16 January 2005 Pressure Gets to Wenger & Ferguson Ferguson claims Arsene Wenger physically threatened him after Arsenal's unbeaten run came to an end at Old Trafford : "In the tunnel Wenger was criticising my players, calling them cheats, so I told him to leave them alone and behave himself. He ran at me with hands raised saying 'what do you want to do about it?' To not apologise for the behaviour of the players to another manager is unthinkable. It's a disgrace but I don't expect Wenger to ever apologise, he's that type of person. In the ensuing weeks all you got was a diatribe from Arsenal about being kicked off the pitch and all that nonsense. David Gill phoned David Dein three times to complain but nothing was done. The return is on 1 February and they will come out with another diatribe. David Gill and I feel we should set the record straight because Arsenal have not written to us to apologise and we would not let that happen here. Wenger is always complaining the match was not played in the right spirit. We tend to forget the worst disciplinary record of all time was Arsenal's up until last season. In fairness it has improved and now they are seen as paragons of virtue but to Wenger it never happens, it is all some dream or nightmare." Arsene Wenger refused to be drawn on Ferguson's comments : "I've always been consistent with that story and told you nothing happened (re Pizza gate). One thing's very simple. I will never answer any question any more about this man. If he has to talk, he talks. If he wants to make a newspaper article, he makes a newspaper article. He doesn't interest me and doesn't matter to me at all. I will never answer to any provocation from him any more. He does what he does in England anyway. Go abroad one day and see how it is." Carr out for Season Newcastle United's injury prone defender Stephen Carr could be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Tragedy for Caneira The 8 month old daughter of Valencia's Marco Caneira died on Sunday following respiratory problems. She died half an hour after being admitted to hospital in mid afternoon. Lazio Sale Lazio president Claudio Lotito has invited offers for injury prone defender Cesar and the rest of his squad : "I just need a serious bid for Cesar. In fact, everyone’s for sale at the right price." Mascherano Denies Signing Contract With MSI River Plate's 20 year old defensive midfielder has denied signing a contract with sports investment company MSI, not to be confused with Micro Star International, who manufacturer excellent quality computer components : "I read in a newspaper that a person from MSI had said that he had already reached a financial agreement with me and that is not true. It has been said that Corinthians are interested in buying me but I am not going to hide anything. The day that I receive an offer River will know about it, and I am not going to talk about anything on my own without letting them know. I am tired of all the gossip, I only want to do well in pre-season. It's been four months ago already since I heard that I have been transferred to one team or another and that's not good for me, it isn't even good for my family. I don't like to hear so many things that aren't true. I only want to think about the Copa Libertadores and the Torneo Clausura." Benin Goalkeeper Beaten to Death Benin's U20 goalkeeper died of his injuries after he was beaten by a gang at a nightclub in Benin's main city Cotonou. 18 year old Samiou Yessoufou, know as Campos, died after being attacked by a gang in a nightclub who blamed him for the teams first defeat in the African Youth Championships : CAF (Confederation African Football) president Issa Hayatou said : "I am saddened by the death of this young player who was bringing hope to his country." 14 January 2005 Gravesen Presented to the Press "I am very happy to be here. For me, it is a dream to belong to the greatest club in the world. It is impossible to say no to Madrid. I am very proud and I want to thank the president and the directors for putting their trust in me. I have come here to win things and I am going to give it everything in every game. With my team-mates, and with the help of the supporters, we are going to win all the competitions we are playing in. When I heard that they were interested I was hoping that everything would come together. I do not know if I will make my debut against Real Zaragoza this weekend, I hope so, but I really do not know." - Thomas Gravesen "We have signed the best player in Denmark. He's a fighter and has a great competitive spirit but he's also a technically gifted player. For us he is without doubt the player we were missing. Gravesen had many possibilities to join Italian, English clubs, all of them great clubs but he has discarded those options so he can play for Real Madrid. He is going to be part of a team that is going to do great things this season." - Real president Florentino Perez Morientes Looks Forward to Debut "I feel fine. It's quite a while since I last played a full game but physically I am 100% and my desire to do well will carry me through. Obviously I'm am only going to get match fit and regain my sharpness by playing games but hopefully that will come as quick as possible. I enjoyed my first training session in England this morning and now I just want to step out at Anfield with my new team-mates. You can't get a bigger game to make your debut in than Liverpool versus Manchester United. People have told me about how big this game is and I know it is just as big as Real versus Barca. I am really looking forward to it." Morientes revealed former Real Madrid team-mate Steve McManaman briefed him on life at the club and in England : "Last night, I was fortunate to meet up with Steve McManaman. We had dinner together and he has been filling me in on all the details I need to know about how things work in this country and what it's like to live here. Everything has been really positive up to now and despite what some people may say the weather is not a problem to me. It's cold in Madrid at this time of year as well." Mutu Delighted At Second Chance Disgraced ex-Chelsea forward Adrian Mutu has spoken of his delight at joining Juventus after the club signed him for next season. Due to his ban for failing a drugs test the Romanian international cannot play until next season : "It's the team that each player dreams of, the ideal place to play and to restart. It was destiny, due to the fact that I had been close to the move a couple of times (and I thought it was due to his consumption of chemicals). Now the dream has come true I'll change. I don't want to see my name linked to events outside of football. I'll have the number 30 jersey and I want to be on the pitch in the (Champions League) final against Chelsea." Galliani - Tomasson Not For Sale "Marseille eye Tomasson? We won't sell him. I've said it many times, Milan have decided not to sell their players." - Milan vice president Adriano Galliani Wegner Not Interested in Essien "I was never interested in Essien. It was complete invention. I don't know where that news came from but it's wrong news." - Arsene Wenger Van Gaal is Back Bighead Louis van Gaal will coach AZ Alkmaar next season replacing Co Adriaanse who earlier in the week claimed he had taken the club as far as it could go : "My decision to work for AZ is based on three criteria. They have a stable organisation, where I believe that I can do my work in the right way and the quality of the squad shows lots of opportunities. The ambition of the club fits in with my own ambition." Van Gaal quit as technical director of Ajax after a disastrous spell in charge of the Dutch national team. 13 January 2005 Gravesen Joins Real Madrid Thomas Gravesen has signed a three year contract with Real Madrid after Everton accepted a bid of €3 million for the Danish international who would have been available on a free transfer at the end of the season. Gravesen will be officially unveiled sometime on Friday. Boa Morte Extends Contract Fulham winger Luis Boa Morte has ended speculation about his future by extending his contract with the club until 2008. Newcastle coach Graham Souness was desperate to sign the player. Netherlands to Play in 'anti racism kit' The Netherlands will ditch their legendary orange for next months friendly against Villa Park in favour of black and white shirts, black shorts and white socks as part of Thierry Henry's Stand Up, Speak Up initiative. The striker revealed his initiative at last months FIFA world player of the year gala. Stars Line-up for Charity Match Marcello Lippi and Arsenal Wenger will coach a team captained by European footballer of the year Andriy Shevchenko on February the 15th at the Nou Camp in a match being held to raise funds for the victims of the Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster. FIFA World player of the year Ronaldinho will captain the other team, which will be coached by Brazil's coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and Frank Rijkaard. 12 January 2005 Gravesen's Agents in Talks With Real "I'm in Madrid just to hear what they have to say. They'd like to have him now but it's not in my hands. It's up to Everton. I have the impression that they want him now rather than at the end of the season. obviously Real Madrid would be a big opportunity but, if he stays at Everton until the end of the season, I think he would also be happy with that." - Thomas Gravesen's agent, John Sivebaek Gregory Gets Job At Corinthians Corinthians have appointed former Aston Villa and Derby coach John Gregory as an international scout. After initial success at Villa Gregory developed a high opinion of himself and a reputation for continual run ins with the FA for his outspoken criticism of the inept officiating in the Premiership. Corinthians president Andres Sanchez said : "This scout is going to be a great help for us because he knows a lot about European football and he can even link us to many teams to show our players." Corinthians Close in on Mascherano Corinthians are close to purchasing the transfer rights for River Plate's Javier Mascherano. The 20 year old defensive midfielder has been strongly linked with Real Madrid. It's thought Mascherano will initially play at Corinthians before joining Chelsea, furthering speculation over Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's links with MSI, the sports investment company that have ploughed money into the Brazilian club. Corinthians president Andres Sanchez said : "We have agreed the salary of Mascherano and are now negotiating with River so the player has every chance of playing for Corinthians. Now we have to wait for an answer from River." Atletico Fined €600 For Racist Chants The Spanish Football Federation have fined Atletico Madrid a measly €600 for the racist chanting aimed at Roberto Carlos during the Madrid derby at the weekend. The Europe and Media relations officer for the Kick It Out anti racism campaign Leon Mann, said : "We view recent events in Spain as a serious problem, as people in this country have a great deal of access to Spanish football and unfortunately we have seen copycat effects. The size of the fine sends out the wrong message. Work against racism in this country has shown that fines to clubs lead to serious proactive work against racism and the Spanish football authorities need to send out a more serious message. We are working with Spanish anti-racism campaigns to help them secure the support they need to help combat the problem." Gilberto Injury May Force Move for Essien With the news that Gilberto will not return to first team action until mid April at the earliest Arsenal may be forced to make a move for Lyon's Mickael Essien. Gilberto's recovery from a fractured vertebrae in his back has been slower than expected and Edu is expected to join either Barcelona or Valencia later this month leaving Patrick Vieira as the clubs only defensive midfielder. Former Arsenal player Giles Grimandi, who now works as s scout for the club, has recommended Essien to Arsene Wenger. Lyon paid a massive €8.5 million for the 22 year old's signature two years ago and he has become an integral part of a team that has now won three successive French championships. The highly rated Ghanaian international has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid and is expected to cost over €20 million. 11 January 2005 Malaga Sack Manzano Malaga have sacked Gregorio Manzano. The club are currently 18th in La Liga. Assistant coach Antonio Tapia will take over. Benitez - Morientes Hours Away Liverpool expect to complete the signing of Fernando Morientes sometime on Wednesday : "We are very close, it could be just a matter of hours. I am not sure exactly how far the talks have gone but I believe we have an agreement and I want the deal completed as soon possible." - Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez Real Revolution Begins - Gravesen in, Morientes Out According to the Spanish press Real Madrid have offered Everton €3 million for Thomas Gravesen. Everton risk losing the defensive midfielder on a free transfer at the end of the season. Milan and Manchester United have also been linked with the Gravesen but Milan are not likely to make a move while Everton would prefer not to sell the midfielder to one of their rivals. Meanwhile Lyon's managing director Marino Faccioli have confirmed that the French champions have made an offer to Real for striker Fernando Morientes. Routledge Rejects Contract Offer Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has blasted winger Wayne Routledge and his agent Paul Stretford after he rejected the offer of a new contract : "We were told by his agent that Wayne would not sign, no matter what we put in front of him. How does an agent, whose primary motive is his own gain, succeed in dividing a player and a club? This club has had the boy for eight years and looked after him and his family. We've given Wayne his opportunity, and given him every support and encouragement." Routledge, who has just turned 20, is one of the brightest prospects in England football and has been linked with a move to Tottenham in the summer when he will be available on a free transfer. Kiraly Agent Reveals Arsenal Interest Gabor Kiraly's agent, Gunnar Grynner, has revealed that a number of clubs including Arsenal are interested in signing the Hungarian international. 28 year old Kiraly has been outstanding for Palace since replacing the hopeless Julian Speroni in goal : "There has been no contact from Arsenal, but I know that they are watching him and so are other teams from The Premiership. I don't think there will be anything in January, it is more likely in the summer. There are about three or four other teams who are looking for a good goalkeeper but I don't want to say too much about them at this stage." Barca Make Surprise Move for Iaquinta Barca have made an offer of €5 million for Udinese's giant striker Vincenzo Iaquinta. The 25 year old is far from prolific but has a superb long range shot and excellent technique. President Joan Laporta said Iaquinta was "a possibility. We've been in negotiations with Udinese but there's nothing definite yet." Di Canio Hits Back In Fascism Row Lazio's Paolo Di Canio has hit back at the press and Roma players after camera's showed him making a Nazi salute after scoring in the Roma derby last Thursday : "I had only gone to the sidelines in order to experience this win with the fans.  There were many photographers there and they can take hundreds of pictures per minute with those new cameras. I only had my arm raised for a second but they made it seem like something it wasn't.” Vincenzo Montella, who missed the derby, said Di Canio should have known better given his age : "Adrenaline makes you do and say things that are wrong and we players must remember that we have to set an example for children everywhere. It's especially silly to make these kinds of mistakes when you're 36 years of age." Di Canio was quick to respond : "Montella is suddenly acting like the moral majority in the role of good father and innocent lad. I tell him my daughters are very proud of their father, a man who is always honest and consistent in his values. I'm not sure Montella's family can say the same." Geremi Welcomes Boro Return Chelsea midfielder Geremi has welcomed a return to Middlesbrough : "I'm not satisfied at Chelsea because I'm not playing. I would prefer to leave and the option of Middlesbrough is excellent because I have great memories of my time there." 10 January 2005 Siena Sack Simoni Luigi Simoni has been sacked after Siena lost a crucial six pointer against Parma. Siena currently lie in the relegation zone alongside Parma on 16 points. Luigi De Canio spent two seasons at Udinese leading them to 8th and 12th place finishes before less successful spells at Napoli, Reggina and Genoa. Luis Figo & Jaap Stam's Team of the Year Luis Figo and Jap Stam revealed their best XI to uefa.com. Surprisingly Figo only chose one Real Madrid team-mate, goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Jaap Stam, who has barely featured for Milan this season due to injury, chose five of his new team-mates. Luis Figo's Team of the Year GK : Casillas (Real Madrid & Spain) RB : Ferreira (Chelsea & Portugal) LB : Zambrotta (Juventus & Italy) DF : Carvalho (Chelsea & Portugal) DF: Maldini (Milan) RM : Ronaldo (Manchester United & Portugal) LM : Vicente (Valencia & Spain) DF : Maniche (Porto & Portugal) AM : Ronaldinho (Barcelona & Brazil) FW : Henry (Arsenal & France) FW : Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United & Holland) Coach : Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) Jap Stam's Team of the Year GK : Buffon (Juventus & Italy) RB : Cafu (Milan & Brazil) LB : Zambrotta (Juventus & Italy) DF : Nesta (Milan & Italy) DF : Maldini (Milan) RM : Ronaldo (Manchester United & Portugal) LM : Robben (Chelsea & Netherlands) DM : Vieira (Arsenal & France) AM : Kaka' (Milan & Brazil) FW : Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United & Holland) FW : Shevchenko (Milan & Ukraine) Coach : Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) World Cup Tickets Go on Sale Next Month Tickets for the 2006 World Cup will go on sale from the 1st of February 2005. The tournament will run in Germany for a month from the 9th of June 2006 in Germany in what are sure to be outstanding stadia including the new €280 million state of the art Allianz Arena in Munich, which will be the home of city rivals Bayern and 1860 next season. Wenger Loses Edu Power Play Arsene Wenger has told Brazilian midfielder Edu if he does not sign a new contract within the next week he is free to leave the club : "He signs in the next week or he goes. Nobody has come in asking for him but it doesn't mean there hasn't been any contact because we all know it happens. I think if he doesn't sign, why should he waste his time here? If he says no to our offer, he would go somewhere else now but we would expect compensation. 'It's part of football, I can live with that. At 26 he has to find the best possible deal and I accept that from any professional footballer, no matter what I have done for him." Spanish giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia have all admitted interest and Wenger's bizarre outburst is hardly going to make a player desperate to leave commit his future to the club. Porto Sell off More Stars European Champions Porto have sold 20 year old striker Carlos Alberto to Corinthians for €6 million and Portuguese striker Derlei to Lokomotiv Moscow for a ridiculous €7 million. Corinthians recently signed South American footballer of the year, Carlos Tevez, from Boca Juniors for €13.50 million. The club are financed by London based MSI (Media Sports Investments) who have pledged over €28 million over ten years. Unconfirmed rumours suggest Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is part of MSI. Benitez Gives Real Two Days Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez has said he will look for other strikers if Real Madrid do not decide to sell striker Fernando Morientes to the club. "We need to wait, but we cannot wait forever, we will wait maybe two more days before looking for another player. I am always optimistic and I think in a few days or a few hours we will know more things and I'm sure we will have possibilities. I have a lot of confidence because he says he either wants to play for Liverpool or to stay at Madrid. We do not have anything new on Morientes other than that we know he wants to come here. We have done the right things but we must wait for Real Madrid to decide." Istres Sack Bazdarevic Istres have sacked coach Mecha Bazdarevic following a 2-0 cup defeat at Bordeaux though why the club waited for the cup match before sacking him remains a mystery given they were six points adrift at the bottom of the league before the winter break. Xavier Gravelaine and Jean-Louis Gasset have taken temporary charge. Livorno Appoint Milan Legend Roberto Donadoni has been appointed coach of Livorno after Franco Colomba was sacked. Livorno were in second place after claiming the scalps of Milan and Roma early in the season and have only won one of their last seven games. Roberto Donadoni is the fifth member of of Arrigo Sacchi's legendary Milan side of the 80's to become a coach after Gullit, Ancelotti, Rijkaard and Van Basten. Artur Jorge Takes Charge of Indomitable Lions Artur Jorge has replaced Winifried Schaefer as coach of Cameroon. Schafer was sacked last November Artur Jorge was in charge of Porto when they stunned Bayern Munich to become European Champions in 1987 but has been a failure at a host of clubs since. Spanish FA Vow To Crack Down on Racism The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have vowed to crack down on racism after Roberto Carlos, among others, was subjected to racist abuse during the Madrid derby at Atletico's Calderon stadium : "After the worrying outbreaks of racism by a minority of fans during recent months, the Sports Council, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the Football League and the Spanish Players Association want to reiterate their condemnation of this type of behaviour. They also want to reaffirm their determination to take tough action against any evidence of racism or xenophobia in Spanish Football. Referee Alfonso Perez Burrull has to be commended for taking unprecedented action : "I asked the match delegate to make an announcement on the public address system to ask the fans to stop making monkey noises when certain players had the ball. As a result... the noises grew louder." Despite the promise of strong action so far the RFEF have failed to take action after a serious of incidents most notably against national team coach Luis Aragones.