Category: Section 2 Around the Net

Newly sacked Tony Adams has declared himself “a little bit surprised” by his prompt dismissal as Portsmouth manager just a few months after taking over from Harry Redknapp, even though he conceded that “results have not been good.”   Former Arsenal and England defender Adams has overseen two victories since taking over — one in […]

Former Duke University forward Mike Grella has wasted no time in finishing college, turning down Major League Soccer, and signing a contract with his new team, English third-tier side Leeds United.   Grella, who graduated in December, told Luke DeCock, “If I could have done school in a year, I would have done it in […]

Sunderland Chairman Niall Quinn has said that his club’s decision to cut season ticket prices for next season was driven by a sense of “moral responsibility.” The team will lower season ticket prices by at least £30 ($45), while children accompanied by an adult will be able to buy season tickets for £19 ($30), just […]

English second division club Reading has confirmed that U.S. national team midfielder Bobby Convey, 25, has left the club.   “It hasn’t worked out recently, but he will always have a place in our history,” Reading’s Director of Football Nick Hammond said. Convey’s agent, Dan Segal, said the player has “been approached by a number […]

UEFA President Michel Platini has told Manchester City that instead of paying up to $200 million for Brazilian playmaker Kaka, it should produce its own player of similar quality. He said the wealthy club’s attempt to sign the Milan player was “ridiculous” from a soccer social and financial point of view.   “City can have […]

Sometimes divorce can be a messy business, where both sides end up slinging mud, writes Andrea Canales. Sometimes a divorce can be amicable, and everyone stays friends. David Beckham‘s split from Major League Soccer and the L.A. Galaxy seems to be a combination of the two.   Beckham seems to be slinging mud, while the […]

New Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given has said that the way his departure from Newcastle United was handled after 12 years of service to the club was “a bit disgusting.” The keeper left the club last week after becoming disillusioned at the way it was being run by owner Mike Ashley, and at the departure […]

“My problem is not [David] Beckham, it’s Milan buying a player for three months. Why then could they not buy a player for one game, for the final? You buy five players for the final. We have to look at it.” UEFA President Michel Platini questions the system of loaning out players, and announces the […]

“We hosted rugby and cricket World Cups, the All Africa Games, the Athletics World Cup and a number of other events — only God can move this World Cup. Only a natural disaster could lead to it being moved elsewhere.” South Africa World Cup Local Organizing Committee Chief Executive Danny Jordaan talking to the sport […]

“It was a shambles on air. It was not deliberate. It was a technical cock-up.” ITV Executive Chairman Michael Grade apologizes on air to viewers for the “inexcusable glitch” that caused many to miss the winning goal in Wednesday’s FA Cup tie between Everton and Liverpool after the channel cut away from the action to […]

“I feel very good at Bayern. I have a contract with them until 2011, everybody is nice to me and I speak better German. But I can’t be indifferent to the interest from big clubs. We will see what happens next.” Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery won’t rule out a transfer away from the Bundesliga. […]

“It’s been a lot less stressful. Normally we are already worrying about set pieces and marking. The focus now is making sure we get everyone fit and physically ready. It’s a whole different mentality and it’s a lot easier this way. In the past, you were worried about picking out your first 11 right about […]

“The English for the most part desperately want soccer to fail in the U.S., and are both appalled and dumbfounded by the fact that it’s actually doing rather well.” An interview with Philadelphia-based Guardian journalist Steven Wells.

Years ago, supercilious British soccer fans loved to laugh at the fact that television coverage of games in the United States would be interrupted for commercial breaks. To Brits, such vandalism was sacreligious, and to lose even a few seconds of action was deemed as craven kowtowing to financial interests. Let’s fast forward a few […]

Player interviews are rarely worth highlighting, especially in the preseason phase when they’re all predicting playoffs and titles and saying what a great bunch of lads coach is putting together, and how hard everyone is working at practice. But Houston Dynamo’s Kei Kamara manages to be consistently interesting in his chat with Keith Costigan, especially […]

Bad news for those who see him as the savior of Liverpool and England — club captain Steven Gerrard is out for three weeks with a hamstring tear suffered during his team’s 1-0 defeat at Everton in the FA Cup Wednesday. He will also miss England’s friendly in Spain next week, and possibly Liverpool’s Champions […]

Subscription channel Setanta Sports, who paid $574 million for its existing two Premier League packages of live TV rights, is “in danger of losing both in the second round of bidding tomorrow [Friday] for the next three-year contract [2010-2013],” writes Charles Sale.   He reports that ESPN, “who have remained highly secretive of their intentions […]

Another day, another nightclub “incident” involving a Premier League star. England and Manchester City defender Micah Richards, 20, was arrested Wednesday over an alleged assault outside a nightclub just before Christmas. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “A 20-year-old man has been arrested after an assault outside a Hale [in Greater Manchester] nightclub, at […]

“So what of the glorious legacy [David] Beckham was supposed to leave behind? Well, there really isn’t one. Attendance and television ratings, which enjoyed a level of increase, likely will revert to normal. Worse, Beckham has embarrassed the league and made it seem small-time. He goes after 30 games, five goals, 12 assists, a million […]

“It’s nothing against the MLS and the football over there because it’s a game that will grow, but it will take quite a few years.” Just a word, David Beckham, but before you leave for good, you’d think that after two years you would have picked up on the fact that Major League Soccer is […]

Lawyers representing the L.A. Galaxy’s wide midfielder David Beckham, 33, currently on loan to AC Milan, are talking with the Californian team about a possible extension to his loan period, the Italian club said on Wednesday.   “His lawyers are in talks with [the] Los Angeles Galaxy,” Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani said on the […]

The San Jose Earthquakes are close to signing U.S. national team midfielder Bobby Convey from English side Reading, reports Elliott Almond, quoting “a Major League Soccer source.” The club is also about to sign forward Cam Weaver from FK Haugesund of Norway.   Former D.C. United player Convey, 25, “brings a big name to San […]

Satellite TV broadcaster Sky has paid more than $1.45 billion, and possibly as much as $1.9 billion, to retain its rights to the majority of English Premier League coverage from 2010-2013, writes Matt Dickinson in the Times. Sky is 39.1 percent owned by Rupert Murdoch‘s News Corporation, parent company to the newspaper.   Sky “has […]

Paying Zenit St Petersburg $21.7 million for midfielder Andrei Arshavin has taken Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger “out of his comfort zone,” writes Dominic Fifield, unaccustomed as he is to paying large amounts for individual players. But despite the question marks over the player’s attitude and temperament, Arsenal has signed “a genius.”   Although Wenger prides […]

Arsenal’s new chief executive Ivan Gazidis “believes that Arsene Wenger will be the manager at Arsenal for as long as the Frenchman wants and does not have a minimum success to reach in order to keep his job,” writes Sam Wallace. The former MLS deputy commissioner  also told Wallace that wealthy benefactors are not healthy […]