AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri is refusing to make any predictions about the Serie A title race as his side prepares to face Sampdoria.Allegri’s side are three points clear of second-placed Napoli with six games remaining this season, with city rivals Inter Milan a further two points back in third.
It has been seven years since Milan last won the Scudetto, but Allegri is not contemplating the title just yet.
“There are still six important matches to be played and when forecasts are made, it usually happens the exact opposite,” Allegri said.
“Tomorrow we will be facing Sampdoria and it will be important to gain three points. As soon as we have gained these three points, then we can see what the other teams do.”
Milan will be without star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic afterthe temperamental Swede was sent off in last week’s 2-1 win over Fiorentina.
Ibrahimovic copped a three match ban for the red card, and Allegri admitted the 29-year-old was disappointed to be sidelined at such a crucial point of the season.
“Ibrahimovic swore at the referee’s assistant and he has been punished,” Allegri said.
“Of course he is angry, since in this particular moment any AC Milan player would want to be available to support the team to achieve its main objective, which is to win the championship and also the Italian Cup.”
Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre is adamant the club has a bright financial future despite posting a 20m pound loss last year.The club’s published accounts for July 2009 to June were the makings of previous owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, widely despised by the Anfield faithful.
The report showed that rising revenues were undermined by an increase in debt, but Fenway Sports Group, who took over the club for 300m pounds in October, have injected 200m pounds of debt repayments into the club so far.
And Ayres is confident the club is now in good hands.
“As much as we are all aware of the difficult circumstances surrounding these accounts and that period in the Club’s history, everyone in the world can now see just how much has since been achieved,” Ayre told the club’s official website.
“They are accounts for last season and obviously at that time it was a very different period and a different situation for Liverpool Football Club.”
“I think we have all moved on since then. They very much represent a footnote in that era of the Club’s history.”
“It’s an era that was very well documented and published for all sorts of reasons. But we remain very optimistic.”
“Nobody, whether you’re the Managing Director or anybody else connected with the club, wants to see any report ever that talks about the sort of losses that report talks about, but I think we take comfort and optimism in the direction we’ve headed in since that period.”
Ayres said the club had made significant inroads into reducing its 17-million-pound-per-year interest payments, and could afford to reinvest in the squad to aid next season’s title assault.
“We’ve paid down a significant amount of what was acquisition debt from the previous owners and the club finds itself in a much better position as a result of that.”
“The club is now in an excellent position to move forward and all of us can approach the future with optimism.”
It could well prove the title decider at Old Trafford this afternoon as Manchester United host Chelsea in today’s Super Sunday. Defeat for Carlo Ancelotti’s men will all but kill off their title challenge and subsequently hand the Red Devils a record 19th title.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Wenger defends Laurent Blanc over racism scandal; Keegan accuses of Adam of taking out Bale, while Kenny Dalglish doesn’t see the logic of Carroll call up.
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Ferguson insists Chelsea would be wrong to sack Ancelotti – Guardian
FA Cup final is my reward, insists Stoke chairman Coates after £50m gamble – Daily Mail
Keegan accuses Adam of taking out Bale – Mirror
Nani adds steel to the silk – Daily Telegraph
Dalglish: No need for Carroll at U-21 Championship – Guardian
Wenger defends Blanc over racism scandal – Daily Telegraph
Ancelotti salutes John Terry as Chelsea player of the year – People
Balotelli: I’m not a bad guy, I’m just shy – Guardian
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Arsenal eye German wonderkid as replacement – Mirror
Palacios ‘offered to Newcastle’ as part of Spurs’ Tiote bid – Metro
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Serie A giants Juventus have completed the signing of Andrea Pirlo from newly crowned Serie A champions Milan.The veteran midfielder joins on a free transfer and signs a three-year deal, ending his decade-long stay at the San Siro.
Juventus are looking to strengthen after a disappointing campaign, which has already claimed the job of manager Luigi Delneri after he failed to qualify the side for Europe.
The club now hope that Pirlo’s arrival will inspire them to better things next season.
“This is our new player, an unrestricted free agent: Andrea Pirlo,” Juventus sporting director Beppe Marotta said at a press conference unveiling the new signing on Wednesday.
“I don’t want to spend too many words describing his footballing and personal skills since he has written many important pages in the recent history of Italian football. His accomplishments talk for themselves. I’m just taking this occasion to welcome him and wish him all the best for this new adventure.”
Pirlo played for Brescia and Inter before joining Milan in 2001, where he made over 400 appearances.
The 32-year-old won two Scudettos and a Champions League title with Milan, and his 72-cap Italy career features a part in the 2006 World Cup triumph.
“I’ve chosen Juventus because it is one of the most important teams in Italy, in Europe and in the world along with Inter and Milan,” Pirlo said.
“This team wants to win again. They haven’t won for many years and I’ve chosen to join this team for this reason. I want to win and I believe this is the team which has more commitment and motivation to win and get back to the previous years’ performances, which saw them win both in Italy and Europe. This is the reason why I’ve chosen Juventus. “
Juve look likely to spend the European summer rebuilding following the departure of Delneri.
Former Siena boss Antonio Conte is tipped to be announced as his replacement within a week.
At FootballFanCast.com this week we are looking at legends of the game. One thing that springs to mind when I think of legends in football is celebrations. Celebrations might be becoming ridiculous with choreographed moves, somersaults and props. But there are still some iconic celebrations over the years that stick in my memory.
I don’t think the Adebayor or Neville ‘rub it in your face’ celebrations are iconic, they were just controversial. And moments like when Gascoigne had water squirted in his face or when Robbie Fowler sniffed the line were funny but not iconic. I’m not thinking of the pointless ‘baby dummy’ of Tevez ot the Zoro mask of Fulham’s Sava are iconic either.
For me, iconic does not mean funny or controversial. No, instead, an iconic celebration can be created through longevity, or through significance. They might not always be controversial but they are memorable, and more often than not, away fans love to hate them.
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Click on Lee Sharpe below to see the Top TEN iconic celebrations
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Edwin van der Sar has backed new Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea to be a success at Old Trafford, and feels the 20-year-old can handle the pressure of becoming the Premier League champions’ number one.
The former Holland international retired at the end of the 2010/11 season, and his Spanish successor faces a battle to win over Reds fans.
“They (United) scouted all over Europe and found a couple of targets and they chose de Gea, Hopefully he’s going to have a great career at Manchester United,” the former Fulham goalkeeper told ESPN Star.
The 40-year-old also revealed that he was impressed with the new man’s career to date and that they had spoken.
“He’s very talented. He’s already won a trophy with Atletico Madrid and the Spain Under 21 team so the prospect of him doing well is there. Everybody has to be his own person but I’ve met him. I’ve spoken to him and it looks to me as though he can handle it,” Van der Sar concluded.
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De Gea will most likely make his United debut in the Premier League opener against West Brom at the Hawthorns on August 13.
The Mirror are reporting that Stoke City are on the verge of bringing Juventus midfielder Momo Sissoko back to the Premier League.
Tony Pulis has identified the former Liverpool enforcer as the man who can add an extra bite to his midfield as prepares to lead the Potters into Europe.
Stoke qualified for the Europa League after reaching the FA Cup final last season and Pulis has set about assembling a squad capable of holding it’s own in the competition.
The Mali international would bring bags of European experience and a tenacious style of play well fitted to the Potters system.
He signed for Juventus for £8 million in 2008 but they are prepared to sell him after he dropped down the pecking order in Turin.
Manager Antonio Conte keen to offload the 26-year-old meaning Stoke could wrap up a deal before the end of the month.
The Potters do have concerns over the player’s physical state after a knee injury in February ruled him out for the rest of the season.
A thorough medical examination would be required to rule out any underlying problems.
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There is still interest in the player from around Europe with Hamburg, Paris Saint Germain, Villarreal and Real Sociedad all chasing his signature.
Stoke will have to move quickly if they want to bring the player to the Britannia Stadium although it seems a move back to England is Sissoko’s preferred choice.
Arsenal have given Barcelona 10 days to sign captain Cesc Fabregas and end one of the longest running transfer sagas in history or risk missing out on the midfielder, reports The Guardian.
It seems that Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has grown tired and wants the deal done quickly so he has time to replace his midfield lynchpin before the transfer window slams shut on 31st August.
The Frenchman is hopeful he can hang onto Fabregas for at least one more season and insists he’ll be staying at the Emirates if the Spanish giants can’t conclude a deal soon.
He told the Guardian “We know that this story for Barcelona goes on for years now and we have to close that and for ourselves to focus on the season, hopefully with Cesc Fábregas.”
Barcelona head coach Pep Guardiola stated the club will ‘fight to the end’ to bring their former player home although admitted that signing Fabregas wasn’t his number one priority.
A move for Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez is the Spaniards current focus and a move for Fabregas will have to wait until the that deal is tied up.
Guardiola said: “This year Arsenal has agreed to negotiate and we are working on [it]. Barcelona has made an offer [of £26m], Arsenal another [between £35-40m], and we have time until 31 August and we’ll try to reach an agreement.
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“There is a sum of money in the strong box set aside for this signing but if it doesn’t work out it will be kept in the box for something else. We will fight to the end to try to get Cesc because we believe he will improve the team and the squad.”
Fabio Capello has ruled out any possibility of Joey Barton becoming part of the England squad that will play Holland in a friendly on Wednesday evening. While Capello insisted that the midfielder was a “good player” his concern seemed to be with the “dangerous” side to Barton’s game, and the Italian suggested he would not be able to trust the 28-year-old to keep his cool and was therefore unwilling to risk his inclusion anytime soon.
Barton was released by Newcastle United last week after his Twitter rant against the clubs transfer policy, and a reported dressing room confrontation with manager Alan Pardew after defeat at Leeds United. Despite his “dangerous” reputation, Barton has shown that he has the ability to play at the top level and was instrumental in Newcastle’s achievements last season. Barton’s placement on Newcastle’s transfer list is reported to have attracted a number of Premier League clubs, with his agent insisting there will be no problems in finding the midfielder a new side.
The retirement of Paul Scholes has left a void in the Manchester United midfield that will be difficult to fill. Despite reports that United are keen to sign Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan, Barton’s availability is believed to have triggered an interest from the United hierarchy. Though Barton may not have the same kind of ability as the Dutchman, he would be at least £30m cheaper. One thing Barton is not particularly renowned for is his goal scoring, and with the likes of Carrick and Anderson already occupying a defensive role, Ferguson is unlikely to be keen on bringing the Scouser to Old Trafford.
Despite already bringing in three midfielders this summer, Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish was reported to be keen on bringing in Barton as well. With Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, and Adam already competing for a place in the centre of midfield, Barton would be an unlikely starter at Liverpool and is believed to be keen on first team football more than anything. Ultimately, Barton would be surplus to requirements at Anfield and would be better off playing regular football for a club that would benefit from his services.
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Tottenham are another club believed to be interested in signing Barton, after an initial interest in acquiring Scott Parker is believed to have withered away. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has insisted that additions will be made to his side before the transfer window closes on August 31st, but has claimed that whilst funds are available to make signings themselves, the club is struggling to meet the demands of player salaries. Barton is reported to be earning around £55,000 a week, and while his free transfer would save Spurs money, this kind of salary is believed to above what Redknapp is willing to offer the midfielder.
Finally, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is reportedly keen on bringing the former England international to the Emirates. Having been relatively quiet so far in the transfer window, Wenger is believed to have been eager to address the defensive frailties that have been evident in recent years at Arsenal and Barton would, at least in part, help to do this. Though Arsenal’s defence itself needs to be strengthened, Barton would protect the back four similarly to, if not better than, Alex Song does at the moment. Arsenal can offer Barton the kind of salary he is after, and regular football would not necessarily be out of the question.
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Though some fans of the clubs mentioned here are bound to be opposed to the idea of Barton joining their side, this seems somewhat rather unfair. Despite the “dangerous” reputation he has made for himself, Barton has proven to be one of the top midfielders in the league, and was arguably Newcastle’s best player last season. Whilst a call up to the England squad might be out of the question any time soon, Barton would have the opportunity of European football at Arsenal, and could even be the kind of addition to the squad that Wenger has been missing in recent years.
Although we see our fair share of horror tackles and ‘committed’ challenges in the Premier League these days, you really have to go back a few years to see some of the maestros in action.
Here is my list of the five dirtiest players to ever play in the Premier League, and when you consider the likes of Dennis Wise, Paul Ince, Alan Smith and Duncan Ferguson didn’t even make the shortlist, you really don’t want to be on the same pitch as these guys!
Robbie Savage
Never afraid of speaking his mind, Robbie Savage represented Leicester City, Birmingham City, and Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League. It was with these three clubs that Savage earned the unfortunate title of the most yellow cards ever in Premier League history, collecting 89 in all, before Lee Bowyer overtook him seasons later.
Despite only collecting two red cards in his career, Savage undoubtedly goes down as on of the dirtiest players in Premier League history, and had he spent more time in the Premier League, he could have finished much higher up the table!
Lee Bowyer
Pipping Savage to fourth place is the man that overtook him in yellow cards, Lee Bowyer. Having spent more time in the Premier League is the only real dividing factor between Bowyer and Savage, with the former having more time to display his hard tackling and aggressive style. On the 5th March 2011, Bowyer picked up his 99th yellow card in the Premier League, firmly establishing himself at the very top of the rankings.
Vinnie Jones
Coming in at number three is the original hardman of the Premier League. Vinnie Jones epitomised the now archetypal hard tackling defensive midfielder. Heading up the ‘Crazy Gang’ at Wimbledon, Jones spent just six years in the Premier League, but still managed to go down as one of the dirtiest players in it’s history.
Not only did he collect seven red cards in this short time, but also earned the quickest booking in Premier League history, earning a yellow after just 3 seconds for his foul on Dane Whitehouse.
Roy Keane
Following on from Jones, both on the pitch and in this list, is Manchester United hardman Roy Keane. Keane was a no-nonsense, hard tackling, and influential captain.
He picked up an impressive seven red cards and 69 yellow cards on his way to becoming the most feared holding midfielder in his time. He spent 12 seasons in the Premier League for United, and he terrorised opposition strikers and midfielders for the entire time.
Patrick Vieira
At the top of the pile comes the Frenchman who was Keane’s biggest rival, Patrick Vieira. The duo battled it out through the late 90’s and early 2000’s much in the same way that their clubs battled for supremacy in the league.
In terms of indiscipline, Vieira definitely took home the trophy, collecting 82 yellow cards and eight red cards during his time with Arsenal and Manchester City. If Vieira had started his career in England, or not made his brief sojourn into Italian football, then the mind boggles at just how much worse his record could have become!
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