Footballers Life

Mourinho hails super United - but can't help a cheeky swipe at Rooney

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Jose Mourinho expects to be facing the world’s top team when Inter Milan tackle Manchester United in the Champions League but he could not resist a typical swipe about Wayne Rooney’s availability.

‘I wanted United because I want to face the best,’ he added.

‘They are European champions and will probably become world champions.

'They have the Ballon d’Or winner in Cristiano Ronaldo, many other great players and a great coach in Sir Alex.

'All this will motivate us.’

Mourinho then took a dig at UEFA for ignoring Rooney’s stamp on Aalborg’s Kasper Risgard in United’s final group game, a decision which cleared the striker to meet Inter in the last 16 in February.

The former Chelsea boss, recalling Michael Essien’s ban for a bad tackle on Liverpool’s Dietmar Hamann in 2005, said: ‘If they are the rules, they must be respected.

'But something extraordinary happened to me when I was at Chelsea.

'The rules were changed exclusively for us. We played in the group phase in the same group as Liverpool.

‘This could not happen now and Essien was disqualified for three matches through trial by TV.

'The same thing didn’t happen with Rooney last week.

'So he will be available against us.’

United, who are in Sunday's Club World Cup Final in Japan, are away to Inter first and Ferguson said: ‘It will be interesting to come up against Jose again.

‘He’s a character with a good personality and I’ve always got on well with him.

'He knocked us out of the competition when he was at Porto, so I hope we have the luck they had in that tie this time round.’

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Turkish trainer protests religious discrimination

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:56:00 +0000

The Turkish physical trainer of Steaua Bucharest has protested to FIFA after he was fired because he's a Muslim. Steaua owner Gigi Becali fired Yuksel Yesilova on Saturday saying he brought back luck to Steaua because of his religion.

Becali said: "Steaua is a Christian team and we had bad luck because of him. I don't want to see him here. We can't keep a Muslim in a team that has a cross on its team bus and shirts."

Yesilova said Friday he had been called by FIFA officials about his firing. His contract expired in 2010.

Source: msn.foxsports.com

Surgeons: Gattuso really is hard!

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:52:00 +0000

Gennaro Gattuso amazed the medical community again after his knee surgery. “We had to change the scalpel, as he has very hard bones!”

The Milan and Italy man recovered in record time from multiple fractures to his wrist earlier this season and hopes he can also cut the expected six-month spell on the sidelines for ligament damage.

“The surgeon took the tendon, an incomplete part, and made a tunnel to put the ligament through. It will take six months for this to form a strong cruciate ligament,” said Krystel De Reycke.

The assistant to Professor Marc Martens – who also operated on Ronaldo and other top stars – revealed a surprising moment during the surgery.

“During the operation we had to change the scalpel, as Gattuso has very hard bones. He is extraordinary! This has never happened before.”

It was not the only physical anomaly they discovered, as the World Cup winner was able to play for 86 minutes after he had torn knee ligaments in the 1-0 win over Catania.

“He has some very large muscles that allowed him to do that,” the assistant told Sky Italia television.

“Now he will wear a protective cast for a month and that will give him normal mobility without limits. He’ll then walk with crutches for 10 days.

“Another protective device is needed up for another month, but after four months he can start running again.”

Source: www.channel4.com

Marek Hamsik: I Thought I Was Going To Die

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:45:00 +0000

Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik has been outstanding this season, but Calcio's image has taken another huge blow after masked gunmen robbed him of his Rolex watch and €800.

A police investigation is underway and Hamsik has revealed thought he was going to die when the criminals demanded valuables at gun point.

"It lasted just one minute, but it was enough to feel the fear of dying," Hamsik told Il Corriere Dello Sport.

"It was terrible and I was shocked.

"However, I am feeling OK now. It's all behind me and I hope to forget about it soon."

Reports in Italy suggest Hamsik has been allowed to return to Slovakia for an early Christmas holiday by Napoli and thus he will not feature during this weekend's clash against Torino.

Source: goal.com

Sol hate taunts thug 'is a cop'

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:47:00 +0000

ONE of the thugs being hunted over obscene chants at soccer star Sol Campbell is thought to be a COP.

Earlier this week police issued pictures of 16 Tottenham fans who allegedly subjected Campbell to a tirade of abuse.

They have already arrested two of the mob — and are set to question a further seven suspects.

The group are accused of shouting racist and homophobic abuse at the former Tottenham defender when their team played Portsmouth in September.

Yesterday Essex Police admitted they were liaising with their counterparts in Hampshire over claims that one of their officers was in the group.

The PC, who is in his early 20s, only recently joined the force after completing his basic training.

Cops began probing the sick songs targeted at former England centre-back Campbell, 34, who became a hate figure to Spurs fans after he left White Hart Lane to join North London rivals Arsenal in 2001.

Last night a former friend of the �cop� in the mob said: �The last time we spoke he was training to be a police officer and planned to join Essex Police.

�I knew he was a Tottenham supporter and I knew he was a bit of a lout so for him to be involved in this, it does not surprise me.�

A 28-year-old from Ringwood, Hants, and a 36-year-old from Wokingham, Berks, arrested in connection with the inquiry were yesterday released on bail until January 21.

Police are still looking to identify the remaining suspects.

A spokesman said: �Officers have received a steady stream of information and names.�

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

Man-Ho Has New Lady-Ho

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:38:00 +0000

Portsmouth striker Jermaine Defoe, already voted Man Whore of the Year by Kickette after his dalliances with everyone from Danielle Lloyd to David Beckham’s sister Joanne, has a freshly minted new WAG…and this one sounds like a keeper.

Chantelle Houghton (the orange tinted young lady pictured above) is, of course, a model and perhaps most notable for winning UK Celebrity Big Brother 2006 over the likes of Dennis Rodman, Traci Bingham, and a person named Maggot. Though only 25 years old, she is already once divorced (she met her husband on Celebrity Big Brother…no, it wasn’t Rodman). She got her start in modelling after her mother took some topless pictures of her at a local park.

Let me repeat that: she got her start in modelling after her mother took some topless pictures of her at a local park. And from a start as classy as that, there really is only one logical career choice: Paris Hilton look-alike. That’s right, Ms. Houghton worked for an agency that hired her out as a Paris Hilton look-alike — a resemblance that later earned her the nickname of “Parish Travelodge.”

Yes, friends, this truly is a match made in heaven…or maybe some kind of STD filled hot tub.

Source: www.dirtytackle.net

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich buys 100 acres of land on the moon

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:33:00 +0000

Some strange science news for you now. You know how you can “buy” stars, even though such purchases aren’t recognized by any legitimate scientific organization? Well, Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abromovich—he’s a tremendously wealthy Russian, for those of who don’t know who he is—just did one better.

He bought [Spanish] his girlfriend 100 acres of land on the moon.

Yes, the Russian billionaire “bought” the land, which is located between 20-24°S latitude and 30-34°W longitude up there, in order to make it up to his soon-to-be wife, Daria Zhukova. Apparently their crazy wedding had o be toned done because of the credit crisis, which has affected Abramovich’s fortune.

The land, in case you’re looking to symbolically buy some moon property, was purchased from The Lunar Embassy.

Source: www.crunchgear.com

Marlon King bailed after arrest for alleged attack on girl in London club

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:31:00 +0000

Hull striker Marlon King was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly punching a girl in a London nightclub at the weekend after she turned down his advances.

The 28-year-old married player was also questioned on suspicion of indecently assaulting the 20-year-old who was rushed to hospital with a suspected broken nose and a cut lip after the alleged attack.

Witnesses said married father of two King, who earns £25,000 a week, had danced near the girl and then grabbed her bottom, then turned on her when she asked him to leave her alone.

Police were called, but King had already gone. He was arrested after attending a police station by appointment on Wednesday morning.

It is understood that he refused to comment and was released on police bail.

CCTV footage has been seized from the Soho Revue Bar in London's West End where King, on loan from Wigan, was celebrating after scoring a late penalty to secure Hull's 2-1 win over Middlesbrough.

A source said: 'He was repeatedly pestering the girl and grabbing her bottom. She kept asking him to leave her alone and at one point he just turned and punched her.

'It was not a slap and it looked like she had a broken nose. There was blood dripping on her clothes and handbag.

'Some of his friends were trying to make out that it was all perfectly justified because she was pestering him but it seemed very much like it was the other way round.'

King was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm and indecent assault.

A police spokesman said: 'We are investigating an allegation of assault on a 20-year-old female in the early hours of Sunday morning.

'A 28-year-old man has been arrested today in connection with the incident. He has been bailed to return on a date in February.'

A spokesman for Hull City refused to comment.

Only last month, King was fined two weeks' wages after a 3am fight in a Scarborough casino with fellow Hull striker Dean Windass. The pair had to be pulled apart by stunned colleagues.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Gazza: Facing his demons with New Age horse therapyGazza: Facing his demons with New Age horse therapy

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:59:00 +0000

FALLEN footie idol Paul Gascoigne is trying to rein in his drink and drug demons by talking to HORSES.

Gazza, 41, has joined a pioneering rehab programme known as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.

Addicts who struggle to deal with other people are able to re-learn social skills by spending time with horses, New Age therapists claim.

Ex-Spurs, Newcastle and England ace Gazza has been cut off from the outside world during his Ł2,000-a-week treatment. Bosses at the specialist Stepps rehab centre took away his mobile and banned him from reading papers.

Gazza was taken to the secluded clinic in countryside near Minsterworth, Gloucs, last week.

He is set to spend a month there before going for a second phase of treatment at the Sporting Chance Clinic, set up by Portsmouth boss and reformed alcoholic Tony Adams.

Friends fear it is Gazza’s last hope after he spiralled into booze-fuelled despair and mounting debt.

Gentle

The star has lurched from one disaster to the next since his eyewatering encounter with rival Vinnie Jones in 1988.

One pal said: �Paul has been through rehab at places like The Priory, but has always gone back to his self-destructive ways. He knows this may be his last chance.

�Other addicts swear by horse therapy, which gently builds confidence and self-esteem. Paul’s a gentle soul deep down and this could be perfect for him.�

Gazza’s latest rehab was arranged by girlfriend Sally Mulholland, 44, after he suffered mystery wrist injuries.

The Geordie star will spend most of his time standing next to the horses rather than riding them. He will talk to them, stroke and pat them.

Gazza, who has blown a Ł14million fortune, narrowly avoided bankruptcy by paying a Ł215,000 tax bill last week.

It is believed friends are helping fund his treatment.

Source: thesun.co.uk

Flamengo Fans Plan Voodoo To Put Curse On 'Traitor' Ronaldo

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:50:00 +0000

Flamengo fans have gone berzerk at seeing Ronaldo sign for Corinthians and some have gone as far as to suggest taking up black magic in order to curse the player.

The Brazilian finally landed a club on Tuesday afternoon after signing for the Sao Paulo-based side but Flamengo, the club which helped Ronaldo get back to shape have vented their fury.

"Why? Ronaldo always said he was a fan of ours and now he signs for another club," Jose Carlos Peruano told Globoesporte.

Peruano had set up a campaign to keep the striker at Flamengo but it failed.

"We are sad because we did so much for him and he has repaid us like that," added the fan.

The move has seen Corinthians laughing as the club sold €4,500 worth of jerseys with the player's name and number and thousands more are on their way.

As much as 80 shirts went through the club's store within hours of the announcement.

Ronaldo's turbulent passage to the Todo Pederoso has seen rivalry taken to a whole new level as the Flamengo faithful are hoping to curse the player with voodoo.

"We have already contacted a voodoo witch so Ronaldo can break a leg instead of playing for Corinthians," concluded Peruano.

Photographs and various artifacts and memorabilia of the player including shirts were burned and torn to shreds.

Source: www.goal.com

Tottenham star bundled out of drunken Christmas party: Picture exclusive

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:44:00 +0000

Everyone’s allowed to let their hair down at Christmas time and enjoy the festivities with a few glasses of eggnog, but it looks like Tottenham’s players took things a step too far last night.

Pictured above is midfielder Giovani Dos Santos looking extremely worse for wear at the club’s Xmas bash.

Dos Santos, who had clearly been enjoying himself alongside team-mates at London’s upmarket Taman Gang Club, and was snapped leaving the premises in the arms of a security guard.

Jonathon Woodgate, Darren Bent, Gareth Bale, Kevin Prince-Boateng and Alan Hutton all looked on as the young Mexican fell to the floor, threw up and was then bundled into a cab.

Which, we think you'll agree, is the most impressive performance anyone has witnessed from Dos Santos so far this season.

For more festive football madness, check out our Top 10 worst football club Christmas parties

Source: www.mirror.co.uk

Is that Sarah Brandner or Bastian Schweinsteiger?

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:02:00 +0000

Bastian Schweinsteiger was quite a sight at the Bayern Christmas party - he donned a long blonde wig to disguise himself as his girlfriend, Sarah Brandner!

The Bundesliga star was joined by his teammate at the Circus Krone for a crazy party held by Bayern and BILD's 'Ein Herz fuer Kinder' children's charity.

Some 500 kids were invited to join the fun, and saw Schweini clowning around disguised as his own partner!

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann also provoked laughs when he picked up some tips from American Indian chief Jimmi Falco.

Star Italian striker Luca Toni, meanwhile, was the only man brave enough to have knives thrown at him!

“I don’t think he knew what to expect,” Bayern's general manager Uli Hoeness said.

The Bayern team also brought along their own kids to join in the fun: Lucio came with wife Dione and their three children, Miroslav Klose proudly showed off twins Luan and Noah and Franck Ribery brought small daughter Hiziya.

Hoeness added: “We wanted to do something different and it was a wonderful evening. The goal was to establish closeness with the kids, and that was definitely the case.”

No wonder - a circus is always a huge hit with kids! And football players, for that matter...

Source: bild.de

City striker Vassell robbed of designer watch and jewellery in Christmas party mugging

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:51:00 +0000

Police were today investigating the mugging of Manchester City striker Darius Vassell as he stepped out of a taxi.

Vassell was robbed of his designer watch and jewellery on his return home from the club's Christmas party.

The 28-year-old was not injured during the incident, but was threatened by the two offenders.

It is understood the attackers had not specifically targeted the former England international, but struck while the player reportedly disputed his taxi fare.

The raid took place at the junction of Palatine Road and Barlow Moor Road in Didsbury at about 5.30am on Sunday.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: 'Police were called following reports of the robbery. On arrival they found a 28-year-old man whose watch and jewellery had been stolen.

'He had not been injured during the incident but the offenders had threatened him.

'Inquiries are ongoing.'

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Thierry Henry, Leo Messi and Barack Obama caught with their pants down

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:48:00 +0000

Since the 18th century, Catalonians have celebrated Christmas by placing a ‘Caganer’ (’Shitter’) in a nativity scene, with the hope that a defecating figure will bring propserity and a good harvest. In days gone by, a small bearded man in full Catalan costume would have been hidden in the festive display, but like everything else, this tradition has been taken over by commercialism and the world of celebrity.

Last Christmas, Thierry Henry’s caganer was a hot seller in the region, but this year Leo Messi is by far the most popular sportsman to take a shit inbetween the baby Jesus and the Three Wise Men.

Due to internet orders from the USA and the Americas, however, the biggest seller of the year is a certain President-elect.

Source: www.thespoiler.co.uk

‘Bidone d'Oro’ to Quaresma

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:31:00 +0000

Ricardo Quaresma is the ‘Bidone d'Oro’ 2008. It is the 6th edition of the prize which crowns the worst player in Serie A. After the two of Adriano 2006-2007, it is the winger to carve his name on the gold "trophy" given by Catersport a program broadcast on Sunday by Rai Radio2. Nine games in the league with a swinging performance, but tending be low rather than high, were sufficient for the listeners to vote Quaresma: 3001 of 17,544, equivalent to 17.11% of the total.

Behind the Portuguese, are two ex winners of the award: in second place is Christian Vieri, ‘Bidone d'Oro’ in 2005 with 1792 votes (10.21%) and in third place the outgoing champion Adriano with 1656 votes (9.44%). Then a Rossonero trio (or almost): Ronaldo, Dida and Shevchenko, only the sixth against all predictions. In seventh place the disappointing Giallorosso defender Simone Loria, the eighth place went to Alvaro Recoba (for the part of 2008 played in Turin). In ninth another favorite: the Juventus player Tiago, while Cagliari’s Joaquin Larrivey came tenth.

Source: gazzetta.it

Boruc wants to wed.. Just don't tell the wife

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:23:00 +0000

CELTIC goalie Artur Boruc is set to pop the question to his new girl — even though he’s still married.

The Hoops keeper is ready to get ENGAGED to lover Sara Mannei according to her sister.

The Polish star ditched his wife Kasia for sexy Sara, 24.

Upset Kasia, 28, returned to Poland with their baby son Alex to file for divorce.

But Sara’s sister Nadia claims the Holy Goalie is already set to get hitched.

She said last night: �Everything will change when they get engaged and married.

Storm

�Sara is a good girl and has done nothing wrong. People should leave them alone as it is not their business.

�They are happy and let’s leave it like that.�

Boruc’s relationship caused a storm in Poland because Sara’s ex is a convicted gangster. But he moved Sara and her three-year-old tot Olivia into his luxury flat in Glasgow’s west end.

The controversial keeper was hit with death threats after he was snapped with Sara during a booze-binge in Warsaw last month.

He was drinking and smoking while he was meant to be recuperating from an injury.

Boruc has been fined by Celtic and suspended from his national team for boozy antics while he should have been alcohol free.

Singer Sara — a former contestant on Poland’s Pop Idol — previously dated jailed gangster Rafak Majewski.

A source said: �You would think Boruc would wait till his divorce has settled before getting engaged.�

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

Revealed: The real reason Robinho took the bus

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:20:00 +0000

The Premier League’s most expensive player isn’t averse to taking a helicopter to training, so we were all surprised in his decision to take a bus to a Manchester shopping centre a few weeks ago. Team mate Jo, however, has revealed that the use of public transport wasn’t an act of eco consciousness or humility, but because the Brazilian is terrified of driving on the correct side of the road:

“I’ll tell you why Robinho got the bus. It’s because he hasn’t learned how to drive on the left-hand side of the road yet. He only knows how to drive on the right.”

We’re not too sure about this excuse. Has he not learned how to hail a taxi or employ a driver on the left hand side of the road either?

Source: www.thespoiler.co.uk

Golden Ronaldo sets his sights on more Old Trafford silverware

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:14:00 +0000

Cristiano Ronaldo says he now feels "at home" at Manchester United and wants to stay at Old Trafford. Only four months after his "dream" move to Real Madrid fell over, the winger's itchy feet appear to have been soothed and all it took was being handed the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball).

Ronaldo, who was in Paris yesterday with his long-suffering manager Sir Alex Ferguson to receive the European player of the year trophy, said he was now content. "I've been playing for Manchester for five years, I feel at home," he said. "There have been prizes won by this club both collectively and individually. I'm happy at Manchester and want to stay."

Ronaldo joined United in 2003 and scored 42 goals last season to help them win Premier and Champions League titles. However, the 23-year-old said he wanted more. "I am an ambitious person. I don't want it to stop here. I think we have to keep trying to win trophies... I am on the right track. I am the Golden Ball winner today, which motivates me even more."

Ronaldo, who beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Liverpool's Fernando Torres to the prize, said he needed to maintain his high standards. "It's always special to reach this level, the important thing is to stay there. The idea is to keep progressing." He also praised his team-mates. "Without my team I couldn't have won it [the trophy] and I have to thank them also."

Ferguson was effusive about Ronaldo, saying he could match France's Michel Platini in lifting the prestigious trophy several times. "I think that when a player gets to 26 that's when they begin to mature so these next three or four years for Cristiano will prove my point. He'll win more and I hope he'll win them at Manchester United."

Ferguson, meanwhile, has called for the return of the Scotland versus England international. The teams last contested the traditional annual fixture in 1989, although they have met at Euro 96 and in Euro 2000 qualification matches since. Gordon Smith, the Scottish Football Association chief executive, is to hold further talks with his English counterparts early next year about the idea. "I'm sure it would bring the best out of the players . . . It couldn't be looked upon as a 'friendly'," Ferguson said.

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Winker dating lonely hearts beauty

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:43:00 +0000

SOCCER superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is dating a married woman, the News of the World can reveal.

Brunette Alyona Haynes is the estranged wife of wealthy businessman John Haynes and the face of dating websites which find beautiful Russian lovers for British men.

Ronaldo, 23, is believed to have met Alyona while out in Alderley Edge, Cheshire—a favourite haunt of his Manchester United team-mates.

Our exclusive photo shows him and the 25-year-old English Language graduate leaving the posh Piccolino restaurant in Bramhall, Cheshire, together only last weekend.

Witnesses said Ukrainian Alyona and the £130,000-a-week winker sat next to each other as they enjoyed dinner with another couple.

After leaving the restaurant the group piled into the footballer’s Porsche Cayenne and sped away.

Just days later Alyona joined husband John and his 11-year-old daughter Isabella at a meal to celebrate his 50th birthday—leading him to think there was a chance of them getting back together.

John said: “There is no way I could have sat down and had dinner with her if I had known she had been with Ronaldo a few nights before. Now I know our marriage is definitely over.”

John has now hired a private detective to investigate his wife and has threatened to divorce her and front up the Portuguese star.

The Scouser, who is 6ft 2in and boxes three times a week, said last night: “I’m going to confront him now. Before all this, we were together for five years and had been planning a family together.”

Alyona’s name appears on the website From Russia With Love, which promises to “bridge the gap between young, single and educated ladies of the former Soviet Union and the lonely, despondent and usually divorced men of England.”

A website for another agency called Lilialove features a photo of Alyona and the pledge to “help you meet the Russian lady of your dreams.”

John, who has made millions from a commercial cleaning business, told how he met Alyona when he was on holiday in Odessa, Ukraine, five years ago. He said their marriage had been perfect until this summer.

At the time Ronaldo had just dumped lover Nereida Gallardo by text and was being linked with Italian model Letizia Filippi.

John said he confronted Alyona, who he calls Ally, recently about Ronaldo and they had a blazing row. He said: “Before we split she was telling all her friends that she was going to have a baby with me.

“I had just bought her a very nice diamond ring for her birthday and all the rest of it. It all went down the toilet rapidly, very rapidly.” When their relationship broke down John bought Alyona a ticket back to Kiev on September 13.

ohn, who has two previous wives, even drove her the 220 miles from his £1million penthouse in upmarket Hale Village, Cheshire, to Heathrow.

But ten days later Alyona had flown back to Britain and moved in with pal Sonia Greaves, wife of former Granada TV presenter Bob Greaves. Sonia was believed to have been with Alyona on the night she met Ronaldo.

John said: “I dragged my a*se to Kiev I don’t know how many times to get her visas and married her. We had our ups and downs like any married couple but this hit me like a tornado.”

He said he was baffled that his wife would fall for someone like Ronaldo. He said: “Ally never goes for men with earrings. She doesn’t like it.”

Last night a close friend of Ronaldo said: “Alyona was separated when they first met. They are dating and this may be the beginning of something." Alyona refused to comment.

Source: www.newsoftheworld.co.uk

Ditch the WAG culture and find a good, sensible wife, Chelsea boss urges footballers

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:40:00 +0000

The manager of one of the wealthiest football clubs in the world has urged his players to ditch the WAG culture of expensive cars and designer clothes in favour of a good, sensible wife.

In a revealing interview in Sportsmail today, Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari criticises the spend, spend, spend mentality of many leading footballers.

And the devout Catholic, who has been married for 33 years to his teenage sweetheart Olga, says the right wife is crucial.

Scolari, 61, said: ‘The best thing for a player in their football life is to have a good wife. If a player has a good wife, you don’t need to worry about him.

'Today, if a player is intelligent they have money for their family for the second generation and even the fifth generation.

'But some players don’t think about this. Some players only think about today, spending money for the day, spending money on a car, nights out and on this and on that.’

His views are supported by former England manager Graham Taylor, who said:

‘People would laugh now, but when I first managed Watford, in the Seventies and Eighties, I used to encourage players I wanted to sign to bring along their wives and families. Sometimes I even negotiated with the wives.’

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Sporty Swedish teens pose for charity calender

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:55:00 +0000

A Swedish girls football club has decided to raise money by producing and selling calendars featuring girls as young as 15-years-old in “athletic poses”.

The models were chosen from among several girls from the recently merged Emtunga and Tråvad football clubs in western Sweden who volunteered to pose for the calendar.

“We thought it would be something fun and a bit feminine with sort of a ‘we can do it’ theme,” player and Tråvad club secretary Jeanette Nilsson told The Local.

The calendar’s overarching theme is athletics and features girls in a variety of sporty settings, but with a feminine twist.

One image features a young woman mountain climbing in high heels, while another shows two girls wearing dresses sparring in a boxing ring. There is also a shot of a group of girls playing golf clad in leather.

“We didn’t want some boring calendar with team pictures and images of playing fields,” said Nilsson

“We wanted to show some attitude.”

According to Nilsson, reaction to the calendar has been largely positive despite questions raised by some about the appropriateness of featuring underage girls in a wall calendar.

While she understands that some may not agree with the project, Nilsson emphasized that the 20 players who posed for the calendar all volunteered to do so and were comfortable with the project.

“We feel confident about what we’ve done. It’s our thing and we were aware of the consequences,” she said.

The calendar showcases club members ranging in age from 15- to 43-years-old and all those under the age of 18 were required to have permission from their parents.

“The players and parents were aware of everything ahead of time,” said Nilsson.

According to Nilsson, none of the pictures are overtly risqué although “some show more skin than others”.

A total of 1,000 calendars have been printed up and are being sold for 50 kronor ($6). There are also plans to auction off a number of posters based on images from the calendar.

The proceeds are primarily going to fund a team trip “somewhere fun”, said Nilsson, similar to last year’s in which nearly 40 players traveled to Barcelona.

In addition, the team is devoting 10 kronor from the sale of each calendar to the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation (Barncancerfonden).

“We really thought it was important to support them too,” said Nilsson.

If sales are any indication, the calendars are already a hit, as nearly 700 have already been sold.

“If we sell out, it’s quite possible we’ll have to print up more,” she said.

Source: www.thelocal.se

Anonymous Italian Gigolo Claims To Have Serie A Clients

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:52:00 +0000

A new scandal could rattle Italian football as an unnamed gigolo claims that he is aware of several clients who live a double life, as they come to him for his services.

This could be the start of Gigolopoli, following the Calciopoli scandal of a few years back. It apparently involves players from big clubs, and the national team, too.

Nonetheless it seems unlikely that gigolo will be able to back up his allegations with any evidence when he takes to the television screens tonight, and in any case his approach has been criticised by some as being sensationalist.

Snippets of the interview give a glimpse into the secret life of the supposed gigolo.

"It's €1,500 Euros for a few hours," revealed the footballer, who also plays professionally in Serie C.

"The players pay without any problem. I often meet them at a hotel, on Sunday evening after the game, in the only moment of tranquillity that they have.

"They ask to relax and have no problem with being kissed on their mouth. However, they are afraid, actually terrorized by the idea of being discovered.

"With one of them I met in the dark, outside Milan - I don't know who he was. The deal was that everything had to be done with the lights off."

His girlfriend does not know anything about his double life and that is why he wants to keep his identity hidden.

"I sell my performances to players from important teams," he continued. "I have around 30 footballers as clients and a dozen of them are from Serie A.

"There are some, but not many, who are part of the national team and are even married. On three occasions they asked to make love in a group with more players of the same team, but also with friends from opposing squads.

"Many of them are bisexual. In Italy, no player will admit that he's gay, at least not now. There are too many social conditions - maybe that's fair."

Quite what is fair about his taking such stories public when those allegedly involved would rather keep them private has yet to be explained, but perhaps he hopes to remove the stigma of homosexuality from football.

Source: www.goal.com

Riquelme a criminal?

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:34:00 +0000

Our tour of South American soccer madness continues this week, this time from perhaps the most famous player/club/stadium on the whole continent. Boca Juniors midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme, after scoring the winning goal against Racing Club, then called out a heckler in the stands. Apparently the result was brawl in the stands involving said fan after Riquelme called him out, and now the district attorney wants to charge the Boca player with inciting violence.

So far this story has been picked up mostly by spanish language media (see here, for example) but Hasta el Gol Siempre has a good recap in english:

After rifling in what proved to be the winning goal, Riquelme ran to the executive boxes and pointedly singled out one fan, who had earlier been insulting the playmaker for reasons best known to himself (but which, at a guess, may have something to do with his form for club and country earlier in the year). There were scuffles in the stands around the fan and Zapata wants to see Riquelme brought up for ‘inciting disorder at a sporting event’.
Riquelme had claimed after the match that the young man - who on Monday appeared on national TV giving his version of events - had been insulting the team throughout the match and looked very nervous after the player had celebrated his second goal. Quite how Riquelme heard this one supporter’s shouting above the Bombonera crowd, he didn’t explain. He did explain what he’d said, though: ‘I only pointed out to him that now, he was celebrating the goal.’
Luis Cevasco, the attorney for the barrio of La Boca, had earlier explained to news channel TN that the investigation had begun after remarks from the officials who’d had to escort the fan from the stand when other supporters expressed their displeasure at him following Riquelme’s second half goal. Riquelme could be tried over contravention of articles 99 and 101 of the Código Contravencional. The possible punishments are a AR$600 to AR$2,000 fine or 10 days’ jail time for the first, and a AR$200 to AR$1,000 fine or five days behind bars for the second

I'm not sure what the problem is here, really. Seems to me this sort of thing happens every other week with Didier Drogba, but I guess he's lucky he doesn't play in Buenos Aires. And its not like the various supporters groups in Argentina don't, you know, murder each other with regularity. Riquelme talking shit to a heckler seems pretty innocuous in comparison.

Source: unprofessionalfoul.com

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Could Triple Co-Host Euro 2016

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:23:00 +0000

At least three countries - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - are already planning a possible bid to host Euro 2016. Not as rival bids, but as triple co-hosts. Or tri-hosts, if you prefer. It’s all “tentative” right now, but it could happen.

I’ve long believed that having European Championships co-hosts is a detriment to the tournament. Mostly because out of 16 teams, two don’t have to qualify. That’s one eighth of all teams. And in some cases those teams wouldn’t necessarily have qualified - see Austria and Switzerland this past summer.

Expanding the Euros to 24 team (which is on the cards for 2016) would make co-hosting less problematic. But if we expand the number of hosts along with the number of teams, we end up back where we started, with one eighth of the teams qualifying automatically.

On one hand I’d love to see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland pulling triple co-hosting duties in 2016. The atmosphere would be incredible and there would be plenty of fantastic stadiums to choose from - Hampden Park, Ibrox Stadium, Celtic Park, Millennium Stadium (pictured). But on the other hand I get the feeling that three co-hosts is at least one too many.

Source: www.worldcupblog.org

Where's Beckham? All Blacks show Kaka their skills on trip to Milan

noreply@blogger.com (siberus) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:14:00 +0000

Not content with a clean sweep against Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England - the All Blacks have turned their attention to the AC Milan.

The likes of Richie McCaw, Ma'a NonuRodney So'oialo and Joe Rokocoko pitched up in northern Italy to trade skills with the seven-time European Cup winners.

The best player in the world met the best player in the world, with Dan Carter showing Kaka the Brazil forward how to kick a rugby ball.

And the San Siro idol soon looked as comfortable as with a normal size five football.

'It was difficult kicking the oval ball for the first time, but after a few attempts I was able to direct it where I wanted,' said Kaka.

'I only started to get interested in this sport when I arrived in Italy, because in Brazil it's a sport that is hardly followed.'

Milan were probably hoping some of the All Blacks' success would rub off on them after two straight defeats, leaving them six points off rivals Inter at the top of the league.

All Blacks centre Richard Kahui said: 'It's true that we're not used to losing. But I'm sure that as such great champions, the Milan players know what to do.'

And with David Beckham on the way for a loan spell starting in January, Kahui added: 'They'll surely improve, since it's only the season's midpoint and the Christmas vacation is near.'

The two sets of players rounded off the day with a sight-seeing tour of Milan - though it was unconfirmed whether they got up to the kind of drinking games that rugby players are famous for.

All Blacks captain McCaw said: 'To get a chance to go and mix with a team like AC Milan, some of the biggest sports stars in the world, and see what they do is something pretty exciting.'

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk