AC Milan's vice president Adriano Galliani spoke with delight
of David Beckham, who arrived in the club on loan for the second
successive season. Galliani is so amazed by Beckham's professionalism,
skills and human qualities that he said the former English captain
would always be welcome at Milan.
"Milan's doors will forever be open for him, in July, next
January or whenever he may wish," told Galliani the media.
"I admire him. He is a fantastic player. One should see with
what zeal he practices."
Beckham joined Milan until the end of the Italian season in order to put his skills on display and persuade Fabio Capello to name him into the England
squad for the World Cup. Becks has also denied the rumours that
he plans to retire after the World Cup, since at 35 he will still
have plenty to show.
On the Italian transfer front, Milan has encountered competitors
for the signature of Bosnian Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg. Their city
rivals Inter have joined the race for the prolific scorer along
with Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. Inter's greater financial
power could prove decisive in securing the signature of the striker
that brought last season's Bundesliga to unfashionable Wolfsburg.
Barcelona's president Joan Laporta has given coach Josep Guardiola
until Easter to give him some hint regarding his future coaching
plans.
"I don't mean to push Guardiola and I'm giving him some time
to consider his future, but at a certain moment it will be necessary
to have some clear ideas on the subject of his renewal," said
Laporta according to As daily.
"A good moment would be a week before Easter. Then we would
still have time to look for an alternative, although I prefer not
to think about that contingency since Guardiola is an institution
at Barcelona."
If the 39-year-old coach decides it is already the time to look
for new challenges, Barcelona will be hard-pressed to find a suitable
replacement. Last year Barca won all six available titles - the
first club in history to achieve that feat. In fact, Guardiola suffered
his first ever setback last Wednesday against Sevilla in the King's
Cup, when his team was eliminated by the slimmest of margins in
the round of 16.
"I hope he will coach Barcelona for a couple more years and
mark an era," concluded Laporta, while Guardiola just said
he would talk to the president when he invited him.
"When the president calls, I respond. He knows he can be at
ease regarding my position. But, there is still time."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed the 35-year-old defender
Sol Campbell will
return to the London club after quitting Notts County early this
season. Campbell played as a Gunner between 2001 and 2006, incurring
wrath from his former fans at Tottenham,
who dubbed him "traitor" for joining their arch rivals.
Upon leaving Arsenal the defender spent three years at Portsmouth
and his career at the top seemed over when he signed for Notts County
of the fourth tier last summer. However, in a shocking turn of events,
the veteran rejoined the Gunners and may well prove an important
asset in the race for the Premiership title.
Wenger warned the former international would not have a guaranteed
spot in the team, as the current regulars in central defense are
William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen. Still, Campbell's arrival spells
trouble for Swiss defender Philippe Senderos, who has announced
he is looking for a new club, aware he is not likely to see much
action under the new circumstances.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona returned to duty on Saturday after
serving a two-month ban imposed on him by FIFA for swearing at journalists.
After his team qualified for the World Cup after many complications,
Maradona slammed reporters who had not trusted him during the qualifiers,
offering them oral sex at a press conference. His primitive outburst
cost him a 18,000 euro fine and a suspension that expired on January
16th.
Maradona will celebrate his return to work by travelling to Pretoria,
where his team will be based during the first stage of the World Cup.
The German FA announced that Teresa Enke, widow of Hannover and
Germany goalkeeper Robert, would be the executive director of a
foundation dedicated to providing help to depressed people.
The foundation named after Robert Enke has been established by the
German FA, the Bundesliga association and Enke's last team, Hannover.
Last November Enke committed suicide by jumping in front of a speeding
train after many years of suffering from depression. His death and
his life struggle, which was largely unknown in Germany, caused
concern among sports fans around the world.
Enke's wife spoke of her late husband's pain after losing their
2-year old daughter Lara to a cardiac failure, but the keeper had
suffered from depression even earlier. In fact, he had been ill
for six years, but hid his condition from the general public. Allegedly,
Enke was afraid that if his psychiatric ailment had become known,
the authorities would strip him and his wife of the custody of their
second daughter, adopted after Lara's death.
Ruben De la Red, a member of Spain's golden squad from the last
European Championship, may soon be declared permanently unfit for
sports and sent to early retirement over his mysterious heart disease.
The player fainted during Real Madrid's League game in October of
2008 and has not been allowed to play or practice ever since.
Spanish social security will consider De la Red's case before mid-April,
when Real's 24-year-old midfielder will have been on sick leave
for 18 months, as is mandatory under Spanish legislation. In case
a medical commission rules he is permanently incapacitated, the
player will be thrown into retirement and awarded a 1500 euros monthly
allowance, somewhat less than a Real Madrid professional usually
makes.
For the time being, according to Marca daily, Real Madrid
has consulted 13 cardiologists, none of whom dares to give his approval
for De la Red's return to action. The player has yet to receive
a definitive diagnosis and vows to fight in court anybody's attempt
to declare him disabled for life, as it would mean the end of his
soccer career.
