IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
La Liga wrap: Espanyol return to winning ways 12 December 2011
Espanyol toppled Atletico Madrid 4-2 while Malaga and Osasuna shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in La Liga on Sunday.The late kick-off at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat pitted an Espanyol side that were winless in four against an Atletico side still reeling from their Copa Del Rey exit at the hands of third-tier outfit Albacete on Thursday.
Mauricio Pochettino's side started strongly, with Verdu bagging a double inside the first 10 minutes to give Espanyol a 2-0 lead.Ivorian midfielder Christian Romaric then made it 3-0 on 19 minutes and there appeared to be no way back for Gregorio Manzano's Atletico.And although Rodrigo Falcao's header gave them a lifeline ahead of the break, a mazy run that was aided by two deflections and a couple of deft touches saw Sergio Garcia restore Espanyol's three-goal advantage on 54 minutes.
Turkish midfielder Arda Turan thumped in a terrific volley with seven minutes left but it was no more than a consolation for an Atletico side who have now lost three of their last five matches.Malaga rescued a point at home against Osasuna thanks to substitute Juanmi's effort with 20 minutes to play, just eight minutes after he was introduced.Senegalese forward Ibrahima Balde had given the visitors a first-half lead but it was not to be as they missed a chance to climb above Malaga on the league table.
Former Rangers striker Nacho Novo bagged a double as Sporting Gijon romped to a 3-1 win at Rayo Vallecano while the struggling Villarreal again failed to win, although they came from behind to earn a point in a 1-1 stalemate against Real Sociedad.
Victor's first-half goal helped Mallorca to a 1-0 win at Real Zaragoza while Getafe won by the same scoreline, with Casquero's strike 12 minutes from time sinking Granada.Relegation-threatened Racing Santander managed to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao, with defender Alvaro Gonzalez scoring in the second minute of injury time for the second-bottom side.
Guti snipes back at Ronaldo doubters
Former Real Madrid playmaker Guti has jumped to the defence of Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese churned out a poor performance in the 3-1 El-Clasico loss to Barcelona.
Guardiola: Cruyff my biggest influence
Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola revealed that he was greatly influenced by Johan Cruyff after spending six years working with the Dutch legend.
Valencia to resume stadium upgrade Valencia have reached an agreement with Bankia to resume work on the Nou Mestalla, the La Liga club have confirmed.
Mourinho content with Real Madrid
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho insisted he would not want to swap positions with arch rivals Barcelona ahead of Wednesday's Copa del Rey clash with Ponferradina.
Sevilla wary of San Roque in Copa
Marcelino Garcia Toral has warned Sevilla not to underestimate third-tier San Roque in the first leg of their Copa del Rey fourth-round tie on Tuesday.
Gregory to miss Gijon Cup clash
Sporting Gijon will be without injured central defender Gregory for the Copa del Rey tie away to Real Mallorca on Tuesday.
Mourinho targets summit by Christmas
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho believes his team can regain top spot in La Liga from rivals Barcelona by Christmas.
Rosell: Barca gave Real a "bath"
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell could not hide his glee after the club's 3-1 win over bitter rivals Real Madrid on Saturday.
Mourinho eyes shock Lampard move
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is set to offer Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard a lifeline at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Mourinho eyes shock Lampard move Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is set to offer Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard a lifeline at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 33-year-old's future at Stamford Bridge is looking bleak after falling down the pecking orders in Andre Villas-Boas' squad this season.
Lampard was left on the bench for the Blues' crucial Champions League clash against Valencia last week as they went on to notch an impressive 3-0 win and qualify for the knock-out round.
Now according to The Sun newspaper, Mourinho is planning a sensational swap deal to reunite with his player.
The former Chelsea boss hopes to use midfielder Esteban Granero as a bait to prise Lampard from the Bridge.
Granero, 24, is believed to be valued at £6million and has been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.
This would not be the first time Mourinho tried to sign Lampard.
The Portuguese first attempted to capture the England international during his tenure at Inter Milan before trying again at Madrid last year.
On both occasions Lampard remained loyal to Chelsea but it is unlikely he will reject a move to the Bernabeu this time around.
Lampard joined the Blues in 2001 and has played over 500 games for the club.
Valencia have announced they have agreed a deal with Spanish banking conglomerate Bankia over funding for the completion of their new ground.
Bankia will provide the La Liga outfit with a medium-term loan which will enable the club to restart work on their planned 75,000-seat arena.
"This agreement is an historic milestone," Valencia president Manuel Llorente said."
"It is a day that will go down in history and that will be welcome news for the hundreds of thousands of Valencianistas, who will soon see their team playing home games in one of the best stadiums in Europe."
"The new home for Valencia will give the club a step up in every respects."
Valencia had hoped to move into the Nou Mestalla last year, but its construction was halted in February 2009 because of the club’s financial troubles.
It is now expected the ground will finally be finished in two years time.
Guardiola riled by Villa quit reports
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has dismissed Spanish media reports linking David Villa with a move away from the Nou Camp in the January transfer window.
Mascherano: Barca were not lucky
Barcelona midfield destroyer Javier Mascherano insisted that his side’s brilliant 3-1 victory against Real Madrid in Saturday’s El-Clasico clash was fully justified.
Mourinho surprised by Benzema rise
Real Madrid honcho Jose Mourinho conceded that he has been taken aback by the resurgence of Karim Benzema after he was voted French Player of the Year by France Football magazine.
Mourinho happy with Copa display
Jose Mourinho praised his Real Madrid players after they recorded a 2-0 win over Ponferradina in the first-leg of their Copa del Rey clash.
Atletico Madrid will determine the future of coach Gregorio Manzano during the winter break.
Spanish sources suggest Manzano's job is under threat following Atletico's disappointing start to the Primera Division season. The Vicente Calderon outfit are 10th in the table and trail leaders Barcelona and Real Madrid by 18 points.
The club's sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero said Manzano's job is not safe but noted that the players must take responsibility and improve their game.
"We will draw some conclusions about the coach and the squad during the winter break," he told AS."We are outraged with Sunday's match (4-2 defeat at Espanyol). The opening 20 minutes are not up to Atletico's standards, we must demand a lot from more our players."
The Atletico director then rejected suggestions he is already looking for a replacement for Manzano, who arrived at the club in the close season.
"To this date, we have not spoken with any coach, we have three crucial matches ahead and a lot will be at stake against Rennes (in the Europa League)," Caminero said.
Atletico Madrid winger Jose Antonio Reyes is heading back to Sevilla in a 3.5 million euros deal.
Reyes has fallen out of favour at the Vicente Calderon outfit and has consistently been linked with a move away from the Spanish capital, with Galatasaray reported to be suitors, according to Radio SevillaIt is believed that the former Arsenal winger would prefer a move to his native Andalucia as opposed to Istanbul.
Now it seems that Sevilla have reached an agreement to sign the 28-year-old. All that is left to seal the deal is for Reyes to go to Sevilla and agree personal terms.
Reyes joined Atletico in 2007 from Arsenal after an unsuccessful loan spell with Real Madrid.
La Liga preview: Real look to bounce back from Clasico defeat 16 December 2011
After losing 3-1 in El Clasico, Real Madrid travel to play fifth-placed Sevilla in La Liga this weekend while third-placed Valencia host Malaga.With their 15-match winning streak snapped by Barcelona, Real, who slipped to second behind their Catalan rivals due to an inferior head-to-head record, will look to regain top spot as they go for the win against Sevilla on Saturday.
French striker Karim Benzema scored the fastest Clasico goal ever in 22 seconds last weekend and will look to add to his 13 goals this season as Real hope to spend Christmas at the top.Sevilla had their two-game winning streak snapped after a scrappy 1-0 loss to fourth-placed Levante and will be looking to striker Manu Del Moral to lead the line.
After suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat to Real Betis, Valencia will be anxious to bounce back against sixth-placed Malaga on Sunday.Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini has preferred struggling Salomon Rondon and Seba Fernandez upfront, but with Ruud van Nistelrooy on the bench, Pellegrini might look to the Dutchman to play some part against Valencia.
Levante bounced back from their 5-0 drubbing against Barcelona with a 1-0 win over Sevilla and will look to close the gap further on Valencia against 15th-placed Granada, who ended their five game unbeaten streak a with a 1-0 away loss to Getafe.
After consecutive 1-1 draws against Racing Santander and Mallorca, Athletic Bilbao host last-placed Real Zaragoza on Saturday.Bilbao will be looking to take maximum points after winning only once in five games in a 2-1 victory against Sevilla. Zaragoza have lost four straight games and have won just twice all season, with both wins at home.After snapping their two-match losing streak with a 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid, Espanyol travel to take on relegation-threatened Sporting Gijon on Saturday as Mauricio Pochettino looks to take points off of Sporting.
With just three points separating the two sides, mid-table Atletico Madrid welcome 13th-placed Real Betis to the Estadio Vicente Calderon as the hosts try to shake off their 4-2 away loss to Espanyol.Betis broke a 10-game winless streak with a 2-1 win over Valencia last weekend and will be hoping for a good result.
In Sunday's other matches, Racing Santander host mid-table Real Sociedad, while seventh-placed Osasuna tackle struggling Villarreal and Getafe travel to Mallorca.
Barcelona star David Villa will return to Spain in order to undergo surgery on the broken leg he suffered in the Club World Cup.
Although initial prognoses stated that Spain's record scorer would be unlikely to play in his nation's defence of the European Championships, Villa stated that he was optimistic of returning before the end of the season.
"Hello everyone! Thanks for your encouragement! This injury is a blow, but I am convinced that I will recover as soon as possible, thinking about playing (the Champions League) final in Munich and the Euros," Villa announced via his Facebook page.
"I will work hard for it. They tell me that tomorrow I'll be in Spain!"
Barcelona will face Brazilian club Santos without Villa in the final on Sunday as Pep Guardiola's men look to reclaim their Club World Cup title.
Raul Albiol's agent Manuel Garcia Quilon admits a number of Bundesliga teams have contacted him about signing the Real Madrid defender.
Reports in Spain have linked Serie A leaders Juventus with a move for the 26-year-old in January, given he has had limited first-team opportunities at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Quilon concedes the majority of interest in Albiol has been from teams in Germany.
"These are just rumours (about Juventus)," the agent told CalcioMercato."There are a couple of German clubs, who are interested in my client, but there has been no contact with Juventus or any other Italian club."
Albiol has a contract with Real until 2014, but needs more games under his belt if he is to be considered for Vicente Del Bosque's Spain squad for Euro 2012.
Klopp backs Sahin to be a success in Madrid 16 December 2011
Borussia Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp has backed former player Nuri Sahin to make a success of himself at Real Madrid.
Since moving to the Spanish capital in the summer, the midfielder has made just a handful of appearances, but Klopp feels that the Turk will make his mark at Santiago Bernabeu in time.
"Everybody knows that the Spanish media exaggerates positive and negative. Nuri is an impatient guy, but nobody should forget that he was injured for a long time," Klopp told German newspaper Bild.
"I am sure that he will make a better account of himself after the winter break."However, Klopp has refused to rule out the possibility of Sahin returning to the Bundesliga to represent his old side.
"Although the issue (of a transfer back to Dortmund) is not there now, I will always have an open ear for Nuri Sahin. Of course we are in close contact," he admitted.
The 23-year-old has made three appearances for Jose Mourinho's side as he returns from a knee injury.
La Liga wrap: Ronaldo on target as Real run riot 18 December 2011
Cristiano Ronaldo continued his incredible goal-scoring run in La Liga as Real Madrid routed Sevilla 6-2 on Saturday.
Ronaldo scored his fifth hat-trick of the season as Real moved back to the top of the table, and the Portuguese ace has now scored 53 goals in 52 appearances in 2011, including 25 in 23 matches this term.He got the first after just 10 minutes at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan before Jose Maria Callejon got a toe to Angel Di Maria's long ball to make it 2-0.
Ronaldo's second goal was the pick of the bunch, receiving the ball 30 yards out before unleashing an unstoppable drive past Javi Varas in the Sevilla goal.Jose Mourinho's men suffered a blow just before half-time when Pepe was sent off for a second bookable offence, but it did not stop the goals as Di Maria added a fourth just after the restart.
Jesus Navas finally got the hosts on the scoresheet on 69 minutes, but any hopes of a comeback were doused when Manu received a straight red card five minutes later.Ronaldo completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot with five minutes remaining before Hamit Altintop netted a sixth for Real, with Alvaro Negredo's 91st minute strike coming as little consolation for the hosts.
Elsewhere, Gaizka Toquero broke Real Zaragoza's heart when he netted an 87th-minute winner in Athletic Bilbao's 2-1 win over La Liga's bottom side.Zaragoza were hopeful of claiming their first point in five games when Leonardo Ponzio cancelled out Susaeta's opener for Bilbao, but Toquero's late intervention meant they were again left with nothing to show for their efforts.
Abdelaziz Barrada scored a brace as Getafe came from behind to beat Mallorca 2-1 on the road, while Espanyol won by the same scoreline away to Sporting Gijon.
Pique traces family ties in Japan 17 December 2011
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique may have arrived in Japan last Sunday, but his extended family's roots stretch much further back.
Br. Jordi Guitart, Pique's great-uncle, came to Japan's fourth-largest city of Nagoya 40 years ago as a missionary for the order of Saint Antoni Maria Claret.Guitart's sister, Montserrat, is Pique's grandmother as well as the wife of Barcelona representative Amador Bernabeu.
With Pique's parents as well as girlfriend and international pop star Shakira coming to Japan in the hopes of seeing Barcelona capture their second consecutive Club World Cup title, the tournament has become a family affair for the 24-year-old."It's wonderful that my family can gather under one roof in Japan," Pique told Spain's Mundo Deportivo.
While the Spaniard watched his team's 4-0 trouncing of Asian champions Al Sadd from the bench, he will hope for a place in the starting line-up when Barcelona plays South American kings Santos in the final on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the third-place match, also on Sunday, will feature two teams from the same confederation for the first time.Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol and Al Saad are both determined to clinch a third-place finish.Kashiwa will be at full strength, and manager Nelsinho intends to return home victorious.
There are no injuries to report, but there is a chance that veteran Hideaki Kitajima could start after an impressive performance off the bench in the 3-1 semi-final loss to Santos on Wednesday.Al Sadd, for their part, will probably be much more involved in this match than they were against Barcelona on Thursday.
After being held to just 28 percent possession and two shots to Barcelona's 19, the side coached by Jorge Fossati should put on a better show against Kashiwa.Keita and Niang in particular will give the Japanese backline trouble, but much like in the Asian Champions League final, Al Sadd's best chance will be to survive until penalty kicks.
Villa set for surgery on Monday Barcelona striker David Villa will undergo surgery to repair his broken shinbone on Monday, the club have confirmed.
The 30-year-old returned to Catalonia yesterday after suffering a fracture to his left tibia in his team's FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Al-Sadd in Japan.
The injury is expected to sideline Spain's all-time record scorer for between four and five months, meaning he is likely to miss the majority of Barca's Primera Division and Champions League campaigns but could be fit for Euro 2012.
A statement on the club's official website read: "David Villa will undergo surgery this Monday afternoon to correct the fractured tibia in his left leg.
"The surgical team will be led by Dr Ramon Cugat and Dr Ricard Pruna."
The two doctors are due to hold a post-surgery press conference at the Nou Camp at 1900 local time on Monday.
Barcelona have confirmed they have been given the all-clear by FIFA for their players to wear t-shirts supporting Villa before Sunday's Club World Cup final against Santos.
Ronaldo answers critics with hat-trick Cristiano Ronaldo fired Real Madrid back to the top of La Liga on Saturday and then aimed a shot at his critics.
Ronaldo hit a hat-trick against Sevilla to lead his side to a 6-2 win and help them bounce back from a disappointing loss to rival Barcelona last weekend.
The Portuguese was heavily criticised in some quarters for his performance against the Catalans which saw Pep Guardiola's side come from behind to win 3-1 with Ronaldo guilty of being wasteful in front of goal.
However, the Madrid star was back on form on Saturday with three goals to ensure his side at least finish the year ahead of Barca in the race for La Liga.
"I don't care what people say about me," Ronaldo told the club's website.
"I just do my job and focus on my team. We played well tonight and we're anxious to play again."
"We've achieved our objective: we leave for Christmas with a three-point cushion. We played well in a difficult game and we're very happy."
Ronaldo has now scored an incredible 111 goals in 112 appearances for the club.
Football legend Pele said he believes Brazilian outfit Santos will triumph in the Club World Cup final, given their experience winning trophies.
Pele believes that although Barcelona are the superior outfit ahead of Sunday's final, Santos can triumph on the back of their ability to win silverware when it is on offer.
Speaking to Brazilian publication Folha de Sao Paulo on Saturday, the 71-year-old did not hesitate to brand Pep Guardiola's men the better club on current form, but maintained that the side led by star striker Neymar have the edge when it comes to finals.
"Right now, Barcelona are definitely the better team," Pele said."But Santos were considered the best in the world for a decade and Barcelona do not have the titles that Santos have."
La Liga wrap: Soldado the hero for Valencia 19 December 2011
Roberto Soldado led Valencia to a 2-0 win over Malaga in La Liga on Sunday, while fourth-placed Levante lost.Soldado, 26, struck a brace at the Estadio Mestalla, taking his tally to 11 league goals as Valencia moved within seven points of league leaders Real Madrid.
The striker netted the opener on 36 minutes when he got on the end of an Ever Banega pass before rounding goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero and placing into an empty net.Soldado doubled Valencia's lead on the hour-mark, meeting Jordi Alba's cross to smash home a volley from eight yards and seal the points.
Meanwhile, fourth-placed Levante suffered their second loss in three league outings after slumping to a 2-1 defeat at Granada.Guilherme Siqueira's penalty and Abel Gomez Moreno's goal on the stroke of half-time sent Fabriciano Gonzalez's men, who moved into 13th, on the way to a surprise win. Ivory Coast international Arouna Kone headed in a consolation goal from close range in the 60th minute as Levante continue to slip after a stunning start to the campaign.
Elsewhere, the pressure continues to grow on Atletico Madrid boss Gregorio Manzano after his team suffered a 2-0 loss at home to Real Betis.Alejandro Pozuelo opened the scoring for the visitors before being sent off in the 73rd minute, but Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz ensured they hung on to the three points when he netted in additional time.
Villarreal, the 2007/08 league runners-up, continue to sit just above the relegation zone after a 2-1 loss at Osasuna.Osasuna extended their unbeaten run in the league to five matches after forward Ibrahima Balde cancelled out Marco Ruben's opener and defender Sergio headed in an 83rd-minute winner.
Lowly Racing Santander missed their chance to move out of the relegation zone after squandering several chances in a 0-0 draw at home to Real Sociedad.Defender Inigo Martinez was sent off for the visitors nine minutes after the restart, but Racing Santander were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage.
Brazil striker Nilmar could be heading to Roma from Villarreal in January.
Nilmar had already been linked with a move to the Serie A club in the close season but the transfer could happen much sooner.
"I can only say talks are going very strong," Nilmar's agent Orlando Da Hora told Super Deporte.
"I think we can soon close up the deal with Roma."
The 27-year-old has been with Villarreal since the start of the 2009-2010 La Liga season and made his senior Brazil debut in 2003.
Ajax defender Gregory van der Wiel has agreed personal terms with Valencia over a contract that will run until mid-2017.
Ajax recently turned down Valencia's first offer for the right-back, but they did give the La Liga club permission to talk with the 23-year-old.
Although both clubs are still in talks over a transfer fee, the Netherlands international has already completed negotiations with Valencia and will sign a five-year deal with los Che once they reach an agreement with the Eredivisie champions.
"The clubs are still negotiating, but I expect them to reach an agreement," Van der Wiel said to Eredivisie Live."I have already spoken with Valencia and have agreed terms. If everything goes according to plan, I will sign a five-year deal."
Van der Wiel added that he will definitely stay with Ajax until the end of the season and will not join Valencia until the 2012-13 campaign.
Neymar: Barcelona taught us a lesson 18 December 2011
Santos striker Neymar said Barcelona taught his side a footballing lesson in their 4-0 loss in the Club World Cup final.
Speaking to reporters after the match in Yokohama, the 19-year-old confessed that Pep Guardiola's men were superior to Santos, but feels there is no shame in bowing out to Barca.
"I don't know if Barcelona are unbeatable, but they are the best team in the world," said Neymar."Today, here, we learned what it is to play football.""What we experienced in this match, we will take as a lesson. Today, Barcelona taught us how to play football."
Neymar refused to offer his analysis on the match, preferring to reflect on Santos' overall progress in the tournament.
"Now it doesn't matter what we did or didn't do," he said."What matters is we got here going through many battles and challenges and got to be the second best team in the world."
"Guardiola said that they lost a lot until they started winning. This is what Santos want. We lost today, but maybe in a year we can come back and be champions."
