Cristiano Ronaldo in acktion

Cristiano Ronaldo is confident a repeat of their San Siro masterclass will be enough to earn Manchester United a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Apart from a 15-minute spell just after half-time, Sir Alex Ferguson's men controlled the first leg of their last-16 tie with Inter Milan on Tuesday night.

The only downside was a failure to take just one of the numerous chances that came United's way.

Ronaldo went close on five separate occasions and the fear must now be that an away goal for the runaway Serie A leaders might just allow Jose Mourinho to squeeze into the last eight at Ferguson's expense.

Yet Ronaldo remains confident, believing United's performance proved they were the better team.

And he sees no reason why at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils have not lost in Champions League combat for four years, they should not perform even better

"We played better than Inter last night," said Ronaldo.

"We created more chances, especially in the first half, and we deserved to win. At home I feel we have a better chance."

The world player of the year acknowledges the opening goal will be crucial.

A body of opinion in Italy believes that Inter are a more dangerous side on their travels, where they can exploit their strength on the counter-attack while maintaining a defensive solidity.

Yet precious little of either trait was in evidence on Tuesday night, at least until the half-time introduction of centre-back Ivan Cordoba, and Ronaldo is dubious whether Inter are better away from their magnificent home.

"I don't know whether Inter will be a better team in Manchester," said Ronaldo.

"We respect them but in my opinion we have a better chance at Old Trafford because we have a better team."

United flew out of Italy with the plaudits of their hosts ringing in their ears.

Having predicted Ferguson would adopt a cautious approach, Mourinho found his team getting systematically taken apart, with Michael Carrick particularly impressive and Ronaldo looking something like the player who dismantled so many defences at home and abroad last season.

It was just bad luck on his part that Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar should be in equally brilliant form.

Not that he has any sense of foreboding about what is to come.

"It is not a concern, it happens sometimes," he said.

"Their goalkeeper made so many great saves but overall it was a fantastic performance. The lads were brilliant and I am very proud to have been part of a team that played like that.

"I know we didn't score but if we play like that in the second leg, I think we will win

champions league news

INTER MILAN, THURSDAY - Streker Inter Milan, Zlatan Ibrahimović, said his team will win from Manchester United (MU) in meeting the second round of 16 in the Champions League Old Trafford Stadium, the two upcoming weekends. According to Ibra, despite his team playing tandang, Inter potentially big ticket to reach the quarter final.

This was related to the disappointment of the team and supporters with the results of the equilibrium in the 0-0 first fight. According to Ibra, in the first duel, the teams have been showing maximum. "We do not print a failed goal, but also create their frustration. That's not a bad result," Ibra deception.

In the first, line of attack Inter failed to print not only goals, but also a golden opportunity to create trouble. Throughout the 90 minutes, the host was created only two serious threats. Instead, MU is able to remove the five-shot to the right goalpost. If there is no goalkeeper Julio Cesar, Javier Zanetti et al then ascertained menundukan head at the end of the match.
in this

TIM beserta Pemain terbaik Dunia 2008 versi VIVATIM beserta Pemain terbaik Dunia 2008 versi VIVA

Messi, kaka,Ronaldo-Torres Terpental

Ada kejutan dalam pengumuman Best XI atau tim terbaik dunia FIFA 2008 di Zurich, Swiss, kemarin (21/1). Yakni tidak terpilihnya bintang penyerang Liverpool dan timnas Spanyol Fernando Torres.
SUKSES tim nasional Spanyol merengkuh juara Euro 2008 di Austria-Swiss berdampak besar. Tak hanya membuat tim Matador - julukan timnas Spanyol - menguasai ranking teratas FIFA. Sejumlah punggawa Spanyol masuk dalam nominasi berbagai award dunia.

Tak terkecuali dalam daftar tim terbaik dunia FIFA tahun ini. Ada empat pemain tim Matador yang masuk daftar. Yakni kiper Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), bek kanan Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), defender Carlos Puyol (Barcelona), dan gelandang Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona) yang juga dinobatkan sebagai pemain terbaik Euro 2008.

Hanya itu? Ya, karena publik sepak bola Spanyol dibuat terkejut dengan tidak tercantumnya nama Fernando Torres. Padahal, Torres-lah pemain yang memastikan trofi juara Euro kembali ke ranah Spanyol setelah pada 1964. Yakni berkat gol semata wayang yang dilesakkan penyerang 24 tahun itu ke gawang Jerman di partai final.

''Sangat mengejutkan nama Fernando Torres tidak ada dalam daftar. Semua orang tahu jika dia adalah salah satu penyerang terbaik di dunia saat ini," kata Angel Maria Villar, presiden Federasi Sepak Bola Spanyol (RFEF) di situs resmi organisasi.

Nama Torres terpental dari daftar karena kuota di lini depan menjadi milik bintang penyerang Barcelona dan Argentina, Lionel Messi, dan pemain terbaik dunia FIFA 2008 asal Manchester United dan Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo. ''Ronaldo sengaja dimasukkan dalam posisi forward (depan) karena itulah hasil dalam polling kami," kata juru bicara FIFA di situs resmi.

Jika menganut hasil polling, tentu saja tidak masuknya nama Torres cukup aneh. Itu karena yang memilih dalam polling adalah pelatih dan kapten timnas yang ditunjuk FIFA. Selain itu, dalam urusan polling, nama Torres sejatinya banyak digemari. Itu telah terbukti dalam pemilihan pemain favorit Premier League musim ini pada 12 Desember 2008.

Torres yang baru menjalani musim keduanya di Premier League di musim ini, berhasil mengungguli nama beken seperti Ronaldo yang kala itu baru saja menjadi pemain terbaik Eropa 2008, Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), hingga Frank Lampard (Chelsea). ''Saya pikir, Fernando (Torres) hanya kurang beruntung tidak memenangi award pemain terbaik Eropa atau dunia di tahun ini. Penyebabnya karena saat ini ada nama lain yang lebih banyak dibicarakan di media, yakni Ronaldo dan Messi," kata Rafael Benitez, pelatih Liverpool, kepada Liverpool Echo.

''Seandainya parameter pemilihan pemain terbaik Eropa atau dunia adalah konsistensi penampilan, Fernando sangat layak karena dia sama bagusnya kala tampil konsisten di level klub maupun timnas," tambah Benitez.

Kiper : Iker Casillas (Real Madrid/Spanyol)

Belakang : Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid/Spanyol), John Terry (Chelsea/Inggris), Carles Puyol (Barcelona/Spanyol), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munchen/Jerman)

Tengah : Kaka (AC Milan/Brazil), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona/Spanyol), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool/Inggris), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munchen /Prancis)
Depan : Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United/Portugal).by.here

ELBARCA barcelona makin kokoh diLiga

hEheHEe gk uSsahh saLinhg pElukgh dunk !

BARCELONA - FC Barcelona tidak terbendung di Liga Primera musim ini. Laju Carles Puyol dkk juga masih sulit dihadang di Copa del Rey alias Piala Raja Spanyol.

Armada yang dilatih Josep Guardiola itu punya kans besar lolos ke babak semifinal. Dengan catatan, Blaugrana (sebutan Barcelona) mampu menaklukkan Espanyol dalam first leg perempat final Copa del Rey dini hari nanti WIB.

Kendati bertitel laga derby, berdasar fakta kedua tim, pertemuan kali ini -tampaknya- tidak akan sepanas bentrok sebelumnya. Espanyol terlalu sulit mengimbangi performa Barcelona saat ini meski akan bermain di kandang sendiri, Estadi Olimpic.

Espanyol tidak mudah membendung agresivitas Barcelona yang musim ini punya rekor laga away nyaris sempurna. Dari sembilan partai away Liga Primera, Barca menang delapan kali dan hanya sekali kalah. Sebaliknya, Periquitos (sebutan Espanyol) tak pernah menang di empat laga terakhirnya di Liga Primera (tiga kali kalah dan sekali seri). Espanyol juga tak pernah menang di sepuluh laga terakhir Liga Primera (kalah tujuh kali seri tiga kali).

Espanyol pun lolos ke perempat final Copa del Rey dengan tidak meyakinkan. Menghadapi tim divisi I Liga Spanyol Poli Ejido, Espanyol lolos dengan keuntungan mencetak gol away. Di leg pertama (away), Espanyol kalah 3-2, sedangkan dalam laga kedua menang tipis 1-0 di kandang.

Kepada harian As, pelatih Barcelona Josep Guardiola tidak mau ambil risiko meski saat ini lawannya tengah berantakan. Mantan kapten Barca itu menyatakan, menghadapi Espanyol, dirinya kembali memainkan skuad yang dimainkan ketika menghajar Deportivo La Coruna 5-0. Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o, dan Thierry Henry akan kembali diandalkan di barisan depan.

''Kami sangat senang dengan apa yang kami raih saat ini. Kami dalam situasi bagus. Tapi, itu tidak berarti kami bisa rileks," ujar Guardiola kepada COM Radio seperti dilansir Goal. ''Kami harus menjaga spirit dan motivasi tim. Jika bisa melakukannya, kami punya peluang bagus menjadi juara," sambungnya.

Meski lawan tengah limbung, defender Barcelona Daniel Alves mengatakan bahwa timnya harus bekerja keras jika ingin menang. ''Ingat, ini partai derby. Atmosfernya pasti beda. Pertandingan pasti akan sulit," cetus Alves seperti dilansir situs resmi klub. ''Kami harus tampil dalam top performa agar Espanyol tidak bisa memberi perlawanan," sambung mantan pemain belakang Sevilla itu.

KAKA News

Kaka tawaran disegani
AC Milan telah memastikan mereka mempertimbangkan tawaran rekor dunia dari Manchester City untuk Kaka.
Kota pejabat melakukan perjalanan ke Italia pada hari Selasa untuk bertemu dengan mereka Milan negeri dan dipahami telah ditawarkan sekitar £ 107m untuk Brasil superstar.
Pernyataan membaca di Milan resmi saluran TV mengatakan tawaran itu tidak diterima atau ditolak, tetapi "yang dianggap".
Kota yang penuh harapan Milan tidak akan menolak seperti ini mengejutkan dunia catatan biaya dan bahwa dirinya pemain akan tergoda dengan tantangan yang telah mereka berikan.
Kaka's spokesman Diogo Kotscho mengakui bahwa, meskipun tidak berhubungan dekat, Rossoneri yang telah memberikan mereka lampu hijau untuk membuka pembicaraan.

Ia berkata: "Milan telah diizinkan negosiasi dengan Manchester City. Langkah selanjutnya sekarang adalah bahwa ayah dari Kaka akhirnya akan berbicara dengan Manchester City.

"Ada sebuah pernyataan yg berlebih-lebihan mereka apa yang dikatakan di Inggris bahwa hampir selesai menangani dan sebuah pernyataan yg berlebih-lebihan dari Kaka yang telah menolak tawaran tersebut."

amazing transfer

Blues' pemilik Syaikh Mansour selalu yakin Milan tidak akan dapat menolak. Nya masalah utama adalah persuading Kaka dari keberanian kepada rencana. Beberapa hari berikutnya yang mungkin diambil dengan menilai mantan pemain dunia dari tahun berbagai perjanjian sponsorship dan menemukan cara ini dengan mudah dapat ditransfer ke Inggris dari Italia.

Berbagai pertemuan akan berlangsung melibatkan Kaka, AC Milan dan Kota pejabat dan pemutar dari penasihat - termasuk ayahnya yang telah diputar seperti peran penting dalam menuntun 26 tahun kariernya. Hasilnya akan menentukan apakah yang paling amazing transfer tinggal memori sebenarnya akan melalui.
Jika Milan tidak menerima tawaran yang besar, keputusan akan turun kepada pemain yang telah hinted dia akan menikmati tantangan yang bermain di Liga Premier meskipun ia juga mengatakan ia ingin menjadi tua di Milan.
Manajer City Mark Hughes mengakui: "Saya tidak tahu apakah ia akan berakhir di sini. Hal ini tergantung pada banyak faktor.

"Namun, orang harus berpikir ini tidak hanya dilakukan pada pusing, (ketua eksekutif) Garry Cook, (Ketua) Khaldoon al-Mubarak dan saya sudah banyak dibahas untuk bulan ini dan Kaka berada di pikiran kami benar dari awal.
"Ini bukan sesuatu yang kita hanya memiliki pemikiran dalam minggu terakhir dan memutuskan untuk bertindak dan akan naif dari orang-orang berpikir saya belum pernah terlibat dalam proses."
Apa yang tak perlu setelah kelompok besar Eropa, sepak bola Italia adalah melalui bergolak kali Serie A dan kini yang jelas nomor tiga di belakang pecking order Premier League dan La Liga. Dan Milan telah tergelincir dalam kompetisi yang kabur.
Liga Champions pemenang untuk kedelapan kalinya pada 2007, dengan Kaka dalam tim, Rossoneri yang tidak memenuhi syarat untuk bahkan dari kompetisi musim ini.
Dikurangi untuk membawa ageing dalam bintang seperti Ronaldinho dan, pada pinjaman jangka pendek, David Beckham untuk menunjang mereka peringkat, Milan sadar Kota tawaran mewakili langit-dikirim kesempatan untuk mengembalikan mereka ke mantan glories.

Rooney News

Wayne Rooney.
Walaupun kesembilan berturut-turut dalam lembaran bersih Rabu malam 1-0 Barclays Premier League win over Wigan Athletic di Old Trafford, Ferguson memiliki beberapa kekhawatiran cedera yang terjadi dalam pertandingan dengan Bolton Wanderers pada hari Sabtu.
Dalam serangan, Rooney akan hilang selama tiga bulan. Inggris mogok hanya pada pitch untuk enam bulan tetapi cukup lama untuk melakukan Wigan kerusakan cukup untuk membuang mereka hanya kedua kekalahan dalam delapan cocok sebagai dia tapped rumah Cristiano Ronaldo menit pertama-lintas.
"Wayne scored tujuan yang baik tetapi dia tidak akan berada selama tiga bulan ini. Mudah-mudahan sekarang tidak lagi," kata Ferguson.
Sementara itu, Carlos Tevez merupakan keraguan setelah rekat dari sebuah tantangan oleh Titus Bramble.

Tetapi pertahanan Amerika di mana dapat stretched yang paling. Sudah tanpa Rio Ferdinand dan Patrice Evra, Red Devils bisa hilang Jonny Evans di Reebok Stadium terlalu setelah bintang Irlandia Utara yang menderita luka yang meninggalkan dia berjuang untuk menyelesaikan 90 menit penuh. Syukur untuk kemudian Nemanja Vidic. Sebagai Ferguson mengatakan, dari Serbia yang defensif masterclass membosankan dibandingkan dengan lawan.

Benar-benar hebat
"Remaja yang megah," kata Ferguson.
"Itu adalah performa terbaik Anda cenderung melihat alam dari pusat-setengah.
"Nya membaca permainan yang sangat baik dan dia adalah sebagai sulit seperti paku. Ia benar-benar hebat."
menang di Bolton akan cukup untuk menanggulangi pemimpin Amerika ke Liverpool, yang tidak menanggulangi Everton sampai Senin malam.
Seperti Ferguson, Manajer Wigan Steve Bruce telah ia meragukan lebih dari personil untuk Sabtu dengan menghadapi Manchester City di Eastlands.
Namun, Bruce dari ketakutan kekhawatiran penjualan Honduras midfielder Wilson Palacios, yang merupakan pokok £ 10m tawaran dari Tottenham pemarah yang langsung ditolak.
Bruce merasa manajer Tottenham Harry Redknapp tidak akan menyerah dengan mudah dan cukup realistis untuk mengetahui mungkin mustahil untuk Latics ke mengampai ke-20 tahun.
"Dalam dua tahun waktu Wilson akan baik sebagai sebuah midfielder ada," kata Bruce.
"Kami akan melihat apa yang telah berkembang dalam waktu 24 atau 48 jam dan apa Tottenham bersedia untuk pergi ke.

"The thing is ketika mereka setuju untuk datang ke Wigan kami menjual lads mimpi. I have been there myself. Bagaimana Anda menolak seseorang seperti itu?"

The best Player's News

Girlfriend Demands Four Ducklings From Pato

The Rossoneri star has been impressing on the pitch but also off it as his girlfriend reveals she wants to spend the rest of her life with him and she has already laid down the objectives for next season.

"Pato is my future and I want to spend my life by his side," Brito told Brazilian magazine 'Contigo'.

"I want to have four children with him because I come from a big family and I want to have a big family too.

"I want to get married in church as this has always been my dream."

Pato has been scoring on the pitch for Milan now it's time to do it off the turf.

Brito has risen to fame for her acting roles but, most notably, for her appearance in Playboy magazine when she turned 18.

Meanwhile, Milan are just one point off the top of Serie A following their 1-0 win over Atalanta on Sunday night, thanks to Kaka.

Salvatore Landolina

Xabi Strike Smashes Chelsea's Unbeaten Run

A deflected goal from Xabi was enough to see Rafa Benítez's side rack up a victory over Luis Felipe Scolari's charges.

After 86 league games without tasting defeat at Stamford Bridge, something finally gave as Xabi's deflected effort silenced the home crowd.

After that early goal the Reds went on to remain the better side for the most part, and Pepe Reina was given relatively little to do between the posts.

That was largely down to a spirited defensive showing from the Scousers that endured in the face of sustained possession from the hosts.

On a rare break forward, in fact, Liverpool managed the lead. With Chelsea dithering over a clearance after an offensive throw-in, Xabi Alonso attempted to rifle the ball past Cech. His shot lacked conviction, but Bosingwa's body deflected it so that the helpless 'keeper could only flail at it with his legs.

Chelsea tried their best to build from the back, but time and again their moves broke down on the edge of the area, allowing the likes of Gerrard to respond with swift counters that saw Cech tested with long-range efforts.

Further back Mascherano and his back four were looking increasingly comfortable as Chelsea ran out of ideas heading into the second half.

Still, Chelsea had the occasional spell of dominance that called for physical play from the visitors. As early as the 22nd minute Riera had picked up a merited yellow for hacking down Bosingwa, and Reina, too, could have joined him in the book for bringing down Malouda, but the Blues' forward was already offside.

Both sides made their changes in an attempt to inject life into their play, Babel replacing Keane to hold the ball up and run onto counters while di Santo and Belletti replaced Kalou and Malouda.

This had the desired effect for both sides as first the Reds came close with a low drive from an Alonso free-kick, and then an increasingly frantic Chelsea created a chance of their own. Ashley Cole inexplicably fired off-target after Di Santo directed Lampard's cross towards him for a golden opportunity.

Although Liverpool started to panic a bit and defend deeply, they may have known in their heart of hearts even with ten minutes to go that they'd done enough, and the match ended 1-0 in their favour.

2008 Oktober 11

Chelsea launch £16m legal fight over John Mikel Obi transfer deal

Chelsea have began a legal battle against Lyn Oslo and their former chief executive Morgan Andersen to recoup the £16million transfer fee they paid for midfielder John Mikel Obi.

The move follows the criminal conviction of Andersen by a Norwegian court last March for falsifying documents in relation to Mikel's sale in June 2006 for which he was given a suspended one-year jail sentence.

Chelsea claim the entire transfer deal was based on the "fraudulent misrepresentation" that Mikel had an employment contract with Lyn and are now demanding their money back.

Mikel was at the centre of a major row at the time with both Chelsea and Manchester United claiming to have agreed to sign the Nigerian.

The dispute dragged on for more than a year and was eventually settled when Chelsea agreed to pay £16m in compensation - £12m to United and £4m to Lynn.

The club,however, stressed today that their refund claim is against Lynn and Andersen and has nothing to do with United.

Spot the difference: John Mikel Obi was paraded in United shirt before he changed his mind and signed for Chelsea

A Chelsea spokesman said: 'The club have issued a claim at the High Court in relation to the transfer of Jon Obi Mikel.

'The claim is against FC Lyn Oslo and Morgen Andersen and follows the criminal conviction in Norway of Lyn's former Chief Executive Officer Morgan Andersen.

'At the time of the transfer, Chelsea, Lyn and Manchester United agreed that the fees paid would be in final settlement of the transfer, any claims related to it and that no further action or comment regarding the transfer would be made.

'Chelsea has written to Lyn to make clear that because the transfer was based on a fraudulent misrepresentation, now proven by a court of law, the settlement previously agreed is not binding.'

After a slow start, Mikel has emerged as a key player at Stamford Bridge and has cemented a first-team place this season in the absence of Michael Essien.

Credit bunch: Top 20 European summer transfers - does your club's big buy feature?

English football may be feeling the burden of an estimated £3billion debt, but that doesn't stop free-spending Barclays Premier League clubs dominating in the transfer market.

An analysis of the world's biggest deals from the summer transfer window shows half of the top 20 were completed by English clubs, with the deadline-day captures of Robinho for Manchester City and Dimitar Berbatov for Manchester United leading the way.

1 - Robinho (Real Madrid to Manchester City) - £32.4m

2 - Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham to Manchester United) - £30.75m

3 - Daniel Alves (Sevilla to Barcelona) - £26m

4 - Danny (Dynamo Moscow to Zenit St Petersburg) - £24.3m

5 - Ricardo Quaresma (Porto to Inter Milan) - £19.5m

6 - Robbie Keane (Tottenham to Liverpool) - £19.5m

7 - Jo (CSKA Moscow to Manchester City) - £19.5m

8 - Amauri (Palermo to Juventus) - £18.5m

9 - David Bentley (Blackburn to Tottenham) - £17.8m

10 - Ronaldinho (Barcelona to AC Milan) - £17m

Hleb: Signing Cesc would be absolutely Fab for Barcelona

Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb admits he has been trying to persuade former Arsenal team-mate Cesc Fabregas to join him at the Nou Camp.

Spain international Fabregas vowed earlier this week that he would one day like to return to Barca, the club he left to join Arsenal in 2003, and for Hleb that day can not come soon enough.

The way things were: Cesc Fabregas and former Gunners team-mate Alex Hleb

Hleb moved to Barca this summer after three seasons at the Gunners, and the Belarus ace would be delighted if the highly-coveted Fabregas followed suit.

Hleb said in El Mundo Deportivo: "We get on very well on and off the pitch. For me he is like a brother. We call each other a lot to talk about things.

"He tells me he misses me at Arsenal and, without wanting to detract from anyone, I would love it if he came to Barca to be a part of all this.

"I don't stop insisting that he should return to Barca and he doesn't stop insisting that he is very happy at Arsenal and with Arsene Wenger.

"I will keep boring him until he changes his mind. If in the end he listens to me, I think it would be great for Barcelona."

Roman Abramovich loses £12billion in Russian share plunge

Roman Abramovich has lost £12billion on the Russian stock exchange, it was revealed today.

The Chelsea FC owner has seen his fortune shrink as Russia's Micex Index has gone into freefall.

The decline in value of two of his companies on the Moscow-based index, steel maker Evraz and mining company Highland Gold, has left the 41-year-old tycoon £11.9billion worse off.

It comes just four days after details emerged of the £200million super-yacht Abramovich is having built - set to be the largest private yacht ever constructed.

The massive bill for the boat amounts to just a 60th of today's gargantuan losses for the Russian oligarch.

Abramovich's woes come on a disastrous financial day for London's Premiership football clubs, with the owners of Arsenal and West Ham also suffering from the effects of instability in the markets.

Arsenal's part-owner Alisher Usmanov has lost £7billion on the Micex index, which has declined 61 per cent since its peak in May.

West Ham's Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson also said he may sell the club after losing £230million.

Chelsea open legal proceedings against Lyn and Andersen over Mikel transfer

Chelsea have issued a high court claim for £16m against the Norwegian club FC Lyn Oslo and their disgraced former chief executive, Morgan Andersen, over the controversial purchase of John Mikel Obi, though there seems little prospect of the Premier League club being able to recoup all the money they paid for the Nigeria midfielder.

Mikel arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2006 in a complicated deal that saw some £4m paid to Lyn Oslo and £12m to Manchester United, who believed they had originally signed the player on professional terms. However, Andersen was convicted in an Oslo court earlier this year of forging contracts relating to Chelsea and Mikel, which enabled the Norwegian club to gain a slice of the player's transfer fee. Chelsea duly informed Lyn that the deal was based on a fraudulent misrepresentation that the player had an employment contract at the Oslo club and that they would seek full repayment.

Chelsea have privately stressed that they are not attempting to put Lyn Oslo out of business, and it appears unlikely that the Norwegian club, currently mid-table in their domestic league, would have the funds to pay anything close to the £16m compensation demanded. With that in mind, the two clubs are involved in "positive discussions" in a bid to reach some kind of compromise over the case, the pursuit of which has fast become a point of principal for the Premier League leaders.

Although Chelsea are technically seeking the return of the entire fee, the most likely result will be an out-of-court settlement between the clubs, given their willingness to maintain dialogue. "The claim is against FC Lyn Oslo and Morgan Andersen and follows the criminal conviction in Norway of Lyn's former chief executive officer," said a Chelsea spokesman. "It is for the entire £16m fee paid by Chelsea for the player as it is now clear, following Andersen's conviction, that the transfer was based on the fraudulent misrepresentation that Mikel had an employment contract with Lyn.

"Chelsea has written to Lyn to make clear that because the transfer was based on a fraudulent misrepresentation, now proven by a court of law, the settlement previously agreed is not binding. Chelsea is in contact with Lyn and looks forward to working positively with them to resolve the claim promptly. Chelsea would like to make clear that this legal action is against Lyn and Morgan Andersen."

That reflects the reality that Manchester United, who declined to comment, are not involved in any way in Chelsea's pursuit of the money they paid two years ago. Indeed, Chelsea are not intending to involve their Premier League rivals in the high court case. However, this should prove the final twist in a saga that infuriated Sir Alex Ferguson who, along with United, had been convinced that Mikel was bound for Old Trafford rather than Stamford Bridge some two years ago.

Mikel claimed to have signed a youth contract with Lyn in 2005 but, within a week, United announced they had agreed to sign him on professional terms at the end of the Norwegian season in January 2006. The player was even photographed wearing a United shirt, only for Chelsea also to claim to have reached an agreement to sign the player. That prompted United and Lyn to report the London club and the player's agents, John Shittu and Rune Hauge, to Fifa and it was not until June 2006, some 14 months after the saga first flared up, that Chelsea agreed a compromise deal to pay both Lyn and United for the player's services.

That decision was made on the basis that Mikel was under contract in Oslo, the reality of which was dispelled when Andersen — the chief executive at the Norwegian club at the time — was convicted of making false accusations and fraud over the agreement that apparently existed between his club and the midfielder. He was given a one-year suspended sentence after a court decided the professional contract Mikel subsequently denied ever signing and which committed him to the club actually carried a signature cut out from the amateur agreement to which he had previously been tied.

for here

Sejarah Sepak Bola

Siapa yang tidak kenal dengan olah raga yang satu ini? Sepak bola adalah sebuah olah raga permainan yang sudah sangat dikenal dan amat sangat diminati di berbagai belahan dunia. Berbagai kalangan, baik itu kaya miskin, tua muda menggilai permainan sepak bola. Salah satu ajang favorit dan paling akbar sepanjang sejarah sepak bola adalah ajang World Cup yang diselenggarakan oleh FIFA setiap 4 tahun sekali. Ajang World Cup diselenggarakan di negara berbeda yang diajukan oleh asosiasi sepak bola regional dan disetujui oleh FIFA.

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Sejarah Sepak Bola Awal mula munculnya sepak bola cukup membingungkan. Beberapa dokumen mengatakan sepak bola berasal dari masa Romawi, namun ada juga yang menyatakan bahwa sepak bola berasal dari daratan Cina. FIFA sendiri sebagai badan sepak bola dunia menyatakan bahwa sepak bola berawal dari permainan yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat Cina pada abad ke-2 hingga ke-3 sebelum Masehi. Olah raga ini dikenal dengan nama “cuju“. Read more... Law of The Game Permainan sepak bola merupakan permainan kolektif yang melibatkan 22 pemain dari dua tim yang berbeda. Untuk mengatur jalannya pertandingan, sehingga dapat dinikmati dan dimainkan dengan fair, maka dibutuhkan peraturan yang mengikat kedua tim yang bertanding. Badan dunia yang mengeluarkan peraturan sepak bola, yang berlaku di seluruh dunia, adalah International Football Association Board (IFAB). IFAB ini beranggotakan Asosiaso Sepak Bola Inggris (the FA), Asosiasi Sepak Bola Scotlandia (the Scottish Football Association), Asosiasi Sepak Bola Wales (the Football Association of Wales), Asosiasi Sepak Bola Irlandia (the Irish Football Association) yang masing-masing memiliki satu suara, dan FIFA yang memiliki empat suara dalam pertemuan. information here

Teknik Permainan Sepak Bola Dalam permainan sepak bola ada banyak teknik yang harus dikuasai oleh pemain. Teknik yang dimiliki oleh pemain dan tim secara keseluruhan akan membantu tim nya untuk meraih kemenangan dalam pertandingan sepak bola. Teknik permainan yang ada dalam sepak bola terbagi menjadi teknik individu pemain, dan strategi serta teknik permainan yang dimainkan secara bersama-sama dalam satu tim. Penjabaran tentang teknik permainan sepak bola akan dijelaskan pada uraian di bawah ini: * Teknik Individu * Strategi Permainan Turnamen Sepak Bola Dunia Sepak bola adalah olah raga permainan yang sangat terkenal, bahkan paling terkenal, di seluruh dunia. Jutaan orang di dunia memainkan permainan ini. Salah satu hal yang membuat permainan sepak bola diminati oleh banyak orang adalah karena sepak bola memiliki kemampuan untuk menghadirkan berbagai emosi dalam diri manusia. Pada saat kita menyaksikan sepak bola, emosi kita seakan tertumpah, baik itu rasa senang, kesal, gemas, sedih, bahkan marah. Kemampuan memainkan emosi manusia inilah yang membuat sepak bola menjadi olah raga yang mendunia.