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Park Ji-Sung Diminta Berhenti Konsumsi Kodok

2012-03-07T02:47:00.000-08:00

SEOUL, Kompas.com - Pemain Manchester United asal Korea, Par Ji-sung diminta menghentikan kebiasaannya mengonsumsi jus kodok yang telah bertahun-tahun dijalaninya.

Sebuah grup pecinta lingkungan Korea Selatan,"Frogs Frioends" (Mitra Kodok) meminta Park untuk membantu mereka mengampanyekan penghentian pembantaian terhadap hewan amfibia tersebut.

Park Ji-sung oernah mengaku mengonsumsi kodok dalam bentuk jus untuk meningkatkan staminya. Hal ini sudah dilakukan sejak dikenalkan oleh ayahnya saat ia masih kanak-kanak. Ia pertamakali mengakui hal ini melalui oto-biografi miliknya yang terbit 2006 lalu.

"Kami belum mengetahui apakah ada hubungannya. Setelah Park (Ji-sung) mengaku mengonsumsi kodok untuk peningkatan stamina, jumlah mereka yang mengonsumsi mahluk ini meningkat," kata Park Wan-hee dari lembaga nirlaba "Mitra Kodok."

Sejak berdiri pada 2007 lalu, lembaga ini telah mengampanyekan penghentian konsumi kodok di Korea Selatan.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish: Andy Carroll was fantastic in 3-0 win at Wolves

2012-01-31T21:56:00.000-08:00

The England international scored the first goal of the game in the Reds' victory at Molineux on Tuesday night, a year to the day since his 35 million pound move from Newcastle.

Kenny Dalglish praised Andy Carroll for his contribution to Liverpool’s 3-0 triumph over Wolves on Tuesday night.
The 23-year-old striker, who arrived at Anfield on Jan. 31 last year for 35 million pounds from Newcastle United, scored the first goal of the game at Molineux before Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt wrapped the match up.
After the match, Dalglish revealed he was delighted with the entire team but singled out Carroll for his performance.
“We're pleased with everybody. It was a great finish for the first goal,” the Scot told reporters. “[It was] a great ball in from Charlie Adam and a great finish from Andy, who played really well. He's a Liverpool footballer and he will make a contribution for us many times.
“He flicked on one on Saturday for Dirk Kuyt to score against Manchester United and did the same for Craig Bellamy at Bolton. If [Carroll] gets a goal he gets a goal, but his contribution is fantastic.”
The victory was the third big result in seven days for the Merseyside club, after it sealed a League Cup final berth with a 3-2 aggregate win over Manchester City and secured a 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round victory against Manchester United.
“I thought it was a very professional, high quality performance from the players, a fantastic reaction to the previous two games," Dalglish said. “This game became the most important one because it was the next one. They applied themselves well and got what they deserved. I'm delighted with everyone who played."
Liverpool propelled itself past Newcastle and Arsenal into fifth in the Premier League with the victory, and Dalglish lavished additional praise on Welsh forward Bellamy for his role in the win.
“Craig was fantastic. The wee man certainly has been fantastic for us. I wish his numbers were the other way around," he said. “Instead of being 32, I wish he was 23. He doesn't do anything that surprises you. He prepares himself well for matches.
“He does things for himself within the framework of the team. You expect something to happen.”
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Manchester City's Roberto Mancini: We thought the game with Everton would be easier

2012-01-31T19:31:00.000-08:00

The Eastlands outfit suffered defeat at Goodison Park and relinquished its outright lead at the top of the Premier League thanks to a solitary Darron Gibson goal.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini admits he underestimated Everton ahead of the clash which saw the Merseyside outfit prevail with a 1-0 victory.
The Italian’s side lost its outright lead over title rival Manchester United as a result of the loss, and only has a predominant goal-difference as a buffer between the two teams.
Darron Gibson scored the solitary goal of the game after a long-range effort swerved into the top corner of Joe Hart’s net, and the visitors failed to capitalize on their dominant possession.
Mancini conceded that he failed to prepare the team for the match and thought the game would be easier for his superstars.
“[It’s a] bad night for me,” he told reporters. “We didn’t deserve to lose, but I think there was some of my mistake in this game. We didn’t prepare very well for this game and we had a problem.
“It’s important for me to know what this mistake is. I didn’t prepare well because I thought maybe this game was easier and you know here [Goodison Park] is never easy, never.
“I didn’t prepare well with the training in the last three or four days.”
Asked if his players put in the same effort as the host, he said: “Yes, the players put everything on the pitch, but I made some mistakes to prepare them in last three days to prepare them for this game.
“[I thought it would be easier] because I thought we played well against Tottenham, we won the last three games in the Premier League and I thought Everton were without three or four important players.”
Regardless of the loss, the former Inter coach remained confident that his side have the quality and the time to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
He said: “It is not important. We are on the top, we have 15 games [left]. It is important that next Saturday we win, however, we have time.”
Mancini’s opposite number and the happier manager, David Moyes, expressed his pride for his players to come through a tough tie and get the result.
“I have [a lot of pride from the performance]. That’s as good at Everton as it has been for a long time. The players we were missing says a lot about the club and how they always seem to come and do it, the players have been great tonight," he told reporters.
“We might have played smoother football and played better, but a side we were playing against tonight I think the players deserve a lot of credit. Manchester City are a magnificent team, we had to defend for long periods, especially in the second-half.
“We limited them to not too many chances, but they’ve always got the threat with the likes of [David] Silva making a through pass, or with [Samir] Nasri with the ability he’s got. It was a great effort by the players and they sowed great desire to get a result.”
American Landon Donovan provided the game-winning assist, his fifth assist in seven Everton games since joining on loan this month.
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Pele: No one else in Brazil like Santos' Neymar

2012-01-31T19:26:00.000-08:00

The Brazilian legend believes his compatriot deserves all the praise he receives but hopes to protect to starlet from media pressure.

Brazil legend Pele says he is happy with Santos after his former club opened a section of their museum to current star Neymar.

The 19-year-old was awarded with the Ferenc Puskas award for the best goal of 2011, earning the Brazil international the homage from his club, and Pele feels that Neymar has fully earned such recognition.

"Of course it is earned. At the moment, there is no players, at least here in Brazil, who can be compared to Neymar. Fortunately, he was raised here at Santos," Pele told Globoesporte.

The 71-year-old went on to speak about the growing media attention surrounding Neymar, stating that the youngster needs help in order to not crack under pressure.

"We must protect Neymar from all of this, so we don't get disappointed."

Neymar has been consistently linked with a move to Europe, but insists that he will stay at his current club until 2014, when his contract expires.

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Young face spell on sidelines after 'very aggressive' Fulham match, according to Sir Alex Ferguson

2011-12-22T02:40:00.000-08:00

The 19-year-old defender will be sent for an x-ray on a suspected fractured cheek while the former Aston Villa man faces two to three weeks out due to Dickson Etuhu's tackle

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted his side could be without defender Phil Jones and midfielder Ashley Young for a number of weeks after the English pair picked up injuries in the 5-0 thrashing of Fulham on Wednesday.

Jones suffered a suspected fractured cheek after being caught by the elbow of Clint Dempsey, while Young was forced off due to Dickson Etuhu's tackle in what Sir Alex thought was a "very aggressive" second half.

"It was an elbow from Dempsey but I don't think it was intentional," Sir Alex told reporters after the match.
"He caught Jones and we'll send him for an x-ray. We'll see on Thursday but it doesn't look great.
"But there were some very aggressive tackles in the second half and Ashley Young paid the price of that. He was hurt and had to come off as well and will be out for two or three weeks.
"We are picking up injuries at the moment. Rio [Ferdinand] got a knock on the foot on Sunday at QPR but he should be available for the Blackburn game."
That would rule Ferdinand out of United's Boxing Day encounter against Wigan Athletic, with Nemanja Vidic also unavailable long-term with a knee injury.

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Liverpool striker Luis Suarez set to launch 'total appeal' against eight-match ban for racism row, says agent and lawyer

2011-12-22T02:32:00.000-08:00

Uruguay international will be able to play for the Reds until the process is concluded, with the 24-year-old confident of the sanctions being overturned

Luis Suarez’s agent and lawyer Alejandro Balbi insists the Liverpool striker will launch a “total appeal” against his eight-match ban and 40,000 pound fine.
The sanctions were handed down to the Uruguay international on Tuesday, two months after the initial incident during the game between the Merseyside outfit and Manchester United, with Suarez deemed to have used insulting words towards full back Patrice Evra.
Suarez’s agent is adamant that his player is innocent of the charges and says the 24-year-old is confident the decision can be overturned.
“The sanction has two items, the games' suspension and the monetary [fine]. It will be a total appeal,” Balbi told reporters.
“The counts of racism that were made against him are not true. He firmly believes that this harsh sanction can be overturned.”
He added that Suarez “is very affected” by the decision from the Football Association, but insists he is “calm because of the massive support of the club, the coach, his teammates and his captain.”
The former Ajax man is able to feature for Kenny Dalglish's side in the meantime, until the appeal process has reached its conclusion.
Meanwhile, Liverpool was held to a stalemate at the DW Stadium to Wigan on Wednesday evening, with Charlie Adam failing to convert from the penalty spot, the Latics keeper Ali Al Habsi denying the Scotsman with a superb save.
Suarez took to his official website to comment on the disappointing result and thank the club’s fans for supporting him through a trying period.
He said: “We couldn't win. I think we did everything possible. These last days have been very difficult for me and I want to thank the great support received by [sic] all of you!!”

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Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho: Ponferradina can complicate things for us

2011-12-19T22:47:00.000-08:00

The Portuguese boss has praised his team's Segunda Division B opponents in the Spanish Cup, describing them as a "quality side" who pose a potential danger

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is cautious ahead of his side’s Copa del Rey round of 32 second leg clash with Ponferradina at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
Having defeated the Segunda Division B Group 2 side 2-0 in the first leg away from home last week, Madrid will head into the encounter in the Spanish capital as favorite in the tie.
However, Mourinho has played down the Blancos' lead and warns that their two-goal advantage is not "definitive".
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the 48 year-old said: “The result we earned in the first leg is good, but not definitive.
“The tie will be left wide open if Ponferradina score first tomorrow and, if their motivation was high at their stadium, I think it will be even higher at the Bernabeu.
“They are a quality side who can complicate things for us.”
The Portuguese coach also commended his side on their season thus far and enthused: “It is very difficult to evaluate at the end of the actual year of football because the new year comes halfway through the season.
“We've done a good job so far. We are top of the league table, we've won our six games in the Champions League and also our only match so far in the Copa.
“We've had six very good months. In another league championship this Real Madrid would easily win the title."

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David Trezeguet set to sign River Plate deal

2011-12-19T22:42:00.000-08:00

The veteran attacker is poised to sign a contract with the Argentine outfit and will be back in South America in time to start preseason training in January

Veteran striker David Trezeguet is on the verge of completing his move to River Plate, the Argentine club has announced via their official website.

Released from his contract with Bani Yas at the beginning of December, the 34-year-old has already spoken of his pleasure at returning to the country in which he grew up, but no deal has yet been signed with the National B outfit.

However, the Buenos Aires side announced via its official website that the former France international has already passed his physical checks and is expected to finalize his transfer imminently.

“He passed the medical examination and this week and will sign before returning to the UAE to close issues that remained pending in the Asian country,” an official statement on the club’s website states.

River Plate has announced that Trezeguet will be ready to start preseason training on January 4, when he will also be presented to the press.

In a professional career spanning 17 years, the Rouen-born attacker is most remembered for his spells with Monaco and Juventus, not to mention his golden goal that won France Euro 2000 at the expense of Italy.

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Low ticket sales for David Beckham's LA Galaxy clash in Indonesia leaves tour organisers unhappy

2011-11-30T04:28:00.000-08:00

The organisers for the MLS champions clash with an Indonesian Select XI admit they want to sell many more tickets, and have dismissed claims prices are too high

The organisers of Wednesday's exhibition match between David Beckham's LA Galaxy and an Indonesian Select XI in Jakarta have admitted ticket sales are not at a level they had hoped for.

Hasani Abdulgani, who is the president director of Mahaka Sports, who have been promoting the game, said that ticket sales have not reached the set target.

"I am not very happy with the results of ticket sales, from around of 70,000 tickets, nearly half are not yet sold,” Abdulgani told Bola Kompas.

He added: "The expensive tickets already sold out, but the cheap tickets are deserted from buyers."

However, Abdulgani remained optimistic ticket sales would reach the target based on the typical number of walk-up purchases from Indonesian football fans.

There has been speculation the pricing of tickets has been to blame for the underwhelming interest so far, but Mahaka Sports director Eric Thohir remained confident they would reach their goal.

“Ticket sales are good, they are not doing great but everything will be good,” Thohir told Associated Press.

“In terms of broadcasting and sponsorship, we are doing well. Our goal is to sell about 45,000 tickets. Pricing should be no problems but there have been lots of games recently."

In accordance with the agreement, the LA Galaxy will play some of their stars including Beckham, Landon Danovan, and Robbie Keane to play against the Indonesian Select XI.

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Barcelona's Pep Guardiola hails Rayo Vallecano's bravery: I am sure they will stay in La Liga

2011-11-30T01:17:00.000-08:00

The 40-year-old trainer stated that Jose Ramon Sandoval's men fought hard despite their 4-0 defeat and paid little importance to Gerard Pique's second-half yellow card

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola praised Rayo Vallecano's approach to the game following his side's 4-0 victory at Camp Nou.

An Alexis Sanchez double plus goals from David Villa and Lionel Messi allowed Guardiola's side to close the gap on Real Madrid in the Liga standings to three points.

After the match, the 40-year-old lauded coach Jose Ramon Sandoval's tactics and stated that the Madrid-based club are not threatened by the prospect of relegation.

"I would like to congratulate Rayo, who had a good match," Guardiola told reporters at a press conference. "They did things well and it was hard for us to beat them.

"It is impossible for them not to remain in La Liga with this ambition. They are a brave team. I would bet that they will stay in La Liga."

Guardiola then played down Gerard Pique's yellow card, which was his fifth in the competition this season.

It will see him miss the weekend visit of Levante, thus preventing the defender from being ineligible for the Clasico against Madrid on December 9 if he was booked against the Valencia-based side.

"The images show what they show and everyone saw them," Guardiola said about Pique, who shown a yellow card for time wasting.

"I do not comment on the referee's decisions. I did not do it with the penalties against Valencia or the offside against Getafe."

The Spanish coach also rejected suggestions of a rift with Villa, who has found starting spots somewhat hard to come by in the latest games.

"David Villa moves very well in these positions," Guardiola noted. "His team-mates have to find him.

"He is very important to us and he does not stop moving. Without him, things would be harder.

"Sometimes, the ball does not get to him, but he is tireless."

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger set to give Park Chu-Young a run out in League Cup clash against Manchester City

2011-11-29T01:03:00.000-08:00

The Gunners manager believes that the competition offers him a chance to rotate the squad and the South Korean striker will get his chance to impress on Tuesday night

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger confirmed that Park Chu-Young will feature in their League Cup quarter-final clash against Manchester City on Tuesday night.

The Gunners have been on a good run of form but Wenger claimed after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Fulham that he needs to rotate his squad and Park will get a chance up front when they take on City at the Emirates.

“I have 90 per cent decided. There is still 10 per cent flexibility and because of this I cannot tell you who plays. It will be the usual blend of experience and youth," he was quoted by The Telegraph.

"I believe that some players are on the fringe of being really limited. I will rest some players, but I still want to play a team that has a chance to win the game."
He added: "Park is adapting to the level he is facing here and he has another opportunity against Manchester City tomorrow night [Tuesday] to show that he can do it."

The ex-Monaco striker has made three appearances for the Gunners so far with two of those coming in the League Cup, while the other one was against Olympique de Marseille in the Uefa Champions League.

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Everton defender Leighton Baines delighted to see popular midfielder Marouane Fellaini extend his contract

2011-11-24T03:12:00.000-08:00

The Belgian player recently agreed a new five-year deal with the Toffees and his teammate hailed the role of the influential 24-year old in the Goodison Park dressing room

Everton defender Leighton Baines has expressed his delight at team-mate Marouane Fellaini's long-term contract extension.

The Belgian midfielder agreed terms on a new five-year deal recently and Baines admitted he had been worried about the prospect of one of the club's prize assets seeking a move away.

"It was massive for the club," Baines told the Liverpool Echo. "If you get to the end of the season with a year left on his deal, you don't want to get in that situation again where you lose top players for short of their true value.

"So it's important in that sense. But it's also important that he wanted to stay – because he was in a strong position to let that happen if he wanted to."

Baines was also keen to emphasise the popularity and influence of Fellaini on and off the field.

"For us players, for me, I love him to bits," he said. "He's such a nice lad, and we're over the moon that we've kept him because he's one of the really important people around the dressing room.

"It's massive for us. Massive for the club and massive for the fans. He's a folk hero and the fans have taken to him. He's a good character.
"Everyone gets on with him. He's always happy, and when you get him on the pitch he gives you everything he's got. He's massive for us.
"Not a new signing but it's as good as in a sense, because he'd be so difficult to replace."
With the temptation of the big clubs monitoring Fellaini's situation, Baines hoped the central midfielder would be rewarded for his show of loyalty.
"He's quite young, he's done really well for us and a lot of people know about him," Baines said.
"There were definitely a few clubs sniffing around him so it was a big commitment from him to show faith in us and the club.
"Hopefully somewhere along the line it can get rewarded with success."

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Darren Fletcher admits Manchester United face an ‘uphill battle’ against Basel to progress as group winners in Champions League

2011-11-24T02:09:00.000-08:00

A 2-2 draw with Benfica on Tuesday means that the Red Devils will need "a favour" to win Group C, with a testing away match in Switzerland to decide their qualification fate

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher admits that his side face an “uphill battle” to reach the last 16 of the Champions League after Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw with Benfica.

The Red Devils are currently top of Group C, level on points with the Portuguese outfit and needing a point away to Basel on December 7 to qualify, but their inferior head-to-head record means that if Benfica defeat Otelul Galati, so far without a point, in their final match, the Premier League side will have to settle for second place at best.

“This game [against Benfica] was a chance to win the group, but it’s going to be an uphill battle to do that now,” Fletcher admitted to The Daily Mirror.

“We’ll go to Basel needing a positive result, which we probably would have needed to do anyway if we had won [on Tuesday], so it’s no different in that respect.

“But you want to have won the group and you want to have qualified in advance of your last game.

“We’ve had two draws at home, the Basel game and Benfica, which have cost us.

“But there’s no point us moaning or saying what could have been. This is the situation we’re in, and we’ve got to respond and get the right result in Basel.

“In the last few years, we’ve won the group and we moved into the next round quite comfortably. But this is what’s lying ahead of us now and we’ve got to accept the challenge and the situation we are in.

“We’ll do that as a team and I’m fully confident we’ll go to Basel and get the result which will take us into the next round.”

United will be wary of the Swiss champions after they nearly caused an upset at Old Trafford.

Having been two goals behind in September’s meeting, Basel turned the game around to 3-2 before Ashley Young spared Sir Alex Ferguson’s blushes with a late equaliser.

“Going away from home in the Champions League is a big challenge,” Fletcher conceded.

“Basel play good, open, attacking, expansive football and create chances, so we know it’s going to be a difficult match. But we’re confident of going there and getting a result, like in every match.”

Finishing second would open United up to drawing the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Inter in the last 16, all of whom have already won their groups, but the Scotland international is unfazed by the prospect.

“Of course, it’s not ideal that we might have to face those [big] sides earlier than we would anticipate, but I can’t imagine any of those sides being too pleased to draw Manchester United.

“We’re confident no matter whom we play against, and if we get to the next round, we’ll rise to that challenge.

“We need to get the fine balance of not conceding and getting back to the attacking play we showed at the beginning of the season.

“There are always high standards at Manchester United. After every result, we look back on it - at what we could have done better and how we can improve as a team.

“I don’t think the season has been a disaster so far. We’re still in a relatively good position.”

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Exceptional Robin van Persie is on a par with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

2011-11-24T00:40:00.000-08:00

The Gunners boss believes his captain's stunning goalscoring form, notching up 38 goals in all competitions in 2011, has him playing at the same level as the world's best

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says in-form striker Robin van Persie is playing at a level comparable to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Dutchman scored both goals in Wednesday night’s 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, which ensures that the Gunners will qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League as Group F winners, to take his tally to 38 since the start of January 2011.

When asked if Van Persie could be considered on a par with the Spain-based superstars, Wenger told Sky Sports: “If he keeps going on like that, of course.

“Let him play and see at the end of the season. He is the leader of the team as well so what is important is that he leads the team to success.

“I feel he’s an exceptional player and happy that he can show that. He thinks day and night about his game.”

The Van Persie-inspired win means that Arsenal become the first English side to confirm their place in the competition’s last 16 this season.

When asked at a press conference if he was surprised at this, Wenger began: “I have to be very cautious what I say.

“I think 'yes’ as Manchester United could have qualified last night and everyone expected Manchester City to qualify.

“It is difficult at that level. You never play an easy game in the Champions League.

“It was a difficult group,” he continued.

“When we saw we were playing Udinese [in the qualifying round] we could not bet that we would go through as we did.”

Arsenal can now relax knowing that they will be under no pressure in their final group game, away to Olympiakos on December 6.

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Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo confirms club has entered talks to sign LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham

2011-11-24T00:24:00.000-08:00

The former Manchester United star is out of contract in December and recently admitted that he was aware of two "big European clubs" that were chasing his signature

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has confirmed that the French club have entered talks with Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham.

The former England captain is out of contract next month and while he has not ruled out extending his stay in the United States, he recently admitted that he was aware of two "big European clubs" that were hoping to secure his signature.

Leonardo is well-acquainted with Beckham having coached AC Milan during his loan spell in Italy two seasons ago.

"Yes, we've spoken," the former Brazil international told The Sun. "These situations take time. We'll see if something suits him and suits us.

"I know his history and he doesn't need to tell me his past. He went to Milan and it was the same thing. There is a rapport with him.
"When you talk about Beckham, you're talking about something big. Now his contract is finished, he will decide his future."
PSG have invested heavily in their squad since being taken over by the Qatar Investment Authority during the summer.
At age 36, many have labelled the club's pursuit of Beckham as an attempt to boost their global brand but Leonardo dismissed such accusations.
"If Beckham thinks about coming, that's something we should be happy about," he said. "I think he can still bring something on the pitch with the person he is and the experience he has.
"If a player like him is thinking about Paris St-Germain that's good, and we've opened the door for discussions. Everybody's talking about PSG and that pleases me.
"PSG are on the up, there are 45,000 people in the stadium and everyone's happy."

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Eric Abidal: There is a 90 per cent chance I will stay at Barcelona

2011-11-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

The French full-back is on the verge of committing his future to the Liga champions following weeks of speculation of a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain

Barcelona defender Eric Abidal has revealed he has reached an agreement to prolong his stay at Camp Nou.

The 32-year-old's current deal expires at the end of the season and he has been locked in talks with the Barca hierarchy in recent weeks over an extension.

On Sunday, Abidal aired his wish to end his playing career at Camp Nou, amidst reports that Paris Saint-Germain were closely monitoring his situation.

"There is a 90 per cent chance I will stay with Barcelona," he told Canal Plus after his side's 3-2 victory against AC Milan in the Champions League. "I had a meeting with the board today [Wednesday].

"We reached an agreement, and the only thing left is to sign the contract. Then, the adventure with Barca can continue."

The France international, who joined Barcelona from Olympique Lyonnais in 2007, has made 18 appearances so far this season.

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Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka claims quotes hinting at Stamford Bridge exit were fabricated

2011-11-23T23:40:00.000-08:00

The French hitman "categorically denies" a report that claimed he had said he is set to embark on a new challenge, and stated that the quotes linked to him were not true

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has denied suggesting a January move could be in the pipeline for him.

The 32-year-old had been quoted by The Times as saying that his time at Stamford Bridge was coming to an end, despite his wish to win one more Premier League title with the Blues.

Anelka has been strongly linked with a move away from Chelsea in recent weeks after failing to impose himself in Andre Villas-Boas' squad, with China Super League side Shanghai Shenhua having reportedly offered the striker a deal.

However, the Frenchman has guaranteed that the quotes attributed to him are false and that he does not yet know what the future will bring.

"Following the quotes which were attributed to me today [Wednesday] in a British newspaper, I would like to categorically deny having given any interview, let alone discussed my future," he told AFP.

"I am under contract with Chelsea until the end of the season, with many playing commitments"

The former France international, who has been at Chelsea since 2008, has so far made just six starting appearances for the Premier League outfit this term.

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Valencia's Roberto Soldado scores fastest Champions League hat-trick since 2003 in record-breaking night in Group E

2011-11-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

The Spanish striker set an all-time mark on matchday five in a 7-0 romp over Genk, while Chelsea's Didier Drogba also made history in defeat as the group stage nears its end

On a majestic night of Champions League action which saw Valencia destroy Genk 7-0 and Bayer Leverkusen edge out Chelsea 2-1, two strikers produced record-breaking performances.

Roberto Soldado of Valencia registered the competition's fastest hat-trick since 2003, when Alan Shearer scored a treble for Newcastle against Leverkusen in only 36 minutes.

The former Getafe hitman earned his in just 26 minutes on Wednesday at Mestalla, while also becoming his side's all-time leading scorer in the tournament with 11, passing Juan Sanchez, who has nine, and the first Spanish player to net three times in the first half of a Champions League clash. The fastest hat-trick in the competition was in 1995-96 when Mike Newell of Blackburn scored three times against Rosenborg in nine minutes.

Didier Drogba was not to be outdone, moving into 8th place on the competition's all-time scoring chart with 34 goals after putting his side ahead in Germany, and passing Fernando Morientes. The former Marseille man also has more goals in the competition than any other African player.

With Leverkusen already through, Soldado and Drogba will now do battle on matchday six for the last coveted qualifying spot in Group E.

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Fabio Capello suggests Scott Parker will be dropped for England clash with Sweden due to Achilles problem

2011-11-15T00:59:00.000-08:00

Tottenham midfielder set to miss out on friendly as manager, who says he did not make a mistake in leaving the player at home for the World Cup, wants to respect the club's wishes

Scott Parker is set to be left out of the England team to face Sweden on Tuesday night with a persistent Achilles problem.

The Tottenham midfielder has been playing through the pain and England manager Fabio Capello has suggested that the player's club have requested that he is not risked in the friendly.
Capello is quoted by The Daily Mirror as saying: "He's got some problems with his Achilles. He needs time. I want to respect the clubs with these friendly games."
The Italian also talked about his decision not to take Parker to last year’s World Cup in South Africa.
Capello said: "I didn't make a mistake. Now, after two years, speaking about mistakes is too easy.
"The players who played at the World Cup were, at that moment, the best players. But now, others are playing really well.
"I chose Scott and he's playing all the games."

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Villarreal's Jonathan de Guzman: We lost against Manchester City in Champions League because of our own errors

2011-11-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

The former Netherlands Under-21 international was disappointed with his side's defeat as he felt they were the architects of their own downfall in the Group A clash

Villarreal midfielder Jonathan De Guzman has voiced his disappointment with his side's 3-0 Champions League Group A loss at home against Manchester City on Wednesday evening.

The former Feyenoord star felt the Spanish side put in a decent performance, but added that sloppy defending and individual mistakes cost them them the game.

"Although City are good up front and at the back we lost the game because of little errors at our own end of the pitch," De Guzman was quoted as saying by uefa.com.

"They capitalised on that with their counter-attacks. Otherwise I think we did pretty well, especially in the first half, but the two goals killed the momentum for us."

The Canada-born midfielder then admitted that things have not been going well for Villarreal since his arrival from Mallorca last summer, but he is hopeful that the Yellow Submarine will get back on track in the near future.

"Things have been difficult for us, especially for me because I've only just joined this team, and, since I came, we haven't had much go for us. So hopefully, sooner rather than later, our luck will turn around."

Villarreal resume domestic action on Sunday with the Primera Division game away against Espanyol.

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Former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer overjoyed with leading Molde to historic Norwegian first division title

2011-10-31T04:54:00.000-07:00

The 38-year-old is jubilant after winning MFK the first championship in their history on Sunday and believes that it was a “well deserved” success for the club

Molde coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has expressed his delight at leading the Norwegian club to their first ever Tippeligaen title during his debut season at the club.
The club, established in 1911, accomplished their triumph on Sunday following their 2-2 draw with Stromsgodset, a result which was enough to hand them the title after Norwegian giants and second-placed Rosenborg suffered a 6-3 home loss to Brann.

The results mean that Molde are now eight points clear at the top of the first division table with two more rounds of matches remaining, leaving Solskjaer overjoyed with his team’s achievement in his first season in charge.
"The club has waited 100 years for this," the 38-year-old told VG. "We have been close several times so this was well deserved.
"When Brann went 4-1 up, I realised we had done it. It was a good atmosphere in the dressing room and we will enjoy ourselves tonight."
Solskjaer became Molde coach in January 2011 after two and a half years as manager of Manchester United's Reserves.

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Villarreal's Marcos Senna ruled out of Champions League clash against Manchester City - report

2011-10-31T02:11:00.000-07:00

The veteran midfielder won't take part in this week's European encounter at El Madrigal after having picked up a hamstring injury against Rayo Vallecano

Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido will have to make do without the services of experienced midfielder Marcos Senna in Wednesday's Champions League game at home against Manchester City after the former Spain international picked up an injury.

The 35-year-old picked up a hamstring injury in his side's 2-0 La Liga win over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday and was forced to leave the pitch after 49 minutes of play due to the knock.

Senna underwent further examination on Sunday and uefa.com reports that the hamstring problem will keep the midfielder out of his side's fourth Group A game.

The first meeting between Villarreal and City ended in a 2-1 win for the English side. Wednesday's match at El Madrigal kicks off at 19.45GMT.

Villarreal have yet to pick up their first point of the group stage, while Roberto Mancini's side have so far collected four points from three games.

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Manchester City's Edin Dzeko believes Manchester United are still Premier League title favourites

2011-10-31T01:09:00.000-07:00

The Bosnian insists that "United are United" despite the Blues being five points clear at the top and attempted to clear up his negative reaction to being substituted in Germany

Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko believes that Manchester United are still favourites for the Premier League title despite Roberto Mancini's side holding a five-point advantage over the Red Devils after 10 games.

Following City's 6-1 demolition of United at Old Trafford last weekend, the Blues preserved their five-point cushion with a 3-1 victory over Wolves at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Despite their position at the top of the table, former Wolfsburg attacker Dzeko admits "United are United" and that they are still favourites to retain their crown.

"I still don't think we are favourites," the Bosnian said, as quoted by the Guardian.

"There are still a lot of games to play. We have played 10 matches and are five points clear of Manchester United but for me they are still favourites for the title. We are first and want to stay there but United are United, although we are growing up with every game."

Dzeko was embroiled in controversy last month after his negative reaction to being substituted against Bayern Munich in the Champions League but the 25-year-old insists that he apologised after the game and that it was normal for him to be angry after failing to score.

"I apologised afterwards," he added. "Sometimes, it is hard when you play badly and don't score goals. Sometimes, you are angry and that is normal. I played for two and a half years in Germany. I wanted to win and maybe score a goal. In Munich we played well for the first 30 minutes and then nothing."

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Pele celebrates 71st birthday: Premier League is best in Europe, Sylvester Stallone was my toughest opponent & Lionel Messi is an incomplete player

2011-10-27T04:48:00.000-07:00

'The King' was in the English capital to launch his new sports lifestyle collection, bringing out the stars and a number of eye-catching quotes in the process

Brazil and Santos legend Pele celebrated his 71st birthday in London in typical outspoken style this week, hailing the Premier League as Europe's top division and branding Lionel Messi an "incomplete" player.

The three-time World Cup winner, who is in the UK for the global launch of his new sports lifestyle collection The Beautiful Revolution, told Goal.com: "I would love to play with Lionel Messi. But Messi is an incomplete player because he can't use his head. Also I played football for 20 years, Messi has only played for several years."

He added: "If there is one player in the world today I would love to play with it is Neymar."

Pele was speaking at a special drinks reception held in London's Covent Garden to mark his 71st birthday, with guests including Rio Ferdinand, brother Anton, ex-Bayern Munich and Barcelona defender Patrick Andersson and Pele's 1970 World Cup opponent Terry Cooper, formerly of England and Leeds United.

Brazil's leading all-time goalscorer said he was delighted to be in England and hailed the country's top-flight division: "The English Premier League is the best league in Europe, better than La Liga."

When asked about who his toughest opponent was, Pele, who faced the likes of Bobby Moore and Giacinto Facchetti in his playing days, joked: "Sylvester Stallone during the filming of Escape to Victory. He was very strong."

The Rocky star played an American POW-turned-goalkeeper in the World War Two film in which he co-starred with Michael Caine and Pele amongst others.

As a birthday present, Pele was presented by PFA deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes and Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with a special lifetime award: a glittering 18-carat gold-plated football boot.

Barnes said: "Alex is one of the best young players in the English Premier League. He made his debut at 16, and if he achieves a fraction of what Pele did he will have a fantastic career.

"Everyone remembers Pele's Brazil teams from 1957-70, and the World Cup victories of '58, '62 and '70.

"Only a few things are memorable from my childhood: the Apollo moon landings, Muhammad Ali's boxing fights... and Pele. On behalf of the PFA, we are delighted to present this award as a symbol of our esteem."

Guests at the London event were then shown the Pele sport brand's Spring Summer '12 collection, featuring the launch of three distinct ranges - Pelé Story, Pelada and Performance.

The most heralded and eagerly-anticipated from these collections is the "revolutionary, ground-breaking, ultra-light" Trinity 3E football boot, which promises to "maximise a player's game and speed potential by training your muscles as you play."

Check out all of Pele's new sports lifestyle collection at www.pele-sports.com

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AC Milan's Daniele Bonera: Our position in Serie A now better reflects our quality

2011-10-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

The defender feels the Rossoneri are on the right track again after a sluggish start and is eagerly anticipating this weekend's game against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico

AC Milan defender Daniele Bonera has voiced his opinion that the reigning Italian champions are closer to where they belong after moving up to fifth position in Serie A following three consecutive wins.

The 30-year-old is pleased to see his side in the top half of the league table again after wins over Palermo, Lecce and Parma.

And he says he and his team-mates are now looking forward to attempting to extend their winning streak in this weekend's away game versus Roma.

"The league table is now a better reflection of our quality. It simply wasn’t right that we sat in the lower half of the table," Bonera is quoted as saying on the Milan website. "Now we have to stay focused because the game against Roma will be tough.

"I think Roma are still looking for their identity and we’re going there with lots of motivation."

Bonera realises that it will not be an easy game, though, as Roma will be keen to secure a positive result after their defeat in midweek.

He added: "However, they’ll be determined to put in a good performance, especially after the loss against Genoa on Wednesday evening. It’s always tough at the Stadio Olimpico."

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