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| 16 AUGUST - 31 August 2000 15 AUGUST 2000 Rumours Steve McManaman has been linked with Manchester United and Middlesbrough. Alfonso Passes Medical! Alfonso Perez has completed his move to Barcelona from Real Betis after passing his medical. Ehiogu To Stay At Villa? After Aston Villa had come to an agreement with Ugo Ehiogu's previous club West Brom over his sell on fee Ehiogu's agent claims the defender will now see out the remainder of his contract, due to expire at the end of 2001. West Brom were set to earn 50% of any transfer fee for Ehiogu which proved to be a huge stumbling block for Villa and clubs making bids for the defender. Sol Campbell Free Transfer Sol Campbell is expected to see out the remainder of his contract and will leave Tottenham on a free transfer at the end of the season. The highly rated defender have been linked with numerous clubs both home and abroad over the past two seasons. 13 AUGUST 2000 BRAZILIAN ROUND UP by Irineu de Carvalho This Wednesday Sao Paulo escaped a killing against Santos at the legendary Vila Belmiro in the debut of "The Animal" EDMUNDO. In the first 45 minutes Santos had half a dozen of clear opportunities but socred only once. But in the second half, Sao Paulo's young midfielder FABIO SIMPLICIO capitalized on a terrible defensive mistake, for a final 1-1 draw. Today it happens again. In the Morumbi stadium, Flamengo opened a 2-0 lead against Sao Paulo, thanks to their rising star striker ADRIANO, assisted by Serbian PETKOVIC. But the lead did not last long. First FABIO SIMPLICIO, then ROGERIO PINHEIRO scored for Sao Paulo and then the wonder!!! SANDRO HIROSHI scores the third goal in a wonderful backheel touch while in high velocity. I will try to send you a video file of this goal. Brazilian Previews : the Four Paulistas So far, **SANTOS** seem to be the strongest Paulista candidate for the Brazilian (a.k.a. Joao Havelange) title. On their favor, a strong forward tandem with EDMUNDO and DODO, and the managerial skills of FREDDY RINCON and creativity of ROBERT in the midfield. Their problem seems to be a certain complex of inferiority after 16 years without a major title (Paulista or Brasileiro). **SAO PAULO** will have to reinvent their team if they are to claim the title. Sao Paulo's market was terrible selling midfielders and buying forwards, with the losses of leader, guru and sex-symbol RAI to retirement, great shooter and runner MARCELINHO 100% PARAIBA to Marseille and the man who out-vampetaed VAMPETA twice, VAGNER to Celta de Vigo. Moreover, Sao Paulo will constantly have players serving their National team dues. Defender EDMILSON, right full-back BELLETTI, goalie ROGERIO CENI and striker FRANCA are at risk of cap for the full Brazilian National team. So is Chilean midfielder MALDONADO and Brazilian Olympians FABIO AURELIO, EDU and FABIANO. The hope for a good campaign is youth midfielder FABIO SIMPLICIO upon whom coach LEVIR CULPI deposited the responsibility of rebuilding Sao Paulo's midfield. The third Paulista power seems to be a surprising **PALMEIRAS** side, after total liquidation of their 1999 Libertadores winning squad. The initial impression as one reads their line-up is that this team would be one the weakest, but their initial showings called for some more respect. The only big names that stayed are Paraguayan right full-back ARCE and Colombian veteran trouble-maker FAUSTINO ASPRILLA. Hopefully, lightning-fast forward EULLER and effficient midfield ROGERIO stay too, but as of today they are very likely to leave. Filling the open gaps, some promising young players emerge, like midfielders THADEI and 17 year-old central defender THIAGO MATHIAS. Current world champions **CORINTHIANS** are now the Paulista laughing stock. Well, what to expect after losing GAMARRA, SILVINHO, FREDDY RINCON, EDILSON, DIDA and maybe VAMPETA in a 18 months period? Their only top player left is RICARDINHO, one of my absolute favorites, and some other decent players, such as "fake-passport" EDU, "fake-christian" MARCELINHO CARIOCA and "fake-forward" LUISAO, but they currently do not exist tactically, their defense is a very funny joke, their goalie is horrible and the money does not seem to be there since their business partners HTMF signed a deal with CRUZEIRO. A long semester awaits the Opossum. 12 AUGUST 2000 Charlton Youth Player Dies Charlton Athletic youth player, Pierre Bolangi, drowned earlier in the week. Best wishes to all his friends and family. It's Started! "We don't want to bring chaos to football (by outlawing the current transfer system) but now we're proceeding with our negative decision." European Commission spokeswoman Amelia Torres All I can say is you were warned! It's absouletly inevitable that the current transfer system will be abolished, within the next two years if not earlier. The star players will probably sign long terms contract with huge wage guarantees like those earnt by American Basketball and Football players. Clubs wishing to 'sign' these players will simply buy out the players contracts i.e. pay the remaning wages. I expect a compensation system will come into place to protect the smaller clubs from loosing their young talent for free. European Superleague Light The Scottish Premier League have been holding talks about the formation of a 'European Super League' which will apparently start in 2002. Clubs from Holland, Portugal, Scotland, Sweden and Norway would compete. This seems to suggest the current Champions League would, as expected, become THE European Super League with the best clubs from the top nations - Italy, Spain, England, Germany, France and maybe Turkey, given their current financial resources, forming the bulk of the membership. Injury Updates Jens Jeremies, Bayern Munich - Knee injury, out for 3 months Silvio Maric, Porto - Knee injury, out for 6 months 11 AUGUST 2000 Panucci Joins Chelsea Christian Panucci has joined Chelsea on loan from Inter Milan. 10 AUGUST 2000 Tristan Joins Deportivo Diego Tristan has joined champions Deportivo after his transfer to Real Madrid fell through. Blow For Bayern, Award For Kahn Bayern Munich playmaker Stefan Effenberg is out for two months following ankle surgery. Bayern 'keeper Oliver Kahn has been voted German player of the year. Amaral Out Fiorentina's Brazilian midfielder Amaral will be out of action for six months following cruciate knee ligament surgery. Ferguson - Another Euro Classic Alex Ferguson, so successful in the past with his forays into the European transfer market with great signings like Taibi, Blomqvist and Silvestre now claims Fabian Barthez is the best goalkeeper in the World, not that Barthez isn't a great 'keeper but best in the World? He's not in the same class as the likes of Toldo, Kahn, Van der Sar, Peruzzi etc, etc. 9 AUGUST 2000 Inter Sign Vampeta Marcelo Lippi has made his most important signing of the season brining Brazilian midfielder Vampeta from Corinthians. The fee is £10 million. Zidane Hints At Leaving "I want so much to win this competition. It's the only one that I have not won and if I succeed, I can leave with a clear mind. I am not saying that I will definitely leave, but that it would be a possibility in as much as I would have completed the cycle in Italy and I could leave Juve." Zinedine Zidane More Bad News For Milan In a suicidal move Milan have cancelled the contract of their best central defender, Taribo West. 8 AUGUST 2000 Macca Not Wanted "I have pointed out to McManaman that there are others in front of him and said there is little chance of him playing this year." Real Madrid Coach Vicente del Bosque Baggio To Bradford!?!?!? Bradford claim they will unveil a new signing later today that will shock the World. Rumours are it could be Benito Carbone or Roberto Baggio! Ferrer - I Would Sign Beckham With My Eyes Closed "Beckham is a player I would sign with my eyes closed but it is difficult to get any club to sell a player of that quality." Barcelona coach Llorenc Serra Ferrer Wor Kev - No! "It will be the players who were around at Euro 2000. There will be no major changes." Keegan on the squad to face France in a friendly next month T*** Out For The Lads! Posh Spice Victoria Beckham fell out of her top during an open air concert in Middlesbrough on Sunday. No I didn't go before you ask. West Ham Would Consider Barca Bid For Ferdinand "I understand Leeds are prepared to go to £15 million for him but he's not going there. If a club like Barcelona came in it might be different." West Ham coach Harry Redknapp 6 AUGUST 2000 Cragnotti - Kewell The Best In The Premiership "I was very impressed with Kewell last season sand saw the game against Roma in the UEFA Cup where he scored the winning goal. He is an excellent talent, the best in the Premiership. He is a player I admire and we will look at him this season." Lazio President Sergio Cragnotti Wenger Waits For Wiltord "It is true that I am interested in signing him (Sylvain Wiltord). We are waiting now for an announcement from Bordeaux." Arsene Wenger Man United News - Bosnich, Keane "Barthez will be my #1 and Raimond van der Gouw is my #2." Alex Ferguson Ferguson has dismissed claims by Sunday newspapers that Roy Keane is undergoing treatment for alcoholism and depression. Bosman Mark II - It Has Started We reported on the European Union's threat to abolish transfers twice over the past month and were the first site to highlight the importance of what we fell will become inevitable - the end of the football transfer system. Serie A team Perugia refused to pay for a player under contract, unsurprisingly FIFA rejected the 'transfer'. Perugia will now take the case to the European Court who are almost certain to rule in favour of the Italian club. Here is a quote from June 2000 : "It would mean that the FIFA system would no longer be legal. Nobody would be bound by those rules. It would be a matter for players and clubs to solve." European Union Spokeswoman Ameila Torres Well Done Trevor "This lady's baby had stopped breathing and I gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation. It was a situation which will stay with me for the rest of my life. I just hope and pray the baby is okay." Trevor Francis Barca's Figo Removal Barcelona will remove Luis Figo's name free of charge for any fans who bring their Barcelona shirts to the club shop at the Nou Camp. Spanish Tempt Baggio Roberto Baggio has been offered a two year contract by Barcelona. Deportivo are also interested in signing the former European player of the year. 5 AUGUST 2000 Bosnich Refuses Loan Move Mark Bosnich has turned down a loan move to Celtic and will fight for his place in the Man United squad. Ketsbaia Fed To Wolves Newcastle have sold their bald headed Bas Rutten look-a-like Temuri Ketsbai to first division Wolves for £0.9 million. Refund Season ticket holders at Tottenham will be given a refund if they return their tickets by the 15th of August. The move follows complaints by the supporters after David Ginola was sold to Aston Villa. 4 AUGUST 2000 Man United - We Are Poor "What we are not going to compete with is a magnanimous benefactor of a Berlusconi or Agnelli in Italy or a guy who is running for presidency in one of the Spanish clubs and dipping into his personal fortune." Man United Chairman Peter Kenyon FIFA To Rotate World Cup From 2010 "The committee supports Sepp Blatter's suggestion that all continents be given an equal opportunity to host the World Cup" FIFA Spokesman World Club Championships The second World Club Championships will be held in Spain during the summer of 2001 with 12 teams competing. Duberry To Charlton Leeds have agreed to sell defender Michael Duberry to Charlton Athletic for £4 million once they find a replacement. Galliani - No Excuses "Milan are one of the most famous teams in the world and they cannot create that kind of impression. Friendlies don't exist, not when there are thousands in the stadium and millions watching on television. It is now up to the technical staff to find the solutions." Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani on the teams humiliating 1-5 defeat to European Champions Real Madrid 3 AUGUST 2000 Another Signing For Real Madrid Real Madrid have signed Celta Vigo winger Claude Makalele for £9 million taking their spending to £80 million with £35 million in sales (Anelka, Karembeu and Redondo). Real are now likely to sell several players with McManaman and Salgado rumoured to amongst those set to leave. Real Madrid director Jose Martinez Pirri said "The squad is practically closed to new signings" which suggests the club may continue their attempts to sign Zinedine Zidane from Juventus. Casiraghi Retires Chelsea forward Pierluigi Casiraghi has retired following 10 operations on a knee injury he injured in 1998. Chelsea will be paid over £4 million insurance. Juve Snatch Carini Uruguayan Goalkeeper Fabian Carini, who was expected to join Lazio, has been signed by Juventus. He will arrive in January 2001. Thanks to Vova Belmasov for this news. ROUND UP by Tim Leidecker Kicker Magazine Bundesliga Attacker Rankings World Class None International Class 1. Zé Roberto (Bayer Leverkusen) 25 2. Paulo Sergio (Bayern München) 30 3. Martin Max (TSV München 1860) 31 4. Giovane Elber (Bayern München) 27 Close To The Best Circles 5. Youri Djorkaeff (1. FC Kaiserslautern) 32 6. Mehmet Scholl (Bayern München) 29 7. Ulf Kirsten (Bayer Leverkusen) 34 8. Paulo Rink (Bayer Leverkusen) 27 9. Carsten Jancker (Bayern München) 25 10. Michael Preetz (Hertha BSC) 31 11. Jörgen Pettersson (1. FC Kaiserslautern) 24 12. Emile Mpenza (Schalke 04) 22 13. Ebbe Sand (Schalke 04) 28 14. Hans van der Haar (SSV Ulm 1846) 25 15. Victor Agali (Hansa Rostock) 21 16. Jochen Seitz (SpVgg Unterhaching) 23 17. Andrzej Juskowiak (VfL Wolfsburg) 29 Field Of Vision Aílton (Werder Bremen) 26 Breitenreiter (SpVgg U'haching) 26 Labbadia (Arm. Bielefeld) 34 Präger (Hamburger SV) 28 I would have to agree with the list with a few exceptions though : First of all Martin Max has no business in the 'international class' section because he didn't do anything to merit that label. In the Bundesliga he scored 13 of his 19 goals in home games and 14 of his 19 goals against the likes of Schalke (13th), Frankfurt (14th), Rostock (15th), Ulm (16th), Bielefeld (17th) and Duisburg (18th). Additionally he remained without a goal in 20 out of the 32 games he participated in and only managed to score 4 goals against the Top 6 teams in the league. Secondly in my opinion Giovane Élber is far ahead of every other attacker on the list. Even though he once again had to battle with injuries and did not 100% convince in the Champions League he is a complete forward who can not only excellently finish the action but also create himself. Finally if you only look at the potential of the players guys like Schalke's Emile Mpenza or Werder's Aílton should be ranked much higher. Kicker Magazine Rankings For German Players Abroad World Class None International Class None Close To The Best Circles KEEPERS 1. Stefan Klos (Glasgow Rangers/Scotland) 28 2. Robert Enke (Benfica Lisbon/Portugal) 22 DEFENDERS 1. Mustafa Dogan (Fenerbahçe Istanbul/Turkey) 24 2. Oliver Kreuzer (FC Basle/Switzerland) 34 WINGERS 1. Christian Ziege (FC Middlesbrough/England) 28 2. Jörg Heinrich (AC Fiorentina/Italy) 30 DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS 1. Dietmar Hamann (FC Liverpool/England) 26 2. Gerhard Poschner (Rayo Vallecano/Spain) 30 3. Markus Schupp (Sturm Graz/Austria) 34 OFFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS 1. Jörg Albertz (Glasgow Rangers/Scotland) 29 2. Markus Anfang (FC Tirol/Austria) 26 FORWARDS Oliver Bierhoff (AC Milan/Italy) 32 Field Of Vision DEFENDERS Franco Foda (Sturm Graz/Austria) 34 Jochen Kientz (Panionios Athens/Greece) 27 Oliver Schäfer (Besiktas Istanbul/Turkey) 31 Kent Scholz (Vejle/Denmark) 31 WINGERS Markus Münch (Besiktas Istanbul/Turkey) 27 DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS Oliver Freund (Rapid Wien/Austria) 30 Steffen Freund (Tottenham Hotspurs/England) 30 OFFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS Jens Dowe (Rapid Wien/Austria) 32 FORWARDS Rainer Rauffmann (Omonia Nicosia/Cyprus) 33 Historic Defeat For Dynamo Kyiv After an unbeaten streak of almost two years Ukraine record champs Dynamo Kyiv lost 2-0 to Karpaty L'viv yesterday. The side of legendary coach Lobanovskyi is trailing the top of the table by four points after four rounds of play. Redondo Pissed Over Real Treatment "I can understand the fans. It hurts me to see the Real supporters being lied to. The board claimed I wanted to leave badly which is a lie! I haven't negotiated with any other club before [signing with Milan]. To question my love and loyalty to Real now is unbelievable ! Nobody told me anything about the negotiations. My opinion wasn't important to the people who were responsible. My manager told me that Real and Milan agreed on a transfer fee. I had my back to the wall. Real wanted to sell me. I had no other choice than to sign [with Milan]." Redondo in Gazzetta dello Sport Telefonica Buys Figo Rights Spanish telecommunication company Telefonica has bought the marketing rights of Portuguese superstar Luis Figo from Real Madrid for around £22 million. The deal runs until 2006 where Figo's contract with Real Madrid ends as well. Therefore Real Madrid have basically gotten Figo for 'only' £15 million. Footballer Wisdom Of The Day "In the past I used to be a huge fan of Borussia Mönchengladbach. But I also didn't yet have a clue about football back then." Kaiserslautern winger Marco Reich 2 AUGUST 2000 Rivaldo Signs New Contract Rivaldo has ended speculation over his future by signing a new contract with Barcelona. He will earn £4.3 million a season. This does not make him the highest paid player in the World as some sources have claimed. Keane Admits Star Duo May Leave "I'm happy here but other players might fancy a different challenge in sunnier climes. It's not an immediate worry because Becks Scholesy have a long way to go on their contract and I'm sure the club will talk to them next summer." Roy Keane Real Target Zidane Real Madrid are willing to offer Juventus £30 million plus new signing Flavio Conceicao in exchange for Zinedine Zidane. Rumours Igor Biscan (MF, Croatia Zagreb) to Milan, Ajax Michel Salgado (DF, Real Madrid) to Milan, Lazio, Juventus Beckham's Contract Contrary to what you have read David Beckham has not signed a new contract with Manchester United. Former chairman Martin Edwards claimed the club were in no hurry to start negotiating a new contract. Beckham's current contract expires at the end of the 2001-2002 season. Rivaldo It appears a move to Milan is now unlikely as Rivaldo is set to re-negotiate his contract with Barcelona. Zidane I think Zidane's contract expires at the end of this season so Juve may cash in rather than risk loosing him on a free transfer. The Price Isn't Right Leeds have refused to increase their offer for Norwegian midfielder John Arne Riise after Monaco increased their asking price having already accepted an offer of £4 million. Portugal's Former Coach Returns Antonio Oliveira, who coached Portugal during Euro '96 is to start his second spell in charge of the national team. 1 AUGUST 2000 Redknapp Knackered Liverpool midfield and professional cripple Jamie Redknapp will be out until February following knee surgery. Bosnich To Celtic Mark Bosnich is discussing a loan move with Celtic. Bosnich is surplus to requirements following the arrival of Fabian Barthez from Monaco. Deschamps Half Arsed Excuse "It was difficult for me in England after five seasons in a team like Juventus. I think my style adapts better to the Latin game." Basically Davids wasn't there to hold his hand so he looked ordinary. |