Cole tackle shocks Ferguson Sir Alex Ferguson accused Ashley Cole of a reckless tackle on Javier Hernandez during Manchester United's 3-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Cole: Tackles Hernandez

Hernandez was forced off due to injury in the second half of United's fifth straight win of the season after being on the wrong end of what Ferguson felt was a "shocking tackle" from the England full-back.
It is not known how long the Mexican will be sidelined for.
However, Hernandez was in obvious pain as he hobbled down the tunnel and Ferguson was not impressed.
"It was a shocking tackle," he told MUTV after Sunday's Premier League clash.
"The referee booked him, so I don't understand why he hasn't given a penalty.
"Ashley Cole is very reckless at times. He is committed of course but being committed you can sometimes go over the edge a bit.
"That was an example of that."
Even Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas admitted it was not the greatest tackle. However, Villas-Boas felt the incident might not have happened if the officials had got two earlier offside decisions correct, which would have wiped out goals for Chris Smalling and man-of-the-match Nani.
"Maybe he wouldn't get sent off if the linesman does his work," said Villas-Boas. "He [Cole] would have been less emotionally drained.
"I work the other way round. You are trying to say the referee did something wrong. I cannot forget the previous two.
"If it was 0-0, maybe Ashley is a little bit more mentally in control of the situation and doesn't do the red card foul that you mention."
Phil Dowd's decision to book Cole means that the matter is now dealt with, although television replays indicated the Chelsea man had been lucky to escape with only that sanction.
However, Fernando Torres will not be wanting to watch the game again after he followed up his second goal for the Blues with an embarrassing miss after rounding David de Gea but firing wide of an empty net nine minutes from the end.
Ferguson diplomatically labelled it "a bad miss". Villas-Boas was even more sympathetic.
"You have to be fair," he said.
"Today two of the best strikers in the world missed crazy chances.
"It happened to Fernando and Rooney. It is nothing dramatic. Sometimes the ball goes in. It didn't fall our side.
"Normally it is 3-2. At that point it might have given us a mental edge for the last 10 minutes.
"We would have been completely exposed at the back but we would have taken the risk to try and get a draw. It didn't happen."
Villas-Boas was referring to Rooney's 'Moscow moment' when, in an incident just like the one John Terry suffered to cost his side victory in the 2008 Champions League final, the United striker slipped as he went to take a second-half penalty.
In addition, Ramires and Dimitar Berbatov when it seemed like it was easier to score, although in both instances, Ferguson felt the players had been let down by the passes.
"Both passes were terrible; Torres to Ramires and Wayne's to Berbatov," said Ferguson.
"It was very difficult to get proper connection on them because the ball's going all over the place."
Chelsea had 24 shots, a staggering number at Old Trafford.
However, they were out of the game by the interval as Rooney's ninth of the season followed earlier efforts from Smalling, who later suffered a groin injury, and Nani, when Chelsea's defences looked alarmingly weak.
It completed United's best start to the season since 1985 and equalled a club record 18-match winning sequence at home.
"There were so many mistakes in the match from both teams," said Ferguson.
"We have won a game where we were so careless. We could have thrown it away."
It was Villas-Boas' first defeat as Chelsea boss, which leaves his side five points adrift of the hosts, who are now two points clear following Manchester City's failure to hold onto a two-goal lead at Fulham.
"As I said before, nothing that happened here would mean anything in the Premier League table," said Villas-Boas.
"It is an [unpredictable] league.
"Manchester City have the most amazing squad as well, but they didn't win. Arsenal and Liverpool lost.
"All of the five contenders are there. Anything can happen.
"The most regular is United at the moment but we showed we are up to the level of the champions.
"This game didn't go our way. But we will be up there competing for the title, I am glad Sir Alex corroborates."

"the incident might not have happened if the officials had got two earlier offside decisions correct." "If it was 0-0, maybe Ashley is a little bit more mentally in control of the situation and doesn't do the red card foul that you mention." "Maybe he wouldn't get sent off if the linesman does his work," said Villas-Boas. "He [Cole] would have been less emotionally drained." What kind of pathetic excuse is this for a nasty, deliberate, studs up tackle designed to hurt. It has nothing to do with previous decisions by officials,he is a professional footballer and should expect to last 90 minutes with any kind of refereeing decisions without being emotionally drained. What it boils down to is that, like a lot of his teamates, he is a bad loser and when losing he very quickly becomes vindictive. At least Villa Boas admits that he it was a red card foul and should have been sent off. This is nothing to do with previous refereeing and linesmans decisions.

FIFA open proceedings

FIFA have announced 16 officials from Caribbean associations have been charged with breaching rules on ethics in the wake of the bribery scandal that saw Mohamed Bin Hammam banned for life.
FIFA's Ethics Committee opened proceedings against the officials following investigations into a special meeting in Trinidad on May 10 and 11 where cash gifts of USD 40,000 were offered or given to associations belonging to the Caribbean Football Union.
FIFA said in a statement: "The FIFA Ethics Committee has opened ethics proceedings against 16 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials in regard to apparent violations of the Code of Ethics connected to the investigation of the cases related to the special meeting of the CFU held in Trinidad & Tobago on May 10 and 11, 2011."
One of the officials, Colin Klass from Guyana, a member of the CFU executive committee, has been provisionally suspended from all football activity.
The 16 officials will face further investigations carried out by the company owned by former FBI chief Louis Freeh.
The statement continued: "One of the officials, Colin Klass (Guyana), has been provisionally suspended from taking part in any football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) by the chairman of the Ethics Committee, Claudio Sulser (Switzerland), after consideration of the specific information received on this matter.
"Judge Robert T Torres, a member of the Ethics Committee, has been entrusted by the committee with supervising and directing the investigation.
"With the approval of the committee, he has engaged Freeh Group International Europe (FGI Europe) and the secretariat of the Ethics Committee to assist the committee with this task. The Ethics Committee will contact the 16 officials to arrange further interviews in connection with these proceedings.
"It is important to note that the investigations are still ongoing, and that it is therefore possible that further proceedings could be opened in the future."
The 16 officials are as follows: David Hinds, Mark Bob Forde (Barbados), Franka Pickering, Aubrey Liburd (British Virgin Islands), David Frederick (Cayman Islands), Osiris Guzman, Felix Ledesma (Dominican Republic), Colin Klass, Noel Adonis (Guyana), Yves Jean-Bart (Haiti), Anthony Johnson (St Kitts and Nevis), Patrick Mathurin (St Lucia), Joseph Delves, Ian Hypolite (St Vincent and the Grenadines), Richard Groden (Trinidad and Tobago) and Hillaren Frederick (US Virgin Islands).

Fashionista

David Beckham’s grand tour of the fashion capitals of the world could soon see him arrive in Paris.
Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has revealed he would like to bring Beckham to the club.
Leonardo told BBC Sport: “I coached him at AC Milan [where Beckham, 36, was loaned from MLS side LA Galaxy] and we created a good relationship.
When asked whether the Qatari-owned club would consider signing the former England captain, Leonardo said: “The door is open. He is more than a football player – he’s a brand, a pop star. I would always consider him.
“He respects the rules, listens to you and wants the best for the team. That’s why for me he is a big example. I worked with him and that’s why I talk about his name.”
At least his wife will be pleased.

Takeover

Just as Manchester United have been cleared to launch a floatation on the Singapore Stock Market, news emerges of a possible takeover for the club.
The Daily Mirror cites top ‘Middle Eastern sources’, claiming an official approach is being made and a deal could be struck as early as next week.
United’s owners, the Glazer family, have consistently stated they are not interested in selling the club, and given that its profits provide them with the money to pay off the loans they took out to buy the club in the first place, then one can see why they would be reluctant sellers.
However, even the Glazers must recognise a gift horse when they see one and with the Qataris reportedly prepared to pay £1.6 billion, the desire to cash in now must be extremely  tempting.

Fact or fiction?

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has denied quotes attributed to him in Sport magazine claiming that he didn’t believe Arsenal would win a trophy in the near future. In a story reminiscent of the Johann Hari scandal, Fabregas claims the quotes are fabricated.
Fabregas reportedly told Sport that he left Arsenal because they were not challenging for honours.
“I needed a change in my life, that’s the truth,” he said. “We weren’t winning any titles and it was very frustrating for me. I didn’t feel like I was developing any more as I should do. I want to be in a club that is able to win the big titles year after year, and I don’t see that kind of future for Arsenal.
“I still have many feelings for Arsenal, but I fear that they won’t be able to push the other big clubs in England away. If you look at the team this season, I can’t see them finishing in front of teams like Manchester United or City. Or Chelsea. There’s just too big a difference between the squads.”
Fabregas then issued an angry response via his Twitter account, claiming he had not even given an interview.
“Id never speak 1 bad work abt AFC, here there’s once more prove that so many people put in newspaper wtv they want and its not professional.
“I want Arsenal to be succesfull as much as every single fan. Thats not why i left, it was never in my mind. AFC made me who i am today.
“And nobody will ever change that. I never gave any interview away since my press conference at my presentation and there i just said…
“…The truth and what came out of my heart. Great words abt this great football club cause that just what they deserve: succes and trophies.
“People can h8 me 4 leaving or remember that i gave my all for the club. But me talking 1 bad word or saying smthng against AFC will not seen.”
Sport magazine have yet to respond to Fabregas’ denial, but surely if the original quotes were genuine it wouldn’t be too difficult proving their veracity. I mean, they wouldn’t just print such incendiary remarks without first checking their authenticity, would they?

Presidential ambitions

When he retires from professional football, Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is determined not to be known simply as that bloke who used to go out with Shakira.
No, the ambitious Pique would one day like to become president of the Catalan club.
“If I hadn’t become a footballer, I definitely would have ended up in the footballing world in some other position,” Pique was quoted as saying by El Mundo Deportivo.
“When football’s your passion, you always want to be active in this world. I will not leave the footballing world when I retire. I’ve once said that I want to become Barcelona president and that’s still my ambition.”
Makes a change from running a pub, I suppose.

A bumpy ride

Enjoy it while it lasts, because Diego Maradona’s stint in charge of UAE club Al Wasl could be a short-lived but eventful tenure.
Maradona’s first match in charge ended with a 4-3 loss to league champions Al Jazira on Thursday with his team gave up the deciding goal in stoppage time.
Here he is prowling the touchline, living every kick, enduring every misfortune, berating every official. He remains a captivating, passionate presence, but not necessarily one you’d entrust with managing a football team. The players seem to like him though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr26val2n10&feature=player_embedded#!

The blame game

Jose Mourinho has never knowingly taken responsibility for any misfortune that befalls his teams, so no surprise to hear him blaming Real Madrid’s shock 1-0 defeat to Levante on the stupidity of one of his own players and the poor sportsmanship of the opposing players.
As half-time approached Madrid were drawing 0-0 when Sami Khedira, already on a yellow card, pushed the Levante captain Sergio Ballesteros and was ordered off. That moment, argues Mourinho, was pivotal.
“The blame in my opinion lies with one of my players who was lured into a trap,” Mourinho said after the game.
“They have to have enough intelligence to avoid situations like that and have a sense of whether the referee will allow it or not.
“That’s why I have to congratulate Levante for being clever, because they know how to provoke, simulate, not give back the ball, waste time, and that is also part of football.”
“I don’t want to use the word, I am not sure if the word is rude, if it is it’s not my intention but I can’t find another – the dirty side of football, you know: the faking, the provocation, gaining time, not giving the ball.”
So, there you have it: Jose Mourinho complains about the underhand tactics of another team. Satire is officially dead!

Spreading the love

Coming so soon after Barcelona’s 8-0 thrashing of Osasuna, Levante’s defeat of Madrid was a godsend to those who oppose a fairer distribution of television revenue in Spain.
An attempt by Sevilla president, Jose Maria del Nido, to mobilise clubs campaign against the current arrangement which favours the big two, fell on deaf ears.
He had hoped a meeting on Thursday at the LFP’s headquarters in Madrid, attended by officials from Real and Barca, would give fresh impetus to his campaign.
However, Sevilla director general Jose Maria Cruz said the meeting had been “An afternoon tea of pessimists and good for nothings. We only had a praiseworthy defence from Espanyol and (Real) Betis. The rest of those that attended have remained silent as if it wasn’t an issue for them.”
Del Nido told a meeting of one of Sevilla’s supporters’ groups: “It was a day of disillusion, more for the silence than for what was heard.”
Nonetheless, he remains one of life’s optimists and it didn’t take him long to reaffirm his commitment to fairer distribution.
He said: “But the next morning the hope returned and I can say that Real Madrid and Barcelona have zero chance of winning this battle.”

Goal of the day

Luka Modric showed why Chelsea were so keen to sign him with this stunning effort in Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Liverpool.

Images of the week

 

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Fernando Torres needs to regain his “hunger and anger” if he wants justify both his reputation and the club record £50m fee which Chelsea paid Liverpool for him last January.
That is the verdict of old Chelsea favourite Frank Leboeuf, now building a new career for himself as television football pundit with ESPN at the heart the channel’s Premier League coverage.
Leboeuf was speaking in the wake of the row over Torres’s critical website comments about his “slow” team-mates and his inability to regain his scoring touch at a critical time with Chelsea challenging to keep the two Manchester clubs within sight at the top of the table.
Analysing the test for Torres, Leboeuf said: “He is struggling to establish himself at Chelsea for a variety of reason. For example, it’s the first time he’s found a club where he is not the main player. At Liverpool the others were all playing for him, with Atletico de Maderid as well. But the other Chelsea players don’t play for him.
“He has to find his own room and space where he can be served the ball where it suits him. When I played for France with Zinedine Zidane we always wanted to find him with the ball because we knew he could always create something. That’s what Torres has to show he can do at Chelsea.”
Leboeuf also thinks Torres has suffered to regain his old intensity because of his struggle with injury and the expectation from first Liverpool then Spain – ahead of the 2010 World Cup – for him to postpone surgery and keep playing.
“The board, the coaches and the fans all want you back playing,” said Leboeuf. “You even feel in a race against time with yourself and often, even when you know you are not ready, to give it a go even though you know you may get hammered.
“I know. It happened to me under the fantastic M. Bernard Tapie at Marseille. I damaged my quad and I came back too soon. Then, in a game against Lyon, we were losing and I tried something and it went again. I never recovered. Sometimes even now if I’m playing football with friends I’ll be flat out with it after just five minutes.”
The problem is not, according to Leboeuf, a question of whether Torres and Didier Drogba can play together.
Leboeuf said: “I think Torres can play with Drogba. It’s just a matter of everything coming together. Remember we said once that Drogba could not play alongside Nicolas Anelka and then they had that fantastic season. I think Torres and Drogba can play together. They’re smart people . . . but Torres needs to score for three or four games in a row before people can start believing that something has changed.
“I think Torres is a nice guy. He showed so many good things with Atletico and in the beginning with Liverpool so he is able to do that – but it’s all in his mind. That’s the difference between a big player and an average player.
“If you’re not hungry and angry then it’s all over. He had that hunger and anger once because you don’t reach the level he has done without it. But he has to find it all over again.”

Talent scout: Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka (right) tussles for the ball

Fact File
Country: Switzerland
Club: Basle
Position: Midfielder
Age: 18 (27.09.92)
International debut: June 2011, v England
Caps:1 (0 goals)
Honours: 2011 Swiss league, 2009 Under-17 World Cup


Switzerland internationals with Kosovan roots are all the rage at the moment, with no less than five of the Nati that faced England in June’s Euro 2012 qualifier hailing from the former Serbian province. And while Basle’s Xherdan Shaqiri maybe the current pick of this ethnic Albanian crop, team-mate and fellow midfield creator Xhaka is an equally exciting prospect.
At his most comfortable in a central playmaking role, Granit Xhaka made his international debut in that 2-2 draw at Wembley, and with his cultured left foot, athleticism and energy he looks set for a golden future in the game – one far removed from his early career as an office assistant.
With Basle player since the age of 10, he was an influential member of the Switzerland side that won the world Under-17 crown in Nigeria and has been on a roll ever since, scoring on his club debut in a Champions League tie at Debrecen last year. Since then he has made an eye-catching contribution to his club’s domestic league title last term and forced his way into the plans of national coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
However, despite the teenager’s talents, Basle coach Thorsten Fink knows he must handle his protege with care.
The risk of premature burnout is a constant cloud hanging over the latest young prospect and Xhaka’s injury record so far is not unblemished. He spent six months out with damaged cruciate ligaments as a junior, and then sat out the opening month of this season following more knee trouble during the summer. After covering so much ground in the last couple of years, the occasional pause may actually be helpful.
One pitfall he is unlikely to fall victim to, though, is conceit. Level-headed to a fault, he dismisses talk about a move abroad – “I don’t see the point in going overseas to sit on the bench” – and receives plenty of support from elder brother Taulant, the Basle central defender who he describes as “my role model”.
And his sibling is not the only team-mate offering him advice.
“Granit has done very well with us,” says Basle’s international midfielder Benjamin Huggel.
“But the problem we have here in Switzerland is that if someone juggles the ball three times he’s immediately called the ‘new Maradona’. To become a real star, you have to maintain high standards over three seasons at least. That said, I fully expect him to go on and make it big.”

Talent scout: Julian Draxler

Fact File
Country: Germany
Club: Schalke
Position: Midfielder
Age: 17 (20.09.93)
Honours: 2011 German Cup
Felix Magath is not normally one to shower praise on his players.
So when, last season, the then Schalke coach was heard waxing lyrical about the teenage attacking midfielder he had just incorporated into his club’s first team – “his ball control is exemplary, he’s the future of this club” – it carried considerably more weight than any of the usual dry punditry.
However, within two months, Magath was gone, undermined by poor results and a large gang of mutineers in the dressing room. Yet one thing he did achieve during his time in Gelsenkirchen was to give youth its head and a prime example is Julian Draxler, the home-grown prodigy who in January became the fourth-youngest Bundesliga debutant of all-time at 17 years and 117 days.
It made not the slightest difference to Magath that the youngster in question spent a large part of his day in a classroom. Or that he had the look of a choirboy. Much more important to the then Schalke boss was the kid’s sober attitude and ability to surge into goalscoring positions. After running the rule over Draxler during a mid-term training camp in Turkey, Magath had no hesitation in elevating the midfield prodigy to first-team duties.
Good on the left side, even better stationed centrally, the youngster swiftly made his mark
in the elite ranks, earning himself rave reviews after appearing from the bench to score a superb extra-time winner in a German Cup tie against Hanover.
What an entrance. And to think that his shot from distance had been struck with his weaker left foot. “I acted instinctively,” smiled Draxler, whose father Hans-Jurgen used to feature for the Schalke juniors in the late 1970s. “Just as if I was playing in the youth team.”
In the second half of the season, Schalke mainly used Draxler in short bursts – 12 of his 15 Bundesliga appearances in 2010-11 were as a substitute – but for the domestic Cup Final against Duisburg, he would be a primed and ready starter. He further enhanced his reputation with the opening goal in his team’s 5-0 triumph. Another game, another slice of history: nobody younger has ever scored in a German Cup final.
Twenty-seven years ago, in 1984, a fledgling Schalke midfielder by the name of Olaf Thon launched an exceptional career with two goals in an unforgettable 6-6 draw in the first leg of the German Cup semi-final against Bayern Munich. Similar heroics could work the same way for Draxler.

Man City 1 - 1 Napoli

Manchester City were held by Napoli on their Champions League debut

Manchester City needed Aleksandar Kolarov's free-kick to rescue a point against Napoli as they suffered a frustrating night on their Champions League debut.

Roberto Mancini's men might have swept all before them in the Premier League this season but they found things a lot harder against the Italian side on their return to elite European football after a 43-year absence.
And it could have ended up being a memorable evening for City for the wrong reasons when Edinson Cavani finished off a swift counter-attack to give Napoli the lead after 69 minutes.
Kolarov spared his side's blushes with a wicked, curling strike into the corner of the net six minutes later but, with Bayern Munich and Villarreal to come, Group A is not going to get any easier.
With Mancini demanding a "fast start" from his men in his programme notes, expectations had been high before kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, bedecked in Champions League branding for the first time, .
He almost got it when Samir Nasri fired a yard wide with a snapshot from the edge of the area while Edin Dzeko went closer still with an angled drive that beat Morgan De Sanctis but zipped past the post.
Napoli seemed happy to defend deep and looked to attack on the break and that tactic almost saw them break the deadlock after 18 minutes.

Did you know?

Continue reading the main story Aleksandar Kolarov's free-kick was the first Manchester City goal in the European Cup since Tony Coleman netted the opening goal in a 2-1 defeat at Fenerbahçe in the first round of the 1968/1969 competition

Vincent Kompany's mis-timed lunge left striker Ezequiel Lavezzi free to run into the area and curl a delicious shot against the bar with City keeper Joe Hart beaten.
City's best effort of the first half also came on the counter-attack, with Yaya Toure starting, and almost finishing a breathtaking move.
Toure intercepted on the edge of his own box and sprinted up field, feeding Sergio Aguero before meeting his return pass with a thumping shot against the bar.
Despite being on the wrong end of a couple of crunching tackles, Aguero continued to look lively but Napoli's back-line held firm and De Sanctis did well to push away a bouncing Kolarov free-kick when he was called into action.
Things continued in the same pattern after the interval, with City seeing more of the possession but Napoli threatening thanks to some intelligent counter attacking.
The Italian side went close again when Marek Hamsik arrived from midfield to meet a left-wing cross with a precise volley, but Kompany was on hand to hack off the line.
That was City's second warning and they would quickly face a third when Pablo Zabaleta had to deflect a goal bound Hamsik shot over the bar.
By now, Napoli were in the ascendancy and got their reward when they took the lead with a superb breakaway goal
When Nasri gave the ball away cheaply, defender Christian Maggio surged forward and slipped Cavani clear to slot the ball under Hart.
Going behind brought more urgency to City's attacking play but initially they remained out of luck inside the area, with Aguero flicking Nasri's cross on to the bar.
That quickly changed, however, when Kolarov curled a precise free-kick over the wall and into the corner of the net.
There was still time for one final scare when Kompany's short backpass almost let Goran Pandev in, but Hart was off his line quickly to avert the danger and ensure City's bid to become the first side to win the Champions League on their debut did not begin with a damaging defeat.

A brief history of Park Chu-Young

Park’s parents never wanted him to become a footballer, with an IQ of 150 his academic capabilities seemed to be pushing him away from a sporting career.
His footballing talents were as obvious as his intelligence as in the country’s high school football championship, he scored a phenomenal 47 goals in 33 games for Chunggu High School.
During this time he also took a year off in 2002 to pack his suitcases and improve his game at the Zico Football Centre in Brazil – all funded by K-League club Pohang Steelers. After winning 4 top scorer’s awards in 4 different competitions at high school level, Park advanced to Korea University which, along with Yonsei University, has produced some of the best players in the country.
He was then called up to represent his nation at the U-19 AFC Youth Championship in 2004 which South Korea won for the eleventh time. Park became the tournament’s top scorer with 6 goals as well as being named ‘Most Valuable Player’.
His goal against China in the Final really kick-started ‘Park Chu-Young Syndrome’ as the South Korean number 10 received the ball on the left flank, cut inside, dribbled past five defenders – who repeatedly collapsed in an attempt to stop him – and put the ball into the back of the net by sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
In January 2005 Park participated in yet another youth tournament. In the eight-team U-20 competition held in Qatar, Park Chu-Young bagged a brace against China (3-2 to Korea) and scored a hat-trick just 3 days later against Ukraine (3-2 to Korea) to put South Korea through to the semi-finals where they faced Algeria, Park continuing his wonderful form and scoring another double to sink the Africans 2-1.
South Korea’s opponents in the Final were Japan, who had defeated Norway 2-0 in the semi-final, and they had their own prodigy in Hirayama Sota who had been widely advertised by the Japanese media as Japan’s response to Park Chu-Young.
While Park Chu-Young again singlehandedly won the game 3-0 for South Korea, Hirayama made little contribution coming off the bench. It was yet another top scorer’s award (9 goals in 4 games) and a MVP title for the young striker who also won 2004’s Asian Young Footballer of the Year Award. The whole country hailed him as the potential saviour of Korean football, especially as at the time the senior side were struggling massively under Dutchman Jo Bonfrere.
It was about time he started his journey as a full professional footballer and in 2005, he made the kind of move that he would replicate 6 years later to join Arsenal. Pohang Steelers were clear favourites for his signature as the four time Korean Champions had the right of first negotiation after helping his progress by sending him to Brazil, although Daegu FC also had a glimmer of hope with Park being a native of the club’s local city.
Against all odds he rejected Pohang to join FC Seoul who had been controversially relocated to the capital from the city of Anyang a year prior. Criticising Park was seen almost as treason and Pohang’s complaints went almost unnoticed, as the new star of Korean football started his professional career in a stellar fashion by scoring 12 league goals in 19 matches.
He also took part in the U-20 World Cup in the same year, scoring a wonderful free-kick against Nigeria but it was not enough for South Korea after losing to both Switzerland and Brazil. National team coach Jo Bonfrere was still not convinced that he had what it takes to pull it at the highest level, but Park eventually won his first senior cap in what was a must win match against Uzbekistan for the World Cup qualifiers in June. South Korea were trailing 1-0 and he scored a dramatic late equaliser to keep hope alive, and then went on to score the opening goal in the next match against Kuwait. Thanks to his two very important strikes South Korea qualified for the World Cup for the sixth time in a row. Then with the grandest international competition fast approaching, Jo Bonfrere was sacked and replaced by fellow Dutchman Dick Advocaat.
Park then had to endure his first ever slump as he was clearly out of favour in the World Cup in Germany, only appearing in the last group match against Switzerland. In the match that ended South Korea’s hopes of reaching the Last 16 for the first time ever on foreign soil, Park Chu-Young was one of the scapegoats, having conceded a free kick that resulted in Philippe Senderos’ decisive headed goal.
Meanwhile in September 2006, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who had already signed Park Ji-Sung in 2005, was quoted as saying that hoping to sign a ‘young boy from South Korea’ and when the English giants visited Seoul in July 2007, Ferguson admitted that the ‘young boy’ he was talking about was in fact Park Chu-Young and that he is checking his progress.
Since the failure at the 2006 World Cup and then a similarly disappointing performance at the Asian Games, Park had been in a slump and with niggling injuries he failed to find his form in the 2007 season, scoring just 2 goals in 11 appearances and the talk of a move to United all but died out.
After a slightly improved performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing with a goal against Cameroon, Chu-Young secured a move to 2004 Champions League finalists Monaco. On his debut for the Stade Louis II outfit, he put in a man of the match performance with a goal and an assist against FC Lorient. It the end, it was a decent debut season in Europe for Park with 5 goals and 5 assists in 31 matches – solid numbers for a player who was fielded out of position as a wide attacking player.
Despite possessing enough technique and skills to cope at a wide position, one of Park’s biggest strength is his aerial ability even if he is not the tallest of players at 182 centimetres. During his time at FC Seoul, the club released their players’ Sergeant Jump Test results and Park recorded an incredible 91 centimetres with the other 23 players recording an average of 62.6 centimetres. With that number reportedly increasing by more than 10 centimetres since his move to Ligue 1 along with some superb off the ball movement, he led Moncao’s frontline scoring 20 league goals in his next two seasons until, of course, Monaco couldn’t avoid relegation.
His biggest regret to this day must be not winning the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. At first Monaco, unaware of Park’s obligations to serve the military, were reluctant to accept the Korea Football Association’s request to call him up but the player managed to persuade them. South Korea were undone by UAE in the semi-finals and only managed the bronze medal, meaning Park Chu-Young is still chained to the military service.
It’s a big head scratcher for both the player and his club as if he wants to continue playing professional football, he must return to Korea before he turns 27 and join K-League’s military club Sangju Sangmu – a highly unlikely option considering Park is already 26 years old.
He could also join National Police Agency FC in R-League (Reserves League) before he turns 28 and in this case it is likely the player will be called up in December 2012 (as the Koreans surprisingly believe they get a year older on New Year’s Day). However, both these options are almost impossible since, along with the player’s age, those moves to military clubs are only allowed domestically.
For now it seems highly likely that Park Chu-Young will be drafted in late 2013 to join the army in 2014, giving up playing organised – let alone club – football all together for two years.
The ideal solution for both parties would be Park Chu-Young participating in next year’s Olympic Games as one of the wild card call-ups and trying his absolute best to win a medal with South Korea’s U-23 side.
Although an improbable task, it will be more or less the last chance for Park Chu-Young and for once Arsène Wenger will have to respond gladly to an FA’s request to call up one of his players.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WRAP: Man City and Man Utd record draws

4.09.11 | Andrew Slevison

READ MORE NEWS ON: Ajax, Bayern Munich, Benfica, CSKA Moscow, Dinamo Zagreb, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Napoli, Real Madrid, Ryan Giggs, Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester City

The first lot of group stage matches of the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League are now complete with Groups A through to D all playing tonight.

Group A saw Manchester City and Napoli make their Champions League debuts but they could not be split on the scoreboard as Aleksandar Kolarov’s 74th minute free-kick canceled out Edinson Cavanis’ opener five minutes earlier for a 1-1 draw at Etihad Stadium.
Spanish club Villarreal’s nine game home European winning streak came to an end when German giants Bayern Munich produced a 2-0 result thanks to goals from Toni Kroos and Rafinha either side of the half-time break. It was Bayern’s seventh match in a row without conceding.
In Group B, Trabzonspor caused the biggest upset of the first matchday by defeating 2010 winners Inter Milan 1-0 at the San Siro thanks to Ondrej Celustka’s 76th minute goal which gave the Turkish club an historic win.
In France, French champions Lille were held to a 2-2 draw by Russian outfit CSKA Moscow who fought back from two goals down.
Moussa Sow and Benoit Pedretti netted for the home side before Seydo Doumbia’s late double secured a point for the visitors.
Group C saw Swiss club FC Basel score a 2-1 home win over Romanian newcomers Otelul Galati with both sides reduced to ten men whilst Manchester United had Ryan Giggs to thank as they grabbed a point in Lisbon against Benfica.
The Portuguese club scored first through Oscar Cardozo in the 24th minute before veteran Giggs powered home three minutes prior to half-time to give Sir Alex Ferguson’s hugely-changed side a share of the points.
And in Group D, ten-man Real Madrid got hold of maximum points thanks to Angel Di Maria’s second-half strike to down Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 in Croatia whilst Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam and Lyon played out a scoreless draw in Holland.
GROUP A:
Manchester City (ENG): 1 (Aleksandar Kolarov 74’)
Napoli (ITA): 1 (Edinson Cavani 69’)
Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Villarreal (ESP): 0
Bayern Munich (GER): 2 (Toni Kroos 7’, Rafinha 76’)
El Madrigal, Villarreal
GROUP B
Lille (FRA): 2 (Moussa Sow 45’, Benoit Pedretti 57’)
CSKA Moscow (RUS): 2 (Seydou Doumbia 71’/89’)
Stade Lille Metropole, Lille
Inter Milan (ITA): 0
Trabzonspor (TUR): 1 (Ondrej Celustka 76’)
San Siro, Milan
GROUP C
FC Basel (SUI): 2 (Fabian Frei 39’, Alexander Frei (p) 84’, red card: Benjamin Huggel 86’)
Otelul Galati (ROM): 1 (Marius Pena 58’, red card: Adrian Salageanu 81’)
St Jakob-Park, Basel
Benfica (POR): 1 (Oscar Cardozo 24’)
Manchester United (ENG): 1 (Ryan Giggs 42’)
Estadio da Luz, Lisbon
GROUP D
Ajax Amsterdam (NED): 0
Olympique Lyon (FRA): 0
Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO): 0
Real Madrid (ESP): 1 (Angel Di Maria 53’, red card: Marcelo 73’)
Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb

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Goal of the day

Today’s goal of the day comes from the Danish Suoperliga. It’s a wonderful swivel and volley from Soren Berg in AGF’s 4-2 win over Midtjylland.

Job insecurity

Former Mexico international Benjamin Galindo has been named as the third coach of the year at Santos Laguna. He replaces Diego Cocca, who was fired 10 days ago after only six months in charge.
Galindo is clearly a glutton for punishment, as he returns to the club after enduring a short, unhappy stint in 2006.
“Benjamin wants to make up for last time and now has more experience and a squad with more potential than the first time around,” said Santos the trigger-happy president Alejandro Irarrogorri.

Vote of confidence

Alarm bells are already ringing for Roma coach Luis Enrique. Having seen his side knocked out of the Europa League, the new Serie A season began badly for the club with a home defeat to Cagliari.
Nonetheless, Roma’s owner, Thomas Di Benedetto, in terms he may one day come to regret, has reiterated his support of Enrique.
La Repubblica reports that Di Benedetto confirmed that: “The Spanish coach is untouchable, even if we lose every game.
Further support for the fledgling coach came from midfielder Daniele De Rossi.
“He’s an honest person and an innovative Coach, a young one who likes possession and offensive football,” De Rossi told Sky Sport Italia.
De Rossi was even able to find a silver lining to Roma’s Europa league exit.
“Our exit from the Europa League will mean that we’ll avoid some long midweek trips and this could actually be an advantage to us,” he said.

World Cup cutbacks

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has revealed that Russia intends to reduce the number of stadiums it plans to use to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Russia’s bid had originally proposed 16 stadiums in 13 cities, but a desire to cut costs will see that number shrink to 12 or 13.
However, Mutko told Reuters: “Twelve is a more practical number because the more cities you have, the bigger the cost is of staging the tournament. We haven’t made the final decision and in theory all 16 (original) venues still have a chance to be selected. But in the end we would have no more than 13 stadiums.”

Finally…

When they’ve stopped barracking Fernando Torres, don’t be too surprised to hear Chelsea fans haranguing Bayer Leverkusen midfielder, Sidney Sam, during tonight’s Champions League encounter.
Ahead of the game at Stamford Bridge, Sam decided to update his Facebook page with his thoughts about the match.
“Torres, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech and Ashley Cole,” Sam wrote. “Who the f*** are Chelsea London?”
Remarks, which even allowing for the sub-standard translators employed by professional footballers, seem clear enough.
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Champions League returns

The Champions League groups stages kick off returns tonight and depending upon your viewpoint,  it’s either the moment when the European season truly kicks off or, the start of yet another endless procession of predictable matches culminating in the same clubs reaching the knockout stages.
The pick of tonight’s games sees Italian champions, Milan, start their campaign with a daunting trip to holders Barcelona.
The match provides Milan midfielder Mark van Bommel with an opportunity to renew acquaintance with his former team mates. The midfielder spent a season at Camp Nou five years ago, but the lasting memory most of his former colleagues will have of him will be from last year’s World Cup final.
Van Bommel, along with his team mates, earned criticism for an overly physical approach to that game, and his presence for Milan has prompted questions about a fear factor within the Barca camp.
“I do not fear Van Bommel, I had no problems with him at Barca. I have nothing against him,” Andrew Iniesta told reporters during a pre-match press conference.
“I like to think we all act in good faith, defending our own interests. There were hard tackles but it ended very well for me, for us.”
It did for Iniesta, who scored the winner in that game, but a quick look at this clip shows how differently it could have ended.

Kick-start the season

For Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, tonight’s Champions League opener represents an opportunity to kick-start their respective seasons.
Arsenal’s problems have been well-documented, and Bundesliga champions, Dortmund, have not exactly fared much better. Five games into the campaign and they languish in the lower half of the table with just 7 points.
Another team looking for a transformation in form, is Marseille. Last year’s runners-up in the French league have picked up just three points from their opening five matches this season.
Marseille face Greek side Olympiakos, who have yet to play a match this season having seen both their league games postponed.
As openers go, Marseille couldn’t really have asked for much more. Coach Didier Deschamps though, was in a glass half empty kind of mood.
“The fact Olympiakos haven’t played yet is not ideal, as we only have information from their friendly matches, but they are an attacking side with quality players in midfield and attack,” he said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ-MsI4XvFQ&feature=player_embedded

Dispatches

Channel 4′s Dispatches exposé on the problems of drug taking within English football turned out to be something of a damp squib. Viewers hoping for any scandalous revelations about big-name players, or at least a chemical explanation for England’s dismal World Cup campaign in South Africa, will have been left disappointed by the programme.
The highest profile player named was Scottish international, Garry O’Connor, who tested positive for cocaine while on Birmingham’s books in 2009. Perhaps more damaging was the revelation that his then manager, Alex McCleish, covered for O’Connor when the player was serving a two-month drug ban, by telling reporters the striker was undergoing an operation.
The FA do not reveal the identity of those who fail tests, claiming that the public exposure would undermine their attempts to rehabilitate players. Mmm.
O’Connor is now with Scottish outfit Hibernian and last May fled from police officers who eventually caught up with him and found him in possession of a white powder, suspected to be cocaine.
So much for rehabilitation.

Sir Alex Ferguson has compared Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney to the legendary Brazilian Pele as he looks to continue his fine recent form against Benfica.

GettyImagesWayne Rooney has been on fire for Manchester United this season

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Rooney has often been hailed as ''the white Pele'' by fans in the Stretford End at Old Trafford and, in responding to an observation from Benfica coach Jorge Jesus that Rooney is ''more Brazilian or Argentinian'' than English, Ferguson made his own comparison.
''Look at Pele,'' Ferguson added. ''He was a very aggressive attacker as well who could look after himself. So can Rooney. There are similarities that way in strength, speed and determination. But he is white, completely white.''
In fact, Ferguson thinks of Rooney as the very best of British, boasting the same desire, work ethic and talent as United legends of old.
''Wayne is a typical British player,'' Ferguson added. ''But there have been British players who have great qualities that made them great players - (Paul) Gascoigne, George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law.
''The similarities are that the boy has great courage. He wants to play all the time. He has incredible stamina. These are added extras to the talent he has.''
Ferguson is also backing Rooney and strike partner Javier Hernandez to each hit the 25-goal mark this season.
The pair have contributed 10 between them in Manchester United's stellar start to the season, with Rooney currently topping the Premier League scoring charts with eight.
''Two years ago Wayne's target was to go over 30 and he reached it very quickly,'' Ferguson said. ''If he gets to that target again I will be absolutely delighted because with Javier's ability to score we could have two goalscorers well above 25.''
Having left Rio Ferdinand at home as a precaution and with Nemanja Vidic yet to start training after suffering a calf injury in the opening weekend win at West Brom, Ferguson needs to pay careful attention to his line-up ahead of a packed fixture list that includes Sunday's home showdown with Chelsea.
Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs, Park Ji-sung and last season's joint Golden Boot winner Dimitar Berbatov will all hope to start their first game of the season.

Just incase you didn’t know Europe’s top competition the Champions League starts tonight.
One of the biggest ties of the first round games is European Champions Barcelona vs. Italian champions AC Milan at the Nou Camp. These are two proper giants of European football.
Winners
Between them these two clubs have won the European Cup 11 times. That is an impressive haul of trophies.
Milan have won the trophy seven times in their history, their most recent victory coming in 2007 when they defeated Premier League Liverpool in final of the competition.
Barcelona have won the European Cup four times. Two of those victories have came in the last three years, both against Manchester United. Although they haven’t won as many European Cup’s as AC, they are currently regarded as the bigger club worldwide.
Draws
Both clubs drew 2-2 at the weekend. However the draws came under different circumstances. AC Milan were two goals down before coming back to claim a point against new look Lazio. It was their first Serie A game of the season after the start of the league campaign was delayed due to a players strike.
Barcelona on the other hand were two goals up in the first 15 minutes away at Real Sociedad in their latest league game. However the club from San Sebastian came back strong in the second half and shocked the champions. The champions had fielded a weakened side in the La Liga encounter.
Defence
Barcelona may have had a weakened side out at Real Sociedad but you can be sure that their team will be at near full strength for the fixture against the Italians giants. Barcelona have had injury problems in defence in recent months.
However the club are likely to have the likes of Carles Puyol and Maxwell back in the squad that hosts Milan at the Nou Camp. Barcelona will need to be at their best at the back with Milan’s attack the main strength of their side.
Attack
Ac Milan have a threatening strike force. In the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Alexandre Pato the Rossoneri carry a major attacking threat. AC Milan’s attack is probably the strongest department of their team. Unfortunately, there is bad news for AC Milan fans.
Teams
Mercurial Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be denied the chance to appear against his former-team as he is currently out injured. AC will also be without midfield general Gennaro Gattuso, who is still suspended from last season. Dutch midfielder Mark Van Bommel could come in to replace the Italian international. The Italians champions will be missing centre-back Philippe Mexes, who is also on the injury list but would have been suspended anyway.
Barcelona are likely to welcome back club captain Carles Puyol to the centre of their defence. His first choice central-defensive partner Gerard Pique hasn’t appeared for the club since the Super Cup victory over Real Madrid and is likely to miss out on this encounter as well.
New signing Alexis Sanchez is ruled out of this clash after sustaining a hamstring injury during the Real Sociedad match. Spanish international David Villa is likely to replace the Chilean. Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi is also likely to return to the team after starting the last match on the substitutes bench.
Tight
This should be a tight game. Italian champions AC Milan will be underdogs in this clash but it will no doubt prove to be a closer encounter than most Barcelona games. AC Milan are considered to be one of the challengers for Barcelona’s crown as European Champions.
Reaction
The draw at Real Sociedad was considered a poor result for Barcelona. Barca boss Pep Guardiola will be looking for a reaction from that game and Barcelona’s players usually produce what Guardiola wants.
AC Milan are a strong outfit but I can see Barcelona starting the defence of their European crown with a victory. Both sides will no doubt qualify for the knockout stages of the competition though and that’s when the real fun starts.
Can AC Milan defeat Barcelona at the Nou Camp?

Arsenal not giving up on Goetze

Arsenal not giving up on Goetze
Arsenal remain keen on Borussia Dortmund superstar Mario Goetze, Daily Mail reports.
The Gunners officials recently dismissed the claims that they had a £35 million bid rejected on transfer deadline day.
However, Arsenal have reportedly made an enquiry into the availability of the Germany international just before the transfer window closed.
The English giants are still keen on the 19-year-old and they had the opportunity to watch him in action as Dortmund and Arsenal played out an entertaining 1:1 draw at Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia chiefs are determined to keep hold of their star player and insist Goetze is not for sale, but they could change their minds in case of a big money offer.
Bayern Munich have also expressed interest in the highly rated midfielder, meaning that Arsenal could face a stiff competition if they try to sign the player in January.
Roma reignite their interest in Bastos
Roma are readying a new bid for Lyon winger Michel Bastos, according to Italian newspaper Leggo.
The Giallorossi have heavily reinforced the squad this summer, but could return to the transfer market following the dismal start to the season.
One of their latest recruitments included midfielder Miralem Pjanic and now Roma have shown interest in another Lyon player.
According to Leggo, the Giallorossi are keen on Lyon winger Michel Bastos and are planning a January bid for the Brazilian.
Bastos was heavily linked with a move to Juventus this summer, but the transfer fell through as the two clubs failed to agree on a transfer fee.
He subsequently agreed to remain at the club, but is expected to look for a new challenge as soon as the transfer window reopens in January.
Bolton leading the race for Chilean hotshot
Bolton are battling with Bayer Leverkusen for Universidad Catolica full-back Stefano Magnasco, the Daily Mirror reveals.
The Trotters boss Owen Coyle has reportedly invited the player to England in order to discuss a possible transfer and is thought to be leading the race for his signature.
The 18-year-old is currently training at Reebok Stadium and is expected to spend few more weeks under the watchful eye of Owen Coyle.
Bayer Leverkusen is also in the race, but Magnasco is said to be inclining towards Bolton move.
The highly rated defender is available at a cut-back price of £225,000 and is likely to complete his move as soon as the transfer window opens in January.
Magnasco only made his senior debut for Universidad Catolica earlier this year, but is already regarded as one of the hottest prospects in Chile.
For more news about football transfers and rumours, visit our Transfer News section. To view all football transfers for 2010/11 season, visit our Soccer Transfers section.

Profile: Juninho Velocidade

  

                    Juninho Velocidade         

• Name: Maurílio Antônio de Sousa Júnior
• Squad No: 19
• Position: Forward
• Age: 25                                                  
• Birth Date: Febr 12-02-1986
• Birth Place: Itaúna, Brazil
• Height: (1.76m)
• Weight: 72,5 kg 
• Last Club. Fk. Kralův Dvůr( Czech Republic)

                                                     
                                                                                                                                          

• Buy Soccer Tickets Largest selection of premium soccer tickets for the Premier League, MLS, La Liga, Serie A, European Cups, World Cup etc. Click Here

• 

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has finally revealed why the club signed former Manchester United Red Devil Owen Hargreaves this summer. City’s Italian manager has said that Hargreaves was essentially City’s third center midfield option. Ahead of the Canadian born Englishman were Real Madrid’s Fernando Gago and A.S. Roma’s Daniele De Rossi, but due to financial fair play, City were unable to sign either player.
According to The Independent, Mancini said:

“Gago is a player we liked a lot. We couldn’t spend any more money also for the question of financial fair play.
“De Rossi is one of the best midfielders in the world but I don’t believe he will ever leave Roma. So in midfield we signed Hargreaves, who was out of contact.”

City assistant David Platt added: “We needed a central midfield player but unfortunately in terms of players going out and bringing in transfer fees, a lot have gone out on loan, so fees haven’t come in for them. You have to get creative.”
Hargreaves, formerly of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, has played in just five games in the past three seasons with Manchester United. He’s become more renown for his injuries than for his footballing skill, which is unfortunate but at the same time understandable. Can he turn his career around at City? At the age of 30 it will surely be difficult, but not impossible.
Villas-Boas Recruits Portuguese Talent
Raul Meireles joined Chelsea FC on transfer deadline day. What a great move for the Blues it will prove to be. Meireles enjoyed a brilliant first season in the English Premier League with Liverpool in 2010-11. But following the arrival of Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson, and Stewart Downing this summer, Meireles somehow found himself on Kenny Dalglish’s bench.
After securing a move to London, Meireles spoke with the media regarding his transfer.

“I made the right choice last year to come to England and to come to Liverpool and this year was different because I knew that I didn’t want to leave Liverpool.
“I felt that the new owners didn’t want to sell me, but when I knew that Chelsea and Andre wanted me, it convinced me.
“It was strange, because I knew of the interest of Chelsea, and the interest of the coach, and it was a pleasure to come to this club but it was strange because it was on the last day.
“The people think that I wanted to leave and it is only because Chelsea wanted me. For Andre to want me, that is why I wanted to go.
“I have a lot of friends here, Portuguese players that I know from Porto and the national team, and Jose Bosingwa helped me a lot in these first days.
“I know that Chelsea is a great club, one of the best clubs in the world, and it is not too difficult to convince me to come.
“Paulo and Hilario I know well, and Ramires and David Luiz I know from the Portuguese League, where they did a very good job in Benfica.
“They were very difficult opponents.
“Ramires only played one year in Portugal and that year they won the championship and he is a fantastic footballer.
“David Luiz also was very good. We talk the same language so now it is easy.
“I like to play in midfield but for me it is more important that I play and I help the team so if the coach wants to put me in another place, I want to do my job and do my job well.”

Kulaté třicáté narozeniny oslavil Tomáš Hübschman před zápasem s Ukrajinou, který pro něj bude jiný než ty ostatní.

Už sedm let totiž Hübschman působí v ukrajinské lize v Šachtaru Doněck, a tak si v úterý v Praze zahraje proti svým spoluhráčům. Připouští, že to pro něj bude zvláštní zápas a jakýsi opožděný dárek k dnešním 30. narozeninám. "Určitě to pro mě bude hodně zvláštní zápas, protože z ukrajinského týmu většinu kluků znám. Sedm z nich jsou dokonce moji spoluhráči ze Šachtaru. Také bude zvláštní, že všem budu rozumět, což na mezinárodní scéně nebývá často," řekl Hübschman při dnešním setkání s novináři v Praze.

Přestože má na straně soupeře hned sedm spoluhráčů, žádné hecování prý neproběhlo. "V Čechách je hecování populární, na Ukrajině je to ale jiné. Tam takové zápasy nikdo neprožívá. Normálně jsme odjeli a řekli si, že se potkáme v Praze," prozradil.

Jeho znalost soupeře trenér reprezentace Michal Bílek ještě nevyužil. Je mu ale k dispozici. "Pokud se trenér zeptá, tak rád informace dám. Při dnešních možnostech ale trenér bude mít soupeře určitě dobře nastudovaného," řekl bývalý hráč Sparty nebo Jablonce.

Ukrajinskou reprezentaci vidí hlavně jako kolektiv silných individualit, který ale nepůsobí jako jeden tým. "Hlavně ti jejich mladší hráči jsou silné individuality, ale jako tým nepůsobí dobrým dojmem. Přivedli si z jednadvacítky hráče jako Konopljanka nebo Jarmolenko, kteří se nebojí hrát, troufnou si na kličku a chodí do zakončení, ale nejsou to týmoví hráči," popsal hru soupeře. "Ale právě tito dva hráči dali v posledním zápase proti Uruguayi oba gól," varoval.

Nástup mladých hráčů z ukrajinské jednadvacítky by prý mohl udělat v reprezentaci neplechu. "Sám jsem zvědavý, jak se s tím vypořádají. Na jednu stranu se do týmu cpe hodně mladých hráčů z jednadvacítky, ale pak jsou tam i ti starší, kteří chtějí hrát taky. Takže je tam velká konkurence a střet generací. Bude záležet na trenérovi, jak to poskládá," míní Hübschman.

Je však přesvědčen o tom, že Ukrajina bude hrát v obraně na jistotu a nebude se pouštět do komplikované rozehrávky. "Co říkali kluci, tak trenér Blochin nemá rád nějaké hračičky vzadu, takže zezadu to budou hrát jednoduše, hlavně neztratit balon a nemít problém před brankou," uvedl český defenzivní záložník. "Na druhou stranu od nás je tam ale Rakickij, který má rád balon a na stoperu si dovolí hodně," dodal.

Sám si není jistý, jak moc bude Ukrajincům chybět hvězdný kanonýr Andrej Ševčenko, který je zraněný. "Pro ně je to určitě osobnost a hráč, který poutá pozornost všech soupeřů a tím dělá prostor pro ostatní. Na druhou stranu se věk nedá zastavit a Ševa už není schopen hrát každé tři dny. Stále je to ale velký hráč, který když je na hřišti, tak je vůdčí osobností Dynama Kyjev," uvedl Hübschman.

Cesc: Wenger lowered asking price

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has continued his impassioned defence of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, insisting the Frenchman is the only reason he is now playing for his boyhood club.

GettyImagesCesc Fabregas has much respect for his former boss Arsene Wenger

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Fabregas, who has made a flying start to his second stint with the Catalan giants, had to bide his time before being granted a move back to Barcelona, after the two parties took over a year to reach an agreement over his eventual £25 million initial transfer fee.
Wenger is still widely criticised among the Spanish club's fanbase for 'abducting' Fabregas as a youth player, but the 24-year-old insists that is an unfair assessment - revealing that it was actually Wenger who played a crucial role in forcing down Arsenal's asking price so he could leave.
"That is the wrong picture of him, had it not been for him, I would not now be a Barca player," Fabregas told El Pais. "Without him I would not have made my debut by 16, played in the final of the Champions League at 18 and been team captain by 20.
"Without him I would not be a Barca player now, he convinced the owners of Arsenal, who would not sell under any circumstances, to lower the price."
Returning to Barcelona having come up through their fabled La Masia academy before heading for London, Fabregas admits that he still has some work to do to get up to speed with his team-mates, both tactically and technically.
"I feel I still have much to learn, this team is highly mechanised and there are things I have to catch up on particularly in defence," he said. "I have never seen a team that is so focused on the attack-defend transition - playing against Barcelona is very complicated but playing at the club is not so easy and that is the challenge.
"I honestly feel that at times I may hinder them, but they are good at fixing it and hiding it, I must adapt to them and learn.
"It is the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life, all you hear is the ball going - tap, tap, tap - I have never seen so much training at this level."
Observers had initially suggested that, with the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi already in the squad, Fabregas would have to bide his time and wait for first-team opportunities. So far that has not proven to be the case, with Fabregas slotting in at a number of positions in most games, but he is willing to make way if any of the three start to get frustrated with being asked to make way.
"It is clear that only players like Xavi, Iniesta and Messi could complain about a lack of playing time, and if they did complain I would respect that, so I will play when I play," he said.
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