15/5: Latest News …
M.E.N: ATLETICO Madrid president Enrique Cerezo is confident star striker Fernando Torres will remain at the club next season despite increasing speculation he is set to leave.
Manchester United and Liverpool are just two of the clubs reported to be chasing the 23-year-old Spain striker.
However, Cerezo insists he has heard all these stories before and believes Torres will stay an Atletico player.
“We always have the same problem. Every year, either at the start of the season, midway through the season or at the end, it is the same,” Cerezo said in reference to transfer rumours involving Torres.
“Torres is an Atletico Madrid player and I think he is going to remain with the team for many years.
“He is an Atletico Madrid player, he is doing very well at Atletico Madrid, the fans want him and we want him. Neither is he for sale nor do I think is going to leave.” …
Belfast Telegraph: Jonny evans will find out if he is in Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans for next season within the next 48 hours.
The Northern Ireland defender is scheduled to have a meeting with the Manchester United manager before he takes the team to London for Saturday’s FA Cup final clash with Chelsea at the new Wembley.
Nineteen-year-old Evans spent this season out on loan, playing for United’s Belgian feeder club Royal Antwerp during the first half of the campaign and then helping Sunderland gain promotion to the Premiership when he moved there in January.
Black Cats boss Roy Keane has hinted that he would like to keep Evans as he tries to re-establish the club in the Premiership, but he knows that the decision will rest with his former Old Trafford boss Ferguson.
“Sir Alex Ferguson wants me to go in and see him this week, and I would like to speak to him too,” said Evans.
“I don’t know what his thoughts are, but I would like to find out.
“If Manchester United want me back, then I want to play for Manchester United.
“If the manager wants me to go out on loan again for another season, then I want to go back to Sunderland.
“I enjoyed myself there, we achieved what we set out to achieve and I would have no problem in going back there.”
While Evans looks certain to be playing in the Premiership next season, Keith Gillespie’s chances of performing in the top flight took a knock as his Sheffield United side were relegated on yesterday’s dramatic final day of the season.
West Ham beat champions Manchester United to secure their safety and the Blades went down after losing 2-1 at home to Wigan, who escaped the drop with that victory.
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Guardian: The disappearance of Madeleine McCann has ushered in a perplexing phenomenon - a succession of high-profile footballers appealing for her return. First Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United’s Portuguese striker, then England captain John Terry, followed by José Mourinho, Phil Neville, and Celtic captain Neil Lennon, along with a special televised appeal from David Beckham. Everton fans unfurled a banner, Celtic players have worn yellow armbands, while Wayne Rooney has offered reward money. How come a family trauma is being played out on the football pitch?
Some of the links are obvious. A photo of Madeleine in Everton kit has been released, so she belongs not just to her own family but also to the family of football - the relationship between supporters and their team counts almost as kin. Similarly, when Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman disappeared in 2002 wearing Manchester United shirts with “Beckham” on the back, it was inevitable that the footballer should make an appeal for their return. And since football stars are famous, an appeal from them is automatically megaphoned all round the world.
Yet on the face of it, recruiting footballers into a criminal search is absurd, as though the sheer force of their celebrity might jog a bystander’s memory of an essential but forgotten detail, or even provoke remorse. If only.
The footballers appealing for information about Madeleine McCann look forlorn, but perhaps that’s the point. Few Britons go to church any more: religion has become more of a divisive than a unifying social force. But football? These are the ties that bind, and this the nearest thing to a communal forum for our grief. Football is where we join together with others for big shared emotions like national pride - and sorrow.
Will it become routine, like bouquets at the site of a tragedy? Jonathan Moore, lecturer in history at London Metropolitan University and Chelsea supporter, thinks it already has. “Almost every single week before a match there’s a minute’s silence for someone. In the old days Her Majesty would have sent a message of support to the family. Today it’s Ronaldo.”
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Sun: MANCHESTER UNITED’S title celebrations were put on hold - while Cristiano Ronaldo did his hair.
The winger preened himself in the dressing room as his team-mates itched to collect the Premiership trophy on Sunday.
An Old Trafford source said: “Ronny was more concerned with the state of his hair.
“He was in front of the mirror, as usual, taking an age to slick back his hair.
“Some of the backroom lads joked they’d have to come back on Monday to collect their medals!”
Some of the United players almost lost their precious gongs within seconds of receiving them.
A few of the medals had faulty clasps and Patrice Evra and Ole Solskjaer had to scour the grass for them.
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MANCHESTER UNITED were denied by the woodwork more than any other team – 19 times.
ARSENAL were awarded 12 penalties, more than any other side. They scored 10 of them.
LIVERPOOL gave away only one penalty, the division’s lowest, and were the only side not to have a player sent off.
PEPE REINA kept a Premiership high of 19 clean sheets for Liverpool.
CESC FABREGAS and Wayne Rooney were the top creators, both ending with 11 assists.
CRISTIANO RONALDO hit the most shots — 145.
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Malaysian football authorities on Monday reversed a decision to cancel the Kuala Lumpur leg of Manchester United’s July Asian tour following intense political pressure.
The about-turn followed intervention from Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who threw his support behind the match which was called off last week after demands from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA.
“The FAM respects the statement by the prime minister of Malaysia that the Manchester United tour should go on as planned to be part of the celebration for Malaysia’s 50th anniversary” of independence, the Football Association of Malaysia said in a statement.
The body faces the wrath of AFC president Mohammed bin Hammam and his FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter who led efforts to have the July 27 match dumped as it clashes with the Asian Cup finals which are co-hosted by Malaysia.
“FAM will probably face consequences from FIFA and the AFC, but we are hoping to negotiate and appeal to them to sanction Man United’s tour here in consideration of Malaysia’s 50th anniversary,” the statement added.
Bin Hammam was travelling back from Canada to Malaysia and was not immediately available for comment, although he threatened FAM with disciplinary action last week if they failed to tow the line.
Each association hosting Asian Cup matches signed guarantees not to hold any other games when the tournament was on.
Bin Hammam called for the new Premier League champion’s entire Asian tour, which also takes them to Macau, South Korea and Japan, to be called off.
The AFC, which is based in Kuala Lumpur, fear the presence of such a big club in the region during the Asian Cup finals from July 7-29 will divert attention from what is the continent’s flagship football competition.
FAM deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who was re-elected as an AFC vice-president last week, had previously sided with bin Hammam and admitted changing tack could cost him his job.
“We have no objection to the match,” he told a press conference.
Asked where FAM’s loyalties lay, he answered: “We are bound by AFC regulations, but at the same time, we have to support the government.”
He acknowledged the consequences could be severe.
“I might be out of a job, FAM might face suspension or isolation. There are big consequences,” he said.
“We will try to consult again and appeal and plead to the AFC, but we are very much in a tight spot now.”
On Saturday, Abdullah said seeing Manchester United in action was what everyone in the football-mad country wanted.
“All Malaysians will enjoy the game. I don’t think we should reject this (tour). I hope they (AFC) understand this,” he said.
Earlier Monday, Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the match was sponsored by his ministry and budget carrier AirAsia and had nothing to do with the AFC, highlighting government anger at their actions.
“The AFC president should not be talking for Malaysia. He has no connection with Malaysia. He has no right,” Tengku Adnan told the Bernama state news agency.
United plan to kick off their pre-season commercial tour against J-League champions Urawa Red Diamonds on July 17 in Saitama before heading to the South Korean capital for a showdown with FC Seoul on July 20.
Alex Ferguson’s team then travel to Macau for a match against Shenzhen on July 23, before ending the tour in Kuala Lumpur against a Malaysian XI.
