Malcolm Glazer the owner of Man United is dead

Malcolm Glazer the owner of Man United is dead.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are saddened to announce the passing of Owner/President Malcolm Glazer earlier this morning at the age of 85," a statement on the Buccaneers website said on Wednesday. "A dynamic business leader, Glazer helped mould the Buccaneers into a model franchise and one respected league-wide." Glazer purchased Manchester United in 2005, controversially saddling the world famous club with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt in a leveraged buyout. Glazer's stewardship of United has coincided with a glut of silverware - including five Premier League crowns and the 2008 Champions League title - and has also been the subject of sustained anger from Manchester United's fan base. Fans have complained that Glazer's ownership model has forced United to spend millions of pounds servicing the club's debt - money which could have been spent on the transfer budget.

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Nigeria walloped Mexico 3-0 to win U17 world cup for the 4th time

Golden Eaglets of Nigeria became the most successful team in FIFA U-17 World Cup history with a 3-0 win over holders Mexico at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The final was a rematch of the 6-1 win Nigeria inflicted on the Mexicans in Group F play and sees the Golden Eaglets lay hands on the junior world trophy for the fourth time in their history, one better than South American giants Brazil. When the final whistle went in the UAE capital, fans and players alike rejoiced, fingers pointed to the sky, with what has become the traditional Nigerian celebration of: “yes, yes yes!”

Mexico kept the ball for a full two minutes at the start of the game, moving it around well and making the Nigerians chase. El Tri even managed the first chance on goal after six minutes. Osvaldo Rodriguez crossed from the left, but Alejandro Diaz couldn’t keep his close-range effort the right side of the post. Two minutes on and Ivan Ochoa – who scored twice in the semi-final win over Argentina – saw his off-balance header pushed over the bar by Dele Alampasu.

The corner came to nothing for the Mexicans, but Nigeria benefitted greatly by bursting out on a classic counter-attack. Kelechi Iheanacho went flying up the pitch. With just one Mexican defender in position, the No10 Golden Eaglet laid the ball in for Taiwo Awoniyi who then fed it on to Musa Yahaha, who had a little help from Erick Aguirre. The Mexican midfielder mistakenly hit the ball into his own net in an attempt to recover.

With the score 1-0, Musa Muhammed was giving the Mexicans fits with his rampaging runs up the right side. He pinned the opponents back at every opportunity. As the first half pushed toward the interval, the Africans upped their tempo in search of a second goal. Yahaya rattled the crossbar with a stunning effort from 20 yards out after 38 minutes. Pressure was mounting and the fans in the stands were on their feet when Awoniyi’s bicycle-kick from the penalty spot forced Raul Gudino into a magnificent reaction save in the dying moments of the half.

The second period began with a frenzy of attacks at both ends of the pitch, but it was Nigeria who made theirs count, making it 2-0 in the 56th minute. Captain Muhammed unleashed a wicked swirling shot that Mexican keeper Gudino simply couldn’t hang on to. He spilled a rebound directly to the feet of the most dangerous man on the pitch, and Iheanacho made no mistake dispatching his sixth goal of the tournament.

With a quarter-hour to go, Mexico managed to carve out a rare second-half chance, but Ochoa’s header from close-range slipped wide of the post as the holders began to wilt under the ceaseless pressure of the buzzing Nigerians. Muhammed added a third with ten minutes to go, curling a sublime free-kick into the top corner.

Anyone in UAE who had the pleasure to see them will tell you that this Nigerian team were the best on offer. Even a few of the Mexican fans were mumbling “yes, yes, yes” when the final whistle went on Nigeria’s glorious campaign  in UAE





Source:FIFA

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Fernando Torres tiger claw prompt FA to amend disciplinary rules

The Football Association has closed the disciplinary loophole that saw Chelsea's Fernando Torres escape action despite being caught on video scratching a rival player.
From November 22, the FA will be able to charge players even if match officials have seen part of the incident.
Torres escaped punishment for scratching Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen because the incident had been "partially seen" by an official even if the full seriousness of the actions had been missed - a case that prompted FA chairman Greg Dyke to take action to close the loophole.
The new rules will now cover:
:: acts of violent conduct that occur secondarily to a challenge for the ball.
:: off-the-ball incidents where one or more match official did see the players coming together, but the match officials' view was such that none of them had the opportunity to make a decision on an act of misconduct that took place within that coming together.
The FA's move to ban Fulham's Sascha Riether for stamping on Manchester United's Adan Januzaj was not taken under the latest rules, however, as they only come into effect after the international break.
Riether's case was dealt with via a three-man panel of former elite referees which was brought in during the summer to look at video evidence and in that incident no officials saw the stamp.
FA director of governance Darren Bailey said: "This enables the FA to consider acts of violent conduct, like an elbow or a stamp, which have occurred after a challenge for the ball or coming together of players.
"It is sometimes difficult for officials to see such incidents, as they are often concentrating solely on the challenge for possession of the ball, and we are mindful of this.
"Also, where off-the-ball incidents are concerned, the policy adjustment will allow action to be taken where an act of misconduct could not have been seen by the match officials, even though they may have seen some part of the players coming together.
"This is an important step forward for the game and provides an appropriate level of discretion for the FA to consider action. However, we remain of the view that the best outcome for all is that referees are able to make correct judgements on the day to benefit the teams involved."




Source:football

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Chelsea fc - 'How it all began' Champions league winner 2012 (Video)

 

The Reward of their effort

 

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Murray to miss ATP Tour finals

Andy Murray has withdrawn from next month’s ATP World Tour Finals in London as he continues his recovery from back surgery.
World number three Murray had an operation last month and yesterday saw the two-time Major winner confirm what had long been suspected when he announced he wouldn’t be fit to play in the showpiece event.
“I’m really disappointed not to be playing this year, I love playing in front of my home crowd, it’s a great atmosphere,” Murray told atpworldtour.com.
“All the players look forward to competing in London and I’ll be doing my best to qualify again for the tournament next year.”
The 26-year-old Scot started struggling with the back problem during the 2012 clay-court season and it recurred at around the same time this year, forcing him to miss the French Open.
But his absence from Roland Garros helped him compete at Wimbledon where he became the first British man in 77 years to win the men’s singles title.
However, while fit enough to get through a fortnight on the grasscourts in London, Murray was still not at the absolute peak of fitness and the subsequent defence of his US Open title saw him suffer a surprise quarter-final defeat by Stanislas Wawrinka.
However, it has been reported that Murray’s recovery is on schedule and that he will be fit to play as scheduled in a Barbados exhibition event in November and the Abu Dhabi tournament towards the end of December.
London event director Andre Silva, commenting on Murray’s withdrawal, said: “It’s unfortunate that Andy will be unable to play in this year’s tournament.”
He added in a statement: “He’s had a historic year on the Tour and of course he’ll be missed. We wish him all the best as he continues his recovery from surgery and we hope to see him back stronger than ever for the 2014 season.” Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer have already qualified for the event, which features the best eight players of the year.
Juan Martin del Potro and Tomas Berdych are closing in but the next four weeks could see a tight battle for the remaining places at the Tour finals, which are staged indoors at London’s O2 Arena. Roger Federer, Wawrinka and Richard Gasquet currently occupy seventh, eighth and ninth positions, but Milos Raonic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga could yet overtake them.
Meanwhile in Madrid, it was announced that Spain’s tennis federation (RFET) was set to announce Alex Corretja’s replacement as Davis Cup captain today, with local media reporting former world number one Carlos Moya had already agreed a one-year contract to the end of 2014.
The new captain will be presented at a news conference in Madrid at midday local time (1000 GMT) tosday, a federation spokesman said yesterday. He declined to confirm Moya was taking over.
The 37-year-old Moya retired from the ATP Tour at the end of 2010 and his first task would be to prepare Spain for their opening World Group tie at home to Germany at the end of January. A close friend of Mallorcan compatriot and current world number one Rafa Nadal, in March 1999 Moya became the first Spaniard to rise to the top of the ATP rankings since they were created in 1973 and held the spot for two weeks.
One of the finest moments of his Davis Cup career came in Seville in 2004 when he beat Andy Roddick to clinch the title against the United States. Corretja succeeded Albert Costa, now RFET sporting director, as Davis Cup captain after Spain’s triumph against Argentina in the 2011 final.

Source: thepeninsulaqatar 

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Rafael not interested in leaving Manchester United

Manchester United right back Rafael da Silva is not interested in moving away from Old Trafford in the near future, despite reports in the press linking him with a probable departure from the club this winter.

The Brazilian was quoted telling Lancenet: “I am not thinking about leaving Manchester United, especially since I did well last season. There is no reason to leave now – I am playing here. I am a starter and I don’t intend to return to Brazil.”

Rafael was reported to be contemplating moving back to his homeland, with Corinthians believed to be keeping tabs on him with rumours of his unsettlement at Greater Manchester under new manager David Moyes doing the rounds. The 23 year old has managed to notch up only 4 appearances in all competitions for United this season. However, the lack of chances being meted out to him has been due to the player suffering a major hamstring injury and not due to any other reasons.

Meanwhile, reports of Rafael looking for a move from Manchester United have already been said to be baseless by most pundits. The Brazilian was one of the stars for the Red Devils last season and will be a massive presence for the club for years to come.

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Ivanovic: More to come from Blues

Branislav Ivanovic expects Chelsea to improve following the international break.
The Blues have shown glimpses of their potential and also fallen short at times - such as in the defeats to Everton and Basle - and Ivanovic knows boss Jose Mourinho demands high standards.
Serbia defender Ivanovic told chelseafc.com: "There's still a lot of hard work to do. We've played some good games; we've had some defeats, too.
"The team and our performances can improve, we can do better and I think we'll do it after this international break."
When club action resumes, Chelsea, who are third in the Barclays Premier League, play seven games in 21 days, beginning with Cardiff, Schalke and Manchester City.
Ivanovic spent much of last season at centre-back, but is considered a right-back by Mourinho and has featured on the flank in all but one of Chelsea's games this season, missing the Capital One Cup win at Swindon.
The 29-year-old is comfortable in either position.
"All my career I've moved inside and outside," he said.
"I'm really happy because it's good for me that I can play both positions. I always try to do my best wherever I play.
"In the end I'm happy because I like to defend, and I'm really enjoying defending in this team."

Source:FOOTBALL

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N96 million waste: Keshi says National Stadium Abuja pitch not good for football

The Sports Ministry said it re-grassed the pitch for N96 million.
The Super Eagles Head Coach Stephen Keshi has said that the refurbished pitch of the National Stadium in Abuja was not good for football.
Keshi said this on Tuesday evening when he spoke to newsmen after 18 Super Eagles players had their first training session on the refurbished pitch ahead of the crucial World Cup final round qualifier against Ethiopia.
He expressed displeasure with the state of the pitch, saying that it would be dangerous for the Eagles to play on it.
“From what I saw, it is a sandy pitch and it is hard; it will be very difficult for the players to play on it, especially the goalkeepers because it is sharp sand.
“If it rains, I think, the pitch will be water-logged,’’ Keshi said.
Criticism has trailed the renovation of the pitch since September 17 when the contractor, Julius Berger, handed over the stadium to the government.
During their oversight visit to the stadium, members of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports had expressed dissatisfaction with the renovated pitch.
Godfrey Gaiya, who led members of the committee on the visit on September 25, described the N96.6 million spent for re-grassing of the pitch as “doubtful’’.
He expressed disappointment with the level of work carried out by Julius Berger, saying there was not enough drainage to drain the water from the pitch after the rain.
Mr. Gaiya had also described as “uncalled for’’, the ceremony which followed the renovation, noting that it was not a norm in the country to celebrate renovation of projects.

Source:Premium times 

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Song would welcome Arsenal return

Former-Arsenal midfielder Alex Song is open to returning to the Emirates Stadium in the January transfer window, according to Catalan newspaper Sport.

The ex-Gunner left Arsenal for Barcelona in the 2012 summer window, but has struggled to nail down a first-team place at the Nou Camp.

And the report claims the 26-year-old would consider a return to Arsenal at the earliest possible opportunity in January.


The Cameroonian has been restricted to just three league appearances so far this term, following on from a disappointing first campaign in Spain during which he failed to dislodge Sergio Busquets from the starting lineup.

He's been forced to operate at centre-back on occasion, and he's believed to be considering a transfer in the winter window to secure football in his preferred position.

Arsenal and Manchester United were both mentioned in the report as interested parties, with David Moyes in particular said to be plotting a move to strengthen his midfield.

United boast a financial advantage over their Premier League rivals, while the prospect of returning to Arsenal could favour the Gunners should it become a straight fight for his signature in January.

Song left Arsenal for Barca for a fee in the region of €19m, but the report fails to mention any buy-back clause in the Cameroonian's contract.

Source:Give me football 

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Ethiopia Promise Super Eagles a Tough Time

The Walya Antelopes say they are working hard to be in top form ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria's Super Eagles.

ETHIOPIAN players are working hard to have a psychological advantage over the Super Eagles when they clash in the first leg of the World Cup qualifier in Addis Ababa next weekend.

The Walya Antelopes full back, Agebaw Butako disclosed that they are practicing hard to have a solid team, where every player will give 100 percent in the two legged encounter, adding that all what the Ethiopian players were thinking was creating an upset and make history.

"Our minds are on the upcoming match against Nigeria whom we have played before. Though we respect them as the African champions, we are all chasing the same dream of qualifying for the World Cup and at this point the history will not be useful.

I am happy with our training both tactically and technically and what remains is the belief that we can make it since everyone in the team has worked very hard to reach this point.

We cannot afford to be complacent at this moment. The secret will be for each player to give 100 percent in both matches," he added.

The Ethiopians are planing a warm-up match against Zambia with hope of being on top of their game when they face the Eagles. Ethiopian Football Federation Vice Chairman, Teka Asfaw also disclosed that some key players like Shemelse Bekele, Addis Hintsa and Getanhe Kebede will be joining the rest of the squad in Addis Ababa this weekend.

Source:All Africa

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Bale wins Welsh player award

Bale wins Welsh player award
Gareth Bale has been named Wales Footballer of the Year for the third time.
The 24-year-old enjoyed another outstanding season at club and international level, and recently completed his world-record move to Real Madrid from Tottenham.
Bale, who earlier this year won the Professional Fooballers' Association and Football Writers' Association Player of he Year awards, scored 26 goals in all competitions for Tottenham and has been a rare beacon of light for Wales during a disappointing World Cup campaign.
The award, announced as part of a ceremony at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, moves him level with fellow three-time winners John Hartson and Mark Hughes.
Bale, who will miss the World Cup qualifiers with Macedonia and Belgium through injury, also received the Fans' Player of the Year award, and Wales boss Chris Coleman had nothing but praise for his star man.
He said: "Gareth's definitely one of the best players I've seen. I've had the fortune of being up close and personal with him in training and he's a player that can take your breath away.
"In two or three seconds, he will do something that nobody else can do. He's a special player.
"He's serious about Wales, he's a Cardiff boy and patriotic and what he does for Welsh football is raise the interest in football for our country. He's brought that for us.
"He's a great player - and I still think he's getting better because of his age. He'll only get better working under a manager like Carlo Ancelotti and playing for Real Madrid with players like Cristiano Ronaldo."
Swansea left-back Ben Davies scooped the Young Player of the Year prize after showing remarkable maturity and consistency after being thrust into action for club and country by Neil Taylor's broken ankle.

Source:FOOTBALL 

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Wenger happy to break at the top

Wenger happy to break at the top
Arsene Wenger was pleased to see his Arsenal side reach the international break on top of the Barclays Premier League but insists it is too early to know whether they can see the job through.
The Gunners were made to work hard for their share of a 1-1 draw at West Brom on Sunday, with Claudio Yacob putting the hosts in front and Nicolas Anelka missing two fine chances before Jack Wilshere's deflected equaliser.
Arsenal created a couple of good opportunities of their own to make it six league wins on the bounce
but a point was enough to leave them ahead of Liverpool at the summit, albeit on goals scored.
Despite that being a promising position, Wenger last got his hands on the Premier League trophy in 2004 and is understandably wary of getting ahead of himself.
"I feel it was important not to lose once we went a goal down, that was the most important thing for the mental comfort," he said.
"Of course it is good as well to remain top. (But) the mentality of champions is built up throughout a season.
"It is a bit early, only October. In March, April you can show you have the mentality of champions.
"At the moment it is early but it is good to continue our run.
"It requires special resilience. I believe that what is important is to continue to focus on the way we want to play."
Wenger was also generous in his praise of the Baggies.

Source:FOOTBALL

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