Treat for EPL fans

PETALING JAYA: Local football fans of the English Premier League (EPL) are in for a fantastic treat in July!
Three of the Big Four of the EPL – Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – will be in town for a 10-day EPL Festival. However, the exact dates have yet to be confirmed.
The three teams will take on the national side on three different dates in July.
Football fans can look forward to seeing the likes of Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres and David Luiz (Chelsea); Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie (Arsenal); and Steven Gerrard, Raul Meireles and Luis Suarez (Liverpool) in action.
Manchester United, who make up the Big Four, enjoyed two hugely successful visits here in 2001 and 2009.
This will be the first time that three top English clubs will be in town since the inaugural FAPL Asia Cup in 2003. Then, the teams who came were Birmingham, Newcastle and Chelsea.
Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay had announced last year that they would be in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok in July for their Chelsea Asia Tour 2011.
Chelsea’s Asia Tour programme in Kuala Lumpur would include a friendly game against the national team at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, an open training session for the fans and community coaching programmes.
 

Club object to Hammers’ stadium move

LONDON: A football club based near London’s Olympic Stadium have written to British Prime Minister David Cameron urging him to block West Ham’s planned move into the venue after the 2012 games.

West Ham have been named as the preferred bidder to take over the stadium, beating a rival bid from Tottenham. But before the east London club can sign the contracts, the Olympic Park Legacy Company decision must be ratified by the government and mayor of London.

Third-tier club Leyton Orient, who are based closer to the Olympic Stadium than West Ham, are concerned that having a Premier League club with a 60,000-seat venue in close vicinity would severely damage their ticket sales and fan base.

“It has grave implications for us. Leyton Orient has been in existence for 130 years and to have a giant like West Ham on our doorstep offering discounted and free tickets would seriously bring into question the survival of Leyton Orient,” said their chairman Barry Hearn.

 

American Hicks can seek damages over Liverpool deal

LONDON: A judge yesterday cleared the way for former Liverpool owner Tom Hicks to pursue a damages claim in Britain over the sale of the club, but blocked an attempt to seek compensation in the United States.

High Court judge Mr Justice Floyd dismissed a request by the American to lift anti-suit orders which prevent him taking court action in Texas to halt the deal in which he claims he lost £140mil (US$226mil).

The judge ruled that Hicks can only take action in Britain.

Hicks believes he was the victim of an “epic swindle” when the club was sold against his wishes to New England Sports Ventures (NESV) for £300mil in October after a boardroom tussle at the five-time European champions.

The judge also dismissed attempts by Hick’s lawyers to block claims by Martin Broughton, the former chairman of the club, who is seeking damages against Hicks for his actions while owner.

An application by NESV to be allowed to join the Broughton action was also granted.

NESV, the owners of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, bought Liverpool after repaying a £237mil loan that Hicks and his former partner George Gillett took out with the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wells Fargo and Co.

Hicks and Gillett were deeply unpopular among Liverpool supporters, who accused them of saddling the club with crippling debt.

The club expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision and said it would fight any legal action taken by Hicks to seek damages.

“We are delighted that Mr Justice Floyd has granted the applications requested by Sir Martin Broughton, RBS and NESV and that the anti-suit injunction prohibiting the former owners from commencing legal actions against these parties outside the EU has been upheld and clarified,” a statement said.

“Sir Martin, RBS and NESV continue to maintain that there is no basis to challenge the propriety or validity of any actions by them or any of those involved on their behalf in the sale of the club.

“They will continue to take all steps necessary to defend vigorously any litigation threatened or commenced by the club’s former owners.” 

 

Qataris deny MU takeover

DUBAI: Qatar Holding joined Manchester United in quashing rumours of a takeover on Wednesday with a source close to the Gulf Arab state’s sovereign wealth fund saying no talks had been held with the English club.

Premier League leaders United have repeatedly said the Old Trafford club was not for sale but its high-yield bonds rose to near record highs on Tuesday on speculation of a deal.

”Qatar Holding is not and has never been in discussions to buy Manchester United football club. There is no truth to the rumours,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

While United have been building a four-point lead in the table as they seek a record 19th league title, off the pitch they have been the subject of media reports saying their American owners, the Glazers, are on the verge of selling up.

The owners are unpopular among many fans with some donning green and gold scarves on match days in protest at the debt the Glazers have burdened the club with.

The colours are those of the Newton Heath works team, United’s predecessors, and those wearing them are disillusioned by what they see as exploitation of the club by foreign owners who have raised ticket prices and loaded United with debt.

The Glazers, who bought the club in 2005 for about £790mil (US$1.28bil), surprised fans in November when a source said they had agreed to pay off a £220mil payment-in-kind (PIK) loan from funds outside the club.

A month earlier they had ensured United kept hold of England striker, Wayne Rooney, who had turned the spotlight on the Americans by saying he wanted to leave Old Trafford because the club lacked clout in the transfer market.

Rooney ended up signing a five-year contract after saying he had been convinced to stay because “the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history.” 

 

Bayern star Gomez reveals Chelsea tried to sign him

BERLIN: Chelsea offered Bayern Munich 42mil (US$57.3mil) last month for striker Mario Gomez, but the German giants said no, the Bundesliga’s top scorer revealed yesterday.

“I only found out about the offer after the club had turned it down,” the 25-year-old Germany international told theSport Bild weekly in an interview.

“But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. I am already at a top club and I am playing where I always wanted to.”

Chelsea instead ending up paying £50mil (US$80mil) for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres just before a transfer deadline, smashing the British record.

Gomez joined the defending Bundesliga champions in 2009 from Stuttgart in a 30mil move. After a lacklustre start, he is the Bundesliga’s top striker this season, with 16 goals to his name. Torres, by contrast, found the back of the net nine times before his move to Stamford Bridge. 

  

Spurs and Becks’ LA Galaxy plan strategic alliance

LONDON: Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy are planning closer ties that could lead to players crossing the Atlantic in both directions.

Tim Leiweke, president of the American sports and entertainment giant AEG who own the Galaxy and are bidding in partnership with Spurs to take over the London 2012 Olympic Stadium after the Games, told reporters the two sides were forging a strategic alliance.

“We have an existing relationship now with Tottenham where we are beginning to think outside the box on football and how we do things together on football,” he said in a conference call from Los Angeles.

“Whether that’s David Beckham training (with Spurs) or maybe players from Tottenham coming to the Galaxy, playing games against each other.

“Strategically you’ll see more of an alliance between us and Tottenham long term,” added Leiweke.

Former England captain Beckham, 35, has been training with north London side Tottenham but hopes of a short-term loan deal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) close season have come to nothing.

Leiweke said he wanted Beckham back in Los Angeles for the start of the season.

“I am the one who made the decision in asking David to come back and play a full season in MLS because we haven’t been able to do that, be it for loans or injury,” he said.

“Our commitment has been ‘David, you need to be back here for the MLS season that begins in March’.

“It is because we have asked for that commitment, and the timeline in Tottenham was such, that it was very difficult for them (Spurs) to figure out a way to integrate David into the team,” he added.

Leiweke said AEG had encouraged Beckham to go to Tottenham because of the relationship with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

“There are other examples of conversations we’ve had with Daniel in how to take that kind of cooperation and now extend it to our team in the United States,” he added.

“You are going to hear more about that in the future but part of what has been created here is a strategic alliance between AEG and Tottenham on thinking about how we can be involved in Tottenham the football club.”

   

Beckham extends training stint with Tottenham

LONDON (AP): David Beckham has extended his training stint with Tottenham by another two weeks.

The former England captain had been set to return to the United States this week but the Premier League side says he will stick around until Feb. 22.

The 35-year-old midfielder will begin preseason training with Los Angeles Galaxy on Feb. 24 in preparation for the Major League Soccer season.

Tottenham's attempt to sign Beckham on loan last month faltered but manager Harry Redknapp still wants him and has said he could try again when his contract with the Galaxy expires in November.

  

Fourth top Czech award for keeper Cech

PRAGUE: Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech became the Czech footballer of the year 2010 at a ceremony in Prague on Monday, winning the trophy for the third consecutive time and for the fourth time overall.

“I’ll never grow tired of this, it’s a great honour,” said the 28-year-old Cech, with 78 appearances for the Czech national team, after being picked by players, coaches, officials and journalists.

“I’m glad my work has been valued as excellent, and I believe this is not the last time I’m here,” added Cech, who won ahead of Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky and Atletico Madrid defender Tomas Ujfalusi.

The ceremony was held two days before the 80th birthday of Czech midfielder Josef Masopust, the 1962 Ballon D’Or winner and playmaker of the Czechoslovak team that made it to the final of the World Cup in Chile in the same year.

The celebration lured scores of football celebrities to Prague, including FIFA boss Sepp Blatter and Portuguese legend Eusebio, while Brazilian icon and Masopust’s rival Pele sent his congratulations in a video message played at the ceremony. 

  

Rooney set for new court battle with former agents

LONDON: Wayne Rooney will face a new court battle after his former agents were given leave to appeal over a £4.3mil claim they have brought against the Manches-ter United and England striker.

A judge ruled at Manchester Mercantile Court in July last year that the agreement between sports management firm Proactive and Rooney for a 20 percent commission for a number of deals was unenforceable.

The judge added that the eight-year contract Rooney signed as a young Everton player was “an unreasonable restraint” of his trade when the Football Association recommended a maximum of two years.

But appeal judge Lord Justice Alan Ward said on Monday that Proactive did have a prospect of success in its arguments over Rooney’s contract

“The mere fact that this was a claim for millions of pounds is almost in itself a compelling reason to give permission to appeal,” Ward said.

The original verdict was postponed until after Rooney’s participation in England’s ill-fated World Cup campaign in South Africa last year.

That saw a firm owned by Rooney’s wife Coleen ordered to pay Proactive just over £90,000 for work conducted on her behalf up to October 2008.

Proactive took the couple to court, claiming they had withheld the commission on multi-million pound deals brokered during the time they represented him.

Rooney made no payments after football agent Paul Stretford, a director and founder of Proactive, left the firm in October 2008 – taking with him the England forward as his star client.

Rooney was signed by Stretford for Proactive in 2002 when he was still playing for Everton and the teenage striker quickly garnered multi-million sponsorship deals with companies including Nike, Coca-Cola and EA Sports.

Proactive argued that, as such contracts for Rooney and Coleen were brokered by Stretford while he was still at the firm, they were due the 20% commission – amounting to £4.3mil. 

  

Pepe does not rule out move to Man Utd

LONDON: Pepe Reina on Tuesday sensationally opened the door to a £20mil summer move to Manchester United.

Liverpool keeper Reina stunned the Kop by refusing to rule out a move to Old Trafford in the close season.

With Edwin van der Sar hanging up his gloves, speculation has been rife that United boss Alex Ferguson will try to snatch the stopper by paying the £20mil get-out clause in his contract.

Asked directly about United’s interest on Spanish radio station Onda Cero, Reina dropped a massive hint that it could happen.

“Yes, well Van der Sar will hang up his gloves in the summer so of course they are looking,” said Reina.

“I can’t do anything. I can’t say anything logically as I have a contract with Liverpool.

“Of course one likes to fight for titles and be in a team that do that.

“We always fought to be in the Champions League and try to win the title.

“But unfortunately it hasn’t been the case in the last couple of years.”

Reina also refused to rule out quitting Anfield if Liverpool finish outside the top four.

He said: “I won’t lie, I want to play in the Champions League and challenge for titles.”

Meanwhile, Reina has defended the decision taken by his Liverpool and Spain team-mate Fernando Torres to join Chelsea and urged fans of the Anfield club to remember the good times he brought them.

Torres incensed some Liverpool fans with his explanation that he joined Chelsea because he wanted to win trophies and some burned his number nine shirt in protest.

Reina said there was nothing to be done but wish the striker good luck.

“Football is like that, as players we come and go,” Reina was quoted as saying in Spanish media.

“You have to understand his decision, he felt it was a good opportunity to continue developing.

“The club has to look forward and forget Fernando. He is not here anymore and we can’t do anything but wish him a lot of luck.” 

  

Spurs release first image of Olympic Stadium plans

LONDON (AP): Tottenham released the first image Monday of the proposed 60,000-seat venue the club hopes to build on the site of London's Olympic Stadium.

Tottenham is bidding with American sports and entertainment giant AEG against Premier League rival West Ham for the right to move onto the site after the 2012 London Games. A decision is expected later this week.

Tottenham's plans have been criticized because the 537 million-pound ($867 million) Olympic Stadium would be largely dismantled to build a facility without a running track, making it more suitable for football.

West Ham vice chairman Karren Brady, whose club would retain the track, claimed it would be a "corporate crime to bring the bulldozers in."

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said his club would retain parts of the stadium totaling about 420 million pounds.

"Accusations that we would 'demolish' 500 million pounds of stadium are hugely inaccurate and highly irresponsible," Levy said Monday in a statement.

"Two-thirds of the Olympic Stadium, under the original legacy plan, was to be dismantled - it was not designed to be a permanent structure. Recent scare-mongering conveniently forgets this fact."

Tottenham's design plans are a near replica of the stadium that the club had initially hoped to build on its current White Hart Lane site.

Spurs intend to provide an athletics legacy for the Olympics by refurbishing the aging Crystal Palace venue in south London.

  

Cole voted England's best player of 2010 by fans

LONDON (AP): Despite feeling frustration at being regularly jeered by his own supporters, England defender Ashley Cole has won their official online player-of-the-year vote.

Cole, who has made 86 international appearances, says "it's been hard for me at times, but now I think I've got their appreciation."

The Chelsea left back's public image has been tainted by perceptions he is greedy plus his failed marriage to pop star Cheryl Cole.

He is sure fans haven't been booing him due to any failings on the pitch, telling FATV that "it was a more personal thing, so it hurt me even more, but every time I put on an England shirt I try my hardest."

The 30-year-old Cole was part of the England team that went of the 2010 World Cup in the second round.

  

Very little has changed despite wild weekend

LONDON: An incredible Premier League weekend that rained goals, upsets, comebacks, penalties and stoppage-time drama has produced a media mountain of comment about its egalitarian nature.

Leaders Manchester United lost their unbeaten record against bottom team Wolverhampton Wanderers while Newcastle United came from 4-0 down at home to draw 4-4 with title-chasing Arsenal.

Even “unglamorous” fixtures such as Everton against Blackpool (5-3), Wigan Athletic against Blackburn Rovers (4-3) and Stoke City vs Sunderland (3-2) produced 20 goals between them to back up the idea that England’s top division provides entertainment to burn.

The weekend was finished off with the wonderful theatre of Fernando Torres making his Chelsea debut against former club Liverpool only for the £50mil man to be relegated to a sideshow as Liverpool continued their renaissance under manager Kenny Dalglish with their fourth successive victory.

However, although the upset results maintained the pattern of the season, a scratch beneath the surface gloss reveals that fundamentally very little has changed.

A top six of United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool hardly points to a changing of the guard.

Similarly a February bottom six of West Ham, Wolves, Wigan, West Brom, Birmingham City and Blackpool would not have been too far from most people’s predictions when the action kicked off last August.

Wolves, who were denied a draw at Old Trafford only by a last-minute goal in November, deserved their 2-1 win on Saturday and coming after victories over Chelsea and Manchester City it was hardly a fluke.

Yet they have also lost to Fulham, Wigan, Blackpool, Blackburn, Stoke and, the team who have replaced them at the bottom – West Ham United. West Bromwich Albion, promoted this season, have beaten Arsenal and Man City and drawn at Old Trafford – but still sacked manager Roberto Di Matteo on Sunday – while Blackpool, red-hot relegation favourites at the start of the season, have done the double over Liverpool.

The excitement and variety certainly puts other leagues in the shade, not least Scotland where Sunday’s 2-2 Cup draw between Rangers and Celtic means that there will be a record seven Old Firm derbies this year.

“People talk about the strength of La Liga and the incredible quality of Barcelona but you simply do not get the bottom team in Spain beating the top team,” former Liverpool defender-turned analyst Alan Hansen wrote in theDaily Telegraph yesterday.

“In the Premier League this season any of the top four teams can play away from home and get turned over.”

The high-risk attacking approach of teams like Blackpool and Wolves means they have more chance of snatching a headline win than battling for a point but it also leaves them open to hefty beatings and both could easily find themselves in the bottom three come May.

Manchester United barely broke stride in defeat as Arsenal’s draw and Chelsea’s home defeat cushioned the Molineux blow and though they have drawn eight and lost one of their 12 away games this season they remain four points clear and odds-on for the title.

  

Torres: Chelsea caught unawares by Liverpool’s tactics

LONDON: Fernando Torres has admitted former club Liverpool put one over Chelsea as the Spain striker went goalless on his debut for the English champions in a 1-0 defeat by the Reds.

Having said he had switched to bolster his chances of gaining top honours, Torres had to endure the embarrassment of being substituted after 66 minutes, shortly before Raul Meireles scored Liverpool’s winner.

Defeat left Chelsea a huge 10 points behind leaders Manchester United and all but out of the Premier League title race.

Liverpool, for whom Sunday’s result was a fourth straight win without conceding under caretaker manager Kenny Dalglish, deployed three central defenders to negate the impact of Torres, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

“It was very difficult, Liverpool played a good game, with three at the back,” Torres told Chelsea TV.

“We were not expecting that and maybe they took advantage of that.

“I think the fair result was the draw, it was unfair to lose that game, but now we are looking forward to the next game and will keep fighting until the end,” he added.

“There are a lot of points still to play (for).”

Liverpool fans could not resist mocking their former hero and when he was substituted some chanted: “You should have stayed at a big club.”

The Spaniard meanwhile insisted he’d been happy with his reception from the Chelsea crowd.

“Obviously everyone wants to win, especially if it is their first game at home, but I will still have very good memories about my reception here and want to thank all of the Chelsea fans for that nice reception,” he said.

“The result was not the best, but we have to keep going and fighting until the end.” 

  

Ancelotti: Don’t worry Torres will come good

LONDON: Carlo Ancelotti insists Fernando Torres will quickly live up to his £50mil price tag despite the Chelsea striker’s dismal debut in a 1-0 defeat against his former club Liverpool.

Torres looked totally out of sorts as Liverpool enjoyed a sweet moment of revenge over their former idol just seven days after his controversial British record transfer to Stamford Bridge.

The Spain forward was substituted to ironic cheers from Liverpool’s fans after 66 minutes on Sunday and he could have few complaints following one of the most underwhelming debuts imaginable.

Torres failed to gel with strike-partner Didier Drogba and from the moment he squandered his only sight of goal with a woeful finish in the second minute, he looked just as lacklustre as he has for much of the season at Liverpool.

Yet Ancelotti is adamant his new striker had done as much as could be expected after just three days training and the Chelsea boss is confident Torres will get back in the groove once he has adjusted to his new surroundings.

“Torres did a good job but we had difficulty to find space because Liverpool defended very well. They put three defenders in the middle and we couldn’t attack them,” Ancelotti said.

“Fernando tried to do something, he had good movement and did a good job.

“I took him out because it was a very busy week. I don’t think it was a mistake (to start him) because he played a good game.

“He has experience and confidence. He didn’t show problems or nerves before the game. He was excited to play. We have to give him time to adjust to the shape. He will do it quickly.”

However, Ancelotti believes it is simply a matter of allowing Torres time to establish a rapport with Drogba.

The Italian’s job could depend on how well that partnership fares in the Champions League as Chelsea, now 10 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United, having virtually no chance of retaining the title.

“Obviously he has to try in the training sessions to combine with the other strikers, this is normal,” Ancelotti said.

“The problem was not this pair, they have a lot of quality and I will try to do everything to put them together.

“The shape was good but obviously we need to play better as a team. When you don’t play quick from the back you don’t have space.” 

  

Big signing Torres taunted, substituted in Blues debut

LONDON: Fernando Torres had a nightmare Chelsea debut against his former club.

The £50mil Spaniard was substituted on 65 minutes and taunted by Liverpool fans.

Raul Meireles hit the Kop winner and boss Kenny Dalglish could not resist a dig at Torres.

“I do not think any of their forwards had a day which they will be happy with,” said Dalglish.

“Our goalkeeper did not have too much to do because the players in front of him defended brilliantly.

“He (Torres) had one shot on target when Jamie Carragher did a fantastic block tackle but I’m not here to talk about somebody else’s players.

Reds fans chanted ‘You should have stayed with a big club’ when Torres was substituted.

Dalglish added: “Our supporters are entitled to their opinions and know where the players’ loyalties lie. They have to show respect to this club.

“The most important people are the people still at Liverpool and they always will be. Whatever someone else wants to do with their life, that’s their choice.

“The personnel of the opposition isn’t important to me. If Carlo Ancelotti was playing up front for Chelsea, I’d still have wanted three points.”

Just 10 days ago, Liverpool’s future looked gloomy as Torres agitated for a move before the transfer deadline. But suddenly things are looking up for Dalglish and company.

Wins over Stoke and Chelsea have lifted Liverpool to within six points of the top four and new signings Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, drafted in to replace Torres, have yet to start for the Reds.

Liverpool’s recent upsurge in fortunes has done Dalglish’s chances of turning his short-term job into a more permanent one but the Scot was quick to play down such talk.

“I’m only doing what I said I would come in and do, which is help,” he said.

“I’ll never stand in the way of progress at this football club. I have never had a conversation with the owners beyond the conversation I had when I came in.

“That’s where we stand at the moment and until there is more to discuss – that is where we are.”

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher insisted Torres could yet be a success with Chelsea after helping spoil the striker’s debut.

“Good players come and go. I’ve played against plenty of former Liverpool players going back to Robbie Fowler,” said Carragher.

“Torres is one of the best in the world but he’s not with us now. We’ve got our own job to do and that’s what we did.” 

  

Man City to rotate strikeforce ahead of hectic schedule

MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s first team coach David Platt revealed the club will rotate their expensively-assembled strikeforce for the rest of the campaign after an emphatic 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

A first-half hat-trick by Carlos Tevez, who was celebrating his 27th birthday, delivered all three points for City, who could even afford to leave new signing Edin Dzeko on the bench at Eastlands.

While Dzeko’s omission raised eyebrows before kick-off, Platt revealed City had no qualms about resting their strikers when tactics dictated.

“It’s a hell of a problem isn’t it?” joked Platt.

“We can play in different ways and we felt that if we played this way today, we could open them up.

“You will get games when Carlos and Edin play together and there are so many games that I think our longest break between now and the end of the season is five days.

“If we want to achieve what we want to achieve, and keep progressing in two cup competitions, then we need our whole squad to be there.

“We will look at each game as it comes and decide whether we play with one front man, with two front men, whether Carlos plays off Edin.”

City’s hopes of challenging for the championship were aided by the spectacular events at Newcastle where one of Platt’s former clubs Arsenal threw away a 4-0 lead to draw with the home side - a result which, claimed Platt, helped make up for the disappointment of a relatively flat second half display from City.

“We came off a little bit disappointed not to have got more goals and played in the way we did in the first half,” he said.

“You come out with all the old cliches – ‘It’s still 0-0, go out and win the second half as well, goal difference is important.’

“But human nature means you take the foot off the pedal. And in the Premier League, if you lose that five per cent – coupled with the reaction from the opposition – then you see what happened.

“Then you see what’s happened at St James’ and I’d rather be in our dressing room than Arsenal’s.”

Next up for City is the small matter of a trip to Old Trafford on Saturday where they face league leaders United in a derby fixture that could have a major say in deciding the eventual title winners.

“Our manager believes we can win every match,” added Platt. “Next week is a very, very difficult game for us, there is no doubt. But the manager will already have started preparing for that game.”