FIFA to probe Santos claims in Neymar transfer to Barcelona

FIFA says it is analysing a claim from Brazilian side Santos regarding irregularities over Neymar's transfer to Barcelona two years ago.

Football's world governing body confirmed on Friday that Santos have filed a claim and said "the matter is currently pending and being investigated."

Santos claim the Brazilian player and his agents broke the terms of Neymar's contract by starting negotiations with Barcelona without the Brazilian club's consent.

If FIFA rules in Santos' favor, it could lead to sanctions against Barcelona and Neymar.

Santos confirmed they have appealed to FIFA but claim they are not trying to cause problems for their former star, only attempting to "protect their rights and seek reparation of damages."

The Brazilian club said they lodged a formal complaint in May and only released a statement on the matter now because there were reports in the Brazilian media saying that said the club were demanding the player's suspension for six months.

"Santos have not made any additional request to FIFA [demanding a suspension],'' the club said, adding that it's up to the governing body to decide on an eventual punishment for Neymar or Barcelona.

FIFA said it wouldn't comment "nor to give an estimation of the time line" of the case.

Santos claim they were never told about a 2011 payment of €10 million ($11.4 million) made by Barcelona to the company owned by Neymar's father to guarantee the rights to sign the talented youngster.

Santos said that although the player was authorised to talk to clubs, nobody ever informed the Brazilian club that a deal with Barcelona was reached at the time.

Another €30 million ($34.3 million) was paid directly to Neymar's father's company after the deal was finalized in 2013, and Santos was paid about €17 million($19.4 million).

Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell eventually resigned amid allegations that he hid the real cost of Neymar's transfer in false contracts.

Neymar's father, Neymar da Silva, told Brazilian media on Wednesday that "Santos are going against their idol.

"We will defend Neymar against Santos if needed," Da Silva said. "It seems Santos are looking for more money."

Neymar's father has always claimed that Barcelona never broke FIFA rules that prevent teams from luring players under contract with other clubs. He said Santos knew about the deal and the money was paid to his company, not directly to Neymar.

Da Silva said that if the player had changed his mind and decided to go to another club, or if something happened to keep him from signing with Barcelona, he would have had to return the money to the Spanish club.

The deal came before Barcelona and Santos faced each other in the final of the Club World Cup in December 2011. Neymar was not a factor in the match, and Barcelona won 4-0.

The player's former agent, Wagner Ribeiro, claims the entire proceeding is "absurd" and has no basis in law.

The summer 2013 transfer to Barcelona is still under investigation by the Spanish and Brazilian courts.

The star's former team have received a relatively small share of a transfer fee that was initially publicly announced as €17.1 million, although the full cost of the deal has been revealed to be well over €80 million as the investigation has proceeded.

The Sao Paulo-based outfit are reportedly seeking payment of €55 million in damages, and the club's president, Modesto Roma, told the Esports Cope radio show on Cope Catalunya that courts on both sides of the Atlantic had ruled that the transfer had not been done correctly.

"I presented the official complaint in May," Roma said. "Despite being an idol, we will denounce Neymar because there are things we do not agree with. In the transfer, things were not done in a clear and transparent way. That is proven in the Brazilian courts and by the Spanish prosecutors. We understand the administrative discussion we must have with FIFA. There are things not done right, and FIFA must make a ruling."

Ribeiro, who now apparently works as an unofficial adviser to Neymar senior, told El Partido de las 12 that Santos' move was "unconstitutional." 

"Santos now wants to get the money, which belongs to his father. It is absurd. In 2011, Santos authorised Neymar to sign up with a company to manage his transfer," he said.

The legal entanglement has led to some speculation that Neymar might cut his ties with Barcelona, and Manchester United have been mentioned as one possible future destination.

However, Ribeiro said the furor would not affect Neymar's plans to sign a new contract to remain at the Camp Nou for many years to come.

"I spoke today with Neymar's father and he has told me he is very happy at Barca, and has no hurry to renew," he said. "But you can be sure that Neymar will be at Barcelona for many years. Without any doubt."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Source: espn

Arsenal FC news: Arsene Wenger reveals how he wants to end his reign at Emirates

Frenchman says he wants to leave with the club back at the top of English football and to find a successor who will surpass his achievements

Arsene Wenger has given the clearest insight yet into his eventual departure from Arsenal and how he wants to leave with the club back at the top of English football and a successor who will surpass his achievements.

After leading Arsenal to the sixth FA Cup and ninth major trophy of his 19 years as manager earlier this year, Wenger told shareholders at the club’s annual general meeting that this current team have a “good chance” of winning what would be a first Premier League title since 2004.

• Arsenal AGM and Wenger press conference: as it happened

Wenger also outlined how the club was now into phase three of his tenure as manager after the “easy” glory years from 1996 until 2005 and what he regards as the more substantial achievement to 2013 of maintaining the club in Europe’s elite while funding a new stadium.

His current contract expires in June 2017 when he will be 67 and he is clear about what legacy he wants to leave.

“I know we faced adversity sometimes but I am more motivated than ever, more committed than ever,” he said. “I was a bit more relaxed 19 years ago. Today I know what it means for people. I know how sad people are when we don't do well. The responsibility on my shoulders is much bigger.

“I am resolute to commit absolutely until the last day of my contract to bring back big success to this club and leave as well one day in a position where it can do even better when I leave. That is for me very important: That I leave the club in the shape that the guy who comes after me can do better.”

Of the period from 2005 until 2013 when Arsenal did not win a trophy but always finished in the top four, Wenger said: “If you ask me to do it again I would say ‘no, let somebody else do it. I will not take that gamble any more because it was so difficult’.”

With Arsenal two points behind Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, Wenger said that his team are legitimate title contenders and that it would be his priority this season.

“I think we are back in contention and we have a good chance,” he said. “From January, what for me was the turning point in the history of this team, in the calendar year of 2015, we have taken more points than anybody. That means the trend is right.”

Wenger was applauded repeatedly by shareholders, although one fan took the microphone to lament the club’s recent Champions League performances. The questioner said that the defeats against Monaco and Olympiakos, as well as the draw with Anderlecht, were “embarrassing”.

Chairman Sir Chips Keswick accused the shareholder of “just making a noise” and said that he would preclude the question, until Wenger intervened.

“You have picked three performances that were not good enough,” said Wenger. “I accept you have to be over-critical when the performances are not good, but look at the number of games Arsenal played in Champions League before I arrived, look after, and come back to me.”

Arsenal’s transfer strategy was also questioned after goalkeeper Petr Cech was the club’s only senior summer signing, despite a transfer fund of around £40 million and a £192 million cash reserve as of May this year.

Wenger said that he was “not scared to spend”, despite his reputation, while chief executive Ivan Gazidis was adamant that the club’s transfer record compared “favourably” with rivals.

He said that it would show less ambition to have made signings while sacrificing on quality and was adamant that Arsenal would fail by indulging in “a never-ending arms race” with richer rivals.

The directors also repeatedly made it clear that Wenger maintains their full support, with Keswick adamant that Wenger “is the best man to lead us as long as he feels inclined".

Gazidis also confirmed that £30 million would be spent in the next two years on upgrading training facilities for both academy and senior players, including a new 40,000-square-foot player centre, equipped with sleeping rooms, altitude chambers, a running track and performance analysis tools. 

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

Klopp faces burden of expectations that has doomed Liverpool managers

They tracked his plane across Europe with the frenzied anticipation of children following Santa's progress across the globe on December 24. Indeed, Jurgen Klopp's arrival at Anfield felt like Christmas to many Liverpool fans. The club reinforced the sense of occasion by issuing a line of merchandise devoted to the German within 24 hours of his appointment as manager.

Before Klopp has been introduced to the players, before he has selected a team, before he has won a single game in the Premier League, the 48-year-old has been granted iconic status.

Realism? Circumspection? There have been few signs of either. Merely excitement. Nowhere else in football is there such a craving, such a desire to elevate the man who picks the side to such lofty heights. If English football is enthralled with the cult of the manager, Anfield is the high altar of the sect.

"A good manager can improve a team by five, maybe 10 percent," a long-time Anfield observer said. "Why do we seem to think it can be 300 percent?"

It all goes back to Bill Shankly, of course. The Scot transformed a provincial backwater into a European powerhouse, and in the process seemed to take on messianic qualities. His statue stands outside the Kop like an Old Testament prophet, arms outstretched, demanding belief, fortitude and adoration. Klopp is the sort of character who might imagine earning similar status. He may, however, find it instructive to look at the fate of Liverpool managers in the post-Shankly era. Only Bob Paisley, more than 30 years ago, left the position happily, on his own terms and free of chaos.

Joe Fagan retired 30 years ago at the age of 65, exhausted by his two-year tenure, and he suffered a gruesome sendoff at Heysel. Kenny Dalglish, his successor, had his first term as manager overshadowed by tragedy, too, and walked away from the job in 1991, when the burden of Hillsborough became too much even for someone as strong as the Scot.

These soured exits may have been attributable to catastrophe, but the Liverpool job has chewed up and spat out everyone who's taken up the mantle since. Graeme Souness had been one of the greatest players in the club's history, but he left with his reputation in tatters after three years at the helm at Anfield. Roy Evans, the last of the bootroom boys, was humiliated by the appointment of Gerard Houllier as joint manager in 1998, so he resigned. Houllier won a cup treble in 2001 but suffered heart problems and almost died during a game against Leeds United later that year. He returned with talk of being "10 games from greatness." Two matches against Bayer Leverkusen were enough to end that dream, and the Frenchman's stint in charge ended in 2004 amid disappointment and rancour.

Rafa Benitez came next and brought the Champions League to Anfield. When the club was sold three years after he arrived, he found himself embroiled in an exhausting civil war that ground him down. When he was sacked in 2010, he was a shadow of the manager he'd been when he arrived on Merseyside.

Houllier and Benitez brought trophies and glory to Anfield. By the time they were sacked, some sections of the support were treating them as if they'd overseen relegation.

Roy Hodgson was in charge when Fenway Sports Group (FSG) bought Liverpool. He did not last long. He was fired the next January, bewildered and confused. He had been given an impossible job. Next came Dalglish again. He won the League Cup, but FSG wanted more. Brendan Rodgers replaced him three years ago. The Northern Irishman's image was shinier than any trophy. Now it has been tarnished.

The desire for a saviour is powerful and dangerous. The flip side of so much hope being invested in Klopp is that it gives the new manager little room to manoeuvre. Unrealistic belief fosters overreaction when the desired standards are not reached. And the intense anger -- at least on social media -- of Liverpool fans is breathtakingly quick to flare up and brutal in its fury.

Klopp is the best appointment Liverpool could have made. That is a significant step forward from 2012 when they engaged Rodgers. Those expecting the next Shankly, however, need to back off and give the new man some breathing space to develop a way forward. Instant success is unlikely.

They should also remember how Shankly left Liverpool: in an unexplained and premature resignation that he lived to regret. He felt estranged from the club and more welcome at Everton.

It is not the burden of history that weighs down the new manager, it is the burden of expectation. If Klopp wants to emulate Paisley and leave on his own terms with his legacy intact, he will need to meet some unrealistic demands very quickly.

The German is not a miracle worker. He will have to develop a style of play to suit a squad that has a number of obvious flaws. Even extracting 10 percent more from this group may not be enough to fulfill the expectations of the fans who tracked his plane across Europe.

Klopp will have his feet on the ground. Many Liverpool supporters are still on a flight of fancy. There is plenty of turbulence ahead. A trip to White Hart Lane to play Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday could bring a bumpy landing. That is fine, as long as everyone involved realises that success may be attainable in the long haul.

Source: ESPN

Shortlist: CAF footballer of the year award!

The full shortlist for CAF footballer of the year award. Only two Nigerians made the list!

Arda heartbroken by Ankara massacre

Arda Turan was very upset by the explosions which took place on Saturday morning in the Turkish capital, Ankara, during a peace march, as a result of which many people lost their lives.
Despite being in Barcelona, Turan's heart is still in Turkey, and he took to Twitter to send his prayers for the souls of the dead and their families, and to voice his sorrow at what had happened.

As would be expected Arda expressed his sympathies in Turkish. In his message, he said he hoped that "our citizens who lost their lives in Ankara are enjoying the mercy of Allah. We are grieving deep inside. Let there be peace and fraternity in this beautiful country".

Source: marca.com

Fabregas banned for six months

Cesc Fabregas has been banned from driving in London for six months and fined £2,560 after exceeding the 50mph speed limit on the A3 in Surrey close to Chelsea’s Cobham training base.

The Spanish midfielder pleaded guilty on Friday after he was caught on camera by the police authorities speeding at 110mph, over twice the local legal limit with his metallic green Aston Martin Vantage.

Source: allsoccerplanet.com

Real Madrid anger at being ignored by the French

The injury suffered by Karim Benzema during France's friendly victory over Armenia has proved to be the final straw for Real Madrid.

The capital club are fed up of being crippled by the so-called FIFA virus, but this time their frustration has been made all the greater by the fact that the former Lyon hitman was released for international duty with the warning that he was susceptible to picking up an injury. Lo and behold, this is precisely what happened on Thursday night in Paris.

Real Madrid are up in arms on this one, and the confirmation that their number 9 has suffered a grade one hamstring strain has only served to aggravate the situation.

Before returning to the Spanish capital, the 'Les Bleus' medical staff carried out tests which showed that Real will be without their top goalscorer for between two and three weeks. This is a real blow for Rafa Benitez, especially when considering the number of his squad who are currently sidelined through injury, and the crucial fixtures that lie ahead.

If the prognosis issued by the French camp proves to be accurate, Benzema will miss the games against PSG and Celta Vigo.

The complaints from the Bernabéu centre on the fact that France's coach, Didier Deschamps paid no heed to their warnings, and that the 27-year-old marksman was still on the pitch in the 80th minute in a friendly game against Armenia.

The crux of the matter is that Real Madrid once again face injury heartbreak on the back of an international break. 'Los Blancos' are furious at the lack of regard shown by some national teams, who would appear to forget what is at stake for the club sides, who are ultimately the ones who are left to pay the players' wages.

Source: marca

You can check out my article on international breaks Here