23 January 2005 Clarke Hits Back At Boring Taunts Chelsea's assistant coach Steve Clarke has hit back at Arsene Wenger's claims that Chelsea are boring to watch : "You watch the games - you tell me whether we're efficient or entertaining. I think that our fans went home happy after beating Portsmouth. I don't talk about other teams. We just have to win the league. If you do that, then you'll entertain your fans. If we keep on winning every week, they can say what they want. Nothing is going to deflect us from what we're after. In fact, it's great that they're all talking about us. If we were fourth in the league, I don't think that Mr Ferguson or Mr Wenger would speak very much about us. We don't look at teams below us. We don't think about their results or what they're doing, as it doesn't matter. If we're at the top and win, we can relax and have a glass of wine, as it doesn't matter what else happens that weekend. It's hard to see a danger at the moment but we won't become complacent, we look to win every match. We need to win 11 matches now." Almunia Realistic on Title Chances In stark contrast to his blinkered coach, Arsenal's goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has written off his teams chances of retaining the Premiership : "The truth is it's going to be very difficult to catch them as they keep winning and winning. We have to be realistic, our chances in the league are scarce. They are a rival who are very strong in defence, and in attack someone usually does something. Chelsea, unlike Arsenal, are happy on the pitch at the moment. They are playing well, scoring, and their signings have come off. We will face Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and we will see how we get on in that." Souness Drops Bellamy After Row "There was an incident on Friday which led to me having to have a meeting between the chairman, the player and myself, and that will remain private. Craig Bellamy is not happy in the position we are asking him to play sometimes, and he's gone about showing his displeasure in totally the wrong way. That's why he was not involved today. He declared himself injured on Friday and walked off then he was fit on Saturday. We're trying to create a team spirit at Newcastle, and I'm only interested in having players at the club who give everything for the cause. Sometimes, you have to play in a position (right wing) that you may feel is not your best - our supporters don't want to hear the petulance of a player saying he only wants to play in a certain position. They want to see 11 players out there working their socks off for the cause. Unfortunately, we're faced with the situation where that's not the case." - Graham Souness Maradona's Words of Wisdom On Wayne Rooney : "Wayne Rooney is a phenomenal talent and has already achieved a lot. He could go on to be as great as Bobby Charlton and help England win the World Cup. To do that he needs to concentrate totally on his football - if he does this he has almost unlimited possibilities. That can be hard, as there is even more pressure on players today than when I was playing." Maradona was, bizarrely, full of praise for David Beckham : "Beckham is the best right winger in world football - he has the ability with the ball, flair and works hard for the team but Madrid have been playing him in the centre of midfield and the time dedicated to advertising seems to have taken an effect on his career. The problem is that they are all stars at Madrid. You need someone to carry the water to the well. It's best to have six or seven guys who work really hard and a few stars who make the difference. That's what Argentina had when we won the World Cup in 1986." 22 January 2005 Mourinho Not Interested in Galacticos Jose Mourinho has, as expected, rejected rumours linking Chelsea with a move for David Beckham at the end of the season : "All you need is a strong group of players - you don't need a Hollywood star. What the devil is a Galactico anyway? Is it a player with a lot of prestige? Or one who can produce a great performance in 60 matches? The image of the Galactico comes from the social lives, publicity and fame that the players have achieved. And it is those Galacticos that I distrust. My doubt about them does not concern their ability but what surrounds them and makes their performances inconsistent. Everyone knows I prefer players like Paulo Ferreira or Didier Drogba." Jealous Wenger Hits Out At Billionaires Having engaged in a war of words with Manchester United's Alex Ferguson, the coach of the outgoing champions Arsenal has turned his attention to Jose Mourinho's Chelsea : "We are more attractive to watch than them. They might have a better balance in defence but we score goals and will catch them in the final third of the season. Chelsea are more efficient and you have to respect that. Being defensive suits Chelsea well. You have to adapt to the quality of players you have. If you play a Pires, a Bergkamp or a Ljungberg and you say defend, you can't do it. They have players who are happy to defend." Wenger also believes Arsenal, 10 points adrift of Chelsea, will catch the billionaires late in the season : "There's a lot more to come from my team and I believe we can catch them in the final third. We haven't given up. It would be my greatest achievement. Setting the record the way we did last season was magnificent - but this will be something special if we win again. We can do it." Expect Wenger to cry about the money Mourinho has spent once Chelsea sew up the championship in May. Match Fixing Allegations Rock German Football The DFB (German Football Federation) has confirmed that referee Robert Hoyzer has resigned  following revelations that he influenced a German cup match between Paderborn and Hamburg on August the 21st, 2004. It's claimed that the 25 year old referee bet on the match and then influenced the outcome. Paderborn won the match 4-2, a result which cost Hamburg coach Klaus Toppmoller his job. DFB President Theo Zwanziger said : "I am sure the incident will be clarified and no stone left unturned. I do not want to say anything else at this stage." Hoyzer had officiated at 12 matches in the German second division and several cup ties. 21 January 2005 Campbell and Ralph Staying Put Arsenal defenders Sol Campbell and Ralph Lauren have signed new contracts tying them to the club until 2007.   Arsenal to Ditch Red & White Kit Arsenal will commemorate their last season at Highbury by playing in a claret coloured shirt, the same colour they wore when they first played at Highbury in 1913. Coward Eriksson Won't Drop Beckham England coach Sven Goran Eriksson has insisted that he will continue to select David Beckham despite the midfielder's poor form : "He is the captain, he is playing regularly for Real Madrid, which isn't bad and he is criticised every time he is not the best man on the pitch but he is my captain and will be picked for sure." Real Make Surprise Bid for Volpi Sampdoria have revealed that they have turned down a bid from Real Madrid for 29 year old midfielder Sergio Volpi. President Riccardo Garrone said : "Real Madrid's offer for Volpi flatters us and the player too but anyway, no deal will be done. There's no point getting round a table and talking about it. Volpi is an essential player for Sampdoria and for this reason he's intransferable." Volpi was understandably flattered by the interest : "I'm happy about the interest. I think anyone would be happy to play for Real. I heard about this from my agent. I want to keep my feet on the floor but I would obviously like to think about it. On one hand, I am happy that Garrone believes I am intransferable but from on the other I think let's see if they really want me and let's talk." Maxi Lopez Mulls Over Barca Offer River Plate striker Maxi Lopez has revealed that Barcelona have made a bid for his signature. The 20 year old striker was thought to be close to a move to Benfica : "I already knew about the interest of Benfica and now there is an approach from Barcelona. I will talk with my agent, and we will have to make a calm decision." 20 January 2005 Newcastle's Injury Woes Continue Nicky Butt is facing surgery and could be ruled out for the rest of the season after failing to recover from a hamstring injury. Manager Graham Souness said the midfielder was on the brink of returning to first team action : "It's a massive blow to us and him and he is naturally very disappointed to have been hit with the same problem again just as he was on the verge of returning to the side. He is an excellent player and we've missed him. It's linked to the same problem he has had for the last seven weeks and he is going to have to see a specialist next week. It's very frustrating, but we need to get a second opinion. We cannot say how long he is going to be missing until he has seen the specialist." Schwarzer Re-Signs With Boro Mark Schwarzer has ended speculation about his future after signing a three year contract with Middlesbrough. Schwarzer was strongly rumoured to join Manchester United on a free transfer at the end of the season : "I have got three more years with Middlesbrough. I am just going to concentrate on my career there and career with the national side and hope to qualify for the World Cup. It is a bonus to have everything settled now, it is an ideal world. I don't have to concentrate on anything other than football." Chelsea Pay-off Umbro Chelsea have paid out €35.35 million to buy out their contract with kit manufacturers Umbro, which was due to end in 2011. Chelsea cannot sign a contract with another kit manufacturer until the end of next season. 19 January 2005 2004 UEFA Team of the Year - Nedved & Ronaldo Questionable Choices The award, now in it's fourth year, is based on the votes of visitors to UEFA's website. Over 1.2 million votes were cast. From a shortlist, visitors selected a goalkeeper, left back, right back, two centre backs, a left sided midfielder, right sided midfielder, central midfielder, attacking midfielder, two forwards and a coach. Juventus' Pavel Nedved and Manchester United's Christiano Ronaldo were the major surprises in what was an otherwise a formidable XI. Although Pavel Nedved rebounded from poor league form with some fine displays for the Czech Republic at Euro 2004 he was overshadowed by team-mates Karel Poborsky and Milan Baros and his club form remains patchy. Robben, the best winger in the World, was the only option in this position. Based soely on performances at Euro 2004 Christiano Ronaldo is an obvious choice, based on performances over a calander year his inclusion is a joke. The criticicms leveled at the player when he first arrived at Old Trafford remain i.e. too many stepovers and not enough end product. Freddy Ljungberg seemed the obvious choice. The remaining selections are no real surprise : GK : Buffon. Juventus. 37.54% Clearly based on this season's form. Dida wasn't short listed. Cech is breathing hard down Buffon's neck. RB : Cafu. Milan. 35.26% Will probably lose his place to Chelsea's Paulo Ferreira in the next vote. CB : Carvalho. Porto & Chelsea. 16.59% Will be a lock in this position for years. CB : Nesta. Milan. 16.63% Re-united with ex-Lazio team-mate Jap Stam, Nesta's chances of holding onto this spot improve greatly. LB : Ashley Cole. Arsenal. 38.13% In an interview last year claimed he 'one day' hoped to be as good as Roberto Carlos. In terms of defensive abilities Carlos isn't in Cole's league. Maldini's return to left back (as long as Stam and Nesta stay fit) will hurt Cole's chances next year. RM : Ronaldo. Manchester United. 36.58% Don't expect to see Ronaldo make this list again CM : Maniche. Porto. 30.36% His inclusion is a fitting reward for outstanding performances for the European Champions Porto and Portugal. Will not make the list next year. Gattuso is once again an unforgivable omission. AM : Ronaldinho. Barcelona. 56.78% How long can Ronaldinho's trickery keep him ahead of the all action midfielder Frank Lampard? LM : Nedved. Juventus. 46.35% Another place on this team is unlikely barring a highly improbable league and European Cup double FW : Henry. Arsenal. 20.16% Henry has made the list three years in a row but will Chelsea's ascent to the top of the English (and maybe European) game hurt the Frenchman's chances? FW : Shevchenko. Milan. 24.31% A fitting reward for the World's best striker. In the form of his career right now, the European Footballer of the year faces strong opposition from city neighbour Adriano. Coach : Mourinho. Porto & Chelsea. 55.3% No real surprise, he is after all the best coach in the World. Having lead Porto, a team with no budget, to the very top of the game he is now on course to achieve the same with unlimited resources, playing fantasy football with real money at Chelsea. Don't be a hater, Mourinho and Chelsea are good for football. 18 January 2005 Statistical Analysis Proves Buffon is the Best? Based on statistical analysis(?) the International Federation for Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) have revealed that best goalkeepers of 2004 were Gianluigi Buffon, Peter Cech and Dida. To claim Buffon is the World's number one, coming on the back of a season in which he conceded 41 league goals and had many poor matches is ridiculous. Ivan Pelizzoli was statistically the best goalkeeper in Serie A last season with more clean sheets and a higher shots saved percentage than 2nd placed Dida but unlike the Brazilian has failed to sustain that level of performance beyond a season. Dida cemented his reputation as a World Class goalkeeper during Milan's European Cup triumph in the 2002-2003 season and has maintained that level of performance since. Voller Back At Leverkusen Leverkusen have appointed Rudi Voller as there new sporting director, a position he held at the club between 1997-2000. He will be responsible for the hiring and firing of players and staff. Chelsea eye 'new Owen' Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder, Oyvind Leonhardsen, claims that 17 year old John Obi Mikel, who was on trial at Chelsea, has more potential than Michael Owen : "I have only seen John in training but I look forward to playing with him for Lyn this season. He has got all the qualities to become a new superstar in international football. I have never seen a 17-year-old like that before. He is more complete as a footballer than Michael Owen, for example, who I experienced closely at Liverpool." Lyn director Morgan Andersen added : "It's nice that people like Mourinho feel our players are good. That proves that we have got a good eye for talent." Billy to play-on Until 40 Alessandro Costacurta has extended his contract with Milan, which was due to end this summer, by a year. A club statement read : "Today in Milan's offices, Alessandro Costacurta extended his contract with Rossoneri until 2006, June 30. With this renewal the defender will be part of Milan's 2005-2006 group at the age of 40, which he will be on April 24, 2006. There is a lot of happiness in Milan about this contract extension." Livorno Register Mutu Livorno have registered Adrian Mutu in a bid to gain favour from Juventus as the club have their full quota of non EU players. Director Elio Signorelli said : "Our President simply decided to do Juve a favour. It is possible we will receive some players in exchange but we haven't discussed it yet." Players List Finalised for Tsunami Benefit Match The participants for next month's 'Football for Hope' match at the Nou Camp, February 15th, kick off at 21.00 CET : Shevchenko XI Coaches : Lippi (Italy Coach), Wenger (Arsenal) Goalkeepers : Buffon (Italy, Juventus), Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid) Defenders : Kaladze (Georgia, Milan), Karembeu (France, Servette), Kompany (Belgium, Anderlecht), Maldini (Milan), Puyol (Spain, Barcelona), Stam (Netherlands, Milan), Lilian Thuram (Juventus) Midfielders : Ballack (Germany, Bayern Munich), Beckham (England, Real Madrid), Deco (Portugal, Barcelona), Gerrard (England, Liverpool), Nedved (Juventus), Semak (Russia, CSKA Moscow), Vieira (France, Arsenal), Vogel (Switzerland, PSV), Zidane (France, Real Madrid) Forwards : Baggio (Italy), Del Piero (Italy, Juventus), Henry (France, Arsenal), Raul (Spain, Real Madrid), Totti (Italy, Roma), Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine, Milan) Ronaldinho XI Coaches : Carlos Alberto Parreira (Brazi Coach), Rijkaard (Barcelona) Goalkeepers : Dida (Brazil, Milan), Kameni (Cameroon, Espanyol) Defenders : Cafu (Brazil, Milan), Cordoba (Colombia, Inter), Cris (Brazil, Lyon), Heinze (Argentina, Manchester United), Jaidi (Tunisia, Bolton), Kuffour (Ghana, Bayern Munich), Lucio (Brazil, Bayern Munich), Marquez (Mexico, Barcelona), Radebe (South Africa, Leeds), Zanetti (Argentina, Inter) Midfielders : Cambiasso (Argentina, Inter), Cha Doo-Ri (South Korea, Frankfurt), Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea), Emerton (Australia, Blackburn), Essien (Ghana, Lyon), Juninho (Brazil, Lyon), Kaka' (Brazil, Milan), Li Tie (China, Everton), Mahdavikia (Iran, Hamburg), Nakata (Japan, Fiorentina) Forwards : Adriano (Brazil, Inter), Buckley (South Africa, Arminia Bielefeld), Eto'o (Cameroon, Barcelona), Martins (Nigeria, Inter), Ronaldo (Brazil, Real Madrid), Ronaldinho (Brazil, Barcelona) Wenger Loses Mind Games A day or so after making the following statement about Alex Ferguson : "I will never answer any question any more about this man. If he has to talk, he talks." Arsene Wenger made the following comments in an interview with French satellite broadcaster TPS : "Ferguson's out of order. He has lost all sense of reality. He is going out looking for a confrontation then asking the person he is confronting to apologise."