Tag Futebol

Inter Milan coach Leonardo has credited Adriano Galliani – chief of city rivals AC Milan – for inspiring him to become a football manager.

Leonardo, 41, has quickly endeared himself to the Inter faithful since replacing Rafa Benitez at the helm of the troubled club, leading Inter to four straight Serie A victories.

The Brazilian got his managerial start at arch-enemy AC Milan, serving as a technical director before being promoted to head coach when Carlo Ancelotti moved to Chelsea in May 2009.

And Leonardo, speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash at Udinese, admitted he owed a great deal to Inter’s bitter rivals.

“I’ve always had an excellent relationship with Galliani,” Leonardo told reporters.

“I respect him a lot, he gave me a lot. He gave me many opportunities and what he said is true – he was the one who convinced me to be a coach.”

“I am a coach now and I consider myself a privileged person for the past year and a half.”

The Inter boss also confirmed that both Maicon and Thiago Motta are ready to return from injury at Udinese, and praised his attacking trio of Samuel Eto’o, Diego Milito and Goran Pandev for their contribution to Inter’s superb January run.

“(Maicon and Motta) will be playing so they’re fine,” he said.

“We’ve waited up to now to see their conditions and they’re fine, they will be at our total disposal tomorrow.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“We will meet many good players. Udinese is a solid team, they have clear ideas of what they want, they are gaining good results so we definitely have to be careful.”

“Eto’o and Milito together are an extraordinary couple. Pandev is improving too and today I see him more as a striker rather than out of position, like he’s recently played.”

“Having three players who can score goal is important and today Samuel is in excellent shape.”

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that he is closing in on his first signing for the club.

The Northern Irishman took over from Kenny Dalglish at the end of last season, and despite a busy transfer window being expected at Anfield, no new players have joined the club as yet.

However, the new coach has stated that a number of new faces are close to agreeing moves to the Merseyside club.

“There certainly won’t be as many as has been labelled out,” he told Sky Sports.

“I think the reality is that for players to be associated with Liverpool is great, but the reality is that we have only made three or four enquiries about players.

“Hopefully we can close out one deal this week, maybe two. Hopefully we can do one and then look to add to it over the course of pre-season.

“I will never speak about targets or possible players, it’s not something I like to do.

“All I will say is that there has been a whole raft of players linked with coming to Liverpool and there is very few of them that are actual targets for us,” he admitted.

Meanwhile, Rodgers has also stated that despite transfer rumours, he has not heard from AC Milan over a possible move for Andy Carroll.

“I haven’t heard anything from them at all.

“He’s a good player, Andy. He will always be linked whether he was here or not.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“I have spoken to Andy on his holidays and he knows exactly where he stands. He’s a very good young player and he will be linked with clubs like that because he’s such a good player,” the trainer concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

The Telegraph are reporting that Barcelona are set to make one final bid for Cesc Fabregas and bring an end to the transfer saga.

A second offer nearing the £35 million is set to be made after their original £27 million bid was rejected by Arsenal.

Fabregas is also willing to see his salary reduced by around £5 million for the duration of his contract, which would encourage Barcelona to raise their bid.

The offer would be worth the £35 million Arsenal are looking for and would include up to £5 million in potential add-ons.

It’s understood that the Spanish clubs’ President Sandro Roselli is already travelling back from the United States where Pep Guardiola and his men are on tour.

Guardiola also hinted that Fabregas was the final piece of the Nou Camp jigsaw saying, “We’re short of just one player and everyone knows which one that is.”

Despite Barca’s willingness to meet the Gunners valuation it isn’t entirely certain that the bid will be accepted.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However boss Arsene Wenger has become tired and frustrated at the entire saga and there are no assurances that he will immediately say yes to the Catalan clubs latest offer.

If the bid were to be accepted it would put an end to one of the longest running transfer chases in Premier League history.

Sir Alex Ferguson said that the business part of the season is well and truly underway and United are facing to a couple of crunch months to cement their push for a record breaking 19th title. Few would bet against Manchester United achieving it, especially on the type of form they showed at Old Trafford this afternoon.

At FFC we have seen a mixed bag of articles which includes Rafael needing to learn his lesson; Fergie should bust a gut for signature, while six boy wonders who represent the future for Manchester United.

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

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes at Manchester Utd

Where are they now? Manchester United’s 99 Treble winning side

Talent isn’t an issue for Man United star, but his temperament is

Manchester v London – where does the future of the Premier League lie?

United and Tottenham pairing leaves Capello with cause for concern

The NINE key factors behind every transfer fee

Great player, but not the right signing for Manchester United

Why aren’t Fergie and Wenger busting a gut to sign him?

FIVE things we learnt about Manchester United this week

Tottenham or Man United – who represents the best move for Frenchman?

Did Louis ever get the credit he deserved at Old Trafford?

SIX ‘boy wonders’ who represent the future for Manchester United

*Best of WEB*

The defence has it – United Rant

Morrison mystery set to un-ravel – Red Flag Flying High

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Sir Matt’s impact at Manchester United can still be felt – The Busby Way

Is Evra Leaving To Pat-rol Another Left Flank? – The United Religion

David Gill says Manchester United can compete with City in the transfer market – but we aren’t spending –Andersred Blog

It’s up to you, New York, says Cantona – United Rant

[divider]

[divider]

The fixtures have come out this week for the Football League and the Premier League, and the fixture accumulators have not given Millwall the easiest start of the season by any stretch of the imagination.

The Lions will kick off the season with the exact way they finished it, welcoming the tangerines of Blackpool to The Den, not the easiest game to start of with seeing as Blackpool are the losing play off finalists, after losing 2-1 to West Ham.

It’ll be the second season in a row that the Lions will kick off against the season before play off losing finalists.

This match will go one of two ways, Blackpool will be even more determined to get promoted and provide a usual hard game as usual, or the play off hangover will still be over them and Millwall could see a result go their way. Plus rumours of players such as Thomas Ince and Matty Philips leaving the club, it could be a very different team from the play off final, with all this I could see a Lions win.

The first away trip will be to Peterborough United. This will be considered one of the easier away trips in the division, with players such as George Boyd and Paul Taylor being transfer listed due to contract talks breaking down, the Posh will have lost most of their goal threat.

But players are being bought in by manger Darren Ferguson, even though the majority are being signed from League Two and Blue Square Premier. The Lions managed to record a 3-0 win the last time they played at London Road and I’d expect the Lions to get the same kind of result.

The South Londoners then face a tougher away trip next with a trip to play newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls will be still on a high following promotion, and previous seasons show that at least one of the promoted teams carry on the last season form onto the start of the next season, plus Dave Jones has already bought in players such as Joe Matlock and one time England international Chris Kirkland, the Lions will be hoping to carry on last seasons away form but I can see this being a struggle to get points from this game.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Lions as they then welcome play off hopefuls Middlesborough to The Den. ‘Boro narrowly missed out on the play offs last season and Tony Mowbray’s team will be determined to go one better and on. A vital move away from the Riverside has already happened with winger Barry Robson off to the sunny side league of the MLS by signing for Vancouver Whitecaps, but by losing a vital player, they also signed a new one, Grant Leadbitter, who was undoubtedly Ipswitchs’ best player last year. This will be another strong test.

Milwall will then travel to the KC stadium and play Hull City,who have recently been taken over in management by Steve Bruce.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With Hull missing out on the play offs, the Tigers were underachieving by their own standards, but Bruce will be hoping to change that. With rumours such as Emile Heskey signing for the club, Hull will be trying to bring a higher quality of player to the club, and Bruce may be the man to do that due to previous Premier League experience. A unknown game at the moment for the Lions, Hull’s starting XI could be completely different come August.

The Lions start the season with some tough games, yet again in the Championship which games aren’t? All I can say is bring it on! Only two months to go…..

[ad_pod id=’writer-1′ align=’right’]

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims that no sum of money would tempt the club to part with Cesc Fabregas providing he wants to stay.But Wenger has also suggested that his captain and Samir Nasri, both transfer targets of some of Europe’s biggest teams, must be committed to the north London club if they are to stay at the Emirates.

Fabregas has long been linked with a move back to Barcelona while France international Nasri has been attracting interest from Premier League rivals Manchester City.

Despite reiterating his desire to keep the duo beyond the European summer, Wenger hinted that he wants the futures of two of his star players to be sorted out within the next 10 days.

“If Fabregas is committed to this club and wants to stay, no money will get him out of here,” the Gunners boss said after seeing his side draw 2-2 with Boca Juniors in Saturday’s Emirates Cup clash.

“We are not in a position where we need to sell our players. We want to keep our players. We are not looking after money. We want the players to stay here, from our side that is clear.”

“It’s not ideal for us on the financial side (Nasri potentially leaving on a free transfer next summer) but, on the sporting side, he is an important player. We have to deal with the situation one way or another. In the next 10 days we have to be clear on that front.”

“If you ask me if I want to keep him (Nasri), I say yes. But he needs to be committed to that as well. I don’t give them (Fabregas and Nasri) 10 days, the transfer period is until August 31.

“Ideally, we go into big games in two weeks, in the next two weeks we have to sort our problems out. There is no specific deadline of one day or 24 hours. It’s not like you shoot a shuttle into space. Sometimes it’s very quick on that front and sometimes it’s very slow.”

Everton duo Seamus Coleman and Victor Anichebe will both remain at the club until 2015 after signing new contracts on Thursday.The pair both penned new four-and-a-half-year deals that will keep them at Goodison Park for the foreseeable future.

The news will come as a relief for manager David Moyes, who will pleased that two of his most talented youngsters are staying with the club after South African Steven Pienaar left to join Tottenham earlier this week.

The form of Coleman, 22, has been nothing short of outstanding this season with the former Sligo Rovers product announcing himself to English football with five goals from 22 appearances.

Signed in 2009 for just 60,000 pounds, Coleman was immediately shipped out on loan to Blackpool, before returning to Merseyside and making a dramatic impact in his first full season with the club.

The signing of Anichebe – also 22 – will be met with joy, with the Nigerian striker’s deal due to expire at the end of the current Premier League season.

Anichebe has struggled for first-team football with constant injuries in the last two seasons but after veteran striker Yakubu departed on loan to Leicester City, there was no way Moyes was letting go of another of his forwards.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Anichebe has made just six appearances this season, but can expect more first-team football if he is fit throughout the second half of the Premier League season.

Managing England at a glamorous international tournament is the dream of many a football manager and Roy Hogdson is the latest to be bestowed with the prestigious honour at this summers’ Euro 2012 Championships. Another blessed with leading the Three Lions onto the global frontier in the past was Kevin Keegan who believes the current crop have prepared sufficiently enough for success despite today’s evening match with Sweden representing just the fourth game of Hodgson’s new found tenure.

“He (Roy) had three or four weeks and as we’ve said the expectation level isn’t manic, he’s picked his squad, rightly or wrongly, and he will be looking forward to working with them and building a siege mentality. Not because people hate us, but because he needs to say, whatever people think or say about us, we are in charge of our own destinies. If we win football matches, if we play well and get together, we can win this. You can look at team like Denmark who didn’t even qualify in 1992, got in late in the day and won it. There are examples of teams that have been worst prepared than we are, with less time than us and done very well, excellent in fact.”

“For more insight from Kevin Keegan and other leading managers plus all the coverage of Euro 2012 go to yahoo.eurosport.com”

New Aston Villa arrival Shay Given is hoping that Stephen Ireland will get an opportunity to impress under Alex McLeish.The pair played together at Manchester City before Ireland moved to Villa Park last season and Given is hoping that fans will finally see the midfielder shine after he endured a difficult campaign last season.

“When I joined Manchester City Stephen Ireland was the first name on the sheet,” Given told the Birmingham Mail.

“He’s a fantastic player, and one of the top midfielders in the country when he is on song. Hopefully myself and the new manager can get the best out of him.”

“It’s like a new signing because for whatever reason he didn’t feature at all last season. It has got to come from him as well, but the player that I’ve seen at Man City and that I’ve seen again in training at Villa is a top midfielder.”

Given also claimed that his former Republic of Ireland team-mate was the best trainer during their time together at Manchester City.

He added: “You read different things about him, but all I can talk about is his football and he’s a fantastic footballer. If we can get the best out of him we have a real top player on our hands.”

“At Man City he was one of the best trainers, he puts a real shift in when he’s working.”

“When Villa signed him I thought they’d got a top player, and hopefully we will see that this season.”

Whether or not Owen Coyle’s Bolton side can maintain their push for a Champions League place, the Trotters’ achievements thus far this season are not to be laughed at. They are this season’s surprise packet and their rise up the Premier League table has come as a result of a new footballing philosophy at the Reebok Stadium.

Ex-Bolton Boss Sam Allardyce imbued his players with toughness and a steel that brought Bolton years of success, but his tactics also brought with them complaints from opponents that his team was too ‘dirty’ or not a proper footballing side. I do not mean to belittle Allardyce’s achievements with the club, but if I had to pick between watching Sam’s Bolton or Owen’s Bolton, then it would be a no-brainer.

Bolton are an aesthetically pleasing team this season. Their passing and moving is a joy to watch and their focus on free-flowing attacking football is reaping dividends. That Coyle has managed to impart his own attacking philosophy unto the club in such a short period of time is nothing short of miraculous.

Coyle knows exactly how he wants his team to play and will no doubt be extremely proud of what his team has managed to achieve thus far. The old Bolton tended to focus too much on the physical side of the game. The new Bolton is tough, but they aren’t overly physical. This side is more likely to pass you off the pitch than kick you off the pitch.

Bet on Bolton at 6/1 to draw 1-1 at Manchester City

The atmosphere in Coyle’s dressing room also seems to be significantly more light-hearted than what you might expect in a dressing room patrolled by Sam Allardyce. Coyle has even gone so far as to suggest that the secret behind Bolton’s recent success is a dressing room prank. It turns out the Trotters pass time in the changing rooms with games of rock, paper, scissors. Who’d have thought?

Coyle told the Press that changing room antics like this were indicative of the “great spirit in this group.” He went on to say, “It is clear that the team are enjoying each other’s company, as this shows in their recent results.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

There’s a real spirit and sense of unity about this Bolton side. Whilst players like Johan Elmander have stuck out this season, it’s their performances as a team that has seen them on their way to success this season. Bolton’s transformation has been remarkable and their style of play should be encouraged and respected.

If you’re interested and want to hear more feel free to follow me on Twitter

Holy Crap – its live fantasy football! Become part of the Sunderland v West Ham match on Sunday and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!