Juve complete quartet of deals
Italy internationals Alessandro Matri, Fabio Quagliarella, Simone Pepe and Marco Motta have all sealed permanent moves to Juventus, the club confirmed today.
Juventus have paid Cagliari €15.5million to acquire 26-year-old striker Matri, who joined the Turin outfit on loan in January.
Juve have also stumped up €10.5million for the services of Quagliarella from Napoli. The 28-year-old forward moved to Turin last summer on a one-year loan deal and has signed a contract until June 2014.
Winger Pepe and defender Motta also arrived at Juve last summer on loan from Udinese. The pair have switched to Turin permanently for €7.5million and €3.75million respectively.
Matri, Pepe and Motta have all penned four-year contracts with I Bianconeri.
Chelsea appoint Villas-Boas as manager
Chelsea have confirmed the appointment as Andre Villas-Boas as manager on a three-year contract.
There had been much speculation over the last few days surrounding the Portuguese manager’s future and after he was bought out from his FC Porto contract, he looked set for Stamford Bridge.
A statement on the club website reads: “Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce that Andre Villas-Boas will be the club’s new manager.
“He has signed a three-year contract and will start work immediately.
“Andre was the outstanding candidate for the job.
“He is one of the most talented young managers in football today and has already achieved much in a relatively short space of time.
“His ambition, drive and determination matches that of Chelsea and we are confident Andre’s leadership of the team will result in greater successes in major domestic and European competitions.
“Andre will bring his coaching experience back to a club he is already very familiar with, having previously worked here for three years.
“He has always been highly regarded at Chelsea and everyone here looks forward to welcoming him back and working with him.
As the statement says, Villas-Boas will start work on Wednesday and will undoubtedly be drawing up a list of potential transfer targets with his former striker Falcao widely tipped as one who could follow him to west London.
Gerrard: We must compete with United
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says that the club will be motivated by trying to haul back Manchester United’s Premier League title record next season.
Gerrard, 31, believes he has at least four years left in the game and is keen to add the only significant club winner’s medal still missing from his personal trophy cabinet after the Old Trafford club claimed a record breaking league title No. 19 in May.
“As a Liverpool fan and a player it’s frustrating when you see your arch-rivals lifting trophies but you’ve got to give credit where it’s due. They’ve won it, they’ve overtaken us,” he said. “Now the challenge for us is to equalise. We’ve got to make sure we’ve got a squad capable of going into the season and competing with Manchester United.”
Gerrard’s last Liverpool appearance was against Manchester United in March, when the Reds toppled their rivals 3-1, but the Reds fell woefully short of top spot last season and Gerrard missed a large chunk of the season through injury.
The skipper, however, believes he will be back in top form and, alongside some new signings, is hopeful of a more productive campaign next year.
“We’re happy with what we’ve achieved but there’s still a lot of time for me to achieve bigger and better things,” he added. ”I’d like to finish my career with a few more trophies.
“I always look at the 35 marker. If I get there and I’m still involved with Liverpool I’ll be delighted but at the moment I’m feeling as good as ever. I’ve had time to get my body right, get my body strong. I’m still four or five weeks away from playing a game but I believe I’ll come back in better physical condition than I’ve ever been.
“I want to come back with a bang, I want to have a big season. It’s been non-stop football for me since I started when I was 17. I’ve never had a period of more than four or five weeks out of the game, so it’s been nice to rest mentally.
“You don’t want to miss games but when you’re watching them it gives you that edge, that buzz to get back. I’ll come back hungry and hopefully there’s a very productive season ahead for me. I’ve had a rest mentally, my injury’s coming on well and I can’t wait for the season to start.”
Porto chief fears star exits
Having lost manager Andre Villas-Boas after Chelsea paid his €15 million contract release clause, FC Porto chairman Pinto da Costa admits he is worried that some of the club’s star players may leave under similar circumstances.
The likes of midfielder Joao Moutinho and striker Radamel Falcao have been linked with moves, possibly to Villas-Boas’ likely destination, Chelsea, but Da Costa is not keen to see any of the Europa League winners’ assets leave with the boss in the summer.
“If there are contracts with release clauses, we have to be prepared that some player might want to leave if the stipulated figure is met,” he said. “I will not go to any country to negotiate. Just like it happened with Andre Villas-Boas, there will be no talks: there is an account number and money deposited there.”
Thus far, there has been no contact, as Da Costa said: “We have not had any contact about the transfer of players and we do not know the intention of any one of them to leave.”
However, on Tuesday, the agent of Falcao revealed that his client could be tempted by a move to London, telling the Sun: “If Villas Boas is the new coach of Chelsea it is normal for players that are closest to follow him.”
Porto have set a minimum release clause price of €30 million for Falcao’s services while Moutinho’s, despite spending just €12 million to land him from Sporting Lisbon last summer, stands at a similar level.
Villas-Boas on the brink
Andre Villas-Boas’ meteoric rise from backroom scout to one of the most demanding jobs in world football is set to be confirmed after Chelsea moved to install the Portuguese coach as their new manager.
Villas-Boas has tendered his resignation with Porto, with Tuesday night’s confirmation of the receipt of the compensation payment – reported to be 15million euros – paving the way for him to move on to a new club. Chelsea swiftly confirmed their intention to appoint the 33-year-old as the replacement for Carlo Ancelotti, who was axed at the end of last season just 12 months after guiding the club to a league and FA Cup double.
“We note that the release clause of Andre Villas-Boas has been activated,” a Chelsea club statement read. “We can at this time confirm our interest in him and hope to reach agreement with him on personal terms and make a further announcement in the near future.”
That could come later on Wednesday, with Villas-Boas said to be close to agreeing the formalities of a lucrative £4.4million a year salary on his return to Stamford Bridge, but this time as the man charged with delivering the Champions League trophy.
Porto confirmed in a statement to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission, that the full buy-out clause had been met by Villas-Boas himself, although it is likely to have come via the deep pockets of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who has already spent millions in cutting short contracts of previous managers and players.
The statement read: “FC Porto, in accordance with Article 248 paragraph 1 of the Securities Code, hereby informs the market they have received from Mr Andre Villas-Boas the amount provided for in clause to terminate his employment contract.”
It added all that remained to sort out were the formalities of the termination of the contract.
Porto have moved swiftly to appoint a replacement coach, with Vitor Pereira stepping up into the hotseat after apparently turning down the chance to move to England with Villas-Boas.
It had appeared that Guus Hiddink – who enjoyed a successful spell as caretaker boss at Chelsea in 2008-09 and continues to enjoy a close relationship with Abramovich – was set to take up a sporting director role at Stamford Bridge once his exit from the Turkish Football Federation was agreed, with compensation set at around £4million.
However, it now seems that scenario failed to get off the ground as Chelsea turned their attentions to appointing an up-and-coming coach to oversee first-team affairs.
Adebayor in Zenit’s sights
Emmanuel Adebayor has become the latest recruitment target for Russian club Zenit St Petersburg, according to reports in the Guardian and the Daily Mail, as Manchester City look to offload a host of players.
Adebayor spent the second half of last season on loan to Real Madrid, where he scored five goals in 14 appearances, but the striker has been told that a permanent deal will not eventuate at the Bernabeu. City are understood to be keen to sell a number of unwanted players this summer, including Adebayor who takes home £130,000 per week.
Tottenham were originally interested in signing the Togo international, but Harry Redknapp was unable to come up with the funds to pay Adebayor’s high wages. Blackburn Rovers, though, still have their sights set on the former Arsenal man.
Meanwhile, City will meet with Craig Bellamy’s representatives later this week in order to smooth over a deal which would see the Welshman join Celtic. The club’s reserve goalkeeper David Gonzalez is also expected to head north, with Aberdeen interested in the shot-stopper’s services on a six-month loan deal.
De Gea reveals United admiration
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea says he has taken Manchester United’s interest in him as a “compliment” and revealed that Old Trafford legends Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar were among his boyhood idols.
De Gea, 20, has been heavily linked with a move to United over the past few months, though no deal has been done yet for the Spanish custodian, who is currently on international duty at the European Under-21 Championship in Denmark.
United have been searching for a new goalkeeper since Van der Sar revealed his intention to retire earlier this year and De Gea remains the firm favourite to replace the Dutchman as the Premier League champions’ No. 1.
Despite the constant speculation, the 20-year-old insists he remains solely focused on helping Spain at the Under-21 Championship for now and refused to be drawn on his future.
“I am trying to stay focused on the Euros for now because it’s fundamentally important to our hopes that we all think only about that,” he told AS.
“Manchester United are a great club and if they are interested in you, it’s a great compliment, but Atletico are also great.
“I’m just more relaxed if I focus on the Euros. I want my head here, not somewhere else.”
But asked whether he is keen to make a step up in quality, De Gea said: “Everyone wants to do this, you want to carry on learning, improving, this happens in all areas.”
He was also happy to talk up the abilities of two former United ‘keepers, with the Spaniard revealing that Van der Sar and Schmeichel inspired him when he was growing up.
“Edwin has been playing at 20 years at the highest level; he’s a great goalkeeper and a big point of reference for me,” De Gea said. “(When I was younger) I liked Schmeichel a lot, as well as Van der Sar – they’re the two best that I’ve seen.”
Villas-Boas resigns from Porto
FC Porto have revealed that treble-winning coach Andre Villas-Boas has resigned from his position, with Chelsea confirming they are hoping to agree personal terms with him “in the near future”.
Villas-Boas is now expected to be named as the Blues’ new manager in the coming days after they paid the Portuguese champions the €15 million that activates the release clause in his contract.
Porto said in a statement to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission: ”FC Porto, in accordance with Article 248 paragraph 1 of the Securities Code, hereby informs the market they have received from Mr Andre Villas-Boas the amount provided for in clause to terminate his employment contract.”
The statement also said that all that remained to sort out were the formalities of the termination of the contract.
Porto, who also confirmed Vitor Pereira as their new coach on a two-year contract, added on their official website: ”The amount has been deposited on the termination clause of the work contract of Andre Villas-Boas.”
Chelsea had been reluctant to pay such a large amount for a manager but Porto have stood resolutely by their rights and have now been rewarded for their persistence, with the Blues confirming their interest.
“We note that the release clause of Andre Villas-Boas has been activated,” a statement on Chelsea’s website said. “We can at this time confirm our interest in him and hope to reach agreement with him on personal terms and make a further announcement in the near future.”
Villas-Boas is expected to sign an initial two-year deal with Chelseas, with star striker Falcao tipped to follow him. The Colombia international set a new goalscoring record for the Europa League last season, netting 17 goals in 14 games as Porto won the competition and bagged 16 in the league as the club cruised to the Primeira Liga title.
Villas-Boas was part of Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff at Stamford Bridge between 2004-2007, meaning he can step into the club with an understanding of both English football and the way Roman Abramovich runs things.
Bin Hammam to fight charges
Suspended FIFA member Mohamed Bin Hammam intends to fight allegations of bribery aimed at him and will not resign from his post in the same way as Jack Warner did on Monday.
Bin Hammam, 62, was suspended along with Warner by FIFA’s ethics committee last month pending a full inquiry into claims they offered or paid bribes totalling around US$1 million to the 25 members of the Caribbean Football Union.
Warner quit his position on Monday, meaning he is no longer under FIFA’s jurisdiction, and there has been speculation that Bin Hammam may follow suit.
But one friend said: ”He is adamant that he is going to fight these charges and he is comfortable with the situation.”
Bin Hammam believes that his position will be backed up by fellow FIFA members Worawi Makudi, from Thailand, and Manilal Fernando, from Sri Lanka, as they accompanied him on the trip to Trinidad on May 10 and 11 when it is alleged the bribes were paid.
Warner may still hold the key to the inquiry, however. FIFA expect him to meet investigators this week where he will be asked details about Bin Hammam’s visit and if there is overwhelming evidence then Bin Hammam too may be forced to quit.
Warner says he will help FIFA but is insisting he will not meet Louis Freeh, the ex-FBI chief who is heading the inquiry.
Warner told Bloomberg: ”I will die first. Not me. If FIFA wants me to co-operate I will do that but not with Freeh. I’m not going to back a complaint made by an American and investigated by Americans and an attempt to put it on American soil because the complaint is from Miami. I don’t back this farce.”
Pereira: I will take Porto forward
New Porto coach Vitor Pereira believes the club can continue to grow and thrive despite the departure of his highly-rated predecessor Andre Villas-Boas.
Villas-Boas tendered his resignation with the Portuguese champions on Tuesday and is now poised to take over at Chelsea.
But Porto, who won a domestic double and the Europa League under Villas-Boas’ stewardship last season, wasted no time in hiring his replacement, with erstwhile assistant coach Pereira elevated to the hotseat.
The 42-year-old is confident the loss of Villas-Boas can be overcome, insisting last season’s treble cannot be wholly attributed to the leadership of Chelsea’s manager-in-waiting.
“Who won was not Andre,” Pereira said. “FC Porto was the structure and the exchange of experience between us was great. He drank from my experience and I drank of his.”
Porto won the domestic league with a record points haul last term, while their run to Europa League victory was highlighted by fluid, free-scoring attacking play. And Pereira is confident the good work will be maintained under his leadership.
“This is a legacy of which I was part, with which I am accustomed,” he said. “Thankfully, the inheritance is great because this club is accustomed to great achievements.
“It has been a wonderful time and we will continue our work and we will continue to win and fulfil our destiny. FC Porto has the fundamental objective of winning the national championship, and for that we will work to produce a team with quality and character.”
Pereira added that his promotion to the role of coach represented the realisation of a long-held ambition.
“There is no better club than this, and at this club I want to succeed,” he said. “I’m where I want to be and where I dreamed to be. I want to thank the president for his confidence and trust. We will work to enlarge the club. This club will continue to win.”
Club president Pinto da Costa described the appointment of Pereira as a pre-determined “natural succession”.
“I want to publicly wish all the best Victor Pereira,” Da Costa said. “It is a natural succession, and was already planned. What happened [with Villas-Boas] is part of life and football. We admit that.
“For some time we had the assurance of Victor Pereira that if this happened, he would take the job on.”
Reflecting on the departure of Villas-Boas, whose split from the club was confirmed when Chelsea reportedly paid the 15million euro release clause in his contract, Da Costa added: “Villas-Boas had great merit and I pay tribute to his work.
“If you put a clause in then it can be exercised. It was part of the contract signed freely. I think he has the capacity to succeed at any club and I hope he has great success.”
