Kenaikan Tiket Final Liga Champions Terus Mendapat Kecaman

UEFA sepertinya tidak akan mengubah haluan mereka dalam rangka memberlakukan kenaikan harga tiket final Liga Champions. Pemberlakuan kenaikan tarif tiket final Liga Champions Wembley yang sebelumnya mendapat kecaman dari berbagai pihak, kini kembali menghadapi tentangan dari pelatih ternama.

Adalah Carlo Ancelotti dan Arsene Wenger yang turut menyuarakan aspirasinya menolak kebijakan yang dibuat

Sir Alex Keen To Become 'World Champions'

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has stated quite clearly he is keen for them to win the Club World Championship.

In a recent news conference he said: "We are delighted to be playing catch-up because it means we did things right during the previous season, to win the event in Tokyo would be great. We won it when it was a one-off game and now we have the opportunity to become the first British team to win it in its new tournament format. We will have to manage the second half of this season as best we can. We don't want to get to April and May and have to play rearranged games. Fulham and Wigan are our outstanding games and we will try to arrange them for January."

The FIFA Club World Cup, formerly known as the FIFA Club World Championship, is a competition contested between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations, although, since 2007, the champions of Oceania must play a qualifying play-off against the champion club of the host country.

The first competition took place in Brazil in January 2000. It was intended by FIFA to be a replacement for the Intercontinental Cup (also known as the Toyota Cup), which was contested annually in Tokyo, Japan by the champions of Europe via the Champions League and South America via theCopa Libertadores.

I guess it is a major trophy and it is worth winning but the timing of theis match and the journey involved to go and take part is not the best for United. Still, it is a piece of silverware so let's go and win it! .....Back To Home Page...

Give Us A Break

Sir Alex Ferguson's idea of a winter break and extending the end of the season has been shot down by FIFA. The Manchester United manager wants to stagger one round of 10 matches throughout January.

He said: "Last season the league finished on May 11. Why can't we extend it until the end of that month and take two weeks off in January ?".

That is not possible because before World Cup finals FIFA insist on an early end to domestic seasons.

That means the English season finishing on May 16 at the end of 2009/10. A FIFA spokesman said: 'It was agreed by the executive committee that to help the well-being of the players, the last club matches will be disputed on May 16 of 2010 and after that, there will be an obligatory rest period from May 17 to May 23. The final of the Champions League - set for May 22 - constitutes the only exception to the rule."

A Premier League source said that any change in the domestic calendar would have to be on a permanent basis and not three years out of four. So it would seem Fergie's dream of a mid winter break have been scuppered by FIFA. Not surprising really, when do FIFA or UEFA ever listen to reason ? .....Back To Home Page

Sir Alex Ridicules Blatter !

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson believes FIFA president Sepp Blatter is being mocked within the game for uttering "so many ridiculous" statements that damage his credibility.

ALL United fans were angered when Blatter appeared to liken United's refusal to release winger Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid as slavery.

Speaking with GQ Magazine he said: "I think Sepp Blatter is in danger ... or has reached a point now where he is being mocked within the game. Whether he is getting too old, I don't know. But things can happen to people in power. Look at some of the despots in Africa." Now that is a classic quote, my hat comes off to Fergie for that little gem !

Ferguson said he was not likening 72-year-old Blatter to a dictator, but that he believed the game's top official should not utter such statements.

"All I'm saying is that, from a position of great power, he has uttered so many ridiculous statements that he is in danger of seriously damaging his credibility, so, when he came out with that stuff, it created a furore and rightly so, the year after the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery." Does Sir Alex have no fear. To set about the President of FIFA in this manner is not the kind of thing you see too often, Brian Clough, God rest his soul, was the same. If it needs saying then say it !! .....Back To Home Page

Cristiano Ronaldo Named FIFPro World Player Of The Year

Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted player of the year by his fellow professionals at FIFPro. The international players’ union, which has 57,500 members, announced that the Manchester United whinger, ooops I mean winger, who scored 42 goals last season when United won both the Champions League and Premier League, had topped their poll.

"To be recognized by my fellow professional players worldwide coming from over 50,000 players is amazing," he said. Ronaldo is also a strong contender to win the Fifa award as well as the European Golden Ball, which is organized by the French magazine France Football.

"I would like to thank my teammates and coaches and everyone involved at Man United and the national team, as well as my family and friends for their support, thank you also to FIFPro for this award and for your work in protecting the interests and welfare of players around the world."

Five of the Spanish stars who won the 2008 European Championship were named in FIFPro’s team-of-the-year lineup. With all but one of the players coming from either the Spanish or English leagues, the lineup includes Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos, Barcelona’s Carles Puyol and Xavi Fernandez and Liverpool’s Fernando Torres. Barcelona’s Argentina forward Lionel Messi is also in the team and Champions League winner Manchester United has Rio Ferdinand and Ronaldo. Liverpool also has Steven Gerrard, John Terry is the only Chelsea player on the lineup and AC Milan’s Kaka is the lone star from Italy’s Serie A.....Back To Home Page