Football's New Eastern Promise

Carlos Tevez

The football war is on with the news this week that Cristiano Ronaldo has turned down a €300 million transfer offer to play football in the China Super League. It seems the Real Madrid striker could be the next name on a list that has already claimed Carlos Tevez from his boyhood club Boca Juniors in Argentina to sign for Shanghai Shenhua. The Brazilian star Oscar, albeit in the twilight of a glittering career, who is also moving for a €420,000 per week deal. These developments no doubt sending shivers through the Premier League so very accustomed to bringing stars from abroad to England for what have been to date record breaking wages.

Throughout Europe the feeling will be the same as club presidents contemplate the fees that could be earned from selling, not only key assets, but unloading peripheral ones on lengthy and unaffordable deals. In a sport constantly seeking more cash to run expensive operations the new China option clearly will make 2017 a very happy new year for many. Which already impacted on Liverpool a year ago, when they missed out on Brazilian Alex Teixeira. However, Juergen Klopp believes clubs like Liverpool still carry lustre for those whose priority is football over wages. But he may very well being walking alone with that assessment when he explained: “Nobody has to leave Liverpool because of money,” said Klopp. “Maybe there are a few clubs in world football who can play better and if you can go there, these few clubs, yes then do it. But for all the rest this should be the best place to be.”

A touch of wishful thinking no doubt.

Given that the Premier League has just established its global value thanks to the generosity of Sky Sports and BT Sport which to date has allowed many clubs claim overseas players with their loosened cheque books. And indeed, big name managers. No different to what the Italian league did decades ago. Or La Liga in Spain where FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have hired nothing but big names on record breaking fees over the years. And still do with Lionel Messi Sergio Aguero, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Neymar all enrolled in Spanish football for many years. So, the China influence will cause concerns in a game that is driven by agents for the most part, all of whom will now be seeking eastern clubs for more of their assets. The fees quoted this week make the Paul Pogba move to Manchester United paltry.

Although the traditionalists will baulk at the thought of having to watch games on TV at three am to see some of their favourite stars. The stark commercial truth is that it will all be streamlined should the European audience be of value. However, with the population in China western viewership and their sleeping habits will be of little concern. But having been accustomed to seeing the big names every Saturday on a Match of the Day, live or indeed during Champions league clashes these audiences will fade if the bigger names and younger starts chose to move east. In Europe, Real Madrid could see their big names become very attractive also. Albeit Gareth Bale has just extended his deal for another few years with an official buy-out clause at €1bn – as a deterrent. Not a problem if any Chinese club fancied him in their roster.

The names also include managers; with Luiz Felipe Scolari joining Guangzhou Evergrande; former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson now with Shanghai SIPG and Dan Petrescu manages Jiangsu Guoxin Sainty. Just to mention a few.  Unlike the MLS, or indeed its previous iterations, the USA is no longer the automatic graveyard choice for retiring names. Or those seeking a juicy pension as China is attracting a younger age demographic that the US was never able to achieve. The dangers for the Premier League are obvious.

In 2016 Premier League clubs started to share the £5.136 billion from Sky Sports who broke the bank to retain most the UK television rights. A massive increase for the 2016-2019 rights from the outgoing deal of £3.018bn deal and could not have factored the impact of the China money that is already making senior professionals to start looking east. Not only for the twilight years but for their last major deal. Undoubtedly the flights to China are chocker with hungry agents, would be agents and the football cognoscenti chasing these life changing financial rewards. It could not come at a worse time for the Premier league already facing the wider uncertainty of Brexit and freedom of movement in the EU.

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Juventus Win Scudetto

Paul Pogba - Getty Images

Roma’s Radja Nainggolan scored the only goal in the final minute against Napoli to end Maurizio Sarri’s team’s slim hopes of catching Serie A leaders Juventus.

Napoli needed to win in Rome to stand any chance of catching Juve, who overcame a poor start to the campaign to win 24 of their 25 next games. Juve lead Napoli by 12 points with three games to go, while Roma’s win sees them move just two points behind second and seven clear of fourth-placed Internazionale.

Juventus say they have no intention of selling their top players and are determined to assert themselves as a major force in Europe next season after wrapping a fifth successive Serie A title.

Despite their domestic dominance, Juve’s European form has been patchy over the past few seasons with one group stage elimination and two defeats to Bayern Munich – in the quarter-finals and this season in the round of 16. Even when they reached the final last season, they were seen as upstarts rather than equals of teams such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, who has been in charge for the last two seasons, wants that to change and is determined to strengthen the squad still further in the close season.

“The club will focus on improving the squad, as it did last summer, bringing in young players with great technique. Next year we must focus on winning the Champions League. It’s somewhat narrow-minded just to focus just on Serie A,” he said. “It was hard to digest this year. We got knocked out this year on the final cross of the game against Bayern Munich but we need to do better next year.”

Serie A clubs often have trouble holding onto their players in the face of the greater financial power of their English and Spanish counterparts. However, Juventus have already stated that they intend to keep Paulo Dybala and Paul Pogba, their two most precocious talents.

Pogba, 23, has come on hugely this season after being given more responsibility after the departure of the veteran playmaker Andrea Pirlo. A player who combines finesse and physical power, Pogba could fetch more than £100m if sold, Juventus estimate. Allegri, however, said jokingly last week that he would rather keep the Frenchman than have the money to spend in the transfer market.

Dybala, one year younger, has also shone in his first season following his move from Palermo, scoring 16 goals.

“Over the course of our history, Juventus have very rarely let our best players go. Paul, as well as Dybala, is part of the core of this team and we do not intend to put them on the market,” said the chief executive, Giuseppe Marotta. “We want to go out and get great players while keeping our most valuable pieces. We will only sell players who have told us they want to leave, but that is not the case with Pogba or Dybala or any of the others.”

In many ways, this year’s title has been the most unexpected of the last five. Juventus got off to a miserable start after losing Pirlo as well as top scorer Carlos Tevez to his native Argentina and tireless midfielder Arturo Vidal to Bayern Munich, and were 11 points off the pace by the end of October. But after taking 73 points out of a possible 75, they clinched another title with five games to spare.

“To win this season would be really crazy and unbelievable,” said the goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon after the 2-1 win at Fiorentina on Sunday. “We’ve shown the technical and moral strength of the group, the determination not to give in and our ability to astonish.”

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Cesare Maldini 1932 - 2016

Former Milan defender and Italy manager Cesare Maldini has died at the age of 84, the Serie A club have announced.

The Italian won four league titles with the Rossoneri between 1954 and 1962 and also captained Milan to their inaugural European Cup triumph in 1963. He would later go onto manage them, winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup and Coppa Italia in 1972-73. He helped Italy to World Cup glory in 1982 as the team’s assistant manager, and got the chance to coach his son, Paolo, when he was appointed as Italy manager between 1996-1998.

Milan said in a statement: “AC Milan sends its condolences to the Maldini following the passing of Rossoneri great Cesare Maldini. Cesare skippered the club to its first European Cup triumph in 1963 at Wembley and the loss of such a key figure in Rossoneri history has left everyone at AC Milan moved and saddened. Cesare had recently turned 84 and he left his mark at the club not only as a player, but also as a coach and scout.

The club president Silvio Berlusconi and the rest of the club will always remember fondly his charisma, kindness and warm smile.”

Franco Baresi, another legendary Milan and Italy defender, led the tributes to Maldini: “He was above all a really good person and he has left us. He was a legend and an incredible captain. As a coach he achieved so much and I had the good fortune of getting to know him really well. I was lucky enough to share with him the experience of the 1982 World Cup. I learnt so much from him. He was important and key in passing on the kind of values that we so often forget.”

Milan have confirmed that they will wear black armbands in Sunday’s match against Atalanta and the Italian Football Association have said that there will be a minute’s silence before all matches on Sunday and Monday in Italy in memory of Maldini.

Mauro Tassotti, who played over 400 matches for Milan and played under Maldini for the national team, also expressed his condolences. “I had no idea he was unwell,” the 56-year-old said. “It’s such a blow for Paolo but also for my family and football as a whole. He was involved in the game for 60 years. This is a sad day for our sport and not just for Milan. I will remember Cesare for his kindness. He was a part of several eras of the game. In my view, he took that benevolence that existed in the 1960s and modernised it.”

#RIP

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Premier League Interest - Zlatan

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Premier League clubs are interested in signing him from French champions Paris St-Germain.

The 34-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer, has been linked with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

"There has been interest and we will see where it leads," he said. "But it would have to be like a marriage, both sides have to want it as much."

Ibrahimovic has won league titles in four European countries.

After helping Ajax win two Dutch titles at the start of the century, he won two Serie A championships with Juventus - both later revoked because of the Calciopoli scandal - and three more with Inter Milan.

He then moved to Spain and claimed the La Liga title with Barcelona before returning to Italy to win the 2010-11 Serie A with AC Milan - his eighth successive league title.

After a season without silverware at Milan in 2011-12, Ibrahimovic moved to PSG, and the French side have won the past four Ligue 1 titles.

After scoring four goals in a 9-0 thrashing of Troyes earlier this month to seal this year's title, Ibrahimovic said: "For the moment, I will not be at PSG next season. I still have a month and a half left here.

"If they replace the Eiffel Tower with a statue of me, then I will stay."

Ibrahimovic has scored 62 international goals in 111 appearances, including a sensational 30-yard overhead bicycle kick in a 4-2 friendly win over England in 2012.

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Newcastle Name Benitez as New Manager

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Rafael Benitez has been named as Newcastle's new manager, following the sacking of Steve McClaren.

The former Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Valencia boss takes over with the Magpies a point from safety with 10 games left.

Spaniard Benitez, 55, has signed a three-year contract and brought in coaches Fabio Pecchia, Francisco de Miguel Moreno and Antonio Gomez Perez.

"C'mon Toon Army. The club and I need your total involvement," he said.

Benitez was sacked in January after seven months as Real Madrid boss.

He spent six years as Liverpool manager, winning the Champions League in 2005. He also had an interim spell with Chelsea, guiding the Blues to Europa League success in 2013.

"I have the pleasure to confirm I have committed to a legendary English club, with the massive challenge of remaining part of the Premier League," he said.

"It will be a challenge not just for me and my staff but for the players, the club and the fans.

"All of us must push together in the same direction and with the same target in mind. This is the reason why I'm going to ask for your total support to successfully complete this task.

"Personally, it means my return to the Premier League, closer to my home and my family. I can't be happier."

Under the former England manager's guidance, Newcastle won just six of 28 Premier League games.

Coaches Paul Simpson, Alessandro Schoenmaker and Steve Black have all left the club.

Managing director Lee Charnley said: "In Rafa we have, without doubt, secured the services of one of Europe's top managers.

"He has managed some of the most successful teams at the very highest level of the game and we are proud to now have him as our manager.

"Our sole focus now is to give our full support to Rafa, his coaching team and the players in order to secure our status in the Premier League."

Former Magpies defender Steve Howey told BBC Radio 5 live: "Benitez could be a fans' favourite straight away. He's got a fantastic track record.

"Sunderland seem to have done it in the last couple of seasons, changing their manager and getting a positive result.

"It's a big contrast for him. It's not that long since he was manager of Real Madrid and if things don't go well he could be playing on a horrible, windy, wet midweek game down at MK Dons."

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Mourinho Not Looking for Job...But

Jose Mourinho has claimed he is not looking for a new job at the moment, but says clubs are pursuing him.

The 53-year-old ended his second spell at Chelsea in December following a poor start to the campaign.

He has since been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League with Manchester United, who are currently managed by Louis van Gaal.

"My next club? I really do not know, but one thing is certain - I love football and I will return with the same passion and ambition I've always had," Mourinho told La Stampa.

"Right now I have respect for every coach at every club. I'm not looking for a club, but there are clubs that are looking for me."

I'm not looking for a club, but there are clubs that are looking for me.

Reports in Italy have suggested Mourinho could even return to Inter Milan, with whom he won the treble in 2010, as current head coach Roberto Mancini is struggling to secure a top-three finish in Serie A.

But Mourinho, ahead of a personal trip to Milan to watch the Nerazzurri play Sampdoria on Saturday, insisted he has no plans to return to the San Siro dugout.

He is hoping former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini and Inter president Erick Thohir can turn the club's fortunes around though.

Mourinho said: "There is one thing I want to clarify - I will not be directing things over there next season. Inter already have a project that belongs to Roberto Mancini and Erick Thohir.

"Their ideas have my full support and I hope their plans are successful. I want to see Inter fans smiling again and so I hope to witness a victory tomorrow."

It is understood Chelsea, who sacked Mourinho for the second time in eight years in December, have sent the Portuguese replica versions of the Premier League and Capital One Cup trophies he won last season, as well as a letter thanking him for his achievements.

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Zaza Stunner Sends Juventus Top

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Simone Zaza scored two minutes from time to give Juventus a 1-0 win over Napoli on Saturday as they snatched the Serie A lead from their opponents with a 15th league win in a row.

The game, which began with Napoli two points ahead of Juve, appeared to be petering out into a goalless draw when Zaza collected the ball with his back to goal, turned and fired an unstoppable left-foot shot past Pepe Reina.

Zaza has struggled for a place in the team this season and was the subject of media speculation over a move in the transfer window. He appeared to have blown his chance altogether when he was sent off against Genoa in his last appearance.

“It was a very tactical match and this was an important moment in the championship on a psychological level,” said the Juve coach, Massimiliano Allegri, whose team were 11 points off the lead after the first 10 games of the season.

The Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci was at the centre of the action after he collided with his team-mate Sami Khedira early on, made a crucial interception to prevent an almost certain Napoli goal and went off injured after half-time.

Napoli, aiming to win the title for the first time since 1990, had won their previous eight games and boasted the league’s most prolific attack with 53 goals. But the veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon barely had a save to make as Juve’s defence, the stingiest in the country, prevailed.

“It was a tight game with few chances. We gave almost nothing away and only lost because of one unfortunate episode,” said the Napoli coach, Maurizio Sarri.

Juan Cuadrado tested Reina for the first time after 13 minutes with a long-range shot and Paul Pogba curled a free kick narrowly wide from nearly 30m.

A Napoli goal looked on the cards when Elseid Hysaj’s cross appeared to be heading straight for Gonzalo Higuaín, unmarked in front of goal, but Bonucci came from nowhere to stick out his leg and deflect the ball out for a corner.

A moment of brilliance from Pogba nearly unlocked the Napoli defence on the hour as he controlled the ball on his chest and slipped the ball inside to Dybala, whose shot flashed over the crossbar. A stalemate appeared likely until Zaza, heavily criticised for recent performances, produced his moment on inspiration.

“I stopped him from leaving in January as I did with other players,” said Allegri. “Between now and the end of the season the difference will be made by the players who have played less and are freshest in the mind.”

Juventus are now two wins away from the Serie A record for consecutive victories established by Internazionale in 2006-07 – if Juve win their next league game, in Bologna next weekend, it would be down to Inter themselves to stop that happening, when they visit Juventus Stadium on 28 February.

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OSM - Next Step for Pep Solves Everything

“A silicon chip inside his head is turned to overload”

Or so would be the variation of the famous Boomtown Rats songs – “I don’t like Mondays” if rewritten to explain events at Chelsea and Jose Mourinho this week. Particularly after the defeat at Kings Power stadium to long-time rival Claudio Rainieri in a two one loss that left Chelsea – incredibly - resting around the drop zone area. An imaginable thought less than six months ago when the Special One was heroically celebrating another Premier League title at Stamford Bridge.

One doubts that even the darkest of humour from any manager, or indeed Chairman and owner could have laughed that situation off. Even less so Mourinho – who fails in the humour department – as he takes himself far too seriously for that. So therein lies his problem at Chelsea where his players seemed to have deserted him leaving the Portuguese manager isolated on the side line helpless to correct anything. Seeking solace with megaphone diplomacy to reach out to his players in recent weeks,

For all Mourinho’s suaveness and style, he is unable to do a number of basic things required of an experienced football manager – a thick skin. Also to accept defeat when it arises, understand the vagaries of refereeing, display some humility when there are short comings to his plans, or accepting blame at times. Most importantly though, moving on to the next game and leaving the past behind him. 

No. That’s not for him as it is always the blame game and at Leicester City it was the turn of the ball boys – who allegedly in Jose’s eyes – were too slow giving back the balls to his players towards the end of the game. Perhaps playing a causal role in the Chelsea’s loss as a result he believed. 

The need to win at all costs is something that has worked well for Mourinho over the years since he first landed on the football landscape with the Champions League win with Porto in 2004. Having repeated the feat with Inter Milan in 2010 and added league titles in four European jurisdictions his CV leaves him in an exclusive club no doubt. However, it does not all read like a fairy tale as at each of the clubs he has left behind. Given he is more than capable of starting a row on his own in a phone box = when the mood takes him. With an ability to also target players who he may feel carry too much power in his dressing room. Or maybe too high profile in his eyes. 

Hence Juan Mata was shipped out off to United on Jose’s return to Chelsea despite having his best season at the club the previous year. 

Mourinho then chose to find a home for Radamel Falcao for some reason at Stamford Bridge - someone who hardly played a game since leaving Monaco - and carrying an injury it seems since he dominated the headlines for Atletico Madrid for his scoring ability when they won Europa league in 2013. In addition, the chase for Diego Costa, who also had established himself as Falcao’s replacement at Atletico under Simeone - but was injured toward the end of the season - then coming off in the Champions League Final in Lisbon. Which he followed by a poor world cup with Spain in Brazil, and unable to reclaim his place with Del Bosque. 

Regardless he outperformed all expectations last season up front for Chelsea. Yet this year he has been absent without trace.

Perhaps his best decision was to sell David Luiz – doing so at the top of the market during the world cup - just as before the splendour of the home teams nations hopes imploded on the Copacabana– when they were dumped out by Germany. With PSG paying €50 million euros for a player even Rafa Benitez could not decide was a defender or midfielder. Lest we forget there were some other astute moves like coaxing Cesc Fabregas back to London from Barcelona, a move that paid dividends for both parties as the former Arsenal player delivered last season. Eden hazard was another that repaid Mourinho’s faith as did Drogba when he returned from China last season.

But ever since the Eva Carneiro incident Hazard has only been a shadow of his former self, as indeed has been Fabregas. With neither performing as needed this season. Why Oscar wasn’t sold during the transfer window was another bizarre Jose decision given that he was unable to hold his place in the physicality of Mourinho’s game plan.

The former Liverpool striker and one time wales and Real Madrid manager, John Toshack, always believed even top class managers last only three seasons. The one in which they arrive and acclimatise to the job, which then may pose problems in the second if there is the need to win something and the honeymoon is over. With the third possibly cut short if no titles were won year 2. Or indeed any success in year two was not repeated those winning laurels are easily forgotten. The exit door the surest guarantee. 

For Jose Mourinho winning the league Championship in May with three games in hand is now forgotten, his P45 handed to him by the board, with only nine wins out of sixteen games achieved since August. Sharing the lower echelons of the Premier League table with Swansea, Aston Villa and Sunderland. Which all makes poor reading for the top heavy management of gunslingers at Chelsea. So the sack was the only way out for all parties.

And if player power was the real backdrop, then the Chelsea players won this time around. 

As they did probably at Real Madrid a few years ago when Mourinho accused the players of leaking team information to the media. The two targets in his sights proving immovable club stalwarts at the time, team captain Iker Casillas and vice-captain, Sergio Ramos. The ensuing carnage during his last months at the club, which was chasing the tenth Champions League title – and one that Mourinho won in the same stadium for Inter - started to unravel publicly. 

That legacy that rearing its ugly head only recently when Chelsea played Porto in their final round robin game in the Champions where Casillas is now the goalkeeper. Poor old Jose couldn’t resist a dig even though the former Chelsea manager was almost three years gone from Madrid. But no bygone is a bygone for Jose.

His woes though at Chelsea never subsided despite the mind games and the trip to Leicester seemed to seal his ultimate fate for owner, Roman Abramovich. As the mercurial mind of Mourinho is impossible to understand it is clear that he felt the end was nigh and was almost happy to precipitate it one imagines. Perhaps a break from football might suit him. Or is it a chance at the Manchester United job that really appeals to him - now that Louis van Gaal is under very similar stress every day. But not knowing what really makes Jose tick leaves it difficult to predict what might happen next. 

No doubt his own paranoia gets the better of him too, as is his need to control all events and that exaggerated self-belief. All of which can also make him vulnerable to life’s realities. Those times when events are not going his way as all people face in life. The moment Plan A fails and there is an urgent need for Plan B. Mourinho doesn’t seem to do that second plan. Its all or nothing for him.

At Chelsea that inability to adapt cost him the job he craved after Real Madrid agreed to dispense with his services. Whether going back to Stamford Bridge was wise is now a redundant argument as they won trophies last season. With the chastening experience of the current developments one imagines Madrid would not seek his services again even if Rafa Benitez fails to ignite their season. With Porto not big enough anymore and Inter offering no vacancy it is clear that Mourinho wants another go in the Premier League.

If the bookies are to be believed, then this whole departure has been contrived to secure the Special One at Old Trafford - the place he always wanted when Sir Alex Ferguson left but was never offered as he was viewed as a bit too controversial. Instead it was the low key choices of David Moyes and van Gaal both proving short of the mark thus far. Leaving the United board facing a rethink. Unless of course they have secured Pep Guardiola’s services, now that he is set to leave Bayern Munich – amidst the rumours Carlo Ancelotti is the replacement for the Bavarian club.

With Guus Hiddink now taking interim charge of Chelsea, Jürgen Klopp filling the space vacated by Brendan Rogers at Liverpool it only leaves Manchester City as an opportunity. However, Manuel Pellegrini is the incumbent and there seems little reason at this point to rock the boat after City finally reached the last sixteen of the Champions League. But then if Guardiola was to be the City choice in 2016/17 and van Gaal’s deal was not extended then Mourinho would land at Old Trafford, would he not?

But in all probability Guardiola is the next Manchester City manager. After all he was Ferguson’s first choice - but turned him down in fancy downtown restaurant in Manhattan afe years ago. 

The real questions are who will be the next Chelsea manager. And, would United hire Mourinho now as the wheels fall off the van Gaal wagon

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