Marseille fans raise 1.5m euros for Drogba
July 15, 2008
MARSEILLE, France (AFP) - Marseille fans have raised almost 1.5 million euros in a bold bid to lure prodigal striker Didier Drogba back to the Mediterranean, according to the website handling donations on Monday.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Chelsea sign Portugal´s Deco
July 1, 2008
LONDON (AFP) - Portugal midfielder Deco has signed for Chelsea, the English Premiership club said on Monday, for eight million pounds (10.1 million euros).
Deco, the midfield maestro of Porto’s 2004 European Champions League-winning campaign, leaves Barcelona, with whom he also won the Champions League two years later, after the Catalan club said he did not feature in their plans.
Stamford Bridge have now confirmed the 30-year-old has agreed the move to become the club’s first signing since Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed manager.
The Brazil-born player is the club’s first signing since the appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager and he is believed to have cost around eight million pounds.
Deco told Chelsea TV: "It is good for me to be here and first of all I am very happy to be here.
"I am sure I have come at the right time to do great things and be able to help Chelsea go back to the way it was and come back to being the first one, not only in England but also to win the Champions League that has been their dream for so long."
Deco’s move will see him link up once again with Scolari, his national coach at Euro 2008, and another Portugal team-mate in Jose Bosingwa, who signed for the club earlier in the summer.
The two-time Champions League-winner had been linked with Inter Milan, where his former Porto boss Jose Mourinho is now manager, but the Italians appear to have been put off by the price. Chelsea, however, seem to have negotiated the fee down to sign Deco.
Barcelona released a statement on Monday claiming Deco had signed a three-year contract with Chelsea.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Mourinho wants Micheal Essien at Inter Milan
June 2, 2008
Sensational transfer news are out and it has been revealed that Chelsea’s versatile midfielder Michael Essien is Jose Mourinho’s top target at Inter Milan.
Local British newspapers have reported that Inter Milan are bankrolled by billionaire oil magnate Massimo Moratti and are prepared to match the huge £24 million fee Chelsea splashed to land Essien from Lyon three years ago.
However the case maybe, the Premier League runners-up are expected to put up a fierce fight to keep their big names especially Micheal Essien at Stamford Bridge.
It is however reported that Mourinho really wants Essien to be his midfield enforcer at the San Siro while it is believed that the Ghana star would love to be reunited with his old boss.
Essien’s natural position is playing as a central midfielder and he normally plays as a deep-lying playmaker for the Black Stars, the Ghana national football team. At Chelsea Essien is employed all over the pitch at due to his incredible versatility.
BIO
Full name: Michael Essien
Date of birth: December 3, 1982
Place of birth: Accra, Ghana
Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position: Midfielder and Right Full Back, Centre Back
Current club: Chelsea
Number: 5
Previous Clubs
2000–2003: Bastia
2003–2005: Lyon
2005– Chelsea
Popularity: 2% [?]
Chelsea targets Dutch midfielder Van Der Vaart
May 29, 2008
Interesting transfer news are coming out of the Premier League and it has been reported that Chelsea FC are making a move for Hamburg and Dutch International midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.
Local British newspapers have reported that sacked Chelsea boss Avram Grant is believed to have had Van der Vaart on his radar before being sacked at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
It is now believed that the Blues will press ahead with signing the players the Israeli had earmarked for this summer.
It is alos reported that the £15million-rated Hamburg captain has so far refused all offers to sign an extension to his current deal, which runs out in 2010.
BIO
Full name: Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart
Date of birth: February 11, 1983
Place of birth: Heemskerk, Netherlands
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position: Attacking Midfielder,Forward
Current club: Hamburger SV
Number: 23
Previous Clubs
2000–2005: Ajax
2005– Hamburger SV
Popularity: 1% [?]
Roman Abramovich ready to finance Chelsea’s spending spree
May 28, 2008
Staggering news is out from Stamford Bridge and it has been reported that Chelsea will give their new manager £80million to spend in the transfer market to buy new players.
It is believed that that is the transfer chest Blues owner Roman Abramovich has agreed after being left embarrassed the club were trophy-less for the first time in four years.
A Chelsea source revealed that ex-coach Avram Grant won nothing and therefore was fired. It was also said that Roman is not prepared to settle for second best.
It was also added that any candidate for the manager post at Chelsea will be made aware of what’s expected but at the same time significant funds will be made available.
It has been reported that Chelsea wants Valencia and Spanish International striker David Villa, Barcelona wonderkid Giovanni Dos Santos and could swap Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba for Inter Milan top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Popularity: 1% [?]
