TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Almeria hires Lillo to replace Sanchez as coach Juan Manuel Lillo will take over the Spanish league team for the remainder of the season with the aim of keeping the struggling club in the topflight. cbc.ca |
Wenger was right to play me, says Fábregas • Midfielder set to be out for three weeks with hamstring injury• 'I agreed with the manager that I should come on' Cesc Fábregas has backed Arsène Wenger's decision to summon him from the bench against Aston Villa, deeming it to have been a risk worth taking now that the Spain midfielder will be sidelined for up to three weeks after suffering a relapse of his hamstring injury during his game-changing cameo.Fábregas aggravated the injury while scoring his second in a scintillating 27-minute display as a second-half substitute on Sunday as Arsenal, goalless and frustrated until his introduction, went on to win 3-0.Fábregas underwent a scan on his thigh today with the club's medical staff still scrutinising the results last night, though the damage sustained to the muscle is expected to rule him out for potentially four Premier League games, starting with tomorrow evening's match at Portsmouth.He is also expected to miss the matches against Bolton Wanderers, home and away, and Everton as well as Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie at West Ham United, with Wenger hopeful he will have the 22-year-old available again for a potential fourth-round match on 23 January.That represents a serious blow to Arsenal, who have also lost DenÃlson to a back injury at Fratton Park and will have to do without Alex Song from next Monday when he departs for the African Cup of Nations, with their captain so influential in propelling their on-going title challenge.Yet, if Wenger's decision to use him against Villa might have appeared risky, Fábregas was quick to stress that he had himself been anxious to feature. "I am in good spirits when it comes to the injury," said the Spaniard. "Sure, I won't be able to play for a while but I hope to be fit soon and will return to help the team. It happened as I scored the second goal against Villa: I sprinted [on to Theo Walcott's pass] and felt a strange tug in the back of my leg. But I'd come off the bench with a lot of desire in that game."I hadn't played for a few matches [having first injured the leg against Burnley in mid-December] and I agreed with the manager that I should come on for a while. I'm glad to have played my part - that was why I came on, wasn't it? To influence the game? Now I just want to avoid injury as much as I can in 2010 and help Arsenal win the title."Arsenal, seven points from the summit, play the first of their two games in hand at bottom of the table Portsmouth tomorrow evening with Wenger hopeful his side will be able to rely on the likes of Abou Diaby, scorer of the third against Villa, over the coming weeks.Diaby has shown flashes of class this season and has been selected consistently when fit. "He looks to be growing all the time," said Wenger. "His touch is improving, and he is dominating the fight and scoring goals. In Fábregas and Diaby we have two players who can come from deep and score, which is very interesting."Diaby, such an imposing physical presence, has been hampered by injury problems since breaking into the Arsenal first-team and had considered his future in the game after growing frustrated at the string of set-backs."Since my arrival four years ago I have picked up a lot of injuries and I asked myself questions because they were really hard times to live," said Diaby. "I started to have enough of football and getting injured all the time. I wanted to stop, to give everything up. But I hung on. I worked a lot and now I am getting rewarded."This season I am playing a lot and I have got enormous confidence in myself. Also, the tactical system of the team – the 4-3-3 – suits me perfectly. I'm developing in this role and I'm blossoming. I'm not surprised [by my success]. I knew that it would come when I sorted out all my physical problems."Wenger said that the striker Nicklas Bendtner, who has not played since October because of injury, will be out for a further three weeks. "He had hernia surgery and should be back already," said the manager. "But he had a groin problem as well and the groin problem looks to last longer, so they say to me three weeks."Probable teams: Portsmouth (4-5-1): Begovic; Finnan, Kaboul, Ben Haim, Hreidarsson; Boateng, Yebda, Brown, Mullins, Belhadj; Piquionne. Subs from: Ashdown, Niemi, Wilson, Dindane, Kanu, Webber, Williamson, Mokoena, Hughes, Basinas, Diop, Utaka.Arsenal (4-3-3): Almunia; Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traoré; Ramsey, Song, Diaby; Walcott, Arshavin, Nasri. Subs from: Fabianski, Silvestre, Eboué, Senderos, Rosicky, Mérida, Vela, Eduardo, Wilshere, Emmanuel-Thomas.ArsenalCesc FábregasArsène WengerPremier LeagueDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Ronaldo sale keeps Man Utd in profit • Club announces pre-tax profits of £48.2m• United confirm intention to raise £500m in bondsWithout the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, who announced pre-tax profits of £48.2m today, would have been reporting a loss of £31.8m.The figure for the year up to 30 June 2009 includes the record £80m fee received from Real Madrid for the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo and also £41.9m paid out in interest on a huge loan of £509.5m. The club's turnover was also up to £278.5m from £256.2m a year ago.The figures were released on a morning when United officially confirmed their intention to raise £500m through bonds in order to refinance their debts. While United are at least in profit once more, the figures merely emphasise what a drain on resources their debt position has become.The situation without the sale of the Portuguese clearly is unsustainable over the long term, hence the refinancing plans of the club's US-based owners, the Glazer family."Manchester United today announced that it will be seeking to raise approximately £500m aggregate principal amount from an offering of senior secured notes due 2017," said a United statement."The notes, whose proceeds will be used to refinance existing debt secured against the club, will be issued by MU Finance plc."Because these "senior secured notes" will be used to pay off the club debt, they will not touch the £175m worth of payment-in-kind notes that are currently attracting 14.25% interest.They are the Glazers' personal debt, so another avenue will presumably be pursued to try to reduce that interest, which is rolling up annually at a staggering rate.In contrast to the days when United were a successful publicly quoted company and offered plenty of financial information on a six-monthly basis, now there is no financial requirement to do so it is kept to a minimum.Clearly, though, there are areas of improvement, including confirmation that the US finance company Aon will be the new shirt sponsors next season, while more sponsorship deals have been announced, underlining the impressive attraction United are across the globe.Yet many supporters remain concerned about the financial structures underpinning the club, even if as recently as Friday, Sir Alex Ferguson tried to quell any fears, insisting the decision not to spend three-quarters of the cash received for Ronaldo was his alone."I don't have any concerns about the financial situation," he said. "There is absolutely no issue at all. I am really confident about that."Concerns of the supporters are down to the fact that I haven't moved in the transfer market. But that is nothing to do with the Glazers or with David Gill. It is simply because I am not going to pay £50million for a striker who is not worth it."Headline figuresGroup turnover 2009: £278.5m. 2008: £256.2m.Matchday revenue 2009: £108.8m. 2008: £101.5m.Media revenue 2009: £99.7m. 2008: £90.7m.Commercial revenue 2009: £70m. 2008: £64m.Group operating profit before depreciation and amortisation of players' registrations and goodwill 2009: £91.3m. 2008: £80.4m.Net interest payable 2009: (£41.9m). 2008: (£45.5m).Profit on player transfers 2009: £80.7m. £21.8m.Manchester UnitedCristiano RonaldoPremier LeagueBusinessguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Cameroon stunned, Tunisia held Gabon became the latest underdogs at the Africa Cup of Nations to punch above their weight when they claimed the scalp of continental giants Cameroon with a 1-0 win. foxsports.com.au |
Nottingham Forest 5 Queens Park Rangers 0: match report Nottingham Forest show their promotion credentials by thrashing an abject QPR side. telegraph.co.uk |