Barcelona set to sign Inter's Zlatan Ibrahimovic in swap with Samuel Eto'o

• Swap deal hinges on players agreeing terms
• Barcelona still keeping David Villa option open

Barcelona have confirmed they have agreed a deal for the Internazionale striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with their own forward, Samuel Eto'o, travelling in the opposite directionl. The conclusion of the deal depends on both agreeing personal terms, according to Barcelona's official website.

The fee involved was not specified, although Spanish media have reported it will be in the region of €40m. Barca's out-of-favour midfielder Aleksandr Hleb could also be heading to Inter on loan as part of the deal.

Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta, has made clear the deal had not yet been completed and the club were still considering other options, including the purchase of Valencia striker David Villa.

"The Ibrahimovic deal is not done and dusted and it would be too early to say which of the two options is the most satisfactory," Laporta said. "In the end we will choose the option that is best for Barca."

Ibrahimovic would be Barcelona's second buy of the close season following the signing of Inter's Brazilian left-back, Maxwell, in a €4.5m deal which could eventually rise to €5m.

Emmanuel Adebayor completes move from Arsenal to Manchester City

• Arsenal expected to receive £25m from City
• Adebayor signs five-year deal worth £150,000-a-week

Emmanuel Adebayor has boldly stated he wants to "make history" at Manchester City after completing his £25m move from Arsenal. Several hundred City fans welcomed the striker at Eastlands after he completed a medical and signed a five-year-deal worth £150,000-a-week, and Adebayor's message to them was one of bullish intent.

City's Arab owners have embarked on a lavish spending spree this summer, and Adebayor is the third forward to join, following the arrivals of Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez. Those signings have created a groundswell of optimism that City could break into the top four this season, and Adebayor immediately tapped into the optimistic buzz.

"It made me feel really welcome and special and I can't wait to play for City's fans and show them what I can do," said Adebayor. "I was born to play football and that is what I want to do. I have come here to make history for this club and those supporters. It is what the chairman and the manager told me that they want too and I can't wait to get started."

The only potential stumbling block over the transfer had been Adebayor's fears that accepting City's huge offer would be poorly received in Togo. However he flew into Manchester for a speedy medical today, before ending his three-year association with Arsenal. Although he failed to find form last season, Adebayor scored 30 goals in the 2007-08 season, a record which was enough to convince City's manager, Mark Hughes, of what he will offer City.

"Emmanuel has been one of the top forwards in the Premier League since he arrived from France and we are delighted he has agreed to come and join us," Hughes said. "Along with the other signings we have made in the last two windows he will greatly enhance our ability to compete with the top sides.

"His arrival is another clear indication that we are determined to augment the players we have here with the best of international talent. He adds vital balance and power to our attack. He has everything a top forward needs. He is versatile, powerful, quick and agile on the ball.

"I am looking forward to working with him as are the rest of the staff. He will definitely add a new dimension to our play. I have been a great admirer for a long time."

Emmanuel Adebayor on verge of signing for Manchester City

• Arsenal accept offer believed to be worth close to £25m
• Adebayor will be paid £150,000-170,000 per week at Eastlands

Manchester City are on the verge of completing a deal to sign Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal, the Guardian understands. The two clubs have agreed a fee, believed to be closer to Arsenal's asking price of £25m than City's original offer of £20m, and the striker is in Manchester discussing terms on a five-year contract worth between £150,000-170,000 a week.

Adebayor, who would become the ninth striker on City's books, was identified as a realistic target last week, leading the club to end their interest in Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o. Talks with the Togolese have moved rapidly over the last few days, and though the striker was initially keen on a move to Serie A, it is believed the scale of the salary persuaded him to move north.

City hope the 25-year-old will now be able to take some part in their pre-season tour to South Africa, with Mark Hughes's squad due to fly out tomorrow. Carlos Tevez will be on board after the club confirmed his arrival on a five-year contract.

"Carlos is an international player of the highest class who possesses all the attributes that will help drive this club forward," Mark Hughes, the City manager, said. "He is not only outstanding technically but he is a reliable goalscorer and someone who will contribute fully to the team ethic. He gives us another exciting, attacking dimension. I cannot wait to welcome him to City."

OGUCHI ONYEWU DEAL TO MILAN

Although Milan have signed the United States centre-back Oguchi Onyewu, it remains to be seen whether the transfer deal can quell supporter unrest over their transfer policy.

The 27-year-old, who impressed in the US side's run to the Confederations Cup final last month, has joined on a free transfer from Standard Liège and penned a three-year contract. Onyewu holds a Belgian passport and will therefore not count as one of the two non-EU players Italian sides are allowed to sign each season.

Milan's interest in the defender had barely been mentioned in the media and his signing comes just a day after hundreds of fans protested at the first day of the club's pre-season training.

Ultra fans chanted slogans and unveiled banners criticising the owner Silvio Berlusconi and the decision to sell their playmaker Kaka to Real Madrid for €67m.

The Rossoneri, who lost coach Carlo Ancelotti to Chelsea having finished third in Serie A last season, had previously signed only the Brazil defender Thiago Silva and little-known young players. They are seeking a new striker with the Real forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Sevilla's Luis Fabiano, the Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and VfL Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko in the frame.

Onyewu could end up partnering Silva in central defence after captain Paolo Maldini retired at the end of last season and the ageing Alessandro Nesta and Kakha Kaladze's susceptibility to injury.

Milan, now coached by the rookie Brazilian Leonardo, have also announced that midfielder Massimo Ambrosini will be the new captain.

Michael Owen tonight signed a two-year contract with Manchester United after completing a rigorous medical examination to dispel some of the concerns

Michael Owen tonight signed a two-year contract with Manchester United after completing a rigorous medical examination to dispel some of the concerns surrounding his injury problems.

Owen underwent a series of medical checks at a private hospital in Manchester this afternoon before travelling to the club's training ground in Carrington to finalise the deal which, as a free agent, will not cost United a transfer fee.

The lightning move by Sir Alex Ferguson caught the football world by surprise, the move being done and dusted in the space of three days. "I had just begun to talk to other clubs when out of the blue Sir Alex phoned me on Wednesday afternoon, invited me to have breakfast with him next morning during which he told me that he wanted to sign me. I agreed without a moment's thought," said Owen. "This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend to seize it with both hands."

United were able to confirm late this evening that the England striker will be joining Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Luis Antonio Valencia in a new-look attack, and the club have pencilled in a press conference to unveil him either next Friday or the following Monday.

"I am now looking forward to being a United player and I am fortunate that I already know so many of the players here. I missed pre-season last year and am pleased that I will be starting at Carrington from day one," the 29-year-old said.

His debut is likely to be the first game of United's tour to south-east Asia, against a Malaysia XI on 18 July. His first appearance at Old Trafford will be on 5 August when Valencia come to Manchester for a pre-season friendly.

Ferguson welcomed the new arrival by saying: "Michael is a world-class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level and that has never been in question. Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish."

His contract at Old Trafford is based on bonuses for playing and scoring but Owen has been happy to take a huge pay cut from his £110,000-a-week salary at Newcastle.

Felipe Melo Agrees To Join Juventus??????it's Rumors or No

Sky Sport Italia claims that there is an agreement in place for the Brazilian to join the Bianconeri, and all that is required to complete the move is for Juventus and Fiorentina to agree a transfer fee on Tuesday...



Fiorentina star Felipe Melo could become a Juventus player as early as next week after the player’s agent reached an agreement with the Bianconeri, according to Sky Sport Italia.

Juventus are well known to be in the market for a top-class centre midfielder, and their primary target had been Udinese’s Gaetano D’Agostino. However, the failure to agree on a transfer fee has seen Juve look elsewhere for possible alternatives.

Sky Italia claims that Juventus have reached an agreement with the agents of Felipe Melo to sign the 25-year-old, who had an outstanding first season in Serie A after arriving from Almeria last summer.

Felipe Melo only recently signed a new contract with Fiorentina, but a release clause was inserted in the deal that says he can leave for €25 million.

Juventus and Fiorentina officials will meet on Tuesday to broker the deal, and the Bianconeri are certain to include Marco Marchionni, already close to the Viola, as part of the exchange in order to lower the cost. Zdenek Grygera and Michele Paolucci are also likely to be offered in the trade.

Should the transfer be confirmed, Felipe Melo will become the third Brazilian member of the Juventus line-up, along with Diego and Amauri.

Update 1510 CET: An official announcement in response to this story is expected from Fiorentina imminently.

Karim Benzema sends Real Madrid's summer spending to over £ 180m

Real Madrid and an extraordinary summer spending spree continued relentlessly sending reverberations through the world of football last night when the club agreed a £ 30m deal to sign France striker Karim Benzema, a transfer that is spending more than £ 180m since Florentino Perez was appointed as his galactic-obsessed president a month ago.

Perez has now signed Cristiano Ronaldo for 80 million pounds, £ 59m Kaka, Raul Albiol for £ 13m and the man regarded as the most exciting young player in France, in an agreement that could rise to £ 35.2m, depending of his success at the Bernabeu.

Benzema, the scorer of 23 goals in Ligue 1 last season, has been strongly linked with Arsenal and in particular Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson, but long-standing admiration for the 21-year-old Lyon player never manifested in the form of a concerted attempt to take him to Old Trafford as a replacement for Carlos Tevez.

In contrast, Madrid has left to add another striker to their already bloated staffing. "We know of its importance and effectiveness in our team," Claude Puel, the Lyon coach, said. "It's an exceptional player, but we also know the financial figures of the club."

Lyon said in a statement: "The player wants to seize the opportunity offered by Real Madrid to become a key player in an ambitious new policy of more of the world's greatest players. Lyon Karim Benzema has agreed the decision and the negotiated terms of a transfer that satisfies all parties. "

Benzema, who helped Lyon win four Ligue 1 titles and has accumulated 24 caps for France, scoring six goals in the process was the completion of the operation in Madrid, while tonight, back in England, the options Ferguson now appears to have declined further provides that after the season with only two senior strikers, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov.

The transfer of Ronaldo was officially concluded today, with the money they receive in America a lump sum, and indications are that Old Trafford Ferguson is happy to be part of the money for the time being, despite having spent £ 16m and the signing of Luis Antonio Valencia Wigan.

"Cristiano has been a wonderful player for Manchester United," Ferguson said in a statement. "His six years at Old Trafford has seen him become the best footballer in the world.

"His contribution has been an important factor in the success of the club at that time and his talent, his ability to entertain and his infectious personality has captivated fans around the world. Everyone here wishes him well in his future career."

Ronaldo's new career as a Madrid player had an inauspicious start, however, when a car he allegedly broke the window after being followed by photographers in Lisbon. A 17-year-old was injured by flying glass and had submitted a complaint to the police.

"He [the photographer] on car chased me from the Ritz Hotel with my mother in the car with me and filmed all our actions," Ronaldo said on the website of Gestifute, the agency that represents him. "The persecution so upset that my mother had to stop and convince them to leave us." Reports suggested Ronaldo broke the window with a single shot. A police spokesman in Lisbon, declined comment.

Brazil Is Winner Confederations Cup

Never mind the Ides of March, the fury of a patient man and dreams in which you are being chased down Rochester High Street by your A-level English teacher, who is wearing only a pair of Coventry City socks from 1983 and shouting 'You see what happens when you misuse a semi-colon!': what you should really beware is winning the World Cup dress rehearsal.

Historically, it has been a disaster. Brazil spanked Argentina in the Confederations Cup final of 2005, but were a lopsided shambles at the World Cup a year later; France won the Confederations Cup in Korea in 2001 and were a shower a year later; England won Le Tournoi in 1997 and would have won the World Cup but for David Beckham being sent off honest a year later; and West Germany won the US Cup in 1993, only to be humiliated by Bulgaria a year later.

As harbingers of imminent doom go, this is almost up there with winning the Manager of the Month award and being in a team managed by Phil Brown.

Not that this will trouble Brazil, who tonight aim to continue their often bumpy but increasingly smooth journey to next year's finals. They have progressed pretty nicely throughout this tournament, scoring 11 goals while winning all four of their games, and will expect to finish the job against the USA, who they thrashed 3-0 in the group stages of this tournament. The US have already used up enough luck to last four lifetimes, the raggy gits worked two miracles in this tournament; doughty and admirable as they are, it is hard to see lightning striking thrice.

Team news Brazil are unchanged, which means no place for Dani Alves, who came off the bench to score the last-minute winner against South Africa in the semi-final, while the US make one change: Benny Feilhaber replaces the suspended Mark Michael Bradley.

GOAL! Brazil 0-1 USA (Dempsey 10) Oh my. A lovely curving cross from a very deep position by the right-back Spector finds Dempsey, 10 yards out, and he tucks a very adroit, side-footed volley across goal and beyond Julio Cesar. That's a superb goal, and should liven things up nicely after a frankly tedious start.

GOAL! Brazil 0-2 USA (Donovan 27) What a magnificent goal! From that Brazil corner, the Americans launched a brilliant counter-attack. They were two-on-two; Donovan found Davies on the left, and he returned the ball first time to Donovan, now on the edge of the box. His first touch was delightfully quick-witted, twisting the blood of the last defender Ramires, and with his second he crunched it to the left of Julio Cesar and into the corner. Brilliant goal.

Half time: USA 2-0 Brazil So who predicted that score then? The US have quite simply done a number on Brazil. They have been excellent and astute defensively, and Davies and Altidore have carried a genuine, if occasionally haphazard, menace on the break. Both goals were of an extremely high quality, and there is no doubt that USA deserve to be ahead. Brazil are a shower, but they've been made to look like a shower.

46 min The US kick off from right to left.

GOAL! Brazil 1-2 USA (Luis Fabiano 46) It took just 39 seconds for Brazil to get back into the match. It was a very good goal, too: Maicon on the right fed the ball into Luis Fabiano on the edge of the box, back to goal, and he took a touch before swivelling to strike it instantly, through the legs of DeMerit and past Howard into the corner. Another excellent finish.

73 min Davies so nearly slaloms through the Brazil defence. Only the studs of the last man Lucio stopped him looking into the whites of Julio Cesar's eyes.

GOAL! Brazil 2-2 USA (Luis Fabiano 74) It had to come. The US defence have been playing from memory for the last 10 minutes, and Kaka was able to run the tiring Spector a little too easily down the left of the box before passing the ball invitingly across the face of goal. Robinho missed a sitter, shinning it onto the bar from six yards, but Fabiano was on hand to head the rebound past Howard from a couple of yards.

GOAL! Brazil 3-2 USA (Lucio 84) It was only a temporary reprieve for the US. The corner was hammered to the far post by Elano and the captain Lucio, who had escaped his marker Dempsey, planted a firm header past Howard and in off the unprotected post. Anyone who doubts the importance of the Confederations Cup should see Brazil's celebrations. Lucio is seriously on the brink of tears. Elano is on his knees, pumping both fists like a man who has just heard they are recommissioning Murder, She Wrote. They are going mental.

Full time: Brazil 3-2 USA Brazil retain the Confederations Cup after a fantastic final. The US were deservedly ahead 2-0 at half-time, but Brazil overwhelmed them with an exhilarating second-half performance. They were let off the leash by the match situation, and they were magnificent. I'm not sure if it tells us anything about what might happen when the real business starts in a year's time, but it was bloody good fun.

SAMUET ETO'O DEAL TO MANCHESTER CITY?????it's Rumors

Samuel Eto'o could be on his way to Manchester City after Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta, revealed the Premier League club had made the striker a "stratospheric offer".

Reports suggest the Catalan giants have accepted a €30m (£25.5m) bid from City and Laporta believes the temptation of a mega salary would prove too much for Eto'o.

"Eto'o has a stratospheric offer from City, which would convert him into the best-paid player in the world," he told the Catalan radio station iCat FM.

"It's starting to become clear that he has this monster offer. He wants to stay but an offer like this is very difficult to refuse. If Eto'o accepts this stratospheric offer we will have to bring in someone."

"He will do the pre-season with us, and then Pep [Guardiola, the Barça manager] will decide if he stays."

Laporta added that they would step up their efforts to sign the Valencia striker David Villa, although any future action was not dependent on Eto'o leaving.

"If Eto'o accepts Manchester City's mammoth offer, we will need another striker. Anyway, both of them can play together, and that would be very competitive. Txiki Begiristain [the club's technical director] will decide [what we do]."

Laporta then moved on to the case of the France winger Franck Ribéry: "He knows that we like him a lot, but if Bayern do not want to sell, we must respect that."

Finally, Laporta touched on Filipe Luis, following Deportivo La Coruña's rejection of Barça's latest offer: "We are not going to pay €20m for him. We presented a sensible offer, but that figure is out of reach."

Barça have, according to reports, bid €20m for the Palmeiras forward Keirrison, with the Brazilian club's willingness to sell the 20-year-old leading to the sacking of their head coach, Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

Setanta on brink of collapse after Premier League pulls rights

Setanta, the pay TV broadcaster that has poured hundreds of millions into sport over the past three years, was close to collapse tonight after the Premier League terminated its £392m contract to show live matches with immediate effect.

The move leaves the Premier League urgently looking for a new broadcast partner and could spell financial ruin for several Scottish Premier League clubs. Premier Rugby, PGA Tour golf, the Blue Square Premier and other rights holders will also be hard hit if it goes under.

The Premier League had given Setanta until 5pm today to come up with £10m under a payment plan agreed with the broadcaster to meet an outstanding £35m instalment on its rights to 46 live Premier League matches per season. A rescue package agreed in principle last week with the Top Up TV owner Access Industries, funded by the Russian billionaire Leonard Blavatnik, had raised hopes that the Premier League deal could be saved.

But, as negotiations that had been taking place around the clock for the past week dragged on into the evening, and the Premier League refused Setanta's requests for a further 72-hour extension, it became clear the broadcaster was going to lose its race against time.

"The Premier League has been working with Setanta for some time to help them continue as the broadcaster of 46 UK Live Matches for the 2009/10 season," it said in a statement. "The Premier League, in agreement with Setanta, stipulated that certain contractual requirements had to be met on or before Friday 19 June 2009 to allow the preparations for the 2009/10 season to continue unaffected. It is with considerable regret that we announce that Setanta has been unable to meet their obligations. As such the existing licence agreement between us has been terminated with immediate effect."

Setanta sources said the Premier League had refused its requests for more time to complete a rescue deal, which would have left the company on a firmer footing. The Premier League could face the wrath of other rights holders if they believe it has hastened Setanta's demise.

The FA will also be forced to look for a new broadcasting partner if Setanta, with which it has a £150m contract, ­collapses. It is understood that ITV, which paid £275m for its share of the deal but has since written down the value, is obliged to pick up England's away matches at £2m apiece. The FA chief executive, Ian Watmore, said tonight it was "understandably very disappointed with the news".

He added: "We have worked well with Setanta's management and potential new investors in the last week and had reached a solution in principle that would have allowed them to meet their contractual requirements with the FA and strengthen our strategic partnership. However, they made it clear throughout that this was dependent on reaching agreement with the FAPL. We now await developments but remain confident of the attractiveness of our broadcast rights going forward."

The future of Setanta, backed by venture capitalists in an ambitious attempt to take on Sky, has been in doubt since February, when it lost half of its 46 live Premier League matches per season from 2010 after under-bidding for a package. As revealed by the Guardian, that sparked a crisis of confidence among investors that it would be unable to reach its break-even target of 1.9m premium subscribers and sparked complex negotiations over a wholesale restructuring.ESPN and Sky are among those expected to bid for the Premier League rights, with the quick-fire auction set to close on Monday. Under a deal agreed in 2005 with European competition regulators, Sky can hold no more than five of the six packages of 23 games on offer.

The pay TV giant, which already broadcasts 92 matches under a £1.3bn deal and has first pick of the best games, could win 23 of the 46 games suddenly on offer, leaving Disney-owned ESPN to pick up the rest. Free to air broadcasters are highly unlikely to bid.

A source at Setanta said tonight that the rescue deal, under which Blavatnik had promised £20m for a 51% stake as part of a plan to restructure the broadcaster that would have also included another £20m in fresh investment and £50m from existing venture capital backers, had not collapsed. But at 6pm yesterday the Premier League decided it could wait no longer.

It is thought that talks between Access and Setanta are continuing but the terms of its offer will now change. "They are looking at what can be salvaged from this situation," the source said.

An Access Industries spokesman said: "Access believed that this proposal [to save Setanta] could potentially have secured the future of the broadcaster for its customers, employees and for football, provided certain conditions required to put the business on a long-term viable footing were met.

"Regrettably, despite intensive efforts on all sides over the past few days, and despite significant progress in a number of areas, there remain a number of issues which we have been unable to resolve within the time available."

Lex Gold, executive chairman of the Scottish Premier League, said this evening: "We are still locked in discussions with Setanta.

"Understandably, these discussions are complex and must remain confidential at this stage. We expect these to conclude early next week."

David Villa is not for Sale

The David Villa saga took another twist today when Valencia, who have been desperately trying to sell him, suddenly declared that he was not for sale after all.

Villa's agent, José Luis Tamargo, met Valencia today hoping finally to secure a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona but instead emerged to reveal that Valencia had decided that the striker is going nowhere.

"We have no choice but to back out of the market with our tails between our legs," Tamargo said. "I'm annoyed that they are toying with us like this. It would have been easier to say that he was not for sale in the first place, not say yes before and no now. I don't like this at all."

Valencia's president, Manuel Llorente, did, though, leave the door open for a further twist. "Villa is not for sale," he said, "but if there is an offer that is scandalously scandalous we will consider it."

Manchester United in top 10 sports brands in the world

Manchester United have been rated the eighth most valuable sports brand in the world in a new study which for the first time has assessed the comparative worths of 200 brands across the sporting spectrum.

Brands from the United States head the list compiled by SportsPro magazine, with the National Football League's value of $4.5bn (£2.75bn) ranking it No1, ahead of Major League Baseball ($3.936bn), and the National Basketball Association ($2.344bn).

United are valued at $1.495bn, three places and £200m behind the Fifa World Cup, worth $1.7bn.

The headline success story is the fledgling Indian Premier League which despite being two seasons old is rated only a place and £100m less valuable than the World Cup, the flagship property of the planet's most popular sport.

The Premier League, though, was not considered in the analysis. "The EPL and some other leagues did not make the list because they are owned by the clubs and are effectively revenue distribution entities not properties," said Tom Rubython, the editor-in-chief of SportsPro.

"As in the case of the EPL shares are returned on a team's relegation and handed over to the promoted teams. Effectively they are like a mutual – ie, an old-fashioned building society. The EPL is obviously valuable but not in a monetary sense, which is why the top teams in Europe will eventually form their own league they can actually own.

"Conversely the NFL – and all the other leagues in the table – is a permanent league with no promotion or relegation."

While the $1.55bn-valued Ferrari is the top-ranked team, a place ahead of United, the Premier League champions are ahead of formula one ($1.45bn), which is ninth, the $1.1bn Champions League (13th), and Real Madrid, worth $1.073bn in 14th place.

Arsenal is the next highest English club in 21st, with a value of $910m, six places above Liverpool ($801m). Chelsea's $634m pushes into 55th

Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid

Manchester United's supporters received the news they had been dreading this morning when the club announced they had accepted an £80m bid from Real Madrid that will make Cristiano Ronaldo the most expensive player in history. The world-record transfer is expected to be finalised before 30 June after United finally accepted that the world footballer of the year was still intent on securing his "dream" move to Madrid.

"At Cristiano's request – who has again expressed his desire to leave – and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player," the club said.

Ronaldo is likely to be only the second highest earner at Real behind Kaka, the former Milan forward who completed his move to the Bernabeu earlier this week for £56m. While Ronaldo's reported £80m fee outstrips Kaka, it is understood he will earn a salary of around €8m net (£6.8m), which when Spain's non-domicile tax rate of 25% is factored in is close to €211,000 (£180,000) a week before add ons.

Real said they hope to finalise the deal as soon as possible: "Real Madrid confirm they have made an offer to Manchester United for the acquisition of the rights of the player Cristiano Ronaldo. The club hope to reach an agreement with the player in the next few days."

Sir Alex Ferguson will now turn his attention to finding a replacement and United could follow up their informal approach for Antonio Valencia of Wigan Athletic as well as feasibly resurrect their interest in Franck Ribéry at Bayern Munich, although the Real president, Florentino Pérez, has accepted that the German club are not keen to lose the Frenchman.

"Ribéry belongs to Bayern and Bayern do not want to sell," said Pérez. "I have to respect that. If they change their minds, it will be a different matter." However, Ferguson will be aware that he may be trying to replace the irreplaceable. In 292 games for United Ronaldo scored 118 goals. He has won just about every player-of-the-year award going and even last season, when he was widely portrayed as having a disappointing year, he was their leading scorer, with 26 goals.

Ronaldo is yet to comment but the Portugal international has reiterated to Ferguson that he always intended to leave United at the end of the season just gone. The Guardian revealed on 3 April that Madrid had put in place a deal for Ronaldo and that he was intent on leaving Old Trafford, having already agreed his salary and contractual terms.

Ronaldo's representatives categorically informed the Spanish club as long ago as last September that he had no intention of remaining in Manchester and pledges were made to ensure the deal went ahead and that everyone involved in the negotiations made a pact not to discuss the agreement in public. United always denied this and their chief executive, David Gill, stipulated on the eve of the Champions League final that there was absolutely no way the club would sell the player. Ferguson had gone even further earlier in the season, saying he would "not sell that mob a virus".

Ferguson talked recently of Ronaldo, at 24, still not being at his peak and, despite the huge amount of money involved, he will be forced to recognise this moment as a significant blow to his hopes of re-establishing his team as the best in Europe.

Ronaldo's impending departure is unlikely to change Tevez's disillusionment at Old Trafford, according to a source close to the 25-year-old striker. "Cristiano Ronaldo does not play in the same position as Carlos, remember, so this will change nothing," said the source who also revealed that Tevez expects Valencia to join United. "Carlos knows that Valencia will now go to replace Ronaldo."

Valencia, Wigan's 23-year-old Ecuador winger, who was part of the national team that defeated Argentina 2-0 in last night's World Cup qualifier in Quito, a game in which Tevez was replaced during the second half, has also been linked with Real. "Sir Alex does not just want Carlos to stay, he has been begging him for the last two weeks," the source added.

"KAKA",Welcome in Real Madrid

Welcome Los galaticos volume II in Real Madrid.After,Florentino Perez back become president Real Madrid.Perez claimed that Kaka has become property Madrid with the transfer of 65 million euros from Ac Milan& to be record football player for the most expensive,previously on behalf of Zinedine Zidane when come to Real Madrid from Juventus with price of 47 million pounds.Florentino Perez also called 5 year contract offer with salary of 9,5 million ueros in 1 year to the best football player in 2007.Previously,Perez do contact intensive with Ac Milan vice-president Adriano Galiani.Ricardo izecson dos santos Leite or KAKA will be given costume number 5 who ever used Zizou and Fabio Cannavaro which are also best football player.

Cristiano Ronaldo between Football and Art

Profil:

Position:winger or striker .
Height: 1.84m.
Weight: 75,00kg.
Nationality: Portugal .
Born: 05/02/1985 in Funchal, Madeira,Portugal

First Appearance PROFESSIONAL

Bersama Sporting Lisbon pada 2002. Saat itu Ronaldo baru 17 tahun. Dia dipercaya main setelah masuk skuad Portugal U-17 di Kejuaraan Eropa 2002.

DIREKRUT MANCHESTER UNITED

Mencetak gol saat Sporting menang 3-1 atas Manchester United pada laga pramusim di Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon. Pada 12 Agustus 2003, Ronaldo direkrut United dengan banderol 12,24 juta pounds atau sekitar Rp 236,75 miliar. Dia mewarisi kostum nomor 7 dari David Beckham yang hengkang ke Real Madrid.

First Appearance PREMIER LEAGUE

Yakni, pada 16 Agustus 2003, kala masuk sebagai pemain pengganti dalam laga perdana versus Bolton Wanderers di Old Trafford. Laga itu dimenangi United 4-0.

First Appearance TIMNAS PORTUGAL

Tampil penuh (2x45 menit) saat Portugal mengalahkan Kazakhstan 1-0 pada laga uji coba Agustus 2003. Pada 6 Februari 2007, Ronaldo dipercaya sebagai kapten timnas Portugal dalam uji coba kontra Brazil di London. Laga itu bertepatan dengan ultah ke-22 Ronaldo, dan Portugal menang 2-0.

GOL-GOL

Gol perdana bersama United terjadi saat menang 3-0 atas Portsmouth di Old Trafford. Sedangkan gol perdana bersama timnas Portugal dicetak saat kalah 1-2 dari Yunani di penyisihan grup Euro 2004. Ronaldo mencatat raihan fantastis dengan mengemas 42 gol (31 gol di Premier League) sepanjang musim 2007/2008. Dua golnya ke gawang Bolton Wanderers (gol ke-33 dan ke-34) pada 19 Maret 2008 sekaligus mematahkan rekor gol legenda United George Best (33 gol) dalam satu musim. Satu rekor lagi, dia mencetak gol ke-100 untuk United saat menang 5-0 atas Stoke City di ajang Premier League pada 15 November 2008.

Salary and Contract

Pada 18 November 2005, menandatangani perpanjangan kontrak bersama United sampai pertengahan 2010. Kembali memperbarui kontrak pada 13 April 2007 membuatnya bertahan di Old Trafford hingga 2015.

Gajinya ditaksir sebesar 120-130 ribu pounds per pekan, tapi dikabarkan akan dinaikkan menjadi 150 ribu pounds (sekitar Rp 2,9 miliar) per pekan sehingga menyamai gaji pemain termahal Inggris seperti John Terry (Chelsea) dan Steven Gerrard (Liverpool).

Latest Statistics:

Year : 2009
Games : 33
Starting Line-up : 31
Substitutions : 2
Goals : 18
Penalties : 4
Yellow Cards : 7
Red Cards : 1
Minutes Played : 2748

Career of Cristiano ronaldo:

Season	Club	Championship	European Competitions	Caps
02-03	Sporting Portugal	3 Goals, 25 Games	(-)
03-04	Manchester United	4 Goals, 29 Games	5 Games (Champions League)
04-05	Manchester United	5 Goals, 33 Games	8 Games (Champions League)
05-06	Manchester United	9 Goals, 33 Games	1 Goals, 8 Games (Champions League)
06-07	Manchester United	17 Goals, 34 Games	3 Goals, 11 Games (Champions League)
07-08	Manchester United	31 Goals, 34 Games	8 Goals, 11 Games (Champions League)

Honours of Cristiano ronaldo:

• 2004 European Championships Runner-up (Portugal)
• 2004 FA Cup Winner (Manchester United)
• 2005 FA Cup Runner-up (Manchester United)
• 2006 League Cup Winner (Manchester United)
• 2007 Premier League Winner (Manchester United)
• 2007 FA Cup Runner-up (Manchester United)
• 2007 Community Shield Winner (Manchester United)
• 2008:: (Manchester United)
• 2008:: Premier League Winner (Manchester United)
• 2008:: (Manchester United)
• 2008:: Champions League top scorer (Manchester United)
• 2008:: Premier League top scorer (Manchester United)
• 2008:: (Manchester United)
• 2008:: Champions League Winner (Manchester United)
• 2008:: Vainqueur du Mondial des Clubs (Manchester United)
• 2009 Premier League Winner (Manchester United)
• 2009 Champions League Runner-up (Manchester United)
• 2009 League Cup Winner (Manchester United)

Individual Titles RONALDO iN 2008

-Best Football player 2008 versi FIFA inZurich, Swiss
-European Golden Shoe
-FIFPro World Player of the Year
-Ballon d'Or (Best football player europe)
-World Soccer Player of the Year version of the magazine A Bola (Portugal), Don Balon (Spanyol), Kicker (Germany), La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italia), hingga Sport Express (Rusia).


NB:CR-7 menggabungkan seni dan sepakbola lewat gocekan mautnya,yang bisa menyihir bek lawan hingga terpedaya.Lihat saja prestasinya yang menyorot publik dunia di tahun 2008 dan memborong semua penghargaan duniaSayang tidak untuk musim 2009 di tahun ini dia mengalami cedera engkel selama 1,5 bulan.tapi begitu ia masih bisa bersaing dengan Nicholas anelka di perebutan top scorer PREMIER LEAGUE.Sampai sekarang Ronaldo sangat rindu gelar bagi timnas spanyolBangkitlah CR-7

Gol Tangan Tuhan,"HAND OF GOD"

Gol tangan Tuhan terjadi tanggal 22 juni 1986 di Estadio Azteca, Mexico City. Ketika gocekan Diego Armando Maradona melewati 5 pemain Inggris Raya lalu diumpan sampai bola melambung ke atas. Mardona pun menyambut dengan tangannya. Saat itulah bola masuk ke gawang Inggris. Gol ini terjadi di menit 51'. Sayangnya, teknologi saat itu belum secanggih sekarang, sehingga kurang terlihat dengan jelas. Wasit asal Tunisia ini pun mensahkan gol meski beberapa pemain Inggris memprotes masalah ini.

Hanya saja 19 tahun kemudian, Maradona akhirnya mengaku bahwa gol tangan tuhannya itu.

Meski banyak pemain "The next Maradona" seperti Pablo Aimar,Hernan Crespo,Javier saviola atau Gabriel Batistuta, Lionel Messi layak disebut Maradona baru or the next maradona karena gol tangan tuhannya muncul lagi. Gol ini muncul di Copa del Rey untuk Barcelona, bukan di Piala Dunia FIFA seperti Maradona. Nama Messi langsung meroket dengan kejadian ini, hanya saja Barcelona gagal juara Copa del Rey yang direbut Sevilla, tidak seperti Argentina yang juara Piala Dunia FIFA 1986.Tetapi Lionel messi yang juga dijuluki Messidona inipun mampu menunjukkan kualitasnya sebagai titisan Maradona itu terbukti dengan TRI GELAR BARCA musim 2008-2009.yang memenangi Copa Del Rey,Liga Primera dan Liga champions.Ini menempatkan Barcelona sebagai team pertama spanyol yang mampu meraih hattrick gelar musim ini dan yang patut berbangga adalah Lionel messi karena dia berhasil menggondol top scorer Liga champions.

HISTORY of FOOTBALL

Menurut Bill Muray, pakar sejarah sepak bola, dalam bukunya The World Game: A History of Soccer, sepak bola sudah dimainkan sejak awal Masehi. Saat itu, orang-orang di era Mesir Kuno sudah mengenal permainan membawa dan menendang bola yang dibuat dari buntalan kain linen. Sejarah Yunani Purba juga mencatat ada sebuah permainan yang disebut episcuro, permainan menggunakan bola. Bukti itu tergambar pada relief-relief di dinding museum yang melukiskan anak muda memegang bola bulat dan memainkannya dengan paha.

Sepak bola juga disebut-sebut berasal dari daratan Cina. Dalam sebuah dokumen militer disebutkan, sejak 206 SM, pada masa pemerintahan Dinasti Tsin dan Han, orang-orang sudah memainkan permainan bola yang disebut tsu chu. Tsu mempunyai arti "menerjang bola dengan kaki". Sedangkan chu, berarti "bola dari kulit dan ada isinya". Mereka bermain bola yang terbuat dari kulit binatang dengan cara menendang dan menggiringnya ke sebuah jaring yang dibentangkan pada dua tiang.

Jepang pun tidak mau ketinggalan. Sejak abad ke-8, konon masyarakatnya sudah mengenal permainan ini. Mereka menyebutnya sebagai Kemari. Bolanya terbuat dari kulit kijang berisi udara.

Yang menarik, ada legenda pada abad pertengahan. Konon saat itu, seluruh desa mengikuti satu permainan bola. Bola yang terbuat dari tengkorak, ditendang satu diantara warga ke arah desa tetangga. Kemudian, oleh si penerima bola di desa itu, bola dilanjutkan ditendang ke desa selanjutnya.

Sepakbola merupakan olahraga yang dikenal sejak ribuah tahun yang lalu. Bukti ilmiah yang bisa didapat adalah adanya permainan semacam sepak bola di negeri Cina. Kala itu, dinasti Han melatih tentara menggunakan "tsuchu" untuk latihan fisiknya : yaitu latihan menendang bola kulit memasukan ke dalam jaring kecil yang diikatkan pada batang-batang bambu panjang. Pemain membidikan bola ke dalam jaring kecil menggunakan kaki, dada, punggung, serta bahu sambil berusaha menahan serangan dari lawan.
blank_page Di Jepang dikenal pula permainan semacam "tsu-chu" sekitar 500 - 600 tahun kemudian, meskipun tidak kompetitif seperti di Cina. Di Yunani juga mengenal olahraga pra sepak bola yang bernama "episkyros", juga di Romawi orang mengenal permainan "harpastum" yaitu permainan dengan bola berukuran kecil. Pemainnya dibagi dalam dua kelompok yang saling berhadapan di dalam lapangan berbentuk segi empat yang dibatasi oleh garis serta terdapat garis tengah. Tujuannya adalah menggiring bola hingga melewati garis batas lawan, dengan langkah dan terkadang melakukannya dengan segala tipu muslihat.

Ada dugaan bahwa orang-orang Romawi membawa permainan itu ke Inggris. Tapi masih disangsikan apakah Harpastum merupakan pendahulu sepakb bola yang sekarang dikenal ini, sebab penduduk Celtic di Cronwall sudah mengenal permainan yang serupa yang disebut "hurling". Waktu itu jelas belum ada peraturan yang baku. Orang boleh main tanpa jumlah yang pasti dan tidak saja kaki tetapi tanganpun boleh main. Boleh menendang tulang kering serta membawa lari bola.

Banyak teori tentang siap yang mula-mula melaksanakan permainan sepak bola ini. Tetapi yang pasti, Inggrislah yang mulai menyempurnakan sehingga perkembangannya halus seperti sekarang ini. Prakarsanya di mulai pada tahun 1963, ketika sebelas perkumpulan di London mengadakan pertemuan untuk menjernikan kekacauan dengan membuat serangkaian peraturan fundamental untuk mengatur pertandingan-pertandingan selanjutnya. Dan pada tanggal 26 Oktober lahirlah Football Association yang pertama. Buntut dari pertemuan itu adalah keluarnya kelompok Rugby dalam rapat karena menolak peraturan yang melarang penginjakan, penendangan tulang kering dan melarikan/membawa bola. Akhirnya pada tanggal 8 Desember 1863, Rugby resmi mengurdurkan diri dan keduanya berjalan sendiri-sendiri.

Kesempurnaan bermain bolan makin mendekati terutama setelah enam tahun Football Association berjalan. Adanya klausul yang melarang setiap pemegangan bolan (bukan hanya melarikan). Dan delapan tahun kemudian anggotanya sudah berjumlah 50 perkumpulan. Dan kompetisi sepak bola yang pertama dimulai di negara Inggris. Pertumbuhan sepak bola melaju terus di seantero jagat. Bahkan tahun 1879 sudah mengenal langkah-langkah sepakbola profesional di Darwin, yaitu dua pemainnya John Love dan Fergus Suter dilaporkan sebagai orang-orang pertama yang menerima bayaran dari bakatnya bermain sepakbola.

Setelah Football Association, segera menyulus di Nederland, the Scottisch FA (1873), The TA of Wales (1875), dan The Irish FA di Belfast, Selandia Baru (1891), Argentina (1893), Chili (1895), Swiss dan Belgia (1895) Italia (1898), Jerman dan Uruguay (1900), Hongaria (1901), dan Finlandia pada tahun 1907.

Pada tahun 1907, berdirilah Federasi sepakbola dunia (FIFA) di Paris. Pelopornya adalah Perancis, Denmark, Nederland, Spanyol, Swedia dan Swiss. Dari tujuh anggota berkembang menjadi 36 pada tahun 1925 dan setelah diselingi Perang Dunia II, perebutan Piala Dunia II sudah diikuti oleh 73 negara.

Origin of Football

Bicara tentang sejarah, olah raga sepak bola modern terlahir pada pertengahan abad ke 19 di Inggris. Akan tetapi, F.I.F.A.(Federation of International Football Association) pada tahun 2004 sudah secara resmi mengakui bahwa sepak bola paling awal sekali berasal dari Tiongkok, kala itu disebut Cu Ju (baca: Ju Cü). Permainan sepak bola tertua ini, bisa ditelusuri hingga lebih dari 2400 tahun yang lalu pada masa Chun Qiu Zhan Guo ( Musim semi musim gugur negara-negara berperang) dan telah melewati silih pergantian dinasti dan dalam jangka waktu lama tidak surut. Yang lebih penting lagi ialah, orang Tiongkok kuno ternyata sudah sejak dini untuk jenis olah raga sepak bola ini telah mengukuhkan semangat sportifitas dan standard etika yang ketat.

Cu Ju adalah kegiatan sepak bola terawal yang dicatat dalam notasi sejarah. Menurut catatan Siasat negara berperang, pada zaman Chun Qiu (musim semi dan musim gugur, antara tahun 722 s/d 481 S.M.) ibu kota dari negara Qi: Lin Zi, Cu Ju sudah popular. Cu Ju kala itu disebut pula “?? /Ta Ju, baca: Da cü”. Cu dan Ta, sama-sama berarti menendang, Ju bermakna : bola. Sesuai kitab Tai Ping Qing Hua, bola pada zaman dinasti Han “Terbuat dari kulit sebagai bahan luarnya dan membungkus bahan dalamnya yang berisi rambut”.

Liu Xiang dari zaman dinasti Han (tahun 206 S.M s/d 220 Masehi) mencatat di bukunya: Catatan Lain bahwa: “Pemain Cu Ju / sepak bola, konon diciptakan oleh Huang Di (kaisar Kuning). Disebutkan mulai zaman Zhan Guo (Negara saling berperang), Ta Ju identik dengan semangat tempur prajurit. Maka dari itu menggembleng laskar, diketahui yang berkemampuan hal tersebut. Selain suka permainannya juga menyatakan berlatih”. Tai Ping Qing Hua selain itu juga mencatat: “Ta Ju bermula pada pasca Xuan (kaisar Huang Di). Permainan dari latihan seni bela diri di dalam markas militer.” Dari situ bisa diketahui bahwa kegiatan persepak-bolaan di kala zaman Han selain sejenis olahraga dan hiburan, juga adalah semacam pelatihan fisik dan mental prajurit dan menyeleksi ketahanan fisik serta pelatihan militer yang menunjang semangat tempur.

Seorang bernama Li You dari dinasti Han pernah menulis tentang Ju Cheng Ming (Piagam kota bola), telah mencatat perlengkapan lapangan sepak bola pada masa dinasti Han dan ringkasan tentang kegiatan pertandingan, bahkan menjelaskan tentang persyaratan etika yang harus dimiliki oleh wasit dan pemain. Piagam tersebut merefleksikan bahwa olahraga sepak bola ala Tiongkok sudah semenjak zaman Han dibuatkan sebuah system yang cukup lengkap, seperti diungkapkan sbb:

Di dalam piagam disebutkan Ju (bola) dan Ju Chang (lapangan bola), diartikan bola dan lapangan bola melambangkan langit dan bumi, Yin dan Yang. Ketentuan pembuatan pintu bola, yakni pada kedua ujung masing-masing dipasang 6 buah pintu bola berbentuk lobang model Rembulan yang disebut Ju Shi (ruang bola), dijadikan sebagai target penyerangan, dalam perlombaan masing-masing pihak ada 12 pemain. Kalimat ”(Jian Chang Li Ping, Qi Li You Chang)” menjelaskan dalam perlombaan kedua pihak harus memilih kapten dan wasit. Sedangkan pertandingan memiliki peraturan tanding yang stabil, ke 2 pihak harus melaksanakannya sesuai peraturan.

Selanjutnya piagam menjelaskan, pada zaman Han olahraga sepak bola mensyaratkan wasit dan pemain pertandingan harus memiliki etika bermain. ”(Bu Yi Qin Shu, Bu You A Si)” berarti persyaratan kepada sang wasit. Wasit pada saat melaksanakan peraturan pertandingan harus adil tidak memihak, tidak tunduk pada hubungan pribadi, tidak boleh condong kepada salah satu pihak. ”(Duan Xin Ping Yi, Mo Yuan Qi Fei)”, bermakna persyaratan terhadap para pemain. Pemain harus berkarakter lurus, tenang dan sabar, walau kalah bertanding, juga tidak diperkenankan sembarangan mengomel dan menyalahkan pihak lain. ”(Ju Zheng You Ran, Kuang Hu Zhi Ji)”, menunjukkan bahwa olahraga sepak bola saja harus memiliki standard etika seperti ini, apalagi masalah pemerintahan sudah sepatutnya demikian

Dari Ju Cheng Ming bisa diketahui bahwa pada zaman Tiongkok kuno 2000 tahun lebih yang lalu, orang-orang sudah jauh hari menegakkan etika olah raga yang positif, selain menuntut semangat kompetisi yang adil sportif bahkan terhadap wasit dan pemain mensyaratkan moral yang ketat dan standard karakter. Dewasa ini persepakbolaan Tiongkok menghadapi etika bobrok kecurangan wasit dan main sabun, sehingga tidak bergairah dan lesu supporter, hal tersebut diatas semestinya berefek sebagai peringatan dan panutan yang baik.

Zaman dinasti Tang adalah perkembangan Cu Ju Tiongkok yang paling berjaya. Orang zaman Tang melakukan perombakan besar terhadap Ju (bola), yaitu bola dari berinti padat dirubah berinti kosong, kantongan udara menggantikan material pengisi, disebut Qi Qiu . Bola yang direvolusi bertambah daya pantulnya, sehingga dalam bidang teknik dan strategi sepak bola memperoleh lonjakan besar, telah membuat sepak bola semakin bervariatif. Orang Tang juga mengganti pintu bola dengan Ju Shi ( ruang bola), pada kedua ujung lapangan didirikan tonggak yang dipasangi jala yang membentuk pintu bola / gawang. Cu Ju Tiongkok juga menyebar ke Jepang pada saat zaman Tang tersebut.

Pada zaman dinasti Song ditandai dengan pendirian tim Cu Ju dari kalangan rakyat, Perkumpulan Qi Yun, Perkumpulan Yuan, dll adalah Perkumpulan Bola yang tersohor kala itu. Perkumpulan-perkumpulan tersebut memiliki teknik yang handal dan tendangan beragam, selain itu giat mempromosikan kegiatan Cu Ju dan pertandingannya. Buku (Hui Chen Hou Lu = > Catatan akhir tentang Menebar Debu) dari Wang Mingqing mencatat sbb: Ketika itu seseorang bernama Gao Qiu (baca: Kao Jiu) dari perkumpulan Yuan , karena memiliki teknik bola super, sampai diangkat menjadi Komandan Depan Istana oleh sang kaisar, boleh dibilang ia adalah bintang sepak bola pertama di dunia.

Yang patut disebut juga adalah pendiri dinasti Song / Song Tai Zu bernama Zhao Kuangyin, sangat menggemari “Cu Ju”, konon seni bolanya juga termasuk hebat. Para pelukis dari dinasti yang berlainan pernah membuat karya berthema Song Taizu bermain “Cu Ju”.

Namun Cu Ju sesampainya pada dinasti Ming mulai memudar. Pendiri dinasti Ming/ Ming Taizu pernah memerintahkan pelarangan prajurit bermain Cu Ju, bahkan ada prajurit karena melanggar larangan tersebut sehingga dipotong kaki kanannya. Dinasti Qing juga tidak melanjutkan kegiatan Cu Ju, yang membuatnya menuju kepunahan.