Tag Futebol

For a player who is bettered only by David James when it comes to consecutive appearances, and is used to playing every minute of every game, since huge questions over his future AVB took the reins at Chelsea , Frank Lampard has had more than a little shock.

On the back of an injury hit campaign last time round, where only 11 goals were scored by the midfielder – a dramatically reduced amount from his usual 20 plus – Lampard has worked hard to regain fitness and a place back in the starting line-up.

After several lack luster performances by both Lampard and Chelsea, not to mention the arrival of Juan Mata and Meireles, Lampard found himself being the player to make way on more than one occasion, if he made the team at all. The low point for the player came against Swansea, where youngster Josh McEachran became the third Chelsea sub, thus meaning Lampard played no part in the game. The player subsequently went down the tunnel and huge questions over not only his future but just how much he featured in the plans of a manager who is slightly younger than him.

Much of the press attention pre match tonight focused on that specific issue, to the contention of the Chelsea manager, who was adamant that Lampard had a role to play for the blues, and included the 33 year old in his starting line-up.

After a decent performance first half, Lampard managed to score the only Chelsea goal of the game, in which Chelsea were lucky to come away with a draw after Valencia finally got a deserved equalizer courtesy of a Soldado penalty in the 87 minute after a foul by Kalou.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

The Spanish side suffered from a lack of clinical finishing which also cost them points against Barcelona and Sevilla, with more than a couple of chances coming their way. That is not to say Chelsea did not have their own opportunities, with Lampard setting up Torres, who of course failed to convert, and Ramires missing a one on one with the keeper that should see him serving a life sentence for his finishing skills – or lack of them.

Lampard’s goal came on the 56th minute, and will be a comfort to the player, who still failed to last the duration of the match, being replaced late in to the second half, yet will be glad that Meireles replaced Ramires, and not himself. Lampard will see this as a small response to the critics who have plagued him his whole career, and must now be at peace with the fact that no matter what he does, whether it be at West Ham, Chelsea or for England, it will not be enough for some people.

What Lampard will not take lightly is suggestions that he is finished at the top level, and is under the firm belief that he has a great deal more to give, albeit as a midfielder who plays slightly deeper than he has previously done, but with the vision the player possesses and his ability to read the game, this is not an impossible role for Lampard to take up, in a similar fashion to Paul Scholes during his last couple of seasons at United.

As the player showed in midweek, his career is far from over, and there is a great deal to come from Lampard yet.

Article courtesy of Rebecca Knight from This is Futbol

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]

FREE football app that pays you to view ads

[ad_pod id=’qs-2′ align=’left’]

FIFA has dismissed appeals to erase bans handed out to corrupt executives Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii on Friday.

After appeals to world football’s governing body, Adamu – a Nigerian representative on the FIFA executive committee – had his three-year ban confirmed, while Oceania representative Temarii maintained his one-year suspension away from any football-related activity.

The pair were found guilty of breaking FIFA’s confidentiality rules in the process of deciding host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

FIFA confirmed the outcome of the appeals in a statement on Friday.

“The FIFA appeal committee has confirmed the decisions taken on November 17 regarding the bans on Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu – who were at the time FIFA vice-president and FIFA executive committee member – for a breach of the FIFA code of ethics,” the statement read.

The suspensions can be appealed, again, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Three former FIFA ethics committee members had their suspensions upheld, but reduced, after being found guilty of unethical behaviour: Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite and Ahongalu Fusimalohi.

Tottenham are set to make a move for Porto starlet Christian Atsu according to the Daily Mail.

Atsu, 20, spent most of last season on loan at Portuguese team Rio Ave and impressed whilst he was in Vila do Conde, scoring 6 goals in 27 appearances. New Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas was the first man to call upon the young Ghanian during his successful tenure at the Dragao, offering Atsu a place in the first team squad. Despite the youngster not making an appearance, it seems that the 34-year old is now impressed enough to make a bid to his former employers.

Rumours have also been surfacing that Villas-Boas is keen on capturing Liverpool sensation Raheem Stirling. The 17-year old has made a handful of appearances at Anfield but has significantly impressed at youth level.

Brazilian playmaker Willian is also a reported target for Tottenham. Shakhtar turned down Chelsea’s bid for their 23-year old last week, setting a £19 million asking price and it is thought that Villas-Boas will attempt to acquire his target before his previous employers.

To attain the finances to realistically approach these targets, want away star man Luka Modric will likely be sold. With PSG declaring their interest along with their willingness to pay Tottenham’s full asking price, an alternative European Capital City may be the destination for the Croatian.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

FFC this week investigates the state of women’s football and whether significant strides have been made this summer to increase its popularity.

There have been a number of fantastic sporting events for fans across the world to get excited by this summer. The Rugby World has kicked off in New Zealand, audiences got to watch the best athletes from across the globe at this year’s World Championships whilst English cricket fans in particular enjoyed a good summer as they watched their team become the best test team in the world. But the surprise sporting event of the summer and one of the most talked about was the FIFA Women’s World Cup held in Germany.

For a sport that has often suffered from a lack of interest and investment, this year’s tournament must be seen as a resounding success across the globe. The quality of the football was of a much higher level than previous years whilst in first time winners Japan, the women’s game had a fairytale story that captured the attention of the world. But FIFA, the national teams, players and fans must not let the renewed attention drawn to the sport thanks to the World Cup drop and the success of the summer must be something that women’s football takes advantage of.

This year’s tournament began with some minor buzz surrounding the event. 16 teams arrived in Germany and whilst there was the usual mix of potential winners in Brazil, England, Germany, USA and teams there with less of a chance, each of the four groups threw up some potentially mouth-watering ties. In particular both France and Germany, and USA and Sweden were both pitted against each other in the group stages. Across the schedule there was exciting encounters worthy of the increased TV audiences and stadium attendances. Eventual runners-up USA and South American favourites Brazil clashed in the quarter-finals where the Americans eventually prevailed on penalties but the game itself included all the excitement of a men’s World Cup game. The quality may still and probably will always be well below the men’s but beyond the unrealistic comparison, the quality of football on show was of a very high standard. The final itself, which saw favourites USA and underdogs Japan clash, was again decided on penalties after a match worthy of being the showpiece game of any major tournament.

Whilst the quality of the football may have been a notable improvement, it was the attention the tournament drew across the world as the competition progressed that marks the start of potentially a new era for the women’s game. Across the 16 teams that competed there was stand out personalities as the interest in particular players as celebrities grew, in particular that of US goalkeeper Hope Solo, whose dramatic performances at the tournament stole a lot of the headlines despite her team coming up just short. The World Cup also drew record TV audiences; in host nation Germany alone 17million tuned into see Germany crash out to Japan in the quarter-finals. Despite the hosts and home favourites leaving the competition early, the interest in the tournament in Germany and around the world remained strong.

The UK’s coverage of the tournament was somewhat restricted by the BBC’s decision to limit the coverage to the red button or online but the pressure to show England’s quarter-final encounter with France live was a sign of the growing interest in the game for TV audiences in this country.

But the most impressive stat of them all was that on one of the most popular forms of communication across the globe Twitter, the Women’s World Cup final became the most tweeted event in the website’s history. No one could have anticipated the online interest in a game between players few outside the women’s footballing world would recognise.

The success of the tournament has not gone unnoticed. Last week marked the arrival of the 2011 European Women and Sport conference in London. The conference saw UEFA announce plans to invest €23.6 million (just over £20 million) between the member national associations between 2012 and 2016. This level of finance and attention that Europe alone is putting into the women’s game and over a number of nations that have varying levels of participation and interest is a good sign for the future of the women’s football. It is hard to look past the 2011 World Cup has a major selling point for UEFA and hopefully world organisations to really push the game forward.

In England alone the FA looked to capitalise on the attention of the World Cup as England’s now slightly more famous players returned to action in the Women’s Super League (WSL) after a mid-season break. Arsenal were the eventual winners of the league format and whilst the buzz surrounding the World Cup did quickly die down (partly due to England’s failure to progress past the quarter-finals in Germany), the WSL and World Cup are a much superior format to any that women’s football in England has seen in a long time.

Qualification has already started for the next major tournament on the women’s calendar, the European Championships in 2013. Whilst early big wins (including Portugal beating Armenia 8-0 and Spain’s 10-1 destruction of Turkey) indicate that problems with consistent quality still remain, all the European heavyweights including England, Germany and France are in the mix as UEFA will look to replicate the success of the World Cup in Sweden in two years time. This year’s UEFA Women’s Champions League knockout stages are also due to start soon and UEFA will be hoping the competition better promotes the club game, something that women’s football needs to do during the wait for another major international tournament.

The success of the World Cup may have been impressive but it would soon be no more than pointless if those in charge of the game around the world didn’t pay extra attention to one of the largest growing sports. The tournament in Germany not only set a benchmark for the players, FIFA and fans but also proved how good the women’s game can really be.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Do you think women’s football can build on the success of the World Cup? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

[divider]

FREE football app where you get paid to view apps

[ad_pod id=’qs-2′ align=’left’]

Fabio Capello admits he made a mistake in leaving Theo Walcott out of the England squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Arsenal forward Walcott was a mainstay of the qualification campaign under Italian Capello, but was surprisingly dropped from final 23-man contingent.

England were dumped out in the first knock-out round after struggling to escape their group in South Africa.

Now, former Roma and Juventus coach Capello has conceded that Walcott should have been included.

“He is playing how I remember when he started to play with us. It was a tough decision leaving Theo out for the World Cup,” Capello said.

“He is one of the players after the World Cup I thought about a lot. I made a mistake not selecting him.”

“He is one of the players who can make the difference. I should have taken him.”

Capello also bemoaned his lack of options for the pivotal role of a holding midfielder ahead of the World Cup.

But he appears to have now settled on a long-term solution in the form of Arsenal youngster Jack Wilshere.

“(Owen) Hargreaves played this position very, very well every game,” Capello said.

“But after the knee problem, he was never back.”

“I put different players in there but they’d never played in this position. (Gareth) Barry with Aston Villa never played this position. But I saw Wilshere play every game in this position.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Capello compared Wilshere to former France international midfielder Claude Makelele, who underpinned the Chelsea side that won two English Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and 2006.

“Wilshere is better technically than Makelele. He’s slower than Makelele but when he receives the ball he is more dangerous than Makelele.”

“Wilshere is the best young player. He now plays all the time with Arsenal. If you play with Arsenal, you are a really good player because Arsene Wenger likes good players.”

“I think he’s mature enough to play this role. He’s a really interesting player.”

Despite the friendly banter flying back and forth throughout many a North East workplace, the underlying bitterness residing in Tyne-Wear rivalries means Sunderland fans would usually dislike their manager announcing he sees emulating Newcastle United as one of his main targets.

Having been the region’s top dogs for three consecutive seasons, many of the Black Cats faithful felt confident of maintaining their superiority for years to come, but the Geordie enemy’s resurgence last season was in stark contrast to the hardship faced at the Stadium of Light and having seen their rivals leapfrog them once again, fans have now learned that Martin O’Neill believes his team should be looking to replicate such success. When purely looking at the sentiment behind trying to match another side’s improved level of performance, the Northern Irishman’s comments are encouraging and motivational, but given the hatred between sections of supporters, should the Sunderland faithful be pleased at having to gaze up at Newcastle once more when dreaming of prominence?

While it’s a sad sign of the times that Newcastle have regained their supremacy, the reality is they have become the benchmark for aspiring mid-table teams looking to compete higher up the league. It may not be something Mackems fans will appreciate hearing but despite the truth being painful at times, the club still have ambitious plans and should not be downhearted because the Magpies have enjoyed some brief success. O’Neill and Chairman Ellis Short have big plans for the club and though they may not have made huge strides in the transfer market so far this summer, the intention is to strengthen their squad before the start of the season. They may not have vast sums of money to spend but Newcastle showed recently that some intelligent scouting can lead to rapid on-field improvement without breaking the bank. Fans will know all too well which positions Sunderland need to improve but their methodical approach to signing Wolves’ Stephen Fletcher illustrates a desire to avoid overspending, having wasted many a million funding former managers Roy Keane and Steve Bruce. Though an economical approach doesn’t guarantee success, Sunderland still possess the financial capacity to spend big on a player should they see fit as O’Neill seeks to build a side capable of challenging for Europe.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

Given the setup at the Stadium of Light such targets are not beyond the realm of possibility and despite the club having little European pedigree, any desire to follow in the footsteps of Newcastle is not an admittance of inferiority but more an appreciation of what can be achieved by the so called ‘lesser’ sides. After all O’Neill is not citing Newcastle’s achievements as some sort of inflammatory stimulation but rather looking at what similarly statured teams are capable of. A few seasons ago Fulham were the side that the rest of the league looked up to after their 7th place finish and UEFA Europa League outing, a decade ago it was Everton’s rapid rise under David Moyes. Examples of relative success stories are understandably used to demonstrate why a confident preseason outlook is more than justified and is vital given the competitive nature of England’s top flight. Simply because O’Neill has chosen Newcastle’s topical accomplishments as the carrot with which to inspire his troops should not be misconstrued as a tasteless attempt to be divisive but as a natural desire to improve the team.

The former Aston Villa manager understands all too well the need to maintain his side’s progression next season and fans should be encouraged to hear that he is aiming higher up the table. A spirited rivalry adds passionate fuel to the derby day fire but an unhealthy obsession with all things Newcastle is unwise for they are just one of twenty opponents and, like everyone else, only offer six points in an enduring league campaign. Any concerns that the club’s mantra is solely based on matching Newcastle can be discounted for while it’s frustrating to see ones foes overachieving, there is also a begrudging acceptance that they deserved their accomplishments and a determination to challenge the league’s top sides is something every team possesses, regardless of affiliation.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Should Sunderland fans feel aggrieved that they are looking to follow Newcastle or is it just their rivalry being over-hyped to stir up trouble when it’s only natural to want to emulate your rivals?

Let me know your views and opinions by following me on Twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher

Those who defend the August 31st deadline of the transfer window cite that it gives managers a chance to make some final adjustments to their squad, having seen their respective performances three games in.

While others believe it to be a total distraction and that is why AVB is travelling to Nyon this week to fight the case about bringing the deadline day forward before the season starts. Whether his pleas get heard remain the be seen, but in the meantime the circus that is the last few days of the transfer window will kick on in the next few days and there will undoubtedly be an array of comings and goings within the Premier League.

The media clearly believe that some clubs have simply bided their time in the transfer market and are looking to take advantage of some last minute shopping in order to improve their current squad. One of the clubs is arguably Tottenham, who have already stated their interest in Scott Parker, but will he be the only new arrival at White Hart Lane come Wednesday night?

So has Redknapp still got much to do in the transfer market – if so who would you like to see him bring to White Hart Lane in the next 72hrs?

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

Whether a player fulfils his talents or not is reliant upon our expectations and projections regarding his future. This fact makes this list a pretty subjective affair. Of course it’s sad to see talent go unfulfilled. It’s difficult to see players fail to live up to expectations. But it’s the natural instinct of a fan to feel disappointed when ‘the next big thing’ fails to fulfil their potential. This can happen for any number of reasons: Injury, disciplinary problems, lack of motivation, bad management.The list could go on.

Below are ten players that have yet to fulfil their potential. If you agree or disagree with my selection, feel free to say so and add some further names in the comment section below.

Click on Shola Ameobi to get the ball rolling

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

If you’re interested and want to hear more feel free to follow me on Twitter

Newcastle are close to finalising the signing of French defender Mathieu Debuchy this week, reports The Metro.

Despite Lille declining the Magpies’ original £5 million bid for the 26 year old, an improved offer could see Debuchy on his way to St James’ Park.

However, Inter Milan are the latest club to be interested in Debuchy, and could make a late attempt to disrupt the deal as their right back Maicon is subject to speculation regarding a move to Champions League winners Chelsea.

With Maicon believed to be on his way to Stamford Bridge for £6 million, the money would be used by Inter to directly replace the Brazilian with Debuchy, who impressed for France despite his teams disappointing Euro 2012 campaign.

The Lille right back is still on holiday, but will have some decision making to do when he comes back as Inter could offer him a better package financially, despite the relentless interest from Alan Pardew’s Newcastle.

Danny Simpson’s failure to renew his contract at St James Park meansNewcastle’s quest to find a right back is well into full swing, and signing Debuchy would mark the start of two or three more new arrivals, as the club have also been strongly linked with FC Twente striker Luuk De Jong.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

Borussia Dortmund begin their title defence at home to Hamburg when the 2011/12 Bundesliga season kicks off on Friday.Dortmund lifted their first title in nine years last season, finishing seven points clear of Bayer Leverkusen.

Jurgen Klopp impressed in orchestrating that triumph during his third full season as head coach and Dortmund have thus far managed to ward off any interest in the 44-year-old’s services.

They have also retained the bulk of the club’s championship-winning squad, with deep-lying playmaker Nuri Sahin the only exception.

Turkey international Sahin succumbed to the advances of La Liga runners-up Real Madrid in May for a reported fee of nine million euros.

In capturing the title last season, Dortmund were the beneficiaries of below-par league campaigns by traditional heavyweights Bayern Munich, Schalke and Werder Bremen.

Bremen were third in 2009-10, but stumbled to 13th the following term, avoiding the relegation zone by five points.

Schalke were runners-up to champions Bayern in 09/10 and did manage a credible run to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, accounting for holders Inter Milan along the way.

They also lifted the German Cup, but could only finish 14th in the Bundesliga, four points outside the bottom three.

And while Bayern mounted a late rally to come third, a poor start meant they ended up 10 points behind Dortmund, effectively conceding their title with months of the season still to play.

Bayern’s failure to compete cost coach Louis van Gaal his job, with Jupp Heynckes making the switch from Leverkusen to fill the hot seat at the Allianz Arena for the coming campaign.

The Bavarian giants have shipped out Miroslav Klose, Hamit Altintop and Thomas Kraft, with Germany internationals Manuel Neuer and Jerome Boateng among their high-profile replacements.

Bayern begin their campaign at home on Sunday to Borussia Monchengladbach, who earned a reprieve last season after winning their relegation playoff against Bochum.

Also on Sunday, surprise contenders Mainz, who led the table early last season before slipping to fifth, play host to Leverkusen.

Schalke, German Super Cup winners against Dortmund last week, kick-off on Saturday away to Stuttgart, who were 12th last season.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Bremen host Kaiserlautern, Hoffenheim travel to Hannover and Cologne await the visit of Wolfsburg.

Of the two promoted teams, Hertha Berlin start life back in the top flight with a visit from Nuremburg, while Augsburg will play the first Bundesliga match in their history at home to Freiburg.