SOCCER:A round-up of soccer news in brief
Yobo completes Fernebahce move:
EVERTON defender Joseph Yobo has completed his move to Turkish side Fenerbahce on a season-long loan. The deal, which includes the option to make the transfer permanent next summer, went through this afternoon ahead of the closure of the Turkish transfer window after the 29-year-old agreed terms and passed a medical.
Yobo, who joined Everton from Marseille in 2002, has not played for the club this season.
Northern Ireland Under-21 player Liam Boyce has joined German outfit Werder Bremen on a two-year-deal. The 19-year-old striker has moved from Irish League Premiership side Cliftonville for an undisclosed fee and will begin his Bundesliga career in Bremen’s Under-23 squad. “This is a dream for me,” said Boyce. “I always wanted to play at a big club in Europe.” Boyce featured in 36 games for Cliftonville last season, scoring 17 goals.
Ronaldo out for Portugal opener:
MISSING their coach and the world’s most expensive player, Portugal’s seemingly straight-forward Euro 2012 qualifier at home to Cyprus tomorrow has turned into a possible pitfall.
Cristiano Ronaldo was ruled out of the match after picking up an ankle injury playing for Real Madrid on Sunday and although he failed to live up to his price tag at the World Cup, Portugal will miss him, especially after Simao unexpectedly quit the side last week.
Coach Carlos Queiroz is set to miss the first four qualifiers after his one-month ban from the Portuguese Football Federations (FPF) for insulting anti-doping doctors before the World Cup was upped to six by the countrys anti-doping agency.
Queiroz has said he will be appealing the decision but the incident could lead to him losing his job.
“(The ban) will not affect the players’ performances, the squad will not be affected,” said FPF chief Gilberto Madail.
Uefa turns a deaf ear on vuvuzelas:
VUVUZELAS have been kicked out of European competitions after Uefa said the controversial plastic trumpets drowned out supporters and detracted from the emotion of the game.
The plastic horns became a hallmark of the World Cup in South Africa, producing a monotonous droning sound, often likened to a swarm of bees, which provided a backdrop for every match at the tournament.
But they will not be allowed in stadiums in Uefa competitions such as the Champions League, Europa League and Euro 2012 qualifiers after Uefa’s definitive ruling yesterday.
“European football’s governing body has informed its 53 member associations that it has taken the move for reasons related to Europe’s football culture and tradition, saying that the atmosphere at matches would be changed by the sound of the vuvuzela,” said Uefa in a statement.
Crouch setback adds to England woe:
ENGLAND suffered a further injury setback yesterday when striker Peter Crouch withdrew from the squad for tomorrow’s Wembley Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria with a back problem.
Crouch, who scored a hat-trick for Tottenham Hotspur against Young Boys in a Champions League qualifier last week, has returned to his club for treatment, the English FA announced on its website.
It is not yet clear whether the big forward could still be involved in next Tuesday’s qualifier away to Switzerland.
Manager Fabio Capello is already without Chelsea duo John Terry and Frank Lampard and Manchester United centre back Rio Ferdinand for the Bulgarians’ visit
Everton centre back Phil Jagielka is struggling with an ankle injury and back-up goalkeepers Ben Foster and Scott Carson did not train with the squad yesterday.
Mourinho warns Madrid fans he's no Harry Potter:
JOSE Mourinho has warned Real Madrid fans not to expect miracles from him, telling them: “I’m not Harry Potter.” The Portuguese oversaw a goalless draw at Real Mallorca in his opening Primera Division match in charge, a disappointing result following the fanfare of his arrival at the Bernabeu.
But Mourinho believes his team, including new men such as Ricardo Carvalho, Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil, need time to gel.
“Look, I’m a coach, I’m not Harry Potter,” he told AS. “He is magical, but in reality there is no magic. Magic is fiction and football is real.
“I have been in Madrid a couple of months and we’ve had 40 training sessions. Do you know how many training sessions we have had together, including the new signings? Not 10. I repeat: not 10.”
Mourinho insists he is not overly concerned by the opening draw.
“I’ll say one thing for the superstitious. My seasons at Porto and Inter always started with a draw.”
Gudjohnsen's move for good:
STOKE’S transfer deadline day coup of landing Eidur Gudjohnsen from Monaco became even bigger today after they converted his loan move into a permanent one-year deal.
The Potters announced the signing of former Chelsea and Barcelona striker Gudjohnsen on a season-long loan. But upon discovering the 31-year-old’s contract with the French club was due to expire next summer, they agreed an undisclosed fee to make the move permanent.
United fail to hit season ticket target:
MANCHESTER United failed to reach their target of season ticket sales this summer, the club’s chief executive David Gill has confirmed.
But Gill insisted the figure is still “pretty good” in the current economic climate and that the club is in good financial shape.
Gill said the number of season tickets sold was 51,800 compared to the target of 54,000, and that executive seat sales were “on track”.
United’s season ticket sales have been conducted against a backdrop of a campaign by fans’ group the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) urging a boycott in the hope of persuading the American owners, the Glazer family, to sell the club.
Asked about the season-ticket protest, Gill said: “I’ll be clear on that. Last year our target was 54,000 season tickets, we’ve sold 51,800, which is pretty good in the current climate.
“I think the bare facts are that the club is in good financial shape. The ticket sales have held up.”
