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Weekly News 13 5 10
Weekly Soccer News, May 13, 2010
Mourinho could buy his way out of Inter for 16 million euros
According to the Spanish press, Jose Mourinho is eager to leave Inter despite a great season in order to take over at Real Madrid. The charm of Real has apparently lured the Portuguese coach even though he has had great success so far at Inter: last year's League championship, this year's Italian Cup plus another League already almost won. Not to mention the Champions League final against Bayern on May 22nd in Madrid!
In order to quit Inter, Mourinho would have to buy out the remainder of his contract for 16 million euros, which would most likely be financed by Real. Still, the legendary ex-coach Johan Cruyff has advised the Spanish club not to complete that operation because it would not be worth it.
"It's absurd to pay that much for a coach, even Mourinho, Pellegrini, or whoever," said Cruyff, formerly of Ajax and Barcelona, whose ideas on soccer differ significantly from those of Jose. Cruyff preferred spectacular soccer, while Mourinho only believes in the result.
Chinese tycoon negotiating for Liverpool
Chinese magnate Zhu Jun, an online gaming czar, has been in talks with Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, the Beijing Times has reported.
Zhu is the chairman of The 9Limited, an online gaming company, and the owner of Shanghai Shenhua, a leading Chinese soccer club.
The tycoon told the press the negotiations are underway, but failed to provide more details. British sources have indicated that two meetings have taken place and that the planned takeover operation would be carried out through Barclays Bank in Hong Kong.
The owners have estimated Liverpool at 940 million euros, but independent eyperts say the real value is more like 590 million euros. Last year the Merseyside giant lost 19 million euros before taxes. Last month Gillett and Hicks announced their intention to sell and named Martin Broughton of British Airways as the new interim chairman.
Totti: "Balotelli called me a finished old man!"
Roma's Francesco Totti was sent off in the Italian Cup final against Inter (0-1) for savagely kicking his opponent Mario Balotelli from behind. It is not clear whether the incident contributed to national team coach Marcello Lippi's decision to drop Totti from the Italian squad for South Africa, but Roma's captain has certainly seen his reputation blemished.
Still, Totti said he had acted under severe provocation from Balotelli.
"I committed a mistake, but I was provoked," said Totti.
"From the first moment our paths crosses, Balotelli insulted me," claims the fabled forward to Diva e Donna magazine.
"He even told me, 'you're finished, grandfather,'" the detail Totti said that hurt him the most.
"But, I have not insulted him on a racial basis," added Totti, admitting he now feels "very much alone" after the incident that has cost him a four-match suspension.
Steve McClaren triumphs at Twente, moves to Bundesliga
The much-maligned English coach Steve McClaren is the new coach to Germany's Wolfsburg, after sensationally winning the Dutch title with Twente Enschede.
Last season McClaren took Twente to second place and this season he has gone one better, overtaking Ajax Amsterdam by a point. The ex-England coach will replace Lorenz-Günther Köstner on the bench of the former German champions, Köstner in turn relieved Armin Veh in January.
McClaren will be remembered as the only coach that failed to take England to a major competition since 1994, when his team finished third in the 2008 European Championship qualifying group behind Croatia and Russia. In Holland, he is a hero.
"I have spent two great seasons in Twente, with a fabulous ending, but I promised to my wife and kids I would be here for just two years. Now we're going to Germany," said "the wally with the brolly," as he came to be known on that fateful evening in 2007 at Wembley when England were stopped on the way to Austria and Switzerland by Slaven Bilic's Croatia.
Ivica Olic conquers his third country
The Croatian striker Ivica Olic has just won his sixth League championship in four clubs in three countries - a rare feat. After collecting League winner's medals with Croatia's NK Zagreb (2002) and Dinamo Zagreb (2003) and two medals with CSKA Moscow (2003, 2005 and 2006), the 30-year-old phenomenon has also conquered Germany with Bayern Munchen.
The scorer of goals that have helped Croatia overcome Italy, England and Germany in previous internationals, scored 11 goals in Bayern's Bundesliga campaign and shone in the Champions League, netting against Juventus, Manchester United and Lyon. With seven goals in Europe, Olic is just one goal behind the leading scorer Leo Messi, but since Barcelona were eliminated in the semifinals the Croatian will have the chance to equal or better Messi's record and become this season's scoring champion in the top club competition.
Curiously, at the start of the season Louis van Gaal wanted to get rid of him, believing that the strike force of Gomez, Klose and Müller would be sufficient. Now, it is safe to say that without the powerful, speedy Croatian, Bayern would not have won the League nor reached the Champions League final.
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