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Topic: Primera Liga/ La Liga (Read 9333 times)
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Frenchman Pires may be out for six months
« Reply #240 on: August 22, 2006, 10:16:37 AM »
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MADRID, Spain (AP) - Villarreal midfielder Robert Pires may be out for six months following a left knee ligament injury he got in a preseason match.
The former Arsenal player was hurt during a match against Cadiz on Friday in a preseason tournament. The Spanish said Monday on its Web site that he would travel to Marseille on Tuesday for a further opinion before deciding on a date for surgery.
Pires has been a regular France international in recent years but was dropped from the squad for the World Cup this year in Germany.
On Saturday, Villarreal announced that Argentina defender Gonzalo Rodriguez was to be sidelined for seven months after tearing a right knee ligament while playing against Real Madrid on Saturday in the same preseason tournament.
Also, midfielder Josico Moreno a left thigh injury in the Cadiz match Friday and will be out for three weeks, the club said.
Villarreal president Fernando Roig said the team would seek to sign replacements before the transfer deadline on Aug. 31, the national news agency Efe reported.
Source: Fox Sports
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Diarra's move to Real Madrid delayed
« Reply #241 on: August 22, 2006, 10:18:09 AM »
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MADRID, Spain (AP) - Mahamadou Diarra's ?26 million (US$33.5 million) move from Lyon to Real Madrid has been delayed by a disagreement about which club will make an additional payment to the midfielder's former teams.
FIFA rules state that the clubs involved in a player's early development receive five percent of his subsequent transfer fees.
As Diarra played for Mali's Bamako, Greece's Crete and the Netherlands' Vitesse Arnhem, his prospective move to Madrid means that each of these clubs are owed ?1.3 million (US$1.7 million).
Madrid is reportedly confident of a prompt settlement, allowing the 25-year-old Mali international to undergo a routine medical before he signs a five-year contract.
However, the dispute, which has obliged Diarra to remain in Lyon, makes it unlikely that he can play in Wednesday's preseason game with Anderlecht for the Santiago Bernabeu trophy.
Diarra is expected to be Madrid's fourth signing during the offseason. The others are Juventus' Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson, and Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The Spanish season starts on Aug. 26, with Madrid hosting Villarreal the following day.
Source: Fox Sports
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Madrid and Valencia main obstacles to Barcelona's third title
« Reply #242 on: August 22, 2006, 10:20:13 AM »
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MADRID, Spain (AP) - The Spanish season kicks off on Saturday with FC Barcelona favored to win a third straight league title and only Real Madrid and Valencia looking like serious alternative candidates.
Madrid and Valencia have undergone major changes on and off the field in the hope of thwarting Frank Rijkaard's team, which also won the Champions League in May.
But it doesn't look an easy task.
Barcelona has added Chelsea forward Eidur Gudjohnsen and Juventus defenders Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram to a squad already bristling with talent - especially in attack.
In addition to the threat posed by FIFA's World Player of the Year Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o, Barcelona's rivals will also face an extra concern - Argentine teenager Lionel Messi.
Messi was prevented from fully demonstrating his prodigious skills last season, first by complications over his eligibility and then by injury.
"I'm keen to win every title, but I'm especially optimistic about playing a full season without being injured," Messi said. "Last season went really well, but it was ruined in the end by going two months without playing."
Last season, Madrid presidents Florentino Perez and Fernando Martin resigned and the club ended without a trophy for the third straight year - its worst drought since the early 1950s.
The new administration, led by former board member Ramon Calderon, brought Juventus coach Fabio Capello back with the aim of repeating his feat in 1997 when he led Madrid to the league title.
The Italian has had his wishes granted with the signings of Juventus' Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson, Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy and Lyon's Mahamadou Diarra.
And now Capello is calling for a team of "warriors" to combat Barcelona.
"Barcelona is sure to be one of the main protagonists of the season - but we're not afraid of them," said Capello, Madrid's sixth coach in the last three years.
Following Zinedine Zidane's retirement, doubts continue over the futures of two "Galacticos" - David Beckham and Ronaldo.
Beckham, who has yet to renew a contract which only runs until next June, has been omitted from some of Madrid's preseason games. While Capello seems to prefer Van Nistelrooy rather than Ronaldo to spearhead his attack.
With transfers allowed until Aug. 31, the Brazil striker is the subject of speculation about a possible return to either AC Milan or his former club Inter Milan in Italy
Valencia, champion in 2002 and 2004, has found its offseason overshadowed by disagreements over transfer policy between new sports director Amedeo Carboni and coach Quique Sanchez Flores.
Ill-feeling between the two began last season when Carboni, in his final season as a Valencia left back, endured lengthy spells out of the team.
Carboni has orchestrated a clear out which has included the departure of Argentina forward Pablo Aimar to Zaragoza. Aimar's international teammate, defender Roberto Ayala, is also expected to leave before the end of the month.
Valencia has added Spanish internationals Fernando Morientes and Asier Del Horno from Liverpool and Chelsea respectively, together with Empoli striker Francesco Tavano. It has also reclaimed creative midfielder David Silva, who was on loan with Celta Vigo.
"We have begun a new way of working whose results will be seen in the long term," Carboni said.
The best bets for the fourth Champions League place at the end of the season appear to be Sevilla, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Zaragoza.
UEFA Cup champion Sevilla has strengthened its team with Schalke midfielder Christian Poulsen, Stuttgart defender Andreas Hinkel and Monaco striker Javier Chevanton.
Villarreal, whose elimination from the Intertoto Cup last month ended its hopes of European soccer this season, aims to recover the form which powered it into last season's Champions League semifinals.
However, Villarreal's new signing, Robert Pires, and central defender Gonzalo Rodriguez both tore cruciate knee ligaments in preseason games and will be sidelined for most of the season.
Atletico has appointed Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, fresh from leading Osasuna to a first Champions League place last season.
Among the new signings is highly rated teenage Argentine forward Sergio Aguero.
Zaragoza has reappointed coach Victor Fernandez, who led the team to triumph in the European Cup Winners Cup of 1995. Together with Aimar, it has acquired another Argentine international midfielder, Andres D'Alessandro, on a season's loan.
Fernandez is one of nine coaches starting out with new clubs this season.
Barcelona's Rijkaard is about to commence his fourth year at the helm, making him the league's current longest serving coach.
The three promoted teams are Gimnastic Tarragona, Recreativo Huelva and Levante. While the latter two have made recent appearances in the first division, Gimnastic is back in the top flight for the first time in 56 years.
Source: Fox Sports
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Barcelona bids to maintain the status quo
« Reply #243 on: August 22, 2006, 10:22:23 AM »
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MADRID, Spain (AP) - It's tough reaching the top. It's even tougher to stay there.
That's the task faced by European and Spanish champion FC Barcelona after one of the most successful seasons in its 106-year history.
Barcelona midfielder Deco is hopeful his team can continue its success.
"You can always improve. There's no perfection in soccer, but this team has the ability to keep winning for the next three years. We can go further," Deco told Mundo Deportivo.
With six major trophies on offer this season, Frank Rijkaard's team can better last season's haul.
Barcelona began where it let off by winning the Spanish Supercup last weekend and continues in Monaco on Friday when it competes for the European Supercup against UEFA Cup champion Sevilla.
The Catalan club will then aim to retain the Champions League, lift its third straight Spanish title and win the Copa del Rey for the first time since 1998. In December, it will also attempt to win the World club championship.
Unsurprisingly, Barcelona's team has hardly changed.
Eidur Gudjohnsen's arrival from Chelsea as a replacement for Sweden striker Henrik Larsson was expected to be the only signing.
But Barcelona then profited from Juventus' relegation for match-fixing to sign defenders Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram.
"We have everything we need to repeat what we did last season. The team is really good, its players have enormous talent and the new signings will help us a lot as they are very good players," said Ronaldinho, who was voted the best player in Europe and the world last season.
Barcelona will expect its financial performance to keep apace with its success on the field.
The club's income continued growing last season to €259.1 million (US$326 million), a 24.6 percent rise over the previous season which makes it one of world soccer's richest clubs.
However, the Catalan team has had to overcome several setbacks during the offseason.
A legal decision forced Barcelona president Joan Laporta to resign in July and face a possible election on Sept. 3, a week after the season kicks off.
However, the failure of his rivals to receive sufficient backing from club members to mount an electoral challenge left Laporta free to begin a new four-year tenure.
Meanwhile, Rijkaard will be without his assistant coach Henk ten Cate for the first time since his appointment three years ago.
Ten Cate, who has taken over at Ajax, has been replaced by compatriot Johan Neeskens. The former Barcelona player also assisted Rijkaard from 1998-2000 on the Netherlands national team.
Source: Fox Sports
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Real Madrid backs old heads
« Reply #244 on: August 22, 2006, 10:23:56 AM »
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MADRID, Spain (AP) - Real Madrid is banking on experience to end its worst run without a major trophy since the early 1950s.
Madrid's starting lineup for the 2006-07 season could feature a host of players who are 29 or over, including new signings Fabio Cannavaro, Emerson and Ruud van Nistelrooy, and veterans David Beckham, Ronaldo, Raul Gonzalez, Roberto Carlos, Michel Salgado and Ivan Helguera.
All this despite the retirement of Madrid's senior player last season, Zinedine Zidane, who turned 34 during the World Cup.
Only the recent arrival of 25-year-old Mali midfielder Mahamadou Diarra from Lyon has injected Madrid with a hint of youth.
Madrid president Ramon Calderon, who took charge on July 3 after winning the club's election, said the emphasis on old heads is down to the reappointment of coach Fabio Capello.
"It may appear contradictory but at a soccer club the coach is the one who must decide who comes and who leaves. I said during the campaign that Capello would be new coach and he would decide the new signings," Calderon said.
Capello's wishes have forced Calderon to give way on his pre-electoral pledges to sign AC Milan midfielder Kaka, Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Chelsea winger Arjen Robben.
They have also reversed Madrid's trend toward signing younger players. Julio Baptista, Sergio Ramos, Robinho and Carlos Diogo were all under 23 on arrival a year ago.
The Italian coach, who led Madrid to the Spanish league title in 1996-97, began his bid for the team's first silverware since 2003 by taking advantage of the relegation of his former club Juventus for match-fixing.
Italy's World Cup winning captain Cannavaro and Brazilian midfielder Emerson were snapped up for an estimated combined fee of €23 million (US$29.6 million) - and at a combined age of 62.
Cannavaro will team up in defense with 33-year-old Roberto Carlos, whose future at Madrid was in doubt until Capello asked him to stay.
"He is the best left back in the world. I can't understand why we would have to sell him," Capello said.
Van Nistelrooy, who arrived for €15 million (US$19.2 million), will hope to recapture his prolific partnership at Manchester United from 2001-03 with Beckham, who at 31 is a year older than the Dutchman.
Source: Fox Sports
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Madrid's starting lineup for the 2006-07 season could feature a host of players
« Reply #245 on: August 22, 2006, 10:25:48 AM »
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MADRID, Spain (AP) - Joan Laporta will continue as FC Barcelona president until at least 2010 after his rivals failed to mount an electoral challenge.
Jaume Guixa and Jordi Medina withdrew after learning they hadn't received the requisite support of 1,804 club members, making the presidential election set for Sept. 3 unnecessary.
Laporta will be officially named as president at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium later Tuesday, two hours before the team plays Bayern Munich for the Joan Gamper preseason trophy.
Laporta was ordered by a Barcelona judge last month to stand down and call an election after three club members complained he had exceeded his four-year term.
Although Laporta took charge on June 22, 2003, Barcelona's statutes state that the presidential year runs from July 1 to June 30. Laporta's first eight days therefore constituted his first year as president.
The 44-year-old lawyer was widely expected to continue unopposed as a result of Barcelona's recent sporting and financial success.
Barcelona won the Champions League in May and the last two Spanish league championships.
Last month, Barcelona announced its revenue has increased to euro259.1 million (US$33.5 million) in 2005-06, a 24.6 percent rise over the previous season to make it one of soccer's richest clubs.
Source: Fox Sports
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Classy Barca crush Espanyol to win Super Cup
« Reply #246 on: August 22, 2006, 10:35:07 AM »
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BARCELONA, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Spanish and European champions Barcelona claimed their first silverware of the season with a high-class 3-0 win over city rivals Espanyol in the second leg of the Super Cup on Sunday.
A neat header from Xavi and a spectacular double from Portugal international Deco gave Frank Rijkaard's side a 4-0 aggregate victory over the King's Cup winners.
Barca, who also won the Super Cup last season, have now won the trophy seven times, the same total as arch-rivals Real Madrid.
They will have the chance to add another trophy to their collection when they play UEFA Cup winners Sevilla in the final of the European Super Cup in Monaco on Friday.
'It was the perfect way to start the season,' Deco told reporters after the game. 'It was great to score four goals and win without having to suffer too much.'
The first leg was marred by controversy over the participation of Barca duo Carles Puyol and Xavi just three days after they had withdrawn from Spain's friendly with Iceland because of injury, with Espanyol claiming their inclusion had breached FIFA rules.
But there was little Espanyol could do to stop Barca on the pitch and with Ronaldinho and Xavi pulling the strings in midfield the home side were in scintillating form in the opening 20 minutes.
They opened the scoring after three minutes when Xavi sent a glancing header spinning into the top corner after Ronaldinho had dinked the ball across the area after bamboozling Espanyol fullback Sergio Sanchez with a mesmerising step-over.
Nine minutes later Deco made it 2-0, steering a low shot past Kameni after fullback Juliano Belletti had cut back a superb pass from the byline when he had raced on to a fine through-ball from Xavi.
With victory now effectively secured, Barca eased up and Espanyol were able to stem the tide until early in the second half when Deco added a third with an overhead kick after another great cross from Belletti.
Source: ESPN
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Pires out for six months with knee ligament injury
« Reply #247 on: August 22, 2006, 10:37:35 AM »
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MADRID, Spain (AP) - Villarreal midfielder Robert Pires may be out for six months following a left knee ligament injury he got in a preseason match.
The former Arsenal player was hurt during a match against Cadiz on Friday in a preseason tournament. The Spanish said Monday on its Web site that he would travel to Marseille on Tuesday for a further opinion before deciding on a date for surgery.
Pires has been a regular France international in recent years but was dropped from the squad for the World Cup this year in Germany.
On Saturday, Villarreal announced that Argentina defender Gonzalo Rodriguez was to be sidelined for seven months after tearing a right knee ligament while playing against Real Madrid on Saturday in the same preseason tournament.
Also, midfielder Josico Moreno a left thigh injury in the Cadiz match Friday and will be out for three weeks, the club said.
Villarreal president Fernando Roig said the team would seek to sign replacements before the transfer deadline on Aug. 31, the national news agency Efe reported.
Source: Fox Sports
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MADRID, Aug 21 (Reuters) - French midfielder Robert Pires will miss most of his first season at Villarreal after tearing the cruciate ligament in his left knee - the second such injury to hit the Primera Liga side in a matter of days.
The former Arsenal player, who signed a two-year deal with Villarreal at the end of last season when his contract with the Londoners expired, sustained the injury against Cadiz in the pre-season Ramon de Carranza trophy on Friday.
The 32-year-old winger, who won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Arsenal, is the second Villarreal player to suffer a cruciate ligament injury during the tournament.
Argentine international centre back Gonzalo Rodriguez suffered the same injury in his right knee in the game against Real Madrid on Saturday and will be out for seven months.
'It's the same injury as Gonzalo has,' club president Fernando Roig told reporters on Monday when asked about the results of scans carried out on Pires's knee. 'He will have to undergo surgery.'
Roig added that the club would be looking for reinforcements to replace both players.
The Carranza tournament proved to be extremely costly for Villarreal, who open their Primera Liga campaign against Real Madrid this weekend.
Midfielder Josico suffered a thigh muscle tear and youth team player Bruno fractured a rib after colliding with Real Madrid forward Julio Baptista. Both players will be out of action for up to a month.
Source: ESPN
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