Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam has withdrawn from Wednesday’s FIFA presidential election amid corruption allegations.Bin Hammam, who was challenging incumbent Sepp Blatter to the throne of world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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This week the world of rumours is abuzz with the news that Nicklas Bendtner is on the verge of signing for Sporting Lisbon for £9 million. (Seriously, people can’t stop talking about it). But does that represent value for money?
For £9 million Sporting are getting two players. The Nicklas Bendtner who failed to break into Arsenal’s first team and has gradually slipped further and further down the pecking order and the Nicklas Bendtner future self who apparently will become one of the greatest strikers in the world within the next 5 years.
If the first Bendtner turns up which is more than likely as the second is yet to be seen, then £9 million is a high fee for a relatively unproven goalscorer. Bendtner has always talked a good game but seldom plays one. True, he has played nearly 100 Premiership matches and is experienced for a 23 year old, but his goal return has been underwhelming especially considering he has been playing in an Arsenal side that creates so many chances. He will not be presented with such clear and regular opportunities at Sporting and must improve his goal ratio dramatically if he is to succeed.
They are however buying an incredibly hungry player. Perhaps the most impressive thing that Bendtner has achieved at Arsenal is scoring 10 out of 9 in a ‘self perceived competence’ test. He is firmly convinced that he will become one of the greatest strikers in the world in the next 5 years. Whether he envisaged a move to Sporting Lisbon from Arsenal as a crucial stepping-stone in his five-year plan is not known. The Arsenal psychologist Jacques Crevoisier said “when Bendtner misses a chance, he is always genuinely convinced it wasn’t his fault.’ If Bendtner was correct in this belief he is the unluckiest footballer ever.
If this moves successfully kick-starts Bendtner’s career then he could prove a very good signing for £9 million, however, he has had 4 years to make an impression at Arsenal and has failed to do so. Since he spurned the advances of Lyon and A.C. Milan in 2007 to concentrate on breaking into Arsenal’s starting eleven, his talent has stagnated, to the point where he started just 3 premier league games for the Gunners last season and demanded a transfer. Unfortunately the calibre of his suitors has declined along with his potential. Whilst this may not be a problem for most players looking to get a fresh start, Nicklas Bendtner is not most players, he is exceptional.
It may be a tough blow to accept that he needs to step down, but if there’s one ego that can bounce back, it’s his.
Does Nicklas Bendtner have the ability to reach the top? Or is he destined to disappoint himself?
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The appointment of Andre Villas-Boas as Chelsea manager is expected to entail a change in playing style at Stamford Bridge, with the former Porto boss now widely recognised for his attacking philosophy in football, having racked up a total of 73 goals in just 30 league games in his first, and only, season with the Portuguese champions. Villas-Boas will be hoping to get the very best out of his front men, who last season managed just 18 league goals between them. Whilst on loan at Bolton, Daniel Sturridge managed 8 goals in just 12 games, and looks set to return to Stamford Bridge and compete with the likes of Anelka, Drogba, and Torres for a place in the Chelsea side.
At just 21, Sturridge had generally been considered a player ‘for the future’ at Chelsea, but his performances at Bolton last season are believed to have impressed Villas-Boas to such an extent that he is unwilling to consider loaning the forward out again in this campaign. Sturridge has expressed his desire to remain at Chelsea before and fight for a place in the side, and it looks as though this season he may well be given that chance. If he is able to replicate the kind of form that he demonstrated in his brief spell at Bolton then the youngster may well stand a chance of keeping his seniors out of the starting eleven. Sturridge has been tipped to become one of England’s top forwards, and this season may well be the platform he has been waiting for to prove his ability at the very top level.
Speculation over the future of Nicolas Anelka has been evident throughout this transfer window, with a move to the MLS believed to be very much on the cards at one stage. Both David Beckham and Thierry Henry moved to the USA at the age of 32, and with Anelka having reached this age now, his time at Chelsea looked to be coming to an end. Again, like Sturrdige, Anelka has vowed to fight for his place in the Chelsea team, and can play in any forward role should the Chelsea manager stick to the 4-3-3 formation we have become accustomed to at Stamford Bridge. Should Villas-Boas revert to a 4-4-2, then Anelka’s role in the side is sure to be limited, with the likes of Torres, Sturridge, and Drogba likely to be preferred up front in such a scenario. This season is surely the Frenchman’s final opportunity to show that he still has what it takes to play at the top level, and should the goals dry up, we can probably expect Anelka to be crossing the Atlantic this time next year.
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At 33 years of age, Didier Drogba is the oldest option Villas-Boas will have to put up front. As Chelsea forwards go, he is probably also the most prolific. Despite struggling to find the form of recent years last season, those cynics who have written the Ivorian off as ‘too old’, do so at their peril. Drogba has demonstrated the consistency required at the top level throughout most of his Chelsea career, and despite some speculation over his future this summer, he looks set to see out the final year on his contract, if not even longer. The ‘Drogba or Torres’ debate is certainly an interesting one, and one that is likely to chop and change as the season goes on. In a 4-3-3 it seems only one of the two is likely to be involved from the start, but if Villas-Boas were to opt for a 4-4-2 in which this partnership could work, then this would undoubtedly be one of the strongest and most formidable strike forces in the league. It is a rather large ‘if’ at the moment, but one that Chelsea fans will certainly be hoping that their new boss can deliver.
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After his £50m signing in January, Fernando Torres has come under heavy criticism from both the media and the public, and was only able to manage the solitary goal in 14 league appearances with the Blues. Torres’ teammates and manager insisted that the Spaniard was not entirely fit throughout this period, and remained adamant that with a full pre-season behind him, we would start to see the best from their number 9. Torres will be relatively pleased with his pre-season thus far, with goals against both Wycombe Wanderers, and then Aston Villa in the Asia Cup final last weekend. It is surely to early to draw comparisons with Shevchenko’s brief spell at the club, and if we are honest, most of us would probably be surprised if Fernando Torres struggled to find the net again this season, instead, I think we can expect to see the kind of ability from El Nino that we saw during his time both at Liverpool and Atletio Madrid – ‘form is temporary, class is permanent.’
How do you think Chelsea will fare this season? Let me know either below or on Twitter @sixthofficial
Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam scored their first goals for Liverpool in a 3-1 win against Bolton, which see’s the Reds soar to the Premier League summit leapfrogging Chelsea in the process.
The summer signings struck either side of a Martin Skrtel goal to secure an easy home victory against the Trotters who scored in injury time through Ivan Klasnic.
Kenny Dalglish’s side dominated the match from start to finish and it was England midfielder Henderson who opened the scoring after 15 minutes with a sumptuous curling shot from 20 yards.
Jussi Jaaskelainen was by far the busier of the two keepers saving efforts from Stewart Downing, Daniel Agger and Dirk Kuyt in the first half.
Bolton had no answer to the home sides attack and two goals in as many minutes sealed the Trotters fate.
Firstly, Skrtel got on the end of Adam’s whipped corner to bury a header past Jaaskelainen in the 51st minute .
Barely 60 seconds later the Scottish midfielder went from provider to goalscorer lashing home from just outside the penalty area to make it three goals without reply to send the Kop wild.
Bolton, for all their endeavour, were always second best throughout the game and boss Owen Coyle will have to pick up the pieces of a second consecutive defeat.
Klasnic did manage to grab a consolation a minute into stoppage time finishing from close range but the day belonged to Liverpool and King Kenny who find’s himself on top of English football once again.
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See the match stats from Anfield here
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Andre Villas Boas has stated that he is happy with Chelsea’s 1-1 Champions League draw away to Valencia on Wednesday night, but admitted frustration that his side were not more clinical in front of goal.
Frank Lampard, who was reinstated to the Stamford Bridge outfit’s starting XI, gave the visitors the lead early in the second half, but the Premier League team were pegged back by a late Roberto Soldado penalty.
Despite being close to getting a valuable away win, the Portuguese coach is content with the result.
“It was a strong performance from the team but we just need to find that prolific touch in front of goal and eventually, when it comes, we’ll be able to get more solid results and reach that two-goal advantage,” he told Sky Sports.
“I think it was more deserved for us to win this game. I’m happy with the display of everybody. Before the game, if you’d told us we’d draw in Valencia, maybe we would have taken it.
“But to be so near and be in that position in the game, it leaves us with a feeling that we don’t like. I think Diego had four fantastic saves in front of our players. He changed the result of the game,” he stated.
Chelsea now have back-to-back games against Genk to negotiate, and AVB is looking forward to taking on the Belgian side.
“So near to a win, it leaves you with a strange feeling but we’re in a good position still in the group.
“We’re looking forward to the Genk game – they’re going to be difficult games, of course. But if we get six points out of them, we’re almost ensured qualification,” he concluded.
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In the Premier League era, players from every corner of the globe have travelled to England to play in the greatest league in the world – from Canada to New Zealand, from Japan to Argentina, from Iceland to Oman. A lot of these international imports have been massive successes, and some of the finest players we’ve all been so fortunate to watch over the past two decades have come from far-off foreign lands.
That said, there have been many players down the years who’ve travelled to the Premier League only to almost instantly be uncovered as a Premier League misfit. This might not necessarily mean that the player in question lacks the talent for the division – though there are plenty of those in this list. Some have suffered injury problems that ruined their time in England; others were simply playing under far too large a price-tag.
Whatever the reason, though, they didn’t belong in the Premier League, and now we bring you the top 20 misfits of the Premier League era.
Click on William Prunier below to unveil the top 20 misfits
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List compiled by Rob Schatten
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