Tag Futebol

Football chairmen hold a position of great power and therefore great responsibility yet it is amazing how often they abuse this power and ignore their responsibility. If you think Mike Ashley is a bad chairman, he’s not a patch on some of the spectacular meddlers to grace the boardrooms (and changing rooms) of Britain. A quick look around the leagues of British football brings up more tales of relentless interference, selfishness and stupidity than the premiership has kiss and tells.

There are two types of terrible chairmen. The first is the meddler. Some of these men are under the dangerous illusion that owning a football club suddenly qualifies them as a professional manager. Others just do what they want because they can. It’s their money and they’ll be damned if someone else gets to play with it.

The most high profile meddlers in British football are Flavio Briatore and Vladimir Romanov. Briatore has now relinquished his role as Q.P.R boss but was known to have dabbled in team selections and once ordered a substitution by phone from Malaysia. Romanov, the current chairman of Hearts, is currently working with his 9th manager since gaining ownership of the club in 2004. His involvement in team affairs is common knowledge with a succession of managers forced to fax their team selections to him on Friday morning and then field whatever team Romanov faxed back. He has essentially just worked his way through a string of puppet managers, unsurprisingly without great success.

Of the chairmen who actually took on the title of manger, here are two particularly fine examples: P.E. teacher and sports science enthusiast Michael Knighton nearly led Carlisle United to back to back relegations before he came to his senses and hired Nigel Pearson to rescue the club. And American Football coach Terry Smith led Chester City to a triumphant relegation fielding three captains at once in the process. One for offense, one for defense and one for midfield he reasoned.

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The other type of terrible chairman is the financial liability. The most famous of course is Peter Ridsdale. As Leeds chairman he gambled on Champions league success that wasn’t achieved and left the club with a debt of £103 million. Miraculously he stayed in the game and in 2010 left Cardiff with a debt of £66 million. Probably time to retire Peter.

In the lower leagues there have been numerous examples of unsavoury owners running clubs into the ground. However there has only been one example of the owner burning it to the ground. In 1995 Doncaster chairman Ken Richardson hired two men to burn down the main stand for insurance purposes. One of the men left their mobile phone at the scene and Richardson was sentenced to 4 years in prison.

It is surprising how many fraudsters and disreputable people manage to get their hands on football clubs. Anton Johnson owned two clubs (which is illegal), Rotherham and Southend, in the early 80’s and was found guilty of financial malpractice at both!

In a world where some Chairmen pick the team every week and burn down the stadium, the Premiership looks blessed with a fairly hands-off and honest bunch. The only problem the top tier chairmen really face is debt. Let’s hope they’ve learned from Ridsdale’s mistakes.

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AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri took plenty of positives from his side’s 2-1 Coppa Italia victory at Sampdoria on Wednesday.

Not only do Milan advance to the semi-finals following the hard-fought win, but Allegri was also able to throw first-up starts to two new signings in Mark van Bommel and Urby Emanuelson.

Van Bommel joined Milan on a six-month contract from Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich in the January transfer window, and Emanuelson moved to the San Siro from Dutch giants Ajax.

Both showed plenty of promise on in their debuts in the red and black shirts of Milan, though van Bommel struggled with Milan’s structure in the second half.

“It wasn’t easy to win here,” Allegri said.

“The guys have done a good job and deserved to be qualified in the Coppa Italia since we really value this competition. Therefore I’m very satisfied by their performance.”

“It wasn’t easy since we had two new players and also guys who had played less. This proves that the group has a good understanding and wants to achieve important results.”

“(Van Bommel) is a great player and will soon be integrated within the team, just like Emanuelson. They have played a good match, despite the fact that this was their first day with the teammates.”

Allegri also brushed off an angry reception given to former Sampdoria star Antonio Cassano, who came on for Robinho in the 78th minute.

“I think that these boos may represent more love and not hate for Cassano, since he has given lots to Sampdoria and Sampdoria has given him lots,” he said.

“They have given him the chance to play in one of the most important teams in the world. This has happened thanks to Sampdoria.”

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Sampdoria coach Domenico di Carlo said first-half errors cost his side a place in the semi-finals, with both of Alexandre Pato’s goals attributable to mistakes in Sampdoria’s back half.

“We paid the price with two errors today at the start of the match with Milan,” di Carlo said.

“Then in the second half we got better on the pitch trying to be more aggressive. I’m happy despite losing because of our performance in the second half.”

Tottenham have announced that Andre Villas Boas has been appointed as their new manager.

The Portuguese trainer has signed a three-year deal at the White Hart Lane club and has brought two members of his backroom staff with him; first-team fitness coach Jose Mario Rocha and Daniel Sousa, head of opposition scouting.

The ex-Chelsea boss is looking forward to getting started with his new team.

“Tottenham Hotspur is a great club with a strong tradition and fantastic support, both at home and throughout the world,” he told the club’s official website.

“I feel privileged to be its coach. For me, this is one of the most exciting coaching positions in the Premier League. I have had several discussions with the chairman and the board and I share their vision for the future progress of the club.

“This is a squad any coach would love to work with and together I believe we can bring success in the seasons ahead,” he revealed.

The likes of David Moyes and Laurent Blanc were also rumoured to be in consideration, but Daniel Levy is glad to have landed his number one choice.

“I am delighted that Andre has agreed to become our new head coach. He has an outstanding reputation for his technical knowledge of the game and for creating well-organised teams capable of playing football in an attractive and attacking style.

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“Andre shares our long-term ambitions and ethos of developing players and nurturing young talent, and he will be able to do so now at a new world class training centre,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Manchester City signing Sergio Aguero is confident he can adapt his game to the demands of the English Premier League.Argentina international Aguero completed a move from La Liga club Atletico Madrid to City for a reported fee of 35 million pounds on Thursday.

The 23-year-old forward has just 10 days until City take on local rivals Manchester United in the FA Community Shield.

The Premier League season then begins for City with the visit of promoted Swansea on August 15, with Aguero keen to be involved.

“I’m sure I’ll settle in well to the team,” Aguero told City’s website.

“I don’t think I’ll need to change my style.”

“I’ll obviously be doing my best to do what the manager says, and try to work the way he wants me to, and of course he will know how he wants to use me.”

Aguero’s arrival comes with his international teammate Carlos Tevez, City’s captain and top scorer last season, agitating for a move away from England to be closer to his family.

Set to move to Manchester with his wife and child, Aguero, who made his first team debut for Independiente at the age of 15 and moved to Madrid when he was 18, insists he will have no trouble in his new surroundings.

“I think I’ll adapt to life in England – I don’t like hot weather, so I’ll be fine there,” he said.

“I’m sure I’m going to enjoy myself here and life will be fine.”

Aguero is already aiming to help his new side beat United in the season-opening Community Shield, lifting what he hopes will be the first of many trophies in a City shirt.

“I think it’s a clasico, a derby that every fan wants to see,” Aguero said.

“People count down the days to the match.”

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“Of course there has to be a winner, but you have to be happy and enjoy it as well as focusing because you know it’s an important game.”

“Someone has to win, and all the better if it’s us.”

“I saw the FA Cup victory (over Stoke in May), and it’s clear that from now on this is a team that will be competing for important things every year.”

“Let’s hope that there will be quite a few trophies.”

Continuing our look into the foreign wags that put the Premier League ones to shame…

Arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Gigi Buffon has made giant strides in world football and has been pivotal to both club and international success in recent years. There aren’t many centre forwards who enjoy playing against Buffon when he is on top of his game; hence why Juventus are so keen to keep him in Turin.

While his exploits on the pitch continue to draw widespread recognition, his exploits off the pitch draws an equal amount of adulation as he dating one of the most beautiful women in the world. Alena Seredova is a former Czech supermodel and TV presenter whose surname actually translates to ‘ugly person’ – let’s be honest by flicking through the gallery she is anything but and puts most of the Premier League wags in the shade.

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Click on image below to see Gigi’s latest lady

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Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Become part of Chelsea v Aston Villa and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!

You often got the impression during Harry Redknapp’s reign as Tottenham manager, that if he’d won the Europa League, he’d use the trophy as a doorstop or an elaborate vase, such was the way in which he valued Europe’s secondary cup competition. The pain of playing league games on a Sunday, the indignity of appearing on Channel Five and the unglamorous Thursday night excursions to Eastern Europe, seemed to be a little too much for the now former Spurs manager.

But for all its misgivings, it still represents the chance to bring some silverware to the club that requires a fair bit of prestige and pedigree to attain it. Considering their last European triumph, in the guise of the Uefa Cup, came in 1984, why shouldn’t Tottenham Hotspur try to win the Europa League next season?

The detractors are probably already reading this aghast with mockery and there can be no denying that the current Europa League format has its fair share of serious faults. The group stage element feels bloated and unnecessary, especially to clubs looking to make a sustainable assault on the Premier League as well.

There are obvious issues in the concept of starting a full-strength XI in Kazan on a Thursday and then expecting them to come out all guns blazing for the league game on the Sunday. Considering you have to play six times before you even reach the knockout stages, then it is understandable that managers and fans have reservations about putting all their resources into the Europa League’s opening phases.

The riches and necessity of the Uefa Champions League , also serve to blur the relevance of it’s little, Europa brother. The swell in Spurs’ revenue to the tune of over £30million during their Champions League season, tells you everything you need to know. Champions League football brings in more money, more money means better players, etc. It’s not rocket science to divulge why everyone around the club wants and needs to get back in there and if that means sacking off a trip to PAOK Salonika, then so be it.

As a footnote too, the opportunity to blood some of Tottenham’s youngsters was a pleasure to see for all involved. Much more could be done to give some of the kids a chance in the Premier League, but credit where it’s due to Redknapp.

But the lampooning of the Europa League feels like it amounts to something of a witch-hunt in the national press. Nobody denies that the riches and grandeur of the Champions League are unrivalled. But there is something quite macabre and depressing about the mockery and devaluation of the Europa League. Football is all about business and balance sheets, but why are we all so keen to dispose with the chance to go to a European Cup final and win some silverware, just so we can attain a fourth or fifth placed league finish? The annuls of history remember the likes of Mark Falco, Graham Roberts and Steve Archibald as they sank Anderlecht in the ’84 Uefa Cup final. Will they really look back so fondly at a team, who say, finished a gallant fifth under the new manager next season?

There is a clear element of romanticism and nostalgia from 1984 that isn’t quite so applicable in today’s footballing landscape- of course, the game has changed immeasurably since then. But look at the teams and the ties that came about once you discount the excessive group phase element last season. Lazio, Porto, Ajax and Valencia are all European teams with pedigree and history; needless to say, they offer some fantastic away-days for supporters.

Some of the football played in the latter stages too, was outstanding. All of the ties in the round of 16 were highly competitive, superb examples of European football. How can fans turn the nose up at the ‘quality’ on show, after the way Athletic Bilbao dismantled Manchester United? Is it that we’re so blinded by the supposed all-conquering Premier League, we’ve lost sight of what genuine quality and achievement is?

The Bilbao tie against United in particular, raised some uncomfortable truths for English football. But the papers had it down as nothing more than a bad day for United. Of course, how could the Europa League, a European cup-competition, offer anything in the way of real quality? But over two-legs, the team that finished second in our domestic league, were completely outmaneuvered by a team that finished 10th in La Liga. We need to take the blinkers off- winning the Europa League is a superb achievement.

Before people point to it’s glaring lack of financial clout too, it should be noted that the Europa League cannot and should not be viewed in the same league as either of the domestic cups- Fulham’s run to the final in 2010 brought them £12million in extra revenue. It’s hardly anything to be laughed at.

Perhaps the problem lies more with the financial pressures of football, than it does with the aspirations of clubs. The fact any club who simply reaches the Uefa Champions League group stage will earn more than the eventual winners of the Europa League is warped and wrong, and it is skewing the priorities of football clubs.

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Of course supporters want a bite of the big apple and the riches that come with it and Spurs fans are no different. Having sampled the tastes of the San Siro and the Santiago Bernabeu, why would you not want more? Maybe it’s because it has been that long since winning a trophy, that we’ve forgot what it feels like.

Watch the scenes at the end of Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 win over Bilbao in the Europa League final. That is what football should be about. Winning trophies, basking in glory and putting your name in the history books. Once we get past the stigma that this country seems to have built up around the Europa League, hopefully we will give it our best shot to try and lift the thing. Winning one European trophy will feel a hell of a lot sweeter than celebrating qualifying for another. For now, anyway.

How does the Europa League make you feel? A worthless obstacle in the way of Champions League riches? Or the chance to bring some silverware to the mantle at White Hart Lane? I want to hear what you think, for all things Spurs, follow @samuel_antrobus

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Barcelona have agreed to sell striker Bojan Krkic to Roma, the La Liga side announced on Friday.In a convoluted deal that sees the Spain Under-21 international head to Serie A for 12 million Euros, Barcelona have agreed to buy Bojan back for 13 million Euros at the end of the 2012-13 season.

Should Roma wish to block the move and keep the 20-year-old, they will have to pay an additional 28 million Euros.

Bojan struggled to establish himself as a first-team regular under Pep Guardiola at Camp Nou due to competition from the likes of David Villa, Pedro and Lionel Messi.

He had previously been linked with a move to Villarreal and Udinese but made it clear that if he were to leave, he would prefer to team-up with Roma manager and former Barcelona player Luis Enrique.

And his aims are to show Barcelona what they will be missing now that he is gone.

“As you know, after 12 years playing here, I have not received a lot of trust these last few years, I have not been given the required opportunity to prove myself and that is very hard,” Bojan told reporters.

“However, I consider myself privileged for being a part of this team during these years in which Barcelona became the best team in the world.”

“I just want to be happy in football again. I am just 20 years old and I want to prove all that I couldn’t here. To return here? You never know. It will not depend just on me.”

However, what was supposed to be an amicable departure sounded anything but as the striker hit out at being cast aside in key games.

“People have not been fair with me. It is one of the reasons why I am leaving. Especially in the (Champions League) final in London,” he added.

“To be able to win is remarkable, but not being able to play was very hurtful.”

“I will miss my team-mates, the city, to play in Camp Nou, to defend the shirt that I have always worn. I hope to recover my happiness at Roma.”

Harry Redknapp says it is win or bust as far as Tottenham’s title ambitions are concerned as the North Londoners face their biggest game of the season at White Hart Lane tomorrow afternoon. Most neutrals believe that Spurs will end the unbeaten run, although I can imagine many home supporters begging to differ.

At FFC we have seen a mixed bag of articles which includes why a Spurs’ move to Stratford has its financial benefits; six youngsters who represent the future at White Hart Lane, while cheap shots at Tottenham are strange to say the least.

We also look at the best Tottenham articles around the web this week.

* VIDEO: The GREATEST Premier League goal ever…you decide! *

Sorry Rafa, Tottenham need to buy!

A transfer masterstroke by Harry Redknapp?

Caption Competition: New arrival at Tottenham training

This cheap shot at Tottenham is strange to say the least

£200m of reasons why Spurs move is worth considering

Rumours of Becks’ decline have (always) been greatly exaggerated

SIX ‘boy wonders’ who represent the future for Tottenham

Bad attitude or badly treated at White Hart Lane?

One way to resolve this transfer debacle with Tottenham

Transfer gamble, but should Spurs or Liverpool take a punt?

The most pointless signing by Tottenham in years?

*Best of WEB*

Large banana skin avoided with ease. – Spurs Musings From Jimmy G2

If Stratford Hotspur happens, it ends there… – Dear Mr Levy

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Interview With Five in Midfield – Who Framed Ruel Fox?

Spurs New Stadium – The Public Speaks – Tottenham On My Mind

David Lammy MP DOES Favour Moving Out Of N17 – When He Can Get Away With It – Harry Hotspur

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According to The Sun, Everton and Bournemouth are targeting Egyptian 23-year-old winger Mahmoud Hassan this summer.

What’s the story?

Hassan is currently on loan at Turkish side Kasimpasa from Anderlecht. He is expected to feature for Egypt at the World Cup in Russia this summer.

Galatasaray are also monitoring the wingers situation, who has netted 12 times and got three assists this season in Turkey.

The Sun are reporting that he will enter the final year of his contract this summer and the player has no desire to return to Belgium. He will be hoping to make a big impact in Russia and seal a dream move to England.

What impact would Hassan have in the Premier League?

The winger has stared in a struggling team in Turkey. Last summer he was heavily linked with Liverpool but that just proved to be rumours.

He is a relatively unknown quantity in England but his highly regarded in Egypt and will be an important player alongside Mo Salah in the World Cup for the African nation.

He is a quick, very right-footed and nimble player with an eye for goal and seems to be a threat to defences. One thing both Everton and Bournemouth have struggled with this season is goals.

Everton have been searching for a striker since Romelu Lukaku left and seemed to have found someone in Cenk Tosan.

Sam Allardyce appears to have secured safety for Everton and is looking to bolster his squad for next season. Yannik Bolasie’s return to fitness and the signing of Theo Walcott have given Everton attacking thrust but Big Sam will still feel he needs to add attacking options.

Everton believe Hassan will provide this threat and competition for Walcott and Bolasie. Eddie Howe is also looking to add attacking options.

The Cherries have been heavily reliant on Josh King and Calum Wilson for goals. While they have no shortage of wingers, Junior Stanislas, Ryan Fraser and Jordon Ibe have failed to cement a place in Howe’s team.

Hassan’s pace and skill is exactly what both managers are looking for. As per The Sun’s report, he could cost them less than £2million which is a bargain in today’s market.

However, he is an unknown and unproven quantity. At 23, he should be entering the prime of his career but is yet to establish himself as a household name.

While the fee would not be a risk, buying Hassan might be a gamble and going for someone more proven might be better for the clubs. Dipping into the market and buying players from the club who get relegated might be a shrewder policy.

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Even if he does impress in the World Cup, this is no guarantee that he will perform at club level. The prime example of this is Hal Robson-Kanu, who’s impressive performances for Wales in Euro 2016 caught West Brom’s eye. He has struggled to get the goals and West Brom were forced to go back into the market for a striker.

If he was to choose a Premier League club, Bournemouth will be a better fit. Under Howe, Hassan will be able to play an attacking brand of football which enjoys. Allardyce will inevitably choose defensive stability and will be more inclined to trust players with more Premier League experience.

While Mahmoud Hassan has impressed in Turkey he is yet to justify a move to a Premier League club. But with his low price tag could be a gamble worth taking.

Since Alan Pardew’s swift departure to Crystal Palace at the beginning of the month, the St. James’ faithful have seen their side trudge on without a manager at the helm, and without much of an idea of what direction their club is heading in, if any.

Several big names throughout Europe were immediately linked to the job, but seeing as the BBC have reported Mike Ashley is to give care-taker boss John Carver the hot-seat until the end of the season, Newcastle United are technically no longer manager-less.

As such a decision has done very little to appease the concerns of Magpie fans, do Newcastle have unfinished business in the remainder of the season, or does the 2014/15 campaign now go down as a write-off for everyone involved with the club?

It ultimately seems a shame that a club as iconic as Newcastle, with their strong fan-base, big stadium, and reputation for being Premier League entertainers throughout the years; have had very little success on the pitch to show for their efforts. Silverware is the ultimate objective of the game, and with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City – two teams who once would have been consider ‘smaller’ clubs – picking up trophies left, right, and centre; the footballing tide is certainly starting to turn.

History and tradition are beginning to mean less and less in today’s game, and if Newcastle are to avoid falling behind the rest of England’s top-flight sides, they must act sooner rather than later to reverse their fortunes.

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Such a message has seemingly gone unheard by Mike Ashley however, with the Newcastle chairman failing to appoint a recognised head coach to lead his team throughout the rest of the season. John Carver, for all the respect he earns as a local lad who has previously worked with Sir Bobby Robson, just isn’t the man to fit the bill with the St. James’ faithful. Whilst many Newcastle fans may have greeted Pardew’s departure in celebratory fashion, would their reactions had been the same if they knew John Carver would be the man to take over?

The former Toronto FC boss, whose brief stint in the MLS is Carver’s only experience as a first team manager, simply doesn’t inject the kind of enthusiasm back into the Newcastle side that many supporters had hoped for in the wake of Pardew’s exit. The likes of Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye have unceremoniously moved on in the past, creating the idea of the the club as a stepping stone to dream moves elsewhere, rather than a dream in itself. It’s hard to imagine this image changing under the current stewardship, as very few players are going to be attracted to a team who are happy to merely plod along.

That said, if Mike Ashley and Newcastle United were to somehow land an exciting name that comes with a strong managerial reputation at the end of the season, the half-hearted promotion of John Carver will likely be quickly forgotten. Former Lyon boss, Remi Garde, has been heavily linked to the job at St. James by the Telegraph, and would fit in with the French theme that they have going on at the club. However, current Ajax manager, Frank De Boer, would surely be the most desired choice on Tyneside.

The Dutchman has become synonymous with a no-nonsense attitude, entertaining football, and most importantly; success. Such credentials would certainly tick the boxes at Newcastle – and seeing as it’s been reported in the Guardian that he will decide on his future at the end of season – there may be an argument to be made that Ashley is right to wait for his man.

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Whatever happens for Newcastle in the remainder of the season, the overriding feeling is that the St. James’ faithful deserve better than what they have received in recent years. Mike Ashley seems to treat the black & white stripes as no more than a giant advertising board for his SportsDirect endeavours and has been far too happy to flounder when the aim should be to flourish. It’s hard to know what the club’s aims are for the rest of 2014/15, or more damningly, whether they have any aims at all.

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