..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Pato joins Corinthians from AC Milan in 15 million euro deal

Alexandre Pato has joined Corinthians from AC Milan in a 15 million euro deal, the Club World Cup champion revealed on its official website.


The Brazil international has penned a four-year deal with Timao, and he will wear the No. 7 shirt at his new side.

The 15 million euros paid to the Rossoneri buys all of the attacker's economic terms, but Pato has negotiated 40 percent of his rights for future sale in exchange for not being given a signing-on fee.

"I wish to say to goodbye, but above all to thank many people. From the president [Silvio Berlusconi] to the many people of Milan with whom I worked in these unforgettable years at the club," Pato said on the club's official website.

"I am going to Corinthians in Brazil for the chance to play more frequently. I will not, however, easily forget Milan. I am and always will be tied to the shirt, its colors and all the Rossoneri fans.

"Above all this message goes out to them, at this time, both my thoughts and my greatest thanks."

The former Internacional forward made 150 appearances for Milan after his arrival at San Siro in 2007, and scored 63 goals in the process.

The 23-year-old was one of two Brazilians looking for a route out of the Serie A side in the January transfer window, though Robinho has yet to find a club willing to take him under its wing.

Pato has suffered an injury-strewn career at the Italian club and the Corinthians move could allow him a fresh start, with World Cup 2014 less than 18 months from kicking off in Brazil.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Zlatan fan lays down hilarious challenges in web war

An avid Zlatan Ibrahimovic fan who owns the Zlatan.fr domain name has laid down a hilarious option of challenges that the Paris Saint-Germain star must complete if he wants to own the URL.

The former Barcelona and AC Milan star must complete one of the eclectic options should he want to own the URL and use as he wishes, though they are far from easy!

The anonymous fan writes on the current homepage: "When you signed in my beloved soccer club, I got the udge [sic] surprise to see that the domain name 'Zlatan.fr' was available… do you believe that?! So, I rushed to book it… you know, I really didn't want anyone wicked to take advantage of your name and image.

"So now, I give you the opportunity to have it back. And for that, as you can imagine, we won’t bother with lawyers and endless procedures. Obviously it would be a waste of time and money for both of us. Instead, I got a much funnier idea. And as I am a very good guy, I let you have the choice of weapons."

The options that are offered to Ibra include a personalized PSG shirt; living with the supporter for a month; three lifetime season tickets; beating him at computer game FIFA 13 and even odder things!

A more physical option, should the Swede accept, is to beat the Parisien fanatic at Taekwondo. Or, if Ibra wants to get this over with quickly, he can choose to let the supporter slap him in the face in public!

Perhaps the simplest - and least arduous - of opportunities for Ibra to get the tickets would be the fan's final suggestion of meeting him face-to-face and asking for it in French. But where is the fun in that?!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pardew eyeing player with 'power and pace' to replace Ba

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is targeting a striker who has "power and pace" to replace Chelsea-bound Demba Ba.

The Senegalese striker is set to complete a move to Stamford Bridge for a fee in the region of 7 million pounds, leaving the Magpies short on goalscorers.

Pardew is looking for a player who can play alongside Papiss Cisse and support in a similar way to when he plays with Gabriel Obertan. However, he has conceded it will be difficult to find exactly what he wants this month.

Pardew told reporters: "I would like, if possible, to have a player with real power and pace. Sometimes, we lack a little bit of pace.

"Obertan brings that to the team, but when Gabby is not in the team, that's something I would like to see in the player that comes in because that will help Papiss, and also somebody who is going to threaten at set-plays because it has been a weakness for us.

"But it's easy to say what I would really like - it's what I can get in this window and the options are not numerous. There are only a few players, really, who are available."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tottenham signs Fryers from Standard Liege

Tottenham has confirmed the signing of former Manchester United fullback Zeki Fryers from Standard Liege, announcing the acquisition on the club's official website on Thursday.


Goal.com revealed that Spurs had bid for the left-sided defender in the summer before his eventual move to Belgium. Fryers was targeted ahead of the winter window once again by Spurs, who have now completed a move for the defender.

The 20-year-old left Old Trafford in the summer after spending three years in the Red Devils' youth academy. He made six appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson's side in all competitions last season.

Fryers had played five times for Standard Liege so far this term, departing the club as it sits in fifth place in the Belgian top flight. The England youth international will join Spurs' developmental squad, according to the club's announcement.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Torres needs to rest - Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez

Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez has admitted he may rest Fernando Torres in the coming weeks along with several other first-team players.

The Spanish striker has played 33 times this season in all competitions including all of the Blues’ festive fixtures which his manager believes may have been too much for him.

He told reporters: "Fernando is one of the players who needs to rest. Two or three players have been playing too many games in the last weeks and months.

"Managing that was going well but against QPR it didn't work. Some of the players couldn't get to the level we were expecting."

Chelsea suffered a stunning 1-0 loss at home to QPR on Wednesday. The club hopes to add Newcastle striker Demba Ba to help lighten the load on Torres, with the Senegalese player expected to arrive before the weekend.

Benitez has conceded it will be difficult for his side to close the gap on Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table with 14 points now separating the two sides.

"I haven't been worried about the league table, I've just talked about one game at a time and now it's the same situation," the Spaniard added.

"If you can't win your games it will be more difficult but the priority is to think about the next game and give the players the confidence that we had before.

"We will analyze what went wrong and try to carry on with the things that we were doing really well.

"We have to do everything almost perfectly now if we want to reduce the gap. When you lose a game it's more difficult, but I can't be thinking about how many points we need."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United confirms Bebe loan move to Rio Ave

Manchester United has confirmed that forward Bebe has moved to Portuguese club Rio Ave on loan until the end of June.

The 22-year-old has played seven times for the Red Devils and has found the net twice since joining the club in August 2010 for a fee in the region of 7 million pounds. He has struggled to hold down a regular place in Sir Alex Ferguson's first-team due to the stiff competition at his position, though, which inlcudes Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck.

The Scot feels the loan move will give Bebe a chance to play regularly, something that he can't get at Old Trafford and believes the move will give him the opportunity to progress as a player. He spent last season at Turkish side Besiktas.

“We feel the boy has got to get good experience at a better level than our reserve team," Ferguson told the club's official website. “He’s gone to Rio Ave who are fifth in the Portuguese league at the moment – they have a young coach [Nuno] who has a very good reputation.

“Bebe has done quite well in the last two or three months. He got a cruciate knee injury when he was on loan in Turkey last season and that derailed him for a bit. Coming back from these injuries takes time but he’s started to develop quite well.
"Hopefully his spell in Portugal, where he is from anyway, could help him.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Valdes: My dream is to retire at Barcelona

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has stated that he would be happy to stay with his current club for the remainder off his career.

The Spain international is under contract until June 2014 at Camp Nou, and although he is in no rush to sign an extension, he would fancy retiring with the Liga giant.

"Since I signed the last contract I have not spoken about it. I signed the last one in June 2009 and have not been concerned since," the 30-year-old told reporters. "It is not the time for me to be worrying about it, there is still time. I'm focused on winning games. My dream is to retire here… Time will tell."

Despite his apparent desire to stay with Barca until he hangs up his boots, Valdes refused to rule out the possibility of experiencing the game in a different country.

"I have spent 11 years here and as goalkeeper it is difficult in many ways," he said. |I do not rule out other cultures, other football, other countries, we will see."

Barcelona went into the winter break with a comfortable nine-point advantage over Atletico Madrid in the Liga table, but Valdes thinks that it is not the time to talk about the title just yet.

"We have not even finished the first half of the season. It is true that we have a good distance over second and third, but it is not over. There is a long time to still play and a lot of points to play for."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juventus signs Peluso on loan

Juventus has announced the signing of defender Federico Peluso from Atalanta on a six-month loan deal.


The 28-year-old arrived in Turin on Wednesday for a successful medical after he agreed personal terms with the Bianconeri in advance.

Goal.com understands that Juve paid a fee of 1.5 million euros to take him on loan, and has the option to buy him permanently for 3.5 million euros at the season's end.

"Obviously it's all really exciting and I'm delighted," he told the club's official website.

"I don't think there could be a better way to start off the new year. I'm enjoying the moment and hopefully there will be more good moments to come.

"[The last six months] have been, without a doubt, the best of my whole career, and that's what gave me the chance to come to Juventus.

"I'm grateful to everyone. It really is a dream come true for me to be here."

Peluso, who has three Italy caps to his name, joined Atalanta from AlbinoLeffe in 2009 and went on to appear 116 times in all competitions for the club, scoring four times.

Reports in Italy suggest that the Bergamese outfit has already identified Genoa's Cesare Bovo and Cagliari's Michele Canini as potential replacements for the Juve new boy.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benayoun makes Chelsea return following West Ham loan spell

Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun has completed his loan spell with West Ham and has returned to the defending UEFA Champions League winner after an unproductive time away.


The 32-year-old suffered a knee injury that reduced his involvement with Sam Allardyce’s Hammers, leaving the Israeli to only make six appearances for the Upton Park outfit this campaign. West Ham's official Twitter account added the following statement following the Israeli's return to his parent club.

"West Ham United can confirm that the loan of @YossiBenayoun15 has ended and he has returned to @chelseafc.

"The club would like to thank Yossi for his efforts during his second spell with the Hammers and wish him the best of luck for his future career."

Benayoun, who has featured just 11 times for Chelsea since joining from Liverpool in July 2010 for a reported fee of 5 million pounds, revealed on Twitter that he would return to Chelsea and expressed his disappointment at how his loan unfolded on Dec. 27, saying, "Recovering slowly from the injury..loan with west ham will be finish in few days so disappointed that I didn't took part in the last games."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Parker to make first Tottenham start since May against Coventry

Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker is set to make his first start for the club since May 2012 in its FA Cup clash against Coventry at White Hart Lane.

The 32-year-old had been out since aggravating an Achilles injury on international duty with England which required surgery, but has made five appearances as a substitute in his comeback, and is now set to play against the League One side.

"Sandro and Mousa [Dembele] are doing a fantastic job for us - 10 points in the last four games - but I'm really proud about Scott Parker," assistant coach Steffen Freund told reporters.

"His expectations are always high and has been involved in England squads and went to the European Championship.

"To be patient is not easy, but that shows how strong we are, especially in central midfield. We have a lot of players - Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore, Tom Carroll. They are waiting to start too.

"He knows he will improve with games and that makes me proud as a coach that an England international plays with fun and enjoyment with the Under-21s so that he can be back in the starting XI.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Valdano insists Mourinho has ‘average’ Madrid record

Former Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano has labelled Jose Mourinho’s record at the club as "average".

The Blancos are reigning La Liga champions and made it to the semifinals of the Champions League for the second successive season, but currently lie 16 points behind Barcelona in this season's title race and finished second in their European group.

"Since Di Stefano’s era, Real Madrid have won more titles than all the other Spanish teams together,” Valdano told Fox Sports.

“That means the team wins a title every two years. Mourinho is within the average - he has taken two years and has won a title.

The ex-Santiago Bernabeu chief also lavished praised on Pep Guardiola, but admitted that the former Spain international looked out of sorts when he stepped down as Barca coach at the end of last season.

“Guardiola was exhausted, he looked tired,” Valdano added.

“I was sad for football because he is the epitome of greatness that one looks for in this game.

“He has a very specific idea of how to play football, and the idea remains romantic even when you win 13 of 16 possible titles.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sir Alex calls for Premier League to investigate Fryers' move to Tottenham

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants the Premier League to investigate Ezekiel Fryers' move from Standard Liege to Tottenham.

The 20-year-old looked set to join Spurs when his contract at Old Trafford expired on June 30 but the two clubs were unable to agree a compensation package.

Fryers instead moved to Liege on a two-year deal, meaning compensation did not have to be paid to United, and ended his spell in Belgium to sign for Tottenham on Thursday.

But Sir Alex believes the transfer has Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's fingerprints "all over it" and has called for the player's registration to be looked into.

"How would you put it? To me, I think it's a blatant manipulation of the rules," he told MUTV. "I think the league should look into it.

"I think the registration should be stopped until they investigate it thoroughly. There's bound to be a trail, either mobile phones or e-mails, that could give you the full story of it.

"I must say I'm disappointed in Tottenham. For whatever reason, a club that size has decided to go down this route. I'm disappointed."

Fryers initially joined up with Spurs on trial after his contract at United came to an end, even taking part in a pre-season training camp in Portugal.

Sir Alex added: "We knew immediately and suspected that he would return to Tottenham in January and that's happened. It's a Daniel Levy deal. You know, it's his fingerprints all over it. It's the kind of thing we expected he was going to do."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Villas-Boas key to Holtby joining Tottenham

Andre Villas-Boas was the key factor in Lewis Holtby's decision to join Tottenham from Schalke, according to his agent.


The 22-year-old will join Spurs in the summer on a free transfer, the north London club announced on Friday, and his representative has stated that the Portuguese boss was the deciding factor in his destination.

"Schalke made Lewis a very good offer, we know that," Marcus Noack told Goal.com. "But this decision is not against Schalke.

"We had a lot of offers from every top league in Europe. If you look at the whole package, then Tottenham was the best choice.

"Andre Villas-Boas is especially convincing. This is a top coach. The decision to leave Schalke and join Tottenham came in mid-December. And it was very hard for us to choose."

Noack added that a transfer to Spurs in the January transfer window had not been discussed.

He continued: "The agreement says: [in the] summer. If a winter move was possible, I can't say right now, because we didn't talk about that."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sissoko's agent plays down links with Premier League move

Moussa Sissoko's agent Frederic Guerra has played down speculation linking the France international with a move away from Toulouse.

Reports have suggested that Sissoko could be on his way out of the Ligue 1 club, with Tottenham, Arsenal and Newcastle touted as possible destinations.

However, Guerra refused to comment on any rumours linking the 23-year-old with a transfer, stating that the midfielder is “a Toulouse man”.

"I do not want to speak about it," Guerra told Goal.com. "I don't want to refer to any news stories for the moment. Moussa is a Toulouse man."

And far from Sissoko leaving the club, Guerra revealed that talks between Sissoko’s representatives and Toulouse have begun over a new contract.

He said: “Discussions have begun, I don't want to talk about an exit or respond to any rumours."

Sissoko joined Toulouse in 2007 and has scored 20 goals in 183 appearances for the French side, appearing 17 times and scoring once this season.

The midfielder has also won five caps for the France national team.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City fan banned from matches for three years for Ferdinand incident

The Manchester City fan who ran onto the pitch to confront Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand in the recent derby has been banned from attending matches for three years.


The supporter, Matthew Stott, pleaded guilty to pitch encroachment and using threatening behavior and has subsequently been punished with the ban in addition to a 56-day prison sentence suspended for a year, a three-month curfew and 120 hours unpaid work.

District Judge Richardson reserved praise for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, who intervened to stop the fan from reaching Ferdinand.

"As a follower of football the level of passion connected with kicking a ball around is difficult for many to comprehend,” Richardson said in court. "You may very well have excited a huge popular response by supporters of the other team. Thanks to Mr. Hart that did not happen. This has to be a custodial sentence which I will suspend, but you are lucky you are not going straight down."

The incident occurred after Robin van Persie scored a last-minute winner to put United 3-2 up against their cross-city rivals.

Several Manchester United players ran to the stands to celebrate, sparking angry scenes in which Ferdinand was first hit in the face with a coin.

Stott was also ordered to pay £145, while several other supporters were handed sanctions relating to incidents that took place during the same match.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Boateng details racism incident during AC Milan friendly

AC Milan playmaker Kevin-Prince Boateng claimed that he was "surprised" to be on the end of racist abuse during his side's midseason friendly with Pro Patria on Thursday given today's day and age.

The Rossoneri star and retired Ghana international walked out on the encounter halfway through the first half after being the subject of racist taunts by fans in the crowd, and he is adamant that no player should suffer the same treatment.

"I was surprised that in the time we live in now - it's 2013 - these things still happen; still these things come up, and still we have to fight these things and still hear these things," Boateng said in a lengthy interview with CNN.

"It's not the first time in my life that I've had to see things like this or hear things like this. I'm 25 years old, and I don't want to see this bulls**t any more, and for myself, no one can convince me to play again. I said it straight: 'I'm not going to play on this pitch again.'

"No, [I hadn't spoken to any black teammates before taking action], on the field, you don't really have time to speak about things like this, but I could hear when they did it to Muntari, and even before they did it to me.

"It's difficult to answer [how it made me feel]. There are so many emotions. I was angry, I was sad, I was disappointed. And this all came together and I said: 'OK, I'm not going to play any more. I don't want to play when the crowd is doing things like this, or in a place like this'. So many negative emotions came up in me.

"I'd say to everyone that I don't want them to play through this experience - I'd tell them to walk off the pitch."

Boateng also revealed that he had warned the referee beforehand that he would not torelate any abuse coming his way, only for the official to brush away his concerns.

"It started five minutes after we started the friendly game, when I heard some group in the corner doing the noises of monkeys, so first of all, I didn't realize it - I didn't want to realize it. Then it happened a second time to Muntari, then I spoke to the referee and I said, 'Listen, if it happens again, I'm not going to play any more.' The referee said, 'Don't worry,' so I said, 'Yeah, I do worry', because it's not nice.

"Then the third time, I was trying to dribble past a player and I heard their voices coming again, the noises coming from them, so that's why I stopped the game and shot the ball to them. And I was really angry, so I shot the ball to the crowd."

Former Rossoneri star Clarence Seedorf disagreed with Boateng's decision to leave the field in the wake of the incident, but the 25-year-old feels his ex-teammate was wrong.

"I respect his opinion, but I think Seedorf's wrong," Boateng said. "They should get 100 percent of our attention, and it's the only way we can kick these people out. We can't just stay silent and pretend we didnt hear anything."

Despite his anger at receiveing such abuse, Boateng stated that nothing would make him leave the game due to his love for playing.

"I wouldn't consider retiring," Boateng said. "There's some very stupid people, but I will give them my attention, because I want to kick them out. I love the game too much."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sneijder 'absolutely not interested' in QPR move

Fiorentina has agreed on a transfer fee with Villarreal for star New Jersey-born striker Giuseppe Rossi, with contractual details soon to be sorted.

Reports had linked the former Manchester United forward with a number of Italian clubs in the past couple of months, including Inter and Juventus. The Viola have emerged as the most likely side to secure the Italy international's signature over the past couple of days, though, and the signing now seems like a mere formality with both parties deciding upon a transfer fee."Fiorentina and Villarreal can confirm that they have reached an agreement for the transfer of the player Giuseppe Rossi outright, subject to the signing of the contract," Fiorentina said in statement.

Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport had reported that Fiorentina was prepared to pay 12.5 million euros for the 25-year-old Italy international, although there has been no official confirmation of the final fee.

Rossi has not played since October 2011. He tore his right ACL against Real Madrid and spent six months on the sideline, only to return the following April and tear it again. While on the sideline, he saw Villarreal relegated to the Spanish Segunda Division, and he missed out on Italy's march to the Euro 2012 final.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Iniesta warns Barcelona has not won La Liga yet

Andres Iniesta has warned his Barcelona teammates that they have not won La Liga yet, but remains confident they will be come out on top come May.


The Blaugrana have enjoyed a record-breaking start to their domestic campaign, dropping just two points in their first 16 games, but the Ballon d'Or contender is adamant that the hard work is yet to come.

"We would be wrong to think that [we have won La Liga]," he was quoted as saying by Sport. "Without a doubt, we've been very good, and to be happy at this point would be easy. But I am convinced that if we think that, we will suffer.

"The team have to be good and continue with our current mindset and intensity, otherwise we could lose. Every season is a story that may seem very familiar, and we are almost all the same players.

"This season, we are motivated as last year, when we fought to the end for La Liga and the Champions League."

Iniesta will find out on Monday whether his exploits with Barca and Spain will lead to Ballon d'Or success, but feels that his teammates deserve credit.

"The good things that happen to you motivate you to continue to grow, that's always my point of view. I do not ever lose that aim for anything, whether good or bad.

"I appreciate that my game, my way of doing things, is valued. I feel lucky to be there when there are players at such a great level. We all look forward to being there. In the end, we all know that we are elected, but each teammate has a piece because we must not forget that it is a collective game."

Finally, Iniesta claimed that he tried to put on a brave face when he heard of Tito Vilanova's cancer relapse.

"Like everything in life, when there is a blow, it is hard to take, you have to take strength, and if anything, fight ever more for those that do not have the strength or health that we may have.

"You have to take a positive stance and pull from the front."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern Munich announces Kirchhoff signing

Bayern Munich has secured the services of Jan Kirchhoff from Mainz on a free transfer at the end of the 2012-13 season.

The center back has an expiring contract with his current club, and he will sign a deal with the Bavarians until June 2016.

"We are very pleased that such a young and talented Under-21 international has made the decision to join Bayern," chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Bild.

The 22-year-old had also caught the attention of Borussia Dortmund and Schalke, but he has opted to continue his career at the Allianz Arena instead. Kirchhoff came through the ranks of the Eintracht Frankfurt youth academy, before joining Mainz in 2007.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

FA Cup 2013.01.05 Fixtures

FA Cup 2013.01.05 Fixtures

Brighton & Hove Albion Vs Newcastle United
Aldershot Town Vs Rotherham United
Aston Villa Vs Ipswich Town
Barnsley Vs Burnley
Blackburn Rovers Vs Bristol City
Bolton Wanderers Vs Sunderland
Charlton Athletic Vs Huddersfield Town
Crawley Town Vs Reading
Crystal Palace Vs Stoke City
Derby County Vs Tranmere Rovers
Fulham Vs Blackpool
Hull City Vs Leyton Orient
Leeds United Vs Birmingham City
Leicester City Vs Burton Albion
Luton Town Vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Macclesfield Town Vs Cardiff City
Manchester City Vs Watford
Middlesbrough Vs Hastings Utd
Millwall Vs Preston North End
Nottingham Forest Vs Oldham Athletic
Oxford United Vs Sheffield United
Peterborough United Vs Norwich City
Queens Park Rangers Vs West Bromwich Albion
Sheffield Wednesday Vs Milton Keynes Dons
Southampton Vs Chelsea
Southend United Vs Brentford
Tottenham Hotspur Vs Coventry City
Wigan Athletic Vs AFC Bournemouth
West Ham United Vs Manchester United​