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EURO 2012 MATCH 1 - GROUP A
As a co-host of EURO 2012, Poland is an automatic qualifier and is set to begin its campaign on June 9, 2012 in Warsaw, facing Greece as its first opponent.
EURO 2012 MATCH 3 - GROUP B
Netherlands and Denmark are facing each other again for the 31st time, this time at the EURO 2012 this June 10, 2012.
EURO 2012 MATCH 5 - GROUP C
EURO 2012’s Group C teams will start their respective campaigns on June 11, 2012 with the national teams of Spain and Italy on the front line.
EURO 2012 MATCH 7 - GROUP D
Group D of EURO 2012 is set to begin its opening round on June 12, 2012 with a much-awaited clash between France and England.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Swansea City v Wigan Athletic: match preview
FOOTBALL- MARTINEZ READY FOR THE WRATH OF SWANSEA
FORMER Swansea City boss Roberto Martinez (pictured) is ready to take on the chin whatever reception he is given by the home fans on his return to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday with Wigan. It was a controversial decision by Martinez, who had previously said he would only quit Swansea if he was forced out, and he was jeered by the home fans when Wigan played a Carling Cup tie at the DW Stadium last season.
The Latics will be the first club to play an away game in the Premier League outside England, and Martinez hopes the excitement of promotion to the top flight will have helped Swansea fans understand why it was a chance he felt he could not turn down.
The Spaniard said: "I understand and I'll accept any sort of reaction. I'm sure the fans, looking back now, they understand more my decision. They see the football club reaching the dream of the Premier League.
Betting favourites Swansea ready to bounce back against Wigan
Brendan Rodgers' men will look to put their Man City defeat behind them against Wigan.
Swansea received a baptism of fire in the Premier League on Monday, with substitute Sergio Aguero running riot in a 4-0 victory for Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
However, the Welsh side are 11/10 favourites to bounce back with a win against Wigan on Saturday, with a victory for the Latics priced at 49/20 and a draw at 9/4.
The Swans should find Wigan, who drew 1-1 with Norwich on the opening day of the season, less of a handful than the Citizens.
While Man City are joint-second favourites for the title, Wigan are, like Swansea, one of the most-fancied sides in bwin’s relegation betting market.
That said, Swansea cannot afford to treat Roberto Martinez’s men too lightly, with the Latics having a surprisingly good record away from home last year.
As the third-worst home team in the 2010-11 Premier League, Wigan’s record of four wins, seven draws and eight defeats from their 19 away games made them the ninth best side on the road and helped them avoid relegation.
This productive return away from the DW Stadium came despite the fact they scored fewer than a goal a game on the road on average, meaning a win – if they manage it – is likely to be earned courtesy of a 1-0 scoreline at odds of 35/4.
Victor Moses looks to be Wigan’s main danger man now Charles N’Zogbia has left for Aston Villa, and the former Crystal Palace flyer is an attractive 10/1 to open the scoring tomorrow.
Yet Swansea aren’t favourites for nothing, with their performances at the Liberty Stadium last season giving them the best home record in the Championship.
The Swans conceded just 11 goals at home in their 19 league games of the 2010-11 season, meaning a punt on Wigan failing to score at odds of 31/20 could pay off.
But with Swansea’s fluid passing style them netting them almost two goals a game at home last year, the best bet could be on a 2-0 victory for Brendan Rodgers’ side at odds of 9/1.
Squad sheets: Swansea City v Wigan Athletic
Jordi aims to clip Swans’ wings
Latics will make history by taking part in the first Premier League match to be played outside England at the Liberty Stadium.
It’ll be a new experience for all the Latics players apart from Gomez, who spent a hugely-successful year on loan with the Swans before following Roberto Martinez to Wigan two summers ago.
And the 26-year-old can’t wait to return to his former stomping ground – albeit this time in enemy colours.
Much of the groundwork for Swansea’s promotion last term occured during Roberto Martinez’s spell in change, and Gomez is delighted to have played a small part along the way.
While Martinez could well get a mixed reaction from the fans who once idolised him, Gomez should be okay having returned to parent club Espanyol before signing for Wigan.
El Clasico Review & Pictures : Real Madrid 2-2 FC Barcelona (14 August 2011)Supercopa
Despite showing the persistence and huge ambition to win the match, Real Madrid had to satisfy with the 2-2 draw result against Barcelona in the Supercopa clasico last night.
For the big match, Jose Mourinho used the same composition as last season of 4-3-2-1, but he replaced Gonzalo Higuain with Karim Benzema as a single striker. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola made changes in his starting eleven team, with Macherano and Abidal plotted as a central defenders, Thiago and Keita to accompanied Iniesta in the mildfield area, and giving the first debut for Alexis Sancez , replacing Pedro Rodriguez.
Back to the match, Mourinho’s squad started the attack immediately after the kick-off. Played with full confidence and well determination, Real Madrid made Barcelona uncomfortable on the field, and failed to develop their tiki taka style. The pressures made Barca defenders appeared more nervous, and often made mistakes in passing.
It’s not surprise to see Real Madrid score the first goal. Karim Benzema was the creator of the opening goal. He managed to fooled Abidal before passing the ball to Mesut Ozil, who strikes the ball straight to Barcelona goalpost. Lead with 1-0, Madrid tried to keep the pressure. Unfortunately, it didn’t support well with the players stamina that seemed to be dropped after 30 minutes of the game.
As a result, although closed the first half with a total of 11 shots attempts, Real Madrid couldn’t add another point, and had to watch Barcelona suceeded in maximizing their chances of 2 goals from 2 shot attempts, from David Villa and Messi. It was 1-2 for Barcelona.
Didn’t want to be humiliated in front of their own supporters, after the break El Real continued to fight back with the same strategy as the first half. And less than 10 minutes, it finally paid. They equalized the points through Xabi Alonso.
Of course, El Clasico always followed with controversy. Shortly after Alonso’s goal, Pepe made a hard tackle on Dani Alves. The incident was familiar among El Clasico lovers, since it was similar to the Champions League semi-final last season, that ended with Pepe’s red card. But this time, Pepe got free without a card. And like the usual, Barcelona players made a protest to the referee.
Soon afterwards, Guardiola changed Adriano and Thiago for Xavi Hernandez and Pique. However, they couldn’t stop the intensity of Real Madrid’s offensive strategy.
However, despite having many goals opportunity, El Real still failed to add the scoresheets. Even Ronaldo seemed to be frustrated with his failures on a few numbers of goal attempts.
Ten minutes before the match ended, Ronaldo made a protest after he got tripped by Valdes right hand in a penalty area, but the ref ignored the protest.
In the end, the statistic showed that Real Madrid made 17 shots attempts, while Barca had 4 chances, but until the match ended, Real Madrid only managed to add one goal. And despite Barca had the total 60% of the ball possesion in the second half, they failed to maximize their chances, and had to ended the match with a draw.
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Thursday, August 18, 2011
El clasico - FC Barcelona
El clásico
Logo FC Barcelona El clásico
There is often a fierce rivalry between the two strongest teams in a national league, and this is particularly the case in La Liga, where the game between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid is known as El Clásico. From the start the clubs were seen as representatives of two rival regions in Spain, Catalonia and Castile, as well as of the two cities themselves. The rivalry projects what many regard as the political and cultural tensions felt between Catalans and the Castilians. Logo FC Barcelona
Logo Real Madrid
However, during the Spanish Civil War itself, members of both clubs, like Josep Sunyol and Rafael Sánchez Guerra, suffered at the hands of Franco supporters.
During the 1950s the rivalry was exacerbated significantly when the clubs disputed the signing of Alfredo Di Stefano, who finally played for Real Madrid, thanks to the help of Franco, who transfered him to Real Madrid by "royal decree" after playing three games with Barcelona's shirt, who was the key in the subsequent success achieved by the club. The 1960s saw the rivalry reach the European stage when they met twice at the semi-final stage of the European Cup.
As nowadays FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are the two biggest and most successful clubs in Spain, the rivalry is renewed on an almost annual basis with both teams often challenging each other for the league championship. The latest Clasico was played in the Camp Nou and ended with a 3-3 draw, with Lionel Messi scoring his first hat-trick in his Clasico debut at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid El Clasico 2nd Leg
Barcelona vs Real Madrid El Clasico 2nd Leg
If we win the Spanish Super Cup, we will have to play much better said Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola on Tuesday, when referring to Sunday night's below-par performance by FC Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid controlled most of the possession and dictated the play in the first half, but Barcelona capitalized on their chances and managed to tie the game 2-2.
Now the 2011 Spanish Super Cup will be decided at Camp Nou between two teams who are desperate to seize the trophy. And both teams have so much to play for.Barcelona will be boosted by Alexis Sanchez's sparking performance in the first leg against Real Madrid as well as the addition of Cesc Fabregas to their squad. Whether or not he'll play Wednesday night is questionable. The former Arsenal midfielder trained with Barcelona on Tuesday and appears to be match fit.
No matter what happens, this is going to be must-see TV.
If we win the Spanish Super Cup, we will have to play much better said Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola on Tuesday, when referring to Sunday night's below-par performance by FC Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid controlled most of the possession and dictated the play in the first half, but Barcelona capitalized on their chances and managed to tie the game 2-2.
Now the 2011 Spanish Super Cup will be decided at Camp Nou between two teams who are desperate to seize the trophy. And both teams have so much to play for.Barcelona will be boosted by Alexis Sanchez's sparking performance in the first leg against Real Madrid as well as the addition of Cesc Fabregas to their squad. Whether or not he'll play Wednesday night is questionable. The former Arsenal midfielder trained with Barcelona on Tuesday and appears to be match fit.
No matter what happens, this is going to be must-see TV.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Live Updates To El Clasico In SuperCopa
Any time that Spanish footballing giants Barcelona and Real Madrid play against one another, in any competition, that match is referred to breathlessly as "el Clasico."
The first installment of this scintillating matcup during the 2011-12 Spanish campaign comes in today's SuperCopa matchup at the Bernabeu in Madrid.
Barcelona enter the game as the defending champions of both their domestic league as well as all of Europe. Led by Lionel Messi, whom no one even seems to contest is the best footballer in the world, and the Argentine's magic midfield mates Iniesta and Xavi, Barca represent the zenith of world football at the moment.
Real Madrid, mind you, are not very far behind, led by Cristiano Ronaldo. But the gap in fluency and insight seems to be consistently just too far to close. The task of unseating the Catalans atop the league table may be beginning to feel like a Sisyphean task. Madrid keeps adding talent hand over fist, running up impressive score lines against every other side in Spain, yet cannot seem to get the boulder to the tippy-top of the mountain.
Newcastle duo launch multi-sport initiative
The Toon duo, accompanied by two youngsters from the club's academy, Ben Sayer and Jamie Smith, joined players from Newcastle Eagles at Benfield School in Newcastle on Thursday to launch basketball as part of the Magpie's hugely successful Premier League 4 Sport programme.
The players joined in a basketball coaching camp for local youngsters at the Newcastle school, offering a taste of the sport to those who want to join one of two brand new basketball clubs at Seaton Burn Community College and Gosforth Central Middle from September.
The T90 Seitiro features NIKE RaDaR (Rapid Decision and Response) technology to give players unrivalled touch and feel and ensure the ball goes exactly where they want it to every time - as Sergio Aguero demonstrated with his stunning long-range strike for Manchester City in the 4-0 win over Swansea City.
best ball
Features include:
1. Micro-textured hand-stitched TPU casing for great touch and durability
2. Nike RaDaR technology performance graphic for a strong visual signal
3. A 360 degree sweet spot distributes pressure evenly across panels
4. Optimal sphericity allows the ball to fly faster, farther and more accurately than other balls
5. Flexible, cross-linked Nitrogen-expanded foam for shape retention and durability
6. Six-wing carbon-latex bladder for explosive acceleration off of the foot
7. Designed to FIFA's approved specifications, weighing between 420-445g, and with a circumference of between 68.5-69.5cm.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Baggies reject Latics' Odemingie bid
Odemwingie scored 15 Barclays Premier League goals in his first campaign with the Baggies and played a major role in them staying in the top flight.
The Nigerian international has been linked with several clubs during the summer and is currently in negotiations over a new contract - but Wigan are the first club to have made an official offer.
Albion's sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth insists the Baggies have no plans to sell Odemwingie who has two years remaining of his current deal.
great relationship
"Peter enjoyed a fantastic first season with us and is a firm favourite with the supporters, with whom he enjoys a great relationship.
"We spoke to Wigan beforehand and made it clear Peter was not for sale, but they still proceeded to lodge a bid - which has been flatly rejected."
Ashworth confirmed: "We are in discussions with Peter over a new-and-improved deal to reward him for his efforts last season and we are very hopeful these talks will reach a successful conclusion."
Liverpool experience made Hodgson stronger
The 64-year-old parted company with the Reds in January, just over seven months after taking the job, writes Stewart Coggin.
Hodgson accepts that he was never going to be a fans' favourite, with many Reds supporters in favour of current manager Kenny Dalglish being offered the job last
back foot
"I suppose I was unfortunate in a sense that it was in the takeover period, and a period of uncertainty, but I knew that when I took the job that it was uncertain. But I was bold enough to think I would override that, but it wasn't to be.
"It was a job I had to accept, albeit knowing that I would be going in there, to some extent, on the back foot because a takeover was in the offing and I wasn't the fans' choice and the guy who wanted the job and who was passed over for me, was the fans' choice.
"Everyone knows that. In the fans' eyes Kenny should have been given the job in the first place, but wasn't. But it was an interesting experience and all the things that don't destroy you, make you stronger."
Hodgson lost just two Barclays Premier League fixtures after taking over as West Brom manager in February, and while he accepts the nature of the job is a stark contrast to the pressure-cooker environment at Anfield, he is enjoying the fresh challenge of establishing the Baggies in the top flight.
"Now it is a different world, to some extent, but it is still the Premier League and it is still a good level of football and it is still working with good quality players," he continued.
"I'm pleased that I went straight back into the West Brom thing, and I had thoughts about whether that was the right thing to do after leaving Liverpool.
"It was another bold decision but I'm glad I took it and I guess you could say I agree that I'm more relaxed going into the new season because what started midway through as a painful experience, ended up as a very positive experience."
every season
With all the newly-promoted clubs strengthening, Hodgson knows West Brom cannot afford to stand still.
"If you don't improve your squad every season in this league, you are going to be in major difficulties because all the teams coming up, they have high hopes, they get the Premier League money, they buy players and often they're the ones in the best position to know where the best players in the championship are because they have studied them and come across them," he added.
"You notice quite often that when these championship teams come up, they take championship players who they have been impressed with. I think if you don't improve, and get one or two players in areas where you think you need help, you are going to quickly slide backwards."
Spurs v Everton called off
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has confirmed the fixture will not go ahead because the area around White Hart Lane is a crime scene called off in the wake of the London riots.
Civil unrest in and around Tottenham began last weekend and quickly spread to other areas of the capital and other major cities across England.
He said: "The very latest situation is that Tottenham and Everton has gone. The police have done a fantastic job, but it's been a crime scene all week and the council have not had enough time to do what they need.
"The Tottenham game is a real shame but we support the police in what they are doing. They want these games to go on as much as we do."
Virgin Trains have kindly agreed to refund fans in possession of match tickets who have already bought Virgin Train tickets.
A statement from the company read: "Due to the extenuating circumstances customers who have purchased train tickets may apply for a refund from the point of purchase on production of a valid match ticket."
all outraged
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused to supporters due to matters outside of the control of the club. We shall update fans on when this fixture will be rearranged in due course."
Scudamore is hopeful Spurs' match can be rescheduled in the near future, and added: "The people back at the office will look at it and the usual rules apply.
"We want to get it played at the earliest opportunity so the league can stay as intact as it can.
"The (club) owners and players are all outraged at what we've been witnessing, we want to get football on wherever possible but we understand and respect the decisions which have to be taken.
"(But) it doesn't seem right to be talking about difficulties with us when the difficulties are with the police, who are on the front line trying to restore order.
"It's a football competition at the end of the day, it's a fantastic football competition but it pales into insignificance against the things people have had to face in the jobs and in their daily life this week."
Friday, August 12, 2011
Teddy's return to the Lane
The start of the Premier League season sometimes brings with it the kind of serendipity usually reserved for the silver screen. For the opening fixture on August 10, 1997 the computer saw fit to pair Tottenham with Manchester United, with Spurs having just sold star striker Teddy Sheringham to the Red Devils. The match would be a memorable one for Sheringham as he struggled to fill Eric Cantona's boots at Old Trafford.
With Tottenham seemingly incapable of delivering the silverware he craved, England striker Teddy Sheringham transferred to Manchester United in June 1997 for a fee of £3.5 million.
Sheringham had made his name at Millwall after being plucked from obscurity as a 16-year-old at non-league club Leytonstone & Ilford. The striker broke all goalscoring records at the New Den and was soon on the radar of England's bigger clubs, with Nottingham Forest the quickest off the mark to bring him in for £2 million in 1991.
But after helping the club to a League Cup final (which they lost to Manchester United) and an 8th place finish in the First Division, Sheringham was sold for £0.1 million profit to Tottenham just one game into the inaugural Premiership season. It would be a move that Forest would regret as they were relegated the following year, but Sheringham flourished in his new surroundings and ended the campaign as the league's top scorer with 21 goals for Tottenham and one for his former club.
His career at Tottenham took off over the next few years, despite injury concerns hampering his development and, by 1997, Sheringham was viewed as one of the best English strikers around. He had made his international debut four years earlier but a successful Euro 1996 tournament (on a personal level) saw his partnership with Alan Shearer heralded and, having failed to win any silverware during his time in North London, Sheringham believed it was time to move on.
At the heart of his complaint lay a breakdown in his relationship with Tottenham owner Alan Sugar, which was indicative in the way in which he was told he could leave the club after being offered a new deal.
"From what I can make out the chairman has said that I can leave," Sheringham told the Independent. "I've had a letter read out to me by his secretary and it says that if the right offer comes along I will be allowed to leave. I have done what I had to do. I was still thinking about the contract when it was withdrawn. Alan Sugar told me later that was his custom but he did not tell me I had 48 hours at the time. Since it was in the build-up to England's game with South Africa, I would not have thought that was right anyway."
Also at the root of Sheringham's decision to leave was the fact that he had yet to win a domestic honour and claimed he was after a ''new challenge'' because he was ''disappointed that we have not been challenging for honours'' over the past few years.
"That was a big factor in the decision,'' he added. ''At the end of a career you want to look back on medals and the memories of how you won them. We have been close with Tottenham, but that is not good enough. There are times when we have looked good, but then fallen away. Top players want to play at the top level."
At the time, Premiership champions Manchester United were on the lookout for a new striker after the retirement of the 'King of the Old Trafford' Eric Cantona. The Frenchman's personality and stature was impossible to match, but in terms of playing style, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believed he had found the perfect replacement.
"Teddy Sheringham is a direct replacement for Eric. He's not a replica, but there is a likeness between the two," said Ferguson upon his arrival. "Teddy himself knows that and I rate him so highly that I don't think it will be putting too much pressure on him by saying it. He's got the same kind of experience as Eric, the same kind of presence about him - and I think he'll be a brilliant signing. He's fitted in nicely during the pre-season matches, and I'm sure that the fans will soon have a new hero, although they will never forget Eric."
As fate would have it, Sheringham's first game in the 1997-98 season was against Tottenham. At White Hart Lane. The striker was subjected to boos every time he touched the ball and, despite the fact that the fans' fury at his sale was eased by the acquisition of another England striker, Les Ferdinand, and French midfielder David Ginola - both from Newcastle - Sheringham still took both barrels from the same supporters who had cheered him a few months previous.
However, after 60 goalless minutes, the debutant was given a chance to silence his critics. A dubious penalty was awarded and Sheringham stepped up (taking over the spot-kick mantle from Cantona). But, despite beating the diving Ian Walker, his shot slammed off the post and he blasted the rebound well wide of the mark.
The former Spur was saved in typical United fashion, a Nicky Butt strike and an own goal by hapless defender Ramon Vega giving them all three points in the last ten minutes.
United left White Hart Lane with a 2-0 win, while Sheringham departed with the boos of fans still ringing in his ears. Although it would not be long before he picked up the long-awaited, and well deserved, silverware he craved.
What happened next?
Arsenal claimed the Double in 1997-98 leaving United trophyless and, despite his 14 goals that season, Sheringham's stock fell further with the arrival of Dwight Yorke the following summer and a public falling out with team-mate Andy Cole. However, Sheringham reached the pinnacle of his career when he helped to seal the Treble in 1998-99. At the age of 33, he scored in the FA Cup final and then repeated the feat with the first in a memorable last-gasp comeback in Barcelona against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Although he never reached the standards of Eric 'The King', Teddy's place in United history was assured. He returned to Spurs after being decorated as winner of both Football Writers' and PFA Player of the Year awards for a two-year spell in 2001.
With Tottenham seemingly incapable of delivering the silverware he craved, England striker Teddy Sheringham transferred to Manchester United in June 1997 for a fee of £3.5 million.
But after helping the club to a League Cup final (which they lost to Manchester United) and an 8th place finish in the First Division, Sheringham was sold for £0.1 million profit to Tottenham just one game into the inaugural Premiership season. It would be a move that Forest would regret as they were relegated the following year, but Sheringham flourished in his new surroundings and ended the campaign as the league's top scorer with 21 goals for Tottenham and one for his former club.
His career at Tottenham took off over the next few years, despite injury concerns hampering his development and, by 1997, Sheringham was viewed as one of the best English strikers around. He had made his international debut four years earlier but a successful Euro 1996 tournament (on a personal level) saw his partnership with Alan Shearer heralded and, having failed to win any silverware during his time in North London, Sheringham believed it was time to move on.
At the heart of his complaint lay a breakdown in his relationship with Tottenham owner Alan Sugar, which was indicative in the way in which he was told he could leave the club after being offered a new deal.
"From what I can make out the chairman has said that I can leave," Sheringham told the Independent. "I've had a letter read out to me by his secretary and it says that if the right offer comes along I will be allowed to leave. I have done what I had to do. I was still thinking about the contract when it was withdrawn. Alan Sugar told me later that was his custom but he did not tell me I had 48 hours at the time. Since it was in the build-up to England's game with South Africa, I would not have thought that was right anyway."
Also at the root of Sheringham's decision to leave was the fact that he had yet to win a domestic honour and claimed he was after a ''new challenge'' because he was ''disappointed that we have not been challenging for honours'' over the past few years.
"That was a big factor in the decision,'' he added. ''At the end of a career you want to look back on medals and the memories of how you won them. We have been close with Tottenham, but that is not good enough. There are times when we have looked good, but then fallen away. Top players want to play at the top level."
At the time, Premiership champions Manchester United were on the lookout for a new striker after the retirement of the 'King of the Old Trafford' Eric Cantona. The Frenchman's personality and stature was impossible to match, but in terms of playing style, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believed he had found the perfect replacement.
"Teddy Sheringham is a direct replacement for Eric. He's not a replica, but there is a likeness between the two," said Ferguson upon his arrival. "Teddy himself knows that and I rate him so highly that I don't think it will be putting too much pressure on him by saying it. He's got the same kind of experience as Eric, the same kind of presence about him - and I think he'll be a brilliant signing. He's fitted in nicely during the pre-season matches, and I'm sure that the fans will soon have a new hero, although they will never forget Eric."
As fate would have it, Sheringham's first game in the 1997-98 season was against Tottenham. At White Hart Lane. The striker was subjected to boos every time he touched the ball and, despite the fact that the fans' fury at his sale was eased by the acquisition of another England striker, Les Ferdinand, and French midfielder David Ginola - both from Newcastle - Sheringham still took both barrels from the same supporters who had cheered him a few months previous.
The former Spur was saved in typical United fashion, a Nicky Butt strike and an own goal by hapless defender Ramon Vega giving them all three points in the last ten minutes.
United left White Hart Lane with a 2-0 win, while Sheringham departed with the boos of fans still ringing in his ears. Although it would not be long before he picked up the long-awaited, and well deserved, silverware he craved.
What happened next?
Arsenal claimed the Double in 1997-98 leaving United trophyless and, despite his 14 goals that season, Sheringham's stock fell further with the arrival of Dwight Yorke the following summer and a public falling out with team-mate Andy Cole. However, Sheringham reached the pinnacle of his career when he helped to seal the Treble in 1998-99. At the age of 33, he scored in the FA Cup final and then repeated the feat with the first in a memorable last-gasp comeback in Barcelona against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Although he never reached the standards of Eric 'The King', Teddy's place in United history was assured. He returned to Spurs after being decorated as winner of both Football Writers' and PFA Player of the Year awards for a two-year spell in 2001.
Samurai Blue cut through Korea
"Japan confirm their status as Asia's best" would make a decent headline for this article. After all, it was good enough for newspapers in both Seoul and Tokyo on Thursday morning as media from both nations reacted to Japan's 3-0 win over their rivals in Sapporo.
The friendly started with a minute's silence for recently deceased Japanese football star Naoki Matsuda and ended with thunderous applause as a confident Samurai Blue put South Korea to the sword in one of the most comprehensive wins seen for some time in this fixture between Asia's biggest rivals.
Shinji Kagawa scored the first before the break and added a second seven minutes after though by that time Keisuke Honda had already added a second. Japan could have scored more but will be just happy with a first win at home over Korea in 13 years.
In Asia, no team goes to Japan expecting to win but South Korea is perhaps the only one to be a little disappointed when it doesn't do so. Just last year, fine victories came in Tokyo in February and Saitama in May, just hours before the two teams left for the World Cup. After the latter, Park Ji-Sung-inspired triumph (more results like this and calls for his return from retirement will not be far behind) , Japanese journalists openly scoffed at then-coach Takeshi Okada and his target of a semi-final place in South Africa. Korean scribes are nowhere near that stage but woke up on Thursday morning feeling a little depressed.
Before the game, Korean coach Cho Kwang-Rae said that the hosts, who had lifted the Asian Cup six months previously, were approaching 'international standard'. From an eastern point of view, that means an ability to match it with the best of the Europeans and South Americans. If there was only a little doubt before the game that Japan has what it takes to take on teams the old continents have to offer, there was none after. The encouraging thing is that under Okada's successor Alberto Zaccheroni, Japan are improving. The Italian has settled the boys in blue into this 4-2-3-1 formation. This is a well-organised team, fairly solid at the back, increasingly fluid going forward and full of confidence.
There are also some very good players for 'Zac' to choose from. Playing behind the main striker alongside Honda and Shinji Okazaki, Kagawa was the star of the show. His brace was made all the sweeter by the fact he missed the second half of last season through an injury sustained in the Asian Cup semi-final against Korea at the start of the year. By the looks of things, the 22-year-old has returned not only to fitness but to the form that saw him become a star of the Bundesliga in the first half of last season with champions Borussia Dortmund. His second could be a belter.
Captain Makoto Hasebe was the epitome of coolness and authority in midfield and didn't put a foot, or a pass, wrong while Honda revelled in the space he was allowed. Japan's ability to keep the ball while moving it around at speed had the opposition on the back foot from the first minute when Okazaki, who scored a spectacular goal for Stuttgart in the opening weekend of the Bundesliga last weekend, tried something similar but curled a shot just over from long range. The former Shimizu S-Pulse man was just one of a growing number of European-based players on display. With Japan missing Inter left-back Yuto Nagatomo, perhaps the team's best player at the Asian Cup.
Korea could point to absences of their own. The team has long been strong down the sides but after the recent retirements of Lee Young-Pyo and Park Ji-Sung, the left especially has become an issue. Full-back Kim Yong-Chol was withdrawn early in the first half and a creaky defence became downright leaky when replacement Park Won-Jae didn't even make half-time. The right usually belongs to Lee Chung-Yong but like Bolton Wanderers, the Taeguk Warriors will be without the wily wideman for nine months thanks to a broken leg collected in a pre-season friendly. Coach Cho opted not to call young stars Ji Dong-Won and Son Heung-Min to allow them a jetlag-free start to their respective Premier League and Bundesliga seasons and may have regretted that decision as he stood on the sidelines of a bouncing Sapporo Dome.
With a defence cut open time and time again, a midfield outpassed and outclassed and an attack unable to take advantage of what chances were created, there were hardly any positives for Korea to take from this loss with the only caveat that recent results and performances have been good enough not to get carried away over one result - however poor. Korea had been looking good in recent months, and playing some decent stuff, with successive wins over Honduras, Serbia and Ghana on the back of the Asian Cup in which a very young team impressed before coming within a penalty shootout of the final. The same young players need to bounce back for the start of Korea's qualification campaign for 2014 that starts in three weeks with a home match against Lebanon.
If there are now a few clouds of doubt hanging over the southern half of the Korean peninsula there are only clear skies above the Land of the Rising Sun with Brazil clearly visible on the horizon.
After friendly victories in the Netherlands and Germany in the recent past, Australia fans are not going to get too excited about a 2-1 win in Wales but it was a good result. Wales were motivated and had summoned a strong squad.
Tim Cahill grabbed the opener and just in case there were going to be any concerns expressed that the Socceroos were still over-reliant on the old guard, 22-year-old Robbie Kruse got the second. The result was not a surprise which, from an Aussie point of view, is perhaps the best part about it.
At least the hosts won 1-0 thanks to Zhao Peng though that was little consolation to Coach Gao Hongbo who has now been replaced by former Spain boss Jose Antonio Camacho. The move came as no surprise as it has been a badly-kept secret for weeks.
And...
Kuwait did the old 'warm-up for a game against one of the Koreas by arranging a friendly against the other one' routine' and drew 0-0 with the North in a result that surprised nobody. Syria drew 1-1 in Kazakhstan thanks to a goal from Nadim Sabagh, a decent result and a decent warm-up for a tough World Cup group that includes Japan, Uzbekistan and North Korea while Oman and Bahrain drew 1-1.
Shinji Kagawa scored the first before the break and added a second seven minutes after though by that time Keisuke Honda had already added a second. Japan could have scored more but will be just happy with a first win at home over Korea in 13 years.
In Asia, no team goes to Japan expecting to win but South Korea is perhaps the only one to be a little disappointed when it doesn't do so. Just last year, fine victories came in Tokyo in February and Saitama in May, just hours before the two teams left for the World Cup. After the latter, Park Ji-Sung-inspired triumph (more results like this and calls for his return from retirement will not be far behind) , Japanese journalists openly scoffed at then-coach Takeshi Okada and his target of a semi-final place in South Africa. Korean scribes are nowhere near that stage but woke up on Thursday morning feeling a little depressed.
Before the game, Korean coach Cho Kwang-Rae said that the hosts, who had lifted the Asian Cup six months previously, were approaching 'international standard'. From an eastern point of view, that means an ability to match it with the best of the Europeans and South Americans. If there was only a little doubt before the game that Japan has what it takes to take on teams the old continents have to offer, there was none after. The encouraging thing is that under Okada's successor Alberto Zaccheroni, Japan are improving. The Italian has settled the boys in blue into this 4-2-3-1 formation. This is a well-organised team, fairly solid at the back, increasingly fluid going forward and full of confidence.
There are also some very good players for 'Zac' to choose from. Playing behind the main striker alongside Honda and Shinji Okazaki, Kagawa was the star of the show. His brace was made all the sweeter by the fact he missed the second half of last season through an injury sustained in the Asian Cup semi-final against Korea at the start of the year. By the looks of things, the 22-year-old has returned not only to fitness but to the form that saw him become a star of the Bundesliga in the first half of last season with champions Borussia Dortmund. His second could be a belter.
Captain Makoto Hasebe was the epitome of coolness and authority in midfield and didn't put a foot, or a pass, wrong while Honda revelled in the space he was allowed. Japan's ability to keep the ball while moving it around at speed had the opposition on the back foot from the first minute when Okazaki, who scored a spectacular goal for Stuttgart in the opening weekend of the Bundesliga last weekend, tried something similar but curled a shot just over from long range. The former Shimizu S-Pulse man was just one of a growing number of European-based players on display. With Japan missing Inter left-back Yuto Nagatomo, perhaps the team's best player at the Asian Cup.
Korea could point to absences of their own. The team has long been strong down the sides but after the recent retirements of Lee Young-Pyo and Park Ji-Sung, the left especially has become an issue. Full-back Kim Yong-Chol was withdrawn early in the first half and a creaky defence became downright leaky when replacement Park Won-Jae didn't even make half-time. The right usually belongs to Lee Chung-Yong but like Bolton Wanderers, the Taeguk Warriors will be without the wily wideman for nine months thanks to a broken leg collected in a pre-season friendly. Coach Cho opted not to call young stars Ji Dong-Won and Son Heung-Min to allow them a jetlag-free start to their respective Premier League and Bundesliga seasons and may have regretted that decision as he stood on the sidelines of a bouncing Sapporo Dome.
With a defence cut open time and time again, a midfield outpassed and outclassed and an attack unable to take advantage of what chances were created, there were hardly any positives for Korea to take from this loss with the only caveat that recent results and performances have been good enough not to get carried away over one result - however poor. Korea had been looking good in recent months, and playing some decent stuff, with successive wins over Honduras, Serbia and Ghana on the back of the Asian Cup in which a very young team impressed before coming within a penalty shootout of the final. The same young players need to bounce back for the start of Korea's qualification campaign for 2014 that starts in three weeks with a home match against Lebanon.
If there are now a few clouds of doubt hanging over the southern half of the Korean peninsula there are only clear skies above the Land of the Rising Sun with Brazil clearly visible on the horizon.
Australia Win again in Europe
Tim Cahill grabbed the opener and just in case there were going to be any concerns expressed that the Socceroos were still over-reliant on the old guard, 22-year-old Robbie Kruse got the second. The result was not a surprise which, from an Aussie point of view, is perhaps the best part about it.
China down Reggae Boyz
The Chinese media was none too impressed with the choice of opponent for this last warm-up for the first group stage of qualification for the 2014 World Cup. This, remember, is where China has slipped up on the past two occasions. Being put in a relatively easy group has not really calmed any nerves so playing Jamaica ahead of games against Singapore, Jordan and Iraq had the team on a hiding to nothing.At least the hosts won 1-0 thanks to Zhao Peng though that was little consolation to Coach Gao Hongbo who has now been replaced by former Spain boss Jose Antonio Camacho. The move came as no surprise as it has been a badly-kept secret for weeks.
And...
Kuwait did the old 'warm-up for a game against one of the Koreas by arranging a friendly against the other one' routine' and drew 0-0 with the North in a result that surprised nobody. Syria drew 1-1 in Kazakhstan thanks to a goal from Nadim Sabagh, a decent result and a decent warm-up for a tough World Cup group that includes Japan, Uzbekistan and North Korea while Oman and Bahrain drew 1-1.
From sublime talent to sullen spectator
The grander the stage, the greater the scope for embarrassment. Wembley has hosted humiliation after humiliation for Dimitar Berbatov, with almost every trip there a chance for fresh indignities. The lame penalty in the shootout against Everton and the glaring misses against Manchester City formed twin disappointments in FA Cup semi-finals.
At least, however, the Bulgarian was selected then. Come May's Champions League final, Manchester United's record signing failed to make the bench, demoted behind Michael Owen in the pecking order. For Sunday's Charity Shield, Javier Hernandez's absence seemed to offer an opportunity. Instead, he was limited to a brief cameo as Danny Welbeck, a veteran of two Premier League starts for United, was preferred.
It was a symbolic choice by Sir Alex Ferguson. Berbatov has rarely been the man for the big occasion, starting only 25 of 55 major matches in his three years at Old Trafford. At £30.75 million, he has been an expensive ornament, glumly decorating various benches and offering television directors the chance to capture images of him looking nonplussed. For this most idiosyncratic of enigmas, public snubs have become an occupational hazard, and for students of Ferguson's sometimes brutal management, the surprise may be that he lingers at United. Then again, Berbatov rarely did move quickly.
Cheap jibes aside, that may be part of the problem. Berbatov, as he said during United's pre-season tour, will not change his style of play, but the team is evolving. Welbeck's display in the Community Shield was encouraging rather than extraordinary, but it hinted at the direction United will take. Alongside a similarly lively Wayne Rooney and flanked by Nani and Ashley Young, both willing to swap flanks, this was a mobile front four, very capable of interchanging positions. Substitute the quicksilver Hernandez for Welbeck, or the energetic Park Ji-Sung and Antonio Valencia on the wings and the system remains, the shared emphasis on pace and verve being intact.
Sunday's scheme sparked memories of the relationship between Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney in the 2007-8 season when fluidity reigned. That, too, was a forward line without a fixed point, before Berbatov arrived as the supposed fulcrum.
Instead, a full stop beckons. Should Paris St Germain firm up their interest with a bid, it is hard to see United rebuffing it. Berbatov has long been reluctant to leave Old Trafford for lesser destinations, but he has a Parisian's froideur (his Francophile lookalike Kristin Scott Thomas also specialises in haughty aloofness).
More to the point, Ferguson has a habit of getting his way; his discards tend to depart quickly. There is a sense that Berbatov's Champions League final downgrading had been planned: when the underused Owen was granted a year's extension, it appeared he was preparing to dispose of the Bulgarian and buying time in the search for a long-term alternative.
Should PSG sign him, it will heighten comparisons with Juan Sebastian Veron, who also moved on to join the nouveau riche (Chelsea in his case). The Argentine was another hugely costly signing who, rather than adding another dimension to United, merely slowed them down. Neither shared the urgency that has been imbued in Ferguson's other charges.
They are paradoxes, players of such evident class who proved an imperfect fit when surrounded by footballers of ample gifts. Few, Paul Scholes apart, could spray passes around with such authority as Veron; none, perhaps, has plucked a fast-travelling ball out of mid air with such languid ease as Berbatov. Both have become a lightning rod for criticism.
Both, too, have been defended defiantly by their manager. Yet it is not what Ferguson says as much as what he does. Besides revealing his many agendas, his public utterances tend to be notable for a reluctance to admit he was wrong. Signing Veron was a mistake and if Berbatov, the Golden Boot winner last season, does not quite belong in the same category, it is hard to brand him a success.
That makes the 30-year-old a rarity among Premier League top scorers. Yet the statistics lend a flattering look to his contribution. Apart from last September's breathtaking hat-trick against Liverpool and 87th and 90th minute goals against Chelsea, altering the scoreline but not the result, he has never scored in a marquee match for United (strikes against Tottenham, his former employers, come closest). His drought in Europe dates back to 2008. And of the 20 goals that enabled him, along with Tevez, to top the scoring charts last season, 16 came at Old Trafford.
Logic dictates that most players will score the majority of their goals at home, but not 80 percent of them; there are few less violent and more delicate footballers than Berbatov, but the accusation is that he is a flat-track bully.
Because while youngsters are granted more leeway, Manchester United players are judged in the defining games of their season. And having first failed to determine them, Berbatov is rarely even involved in them. A sublime talent is transformed into a sullen spectator.
It was a symbolic choice by Sir Alex Ferguson. Berbatov has rarely been the man for the big occasion, starting only 25 of 55 major matches in his three years at Old Trafford. At £30.75 million, he has been an expensive ornament, glumly decorating various benches and offering television directors the chance to capture images of him looking nonplussed. For this most idiosyncratic of enigmas, public snubs have become an occupational hazard, and for students of Ferguson's sometimes brutal management, the surprise may be that he lingers at United. Then again, Berbatov rarely did move quickly.
Cheap jibes aside, that may be part of the problem. Berbatov, as he said during United's pre-season tour, will not change his style of play, but the team is evolving. Welbeck's display in the Community Shield was encouraging rather than extraordinary, but it hinted at the direction United will take. Alongside a similarly lively Wayne Rooney and flanked by Nani and Ashley Young, both willing to swap flanks, this was a mobile front four, very capable of interchanging positions. Substitute the quicksilver Hernandez for Welbeck, or the energetic Park Ji-Sung and Antonio Valencia on the wings and the system remains, the shared emphasis on pace and verve being intact.
Sunday's scheme sparked memories of the relationship between Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney in the 2007-8 season when fluidity reigned. That, too, was a forward line without a fixed point, before Berbatov arrived as the supposed fulcrum.
Instead, a full stop beckons. Should Paris St Germain firm up their interest with a bid, it is hard to see United rebuffing it. Berbatov has long been reluctant to leave Old Trafford for lesser destinations, but he has a Parisian's froideur (his Francophile lookalike Kristin Scott Thomas also specialises in haughty aloofness).
More to the point, Ferguson has a habit of getting his way; his discards tend to depart quickly. There is a sense that Berbatov's Champions League final downgrading had been planned: when the underused Owen was granted a year's extension, it appeared he was preparing to dispose of the Bulgarian and buying time in the search for a long-term alternative.
Should PSG sign him, it will heighten comparisons with Juan Sebastian Veron, who also moved on to join the nouveau riche (Chelsea in his case). The Argentine was another hugely costly signing who, rather than adding another dimension to United, merely slowed them down. Neither shared the urgency that has been imbued in Ferguson's other charges.
They are paradoxes, players of such evident class who proved an imperfect fit when surrounded by footballers of ample gifts. Few, Paul Scholes apart, could spray passes around with such authority as Veron; none, perhaps, has plucked a fast-travelling ball out of mid air with such languid ease as Berbatov. Both have become a lightning rod for criticism.
That makes the 30-year-old a rarity among Premier League top scorers. Yet the statistics lend a flattering look to his contribution. Apart from last September's breathtaking hat-trick against Liverpool and 87th and 90th minute goals against Chelsea, altering the scoreline but not the result, he has never scored in a marquee match for United (strikes against Tottenham, his former employers, come closest). His drought in Europe dates back to 2008. And of the 20 goals that enabled him, along with Tevez, to top the scoring charts last season, 16 came at Old Trafford.
Logic dictates that most players will score the majority of their goals at home, but not 80 percent of them; there are few less violent and more delicate footballers than Berbatov, but the accusation is that he is a flat-track bully.
Because while youngsters are granted more leeway, Manchester United players are judged in the defining games of their season. And having first failed to determine them, Berbatov is rarely even involved in them. A sublime talent is transformed into a sullen spectator.
Ramadan, Diouf and island games
What's an Argentine coach doing managing an Indian Ocean team to a competition? His opponents include Madagascar, who may need characters from the Hollywood movie to give tactical advice to the ailing national team. Speaking of advice, should African Muslim players be urged to postpone fasting to improve performance? It's this week's Africa Report.
Senegal's FA has had it. They've thrown him out. And at this point, it may be statistically stressful to count how many times El-Hadji Diouf has tangled with the ruling bodies.
Five years, that's how long Augustin Senghor and his colleagues at the FA decided to ban him for. Diouf had been baited by a Radio France International reporter in July, having been asked what he thought of football administration in his country and the continent. He sunk his teeth into the microphone. "They (the country's football authorities) are afraid of my reactions," he spat, going on, "I am someone whose views count for something."
His views do count for something, as Senghor acknowledged last Sunday while explaining the ban. "El-Hadji Diouf is a pride to our country. No one can doubt or deny that. But also, don't forget he has been involved in disorders, causing great harm to our national football and leading to the exit of the Teranga Lions from a number of African Cup of Nations editions."
To think that a decade ago the crowds were chanting Diamant Noir! (Black Diamond) at his every touch. They obviously thought of his worth in relation to the epithet and definitely not the character of an actual black diamond, which is inferior.
Since the early 2000s, Diouf has continuously been proving his nickname to have a double meaning. Diamonds are the hardest stuff known to man. Diouf, being Diouf, had to show his country that he's as hard as he's expensive. "I will go to war if Senghor and the FA go through with this."
In such situations you'd expect one or two of his national team-mates to say something. No chance. Diouf has consistently maligned their contributions, calling them colourful names ranging from varying species of plants to exotic breeds of Senegalese animals.
And what of his other African football colleagues - would they pitch a defence? Not if they remember this sound bite, among several others, from 2006: "I think the wrong team is going to the World Cup. If you have seen Ghana, and then you see Cameroon, Senegal and Nigeria, you know the wrong team is going."
Diouf shown the door
Five years, that's how long Augustin Senghor and his colleagues at the FA decided to ban him for. Diouf had been baited by a Radio France International reporter in July, having been asked what he thought of football administration in his country and the continent. He sunk his teeth into the microphone. "They (the country's football authorities) are afraid of my reactions," he spat, going on, "I am someone whose views count for something."
His views do count for something, as Senghor acknowledged last Sunday while explaining the ban. "El-Hadji Diouf is a pride to our country. No one can doubt or deny that. But also, don't forget he has been involved in disorders, causing great harm to our national football and leading to the exit of the Teranga Lions from a number of African Cup of Nations editions."
To think that a decade ago the crowds were chanting Diamant Noir! (Black Diamond) at his every touch. They obviously thought of his worth in relation to the epithet and definitely not the character of an actual black diamond, which is inferior.
Since the early 2000s, Diouf has continuously been proving his nickname to have a double meaning. Diamonds are the hardest stuff known to man. Diouf, being Diouf, had to show his country that he's as hard as he's expensive. "I will go to war if Senghor and the FA go through with this."
In such situations you'd expect one or two of his national team-mates to say something. No chance. Diouf has consistently maligned their contributions, calling them colourful names ranging from varying species of plants to exotic breeds of Senegalese animals.
And what of his other African football colleagues - would they pitch a defence? Not if they remember this sound bite, among several others, from 2006: "I think the wrong team is going to the World Cup. If you have seen Ghana, and then you see Cameroon, Senegal and Nigeria, you know the wrong team is going."
Young Pretender takes the stage
As part of a new weekly feature, Premier League Spotlight previews the top-flight weekend fixtures, highlighting the key points to keep an eye on as the action unfolds. Under the microscope this week ahead of the opening round of games: Andres Villas-Boas, a meeting of two clubs in a pickle, and the new boys.
With few new faces actually added to Chelsea's ranks thus far, there is further interest in how Villas-Boas manipulates the current crop, whether there is an actual degree of difference to Carlo Ancelotti's reign. Indeed, this is only the Portuguese's first competitive match in charge, and making your mark takes time, but an insipid display would be best avoided regardless, if only to dodge the flagging up of his age of 33. A visit to the Britannia Stadium is something of a baptism of fire, yet Villas-Boas arrives in England boasting a quite inspiring away record at Porto. Indeed, the coach witnessed his former side lose just one away game in all competitions last season (against Villarreal in May).
To add weight to Chelsea's cause, the club have won their last nine opening day fixtures - the longest run of its kind since the Premier League formed. And, while Stoke usually provide a fierce battle, Chelsea have done well against them in recent times, winning five of their last six meetings with the Potters. Asked about Villas-Boas' impact at Stamford Bridge, captain John Terry said: "He has brought a lot of new fresh ideas to the training, to the way he wants us to play, which will hopefully get us to lift this at the end of the season. His whole demeanour and the emphasis he is putting on training, he has brought an awful lot to us in a very short space of time."
Andre Villas-Boas: The Young Pretender?
Chelsea's youthful manager would be wise to not, firstly, go sprinting down the touchline when/if his side scores against Stoke on Sunday, and then, secondly, make a triple substitution before half-time when/if his side are in a spot of bother. Doing so would fuel the already-tiresome comparisons with a certain ex-Chelsea manager, who also arrived from Porto having enjoyed European success at a relatively young age for a coach. He's his own man, and to describe him otherwise is, frankly, lazy. And, therefore, being his own man, it will be rather intriguing to see how the Blues perform versus 2011's FA Cup runners-up with Villas-Boas orchestrating matters from the touchline.To add weight to Chelsea's cause, the club have won their last nine opening day fixtures - the longest run of its kind since the Premier League formed. And, while Stoke usually provide a fierce battle, Chelsea have done well against them in recent times, winning five of their last six meetings with the Potters. Asked about Villas-Boas' impact at Stamford Bridge, captain John Terry said: "He has brought a lot of new fresh ideas to the training, to the way he wants us to play, which will hopefully get us to lift this at the end of the season. His whole demeanour and the emphasis he is putting on training, he has brought an awful lot to us in a very short space of time."
Enrique: Ambition behind Reds move
"This is one of the happiest days of my life,'' he told Liverpool's official website. "I have come to one of the biggest clubs not just in England, but in the world. I am really, really happy.''
Enrique, who joins Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson on Merseyside, believes the club can challenge for silverware this season.
He had previously been quoted as saying he wants to join a club playing Champions League football, but he clarified that it is success that he craves, not deep pockets.
Mancini happy to keep unwanted Tevez
Inter Milan have also been strongly linked to Tevez, a position that is sure to intensify if Samuel Eto'o seals his reported €35 million switch to big spending Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.
But despite the Nerazurri's apparent interest and the £38 million arrival of Sergio Aguero, Mancini says City have had no new concrete offers for Tevez. And the Italian claimed he would be "happy" if Tevez were to stay at the club.
"It is two weeks until the end of the market,'' Mancini said. "I think it is difficult for him to leave. I don't know if he will stay but at the moment, there isn't a team who want to take him. I would be happy if he stays.''
Tevez returned to training with his City team-mates on Monday but appears certain to miss their Premier League opener against Swansea.
