defensive midfielder.
The third player on the list, São Paulo central defender and Brazilian international João Miranda de Souza Filho "Miranda", would nevertheless be the easiest player to sign, particularly because Barcelona is expected to be wanting to concentrate resources on a bid for Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas.
Read more:
Three possible alternatives for the centre-backShakhtar rejects two new offers for Chygrynskiy
Read more...
03:18
Reporter:
Editor
Read more...
10:41
Reporter:
Editor
British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that West Ham stays interested in Barcelona attacker and Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen (30).
With the English Premier League club having scoring problems during pre-season, West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola would have urged his club to sign another striker. Gudjohnsen and Bayern Munich forward Luca Toni would be the two main options.
Read more:
Gudjohnsen to start talks with Celtic and West HamGudjohnsen still didn't make decision on future
Read more...
23:49
Reporter:
Editor
Catalan sports paper Sport claims that at the end of the US tour, a decision will be made on the future of Barcelona attacker and Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen (30).
British tabloid The Daily Mail meanwhile claims that West Ham is still interested in the Icelandic player (read more here).
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola would remain determined to sign his former Chelsea team-mate and the English Premier League club would now be trying to sell striker Dean Ashton to generate the funds needed to sign Gudjohnsen, who would be available at 6 million euro°.
Read more:
Gudjohnsen keeping all options openTalks with West Ham on transfer GudjohnsenGudjohnsen: "I couldn't celebrate Iniesta's goal"
Read more...
08:59
Reporter:
Editor
Barcelona attacker and Belarusian international Alexander Hleb (28) is quoted by British tabloid The Daily Mail as saying that he regrets having left Arsenal to join Barcelona:
"When you mostly sit on the bench, winning titles brings very little joy, while getting to the last eight of the Champions League with Arsenal was unforgettable.
I regret my move from London, but unfortunately nothing can be done about it now. For me, Wenger was like a father. I consider him one of the best managers in the world. For such a boss one wants to die on the pitch. Arsene managed to create a smashing team with a wonderful atmosphere inside of it. I have no doubts that if Arsenal had the same budget as Barcelona, the Gunners would be among the three best clubs on the planet.'
Read more:
Deal with Inter on Hleb loanGuardiola decides that Hleb will stay
Read more...
08:12
Reporter:
Editor
In the run-up to the Champions league final, Barcelona player Gerard Piqué discussed his team-mates in an interview with British tabloid The Daily Mail.Víctor Valdés
He's unbelievable when one-on-one with a player. The fact he's not in Spain's team is strange because he is one of the best five goalkeepers in the world. I like him because he doesn't moan when I am DJ in the dressing room. He also plays the piano.
Carles Puyol
Despite playing centre-back, I think he is best at right-back. He is like a barnacle or limpet that you find on rocks on the beach. You have to keep scratching away but still get little out of it! He is the captain, a good friend but an animal who is relentless on the pitch. If I was playing chess, he would be my rook. A tower of strength.
Gerard Piqué
What can I say? Scandalously good-looking (see my picture, above right). Talented on and off the pitch. There's nothing better than me, but maybe I could do with a little more confidence!
Sylvinho
The daddy of the team. A real good guy. He is always concerned for the welfare of the side and asks questions all the time when we are travelling, making sure we are ok. Not played enough in key games but very reliable.
Xavi
Best example of how good Barcelona's academy can be. He loves the ball more than anything else in the world. It is almost impossible to take the ball off him in training and if anyone does you normally get an ovation from the rest of the team.
Sergi Busquets
He is the rookie of the season. He was a striker and Pep changed him into a defensive midfielder. We call him Superman. You can kick him as much as you like but he won't feel it. He will be a reference point in world football in a few years' time.
Andrés Iniesta
Best midfielder in the world. You can study his hips as he is moving towards you but he will bluff you with his body. If Andres scored more goals he would be the biggest act in the world. Bigger than any singer! As a person, soft as a loaf of bread.
Lionel Messi
No 1 in the world. You can't fight against him, you will lose because he is quicker and more athletic than you. Not superstitious, but always wears his Argentina flag shinpads. I grew up with him here at Barcelona and he hasn't disappointed me.
Samuel Eto'o
We asked the coach and the chairman at the start of the season to make sure that we kept him. He had to stay, there's no other striker like him. He was having a bad time but proved to everyone that he is a top professional. He is fanatical about cars and watches.
Thierry Henry
He looks very cocky, but on a daily basis he has shown strong humility — despite being the best footballer in Arsenal's history. He kisses a tattoo on his wrist every time he scores and I have told him he is in danger of wearing out his skin, he has scored so many.
Yaya Touré
He always leaves everyone open-mouthed with his show of strength. Quiet in the dressing room but very friendly and never complains. He doesn't care whether he plays defensive midfield or centre-back, and we all feel comfortable whichever position he plays. Has some unusual dance moves, though.
Seydou Keita
The lungs of the team. He can run from deep and score, he is good in the air and cares a lot defensively. He doesn't know the meaning of the word 'no'. He says 'yes' to requests from the gaffer and ends up paying five times for it.
Eidur Gudjohnsen
The Viking or The Gargoyle. He has a special humour for the dressing room. He is always funny and cheery. Unbelievable first touch and is probably the best in the team with his back to goal. Speaks very good English and likes a party.
Bojan
It doesn't matter how many minutes he plays, because he always gets a chance. Don't give him half a metre because he will take you to the cleaners. His body is like a snake, he can change direction quickly and can slip past easily. He is a kid in the dressing room but I am trying to make him become a man!read the full article including Piqué's comments on his former Manchester United team-mates hereRead more:
The merging paths of Pique and BusquetsPique: "Classical music makes me fall asleep"
Read more...
bojan,
busquets,
daily mail,
eto'o,
gudjohnsen,
henry,
iniesta,
keita,
messi,
pique,
puyol,
sylvinho,
toure,
valdes,
xavi
23:22
Reporter:
Editor
British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Manchester United have stepped up their interest in Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26) (read more here).
Amid growing concern over the fitness of Manchester United player Owen Hargreaves after two major knee operations last season, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson would have asked about Touré, who could be allowed to leave Barcelona if Liverpool defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano is signed by Barcelona this summer.
Read more:
Manchester United wants to sign ToureOFFICIAL: Toure renews until 2012Manchester United preparing a bid for Toure
Read more...
23:59
Reporter:
Editor
author: Martin Samuel
source: The Daily Maildate: 10 June 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.comSo what happened to France? What happened to the plan to reshape English football along the lines of the French model; to create our own Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre, otherwise known as the Clairefontaine academy?
At the weekend, Sir Trevor Brooking, the director of technical development at the FA, said the game in England had to be more like that in Spain. Brooking spoke glowingly of recent trips there, during which FA officials witnessed the devotion to coaching and technique. He admired the way a small physique is no barrier to success.
And no doubt all of this is true and worthy. But was it only eight years ago when everything we did was going to be based on developments in France that had produced a generation of World Cup-winning stars? Before that, English football was going to be more Italian, with pasta diets and conditioning work. That was after we had to go Dutch, teaching six-year-olds the Johan Cruyff turn before they knew how to trap a ball and coaching them to play in every position until their little heads were spinning.
There are splinter groups, such as the Brazilian Soccer Schools run by Simon Clifford, which advocate Futebol de Salao, and no doubt if Japan won the next World Cup, every promising 14-year-old would be placed on a diet of raw fish and manga comics for inspiration. But, for now, Spain are the best, so we must copy all they do.
Not so long ago, it was impossible to get a club to look at a 12-year-old who was less than 6ft 2in. Now, scouts will be trawling the parks each Sunday on the hunt for highly skilled midgets. Anyone would think we are just a ridiculous country without any original thoughts or ideas and that we merely look at whichever team is winning and think ‘Right, let’s do that’, as if it will compensate for our inadequacies.
Brooking’s focus has been largely on five-to-11-year-old children. In June 2007, he was the public face of an initiative that introduced 66 specialist skills coaches across 12 regions to work with that vital age group. Why such a random number? An FA source explained that 66 is a special figure to English football.
The key to elite development in any sport is to focus on the very best; those with exceptional talent. Instead, English youth coaching is wasted by being spread thinly, rather than honing in on the handful of boys in each year who really benefit from top-quality instruction.
Brooking recalls the worrying gap when Spain’s Under 19 team beat England 3-0 in February, playing in a way that mirrored the senior team’s dismantling of Fabio Capello’s side in Seville the following night. ‘The whole coaching structure has to change,’ said Brooking. ‘It can’t be linked to the old style, the dad who coaches the team and wants to win at the expense of development. That can destroy the whole ethos of passing the ball from the back.’
Something is wrong, because England’s teenage footballers do not experience the success that should flow from being part of the most powerful league in the world, with the funding and opportunity that brings. Could this be because English football confuses education with imitation? We have grafted a system of management from Italy on to our senior team, so we believe Spanish values and culture are as easily absorbed at youth level.
Every successful coach is, to some extent, a magpie (Jose Mourinho’s ideas stem mainly from working with a Dutch management school at Barcelona), but to just pick up and drop thought processes according to whatever nation has the best footballers at the time is ludicrous.
If the French academy was worth copying following their World Cup win in 1998 it remains a good idea now, even if their current crop of footballers are not on a par with Spain. Just because Barcelona’s Cantera school did not produce a European Championship-winning midfield until 2008 does not mean it was previously irrelevant.
Brooking now talks of Spain’s diminutive midfield as if one country has shown the way. But many in England have argued against this growing obsession with the
gargantuan for a number of years, counselling that talent is being disregarded in favour of athletes of limited ability. Players such as Claude Makelele and Javier Mascherano show that even the toughest tackling midfielders do not have to be hewn from a cliff face.
The secret of success for English football will never be found on some fact-finding mission to mainland Europe. At home is where the answer lies, but first we must dispense with the gimmicks and quick fixes. Brooking’s homage to Catalonia, like those 66 skills coaches for schoolchildren, are all sound and no bite.read the full and original article hereRead more:
Guardiola has restored the philosophy of CruijffAre defensive forwards the future?Let's have a fair fight rather than cynism
Read more...
00:08
Reporter:
Editor
Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has made Liverpool a few days ago a 20 million euro° bid for Liverpool defensive midfielder and Argentine international Javier Mascherano (25) through the player's agent Walter Tamer but that the English club has rejected the offer.
Tamer would then have raised the bid to 20 million euro plus the loan or the transfer of a Barcelona player who can leave the club but Liverpool doesn't seem willing to consider the offer unless more important players are offered.
Asked about the rumours linking Mascherano with a move to Barcelona, Federico Vitali, another agent of the player, said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that there aren't direct negotiations between the two clubs at this moment: "Barcelona is of course interested in Javier Mascherano but until Barcelona start talking with Liverpool, no progress will be made. It's clear that Mascherano wants to play at Barcelona, every Argentinian player would want that."
Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Liverpool asks 40 million euro° plus the loan of Barcelona forward Bojan (18). British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool wants to let the player go for a fee of at least 41,5 million euro°, while Barcelona would be ready to offer 24 million euro° plus Bojan. Sport claims that a loan of Bojan is not an option. British newspaper The Times claims that Mascherano is valued at 36 million euro°.
British tabloid The Daily Mirror on the other hand claims that Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez has made it clear that Mascherano will not be allowed to leave at any price and that the coach will now call a summet with the player's agent to insist that the Argentinian midfielder must honour the three years left on his contract.
Spanish radio station Cadena Ser meanwhile claims that Real Madrid made an 30 to 35 million euro° bid for Mascherano. Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims, based upon sources from the entourage of the player, that Madrid didn't yet make a formal offer. The Times claims that Madrid is prepared to pay 45 million euro° for Mascherano and Liverpool right back Arbeloa and that Benítez is close to conceding defeat in his attempts to keep he Argentinian.
Read more:
Meeting on Mascherano in BarcelonaThe report of Txiki (2) : Mascherano priority
Read more...
a tamer,
a vitali,
daily mail,
daily mirror,
el mundo deportivo,
liverpool,
mascherano,
ona fm,
rac 1,
ser,
sport,
the times
06:48
Reporter:
Editor
British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Manchester City was last night coming closer to sign Barcelona attacker and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (28) (read more here).
The English club would pay Barcelona a transfer fee of around 35 million euro°, while Eto'o would get a year salary of 11,7 million euro net for four years. Barcelona sources reportedly told the tabloid that the deal is almost complete.
Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo nevertheless claims that Eto'o has rejected a 10 million euro a year offer by Manchester City because he wants to take part in the Champions League next season. Inter Milan and Manchester United would still be interested in the Cameroonian striker.
Read more:
Agent Eto'o repeats wish to continueGoals Eto'o 2008-2009Eto'o scares off clubs with wage demands
Read more...
23:36
Reporter:
Editor
Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that Barcelona officials met representatives of Liverpool defensive midfielder and Argentine international Javier Mascherano (25) yesterday.
The meeting took place in the Rey Juan Carlos I hotel in Barcelona and lasted from 5 to 7 pm. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Barcelona director of football Raül Sanllehi, the player's agents Walter Tamer and Federico Vitali as well as an intermediary took part.
Mascherano is willing to join Barcelona and a deal between the player and the club will not be an obstacle. Barcelona could now use the wish of the Argetinian to put pressure on Liverpool, who nevertheless doesn't seem to have plans to let him go.
Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Liverpool could be asking 30 million euro° for Mascherano, while Barcelona would only be ready to pay 20 million euro°. *British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Barcelona will have to make a bid of 53 million euro° or include Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26) in the deal.*
Read more:
Agent Mascherano in Barcelona for transfer talksBarcelona looking at possible substitutes for ValdesBarcelona contacts Liverpool on Benayoun
Read more...
07:16
Reporter:
Editor
British tabloid The Daily Telegraph claims that Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26) is one of the five names on Manchester United's transfer target list. Touré would be valued at 17,5 million euro°.
British tabloid The Daily Mail also claims that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson would like to sign Touré, while British tabloid The Sun claims that Arsenal is preparing a 17,5 million euro bid for the Ivorian midfielder. Inter Milan and AC Milan would also be interested.
Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is still confident about being able to renew the contract of Touré. The club would now first like to talk personally with the player to know his opinion about the renewal offer. A meeting could be scheduled next week when Touré will be back in Barcelona.
Read more:
Agent Toure putting pressure on renewal talksInter Milan dreaming of ToureTalks with Manchester City on Toure transfer
Read more...
23:53
Reporter:
Editor
British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Barcelona has picked up their interest in CSKA Moscow left winger and Russian international Yuri Zhirkov (25) after the player's transfer to Chelsea couldn't be finalized this week like had been expected.
Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola would have identified five areas to strenghten the team and would see the versatile Rusian as a two-in-one solution who could cover for Eric Abidal at left-back as well as providing an alternative for Thierry Henry on the left wing (read more here).
Chelsea would however still be favourites to complete a transfer. Barcelona would realise they are not in the lead to sign Zhirkov because of the close relationship between CSKA and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. The transfer fee asked by CSKA Moscow is believed to be around 21 million euro°.
Read more:
Zhirkov and Lahm on top of left back listFirst contact with Deportivo on left back FilipeAsenjo, Zhirkov and Silva main transfer targets
Read more...
23:38
Reporter:
Editor
British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Barcelona is preparing a 29 million euro° bid for Manchester United central defender and Serbian international Nemanja Vidic (27).
With his wife Ana struggling to settle in Manchester and keen on moving away from the city to a better climate, Vidic is said to feel that Manchester United is the best place for his football career but would be worried about the strain which could be placed upon that if his wife remains unhappy.
Barcelona would hope to capitalise on the player's situation and tempt him away with the benefits of a new environment (read more here).
The English champions plan to resist all offers for the centre-back, who is vital to their plans and hugely popular with staff and fans, but club insiders say they recognise there could be a problem. AC Milan would also be interested in the Serbian defender.
Read more:
Vidic on top of Barcelona's target listBarcelona preparing bid for left back EvraVidic offers himself to Barcelona
Read more...
23:37
Reporter:
Editor
Read more...
00:15
Reporter:
Editor
author: Matt Barlow
source: The Daily Maildate: 28 May 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.comIt was a Roman contest with a 21st Century twist. A fierce gladiatorial battle but the chosen weapons were 'Flywire' technology and 'Sprintskin' fabrics, not spears and daggers.
Lionel Messi's twinkling toes were encased in his brand new adidas F50i, cyan and black, customised boots, bearing an image of the European Cup and the date. Cristiano Ronaldo strutted confidently in a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly, the lightest and fastest football boots known to man, according to their manufacturers.
Like a James Bond movie, the Champions League final is not complete without another wave of state-of-the-art sporting gadgets and designs. This game, beamed around the world, is the extreme example of why Manchester United, Barcelona and their players command huge sums of money to carry a certain logo.
Last night was something of a Nikefest and they celebrated by decorating flagship stores with a 'Great men made Rome great' image featuring Nike wearers in the final, like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta.
They also designed new 'track jackets' for the teams to wear as they took to the field, a high-impact moment for the TV audience. Anyone remember England's pre-match striptease to unveil their new kit?
Ryan Giggs ran out in his new Reebok Instantes and Adidas, who also supplied the match ball, banked on Messi to work his magic and used the half-time break to launch their latest ad campaign featuring the little Argentine. read the full and original article hereRead more:
Which brand of boots do Barcelona players wear?Advertisements of the day: Henry, Keita, Eto'oVideo of the day
Read more...
01:04
Reporter:
Editor
Arsenal attacker and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27) has said in an interview with British tabloid The Daily Mail that, despite an offer by Barcelona last summer and despite being a Barcelona fan, it in the end is probably best he didn't join the club:
"I did have an offer from Barcelona but Zenit were not happy. I try not to think about what could have happened and at least at Arsenal I am playing. At Barcelona I think I would be sitting on the bench, like Aleksandr Hleb.
Which player could I replace? Thierry Henry? No, he is too good and I think Messi will be the World Player of the Year. If I could vote it would be for Messi. Even if you just count the goals and the beautiful passes and look at it statistically, Messi would win over Ronaldo. It has been close but Messi has been better. So where would I play at Barcelona?
Last season, once I knew I was leaving St Petersburg, the choice was always England or Spain, never Italy. I think the English league right now is the best league there has ever been, whereas in Italy it is very defensive, very closed football. I do not like it. I enjoy the honesty of English football, because nobody gives up, and almost all the best players are here. Italian football is at the bottom because of all those scandals. Their league is not very interesting.
I love Barcelona for the same reasons I love Arsenal. It is as if they do not even think of the result, they just want to play and score and if they lose, OK, then they will go out and do it again and win next time. At Arsenal, all we think about is how to attack, how to score, how to dribble, how to make a pass. We do not think so much about defence. Probably, for results, this is no good: but I like it.
That is why I hope Barcelona beat Manchester United in the Champions League final. United look very solid but they play like machines, whereas Barcelona are dreamers, they are more creative. Sometimes United kill everything and I like Barcelona's football more."
Read more:
Barcelona still interested in ArshavinArshavin repeats Barcelona is his favourite clubBarcelona could make a new move for Arshavin
Read more...
00:09
Reporter:
Editor
Read more...
00:12
Reporter:
Editor
British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Barcelona is offering Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (28) to clubs from the English Premier League.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is said to have flown into London yesterday seeking to sound out several possible buyers, with a Spanish source being quoted as saying that Manchester City is on top of the list: "Laporta will meet first with Manchester City, but will also listen to any club ready to pay a good fee."
Barcelona would be asking a transfer price of around 35 million euro° for Eto'o, who could be the sort of high profile player Manchester City want to sign during the summer transfer window. Chelsea and Tottenham would also be asked if they are interested. British newspaper The Guardian claims that Laporta met in London with Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook and that Barcelona is asking a fee of 45 million euro° for Eto'o, whose contract with Barcelona expires at the end of next season. The rest of the British media have taken over the report.
British sports site Sky Sports meanwhile claims that Manchester City officials would have denied that talks took place on Monday and have dismissed reports about having made a formal approach and a bid for the Cameroonian forward.
pep's opinion:
quite unoriginal attempt by the british press (i cannot understand that also presumed quality paper like the guardian and the times are bringing this) to destabilize barcelona ahead of tonight’s game. if they had done their homework, they would at least have suggested that it was txiki who has travelled to london…Read more:
Eto'o turns down Manchester City offerNext week negotiations with Tottenham on Eto'oEto'o repeats his intention of staying
Read more...
Catalan sports paper Sport claims that West Ham United is still interested in Barcelona attacker and Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen (30) but that the financial situation of the Icelandic owners of the English club makes a deal complicated.
