Tottenham accepting Berbatov fate

Tottenham have finally realized that they can have little hope of retaining the services of Dimitar Berbatov for the upcoming season, claims a report in The Independent.

The report mentions that neither Barcelona nor Henry have had any contact from Manchester United or related parties and that reports in yesterday’s press, claiming that the Frenchman was used as a decoy in the United’s pursuit of Berbatov, were not far off reality.

The report claims that Tottenham are ‘pessimistic’ about the possibility of holding off United in their pursuit of Berbatov and a deal could be done anytime soon.

Meanwhile, the Premier League will begin an investigation in United’s illegal approach for Dimitar Berbatov, according to The Times.

Monaco agree to sign AC Milan´s Simic

French first division side Monaco confirmed Monday they have reached agreement with AC Milan to sign Croatian international defender Dario Simic.

The 32-year-old will put pen to paper for a two-year deal on Wednesday after undergoing a medical, the club said in a statement.

Simic previously played for Dynamo Zagreb, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

He has 99 caps for Croatia but played just one match during this year's European championships.

Gullit resigns as Los Angeles Galaxy coach

Ruud Gullit resigned on Monday as coach of the struggling Los Angeles Galaxy who also fired general manager Alexi Lalas.

Los Angeles are in the midst of a seven-game winless streak (0-4-3) despite having a healthy David Beckman in the lineup.

Los Angeles were expected to contend for the Major League Soccer title this year but are fourth in the Western Conference with a 6-8-5 record.

Gullit cited “personal reasons” in his decision to resign.

“Both parties have agreed on mutually agreeable terms to part company,” said Tim Leiweke, president of the AEG Group that owns the Galaxy.

“It is an amicable arrangement and we appreciate and respect the issues that Ruud has highlighted with the club and are very grateful for all the hard work he has contributed while with the organization. Hopefully, he has laid the foundations for future success for the Los Angeles Galaxy,” Leiweke said.

Los Angeles could have waited until Lalas' contract expired at the end of the season but they chose to have him follow Gullit out the door.

“With Ruud moving on, we believe that this is the right time to make more sweeping changes throughout the organization,” Leiweke added.

Gullit took over as Galaxy coach in the offseason following the departure of Frank Yallop to the San Jose Earthquakes.

The former Holland international brought with him solid credentials as the former Newcastle and Feyenoord coach, but failed to turn around the fortunes of the Galaxy. He will replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Cobi Jones.

Lalas joined the Galaxy's front office from New York in 2006 after playing for the Galaxy from 2001 to 2003.

Capello makes World Cup vow

Fabio Capello has guaranteed England will qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Capello is in confident mood ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins against Andorra on September 6, and the Italian believes England have more than enough quality to reach the finals.

The main obstacle to England’s progress will be Croatia, who stopped Steve McClaren’s team reaching Euro 2008 when they won 3-2 at Wembley last year.

But Capello isn’t concerned about any opponent and made the kind of bullish prediction that could come back to haunt him in two years time.

“We will qualify for the World Cup. We will be in South Africa. I am sure of it,” he said. “We are a very good team. It is always the same. For us, the opponent is not important. The important thing is what we do.”

England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008 led to claims that Capello has taken over a squad lagging behind the rest of Europe in technical and tactical ability.

But the Italian watched most of the tournament, which finished with Spain’s final triumph over Germany, and saw nothing that made him think England were inferior.

“I watched some games live and saw the rest on TV,” he said. “Only Spain played in a different style. Only the characteristics of their play was different.

“But I have a lot of confidence in my team and I think we will be okay.”

Capello, who was speaking at the National Football Festival at Wembley which was organised by McDonalds, will name his squad for next Wednesday’s friendly against the Czech Republic after Saturday’s Premier League matches.

The former AC Milan and Real Madrid coach will then reveal his new captain on Tuesday.

Rio Ferdinand has been tipped as Capello’s favoured choice ahead of John Terry, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham and the England coach will give his chosen one the good news when the squad meet up next week.

“I will announce the captain two days before the game,” Capello said. “I will speak with the captain just a moment before I tell the rest of the squad, then everyone else will find out.”

Ferguson using Henry as a decoy

Reports in England on Sunday suggested that Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was ready to pull the shock transfer of football history by bringing Arsenal legend Thierry Henry to Old Trafford. But, while the gaffer has refused to rule out a potential move for Henry, the press today reports that any move would be only used to force Tottenham into letting Berbatov go for a decent price.

The Independent reports that Ferguson pressed with the issue that he no longer considers the option of buying Berbatov by claiming that he is now looking ‘elsewhere’. When asked whether there was any truth in the reports linking him to Henry, he only commented that “there is a name every day,” according to Setanta Sports.

The Telegraph now reports that Berbatov might stay at Tottenham after all. According to that report, Juande Ramos has expressed his joy at the possibility of having Berbatov at White Hart Lane next season.

It would appear that Tottenham are in no rush to sell a player who has set his sights on another club and apparently, they are not willing to compromise on the transfer fee. Tottenham would probably not be willing to let Berbatov go for anything under £28 million, but Manchester United appear unwilling to pay that much money.

Chelsea set for Kaka swoop

Chelsea are set to swoop for AC Milan’s Brazilian international Kaka, the player’s personal assistant Diogo Kotscho claimed on Sunday.

Reports suggest a 100 million euro (150 million dollar) deal could be brokered before the closure of the transfer window at the end of the month.

And Kotscho told The Observer: “I spoke with Kaka yesterday (Saturday). We know that the clubs are talking about the transfer, although they have not reached a conclusion yet.

“I think an August transfer is still a possibility, though Kaka will only talk about that when they do a deal.

“He is waiting for a deal and then he will start to negotiate with Chelsea.

“Normally, Milan do not sell their best players. We think they like the proposal, but it is not so easy for them to accept it.

“For now we must just wait and see.”

The Brazilian has been linked with the Premier League outfit following the appointment of compatriot Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager.

Kaka, who is under contract at the San Siro until 2012, is said to be unhappy over Milan’s refusal to allow him to represent his country at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Bordeaux delighted with impressive Gourcuff

Bordeaux's new signing Yoann Gourcuff demonstrated during the 2-1 win over Caen this weekend that their ambition to topple mighty Lyon from the top of the French league may not be an idle dream.

The 22-year-old Gourcuff, who arrived on loan from from AC Milan during the summer break, scored once and showed his quality as an on-field coordinator during Saturday's match at the Chaban-Delmas stadium in Bordeaux on the first day of the season.

The former Rennes player needed fifteen minutes to warm up after the kick-off, then delighted fans with his speed, high level of activity and accurate footwork.

Visitors Caen went ahead with Benjamin Nivet's shot in the 14th minute, but Gourcuff soon equalized. His powerful right foot shot deflected off defender Jeremy Sorbon and found the goal.

When Bordeaux got a free kick in the 79th minute, Gourcuff took charge and there were gasps of admiration as his ball skimmed on to Fernando Cavenaghi's head for the Argentine to nod into the net.

Gourcuff has had precious little time for training with his new club but the preparation seems to have been more than adequate. “We know each other better now,” he says.

“I try to serve the forwards in which ever way they want, whether it's at ground level or from a deep position. My primary aim is to create space and movement and to take the initiative with the other midfielders.”

“We could do better, if we could score early on, the games would become a lot easier,” the midfielder added.

Bordeaux Coach Laurent Blanc added: “In any team it is important to have a technical leader. We had one last year (Johan Micoud) and when he left we replaced him with Gourcuff who is an excellent technical player who can inspire the others to play well.

“You could also consider Fernando (Cavenaghi) in that category, so having two on the pitch is a considerable advantage.”

But the coach warned of risks of having such a dynamic duo: “We need to find a balance so our strike force doesn't paradoxically put us in danger.

“Right now they obviously get along, but over time we need to ensure that as Fernando and Gourcuff get to know each other better they will avoid treading on each other's toes,” he said.

Marseille and PSG fail to get winning starts

Marseille let slip a 3-1 lead to draw 4-4 at Rennes and Paris Saint Germain fell 1-0 at Monaco as France's high-profile clubs failed to get a winning start in the French league on Saturday.

Reigning seven-time champions Lyon host Toulouse on Sunday to open their 2008/09 campaign.

The new-look PSG under Charles Villeneuve was deservedly beaten by a young and spirited Monaco side thanks to a goal by Frederic Nimani in the 79th minute.

Marseille looked set fair to get their campaign off with a win while leading 3-1 at the interval but Eric Gerets' men did not count on the determination of their Brittany opponents in the eight-goal contest.

Man Utd stuck with Saha

Manchester United’s bid to offload injury-struck Louis Saha has been set back yet again. The French striker has recently aggravated a knee injury which has made his suitors think twice about buying him.

According to The Daily Mail, West Ham have postponed their approach for the Manchester United striker as they are not willing to sign a crocked striker.

According to the same report, The Hammers could be able to get Saha for around £3 million, but they may face competition from both Everton and Sunderland, who have also expressed an interest in the French striker.

Eto´o shines in pre-season as future remains unclear

Barcelona have deemed Samuel Eto'o's surplus but the Cameroon international stiker's impressive performance in the pre-season has led his teammates and some fans to ask the Spanish club to reconsider.

“The entire team backs him. He's one of the best in the world. I don't know what is going on with the club but he's very important to the team,” French striker Thierry Henry said Sunday after Barcelona beat Mexican side CD Guadalajara 5-2 in a friendly in Chicago.

Eto'o contributed two of the goals after coming on as a substitute in the second half, the first one just four minutes after he hit the pitch.

The 27-year-old, Barcelona's top scorer in the Spanish league last year with 16 goals, has scored three times in four pre-season matches.

Eto'o was one of three high-profile Barcelona layers - Deco and Ronaldinho being the others - told in June that he was not part of new coach Pep Guardiola's plans as the club seeks to rebuild following a second successive trophyless season.

Deco has since joined English side Chelsea while Ronaldinho has joined Italian side AC Milan but Eto'o's has so far failed to find a new home while Barcelona continues to search for a much-needed striker to replace him.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said recently that the three-times African Player of the Year could stay at the club.

“In this world, nothing is unchanging. The decision is up to the technical staff. The sports dimension will always prevail. Samuel's attitude is good and I appreciate his bahaviour,” he said, adding Barcelona sports chief Txiki Begiristain would have the final word.

Begiristain, however, has insisted that Eto'o, who signed from Mallorca in 2004, is on the way out.

“The best solution for Eto'o would be if he was sold before the Champions League preliminary games. The market is about to close and we're considering many options with Pep Guardiola,” he said Tuesday.

If Eto'o were to play during Barcelona's third qualifying round of the Champions League next week he could not play in the tournament for his new team if he is transfered, which would complicate any deal.

Begiristain said Friday that at least “four or five big clubs” were interested in signing Eto'o but there had been no official offers yet, with the striker needing to agree terms with a club before negotiations can begin.

“We are waiting for this agreement. If he moves, it'll be to a big club, of course,” he told Britain's Sky Sports News.

Laporta has said talks had taken place with Inter Milan and AC Milan.

For his part Guardiola, who took over from Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona coach at the end of June, has also remained inflexible despite the striker's strong performances.

“My opinion has not changed. Eto'o is with us at the moment and as long as he is a Barcelona player we will try to get the best performance out of him,” he said.

Barcelona's players meanwhile keep singing Eto'o praises.

Midfielder Xavi Hernandez, voted Euro 2008's best player, has called him an “exceptional player” while Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi have called him “one of the three best strikers in the world”.

Like Henry, Barcelona captain Carlos Puyol has indicated he would like to see Eto'o stay at the club.

“He is one of the best in the world. Now he is just another member of the squad and is working like normal with a lot of desire and ambition. Things are like any other year,” he said at a press conference in New York.

Scolari - Don´t say I´m like Mourinho

Luiz Felipe Scolari has vowed to make Chelsea more popular by avoiding the kind of controversy that Jose Mourinho courted during his reign at Stamford Bridge.

Scolari has only been in charge at Stamford Bridge since July and his forceful personality have already earned comparisons with Mourinho, who led Chelsea to two league titles.

But the Brazilian is adamant he wants Chelsea to be loved so he won't follow Mourinho's penchant for making explosive comments about other teams and officials.

“I am not Jose Mourinho, so why compare me with him? Mourinho says 'I will win 10 championships' but I am more modest than that,” Scolari said.

“I am from south Brazil and in my culture we never say 'I will win this or that'. I just say that I will try my best to win all the competitions. But Mourinho is Mourinho, he has a different culture to me.

“I want to make Chelsea loved around the world, like Barcelona and Manchester United. It's a surprise for me that people say Chelsea are unpopular, because when we went to China, they love Chelsea.

“There were many people there. It's a big surprise people don't like us in England. Here in Russia, in Malaysia, it's even better, but maybe not yet in Brazil or South America.

“Chelsea is a club that is a growing name. Before, it was Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Milan.

“If we win one or two big competitions, I'm sure we'll have fans all over the world. Maybe it won't be the same as Madrid, Manchester or Milan because our history is not the same and you don't make a history in two, three or ten years. Maybe in 20 or 50 years, Chelsea will be on that level.”

While Mourinho spent millions on building Chelsea into one of Europe's top clubs, Scolari is keen to implement the club's new policy of bringing through more players from the youth academy.

Scolari has signed only Portugal midfielder Deco since taking charge and, although he has been linked with a bid for Real Madrid's Robinho, he insists there is no need to spend big money on such a strong squad.

“Since I came to Chelsea we have only spent eight million pounds on Deco. Jose Bosingwa came in before I arrived,” he said.

“Maybe in the past they have spent more money, but now they don't need to spend as much because they already have a solid base. Now they need a coach to develop young players and I think I am that coach.

“The new philosophy at Chelsea is to bring some young boys through the system.”

SCOLARI CHECKS IN

SCOLARI CHECKS IN

Luiz Felipe Scolari begins work as Chelsea manager today, before meeting the players for the first time when they report for pre-season training next Monday.

The Brazilian, who had been in charge of Portugal for five years, agreed a return to club football, and this week made Deco his first signing at Stamford Bridge.

A Chelsea statement released when the 59-year-old's appointment was announced read:

'Felipe has great qualities. He is one of the world's top coaches with a record of success at country and club level, he gets the best out of a talented squad of players and his ambitions and expectations match ours. He was the outstanding choice.'