A double from Kleber helped Maritimo to a 3-1 triumph over Uniao de Leiria on Friday, moving the winners into seventh on the Liga Sagres table.Both sides can still harbour hopes of snaring a Europa League qualification spot at season’s end after solid campaigns.
But it is Maritimo who can afford to dream a little bigger, with the convincing result moving them above Leiria and within just two points of fifth-placed Vitoria Guimaraes in the last Europa League spot, ahead of the rest of the weekend’s league programme.
Leiria could not have got off to a worse start when midfielder Paulo Vinicius was sent off for his second bookable offence in the 14th minute.
Maritimo made their advantage count, taking a 38th-minute lead when 20-year-old Brazilian striker Kleber got on the end of a chip over the Leiria defence to volley home on his left foot.
Leiria received a way back into the game on 51 minutes after Maritimo defender Alonso – a 21st-minute injection into the game – picked his second yellow card in as many minutes to follow Paulo Vinicius down the tunnel.
But instead it was his side who doubled their advantage, with Kleber cutting back from wide on the left to find Tunisia midfielder Selim Benachour.
His crisp drive squarely hit the left upright, but Angola striker Djalma was on hand to tap in and make it 2-0.
Leiria briefly raised hopes of a comeback when on-loan Everton forward Joao Silva nodded past Maritimo goalkeeper Marcelo Boeck in the 63rd minute, but Kleber made the points safe three minutes later with his close-range header.
Former Ghana captain Stephen Appiah has blasted England’s decision to rest star players for their friendly on Tuesday.Appiah, 30, is not a part of the Black Stars squad forthe Wembley fixture, but he said his nation’s football fans – 21,000 of whichwill be in London for their first clash against England – will be disappointedat Fabio Capello’s decision to rest John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard,Wayne Rooney and Michael Dawson.Manchester United’s on-loan Sunderland striker Danny Welbeckwas called up in place of injured Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon, who was only selectedalong with Liverpool’s Andy Carroll and Wolves’ Matt Jarvis as replacements forTerry and company.”A lot of Ghanaians have travelled from America,Canada, from around the world. It’s a dream come true. It’s huge, it’s big andGhanaians are going to follow the match,” Cesena midfielder Appiah told the BBC.”Ghanaians are disappointed. They really wanted tosee those players. The players wish they could play against JT (John Terry).””It’s their dream to play against Wayne Rooney,Frank Lampard and all these players. Maybe some of them will not play in thatstadium again.” When asked if Capello’s move to rest several would-be Englandstarters – for reasons regarding their respective commitments in the ChampionsLeague – was disrespectful to Ghana’s football team and supporters, Appiahagreed.”I think so, yes (it is disrespectful). SomeGhanaians are really sad they are not going to play. Maybe Mr Capello has hisown reasons, we have to respect those,” Appiah said.
Queens Park Rangers extended their lead atop the English Championship to nine points after a comfortable 3-0 win over Sheffield United.Goals from Wayne Routledge either side of an Alejandro Faurlin screamer maintained the huge gap at the top, while United are seven points away from safety.
Despite the visitors appearing to be settle in at Loftus Road, Routledge opened the scoring after some poor defending.
Heidar Helguson put in a cross from right and the 26-year-old midfielder was left unmarked, sweeping home a cool finish.
Faurlin gave former United manager Neil Warnock’s side breathing space seven minutes after the interval with a delightful strike.
The Blades cleared their lines after a Hoops corner, but Faurlin was waiting outside the area to strike a sweet left-footed shot past Steve Simonsen.
Routledge completed his brace in the 66th minute after receiving another pass from Helguson, but this time he buried his shot across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.
He should have completed his hat-trick shortly before full-time but for a brilliant reflex save from Simonsen.
Time is quickly running out for the Blades to escape relegation, while QPR continue their run that has seen them lose just one of their last 14 outings.
Continuing our look into the foreign wags that put the Premier League ones to shame…
Arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Gigi Buffon has made giant strides in world football and has been pivotal to both club and international success in recent years. There aren’t many centre forwards who enjoy playing against Buffon when he is on top of his game; hence why Juventus are so keen to keep him in Turin.
While his exploits on the pitch continue to draw widespread recognition, his exploits off the pitch draws an equal amount of adulation as he dating one of the most beautiful women in the world. Alena Seredova is a former Czech supermodel and TV presenter whose surname actually translates to ‘ugly person’ – let’s be honest by flicking through the gallery she is anything but and puts most of the Premier League wags in the shade.
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Click on image below to see Gigi’s latest lady
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With Tottenham failing to capitalise on Manchester City’s slip-up at Everton at the weekend in only managing a draw against relegation-threatened Blackpool, Harry Redknapp’s side virtually conceded any hope they had in securing fourth place this season. And it has not just been Manchester City’s form that has helped The Citizens open up a 6-point lead over their North London rivals as Tottenham have been in awful league form of late.
Despite their fantastic run to the Quarter Finals of the Champions League, Spurs have won only once in their last ten League games and have lost to both Blackpool and Chelsea. Although they made a fantastic comeback to draw against local rivals Arsenal, they have drawn a further five games, including against bottom-four sides Wigan, Wolves, Blackpool and West Ham. During the same period, Manchester City have beaten both West Ham and Wigan as they racked up five victories. Whilst they have lost four times, these defeats have come at the hands of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton and they only drew once.
Whilst Spurs have done well away from home, they have struggled at White Hart Lane this season and scored only 28 times. They have also shared the points more than any other team at home with nine draws.
The real threat to Tottenham now is sixth-placed Liverpool who can leapfrog them into fifth with victory over Fulham this evening. And, with crucial games against both Manchester City and Liverpool still to come, Spurs still have much to play for if their domestic season isn’t to be a real disappointment. But why have Tottenham been so disappointing in this season Premiership?
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Honourably enough, Redknapp has refused to blame his players instead citing a series of injuries to key players such as Rafael van der Vaart and Gareth Bale as a key motive for Tottenham’s loss of momentum. There is clearly a lack of adequate defensive cover and natural leadership on the pitch in Ledley King’s absence, whilst fans are still uncertain over Heurelho Gomes due to his inconsistency.
Redknapp had initially hoped the ‘unwelcome distraction’ of the Europa League would hinder Manchester City’s league performance and enable Spurs to capitalise. But, having played twelve games in the Champions League themselves, have Tottenham fallen victim to a similar problem?
Admittedly Tottenham have had a phenomenal first campaign in the Champions League but this must not draw attention away from domestic troubles, particularly due to its absence next season. And, if Tottenham are to challenge Manchester City then there is clearly work to be done over the Summer.
Credit must not be taken away from Manchester City as they have developed well as a team and had a productive season. But, with so much money spent and with only a faltering Tottenham team challenging them for fourth, there is still much to be achieved by Roberto Mancini’s side. This has been the third season under the ownership of Sheikh Mansour, but in a similar time period under Roman Abramovich, Chelsea had won the League. Therefore Mancini will surely be grateful for Tottenham’s inconsistency against in gifting Manchester City fourth place.
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Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam has withdrawn from Wednesday’s FIFA presidential election amid corruption allegations.Bin Hammam, who was challenging incumbent Sepp Blatter to the throne of world football’s governing body, is the subject of a FIFA ethics committee investigation over accusations he and CONCACAF chief Jack Warner bribed Caribbean Football Union officials for their votes in the 2022 World Cup bidding process.
A statement from Bin Hammam said: “I made the decision to run for the FIFA presidency because I was and remain committed to change within FIFA.”
“I set out my goals and ambitions clearly – to further the cause of democracy within FIFA – through a commitment to transparency and accountability; through a commitment to expand the number of officials and nations involved in decision-making processes.”
“However, recent events have left me hurt and disappointed – on a professional and personal level.”
“It saddens me that standing up for the causes that I believed in has come at a great price – the degradation of FIFA’s reputation. This is not what I had in mind for FIFA and this is unacceptable.”
“I cannot allow the name that I loved to be dragged more and more in the mud because of competition between two individuals.”
“The game itself and the people who love it around the world must come first.”
“It is for this reason that I announce my withdrawal from the presidential election.”
“I will not put my personal ambition ahead of FIFA’s dignity and integrity.”
“Besides, I believe my candidacy has been a catalyst for debate within FIFA and has brought change to the top of the agenda.”
The Qatari native will appear before the ethics committee on Sunday, while Blatter has also been summoned following claims he knew about the alleged bribes and did nothing.
“I pray that my withdrawal will not be tied to the investigation held by the FIFA Ethics Committee as I will appear before the Ethics Committee to clear my name from the baseless allegations that have been made against me.”
“I promise those who stood by me that I will walk with my head held high and will continue to fight for the good of the game.”
Newcastle United have decided against offering Joey Barton a new deal and have parted company with Sol Campbell and striker Shefki Kuqi.Barton’s agent revealed the 28-year-old had not been offered a new contract at St James Park and will leave on a free transfer at the end of his current deal, which runs until the end of next season.
The combative midfielder had been a key part of Newcastle’s survival in their first season back in the English Premier League and manager Alan Pardew was keen to retain him long term.
But Barton’s agent Willie McKay said his client will be moving on.
“I had a meeting with Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias and club secretary Lee Charnley and they have indicated Joey will not be offered a new contract,” McKay told Sky Sports.
“Joey will continue to be a Newcastle player next season and then he will leave on a free transfer at the end of his contract. He would have loved to have extended his stay at Newcastle, but unfortunately it is not to be.”
“Joey has loved his time at Newcastle and nothing will change his commitment for the club next season. Obviously we will be monitoring the situation next January to try and find a new club for Joey as he can speak to clubs from abroad in January.”
Barton joined Newcastle from Manchester City for 5.8 million pounds in 2007 under Sam Allardyce, in what was seen as a risk following his training-ground altercation with Ousmane Dabo at Eastlands.
Barton also spent time in prison for an assault on a man in Liverpool, but when he was released he established himself as an integral part of the Newcastle squad.
Meanwhile, veteran defender Sol Campbell, 36, has left Newcastle after being limited to eight first-team appearances this season through injury.
“Sol’s gone and good luck to him,” Pardew said. “Sol’s been an icon of the game but he didn’t feature too much here.”
The Tyneside club have also parted ways with out-of-contract Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi after the 34-year-old went goalless from his six appearances last term.
Real Madrid have appealed to UEFA over a five-match European ban handed down to manager Jose Mourinho.The Portuguese boss drew the ire of officials with an ill-tempered display during Real’s 2-0 loss to Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals in April.
He was sent to the stands for criticising the red card show to Real midfielder Pepe during the match, and later accused UEFA of a conspiracy to favour Barcelona in his post-match press conference.
“It’s clear that against Barcelona you have no chance,” Mourinho said after game.
“Guardiola is a fantastic coach, but he has won one Champions League which I would be ashamed to win after the scandal at Stamford Bridge and this year, if he wins it again, it will be after the scandal at the Bernabeu.”
“I hope that one day he will win a clean Champions League, with no incidents behind it.”
A statement on UEFA’s website confirmed Real have appealed the suspension.
“Real Madrid have appealed against the disciplinary verdict handed down to Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho by the UEFA control and disciplinary body on May 6,” the statement said.
“The appeal follows the sending by UEFA of the reasoned decision on June 6. The date of the hearing will be communicated in due course.”
Luka Modric’s desire to leave White Hart Lane and move to London rivals Chelsea has left Spurs in a bit of a spin. Modric’s dream of Champions League football next season has prompted the Stamford Bridge side to make a failed bid for the Croatian midfielder.
But on Wednesday evening Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy announced that despite the heavy speculation surrounding his future, wantaway Modric would not be sold for any price. Spurs’ desire to hold onto their star midfielder means that Harry Redknapp may have to deal with a possibly unhappy player next season but can any big money deals change Modric’s mind and assure him of the club’s ambition?
Spurs could still cash in and let one of their top performers move to a rival or the more likely approach will be to continue to reject any approach for Modric and try and keep a player who wants to move happy. Both options are risky for Tottenham’s immediate future but a third option could be to spend big and prove to Modric that Spurs are serious about challenging for honours next season in an effort to keep him at the club and happy.
Tottenham have rarely been shy in the transfer market before with signings in previous years including Rafael Van der Vaart, Steven Pienaar and Sandro. The capture of Brad Friedel from Aston Villa started off Spurs’ summer spending but Harry may now have to look further afield to convince Modric of Tottenham’s intentions next season.
Their hunt for a consistent striker continues (with Barcelona’s Bojan Krkic, Leandro Damiao of Internacional and Villarreal’s Giuseppe Rossi are just a few of the latest names linked). But will any of these actually convince Modric that Spurs is a good place to be next season? To seriously challenge for a top four spot (whilst juggling Europa League and domestic cup commitments) will require some big signings and I would doubt that only a new striker would cut it.
Harry’s first step (whilst still trying to keep a firm grip on Modric and ward off any further Chelsea interest) is to get rid of players surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane. There are too many players (Robbie Keane, David Bentley, Niko Kranjcar etc..) on Spurs’ books but not in Harry’s first team plans. Buying players that will impress Modric will not come cheap so Tottenham will need any available funds and wages to attract the big names.
But should Spurs’ be held to ransom over Modric’s future and buy players to support him when he doesn’t really want to stay anymore? Bowing to player pressure is probably the riskiest move of them all. If Modric is demanding a move away from the club then why should Spurs be forced to spend big just to keep one player happy? Also keeping an unhappy star at the club could backfire on Tottenham as wantaway players often see their form drop if they have one eye on the exit door.
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Modric’s desire for guaranteed Champions League football at a club in the hunt for silverware and possibly on the brink of a revival under new manager Andre Villas-Boas is unfortunately not something that Tottenham can offer for the immediate future. And however many star names they can bring in, there is still no guarantee that this strategy will work for Tottenham in future years in a very tough league.
The theory that no one player is bigger than any club has prompted some massive transfers over the years (most recently Fernando Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea) and the same idea can easily be applied to Modric and Spurs.
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But whatever Redknapp’s next move is concerning Modric, the playmaker’s flirtation with Chelsea has given Harry a massive headache. Giving in to player pressure is a massive risk but if Modric is still at the club come the start of next season and Spurs have a couple of new star names to join him, maybe it will all be worth it at White Hart Lane.
This courtesy of The Transfer League.com. What a cracking site.
The table below represents the clubs per season spend on purchasing players from the beginning of the premiership in 1992.
Purchases = Money spent on Players, Sold = Money received from Players sold.
Net = Purchased minus Sold , This gives an indication of new investment on players . The per season column gives an average of the money spend per season since 1992.
What’s fascinating is not just seeing who spent what, but who spent wisely. Blackpool and Portsmouth both in a world of pain.
Arsenal’s figures underline what an amazing job Arsene Wenger is actually doing. For all the criticism, top routinely finish top four and yet be so passive in the transfer market is pretty impressive.
Whereas West Ham have been trading like lunatics – to no good purpose.
This table represents the clubs net spend per season from Season 2003/04 to date.
This Season saw the begining of very wealthy club ownership with Roman Abramovich’s purchase of Chelsea .
Purchases = Money spent on Players, Sold = Money received from Players sold. Net = Purchased minus Sold , This gives an indication of new investment on players .
The per season column gives an average of the money spend per season since 1992.
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