Bale Madrid Move Real World Record

Gareth Bale's move to Real Madrid has been confirmed as a world-record transfer - despite Real Madrid's attempt to keep it under wraps.

Real have always maintained in public that the deal which took Bale to the Bernabeu from Tottenham in 2013 was not as big as the one that secured Cristiano Ronaldo's switch from Manchester United in 2009.

The La Liga club said that the Bale deal was worth €91.59million, with Ronaldo's fee eclipsing that at €96million - although the British media have always insisted that the Bale transfer was indeed a world record.

But the finer details of the contract have now been revealed in the Spanish media for the first time, with AS reporting that Bale's fee amounted to €100,759,418 after they opted to pay Spurs in instalments rather than up front.

AS - quoting the football website Football Leaks - also claim that the document detailing the deal, which runs to six pages, specified that Real would issue a press release stating that the price of the deal was €91.59million. It also stipulates that Spurs could not reveal any financial details surrounding the transfer to the media.

In section 16 of the document, Real also declared that they would ensure Bale would not make any negative or derogatory comments about Spurs, the club's chairman Daniel Levy or any of its staff.

The significance of the story might be slightly lost on a British public who had always considered Bale's transfer to be a world record, but in Madrid the revelations are likely to have political repercussions.

It has long been thought that Real's insistence that Bale's fee was not as large as Ronaldo's was part of a concerted effort to appease their talismanic forward.

The Sunday Times journalist Jonathan Northcroft claimed earlier this month that he had been asked not to refer to Bale's transfer fee as a world record in an interview he had conducted with the Wales international.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "Real Madrid are a club so worried about image that when I interviewed Bale it was requested to me, 'don't put in the article how much Gareth Bale cost'.

"The reason for that is because it was a world record transfer fee but Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't like to see that someone else cost more than him."

Ronaldo's future at Real remains a matter of intense speculation, with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United both keen to sign him at the end of the season.

Spanish newspaper Marca, meanwhile, say that Bale's fine form this season will be rewarded with a new contract that could keep him at the club until 2021.

Related articles

• Manchester United Rumors: Red Devils Prepare £80M Bid for Barcelona's Luis Suárez?
• Manchester United transfer rumours: Neymar tempted, £50m Lukaku lined up, James Wilson to be recalled
• Under-pressure Benitez needs Real trident firing again
• Under-pressure Benitez needs Real trident firing again
• Manchester United set to finalize the deal for Louis van Gaal's favourite attacker
• Manchester United should finally hire Jose Mourinho

Jimmy Hill 1928 -2015

James William Thomas Hill, one of English football's most influential figures, has died aged 87.

As chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, he led the campaign for the scrapping of maximum wages for professional footballers.

The former Match of the Day presenter made more than 600 appearances on the programme. His other numerous roles in football included player, manager, chairman and analyst.

He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2008.

In a statement, his agent, Jane Morgan, said: "It is with great sadness that his wife Bryony Hill and the children of Jimmy Hill have announced that Jimmy passed away peacefully aged 87 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Bryony was beside him."

Lord Hall, the BBC's director general, said: "For generations of fans Jimmy Hill was an authoritative voice as both a presenter and analyst.

"He was committed to innovation in every aspect of the game, including broadcasting and always believed supporters came first. His influence lives on in the programmes we enjoy today."

Barbara Slater, BBC Director of Sport added: "Jimmy Hill was an iconic and unique figure and we are all deeply saddened by the news.

"He was one of the great innovators and a huge talent, a man ahead of his time with a personality that dominated his era both in football and broadcasting.

"Jimmy was also a dear friend and colleague to many at the BBC and will be greatly missed."

Some of the other ideas Hill helped make a reality included establishing a player's right to freedom of movement at the end of his contract and the introduction of three points for a win.

He also commissioned the first English all-seater stadium, lifted a ban on media interviews, introduced the first electronic scoreboard in 1964 and the first colour match-day programme.

The former Brentford and Fulham forward was appointed Coventry manager in November 1961, leading the Sky Blues to the Division Three and Division Two titles.

There is a statue of Hill at Coventry's Ricoh Arena where he was also chairman - a role he also had at Fulham and Charlton.

He became a broadcaster and head of sport for ITV in 1967, before moving to the BBC six years later where he became presenter of Match of the Day until he handed over the reins to Des Lynam in 1989.

#RIP

Related articles

• Chelsea Sack Manager Jose Mourinho
• The false identity of the Premier League
• Jimmy Hill's heartbreaking battle with Alzheimer's brings tears and laughter
• Jurgen Klopp is exposing English football's problems with long-ball play... now we must listen to what the Liverpool boss has to say
• Indian-origin footballer Dhanda gets Liverpool contract
• Leicester City Stuns Chelsea 2-1, Stays Atop Premier League Standings

2012 Wimbledon Seeds

The Wimbledon seedings have been announced with the top five in the men's list mirroring the current world rankings.

It means defending champion Novak Djokovic is the top seed followed by former winners Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, with Andy Murray seeded fourth in his quest for a first Grand Slam title.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France is next in the seedings ahead of former runner-up Tomas Berdych, who is placed ahead of David Ferrer on account of his better record on grass.

Spanish claycourt specialist Ferrer is seeded seventh having failed to get past the fourth round at SW19 on his previous visits.

Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia, Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina and American Mardy Fish round out the top 10.

Other climbers include three-time quarter-finalist Feliciano Lopez, who is elevated from 17th to 14th, and Marin Cilic, the winner at Queen's Club last weekend, who is seeded 16th.

The biggest leap is made by Australian teenager Bernard Tomic, who reached the quarter-finals last year and climbs from 27th to 20th, while three-time finalist Andy Roddick is seeded 30th.

The most notable absentee is world number 15 Gael Monfils, who will miss the tournament with the same knee problems that saw him skip the French Open.

In the women's draw, former champion Maria Sharapova heads the seedings after usurping Victoria Azarenka as world number one with her victory at the French Open last month.

Four-time champion Serena Williams is seeded sixth, while sister Venus is currently placed 55th in the world rankings and is not amongst the seedings as she bids for a sixth title.

Williams is without a seeding for the first time since 1997 while four-time Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters is also unseeded for the first time since 2000.

The only changes to the seedings reflect the absence from the tournament of world number 16 Kaia Kanepi and number 18 Andrea Petkovic through injury.

Mancini talks to Robbie Savage...

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini sits down with former Leicester team-mate Robbie Savage to discuss City's dramatic title win, future spending, the importance of family, Sir Alex Ferguson, and tattoos, plus how the Italian copes with players like Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli. 

Subscription OSM news service

Alleged Balotelli Blackmailer Bailed

A man has been arrested and bailed over an alleged blackmail of Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli.

The incident, thought to surround photographs of the Italian forward taken in a nightclub, was reported to the police by the club.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Police are investigating after an allegation of blackmail was made by a Premier League football club.

"A man has been arrested and bailed. Inquiries are ongoing."

Newspaper pictures apparently showing Balotelli, 21, drinking champagne were believed to have been taken at the Panacea nightclub in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, on the evening of 11 March.

Earlier that day, Manchester City lost top spot in the Premier League when they were beaten 1-0 away at Swansea City.

Source BBC 

Join OSM news service

BBC to Stream London 2012

The BBC has announced that it will make its 24 HD-quality live Olympic streams available to cable and satellite providers, on a non-exclusive basis, for the duration of the Olympic Games.

Today’s announcement ensures that, for the first time ever, millions of viewers across the UK will be able to watch every Olympic sport, live from every venue.

Viewers will be able to access the same content that will be streamed live on the BBC Sport website on their TVs, through the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) and BBC Red Button as well as on all four screens online – mobile, tablet, connected TV and PC.

Previously, the BBC has promised to broadcast up to 24 simultaneous streams live online, giving a platform to every Olympic sport for the first time ever. So, if viewers want to spend all day watching the judo or the swimming, they’ll be able to. This service will complement the BBC’s flagship channels, BBC One and BBC Three, which will air all of the key moments from the Olympics, as well as other platforms including Radio 5 live.

Combined, this coverage will deliver around 2,500 hours of live sport coverage through the various BBC platforms during the Games.

Roger Mosey, Director, BBC London 2012, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to cable and satellite providers to extend our online service to millions of TV viewers across the UK.

"BBC One and BBC Three will remain the flagship channels for the Olympics. But, as the London 2012 Olympic Games will be the first truly ‘Digital Games’, we wanted to offer an unprecedented amount of live sporting action to the widest possible audience through these 24 live streams, giving vastly more choice than ever before.”

Savage Disagrees with AVB Sacking

Chelsea should not have sacked Andre Villas-Boas, says BBC pundit Robbie Savage, who believes the players and board are to blame for their malaise.

Chelsea's decision came on the back of a run of just three Premier League wins in their last 12 games.

The 34-year-old only took over as manager in June 2011 after Carlo Ancelotti was sacked in May.

"I just feel sorry for Villas-Boas. The players and board should be culpable," Savage told Radio 5 live.

"Villas-Boas should still be in charge. [Ex-Liverpool manager] Rafa Benitez looks an interesting prospect and he might get the best out of Fernando Torres.

"I'd go for someone like David Moyes, he has over-achieved at Everton and brought a bit of stability to the club."

Villas-Boas' tenure was marked by a reported falling out with senior stars such as Frank Lampard. Former England manager Graham Taylor believed the dressing room had undermined the Portuguese's attempts to lead the club.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, Taylor said: "As a football manager, you have to be held responsible for results, as a player, you have to be held responsible for performances.

"Looking at Chelsea, you have to say the players have won off the pitch. I don't think the players have had the commitment you would expect from any professional sportsmen, and that's difficult for the manager.

"At the end of the day the objective is to win matches, but Villas-Boas has not been helped by his players."

While Villas-Boas had been on Chelsea's coaching staff during Jose Mourinho's tenure, he came on the club's radar as a successor to Ancelotti after he won the Portuguese League and Cup double, plus the Europa League, last season with Porto.

The 1-0 league defeat by West Bromwich Albion on Saturday proved to be Villas-Boas' final game in charge of the west London outfit. For David Johnstone of the cfcuk Chelsea fanzine, the manager had lost the backing of the fans long before that game.

Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "It was inevitable he was sacked. Villas-Boas not only lost the players, but he lost the supporters.

"At West Brom a good proportion of Chelsea supporters were joining in the home supporters in chanting 'you're getting sacked in the morning' which everyone will agree was not a very good sign."

Former Chelsea player and assistant first team coach Ray Wilkins believed despite this success, the Premier League's increased competitiveness had come as a shock to Villas-Boas.

"It's been extremely difficult for him, he's been hanging in there," he told Sky Sports News.

"Our football is extremely different to Portugal. No disrespect to Porto, but it can be a breeze winning titles with them. It's not as hard.

"The Premier League is an extremely hard place to be."

Villas-Boas' exit means Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is now searching for his eighth manager in nine years at the helm.

One of these former bosses, Avram Grant, led Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008 when he replaced Jose Mourinho on a temporary basis.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, the current Partizan Belgrade manager believed Villas-Boas had fallen victim to the Russian billionaire's desire.

He said: "His main ambition was to be the champion of Europe. It's not good enough for a team like Chelsea that they [were] only one time in the Champions League [final].

"He gave you all of the tools you needed to succeed and said do your job. He loves football very, very much and has spent a lot of money to achieve the best.

"[Chelsea has] Unbelievable facilities; the best in the world or one of."

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew said that he felt sorry for Villas-Boas, who had not had his task made easier by the attitude of some of his senior players.

"I have a lot of sympathy for him because that is a really, really talented coach we have lost in this country," said the Magpies boss.

"I know he is from Portugal, but he has had to take on a club there with a lot of senior pros and in the background, probably had a very, very difficult job.

"When you are in a transition year like that - and I have been in it because I was at West Ham when I inherited a lot of senior pros who had just been relegated, and it was very, very difficult.

"They made it difficult for me, and one or two of them have apologised since, and so they should."

Women's Boat Race to be Same

The Women's Boat Race is to be staged on the same course and day as the men's competition from 2015.

Since 1927, the women's event has been held on the River Thames at Henley.

But from 2015 it will take place on the men's 4¼-mile course between Putney and Mortlake on the Thames.

Both events will be held on the same day, with the women's competition taking place before the men's. Organisers believe the move would send a message about equality in sport.

It is understood that a new sponsorship deal, which will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday, will allow the universities to run first class crews in both the men's and women's races.

Traditionally the Women's Boat Race takes place the week before the men's event. Last year, Oxford beat Cambridge by a length to win.

Oxford also hold the men's event after winning the 157th Boat Race last year, dominating Cambridge to win by four lengths on the stretch of the Thames known as The Tideway.

The Boat Race, which will be screened on the BBC1, takes place on Saturday April 7 from 1415 GMT.