The Official 2011-2012 European Football Thread.

[Young_Chitlin]

Lavezzi signed with PSG

 

[CeLLaR-DooR]

Lavezzi signed with PSG

They're tryna sign Terry too

 

[dbrazil412]

ayo balotelli might just be my new favorite player lol.

 

[joshuaboy]

hate to see the spaniards winnin, too much barcelona in there for my taste

That's exactly why they winning. They are already familiar with each other and the chemistry is already there. I think that is what Hodgson was trying to do with England. Chelsea back line. Liverpool and United mids and forwards. 3 City players plus the keeper. But injuries prevented it from coming thru

 

[CeLLaR-DooR]

England need to get with the times...I'm not even sayin' we need to do this pass pass move stuff...we don't have the players...All the other nations play with the formation their respective top teams play...Germany, Barca, Italy, Holland...Only top team in England that plays a 4-4-2 is Utd...And Utd have the players to do so...Scholes, Carrick and Valencia...`and even we bang a 4-3-3 when its necessary...

And LOL at the team GB squad...Might as well have taken Beckham

 

[-Vincenzo-]

hate to see the spaniards winnin, too much barcelona in there for my taste

That's exactly why they winning. They are already familiar with each other and the chemistry is already there. I think that is what Hodgson was trying to do with England. Chelsea back line. Liverpool and United mids and forwards. 3 City players plus the keeper. But injuries prevented it from coming thru

yes and i hate them for that, madridista till i die!

 

[Young_Chitlin]

AVB going to Tottenham, getting a 70 mil war chest. So much for tightwad Spurs, err Spuds right Blues, Gunners?

Official: Villas-Boas appointed new Tottenham manager

The 34-year-old has signed a three-year contract to replace Harry Redknapp, with an official announcement to be made within hours.

Andre Villas-Boas has been appointed as the new Tottenham head coach on a three-year contract, as confirmed by the club.

The former Chelsea boss emerged as the outstanding candidate during a three-week-long process that started when Spurs sacked Harry Redknapp in June.

Chairman Daniel Levy was so impressed by Villas-Boas during a series of talks that he shelved plans to talk to Laurent Blanc, the former France coach who started the search as the leading candidate.

Villas-Boas will also bring in his own backroom team, and appoint an assistant coach, while Jose Mario Rocha is expected to arrive at White Hart Lane as a fitness coach and Daniel Sousa as opposition scout.

The 34-year-old's appointment is a brave move by Spurs after his unsuccessful spell at Chelsea, which sacked him in March after a miserable eight months in west London in which he clashed with several senior members of the squad.

He was, however, hugely successful in his single season at Porto in 2010-11, where he won four trophies and was billed as the next Jose Mourinho, under whom he used to work.

Villas-Boas will meet the players for the start of pre-season training next week before the squad embarks on a pre-season tour of the United States ahead of its Premier League opener against Newcastle on Aug. 18.

He fits the club's desire for a young, progressive coach who can get Spurs back in the Champions League with an attacking brand of football, while lowering the average age of the squad and making shrewd signings in the transfer market.

 

[Young_Chitlin]

Tottenham to hand incoming Andre Villas-Boas 70m pound war chest

The Portuguese will be tasked with returning Spurs to the Champions League when he is unveiled as the new man in charge at White Hart Lane as Harry Redknapp's replacement

Andre Villas-Boas will be given 70 million pounds to spend to get Tottenham back into the Champions League when he is named as the club’s new manager, Goal.com has learned.

The Portuguese is expected to be officially announced as Harry Redknapp’s replacement on a three-year deal on Monday after impressing chairman Daniel Levy with his vision for the Londoners and fighting off competition from Laurent Blanc.

Villas-Boas will be handed a massive war chest to meet his target of getting Spurs back into Europe's premier competition and has already been involved in the club’s moves in the summer transfer market.

The 34-year-old, who was sacked by Chelsea in March, has approved an 8m pound deal for Hoffenheim midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson which will be confirmed in the next 24 hours while Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen is set to follow shortly in a 9.6m pounds switch.

Spurs are expected to sell midfielder Luka Modric this summer, with Real Madrid leading the race to sign the 35m pound-rated Croatian - but Villas-Boas has been assured he will be able to reinvest the money to improve the squad.

He wants to sign at least two strikers, a creative midfielder to replace Modric and a goalkeeper who can become Tottenham’s long-term No.1, with 41-year-old Brad Friedel set to retire at the end of the coming season.

Villas-Boas has been assured he will be given financial backing and is happy with the club’s plans to have a specialized transfer committee that will include Tim Sherwood, who is highly-rated at White Hart Lane and will be promoted from his existing role as technical coordinator.

Spurs are pressing ahead with their attempts to sign Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City following his loan spell last season, while the likes of Loic Remy, Joao Moutinho, and Hugo Lloris have been mentioned as potential targets.

The Londoners were given a huge boost last week when Gareth Bale signed a new four-year contract and expect to free up a significant portion of their wage budget by selling a number of fringe players including Vedran Corluka, Niko Kranjcar, Giovani dos Santos, David Bentley and Heurelho Gomes.

Villas-Boas convinced Spurs that he has not been been scarred by his eight-month experience at Chelsea and fits the club’s desire for a young, progressive manager who can make the most of the new training ground in Enfield, lower the average age of the squad and find value in the transfer market.

LEANDRO DAMIAO

Adebayor

GYLFI SIGURDSSON

JAN VERTONGHEN

They could look at Courtois from Atletico Madrid for a keeper possibility.

 

[joshuaboy]

 

[Figo]

hilarious

 

[Young_Chitlin]

Pep might coach Bayern next season, wow

 

[Figo]

Pep might coach Bayern next season, wow

yeah just read that. he challenging himself if its real

 

[-Vincenzo-]

that pep story been out for 2 weeks now. no shade, jus sayin...

 

[water ur seeds]

Yo Daniel Sturridge is being treated for suspected Viral Meningitis... Hope Hes gets well soon

 

[Young_Chitlin]

Speedy recovery Dan.

Bruhs, what's team GB looking like; who's on the squad?

 

[northside7]

Yo Daniel Sturridge is being treated for suspected Viral Meningitis... Hope Hes gets well soon

True.

 

[Gooner]

Where spuds get 70 mill frm? Prly counting $ frm the sale of vdv and that dyke modric

 

[Figo]

Where spuds get 70 mill frm? Prly counting $ frm the sale of vdv and that dyke modric

Link with news..

 

[infamous114]

Pep might coach Bayern next season, wow

Interesting...

 

[Figo]

Balotelli: I want a paternity test

Mario Balotelli is demanding a paternity test after Italian showgirl Raffaella Fico claimed on Monday that she is carrying the Manchester City forward's baby.

The Italy international's former girlfriend told Chi magazine that she informed the striker on the eve of last Thursday's Euro 2012 semi-final clash with Germany that she was four-months pregnant with his child.

Balotelli has now issued a press release in which he claims that he has no intention of shirking his responsibilities, but is seeking a DNA test to prove that he is indeed the father.

"Although I would have preferred not to speak about my private life in public, I feel obliged to clarify, once and for all, my relationship with Raffaella Fico," the 21-year-old explained.

"Our relationship ended at the start of April and since then we have not met, nor heard from one another.

"I have not had anything to do with her life and Raffaella has not had anything to do with my life.

"Raffaella knows well that since we parted company with one another that I had, and have, no intention of returning to her.

"But because of what there was between us, I never wanted to talk about it, even when there were untrue things being said and written about us.

"A few days ago I came to learn from others that Raffaella was pregnant. For this reason, I decided to contact her and only after my question was it confirmed to me that it was true.

"I am very disappointed. I do not think it's normal not to know anything until the fourth month [of the pregnancy].

"I do not understand why she did not contact me immediately to tell me something of such importance.

"I'll assume all my responsibilities when I have the proof of my paternity."

Balotelli continued: "Also, it annoys me to see that she has already sought to make money from this story by selling photos and interviews.

"I think that Rafaella is already famous enough not to have to take advantage of this story for publicity purposes.

"This is the first and only time I will discuss this topic in public and so I have no intention of replying independently to what is said or written by Raffaella."

Fico had claimed that Balotelli, who netted twice in the Azzurri's 2-1 victory over Germany, had been overjoyed with the news that she was expecting.

mario balotelli, winning since 1991