PLANET SOCCER:"MY FIRST goal was to go to Chelsea as it was the only club to have made a formal offer," said Robinho last week, "but Real did not like Chelsea shirts with my name on being sold before sorting out the negotiations."
Surely not?
Yes indeed. True, Chelsea hadn't decided what number to give him yet, putting a large TBC (to be confirmed) on the back of the shirt, but, yes, their website was advertising this away shirt with Robinho's name.
Red-faced over fan's e-mail
SKY SPORTS News learnt last week that it's probably best to check e-mails from disgruntled football fans before reading them out live on air.
They were contrasting the show of support by Newcastle fans for Kevin Keegan with the absence of any similar protest at Upton Park following Alan Curbishley's dismissal when they read out this message from a West Ham fan: "The reason there are no Hammers fans at Upton Park like there were Newcastle fans at St James' Park is because we're working."
Red cheeks and an apology ensued.
Quotes of the week
"It'll be nice to know that every gallon of petrol a Manchester United fan buys is going into our kitty."
- Oasis man and City diehard Noel Gallagher welcoming the oil-rich Abu Dhabi Group to the blue half of Manchester.
"I don't think that Robinho even knew what was happening. But if it is the best for him, then so be it. I just hope he is happy in England . . . his father and I are not going to go and live with him.
- Robinho's Ma, Marina de Souza, tingling with excitement over her son's transfer.
"Chelsea are lucky. This boy needs some serious counselling. In my view he has been badly advised."
- Pele reckoned Chelsea had a narrow escape.
"This is one of the most disgraceful episodes in Brazilian football. He is a player who is an idol to children but he has not acted like one."
- Marcelo Teixeira, president of Robinho's old club Santos.
"We are ashamed at having produced such a player."
- Jose Fernandos, general manager of Santos, wishes Robinho all the best.
Robinho: "On the last day, Chelsea made me a great proposal and I accepted it."
Reporter: "You mean Manchester City, right?".
Robinho: "Yeah, Manchester, sorry!"
"Ronaldo has said he wants to play for the biggest club in the world, so we will see in January if he is serious. We are going to be the biggest club in the world, bigger than both Real Madrid and Manchester United."
- New City owner Sulaiman Al-Fahim tries to keep a lid on the supporters' frenzied expectations.
"We won't be able to shut him up when he comes back to us - but then again, no change there."
- Fulham coach Ray Lewington on Jimmy Bullard's call-up for England.
"Mr Capello says he does not understand Andorra's defensive tactics. Well, he can try coaching Andorra and I will try coaching England - I am sure we will beat Andorra by more than 2-0."
- Andorra coach David Rodrigo eyes up the England job.
Foreign rule concerns Carragher
FOOTBALL 365 were flicking through the pages of Jamie Carragher's autobiography last week when they came across a section where he was complaining about immigration.
"I've got two brothers who find it hard to work in Liverpool . . . one of the reasons is we've made it too easy for foreigners to come here and take the jobs," he said.
We're still chuckling at their response: "Number of foreigners for whom Liverpool Football Club have made it easy to get work as first-team footballers: 44.
Tiago gets his point across
EVERTON weren't hugely active in the transfer market last week, but they did try to sign Tiago Mendes on loan from Juventus, with the Italians eager to offload the Portuguese midfielder. How enthusiastic was he about the proposed move to Everton when Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli mentioned it to him at the training ground? "The story of me being locked in the toilet by Tiago is true," admitted Gigli. "Alessandro Del Piero responded to the noise of me punching the door and offered to break it down." That was a 'no', then.
