Appiah quits Fenerbahce !…
August 18, 2008
According to reports from Ghana, Stephen Appiah claims he has quit Fenerbahce after a fall-out with the club’s management.
The 27-year-old midfielder has spent close to nine months on the sidelines due to a long-standing knee injury which forced him to miss the African Nations Cup in his home country earlier this year.
He has been linked with a move away from Turkey all summer and this latest twist could create plenty of interest in Appiah before the transfer window closes at the end of August.
‘I am a free agent,’ he told Accra radio station Happy FM at the weekend. ‘A few issues happened between me and the club so I no longer play for them.’
futbol, soccer, fussball, football, gol, goal, live scores, canl, live, puan durumu, puan cetveli, standings, results
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The Olympics? But I could be watching Stoke City…
August 15, 2008
I had always thought the height of sporting ecstasy was watching my beloved Stoke City score a goal.
Now I’m at the Olympics in Beijing, well, I think I still do… but I must admit this life-long credo is coming under severe strain.
Take events in the Water Cube. Until now, my best memories of ‘swimming’ had been Stoke players splashing through the mud on Boxing Day 1984 to record a memorable 2-1 win over Manchester United.
But this week I’ve seen Michael Phelps in the flesh! The American phenomenon has had us all on our feet — seasoned hacks like me, Chinese spectators, and even Phelps’s own rivals — smashing records as fast as Ronaldo will probably put goals past Stoke this year.
And did you see the 4×100 freestyle relay final? The fingertip finish was one of the most exciting moments of the Beijing Games, and surely in swimming history.
Then there was the opening basketball match: hosts China v an NBA star-studded USA. The place was rocking. Dare I say it, the atmosphere rivalled even the Britannia Stadium when we won promotion to the Premier League in May.
On my way to the press centre the other day, I grabbed a coffee and popped in to see the women’s team gymnastics final. The girls’ agility and jumps, the gasps at an occasional stumble and the thrill of China’s gold medal over arch-rivals the United States, left my heart pounding as fast as the thousands of fans I was sitting with.
In this over-excited state, I tried to explain to a Chinese fan that I had not seen such artistry since Liam Lawrence and Ricardo Fuller combined to destroy Coventry away in April. But the allusion was, err, a tad cryptic.
Coming up is the biggest one of all — the men’s 100 metres final in the Bird’s Nest stadium. But oh no, what’s this? The race happens slap-bang in the middle of the opening Premier League game on Saturday. So what’s it to be — go to the Bird’s Nest for the biggest race on earth, or find a quiet corner to listen to Bolton v Stoke on the Internet?
Such a dilemma…
PHOTO: Usain Bolt of Jamaica competes in the men’s 100m heat at the National Stadium during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 15, 2008. REUTERS/Aly Song
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Alex Curran Makes Friends With a Busker
August 14, 2008
Yes you read right, Alex Curran made a new friend today, in the form of a John Lennon busker!
Now there’s a sentence you don’t write everyday.
Whilst doing her very favourite thing (no not being photographed), shopping, Alex Curran was entertained by a busker dressed up as John Lennon.
As she walked down the Liverpool high street with what looked like the entire Cricket boutique, Alex stopped to join in singing Liverpool football chants with the Lennon lookalike.
And looked to be having a great time. Alex looked very trendy in a ruffled smock dress with a ruffled hem (at least that’s what the Daily Mail is calling it) and gladiator sandals.
It’s a good job she has been shopping again, because there is fear new Liverpool WAG Claudine Palmer is after her Queen WAG title. Don’t worry Alex she’s got a lot of walking up and down Liverpool to do yet!
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SPANISH NATIONAL TEAM: DEL BOSQUE CALLS UP BOJAN, AMOREBIETA, IRAOLA & CAPEL AGAINST DENMARK
August 14, 2008
New Spanish National Team Selector & Coach VICENTE DEL
BOSQUE (pictured below) has handed in his first list of players for
next Wednesday´s friendly game against DENMARK. Del Bosque was
faced beforehand with injuries to Goalkeeper Palop, defender
Marchena & midfieder Cesc Fabregas, all members of the winning
European Nations Cup Team.
Added to this Del Bosque has dropped Sergio Garcia (Zaragoza)
& Arbeloa (Liverpool) also members of the European Champions
Team.
The news is that Bojan (Barcelona), Amorebieta & Iraola (At.
Bilbao) & Capel (Sevilla) have been called up to fill in the gaps
& make up the final list.
Here is the FULL LIST of Spanish players:
Goalkeepers: Casillas (R.Madrid) & Reina (Liverpool)
Defenders: Sergio Ramos (R.Madrid),Puyol (Barcelona), Juanito
(Betis), Albiol (Valencia), Amorebieta (pictured; At.Bilbao),
Iraola (pictured; Athletic de Bilbao),
Fernando Navarro (Sevilla) & Capdevila (Villarreal)
(Valencia), Xavi & Iniesta (Barcelona), Cazorla & Senna (Villarreal)
& Diego Capel (pictured; Sevilla).
Forwards: Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Villa (Valencia), Güiza
(Fernebahçe) & Bojan (pictured; Barcelona)
As can be seen, Del Bosque makes minor chnages due to injuries
& keeps the base & the fundamentals of ex-coach Luis Aragones
European Champion team. As the saying goes…”if it ain´t broke
don´t fix it”.
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Why don’t Englishmen like Lampard want to play abroad?
August 14, 2008
Frank Lampard’s decision to sign a new contract with Chelsea and shun the advances of Inter Milan was hardly a surprise.
The midfielder made a wise choice if he based the decision on the previous experiences of English players in Italy.
Only David Platt at Sampdoria was really a success. Ian “it’s like living in a foreign country” Rush lasted just a season at Juventus while the likes of Luther Blissett, Lee Sharpe, Ray Wilkins, Des Walker, Paul Ince and Jay Bothroyd hardly set Serie A alight.
Paul Gascoigne was injured for much of his time at Lazio. Rather than his stunning play, he is best remembered here in Italy for shocking the nation by burping into a microphone.
In recent years only David Beckham at Real Madrid can claim to have done well away from English shores. That’s largely because he was one of the few who dared to try something new.
I actually think Lampard would have been a success at Inter, especially playing under former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. The Italian champions, and Serie A in general, are crying out for a goalscoring central midfielder.
Instead Lampard will start another English season this weekend, admittedly with packed stadiums and bags of money in his pocket. Stuttering Serie A can’t quite compete with that.
Mark Meadows, Milan
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