Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has stated that he was surprised that Fabio Capello walked away from his position as national selector, and admits that he is looking for a new job in the Premier League.
The Italian coach resigned after having little say in John Terry losing the captain’s armband, less than six months before Euro 2012; Eriksson doesn’t understand Capello’s choice.
“Capello’s qualified in style for Euro 2012 and not to want to take part in the last piece of the work, I can’t understand that,” he told The Telegraph.
“You won’t lose in the Euros because of that [Terry losing armband]. England, if they don’t take John Terry as captain, can take Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard as captain and they will do the job as well as Terry.
“I can’t see the big, big issue. If the FA said you can’t use Terry as a player, that’s different.
“My surprise with England’s last game was not Scott Parker being captain but that you had Gerrard on the pitch,” he admitted.
Eriksson went on to admit that he turned down the Chelsea job back in 2003, and that he is actively looking for a new role.
“I’m always looking for a job! It’s always sad when you see a manager [Andre Villas-Boas] being sacked.
“But I can understand the owner if he can see things not getting better. Chelsea not being in the Champions League next season would be very bad not only the money but for the prestige.
“Why is Chelsea an impossible job? Huge club, big money. Next season why can’t Chelsea win the Champions League? If Abramovich needs to buy, he will buy.
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“I would be very pleased [if Chelsea approached him] but it won’t happen. You only say ‘no’ once to him. He is a very nice man, very quiet. I met him 10, 15 times, having a cup of tea. He’s great. He is passionate for football,” the Scandinavian concluded.
Nicolas Anelka has admitted that he hopes to try to convince Chelsea forward Didier Drogba to follow in his footsteps and move out to the Chinese Super League in the summer.
The French attacker joined Shanghai Shenhua in January and has since been taken on in a coaching capacity due to a disagreement between the club and Jean Tigana.
With former team-mate Drogba out of contract in the summer, Anelka wants his former team-mate, along with former Paris St Germain team-mate Selim Benachour, to move out to the Asian side.
“I hope Selim Benachour and Didier Drogba will quickly join us,” Anelka told Le Journal du Dimanche, translated to English by Mirror Football.
“I hope they come. It is up to the club to see if we have the right means.”
Anelka also admitted that he has been inspired by some of his managers from the Premier League, and has an English coaching mentality.
“I have been impressed by Carlo Ancelotti, Kevin Keegan, Arsene Wenger, Guus Hiddink, Christoph Daum and Sam Allardyce.
“I have also looked at Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp. I have a very English coaching philosophy,” he concluded.
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The Championship is an unforgiving league to say the least, so it is best not to have many regrets come May. A lack of that elusive ‘killer instinct’ to finish a game off or squandered goal chances can always come back to painfully haunt a team, which Middlesbrough may experience at the end of the season.
Four consecutive 1-1 draws, failure to win in six games and an ever-growing injury list doesn’t look too promising for a promotion pushing side, who currently find themselves outside of the play-offs on goal difference. It’s only the fourth time this season that we haven’t occupied a top six spot, after slipping out following Blackpool’s shock 3-0 win over Southampton, but with just six games remaining, it is the worst possible time for the wheels to fall off the ‘Mogganaut’.
The ‘Mogganaut’, for those who don’t know, is the large metaphorical bandwagon driven by club legend and manager Tony Mowbray, with fans purchasing one way tickets to the Premier League. There is no denying that Mowbray has done a remarkable job since replacing Gordon Strachan in October 2010, taking the club from the relegation zone to genuine promotion contenders on a shoestring budget, but his job this season is far from over. For the former club captain, who helped his hometown club fight back from the brink of liquidation in 1986, the next month or so will be the most important of his Boro management career, and every single point is vital.
Our last four results include hard-earned away draws at promotion rivals West Ham and Brighton and stalemates with Bristol City and Ipswich Town. We had to rely on two spectacular goals in two games as an 84th-minute wonder goal from Bart Ogbeche at Upton Park and a fine strike from Malaury Martin at home to Bristol City rescued two points for us. We can’t rely on these sorts of goals and during both of these games we had a number of clear-cut chances to score that we definitely should have taken.
The biggest problem for Boro though seems to be holding onto a lead, as we went ahead and then conceded eleven minutes later in both of our last two games against Ipswich and Brighton. It has plagued us for season upon season but during this final run-in of crucial games, we simply can’t rest on our laurels. We have to attack from every kick-off and refuse to settle for just one goal, even if we have just gone ahead. Surprisingly, we actually have a number of players who can find the net in this league, which has always been an issue in years gone by. Marvin Emnes has been like a new player under Mowbray this season, scoring 12 league goals and receiving the player of the month award for August. We need Emnes to find some of his early season form if we are to stand a chance of gaining promotion and with a couple of strong strike partnerships available, he may just do that. Lukas Jutkiewicz was signed from Coventry in January for a fee in the region of £1.3 million and I have been impressed with him so far. It is about time we had another big, strong forward who can head the ball and hold up play and although he has only scored two league goals so far, his link-up play and teamwork is second to none.
As well as Emnes and Jutkiewicz there is also Scott McDonald, who has recently returned after two months out. Before going off with the knee ligament injury that was supposed to rule him out for the rest of the season, the Aussie striker was in fine form and had scored eight of his nine goals in his last 15 matches.
The three forwards had been developing a nice trio before the injury to McDonald which I am sure would have continued for a few more games, so it will be a boost to have them all back together. There are other injury worries however, especially in defence, as both first choice centre-backs went off against Ipswich at Portman Road meaning Stephen McManus, who was deemed superfluous, had to be recalled from his loan at Bristol City. Matthew Bates has suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury for the fifth time in his career and the crocked captain could face a minimum of six-months on the sidelines. Any chance he had of leading his hometown club out in a potential Wembley final is all but gone. To rub salt in his wounds, Bates had been attracting Premier League attention but was holding out until the end of the season for an improved deal at Boro as his current contract is due to expire.
It is really disappointing, especially for Bates, and in hindsight we should have tried to get a defender in on loan. We will just have to make do now and move on. As the promotion race enters the final strait, it is definitely too close to call, especially compared to previous seasons.
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I think our hope for automatic promotion is out of our reach now with teams like Southampton, who we are yet to play at home, storming ahead. However, I would like to think that we will be main contenders in the play-off mix at the end of April, we deserve to be and anything less would be a huge disappointment. If we aren’t up there then there are definitely a few things that we should have, would have and could have done better. Hopefully the regret won’t haunt us for too long.
One of the lowlights of my season, as a Stoke supporter, was the £750,000 exit of Ben Marshall to Leicester. Many people will be wondering who he is. Even some Stoke fans will struggle, as he never actually played for the Potters. But the 22 year-old winger was probably the best young player we have produced for a long time. His screamer against Chelsea in the FA Cup pays testament to that.
The Stoke side does, in general, lack young players with Pulis preferring experienced players to play his brand of football. Only Ryan Shawcross, Marc Wilson, Ryan Shotton and Asmir Begovic count as young players, and they are all hovering around the age of 22-25, hardly what you would you all ‘youngsters’. Marshall’s lack of first team chances frustrated him so much he decided to take his talent elsewhere, and that is hopefully not a trend that will continue.
The other young bright talent we have on the book is midfielder Florent Cuvelier. The Belgian has been on loan at Walsall for much of the few months, playing 17 games and scoring four goals including the crucial goal against Huddersfield that ensured Walsall’s league one survival.
The Potters aren’t a club renowned for their youth system, only Andy Wilkinson and Ryan Shotton of the current players came through the youth team, so when a stand out player like Cuvelier comes along it is imperative that we sign them to long term contracts and integrate them within the first team squad.
With is contract up in the summer, he said “My feeling is that I receive an offer from Stoke”. I hope so to. A small technically gifted player, it isn’t surprising that Stoke fans could let themselves get excited as he offers different things to the current centre midfield players. He has an eye for goal and a good passing game who is sure to excite fans
He may too raw for first team Premier League football, and Pulis, who is traditionally a careful manager, may not feel he is ready yet. But the mistakes we made with Marshall can’t be repeated with Cuvelier if the club want to produce young talent, they need to feel loved and valued by the club. Dean Saunders has said Cuvelier could be playing championship football next season, and Premier League soon after.
Our history of keeping young players isn’t good. The likes of Martin Patterson and Kris Commans have left in recent years and gone on to decent careers, while Adam Rooney is hoping to do the same at Birmingham. The ‘experiment’ of Diego Arismendi, the young £2.5 million signing from Uruguay, has yet to pay off with just a handful of appearances in three years, of which he has spent most of is them on loan at clubs such as Barnsley and Huddersfield.
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Fans have a special spot for a young player who has risen through the club. Just ask Stoke fans about Andy Wilkinson. £5 million can buy a good player but not the love of the fans. It is time for Stoke to start investing in and producing quality young players, as we are in the age of crazy transfer fees and stupendous wages, it can only be a good thing.
As the new season approaches I’m doing my best to stay on top of things from South Africa.
The official Wednesday site is a constant feature on my laptop and all my Wednesday related Twitterers are making sure that I keep up to date with everything Owly.
South Africans consider Sheffield Wednesday to be a bit like an old toy that you can’t really think of. They’ve seen pictures and heard mention of them, but it’s been that long since they saw them, that it’s hard to really relate or remember them.
However, a lot of them congratulated me when we got promoted recently. They gave me a virtual pat on the back and said things like, “You’ll be back in the Premier League next year” and “Southampton and Norwich got straight promotions, you could be next.”
As always, I laugh off their comments, it’s not going to happen. I’m not naive enough to think that we have what it takes to get back to the Premier League just yet, but… you never know do you. See that’s the problem that we have as Wednesdayites, we can beat the pessimistic drum all we like, but in our heads we always swing FAR too much in the way of positivity.
However, let’s look at this realistically. As I mentioned in my previous blog, we’ve got a bit of financial muscle for once. We’ve snapped up Chris Kirkland, a once promising Premier League goalkeeper who, despite having injury problems, is still a good, experienced signing. Next up is Kieran Lee, the ex-Manchester United man. Lee, who is still only 23, has been in tremendous form for Oldham over the last two years and has won all four Player of the Year awards for the Latics in consecutive attempts.
Finally, another man definitely turning out in the blue and white stripes next year is Joe Mattock. The 22-year-old defender was recently released from Premier League outfit, West Brom, but has a lot of Championship experience for a player his age and is a player that can definitely be groomed for the future.
With these three signings in mind, Wednesday are also in the hunt to strengthen further. It’s thought that on their list is Portsmouth’s combative midfielder, David Norris, former England international, Anthony Gardner, and talented Scotland forward, 23-year-old Chris Maguire. I also heard a little rumour that the man mountain himself, EWIH (Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey), is also a target.
Looking at all of these I can’t help but let that undying optimism out a little bit. There’s a nice mix of experience, youth, experienced youth and… Emile Heskey. What more could you want?
We all know what the Championship is about. To succeed in that league you need a host of experienced campaigners, some fearless young guns with a bit of talent and a handful of players who will purely run their arses off for you. If I look at what our squad could consist of next year, then I think we may just have all of those things.
And so my mind reverts back to our Premier League days. I was 10 when we last took part in a top flight game. It was on the 14th May, 2000, and goals from Alan Quinn, Andy Booth, Niclas Alexandersson and Gilles de Bilde secured us a 4-0 win over Leicester City.
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That same season saw Newcastle batter us 8-0 and Kevin Pressman receive the quickest sending off in Premier League history after being given his marching orders 13 seconds into our 1-1 draw with Wolves.
Honestly, I can barely remember the ‘Glory Days’. The last time we won a trophy was 1991’s Milk (League) Cup, and the last time we won a top-flight division was 1930… I was -70. To be frank, our trophy cabinet is barer than a Scotsman’s backside. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’d like to see that happen again in my lifetime.
Like I say, my head says that we won’t go up. My head hopes we don’t. Purely to avoid a possible embarrassment in the Premier League if we do end up there. However, the blue and white heart in my chest thinks we could. Saying that, it would probably also believe that there was an off chance of us winning the Premier League if we were there… And so I remain, hopelessly optimistic.
With three consecutive major trophies, a revolutionary style of play and enough central midfield talent to warrant leaving all their strikers on the bench, Spanish football has never looked stronger. A laborious route to victory in Poland and Ukraine had the critics analysing their pass and move mentality but after an impressive dismantling of the Italians, any concerns about Spain being boring were proven to be just a means to an end.
A side brimming with talent who can pick and choose whether they want to be slow and steady or ruthless and clinical have shown the World the way forward but as some of the current stars start to ebb into the twilight of their careers, how long can Spain continue to dominate International football?
A brief look over the history books shows eras of dominance for a number of nations as inevitably one side finds the perfect formula and utilises the style until their opponents either catch up or find a way to counter it. Whether it’s West Germany’s ruthless efficiency from the 70s, Holland’s total football of the 80s or France’s more recent golden generation, all have enjoyed periods of supremacy but the current Spain squad has surpassed all of their rivals’ notable achievements and already have their next crop of talent primed and ready. It’s an ominous sign for the rest of the globe considering the biggest concern when trying to extend the lifespan of team is how to transition the younger players into the side without it being weakened.
Of the XI who started Spain’s final match against Italy in Gdansk, just 3 were over 30 and yet Real Madrid duo Iker Casillas and Xabi Alonso are all still competing with ease at the highest level, as is Xavi Hernandez. In theory there is no need to replace any of the trio as they would all have a role to play in 2014 World Cup yet midfielders Sergio Busquets and Javi Martinez have already gained experience of a major tournament. What better way to prepare for the eventual retirement of older players than by ensuring their replacements are ready to seamlessly fill their boots?
It’s a skill that Sir Alex Ferguson has perfected at Manchester United and is something Arsene Wenger has failed to implement at Arsenal. When bringing through youth, the manager must pair the inexperienced players with their more senior counterparts, allowing for them to learn under the safety net of their superiors. United dominated through the Keane and Ince era but have continued that through to Scholes and Carrick whereas Arsenal have never allowed for an Alex Song to learn from a Patrick Vieira. England manager Roy Hodgson even missed a trick this summer by not giving his youngsters a chance to impress before the not so golden generation hang up their boots. It’s a system that has reaped rewards at domestic level as well as on the International scene and has been implemented throughout the Spanish side. Jordi Alba has already replaced Joan Capdevila, Carles Puyol has passed on his knowledge of the game to Gerard Pique while even more established talents such as Cesc Fabregas have had to bide their time and learn from the likes of Barcelona team mate Andres Iniesta.
With such an emphasis on youth in the modern game, it’s important to remember how vital experience can be. The argument that once a player passes 30 their game starts to decline may have some weight to it but it doesn’t account for the guidance they can offer to next crop of aspiring talent. Youthful exuberance can be a valuable trait in a player but it must be curbed by an understanding of the game that can only be achieved from years of experience.
In 2014 Spain’s Xavi will be 34 so the next World Cup is likely to be his last major tournament. Hopefully appearing at the same tournament will be England Captain Steven Gerrard who will also be 34 but the end of both players’ careers will highlight the lack of preparation inside the English camp. The Three Lions will have to put their faith in the inexperience of Jack Wilshere or Jordan Henderson while the Spanish will choose their replacement from medal winners such as Martinez and Busquets.
The foresight to include these players at an early age has provided Spain with a group of experienced and talented players who despite not yet being first choice, have still won International competitions and have the medals to prove it. It’s means that not only have they dominated the current generation but their superiority has every chance of lasting for the foreseeable future.
Do you think Spain will continue to rule the football world? Should other teams try to include their younger stars in the same way?
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It’s a shame last season ended when it did. No, I’m not about to poor my heart out about how much I miss football; but Andy Carroll really seemed to be stepping up after a long, long, long time. It’s also necessary to remind myself that the striker’s horrible form started in January last year, not the summer. The Euros with England, while initially looking good, probably wasn’t all that great for Carroll; he was on a high and needed to keep that momentum—or at least avoid a serious knock-back. But with Brendan Rodgers setting up camp at Anfield this summer, it looks as though the £35 million striker—which is still a struggle to write—could be on his way out.
From first glances, it looks like the right idea. Lets move away from the colossal fee that Liverpool parted with to land the striker, because he simply doesn’t fit in with the style Rodgers is likely to implement at his new club. Carroll might have been touted as something of a good footballer when he was at Newcastle and making a name for himself in the Premier League. However, we’ve nothing of late to suggest that he’s capable of being a success with Rodgers in the dugout.
The football we saw from Swansea last season was excellent ball retention, with the team moving the ball along the ground and forcing their way up the pitch. In contrast, Carroll is, well, a bit clunky and maybe a little clumsy. He doesn’t have the first touch to excel in a fast and decisive attack, and Rodgers is unlikely to alter his playing philosophy to get the best out of the big man up front.
Despite the players Rodgers has had over the years that might resemble Carroll and his strengths on the pitch, the new manager was brought in to implement a style of football that is more in keeping with what Swansea displayed for large parts of last season. Where does Andy Carroll come into play?
The counterargument (because there is always one) is that Carroll may finally have landed the manager that will get the best out of him. Carroll is young and has plenty of room to adapt his game and even become an asset to his club. Carroll evidently started to show some form towards the end of the season, and at this stage, why get rid of the striker when he’s starting to show signs of progress? The big plus is that he does give Liverpool another option up front should they decide to hoof it long. Not that I want to compare Liverpool to Barcelona, but the Catalans gave enough evidence last season that their plan A doesn’t always work.
Moreover, how do Liverpool part with Carroll now and face that huge loss on the transfer fee they paid for him? He might not be worth £35 million (again, a struggle) and he probably will never grow into a striker that warrants that kind of money. But the club have paid for him and, from a financial point of view, have to stick with what they have.
There’s also got to be a real level of curiosity to see exactly what Rodgers can get out of Carroll. A new manager, a new set of ideas; why give up before they’ve even got going? Sure, Liverpool could stand to lose out on European football next season, but with or without Carroll, would they really be that much closer? If the answer is yes and it’s based on Rodgers’ arrival, then why can’t Carroll dramatically improve his game?
The striker gave a good account of himself over a small number of games last season and this summer, but if the club really want to get rid and cut their losses, at least wait until next season. There’s no harm in keeping Carroll, and again, there’s a possibly that he could become an integral part of a new manager’s setup.
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Next year may be the right time to move on, and January 2011 was definitely the right time to move on, as Newcastle named their price of about £20 million too much. But for Liverpool to cut their losses this season would be a big mistake. Unfortunately, it does appear to be inevitable.
As Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur firmly draw up their battle lines following Luka Modric’s declaration of war, this summer now has the capacity to be a bloody one for the North London club.
Because although the Croatian’s behavior has been nothing short of reprehensible in recent weeks, Spurs’ formidable chairman must remember the bigger picture as he seeks to squeeze every penny out of his star midfielder. The battle is not worth winning if it ultimately costs Tottenham Hotspur the war.
The Modric situation seems to have gone awfully sour at the bat of an eyelid at White Hart Lane. In a movement that feels synonymous with the era of player power that we’re currently in, the Croatian has played the ultimate trump card. His refusal to join the rest of his teammates on their pre season tour of the United States has seen Modric finally throw his toys out the pram as he looks to push through a lucrative transfer; Real Madrid are seemingly the favoured destination.
And we’ve seen in recent times, that this sort of tactic usually has the tendency to work nine times out of ten. Unfortunately for Modric, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy isn’t quite like 90% of other Premier League chairman. Trying this sort of stuff with Levy is akin to playing Swingball with a beehive- the odds are, it’s going to come back to bite you on the backside. Levy will not be seen to bend his club over to anyone. Let alone a member of it’s playing staff that signed a six-year deal at the club in 2010.
The talk is that Levy won’t budge bar a £40million bid. For some, even that represents a startling renege on the refusal to sell at all costs stance employed by the club last summer. Levy’s rejection of a bid from Chelsea of the same sort of money, was a battle that the Essex born businessman won. It would seem that the notion of keeping a player that clearly no longer wishes to be at the club for another year, is a step too far.
But for all the praise that Levy quite rightly received last summer for standing up to the big boys, it was ultimately Modric who held all the cards. That may seem like an absurd notion to some. But the toys stayed in the pram.
For all the posturing and flirting with Chelsea in the newspapers, the Croatian kept the dummy in his mouth. If he refused to train and then sought to become a genuinely rotten influence in the Spurs changing room, would he really have still remained at the club? Dimitar Berbatov certainly didn’t. No one knows the answer to the Modric question, but it seems difficult to believe that may have been the case. As we are seeing now, there appears to be no way back for Modric at the football club.
Yet for many supporters, it is the sheer bloody principal and the ideologies that Modric seems to represent, which demand that Levy holds out for his ransom. Why should a player treat the club who took the initial gamble on him and the fans who’ve supported him like this and still get his own way?
The answer isn’t necessarily an easy one to stomach. But Tottenham Hotspur cannot allow this to drag on any longer.
The fact is that Modric cannot stay at the football club. Some will argue that he was happy to stay last year, but the goalposts have moved now. His refusal to train or go on tour is an open slap in the face to the club and the fans, that was absent from the transfer saga last season.
And before the draconian theory of letting him ‘rot in the reserves’ is wheeled out, we must be realistic to the era we live in. Football clubs are businesses and they’re not going to let what they perceive to be a £40million asset massively degrade in value. He must leave.
Although whilst looking to hold out for £40million is a wholly admirable ambition, the reality is very different. Tottenham cannot start a season without securing the team they wish to start with. How many times can this go on? Last year Parker and Adebayor were yet to join as Spurs got drubbed in their opening two matches. The Berbatov saga of 2008 greatly damaged the club and even Rafael van der Vaart’s acquisition was left till deadline day.
Even more painful for Spurs is the role of which Modric plays in their team. He isn’t a fullback and he isn’t a striker. As hard as it may still seem to believe, Modric has been the heartbeat of this team, the metronome. However damaged feelings may be towards him, his contributions as a footballer cannot be skewed. His replacement could be the most important bit of business the club does in years. Leaving it till deadline day to bring whoever that may be could be suicidal.
But further still, the rumored bid for Joao Moutinho as Modric’s replacement has hit a similar hitch. Supposedly, Levy doesn’t fancy paying plus £26million, which is fair enough. Although if a similar battle of the financial wills is set to go on with a Moutinho acquisition as it is with a Modric departure, at this rate, Spurs could be in trouble.
Supporters are loathe to the behavior of Modric and the condescending attitude of Real Madrid hasn’t helped either. But look at the sort of money made on the likes of Vedran Corluka and Niko Kranjcar. Spurs seem to do well out of every bit of transfer business they do. If taking a £3/£4million hit is what it takes to get rid of a rotten player with no future at the club and prevent the team from starting the season without a replacement, then so be it. Are the potential consequences really worth the risk?
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It may not be a particularly popular viewpoint. But the football club will always be bigger than the player. Hopefully a PSG like team will cough up the goods and Modric will be happy to seek a compromise. But the clock is ticking. Tottenham are about to embark on a new, exciting era- optimism is fresh and supporters are ready.
But they don’t need this. Modric must go and his replacement must be brought in rapidly. Seek a compromise with Madrid and swallow the bitter pill. It might not feel good now, but Spurs can ultimately be the winners six months down the track.
How do you see the Luka Modric saga? Is Levy right to demand £40million for Luka Modric or could such a stance end up in trouble for all parties involved? Let me know exactly what you think, get involved in the Spurs talk on Twitter- follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me your views
Mario Balotelli has been dealt a blow in his quest to return to Italy after AC Milan ruled out a move for the Manchester City striker.
Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has claimed that recent reports linking him with a move for Balotelli were misinterpreted and that the Italian striker would be too expensive for him.
It is no secret that City boss Roberto Mancini and Balotelli have had their differences during their time in Manchester together and with the striker’s form on the pitch below standard, a January deal may have been on the cards.
Balotelli has been in Italy this week after the birth of his daughter and is not guaranteed to be back in time for today’s vital Manchester derby at the Etihad. This may just be another nail in the coffin of Balotelli’s City career as the bit-part forward seems to be running out of time to keep his relationship with Mancini civil.
“My words have been misinterpreted. I do not dream about Balotelli at night,” Berlusconi toldSky Sport Italia.
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“There are no negotiations going on because he will cost too much and we cannot afford him.”
Dimitar Berbatov is set to complete a move to Italian club Fiorentina in the next couple of days, according to The Sun.
The Bulgarian forward has found opportunities at Manchester United limited of late, and with the summer signings of Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie the eastern European attacker is set to be froze out at Old Trafford.
Berbatov has been vocal on his desire to play regular first-team football, and has been linked with a host of clubs this summer on the continent.
However, the player’s stint in England could well be coming to an end, as Fiorentina have offered £5 million for the striker.
Berbatov is said to be keen on a move to the Stadio Artemio Franchi side, who have splashed the cash this summer in a bid to qualify for Europe in 2012-13.
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Berbatov has scored 56 goals in 148 appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.