According to El Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan club have identified the French hit-man as their prime target for the up front area of the team in case negotiations for the Arsenal star meet an impasse.
Gomis, 22, is dubbed the 'new Didier Drogba' and his performances for Les Verts last season earned him a place in Raymond Domenech's plans for Euro 2008.
His explosive season with Saint-Étienne, in which he scored a total of 16 goals, has attracted interest from several clubs across Europe, with Premier League outfits Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle all thought to be in the race for his signature.
The French international, who scored a brace in his official debut for Les Bleus, recently signed a deal with Saint-Étienne that will keep him at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard until 2012.
Gomis has reiterated his wish to represent Saint-Étienne at least one more season, but with Barça lining up a €20 million offer for his services, the 22-year-old may well move to Catalonia in the summer.
Hammers join striker chase
Juve continue Alonso chase
Rennes Look To Sinama-Pongolle
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Del Piero Preparing For Spanish Battle
It is the most high profile quarterfinal of the tournament and the first competitive meeting between the sides since the 1994 World Cup, when Italy emerged 2-1 victors in the USA.
Del Piero, though unlikely to start, is looking forward to the challenge. “It is going to be a difficult game that will be a real battle from start to finish.
“There are two important teams going head to head for the best possible result, so there will be a lot to fight for.
“They are similar sides in terms of their style of play. The major differences are in their mentality. Keeping possession can be a psychological aspect of the sport more than a technical one.
“Both teams are very strong. There is so much talk of the Spanish attack, but the Italian one is very good too,” insisted Del Piero.
Of Luca Toni, Italy's star striker recently short on goals, Del Piero said: “Do I have advice for Toni? He doesn’t need advice from me, he knows what to do."
Platini: Italy, France & Germany Favourites
Del Piero silent on Italy
Del Piero, though unlikely to start, is looking forward to the challenge. “It is going to be a difficult game that will be a real battle from start to finish.
“There are two important teams going head to head for the best possible result, so there will be a lot to fight for.
“They are similar sides in terms of their style of play. The major differences are in their mentality. Keeping possession can be a psychological aspect of the sport more than a technical one.
“Both teams are very strong. There is so much talk of the Spanish attack, but the Italian one is very good too,” insisted Del Piero.
Of Luca Toni, Italy's star striker recently short on goals, Del Piero said: “Do I have advice for Toni? He doesn’t need advice from me, he knows what to do."
Platini: Italy, France & Germany Favourites
Del Piero silent on Italy
Aragones: We're Ready To Die On The Field
Germany overcame Portugal, Turkey bested Croatia and Russia tonight beat the Netherlands to each book their places in the semi-finals.
In keeping with the above pattern, should the team who has been less impressive so far in the tournament emerge victorious tonight, Luis Aragones' last ever tournament with Spain will end no better than the rest - with yet another quarterfinal exit.
Having swept their group with three wins out of three, Spain are the form side against 2006 World Cup winners Italy who, though admittedly in the Group of Death, had to scrape over the line and did not look their best.
History certainly favours the Azzurri both in head-to-head meetings and success rates in general. Each nation has only won this competition once, with Spain victorious in 1964 (their only international trophy) and Italy, who of course have four World Cups, won the edition after Spain in 1968.
Aragones is geared up and extremely positive ahead of the game. "The team is convinced (they will win), no doubt about that. They'll give it 110 per cent.
"We have to have positive thinking and the team is ready to die on the field if they have to."
He believes his side will learn from the mistakes that saw them crash out in the second round of the World Cup to France. "In that match the team pushed forward too much and we should have changed our tactics.
"We've been working on that and talking about that but against Greece we played their game in the first half until we sat the players down at half time and spoke about it."
Spain B beat Greece
Aragonés Tips Italy And Bemoans Fatigue
In keeping with the above pattern, should the team who has been less impressive so far in the tournament emerge victorious tonight, Luis Aragones' last ever tournament with Spain will end no better than the rest - with yet another quarterfinal exit.
Having swept their group with three wins out of three, Spain are the form side against 2006 World Cup winners Italy who, though admittedly in the Group of Death, had to scrape over the line and did not look their best.
History certainly favours the Azzurri both in head-to-head meetings and success rates in general. Each nation has only won this competition once, with Spain victorious in 1964 (their only international trophy) and Italy, who of course have four World Cups, won the edition after Spain in 1968.
Aragones is geared up and extremely positive ahead of the game. "The team is convinced (they will win), no doubt about that. They'll give it 110 per cent.
"We have to have positive thinking and the team is ready to die on the field if they have to."
He believes his side will learn from the mistakes that saw them crash out in the second round of the World Cup to France. "In that match the team pushed forward too much and we should have changed our tactics.
"We've been working on that and talking about that but against Greece we played their game in the first half until we sat the players down at half time and spoke about it."
Spain B beat Greece
Aragonés Tips Italy And Bemoans Fatigue
Friday, June 20, 2008
Ronaldinho For Olympics? Jury Split
The two-times FIFA World Player of the Year has fallen out of favour at Camp Nou but seems desperate to return to top-flight competition as soon as possible.
Ronaldinho was seen at the Mineirão stadium in Belo Horizonte during Brazil's goalless draw against Argentina for the 2010 World Cup qualifying.
There, he told the press that he was absolutely sure that he would represent the Brazilian colours at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
And yesterday, the CBF president stressed that Ronaldinho will be a very important asset to the squad in this tournament.
"He is a player that has what it takes to make a great Olympic tournament and a great World Cup qualifying with us," he told Jornal Nacional. "I ask the Brazilian fans to support Ronaldinho because it is very important that he returns to the Seleção.
Dunga's Decline
If Ronaldinho does make it into Brazil's squad plans, this certainly weakens Dunga, who has kept the Barcelona ace out of his call-ups.
The 44-year-old coach has already commented on this matter, criticizing the Brazilian federation: "I came here to do a work, I set rules and some did not like that."
Ronaldinho himself, meanwhile, said this week that he's itching for an international recall, and it seems as though he may just get his wish despite the desires of the manager.
Brazil are currently in fifth place in the CONMEBOL qualifying region and will thus have to play a team from CONCACAF if they stay in this position in the standings table.
Ronaldinho To Miss Barça Last Fixture
Messi wants Ronaldinho stay
Iniesta: Remember The Good Times
Ronaldinho was seen at the Mineirão stadium in Belo Horizonte during Brazil's goalless draw against Argentina for the 2010 World Cup qualifying.
There, he told the press that he was absolutely sure that he would represent the Brazilian colours at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
And yesterday, the CBF president stressed that Ronaldinho will be a very important asset to the squad in this tournament.
"He is a player that has what it takes to make a great Olympic tournament and a great World Cup qualifying with us," he told Jornal Nacional. "I ask the Brazilian fans to support Ronaldinho because it is very important that he returns to the Seleção.
Dunga's Decline
If Ronaldinho does make it into Brazil's squad plans, this certainly weakens Dunga, who has kept the Barcelona ace out of his call-ups.
The 44-year-old coach has already commented on this matter, criticizing the Brazilian federation: "I came here to do a work, I set rules and some did not like that."
Ronaldinho himself, meanwhile, said this week that he's itching for an international recall, and it seems as though he may just get his wish despite the desires of the manager.
Brazil are currently in fifth place in the CONMEBOL qualifying region and will thus have to play a team from CONCACAF if they stay in this position in the standings table.
Ronaldinho To Miss Barça Last Fixture
Messi wants Ronaldinho stay
Iniesta: Remember The Good Times
The Portugal Saga Begins
Portugal may be out of the tournament, but the story is just beginning for the team.
They crashed out of the tournament even after a spirited display, after a 3-2 loss against Germany - the same team that beat them at World Cup 2006 to claim 3rd place in that tournament. But this is just the key that has opened the door to a summer of possibilities for the players, and even the manager of the Portugal national side.
It is no secret that coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has agreed to join Russian billionaire Roman Abramavich's Chelsea set up in the English Premier League. The Brazilian coach consented to join the Stamford Bridge club two weeks ago, and has since been the subject of much speculation regarding who, from the Portugal team, he may take with him to his new job in London. Scolari has been promised a £100 million transfer budget, and he is said to be targeting the best players in the world to make Chelsea the best club. On his wish-list are players like Kaka, Ronaldinho, Franck Ribery, Deco, and even Manchester United target Karim Benzema.
Who knows what the future of Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack would be? It was his Germany team that knocked out the Portuguese from the tournament, with Ballack himself scoring one of the 3 goals in the match. Would Scolari take revenge and sell him off? Would he, out of spite, simply leave the German on the bench without ever giving him first-team football? Or would he take the professional route and not take it personally? The possibilities are endless, as is the speculation - some in Portugal do believe that Scolari is the type to hold a grudge. But for a concrete answer we'll just have to wait and see.
The Ronaldo Affair
And how can we forget about the golden boy of the tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo? He has had some decent matches, but nowhere near to what was expected of him, after a blistering season with Manchester United which saw him score 31 goals just in the league. With expectations high, and Real Madrid watching from afar, it was speculated that his performances might not be up-to par, and that's exactly what happened.
However, the end of Euro 2008 for Portugal has meant that the 'Ronaldo saga' will begin a few weeks early. It is public knowledge that Real Madrid want to sign Manchester United's prized possession, and that they are willing to spend as much as £70m. United boss Alex Ferguson has steadfastly refused all the bids so far, and has made it clear that Ronaldo is not for sale. But what does Ronaldo say himself? He has been quoted as stating a desire to play in Real Madrid, and that he would make his decision at the end of Euro 2008. He wasted no time in doing so: within hours of elimination, he'd reawakened speculation by stating that he hoped that an agreement would take place within days!
Still, that won't be the end of it. Real Madrid were in the eyes of some lucky to avoid punishment from FIFA, following allegations from the Manchester club, that Ronaldo had been 'illegally tapped up.' World football governing body FIFA, stated that they had not found any evidence of such, and that the investigation was pending evidence of actual misconduct on the part of the Madrid club. If they continue with this course of action, a further investigation may be looming somewhere in the horizon, but for now Ronaldo's doing a good enough job of stoking the fires himself.
Alex Ferguson is known for reacting with extreme prejudice towards with the players he falls out with, the latest and most memorable factor being the incident with midfielder David Beckham, when the Scotsman threw a boot at the England international, injuring him badly enough to be taken to a doctor to have the bleeding gash closed up.
United have done business with Real Madrid in the past, and there have been no real issues in those past transactions. The most recent being David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and Argentine Gabriel Heinze. But Ronaldo's case may be different. In all those cases, Ferguson actually had a problem with the player, and the moves marked an end to dressing room tension, and bad morale inside the team, but is this the fact in Ronaldo's case? -- It could well be, if the Portugal man doesn't pledge his future to the Manchester club, or make it clear that Old Trafford is his only haven.
Worth It?
Ronaldo said late Thursday there is a "great" possibility that he is moving to Real and would have more news on his future in the coming days. But Manchester United responded by issuing a statement Friday – described on its Web site as a "defiant message" – stressing that its prized asset won't be sold. It was an additional setback for Ronaldo, who also said he requires surgery on his right foot.
"Further to Friday's press speculation about where Cristiano Ronaldo's future lies, the club has moved to reiterate its stance on the matter: United are not listening to offers," United said.
Ronaldo was bought for a £12.25m fee in 2003 from Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon, the same club his United teammates Nani and Anderson hail from. If a transfer is on the cards, it would see Manchester United make a profit in the region of 50m pounds after compensating for the sponsorship deals, and player endorsements. Now that sounds like a profitable piece of business.
But is Ronaldo worth the £70m being offered by Real? Well, the goals to games ratio seems to be a great indicator of that. The Portuguese winger scored 31 goals in 34 appearances for the Red Devils in the 2007/2008 Barclays Premier League season, and was voted as the best player in the world. The 23-year-old scored 42 goals in total, in all competitions, helping the Red Devils win the English and European titles. His assist record is quite fantastic as well, with most of United's 80 goals being created or manufactured by him. But £70m is such a steep price to pay on one player, and if expectations go to his head, Ronaldo could end up like players such as Andrei Shevchenko (AC Milan to Chelsea FC, £30m), and Theirry Henry (Arsenal to Barcelona FC, £16m), who had made big money moves away from the clubs they had been successful for, and subsequently becoming world-renowned flops at their new clubs. But only time will tell if such fears are actually warranted.
Not Alone
Other players from the Portugal side who are making news is of course Jose Bosingwa, who has already completed a £16.2m move to Scolari's new side Chelsea; midfielder Joao Moutinho, who is set to choose between Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United; winger Ricardo Quaresma, who is being tipped to a big money move to Real Madrid as he seeks to escape Porto; and finally Deco, who has a choice between a return to Portugal, a move to Chelsea, or an unlikel, but rumoured transfer to Newcastle United.
Whatever the future holds, the speculation, and the anticipation surrounding these players is extraordinary. The summer is only beginning for Portugal, and the fans shouldn't be too disheartened considering their side will receive a hefty amount of exposure in the coming month. Whether it's the type that they want, though, is another matter entirely.
Scolari Denies Man City Appointment
Ronaldo D-Day In Two Weeks
They crashed out of the tournament even after a spirited display, after a 3-2 loss against Germany - the same team that beat them at World Cup 2006 to claim 3rd place in that tournament. But this is just the key that has opened the door to a summer of possibilities for the players, and even the manager of the Portugal national side.
It is no secret that coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has agreed to join Russian billionaire Roman Abramavich's Chelsea set up in the English Premier League. The Brazilian coach consented to join the Stamford Bridge club two weeks ago, and has since been the subject of much speculation regarding who, from the Portugal team, he may take with him to his new job in London. Scolari has been promised a £100 million transfer budget, and he is said to be targeting the best players in the world to make Chelsea the best club. On his wish-list are players like Kaka, Ronaldinho, Franck Ribery, Deco, and even Manchester United target Karim Benzema.
Who knows what the future of Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack would be? It was his Germany team that knocked out the Portuguese from the tournament, with Ballack himself scoring one of the 3 goals in the match. Would Scolari take revenge and sell him off? Would he, out of spite, simply leave the German on the bench without ever giving him first-team football? Or would he take the professional route and not take it personally? The possibilities are endless, as is the speculation - some in Portugal do believe that Scolari is the type to hold a grudge. But for a concrete answer we'll just have to wait and see.
The Ronaldo Affair
And how can we forget about the golden boy of the tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo? He has had some decent matches, but nowhere near to what was expected of him, after a blistering season with Manchester United which saw him score 31 goals just in the league. With expectations high, and Real Madrid watching from afar, it was speculated that his performances might not be up-to par, and that's exactly what happened.
However, the end of Euro 2008 for Portugal has meant that the 'Ronaldo saga' will begin a few weeks early. It is public knowledge that Real Madrid want to sign Manchester United's prized possession, and that they are willing to spend as much as £70m. United boss Alex Ferguson has steadfastly refused all the bids so far, and has made it clear that Ronaldo is not for sale. But what does Ronaldo say himself? He has been quoted as stating a desire to play in Real Madrid, and that he would make his decision at the end of Euro 2008. He wasted no time in doing so: within hours of elimination, he'd reawakened speculation by stating that he hoped that an agreement would take place within days!
Still, that won't be the end of it. Real Madrid were in the eyes of some lucky to avoid punishment from FIFA, following allegations from the Manchester club, that Ronaldo had been 'illegally tapped up.' World football governing body FIFA, stated that they had not found any evidence of such, and that the investigation was pending evidence of actual misconduct on the part of the Madrid club. If they continue with this course of action, a further investigation may be looming somewhere in the horizon, but for now Ronaldo's doing a good enough job of stoking the fires himself.
Alex Ferguson is known for reacting with extreme prejudice towards with the players he falls out with, the latest and most memorable factor being the incident with midfielder David Beckham, when the Scotsman threw a boot at the England international, injuring him badly enough to be taken to a doctor to have the bleeding gash closed up.
United have done business with Real Madrid in the past, and there have been no real issues in those past transactions. The most recent being David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and Argentine Gabriel Heinze. But Ronaldo's case may be different. In all those cases, Ferguson actually had a problem with the player, and the moves marked an end to dressing room tension, and bad morale inside the team, but is this the fact in Ronaldo's case? -- It could well be, if the Portugal man doesn't pledge his future to the Manchester club, or make it clear that Old Trafford is his only haven.
Worth It?
Ronaldo said late Thursday there is a "great" possibility that he is moving to Real and would have more news on his future in the coming days. But Manchester United responded by issuing a statement Friday – described on its Web site as a "defiant message" – stressing that its prized asset won't be sold. It was an additional setback for Ronaldo, who also said he requires surgery on his right foot.
"Further to Friday's press speculation about where Cristiano Ronaldo's future lies, the club has moved to reiterate its stance on the matter: United are not listening to offers," United said.
Ronaldo was bought for a £12.25m fee in 2003 from Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon, the same club his United teammates Nani and Anderson hail from. If a transfer is on the cards, it would see Manchester United make a profit in the region of 50m pounds after compensating for the sponsorship deals, and player endorsements. Now that sounds like a profitable piece of business.
But is Ronaldo worth the £70m being offered by Real? Well, the goals to games ratio seems to be a great indicator of that. The Portuguese winger scored 31 goals in 34 appearances for the Red Devils in the 2007/2008 Barclays Premier League season, and was voted as the best player in the world. The 23-year-old scored 42 goals in total, in all competitions, helping the Red Devils win the English and European titles. His assist record is quite fantastic as well, with most of United's 80 goals being created or manufactured by him. But £70m is such a steep price to pay on one player, and if expectations go to his head, Ronaldo could end up like players such as Andrei Shevchenko (AC Milan to Chelsea FC, £30m), and Theirry Henry (Arsenal to Barcelona FC, £16m), who had made big money moves away from the clubs they had been successful for, and subsequently becoming world-renowned flops at their new clubs. But only time will tell if such fears are actually warranted.
Not Alone
Other players from the Portugal side who are making news is of course Jose Bosingwa, who has already completed a £16.2m move to Scolari's new side Chelsea; midfielder Joao Moutinho, who is set to choose between Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United; winger Ricardo Quaresma, who is being tipped to a big money move to Real Madrid as he seeks to escape Porto; and finally Deco, who has a choice between a return to Portugal, a move to Chelsea, or an unlikel, but rumoured transfer to Newcastle United.
Whatever the future holds, the speculation, and the anticipation surrounding these players is extraordinary. The summer is only beginning for Portugal, and the fans shouldn't be too disheartened considering their side will receive a hefty amount of exposure in the coming month. Whether it's the type that they want, though, is another matter entirely.
Scolari Denies Man City Appointment
Ronaldo D-Day In Two Weeks
Laporta: Messi Is A Global Star
Speaking to the official FC Barcelona website, the president moved to praise some of the players who have already made names for themselves at Camp Nou.
He said, "Talented players? We have lots. Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Henry ... they are players at the highest media level and all top class players... and we have a player who is global reference, Messi."
But it was the new signings that really caught his eye. Reflecting on the arrivals of Seydou Keita, Gerard Piqué and Martín Cáceres, he added, "Things are working out as we expected. The signings are reinforcements of the configuration of the squad."
Comparing the new arrivals to those of 2004, he said, "When we bought players, that gave good results.
"We are building a team... when we build a team we get good results.
"I am very excited and in a positive mood and I just can’t wait for the season to begin."
High On Confidence
The president's easy-going optimism belies some deeper problems - not least an impending vote of no confidence.
A group of supporters arranged a petition to put Laporta and his board's future to the ballot box, and all will be revealed after the vote takes place on July 6th.
"It has to be a process that respects democracy, which is one of this club’s most treasured values," said Laporta.
"On the 6th the Board of Directors’ work will be censured or not. Our consciences are clean after the work we have done, and if the members want us to, we can do even better than we have."
Messi: Great Preparation For The Bernabéu
Messi wants Ronaldinho stay
Zanetti Reveals Messi Dream
He said, "Talented players? We have lots. Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Henry ... they are players at the highest media level and all top class players... and we have a player who is global reference, Messi."
But it was the new signings that really caught his eye. Reflecting on the arrivals of Seydou Keita, Gerard Piqué and Martín Cáceres, he added, "Things are working out as we expected. The signings are reinforcements of the configuration of the squad."
Comparing the new arrivals to those of 2004, he said, "When we bought players, that gave good results.
"We are building a team... when we build a team we get good results.
"I am very excited and in a positive mood and I just can’t wait for the season to begin."
High On Confidence
The president's easy-going optimism belies some deeper problems - not least an impending vote of no confidence.
A group of supporters arranged a petition to put Laporta and his board's future to the ballot box, and all will be revealed after the vote takes place on July 6th.
"It has to be a process that respects democracy, which is one of this club’s most treasured values," said Laporta.
"On the 6th the Board of Directors’ work will be censured or not. Our consciences are clean after the work we have done, and if the members want us to, we can do even better than we have."
Messi: Great Preparation For The Bernabéu
Messi wants Ronaldinho stay
Zanetti Reveals Messi Dream
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Spanish PM: We Will Beat Italy
Spain, as is usually the case in most major tournaments, have made an excellent start to Euro 2008, topping Group D with maximum points, and scoring eight goals in just three games.
This Sunday they will be up against Italy, who they have not beaten competitively for 88 years, however the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Rodriguez Zapatero is confident of success.
“The objective is to shake off this curse that follows the national side,” Mr Zapatero said.
“Our football is top quality, but every time we play in a major competition we have problems with confidence.
“However, our team is better than Italy’s and I think that we will win the game 3-2.”
Spain have not got past the quarter finals of a major tournament since 1984, when they lost in the final of the European Championships to Michel Platini’s France.
Spain B beat Greece
Cannavaro To Spanish PM: You Are Wrong
Di Stefano: Spain Can Do It
This Sunday they will be up against Italy, who they have not beaten competitively for 88 years, however the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Rodriguez Zapatero is confident of success.
“The objective is to shake off this curse that follows the national side,” Mr Zapatero said.
“Our football is top quality, but every time we play in a major competition we have problems with confidence.
“However, our team is better than Italy’s and I think that we will win the game 3-2.”
Spain have not got past the quarter finals of a major tournament since 1984, when they lost in the final of the European Championships to Michel Platini’s France.
Spain B beat Greece
Cannavaro To Spanish PM: You Are Wrong
Di Stefano: Spain Can Do It
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