Premier League 2009-2010 Thread
Season 2009-2010 Premier League fixtures
ETAPA 1 (15 august)
Aston Villa vs Wigan
Blackburn vs Man City
Bolton vs Sunderland
Chelsea vs Hull City
Everton vs Arsenal
Man United vs Birmingham
Portsmouth vs Fulham
Stoke vs Burnley
Tottenham vs Liverpool
Wolverhampton vs West Ham
Liverpool!
Chelsea
Joker's Fan !
City deny Robinho exit
Robinho will remain with Manchester City next season, according to chief executive Garry Cook.
The club's record signing has been linked with a return to Spain and a move to Champions League winners Barcelona.
However Cook told www.mcfc.co.uk: "Robinho has always been a highly valued member of our team and that continues to be the case.
"Reports suggesting he will leave the club, either on loan or on a permanent deal, are absolutely untrue."
Robinho scored 15 goals in his debut season for City following his £32.5million move from Real Madrid.
Fernando Torres: I’m a Red for life
The Spanish striker has declared that his future is with Liverpool and is adamant that even Real Madrid could not make him leave.
Torres has claimed that he is not interested in moving to Real, or even Manchester United for that matter.
"Madrid are obviously spending lots of money and I'm sure Alex Ferguson will be looking for a big name to replace Ronaldo, but I'm very excited about what Rafa Benitez is doing here," said the Spaniard.
"Clubs might go crazy offering higher wages than anybody else, but that doesn't interest me."
"To want any more money would be greedy and that's not me."
"As long as Liverpool want me, I'll stay. I'd only have left Atletico Madrid for Liverpool. I grew up in Spain, but Liverpool are my boyhood club."
Liverpool
Manchester United
Manchester United
Chelsea set to appeal over European bans
Chelsea have confirmed that they will appeal against bans of Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa by UEFA after their Champions League semi-final match with FC Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.
The decision by the Club comes after Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa, were handed a 6 match ban and a 4 match ban, for their row with Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovreb.
Chelsea now have 6 more days to formally lodge their appeal and are also set to contest a £85.000 for improper conduct by players and fans.
Before the bans were announced, Drogba had stated that he would accept any punishment given to him by UEFA.
"My behaviour was not what UEFA and everyone wants to see in a football stadium", he said ahead of the governing body's verdict.
The incident took place right after the final whistle in May, when Chelsea were eliminated on the away goals rule after Andres Iniesta had equalized and several decisions went against the Blues.
The players felt that referee Ovrebo should have awarded several penalties in the second half and blamed him for their exit.
Drogba swore into live TV cameras in front of millions of people and later Bosingwa called Ovrebo a "thief", when Chelsea players surrounded the Norwegian official and confronted him after the final whistle.
Sevilla: Zokora too expensive
Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido has revealed Tottenham want more money than he is prepared to pay for Didier Zokora.
Zokora has been out of favour at Spurs since the arrival of Wilson Palacios and the Spanish club are interested if they can agree a fee.
"The distance between what they asked for and what we are willing to offer was so great that we left it there, and decided to speak again in the future," Del Nido said.
"Zokora is not the only option. The number two on the list is just as valid an option as Zokora, and is even younger.
"We requested permission from Tottenham to talk to him because we wanted to know what his disposition was, and he would be very excited to play in a competition he never has before in the Champions League.
"But we must deal with a level head. We have spent several million Euros and want to guarantee after it all that we have a squad capable."
ESPN win Premier League rights
The Premier League have awarded all of the live matches formerly held by Setanta to the Disney-owned broadcaster ESPN.
ESPN have not only been awarded the two packages of 46 live games for next season, but in a surprise move by the Premier League also Setanta's package of 23 matches per season for the 2010-2013 period.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said: "The Premier League is extremely pleased to have added ESPN as a UK rights holder."
He added: "They have a formidable worldwide reputation and experience in sports and I am sure we will enjoy a long and fruitful relationship with them.
"I would like to thank ESPN, as well as all the other broadcasters who submitted bids, for their professionalism and effort in engaging in our sales process at such short notice."
"The timescale of our process was tight to say the least and it is to the great credit of ESPN that they committed themselves to adding Barclays Premier League football to their already impressive portfolio of sports rights."
"The speed at which we have been able to conclude this deal means that the preparations for next season will be able to continue without interruption and fans will have certainty over the broadcasting of Barclays Premier League matches for the next 4 seasons."
Russell Wolff, executive vice president and managing director of ESPN International, said: "Premier League football is one of the world's most sought-after sports properties. We are very excited to be working with Premier League and expanding our businesses in UK."
"This move demonstrates our commitment to British sports fans and our ongoing commitment to delivering football to fans around the world across a variety of media."
Malouda signs for 2 more years with Chelsea
Chelsea's French winger Florent Malouda has signed a 2-year extension to his current contract at Stamford Bridge.
Malouda, who also represents France at the international level, had just 12 months left in his current deal.
The 29 year-old player had moved to West London from Lyon for £13.5 million in 2007.
But after less than impressive starts, he was set for a summer switch away from the Blues.
However, his recent string of impressive performances under interim manager Guus Hiddink in the closing stages of the season, have persuaded new boss Carlo Ancelotti to hand him an extension.
Malouda confirmed the news during an interview while on holiday in his native Guyana.
He told RFO: "It was a scoop I wanted to keep for Guyana. I did add 2 more years on my contract at Chelsea."
"I am now with Chelsea for the next 3 years."
"I have many contacts, I am always in the news when the market opens, so now you can tell the news all over the world - I am fine at Chelsea."
"We will go for the league and Champions League next season."
Deco: Get me out of here!
Deco has been linked to Serie A champions Inter Milan and the Portuguese midfielder is keen on leaving Stamford Bridge.
"I had a rather difficult season at Chelsea. I had a serious injury and I could not play my best football," Deco said to the Corriere dello Sport.
"I was hoping for something different. My agent, Jorge Mendes, has talked to the club and said that I am not happy at Chelsea. I know full well that I have a contract but I would like to leave."
"Are Inter my preferred destination? Yes, I am waiting and I would love for this deal to go through."
Deco worked with Jose Mourinho at Porto, winning the Champions League under the guidance of "The Special One". The midfield maestro would like a reunion with his old coach and a chance to play alongside striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
"I choose Inter because they are a club with a great history and because I would like to work again under a coach like Mourinho," explained the 31-year-old. "We had two and a half fantastic years at Porto, during which we won all that we could."
"I hope ‘Ibra' will stay, because he is an important player. He is one of the best around and I would love to have him as my team-mate."
Voronin is eager to prove his worth
Liverpool forward Andriy Voronin has said that he wants to prove his worth by making a mark in Barclays Premier League.
The Ukraine international failed, who joined the Merseyside club on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, had failed to make an impact in the 2007-2008 season.
He was instead loaned out to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin last summer where he proved a big hit, scoring 11 league goals in 20 matches and providing several assists.
Voronin has now completed his loan spell at Berlin and with no permanent deal agreed, he is set to return to Anfield for pre-season.
"It wasn't a bad season in Germany but now I am coming back to conquer England", he said.
"I'm a person who likes to face new challenges. It's time to prove to myself and to those people who think I can score a lot of goals only in Bundesliga that it's not so."
"Liverpool is one of the world's strongest clubs. To play for it is a great honour for any footballer."
"I know it's not going to be easy but I feel ready for a real fight to get into the first choice team."
Givet joins Blackburn permanently
Blackburn have completed the signing of Gael Givet from Olympique Marseille on a 4-year contract in a £3.5 million deal.
The French defender, 27-year-old, spent the second half of last season on loan at Ewood Park and made 13 league appearances.
Givet started his career at AS Monaco before moving to Marseille in 2007, where he failed to establish himself in the first team.
His France career subsequently stalled and he elected to join Rovers in January, where he impressed both at left-back and centre-half.
Liverpool looking for a new shirt sponsor
Liverpool's 17-year partnership with their major sponsor, Carlsberg, is one of the longest in the game, so much so that the beer giant's logo has become an iconic emblem for the Anfield club.
However, The Daily Express reports that the Reds, who are battling financial problems under the ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett, are now aiming to increase revenue by landing a more profitable shirt deal.
The Merseyside outfit currently collect around £10 million per year - plus performance-based extras - from the Danish brewery, a figure which pales in comparison to their main rivals.
Manchester United, for example, will rake in a mammoth £80 million per season from their new sponsor, AON, while Chelsea have a £50 million deal with Samsung.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, though, Carlsberg holds an exclusivity agreement which prevents the club from even considering other options until July.
Only after that agreement expires will the scouse side's commercial director, Ian Ayre, be free to enter talks with other companies in view of attaining a more rewarding deal.
Liverpool's current contract with Carlsberg - which has been pushing to win the naming rights to the club's planned Stanley Park Stadium - runs until 2010.
Scolari points finger at Drogba, Ballack and Cech
Luiz Felipe Scolari claims a number of Chelsea players did not respect him and his training methods during his ill-fated 8-month stint at Stamford Bridge.
The 60-year-old Brazilian, who is currently coaching Bunyodkor in Uzbekistan, singled out the behaviour of Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, Germany midfielder Michael Ballack and Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech as unacceptable.
Scolari, who took over the Blues hot-seat last July and was sacked in February, told O Globo newspaper: "The real owners of football at the moment are the players. The coach, in most European clubs, has no strength to contradict them."
"The people sacked are always the coaches. The main players already know this. That was my problem at Chelsea. Drogba, Ballack and Cech did not accept my training methods or my demands."
Torres seeks Spanish recruits
Fernando Torres has revealed he has recommended 3 of his Spanish compatriots to Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.
The Spain striker believes the Reds need "small players with quality" to finally wrest the Premier League title from Manchester United and would like Benitez to sign David Silva, Juan Mata or David Villa from Valencia.
"English football is very difficult because it's very physical and played at a high tempo", Torres said. "We have a fantastic team to play against the big teams and we are competitive.
"But maybe against those teams lower down we are not good enough. We have to improve that and I think we can."
"I think we can definitely be stronger at home. We have some very good players but maybe we need other players. I hope Liverpool will bring people like Silva, Mata or Villa. These are small players with quality like United had with Carlos Tevez and also with Paul Scholes."
"They are clever players and maybe they can make the difference. Yossi Benayoun plays like these kind of players and I hope we can bring more like that so then we have different options to play against all the sides."
City sign deal with Endemol
Endemol Sport, a sub-division of major TV company Endemol, have signed a long-term deal with the Eastlands side in order to promote their global brand.
A new website will be launched today as a result of the deal, which will include a site in Arabic and in addition the club will be looking at TV opportunities.
David Pullen, brand and marketing director at Manchester City, is excited about the doors that the partnership may open.
"At the top of the list is providing a positive experience to existing fans", he explained.
"The second priority is to create a point of entry into Manchester City and what it stands for."
"We want to target certain markets, first in Arabic and English and by the end of the year, in 3 or 4 other languages."
While the Citizens are looking to build their team on the pitch, this is a further sign that they are attempting to emulate the foundations on which major clubs are built. Whether they will receive the explosion of overseas interest that they believe will arise as a result of their high-profile signings, however, is another matter.
Rovers snap up promising French teenager
Promising young French midfielder Steven N'Zonzi became Premier League side Blackburn Rovers 4th signing of the close season on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old signed from Amiens on a 4-year deal - no transfer fee was revealed.
His signing comes just 24 hours after veteran Danish international defender Lars Jacobsen signed with them - French defender Gael Givet and midfielder Elrio van Heerden are the other new arrivals this summer.
Experienced Dutch international striker Ruud van Nistelrooy - presently with Real Madrid - is another potential signing for the club as they recently saw Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz leave for Manchester City where he rejoins his former Blackburn boss Mark Hughes.
Ramsey signs Arsenal extension
The 18-year-old arrived at Emirates Stadium from Cardiff last summer in what was understood to be a £5 million deal.
Ramsey made 22 first-team appearances for the Gunners, which started with the Champions League qualifier against Steve McClaren's Twente.
The former Cardiff youngster netted his first senior goal in the 5-2 European victory at Fenerbahce during October.
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is more than happy with Ramsey's progress so far.
"Aaron made a very good contribution in his first season and he showed that he is a very intelligent player with great quality", said Wenger.
"He is still only 18-year-old and we are really looking forward to seeing him develop with us in the forthcoming years."
Arsenal yesterday handed professional contracts to 4 members of their successful FA Youth Cup team, while confirming Portugal U21 international Amaury Bischoff was one of 8 players released.
Defenders Luke Ayling (17), Craig Eastmond (18), Cedric Evina (17) and 18-year-old keeper James Shea have all been signed on by the Gunners following an impressive campaign which also saw the youngsters win the FA Premier Academy League under the guidance of former centre-half Steve Bould.
City release former star quartet
German World Cup finalist Dietmar Hamann and former England internationals Darius Vassell and Danny Mills were among 4 players released by bigspending Manchester City on Wednesday.
The trio were joined by former Rangers and Everton defender Michael Ball as club manager Mark Hughes reduced his squad ahead of potentially more big name signings to join those of Roque Santa Cruz and Gareth Barry.
Hamann, who was a member of the German side that lost to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup final and the Liverpool side that won the epic 2005 Champions League against AC Milan, failed to play in the last months of the season because of a toe injury.
Both Vassell and Mills also played in the 2002 World Cup finals, with the former going on to win 22 caps, scoring 6 goals, but the 29-year-old striker has struggled for his place and has been strongly linked with a move to Turkey with Ankaragucu his favoured destination.
Mills, 32-year-old and capped 19 times, was another of the players to leave cash-strapped Leeds United with City being his destination in 2004 - however he rarely made a first team place his own and found himself loaned out to Hull City, Charlton and Derby County.
It was at Derby - during their disastrous one season stay in Premier League - where he picked up a serious knee injury in January 2008 and he has not played since.
Ball, who began his career with Everton before moving on to Glasgow Rangers and then to PSV Eindhoven where he won the Dutch title under Guus Hiddink, has been capped once by England but struggled to make an impression once Stuart Pearce was replaced by Hughes' predecessor Sven Goran Eriksson.
Laporta: Barca is in Cesc's DNA
Barcelona president Juan Laporta has made his most audacious attempt so far to court Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Laporta admitted that he would love to have Fabregas in his Barca squad, and seemingly encouraged the midfielder to demand a move to Cataluña.
Fabregas has strong ties to the Spanish and European champions, having joined Arsenal in 2003 from Barca's La Masia youth academy, right before the Catalans offered him a contract.
"As I've said many times, Cesc has Barcelona in his DNA and I think that one day he should play for Barca," Laporta said.
"We all like him very much - he's always been in our thoughts."
The 22-year-old would cost Barca £40million, but would serve to put one over on arch rivals Real Madrid, who are also openly making approaches for the player.
For his part, Fabregas has done little to cool the transfer rumors, even giving an interview to Spanish news agency EFE in which he derided Arsenal's "impotence" at winning titles, comments which he later retracted on the club's website.
Further comments again stirred up controversy though, particularly when the Spaniard claimed his Catalan parents, themselves staunch Barca supporters, would understand if he joined Madrid.
Wenger has taken steps to strengthen his midfield in the increasingly likely event of Fabregas leaving, with the Frenchman tying up contracts for young stars Jack Wilshere, 17, and Aaron Ramsey, 18.
Wilshere is the youngest player ever to represent Arsenal in both league and European competition, and Wenger was delighted with the signing.
"It is great news that Jack has signed," Wenger said.
"He made great progress last season and we all witnessed what a great young talent he is."
City to loan Caicedo
Manchester City are open to the idea of letting striker Felipe Caicedo leave on loan, according to reports in Portugal.
Sporting Lisbon have persistently been linked with a move for Caicedo, who does not figure in coach Mark Hughes' first-team plans and is believed to be looking for some regular action elsewhere.
Sources close to City have told news daily A BOLA that the Eastlands outfit have not ruled out the idea of loaning Caicedo out, a possibility that appeals to cash-strapped Sporting.
The Lions have already spent €3.6 million this summer and a new permanent signing will always have to be preceded by a sale, something that has not been made of yet.
Caicedo is regarded by Sporting coach Paulo Bento as the ideal substitute for Derlei, who left the club at the end of the season after refusing to sign a new deal.
Van Persie agrees Arsenal contract extension
Robin van Persie has agreed a new 5-year contract with Arsenal, according to a report in The Independent today.
The Dutchman, who has just a year left to run on his current agreement, is said to have signed an extension until the end of the 2013-2014 season.
Van Persie is currently on holiday in France and has been locked in negotiations with the London club since January, although talks were put on hold as he waited to see whether Arsene Wenger's side qualified for the Champions League.
Recently, he suggested Arsenal's lack of trophies - their last silverware came in winning the 2005 FA Cup - was a big concern, prompting speculation over his future.
But the Gunners did go on and comfortably beat Aston Villa to 4th place in the Premier League and Van Persie is set to become the key member of Arsenal's attacking unit, especially if, as is speculated, Emmanuel Adebayor leaves Emirates Stadium this summer.
According to the report, the striker's new deal will net him around £80.000 per week which will put him amongst the club's top earners.
If he has indeed signed, Van Persie will follow starlets Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Kieran Gibbs, all of whom penned new long-term contracts this week.
Van Persie scored 20 goals in 44 appearances last season, which comfortably represented his best ever campaign in front of goal.
As yet there has been no official confirmation from Arsenal or the player himself over the reported agreement.
Last edited by beavis; 04-07-2009 at 17:45.
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