I am a slave, says Ronaldo as he pushes for Madrid move

Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to join Real Madrid appeared stronger than ever last night after a television interview in which he reiterated he had not changed his mind about wanting to leave Manchester United and agreed with the Fifa president Sepp Blatter's criticism about the way the European Cup winners had handled the situation. Blatter had urged United to allow the player to leave and, more controversially, complained that there was "too much modern slavery" in the sport.


It's a tough life...

Wenger's wantaway generation paint Arsenal into a corner

Arsène Wenger is facing a new problem as his still-developing players flex their muscles for money.



Welcome to Hleb's chaotic world




Hleb? Adebayor? Flamini?

Fowler Heads for Blackburn

"Robbie was all set to sign up at Cardiff but at the last minute Paul Ince came in and handed him a chance to return to the Premier League," Scott told the South Wales Echo.

"He started in the Premier League and it seems right to finish his career in the Premier League."

Source: McBride Deal at a "Stalemate"

Negotiations between Chicago and Toronto over the fate of Brian McBride seem to have stalled, but the ex-Fulham man appears headed to Beijing.




Any excuse we get to use this classic...

LA, Chivas Draw in the Classic SuperClasico

A pulsating match at the Home Depot Center ended with a 1-1 draw between Los Angeles's two sides.

Pompey unveil £11million striker Crouch

The England striker scored 19 goals in 39 matches in his first spell at Portsmouth in the 2001/02 season before moving on to Aston Villa and then Southampton.










Like a guy who is 6'7" with a name of Crouch...

The Mill +

Friday's Rumours



+

Calcio Debate: Which Serie A Coach Will Be Sacked First?

Serie A’s Presidents are renowned for being extremely trigger-happy. So which coach will be the first to go through the exit door?


Stefano Colantuono (Palermo) – With Maurizio Zamparini as President, not even a Marcello Lippi or Alex Ferguson would feel safe in a job. Colantuono is already in his second spell at Palermo in the space of 12 months – 9/10

Arsenal complete deal for Marseille starlet Nasri

The Gunners finally completed what has been a protracted pursuit of the attack-minded midfielder from Marseille on what they describe as a 'long-term contract' for an undisclosed fee on Friday.

McCarthy's Musings: Krazy Kreis and MLS All-Star Picks

Goal.com's Kyle McCarthy pipes up about RSL coach Jason Kreis's suspension and who Steve Nicol should pick as All-star reserves.



Not a happy camper...

Cech embraces Scolari's new dawn at Chelsea following a season of heartache and mishaps

It is a measure of Petr Cech's character and his sense of accountability that immediately after his error that effectively cost the Czech Republic their chance of progress into the quarter-finals of the European Championship he returned to his house in Prague to face the music.

Pilloried in the Czech press for the inexplicable fumble that handed Nihat Kahveci an 87th-minute equaliser for Turkey - the striker would score again moments later to ensure his own nation's passage from the group stage - Cech even found himself fending off questions about the aberration from seven-year-old kids at the football academy which he runs here in the capital city.

The Mill + ++

Thursday's Rumours


+


++

Fan power shows its might in Italy

Woe betide soccer clubs who ignore the views of their supporters.

Italian top-flight side Atalanta decided to re-sign former striker Christian Vieri during the close season and unwittingly unleashed a wave of protests from angry fans.

Chivas USA vs. Galaxy: Rage no accident in this L.A. collision

The top of Major League Soccer’s Western Conference resembles Los Angeles’ rush hour at the midway point of the season, with six of the seven teams separated by only three points. When the two clubs leading the traffic jam square off on Thursday night at the Home Depot Center, expect some 405-style road rage.

English Debate: Arsenal - A Selling Club?

The success of Arsenal’s youth policy in the Wenger era has facilitated the sale of ‘big names,’ often without much damage to the team. Furthermore, these sales have generated huge income for the club (just think of the return when a £500 000 Anelka was flogged to Real Madrid for £23 million) which has been re-invested in future stars. This has long been how Wenger has chose to operate; now it may appear that he has no such choice.

Ramos To Release 16 From The Lane

The Tottenham revolution under Juande Ramos is well and truly underway, with the Spanish manager reportedly ready to offload no fewer than 16 players during the summer transfer window.




Expected to be shown the White Hart Lane exit door are Paul Robinson, Pascal Chimbonda, Michael Dawson, Anthony Gardner, Young Pyo Lee, Steed Malbranque, Teemu Tainio, Kevin Boateng, Younes Kaboul, Hossam Ghaly, Adel Taarabt, Darren Bent, Paul Stalteri, Ricardo Rocha and Robbie Keane. Dimitar Berbatov is also likely to leave this summer.

Chicago's Blanco Running Afoul

Video catches Chicago Fire star Cuauhtemoc Blanco blatantly punching DC's Clyde Simms during Tuesday night's U.S. Open Cup match.




The video had been removed from youtube last I checked. -Ed

Salt Lake's new stadium to host All-Stars in '09

Real will host Major League Soccer's 2009 All-Star game, team and league officials said Wednesday at the stadium where the game will be played next summer. MLS doesn't know yet who the American league's all-stars will be playing and the actual date is also undetermined. But there is a location.

African World Cup Qualifying: South Africa or Bust

A busy month of African World Cup qualifying has concluded and a number of traditional powerhouses face an uphill task if they are to join South Africa in representing the continent in 2010.

U.S. Olympic Soccer Schedule and Roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (7): Hunter Freeman (New York Red Bulls), Kamani Hill (Vfl Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96)

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire),
Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)

note: final squad yet to be announced


Men’s Olympic Group B Schedule

Date	Match-up	Venue	Kickoff (Local/ET)
Aug. 7	USA vs. Japan	Tianjin (Olympic Sports Center)	5 p.m. / 5 a.m.
Aug. 7	Netherlands vs. Nigeria	Tianjin (Olympic Sports Center)	7:45 p.m. / 7:45 a.m.
Aug. 10	Nigeria vs. Japan	Tianjin (Olympic Sports Center)	5 p.m. / 5 a.m.
Aug. 10	USA vs. Netherlands	Tianjin (Olympic Sports Center)	7:45 p.m. / 7:45 a.m.
Aug. 13	Netherlands vs. Japan	Shenyan (Olympic Sports Center)	5 p.m. / 5 a.m.
Aug. 13	USA vs. Nigeria	Beijing (Workers' Stadium)	5 p.m. / 5 a.m.

The Mill + ++

Wednesday's Rumours


+



++

Barry's impending move provides O'Neill with a dose of reality

When the top four clubs are constantly buying their best players, how can Villa and the rest of the chasing pack hope to compete?






"Come on Special One, give us a little kiss..."

France’s Trezeguet Quits Internationals

“The awful Euros and the confirmation of the coach have led me to this irreversible decision,” the 30-year-old told reporters at Juve’s pre-season training retreat. “I see soccer differently from how they see it in France. The Euros were very negative but what annoys me more is that Domenech is staying,” he said.


You can't help but feel sorry for the guy. All he does is score goals and the current French set-up is a joke. -Ed.

Barca ready to prevent Ronaldinho's Beijing ball

Barcelona noted that "the (Olympic) Games do not form part of the FIFA calendar … therefore the club is not obliged to make its players available."

Calcio Debate: Are The English 'Pirates'?

The 'poaching' of young foreign players is becoming fashionable amongst England's elite clubs, and Italy is the country that appears to be suffering the most as a result.

Salvatore Landolina asks whether such unfair dealing should be allowed?

Villa agree deal for Chelsea midfielder Sidwell

The midlands club have settled on what is believed to be a fee of around £5 million for the former Reading player, subject to him passing a medical.




Does dodgy body art keep one from passing a medical?

Goal.com Profile: Sebastian Giovinco

Not since the days of the young Francesco Totti has a player been earning such rave reviews for his performances with the Italy Under-21 national team. Sebastian Giovinco has been dazzling journalists and fans all around the continent, and it seems; the player could be destined for greatness.

Thaksin Goes on Trial in Thailand

The corruption trial of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has begun in Bangkok, almost two years after he was overthrown in a coup.

Jonathan Wilson in Russia

The Uefa Cup winners may be set to lose their pivotal playmaker but his departure may not rule out a title charge.

Zenit show that there's life after Arshavin

Scolari must start quickly at Chelsea

Luiz Felipe Scolari has arrived in English soccer with a mountain of work and little time to do it.

He better be a quick learner.

The Monday MLS Breakdown: A Lot of Bull

Goal.com USA's Kyle McCarthy hit on several topics in this week's Monday MLS Breakdown, including the dismal display of the Red Bulls, Pat Noonan's rumored return to MLS and the strong play of Colorado's Colin Clark.

How will Ferguson manage without Queiroz?

The impending departure of Manchester United's essential No2 is a crushing blow.

Croucho Marks Portsmouth's Ambition

With the return of Peter Crouch to Fratton Park, Portsmouth seem increasingly well-equipped for an exciting season ahead. The challenge of European football has galvanised the ambition of the south-coast club.


Look who's back...back again...

Lining up for soccer’s summer blockbusters

The threat of recession gripping the United Kingdom does not appear to have extended to its top soccer clubs, with vast transfer fees likely to change hands over the next few weeks.

Although the transfer window slams shut August 1, several clubs are playing a waiting game this year and are backing their boardroom skill and sense of timing to get the right man for the right price.

Here is a break down of the five biggest developing transfer story lines:

Hleb Denies Cesc, Wenger Rift, Inter Meeting

Arsenal midfielder Aliaksandr Hleb's mis-quoted interview set the record straight surrounding the circumstances of his inevitable departure this summer...

The Mill +

Tuesday's Rumours


+

Premier League trio called up to Brazil Olympic side

Premier League trio Anderson, Lucas and Jo have all been named in Brazil's 18-man Olympic squad.

Brazil Olympic squad:
Diego Alves (Almeria), Renan (Internacional); Breno (Bayern Munich), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Thiago Silva (Fluminense), Rafinha (Schalke 04), Ilsinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Marcelo (Real Madrid); Anderson (Manchester United), Lucas (Liverpool), Ronaldinho (Barcelona), Diego (Werder Bremen), Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Thiago Neves (Fluminense); Alexandre Pato (Milan), Jo (Manchester City), Rafael Sobis (Betis), Robinho (Real Madrid).

Give & Go: Sheffield Wednesday’s Frank Simek

Goal.com USA's Matthew Braine caught up with the U.S. international to discuss a wide variety of topics, as he prepares for the 2008-09 season.

Why football fans are saying Auf Wiedersehen to the Premier League

Disgruntled former Chelsea fan John Peters, 46, explains: "I had been going to Chelsea on and off for about 10 years when a friend recommended that a few of us flew out to the Bundesliga. The experience was like going back in time to the terraces of the 70s. You are allowed to stand up and smoke fags, and a bloke with a beer siphon attached to his back will happily refill your glass for £1 a pint."




The man in front of you at your next Bundesliga match...

The Joy of Six: Football's Hard Men

From Dave Mackay to Claudio Gentile, the Guardian picks half a dozen of football's toughest characters.

The Mill + ++

Monday's Rumours


+


++

Tim Vickery in South America

Last Wednesday Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito became the first club from Ecuador to win the Copa Libertadores, South America's Champions League, in the 49-year history of the competition.

Ronaldo has ankle surgery

He could be out for up to six weeks and may miss the start of the new season.







No comment...