Report: Milan To Announce Signing Of Arsenal’s Fabregas On Monday

Andrea Pirlo will then move on to Chelsea.

Aug 15, 2009 8:30:56 AM

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EPL: Francesc Fabregas, Arsenal v Manchester City (PA)

Sections of the Italian media are speculating that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi will announce a big-money signing for the club on Monday night before the Trofeo Berlusconi, and according to UnoNotizie.it this player will be Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas.

The €30-35 million required to complete this capture will be recovered in part by the sale of Andrea Pirlo to Chelsea.

Milan have had a truly disastrous pre-season, winning just one game. They had already suffered a string of defeats to Club America, Chelsea, Inter, Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors and Benfica, and last night lost two more in the Trofeo TIM to Inter again and Juventus.

This Monday night, Milan will host the annual Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi against Juventus, and there are expected to be huge demonstrations against Berlusconi after a disastrous transfer summer where the club have made just one notable signing in Real Madrid’s Klaas Jan Huntelaar, despite selling star man Kaka to the Blancos for €67m.

Partly in a bid to quell the protests, as well as to strengthen a Milan team in desperate need of new players, the Italian media are speculating that Berlusconi will use the special occasion at San Siro on Monday night to announce a big-money signing that will excite supporters.

UnoNotizie.it are claiming that this player will be Cesc Fabregas, who they say wants to leave Arsenal after becoming disillusioned with the direction the club is going following the high-profile summer sales of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure which has been countered only by the arrival of Belgian international centre back Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax.

Milan will shell out €30-35m for Fabregas, and will recover part of this sum by selling Pirlo to Chelsea, despite Berlusconi’s announcement last week that the Italian World Cup winner would stay at San Siro for the rest of his career.

While this may all seem like fantasy football, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger declared only yesterday that there was no chance of Fabregas leaving the club, Milan supporters will be waiting eagerly for Monday night to see if Berlusconi announces a major coup prior to the clash with Juventus.

Anthony Sormani, Goal.com

Player Ratings: Everton 1-6 Arsenal

Everton were treated to a harsh opening day lesson, as their defensive errors played into the hands of a rampant Arsenal.

Aug 15, 2009 2:45:35 PM

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Cesc Fabregas, Everton, Arsenal, Dani Jarque (PA)

EVERTON

Tim Howard: 5.5 -
Was beaten by a fashionably maligned midfielder in the first-half, but kept strong mitts from corner kicks and crosses to deny Arsenal's incoming headers a coveted opportunity on goal. Should have done better with Arsenal's fourth. Conceded six.

Tony Hibbert: 4.0 -
Had little positive action and was duly brought off for burgeoning talent Jack Rodwell.

Joseph Yobo: 5.0 -
Failed to track and follow Vermaelen for the Arsenal defender's goal, in an act that would surely have had David Moyes cursing.

Joleon Lescott: 6.5 -
One mistake, a casual slip, almost allowed Arshavin to capitalise but the Russian was blocked by the England international's recovery. His mistakes were few and far between, unlike his defensive team-mates.

Leighton Baines: 6.0 -
Tried to get forward when possible, even if it meant going searching for the ball.

Leon Osman: 6.0 -
Occasionally found space on the right to work, but was shunted out of action. Was one part of a three-way substitution just before the hour mark.

Tim Cahill: 6.5 -
His aerial ability belies his relatively small stature. A fine runner, as was evident when he snuck past Vermaelen but his control was a touch heavy and Almunia was able to smother the attack.

Phil Neville: 5.5 -
Struggled to cope with Arsenal's midfield dominance.

Steven Pienaar: 6.0 -
Looked to pick up from his sterling showing in the Confederations Cup with South Africa. Some good play. Couldn't establish himself in this game, though.

Marouane Fellaini: 6.5 -
Imposed himself as a towering presence early on. Was also central to a few impressive one-touch passages of play. A crisp passer of the football. When his side weren't in possession, he could be found willingly trying to retrieve it. Tried hard for the goal, thought he'd scored, but Denilson had something to say about it.

Jo: 5.0 -
Got a couple decent touches in the first half but, for the lion's share of the opening 45, the majority of play was behind him. He was therefore out of the picture.

Subs

Jack Rodwell: N/a -

Dan Gosling: N/a -

Louis Saha: 7.0 -
Had a good chance on goal within five minutes of his introduction to the game, but the better talking points in the pub will probably focus on his strange hair. Struck a consolation effort in the 93rd.

ARSENAL

Manuel Almunia: 7.0 -
Bad kicks even when he wasn't under pressure to clear in the early stages. Had a good command of his area overall, demonstrated with some good collections despite a crowded box. His quick throwing paid dividends, and he got himself an assist.

Bacary Sagna: 6.5 -
Quick to recover when a flat line allowed an albeit offside Pienaar through.

William Gallas: 7.0 -
Stayed with his markers, was consistent in the hustle, and defended well. Poured more misery onto Everton with a third Gunners goal inside the first 40 minutes.

Thomas Vermaelen: 7.5 -
A composed Premier League debutant. Used his legs well to frustrate a Leon Osman run. Impressively quick to quell danger. Free header led to his goal.

Gael Clichy: 7.0 -
Sloppy cross on 20'. Good defensive work, drifted into the centre to get two successive blocks on what looked a promising Toffees forward motion.

Alexandre Song: 7.5 -
Was a good match for Fellaini in the air, and beat the Belgium international to the ball a number of times. Held the midfield fort well. Is growing as a player by the match.

Denilson: 8.0 -
Wayward final balls at times, unseen in the opening ten or twenty minutes as his higher profile team-mates worked around him. That was turned on it's head in the 26th minute as his curling right foot drive, from distance, beat Howard and gobsmacked the audience. Goal-line clearance down other end. Played well.

Francesc Fabregas: 8.0 -
Surprisingly overshadowed in the first half by Denilson and Song. Struck the free-kick that William Gallas nodded in. Stroked the ball home two minutes after the re-start to put the win beyond doubt. Was far more productive in the second half, as was evident with his second. Was substituted but still earned his wage. Dedicated his second to the death of Daniel Jarque, the late Espanyol captain.

Nicklas Bendtner: 8.0 -
Good early link-up play with Robin van Persie. Sturdy knock-downs to RvP. Liked to drift wide on the right. His strength and chest-and-footwork from the wing assisted Denilson for the Brazilian's wonder-goal. It's hard to imagine this is the same Bendtner from this time last season.

Andrey Arshavin: 7.0 -
A canny dribbler with a good balance. Always looked a threat. Scored all four goals during the 4-4 tie with Liverpool last season, but today returned nil, even though his side recorded six.

Robin van Persie: 7.5 -
Sound set-piece delivery, a good striker of the ball. Assisted Vermaelen from a dead ball scenario. Delicately played in 'Cesc' after a strong run down the left flank for the Gunners' fourth.

Subs

Emmanuel Eboue: N/a -

Aaron Ramsey: N/a -

Eduardo da Silva: 6.5 -
Struck the sixth.

Alan Dawson, Goal.com

Reds eye imposing start

John O'Shea is calling for United to build on a first opening-day win for three seasons when the Reds travel to Turf Moor in midweek.

After last week's internationals, the domestic games now come thick and fast, giving the Reds and the rivals a chance to rack up the points.

"You don't want to be playing catch-up, even after only one game," O'Shea told MUTV. "Other teams are looking stronger now so it's important we stamp our authority early on in the season."

"We've opened the last two league seasons with draws so we're happy to have picked up three points against Birmingham. Now we move on with a tough game at Burnley."

O'Shea was an authority figure for United on Sunday, as he led the team out in the absence of Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand. Although he later handed the armband to half-time sub Ryan Giggs, the captaincy was still an honour for John.

"It was very special. I've done it in friendlies which is also nice, but to do it in a league game when it really matters, for the manager to have that faith in me, is something special and something I'll always cherish," said O'Shea.

The Irishman was the most experienced member of United's back four, but he had no qualms about the relative

Barcelona Stars Dominate UEFA Club Football Awards

The Blaugrana are by far the highest represented side.

Aug 17, 2009 10:20:08 AM

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UEFA Champions League - Final - Barcelona v Manchester United (PA)

UEFA announced this morning the names of the players in contention for the UEFA Club Football Awards, which will be presented before the draw for the Champions League group stage at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on August 27.

Barcelona dominate this year's awards, with half of the 12 contenders hailing from the treble-winning side.

The coaches of the 16 sides that reached the knock-out phase of last season's Champions League will now cast their votes for each position and will also nominate the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.

UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year

Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Victor Valdes (Barcelona)
Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United)

UEFA Club Defender of the Year

Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
John Terry (Chelsea)
Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)

UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)

UEFA Club Forward of the Year

Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, now Inter)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, now Real Madrid)

Luís Mira, Goal.com

RAFA FRUSTRATED AFTER SPURS SETBACK

Rafael Benitez reflected on the opening day 2-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur and admitted his team must improve.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto fired Spurs ahead with a fantastic strike but Steven Gerrard equalised from the penalty spot after superb play from debutant Glen Johnson. However, Harry Redknapp's charges got the all important goal when Sebastien Bassong headed home from a Luka Modric free-kick. The Reds' manager was unhappy with the first half display but felt his side showed more attacking threat in the second period. "We didn't play well, especially the first half, but we were much better in the second half," said Rafa. "We pushed harder and had more options in the final third, but clearly we have to improve if we want to win these kind of games. "We have to improve in the middle and keep the ball more and pass it better. The understanding has to be better. As a team we were not comfortable in possession in the first half. "We were playing against a good team so we knew we needed to play well. We didn't but we have another game on Wednesday against Stoke and we have to improve." Asked if he felt his side should have been awarded two late penalties, the Benitez admitted: "I think everybody could see, especially the challenge on Voronin. It was so clear. You could maybe say the second incident was ball to hand, but the first one was clear." Another worry for the boss was the fitness of centre halves Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher after the pair clashed heads in the first half. Carragher continued with a bandage around his head while Skrtel also tried to play on before eventually being replaced by Spanish youngster Daniel Ayala. Asked about Skrtel and Carragher's condition, Benitez added: "Martin wanted to continue. We were a little bit worried but he did well. We had to change him in the end because he had a problem. He has had stitches. "Carra also needed stitches so we will have to see how they are for Wednesday's game."

Spanish Inquisition: Why Are Europe's Top Players Shunning England For Spain?

According to Sky Sports, the Premier League has always been "the best and most exciting league" in the world. And at the end of last season it did appear that indeed the Premier League was the strongest league.
For the fifth successive year there was a Premier League side in the final of the Champions League. For the third consecutive season there were three English sides in the semi-finals. Although this doesn't necessarily prove the superiority of the Premier League to other European domestic leagues, it did attest the strength of the Big Four - Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Yet something changed in the summer and now it appears that it is La Liga and not the Premier League that is 'the best and most exciting league' in the world. FC Barcelona's all-consuming, all-conquering, galactic football last season convinced everyone that the best and most poetic football is played in Spain while Florentino Perez's second coming at Real Madrid has made the Spanish capital the centre of European football again.
This summer, the biggest players have been linked with either Real Madrid or Barcelona. The likes of David Villa, Franck Ribery, Cesc Fabregas, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo all have or had either stated their desire to remain in La Primera or move to Spain , thereby proving that it is La Liga and not the Premier League that is the most attractive in the world.
So why has Spanish football suddenly become more glamorous to the world's best footballers? Maybe the following reasons could help us understand…..
1. Barcelona's Galactic Football
There's no doubt that the football played by Pep Guardiola's side last season was the best and most overwhelming for quite a while. Barcelona waltzed to the treble - the Spanish Primera Division, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League- and their football was as much peremptory as poetic, as Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Samuel Eto'o, Thierry Henry and Daniel Alves ripped apart defences both in Spain and in Europe with ruthless aestheticism. Barcelona's destruction of Manchester United in the European Cup final was an apt demonstration of their superiority and a perfect reflection of how football is played in La Liga. It was enough to convince the best players in the world that it is in Spain where the most glamorous football is played.
2. The Real Madrid Revolution
Real Madrid have always been the biggest club in the world and the dream of every footballer in spite of their consistent failure in the Champions League for the past five seasons and the mismanagement of the Calderon and Mijatovic. Florentino Perez's first stint in the presidential hotseat at the Bernabeu might have ended in disaster but the former Spanish politician's second coming has been a revolution in itself. Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul Albiol and Karim Benzema all have been signed, making Madrid - on paper at least- on par with Barcelona. Kaka rejected Manchester City in January, Ronaldo's eternal dream was to play for Madrid and Benzema could have gone to Manchester United but didn't. Perez's arrival has made Real Madrid an attractive proposition again and his power to convince is leading players to come to the Spanish capital.
3. The English Weather
As lame as this may sound, the fact that the English weather can and probably does play its part as a repellent cannot be denied. When linked with Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City earlier this summer, Bayern Munich hotshot Franck Ribery was quoted as saying that he won't play in England as he doesn't like the weather there. The English weather is perhaps the most unpredictable entity in the world: you can have snow, rainfall and sunshine all in a single hour. Although not many players have voiced their disgruntlement about the English weather - at least not claiming it as a factor for not playing in the Premier League- Ribery's point does make sense. In Spain, it is mostly sunny and warm: the weather is just perfect.
4. Taxation Policy
The tax legislation in Spain is much more conducive than that in England and for the highly paid footballers this is an attraction. In Spain, a footballer would have to pay tax at between 23-25% rate for the first five years he lives there while in England high earners could have to pay as much as 50% tax. This is certainly not very helpful in attracting players to the Premier League and although the English top flight is relatively richer than its counterparts in Spain or Italy, a 50% margin doesn't help.
5. World Cup Year
Given that performance in the 2009-2010 season counts a lot in terms of getting a place in the 2010 World Cup finals, players don't want to move to England and take a risk. Adapting to the Premier League is not easy and could take some time and this is not at all convenient to those aiming to represent their nation in South Africa next year. For example, in David Villa's case, playing in Spain sustains his first team place in the Spanish national squad as he is a guaranteed success in La Liga. But moving to Manchester United wouldn't necessarily give him the same degree of security.

Europa League review

Fulham beat FK Vetra 3-0 in Vilnius in their Europa League third qualifying round first leg tie.

The Cottagers made an emphatic Europa League debut after Bobby Zamora inspired a comfortable victory over FC Vetra in Vilnius.

Zamora scored the opener, won a penalty converted by Danny Murphy and set-up the third for substitute Seol Ki-Hyeon.

Making their first appearance in Europe since 2002, Fulham are now excellently positioned to progress from the third qualifying round with the second leg staged at Craven Cottage next Thursday (6th August).

heavy pressure

Occasionally showing the strain of beginning their season in July, Fulham were loose in defence at times and lacked bite in midfield for the opening half hour.

The hot conditions did not help but, having settled, they comprehensively outplayed the Lithuanian club, who finished third in the A Lyga last season.

Brede Hangeland, Zamora and Zoltan Gera missed early chances before Zamora rewarded Fulham's heavy pressure by firing the opener moments before half-time.

Murphy doubled the lead and effectively killed off the match from the spot in the 56th minute after Zamora had been fouled by Vetra skipper Algis Jankauskas before Seol made it three late on.

To find out more about the Barclays Premier League teams involved in the Europa League, click here

Please note: Fixtures are subject to change. Reproduced under licence from Football DataCo Limited. All rights reserved. Licence no. NEWMEDIA/PREMLGEGE/FDCED0910/118839.

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Talk:College football

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College football

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This article covers college (American) football played in the United States. For other sorts of college football, see College football (disambiguation).

NCAA Football redirects here. For the video game series, see NCAA Football series.

A college football game between Colorado State and Air Force

College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies. It was the venue through which American football first gained popularity in the United States. College football remains extremely popular today among students, alumni, and other fans of the sport.

Contents

[hide]

• 1 History
• 2 Injuries
• 3 Season schedule
• 4 Official rules and notable rule distinctions
• 5 National championships
• 6 Team maps
• 7 Bowl games
  • 7.1 Bowl Championship Series (BCS)
• 8 See also
• 9 Notes
• 10 External links

Love You More than Football2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Love You More Than Football
Studio album by Space
Recorded	2000
Genre	BritPop
Label	Gut Records
Producer	Edwyn Collins
Space chronology
Tin Planet (1998) Love You More Than Football (unreleased) Suburban Rock 'N' Roll (2004)

Love You More Than Football is an unreleased Space album from 2000. Originally scheduled for release in July 2000, the album was to be a follow up to 1998’s Tin Planet.^[1] The album, briefly known as Bulletproof, was later reschedule for December 4, 2001, but was never released.^[2][3]

Most of the 14 tracks on the album were short love songs. The album was produced by Edwyn Collins.^[1]

[edit] Track listing

^[3]

1. "Everybody in the Madhouse"
2. "Diary of a Wimp"
3. "Good Times"
4. "I Love You More than Football"
5. "Evil Things"
6. "Steal My Love"
7. "Gravity"
8. "More than a Friend"
9. "Voices"
10. "Supersonic Jetplane"
11. "Despise"
12. "Thank You"
13. "Juno 54"
14. "Yes You Do"

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} unsigned, nme.com, June 6, 2000. "SPACE PALY 'BALL IN LONDON". Accessed April 18, 2008.
2. ^ amazon.com listing, undated. Amazon.ca: Love You More Than Football: Space: Music. Accessed April 18, 2008.
3. ^ ^{a b} Space Discography > Others > Love You More Than Football - SpaceTheBand.com

NYSC boss urges corporate bodies to emulate Nigerian Breweries

This call came from the NYSC Enugu State coordinator, Alhaji AbdulGani Olota durin

NYSC boss urges corporate bodies to emulate Nigerian Breweries

This call came from the NYSC Enugu State coordinator, Alhaji AbdulGani Olota durin

He cares more for football than me!

I’m in my twenties and live with my 30-year old boyfriend. He has a good job and pays almost all the bills. I work in a bank and work on Saturdays as well. On Saturdays, my boyfriend’s close friends come around to the house to watch sports and leave the flat looking like a dump.

When I arrived home last Saturday, they were all watching football and there were dirty plates, cigarette stubs and beer bottles all over the place. I lost my temper and switched the TV off and my guy got really pissed off.

He tried to grab the remote control and I ended up falling down in an unflattering heap on the floor. Then I started crying and they all left to go to one of the guys’ flat to continue watching the match.

We haven’t spoken to each other because of the incident and I don’t know where our relationship is going. I can’t put up with his unfeeling behaviour much longer.

Inyene,
By E-mail

Dear Inyene,
Being parted by work for six days a week from the man you love makes you pine for a greater sense of togetherness and intimacy, and coming home from work to often discover him having laddish fun made you feel somehow redundant. You might be angry and want to spoil your boyfriend’s fun but have a heart! The man works all week and pays the bills. Does that make your role in this relationship somehow insignificant to you? This shouldn’t be. You both came together to create a home and hopefully, a family.

Don’t throw tantrums and become a party pooper and a killjoy. You need to feel reassured about where this relationship is going. Suggest to your boyfriend that it is time to talk about the future. At every stage of life, dare to confront your needs instead of running away from them. The next time you’re smack in the middle of a laddish get-together, find a fun thing to do then make your point when the session is over.

Why is she cold in bed?

Dear Bunmi,
Do you know of a way I can get my girlfriend to be more adventurous in bed? Whenever I asked her for oral sex she looked totally disgusted. She eventually agreed to give it a go but it wasn’t an enjoyable experience at all. She told me it seemed dirty to her, and she couldn’t understand why I liked the idea of it in the first place. She won’t even entertain the idea of allowing me to give her oral sex, although I’m pretty sure she’d enjoyed it.

Do you think she’s a prude? The only sex position she’s willing to try is with me on top of her. How can I get her to relax and enjoy sex? She seems to see it as nothing but a chore at the moment.

Monsuru,
By E-mail

Dear Monsuru,
It might be possible that your girl has received negative messages in the past about sex. Spend time talking with her and encouraging her to give and receive sensual messages from you. Also encourage her to explore her body when she is alone and relaxed. But if she remains adamant that she dislikes oral sex, you’ll have to admit this very intimate form of love making is not for her. It’s now up to you to decide if you can live with what she has to offer!

My daughter’s boyfriend is a thug

Dear Bunmi,
I have a lovely 19-years old daughter in the university and doing well. Unfortunately, she fell in love with a man in the neighourhood. He is 24, lives and works with his parents and a drug addict. He used to have a girlfriend on the same street as ours who he beat up from time to time. Now he’s threatening my daughter with violence and his ex-girlfriend has also threatened to beat her up!

I’ve warned her against continuing with this dangerous relationship but I just learnt she sees him behind our back. She’s so young to be facing this kind of responsibility. What can I do to stop her?
Kate,
Lagos.

Dear Kate,
Normally, parents shouldn’t really interfere in their children’s lives but your daughter’s case is really heavy and you should wade right in there! At 19, she may think she loves this guy, but he’s obviously not good for her-and neither are the people he mixes up with.

Don’t tell your daughter off – that’ll only make it more likely she’ll rebel. As any parent will tell you, teenage kids are really horrible, are rebellious at times and you need to help your daughter come to terms with the reality of the situation she’s in.

It is bad enough that the guy is an addict-but to be threatened by him and his ex is a bit frightening. To help her develop her sense of self pride, encourage and help her make relationship choices that are better for her so she could get back the confidence to live a normal life. Sometimes, parents just have to be strong and stand firm.

Does foreplay get you pregnant?

I’m in love with a very considerate man who is careful about safe sex and always uses a condom. However, once in a while during foreplay, a bit of fluid leaks out of his penis. Does this fluid have sperm in it? I’m worried if it does, and it gets on the outside of the condom, that I could fall pregnant. Is my fear founded?

Evelyn,
By E-mail

Dear Evelyn,
You’re right to be worried. Sperm can leak out from your boyfriend’s penis way before he climaxes. The fluid you’re talking about almost certainly contains sperm.

Put a condom on as soon as he gets erect and change condoms if any fluid gets on the outside. If either of you get fluid on your hands, it’s a good idea to wash them before continuing to make love.

www.vanguardngr.com