Man United are scoring goals for fun and Rooney is certainly living up to his promise of trying to emulate Lionel Messi’s goal record this season. Wazza is on fire at the moment and shows what a real difference 12months make in football.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Manchester United blogs that includes Park Ji Sung the better alternative; Jose looks to gazump Fergie, while United keep tabs on Brazilian duo.
We also look at the best Manchester United articles around the web this week
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Greatest Premier League XI?
Do transfer deals suggest the age of the ‘selling club’ is over?
Why Barca isn’t United’s objective…for now anyway
Why Park Ji-Sung will prove the better alternative
Rooney v Aguero
Can Manchester keep setting the pace?
Hernandez v Welbeck v Berbatov – who should get the nod?
Jimmy Greaves: Easy for Manchester clubs to make capital
Fergie and Wenger warned off £30m+ bids…for now!
Fergie keeping tabs on Vitesse duo
Jose looking to gazump Fergie with offer
Best of WEB
Scapegoats For When Man Utd Don’t Win – Fashionable? – Red Flag Flying High
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Anderson and on and on – United Rant
VIDEO: Wayne Rooney talks ‘that’ goal with Nike – The Busby Way
How The Football Association Has Outdone Itself – Yet Again – The United Religion
The news that Fernando Torres no longer loves the club he claimed to love only months ago and has moved to Chelsea, has been met with a mixture of amusement and indifference by many United fans.
Chelsea’s signing of Torres isn’t the coup some sections of the media are already claiming it is. Liverpool are going nowhere-regardless of the epic victories against Wolves and Fulham that Dalglish has masterminded, while Chelsea are still in the Champions League and the current Premier League champions.
Torres may have finally realised that a footballer’s career is only short and there’s no time to waste playing postmen from Estonia on Channel Five on a Thursday night.
Torres signing for Chelsea would be nothing more than long overdue really, when it comes to pulling of real surprise striker signings, no one can touch Sir Alex Ferguson in that department.
As he did last season with Michael Owen, every so often Sir Alex Ferguson will shock many in the footballing world by signing a striker, no one ever expected. Whether it’s a rivals leading scorer, a costly teenager, an experienced loan signing, or an unheard of Norwegian, Fergie can be full of surprises. Here’s a top five of the united manager’s surprise striker signings.
5. Henrik Larsson
Signing a 35 year-old, striker, with no Premier League experience, on loan from Swedish Club Helsingborgs, must have sounded like one of the worst ideas Fergie had come up with since the Massimo Taibi fiasco. However when said striker is Henrik Larsson, it’s not as daft as it sounds. Larsson’s time at Old Trafford may have been brief but his impact was enormous. Any doubts that he was fit enough for the English game were quickly dispelled on his debut an FA cup tie against Villa. Larsson ran around like a 17 year-old, creating chances and bagging a goal. Fergie was so impressed with the diminutive stars efforts that he asked the Premier League for special dispensation so Larsson could receive a winners medal- he’d only played 7 games. The Premier league said yes, obviously recognising his contribution as United stopped Chelsea winning a third successive title.
4. Wayne Rooney
Right now, Wayne Rooney looks like something of a bargain at £27 million, having already won every trophy there is and last season spearheading United’s campaign. However back in 2004 Fergie forking out a huge sum for an 18 year-old whose goal-scoring record was one in four was something of a surprise. Rooney though, has already paid back his fee and then some. He’s well on his way to becoming a United legend, after being in the shadow of Van Nistelrooy and then Ronaldo, the ‘white Pele’ seems to have raised his game a level to become much more than just a striker. Despite his injury problems of late and the debacle of his contract saga, there’s no denying he’s arguably the most naturally talented player at the club.
3. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Practically no-one outside of Norway had heard of the baby-faced assassin prior to his move to Old Trafford. It didn’t take long for him to make his mark though, coming off the bench to score on his debut against Blackburn back in 1996. Coming off the bench to score would become something of a Solskjaer trait as he was often used as a sub while making over 200 appearances for United. Three games seem to sum up his career more than any during the 1999 treble winning season. In the FA cup at Old Trafford he scored a last minute winner to knock out Liverpool and send Old Trafford into delirium.
Later that season coming off the bench away at Nottingham Forest he grabbed four goals in just 11 minutes as United romped to an 8-1 win. A few months later he scored one of the most important goals in United’s history -an injury time winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions league final- after coming off the bench-again. You’d have to go a long way to find a more popular man amongst the Old Trafford faithful.
2. Andy Cole
Just as Fergie had relieved one of his main rivals of their prized asset in 1992, he did the same again in 1994, when he managed to convince Kevin Keegan to sell goal king Andy Cole. Amazingly United bit-part player Keith Gillespie-along with 6 million quid- was the carrot that convinced the emotional manager to part with his record-breaking striker.
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The transfer shocked everyone in the football world not least of all the Newcastle faithful, some of whom went to see Keegan at his office to ask how he could do such a thing. King Kev said he had a long-term plan, unfortunately for him so did Fergie, who’s United side would go on to win the double the following year. Both United’s and Cole’s greatest triumph came in 1999 when they won the treble in the Nou Camp. Although it was Sheringham and Solksjaer who scored the goals few could forget Cole’s influence. His goal in the semi-final against Juventus was one of his finest moments. “Yorke’s been brought down…penalty surely…..Cole!! Full speed ahead Barcelona!”
1. Eric Cantona
The story of how the impossible became possible and King Eric made the trip across the Pennines is now part of United folklore. Howard Wilkinson called Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards to enquire about Denis Irwin. Fergie sat on Edwards’ desk said: “No chance” and then almost as an afterthought “Ask him about Eric Cantona.” Amazingly, of course Sergeant Wilko had fallen out with his mercurial striker and was willing to let him leave.
There can be little doubt that, this one conversation changed the course of Premier League history and a Cantona-led United brought the title to Old Trafford for the first time in 26 years kicking off United’s dominance of the nineties and noughties in the process. The £1.2 million price only seemed to add insult to injury. Many a Yorkshire man must still shake his head at just how foolish Wilkinson could have been.
Read more Manchester United blogs at the NEW ‘Red Flag Flying High’
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Having topped the group and qualified for the quarter-finals of the Olympics, Team GB can certainly take some pride in their efforts so far at London 2012. The first football team from Great Britain for 40 years may not have set the world alight with some lacklustre performances but they have progressed through the competition and have every chance of claiming a medal.
A place on the podium may be overcrowded in team sports but a top three finish would justify the decision to reform the side after so many years, despite various controversies that surrounded the initial build up. The omission of David Beckham and lack of Irish and Scottish representation aside, Team GB’s results have proven why having a united football team was an inspired idea but given the lack of motivation exhibited by players and the underwhelming football on offer, can a British team really last or is it just a novelty in honour of having the tournament on home shores?
For starters all football fans will have enjoyed having some extra action to get their teeth into but the standard of competition has not been up to scratch. Not only has the British team been cobbled together at the last minute but they have had little preparation and the majority of the squad appear to be tired and unmoved by proceedings. It should be considered criminal for any professional sportsman to fail to be inspired by the Olympics but with football, an under-23 themed International competition doesn’t exactly represent the pinnacle of the beautiful game. As such players do not seem as enthusiastic as they should be and the turgid performances witnessed by fans are testament to a drop in standards from the weekly hustle and bustle of the Premier League.
International football has always provided a different style of play and it’s not only Team GB who have seemed below par but their side is made up almost entirely of players plying their trade in the English top flight and they should therefore be dominating matches against the likes of UAE and Senegal. Instead they seem incapable of raising their game beyond doing only what is required of them and had it not been for Craig Bellamy’s passionate influence then the team could easily have bowed out of the competition with a whimper. A conflict of motivations appear to have affected the team and despite some players being inspired by their Olympic opportunity, there are many who seem far more concerned with the upcoming opening weekend of the Premier League and are happy to simply go through motions. Further, domestic managers seem unwilling to release their top stars so Stuart Pearce will feel his squad could have been far stronger had he been allowed to call up the names he originally wanted. Instead players like Gareth Bale have sidestepped the competition and Pearce has been left with a group of players whose intentions are unclear plus a mix and match of Welsh and English stars but no Scottish or Irish, which is hardly indicative of a Great Britain team. While Pearce’s hands are clean as his squad choices were largely based on the talent available to him, another concern is that fans from the unappreciated nations are unlikely to fully get behind the side and with so many problems already surrounding the viability of Team GB, plus the low key atmospheres and sluggish performances, many are wondering if they will ever see a Great Britain football team again in future Olympics.
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Having been without a Team GB since 1972 and failed to qualify for the main tournament since 1960, it would appear the opportunity to have a home nations style side was a novelty that officials could not refuse, but regardless of various derivative reasons to dismiss the squad, fans have still turned out in their numbers to watch their heroes and ultimately the team have reached the knock-out stages. Given the manner with which the team struggled through their group, a winnable game against Korea Republic should not be smirked at, but they seem to be finding their feet with every match they play together and should be able to reach the semi-finals for a likely showdown with favourites Brazil. There would be little shame in losing to the strongest side in the competition plus they could still claim a bronze medal and become the most successful British football team ever. It may not be UEFA Champions League but such achievements are still finite in the career of professional footballers and Bellamy has already stated his pride in being the first British goal scorer in decades, so why not take satisfaction from being an Olympic medal winner?
The summit of sporting achievement is the Olympics but sports like football always have difficulty persuading partaking members who are not as committed to the cause while fans allegiances are also less devoted, especially when it’s an integrated Great Britain. Before the tournament started few would have batted an eyelid if the team had fallen flat on their face, but the reality is they have performed admirably enough so far and have the potential to improve still further. A bronze medal may not be enough to encourage players and fans that the Olympics is an important tournament but becoming the most successful side in British history should still warrant a concerted effort from the team and an impressive performance this summer could be the catalyst for future generations to fully get behind a unified Great Britain football team.
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Is Team GB a novelty or will they compete at future games? Do fans feel connected to the British side or are they more concerned with domestic action?
Let me know your views and opinions by following me on Twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher
The decision to select a GB football team for the 2012 Olympics has brought a mixed response within the game. Some players have welcomed the decision and suggested they would be keen to play, while managers and the football federations have questioned the fact it will impinge on their members preparations for their league programme. The very fact the Euro Championships will also be taking place some weeks earlier only goes to underline the worries that some football managers are likely to have and why they will be hesitant to release some of their players for the Olympics.
The ruling for the Olympic teams is the players must be 23 years of age or under; although three players over that age can also be included within the squad.
With that in mind I have included my Olympic XI for Team GB
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Click on the image below to see the GB XI
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Team compiled by Josh Sheridan
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Fat Barry has been given the dreaded vote of confidence at Football FanCast and like Avram Grant at West Ham, is unsure of his future and may be in the dole queue with Andy Gray and Richard Keys in the coming weeks. A combination of poor results and an illicit affair with one of our secretaries has meant he is holding on to his job by the shortest of threads and needs some of his football betting tips to come good if he is to stay out of the firing line.
It’s FA Cup time this weekend as we move swiftly into the fourth round and the bookies will be hoping that there can a be a few more cupsets in the vein of Stevenage, Crawley and Notts County from the third round.
If you’re looking for an upset then you’re not going to find many better odds this weekend than those you can get on Southampton beating Manchester United. No Premier League team has been able to beat United in the Premiership this season, not even Blackpool, so wouldn’t it be ironic if the Saints joined West Ham in defeating Sir Alex Ferguson’s men. Southampton are definitely worth a cheeky bet at 7/1.
FA Cup upset prediction number two comes in the form of Everton v Chelsea. My money’s on Everton for the cup this year (keep that between you and me) and with Chelsea having demolished Bolton earlier in the week, the Blues are heavily fancied. So the real value is with the Toffees, and at 13/5 it may be worth sticking a few quid on David Moyes’ men.
Having made the final of the Carling Cup already, Arsenal will be looking to haul in plenty of silverware this season after a five year draught. League One outfit Huddersfield are unlikely to stand in their way and although there’s little value in backing Arsene Wenger’s men for the win, you might be tempted to go for the correct score market, with Arsenal 9/1 to win 3-1.
The last thing you’re getting from me this week is a prediction for the Fulham v Tottenham match on Sunday. I’m going to sit on the fence and go for a draw, with a replay the last thing Harry Redknapp wants as Spurs’ fixture schedule gets more congested with the Champions League knockout stages starting last month. You can get the draw at 9/4.
Fat Barry’s Weekend Picks:
Southampton at 7/1
Everton at 13/5
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Arsenal to win 3-1 at 9/1
Fulham v Tottenham to be a draw at 9/4
That’s your lot (actually put a fiver on non-league Crawley to beat Torquay at 5/2, too!)
It could be argued that Liverpool haven’t produced a world-class talent from their academy since current skipper Steven Gerrard over a decade ago; this subsequently led to a transforming of the academy system under former manager Rafa Benitez that is only starting to bear fruit – with this in mind, should Brendan Rodgers focus on blooding more youth into the first-team next season?
On Twitter last week, somewhat bizarrely, there was a buzz among many Liverpool supporters that Daniel Pacheco had returned to the club after a loan spell in Spain with Rayo Vallecano. Pacheco is 21 years of age now, if he was going to break through, he would have done it by now and the concerns about his slight build are obviously still being ignored.
The myth that he is good enough for the first-team and has been cruelly overlooked by a succession of managers comes merely from the fact that Liverpool purchased him from Barcelona and after all, everyone that Barcelona produces must be a world-class talent in the making. As a club, Liverpool’s conveyor belt of young talent has long since dried up, with Pacheco talked up more simply because of the reputation of his former club rather than anything special about the player himself, but there is a definite Catalan influence on the youth-team set-up now and one that needs to be taken advantage of.
In Pep Segura and Rodolfo Borrell, both of which have been tipped to have big parts to play as part of Rodgers’ inner council that consults on everything from transfers to style of play, they have two key figures at the club which have helped train the side’s reserves and academy over the past few years. Kenny Dalglish as Aacademy Director under Benitez helped implement a system which was supposed to see every side at all levels play in a similar style much like La Masia academy at Barcelona, with players able to slot seamlessly into the side the further they progressed up the ladder within the club.
While Pacheco has obviously missed the boat and his time has now passed, the club still have a wealth of talent that has up until this point, been confined to reserve-team football at best. Dalglish upon taking charge during his interim spell, when he knew he had nothing to lose, granted first-team opportunities to the likes of Jack Robinson, Jonjo Shelvey and Jon Flanagan, but they were by and large in short supply last term as he attempted to bed in an array of expensively-assembled talent at their expense in the pursuit of a top four finish.
It’s precisely these sorts of targets which restrict the opportunities granted to youngsters and Rodgers is thought to have been brought in with a long-term project and without any specific targets in mind, which should allow him more time to develop his side and integrate youth-team players more.
Perhaps more than at any other club, Liverpool fans like to see a representation of the future out on the pitch, whether they are local born and bred or not. The fanbase when results are not going well are always fixated on the youth and reserve teams, castigating the current manager in the process for not giving this or that player a chance. Nevertheless, there is sufficient talent currently within the ranks to allow Rodgers some time to experiment.
In Raheem Sterling, Connor Coady, Andre Wisdom and Suso to name but four, they have some real potential that could be gradually blooded into the first-team side. Dalglish’s reluctance to use them last season frustrated many, but with a new manager now at the helm and less of an emphasis on top four football (although the longer the club stay out of the Champions League, the more it will hurt them financially), there is a very real chance of progression.
Rodgers is known to have a preference for a 4-3-3 formation and with little in the way of pace at the club at the moment, this could be a breakthrough season for one of Sterling or Suso, who have both demonstrated some frightening ability at the admittedly limited level of reserve-team football.
Former reserve-team coach John McMahon had this to say about Suso: “He needs to know about the discipline and work that’s required in a team, like tracking back, tackling and staying with runners.” While Suso himself admits he struggled initially with the transition: “The game here requires you to run a lot more. For that reason it is more difficult. “I need to improve my intensity and my defending.”
It would be a shame that if the very creativity that he is being lauded for is then drilled out of him in the pursuit of a more rounded and disciplined player – the first-team already has plenty of those, but it requires more craft rather than graft. Rodgers is known to be a fan of possession-based football and someone like Suso could be what he’s after, in the short-term at least, with the club’s transfer budget unlikely to set pulses racing this summer. Sterling remains an interesting option as an impact substitution and both could have a part to play in the coming campaign.
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Which young player would you like to see given more first-team opportunities at Liverpool next season?
As the dust settles on yet another tumultuous day on Tyneside there is only one topic that can be discussed.
The bubble has finally burst on Joey Barton’s supposed love affair with Newcastle United. much like his mate Kevin Nolan’s did just last month.
Yet again the club has become shrouded in controversy and discontent by the words of an unsettled player via Twitter. First Jose Enrique decided to have a pop at Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias for their reluctance to spend and now Barton has thrown his two cents into the mix for about the ten thousandth time and again criticised the two blokes above.
Since signing up to Twitter in May Barton simply turned into the anti-hero for Geordie fans and had them hanging off every tweet, every sentence and every word he typed. His comments sparked mass panic.
“If only we as players could tell the fans exactly how it is, without them above fining us lots of money,” Barton said.
“If it wouldn’t effect team morale and cause unrest within the dressing room, am certain Jose’s comments would be the tip of the iceberg….. “And again it would be left to those magnificent fans to pick up the remnants of their once great football club.”The midfielder added: “If I wanted to leave, I’d just come out and say “I want to leave.” Things need addressing as am not prepared to go through a relegation again.”The comments prompted Ashley and Llambias to do the unthinkable and place Barton on the transfer list with immediate effect. Rumours were that he had been sacked meaning Ashley would have to dig deep into his wallet for a massive payout. But what i’ve learned over the past four years is that Ashley doesn’t make bad business decisions he just makes really bad footballing ones.
Now to set the record straight I’ve never really taken sides when it comes to debates like this. I’ll never be Ashley’s biggest fan but people seem to forget we were in the monetary mire when he came in and, despite relegation and the whole Keegan fiasco, he has got us back on a sound financial footing.
Barton on the other hand has enjoyed one good season out of the four he’s spent as a Newcastle player. True, last season he was magnificent and was the man that made us tick but that doesn’t give him the right to disrespect his boss or the club. After all they pay him a handsome wage every week just to kick a ball around a grassy field. Like every human being he has opinions but in the media spotlight, have some sense and keep them to yourself.
While I’m at it lets not forget that the club stuck by him whilst he was grappling on the streets of Liverpool, which subsequently ended with him doing a stint at the behest of Her Majesties finest.
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I will admit that the way Ashley and co. have operated in the transfer window has been lacklustre and unambitious. Cabaye, Marveaux and Ba are sound additions but the squad is still threadbare and in need of quality. It’s my opinion that they’re scared to spend over £5 million incase they end up with another Xisco on the books.
Enriques comments which, saw him fined two weeks wages, and now Barton’s have set the cat amongst the pigeons in the St James’ Park boardroom. I will say that the Spaniard got off VERY lightly with his punishment with Barton bearing the brunt of Ashley’s fat filled knuckles (rules for one and not for the other?).
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For me his agenda has always been to get a move away from Newcastle after Nolan left. His words play right into the hands and hearts of the fans. It’s what they want to hear from a player who is opposing the regime they detest so vehemently.
But, I’ll reiterate, it doesn’t give him the right to lambast his boss. Aside from being a footballer Barton is an employee. If he or any footballer hasn’t wised up to that now then it’s about time they did.
In the real world any normal employee would have been sacked on the spot and black marked for the rest of their life. Employers don’t look too kindly on people who display signs of insolence. You might say you can’t compare the two or rationalise football but the positions of employee and employer are exactly the same.
To cut a long story short Barton dug his own grave on Tyneside. Too outspoken for a club like this. Yes he’s available on a free, with added baggage,but who would take the chance on him now?
With the news that World Cup final referee Howard Webb has reportedly told Blackpool players to go to ground more easily in an attempt to help them win more free kicks and make life easier for referees, it had me wondering; is it right for referees to advocate what is tantamount to ‘simulation’?
Prior to the postponed match against Liverpool at Bloomfield Road Webb spoke to the Blackpool players, including defender Ian Evatt who commented on Webb’s talk;
‘He spoke to me about why I didn’t get a foul against Manchester City when Carlos Tevez caught me in the build-up to one of their goals. He said I was too honest and stayed on my feet. He said if I had gone down it would make the decision easier to give.
Evatt then went on to add;
‘I think that is where we are too naive. Most of us have come through the Championship – a more honest game, so to speak. In the Premier League, if you fall over you tend to get decisions. We are not talking about cheating, but sometimes we have to be less naive and go down under a challenge. We’re not going to make a meal of it, just show there’s a foul. It makes the ref’s decision easier.’
Going to ground easily is a part of the modern game, but I am not sure a referee should be advocating it to players. It is an unwritten law, and is, in my opinion, ok for players to admit they do it. However, it is not alright for those who adjudicate the game to champion it.
What’s more, the notion that players’ ‘go to ground’ easily because they are, in fact, trying to preserve the status quo and make life easier for referees is laughable. This is either self-delusion or utter rubbish, I am under no illusion that when a player ‘goes to ground easily’ or ‘dives’ they are not doing it for the benefit of officials, they are doing it to gain an advantage for their team, whether fairly or unfairly. Although this reportedly came from a referee, I am of the opinion that ‘going to ground easily’ makes life more difficult for officials rather than less. This is because this means the referees then have to make two decisions instead of one; first they must determine whether it is a foul, and second they must attempt to decipher whether the player is trying to deceive them.
I am all for making life easier for referees, I think they have a difficult job. But this should not be attained through a manipulation of existing rules.
If you liked this and would like to read more, then why not check out my blogs, or follow me on Twitter.
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It is always a sad time when a fantastic footballer’s career comes to an end. In the modern day there are fortunately a number of destinations where a successful player in the twilight of their career can go to earn a last paycheque before they hang up their boots. The MLS, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have perhaps more traditionally served as a less competitive environment where a career can be extended in recent times. David Beckham and Thierry Henry are to players to opt for America while Fabio Cannavaro and most recently Raul have opted for the Middle East. China has also added its name to the list recently but Brazil is now emerging as a new favourite to house some of the great veterans of the game in previously uncharted territory in South America.
The country is experiencing an economic boom and is now one of the top 10 largest economies in the world. This has filtered through to the clubs in the source of sponsorship money from companies experiencing the vast benefits of growth. Such deals have enabled many of the country’s biggest clubs to hold on to their prize assets, like Santos retaining the in-demand Neymar and Ganso, as well as tempting other players who could still cut it in Europe back to their homeland. Another reason for the latter however involves the desire to gain support to participate in the national team, a motive arguably behind Vagner Love and Luis Fabiano’s recent return to Brazil.
If executed correctly, such big name signings can help improve the revenue flowing into the club further. This was the aim when Flamengo added Ronaldinho to their team, completing a deal that would see sports marketing agency Traffic pay 75% of his wages in return for control over his image rights. Of course, that did not work out quite as well as planned and ultimately left the player well out of pocket.
But it is such a collaboration that could see Clarence Seedorf join Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo. With the saga ongoing, according to sports daily Lance!, the club’s kit suppliers Puma had revealed an interest in paying part of the player’s wages which have proven to be a stumbling block. Puma know it will boost shirt sales and thus their revenue and with multi-national corporations recognising the huge market in Brazil we could start to see some of Europe’s great talents head to South America to end their career.
Alessandro Del Piero is the latest player to be linked such a move by Sky Sports Italia after his contract with Juventus ended. Cruzeiro, Corinthians, Botafogo and Flamengo were the teams touted as the six-time Scudetto winner’s potential suitors in Brazil, but River Plate have also been mentioned as well as a host of club’s from Asia and America. Capturing such a presitigious player would be a coup financially, but even more so if they could still contribute to the team, which Del Piero certainly could.
Hosting the World Cup in 2014 only serves to add to the interest surrounding Brazil. Huge levels of investment into infrastructure and stadiums (if completed in time!) will serve to take the clubs to the next level. Indeed they are already thinking more like businesses than previously. Corinthians recently signed Chen Zhizhao on a long term loan with the Timao board admitting that it was largely a marketing move to help boost merchandise sales in Asia.
For a European to ply their trade in South America remains a rare exploit. World Cup winner David Trezeguet is currently playing for River Plate in Argentina’s second tier. In Brazil perhaps the best known European was Serbian Dejan Petkovic who spent time at no fewer than seven different Brazilian clubs before lifting the national championship with Flamengo in 2009.
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The outlook for the Samba nation looks positive both economically and in footballing terms. They possess a hugely competitive championship that will only continue to grow if managed correctly. And so potential transfers of previously world class players like Seedorf and Del Piero could set a precedent for retiring Europeans to test their mettle in South America.
Brazil manager Mano Menezes has acted on his side’s Copa America failure by ringing the changes for the August 10 friendly against Germany.Botafogo goalkeeper Jefferson, defenders Luisao (Benfica) and Adriano Correia (Barcelona) and Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Jadson have been dropped for the match in Stuttgart.
Elano – who skied his penalty horribly in Brazil’s quarter-final shootout loss to Paraguay – has also been axed, while Sandro is absent through injury.
Real Madrid midfielder Kaka has missed selection once more, with Renato Augusto (Bayer Leverkusen), Dede (Vasco Da Gama), Jonas (Valencia), Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Luiz Gustavo (Bayern Munich) and Ralf (Corinthians) brought into the squad. Only Jonas has appeared for his country before.
“We are at a stage where we are looking for reliable players in this phase of transition and those who can help with this. It depends on Kaka’s performances as a player and the form he is in,” Menezes said.
“I was always clear from the beginning regarding the future. There is no need for me to call him up and test him again. I think we have a good mix for a strong team, with ample support in reserve when we need it.”
Full squad: Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Victor (Gremio). Defenders: Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), David Luiz (Chelsea), Dede (Vasco de Gama), Lucio (Inter Milan), Maicon (Inter Milan), Thiago Silva (AC Milan). Midfielders: Elias (Atletico Madrid), Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ganso (Santos), Lucas Leiva (Liverpool), Lucas (Sao Paulo), Luis Gustavo (Bayern Munich), Ralf (Corinthians), Ramires (Chelsea), Renato Augusto (Bayer Leverkusen). Strikers: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Jonas (Valencia), Fred (Fluminense), Neymar (Santos), Robinho (AC Milan).