Kaka speculation exercises minds: "It was a great proposal but it's not about only money. We have to see if Manchester City have a project to become a Champions League team and become one of the top teams in the world, and to stay there long term. Kaka wouldn't do anything based on money. He would never do something like Robinho, who, just to earn more, contented himself with a solution that was not a winning one."
– Kaka advisor Diogo Kotscho on the player's proposed link up with his old mate at Eastlands.
“He has helped me with all my professional decisions and has always given me good advice.”
– Kaka himself on his dad, Bosco, whose cut of the deal was last week estimated to be €11 million, something that might just prompt him to advise his son that Manchester is the new Milan.
“Did he cry? No, the media are reading things into everything. He was spotted with his suitcase yesterday because he was going into the pre-match ritiro, not for any other reason.”
– Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti on his highly valued star following Saturday’s defeat of Fiorentina.
“We made an offer too but it was turned down. We offered Stoke-on-Trent.”
– Stoke boss Tony Pulis on the proposed mega-deal.
Numbers game hints at Ronaldo plan
RUMOURS that Cristiano Ronaldo might be off to Real Madrid are doing the rounds again, fuelled this time by the revelation in the Sun that he has registered his initials as a trademark together with the number nine. The significance being, of course, that he wears the number seven at Manchester United.
The paper reveals that the digits “CR9” were copyrighted last month in his native Portugal, a move it suggests was prompted by the promise of €150,000 a week and the number nine shirt by the Spanish giants.
The lovable 23-year-old is currently starring in an internet Nike ad in which he pops up in disguise and describes himself as “the best player in the world . . . mate!” The statement, it seems, shouldn’t be taken as a joke for the Daily Mail claimed last week that when a trio of United stars were asked to nominate their candidate for best player of all time, Rio Ferdinand and Anderson both went for Diego Maradona, while Ronaldo simply replied: “Me”.
Moldova's 'finest' a work of fiction
THE Guardianwere enjoying the discomfort of a rival this weekend with Simon Burnton reporting in Saturday's edition on the inclusion of the following entry in a list compiled this week by the Times of the world's top 50 up-and-coming young football stars.
“30. Masal Bugduv (Olimpia Balti) Moldova’s finest, the 16-year-old attacker has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal, work permit permitting. And he’s been linked with plenty of other top clubs as well.”
The problem, as you’ve probably already guessed, is that Bugduv doesn’t actually exist. Rather, he is the creation of cruel internet pranksters of the type who prey on poor overworked and unwary football journalists.
The people in question had built their fictitious player’s profile over a period of time using, amongst other things, fake Associated Press reports and, somewhat inevitably, Wikipedia.
After the article in the Times appeared, readers who sought to follow up on the story began to smell a rat when Bugduv failed to get a mention in official websites but the pranksters made a brief attempt to maintain the spoof before owning up to the scheme.
Burnton notes the Times was similarly humiliated when the newspaper linked Liverpool with a move for Didier Baptiste, a character in Sky One’s football soap, Dream Team. What fools, eh. Everybody knows Baptiste is holding for a move to Manchester City.
Malouda's ire
“I AM not a clown, I am not a puppet. You have to respect individuals as well. I don’t want to talk about him, or with him. He has the tendency to create conflict . . . what he has done to me, he has never done to anyone else. Firstly I was put in the stands, then when I came back, my number was changed without telling me and I came off in the 37th minute (against Romania). It isn’t a punishment, no, it is a reward!”
– French international Florent Malouda on manager Raymond Domench. Good to see all’s well in French camp.
Viagra to give Gremio players a lift
A BRAZILIAN club doctor has described the reaction to the news that players at Gremio are to be given Viagra ahead of games at high altitude as “puerile”.
“Viagra increases and improves the blood circulation,” says Alarcio Endres. “It therefore can improve the performances of players at high altitude. I had this illumination by reading a magazine, which (er) wasn’t a medical one. My studies show there will be no unseemly consequences.”
As it happens, one player is said to have missed a game for Newcastle United a few years back because he and a mate had taken a couple of Viagra each for a laugh after a night’s drinking prior to the match.
The club is said to have tried everything to get the player into a fit condition to play which, we suspect in our particularly puerile sort of way, may well have meant a bad day at the office for the club masseur.
Quotes of the week
“The blokes painting my house are all Pompey fans, they wear their club shirts every day. They’re as good as gold and we have a bit of banter. That said, the house will probably be painted blue and white when I get home!”
– Harry Redknapp on his new interior colour scheme ahead of yesterday’s game against his former team.
“He has been here six years and he feels these things but I don’t feel it. He thinks that he has to say those things about Ferguson because he thinks that, I don’t know why, but he has all our support.”
– Fernando Torres defends his manager as a loyal son might back his somewhat deranged dad.
“Who is Kris Boyd? This is the first time I have heard this name. Nothing will happen with him.”
– Club chairman Claudio Lotito reacts to a report that Lazio are to pay €4 million and €22,000 per week for the Rangers player.
“It is up to them to approach Newcastle and me. I am waiting for them.”
– Newcastle’s Charles N’Zogbia issues a plain “come and get me” plea to Lyon.
