Since today’s Sunday, there’s not a great deal to report on, as is the case most Sundays. But, there are some intriguing tidbits to go over, starting with Chelsea, who are looking to make the splash of all splashes.
Written by Eddie Griffin. 7 comments
The Premier League season starts in 4 weeks and the Soccerlens 08/09 Fantasy Football League is now open for business.
The private league is free to join, set up with premierleague.com’s fantasy football game. Here’s how you can play:
Written by Soccerlens. 15 comments
With Frank Lampard’s demands at Chelsea firmly on the agenda right now, it’s had me thinking about how sad it is that the trust I once had in players at the club has decreased in sharp contrast to their ever-increasing salaries.
Funny then, when reading an old article circa 2002, to realise that the Chelsea transfers and salaries deemed so ridiculous now, were (relatively) even more obscene pre-Abramovich when the club didn’t even have a Russian sugar daddy to fund them. Probably around the 1995-1996 time, we saw them arrive: Hughes at £1.5million; Vialli £1million per annum; Di Matteo arriving for £4.9million; Zola £4.5million (an absolute bargain), increasing steadily until 2000 saw Hasselbaink at a whopping £15million, before we arrive at the then questionable transfer fee of a pretty average West Ham midfielder in 2001 with an £11million price tag.
In fact, by 2002 Chelsea were struggling so much with their massive wage bill that ‘summit meetings’ were held over Hasselbaink’s future and the players were actually warned before the last game of the 2002-2003 season that failure to qualify for the Champions League that day would spell more than just financial disaster for all concerned. And yet a mere 30 days later, the arrival of Roman Abramovich ended the financial battle… and maybe started the financial war?
Written by Denise. 7 comments
Kaka’s assistant is quoted as saying:
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 6 comments
Update: Ferguson says he never spoke to the press about Berbatov.
Tottenham Hotspur have every right to be mad.
Here’s a club dead-set on playing in the Champions League - they’ve brought in one of the best managers in contemporary football, they have brought in some of the brightest young talent in Europe (Bale, Gunter, Modric, Dos Santos and Bostock - just to name a few), they have an excellent central defensive pairing in King and Woodgate and one of the best strike partnerships in England in Keane and Berbatov.
This was supposed to be the season Tottenham finally broke the shackles and made it to the Champions League. This was supposed to be the year Spurs would finally get results to match their ambitions and more importantly, the players would fulfill their massive untapped potential. This was going to be Spurs’ season.
Except that the scum from Manchester and the scum from Liverpool have managed to tap up the best Tottenham strikeforce in the last decade and stolen the keys to Champions League qualification right of Tottenham’s hands.
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 98 comments
Usually, when one of our sporting legends retires, we Americans spend weeks praising him (or her, usually him, though) and reflect on his career while wondering if anyone will ever meet or surpass his standard. ESPN devotes a considerable amount of time to run retrospective videos on “SportsCenter” and brings in numerous experts to debate that athlete’s place in history. Everything else takes second priority. Heck, when Brett Favre retired back in March, you would have thought that nothing else was going on in the world with the amount of coverage they devoted to him.
Too bad none of this applies to soccer.
Claudio Reyna, one of the greatest American soccer players ever, and one of the first Americans to establish himself in Europe, retired on Wednesday. Yet there were no special tributes to this giant of American soccer on “SportsCenter.” There was barely even a mention of him, which was especially insulting because it was one of the slowest sports days of the year, what with baseball being on the All-Star break. Of course, there was plenty of time for a video retrospective of baseball’s first half, speculation about Brett Favre’s future, and coverage of a Tiger Woods-less British Open. It probably shouldn’t be a surprise where ESPN’s priorities lie, what with their bun-to-bun coverage of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Written by Victor Li. 3 comments
Today’s transfer roundup starts off with a hint of bitterness - or is it the much-needed integrity that we football fans have been yearning for recently, in the wake of all of the disloyalty shown to us by our favorite clubs and players?
Also, if Roy Keane is reading this, you might need to give Wikipedia a quick check to see the last time an earthquake hit Sunderland.
Written by Eddie Griffin. 6 comments
For all those enraged by the hundreds of millions of pounds in inflated transfer fees flying between the stadia of Europe this summer: there was once a bearded man from a long time ago who proposed that the use-value of a commodity or service should determine its price, not market forces. No, I’m not talking about Gandalf, or even Santa Claus – I’m referring to Karl Marx.
Marx fought against wage-slavery long before Sepp Blatter’s little outburst last week, although the former was probably more concerned for the legions of destitute working-class persons across Europe, not 120,000 pound-a-week Portuguese footballers. However, a brief reprisal of Marx’s views on the subject reveals some interesting truths about today’s football transfer market.
Marx thought wage-slavery derived from three primary conditions: ownership of the means of production by a few (the Glazer family today, Real Madrid’s family of shareholders tomorrow), lack of access to the means of production (Ronaldo has no control over the fixture list, team sheets, or television close-ups of his smirking face), and the legions of unemployed workers ready to come in and work for less (Dimitar Berbatov anyone?).
Written by Richard Whittall. 5 comments
Looking to plan a trip to see your favorite Premier League club next season? If you need a little help, Chris Harris, aka The Gaffer from EPL Talk, has everything you need to make your trip a success, whether it’s near or far, with In Pursuit of Real Football: The Soccer Fan’s Ultimate Travel Guide to Attending EPL Matches in England.
It’s an American-friendly guide, but even if you live in England or are coming from another region to see the world’s best league in person, there are plenty of helpful hints for you.
The guide starts off by comparing a tour package to planning your own trip. Here’s a quick summary of what he says: if you want to do it the easy way and not plan much - but overpay in the process - go for the tour package; if you want to be free, have as much fun as possible, and do it inexpensively, planning your trip is the way to go.
Written by Eddie Griffin. Leave a response
When Ronaldinho finally left FC Barca it was a sad day. For a brief time he was the king of football and quite possibly the greatest player to have worn the famous ‘blaugrana’ stripes. He was a lovely person with it; his personality balanced perfectly with his status.
Samuel Eto’o too was an astonishing player for the club. His goal rate was superb, always scoring at crucial times. Compare when he scores his goals against other strikers with a high rate. They were nearly always the first goal of the game, the equaliser, or the winner. Samuel is aggressively competitive. Again, like Ronaldinho, he has a great personality despite what backbiters may have you believe.
That neither will be playing in the Camp Nou next season feels wrong. Surely their exit should have been meant more? The truth is the exact opposite. It seems that many people are glad that they are leaving. ‘Lazy, disinterested and finished’ are words I have heard over the past few days.
Written by Oliver Fowler. 7 comments
After coming back from lunch and snooping (snooping since I should be working) the various websites covering summer transfer activities, it suddenly dawned on me that the numerous signings made by FC Barcelona - the most recent addition in the form of Alexander Hleb from Arsenal - have an eerie similarity to the signings made eight years ago in the aftermath of another European Championship.
In the weeks following Euro 2000, Barça underwent a turbulent summer in which its long standing president, Josep Nuñez ended his tenure as president, ushering in his deputy, Joan Gaspart, as the new head of the club. With the changing of the guard, turbulence struck when Luis Figo, despite repeated denials that he was heading to eternal rivals Real Madrid, became the poster child for Real Madrid’s presidential hopeful, Florentino Perez.
Written by Daniel Chung. 4 comments
You can’t always believe everything you read, but sometimes it’s not as crazy as it seems. That’s what kicks off today’s roundup, which includes news from Toulouse to, well, you’ll find out in a second.
Written by Eddie Griffin. 2 comments
A few questions for our readers - go through the list, pick your answers and share your thoughts in the comments:
What do you value more as a football fan?
1. Winning the league or winning the cup (consider the highest level cup competition your team can compete in a regular season)?
2. Having the best players or having the best team?
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 12 comments
The transfer sagas are slowly but surely working themselves out. Ronaldinho is set for a new chapter in his career, and just as he’s leaving Barcelona, a new face is headed to the Nou Camp. That’s the highlight of today’s roundup, but there’s a lot more to talk about as well, from Liverpool to Lazio.
Written by Eddie Griffin. 3 comments
“I understand why Manchester United fans booed me,” Rio Ferdinand said after the last game of the 2004-2005 season. “I’ve heard I’m being greedy but some of the figures thrown about are ridiculous. I was accused of asking for £150,000 a week. I wouldn’t insult the club like that. I can assure everyone I will not be going to Chelsea and want to sign for United again.”
Still, this didn’t stop sections of United fans persisting to boo Ferdinand throughout the pre-season, up until him signing a contract just before the next season started.
It took years for most reds to finally forgive him, whilst many still don’t have much time for him. Playing for our club is an honour and if you can’t recognise that, you’re usually out the door.
Written by Scott the Red. 17 comments
Increasingly we’re seeing pre-season preparations forced to accommodate “brand-expansion” trips with Chelsea having traveled to the US and Liverpool to Asia in recent years (and United having traveled to both continents in the last 3 years).
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 4 comments
Holland’s Olympic squad for Beijing 2008:
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Can Real Madrid nurture Robinho as Manchester United helped Ronaldo to be a better player, or is he going to be another huge amount in the transfer market?
Real Madrid has had the service of many star football players starting from the days of the great Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas. After the unexpected failure of the Galacticos era, Fabio Capello and current boss Bernd Schuster has helped the club to gradually recover from the trophy-less seasons. Are Real Madrid going to throw away the advantage they have now being a better team than a pack of stars? Will the probable arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo destroy the harmony in the team? Is it worth allowing Robinho to ‘grow up’ and be a better player?
The latest transfer speculation say that Robinho will be moving to Chelsea for a fee of 60M euros if Real Madrid buy Ronaldo. Whatever the offer be, the question is, “Is the deal worth it?” The Real Madrid and Spanish football enthusiasts know the role Robinho has had at the club. Is Ronaldo worth it? Who is a better player for Real Madrid?
Answering these questions are tough for any football pundit - let’s take a look at the history of both players and how they evolved through the ranks in their own clubs:
Written by abhilashkmanapatt. 5 comments
An employee chooses to stay in a low-paying job with a small company with medium growth prospects, turning down a higher-paying job in a bigger firm with better chances of success.
What do you suppose were the reasons behind his choice?
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 2 comments
Arsenal have William Gallas, a player who agitated for a move away from Stamford Bridge on a contract dispute, was at Arsenal for only an year before he was made captain, has spent less time at Arsenal than most players at the club, is inspirational and temperamental, and has a habit of talking to the press (and criticises his teammates).
Liverpool have Steven Gerrard, a home-grown player, a leader on the pitch and off it, and most importantly, someone who commands the respect of the squad and manager.
Chelsea have John Terry, as home-grown a player as Chelsea are going to get, a leader and much respected by teammates and coaching staff.
Manchester United have Gary Neville, United boy for life and a capable leader. In his absence the standard-bearers have been Ryan Giggs (another home boy and well-respected) and Rio Ferdinand, the de facto captain, a leader on the pitch, a senior member of the squad and determined to see his career out at the club after having spent 5 years at Old Trafford.
Notice the difference?
Written by Ahmed Bilal. 9 comments
Today’s roundup starts off in a different order than usual, but that’s because one of the most-talked about transfer sagas is finally, finally over.
Written by Eddie Griffin. 9 comments
Hopefully you haven’t been ‘necklaced.’ In fact, if you are reading this, then you most certainly won’t have been. Necklacing is the horrendous act of placing a car tyre over a person’s body, dousing them with petrol and then setting them alight. It is also a word that you will read about in the press more and more leading up to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
Could the World Cup damage its identity beyond repair even before a ball is kicked?
The press need angles on South Africa. Between now and the start of the tournament they will definitely find them. Necklacing is just one fear factor that they will be all too happy to tell us about. We will also be bombarded with tales of rape, AIDS, violence, riots, and more forms of human suffering. The more lascivious and dirty, the better.
Written by Soccerlens. 7 comments
If you’re a US soccer fan, I’m going to ask that you take yourself back to a dark time in our nation’s soccer history. Don’t worry, I feel your pain. On June 22nd, 2006, Ghana ended any US hope of advancing to the quarterfinals of the World Cup. While many US fans point to a dubious penalty called against Oguchi Onyewu, it should be noted that the US had only scored one goal before this game, and it was an own goal at that. So it’s not as if the US had torn it up and was just the victim of a bad call. We stunk, and we were deservedly going home.
Sunil Gulati was elected President of the USSF in March 2006, but his reach and commitment to the program spanned many years before this. But it has been his time as the leader of US soccer that has come under the most scrutiny and in turn, the most ridicule and applause. There have been good moments (winning the Gold Cup in 2007 and getting into the Confederations Cup in 2009) and bad (the Copa America debacle). But there has been one moment, a defining moment in US soccer history perhaps, that may well decide whether Sunil Gulati’s time in charge of US soccer is indeed a tragedy or a triumph.
Written by Brian Lomax. 12 comments
You might expect that buying naming rights to the second oldest football league in the world would cost a small fortune – certainly enough cash to count out your average punter. But the new name of the Northern League is up for grabs for possibly as little as £250.
The 119-year-old league, the home of 44 teams in the north-east of England, is need of a new sponsor after the withdrawal of the incumbent, the construction company Arngrove. The pull-out was officially due to illness of its owner, Brooks Mileson, who also owns the recently sunk Gretna FC, although it was reported as long ago as March that three of Mileson’s other companies were in financial difficulty, owing more than £370,000.
In hard financial times generally and for small football clubs in particular – stories of teams folding being painfully commonplace – finding one man to stump up all the required cash was always likely to prove difficult. The league has hit on an innovative solution: a raffle.
Written by Guest Authors. One comment
There are a lot of noteworthy names to report on in today’s transfer roundup, as a few ongoing transfer sagas could be set to wrap up soon - or maybe they’re just heating up.
Is Chelsea coming in for Ronaldinho at the last minute? Is David Bentley getting the big move that he wants? Is Dimitar Berbatov getting closer to signing for Manchester United? You may know the answers already, but we’ve got a lot more to talk about than just those big names.
Written by Eddie Griffin. 5 comments
Former Major League Baseball pitcher Anthony Young once lost a record 27 straight decisions before finally recording a win. The Buffalo Bills went to four straight Super Bowls - and lost each one. In 1986, Greg Norman led each of the four majors after the third round only to end up losing each one, a feat that was dubbed “The Norman Slam.” In 2004, tennis star Lleyton Hewitt pulled off a similar feat when he lost to the eventual champion in each of the four Grand Slam events.
When pitcher Brian Kingman lost 20 games in one season for the Oakland A’s, he said that you have to be pretty good to lose 20 games. Similarly, for those aforementioned athletes, you have to be pretty good to even be in a position to lose like that in the first place.
I’m sure that’s not much consolation to Michael Ballack.
Written by Victor Li. 12 comments
Within the last week, the roar around the Chicago Fire’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco and D.C. United’s Clyde Simms incident has swelled and is finally subsiding.
For those who have yet to catch wind of the fracas, reports indicate it took place during the U.S. Open Cup match between the Chicago Fire and D.C. United, beginning with Blanco taking what appeared to be nearly a full swing at Simms’ ribs, who was holding the ball at the time.
Other D.C. players indicated that shortly thereafter, Blanco also gouged Simms’ eye. Naturally Blanco was red carded, as was D.C. United defender Marc Burch, who had come to Simms’ aid. However, Blanco didn’t head straight for the locker room, instead focusing towards the bench. When instructed to change his course to the locker room by a D.C. United employee, Blanco head butted the employee.
Written by Cherie Getchell. 10 comments
Champions League qualification begins on Tuesday, 15 July with 28 clubs entering at this stage. Since the current system of qualification was introduced in 1999/2000, only two clubs entering at the first qualification round have extended their run to the group phase.
Written by Soccerlens. Leave a response
No matter what you say about beautiful WAGs, fast cars and money, the ball remains a footballer’s best friend:
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There’s plenty to report on in today’s roundup, so without giving you much of an intro, I’ll get right to the good stuff. Enjoy!
Written by Eddie Griffin. One comment
