Alves Set To Leave
Barca
Barcelona fullback Dani Alves looks set to leave the club
when his contract expires at the end of the season, according to his agent
Dinorah Santa Ana. Alves’s representative, who is also his ex-wife,
told a press conference her client had received an unsatisfactory offer of a
new deal from Barca amid interest from another club. French big-spenders Paris
Saint-Germain and Manchester United have recently been linked with the
31-year-old Brazilian. “We waited a whole year to talk to Barca,”
Santa Ana said. “We had two offers on the table, but we stopped all
negotiations to listen to what Barca had to say.” She added: “There
is another club willing to give Dani a three-year contract with a higher wage,
plus the option of another year. But Barca told us they could not get near
those figures. Dani would be happy to stay on the same wages he is on now, but
they offered one year plus the option of two more. This morning, a formal offer
arrived by e-mail, but it stipulated that he has to play 60 per cent of the
games for it to be renewed the following year. Dani is sad. He expected more
from Barca. The negotiations are finished now. He will finish his contract as
best as he can.” Alves joined the La Liga giants in July 2008 from
Sevilla. His absence would cause Barca major problems for next season as the
club are banned for registering new players until January 2016 due to a Fifa
sanction for irregularities in the signing of minors.
Meanwhile, Barcelona
insist that Dani Alves could still stay at the Camp Nou. Barca president
Josep Maria Bartomeu says they are in talks with Alves and are trying to get
him to sign a new contract. “Barcelona are constantly negotiating to bring
in players or offer them new deals, but we do so discretely,” he said.
“In Alves’s case, the matter is not closed. If Alves accepts the deal we
have offered him, then he will stay at Barca. Everyone has their own strategy.
Ours is discretion and a final statement announcing a deal.”
Real Madrid B team
coach Zinedine Zidane has reiterated the club have no intention of selling
Gareth Bale in the summer. Bale has recently been linked with a move to
Manchester United amid suggestions of a swap deal involving Spanish goalkeeper
David De Gea. However, Real president Florentino Perez has made it clear the
winger is staying put, with Zidane now adding credence to those claims. “Real
Madrid buy the best players in the world. They don’t sell them,” said
Zidane. “Of course other clubs will be interested in him, he would improve
any squad in the world, but the president has said he is not for sale and that
is because he is not for sale. That will be the answer to Manchester United or
any other club that asks the question. He was a big part of our success last
season especially in the Champions League, and as we look to defend our title I
am sure he will play a successful part again,” concluded the French
legend. Bale has been criticised by Los Blancos fans this term despite scoring
13 La Liga goals. The 25-year-old shone in his first season at the Bernabeu
after arriving in a world-record £86m transfer from Tottenham in 2013.
Former Brazil star
Roberto Carlos has expressed his desire to coach the national team one day. The
42-year-old, who earned 125 caps between 1992 and 2006, has held managerial
roles at Sivasspor, Akhisar Belediyespor and Anzhi Makhachkala since retiring
from playing in 2012. “My objective is to coach the national team,”
Carlos said. “I know I have a long way to go yet and for that reason I
won’t put a timeframe on how long it will take.” The former Real Madrid and
Inter Milan fullback said he has adjusted quickly to his new vocation. “It’s
very easy. I was well prepared by playing football and living under pressure. I
spent my career at big clubs. I’ve learned something from all the coaches I’ve
worked with: [Mario] Zagallo, [Carlos Alberto] Parreira, [Vicente] Del Bosque,
[Fabio] Capello, [Luiz Felipe] Scolari and Roy Hodgson.”
Veteran Brazilian goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni netted the 127th
goal of his career this past weekend. The 42-year-old opened the
scoring with a free-kick in Sao Paulo’s 3-0 Campeonato Paulista quarter-final
win over RB Brasil. Ceni is by far the most prolific goalie in terms of goals,
way ahead of second-placed Jose Luis Chilavert, who managed 67 in a 22-year
career.
Ashley Young suspects
Yaya Toure did not relish taking on Marouane Fellaini in Sunday’s Manchester
derby. Manchester United beat Manchester City 4-2 to end a four-match losing
streak against their neighbours, with Young and Fellaini – who starred in the
midfield scrap – both scoring for the Red Devils at Old Trafford. Toure has
come under fire for his display on the weekend, most notably from former United
defender Gary Neville, who slammed the Ivorian’s work-rate and big-match
temperament. “Felli has been brilliant,” Young told MUTV.
“Everyone will say the same. Since he’s come into the team, he’s been
fantastic. I’ve said before that very
few people can handle him. On his day, he’s unplayable. I don’t think Yaya
Toure wanted to be tracking back, he wanted to be at the other end of the pitch
but he had that job to do on Felli. When Felli is in the box and you can find
him, you’ve definitely got a chance of scoring. I saw him at the back post and
hoped he’d get on the end of it and score and, thankfully, he managed to do
that.”
Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has received a
four-match suspension following his criticism of a referee last month. Ibrahimovic
ranted at the fourth official after PSG’s 3-2 defeat to Bordeaux on March 15,
with television footage suggesting he said: “F–ing wake up — we’re not
playing in the amateurs. Wake up! I have never seen that in 15 years in my
career, such a referee in this s— country. [You] don’t even deserve PSG to be
in this country.” Disciplinary commission president Sebastien Deneux said:
“He has been sanctioned because of the offensive nature and rudeness of
his words.” The Swede, who later said he was sorry after the French sports
minister asked him to apologise, is available for Saturday’s Coupe de la Ligue
Final against Bastia as his suspension starts next week. He will miss four
Ligue 1 matches as well as his side’s UEFA Champions League first-leg clash
against Barcelona after he was sent off against Chelsea in the previous round.
Luis Suarez has
confirmed he spoke to Real Madrid about a transfer to the European champions
before making his “dream” move to Barcelona. The controversial
Uruguayan signed for Barca in July 2014 in an €81 million switch from
Liverpool, but has confirmed to ‘El Partido de las 12′ that the Catalans’ huge
rivals had also shown an interest. “Yes, I spoke to them but said ‘later’.
They wanted me, but my dream was here,” said the 28-year-old. “When I
heard the name ‘Barcelona’ I didn’t hesitate. Honestly, I never imagined
Barcelona would come in and had no doubts at all once they did. You never know
what can happen in football but luckily I stuck around for Barca, which was
what I wanted. It was the fulfilment of a dream I had had for so long.” Despite
having achieved his goal, Suarez admits he found it difficult to settle into
the Blaugrana side when finally making his return to the field in October
following a four-month biting ban. It wasn’t that I had anxiety, but I felt
like I had won a prize in a lottery and couldn’t enjoy having fulfilled my
dream. I felt like I had been invited to play rather but slowly that
disappeared. Once I was alongside my peers I felt more comfortable.”
Real Madrid’s wonder-kid Martin Odegaard is reportedly only
focused on being close to Cristiano Ronaldo, and not his Castilla (reserve)
teammates. The Norwegian youngster, who joined Los Blancos in
January, has reportedly refused to attend training with his Castilla teammates,
and only has his sights set on working with the Real Madrid first-team. The
16-year-old was benched in the Castilla team’s last two games, where the side
managed to win both after failing to win two consecutive games with the
Norwegian in the starting line-up. It’s reported that the young midfielder only
attends Castilla training sessions just before match-day, which is not enough
time for Martin Odegaard to build effective on-field relationships and
understanding with his teammates. Apparently when Odegaard does play, he makes
too many wrong decisions, which is another reason for him spending time on the
bench. AS reported that some of the players have complained that Odegaard only
wants to be in the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, and is “not bothered” with
his Castilla teammates at all. Since his arrival at Los Blancos, Odegaard has
played seven times for Castilla, scoring only one goal, and has failed to
provide a single assist.
Former Ivory Coast
international Didier Drogba has launched the first of the five hospitals he
earlier promised to offer to the country as part of his charity activities. Situated
in the Attecoube district of the country’s commercial city Abidjan, the $1
million health complex will mainly cater for less privileged women and
children, according to officials. Built on a plot of 800 square meters, the
hospital has many facilities including an ultrasound room, a maternal and child
protection unit, an x-ray block, an ultra modern laboratory, a pharmacy and
hospitalisation and isolation wards. About 50,000 patients are expected to get
treatment at the facility every year, according to Guy Roland Tanoh, secretary
of Didier Drogba Foundation, which is handling the project. The remaining four
hospitals are under construction in the Ivorian cities of Yamoussoukro, San
Pedro, Man and Korhogo and will be inaugurated in the coming months. Drogba’s
foundation will hold a gala event in London on April 18 to raise funds. The
Chelsea striker and the Elephants all-time top scorer remains an icon in his
homeland despite retiring from the national team, which won the 2015 Africa Cup
of Nations in Equatorial Guinea in February.