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Thread: The Football Thread (Association aka Soccer)

  1. #16
    #DeSantis2024 Teh One Who Knocks's Avatar
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    Sorry for the soccer tag, but I couldn't find a footy one and I didn't wanna nick the one that AS used. If someone finds a footy thread tag, we can swap it out.

  2. #17
    Assistant Shelter Dweller St. George's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jezter View Post
    Record-breaking move for Torres
    Striker Fernando Torres has sealed his record-breaking move to Chelsea from Liverpool.


    Torres beat the 11pm cut-off to join the Barclays Premier League champions, who splashed out an incredible £75m on both the Spaniard and Benfica defender David Luiz on the final night of the transfer window. Pictures from the official Chelsea website.

    Striker Torres arrived for a reported £50m from Liverpool, smashing the transfer record between British clubs, while Benfica finally allowed defender Luiz to move on in a £25m-plus deal.

    After signing a five-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge, Spain striker Torres told his new club's official website: "I am very happy with my transfer to Chelsea and I am looking forward very much to helping my new team-mates this season and for many years to come.

    "Having played against Chelsea many times since coming to England, and in some very big games I will never forget, I know there are many great players here and I will work hard to win a place in the team.

    "I hope I can score some important goals for the supporters to enjoy this season."

    Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said: "This is a very significant day for Chelsea, capturing one of the best players in the world with his peak years ahead of him.

    "We have long admired the talents of a player who is a proven goalscorer in English football and Fernando's arrival is a sign of our continuing high ambitions. I hope every Chelsea fan is as excited as I am with this news."

    Chief executive Ron Gourlay added: "Signing a player of the stature of Fernando Torres benefits the club on many levels.

    "Carlo Ancelotti was keen to add his talents to the squad as we continue our quest for three trophies this season.

    "We are delighted we have succeed with that wish, and this signing will undoubtedly aid the club in realising our worldwide potential."

    www.chelseafc.com

    I heard that this deal nearly didn't go through at the 11th hour as Torres' wife couldn't agree personal terms with John Terry.




    Quote Originally Posted by Goofy View Post
    Gary Neville has announced his retirement with immediate effect (just announced on SSN), about time imho, has struggled for fitness the past few years
    http://newsthump.com/2011/02/03/gary...to-be-a-prick/

  3. #18
    weapon of mass consumption redred's Avatar
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    Giggs signs new Man Utd contract
    Veteran Welsh winger Ryan Giggs has signed a one-year contract extension at Manchester United.

    It means the 37-year-old will take his time at Old Trafford into a remarkable 21st year, having made his club debut as a substitute on 2 March, 1991.

    And having already played 24 times for United this season, Giggs says he still has much to contribute to the team.

    "It is great to know I'm contributing to the team's success. I feel I've still got a lot to offer," he said.

    "All I've ever wanted to do is play for United and I've been lucky enough to do that for 20 years.

    "This is an exciting time to be involved with so many good young players coming through."

    Giggs has past 850 appearances for the club and recently played his 600th Premier League game.

    "You run out of words to describe Ryan Giggs," said Sir Alex Ferguson. "He is a marvellous player and a wonderful man.

    "To have the desire and the ability to play at the top level in such a physically demanding position at his age requires a special person.

    "He is still turning in man-of-the-match performances and his experience is so vital for the younger players in the squad."

    Giggs' incredible haul of 32 winners' medals includes 11 Premier League and two Champions League titles.

    Story from BBC SPORT:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/spo...td/9401933.stm

  4. #19
    weapon of mass consumption redred's Avatar
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    Uefa gives Gattuso four-match ban
    AC Milan's Gennaro Gattuso has been banned for four matches after clashing with Tottenham assistant coach Joe Jordan during a Champions League tie.

    Midfielder Gattuso headbutted Jordan following his side's 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their last-16 encounter at the San Siro and has since apologised.

    European football's governing body Uefa handed down the punishment after a disciplinary hearing on Monday.

    But Milan have said that they will not be appealing against the decision.

    The 33-year-old former Rangers star had already been ruled out of the second leg at White Hart Lane on 9 March after picking up a booking in the first match.

    The veteran Italian headbutted Jordan as tempers flared at full-time in Milan

    .
    "I lost control. There is no excuse for what I did. I take my responsibilities for that," the Milan captain said.

    "I was nervous. We were both speaking Scottish, something that I learned when I played in his home city of Glasgow, but I can't tell you what we said.

    "I didn't want to argue with players and I did it with him but I was wrong to do what I have done. I will have to await what they decide."

    Gattuso and 59-year-old Scot Jordan had already clashed on the touchline during a bad-tempered second half in which Mathieu Flamini escaped with a only booking for a two-footed challenge on Vedran Corluka.

    He obviously hadn't done his homework. He could've picked a fight with somebody else
    Spurs boss Harry Redknapp on Gattuso
    Croatia full-back Corluka left the field on a stretcher and was later seen on the substitutes' bench with crutches and an ice pack on his ankle.

    "The tackle from Flamini was a horrendous tackle," Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp commented. "It was a sending off. He was two or three feet off the floor with his two feet raised. It was a leg-breaking tackle."

    The Flamini challenge turned the second half into a feisty affair, with Gattuso becoming increasingly aggressive.

    The Milan skipper, making his 450th appearance for the Rossoneri, confronted Spurs striker Peter Crouch before collecting a booking that will rule him out of the second leg for a lunge at Steven Pienaar.

    At the final whistle, Gattuso removed his shirt and headed straight for Jordan, hurling abuse at the Spurs first-team coach before lashing out with his head.

    The Italian was pulled away by team-mates and briefly stopped to embrace Spurs defender William Gallas before following Jordan down the tunnel.

    "I don't know why it all got so silly," Redknapp added. "Gattuso had a flare-up with Joe Jordan. I don't know why.

    "He obviously hadn't done his homework. He could've picked a fight with somebody else. Putting his head into Joe's face, it was crazy. He lost his head."

    Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri said he was disappointed with his captain's conduct but claimed his rage was sparked by a late tackle on him by Pienaar which preceded the touchline clash with Jordan.

    "Flamini's tackle was quite a bad one but the foul on Gattuso on his knee was also a bad one," Allegri stated.

    "I don't know what happened at the end of the match. It was not nice to see. I think there was a reason but there is no excuse for that."

    Describing the scene on air, BBC Radio 5 live's Mark Pougatch said Gattuso had "lost it".

    Italian football journalist Gabriele Marcotti added: "Gattuso is an emotional player but after getting angry he calmed down enough to hug and kiss William Gallas and Harry Redknapp.

    "You think he is going to calm down then he goes after Joe Jordan. Absolutely incredible."

    Redknapp joked that it was not wise to pick a fight with Jordan, who played for AC Milan between 1981 and 1983 after long spells with Leeds and Manchester United.

    "There would be only one winner there - Joe," the 63-year-old Spurs boss said. "I'd have my money on Joe. Of all the people to pick on, don't pick on Joe."

    Story from BBC SPORT:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/spo...pe/9398824.stm

  5. #20
    weapon of mass consumption redred's Avatar
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    City's Kolo Toure fails drug test
    Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has been suspended after testing positive for a specified substance.

    The 29-year-old was informed by the Football Association that an A sample he provided had returned positive.

    City confirmed in a statement that Toure had been suspended "pending the outcome of the legal process".

    Ivory Coast international Toure, whose brother Yaya also plays for City, is a former club captain who joined City from Arsenal in July 2009.

    The defender has gone on to make more than 50 appearances for City, although he was not involved in Wednesday's FA Cup victory over Aston Villa.

    The failed test automatically triggered the suspension and it is understood that Toure was left out of the squad because the club had been made aware of the situation.

    The City statement added: "There will be no further comment from the football club at this stage."

    And on Thursday evening an FA statement said: "The FA can confirm that a player has been provisionally suspended from playing pending investigation, having tested positive for the use of a prohibited substance."

    The World Anti-Doping Agency defines a specified substance as one that is "more susceptible to a credible, non-doping explanation".

    The Wada punishment for such a positive test ranges from a warning to a two-year ban.

    Hamilton Academicals midfielder Simon Mensing recently served a four-week ban after a specified substance was detected in his system.

    The 28-year-old tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine at the end of January and subsequently missed five matches after a period of ineligibility was imposed on him.

    The player maintained he was unaware he had ingested the substance while using a dietary supplement - an explanation which was accepted by UK Anti-Doping.

    Toure was the skipper of City until the start of the current campaign, when the armband was passed to Carlos Tevez.

    The Ivorian defender was brought to the Premier League by Arsenal in 2002 and he remained with the London club until his £14m transfer to City.

    Toure, who is under contract with City until the summer of 2013, was one of several high-profile arrivals in the summer of 2009 as then-manager Mark Hughes spent more than £100m on new players.

    City are currently pursuing trophies on three fronts. They will play Reading in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, are set to take on Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League and lie third in the Premier League, 10 points behind leaders Manchester United.

    Story from BBC SPORT:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/spo...ty/9413738.stm

  6. #21
    Mr Magoo RBP's Avatar
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    Hey, so I hear Manchester United may be playing the Chicago Fire at Chicago's Soldier Field this summer. I've never been to a footy match.

    (it is called a match right?)
    I wanted to be a Monk, but I never got the chants.

  7. #22
    #DeSantis2024 Teh One Who Knocks's Avatar
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  8. #23
    #DeSantis2024 Teh One Who Knocks's Avatar
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    Kroenke mounts full takeover bid for Arsenal
    Channel 9 News Denver


    LONDON (AP) - American businessman Stan Kroenke has agreed to a full takeover of Arsenal that values the Premier League club at $1.2 billion and should end the long-running uncertainty about its ownership.

    Kroenke agreed to increase his holding from 29.9 percent to 62.89 percent by acquiring shares from fellow directors Danny Fiszman and Nina Bracewell-Smith, Arsenal Holdings said Monday in a statement to London's Plus Market.

    After taking his stake over the 30 percent threshold, Kroenke needs to make a mandatory cash offer for the remaining shares in Arsenal.

    "We are excited about the opportunity to increase our involvement with and commitment to Arsenal," Kroenke said in a statement. "Arsenal is a fantastic club with a special history and tradition and a wonderful manager in Arsene Wenger. We intend to build on this rich heritage and take the club to new success."

    Four other Premier League clubs are owned by Americans - Malcolm Glazer at Manchester United, John Henry at Liverpool, Randy Lerner at Aston Villa and Ellis Short at Sunderland - while Chelsea, Manchester City, Fulham, Blackburn and Birmingham are also owned by foreigners.

    Kroenke has pledged to "support and adhere to the self-sustaining business model" at Arsenal, which has a tradition of being well-run, avoiding big transfer fees and relying on talent developed through its youth teams.

    "The offer will not be funded by way of any debt finance (banks loans, payment in kind loans or other debt or quasi-debt interest bearing obligations) for which the payment of interest on, repayment of or security for any liability (contingent or otherwise) will depend on the business of Arsenal," the statement said.

    Kroenke has been steadily increasing his holding in Arsenal since first buying a 9.99 percent stake in April 2007.

    "I have worked with Stan Kroenke at board meetings over the past couple of years and I believe he has the best interests of Arsenal at heart," Wenger said. "He understands the club's heritage and traditions and our ambition to run the club in a way which protects our long-term future."

    Wenger's team is seven points behind Manchester United in the Premier League title race with seven matches remaining, including one in hand over the leaders.

    Kroenke also owns the Denver Nuggets in the NBA, the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL and the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.

    He was invited onto the board of directors, unlike Alisher Usmanov, a Russian who owns more than 27 percent of the club through investment vehicle Red and White Holdings.

    Little is known about the 63-year-old Kroenke's plans for Arsenal. Known as "Silent Stan," he has previously declined to speak at the club's annual general meeting.

    "He's a strong, silent type, and I think that's not necessarily the worst thing when it comes to sports team owners," MLS commissioner Don Garber, who has talked to Kroenke about his plans for Arsenal, has told The Associated Press. "He's very loyal. He's a very quiet and a strategic thinker. He doesn't make rash decisions."

    But Kroenke will come under pressure from fans to invest in a team that has not won a major title since the 2005 FA Cup and last captured the Premier League crown in 2004.

  9. #24
    Shelter Dweller Leefro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hal-9000 View Post
    excluding a mirror....you can never see your own eye...


    whoa


  10. #25
    Shelter Dweller Leefro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hal-9000 View Post
    excluding a mirror....you can never see your own eye...


    whoa


  11. #26
    Shelter Dweller Leefro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hal-9000 View Post
    excluding a mirror....you can never see your own eye...


    whoa


  12. #27
    weapon of mass consumption redred's Avatar
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    nice pics lee

  13. #28
    Shelter Dweller Leefro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hal-9000 View Post
    excluding a mirror....you can never see your own eye...


    whoa


  14. #29
    Shelter Dweller Leefro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hal-9000 View Post
    excluding a mirror....you can never see your own eye...


    whoa


  15. #30
    weapon of mass consumption redred's Avatar
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    not bad for a girl

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