Jose Mourinho: Real Madrid Playing Attractive Attacking Football Is My Obsession

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho admits that he will have to change his tactical philosophy according to his new environment in Spanish football in order to attain absolute success at the Bernabeu.

The Portuguese has often been accused of employing defensive and negative tactics with his former teams and employed a 4-3-3- formation at Chelsea which not straying too far from that during his days in charge of Inter Milan. Despite some of the most exciting wins seen in Europe with his previous clubs against the likes of Barcelona, Mourinho’s playing philosophy is more often associated with the lack of entertainment and all that is ugly about football.

However, the two-time Champions League winning coach is adamant that he will adapt to the demands of Madrid fans that the team has to win and play good football at the same time.

“The cultural aspect is very important,” Mourinho said.

“It’s impossible for a coach to go to a country and say ‘This is my system, my playing philosophy’.

“Will I be able to do at Madrid the same thing I did at Inter in terms of playing style? Impossible. The cultural aspect is very important.

“Chelsea are champions of England, but if they played in the Primera Division they wouldn’t win. Just as Barca wouldn’t win the Premier League.

“The construction of your team must be carried out in accordance with the culture (of that place). I will respect the cultural aspect at Madrid.”

And that would mean ensuring his Madrid team employ attacking and entertaining football, which Mourinho claims to be his obsession now that he is in charge at the Bernabeu.

“I have an obsession to play attacking and attractive football at Madrid,” Mourinho added.

Mourinho also spoke of his dedication and commitment to the club and ensuring its success by insisting that he is now the biggest fan of Real.

“There is no Madrid fan that loves the club more than me,” he said.

Arsenal Prepare £18m Bid For Fiorentina Midfielder Riccardo Montolivo

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Fiorentino midfielder Riccardo Montolivo and are said to be preparing a £18 million bid for the Italian midfielder.

The Italian international could be subject to an offer from the Gunners going into the last week of the transfer window, according to the Daily Star, and the 25-year-old may not be the last of a string of new arrivals at the Emirates Stadium as manager Arsene Wenger hopes to make a flurry of new signings in a bid to bolster his side’s Premier League title challenge.

Montolivo came to prominence as part of a Fiorentina side that impressed in Europe during last season’s Champions League campaign and furthered his reputation in the Italian World Cup finals squad despite a disappointing showing by the team overall in South Africa.

Serie A champions Inter Milan and Juventus have also both been linked with the midfielder but the Viola are not keen to part with one of their prized assets, especially to a rival in the same league.

While Wenger ponders over whether to add the qualities of Montolivo to his squad – not short of midfield talent itself – the Frenchman hinted that the club were not yet done with their summer transfer dealings after revealing that there would be at least one more player to arrive at the Emirates before the close of the transfer window at the end of August.

Manchester United Accused By Ajax Of Tapping Up Teenager Gyliano Van Velzen

Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam are ready to lodge an official complaint with FIFA over the behaviour of Manchester United over the signing of Dutch midfielder Gyliano van Velzen. The Red Devils have been accused of tapping up the teenager and have received a letter from Ajax asking for an explanation on the matter.

Van Velzen was offered by Ajax to be part of their youth set-up but shocked the Dutch club when he informed them that he would be joining the Premier League club instead.

According to Ajax, the 16-year-old had told them that he had turned a United offer down back in March but the situation was turned around on its head just a few weeks ago. The promising midfielder told Ajax that his parents were now moving to England to begin a new chapter in their lives and that they had been given a house in Manchester. Van Velzen then followed them and landed up in United last week.

Ajax are now demanding compensation from the Old Trafford outfit and have expressed their surprise and disappointment over the incident. They are now awaiting response from United chief executive David Gill and if deemed unsatisfactory, they will consider legal action against the Premier League giants through FIFA.

United claim they have broken no regulations and that the young midfielder never had a contract with the Dutch outfit, thus leaving him on the open market and free to sign a contract with any club.

The Premier League giants have been involved in previous similar incidents, most recently when Le Havre and Fiorentina both accused the Red Devils of having tapped up their youth players. Le Havre reported United for enticing Paul Pogba to Old Trafford while the Viola accused the English club of having “stolen” defender Michele Fornasier. United were cleared by FIFA of any wrongdoing on both occasions.

Real Madrid Set To Make £20m Offer For Manchester City Striker Emmanuel Adebayor

Real Madrid are set to make a shock swoop for Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor in a deal worth a reported £20 million. The Bernabeu giants are understood to have singled out the Togo striker as a suitable replacement for Didier Drogba whom they failed to lure away from Stamford Bridge with Chelsea insisting their prized asset is not for sale.

Real boss Jose Mourinho has surprisingly deemed Adebayor – a controversial character who has had several brushes with discipline and possesses a questionable attitude – as a player who would improve the quality of the squad at his disposal. The Portuguese is known to prefer reuniting with Drogba whom he signed for Chelsea in 2004 in a deal worth £24 million but the Blues have slammed the door shut on that possibility despite the Ivorian Coast captain privately admitting his willingness to move to the Bernabeu.

While Adebayor has insisted that despite the increasing competition for places at Eastlands he is willing to stay and fight for his place – no doubt in part due to the large wage packet he receives from City – the striker has also made a point on several occasions that he would like clubs like Juventus to come for him if they would like to.

A less than convincing debut season with City last season also led to Adebayor spending more time on the bench as manager Roberto Mancini has never regarded the striker good enough to be his first choice. The former Arsenal star also began the season as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur in the club’s season opener.

Real are putting together a £20 million package to hopefully convince City to release Adebayor and with Mancini having to decide on his final 25-man Premier League squad soon, the Eastlands club may be willing to listen to any offers.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson would also be hoping for Real to land their transfer target, as it could possibly mean the availability of French striker Karim Benzema, of whom Ferguson is a keen admirer of.

United have yet to make a marquee signings this summer and with increasing fan pressure, the Red Devils may have to act in case Benzema is available for a switch as Mourinho continues to appear less than convinced by the striker’s quality in fitting into his plans.

Everton plot Crouch swap for Pienaar

Everton boss David Moyes is heading the chase for Peter Crouch - and will let Tottenham have contract rebel Steven Pienaar in exchange.

Moyes has been chasing England target man Crouch for a month after finding out who could be available as Harry Redknapp wheels and deals to get the men he wants.

Now the clubs are in advance talks about brokering a move that would see South African midfielder Pienaar go to Spurs - with the size of fees being discussed and decided.

Redknapp likes Pienaar and his chief scout Ian Bloomfield watched him at the weekend. He has gone to the top of his wish list because West Ham will not part with Scott Parker and Stephen Ireland chose Aston Villa ahead of them.

Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Tottenham-transfer-news-Everton-plot-Peter-Crouch-swap-for-Steven-Pienaar-article562351.html#ixzz0xVRPBl4f
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Manchester United Move Closer To Raul Meireles Deal After Exclusion From Porto Europa League Squad

Manchester United could be close to their first major summer signing after Portuguese midfielder Raul Meireles was left out of FC Porto’s Europa League squad for their play-off against Genk on Thursday. The midfielder has been rumoured to be on United boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s watch list for the past weeks and may now be targeted for a switch to Old Trafford before the close of the transfer window after the Red Devils missed out on Germany star Mesut Ozil.

Meireles has not been reported to be injured or in any condition that would rule him out of the game and if he were to play in the Europa League, the Portugal World Cup star will be ineligible to play for any other club in the same competition as well as the Champions League – which United will contest.

Ferguson needs experienced backup in his midfield and is a firm admirer of the established Portuguese international, who could also be a long term replacement not only for United veterans Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs – who are both nearing the end of their careers – but also for perpetual injury victim Owen Hargreaves. The latter has hardly seen action for the Red Devils since joining the club in 2007 from Bayern Munich.

Ferguson also fuelled speculation that Meireles could be his next transfer target – and first major signing of the summer – after refusing to draw a line under further new additions to his squad before the end of the transfer window despite having signed young stars Chris Smalling, Javier Hernandez and Bebe.

UEFA Club Football Awards nominees named

UEFA has announced the nominees for the UEFA Club Football Awards of 2010 with a total of 12 players shortlisted both for the positional awards and for the overall prize of UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.

The UEFA Club Football Awards will be presented during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on Thursday 26 August, with three players apiece in contention for the best goalkeeper, best defender, best midfielder and best attacker awards.

The nominations are decided by the coaches of the 16 teams that reached the knockout stage of the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League. Each coach has the opportunity of voting for the individual positional prizes as well as to name their choice for UEFA Club Footballer of the Year 2010.

One of the following 12 players in line for a positional award will be presented with the main item of silverware during the awards ceremony at the Grimaldi Forum, which begins at 17.45CET next Thursday.

• UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year
Júlio César (FC Internazionale Milano)
Hugo Lloris (Olympique Lyonnais)
Víctor Valdés (FC Barcelona)

• UEFA Club Defender of the Year
Lúcio (FC Internazionale Milano)
Maicon (FC Internazionale Milano)
Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona)

• UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year
Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona)
Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München)
Wesley Sneijder (FC Internazionale Milano)

• UEFA Club Attacker of the Year
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Diego Milito (FC Internazionale Milano)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United FC)

Mourinho Still Wants To Sign A Striker, Drenthe Close To Benfica + Van der Vaart Is Staying

Even though Jorge Valdano has said that the club will not be signing any more players this summer,Mourinho has insisted that a third striker is needed and I agree with him.

As I've said before, the season is long and we only have two strikers in Higuaìn and Benzema. Cristiano could still play as a striker, but that still doesn't mean we don't need an additional player to make sure we won't be short on strikers when we have injuries. 

The club, however, doesn't want to make more signings and wants Mourinho to use a Castilla player which is a good option as well. The candidates are Morata and Juanlu who both play with Spain U19 and U21 respectively. They might not be fully ready for first team action, but they'll improve gradually and who knows how they would turn out to be. Giving them chances with the first team will also prove that the club isn't overlooking the academy and now it's up to Mourinho to agree.

However, the players who Mourinho reportedly wants to sign include Drogba, Dzeko and Llorente.

The first is my favorite among the three but is the hardest one to sign. The club reportedly made a £10m bid before we signed Ozil, but it was turned down by Chelsea who demanded at least double of that amount.

The others don't really impress me and I think If we are going to sign a striker it has to be world-class so it is either Drogba or someone as good as him. For this reason, I think the Castilla option would be better because there aren't many quality strikers "available" on the market.

In another news, Drenthe is seemingly very close to Benfica. In fact, Marca claims that the move could be finalized very soon and as usual there will be a buy-back clause inserted into his contract that will allow Real Madrid to buy him back during the first three years. 

I think this is a good deal for all three parties involved. We don't need Drenthe, but he needs a club where he can play regularly and Benfica can be that club. Playing regularly will hopefully make him a better player and in case he improves dramatically and become a much more better player we could always have him back even though I don't think that would ever happen!

Another Dutchman who is also rumored to leave is Van der Vaart but he has confirmed that he is staying at the club and will be fighting for his spot as he did last season. There have been rumors linking him with a move to Manchester United with some talk of him flirting with the English club, but he has trashed these rumors and stated that they have been invented by the English press.

These rumors could still be true because Machsester United's interest in Rafael isn't new, but what is clear is that Mourinho still wants him (the coach has himself confirmed that publicly) otherwise Van der Vaart would be looking at other possibilities.

My stance on this is the same. I think Van der Vaart should and deserves to stay at the club because he has such a tremendous work ethic and is a team player. He is still very useful for us and he proved it last season when everyone doubted his ability to fight for a starting place and is proving it in the pre-season right now with his good performances.

So that's what is being talked about here in Madrid. There is also some talk about Gago and Diarra leaving but no offers for them yet so we'll have to wait and see what happens in the next few days.

Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho Identifies Sergio Ramos & Sami Khedira As Emergency Goalkeepers

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has revealed that either Sergio Ramos or Sami Khedira will deputise in goal for los Merengues in an emergency situation where they lose both goalkeepers in one game.

Mourinho told a press conference in Madrid that he has prepared for the possibility of losing both Iker Casillas and second choice stopper Jerzy Dudek in the same game and decided upon the versatile defender and German midfielder as the players to fill in should both 'keepers get injured or sent off in one game.

The Portuguese trainer also declared that both Ramos and Khedira will train every week with the goalkeepers just in case they are called upon to perform between the sticks for los Blancos.

"We already know who will be the goalkeeper if we lose two. It will be Sergio Ramos or [Sami] Khedira. We train and arrived at these conclusions," he declared.

"It has happened twice already and can happen again. Now, every week Khedira and Sergio Ramos will train in goal just in case."

The stand-in shot stoppers are not the only players expected to perform outside their regular position in Mourinho's new regime at the Bernabeu.

"[Alvaro] Arbeloa is not a central defender. If we are in trouble he can play there. Yesterday I tried [Fernando] Gago in defence. Cristiano [Ronaldo] likewise, is not a fixed forward. In this position, you lose certain features," Mourinho revealed.

Roma Captain Francesco Totti Risks Missing Season-Opening Match Against Cesena

Roma captain Francesco Totti is in doubt for the Giallorossi's season opener against Cesena, after the striker sprained his ankle against Inter in the Italian Supercup.

Inter defender Walter Samuel and Totti were involved in a heavy challenge, with the former Italy international coming off second best.

Totti did not train with the rest of his team-mates, sitting on the sidelines and resting his ankle, according toLaRoma24.it.

The side remains positive that Il Capitano will be available for the weekend's clash, and will ensure everything possible will be done in order for the striker to be ready. The Giallorossi will play the Bianoneri on Saturday evening at the Olimpico stadium in Rome.

Top 10 worst Liverpool players

1. Jimmy Carter
A total non-starter.

2. Sean Dundee
Crocodile Dundee would have instilled more fear in opposition defences.

3. Djimi Traore
The luckiest man ever to win a European Cup winners medal. Had all the poise of a young Bambi.

4. Bruno Cheyrou
The new Zidane… or maybe not.

5. Itsvan Kozma
The Dunfermline signing is widely regarded by many as the worst Liverpool player ever.

6. Jean-Michel Ferri
Made two appearances lasting 47 minutes. He was allegedly Houllier’s dressing-room ‘spy’.

7. Torben Piechnik
Simply atrocious.

8. El Hadji Diouf
Lacked the class to wear the number 9 shirt previously worn with such distinction by Ian Rush.

9. Bernard Diomede
An alleged World Cup winner.

10. Abel Xavier
Looked like Santa Claus, but rarely delivered.

Manchester United to pay Alex Ferguson's 60000 BBC fines

New Premier League rules say all bosses must talk to the Beeb after games or will be fined, with the scale of punishments increasing for repeat offenders.

The first fine is £1,000 but this rises each time with the cost hitting around £60,000 for the full season.

Fergie has not spoken to the BBC since a 2004 documentary about his son Jason's work as an agent.

Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer said: "I don't think he will speak to us again.

"Alex is a man of his word and a man of principle."

Manchester City recorded their biggest victory over Liverpool in 73 years with a 3-0 thumping at Eastlands.

Gareth Barry put the hosts ahead in the 14th minute, Carlos Tevez claimed he had got the faintest of touches on Micah Richards' header seven minutes after the interval and the Argentinian converted a penalty.

Considering Liverpool regard City as their main rivals for a place in the top four the result could prove to be hugely significant - even this early in the season.

However, City boss Roberto Mancini was wary of reading too much into the outcome.

"I thought we played well. We need time to gel and improve because we were missing four or five important players," he said.

"But the team played with a good mentality. If they play with a good mentality I think we can beat every team.

"We beat a strong team like Liverpool, who can fight for the title.

"This win helped us believe in ourselves and this is important."

The match was Sheikh Mansour's first visit to Eastlands, having taken over almost two years ago, and Mancini was congratulated by him after the game.

"He was very happy because it was the first time he saw City beat Liverpool - I think it was a good night," added the Italian.

"I hope he can come every week, but I don't think it is possible."

Mancini also singled out goalkeeper Joe Hart for praise after he produced a brilliant double save from David Ngog and Fernando Torres with the score at 2-0 to keep a clean sheet.

"If Liverpool had scored probably the match would have changed but they had only these chances in 90 minutes and I think we defended really well and Joe saved very well," said the City boss.

Manager Roy Hodgson, who saw his side concede a last-minute equaliser against Arsenal in their opening game, was unhappy with his side's defending but is not too worried yet by their return of one point from two matches.

But even after just two matches Liverpool's lowly 17th position will do little for morale.

Spirit within the camp was not improved before kick-off when midfielder Javier Mascherano was withdrawn from the squad after Hodgson said his "mind was not right" after being distracted by a £12million bid from Barcelona.

"I didn't think we were under the cosh to the extent 3-0 might suggest and I think we might consider ourselves unlucky with that wonderful double save by Joe Hart," said the Liverpool manager.

"But we defended poorly for the goals and they took their chances well and I thought they played solidly and strongly throughout.

"They took charge of the game and we were always fighting to get back into it.

"You just have to accept on a night like tonight they we were unable to produce the level of performance necessary to get a good result."

Agent unsure of late Inter Milan bid for Arsenal captain Cesc

 The agent of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has hinted of interest fromInter Milan.

Italian press speculation has the Gunners captain as a late summer market signing coup for Inter.

The player's agent did not deny interest from Inter and Rafael Benitezwould be happy to welcome Cesc.

“I don't know if Inter are talking toArsenal about my client,” said Darren Dein. “At the moment, I cannot comment on this.”

Barcelona & Sevilla Tracking Tenerife Starlet Josmar Zambrano

Interest from Barcelona and Sevilla has prompted Segunda Division side Tenerife to offer an improved contract to talented Venezuelan teen Josmar Zambrano.

The 18-year-old attacker currently plays with the Canary Islanders reserve team in the third division but is already attracting interest with the Primera Liga duo reported to be keen to secure his services according to Sport.

Tenerife are understood to be preparing a new, improved deal for Zambrano which would also see his buyout clause doubled from €6 million to €12 million.

At this stage any prospect of an imminent deal for the Venezuela Under 17 international seem distant as the teenager is said to be "very happy" at Tenerife but interest in the dimunitive forward is set to continue.

FIFA inspection of England 2018 bid under way

England 2018 launched the opening day of their FIFA inspection with a Downing Street reception where the deputy Prime Minister called the World Cup bid "unbeatable" but with Sepp Blatter issuing comments that serve as both a boost and a warning for the campaign.

The six-man FIFA team were greeted by Nick Clegg at No 10 - Prime Minister David Cameron is on holiday in Cornwall - before going by tube on the Jubilee Line to Wembley Stadium to inspect the venue and meet England head coach Fabio Capello.

The London Underground journey passed without incident or delay and after the first day of the four-day visit England 2018 bid leaders could afford to take time out to analyse FIFA president Sepp Blatter's remarks on the state of play of the bidding for the World Cup. Blatter said it would be "easy" to stage the tournament in the country but also warned that Russia will be very powerful opponents.

Speaking in Singapore, Blatter told www.insideworldfootball.biz: "The easiest way to organise the World Cup is to go to England. Everything is there - fans, stadiums, infrastructure - it's easy."

Russia are viewed as England's biggest rivals to win the vote by FIFA's executive committee on December 2 and Blatter appeared to support that.

He added: "You cannot deny Russia if they bid for something. They are more than a country. They are a big continent, a big power."

He also insisted England's disappointing performances at the World Cup in South Africa would have no bearing on the bid - World Cup winners Spain are also bidding jointly for 2018 with Portugal. Holland and Belgium are in the contest too, also bidding jointly.

Blatter said: "The performances of bidding countries national teams does not matter, definitely not. It is the quality of their bid that matters."

The FIFA inspection team, led by Chile Football Federation president Harold Mayne-Nicholls and including South Africa's World Cup organising chief Danny Jordaan, arrived at Downing Street on Monday afternoon to be greeted by Clegg, who emphasised the coalition Government's commitment to the bid.

Clegg told the delegation: "I believe this is an exceptionally strong, unbeatable bid. We in this Government believe in it, we hope that you will believe in it."

Lahore to host Flood Relief Fund Soccer Cup from Friday

Lahore, 23 August: Eighteen prominent clubs of Lahore will show their mettle when Fair Play Flood Relief Fund Football Tournament 2010 will be played at Model Town Football Academy (MTFA) Gound. Malik Saiful Malook Khokhar, MPA will inauguitate the event with tradition kick when Model Town FC will clash with Raiders FC in the opening match on Friday, 27 August 2010 (5 PM Kick Off). 

Besides Model Town FC and Raiders FC, other 16 outfits in the event will be Afshan Club, Fatima Memorial, Flying Horse, Garhi Shahue United FC, Gulshan-i-Ravi , Nadeem FC, Pensi Club, Publican Club, Quaid FC, Samanabad FC, Shah Kamal Club, Shaheen Wahdat Club, Usmania FC, Walton FC, Young Shooters FC and newly-formed UMT FC.

“The management of FairPlay NGOs, formed for the development of Football in the country, had decided to run the event to cope with announcement of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)'s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat who asked the football-related persons to face daunting challenges of relief, rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction work, deeply concerned at the scale of devastation through horrible Flood,” stated by MTFA President Mian Rizwan Ali who will act as Chief organizer of the event. 

Rizwan also hailed FIFA Chief Sepp Blatter and added that in terms of people affected, the catastrophe caused by the floods in Pakistan was greater than the 2004 Asian Tsunami, the recent Haiti earthquake and the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan combined. He expressed commensurations and condolences on massive loss of lives and colossal damage to properties and infrastructure caused by the floods.